Milwaukee, WI

Here are Milwaukee County Zoo animals we said goodbye to in 2023. And those we welcomed.

Published

2 years ago

January 3, 2024

Here are Milwaukee County Zoo animals we said goodbye to in 2023. And those we welcomed.

In 2023, Milwaukeeans said mournful good-byes to Milwaukee County Zoo favorites, including Gordy the groundhog, two giraffes and a silverback gorilla.

In happier news, we also met some new babies, including a De Brazza’s monkey born in front of visitors, and welcomed animals here from other zoos, such as female harbor seal Mira and Choto, a male snow leopard.

Milwaukee County Zoo animals that died in 2023

On Feb. 5, Stella, a 19-year-old female jaguar, was humanely euthanized. According to a statement from the zoo, Stella had suffered for years from “chronic, age-related health conditions that worsened and were not responsive to supportive care.”

On March 3, just about a month after predicting six more weeks of winter in the zoo’s annual Groundhog Day ceremony, Gordy, the zoo’s almost-five-year-old groundhog, died. Gordy — who had been popular with zookeepers, zoo visitors and thousands of Milwaukee schoolchildren who watched his prediction every year — was mourned by many fans who will miss his “camera star personality.”

On March 22, Bahatika, a 17-year-old male giraffe, died. Although he had experienced a variety of age-related health issues, his death was unexpected. Baha had been in Milwaukee since 2006, and fathered 7 calves.

Just a week after the death of Bahatika, another giraffe, 30-year-old female Rahna, was humanely euthanized. Rahna had long been monitored by the zoo’s vet staff as she suffered from a variety of age-related issues and was ten years beyond the median life expectancy of female giraffes living in zoos.

On April 19, Sanchi, the zoo’s 26-year-old Bactrian camel, was humanely euthanized after her quality of life declined due to her age. She had lived in Milwaukee since November 1997.

On May 18, Gypsy, a 30-year-old Arabian horse, was humanely euthanized due to an acute episode of colic that zoo staff believed wouldn’t have been solved with surgery. Gypsy had been a resident of the Northwestern Mutual Family Farm since 2013.

On May 24, Stuart, a zebra, died after colliding with a fence. According to a statement from the zoo, “As he was exploring, running and chasing the impalas in the yard, Stuart inadvertently came in contact with the wire containment fence surrounding the habitat. Despite the immediate response from the veterinary team, Stuart did not survive his injuries.” Stuart had been at the Milwaukee County Zoo since 2019.

On Sept. 13, Oliver, a 34-year-old male silverback western lowland gorilla, died. Oliver, who had experienced chronic health conditions for years, had been anesthetized to address a tooth infection. He experienced cardiac and respiratory arrest while under anesthesia, and was unable to be revived. Oliver had been in Milwaukee since 2021.

Milwaukee County Zoo animals that we welcomed in 2023

In March 2023, the zoo announced the arrival of ten new Amazon milk frogs — tiny blue frogs that secrete poison against predators when they’re threatened. The frogs came to Milwaukee from the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium.

Two new calves, Bailey, a Brown Swiss cow, and Harper, a Holstein cow, were born in early 2023 in the Northwestern Mutual Family Farm. A third calf, Martini, was born in September.

On March 14, a Victoria crowned pigeon chick hatched in the zoo’s aviary. The species, which is native to New Guinea, is a first for the Milwaukee County Zoo.

On April 6, a female harbor seal, Mira, arrived in Milwaukee from the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. Mira, who was born Aug. 7, 2021, was brought to Milwaukee in the hopes that she will be a companion to Leia and mate with Ringo.

On April 12, a northern spider tortoise hatched, the first successful hatching for the zoo’s mating pair. Northern spider tortoises are a critically endangered species.

On May 20, Leilani, a female Bactrian camel was born to mom AJ and dad Stan.

On June 10, the zoo’s female De Brazza’s monkey, Holly, gave birth to Heri in front of zoo visitors. Holly and Hugo, the baby’s father, were brought to Milwaukee in 2022 in the hopes that they would become the zoo’s first De Brazza’s monkey breeding pair.

In July, Nelson, a 14-year-old Norwegian Fjord horse, was brought to the Milwaukee County Zoo. Fjord horses are considered ponies, and the species was first brought to the United States in the 1950s.

On July 30, Guillermo, a prehensile-tailed porcupine baby — otherwise known as a porcupette — was born to mom Quinn and dad Seamus.

In July, Choto, a 2-year-old male snow leopard, arrived in Milwaukee from the Dakota Zoo in Bismarck, North Dakota. Zookeepers hope Choto will breed with the zoo’s 9-year-old female snow leopard, Orya.

On Aug. 5, Chula, a female greater kudu, was born. Greater kudus are a species of antelope native to eastern and southern Africa. Chula means “cute” in Spanish.

On Oct. 27, a 3-year-old male giraffe, Kendi, arrived in Milwaukee from the Dallas Zoo. Kendi has been recommended for breeding by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Species Survival Program.

In late October, two 4-year-old male Baja blue rock lizards arrived in Milwaukee from the Los Angeles Zoo. Their names are Baja Blast and Baja Splash.

In November, two yellow-rumped caciques, one male and one female, arrived at the zoo’s aviary from the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. The birds, native to northern South America, have been recommended for breeding.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Sacramento Kings odds, tips and betting trends | January 4, 2026

Published

5 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

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!

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Milwaukee, WI

60th and Vliet crash, Milwaukee man pronounced dead at the scene

Published

17 hours ago

January 3, 2026

Press Room

60th and Vliet crash, Milwaukee man pronounced dead at the scene

article

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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Milwaukee shoppers frustrated by grocery prices as election year nears

Published

6 days ago

December 29, 2025

Press Room

Milwaukee shoppers frustrated by grocery prices as election year nears

Voters in Wisconsin are frustrated with high prices, which could impact the 2026 midterm elections.
Financial experts suggest that prices, which have risen significantly since 2020, are unlikely to decrease.
Many shoppers are cutting back on expenses like food, travel, and personal care to cope with the rising cost of living.
A recent poll found that 75% of Wisconsin residents surveyed said their grocery costs have gone up.

Adriana Maldonado is a yoga therapist in Wauwatosa with two children at home and three who are grown up that she tries to help with groceries. She has a one-word description for the economy.

“Awful.”

Maldonado said she’s had to pick up extra work to pay bills and other expenses.

“I also bartend at Gibraltar’s, and I also drive for Veyo, which picks up medical patients,” Maldonado said. “And whatever odds and ends I can do, I will do.”

Maldonado added she has cut back on some spending.

“I had to get rid of car insurance for a little while and then I just picked up a cheaper (policy),” Maldonado said. “I cut back on any eating out.”

Maldonado said her faith in the political system and in politicians is broken.

“This is just playing a game on humans,” Maldonado said of the political process.

Maldonado said she encourages people to shop at small local businesses.

“Stop shopping at large companies, come to more local places, put money back into our community,” Maldonado said. “It makes more sense. If we continue to shop the big (stores) we’re going to lose people. There’s so many businesses closing right now, it’s so sad.”

Maldonado is in the sweet spot for one of the most consequential discussions happening across the country: How is the country doing economically? Is daily life affordable? Are we facing sticker shock at the grocery store?

And the enduring political question: Are we better off today than the last time we voted?

President Donald Trump says the Golden Age is upon us, complaints about affordability are a hoax, and any concerns are the fault of the Biden administration combined with the Federal Reserve’s refusal to slash interest rates.

Countering that perspective:

National consumer sentiment sits near all-time lows, according to the University of Michigan’s monthly survey. The latest survey released Dec. 5 found sentiment improved slightly from November but remained 28 percentage points below December 2024 levels. “Consumers see modest improvements from November on a few dimensions, but the overall tenor of views is broadly somber, as consumers continue to cite the burden of high prices,” University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu said.
The U.S. job market is showing signs of slowing, adding just 64,000 jobs in November, according to the most recent employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, the highest in four years. Preliminary data for October 2025 released Dec. 16 showed a loss of 105,000 jobs that month, largely driven by layoffs of federal workers.
The Urban Institute reported in October that Americans are struggling to afford essentials like food, childcare and housing. Nearly four in five Americans believe the U.S. economy will not improve in the year ahead.
The U.S. job market has been stagnant in recent months, and paycheck growth has been falling steadily for more than three years.
Consumers never adjusted to the supply chain chaos and dramatic rise in prices during the COVID pandemic. Many of those prices never came down. “The price level changed so much because we had such high inflation for a couple of years there and you’re continuing to add inflation to an already high price level … people haven’t had time to adjust to that,” said Dominic Ceci, chief investing officer for Johnson Financial Group. “In the last five years, we’ve had more inflation than we did in a long time. If you think about prices in 2020, pre-pandemic versus now, it’s a huge difference. It’s a whiplash effect.”

Marquette Poll indicates widespread pessimism

According to the most recent Marquette Law School Poll, 47% of those surveyed in early November said their groceries have “gone up a lot,” and 28% said groceries have “gone up a little.”

In the same poll, people were asked to predict if the cost of living would increase, decrease or stay the same in the next 12 months. Two-thirds said they expect the cost of living to go up.

Historically, the party in power performs poorly in midterm elections. That means Republicans and Trump are running short on time to change people’s minds, according to Marquette Law School Poll director Charles Franklin.

“He is now suffering from this widespread perception, and especially with swing voters, these policies aren’t helping inflation, they’re really exacerbating it,” Franklin said. “That’s tied to tariffs but also other things.”

The widespread frustration with the economy helped Democratic candidates in New York, Virginia, New Jersey and Miami win races in 2025.

“Politicians need to react to that,” Ceci said of voters’ feelings on the economy. “There’s some stuff they can do. There’s tax policy. There’s all kinds of things, but is it realistic that any of that gets done or gets done effectively? Probably not. You really need all of the people to come together to agree to pass bills and make things happen.”

People coming together is not exactly a hallmark of today’s politics.

Milwaukee resident Blanca Rivera, a former parent educator with Bay View Community Center, said food in particular has gotten more expensive. She has three children, and two of them have already moved out or contribute financially to her household.

Even with fewer people to feed, Rivera said she’s spending around $400 per week on food for her family.

“The same amount of money that we spend now for only us three, it’s the same amount of money I used to spend for four to six people before,” said Rivera, who sometimes also shops for other relatives.

To save money, Rivera has cut back on trips to see family members in El Salvador. She used to visit at least two or three times per year, but her budget now only allows for one.

“When you want to go over there, you don’t want to go empty handed. You wanted to bring something” for relatives, Rivera said. “I used to bring seven luggage bags – now I bring two.”

Rivera is also reducing personal care-related expenses to save more money for her family’s more basic needs.

“Before, I used to go and do my nails, my hair, maybe go to buy a nice perfume,” she said. “Now, I’ve got to wait three, four months to do my hair.”

The Journal Sentinel went shopping last year. And then went back.

President Trump said prices would start falling shortly after he took office in January 2025, and in recent months said his administration is bringing down some prices and slowing inflation.

But lower prices have not been seen in Milwaukee area grocery stores.

In August 2024, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel collected the price of a basket of groceries at five Milwaukee-area stores: Walmart, Pick ‘n Save, Target, Festival Foods and Woodman’s.

On Dec. 2, 2025, the Journal Sentinel returned to the same stores to compare how prices changed over the past 16 months. Totals were collected using the same list of common staple items across all five stores. Name brand items were purchased; some stores offer house brands that would significantly bring down prices.

The full grocery list was:

Almond Milk: 64 ounces
100% whole wheat bread: 24-ounce loaf
Bacon: one pound
Bananas
Beef: one pound, 80% lean, not certified Angus
Butter: one pound
Cheerios: 8.9-ounce box
Cheez-its: 12.4-ounce box
Eggs: one dozen
Flour: five pounds
Green beans (canned)
Strawberry jelly/jam: 18 ounces
Iceberg lettuce: one head
Milk: one gallon
Oranges
Paper towel: two-roll package
Peanut butter: 18 ounces
Toilet paper: six pack

At Walmart, 401 E. Capitol Drive in Milwaukee, the cost was $63.84 in August 2024, and $69.31 on Dec. 2 2025, up around 8.6%. Walmart remains the cheapest of the five stores.

At Woodman’s, 8131 S. Howell Ave. in Oak Creek, the cost was $61.38 in 2024 and $69.80 on Dec. 2, an increase of 13.7%.

At Festival Foods, 11111 W. Greenfield Ave., in West Allis, the cost was $85.62 in 2024 and $94.58 on Dec. 2, an increase of 10.5%.

At Target, 2950 S. Chase Ave., in Milwaukee, the cost was $69.88 in 2024 and $70.21 on Dec. 2, an increase of 0.5%. However, this Target does not carry a name-brand bag of flour, the house brand was substituted, likely lowering the overall cost.

Finally, at Pick ‘n Save, 605 E. Lyon St. in Milwaukee, the price was $83.18 in 2024 and $81.53 on Dec. 2. That’s a decrease of 2%.

Substituting store-brand alternatives for name-brand grocery items does offer some savings for customers. For example, Pick ‘n Save’s store-brand grocery list cost $57.33 in December.

Some items fluctuated wildly in price since August 2024. A bird flu epidemic drove national egg prices to more than $6 per dozen in March 2025. Prices have dropped significantly since then, but the national average price of a dozen eggs in September 2025 remained above August 2024 levels.

The cost of a dozen Grade A large eggs at the five Milwaukee-area stores ranged from $1.97 to $2.49 on Dec. 2.

Is the affordability issue overblown?

Chris Dare was at the Milwaukee Public Market with his son Jake and noticed that meat prices were higher than at their butcher shop back home in Oshkosh.

Still, both wondered if the broad reaction to elevated prices wasn’t a bit exaggerated.

“I don’t think it’s as bad as people are making it sound,” Chris Dare said. “The disappointing thing for me was COVID was an open door for prices to go up, with somewhat legitimate reasons, but of course when those reasons went away, prices didn’t go back down, which we knew was going to happen.”

His son Jake believes candidates will “weaponize” prices in upcoming elections.

“The cost of living and the cost of buying things, the purchasing power of the wages you make is going to affect politics,” Jake Dare said. “After the elections come and go, I think it’ll flatten back out again and you’ll have two years of, probably, steady increases … it’s cyclical, any time the elections come around.”

Both father and son think about how prices impact them when they go to the polls, and they encourage other voters to research candidates and vote based on what impacts them personally.

“I don’t think anybody wants to admit it,” Chris Dare said, but “let’s be realistic, I’m voting 100% selfishly how things affect me.”

Chris and Jake consider themselves conservative, but question what Trump could do in the near-term to lower prices.

“And unfortunately I don’t think any president has that much immediate control over the economy,” Chris Dare said. “As much as you’d like to have somebody march in and suddenly things turn around. … it doesn’t happen that quickly on the economy side.”

Shoppers want specifics from candidates on solutions

Karen and Lee Veldboom live in the city of Waukesha and have learned to be more selective when at the grocery store.

“We don’t buy beef,” Karen Veldboom said, adding that her family has cut back on sweets and other treats as well. “Everything is so volatile right now, you kind of go with what it is.”

Both believe prices and the economy will play a role in how people vote in 2026. And both yearn for the days of more civility and less anger.

“We lean conservative but there’s so much craziness going on now, you don’t even know who to support,” Lee Veldboom said. “You can’t go two days in a row without hearing something totally outrageous.”

Heather Wiese from Pewaukee has taken up thrift shopping since doing it with her daughter in 2020.

It’s a good way for her to save money and support smaller businesses, she said.

But it’s a different feeling at the grocery store.

“Prices are high, holy moly,” Wiese said. “The price of beef is way up. The price of everything is way up.”

Wiese doesn’t expect the issue of affordability to go away anytime soon.

“People really can’t afford a lot of stuff right now,” Wiese said.

What she doesn’t want to hear is a lot of rhetoric without specifics.

“I would like more details,” Wiese said. “I don’t think on day one everything is going to go down.”

Despite promises, they certainly haven’t in the past.

The grocery bill is just one of many factors affecting households each month. Here’s the price of other common household expenses as of Dec. 16, 2025, compared to a year ago: