From the Article:

>One of the great local losses of recent years is the loss of the Milwaukee PBS Great TV Auction. A hypnotically watchable and delightfully homegrown staple since 1969, the Great TV Auction was put out to pasture by Milwaukee PBS in 2019. No more overbids. No more table captains. No more handsomely framed photos of Brett Favre and Bart Starr. Boo. > >Happily, old auctions in all their live-local-TV glory can be found on YouTube. One recently caught our eye: Behold, a Great TV Auction from 1987, featuring the usual assortment of donated goodies (Summerfest stuff, Wisconsin Dells stuff, a handsomely framed photo of Gorman Thomas and Pete Vuckovich), plus a Waukesha “dream home”!

From the Article:

>A complaint filed with the Wisconsin Elections Commission says a town in Rusk County is breaking the law by refusing to make voting machines available to voters with disabilities. Despite a warning from the U.S. Department of Justice, the town allegedly conducted the August primary election using only hand-counted, paper ballots. > >The complaint filed by Disability Rights Wisconsin says the Town of Thornapple violated the federal Help America Vote Act by not making electronic voting machines available to people with disabilities during the April and August primaries. “By ceasing to use electronic voting equipment and, instead, exclusively using paper ballots completed and tabulated by hand, Respondents are no longer using voting systems that are accessible for individuals with disabilities in a manner that provides the same opportunity for access and participation (including privacy and independence) as for other voters,” the complaint said. > >Disability Rights Wisconsin is asking the Wisconsin Elections Commission to order Thornapple to make accessible voting machines. DRW Director of Legal and Advocacy Services Kit Kerschensteiner told WPR the goal is to ensure all town residents are able to cast private ballots in the November presidential election. She said voting machines were used without issue in Thornapple before April. > >“This is not the situation of a machine that just isn’t functioning that day at the polling place,” Kerschensteiner said. “This is a place that has chosen specifically, knowing that they were disenfranchising individuals with disabilities, and choosing to go ahead and do that, which we find to be unacceptable.”

From the Article:

>Two Wisconsinites have died and a third has been hospitalized because of West Nile virus, according to state health officials. > >On Thursday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported the state’s first three cases of the mosquito-borne illness this year. > >West Nile virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and cannot be passed from person to person. The state sees an average of 18 cases annually, with cases usually peaking in August or September. > >DHS epidemiologist Rebecca Osborn said on a call with reporters that Wisconsin has seen cases of West Nile virus every year since it was discovered in the state in 2002. She said the location of cases each year is “quite sporadic.” > >“It’s an unpredictable disease at times,” Osborn said. “We can have as few as one or two cases in a given year, and we can have as many as 52 cases, I think was our record. So there’s this sort of ebb and flow.” > >Osborn told reporters around 80 percent of people who are infected with the virus don’t have symptoms. People who do become ill typically develop a fever and experience symptoms similar to influenza, like headache and body aches.

From the Article:

>A coalition of local officials and business leaders gathered at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport Friday to stump for federal funding for a new international terminal. > >Airport officials have been working on a new international terminal project for years, initially securing funding in 2017. But the project was paused when the COVID-19 pandemic devastated air travel, and the ensuing inflationary pressures pushed the estimated project cost beyond the previously secured funding award. The estimated cost was approximately $53 million in 2017. Now that number is closer to $80 million, said Airport Director Brian Dranzik. > >The airport and Milwaukee County are working with federal officials and powerful local business interests to revive the project with federal funding made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The airport has applied for a competitive grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that could help close the approximately $30 million budget gap, Dranzik said at a press conference Friday. > >The project is expected to boost travel in and out of Milwaukee Mitchell, leading to more flight options for leisure and business travelers alike; and boosting the local economy through increased tourism and efficiency for local companies doing business internationally. > >“The real message that we want folks to understand is that in order to redevelop this particular concourse, Concourse E, it’s going to take the federal funds to do it,” County Executive David Crowley said. The county’s already troubling financial position has worsened over the past year, as a confluence of factors — including poor sales tax returns — have widened budget gaps in this year and next. > >If funding is secured, the airport will redevelop Concourse E, shuttered in 2017, into a new two-gate facility for both domestic and international travel. The current international terminal is small, outdated and disconnected from the airport’s main building complex, presenting logistical challenges for international travelers and airlines alike. It was built in 1975 and has a capacity of 140 passengers, which is lower than the 200-person capacity of larger Boeing 767 and 787 aircraft used for long flights.

From the Article:

>Even though she’s a Shorewood mom who loves reading to her two children, and is a bibliophile herself, Courtney Hyzer never planned – until recently – on opening a bookshop four blocks from her home. > >But now, as she’s a few months away from debuting Wonderland Bookshop in Shorewood, Hyzer is sure this is her dream job and the perfect next chapter. The bookshop will open around Oct. 1 in the former Hayek’s Pharmacy building, on Capitol and Downer.

From the Article:

>Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will deliver remarks in Milwaukee on Labor Day. > >The Harris-Walz campaign confirmed that the Minnesota governor will speak at Laborfest, hosted by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council. The event is held annually at Henry Maier Festival Park, also known as the Summerfest grounds. His wife, first lady Gwen Walz, will also be in attendance. > >The event runs from 11am until 5pm, but the campaign has not said what time the governor will be speaking. > >This will be Gov. Walz’s first solo visit to the state on the campaign trail. He joined Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally at Fiserv Forum during the Democratic National Convention on July 20.

From the Article:

>Backed by a federal grant, the City of Milwaukee intends to install publicly-accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at 53 locations with 228 total ports. > >Senator Tammy Baldwin announced the $14.9 million Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) grant Friday. > >“This grant announcement is wonderful news for the people of Milwaukee. It is a big stride forward in achieving our city’s climate and equity goals,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson in an announcement distributed by Baldwin’s office. “I am extremely grateful to Senator Baldwin for her work and her guidance that led to this award. And I am similarly grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for prioritizing investments to reduce our reliance on fuels with the greatest climate impacts.” > >City officials, during the 2023 adoption of the Climate and Equity Plan, said they were pursuing a grant to fund charging stations. The city, in early 2023, also adopted an electric vehicle purchasing plan for its own fleet. > >In August 2023, President Joe Biden visited Milwaukee to tour Ingeteam, which is assembling EV chargers in its Menomonee Valley facility. The company added the line to the facility due to expected business originating from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. > >“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing in Wisconsin’s future, creating countless good-paying jobs upgrading the infrastructure that families rely on to get to work and school. I am proud to have secured strong Buy America standards to ensure that we are using American workers and American products while we build out the infrastructure to give people more ways to travel around our state,” said Baldwin. “I worked hard to deliver this funding which invests in emission-free vehicle infrastructure, helping to improve the air our children breathe and creating more opportunities for Wisconsin workers to break into a family-supporting career that will only grow in the coming years.”

From the Article:

>Two Waukesha County municipalities have decided to prevent residents from using absentee ballot drop boxes in the upcoming presidential election. The decision comes after the Wisconsin Supreme Court last month reversed a near-total ban of the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the state. > >The Brookfield Common Council last week voted against allowing residents to use the city’s utility payment drop box outside of City Hall for absentee ballots. Last month, New Berlin took a similar step. > >Brookfield Alder Mike Hallquist, who voted against the ban, said the decision from the council was a disappointment. “Essentially what we did as a community is we rolled back a voting method that makes voting more accessible in our community, that we previously had without issue,” Hallquist said. > >Absentee voting and the use of ballot drop boxes became a more popular option for voters during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the spring of 2021, the Wisconsin Elections Commission found there were 570 drop boxes being used in 66 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. > >But the use of the boxes has also become a highly politicized issue in recent years. The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s conservative majority made them illegal in 2022. The election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz in 2023 gave the court a liberal majority. In July, the court’s four liberal justices reversed the earlier decision. > >Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote in the majority opinion that the ruling “does not force or require that any municipal clerks use drop boxes.” > >After that decision, the Wisconsin Elections Commission issued suggested guidance for municipal clerks for their ballot box use, which said the boxes should be affixed to the ground and should be in a well-lit area. > >“Ideally, unstaffed 24-hour drop boxes should be located in areas with good lighting and be monitored by video surveillance cameras,” the guidance said. “When this is not feasible, positioning the box close to a nearby camera is a good option.” > >The guidance adds that “chain of custody” forms should be completed every time ballots are collected.

From the Article:

>Last call! As folks in and around Milwaukee are getting ready to celebrate Labor Day this weekend, Milwaukee County Parks is preparing to close some of its beer gardens for the season. On Friday, Milwaukee County Parks officially announced the closing dates for its beer gardens—including the ending date for its Traveling Beer Garden series—as well as some modified fall hours for the few places that will remain in operation after Labor Day. Here are those closing dates and/or modified hours.

cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/15783542

> From the Article: > > >The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is spearheading an effort to help more workers in the upper Midwest gain skills for green jobs that support manufacturing. > > > >UW-Milwaukee will assist nine community colleges in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois to establish Industrial Training Assessment Centers — places where workers can develop energy assessment skills. Those skills can then be used to help manufacturers reduce energy consumption and cut carbon emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. > > > >The Energy Department selected UW-Milwaukee to lead one of its Clean Energy and Manufacturing Workforce Consortia, with the goal of helping companies be more competitive while addressing climate change. The university received a $5.7 million federal grant to assist in the effort, the college announced this week. > >

From the Article:

>The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is spearheading an effort to help more workers in the upper Midwest gain skills for green jobs that support manufacturing. > >UW-Milwaukee will assist nine community colleges in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois to establish Industrial Training Assessment Centers — places where workers can develop energy assessment skills. Those skills can then be used to help manufacturers reduce energy consumption and cut carbon emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. > >The Energy Department selected UW-Milwaukee to lead one of its Clean Energy and Manufacturing Workforce Consortia, with the goal of helping companies be more competitive while addressing climate change. The university received a $5.7 million federal grant to assist in the effort, the college announced this week.

From the Article:

>The 19th annual Downtown Employee Appreciation Week kicks off Monday, Aug. 19 and runs through Friday, Aug. 23 in Downtown Milwaukee. > >Downtown Employee Appreciation Week's mission is to reward Downtown Milwaukee’s dedicated workforce with a week of incentives, including daily giveaways, office challenge games, employee discounts and more. > >Monday’s highlights start with free coffee at “The Morning Jolt with Levy Restaurants” located at Baird Community Commons, 799 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave. from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – while supplies last. > >An opening day ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 11:45 a.m. in Red Arrow Park, complete with live music from KOJO, Office Challenge Games sponsored by Educators Credit Union, a Milwaukee Bucks Basketball Shootout, an appearance from the Milwaukee Brewers Street Team, 1,000 sandwiches from Downtown Kitchen and 300K Café and free cookies from Davians. > >In the evening, a Moment of Meditation wellness session will be held at Sampson Square in Schlitz Park from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

From the Article:

>Less than a month after buying roughly 170 acres in Racine County, Microsoft has acquired even more land for its $3.3 billion data center campus. > >Microsoft purchased 70.9 acres of mostly vacant land in Mount Pleasant for $12.75 million, according to Wisconsin Department of Revenue online records. > >The sale was recorded Tuesday. Like the 173 acres purchased last month, the land acquired in August is located along Louis Sorenson Road. It’s near the main data center development site, according to a project overview. The company also bought 32.1 acres on the road back in May.

From the Article:

>The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee announced plans to lay off 32 tenured faculty members. > >Chancellor Mark Mone revealed the layoffs in a letter sent Monday to faculty and staff. > >The job cuts come after the UW System said it will close its campuses in Waukesha and Washington counties. > >In addition to the layoffs, Mone recommended shutting down UW-Milwaukee's College of General Studies and its three academic departments: Arts & Humanities, Math & Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences & Business. > >"I am deeply saddened by this scenario and wish it were not occurring. However, proceeding with the proposal is aligned with our mission and is the most responsible decision for UWM’s future," Mone said in the letter. > >The UW Board of Regents must approve the cuts.

From the Article:

>Only four of the Wisconsin restaurants Guy Fieri visited on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” remain open, but they’re certainly worth a visit. > >If you’re on the hunt for a diner to experience in Wisconsin, look no further than the restaurant “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” host Guy Fieri has already visited on his ever-popular Food Network show. In these episodes, which span culinary options throughout the entire United States, he visits for a meal and to chat with the owners as well as regulars. Wisconsin has been featured numerous times on what’s fondly known as the “Triple D” show. Even though some of those spots are now closed, here are four that remain open and are ready to serve you.

From the Article:

>Amtrak's train line connecting Chicago to the Twin Cities through Milwaukee saw a successful first full month of service this summer. > >Amtrak’s new Borealis line saw 19,400 riders in the month of June, giving the line a total of 26,000 riders since it launched May 21, according to a June performance report by Amtrak. The line saw 6,600 passengers over its first 11 days of operation in May. > >The route is sponsored by the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. A federal grant provides 90% of the first-year operating costs. The project represents a $53 million investment and includes track improvements in La Crosse and Minnesota. > >The twice-daily Borealis was built as an expansion of the Empire Builder service which connects Chicago with the Twin Cities on its way to Seattle. Borealis’ 411-mile route takes about 7 hours and 20 minutes, compared with Empire’s nearly 8-hour journey. > >The report also showed $1.9 million in operating revenue versus $1.8 million in operating expense for the line so far this year, giving the line adjusted operating earnings of $100,000. > >This made it one of just two lines to have positive adjusted operating earnings for the year, along with the Berkshire Flyer. > >However, operating earnings doesn't equate to profitability, according to Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari. > >Magliari said that the report only measures direct costs for the line like employee salaries, fuel and payments to the railroads used. It doesn't cover things like depreciation, income tax expense and other factors. > >Any earnings from the line would be split between the three states based on a cost-sharing agreement, Magliari said. > >While what Amtrak has seen so far in terms of ridership is “very encouraging,” Magliarli said, the company is not actively considering adding more service in Wisconsin. > >“We need more than 90 days of data to make these kinds of decisions, and we’ve not even gone into a slower travel season yet,” Magliari said. > >Magliari said increasing how often the trains run would also be difficult. If the service were to expand, it would be likely through adding capacity to the trains, although that’s constrained by fleet size. > >“We have a contract with these states to provide this much capacity and if there’s a need for additional capacity, we and the states will talk about that,” Magliari said. > >In addition to downtown Milwaukee Intermodal Station, Wisconsin stops include Sturtevant, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, Columbus, Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Tomah and La Crosse. > >“The initial data is promising and reflects the hard work done by WisDOT, our partner states and Amtrak to bring this service to the people of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois,” Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson said in an Amtrak press release. “We’re hopeful the more people that ride Borealis and like it, the more successful it will be.”

From the Article:

>University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee rejected this week a proposal to lay off 35 tenured faculty after the closing of two suburban branch campuses. > >The university’s faculty senate voted 24-11 Wednesday in opposition to the plan that had been advanced by UWM Chancellor Mark Mone earlier this year. > >The next step for the controversial is not clear. The plan must be approved by the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents. In a statement reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a UWM spokesperson said that the process was still underway. > >The Wisconsin conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) on Friday called on Mone and the UWM administration to change course. > >“We call on the chancellor to slow the process down and reconsider his proposal in light of the serious reservations that led the Faculty Senate to reject it,” AAUP-Wisconsin President Nick Fleisher, who teaches at UWM, wrote in a statement posted on the group’s website. “Under no circumstances should the current proposal be submitted to the Board of Regents at its August meeting.” > >The board’s next scheduled meeting is August 22. Meeting materials have not yet been posted.

From the Article:

>A long-awaited Oak Leaf Trail project may finally move forward. > >Milwaukee County Parks is seeking funding in the 2025 county budget for a new access ramp connecting the Oak Leaf Trail directly to E. Hampshire Street on Milwaukee’s East Side. The project would create a safer, more direct commute for bicyclists and pedestrians traveling to UW-Milwaukee and it would fix a tunnel causing sinkholes along the trail. > >The department has gone after funding at the state and federal level for the project, estimated to cost approximately $1.85 million. In 2022, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) awarded the county a $1.3 million Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant for the project. Now the Parks is asking county policymakers for the 20% matching cost (approximately $540,000) so it can use the grant and move the project forward. > >A 2025 county budget won’t be finalized and signed until November, but the project was ranked as a priority by the parks department for 2025 and it is currently scoring high on the county’s list of infrastructure projects for 2025, based on criteria used by the county’s ad-hoc Capital Improvements Committee (CIC). > >“A new trail access ramp at Hampshire Avenue would provide a much safer and direct connection to the campus of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and the 135-mile Oak Leaf Trail system while also addressing an old tunnel that threatens the existing trail,” according to a project summary from Parks. “This ramp would increase bicycle and walking commute rates to campus for students, staff, and the community; improve safety; and reduce driving rates.” > >Residents of the local neighborhood and the university have been requesting a trail ramp at this location for about a decade, according to the department.

From the Article:

>There was a time when Milwaukee was awash in great bookshops. This is not that time. But don’t fret because there is still a range of great booksellers purveying everything from fine literature to kids classics to cutting edge poetry to political works and more. > >Though there are a number of chain shops, I have not included those, nor have I dwelled too heavily on used books, though I have included a few. After you visit these, you might want to delve deeper into some of the other shops – offering mostly pre-owned books.

From the Article:

>Milwaukee voters have a good chance of finding a contested primary, potentially with high stakes, on their ballot Tuesday. > >There are 10 state-level partisan primaries on city of Milwaukee ballots Tuesday. > >While candidates are technically running for the party’s nomination, a handful of primary races will actually determine who wins the seat come November. With few Republicans running for office in a Democratic stronghold like Milwaukee, some winners will coast into the general election unopposed. > >Our candidate guide notes which races will be determined by the outcome of Tuesday’s partisan primaries. Uncontested races are not included. > >The majority of the races on the ballot are for seats in the Assembly, where representatives serve two-year terms. The only Senate race is a rematch of the special election held in District 4 last month.