Milwaukee, WI
Weather-related school closings force parents to scramble | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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.
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.
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.
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.
You can find worksheets on various subjects at education.com.
Drone view of the data center under construction in Port Washington
Check out a drone view of the Vantage Data Center under construction in Port Washington, Wisconsin.
Construction on a stretch of Forest Home Avenue in Milwaukee County is set to resume as part of a Wisconsin Department of Transportation resurfacing project, according to WisDOT.
The project affects Highway 24 — also known as Forest Home Avenue — between Janesville Road in Hales Corners and 45th Street in Milwaukee. The project started in early 2025 and is expected to be completed in mid-2026.
Here’s what to know about the latest construction update.
When will Forest Home Avenue construction resume?
Preparation work for construction along Forest Home Avenue is expected to begin the week of March 16, according to WisDOT.
Active construction work is scheduled to begin the week of March 23, weather permitting.
Where will construction be?
Construction work will take place in two segments along the corridor. The segment between 45th Street and Howard Avenue is already largely complete and will include minor lighting work and restoration.
The segment between Howard Avenue and Janesville Road will include resurfacing, permanent pavement markings, guardrail installation and improvements at several intersections.
What work will be done during construction?
The Highway 24 project will improve about 5 miles of roadway. The work includes resurfacing pavement, replacing traffic signals and lighting at numerous locations, making improvements to the bridge at 76th Street and upgrading sidewalks and curb ramps.
Traffic impacts during Forest Home Avenue construction in Milwaukee County
During construction, Highway 24 will be reduced to one lane in each direction in active work zones. Drivers may also encounter parking lane restrictions, overnight or short-term closures at ramps and intersections, and temporary pedestrian detours.
Access to businesses and residences along the corridor will be maintained during construction.
When will the project be completed?
The project is currently scheduled to be completed in early summer, though WisDOT says the timeline may change depending on weather conditions.
Adrienne Davis is a south suburban reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Got any tips or stories to share? Contact Adrienne at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County leaders are moving forward with a plan to collect unpaid fees owed to the medical examiner’s office by funeral homes.
What we know:
A Milwaukee County committee on Tuesday, March 10, advanced legislation allowing the county attorney to pursue collections from funeral homes with large outstanding debts owed to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Earlier this year, the medical examiner’s office began requiring funeral homes with outstanding balances of $25,000 or more to pay fees up front for services such as death certificates, cremation permits and body transport. Funeral homes collect those fees from families and are expected to pass them along to the county.
What they’re saying:
“What is the overall number we’re waiting on?” asked Milwaukee County Supervisor Sky Capriolo.
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“We do list 18 funeral homes that have a balance, currently, of $25,000 or more,” said Timothy Schabo, Milwaukee County Medical Examiner operations manager.
“Our hope is that, certainly, we’ll be able to avoid any litigation,” said William Davidson, deputy corporation counsel.
“If a family is paying a funeral home for services, and someone at the funeral home is not paying the county, where is that money going? We don’t know?” Capriolo asked.
Officials say it is not uncommon for funeral homes to carry large balances, and some are already aware of their debts, are on payment plans or pay quarterly.
The medical examiner says if families cannot pay and qualify for assistance from the state or county, those fees are waived.
“I understand there is some delay for some families receiving assistance from this program,” Milwaukee County Medical Examiner Dr. Wieslawa Tlomak said. “However, the funeral homes that we are talking about haven’t been paying us for a long period of time.”
Dig deeper:
The medical examiner said the outstanding balances continue to grow.
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Medical examiner records show four Milwaukee funeral homes currently owe a combined $1,324,100, including one funeral home with a balance of more than $512,000.
FOX6 reached out to the funeral homes for comment but has not heard back.
The legislation now heads to the full Milwaukee County Board for consideration.
The Source: FOX6 attended the Milwaukee County committee hearing regarding the funeral home debt.
MILWAUKEE – 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:
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:
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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