MILWAUKEE – In partnership with Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS), the Miller Lite Free Rides program returns to Milwaukee as people ring in the new year.

The program got its start in 1988 and provides residents with free transportation to celebrate the new year responsibly. 

This year’s program is especially meaningful as Miller Lite celebrates its 50th anniversary and the Free Rides program approaches 10 million rides provided nationwide.

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Visit the MCTS website to find the most popular routes. You can also download the UMO app to plan and track your bus in real-time. 

MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee woman says she has been without her car for almost a week after what she claims was an unfair towing incident from an apartment complex, leaving her with a $400 bill.

“It’s been pretty terrible,” Pappalardo said.

Ashley Pappalardo’s car was towed from the Parkview Apartment lot near Silver Spring and Highway 100 on Thursday morning. Her sister was driving the vehicle at the time and says there was confusion about where to park due to different property ownership.

According to Department of Revenue records, the building had just been sold to new ownership that same day. A sign posted near the entrance warns that non-residents will be towed.

Watch: Milwaukee woman claims predatory towing left her with hundreds in fees

Milwaukee woman claims predatory towing left her with hundreds in fees after apartment complex confusion

Pappalardo said that during conversations with the new management, they told her the towing shouldn’t have happened.

“She says we called and put any operations from them on hold until we can review a contract,” Pappalardo said. “I asked, ‘So they didn’t have any right to be on the property?’ She said no.”

Pappalardo says Brew City Towing and Recovery, which towed the vehicle, also confirmed to her that operations had been put on hold.

TMJ4 reporter Brendyn Jones attempted to speak to the property manager to clear up the confusion, but received no answer.

A sign indicated the office was closed because of new ownership. When Jones called the posted number and spoke with an Appleton Rental Homes representative, she declined to answer whether there was an active contract with Brew City and denied an interview request, saying Pappalardo should pay the fine.

At Brew City Towing, a worker instructed TMJ4 to call the office, but the voicemail box was full. Jones reached out to Brew City over the phone and by text, but received no answer from the people who have the car.

Pappalardo went to the police, who she said told her a small claims report might be her next step.

“Anyone who’s been in that civil lawsuit process understands it’s an incredibly long and grueling process for very little outcome,” Pappalardo said.

For now, she’s out of luck, hoping Brew City compromises.

This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Brisa Do Mar, a Mediterranean and Italian restaurant along the Milwaukee River, has quietly closed after a year and a half in business. 

Chef-owner Ramses Alvarez confirmed that, after a busy summer led to a slow September and October, he decided to close his restaurant in early December.

“It was a difficult decision for a lot of reasons. I didn’t want to close,” Ramses said in a phone interview. “The restaurant was so beautiful and the best thing that happened to me, but it was very temperamental. I did everything possible, but we were not successful with trying to make enough revenue for us to say, ‘OK, it’s worth it.’”

The spacious, 300-seat restaurant, located at 509 E. Erie St. in Milwaukee’s Third Ward neighborhood, was previously home to Riverfront Pizzeria Bar & Grille. That restaurant closed in February 2024 after 20 years in the space. 

Alvarez and partner Shannon Rowell opened Brisa Do Mar in its place on May 2, 2024. Just before opening his restaurant, Alvarez, who previously owned Dia Bom in the Crossroads Collective food hall and the Brew’d Burger Shop food truck at Zócalo Food Truck Park, said operating a restaurant in that prime RiverWalk location was an “opportunity of a lifetime.” 

He said the restaurant’s proximity to the river and the Henry Maier Festival Park Summerfest grounds made for very busy summers, with multiple festivals drawing visitors who stopped in. Unfortunately, those busy summers did not translate to winter, when Brisa Do Mar struggled to attract repeat customers.

Brisa Do Mar’s varied menu included Mediterranean-inspired salads, pasta dishes, wood-fired entrees and both Neapolitan and brique-style pizzas, utilizing the wood-fired oven left by Riverfront Pizzeria. It also had 12 draft lines for beer, wine and cider, and served a lineup of specialty cocktails.

In summer, the 274-square-foot riverfront patio was an attraction for diners and boaters who could tie up on adjoining boat slips to dine at the restaurant. 

Alvarez said he is stepping away from the restaurant business to focus on a new creative endeavor: producing Reels and other user-generated content for a digital marketing agency that creates content for restaurants and hotels worldwide.

“I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all of our families, friends and guests that walked through our doors and supported us, to all the media in Milwaukee that have shown us so much love,” Ramses said in a statement. “The city of Milwaukee has been very, very good to me, the people here and their kindness.”

“I have spent 27 years in Milwaukee working in the culinary world, feeding Milwaukee families, supporting nonprofit organizations and giving back to the community that received me with arms wide open,” he concluded. “Adios Milwaukee.”

Renner Architects, developers of the Hansen’s Landing building where Brisa Do Mar is located, is seeking a new tenant for the 6,000-square-foot space. Interested parties should call (414) 273-6637. 

This story was updated to add new information.