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PFAS and PFOS advisories issued for fish in Castle Rock Lake, Lake Mohawksin
State environmental and health officials have announced a new consumption advisory for several fish species in Castle Rock Lake and Lake Mohawksin because of potential contamination from PFAS and related chemicals. Both lakes are segments of the Wisconsin River. Elevated levels of PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) were detected in several […]
Republican candidates Michels and Toney join victims to campaign on parole issue
“June 3, 1997 was probably the worst day of my life,” Karen Kannenberg said at a Friday press conference hosted by the Milwaukee Police Association. In a voice heavy with emotion, Kannenberg recalled the day she learned that her sister Johanna Balsewicz had been murdered by Balsewicz’s husband Douglas. “I was supposed to take her […]
What GOP attacks on parole and bail continue to ignore
For months, Republican candidates and campaign ads supporting them have unleashed a barrage of attacks on the release of incarcerated people. Efforts to reduce the prison population including Wisconsin’s parole and cash bail systems, have become focal points of this year’s midterm elections. Parole and bail operate on opposite ends of the criminal justice system, […]
Gun control advocates: Milwaukee police union misses mark with firearms lawsuit
Gun control advocates say a recent lawsuit by the union for Milwaukee Police Department officers to force the department to replace one particular sidearm is missing the mark. Since 2020, two officers have been injured when department-issued SIG Sauer P320 sidearms fired without the trigger being pulled. The Milwaukee Police Association sued the city in […]
DNR urges public to report tree fungus and pests this fall
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking for the public to check needle-bearing trees for signs of harmful disease and to report those findings to the DNR. Particularly on the department’s radar is heterobasidion root disease (HRD), a severe fungal infection that targets pines, spruces and other conifers in Wisconsin. HRD is a rotting […]
Hunters encouraged to test deer for chronic wasting disease before eating
As deer hunting opens up across the state, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is encouraging hunters to test deer for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Testing should be done before any venison is consumed. Because deer infected with CWD may appear healthy, testing is highly encouraged, especially where CWD has been detected in wild deer […]
‘White Lives Matter’ flyers distributed around village of Greendale
Reports of “White Lives Matter” flyers being distributed in the village of Greendale over the weekend have surfaced online. Photos posted to a private Facebook group focused on the community show a small piece of paper inside a sandwich bag reading “Watch Europa,” “White Lives Matter,” and “it’s time to take a stand.” The assistant […]
$10 million in ARPA money opens up for well owners
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting applications for a new well compensation and well abandonment program, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Applications will be accepted until the $10 million fund runs out. The new programs will assist well owners in tackling contamination and award grants for the replacement, reconstruction and […]
Republicans sue Milwaukee over effort to get out the vote
The city of Milwaukee, often called Wisconsin’s economic engine and for certain the state’s most populous city, continues to draw suspicion from Republicans who raised questions about voting practices there in 2020, when Donald Trump falsely claimed voter fraud deprived him of victory in the presidential election. In November, voters across the state go to […]
Homes MKE development teams selected to renovate 150 vacant properties
The Homes MKE initiative in Milwaukee took another step forward Wednesday after Mayor Cavalier Johnson signed a resolution selecting the development teams for the initiative. Homes MKE aims to renovate a minimum of 150 vacant city-owned residential properties in Milwaukee. The resolution, which was signed after a unanimous common council vote, authorized the property sales […]
Protesters outside Milwaukee GOP office denounce ‘racist’ ads
A group of voters in Milwaukee joined community organizations and elected officials outside the Wisconsin Republican Party’s field office on Martin Luther King Drive. The office, located on Milwaukee’s predominately African American North Side, opened in the Bronzeville neighborhood in 2020. On Wednesday, it became the site of a brief protest organized by community members, […]
The Rittenhouse shootings started a gun debate in Kenosha that hasn’t ended
This story was published in partnership with The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence in America. It can be viewed here on THETRACE.ORG. Sign up for their newsletters here. It’s been more than two years since a police officer fired seven shots into the back of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, Jr., setting off days of protest […]