Author: Staff

Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) Bus Driver Natalie Barnes was recognized by singer Kelly Clarkson during a recent Green Bay concert for her kindness and remarkable compassion. Barnes made international headlines in November 2018 when a MCTS Excellence video went viral, showing her taking extraordinary steps to help a homeless man. Barnes bought the man food, let him stay warm on her bus, offered to go shopping for him, and ultimately connected him with a safe place to live. Clarkson invited Barnes to be a special guest at her concert in Green Bay on February 15th. In addition to...

Japanophiles across the midwest attended Anime Milwaukee 2019, and over the three days every topic and taboo was up for discussion in some quarter of the colorful gathering. Fans of Japanese culture are familiar with the importance and popularity of Yuru-chara, mascot characters like Domo-kun – the official mascot of the NHK television network – and Kumamon, a mascot created by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture. These pop-cultural icons are celebrities like no other, because of their adorable nature – being overside stuffed animals. Mascots in Japan are basically a national obsession, and that fever was exported around the...

The former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick was blocked from inclusion on a list of leaders to be honored by the State of Wisconsin for Black History Month. White Republicans in both the Senate and Assembly rejected him over the objection of black legislators. A few days later on February 15, the City of Milwaukee’s Common Council added Kaepernick to its annual “28 Days of Black History” program. Council members jointly issued a public statement about the decision for the February 25 event at City Hall from Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, Alderwoman...

The Milwaukee Independent has closely followed the Foxconn story since the news was announced 18 months ago on July 26, 2017. With our past experience of doing business in China with the Chinese, Wisconsin’s business dealings with the tech giant were entirely predictable for how bad things would turn out. At the moment, no one knows what is going on with the promised factory in Mount Pleasant. There is a sense of uncertainty enveloping the plans for its operations. Reports have steadily shown that Foxconn will not produce what they signed an agreement for in order to get an...

Riders of The Hop can now see the location of an approaching streetcar to better plan their travels, thanks to the release of real-time data on February 12. The GPS-based information feed provides up-to-date positions for where streetcars are on the 2.1-mile route and when they will arrive at each stop, improving the passenger experience. “With slower conditions on the road today, riders can start tracking the streetcars now to get a better sense of arrival times,” said Jeff Polenske, Milwaukee Commissioner of Public Works. Thanks to the launch of the TransLoc Rider app, riders can take advantage of...

The digital gap across America, and specifically in a socially and economically segregated city like Milwaukee, presents challenges to teens and families in poverty who are just trying to do basic things like apply for jobs, complete homework assignments, pay bills, make decisions on major purchases, or participate in civic activities. City on a Hill is working to bridge that digital divide by partnering with the local nonprofit Digital Bridge. In a pilot program, young people gained computer skills to express themselves artistically and developed the technical skills necessary in many careers. Parents of youth who participated were given...