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Milwaukee politician accused Wisconsin Center District head of assault

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Milwaukee politician accused Wisconsin Center District head of assault


A prominent Milwaukee civic leader was recently investigated for assault, but no charges were filed, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has learned.

The incident was linked to an allegation of inappropriate touching — and the person who accused him was a well-known elected official, sources said.

Six sources who spoke with the Journal Sentinel said the official reported to the Milwaukee Police Department that Marty Brooks, the president and CEO of the Wisconsin Center District, had inappropriately touched his butt after an October fundraiser at a popular downtown restaurant.

Police investigated the incident, but the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office decided against charging Brooks. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the allegations.

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Police have not yet released a copy of the report to the Journal Sentinel, which filed an open records request about the incident on Dec. 12.

Jim Kanter, the WCD board chairman, notified board members about an “allegation involving Marty Brooks, related to a personal matter,” in a Jan. 22 memo obtained by the Journal Sentinel.

“The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office, which we have complete confidence in, conducted and completed a comprehensive investigation and found no basis for charges; no charges were filed against Marty,” Kanter wrote. “We appreciate the thoroughness of the authorities and respect the conclusions of the investigation.”

Kanter did not provide specifics about the allegation, but added, “I want to emphasize that this matter does not involve Marty in his capacity as WCD President and CEO.”

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Neither the official nor Brooks responded to requests for interviews from reporters.

A spokesperson for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley’s campaign for governor confirmed there was an investigation into an incident that was reported following an October fundraiser it held.

“We’ve been made aware of an investigation of an incident that occurred in October,” he said. “Every such allegation deserves to be taken seriously and merits a thorough examination.”

The event had ended before the the incident reportedly occurred.

“Neither County Executive Crowley, nor any member of his staff, was present at the time of the alleged incident,” the spokesperson said. “We were not made aware of the incident at the time, and have not been part of the investigation.”

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The Wisconsin Center District is a public agency that operates the Baird Center convention facility, UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and Miller High Life Theatre. It also owns Fiserv Forum, which is leased to the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team.

Brooks was named district president and CEO in 2017. He previously was senior vice president and general manager of America’s Center, operated by the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission. He also worked more than 20 years as an executive for New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Brooks’ time in Milwaukee has included presiding over Baird Center’s $456 million expansion.

That project was completed in May 2024 – just a few months before the convention facility, Fiserv Forum and other center-owned venues hosted the Republican National Convention.

Brooks has clashed with city officials over the possible redevelopment of the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

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The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in September broke the story. It reported that the arena and neighboring Miller High Life Theatre are the subject of a study that could recommend different uses − including a large hotel − for the 6.4-acre downtown site which hosts those aging facilities.

David Clarey of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.



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Stepmom from hell accused of starving 35-pound teen daughter enters plea — could spend the rest of her life behind bars

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Stepmom from hell accused of starving 35-pound teen daughter enters plea — could spend the rest of her life behind bars


The Wisconsin stepmother from hell accused of abusing her 35-pound 14-year-old daughter by depriving her of food and water has entered a no-contest plea in the twisted case.

Melissa Goodman, 52, now faces up to 46 years in prison if she’s handed the maximum sentence for charges of chronic neglect causing great bodily harm, chronic neglect causing emotional damage and false imprisonment.

She’s set to be sentenced on July 1.

Goodman, along with husband Walter Goodman, have been accused of starving her autistic stepdaughter. Outagamie County Jail

Goodman, along with husband Walter Goodman, has been accused of starving her autistic stepdaughter.

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Goodman’s daughter Savanna Goodman and her girlfriend Kayla Stemler were also charged over the alleged abuse, People reported.

The family is accused of locking the teen in a bedroom without a mattress, restricting her to only her room for years and depriving her of food and water, according to Wisconsin prosecutors.

The mobile home they lived in became a house of horrors for the teenager, who was mistaken for a 6-year-old when she was found by cops in August 2025 and rushed to the hospital.

Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, called 911 to report that his daughter was lethargic and ill.

Responding officers found her weighing just 35 pounds; she was hospitalized with multi-organ dysfunction, including respiratory failure and pancreatitis.

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Melissa Goodman
Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, called 911 to report that his daughter was lethargic and ill. WBAY TV-2 | Green Bay, WI/YouTube

From 2020 until August 2025, the victim, whose name is not disclosed because she is a minor, was allegedly isolated in a trailer on Hattie Lane, in Oneida, Wisconsin.

Extended family members were told she was away on vacation or with other relatives to explain her absence.



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‘Song Sung Blue’ subject Claire Sardina playing Wisconsin State Fair

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‘Song Sung Blue’ subject Claire Sardina playing Wisconsin State Fair


When “Song Sung Blue” – the biopic about Milwaukee Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning & Thunder – had a premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee last December, star Hugh Jackman gave Claire Sardina (played in the film by Kate Hudson) an engraved bench honoring Lighting & Thunder to be installed at Wisconsin State Fair Park.

In August, Sardina will get to have a seat on that bench – and sing again on a State Fair stage.

Sardina will perform with tribute act So Good: The Neil Diamond Experience Aug. 9 at the Bank Five Nine Amphitheater, the largest stage at the fair featuring free concerts with admission.

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For Sardina, it will be a return to a place central to Lighting & Thunder. The band performed in the Milwaukee area from 1989 until Mike Sardina, aka Lightning, passed away in 2006. The State Fair was one of their favorite places to play, and the couple got married there in 1994.

The couple’s wild story – from a performance at a Pearl Jam Summerfest concert to major health issues – was the subject of the documentary “Song Sung Blue” that inspired the biopic, and earned Hudson an Oscar nomination for portraying Claire Sardina.

Fair officials May 8 revealed the full headliner lineup for the stage, which includes:

  • Aug. 6: Sixteen Candles
  • Aug. 7 and 8: Here Come The Mummies
  • Aug. 10 and 11: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
  • Aug. 12: Hairbangers Ball
  • Aug. 13: Too Hype Crew
  • Aug. 14: The Gufs
  • Aug. 15: Let’s Sing Taylor – An Unofficial Live Tribute Show
  • Aug. 16: Pat McCurdy

All Bank Five Nine Amphitheater concerts are included with fair admission.

The lineup is also nearly complete for the Bank Five Nine Main Stage, with just a show on Aug. 11 to be announced.

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Tickets are on sale for these shows at wistatefair.com and include same-day fair admission:

  • Aug. 6: Hairball
  • Aug. 7: Nelly
  • Aug. 8: Bailey Zimmerman with Chandler Walters
  • Aug. 9: Wynonna Judd and Melissa Etheridge
  • Aug. 10: For King + Country with Rachel Lampa
  • Aug. 12: John Mulaney
  • Aug. 13: The All-American Rejects with Joyce Manor
  • Aug. 14: Lindsey Stirling with PVRIS
  • Aug. 15: AJR with Em Beihold
  • Aug. 16: The Beach Boys



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Wisconsin universities and schools impacted by Canvas data breach

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Wisconsin universities and schools impacted by Canvas data breach


WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW/GRAY NEWS) – A ransomware group has claimed to have breached the learning management system Canvas, possibly exposing the personal information of students, teachers and staff across the country.

According to a statement from the Universities of Wisconsin website, they were notified of a nationwide security breach experienced by Instructure, the provider of Canvas. Universities of Wisconsin schools use the cloud-based management system.

UW-Stevens Point tells NewsChannel 7 they have not confirmed UWSP was involved in the breach, but did send communication that Canvas was down and students should not perform any asked actions if prompted, as it may not be legitimate while Canvas is down.

Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, posted on May 1 about a cybersecurity incident that had been reported and was under investigation.

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The next day, Chief Information Security Officer Steve Proud wrote that the information involved in the attack included names, student ID numbers, messages between users and email addresses.

“At this time, we have found no evidence that passwords, dates of birth, government identifiers, or financial information were involved. If that changes, we will notify any impacted institutions,” he wrote.

The Wausau School District sent a letter to parents Wednesday regarding the cybersecurity incident. They said there is no evidence that passwords, single-sign-on credentials, financial information or social security numbers were impacted. They stressed that type of information is not stored in Canvas.

Wausau School District email to parents regarding Canvas data breach(WSAW)

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