Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee school board recall effort fails

Published

5 months ago

August 20, 2024

Milwaukee school board recall effort fails

The group attempting to recall four Milwaukee Public Schools board members fell thousands of signatures short.

The group turned in petitions that appeared to have unverified names signed by the same person. In some instances, addresses were linked to abandoned homes, according to documents submitted to the Milwaukee Election Commission.

“The people of Milwaukee have emphatically rejected this dishonest effort to remove good public servants from our democratically elected school board,” said Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association President Ingrid Walker-Henry.

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Members of the MPS School Board Recall Collaborative did not respond to requests for comment.

Signatures turned in by the MPS Recall Collaborative.

At a July 24 press conference, weeks before they turned in the petitions, the recall group announced they had 37,000 of the 60,000 signatures needed to unseat MPS board president Marva Herndon, vice president Jilly Gokalgandhi, board member Erika Siemsen and at-large board member Missy Zombor.

On Aug. 12, the group submitted a total of 29,787 signatures to the Milwaukee Election Commission.

Their efforts were launched following several tumultuous weeks for the school district. In May, it was revealed that MPS had failed to file audits with the state Department of Public Instruction, leading to the loss of millions of dollars and the resignation of Superintendent Keith Posley.

Gov. Tony Evers has since called for operational and instructional audits of MPS.

MPS School Board Recall Collaborative called for more transparency within MPS and on the school board.

But it soon became apparent the recall itself was shrouded in secrecy.

When asked who was funding the efforts and who was paying canvassers, the only response by organizer Tamika Johnson was “anonymous donors.”

Walker-Henry said the public faces of the recall effort were a “private voucher school teacher and the founder of a now-shuttered private charter school.”

“From the beginning when libelous assertions were made about MPS and MTEA, we have been alarmed at the clear anti-public education motivation of these recall efforts,” Walker-Henry said. “The people of Milwaukee should remember that this campaign was fueled by individuals and groups whose sole vision of education in Milwaukee is its complete privatization.”

MTEA and Zombor filed complaints with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission last month. Zombor received an email July 22 from commission staff counsel David Buerger, saying her complaint would be investigated.

On Tuesday, Zombor said the Ethics Commission has a yearslong backlog and she’s not confident the recall group will be looked into before the next MPS school board election.

Gokalgandi’s term expires in April 2025. The other four board members will serve through April 2027.

“I believe that the city of Milwaukee voters want school board members that believe in public schools,” Zombor said. “I think they want school board members who are going to build the district up and not tear it down. Even parents, regardless of where they send their kids to school, want a school board that has the best interest of public schools in mind.”

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Milwaukee, WI

Wrong-way driver passed Harris motorcade; Milwaukee man pleads not guilty

Published

8 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Wrong-way driver passed Harris motorcade; Milwaukee man pleads not guilty

article

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee man accused of driving the wrong way toward Vice President Kamala Harris’ motorcade in October pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.

Wrong-way driver

The backstory:

It happened on Oct. 21. Harris had just wrapped up a rally in Brookfield when the wrong-way vehicle passed her motorcade on I-94 near the Marquette Interchange. Prosecutors said 55-year-old Wayne Wacker was behind the wheel.

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Court filings said Wacker appeared to be driving at “close to highway speeds.” He was stopped near 13th Street, and deputies said he “had a very strong odor of intoxicates emitting from his person, bloodshot and glassy eyes, and extremely slurred speech.”

Wacker told deputies he was on his way home from a Walker’s Point bar and was “unaware” he was driving the wrong way on the interstate, the complaint states. He was taken to the nearby Milwaukee Intermodal Station for field sobriety tests, and the complaint states a preliminary breath test had a BAC reading of .252.

While waiting for a blood draw as part of the OWI investigation, prosecutors said Wacker told deputies he “had no recollection” of entering the freeway or almost striking another vehicle. He also said he had no idea Harris was in Milwaukee and had no intention of harming her or any member of her campaign.

In court

What’s next:

Wacker is charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety. Court records show his next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 18.

The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwakuee County District Attorney’s Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.

Crime and Public SafetyNewsMilwaukee

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Bucks to host 'Bucks In Ink' event Jan. 16 at Fiserv Forum

Published

16 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Milwaukee Bucks to host 'Bucks In Ink' event Jan. 16 at Fiserv Forum

article

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Bucks will host a “Bucks In Ink” flash event on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 12-2 p.m. in the atrium of Fiserv Forum.

Bucks In Ink

What we know:

Local tattoo artists will be on site to give permanent tattoos to registered fans using artwork inspired by Bucks basketball, the city of Milwaukee and the 2025 NBA All-Star Game host city of San Francisco.

According to a news release, the tattoos will be done by artists from Good Land Tattoo, Black Dawn Tattoo and Xolo Tattoo Studio.

The free event builds on the Bucks’ 2025 All-Star campaign, which bridges the Bay Area to the shores of Lake Michigan through the American traditional tattoo style that originated in Milwaukee.

Limited spots are available for the event. Interested participants must register in advance by filling out THIS FORM.

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What you can do:

Fans can also show support for the Bucks’ 2025 All-Star candidates by visiting the “Bucks In Ink” temporary tattoo parlor at home games through Jan. 19.

The parlor is open in Section 218 from the time doors open through halftime of each Bucks home game, including tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic.

Voting for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game is open now through Jan. 20. Fans can vote once per day and take advantage of the remaining triple-vote days, where each vote counts as three, on Friday, Jan. 17, and Monday, Jan. 20.

To vote or learn more about the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, visit www.bucks.com/allstar.

The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Bucks.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee ICE detention facility proposed for city's northwest side

Published

23 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Milwaukee ICE detention facility proposed for city's northwest side

article

What we know:

MILWAUKEE – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed to open an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Milwaukee, an alderwoman announced Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Ald. Larresa Taylor, who represents Milwaukee’s 9th District, said DHS requested modifications to a building located at 11925 W. Lake Park Dr. Those modifications include adding a sally port and a chain link fence with privacy slats. A sally port would be used to transport prisoners to and from the facility.

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“I want District 9, and the rest of the city, to know that we do not support the Department of Homeland Security in their decision to move into our district, and we definitely do not support any such modifications to any building in our district (as a location to house prisoners!),” Taylor said in a statement.

What’s next:

Taylor scheduled a news conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday outside the building. She invited all organizations that will be impacted to join her, noting “Milwaukee’s 9th Aldermanic District will no longer be Wisconsin’s dumping ground for detention facilities.”

The Source: Ald. Larresa Taylor provided information.

MilwaukeeNews

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