Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee schools confront lead contamination crisis without CDC support
A widening lead contamination crisis in Milwaukee’s public schools has left several children exposed and forced school closures, while the city navigates the fallout alone after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) denied federal aid and laid off key experts.
Julie Bosman reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- Investigators found flaking lead paint and hazardous lead dust in at least seven Milwaukee public schools; three buildings have been closed and more are expected to shut down.
- The CDC recently laid off two lead experts who had been slated to assist the city and then denied a formal request for emergency support, known as an Epi-Aid.
- Parents and advocates are pressing the school district and city leaders for failing to maintain aging facilities and provide timely responses amid a persistent lead poisoning threat.
Key quote:
“There is no bat phone anymore. I can’t pick up and call my colleagues at the CDC about lead poisoning anymore.”
— Dr. Michael Totoraitis, Milwaukee health commissioner
Why this matters:
Lead exposure remains one of the most insidious public health threats to American children, particularly in older urban areas where housing and public infrastructure predate the 1978 ban on lead-based paint. Milwaukee’s crisis reflects a broader national failure to address the legacy of lead in schools and homes. The neurotoxin, even in small amounts, can irreversibly damage brain development in children, impair learning, and increase behavioral disorders. Disproportionately affecting low-income and Black neighborhoods, lead poisoning perpetuates cycles of poverty and educational inequity. As federal agencies scale back due to budget cuts, local health departments—already stretched thin—must confront long-term environmental health problems without expert support or adequate funding. This leaves vulnerable communities with fewer defenses against preventable health hazards.
For more: Milwaukee schools scramble to manage lead crisis after CDC cuts its lead poisoning team
MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred on early Sunday morning on the 4900 block of W. Capitol Drive that left one person injured.
An 18-year-old sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
TMJ4
The police is currently looking for an unknown suspect at this time.
Those with information regarding the shooting are encouraged to contact the Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS or P3 Tips to remain anonymous.
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MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Police Department requested the public’s help to find 11-year-old Sir’Charles Bason, a critically missing boy who was last seen near Teutonia and Kiley at around 6:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 18.
Police described Bason as 4 feet, 5 inches tall with a slim build, brown eyes and black, low-cut hair. He was last seen wearing a gray jacket with green lines, dark-colored jeans, tan sandals and carrying gray Nike Jordan shoes.
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What you can do:
Anyone with information on Bason’s whereabouts is asked to call Milwaukee Police District 4 at 414-935-7242.
The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department released information.
MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man, previously named one of Wisconsin’s Most Wanted, has been sentenced to prison for shooting and killing his cousin in 2020.
In court
What we know:
A Milwaukee County jury found 39-year-old Brandon Gladney guilty of first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firm by a felon earlier this year.
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Judge Michelle Havas sentenced Gladney to 29 years in prison on Friday, April 17. He was granted credit for more than a year’s time served and further sentenced to 14 years of extended supervision.
Arrested in Arizona after years on the run, court records show Gladney has also been ordered to pay the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office more than $1,800 for extradition costs.
Homicide investigation
The backstory:
The shooting happened in May 2020. Investigators said Gladney was captured on video apparently arguing with the victim, his cousin, outside a Milwaukee convenience store near 21st and Meinecke.
“It’s all on video, and it’s devastating for that family,” the marshal on the case told FOX6 when Gladney was profiled on Wisconsin’s Most Wanted. “You have a family member that shot and killed another family member.”
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Prosecutors said Gladney walked away but then returned with a gun pointed directly at the victim and shot him. The victim died from his gunshot wounds at a nearby hospital. Multiple bullet casings were found at the scene.
Gladney went on the run for years. He was arrested in Arizona in January 2023, years after he was charged.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced information from the U.S. Marshals Service, Wisconsin Circuit Court and prior coverage.
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