Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Next steps in Pike case uncertain
With the astonishing news that Christa Pike is conscious, talking and making a “medically unprecedented” recovery following her botched execution, Tennessee is now facing a critical question: Will the state try to kill her again? “Against all odds,...
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UW-Madison Professor Halzen wins Nobel Prize
A University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of physics was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in Stockholm, Sweden on Oct. 6. Francis Halzen, a professor born in Belgium with a long resume of prestigious awards, received the award for his...
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Behold, the October legend of Jackson Chourio
At 6:51 p.m., not long at all after he had sent the crowd into a 125-decibel roar that ripped through the open sky at American Family Field, permeating a belief in this team, this year, deep into the Milwaukee night, there sat Jackson Chourio. Directly...
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We files plans for natural gas plant
We Energies wants to build another natural gas-fired power plant, this time in the Fox Valley’s Outagamie County. The Milwaukee-based utility filed preliminary engineering plans for a 750-megawatt natural gas plant in Wrightstown, on the site of the...
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Trump policies on the docket again
The U.S. Supreme Court begins its new nine-month term on Oct. 5 much as it ended its last one, confronted with more cases involving President Donald Trump’s far-reaching policies and aggressive uses of power that will keep testing how far the justices...
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Inside
A bright blue wig. A stack of handwritten trivia cards. A loudspeaker button. These are just a few important pieces of equipment used by the shuttle drivers who transport hordes of Brewers fans from bars across the area to American Family Field on...
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Budget
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic candidate for governor, presented a $1.5 billion recommended budget for 2027 to board supervisors Oct. 1, a roughly 6% increase in spending. Crowley’s budget proposal, coming weeks before voters...
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Arnold
As someone who followed the Oakland Athletics in his youth, Milwaukee Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold has the same quibbles many readers do about “Moneyball,” the seminal baseball text released in 2003 as Arnold’s baseball journey...
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U.S. forces exit Iraq after 2 decades
BAGHDAD – U.S. forces were set to pull out from their last bases in Iraq by Sept. 30, a departure celebrated as a victory by Iran and its allies who now have deep influence in the country where 4,500 Americans died during more than two decades of...
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Home runs, starting pitchers, young players
W hhat a season it was for the Milwaukee Brewers, who once again bucked the odds to finish with the best record in Major League Baseball for the second straight year. They won an unprecedented fourth consecutive National League Central Division title,...
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100th Wisconsin shipwreck seeks historic designation
The Wisconsin State Historical Society advanced its 100th shipwreck to the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 25 − a milestone that underscores the state’s commitment to protecting its rich maritime history. The Frank D. Barker, a...
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Help power more independent journalism
Through a relationship with the Local Media Foundation, a nonprofit charitable trust dedicated to strengthening journalism, you can now directly support our newsroom in these vital areas: Neighborhoods, environmental coverage, education, arts and...
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Unsafe
Around noon on Wednesday, Sept. 23, tenants in two apartment buildings near the west side were told to collect their belongings and evacuate within 30 minutes. Milwaukee’s Department of Neighborhood Services has labeled both buildings, at 2319 W....
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Past data center votes haunt WI politicians
MADISON – Everywhere you look on TV, streaming and online, there’s another state legislator to blame for making Wisconsin hospitable to “big tech” and the development of hyperscale data centers. “Howard Marklein’s giving the farm away to data...
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Universities face cuts as foreign students flee
In August 2025, 165 international students arrived in Mequon to begin their graduate studies at Concordia University Wisconsin. This August, just nine students arrived. Aside from Concordia’s most popular schoolyear start date in August, other start...
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Milwaukee mayor presents ‘difficult’ 2027 budget plan
The City of Milwaukee continues to face challenging budgets that pull from reserves in ways that likely will not be sustainable long-term, Mayor Cavalier Johnson warned in his Sept. 22 budget address to the Common Council. Johnson said his budget...
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Contractor
When Leahrae Longoria lost $1,200 to a home renovation contractor who never finished the job, she thought she was the only one. In fact, she is one of numerous people across Milwaukee and Waukesha County who said they paid Brookfield resident Jaydin...
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Aupaumut
Shortly after the American Revolution, Hendrick Aupaumut went to New York legislators with a request, and a reminder. As a Mohican leader, he wanted them to preserve tribal land and prevent settlers from driving out his people. As a war hero, he...
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Lawmakers cast votes on motnbutton ossues
Wisconsin’s Wasmincton, D.C., delecation voted tmis week on topics includinc Russia sanctions, Trump impeacmment, tme Iran war and cryptocurrency. Busoness, 1F One small area in downtown Milwaukee remains a development dead zone. Ideas Lab,...
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Landlord’s company seeks bankruptcy amid legal fight
Embattled Milwaukee landlord David Tomblin, whose rental company is facing several lawsuits over debts and nuisance business practices, has filed for bankruptcy, recent court records show. Tomblin filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for Highgrove Holdings...
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Why recess is important for child development
Demands are high, and school districts are always looking for ways to get the most of their students’ academic performance. That might mean free time and recess could be at a premium, as schools try to eke out as much time for academics as possible....
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Power line project for data center refiled for approval
The transmission company working to bring electricity to one of Wisconsin’s largest data center campuses refiled its power line proposal Sept. 14 after state regulators sent it back to the drawing board in August. Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission...
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Utility won’t sign agreement until judge gives green light
Three days after Veolia sued the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District to stop what it describes as a flawed selection process for the region’s next wastewater operator, a judge ruled that the bidding process can continue – for now. At a Sept. 14...
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RI city seeks to cut ties with MMSD contender
Just as Milwaukee’s regional sewerage district inches closer to a 10-year, $700 million contract with Jacobs Solutions, a city in Rhode Island is trying to get out of its deal with the company. After years of operational problems, regulatory scrutiny...
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Teen’s pro soccer debut comes with mixed feelings
MADISON – Months ago, 19-year-old Martin Sanchez wasn’t sure he’d ever make it to this point: pulling on Forward Madison FC’s pink jersey, warming up with the pros. He’d worked his entire life to realize his dream of becoming a professional soccer...
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Residents oppose We Energies rate hike
We Energies is facing growing opposition to its planned 14% rate hike for residential customers by 2028. The utility is looking to raise residential electric rates 9.25% in 2027 and 5.5% the following year. That would add about $22 to a typical...
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After fire, a first day somewhere else
When a summer fire destroyed their elementary school overnight, the students and staff of Lincoln Avenue lost countless possessions and treasured mementos in the ash. Much of what was lost was irreplaceable. But where it could count, Milwaukeeans...
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Residents alarmed by plan for high-voltage line
BARABOO – Wisconsin residents are fighting another proposal to bring a high-voltage power line to the state’s environmentally sensitive Driftless region. It’s become high-profile enough that hundreds of people have been showing up for public meetings,...
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Sword
The legend of King Arthur says he was enthroned after pulling the sword Excalibur from a stone. Now, an Excalibur replica is returning to an Arthurian monument in downtown Milwaukee’s Juneau Park – around 80 years after its sword vanished. Known as...
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THE COACH EFFECT
If you’re not looking for the right things, it’s easy to miss all that Lone Rock offers. The Richland County village in southwestern Wisconsin covers a little more than one square mile. It is home to about 900 people. Stop signs control the traffic...
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Projected budget surplus grows to $3B after bipartisan deal failed
MADISON – Wisconsin is now projected to end the current state budget cycle with a surplus of nearly $3 billion – a pot of money that continues to outpace original projections from when it was enacted last year. The latest revenue update comes three...
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Glacier collapse may have triggered flood
Survivors sit on debris Aug. 27 as they wait for roads to clear to their homes after devastating floods in Trishuli, Nepal. The volume and speed of the wall of mud, boulders and debris that rushed more than 60 miles down a river through Nepal on Aug....
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New Berlin mayor offers apology, won’t resign
In front of a standing-room-only crowd of people overwhelmingly advocating for the New Berlin mayor to resign, Dave Ament did not resign and instead said he was sorry for harm caused by his anti-Muslim Facebook posts. The New Berlin Common Council...
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Rep’s scenery workshop bounces back after floods
Ayear after unprecedented flooding destroyed Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s scenic design studio and storage facility in Wauwatosa, the rebuilt joint is jumping with activity. • During an Aug. 20 visit, carpenters, artists and a welder were seen...
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Homeschooling jumps 52% in 6 years in Wisconsin
With school starting up soon, not everyone will be heading back to a traditional classroom. ● There were 21,644 homeschooled students in Wisconsin during the 2019-20 school year, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. ●...
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Wisconsin teachers adapt to education in time of AI
AI is writing papers. AI is doing homework. AI is a study companion. Can teachers trust students? But AI is also grading, writing weekly newsletters and lesson planning. Can students trust teachers? AI can be a valuable tool but can also be misused,...
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Ex-wife: Officials warned about suspect
This story contains material about domestic abuse. If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence or an abusive relationship, call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 800799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org. Callers can remain...
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97 games sat forgotten — now 3 are up for auction
WAUKESHA − Rare Nintendo games that sat forgotten in a cardboard box in a storage area behind a Waukesha video game shop for more than two years are now up for auction. Kevin Braun, owner of OneStopWonders at 245 W. Main St., thought the box contained...
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GETTING HARDER TO BE A BADGER
Homestead High School in Mequon hosts a college admissions presentation every year, offering families general advice about the application process. This year’s presentation, however, was much more specific: How to get into the University of...
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Tiffany, Crowley oppose state data center ban
MADISON - The two major candidates running to be Wisconsin’s next governor are battling to gain the upper hand on an emerging issue that neither political party owns yet: data centers. The next governor will undoubtedly reckon with the construction...
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Ways to process tough emotions or trauma
When Jonisha Neita leaves the house, she’s never without the basics: phone, wallet, canvas, paint and brushes. For Neita, a longtime client of Creative Counseling of Milwaukee, painting is more than a hobby − it is a tool for emotional regulation....
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State Fair Park chairman sees Indy car races surging
WEST ALLIS – Through 16 years as chairman of the State Fair Park board of directors, John Yingling helped guide the fair back to profitability and navigate the uncharted waters of a global pandemic. One accomplishment stands out from a personal...
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St. Camillus gives students more than just cheap rent
Stuck inside during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stacy Barnes, a director at the Wisconsin Geriatric Education Center and Marquette University professor, had an epiphany. If she was lonely, isolated from the outside world, others stewing in solitude had to...
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FILLING THE GAPS
One week shy of the first anniversary of the closure of Metcalfe Park’s Pick ’n Save, nearly 75 community members gathered in front of the vacant store and shouted out their commitments to each other and to improving food access throughout Milwaukee. •...
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RISEN FROM THE ASHES
Ten years ago, Tana Jeter looked out the window of her parents’ home and saw the neighborhood in flames. The fatal police shooting of Sylville Smith occurred two houses down – sparking unrest in the Sherman Park area. Over two days, buildings and cars...
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Report: I-94 work may take until 2035 to finish
Interstate 94’s expansion on Milwaukee’s west side could take another two years to complete beyond its current eight-year construction schedule. That’s according to a new Wisconsin Department of Transportation report obtained by the Milwaukee Journal...
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Crowley edges out Hong in stunning comeback
David Crowley pulled off a victory in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor on Aug. 11 that was both a stunning upset and an unheard of comeback, defeating the field’s front-runner with a Hail Mary effort in the final weeks of a race that was...
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Romance at the fair with sweets, skyglider sunsets
The State Fair isn’t exactly known for its butterfly-inducing romance. In fact, most of the couples I saw on opening morning, Aug. 6, seemed to be reluctantly trailing behind a packed stroller and an overstimulated child or two. But something about...
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Wisconsin primaries now in the hands of the voters
W h hisconsin heads to the polls Tuesday, Aug. 11 to decide which candidates will advance in races for governor, state Legislature, Congress and more. The Democratic primary for governor, which has had massive upheaval with candidates dropping out and...
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Is Wisconsin now part of America’s tornado alley?
Tornadoes are becoming a defining part of Wisconsin’s weather profile. Some of its busiest tornado years on record happened in the last two decades, and 2026 has already blown past the state average for a whole year. Wisconsin now sits on the fringes...
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ODDITIES AND TRADITION
Ablack-and-white poster promoting the Roy Rogers Show for “Kids 8 to 80.” An asphalt chunk of the Milwaukee Mile racetrack, put down after 62 years of harness racing on dirt. A Blatz beer ad suggesting if nursing mothers drink “the STAR Milwaukee...
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Oracle site includes land sold by past exec
Mequon resident George Roberts was among dozens of people who sold properties that now comprise the site of a hyperscale data center complex under construction in rural Port Washington. But Roberts alone has a unique connection to Oracle Corp., the...
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Air Wisconsin top ICE flyer
In recent months, Air Wisconsin has become one of the most widely used carriers for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, responsible for nearly half of all domestic ICE flights in June, according to a plane-tracking group called ICE Flight...
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Is South Shore Beach any cleaner?
On a late July afternoon, with temperatures pushing 90 degrees, about 100 beachgoers spread across the sand and water at Bay View’s South Shore Beach, undeterred by Lake Michigan’s brisk, mid-60s water. ● Parents lingered at the waterline, kids darted...
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Milwaukee businesses rely on local data center
Massive, windowless rectangular buildings that hold rows of computer servers and demand huge cooling systems. That image is what typically comes to mind for data centers, easily the most talked-about developments in the country these days. Often...
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ONE AFTER ANOTHER
Many Wisconsinites barely had time to catch their breath after last summer’s record-shattering 1,000year flood before 2026 hit with a new kind of whiplash – a year when nearly every month has brought a different unprecedented extreme. From...
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Detention
Elvira Benitez-Suarez was napping in her passenger seat when she heard a noise and woke up. What she saw on the GPS alarmed her. “What are we doing in Canada?” she asked her husband, Ricardo, who was driving. They were way off course. Instead of...
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BUILDING RESILIENCE
0 .1% chance of a historic storm. 14.55 inches of rainfall. $208.8 million in damages. These numbers have become shorthand for people still displaced and families still rebuilding as we hit the one-year mark since we realized the scale of our flood...
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Sources: Years of concerns on Barnes’ behavior
Democratic Party of Wisconsin officials in 2025 hired an outside law firm to review allegations of inappropriate behavior involving young adult women against one of the party’s stars, Mandela Barnes. The party launched the probe after an anonymous...
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‘Horrific’ 911 calls from attack released
Troubling audio of 911 calls reveals Milwaukee emergency service dispatchers apparently failed to act on clear signs of an attack on a 99-yearold woman. On one call, the 911 dispatcher is patched into a live feed from inside the woman’s house and can...
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Selig
It’s hard to believe, but it has been 12 seasons since Allan H. “Bud” Selig stepped down as Major League Baseball’s commissioner. A lot has happened – and changed – in that time and the game is seemingly in a great place with its popularity and TV...
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Menasha still reeling from tornado damage
There was a clear view into the neighbor’s house across the alley as Albert Vaneyck started up his chainsaw on the morning of Tuesday, July 28. A fridge with magnets still visible on the front, a bedspring in the heart of the upstairs bedroom, bright...
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At Milwaukee Milkmen games, families have fun
Let’s say, with the cost of living now so high, your idea of a night out means sitting in your backyard. One Saturday not long ago, you’re at a repair shop with a flat tire, and another customer is also in the waiting room. And he happens to be wearing...
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Mahjong is having its moment in Milwaukee
Gina Kotz-Drove is hooked on mahjong – so much that she has twice made the 90-minute trip from her home in Cary, Illinois, to Milwaukee to play with the MKE Mahjong Social Group. Kotz-Drove is far from alone. Local players say the game is exploding in...
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76 DAYS THAT CHANGED GREEN BAY FOREVER
All you need to know, including key offseason dates.
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Tension grows as officials identify man in shooting
Madison officials named Corey Ruiz as the man a police officer shot and killed July 22. That identification came during a tense press conference that was disrupted by protesters July 23. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway was the first official to publicly...
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