Author: Staff

Year In Review 2020: A lack of effort by self-serving Republicans to govern Wisconsin

2020 has been a turbulent period beyond the conventional methods of description. In terms of COVID-years, the past 12 months have had the glacial progress and weight of 12 regular human years. Each month brought a new chapter of events for the public to process, which required an expanded vocabulary to explain the news and a library of images to show the extent of what was happening. It was a very dangerous year for photojournalism with a pandemic and civil unrest. To be embedded in the heart of events as they unfolded required physical stamina, professional skill, and a...

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Milwaukee County awarded $40.9M Federal grant to move forward with East-West Bus Rapid Transit Project

The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the award of a $40.9 million grant to Milwaukee County on December 14, clearing the way for the East-West Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project to move forward. The Small Starts Grant Agreement (SSGA) was a significant milestone achievement because it finalized the federal government’s commitment to cover almost 80 percent of the $55.05 million project. “We appreciate the FTA’s commitment to helping improve transit infrastructure here in southeast Wisconsin,” said Dan Boehm, MCTS Managing Director. “Our team has worked hard to move this project from concept...

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Milwaukee to receive portion of $1M in WHEDA Foundation grants for low-income housing

Governor Tony Evers announced on December 21 that 41 organizations from Ashland to Janesville to Eau Claire to Milwaukee, will share some $1 million in grants from the WHEDA Foundation, as they work to provide emergency shelter, transitional residences, and extremely low-income housing. Administered by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), the WHEDA Foundation grants improve housing for community members, including individuals with disabilities, survivors of domestic abuse, individuals with chronic mental illness, those with incomes at or below 30 percent of the area median income, and youth experiencing homelessness. “Throughout Wisconsin, providers of emergency and transitional...

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Images of Christmas Past: Remembering Milwaukee’s holiday season before the nightmare present of COVID

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know, where the tree tops glisten, and children listen, to hear sleigh bells in the snow.” – Irving Berlin’s song, “White Christmas” I’m dreaming… of any Christmas free from the nightmare of COVID-19, and a society not so consumed by its sociopathic narcissism that it can actually cared about the wellbeing of others. Milwaukee – and the nation – failed the Thanksgiving COVID test, with a record increase of infections and deaths, because people were unable to make the minor sacrifice of skipping the family gatherings...

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Contributions to the 13th Annual Holiday Drive are helping Milwaukee families at local homeless shelters

The City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County’s 13th Annual Holiday Drive concluded on December 16 after three weeks of collection. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, items were not collected at drop boxes this year. Instead, the public made their donations fully online through two Amazon Wish Lists and the Holiday Drive GoFundMe page. This year’s Drive spread holiday cheer to Milwaukee-area individuals and families seeking housing and support services at both Hope House of Milwaukee and The Guest House of Milwaukee. “This year, we were amazed by the community’s generosity in supporting our 13th Annual Holiday Drive,” said Mayor...

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Common Council rejects COPS grant: Not just about 30 police officers but long-term commitments to change

A joint statement was released on December 16 from members of the Milwaukee Common Council – Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, Alderman Nik Kovac, Alderwoman Nikiya Dodd, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, Alderman Khalif J. Rainey, Alderwoman Chantia Lewis, Alderman José G. Pérez, Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, and Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II. We were not surprised to see members of the state legislature take the Common Council to task for its decision yesterday to turn down the federal COPS grant that has been at the center of so much debate recently. Some rarely miss an opportunity to speak quickly, one might say...

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