Milwaukee, WI

Second lead screening clinic held for Milwaukee Public Schools students

Published

9 months ago

May 7, 2025

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Second lead screening clinic held for Milwaukee Public Schools students

Milwaukee Public Schools, health officials and community partners held a lead screening clinic for children after lead hazards were found in school buildings.
The city health department plans to deploy teams to areas with low screening rates to ensure testing access.
Milwaukee’s health commissioner expressed confidence in the school district’s lead action plan, describing it as a “living document” that will continue to evolve.

It was no coincidence that Terresa Linton and her 9-year-old son were among the first to step foot in the May 7 lead screening clinic at Milwaukee’s North Division High School.

Her son, Thailand Hodges, attends Brown Street Academy — one of the two most recent Milwaukee Public Schools buildings that will close so lead hazards can be addressed.

When the school closes May 12, students and staff will move to Andrew S. Douglas Middle School.

Linton, 39, of Milwaukee said she had been nervous walking into the clinic but breathed a sigh of relief when the test results came back within minutes showing her son didn’t have elevated levels of the toxic metal in his blood.

“Everyone should get their children tested and … make sure that they’re safe,” she said.

Screenings hope to identify children with concerning lead levels

The afternoon clinic was the second held by Milwaukee Public Schools, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, Children’s Wisconsin and the City of Milwaukee Health Department as the district contends with deteriorating facilities that pose a risk to its students.

The clinic had the capacity to screen 300 children.

The first lead screening clinic, which was held in March, found “a very small number” of the approximately 250 children tested had elevated levels of the toxic metal in their blood.

Even as more children have been getting tested, including at their pediatricians’ offices, the fact that few children are testing positive has not put health officials’ minds at ease.

“The children that are in most need of screening often have the most barriers to getting screened, often low-income families,” said Milwaukee Health Department Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Health Tyler Weber.

That’s why various clinics, including these two, have been held and why city health officials are encouraging the school district to hold screening clinics at specific schools, he said.

The health department also is readying a team of health workers to deploy to areas with low screening rates to ensure the children hardest to reach get tested, Milwaukee Health Commissioner Mike Totoraitis told a meeting of the city’s Board of Health on May 7.

Some of the MPS students identified as having lead poisoning are older than 6 years old, the age when children stop getting tested for lead under city recommendations. He encouraged parents of MPS students to get their children and teens tested, no matter their age.

“When we start looking at older children, we’re going to find lead-poisoned kids,” he said.

‘Small amount of lead … has ramifications that affect everyone’

Outside the screening clinic, a group of about 15 had gathered to call for changes.

Among them was Kat Cisar, whose twin first-graders attend Trowbridge Street School of Great Lakes Studies in Bay View. The school reopened in March after being closed for nearly two weeks to address lead issues.

She said she was happy that children were getting tested but that the approach of responding to lead-poisoned children also put the youngest Milwaukeeans on the “front lines.”

She urged thinking about the city’s lead issue not as an individual problem but as a collective public health issue.

“My kids might be fine, but that’s not acceptable to me if other kids aren’t, because we all grow up together,” she said. “They are all going to grow up together. They’re going to be adults together, and if they have negative impacts from even a small amount of lead that has ramifications that affect everyone.”

Lead action plan will continue to grow

Totoraitis expressed confidence in the MPS lead action plan released last week after the protesters called for changes.

He called the plan a “living document that is continuing to grow” and said he appreciated input on it.

Totoraitis addressed a central concern raised by the protesters that the school district’s lead action plan was more reactive than proactive, saying that, at this juncture, the focus is on bringing the school district back into compliance after years of degradation.

“Ideally, we would love to get ahead of potential poisonings, not just in the school buildings but in homes and daycares, everywhere across the city,” he said.

Once the district is in compliance, he said, officials will look to continue the discussion about the investments the city needs to ensure safe and healthy housing.

Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.

Sarah Volpenhein can be reached at svolpenhei@gannett.com or at 414-607-2159.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee police chase policy changes take effect Feb. 6; what to know

Published

11 hours ago

January 28, 2026

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Milwaukee police chase policy changes take effect Feb. 6; what to know

MPD changes high-speed chase policy

Milwaukee police will tighten pursuit rules come Feb. 6 after nine people died in chase-related crashes in 2025, though some families and officials doubt the changes will save lives.

MILWAUKEE – Changes to the Milwaukee Police Department’s pursuit policy will take effect Feb. 6, tightening the circumstances under which officers may chase reckless drivers.

What we know:

Under the updated policy, speed alone can no longer be the sole reason for a pursuit. Officers must identify at least one additional factor, such as a collision with another vehicle, forcing other drivers to take evasive action to avoid a crash, or failing to slow or stop at a controlled intersection.

The policy change follows a deadly year for police chases in Milwaukee. Six pursuit-related crashes resulted in the deaths of nine people in 2025, according to department data.

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However, some community members and officials question whether the changes will prevent future tragedies.

Local perspective:

It was June 8, 2024, when Tiffany Stark said her daughter’s father, Anthony Higgins, was critically injured after a vehicle fleeing police slammed into him. Higgins later died from his injuries.

“I think about all the people that died, but we also needed to think about the people that have survived,” said Tiffany Stark.

Stark said Higgins lived for 16 months with severe injuries before his death.

“His last 16 months of life was no life. It was no quality of life so I think,” said Stark. “A spinal cord injury paralyzed him from the neck out.”

Higgins’ death was one of several fatalities linked to police chases in 2025, a key reason MPD said it is revising its pursuit policy.

“My captains have talked to the community, I’ve talked to the community,” said MPD Chief Norman.

Big picture view:

MPD presented the policy change last week during a Fire and Police Commission meeting. Norman said officers must weigh the risk a pursuit poses to the public.

“I do understand the responsibility of what a 4,000 pound vehicle is to our community,” said Norman.

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The proposal drew pushback from some commissioners, who questioned whether the policy would have altered outcomes in past cases.

“When I was reading the policy I was saying to myself – would any of the fatalities of this year not happened under this policy? And I don’t think the answer is yes,” said Commissioner Bree Spencer.

MPD data shows that in addition to the fatal crashes, 233 of 970 police pursuits in 2025 ended in crashes.

As for the new policy, Stark said she remains unconvinced it will save lives.

“I don’t feel the changes are gonna save any lives,” said Stark.

The Source: FOX6 News obtained Milwaukee Police Department data and utilized prior coverage.

Milwaukee Police DepartmentMilwaukeeCrime and Public SafetyNewsPolice Chases

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Milwaukee, WI

Game Preview: IceHogs Open Road Trip Against The Admirals

Published

23 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Game Preview: IceHogs Open Road Trip Against The Admirals

Rockford, IL- The Rockford IceHogs (16-22-2-2) begin a three-game road trip tonight against the Milwaukee Admirals (18-17-2-1) at 7 p.m. The two teams will meet for the eighth time this season and the fourth at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

The Matchup:

All Time Series: 85-81-15-12

Season Series: 3-2-2-0

Tale of the Tape: The IceHogs and Admirals continue their season series tonight as Rockford looks to get back into the win column after back-to-back losses at home last weekend. The Admirals sit three points ahead of the IceHogs in the standings after sweeping the Iowa Wild last week. The Milwaukee power play still leads the AHL with a 29.5% conversion rate through 38 games. Daniel Carr, Jake Lucchini and Ryan Ufko all lead Milwaukee with five points against Rockford so far this season. Defenseman Ethan Del Mastro leads Rockford in scoring against Milwaukee with a goal and five assists.

Team Leaders:

Milwaukee:

Points- Ryan Ufko – 38 points

Goals- Daniel Carr- 16G

Assists- Ryan Ufko- 28A

Rockford:

Points- Brett Seney- 33 points

Goals- Rem Pitlick- 13G

Assists- Brett Seney- 23A

Three Things to Know:

Hit the Road: The Hogs take to the road for three straight and open up the week against the Admirals before heading to Winnipeg to battle the Manitoba Moose for a two-game series. The IceHogs have faired well away from the BMO Center this season, posting a 10-10-1 record, collecting points in 52% of road contests. Rockford will take on a Milwaukee team that is 12-5-1 at home this season and who shutout the IceHogs 3-0 the last time the two teams met in Milwaukee. Rockford is 1-1-1 in the first three games in UW-M Panther arena this season. The IceHogs will then take on the Manitoba Moose where they split their first series up north with a 7-3 win on Dec. 20 and took a 4-1 loss Dec. 21 at the Canada Life Centre.

Sinking the Ads: Despite dropping their last contest with Milwaukee, the IceHogs have held the Admirals to three goals or less in each of the first seven meetings this season. The Central division foes have battled in multiple one-goal contests and have had three games head to overtime with the IceHogs going 1-2 in the overtime battles. Rockford has gone 19/22 on the penalty kill through their first seven games against Milwaukee this season.

Lardis Returns: The Chicago Blackhawks assigned forward Nick Lardis to the IceHogs yesterday afternoon. The rookie has skated in 21 games with the Blackhawks during the 2025-26 campaign, logging seven points (5G, 2A). Lardis was named to the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic roster along with defenseman Kevin Korchinski to represent the IceHogs. His six power play goals still lead the club despite his call-up to the NHL in December. Lardis has also tallied 26 points (13G, 13A) in 24 games with Rockford this season. The Ontario native has three goals and two assists in six games against Milwaukee this season.

2025-26 Matchups:

Oct. 11	vs	MIL	W 3-2 OT
Nov. 7	@	MIL	L 1-2 OT
Nov. 8	vs	MIL	L 0-2
Nov. 28	vs	MIL	L 2-3 OT
Nov. 30	@	MIL	W 3-2
Dec. 12	vs	MIL	W 5-3
Dec. 30	@	MIL	L 0-3
Jan. 27	@	MIL	7 P.M.
Feb. 7	@	MIL	6 P.M.
Feb. 14	vs	MIL	7 P.M.
Feb 15.	vs	MIL	4 P.M.
Mar. 11	@	MIL	7 P.M.

The IceHogs will take on the Milwaukee Admirals Tuesday, January 27 at 7 p.m. at UW-M Panther Arena. The IceHogs will return to the BMO Center Saturday, February 6 against the Iowa Wild as the IceHogs induct Michael Leighton into the Rockford Ring of Honor. Tickets are available at icehogs.com.

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Milwaukee, WI

Minneapolis ICE shootings; Milwaukee groups share protester rights

Published

1 day ago

January 26, 2026

Press Room

Minneapolis ICE shootings; Milwaukee groups share protester rights

MILWAUKEE – Community advocates and legal experts in Milwaukee are urging people to understand their rights as protesters and observers following the killing of Alex Pretti during an ICE operation in Minneapolis.

What we know:

Bystander video shows Pretti filming immigration agents on the street before he was killed. The incident, along with the killing of Renée Good, has heightened tensions nationwide and prompted renewed outreach efforts in Milwaukee, even as officials say they are not seeing a surge of ICE activity locally similar to what occurred in Minneapolis.

ICE maintains an office in a Milwaukee School of Engineering-owned building downtown, but community members say fear and uncertainty remain high.

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Julie Velazquez, outreach chair for the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said volunteers have been canvassing neighborhoods on the city’s south side to educate residents about their rights if approached by immigration enforcement.

Local perspective:

“We’ll be going around the barrio – the neighborhood. Talking to folks about their rights,” said Velazquez. “About how to identify ICE or immigration enforcement officials and what they can do to keep themselves and their neighbors safe.”

Velazquez said the goal is to help people identify immigration agents and understand how to protect themselves and their neighbors.

She added that accountability depends on awareness.

“Long term it’s important those people are held accountable, and the only way we can do that is if we know our rights and when they are being violated,” Velazquez said.

Attorney Julius Kim of Kim & LaVoy said the First Amendment generally protects the right to film law enforcement and federal agents in public spaces.

“Generally speaking, people are allowed under the first amendment to film or video what they’re seeing,” said Kim.

Kim said emotions are running high following the Minneapolis shooting and urged caution.

“Living in really strange and volatile times and people’s emotions are getting the better of them at this point in time,” Kim said.

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He emphasized that safety should come first.

“Safety is number one priority,” he said. “Again, you may have the right to film or record ICE officers just do it in a way that is not going to interfere with them, try to comply as best you can.”

What you can do:

Kim provided the following tips for those who protest:

People do have a First Amendment right to record law enforcement officers in the performance of their duties in public areas.
If you record law enforcement, do so from a safe distance.
You do not have the right to interfere with law enforcement activities.
If you are detained or arrested by law enforcement, keep your cool. Don’t escalate the situation and risk getting hurt.
Use common sense. If things are getting overly heated, pause or remove yourself from the situation.

Leaders also compiled a list of protest-related resources, including guidance from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.

MilwaukeeImmigrationMinneapolisNewsCrime and Public Safety

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