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Scenes from March Madness in Milwaukee

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Scenes from March Madness in Milwaukee






March Madness is back in Milwaukee for the 10th time, and the second at Fiserv Forum, bringing college basketball players and fans here from across the nation.

Downtown was buzzing Friday as NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games got underway in the early afternoon at Fiserv Forum. The arena (and home team Marquette University) is playing host to six total games, including four first-round matchups Friday and two second-round matchups Sunday.

The event is expected to draw 19,000 attendees and generate $3.4 million in estimated economic impact to the Milwaukee area, according to Visit Milwaukee.

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On Friday in Milwaukee, Iowa State defeated Lipscomb 82-55, Ole Miss defeated North Carolina 71-64, Kentucky beat Troy 76-57 and Illinois beat Xavier 86-73. That sets up Sunday games at Fiserv Forum of Kentucky vs. Illinois at 4:15 p.m. and Iowa State vs. Ole Miss at 6:45 p.m.

Much of the activity Friday afternoon and early evening was concentrated in Fiserv Forum’s Deer District and public plaza. Despite high winds, mid-50s temperatures and sunshine brought fans outside to congregate on patios, upper-level balconies and at the outdoor Beer Garden area, which was streaming the tournament games on its massive screen. The New Fashioned made a splash with a live DJ playing pop hits and staff members standing near the entrance with a microphone encouraging fans to grab a beverage at “Milwaukee’s largest sports bar.”

Other signs of March Madness were spotted elsewhere downtown, including a Kentucky Basketball coach bus parked outside the Saint Kate hotel, Illinois flags fastened to the outside of Uncle Buck’s, and Marquette flags along the bridges over the Milwaukee River. Marquette lost to New Mexico 75-66 Friday in Cleveland.

The NCAA Tournament provides a significant boost to downtown hotels, at a time of the year when business is typically slower. As of Tuesday, Marcus Corp.’s three downtown hotels, Saint Kate, The Pfister and the Hilton Milwaukee, were “close to” sold out, according to Dana Johnson, general manager of Saint Kate.

Johnson said she expects the same impact and national attention to Milwaukee that the 2022 NCAA Tournament brought.

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“We have different teams this year, different fans that are coming to the market and we always find that when people come to our city and they experience our night life and our restaurants and our hotels, they’re so surprised and happy about what they experience here. And and they want to come back and they tell their friends. Just showcasing that on a national media stage really puts our city in a great great spotlight,” she said.



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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee woman found safe, reported critically missing Saturday

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Milwaukee woman found safe, reported critically missing Saturday


UPDATE: MPD said Sheree Wimberly, reported critically missing Saturday, has been found safe. The original missing person notice is available below.

The Milwaukee Police Department requested the public’s help to find 56-year-old Sheree Wimberly. The critically missing woman was last seen near 91st and Appleton at around 5:10 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31.

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What they’re saying:

Police described Wimberley as 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 170 pounds, bald with brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a brown jacket with fur around the collar, gray sweatpants, and white-black-and-green shoes. 

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What you can do:

Anyone with information on Wimberly’s whereabouts is asked to call Milwaukee Police District 4 at 414-935-7242.

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The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department released information.

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Milwaukee, WI

Next Act Theatre presents: Swing State

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Next Act Theatre presents: Swing State


It’s hard to know who your friends are in a world that’s more divided than ever! That’s where Next Act Theatre comes in. Two of the major players in the production of “Swing State” joined FOX6 WakeUp in studio to share more.

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Lapse of health care contract for Milwaukee County employees angers officials

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Lapse of health care contract for Milwaukee County employees angers officials


Milwaukee County officials are calling for an “emergency action” after learning that the contract covering health insurance for thousands of county employees has lapsed. 

During a Jan. 29 committee on finance meeting, Milwaukee County Supervisors learned that the county’s health care contract with UnitedHealthcare expired at the end of last year. County Corporation Counsel Scott Brown said the contract is one of the “single most important contracts in the county.”

“I think there’s enormous risk to us operating … without this contract,” Brown said.

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The county’s deputy corporation counsel William Davidson said there could be “catastrophic risk” if the county does not move to approve a contract soon. He said the ability for county employees to “receive and pay for services might be affected.”

Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor said he was angry, calling the situation “unacceptable.” 

“This is crazy,” Taylor said. 

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In an interview with WPR Friday evening, Taylor said more than 3,000 county employees are covered by the plan. He said coverage for employees is continuing under the old contract. However, Brown said if an employee does have a large claim before a new contract is signed, the lapse could leave UnitedHealthcare “in a position to deny it.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who is running for governor as a Democrat, said Crowley has “directed administration officials to resolve the situation and work with the Board of Supervisors to approve the contract next week.”

During the Jan. 29 meeting, Milwaukee County Human Resources Director Tony Maze said he hired an outside actuary to do the request for proposals for a health plan for employees in an attempt to save money. When pressed about the issue by county supervisors, Maze said he did not follow the county’s rules for the request for proposal process. 

Milwaukee County Supervisor Anne O’Connor called for an emergency meeting Monday morning in response to what she called “damage control mode.”

“I feel like what I am hearing is extremely concerning, to the point where I think we have to consider some emergency action, ” O’Connor said. 

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That meeting will be held Monday at 10 a.m.

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