Milwaukee

From the Article:

Forecasters are expecting snow to dust southern Wisconsin for New Year's Eve Sunday, starting as early as 4 a.m. in Milwaukee and ending as late as 8 p.m.

The region could get about 0.5 to 1.5 inches of snow Sunday before skies clear for a sunny New Year's Day Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather could cause slippery stretches on the roads Sunday, though Milwaukee roads will likely be clear by nightfall, according to Mark Gehring, a local meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

The snow is expected to start farther west in Wisconsin, beginning as early as midnight Saturday night near Wisconsin Dells, pushing into Madison closer to 2 a.m., and arriving in Milwaukee between 4 and 6 a.m. Sunday. Forecasters expect the snowiest time to be between 7 and 10 a.m. Sunday.

"The snow will be wet," Gehring said. "You might have enough for a snowball."

From the Article:

With earmuffs and eyeglasses on, John Nelson of Kenosha and his son stand inside of a bulletproof-glassed bay.

A target featuring a blue silhouette hangs from the ceiling a few yards in front of the duo, riddled with dozens of small holes.

"Once I saw this place, we just had to try it," Nelson told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White.

The place Nelson is talking about is the Eagle Sports Range on E. Layton Ave.

With 40 lanes for pistols and rifles, plus the sheer amount of square footage the facility boasts, General Manager Todd Jaber said it is now the largest gun range in Wisconsin.

"For us to be able to open up our doors for as many customers as we possibly can is definitely amazing," Jaber said, noting they had a soft opening Dec. 21.

Customers like Nelson can either rent one of the 100+ choices of available firearms, from pistols to AK-47s to hunting shotguns, or they can bring their own.

“We bought our own gun for Christmas, so it was kind of a present to ourselves, but it was the first time shooting it today, and coming here with the new gun was good,” Nelson said. "I've been looking for this thing online for probably the past year and I finally pulled the trigger and bought it, and it was everything we expected.”

Nelson and his son were just two of dozens on Tuesday morning, checking out the site.

On the east side of the building there are pistol lanes and on the west side is a rifle range.

Each area has 20 lanes which offer "unlimited shooting" -- meaning customers aren't timed.

To use the pistol range, expect to pay $25, with the rifle range coming in at $30. It costs $40 for both.

Customers can also add additional shooters for $15 with a three-person maximum per lane.

Gun enthusiasts have the option to sign up for the "Eagle All Access" memberships which are $50 per month, or $550 for the entire year with one month free.

Currently, several classes are offered, including concealed carry, intro to handguns, junior shooters ages 10 to 14, and private one-on-one lessons.

"Later in the year we'll introduce more intermediate courses as well," Jaber said. “Our sales staff is trained to help everybody and teach them for anything that they need to know, whether that’s simple things like how you load a magazine or how you rack a slide."

Jaber added that the controlled environment should help make anyone feel safe and comfortable, regardless of shooting experience.

“Our counter allows everybody to get everything that they may need, from safety equipment like eye protection and ear protection, and range safety officers are present at all times to make sure that everyone’s doing their shooting accordingly," Jaber said. “I know that sometimes they may look intimidating, but I think once you actually get a chance to get out there, get on the range, you actually learn a lot that this is actually a sport more than anything.”

Eagle Sports Range is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

They hope to host a grand opening in February.

From the Article:

Whether it's navigating the construction design phase, cataloguing the 4 million artifacts or raising the necessary funds to break ground, the Milwaukee Public Museum is managing multiple elements to its $240 million Wisconsin Wonders campaign for a new museum in Milwaukee's historic Haymarket Square near Fiserv Forum.

The Milwaukee Public Museum adjusted its timeline to begin breaking ground in the spring, with an opening date at the beginning of 2027. That was an adjustment of about a quarter, with the previous timeline being breaking ground before the end of 2023 and opening in late 2026.

Chief planning officer Katie Sanders said this was a fairly insignificant adjustment and one that is not uncommon with major construction projects.

In order to break ground this spring, the museum also has to secure additional funding, which senior vice president of development Julie Quinlan Brame expressed confidence in doing. Quinlan Brame said to date, the museum has achieved every fundraising campaign milestone and has raised $151 million of its $240 million total.

She added that the museum has about $70 million in private donations and has a goal of securing $105 million in private donations to break ground, meaning the museum needs to raise about an additional $35 million before its spring deadline.

"Right now, we’re really focused on helping donors name the galleries and exhibit halls in order to help honor someone they care about," Quinlan Brame said.

The Milwaukee Public Museum also is creating benefits packages for corporations interested in donating, which includes special dates for employees to come see the new museum on early preview dates.

Milwaukee Public Museum president and CEO Ellen Censky also told the Milwaukee County Board during a recent meeting that the museum has about $120 million in asks to potential donors. She gave the comparison that in 2022, the museum secured $22 million in gifts from these types of requests and anticipates the same in the 2023 giving year.

Sanders said current work for the new museum includes the construction design phase, which documents specific details of all the exhibits and every part of the building down to how tall an exhibit case has to be so that all viewers can see it or which artifacts are placed into which exhibit cases to tell a story.

"We’re starting to see exactly which collections are going to be placed where and which ones will rotate," Sanders said.

At the new museum site, there is minimal work that needs to be done ahead of the anticipated spring groundbreaking. Sanders said some utility poles have to be removed as well as a bit of foundation wall and some alleyway. She anticipates activity on the site for the next four to six weeks before a quiet period ahead of the groundbreaking.

The museum's curatorial staff also is in the process of cataloguing, barcoding and preparing the 4 million artifacts that are part of Milwaukee County's collection that will be moved into the new museum. The museum is working on securing an offsite storage facility for objects that won't immediately be on display in the new museum.

From the Article:

Already planning your spring break vacation? New nonstop flights are leaving Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in 2024 for destinations like Orlando and Cancun.

From the Article:

Workers at a Starbucks cafe on the Marquette University campus announced Wednesday they are organizing a union, becoming the first in the city of Milwaukee to join the national campaign.

Workers are organizing the store at 1610 W. Wisconsin Ave., with Starbucks Workers United, a new labor union backed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The union has successfully organized more than 9,000 Starbucks workers at more than 380 locations across the country. The Starbucks in Oak Creek at 8880 S. Howell Ave. was the first in Wisconsin that successfully organized.

Employees at the campus Starbucks store have filed a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). There are approximately 20 baristas and shift supervisors who make up the bargaining unit at this location. A letter sent to Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan includes the signatures of 13 workers — representing a majority of the bargaining unit — and a demand that Starbucks recognize the union and bargain with it.
A recent decision by the NLRB, called the CEMEX decision, has rebalanced the power between workers and management during unionization campaigns. The decision holds that unions do not need to file for an NLRB election and can assert union representation simply by presenting their employer with union authorization cards signed by a majority of workers.

“After months – and for some, years – of being disrespected and ignored by upper management, our partners are tired of looking to them for solutions,” said barista Ian Shurbet in a statement released by the union. “We’ve been inevitably led to the formation of a union, one that can provide the security that our coworkers and friends have been asking to have for far too long.”

From the Article:

Following Starbucks' nearly 20-year run as the vendor at Red Arrow Park, the Milwaukee County Parks announced today that Biggby Coffee is the new chosen partner for the cafe, which flanks the park on the east.

Founded in 1995, Biggby Coffee is a swiftly expanding Michigan-based coffee chain, which currently operates 361 outlets across 13 U.S. states, including ten in Wisconsin. The newest opens next week at 5861 S. Packard Ave. in Cudahy.

"We are proud to welcome Biggby Coffee to Red Arrow Park and believe their presence will contribute to the vibrant atmosphere of this downtown destination," said Guy Smith, Executive Director of Milwaukee County Parks in a release. "Our commitment to providing exceptional experiences in our parks remains steadfast, and we are confident that this collaboration will bring new energy to Red Arrow Park."

Biggby Coffee offers a menu of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, energy drinks, frozen drinks and food options including muffins, bagels and bagel sandwiches.

"Red Arrow Park is a catalytic destination in our community, and Milwaukee County is committed to further activating this downtown hotspot," said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. "We anticipate that the arrival of a new food and beverage operator will deliver new energy, opportunity, and delicious concessions for parkgoers to enjoy moving forward."

The partnership between Milwaukee County Parks and Biggby Coffee, which was the product of the city’s RFP process, is still pending approval by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. But Smith notes that there is much excitement surrounding the potential for the new vendor to contribute to the park's future.

"As the stewards of these public spaces, Milwaukee County Parks takes pride in fostering partnerships that enrich the community experience," notes Smith.

"Red Arrow Park has a lot to offer this winter, including the anticipated opening of the ice rink and various recreational activities. We encourage the community to embrace the changes and enjoy the park's offerings."

From the Article:

The University Club of Milwaukee is permanently closing its city club due to financial challenges and plans to sell the downtown Milwaukee building. It will focus on its country club moving forward.

The closure is effective Tuesday, University Club board president Jim Caragher told members in a letter sent Tuesday afternoon and obtained by the Milwaukee Business Journal. As reasons for the closure, he cited member attrition, deferred maintenance, fine-dining competition, and cultural division within the club since the 2017 merger between the University Club and Tripoli Country Club.

"The board contemplated and exhausted all reasonable alternative scenarios to improve the club’s financial position and determined that closure and sale of the downtown facility was the only responsible option," Caragher wrote. "We have been forced to accept the fact that our recovery plan would likely take too long to unfold and require too many resources, making the timeline unviable in light of the financial pressures we face."

Employees of the city club were made aware of the closure Tuesday and will all receive severance, Caragher wrote. Those who have health coverage will be covered through Jan. 31.

From the Article:

The Riverwest Co-op, located at the corner of Clarke and Fratney in Milwaukee, is at risk of closing. The volunteer-run grocery store and café has been open for over 22 years.

They are asking for urgent help with saving the co-op. This, as they are just weeks away from having to close their doors unless they can get additional funding. In an effort to help, they are asking the public to consider shopping there – and they have also created a GoFundMe Page.

"I don’t think there’s any place like the Riverwest Food Co-op in all of Milwaukee or the surrounding area. It’s really like your local corner-store, with a conscience," said Jill Capicchioni, Riverwest Co-op treasurer.

The Riverwest Co-op prides itself on selling local items – like apples from Waukesha County and pickles from Brown Deer. Additionally, there are many options for vegans.

From the Article:

Figuring out sales taxes is about to get a lot more complicated.

For the past three years, the Milwaukee region has had three easy-to-remember sales tax rates: 5% on all taxable purchases in Waukesha County, 5.5% on most other taxable purchases in the four-county area and 6% on restaurant food, candy and beverages in Milwaukee County.

But on Jan. 1, the number of tax rates will double, to six, with the highest at 8.4%. Under a new state law, Milwaukee will impose its first-ever city sales tax and Milwaukee County will raise its sales tax, to avoid the budgetary catastrophe known as a “fiscal cliff.”

From the Article:

President Joe Biden will be visiting Milwaukee next Wednesday, the White House announced Thursday.

Biden will be in town to "discuss how Bidenomics and his Investing in America agenda are leading to a small business boom, lowering costs for hardworking families, and building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up," according to the White House.

There's no word yet on where Biden will appear or what time of day he will be appearing. This story will be updated when we learn more details.

From the Article:

A proposal to redevelop the admissions gate at the Milwaukee County Zoo received support Thursday from a committee of the Milwaukee County Board.

County government is on track to finish 2023 with a $36.6 million budget surplus, according to the latest projection from the Office of the Comptroller. Sup. Shawn Rolland authored legislation that would use $1,737,050 from the surplus to reconfigure the entrance at the Milwaukee County Zoo.

The zoo entrance project was previously vetted and approved by an ad-hoc county committee that reviews infrastructure projects, but funding did not make it into the 2024 budget.

“To me, there’s like four words, it’s about revenue, experience, safety and traffic,” Rolland said of the project.

The zoo’s parking lots are located behind the admission kiosks, which can cause large traffic backups at the entrance. Cars are regularly lined up along W. Bluemound Road all the way to the nearby freeway on-ramps, Rolland said. In addition, the long wait to get into the parking lot can cause cars to drive away rather than continue to wait.

Rolland said he was stuck in a long traffic jam with his family on his way to the Wild Lights event. “I saw others decide to park across the street and then try to run across Bluemound — which is like almost like trying to run across a race track — with little kids,” he said.

The plan is to move the location of the admission kiosks closer to the actual entrance to the zoo, allowing patrons to park before getting in line to pay admission.

“This is an opportunity to drive revenue to the zoo, improve the zoo experience, improve safety for the folks who visit the zoo and improve a traffic issue,” he said.

Zoo Director Amos Morris said he is “fully supportive” of the project. “I think not only will it help the zoo or help the community that surrounds the zoo,” he said.

Morris said the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has plans to resurface Bluemound Road, and that this will make the traffic situation near the entrance worse. “So it’d be nice to get ahead of that,” he said.

The Committee on Finance voted unanimously in favor of the project. It goes to the full board for final approval on Dec. 21.