Milwaukee police are asking the public’s help in locating the parents or guardians of two girls, approximately ages 4 and 7.

The girls are minimally verbal and were found on foot in the 500 block of East Erie Street at about 6:15 p.m. Monday, according to police, adding that their parents or guardian have not been located.

Police describe the girls as Black. One child, a 7-year-old, is wearing a yellow T-shirt, blue pants and multicolored sandals. The other girl, 4, is wearing barrettes in her hair, a light blue T-shirt, blue shorts and multi-colored sandals.

If anyone has any information regarding the identity of these two children, call the police district 1 at 414-935-7212.

Gas prices in Wisconsin are now under $3 per gallon, on average, for the first time since last winter.

According to data from AAA, the average gas price per gallon in the state has fallen from $3.37 a month ago to under $2.98 on Monday. This also represents a significant drop from this time last year when Wisconsin’s average price was $3.66 per gallon.

Additionally, prices are dropping nationwide ― from $3.43 per gallon on average last month to about $3.21 on Monday, AAA says.

These are the lowest prices Wisconsin has seen since February 2024, data from GasBuddy.com shows, and they could approach the lowest seen nationwide in three years, Gas Buddy head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan said.

So, what’s causing this steep drop in prices at the pump, and what can Wisconsinites expect in the coming months? Here’s what to know.

Gas prices are under $3 in Milwaukee and continue to decline

Average gas prices in the Milwaukee-Waukesha metro area are about $2.90 per gallon on Monday, AAA says.

This is down from about $3.02 per gallon last week, $3.44 a month ago and $3.60 at this time last year.

Why are gas prices going down in Wisconsin?

The incremental switch from more expensive lower-butane summer-blend gasoline to cheaper higher-butane winter-blend gasoline usually causes gas prices to drop each fall.

The Environmental Protection Agency requires refineries to produce summer gasoline from May 1 to Sept. 15 and retailers to sell it from June 1 to Sept. 15. Most stations across the country will begin switching back to winter gasoline on Monday, De Haan said.

However, in August, stations in Wisconsin and other Midwestern states were granted a waiver to make the switch to winter gasoline early this year after a tornado-related outage at a fuel refinery in Joliet, Ill., caused gas prices to skyrocket.

At this time last year, refinery issues in other areas of the country caused prices to be much higher than they are this year, De Haan said. “That’s why, all of a sudden, some states are looking at an 80-cent difference between today and a year ago. … Typically, if there aren’t refinery issues or hurricanes, what we’re seeing this year is normally what happens. Gas prices usually peak in the spring, and then, as summer progresses, gas prices usually trend slowly lower.”

Even before the typical Sept. 16 switch to winter gasoline, the reopening of schools and the slow down of summer road trips at the end of August tend to cause people to drive less, lowering the demand for gasoline, De Haan explained.

Additionally, GasBuddy.com data shows that crude oil prices are at their lowest in over a year, further helping drive gasoline prices down.

How will gas prices change in the fall and winter?

“With the change to winter gasoline happening today at most stations across the country, the outlook is bright for the national average to continue to make a run at falling to $2.99 per gallon for the first time since 2021,” De Haan said.

De Haan said he expects Milwaukee gas prices to remain below $3 for the remainder of the calendar year unless another refinery outage or other major global event occurs. Prices could drop between 10 and 25 cents per gallon over the next few weeks, he said.

“I don’t really think it’s going to get a whole lot better than $2.60 or $2.50,” he continued. “I think we’ll probably hang out in the mid-to-upper twos for much of the rest of the year. If there are any refinery issues or if things develop economically for better, then we could see the higher side of that, or potentially slightly over $3 a gallon.”

Where can I find the lowest gas prices in Milwaukee?

GasBuddy maintains a list of the cheapest gas prices in the Milwaukee area, based on reports from local GasBuddy users. As of Monday morning, the cheapest prices per gallon could be found at Costco in Menomonee Falls ($2.59), Kwik Trip in Colgate ($2.59), Costco in Pewaukee ($2.59) and Kwik Trip in Sussex ($2.59).

The lowest price within the city of Milwaukee can be found at Sam’s Club on 124th Street ($2.69), while numerous other Milwaukee stations are selling gas for $2.73 per gallon.

For an up-to-date list of the cheapest gas prices in the Milwaukee area, click here.

MILWAUKEE — In any analysis of the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA title chances, Khris Middleton’s durability is an X factor.

There are reasons to be curious as well as hopeful.

Middleton is 33 years old. In his past two regular seasons, knee and ankle injuries limited his availability and productivity:

And yet, in his most recent sample of work — the 2024 playoff series with Indiana — Middleton stepped up when Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard went down. Middleton averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while playing 38 minutes a night. This was the three-time NBA All-Star version of Khris Middleton.

Offseason arthroscopic cleanup on both ankles was called a success. “Middleton was walking without pain or discomfort when he visited his teammates in Las Vegas for summer league action,” the Athletic reported in July. He is expected to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season.

Here are three reasons to be excited about the Bucks’ offensive potential with Giannis, Dame, and a healthy Middleton.

In the 21st-century NBA, the 10- to 20-foot jumpshot has become a lost art. But not for Middleton, a master of the mid-range.

Last season, there was nobody better (see list below).

When defenses focus their attention on Giannis in the paint or Lillard beyond the arc, Middleton can create his own shot and rescue a possession.

As a bonus, Middleton makes 39% of his three-point attempts.

He is unafraid of the big moment.

During Milwaukee’s 2021 NBA title run, Middleton made 15 game-tying or go-ahead baskets in the fourth quarter or overtime, tying LeBron James (2007) for the most “clutch” buckets in a single postseason of the past 25 years, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

In the 2023-24 regular season, Middleton was the Bucks’ second-leading scorer in fourth quarters after Antetokounmpo (7.8 points per game). Middleton’s final-period average of 6.1 points was 23rd-best in the NBA.

For six seasons beginning in 2017, Middleton was the Bucks’ second scoring option after Giannis. Middleton’s usage rate of 24.6 to 27.4 percent — the share of offensive plays that ended with Middleton taking a shot, a free throw, or committing a turnover — reflected his place in the hierarchy.

Enter Lillard in 2023-24 and Middleton became third choice. But while he took three fewer shots per night than in his All-Star seasons, he remained a reliable contributor: 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists with an effective field goal percentage of almost 57 percent.

Antetokounmpo had the NBA’s second-highest usage rate (32.8 percent) in 2023-24 and Lillard was at 28.3 percent. Expect the same this season.

The Bucks will continue to count on Middleton to make the most of his fewer chances. But as the last postseason showed, if circumstances require Middleton to take on a bigger role in the offense, he is still capable.