Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee leaders take action to address food desert crisis on city’s north side

Published

2 months ago

April 9, 2026

A Milwaukee Common Council committee, this week, supported legislative action aimed at addressing the city’s food desert crisis on the city’s north side.At the April 8 Steering and Rules Committee meeting, leaders discussed at length the growing frustration with sudden closures of grocery stores and the minimal notice they said residents received before the businesses shut down.District 1 Alderwoman Andrea Pratt referenced the sudden January closure by owners of the Aldi near North Sherman Boulevard and West Custer Avenue.”They left me a voicemail on January 9 to tell me they were closing on January 11, which means that all those people in that neighborhood were left without a grocery store in two days. They found out on the news,” she said.The committee approved adopting a city ordinance to require licensed food establishments to provide the city written notice of their intent to close a business at least 60 days before the planned closure.The measure will go up for a vote by the full council.”They are there, not only to conduct business, but are very much a part of our neighborhoods and very much a part of our community; they have a responsibility, and they have to be accountable,” Pratt said of food businesses.The planned opening of a grocery store to replace the now-departed Sentry Foods at 64th and Silver Spring Drive in Ald. Mark Chambers Jr.’s district hit a snag.”The Sentry is going to be re-imaged and repurposed into a grocery called One City Supermarket that will be opening up soon, this month,” he said, “There are still some kinks that are coming out as far as accepting SNAP and things for the federal government, so that’s what’s holding up the grand opening on that one.A sign posted on the door said the grand opening was scheduled for April 26. It is unclear if the issue Chambers revealed would push the date.Chambers supported the 60-day notice ordinance along with the resolution to declare food apartheid a public health emergency in the city. A 2023 article published by Jo Walker for the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability cited Karen Washington, a food justice advocate, for coining the term as drawing attention. Karen Washington, food justice advocate, organizer, and author, first coined the term food apartheid to draw attention to the “root causes of inequity in our food system based on race, class, and geography.” The article went on to say Washington emphasized “healthy, fresh food is accessible in wealthy neighborhoods while unhealthy food abounds in poor neighborhoods.””This is necessary because we, as alders on the Northside are severely impacted compared to our counterparts on the south side,” Chambers, who represents District 1 said.”You shouldn’t wake up in a food desert,” Ald. Pratt added.

MILWAUKEE —

A Milwaukee Common Council committee, this week, supported legislative action aimed at addressing the city’s food desert crisis on the city’s north side.

At the April 8 Steering and Rules Committee meeting, leaders discussed at length the growing frustration with sudden closures of grocery stores and the minimal notice they said residents received before the businesses shut down.

District 1 Alderwoman Andrea Pratt referenced the sudden January closure by owners of the Aldi near North Sherman Boulevard and West Custer Avenue.

“They left me a voicemail on January 9 to tell me they were closing on January 11, which means that all those people in that neighborhood were left without a grocery store in two days. They found out on the news,” she said.

The committee approved adopting a city ordinance to require licensed food establishments to provide the city written notice of their intent to close a business at least 60 days before the planned closure.

The measure will go up for a vote by the full council.

“They are there, not only to conduct business, but are very much a part of our neighborhoods and very much a part of our community; they have a responsibility, and they have to be accountable,” Pratt said of food businesses.

The planned opening of a grocery store to replace the now-departed Sentry Foods at 64th and Silver Spring Drive in Ald. Mark Chambers Jr.’s district hit a snag.

“The Sentry is going to be re-imaged and repurposed into a grocery called One City Supermarket that will be opening up soon, this month,” he said, “There are still some kinks that are coming out as far as accepting SNAP and things for the federal government, so that’s what’s holding up the grand opening on that one.

A sign posted on the door said the grand opening was scheduled for April 26. It is unclear if the issue Chambers revealed would push the date.

Chambers supported the 60-day notice ordinance along with the resolution to declare food apartheid a public health emergency in the city.

A 2023 article published by Jo Walker for the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability cited Karen Washington, a food justice advocate, for coining the term as drawing attention.

Karen Washington, food justice advocate, organizer, and author, first coined the term food apartheid to draw attention to the “root causes of inequity in our food system based on race, class, and geography.” The article went on to say Washington emphasized “healthy, fresh food is accessible in wealthy neighborhoods while unhealthy food abounds in poor neighborhoods.”

“This [resolution] is necessary because we, as alders on the Northside [of Milwaukee] are severely impacted compared to our counterparts on the south side,” Chambers, who represents District 1 said.

“You shouldn’t wake up in a food desert,” Ald. Pratt added.

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Milwaukee, WI

Stolen Oak Creek couple’s car found by viewer dumped near Milwaukee apartment complex

Published

7 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Stolen Oak Creek couple’s car found by viewer dumped near Milwaukee apartment complex

MILWAUKEE — An Oak Creek couple’s stolen car has been found after a viewer who saw a report on the theft spotted it near a south side Milwaukee apartment complex.

Melinna Posey said the ordeal began when her car was stolen and she turned to social media for help. A person who responded claimed to have the vehicle and demanded money for its return. The person messaging even taunted her, discarding some of the items inside the car.

Personal items were inside the vehicle, including the family’s car seat, stroller, cameras and photos.

“It’s been very stressful, especially for him. It’s his vehicle, it’s in his name,” Posey said.

Watch: Stolen Oak Creek couple’s car found by viewer dumped near Milwaukee apartment complex

Stolen Oak Creek couple’s car found by viewer dumped near Milwaukee apartment complex

I spoke to Posey on Tuesday. Since then, she and Tyler Dusenberry had been searching for the car. On Thursday, the couple received a message from someone who saw the story on TMJ4. That person found the car at a south side Milwaukee apartment complex and shared pictures of the red Dodge Durango SRT between trees and a building, covered in tarps.

“I didn’t believe the text message at first today, and then he sent pictures of the car, and I was like, thank the lord, I was like thank you so much,” Posey said.

“It’s a roller coaster that’s what it’s been,” Dusenberry said.

Brendyn Jones/TMJ4

Oak Creek Police picked up the car and are processing it for evidence. The family has not yet been able to see the inside of the vehicle or what, if anything, was left behind.

The family said they are grateful to everyone who helped them this week, but said the entire experience will be tough to get over.

“It’s just unfortunate that this all happened, and we had a lot of memories and trips within that vehicle so it’s just a little life-changing to be honest,” Dusenberry said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Milwaukee, WI

$95,000 worth of Milwaukee tools stolen in Plover

Published

18 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

,000 worth of Milwaukee tools stolen in Plover

PLOVER, Wis. (WBAY) – Police in the western part of the state are spreading the word after someone stole over $95,000 worth of Milwaukee-brand tools. Police are concerned that they’ll be sold online or sold outside the state.

Milwaukee-brand tools were stolen from a trailer at a solar farm in Plover.

Police say there were 130 items, including more than 40 half-inch impact guns, multiple wire cutters, grease guns, 80 batteries, and a couple of small generators.

Investigators are warning that buyers who purchase stolen items can have them seized and could lose their money or even face criminal charges if they knew the property was stolen.

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