Milwaukee, WI

Why tomorrow’s election is a referendum on Trump

Published

9 months ago

March 30, 2025

Why tomorrow’s election is a referendum on Trump

I’m Hope Karnopp, and this is the Daily Briefing newsletter by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sign up here to get it sent to your inbox each morning.

It’s going to be chilly for the Brewers’ home opener today, with temperatures feeling like the mid-30s by first pitch. It should stay dry for Election Day tomorrow, though western parts of the state could see rain and snow. Meteorologists are tracking the potential for more strong storms Wednesday.

Why tomorrow’s election is a referendum on Trump

Wisconsin voters will elect a new Supreme Court justice tomorrow. But the April election is much more than a state-level race — it represents a referendum on President Donald Trump and his first 20 weeks in office, Molly Beck and Daniel Bice report.

Brad Schimel, the conservative candidate, has leaned heavily into Trump’s endorsement and joined him for a “tele-rally.” A spokesman for Susan Crawford, the liberal in the race, said Schimel “resorted to being fully at the mercy of Elon Musk and Donald Trump.”

Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School poll, said Schimel’s strategy has never been tried before in Wisconsin, making it “risky.”

“It probably will mobilize some Trump voters who don’t normally vote in spring elections, but also is likely to mobilize Democrats who are extraordinarily opposed to Trump, but perhaps not otherwise intense about the court race,” Franklin said. “So is mobilization or counter-mobilization the greater effect?”

Can We Energies demand backpay on a faulty meter?

Sharon Saxelby, who is retired and on a fixed income, got a We Energies bill for $926 in January. After calling We Energies three times, she was told she owed nearly $700 in backpay due to a “bill irregularity.” She contacted our Public Investigator team, who looked into the matter.

We Energies discovered in December that the “wrong meter” was installed for Saxelby’s Brookfield condo. That meter had recorded just 75% of the electricity used for “the last few years,” a spokeswoman said. Now, We Energies is demanding Saxelby pay for the additional electricity she used over the past two years because of a state law.

Although Saxelby owns her condo, she doesn’t own or control the electricity meter and says it’s unfair for her to pay for We Energies’ mistake. We Energies says customers should know this is a “a very rare case, and the overwhelming majority of our 2.2 million meters work exactly as they should.”

Gina Lee Castro also breaks down whether back billing is legal, and how a similar situation was resolved in the 1970s.

Don’t miss these

Hope Karnopp can be reached at HKarnopp@gannett.com or on X at @hopekarnopp.

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Milwaukee, WI

Don Richards, the former Milwaukee District 9 alderman, dies at 89

Published

7 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Don Richards, the former Milwaukee District 9 alderman, dies at 89

Former Milwaukee Common Council member Don Richards died on Dec. 26 at age 89.

Richards served on the Milwaukee Common Council between 1988 and 2004, representing District 9 on the city’s north and northwest sides until his retirement due to health reasons, according to his obituary.

During his tenure at the city, Richards was a member of the Judiciary and Legislation Committee, Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, as well as the Housing Authority and City Records Committee.

Although the two had a brief overlap in city government, former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who was first elected in 2004, recalled Richards as “always smiling and always caring.”

“He was a wonderful man. A very Christian man who cared deeply about the community and the people who live here,” Barrett told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Before becoming a city alderman, Richards participated in the citywide marches protesting a lack of open housing legislation in the city in the 1960s and was a priest in the Milwaukee Archdiocese for almost two decades, starting in 1963. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the St. Francis Seminary and Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

Following his time on the Common Council, Richards began to teach local government classes at Alverno College. He also worked as an economic development specialist with the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, his obituary said.

Richards is survived by his brother, Bob (Joanne), and was preceded in death by his wife, Doloros; his parents, Gregor and Rose Richards; and his brothers, Jim Richards and Ed Richards, according to his obit.

A visitation is planned at 10 a.m. Jan 8 until his funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at Alvina of Milwaukee Chapel, 9301 N. 76th Street.

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Milwaukee, WI

Teen passenger dies in fiery crash after fleeing driver crashes into Milwaukee roundabout

Published

19 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Teen passenger dies in fiery crash after fleeing driver crashes into Milwaukee roundabout

MILWAUKEE — A police chase that began in West Milwaukee on Sunday morning ended in a fiery crash on Milwaukee’s south side, killing 18-year-old Izack Zavala.

The Medical Examiner’s Office identified Zavala as the passenger who died in the one-car crash at 37th and Mitchell streets. His family said he was a 2025 Milwaukee Public Schools Alexander Hamilton High School graduate who loved soccer and would do anything to help his loved ones.

Provided by family

Izack Zavala

The West Milwaukee Police Department said officers attempted to pull over the driver for a traffic violation near Miller Park Way and Lincoln Avenue, but the driver fled and crossed into Milwaukee.

Roundabout at 37th and Mitchell.png — Roundabout at 37th and Mitchell

About a mile later, police say the fleeing driver hit a roundabout, lost control, and crashed into a tree, ejecting both the driver and passenger.

“If they were trying to avoid one of those, and with the weather being cold and slick, and you hit a patch of ice, and you’re gone. You’re done,” Barbie, who witnessed the aftermath, said.

The loud crash woke up neighbors like Barbie in the middle of the night.

Watch: Teen passenger dies in fiery crash after fleeing driver crashes into Milwaukee roundabout

Teen passenger dies in fiery crash after fleeing driver crashes into Milwaukee roundabout

“Like thunder struck the building. The entire building shook. It was insane,” Barbie said.

Looking out her kitchen window, Barbie saw the devastating scene unfold.

“The whole thing just lit up like a torch,” she said.

Car on fire.png — Car on fire after crash

A day after the flames were extinguished, crash debris still surrounded the tree and Barbie’s backyard.

“The car was right there in the center,” she said.

Zavala’s family said his cousin was driving the vehicle. The 19-year-old driver was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Barbie, who has witnessed crashes before, said seeing this one up close was different.

“I’ve seen plenty of crashes, had people that I care about die in crashes, but to see it up close is something different. I feel bad for the kid’s family,” she said.

The witness hopes the tragedy serves as a warning to others who might consider fleeing police.

“I feel for their family, and I wish to God that that wouldn’t have happened, obviously, but there comes a point, ‘what were you doing’, you know?” Barbie said. “I just think that people need to think before they do, and that’s just not a thing anymore.”

TMJ4 asked the West Milwaukee Police Department if it plans to refer charges for the 19-year-old driver who remains seriously injured at the hospital. The department declined to comment, saying it’s still an active investigation.

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Milwaukee, WI

These recently sold Milwaukee homes are more than 100 years old

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

These recently sold Milwaukee homes are more than 100 years old

Milwaukee’s real estate market likely ended 2025 in much the same place as 2024, real estate analysts say.

A report from the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors released in December estimated that total home sales in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties will remain flat from 2024.

In Milwaukee County, home sales were down 9.2% in November 2025 compared to November 2024, according to the report.

Still, year-to-date home prices in the four-county Milwaukee metropolitan area rose 7.7% to an average of just over $431,000, the report says.

Here are a few of the oldest homes recently sold in Milwaukee, according to Milwaukee Metropolitan Multiple Listing Services data:

1913 Milwaukee bungalow sells for $365,000

A 113-year-old bungalow on South Wentworth Avenue in Milwaukee sold for $365,000 on Dec. 22.

The 1,500-square-foot home has four bedrooms and two bathrooms, according to the listing from Tom Horigan with Realty Experts, and it sits on a 0.11-acre lot.

The home features hardwood floors, a built-in buffet and leaded glass windows but updated home and garage roofs, according to the listing. It also has an enclosed front porch.

19th-century Bay View home sells for $295,000

A 1,250-square-foot Milwaukee home built in 1890 sold for $295,000 on Dec. 22.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home is located on East Euclid Avenue in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood, according to the listing from Alexis Ruzell with Coldwell Banker Realty. It sits on a 3,050-square-foot lot.

The home features wood flooring and a second-story bedroom leading to an elevated porch, according to the listing.

Another century-old bungalow sells for $475,000

A bungalow on North 39th Street in Milwaukee’s Roosevelt Grove neighborhood sold for $475,000 on Dec. 23.

The home was built in 1922 on a 0.96-acre lot with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, according to the listing from Kendrick Taylor with Keller Williams Realty. It spans 2,250 square feet.

The home features a modern kitchen with quartz countertops and a dry bar in the living room, according to the listing. It also includes a finished lower level.

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