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Milwaukee County overdose deaths continue to fall, but challenges remain

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Milwaukee County overdose deaths continue to fall, but challenges remain


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  • New data show 387 drug overdose deaths in Milwaukee County in 2025, down about 43% from their peak in 2022.
  • County officials credit efforts to increase access to Narcan, addiction treatment and drug testing strips.
  • Overdose deaths caused by multiple drugs are still a concern. The combination of cocaine and fentanyl was most prevalent in the county in 2025.
  • The county is spending $111 million over the next several years in opioid settlement funds.

The number of Milwaukee County residents who died from a drug overdose fell for a third year in 2025, which county officials say is a promising sign that more money spent on harm reduction, treatment and prevention efforts is working.

New data released April 21 show 387 overdose deaths across the county last year, down about 43% from their peak in 2022.

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“The work is paying off,” Dr. Ben Weston, Milwaukee County’s chief health policy adviser, said at a news conference, touting the county’s vending machines stocked with Narcan and drug testing strips, as well as a state-sponsored data collection system that helps local health departments understand when and where overdoses occur.

Still, the hundreds of county residents who lost their lives last year to a drug overdose means that work isn’t close to done, officials say – especially as the drug landscape continues to change, presenting new challenges.

“We can’t let our foot off the gas quite yet,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.

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Drug mixing continues to drive lethal outcomes

Milwaukee County’s decline in overdose deaths is a trend mirrored across the state and the country, following years of climbing fatalities that were deemed a public health crisis.

The county will spend $111 million in opioid settlement funds over the next several years and is already putting what it has received to use, focusing on “reaching residents where they are,” said Jeremy Triblett, prevention integration manager with the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services.

That includes initiatives like the harm reduction vending machines and also knocking on doors, providing county EMS workers with Narcan and seeking the opinions of people who use drugs to shape the county’s strategy.

But officials say they still see a concerning trend of combinations of drugs leading to overdose, particularly fentanyl being cut with stimulants such as cocaine. These mixes of drugs make it harder to reverse an overdose, said Dr. Wieslawa Tlomak, Milwaukee County’s chief medical examiner.

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Nearly a third of all autopsies the medical examiner’s office conducted in 2025 were deaths by drug overdose, Tlomak said, and the majority involved multiple drugs. Data show the most common combinations were fentanyl and cocaine, cocaine and alcohol, and opoids and fentanyl.

Methamphetamines are also involved in more overdose deaths than a few years ago, Tlomak said.

For drug users, not knowing exactly what’s in the drug they are getting is one of the most dangerous elements of the current drug landscape, she said.

Fatal drug overdoses were most common among American Indian and Alaska Native residents in 2025, the data show, followed by Black residents. About two-thirds of fatal overdoses were in men, and the median age of death from an overdose was 49, a number that’s been climbing steadily since 2018.

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Triblett said the county is focusing on how substances interact with cultural norms in different communities and that a community advisory board is convening to develop harm reduction messaging for specific populations. His team will also host a door-knocking event June 12 to reach new people across the county with prevention and treatment resources.

Madeline Heim covers health and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@usatodayco.com.



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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee residents react to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s legacy before trade goes through

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Milwaukee residents react to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s legacy before trade goes through


MILWAUKEE — Fans in Milwaukee are waking up to the news that Giannis Antetokounmpo has been traded, ending a 13-year run with the Bucks that included a championship in 2021.

The news of the trade broke late last night, and fans have mixed emotions about the move.

Before the trade happened, TMJ4 spoke with fans in Milwaukee about what they wanted to see happen.

Some fans were focused on what the Bucks could get in return.

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Alonna Johnson

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“If he gets traded, we get like some valuable pieces for him at least. I don’t want Bam Adebayo. I want Tyler Herro because he’s from Milwaukee so you know he’s a hooper they can keep bound,” Khorey said.

Others acknowledged Antetokounmpo’s impact even without following the sport closely.

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Alonna Johnson

“I’m not a basketball fan myself but I know who Giannis is. And that says someone whose background is theater. We got a championship from him,” Halana said.

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A mural created in honor of Antetokounmpo’s achievements on and off the court now stands as a reminder of his legacy in the city.

For those who predicted Antetokounmpo could be traded — they were correct.

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Alonna Johnson

“I don’t like to see him get traded. I don’t like that. But the franchise is not big enough. Giannis needs to move in another direction,” Scheila said.

Not everyone was ready to accept the change.

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Alonna Johnson

“Not saying that there’s anything wrong with anybody else, but Giannis is like the Bucks. So I would prefer if he didn’t because it’s just going to be weird. And then it’s like, who can follow in those big old footsteps,” Nariah said.

We’ll continue to bring you updates on the trade on-air and online.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist 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.


Let’s talk:

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Milwaukee DPW truck ran red light, crashed into vehicle; 2 injured

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Milwaukee DPW truck ran red light, crashed into vehicle; 2 injured


Scene at 68th and Capitol

A Milwaukee DPW truck ran a red light and crashed into another vehicle on Monday afternoon, June 22.

Crash details

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What we know:

According to the Milwaukee Police Department, just before 3 p.m. a DPW truck was heading east on Capitol when it ran a red light at 68th Street and crashed into a sedan that was heading north on 68th.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

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A passenger in the DPW truck, a 44-year-old, was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-fatal injuries.

The driver and only person in the sedan, a 25-year-old, was also taken to the hospital for treatment of non-fatal injuries.

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The driver of the DPW truck was cited for running the red traffic light.

The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department sent FOX6 the information. FOX6 crews also went to the scene.

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Milwaukee Mayor Johnson says he’s not aware of FBI interviewing city election officials

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Milwaukee Mayor Johnson says he’s not aware of FBI interviewing city election officials


Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson says he is unaware of any city election officials, current or former, who have sat for an interview with FBI agents seeking to discuss the 2020 election. 

“I know there’s been outside counsel that has been engaged on this as well, which I’m grateful for, the partnership we’re having with some of the outside counsel there,” Johnson said on WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “But my understanding as of this moment is no.”

Agents are said to be specifically asking questions related to Milwaukee’s nearly 180,000 absentee ballots and the processing of those ballots at the city’s central count location.

The ballots have yet to be destroyed. The county’s corporation counsel has cited an ongoing lawsuit as the reason for preserving the ballots.

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Johnson said he doesn’t know all the details about why the ballots are still there, but he wants the privacy of Milwaukee voters to be protected.

“If there was or is an opportunity to destroy that, to secure the sanctity of the vote for the people in Milwaukee, so that they know that their vote is private and the federal government can’t figure out who folks voted for, I think we should do that,” Johnson said.

Meantime, Don Millis, the Republican chair of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, is urging Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul to intervene and destroy Milwaukee’s 2020 absentee ballots.

Millis told “UpFront” he had a “very constructive conversation” with Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson and learned there were 265,000 absentee ballots from which it could be determined who voters cast their ballots for, not just for the presidency, but other offices as well.

“No one’s entitled to see those,” Millis said. “Our constitution was built on the idea of a secret ballot, and I’m just frustrated that this hasn’t happened. I just wish the decision makers who are in charge of this would see that and move more quickly.”

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Millis added, “Best case scenario would be tomorrow. But I just don’t think that’s going to happen. I think it’s going to probably be weeks or months before that happens.”

Millis said the law permits the ballots to be destroyed.

“No one has a right to see them, and so if there is quote unquote litigation, those are documents that should not be sought to a litigation hold,” Millis said. “And it would seem to me incumbent upon the court to see it that way and give permission for Mr. Christenson to do what he’s authorized and required to do.”

Millis said there has been staff-level discussion with the attorney general’s office.

“I’d be satisfied if he chose to intervene, to take the steps that need to be taken,” Millis said.

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Milwaukeean Tyanna Buie is one of 30 artists selected to have work featured in the Obama Presidential Center, which officially opened Friday.

“It still hasn’t set in yet,” Buie told “UpFront.” “It still feels like a dream. I remember when I was first contacted, they never said what the project was.”

Buie recalled that conversation, when she was told “You’re good to go.”

“I said, ‘Who is they? What are we talking about?’ And that’s when they said, ‘Oh, we didn’t tell you. It’s the Obama Presidential Center,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness.”

Buie said her piece is in a room themed “fired up for change.”

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“And it was also a space where people can sit, lounge and just take it all in,” she said. “Just the scale of the magnitude of everybody’s work is phenomenal, so I’m grateful to be included, but also super excited for people to see it.”

See more from the show.



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