Wisconsin
Joann plans to close 16 Wisconsin stores, a change from what the retailer said in January
Almost 70% of the Joann fabrics and craft stores in Wisconsin are now set to close, a stark change to a month ago, when the company, which recently filed for bankruptcy, made no mention of store closings in the state.
After filing for bankruptcy in January, the national retail chain has asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware to authorize the closure of about 500 stores across the U.S., including 16 in Wisconsin, according to a statement from Joann on Wednesday.
The company first filed for bankruptcy in March 2024 but was able to keep its stores open by going private, despite owing $1 billion in debt at the time. However, the 82-year-old company still owes more than $600 million in debt and has faced lagging sales and inventory issues, according to CNN.
The January announcement from the company had initially excluded any mention of closing Joann stores in Wisconsin, but Wednesday’s announcement changes that.
Which Joann stores in Wisconsin are closing?
A total of 16 Joann stores are closing in Wisconsin, including four in the Milwaukee area, according to the announcement.
- Fond du Lac: 806 W. Johnson St.
- Janesville: 2700 N. Pontiac Drive
- Madison: 2021 Zeier Road
- Pewaukee: 2020 Silvernail Road
- Cudahy: 5656 S. Packard Ave.
- Brookfield: 16800 W. Bluemound Road
- Menomonee Falls: N78 W14531 Appleton Ave.
- Watertown: 401 Bernard St.
- Plover: 1150 Meridian Drive
- Lake Geneva: 600 N. Edwards Blvd.
- Beaver Dam: 1645 N. Spring St.
- Marshfield: 1919 N. Central Ave.
- Marinette: 2400 Roosevelt Road
- Oshkosh: 1226 S. Koeller St.
- Racine: 2629 S. Green Bay Road
- Sheboygan Falls: 4079 Highway 28
Which Joann stores in Wisconsin will remain open?
The company has a total of 23 locations in Wisconsin. The following will remain open:
- Greenfield: 4950 S. 74th St.
- Appleton: 720 N. Casaloma Drive
- Green Bay: 2777 S. Oneida St.
- Onalaska: 1220 Crossing Meadows Drive
- Wausau: 226830 Rib Mountain Drive
- Eau Claire: 4045 Commonwealth Ave.
- Wisconsin Dells: 121 Commerce St.
A full list of Wisconsin locations can be found on the company’s website.
How many Joann stores are closing? How many are staying open?
The closure of 500 stores will represent an almost 60% reduction in the craft retailer’s brick and mortar spaces, of which there are currently 850, according to its website.
In its Feb. 12 statement, the chain wrote that the closures would contribute to “right-sizing our store footprint” and ensuring the best path forward for the company.
“This was a very difficult decision to make, given the major impact we know it will have on our Team Members, our customers and all of the communities we serve,” Joann said in the statement. “A careful analysis of store performance and future strategic fit for the Company determined which stores should remain operating as usual at this time.”
When will my Joann store close?
Information on when the Joann stores will close was not included in the announcement.
Maia Pandey contributed to this report.
Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
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School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
How Aleksas Bieliauskas has grown in first season with Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard has high praise for Aleksas Bieliauskas about a month into the Lithuania native’s freshman season.
MADISON – One of Wisconsin men’s basketball’s departing transfers is headed to an SEC program with some connections to the Badgers.
Ex-UW forward Aleksas Bieliauskas has committed to South Carolina, he announced on April 17.
Bieliauskas left the Badgers after appearing in all 35 games as a freshman and making 28 starts. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 points in 20.2 minutes, and highlights of his freshman year included his five 3-pointers in UW’s upset over eventual national champion Michigan.
He’ll join a program with plenty of Wisconsin ties. South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris was an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 2010-17 on Bo Ryan and Greg Gard’s staffs. South Carolina assistant coach Tanner Bronson and director of video services Roman DiPasquale also are UW alumni.
Bieliauskas is the second of UW’s four departing transfers to commit to a new school. Reserve forward Jack Robison committed to North Dakota State on April 15. Starting guard John Blackwell and reserve forward Riccardo Greppi have not announced their next schools yet.
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