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Records show one of the missing Milwaukee students was 15-year-old Erik J. Mendoza. Mendoza was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the Oct. 25 beating death of 5-year-old Prince McCree. McCree’s body was found in a dumpster after being reported missing by his mother the day before.

Mendoza hasn't attended school since Fall 2019, when he would have been about 12 years old.

Mendoza is also accused of committing three random, nonfatal stabbings of strangers he encountered on the street in Milwaukee, two days before Prince was killed.

Vehicle manufacturer KIA will be at the Mayfair Mall Friday (tomorrow), Saturday, and Sunday (October 20-22) from 8 am to 6 pm installing FREE anti-theft software in KIA vehicles to help prevent car thefts and to combat reckless driving.

No appointments are necessary, and the software installation should take about 30 minutes.

KIA will also provide steering wheel locks for KIA vehicles that are not eligible for the software upgrades. The link below can be used to check your cars availability for a software upgrade or a steering wheel lock.

The software upgrades include longer-sounding alarm, and a slight change to the ignition to make these KIA model vehicles harder to steal. KIA vehicles that are eligible for this upgrade are models made before 2021.

This sounds like it was implemented without really thinking it through.

Alderman Westmoreland says zero tolerance means towing vehicles anytime a reckless driver is caught, no matter if they own the car or not.

Sounds like a good idea.

In the past 40 years, Milwaukee County’s Parks Department has seen its budgeted staff levels decrease by more than 1,000 employees – putting a strain on the department that manages over 15,000 acres of land throughout the County. This budget reverses this trend, increasing expenditures toward parks by $3 million and adding 18 new full-time positions.

“Our parks system is truly the ‘Emerald Necklace’ of Milwaukee County, representing the natural beauty of our county and critical green space for our residents to enjoy in an urban setting,” said County Executive David Crowley. “Investing in parks is crucial to ensure each one of our parks remains up to the lofty standards we set and to keep these green spaces usable and accessible for all of our residents.”

The 2024 Recommended Budget also includes over $20 million in capital investments into Parks’ facilities, to address the historic backlog of projects needing completion throughout the Milwaukee County parks system. Trail improvements, lighting upgrades, and life safety projects are all included in this budget to ensure the County’s parks stay safe, beautiful, and accessible.

Before Act 12, Milwaukee County’s Transit System (MCTS) was in a precarious financial situation, with transit advocates across the county asking county and state policymakers to #SaveTheBus. Because of this advocacy and the revenue tool gained, the 2024 Recommended Budget does just that – over $16 million of tax levy is invested in MCTS to be able to maintain and improve the service so many residents rely upon.

“The Milwaukee County Transit System is the lifeblood of transportation in Milwaukee County,” said County Executive David Crowley. “Particularly for our residents who do not own a car, the transit system is vital to get to work, school, doctor’s appointments, and so much more. The investment in this budget will keep MCTS from making major service cuts for the foreseeable future, something that was not possible before the passage of Act 12.”

The infusion of funding to MCTS is intended to smooth the fiscal cliff faced by the system and allow improvement and innovation while Milwaukee County continues to advocate for increased state and federal funding for transit. In addition, the 2024 Recommended Budget includes funding to bolster transit security and ensure bus operators and riders across Milwaukee County feel safe and secure while on all our Milwaukee County busses.

In 2024, the owner of a $174,000 median-value home in Milwaukee County will see their property tax bill decrease by over $100 – the result of County Executive David Crowley’s Recommended Budget reducing County property tax levy by $24 million.

“Providing property tax relief was one of the main goals of passing Act 12, and I am proud to see it come to fruition in this budget to our residents, whose property taxes have been over-relied upon for many years for the County to be able to make ends meet,” said County Executive David Crowley. “The sales tax allows us to gain revenue from tourists, commuters, and other visitors who enjoy our services, but did not previously contribute to them. Milwaukee County homeowners will no longer entirely subsidize Cubs fans using our highways and public safety services to come to Brewers’ games, and they will now pay their fair share.”

Act 12 contained technical changes that allow Milwaukee County to shift some of the revenue burden from property taxes to sales tax. This reduction will go into effect for the Milwaukee County portion of property tax bills in the 2024 tax year.

TOMORROW September 28th, 2023 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Location 1: New Hope Missionary Baptist Church at 2433 W. Roosevelt Drive.

Location 2: Ross Innovative Employment Solutions Parking Lot at 7800 W. Brown Deer Road.

Southside Location 3: Basilica of St. Josaphat Parking Lot at 2333 S. 6th Street.

You will meet Recruiters Face to Face! Bring Your Resume and Be Prepared for an Interview. More than 36 employers will be spread out in three locations!

The operation closed 417 warrants, including 37 for homicide, and removed 103 illegal guns from Milwaukee streets.

This is awesome. Get the criminals and guns off the street and perhaps it will help reduce the number of shootings in Milwaukee every day.

The agency exists in a regulatory gray area. It is not a city agency, although the city appoints its board of commissioners. It's not federal, either — but it receives tens of millions of dollars in federal funding every year, and those funds come with additional rules and oversight.

At times, even elected officials and bureaucrats aren't sure who's supposed to be watching the housing authority or responding to tenants' maintenance complaints.

It's amazing that no one figured out what was going on until now.

On Monday, he and other council members will consider a proposed ordinance that would order DNS to investigate tenants' code violation complaints — as they would with private landlords.

FINALLY -- the housing authority isn't "exempt" from oversight.

Dear Neighbor:

I am looking for young leaders ages 14-18 to serve our district and area on the City of Milwaukee Youth Council, a representative body that serves and advances the interests of city youth. The Youth Council members represent young people in their aldermanic districts, and meet with leaders like the Mayor, Common Council members, School Superintendent, business owners, and community groups to advocate for issues relevant to youth. The body is comprised of 17 members, one from each of the 15 aldermanic districts and two at-large members.

This is an outstanding opportunity to serve and to learn. Serving as a member of the Youth Council provides the opportunity and platform to advocate for issues important to city youth, their peers, families and the wider community. The Youth Council is responsible for an annual allocation of Community Development Block Grant funding, and has previously worked to address reckless driving, vehicle thefts, social media responsibility and more.

Youth Council members must live in the City of Milwaukee, and be between the ages of 14-18 with the time, energy, and passion to work for change. If you are interested in becoming a Youth Council member – or know someone who is a great candidate, please contact my office at your earliest convenience at 414-286-3870 or via email at Lamont.Westmoreland@milwaukee.gov.

Those interested can also learn more and apply online by visiting http://city.milwaukee.gov/youthcouncil.

The agency's Section 8 office, which administers tens of millions of dollars in rent assistance, was severely short-staffed and lacked basic accounting safeguards, the report said.

A single staff member did the bookkeeping for — and issued — nearly $36 million worth of rent subsidies in 2021. And tenant Social Security cards were "displayed openly on unattended desks" as site reviewers walked through the office in October 2022.

This isn't surprising. I toured the office where they were distributing pandemic rental assistance and there were stacks of papers everywhere. The processes were horribly inefficient.

"This pre-Roe statute says nothing about abortion—there is no such thing as an '1849 Abortion Ban' in Wisconsin," Dane County Circuit Court Judge Diane Schlipper wrote in her July ruling that rejected a motion filed by a county district attorney to dismiss the case.