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Weather-related school closings force parents to scramble | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

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Weather-related school closings force parents to scramble | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


A major snowstorm seen from the corner of Locust Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in Harambee in April of 2018. (NNS file photo by Adam Carr)

Milwaukee Public Schools has had two days off this year due to inclement weather, which puts parents like Jasmine Madison in a difficult place.

On a typical day, Madison gets up and gets her three children ready for school before having to be at work by 8:30 a.m.

But on days when school is canceled due to inclement weather, she is up earlier than usual watching the news to determine if her children have school.

Once she finds out they don’t, her morning is spent calling her father, sisters or cousins to find a sitter for the day.

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Madison is one of many Milwaukee parents who must scramble when MPS closes due to inclement weather.

For Madison, having a toddler makes things even more difficult.

“When schools close, so does day care,” she said. “People might be willing to watch my older children, but it’s a lot to ask someone to watch a toddler.”

As someone who works in health care, she doesn’t always have the option of calling in and has to rely on her support system.

“I have a support system that I appreciate, but even then, it’s hard to find a sitter at the drop of a dime,” she said.

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Jasmine Madison and her two oldest children, Zi’Yhanna and Dale.  (Photo provided by Jasmine Madison)

What parents can do

Madison said advanced notice about school closings would give her enough time to line up child care and get her children where they need to be.

MPS usually announces its closing around 5:30 a.m. on the morning of a closing. Some suggest understanding MPS’s closing policy so you can decide on your own and give yourself more time to plan.

According to MPS’s administrative policy, “The decision to close schools because of weather conditions is made by the Superintendent based on information received from a variety of sources.”

Ann Wilson, the manager of Hillside Terrace Family Resource Center, located at 1452 N. 7th St, said it’s an awful situation for parents.

“They’re (working parents) really left to sink or swim,” she said. “You can’t leave small children home alone so options are to get written up or potentially lose your job depending on where you work.”

Wilson said this has been an issue for years, adding district leaders need to find ways to help parents.

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Both parents of MPS students and teachers in MPS schools told NNS they’d prefer it if school went virtual on snow days.

MPS did not get back to us on why they haven’t offered a virtual option. You can submit thoughts or complaints about how the district functions here. 

How to keep students active at home

Some non-MPS schools, like Messmer Catholic Schools, go virtual when the physical building closes due to inclement weather.

If your child’s school doesn’t provide a virtual option, then teachers suggest having your child go over what they learned the day before with you.

You can find activities to help your child with reading here.

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You can find worksheets on various subjects at education.com.





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Milwaukee, WI

Critically missing Milwaukee man; last seen near Teutonia and Good Hope

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Critically missing Milwaukee man; last seen near Teutonia and Good Hope


The Milwaukee Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a critically missing man, 33-year-old Nicolas Blakely.  

Missing man

What we know:

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Blakely was last seen around 9:45 p.m. on Monday, March 9 in the area of Teutonia and Good Hope. 

Blakely is described as a male, black, 6’1″ tall, 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.  He was last seen wearing a blue puffy jacket over a white hooded sweatshirt, with tan Nike sweatpants. 

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Police tips

What you can do:

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Anyone with information is asked to call the Milwaukee Police Department District 4 at 414-935-7242.  

The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Police Department. 

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Milwaukee, WI

10 months after fatal hit-and-run that killed motorcyclist, Milwaukee man charged

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10 months after fatal hit-and-run that killed motorcyclist, Milwaukee man charged


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A 23-year-old Milwaukee man has been charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed a 44-year-old motorcyclist during the summer last year.

Jarvis L. Walker was charged March 7 with four counts: hit-and-run resulting in death, knowingly operating a vehicle without a valid license causing death, fleeing an officer and first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

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The crash occurred June 7, 2025, at the intersection of North 76th Street and West Florist Avenue. Walker crashed into Wyman Kemble on his 2002 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and fled the scene, according to a criminal complaint.

Kemble suffered severe injuries in the crash and died at the scene.

Police said nearby security footage video shows Kemble was traveling northbound on 76th Street and had a green light when Walker, traveling southbound on 76th Street, crashed a rental car into Kemble while trying to make a left turn onto Florist Avenue.

Walker then exits the vehicle, grabs a backpack from the backseat and leaves the scene, the complaint said.

But a witness’ cellphone footage shows Walker return, yell something, and turn around and walk away before getting into another vehicle that just pulled over, according to the complaint.

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The rental car came back to a person only identified in the complaint with the initials EW. The rental car customer told police that Walker had the vehicle during the time of the crash and Walker called him and told him that he had just been in a crash after a motorcycle ran a red light.

Ten months would pass before investigators zeroed in on Walker to arrest him.

On March 3, police had reason to believe that Walker was in the area of the 7200 block of West Marine Drive, the complaint said. Two undercover officers observed Walker get into an SUV, which exited a nearby parking lot and then immediately pulled over because the trunk was open, the complaint said.

Different officers in full uniform and an MPD squad moved in to try and arrest Walker, who was at the rear of the vehicle in the trunk, according to the complaint.

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Walker then made his way back to his seat before one officer activated the squad lights and siren and exited the squad to say “Hey Jarvis, don’t do it” and “Jarvis get out of the car,” the complaint said.

But Walker fled the scene and led police on a nearly 10-mile pursuit in excess of 115 miles per hour, according to the complaint.

Police lost visual sight of Walker’s vehicle near North Teutonia Avenue and North Green Bay Avenue, but Glendale police observed the vehicle traveling southbound on West Green Bay Road and another short pursuit ensued before officers lost sight of Walker again, the complaint said.

Later that evening, Walker’s vehicle was observed unoccupied and running in the 4800 block of North 19th Place, according to the complaint. Police found Walker inside a nearby residence and arrested him.

Walker made his initial appearance in court on March 9, where bail was set at $25,000. If convicted on all counts, he faces decades behind bars.

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Wyman Kemble remembered as mother’s rock

Leanne Kemble, Wyman Kemble’s mother, previously told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at the time of the crash that Wyman was her oldest child and her “rock.”

She said her son loved the motorcycle he was riding at the time of his death. She described him as one of the most “kind, caring and fun-loving people you’d ever meet.”

Leanne Kemble said her son graduated from Riverside High School, where he played on the football team, and was a graduate of Milwaukee Area Technical College. Volleyball was now his sport of choice, and he played year-round, she said.

“He was always helping people with their car repairs, or just doing odd jobs to help out our neighbors,” she said. “He was an all-around great person. Everybody loved him.”



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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Public Schools budget proposals; board meeting Monday

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Milwaukee Public Schools budget proposals; board meeting Monday


MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius proposed cutting more than 263 non-classroom positions to help bridge a $46 million structural budget deficit.

A special meeting of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors is scheduled to take place on Monday night, March 9, to vote on this proposal. 

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Shifting resources

What we know:

The district said the reductions, which would take effect for the 2026–27 school year pending school board approval, would save about $30 million.

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“It is an extremely difficult day for us here in Milwaukee Public Schools, but in the end, I’m still hopeful. I’m hopeful for our students, I’m hopeful for all of the employees we have, and every single employee matters to us,” said Cassellius. “This is hard, and we’ll get through it.”

Officials said no classroom teacher positions are being cut to close the budget gap. That said, the district may need fewer teachers where there is lower enrollment. About 40 of the 263 positions being eliminated are already vacant, meaning that not all reductions will result in layoffs. Affected employees eligible for classroom-based roles will be encouraged to apply for available positions.

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Cassellius stressed that MPS faces rising costs while receiving a $0 state increase in general aid for 2026-27 public school students. While the recent referendum has helped to support arts, physical education, mental health services, and career exploration, the superintendent indicated it does not make up for the lack of state-funded inflation increase

Proposed reductions

By the numbers:

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The approximately 263 position reductions include the following, according to the school district:

  • MPS Central Services: About 116 positions from the offices of Academics; Communications; Family, Community, and Partnership; Finance; Human Resources; Operations; Schools office; and the Superintendent’s office
  • Non‑classroom school‑based roles: About 147 positions, including assistant principals, deans of students, and implementers.

The Source: Milwaukee Public Schools released information about its proposal.

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