Milwaukee, WI

In Milwaukee, Phillies can achieve their first significant goal of 2024

Published

1 year ago

September 15, 2024

In Milwaukee, Phillies can achieve their first significant goal of 2024 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Milwaukee Brewers? Sounds vaguely familiar. Aren’t they the team with a mascot who shimmies down a twisting slide after home runs? AKA the Brew Crew? Used to be the Seattle Pilots? Also used to be in the American League? Plays “The Beer Barrel Polka” during the seventh inning stretch? Bratwurst? Robin Yount? Any of that ring a bell?

When it comes to Phillies rivalries, in other words, the Brewers barely move the needle. They were a speed bump on the way to winning the 2008 World Series. They’re the team that signed Rhys Hoskins as a free agent last winter. That’s about it.

Temporarily, at least, that’s about to change. For the next three nights at American Family Field, it’s Milwaukee standing directly between the Phils and achieving the first significant team objective they had when they first gathered in Clearwater in February: to win the division and avoid playing in the wild-card round.

Even though the Phillies have had success playing the extra series, making it to the World Series in 2022 and coming within one win of going back last year, manager Rob Thomson has made it clear that getting five days off after the regular season ends September 29 in Washington is a top priority.

Winning two of three in the just-completed series against the Mets mattered because the Phillies are trying to amass enough wins to finish with baseball’s best record, which earns home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Catcher J.T. Realmuto said it was like a playoff atmosphere. “These are the types of games you’re going to play in the postseason. These are the type of the opponents we’re going to be playing,” he said. “It’s no secret we love playing here at The Bank and feel like we have the best homefield advantage in baseball. The one-seed is very important to us and we’re going to play as well as we can until we get it.”

The upcoming series in the Badger State, however, presents a more immediate opportunity and more straight-line impact to determine how the teams are seeded when the regular season concludes in two weeks.

Barring a cataclysm, the Phillies will win the National League East, the Brewers the Central and the Dodgers the West. The team with the third-best record will have to compete in the wild card round to advance.

The Phillies presently hold a four-game edge over Milwaukee. So here’s what’s at stake:

• Since they swept Milwaukee at The Bank the first week in June, the Phillies need just one win to clinch the tie-breaker.

• If the Phillies sweep, they’d be 8 up with 10 games left to play. Any combination thereafter of Phillies wins and Brewers losses totaling 3 guarantees a first-round bye.

• If the Phillies win two of three, that Magic Number is 5.

• If the Phillies lose two of three, it’s 7.

• If the Phillies get swept, it’s 9. And the tiebreaker would revert to best record within the division. Right now, Milwaukee is 30-19 against the NLC with just three games (at Pittsburgh) remaining. The Phillies are 26-18 with four at New York and the final weekend at Washington left.

Even though the Phillies took care of the Brewers more than three months ago, it’s worth noting that each of those games was decided by one or two runs, one in extra innings. Also, the venue matters. The Phillies are 52-25 (.675) at Citizens Bank Park this year and 38-34 (.528) everywhere else.

Milwaukee has a better record (50-37) and run differential (+76) since leaving Citizens Bank Park than the Phillies (46-40, +15). And there are two notable reasons for that.

Rookie outfielder Jackson Chourio was hitting .211 with a .592 OPS through that series, but has been raking ever since. Going into Sunday, in his next 81 games, he hit .308/.909. Shortstop Willy Adames left Philadelphia with 9 homers in 63 games and then hit 23 in his subsequent 86 games.

The pitching matchups also offer some behind-the-numbers intrigue. Ranger Suarez (12-6, 3.05) will face Aaron Civale (6-8, 4.57) Monday. That looks good on paper, but Suarez has something to prove. His earned run average is 6.02 in his last eight starts.

In Game 2 it will be Zack Wheeler (15-6, 2.60) vs. Frankie Montas (7-10, 4.49) followed by Aaron Nola (12-8, 3.62) vs. Freddy Peralta (11-8, 3.75). Nola, too, will be looking to right himself. He’s failed to complete five innings in each of his last two starts while giving up a total of 11 earned runs.

All games start at 7:40 p.m. EDT on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

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Milwaukee, WI

Spectators of street takeovers in Milwaukee will soon face fines up to $1,000

Published

4 days ago

September 24, 2025

Press Room

Spectators of street takeovers in Milwaukee will soon face fines up to ,000

The Milwaukee Common Council on Sept. 23 unanimously passed new legislation addressing street takeovers, including fines for those who attend them.

The legislation states that no person should knowingly be present at a street takeover, which are gatherings in the public roadway as participating vehicles do burnouts and donuts. The events happen suddenly, with organizers turning to private messaging apps, and one event can be attended by hundreds.

Any person at a street takeover is now subject to a fine between $300 and $1,000, according to the legislation.

Spectators: $500 to $1,000 fine
Operators or organizers: $400 to $1,000 fine
Passengers: $300 to $1,000 fine

Those who attend more than one in the same year will receive a minimum $1,000 fine. And the municipal court can impose community service related to traffic safety and default of payment could result in jail time, the legislation states.

The legislation defines a “spectator” as someone knowingly present for the purpose of viewing, encouraging, recording or otherwise attending a street takeover. This includes people filming or livestreaming the event on social media.

In recent weeks, Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Common Council members signaled an intent to pass legislation as police reported responding to hundreds of takeovers this year. The mayor’s office said Sept. 23 that he plans to sign the legislation.

Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic said at the Common Council meeting that she wanted to be “careful” that this legislation will not result in enforcement for “pop-up, organic gatherings” that she sees in her district, which includes Bay View, sometimes surrounding political actions.

“We should be able to go in our streets and voice our support or discontent with anything. That is quite different than what (we) … seek to stop,” she said. “I feel we have a delicate balance here to stop this poor behavior but still allow … open free speech at any time.”

Street takeovers returned to the forefront over Labor Day weekend, when police received about 15 calls related to them. Those took place throughout the city, including downtown, and police arrested three people. The department also issued 26 citations and towed six vehicles.

Milwaukee police previously told the Common Council the police task force responsible for the takeovers was paused Labor Day weekend to deal with violent crime on Water Street.

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Milwaukee, WI

30th annual Milwaukee zoo bike ride offers families a wild start to Sunday

Published

2 weeks ago

September 15, 2025

Press Room

30th annual Milwaukee zoo bike ride

Nearly 700 cyclists rode through the Milwaukee County Zoo before opening hours for the Ride on the Wild Side fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 14.

MILWAUKEE – Hundreds of riders pedaled through the Milwaukee County Zoo on Sunday morning, Sept. 14, for the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s 30th annual Ride on the Wild Side.

What we know:

Organizers said nearly 700 cyclists participated, including some who took on a special 30-mile ride to mark the 30th year of the event. The big draw: a chance to ride bikes inside the zoo before it opened to the public.

“This is the one time a year you can come with your two wheels or four wheels, if you needed training wheels,” said Katie Krecklow with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee. “We have some brave souls today that decided to do a 30 mile ride today to celebrate 30 years.”

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Families described the early-morning ride as a unique experience, with animals just beginning to emerge into their exhibits.

“I think being early in the morning and you just see it from a different perspective – the animals are just coming out,” said Heather Anderson, who attended with her family.

In addition to the bike rides, participants enjoyed activities, like face painting, an obstacle course, and, of course, plenty of animal sightings.

Local perspective:

“Getting to see all the animals when they are coming out and the baby monkeys,” said Claire Anderson. “A lot of animals, like peacocks, like to walk around, and bears and elephants.”

These true stars of the show fuel the heart of the event.

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“We love supporting the zoo,” Heather Anderson said. “We live close and we come often through the year and we take part in their summer camps and family programs.”

Why you should care:

This year’s event raised more than $50,000, money that will go toward supporting zoo operations, conservation efforts, and the society’s mission of teaching children empathy for animals.

“The Zoological Society is the nonprofit partner of the Milwaukee County Zoo, so we take on a lot of the fundraising to try to help the zoo do what they do best, which is care for the animals,” Krecklow said.

The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee prostitution crime ring; man pleads no contest, fined

Published

2 weeks ago

September 13, 2025

Press Room

Milwaukee prostitution crime ring; man pleads no contest, fined

article

MILWAUKEE – The last of six men charged in what Milwaukee County prosecutors described as a prostitution ring pleaded no contest and was fined on Friday.

Pleas and sentencings

In Court:

Court records show 56-year-old Christopher Riegg, an investment banker, pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. He was fined $1,500.

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Prosecutors initially charged all six men with misdemeanor pandering solicitation. One of the six, 55-year-old Travis Schwantes, was charged with additional crimes.

Schwantes, a former public defender who once ran for a judgeship, pleaded guilty to one felony and two misdemeanors in August. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, two years of probation and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.

Court records show 60-year-old William Green, a former attorney, pleaded guilty to pandering solicitation and was sentenced to nine months of probation in June.

In July, 51-year-old Milwaukee firefighter David Ornstein pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and was fined $600. George Easton, a 77-year-old retired municipal judge, pleaded guilty to two such counts and was fined $1,000 in May.

Leroy Stewart, a funeral director in Oak Creek, pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. The 54-year-old was fined $1,200 in April.

The backstory:

Hundreds of pages of search warrants were unsealed last December, and FOX6 News learned the investigation into the prostitution ring began years earlier.

The scope of what investigators uncovered included accusations of extortion. It centered on an apartment building at 29th and Kilbourn in Milwaukee.

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Dig deeper:

A woman, Roya Sedghi, was charged in fall 2023 with keeping a place of prostitution. Court records said she billed herself as the “Iranian Princess.” Records show Sedghi registered “Iranian Princess Fetish Services LLC” with the state in March 2022.

Court records show it all began to unravel a month later when a woman came forward to investigators in Dodge County, detailing what happened, and with whom, in that apartment building.

Sedghi pleaded guilty in October 2024 to keeping a place of prostitution. She was sentenced to one year in prison and three years of extended supervision.

The Source: FOX6 News referenced documents filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, as well as Wisconsin Circuit Court records, for this story.

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