Milwaukee, WI
Deer District shows dire warnings about tearing down highways have fallen flat | Opinion
WisDOT is considering several options for I-794 that fall into three buckets: improve it, replace it or tear it down entirely.
Something about getting rid of interstate highways gets people talking
As the Wisconsin DOT evaluates options for repairing or razing I-794 downtown, it’s clear there is no shortage of strong feelings on its future.
There are a handful of topics you know will rile people up: abortion, gun control, and, if you live in Southeast Wisconsin, what to do with I-794.
If you’ve somehow managed to be in the dark on this debate, there is a question of what to do with the aging infrastructure of the I-794 lake interchange, which cuts through the heart of Milwaukee’s downtown. WisDOT is considering several options that fall into these three buckets: improve it, replace it or tear it down entirely.
Last week, a study was released to the public that gave a first look at where traffic would be diverted to if the mile stretch were to be torn down. While WisDOT has not made a decision yet, during a presentation last Tuesday, one of the project consultants noted that tearing down that mile stretch of 794 appears to be “the most feasible option”. If X/Twitter commentary and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Letters to the Editor on this topic are any indicators, tearing down the freeway will elate many while leaving plenty of people outraged.
But in order to gauge whether or not that outrage is justified, we should turn back the pages of Milwaukee history twenty years to the last time people were outraged about the removal of a mile stretch of road: Park East freeway.
One man, George Watts, was so angry about the potential of tearing it down that he first tried to recall Mayor John Norquist over it. When that didn’t work, he ran against Norquist and centered this issues in his campaign. In one of his letters to the editor to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he went so far to say that “taking away freeways like this would “give us the same despair that Third World countries have now.”
More perspectives on I-794 options:
7 reasons why: Removing I-794 would be a boon for downtown Milwaukee
Who wins from I-794 removal? Developers. Rest of us will be stuck in traffic.
Removing roads like I-794 can work: Just look at the Fiserv Forum.
794 removal would hurt Bay View. And revive the bridge to nowhere.
Looking around the Deer District today doesn’t quite paint the image of the despair of a developing country. In the four years I’ve lived in Milwaukee, I’m not sure I have gotten into a traffic jam once around the McKinley and Knapp intersection, except that one time Disney on Ice was at the Fiserv. It’s safe to say, no one misses the Park East Freeway.
As WisDOT continues to do their due diligence by developing alternative plans and producing more studies, they would be wise to also take history into account. This city has played almost this exact record before. As City of Milwaukee planner Peter Park has stated, historically, “every single time a freeway came down, a neighborhood got better and access got better.” For once, here’s hoping we let history repeat itself.
Kristin Brey is the “My Take” columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Scene near 107th and Wabash, Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee police are investigating two separate fatal shootings that occurred within hours of each other on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 4.
107th and Wabash
What we know:
The first shooting was reported around 2 p.m. near 107th and Wabash, according to the Milwaukee Police Department. A 40-year-old victim suffered gunshot wounds and later died from those injuries.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation, and police are continuing to search for a suspect or suspects.
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64th and Mill
What we know:
A second fatal shooting was reported around 3:40 p.m., near 64th and Mill. Police said a 53-year-old victim was shot and died from their injuries. A suspect is in custody and charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
The shooting remains under active investigation.
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Authorities say the incidents are not related.
MPD tips
What you can do:
Anyone with information related to either shooting is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or via the P3 Tips app.
The Source: Anyone with any information is asked to contact the MPD at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app.
The Sacramento Kings (8-27) will be trying to stop a four-game losing streak when hosting the Milwaukee Bucks (15-20) on Sunday, January 4, 2026 at Golden 1 Center. It airs at 9 p.m. ET on FDSWI and NBCS-CA.
The Bucks hit the court as 6.5-point favorites against the Kings. The over/under for the game is set at 228.5.
Bucks vs. Kings betting odds
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Sunday at 3:29 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
- Spread: Milwaukee -6.5
- Total: 228.5
- Moneyline: Milwaukee -244, Sacramento +200
Watch this game on Fubo!
Bucks at Kings odds, spread, & more
Prediction
- Pick ATS: Kings (+ 6.5)
- Pick OU:
Over (228.5) - Prediction:
Bucks 116 – Kings 115
Moneyline
- The Bucks have won 56.2% of the games this season when they were the moneyline favorite (9-7).
- Milwaukee has gone 3-3 when playing as a moneyline favorite with odds of -244 or shorter (winning 50%).
- The Bucks have an implied moneyline win probability of 70.9% in this matchup.
- This season, the Kings have been the underdog 32 times and won six, or 18.8%, of those games.
- This season, Sacramento has won five of its 20 games, or 25%, when it is the underdog by at least +200 on the moneyline.
- The implied probability of a win by the Kings based on the moneyline is 33.3%.
Against the spread
- The Bucks average 113.3 points per game, 9.2 fewer points than the 122.5 the Kings allow.
- Milwaukee has a 4-2 record against the spread and a 4-2 record overall when scoring more than 122.5 points.
- When it scores more than 116 points, Sacramento is 9-3 against the spread and 6-6 overall.
- Milwaukee’s record is 9-0 against the spread and 7-2 overall when it allows fewer than 110.6 points.
- The Bucks are at the 26th spot in the NBA’s scoring charts (113.3 PPG), while the Kings allow the 27th-fewest points per game (122.5) in the league.
- The 28th-ranked scoring NBA team (110.6 PPG) is Sacramento, while the Milwaukee squad ranks 14th in the league defensively (116 PPG).
- The Bucks have been out-scored by 96 points this season (2.7 points per game on average), and opponents of the Kings have out-scored them by 414 more points on the year (11.9 per game).
Over/Under
- Milwaukee’s average implied point total this season is 0.3 fewer points than its implied total in Sunday’s game (117.7 implied points on average compared to 118 implied points in this game).
- So far this season, Milwaukee has scored more than 118 points in 10 games.
- The average implied point total on the season for Sacramento (121) is 10 more points than the team’s implied total in this matchup (111).
How to watch Bucks vs. Kings
Watch this game on Fubo!
Crash investigation at 60th and Vliet
MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man was pronounced dead at the scene of a crash at 60th and Vliet on Saturday morning.
What we know:
It happened at around 11:50 a.m. The Wauwatosa Police Department said investigators determined an SUV was headed west on Vliet Street when it ran a red light at a “high rate of speed,” collided with another vehicle and then hit a tree.
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A 71-year-old Milwaukee man, who was the driver and sole occupant of the SUV, died at the scene.
The Wauwatosa Fire Department, Milwaukee Fire Department and Milwaukee Police Department assisted with the crash response. At Vliet Street, 60th Street is the municipal boundary between Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.
What we don’t know:
Wauwatosa police said details of the crash remain under investigation. Police did not say whether anyone was in the other vehicle that was struck.
The Wisconsin State Patrol is assisting the Wauwatosa Police Department with the investigation.
The Source: FOX6 News went to the scene of the crash and received information from the Wauwatosa Police Department.
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