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'I'm just beyond grateful': Students and families land safely in Milwaukee as Hurricane Milton strengthens

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'I'm just beyond grateful': Students and families land safely in Milwaukee as Hurricane Milton strengthens


MILWAUKEE — Flights from Tampa, Fort Myers, and Orlando touched down at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport Monday evening. These were some of the final flights as Hurricane Milton rolls into Florida.

Blanca Smykowski was one of the people waiting for the Florida flights to land.

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Blanca Smykowski drove from Chicago to pick up her daughter Bella and her friend Nelly at the Milwaukee Airport. The girls go to The University of Tampa.

“Glad you guys got out,” Blanca said as she hugged her daughter.

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Bella Smykowski and her friend Nelly Korhonen got out of Tampa to escape the wrath of Hurricane Milton.

“It’s felt like the longest 24 hours,” Blanca said.

Blanca drove from Chicago to pick Bella and Nelly up. They are students at The University of Tampa.

“We had to find a flight to Chicago, and we couldn’t get a flight. Everything was unavailable. We tried a few different airlines,” Blanca explained.

Watch: Students and families land safely in Milwaukee as Hurricane Milton strengthens

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Students and families land safely in Milwaukee as Hurricane Milton strengthens

The Category 5 hurricane is closing airports and prompting evacuations around the Tampa Bay area. The Tampa International Airport plans to suspend operations at 9:00 Tuesday morning due to the hurricane.

“All of the campus could feel that this one was nothing to mess around with,” Bella said. 

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With tears in her eyes, Blanca is grateful she could get the girls out of Florida.

“A lot of kids unfortunately are stuck out there whose parents couldn’t get them home. I’m just glad we had the option of flying her home,” Blanca explained.

For some, the powerful storm meant cutting vacation short and preparing for the worst.

“Packed up the house, buckets underneath the furniture,” Brookfield resident, Gillian Rios said.

Gillian and Lacey Rios came home four days early from vacationing in Fort Myers. They said the rain was nonstop.

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Lacey and Gillian Rios

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Lacey and Gillian Rios from Brookfield cut their vacation in Florida short as the hurricane rolled in.

“I’m just beyond grateful and glad that we were able to get out in time,” Gillian explained.

“Our flight was on time. Nothing was delayed,” Lacey added.

Information on flights departing and arriving at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport can be found here.


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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee TV station assists with hurricane relief

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Milwaukee TV station assists with hurricane relief


WISN-TV in Milwaukee partnered with the American Red Cross to hold the “WISN 12 Hurricane Relief Drive” to provide critical support for people devastated by Hurricane Helene. Through the generosity of viewers and corporate contributions, $144,248 was collected to help communities following the record-setting, deadly storm.

“The death and destruction from Helene is heartbreaking, leaving destruction and the lives of so many others totally upended,” said Jan Wade, president and general manager of WISN 12. “We wanted to do whatever we could to help, and immediately partnered with the local Red Cross and our generous viewers to raise much needed funds.”

The station launched the drive on Sept. 27 with online donations to the Red Cross. On Oct. 2 the station hosted a phone bank from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Along with the generosity of viewers across southeastern Wisconsin, matching donations were delivered by companies including Sargento offering $20,000 and the WE Energies Foundation offering $10,000. WISN 12 also contributed $1,000 for the recovery and rebuilding efforts.

“It’s extremely touching to see communities here at home helping other communities across the country,” Wade said. “Whenever people are in need, no matter where they are, Wisconsin’s right there with them.”

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The drive is the 6th relief drive that the station has hosted since 2017. Previous relief drives helped those impacted by Hurricanes Harvey (2017), Irma (2017), Florence (2018), Ida (2021) and Ian (2022). To date, the relief drives have raised $690,255 for the American Red Cross. WISN 12 and the American Red Cross stand ready to host another ‘WISN 12 Hurricane Relief Drive’ after Hurricane Milton hits.



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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon runner struck following vehicle crash

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Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon runner struck following vehicle crash


A Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon runner is recovering after a car hit her during the race on Sunday, Oct. 6.

It all happened shortly after 11 a.m., on South Lake Drive in Cudahy. Police say the driver had a medical emergency.

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It was supposed to be a morning of setting personal records.

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But for one runner, the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon took a tragic turn.

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Cudahy police say during the marathon a vehicle hit a 28-year-old runner.

It happened before 11:30 a.m. near Henry and South Lake Drive, across from Aurora St. Luke’s Hospital.

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Police say a 68-year-old Waterford woman driving southbound experienced a medical emergency. She sideswiped another vehicle, causing a rollover.

Police say the woman then hit the runner before then coming to a stop near the woods.

“These are obviously incidents we never want to see happen in any event, any live event,” said Jen Puente from the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon.

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Neighbors say the southbound lanes were open to traffic, but the northbound lanes were closed for the race and the runner was alone.

There were no hard barriers blocking cars from getting close to the course.

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“There were cones along the race route to indicate the race route, along with signage, public awareness and officials along the course,” added Puente. “The Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon team will continue debriefing and looking at options to ensure runner safety not just next year but perpetuity.”

The runner and two drivers involved were taken to the hospital.

One vehicle was on its side

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Puente provided an update on the runner who survived but never reached the finish line.

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“The runner was released from the hospital and is at home recuperating and recovering,” said Puente.

Police say the runner who was hit is from Medford, Wisconsin, which is in the northern part of the state.

FOX6 is working to get an update on the others involved in this incident.

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Milwaukee, WI

Silver Alert issued for critically missing 69-year-old Milwaukee man with dementia

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Silver Alert issued for critically missing 69-year-old Milwaukee man with dementia


The Wisconsin Department of Justice and Milwaukee police are searching for a vulnerable, critically missing 69-year-old man.

Ike King Jr. was last seen traveling on foot Sunday, Oct. 6, around 10:30 p.m. in the 3300 block of North 41st Street, a largely residential area just west of West Fond du Lac Avenue. King has dementia. He is Black and has brown eyes and a black, curly afro. He has a missing front tooth and is about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 175 pounds with a medium build.

King was last seen wearing a white flannel, a blue shirt, blue pants resembling Dickies style pants and black Nike flip-flops.

Silver Alerts are issued for elderly persons who are missing and believed to have dementia or some other cognitive impairment. “Critical missing” is a label police apply to people who may be especially vulnerable due to a variety of factors.  

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Anyone with information regarding King’s whereabouts should call the Milwaukee Police Department’s Seventh District at 414-935-7272.



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