Author: Correspondent

One in four tobacco retailers in the City of Milwaukee sold tobacco or nicotine products to underage youth during 2018 compliance checks, according to newly released data from Wisconsin Wins. During the Wisconsin Wins compliance checks, minors attempt to purchase tobacco or nicotine products, including cheap, flavored cigarillos, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or single cigarettes. If they are successful, a Milwaukee police officer working with the minors writes a ticket on the spot or retailers can choose to sign up for the MARTS program (Milwaukee Achieving Responsible Tobacco Sales) to avoid citation. The 25% rate of sale was an increase from...

The Airmen of Note ensemble will perform a free public concert in the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Uihlein Hall on May 1, with Milwaukee native Major General James Jacobson in attendance. Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, DC, it is the premier jazz ensemble and one of six musical ensembles that comprise The U.S. Air Force Band. Created in 1950 to continue the tradition of Major Glenn Miller’s Army Air Forces dance band, the current band consists of 18 active duty Airmen musicians including one vocalist. Through the years, the Airmen of Note has presented its own brand...

The latest property assessment by the City of Milwaukee showed a continued improvement in the residential and commercial real estate markets. Total residential and commercial value combined for the 2019 valuation is $28.1 Billion, just 2% under the 2008 pre-Recession peak, and up 5% from 2018. Commercial property values increased 7.7%, driven by downtown development as well as growth in large residential development in Districts 6, 12, and 14. Higher growth in commercial value city-wide compared to residential can help reduce property tax increases for homeowners. “Milwaukee continues on an upward economic trajectory,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “This increase...

An April 23rd letter from Governor Tony Evers revealed that Foxconn was indeed seeking to renegotiate the scale of its investment in Wisconsin, which was originally supposed to generate 13,000 jobs for the state. The company has previously and repeatedly stated that it remained committed to fulfilling its contract with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), despited waves of media reports to the contrary. Foxconn promised that was working hard to deliver jobs at the Racine factory, for which it was given $4 billion in tax breaks and subsidies. As Governor Evers worked to hold the Taiwanese tech giant...

Fiserv Forum was awarded a LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Milwaukee’s world-class arena received an A+ rating and is the first sports and entertainment venue in Wisconsin to earn LEED Silver Certification. Fiserv Forum achieved LEED Silver Certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at achieving high performance in the categories of: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation and design process, and regional priority. “Fiserv Forum is a world-class arena in all aspects, including sustainability, and we are proud to announce our LEED...

Governor Tony Evers said it was “unrealistic” to expect Foxconn would still create 13,000 Wisconsin jobs as promised, in light of the company’s plans to change its manufacturing facility in Racine, and the state’s contract should be renegotiated to reflect the new reality. Under terms of the original deal struck by former Governor Scott Walker, Foxconn would get more than $4 billion in state and local tax credits if it employs 13,000 people and invests $10 billion in the state. That deal was roundly criticized as being too favorable for Foxconn. The incentive package was the largest of its...