Milwaukee, WI
How this lifelong Brewers fan and famous wood artist played a special role in the 50th anniversary of Robin Yount’s MLB debut
Get to know Ike Wynter, Wisconsin wood artist and social media star
The Mequon resident’s muses are nostalgia and mental health awareness. Sometimes, he finds ways to combine the two.
Milwaukee Brewers legend Robin Yount said he was “the luckiest guy in the world” to have been drafted by the team.
When wood artist Isaac Wynter Weins — a lifelong fan of the Crew — was commissioned by the ball club to make a custom piece to honor Yount, he felt pretty darn lucky, too.
“It’s one thing to partner with big companies and do cool collabs, but it’s a whole different ballgame when it’s things that are from your hometown, things you grew up with,” said Weins, known as Ike Wynter to his massive social media following. “It’s definitely a dream come true.”
Spring marked the 50th anniversary of Yount’s debut as a Brewer at 18 years old. The Kid, who’d become the face of the franchise, would spend his entire 20-year career with Milwaukee, during which he batted .285 while amassing 3,142 hits, 251 home runs and 1,406 runs batted in.
Ahead of Sunday’s game at American Family Field, the ball club recognized Yount and his milestone anniversary. That included a 35-second standing ovation as the Baseball Hall of Famer took the field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
But before that, in a more intimate setting by the clubhouse, Weins — who’s had quite the career himself — got to unveil to Yount and his family the custom wood mosaic he spent 75 hours creating in his Butler studio.
It’s a home plate with two bats that appear to be crisscrossing through it. A nameplate atop says “Yount #19” with a baseball above and a “50th anniversary” with the Brewers glove logo below.
Besides a couple of bats given to him by the team, the artist used nothing but reclaimed wood — which is Weins’ medium — and his go-to tools: A scroll saw, band saw and sander. He cuts all the pieces to fit together almost like a puzzle. And, he never uses stains or paints.
To bring the piece for Yount to life, Weins used wood from a school desk he found on the side of the road, a sheet of wood paneling and birch plywood from dumpsters, a bulletin board from a Milwaukee elementary school and a kitchen cabinet door from his time in Minnesota.
He knocked out the glove first, then worked his way around the piece, section-by-section, he said. The baseball was one of the last parts he tackled, having to make “the tiniest incisions and cuts” to create its intricate stitching.
Local artist Ike Wynter unveils the custom wood mosaic he made for Robin Yount
“Are you the artist?” Yount pointed to Weins in a video he shared on social media.
“I’m Robin Yount,” the man of the hour said, walking over to shake the artist’s hand.
Awaiting the grand reveal, Yount joked, “I hope you made me look good,” probably expecting a portrait of sorts, Weins recalled. The two-time MVP was in for quite the surprise.
After Weins pulled off a black sheet to reveal the large wood mosaic, Yount’s response was: “Oh wow, very cool.”
Weins walked Yount through the piece and the elaborate journey that went into making it. Weins said Yount “really got” and appreciated it.
Weins said he had heard from folks who watched Yount’s career unfold in real-time that he was “the greatest” both on and off the field.
“Meeting him was a testament to that,” Weins said. “The whole time we were talking and chatting, it wasn’t meeting like an A-list celebrity or anything. He was just a very down-to-earth, Milwaukee dude. And, a community-driven dude. And, you can just tell that.”
Weins also made a plaque to attach to the back of the mosaic that’s embedded with the pencil he used to sketch and mark up the piece. “That’s awesome, Ike,” Yount told him.
To memorialize the moment, Yount, his crew and Weins posed for pics with the mosaic, which will be shipped to the baseball icon’s Arizona home.
And, this wasn’t Weins’ only photo op of the day. He also got to go onto the field — which he had never done before — and to a sentimental spot outside of the stadium.
In 2003, 10-year-old Weins got to play at Helfaer Field, the youth baseball diamond adjacent to where the Brewers play.
Ahead of Sunday, Weins dug up an old photo from that exciting day of him and his teammates outside of what was then Miller Park.
While at the ballpark for the unveiling, Weins stopped by that same spot. It was a “full-circle moment” for him.
“Whatever you want to do or believe in, it’s doable. It’s not out of reach,” Weins said. “If you set out to do something, you can make it happen. You just got to figure it out.”
If Weins’ name sounds familiar, that’s probably because it is. He was the artist behind that giant wooden Crayola crayon box that was making its rounds on social media earlier this summer.
The Mequon resident’s muses are nostalgia and mental health awareness.
The piece that helped launch Weins’ social media career a couple years back was the one he made for former boxing champ Mike Tyson. Since then, he’s constructed Tommy Pickles from “Rugrats,” a “Hoan Town Lager” for 414 Day, a Polaroid camera with interchangeable photos, Legos, a depiction from “Giannis: The Marvelous Journey,” a Father’s Day surprise for “Power Ranger” and singer Chance Perez, and more.
“I feel like a lot of us, your childhood is your greatest years,” Weins said in a previous Journal Sentinel interview. “You just have so many beautiful, warm thoughts. If I can create art that makes people remember things and experiences in their child for that glimpse of a moment as adults now, I just think it’s a cool opportunity.”
His own mental health journey is what led him to start creating art that brings awareness. One of those pieces is “YOU HAVE PURPOSE,” a phrase Weins spelled out with wooden Scrabble letters that span six feet. The number values on the letters made up the Suicide Hotline, which has been simplified to 988.
Weins’ first gallery showing was at Unfinished Legacy in 2023. Since then, he’s displayed pieces at the Milwaukee Night Market, the Milwaukee Athletic Club and a private art gallery at the New York Stock Exchange.
But, before Weins became a full-time artist, he lived many other lives.
He was in the hardcore metal band Narrow Hearts, which played shows at The Rave and all across the country.
He started a junk removal business with his older brother, Andrew, who was formerly in the U.S. Army and remains in the Reserves.
It was during that time that Weins found art as a way to breathe new life into the discarded wood the business collected. And in 2021, Wynter moved to Minneapolis in pursuit of his passion.
Soon after, however, he’d split his time between his own dream and helping make the dreams of others come true. He landed a “dream job,” working as a tour manager for the Los Angeles-based Dream Machine Foundation.
In April 2023, Weins moved back to the Milwaukee area and took his art full-time.
You can read more about Weins and his journey here.
Milwaukee, WI
Vice President JD Vance to visit Milwaukee on Wednesday
JD Vance emphasizes unity in July Fourth speech
JD Vance highlighted unity and shared purpose in a Fourth of July speech celebrating 250 years of America’s strength and future.
Vice President JD Vance will be in Milwaukee on July 8 at the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Refueling wing, Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Brian Schimming said.
It will be an official event, Schimming told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Republican vice president was last in Wisconsin about four months ago, when he spoke at Pointe Precision in Plover on Feb. 26, two days following President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. That visit was part of a campaign by the White House to put the president and top administration officials in front of voters in battleground districts.
In August 2025, Vance visited La Crosse to promote provisions of the Trump administration’s sweeping tax and spending law.
And he made multiple stops in Wisconsin during the 2024 campaign.
The White House has not yet released details about Vance’s visit.
Milwaukee, WI
Two Milwaukee officers hurt over Fourth of July weekend
MILWAUKEE – Two Milwaukee female officers were injured on duty over the weekend. Police said one was hit by a car, while the other was hurt by fireworks.
Video shared on social media shows a blast blowing a Milwaukee police officer to the ground.
“The next thing you know, police coming from everywhere,” said Tracey Dent, a community activist.
Witnesses told FOX6 News it happened around midnight Sunday. They said someone was setting off and throwing fireworks in a crowded parking lot near Brady Street and Cambridge Avenue.
“It’s just a small minority of people who want to mess it up for everybody and think it’s funny, and it’s not funny,” Dent said.
But this was not the only overnight incident where an officer was hurt on duty. Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said a suspect hit a female officer with a car, which led to an officer-involved shooting around 2:15 a.m. near Knapp and Water streets.
“Uniformed Milwaukee police officers patrolling our downtown entertainment district heard multiple gunshots,” said Norman.
Norman said officers responding on foot saw an Audi leaving the area. He said the 18-year-old male suspect hit a 25-year-old female officer with his vehicle while fleeing.
“Officers, including the injured officer, discharged their weapons at the vehicle,” Chief Norman said.
The officer was taken to the hospital with nonfatal injuries. The suspect was found and also taken to the hospital with nonfatal injuries. He was later arrested.
Police found the unoccupied suspect’s vehicle with a gun inside on Fond du Lac Avenue near Walnut Street.
Police told FOX6 News all the officers involved in this morning’s shooting will be placed on administrative duty which is standard protocol.
Additional officers involved in this incident are a 28-year-old male with over 7 years of service and a 27-year-old male with over 8 years of service. The injured officer has served for less than year.
Chief Norman said two other people arrived at hospitals with gunshot wounds, though it is unclear if they are connected to the officer-involved shooting.
FOX6 News is still waiting on more information from the Brady Street fireworks incident.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Tracey Dent, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, a police scanner broadcast, Facebook video and the Milwaukee Police Department.
Milwaukee, WI
29-year-old motorcyclist dies in Milwaukee collision; charges pending
MILWAUKEE — A motorcyclist was killed in Milwaukee Saturday night after being struck by another vehicle.
According to police, the crash occurred around 10:15 p.m. in the 600 block of East Locust Street when a 31-year-old driver traveling south on Booth Street collided with the motorcycle that was traveling on West Locust Street.
The driver of the motorcycle, a 29-year-old, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The vehicle driver was taken into custody. Charges are pending review by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
Let’s talk:
Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip
-
Culture26 minutes agoTry This Quiz on Literary Quotations About American Life
-
Lifestyle32 minutes ago‘Alice and Steve’ might be a mess — but it’s also too fun to stop watching
-
Technology40 minutes agoAmerica’s greatest idea is still under threat
-
World47 minutes agoZelenskyy pressures US and Europe for more ‘air defense’ assistance amid ongoing war with Russia
-
Politics50 minutes agoICE renews hunt for El Chapo’s last two fugitive sons with massive reward
-
Health1 hour agoBiohacker hoping to live to 160 reveals alarming diagnosis: ‘My stomach is eating itself’
-
Sports1 hour agoFIFA president addresses Trump call amid scrutiny over decision on USA World Cup star
-
Technology1 hour agoFake Booking.com travel credit scam targets travelers