Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Housing Authority short on cash after misuse of $2.8 million in funds
Cavalier Johnson and Gwen Moore talk about the impact of frozen federal funds
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore talk about the impact of frozen federal funds on Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
Milwaukee Housing Authority executives are scrambling to cut costs, after the agency’s new chief financial officer discovered that more than $2.8 million in rental assistance funds were misused by his predecessors.
Between 2019 and 2022, the Housing Authority’s former director of finance improperly pulled restricted federal funds out of the Section 8 rent assistance program to cover cash needs in other divisions of the agency, according to the CFO’s discovery.
Those transfers were used to cover a number of expenses — including administrative payroll and costs from construction projects that had gone over budget.
As a consequence, the Housing Authority says it is running an average of 45 days behind on paying its expenditures. The agency also has fallen behind on its pension fund contributions, and costs from its development projects currently exceed the amount covered by construction loans.
Now, executives are making major cuts to help “stop the bleeding.” On Thursday, 20 Housing Authority employees were laid off to bring down expenses.
New finance hire solved $3 million mystery
The dramatic discovery — disclosed publicly during a special meeting of the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners on Friday afternoon — solves a mystery that confounded agency leaders, the mayor’s office and federal regulators for nearly two years.
In April 2023, federal auditors reported finding more than $3 million in “unexplained variances” on the Housing Authority’s bank balance. After nearly two years, the agency’s finance team had failed to reconcile that cash balance.
Brad Leak — who joined the Housing Authority’s finance team in November and was promoted to be its chief financial officer on Jan. 19 — was able to trace that cash within a matter of months.
The revelation also comes after a dramatic leadership shakeup inside the agency.
All but one member of the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners are new appointees, and a slew of top executives have either retired or resigned in recent months — including Willie Hines, the agency’s controversial top executive and Fernando Aniban, the Housing Authority’s second-in-command and former chief financial officer.
Other recent departures include Finance Director Rick Koffarnus, Housing Choice Voucher Program Director Jackie Martinez and Warren Jones, vice president of construction for the Housing Authority’s development arm.
No evidence employees pocketed funds, more investigation promised
The use of restricted federal funds for unauthorized purposes is “improper and illegal under federal regulation,” Leak said in his address to the board Friday.
But Leak and Acting Secretary-Executive Director Ken Barbeau say they have not found evidence that the funds were pocketed for personal expenses — only that they were improperly transferred within the agency.
A recent forensic audit, which reviewed every financial record within the Section 8 rent assistance program, also did not find any evidence that employees had pocketed agency money.
That forensic audit, however, did not review financial records in other divisions of the Housing Authority — including within its real estate development arm Travaux, Inc.
Now, as these findings come to light, board is discussing the possibility of another forensic audit to examine other parts of the agency, Barbeau said.
Board chair vows ‘it’s a new day’ for the Housing Authority
Chairperson Charlotte Hayslett, who grew up in public housing and joined the board in November, became emotional as she apologized to residents on behalf of the organization.
“This is an embarrassment,” Hayslett said, adding: “It’s a new day here. I can’t impress upon you enough: It’s a new day here.”
As Hayslett thanked him for immediately coming forward with his findings, Leak wiped away tears.
Hayslett also spoke directly to local nonprofit Common Ground, which has spent the past two years organizing public housing residents and lobbying for reform of the Housing Authority.
“Thank you for that bullhorn,” she said. “Had it not been for you giving voice to the voiceless, people still would’ve been in place doing what they were doing.”
In a statement Friday, Common Ground leaders called for since-departed executives to be held accountable.
“We smelled smoke,” Common Ground tenants and organizers said. “Here’s the fire.”
MILWAUKEE – Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Lisa Michaels
Mostly sunny skies with partly sunny skies in the afternoon. There is a slight chance for a few sprinkles, but most areas remain dry. Highs near 60F on Sunday.
Patchy frost is possible again Sunday night into Monday morning as low temps inland can reach the lower 30s.
Cooler on Monday with easterly winds- low 50s near the lake to upper 50s inland.
A big boost in temperatures on Tuesday in the low 70s associated with a clipper system will bring the next chance of rain and a few storms.
Today: Mostly Sunny. Slight chance sprinkles.
High: 60°
Wind: NW 5-15
Tonight: Mostly Clear. Patchy frost.
Low: 38°
Wind: N 5
Monday: 53 LAKE. Mostly sunny.
High: 57°
Wind: E 5-10
Tuesday: Chance storms. Breezy.
AM Low: 39° High: 71°
Wind: SW 10-25
Wednesday:Partly sunny.
AM Low: 46° High: 59°
Wind: NW 5-15
Thursday: Mostly Sunny. Slight chance sprinkles.
AM Low: 42° High: 64°
Wind: S 5-10
Friday: Chance of Rain
AM Low: 47° High: 72°
Wind: SW 5-15
6-day planner
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We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
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Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Brewers Flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski Has Historic Night Against Yankees – World Baseball Network
The Milwaukee Brewers shut out the New York Yankees in a 6-0 victory on Friday night, and Jacob Misiorowski was dominated at a historic level.
In the first two innings of Friday night’s game, Misiorowski threw eight of the 10 fastest pitches ever by a starting pitcher. Of those eight, seven are now the fastest pitches ever thrown by a starting pitcher, according to Codify Baseball.
Misiorowski’s velocity has been a major topic of discussion ever since he made his debut last season. He lights up the radar gun early in games, but usually sees his velocity drop as the game goes on. However, in the fifth inning, he was able to throw a 103 mph fastball to Ryan McMahon. He also threw a 102.7 mph fastball to Cody Bellinger in the sixth inning.
Misiorowski leads all of baseball in strikeouts, notching his 70th strikeout of the season in the sixth inning of Friday’s game. Misiorowski has a 2.45 ERA on the season and had 11 strikeouts against the Yankees. The 60 fastest pitches thrown by a starting pitcher this season all belong to the Brewers ace.
It was Misiorowski’s first time facing the Yankees, and it was not just fans who were left in awe. Spencer Jones, the Yankees’ No. 6 prospect, made his MLB debut on Friday night and felt happy to just foul a pitch off against the flamethrowing righty.
“I’ve never seen pitches that hard in my life,” Jones said after the game, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. “To foul off a couple is pretty great, so I’ll take that for now.”
Misiorowski’s teammate, Sal Frelick, was also in disbelief when Misiorowski kept touching triple digits late in the game.
“I kept looking up at the velo after every pitch as he got deep,” Frelick said per McCalvy. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Misiorowski picked a great night to showcase his best stuff. CC Sabathia was in the house to be inducted into the Brewers Wall of Honor, and he gave Misiorowski a glowing endorsement before the game.
“I love Misiorowski,” said Sabathia, per McCalvy. “I think he’s going to be a great pitcher.
“Honestly, he reminds me of myself as a young pitcher.”
If Misiorowski can become the type of player Sabathia was, he will be breaking records for years to come. He has played his best in big games so far in his career, but he is still only 24 and getting better with every start.
He credited adrenaline to his sustained velocity on Friday, so it makes sense that he has his best stuff in big games.
Photo: Milwaukee Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
MILWAUKEE – Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Lisa Michaels
Partly sunny skies on Saturday with a slight chance for a few sprinkles or a shower.
Temperatures warmer on Saturday in the mid to upper 60s. Isolated 70s near the border. Breezy with winds gusting near 30mph.
Cooler temperatures in the upper 50s on Sunday (Mother’s Day) with increasing clouds. Patchy frost Saturday night into Sunday and Sunday night into Monday.
Next chance of rain and storms arrives on Tuesday.
Today: Partly sunny. A few showers possible. Breezy.
High: 67°
Wind: NW 10-25
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Patchy frost.
Low: 42°
Wind: NW 5-10
Sunday: Increasing clouds.
High: 57°
Wind: NW 5-15
Monday: Mostly sunny.
AM Low: 39° High: 59°
Wind: E 5-10
Tuesday: Warm and windy. Chance storms.
AM Low: 42° High: 68°
Wind: SW 10-25
Wednesday:Partly sunny.
AM Low: 46° High: 59°
Wind: NW 5-15
Thursday: Mostly sunny.
AM Low: 42° High: 64°
Wind: S 5-10
6-day planner
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
FOX Weather
Big picture view:
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
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