Author: Editor

“Someone who discovers this tour on a dusty shelf decades from now will likely find it curiously antique, a yellowing testament to a city lost to memory. I welcome that fate as confirmation that cities, like the people they serve, are constantly in motion, forever evolving in directions that defy easy understanding.” – John Gurda John Gurda, the celebrated Milwaukee historian and accomplished author, releases his latest work, John Gurda’s Milwaukee: A Self-Guided Tour on December 10. The unique companion was designed to take readers on a historical journey through Milwaukee’s vibrant past and present. The new book from...

A bipartisan group of lawmakers held a press conference at the State Capitol in Madison on December 4, with the support of business and labor leaders from across the state, to introduce proposed legislation designed to help remedy Wisconsin’s workforce shortage. Wisconsin lawmakers said that while they cannot fix the nation’s immigration policy, they can make it easier for Dreamers to work and learn in the Badger state. The three legislative bills put forward by State Representative John Macco (R-Ledgeview) could transform the lives of individuals in Wisconsin under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, commonly known as...

Milwaukee PBS premiered a new documentary “A Hallowed Home for Heroes” on November 6. It details the historic past of Old Main, also known as Milwaukee’s Soldiers Home, through decades of use as a care center for veterans since the Civil War, its fall into decay, and eventual rebirth. For the segment explaining Old Main’s decline, when it was undergoing a passive “demolition by neglect,” almost 30 images published by Milwaukee Independent were presented. Senior photojournalist Lee Matz documented the building’s condition in a series of vivid images, including 360° VR. The rare collection of editorial photos helped the...

Milwaukee’s annual memorial ceremony to honor its fallen firefighters was held on October 12 at MFD Headquarters Station 2, a solemn tradition observed since 1996 to remember those who were lost performing their duty or as a result of their public service. Since 1875, members of the Milwaukee Fire Department have protected the lives and property of the citizens in the City of Milwaukee. Concerned citizens originally organized a volunteer firefighting force in 1837. The October 12 ceremony honored all the firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice in the course of protecting the public. “For those of us who...