Milwaukee, WI
Spectators of street takeovers in Milwaukee will soon face fines up to $1,000
A street takeover was held at the intersection of South14th and West Burnham streets
On June 8, a street takeover was held at South 14th and West Burnham streets. Hundreds congregated at the intersection to watch cars squeal tires or do donuts.
The Milwaukee Common Council on Sept. 23 unanimously passed new legislation addressing street takeovers, including fines for those who attend them.
The legislation states that no person should knowingly be present at a street takeover, which are gatherings in the public roadway as participating vehicles do burnouts and donuts. The events happen suddenly, with organizers turning to private messaging apps, and one event can be attended by hundreds.
Any person at a street takeover is now subject to a fine between $300 and $1,000, according to the legislation.
- Spectators: $500 to $1,000 fine
- Operators or organizers: $400 to $1,000 fine
- Passengers: $300 to $1,000 fine
Those who attend more than one in the same year will receive a minimum $1,000 fine. And the municipal court can impose community service related to traffic safety and default of payment could result in jail time, the legislation states.
The legislation defines a “spectator” as someone knowingly present for the purpose of viewing, encouraging, recording or otherwise attending a street takeover. This includes people filming or livestreaming the event on social media.
In recent weeks, Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Common Council members signaled an intent to pass legislation as police reported responding to hundreds of takeovers this year. The mayor’s office said Sept. 23 that he plans to sign the legislation.
Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic said at the Common Council meeting that she wanted to be “careful” that this legislation will not result in enforcement for “pop-up, organic gatherings” that she sees in her district, which includes Bay View, sometimes surrounding political actions.
“We should be able to go in our streets and voice our support or discontent with anything. That is quite different than what (we) … seek to stop,” she said. “I feel we have a delicate balance here to stop this poor behavior but still allow … open free speech at any time.”
Street takeovers returned to the forefront over Labor Day weekend, when police received about 15 calls related to them. Those took place throughout the city, including downtown, and police arrested three people. The department also issued 26 citations and towed six vehicles.
Milwaukee police previously told the Common Council the police task force responsible for the takeovers was paused Labor Day weekend to deal with violent crime on Water Street.
Drone view of the data center under construction in Port Washington
Check out a drone view of the Vantage Data Center under construction in Port Washington, Wisconsin.
Construction on a stretch of Forest Home Avenue in Milwaukee County is set to resume as part of a Wisconsin Department of Transportation resurfacing project, according to WisDOT.
The project affects Highway 24 — also known as Forest Home Avenue — between Janesville Road in Hales Corners and 45th Street in Milwaukee. The project started in early 2025 and is expected to be completed in mid-2026.
Here’s what to know about the latest construction update.
When will Forest Home Avenue construction resume?
Preparation work for construction along Forest Home Avenue is expected to begin the week of March 16, according to WisDOT.
Active construction work is scheduled to begin the week of March 23, weather permitting.
Where will construction be?
Construction work will take place in two segments along the corridor. The segment between 45th Street and Howard Avenue is already largely complete and will include minor lighting work and restoration.
The segment between Howard Avenue and Janesville Road will include resurfacing, permanent pavement markings, guardrail installation and improvements at several intersections.
What work will be done during construction?
The Highway 24 project will improve about 5 miles of roadway. The work includes resurfacing pavement, replacing traffic signals and lighting at numerous locations, making improvements to the bridge at 76th Street and upgrading sidewalks and curb ramps.
Traffic impacts during Forest Home Avenue construction in Milwaukee County
During construction, Highway 24 will be reduced to one lane in each direction in active work zones. Drivers may also encounter parking lane restrictions, overnight or short-term closures at ramps and intersections, and temporary pedestrian detours.
Access to businesses and residences along the corridor will be maintained during construction.
When will the project be completed?
The project is currently scheduled to be completed in early summer, though WisDOT says the timeline may change depending on weather conditions.
Adrienne Davis is a south suburban reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Got any tips or stories to share? Contact Adrienne at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County leaders are moving forward with a plan to collect unpaid fees owed to the medical examiner’s office by funeral homes.
What we know:
A Milwaukee County committee on Tuesday, March 10, advanced legislation allowing the county attorney to pursue collections from funeral homes with large outstanding debts owed to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Earlier this year, the medical examiner’s office began requiring funeral homes with outstanding balances of $25,000 or more to pay fees up front for services such as death certificates, cremation permits and body transport. Funeral homes collect those fees from families and are expected to pass them along to the county.
What they’re saying:
“What is the overall number we’re waiting on?” asked Milwaukee County Supervisor Sky Capriolo.
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“We do list 18 funeral homes that have a balance, currently, of $25,000 or more,” said Timothy Schabo, Milwaukee County Medical Examiner operations manager.
“Our hope is that, certainly, we’ll be able to avoid any litigation,” said William Davidson, deputy corporation counsel.
“If a family is paying a funeral home for services, and someone at the funeral home is not paying the county, where is that money going? We don’t know?” Capriolo asked.
Officials say it is not uncommon for funeral homes to carry large balances, and some are already aware of their debts, are on payment plans or pay quarterly.
The medical examiner says if families cannot pay and qualify for assistance from the state or county, those fees are waived.
“I understand there is some delay for some families receiving assistance from this program,” Milwaukee County Medical Examiner Dr. Wieslawa Tlomak said. “However, the funeral homes that we are talking about haven’t been paying us for a long period of time.”
Dig deeper:
The medical examiner said the outstanding balances continue to grow.
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Medical examiner records show four Milwaukee funeral homes currently owe a combined $1,324,100, including one funeral home with a balance of more than $512,000.
FOX6 reached out to the funeral homes for comment but has not heard back.
The legislation now heads to the full Milwaukee County Board for consideration.
The Source: FOX6 attended the Milwaukee County committee hearing regarding the funeral home debt.
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a critically missing man, 33-year-old Nicolas Blakely.
Missing man
What we know:
Blakely was last seen around 9:45 p.m. on Monday, March 9 in the area of Teutonia and Good Hope.
Blakely is described as a male, black, 6’1″ tall, 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue puffy jacket over a white hooded sweatshirt, with tan Nike sweatpants.
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Police tips
What you can do:
Anyone with information is asked to call the Milwaukee Police Department District 4 at 414-935-7242.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Police Department.
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