Milwaukee, WI
Thunderstorms in the forecast as Milwaukee enters its second day of record-warm temperatures
A view via drone of the Lake Michigan lakefront in Milwaukee
Check out the view from a drone of the Lake Michigan lakefront just north of Bradford Beach in Milwaukee.
Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
After temperatures in the 80s on Tuesday, Milwaukee will continue closing out October with summer-like weather on Wednesday and into Thursday.
According to the National Weather Service, both Milwaukee and Madison tied their Oct. 29 high-temperature records on Tuesday, recording highs of 81 and 82 degrees, respectively. The records for both cities were set in 1937.
Milwaukee is on track to hit another record on Wednesday, with an early afternoon high of around 78 degrees in the forecast and temperatures close to 80 further from Lake Michigan. Milwaukee’s Oct. 30 record high of 78 degrees was recorded in 1901. The city’s average late-October highs are more than 20 degrees colder at around 55.
As for the reason behind this week’s unseasonably warm weather, Milwaukee-Sullivan NWS meteorologist Benjamin Sheppard said, “We have a low pressure system developing out in the Plains and tracking northeastward into Minnesota. What this has done is it has created a very strong southerly wind feel to winds from the south, and that’s causing the temperatures to rapidly rise.”
Along with the unusual heat, the system has brought with it high winds and likely overnight thunderstorms. Here’s what to know.
Why is it so windy in Milwaukee today?
Tuesday’s high winds are expected to continue in southern Wisconsin over the next two days, with gusts up to 35 mph on Wednesday and up to 40 mph on Thursday in Milwaukee.
Beaches in all Wisconsin counties along Lake Michigan, including Milwaukee County, are under a Gale Warning through 1 p.m. Friday and a Small Craft Advisory through Thursday morning. Click here to learn more about coastal warnings from NWS.
In addition to the low pressure system heading toward Minnesota, “we have a departed high pressure system to our east. The combination of high pressure to the east and low pressure to the west is driving some really strong south winds,” Sheppard explained.
Southern Wisconsin thunderstorm forecast
Moderate-to-heavy rainfall and possible thunderstorms are in the forecast across southern Wisconsin Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.
In Milwaukee, precipitation chances begin to rise around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, peaking between 1 and 6 a.m. on Friday. Rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch are in the forecast, with rain totals higher in thunderstorms, NWS says. Rain is expected to taper off in Milwaukee by Thursday afternoon.
Thunderstorms are most likely in the Milwaukee area between 1 and 9 a.m. on Thursday. Throughout southern Wisconsin, NWS says some “strong to severe” storms are possible, potentially bringing damaging winds and “even a tornado or two.” The heaviest rain and most severe storm threat will mainly be in the Madison area and further west, the weather service said.
When will things cool back down in Milwaukee?
More typical fall temperatures will return Friday after a cold front moves in with the storm. Milwaukee is expected to see a high of 65 degrees around 10 a.m. on Thursday before temperatures drop to the upper 40s by the evening.
A high of 51 degrees is in the forecast on Friday for Milwaukee.
Wisconsin weather radar
Wisconsin weather warnings
A street takeover was held at the intersection of South14th and West Burnham streets
On June 8, a street takeover was held at South 14th and West Burnham streets. Hundreds congregated at the intersection to watch cars squeal tires or do donuts.
The Milwaukee Common Council on Sept. 23 unanimously passed new legislation addressing street takeovers, including fines for those who attend them.
The legislation states that no person should knowingly be present at a street takeover, which are gatherings in the public roadway as participating vehicles do burnouts and donuts. The events happen suddenly, with organizers turning to private messaging apps, and one event can be attended by hundreds.
Any person at a street takeover is now subject to a fine between $300 and $1,000, according to the legislation.
- Spectators: $500 to $1,000 fine
- Operators or organizers: $400 to $1,000 fine
- Passengers: $300 to $1,000 fine
Those who attend more than one in the same year will receive a minimum $1,000 fine. And the municipal court can impose community service related to traffic safety and default of payment could result in jail time, the legislation states.
The legislation defines a “spectator” as someone knowingly present for the purpose of viewing, encouraging, recording or otherwise attending a street takeover. This includes people filming or livestreaming the event on social media.
In recent weeks, Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Common Council members signaled an intent to pass legislation as police reported responding to hundreds of takeovers this year. The mayor’s office said Sept. 23 that he plans to sign the legislation.
Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic said at the Common Council meeting that she wanted to be “careful” that this legislation will not result in enforcement for “pop-up, organic gatherings” that she sees in her district, which includes Bay View, sometimes surrounding political actions.
“We should be able to go in our streets and voice our support or discontent with anything. That is quite different than what (we) … seek to stop,” she said. “I feel we have a delicate balance here to stop this poor behavior but still allow … open free speech at any time.”
Street takeovers returned to the forefront over Labor Day weekend, when police received about 15 calls related to them. Those took place throughout the city, including downtown, and police arrested three people. The department also issued 26 citations and towed six vehicles.
Milwaukee police previously told the Common Council the police task force responsible for the takeovers was paused Labor Day weekend to deal with violent crime on Water Street.
30th annual Milwaukee zoo bike ride
Nearly 700 cyclists rode through the Milwaukee County Zoo before opening hours for the Ride on the Wild Side fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 14.
MILWAUKEE – Hundreds of riders pedaled through the Milwaukee County Zoo on Sunday morning, Sept. 14, for the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s 30th annual Ride on the Wild Side.
What we know:
Organizers said nearly 700 cyclists participated, including some who took on a special 30-mile ride to mark the 30th year of the event. The big draw: a chance to ride bikes inside the zoo before it opened to the public.
“This is the one time a year you can come with your two wheels or four wheels, if you needed training wheels,” said Katie Krecklow with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee. “We have some brave souls today that decided to do a 30 mile ride today to celebrate 30 years.”
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Families described the early-morning ride as a unique experience, with animals just beginning to emerge into their exhibits.
“I think being early in the morning and you just see it from a different perspective – the animals are just coming out,” said Heather Anderson, who attended with her family.
In addition to the bike rides, participants enjoyed activities, like face painting, an obstacle course, and, of course, plenty of animal sightings.
Local perspective:
“Getting to see all the animals when they are coming out and the baby monkeys,” said Claire Anderson. “A lot of animals, like peacocks, like to walk around, and bears and elephants.”
These true stars of the show fuel the heart of the event.
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“We love supporting the zoo,” Heather Anderson said. “We live close and we come often through the year and we take part in their summer camps and family programs.”
Why you should care:
This year’s event raised more than $50,000, money that will go toward supporting zoo operations, conservation efforts, and the society’s mission of teaching children empathy for animals.
“The Zoological Society is the nonprofit partner of the Milwaukee County Zoo, so we take on a lot of the fundraising to try to help the zoo do what they do best, which is care for the animals,” Krecklow said.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
MILWAUKEE – The last of six men charged in what Milwaukee County prosecutors described as a prostitution ring pleaded no contest and was fined on Friday.
Pleas and sentencings
In Court:
Court records show 56-year-old Christopher Riegg, an investment banker, pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. He was fined $1,500.
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Prosecutors initially charged all six men with misdemeanor pandering solicitation. One of the six, 55-year-old Travis Schwantes, was charged with additional crimes.
Schwantes, a former public defender who once ran for a judgeship, pleaded guilty to one felony and two misdemeanors in August. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, two years of probation and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.
Court records show 60-year-old William Green, a former attorney, pleaded guilty to pandering solicitation and was sentenced to nine months of probation in June.
In July, 51-year-old Milwaukee firefighter David Ornstein pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and was fined $600. George Easton, a 77-year-old retired municipal judge, pleaded guilty to two such counts and was fined $1,000 in May.
Leroy Stewart, a funeral director in Oak Creek, pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. The 54-year-old was fined $1,200 in April.
The backstory:
Hundreds of pages of search warrants were unsealed last December, and FOX6 News learned the investigation into the prostitution ring began years earlier.
The scope of what investigators uncovered included accusations of extortion. It centered on an apartment building at 29th and Kilbourn in Milwaukee.
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Dig deeper:
A woman, Roya Sedghi, was charged in fall 2023 with keeping a place of prostitution. Court records said she billed herself as the “Iranian Princess.” Records show Sedghi registered “Iranian Princess Fetish Services LLC” with the state in March 2022.
Court records show it all began to unravel a month later when a woman came forward to investigators in Dodge County, detailing what happened, and with whom, in that apartment building.
Sedghi pleaded guilty in October 2024 to keeping a place of prostitution. She was sentenced to one year in prison and three years of extended supervision.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced documents filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, as well as Wisconsin Circuit Court records, for this story.
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