Milwaukee, WI

‘Not what Milwaukee is about’: People seek out events unaffiliated with RNC

Published

2 years ago

July 18, 2024

‘Not what Milwaukee is about’: People seek out events unaffiliated with RNC

Two miles south of the Republican National Convention, Milwaukee residents trickled into The Cooperage for an event offering a break from the nonstop politics taking over downtown.

More than a dozen local artists and business owners set up booths with their merchandise, while a DJ spun music for the attendees.

The free event was hosted by the Great MKE Block Party, which has been producing events to “connect the Milwaukee community in acts of joyful rebellion during the week of the RNC,” according to the group’s social media.

Vendor Liz Koetting, who co-edits a quarterly zine titled “This Is A Zine for Queer Professionals,” said she’s been seeking out events and spaces unaffiliated with the RNC throughout the week.

Apprehensions about the event have brought her circle of LGBTQ+ Milwaukeeans closer together, she said.

“People in my community are stressed about people who vote against our rights coming into our city,” Koetting said. “It makes the city feel like not a safe space.”

Devin Billingslea, a volunteer with the Great MKE Block Party, said the group curated over 50 events during the past week, including drag shows, karaoke, markets and fashion shows, with the ultimate goal of providing Milwaukeeans a safe, joyful place to escape the intensity of the convention.

Two attendees, cousins Kylie and Maureen McFadden, said they’ve been avoiding downtown and the RNC. They showed up to bring business to a part of town they love, knowing that most around the city aren’t getting the increased business promised by local officials.

They weaved between a number of vendor booths set up, including Alicia Clark’s booth, selling laser cut jewelry and sun catchers under the brand Lux Candela Studio.

Clark said she plans to donate a portion of her proceeds to Street Angels, a local group that supports Milwaukee County’s unhoused population. She’s received enough donations to contribute $22 to the organization for every purchase at her station.

The events of Tuesday — when five police officers from Ohio shot and killed a man living in a tent encampment near downtown — are fresh in her mind.

“Because the unhoused population has been so affected by the RNC in so many ways, between displacements and disconnection from resources, I thought they could use some extra help this week,” she said.

Abstract art vendors Sue McVey and her wife Tracy Apps participated in the Coalition to March on the RNC’s protest earlier in the week, particularly in support of the Palestinian people, LGBTQ+ communities and abortion rights.

“I really love the joyful rebellion because everything is really heavy right now,” Apps said.

At The Cooperage, McVey was clad in a dress showcasing the Palestinian flag.

Chloe Longmire, owner and founder of Chase My Creations, also said she sought out RNC counter-programming in the spirit of protest, since she was out of town during larger protests earlier this week. Longmire’s business creates social justice apparel with slogans like “Pro Roe AF” and “Take a Hike Racists.”

“I know how unsafe and unsettled a lot of people, especially Black people, feel with the RNC being in town,” Longmire said. “But the RNC is not what Milwaukee is about. Being anti-racist, speaking up for marginalized groups — this is what Milwaukee is all about.”

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Weather – Frosty and cold morning, sunny day ahead

Published

6 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

MILWAUKEE – Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Lisa Michaels

Frosty Monday morning with temps in the teens inland to low 20s near the lake.
Mostly sunny to sunny skies on Monday. Highs in the mid-40s inland, upper 30s near the lake.
A total lunar eclipse will happen Tuesday morning, total eclipse from 5-6am. It may be tough to see due to increasing clouds.
Increasing clouds on Tuesday with highs in the low 40s. Chance of rain and storms possible Wednesday through Friday with warming temperatures.

Today: 39 Lake. Mostly sunny.
High: 44°
Wind: SE 5-10

Tonight: Partly cloudy this evening, mostly clear overnight.
Low: 27°
Wind: SE 5

Tuesday: 39 Lake. Mostly cloudy.
High: 43°
Wind: E 5-10

Wednesday:41 Lake. Chance for scattered showers and t-storms.
AM Low: 32° High: 45°
Wind: E 5-10

Thursday: 39 Lake. Mostly cloudy. Chance storms.
AM Low: 37° High: 42°
Wind: NE 5-10

Friday: Chance for showers and t-storms Warmer. Warming at night.
AM Low: 37° High: 57°
Wind: SE 5-15

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with AM rain showers. Blustery with falling afternoon temperatures.
AM Low: 47° High: 53°
Wind: NE 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

Daily ForecastWeatherMilwaukee

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Milwaukee, WI

Four new community-powered fridges open on Milwaukee’s North Side

Published

18 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Four new community-powered fridges open on Milwaukee’s North Side

Community members and city leaders celebrated the opening of four new community-powered fridges on the North Side of Milwaukee. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, Feb. 27, at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, 3624 W. North Ave., to mark the occasion.

The effort to fight food scarcity by opening community-powered fridges comes after several grocery stores closed in the area, creating a food desert.

Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II, emceed the ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of four new community-powered fridges.

District 15 Ald. Russell W. Stamper II, who saw several grocery stores in his district close over the past few years, served as the event’s emcee.

“We could either complain about the problem, or we could come together to find a solution,” Stamper said.

People fill up the community-powered fridge with fresh produce.

In July 2025, a Pick ‘n Save on the North Side closed, prompting the opening of a community-powered fridge at Tricklebee Café in the Sherman Park and Uptown area. Since then, several other grocery stores have closed in the area.

This led Stamper, FEED MKE, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and One MKE to open four more community-powered fridges.

Christie Melby-Gibbons, executive director of Tricklebee Café, talks about opening the first community-powered fridge at her cafe.

Christie Melby-Gibbons, executive director of Tricklebee Café, talked about the organization’s community-powered fridge. About a week ago, the fridge was empty for the first time since its launch, so staff turned to their online community for support.

“Within 20 minutes, a woman came in with bags of food and filled the fridge for less than $100,” Melby-Gibbons said.

Danell Cross (right), executive director at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, Metcalfe Park resident Farina Brooks (left), and other attendees applaud during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The community-powered fridge network is run by residents on a take-what-you-need, leave-what-you-can model. Taking a grassroots approach to solving food insecurity in the area, community members provide fresh produce and other healthy food options to ensure that their neighbors have access to nutritious foods.

Residents line up to fill the community-powered fridge with fresh produce.

“Everybody deserves to eat. I can’t go to sleep at night knowing my neighbors are hungry,” said Melody McCurtis, deputy director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.

Here’s a list of all the community-powered fridges:

Metcalfe Park Community Bridges

3624 W. North Ave.

Rooted & Rising- Washington Park

3940 W. Lisbon Ave.

Sherman Park Community Association

3526 W. Fond du Lac Ave.

Dominican Center

2470 W. Locust St.

Tricklebee Café

4424 W. North Ave.

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Milwaukee, WI

At the Bar

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

The bar can be “the place” where memories are made, friendships blossom, and stories live forever. This episode of Real Stories MKE features stories from Dasha Kelly, Kristia Wildflower, Shep Crumrine, and Katelyn Nye. Real Stories MKE is hosted by Kim Shine and Joel Dresang with support from producer Jasmine Gonzalez and audio engineer Sam Woods.

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