Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Women's Center helps older women escape domestic violence

Published

1 year ago

December 9, 2024

Milwaukee Women's Center helps older women escape domestic violence

This article discusses domestic violence. If you or someone you know has been assaulted, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 for free, 24/7 support.

MILWAUKEE — Survivors of domestic abuse often try to leave their abusive relationships, but don’t have anywhere to go, and risk being homeless.

What You Need To Know

The Milwaukee Women’s Center’s offers a place to live and counseling for women over the age of 50 with its Older Abused Women’s Program

The Milwaukee Women’s Center is able to operate off of donations and grant funding but workers worry that the money available will not be enough as this vulnerable population continues to grow

Stephanie Johnson is a survivor of domestic violence who, until recently, was living comfortably in an apartment in Milwaukee for nine years.

“I ended up being evicted after going back to a bad relationship thinking things were going to change and of course they did not,” said Johnson, whose name and identity has been changed in this story for safety reasons as she’s in the process of fleeing a domestic violence situation.

Johnson has been staying at the Milwaukee Women’s Center since October.

“I was staying with my daughter here and there, bouncing from place to place, I stayed in a hotel for a couple of nights until I ran out of money,” said Johnson.

(Spectrum News 1/Cody Taylor)

She was connected to the Milwaukee Women’s Center’s Older Abused Women’s Program. It offers a place to live and counseling for women over the age of 50.

“If I am not mistaken, we are the only shelter specifically for older, abused women,” said Emergency Shelter Director Shamika May. “At the age where they should be stable and enjoying getting older, they have to deal with things like fleeing domestic violence.”

Johnson, like many other victims of domestic violence, made the choice to return to her abuser.

When asked why she went back to him, she said, “I don’t know… I don’t know.”

(Spectrum News 1/Cody Taylor)

In a study done on 104 females, the National Institutes of Health reported that 66.3% of these victims returned to their abusers at least once and of them, 97.1% of them returned to their abusers more than once.

May said many older women find themselves in unhealthy relationships, without their own financial security. That can lead to feelings of anxiety and hopelessness in finding a job or changing their reality later in life.

“A lot of time we get women that don’t have work experience, they don’t have the tools to do what they need to do to make it in everyday life,” said May. “A lot of older abused women, we are helping them from the beginning.”

The Older Abused Women’s Program only has the ability to offer four beds in its shelter.

“So we do have to turn people away and if I am not mistaken, we are the only shelter specifically for older abused women,” said May.

(Spectrum News 1/Cody Taylor)

Often, being able to escape a domestic violence situation can mean life or death.

Johnson said she is very grateful for the program as it has offered her a safe place to get back on her feet.

According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, more than 80% of mothers with children experiencing homelessness had previously experienced domestic violence.

May said the Milwaukee Women’s Center is able to operate off of donations and grant funding, but she worries that money will not be enough as this vulnerable population continues to grow.

“We try to have funding to help these women pay for rent and security deposits because a lot of the time that is a huge barrier to housing,” said May.

At the time of this interview, Johnson was working with housing navigators to find a new place to live.

(Spectrum News 1/Cody Taylor)

“I had been in my house for nine years and there is no reason I should have to be homeless and without housing, but I have to start from scratch again,” said Johnson.

Johnson said she was grateful a bed was open at the Milwaukee Women’s Center when she needed it. As she continues her healing journey, she said she wants others in unhealthy relationships to know there is help and hope out there.

“As long as you have people to support you and keep positive thoughts in your head, you can do it,” she said.

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Milwaukee, WI

MPS layoffs plan draws pushback as district works to close $46M gap

Published

10 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

MPS layoffs plan draws pushback as district works to close M gap

MPS cuts face backlash

Milwaukee Public Schools plans about 200 layoffs to close a $46 million budget gap, but union leaders say cuts could impact student safety while district leaders say no classroom teachers will be eliminated.

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Public Schools is planning to cut roughly 200 positions next school year as the district works to close a multi-million-dollar budget gap — but there’s disagreement over which roles will be impacted.

What we know:

District leaders say the goal is to close a roughly $46 million shortfall, prompting changes that Superintendent Brenda Cassellius says are necessary.

Milwaukee Public Schools said about 201 staff members will be impacted. District leaders say no classroom teachers, counselors or social workers will be cut — something the teachers’ union disputes.

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The reductions stem from a previously approved plan to eliminate about 260 non-classroom roles. The final number dropped after retirements and existing vacancies. The Milwaukee Board of School Directors approved that plan on March 9.

What they’re saying:

“We have a $50 million deficit, we are for sure not going to be able to do business the same way that we’ve been able to do business,” Cassellius said. “Change is just hard. It’s just hard. And every single one of our employees is so important.”

But some educators say the cuts go too far.

“MTEA is setting up a distress signal. We are talking about our teachers, art teachers, music teachers, physical education teachers, counselors — things that the voters of referendum of Milwaukee actually voted for,” said Ingrid Walker-Henry, president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association. “Staffing is being cut to the extent that they are concerned about student safety.”

Cassellius acknowledged the uncertainty and asked school leaders for patience.

“We just have to for sure know our budget situation, where we’re at with that after these cuts are made in order to make those decisions,” she said. “So I’m asking my principals, be patient with us.”

By the numbers:

The district outlined the 201 affected positions as:

70 central office roles
62 educators with a teaching license but not assigned to one classroom
59 assistant principals

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MPS says the savings will support new class size guidelines, including:

18 students per teacher in K3
20 students per teacher in K4
22 students per teacher in K5

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)

District leaders say no students will be asked to leave a school to meet class size guidelines. Officials say they are working with schools that may not have space or that require larger classes based on specific programs.

What’s next:

Milwaukee Public Schools plans to present its proposed 2026–27 budget to the Milwaukee Board of School Directors in May.

The Source: Information in this post was provided by Milwaukee Public Schools and prior FOX6 coverage.

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Milwaukee, WI

Brewers finally announce cable, satellite TV channels for broadcasts

Published

22 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Brewers finally announce cable, satellite TV channels for broadcasts

Just before the pitch clock hits zero, the Milwaukee Brewers released a rundown of channels on cable and satellite for game broadcasts, mere hours before the 1:10 p.m. CT first pitch on Opening Day, Thursday, March 26.

The club said channels include 1263 on XFinity, 670 on DirecTV, 1743 on U-Verse, and 319 or 469 on Spectrum. The broadcasts are also listed as available on streaming service Fubo.

The Brewers are pointing fans to a channel-finding tool on their web site at Brewers.com/watch, though in the moments after the announcement, the channel finder was not yet locating details for Spectrum customers for Milwaukee-area zip codes. A club spokesperson said Major League Baseball was aware of the error and the games would indeed air on Spectrum in Milwaukee.

The built-in Spectrum guide still showed Channel 308 as the “BREW” offering in Milwaukee, with Brewers Live Pregame scheduled to begin at noon CT and baseball at 1 p.m. March 26.

With the February announcement of a switchover from FanDuel Sports Wisconsin to Major League Baseball productions in 2026, MLB negotiations have gone down to the wire with the various providers around Wisconsin. Several teams covered by Main Street Sports, which operated the FanDuel brand, have been in a similar boat this offseason.

Brewers fans aren’t alone in experiencing the late-arriving channel information. Maury Brown of Forbes has been keeping track of all the late-arriving channel announcements for teams around baseball, specifically those that were covered by the Main Street Sports. As of 7 a.m. March 26, the Royals, Rays, Tigers and Braves also still hadn’t released channel listings.

Streaming customers who used the FanDuel Sports Wisconsin app in previous years can use the new Brewers.TV option to once again watch games. The opener is also one of 10 games simulcast on over-the-air channels this season, including WITI-TV (Channel 6) in Milwaukee.

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Milwaukee, WI

Chase, crash into Milwaukee library construction site; man pleads guilty

Published

1 day ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Chase, crash into Milwaukee library construction site; man pleads guilty

article

MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a pursuit that ended with a crash into a library construction site.

In court:

Court records show Cameron Moore, 37, pleaded guilty to three felonies and the state dismissed two others as part of a plea deal. He’s scheduled to be sentenced in May.

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The backstory:

Sheriff’s deputies were monitoring a home near 2nd and Lloyd. They were trying to locate a man, later identified as Moore, who was wanted for burglary and fleeing/eluding.

Moore left the home and got into an SUV that afternoon. Detectives tried to pull the SUV over and, while it did briefly stop, it almost immediately took off.

Crash damages library at MLK and Locust, Milwaukee (Jan. 7, 2025)

About a mile into the chase, the SUV ran a red light and slammed into a car at the intersection of King Drive and Locust Street. It then careened into the library construction site.

Nobody in the vehicles involved in the pursuit or crash was injured, according to authorities. A construction worker inside the building reported leg pain, and he was examined and cleared at the scene.

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“120 to 140 miles per hour on the freeway, on the public roadways passing people,” Court Commissioner Katharine Kucharski said after charges were filed. “We are all very lucky that nobody is…passed in this situation.”

The Milwaukee Public Library’s new Martin Luther King Branch opened months later. At the official opening, Ald. Milele Coggs acknowledged the roadblocks along the way – including the crash.

The Source: Information in this report is from the Wisconsin Circuit Court and prior FOX6 News coverage.

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