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Support For School Funding Referendums Declining
In Milwaukee, a school funding referendum just barely passed, but around the state many schools districts weren’t so lucky. There were 103 referendums on the ballot in February and April this year, but only 62 passed. It was the lowest approval rate — 60.2% — for school funding referendums during a midterm or presidential election since 2010, according to a new report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum.
Was Wisconsin’s Presidential Primary a ‘Huge Success’ For Trump?
We are in the midst of the season of political fundraising emails. In my experience they tend to favor one of two themes. The first is the message of gloom and doom: our opponent is way outraising us and without your donation all is lost. “We’re coming down to the wire here. With only 220 days until election day and our end-of-quarter deadline looming, we need your help and we need it now.” Based on a nonrandom sample of fundraising appeals, I would conclude that the first strategy is the approach preferred by most Democratic campaigns, but both sides use it.
Eric Hovde Says Most Nursing Home Residents Not ‘At a Point to Vote’
U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde said recently most nursing home residents are not “at a point to vote” because of limited life expectancy, reviving an argument some conservatives made in the wake of the 2020 election. Hovde made the remarks Friday while appearing on the Guy Benson Show,...
Free Tickets to Next Act Theatre
For Urban Milwaukee members, we have a very limited number of free tickets available for Next Act Theatre’s The Treasurer. To close out the season, Next Act will produce the Wisconsin premiere of The Treasurer by Max Posner. The plot: Ida Armstrong is broke, lonely and fading fast. And she’s spending all of her children’s money, forcing her son to assume the unwanted role of The Treasurer — an arrangement that becomes untenable the more he questions his devotion to her. In this darkly funny, sharply intimate portrait, Posner chronicles the strained ties between a son and his aging mother, and the hell of a guilty conscience. A 2017 New York Times Critics’ Pick, The Treasurer will be the first play directed by Artistic Director Cody Estle at Next Act Theatre. The Treasurer runs from April 24 to May 19, 2024.
Few SNAP Recipients Reimbursed for Spoiled Food
This story was originally published by Wisconsin Watch and WPR. Food doesn’t last long in Leisa Winston’s home, where she takes care of nine grandchildren. “Every day after school, it’s somebody (saying), ‘Granny, I’m hungry. Granny, you got something sweet?’” Winston said. The...
Council Bids Farewell To Alders Murphy, Borkowski and Rainey
Three Common Council members with more than 65 years of combined elected service have cast their last vote. Michael Murphy, Mark Borkowski and Khalif Rainey each opted not to run for reelection, with their replacements winning elections last week. On Tuesday, the outgoing trio said farewell at their final Common Council meeting and drew praise and plenty of laughs from friends, family and colleagues.
Public Golf Courses Open for the Season
The public golf season has begun in Milwaukee County. Milwaukee County Parks opened 12 of 13 public golf courses Tuesday. The exception is Zablocki Park Golf Course, a par three that is having its tee boxes and greens replaced with synthetic grass. Golf in Milwaukee can last until mid- to...
Complaint Alleges Whitnall School Board Violated Open Meetings Law
Four members of the Whitnall School Board are being investigated for allegedly violating Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law. LuAnn Bird, a Hales Corner resident, filed the complaint last month with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office. The complaint alleges school board President Jason Craig, Vice President Cassie Rainer, Clerk...
We Energies Oak Creek Natural Gas Plant Will Be Running by 2028
A new We Energies natural gas plant in Oak Creek is expected to be up and running by summer 2028, according to a new filing with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. We Energies announced plans in February to spend $1.2 billion dollars at its Oak Creek Power Plant to convert the facility from a coal-fired power plant to a natural gas plant. A Friday filing with the PSC revealed more details about the project and its projected timeline.
RNC Says Event, Restaurant Bookings Should Begin Soon
With the Republican National Convention roughly three months away, convention planners say event venues and restaurants will begin to get booked up for the event. The convention has already spent $1.5 million at events around the city, said Anne Hathaway, chair of the Indiana GOP and lead organizer of the event. And with all the “major contracts” already in place, planners will begin to focus on booking event venues, hotels and restaurants for the politicos, media and state delegations expected to descend on Milwaukee in July.
Present Music Presents Acclaimed Work by 5 Women Composers
Present Music presents an award-winning song cycle, The Blue Hour, featuring mezzo-soprano Shara Nova performing with the backing of the Present Music ensemble at the Milwaukee Art Museum on Thursday evening, April 11. Deanna Tham, Associate Conductor of the Oregon Symphony, will conduct. Present Music has often chosen one-of-a-kind events;...
School Districts Take Stock of Referendum Results
The results were mixed last week for the school districts that went to voters for approval to raise local property taxes as a way of helping meet costs. Fifty-six of 93 referendum requests passed — about a 60% passage rate — according to preliminary results. The results will have implications for how school districts afford a wide array of costs including paying staff, updating curriculum, offering programs and services to students and addressing building maintenance.
Evers Vetoes Bill to Allow Out-of-State Mental Health Care Providers
Supporters of legislation to allow out-of-state mental health care providers to treat Wisconsin residents say they aren’t giving up on the effort despite a veto late last month by Gov. Tony Evers. But some mental health advocates say the state should be more focused on increasing community-based services. The...
The State of Politics: Voters Throw Shade on Biden, Trump
You had to love the stubbornness of Wisconsin primary voters last week. With the two major-party choices for President already decided – Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump – many voters chose to throw shade on both candidates. Sure, 79% of Republican presidential primary voters backed Trump’s...
Back in the News: State’s 7 Richest People Worth $72 Billion
The super rich just keep getting richer: in Wisconsin, nationally and internationally. Last week Forbes came out with its updated list of the world’s billionaires and it shows there are now 2,781 of them, 141 more than last year. And they are “richer than ever, worth $14.2 trillion in aggregate, up by $2 trillion from 2023 and $1.1 trillion above the previous record” set in 2021, the story noted.
OB-GYN Dr. Kristin Lyerly Enters Race for 8th Congressional District
The race for Wisconsin’s open 8th Congressional seat, which U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher will vacate this month, began taking shape when the first Democrat announced her candidacy Thursday. Green Bay OB-GYN Kristin Lyerly launched her campaign for the seat Thursday morning at Hinterland Brewing Company in Green Bay. She...
Petition Asks State Supreme Court to Limit Challenges to Election Laws
A group of Democratic voters have asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to set a new standard for when someone can challenge the state’s voting laws. The group argues that someone’s belief that a law dilutes their voting power isn’t enough to bring a case. The request is...
Hmong and Asian American Histories Now Required Subjects in Wisconsin Schools
Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill into law Thursday to require schools in Wisconsin to teach students about Hmong and Asian American histories. “The Hmong and Asian American communities are a critical part of our state’s history, culture, economy, and our future. It’s important that we celebrate our shared histories and honor the people who help make Wisconsin the state it is today,” Evers said in a statement.
Villa Terrace Will Host 100 Events For 100th Anniversary, Charts Vision For Future
In this post-pandemic era, any museum not rethinking its plans for the future will likely face a dire one. Consumer preferences have changed, as have tastes and the very modes of communication. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts may prove to be a key for the survival of many institutions, including the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, 2220 N. Terrace Ave., which states, “Our focus is on establishing more diverse, accessible and inclusive programs, exhibition and outreach.”
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