Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee mom confronts an employee who sold vapes to her 14-year-old son and demands accountability

Published

1 year ago

November 19, 2024

Milwaukee mom confronts an employee who sold vapes to her 14-year-old son and demands accountability

MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee mom confronted the man who, she says, sold vaping devices to her underage son. Reason Hill wants businesses that sell to minors to be held accountable.

“I found out that this gas station was selling my son tobacco products, selling him vapes — he’s only 14,” explained Hill, a concerned mother who has worked as a nurse and says she knows the dangers of vaping.

“I’ve seen what it does to kids,” she said. “I’ve seen them have tubes in and out their body, on breathing machines.”

Watch: Milwaukee mom confronts an employee who sold vapes to her 14-year-old son

Milwaukee mom confronts an employee who sold vapes to her 14-year-old son and demands accountability

It’s why she didn’t hesitate to confront an employee of the Lover’s Lane Petro Mart who, she believed, sold vapes to her underage son.

She used her cellphone to record the confrontation and shared the video with Milwaukee police. Police confirmed to TMJ4 that they investigated and issued the employee a citation with a $691 fine.

MPD also filed a report ensuring the underage sale violation will be considered when the business is due for a tobacco license renewal.

Hill says it’s not enough. “Honestly, I feel like their tobacco license should be taken. My son is not the only one they’re selling vapes to, and there are a lot of kids in this area.”

Last year, the city of Milwaukee adopted an ordinance to limit where new vape and smoke sellers can open, blocking them within 1,000 feet of a school.

The village of Greendale has similar zoning restrictions and an ordinance that goes a step further—businesses can have their license revoked if they’re repeatedly caught selling vaping products to minors.

“We pride ourselves on being a very pro-business community, but we also want there to be basic regulations being followed,” explained Mike Hawes, Greendale village manager.

He says in the past 13 months, one particular shop, Smoke On, has been issued five citations for selling to minors. Last week, it led to the business surrendering its license to sell electronic vaping devices. “These are pretty basic standards that are in place for them to follow, and the other businesses have been able to follow it,” Hawes added.

When TMJ4’s Andrea Albers stopped at Smoke On, she was told the business had been sold, and the new owners didn’t want to speak to TMJ4.

The shop is about 600 feet from Martin Luther High School. Because it existed before Greendale’s zoning ordinance, it was grandfathered in. The village anticipates the new owner will apply for a new vape license but says it is no longer protected.

“We have advised them that according to our ordinance, we will not issue a new vape license to a business located within 1,000 feet of a school,” reiterated Hawes.

Hill applauds the repercussions in Greendale and wants Milwaukee to take note. In the meantime, she has a message she wants parents to hear: “We’re all our kids have. You know? At the end of the day—be responsible, get on stuff like this. This shouldn’t be happening, and put a stop to it. That’s it.”

Hill also reached out to Milwaukee Alderman Lamont Westmoreland, and he responded to her call for accountability. “I have a ZERO tolerance policy when it comes to selling any tobacco or vaping products to minors, and if I could ban all sales of those products in Milwaukee, I would do so tomorrow. In my view, these products are poison and are a menace to the health and wellness of our community,” Alderman Lamont Westmoreland said in a statement, noting that tobacco/vaping licenses are applied for at the city but are ultimately approved by the State of Wisconsin.

“I have worked closely with the Milwaukee Health Department, the Milwaukee Police Department, and the State of Wisconsin to address this issue and hold people accountable, and I will continue to do so. We must make it MUCH harder for a tobacco and vaping license holder to stay in business if they are caught selling to minors, and I will push for changes that give more control to local officials so we can better prevent outlets that are looking to sell this poison to our kids.”

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Public Schools budget proposals; board meeting Monday

Published

2 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee Public Schools budget proposals; board meeting Monday

MILWAUKEE – MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius proposed cutting more than 263 non-classroom positions to help bridge a $46 million structural budget deficit.

A special meeting of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors is scheduled to take place on Monday night, March 9, to vote on this proposal.

Shifting resources

What we know:

The district said the reductions, which would take effect for the 2026–27 school year pending school board approval, would save about $30 million.

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“It is an extremely difficult day for us here in Milwaukee Public Schools, but in the end, I’m still hopeful. I’m hopeful for our students, I’m hopeful for all of the employees we have, and every single employee matters to us,” said Cassellius. “This is hard, and we’ll get through it.”

Officials said no classroom teacher positions are being cut to close the budget gap. That said, the district may need fewer teachers where there is lower enrollment. About 40 of the 263 positions being eliminated are already vacant, meaning that not all reductions will result in layoffs. Affected employees eligible for classroom-based roles will be encouraged to apply for available positions.

Cassellius stressed that MPS faces rising costs while receiving a $0 state increase in general aid for 2026-27 public school students. While the recent referendum has helped to support arts, physical education, mental health services, and career exploration, the superintendent indicated it does not make up for the lack of state-funded inflation increase

Proposed reductions

By the numbers:

The approximately 263 position reductions include the following, according to the school district:

MPS Central Services: About 116 positions from the offices of Academics; Communications; Family, Community, and Partnership; Finance; Human Resources; Operations; Schools office; and the Superintendent’s office
Non‑classroom school‑based roles: About 147 positions, including assistant principals, deans of students, and implementers.

The Source: Milwaukee Public Schools released information about its proposal.

Milwaukee Public SchoolsMilwaukeeNewsEducation

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Milwaukee, WI

Black joins Giannis, KPJ as out, How To Watch Orlando Magic-Milwaukee Bucks Lineups, Injuries, Betting Lines & More

Published

14 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Black joins Giannis, KPJ as out, How To Watch Orlando Magic-Milwaukee Bucks Lineups, Injuries, Betting Lines & More

The Orlando Magic put together one of its strongest efforts of the season in Minnesota on Saturday, squashing one of the West’s best 119-92. They’ll look to continue a road win streak that began in L.A. with wins over the Clippers and Lakers.

Milwaukee also won on Saturday, pulling away from the Utah Jazz 113-99 to snap a two-game skid that coincided with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return from a 14-game absence due to a calf injury.

Antetokounmpo’s presence was necessary deep into the fourth quarter due to the game being tight, so that prevents him from participating in this one. Kevin Porter Jr. is also out.

The Magic are even with the Miami Heat atop the Southeast Division, although they hold a tie-braker since they have defeated Miami all four times they’ve played. The Magic’s upset of Minnesota has pushed them up to sixth place in the East.

Orlando is 14-15 on the road 20-19 against Eastern Conference foes. Milwaukee is 15-16 at home and 19-23 against Eastern Conference competition.

Vitals – How to Watch Magic at Bucks

Game date, time and location: Sunday, March 8, 8:10 p.m. EST, Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida (Magic), FanDuel Sports Wisconsin (Bucks)

Radio: FM 96.9 The Game/AM 740 WYGM (Magic), WTMJ (Bucks)

Magic look to extend road win streak to four by ending Bucks’ run

The Orlando Magic (34-28) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (27-35) in the third and final matchup between these teams this season.

The Magic last won a season series from Milwaukee in 2011-12, but have gone 14-35 since, which includes an upset loss (116-108) in the final game prior to the break. Cam Thomas, having just been signed after getting his release from the Brooklyn Nets, scored 34 points to complement a Kevin Porter Jr. triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists), so the Bucks are still in position to win this year’s series 2-1 if it can pull an upset on Sunday night.

The Bucks have opened up a 77-57 lead in the all-time series, which dates back to 1989-90. Milwaukee won the first nine matchups.

Betting Lines (via DraftKings)

Spread: Magic -6.5 (-112), Bucks +6.5 (-115)

Moneyline: Magic -218, Bucks +180

Total: 216.5 (Over -112, Under -108)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

PROJECTED STARTERS

MAGIC

F Tristan da Silva

F Paolo Banchero

C Wendell Carter Jr.

G Jalen Suggs

G Desmond Bane

BUCKS

F Ousmane Dieng

F Pete Nance

C Myles Turner

G Ryan Rollins

G AJ Green

INJURY REPORT

MAGIC

Anthony Black: Out – Low Back Strain

Jonathan Isaac: Out – Left Knee Soreness

Franz Wagner: Out – Left High Ankle Sprain Injury Management

Jase Richardson: Out – Lower Back Spasms

Alex Morales: Out – G League (Two-way)

Colin Castleton: Out – G League (Two-way)

BUCKS

Giannis Antetokounmpo: Out – Right Calf Injury Management

Kevin Porter Jr.: Out – Right Knee Swelling

Kyle Kuzma: Out – Thoracic Spine Contusion

Taurean Prince: Out – Neck Surgery Recovery

Cormac Ryan: Out – G League (Two-way)

Alex Antetokounmpo: Out – G League (Two-way)

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee living has become unaffordable for too many people | Opinion

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee living has become unaffordable for too many people | Opinion

In the first half of 20th Century, Socialists helped make Milwaukess an affordable, comfortable, well-governed place. Now, there’s been a fundamental change to the character of this city.

Ryan Clancy
| Special to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee is facing a housing affordability crisis, with some estimates suggesting a household needs $134,000 to live comfortably.
Median rent in the city has increased by 28% between 2020 and 2024, significantly impacting renters.
The author advocates for expanding the “Right to Counsel” program, which provides attorneys for people facing eviction.
Proposed solutions include banning discrimination against Section 8 voucher recipients and establishing stronger tenant protections.

Life in Milwaukee is unaffordable for too many people, and it’s getting worse. We’re a city that used to be an affordable, comfortable, well-governed place to live. Socialists helped make it that way in the first half of the 20th century through deep, sustainable investments in public infrastructure and public programs. Neoliberalism, though, has undone much of the strength of our world class city.

Now, after multiple recessions, decades of defunding infrastructure and services at the state, county and city levels, and now with an economy thrown into chaos by President Trump, Milwaukee has become one of the twenty most expensive cities in the country. By some estimates, a household now needs at least $134,000 in income to live comfortably here.

That’s a fundamental change to the character of this city, one that deeply worries me — as both a Milwaukeean and a legislator representing much of our city.

Change in city’s character hitting renters hard

This is hitting renters hard: between the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2024, Milwaukee’s median rent went up a staggering 28%. And this didn’t happen accidentally. We have a system that’s been made to work very well for landlords and real estate interests, who’ve made rent control and habitability inspections effectively impossible here. Unsurprisingly, that means rents are going up while housing quality goes down. It’s difficult to be a tenant in Wisconsin.

Housing isn’t like most other things we buy and budget for. People invest emotionally in the places they live and the people they live alongside. Homeowners build equity too while getting predictable housing costs, at least under most mortgages. But an East Side apartment that used to cost $1200/mo is not replaceable by a house in Oconomowoc that costs the same – very different people prefer one to the other, and we shouldn’t pretend otherwise.

We must keep this top of mind while making housing policy. Most people don’t want to leave their neighborhoods, especially the close-knit ones in our district. They want to stay where they’ve already put down roots, whether as a homeowner or a renter. When a family leaves, it’s too often because they can no longer afford to live here. That’s a problem that can’t be solved by zoning changes alone – it’s not a bad thing if some communities want to allow more back cottages and even duplexes and triplexes, but that simply isn’t enough, and isn’t a viable solution for many neighborhoods.

We can do much more to keep Milwaukeeans in their homes.

A Right to Counsel — providing attorneys for people facing eviction – is a proven way to do that: I led the successful effort to make it law in Milwaukee County back in 2021, and it’s since kept thousands of people in their homes, given them extra time to seek rent assistance, and sealed misleading eviction records to help renters keep renting. Expanding Right to Counsel statewide is a core part of our tenant protection package, but securing permanent funding for the existing program here in Milwaukee is critical.

Since its creation, Milwaukee’s executive leadership has attempted to defund the program – which has thankfully been saved by votes by the Common Council and Milwaukee County Board. This is despite the clearly positive results for tenants and landlords alike, and despite every dollar spent on the program saving us $4.66 in other costs. A statewide, well-funded program can build on and sustain that legacy, ensuring that Milwaukee residents — and folks across the state — will benefit from the stability that Right to Counsel creates.

Ban discrimination against Section 8 voucher recipients

We’re also proposing to ban discrimination against Section 8 voucher recipients, to establish stronger protections for tenants organizing for better living conditions, to lift arbitrary restrictions on inspections for lead and for other profound habitability issues, and to enact other key protections that blunt the worst practices of small and big landlords alike.

These protections are urgent and necessary because real estate interests and landlords are aggressively fighting to make things harder for tenants. Just before the end of the session, they pushed AB 202, a bill that would undermine some of the very few protections for tenants in Wisconsin law. Very few of my colleagues who are landlords recused themselves – that’s an obvious conflict of interest, but it’s the norm in a legislature where tenants’ needs come last.

The underlying problem in our housing system is a deep dependence on capital, not democracy, to choose where and when we build new housing. When the federal government raises interest rates, it makes both private and public housing funding more expensive, so developers build less. When rent forecasts go down, developers build less — putting the lie to the notion that private housing builders and landlords are somehow at odds.

Our long term goal must be housing as a human right. That means social housing or public housing for people who want them, but also transparency and accountability for private landlords, an end to exploitative, uncapped rent extraction, and an effective ban on low quality housing. In the meantime, better protecting tenants will help all of us.

Rep. Ryan Clancy represents the 19th District in the Wisconsin Assembly. He is also a former Milwaukee County Supervisor.

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