Milwaukee fatal apartment fire; city leaders seek prevention options
The Brief
Milwaukee city leaders are debating what to do to prevent fires in apartment buildings.
Leaders are looking for options because the city cannot enact legislation that is stricter than state law.
This debate comes in the wake of the fire at the Highland Court apartments in which five people died.
MILWAUKEE - Firefighters say sprinklers could have saved five lives in a fatal Mother's Day Milwaukee fire. So why are thousands of buildings in the city not required to have them?
What we know
On Wednesday, May 28, the Milwaukee Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee met to talk about sprinklers. The Highland Court apartments did not have them.
Highland Court was built in 1968, making it exempt from the state law that later required sprinklers.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
The Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services estimates 10,000 of the city's apartment-style buildings are not required to have sprinklers.
What they're saying
"I assure you we would not have had five fatalities probably would have had zero fatalities if we had functioning sprinklers," said Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski.
Wisconsin law prevents cities from having ordinances stricter than state law. That means Milwaukee cannot pass its own requirement for older buildings to go back and install sprinklers.
On Wednesday, council members floated ideas like increasing safety inspections, looking for grant funding to help with sprinkler installation costs, and requiring landlords to disclose to tenants if the building does not have sprinklers before they sign a lease.
"If we can even take small steps in that direction it would it would be a benefit," Lipski said.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
The case of the Highland Court fire remains under investigation.
The Source
The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News after sitting in on a committee meeting and using previous FOX6 News coverage.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
As Father's Day approaches, she finds a sign that her dad is always present
My dad did it again. He sent a sign, this time on his birthday. It was a day I made extra busy, which in retrospect could have been subconscious planning. Skeptics would say it was a coincidence, or that I looked for the sign. But I did not. The hello from above was sudden and more than subtle. I had actually traveled home by plane that day, after my husband and I visited our son. The morning was whirlwind enough, getting yelled at by TSA agents, flipping luggage here and there, tying shoes in a rush, flying through the clouds, finding our car at the economy parking lot, then oddly missing the correct highway connection at the airport exit. There was no way I was trying to be spiritual or all woo-woo on a travel day. Once we arrived home, I greeted my brother. He was in town to keep our mom company while I was away. The three of us were sitting and chatting about my trip, when something outside the window caught my eye. A deer. In the early afternoon. In my suburban backyard. That yard is in the middle of a cul de sac completely surrounded by other houses with kids running around and jumping on trampolines. Everywhere you look, there are huffing joggers and whiz-by cars and zippy bikes and raging lawn mowers. Unusual deer appearances happened to me twice before, both times related to my dad. Once in New York on a rainy night when I realized his life was in danger, and then again, a year to the exact day of that first appearance, but in my Kansas yard. We managed to grab a picture of the deer before it bolted. It spotted us gasping and pointing by the window. I reminded my brother it was dad's birthday. We gasped again. (Last Thanksgiving, when my other brother was here, a barred owl planted itself on a tree near my front door. Again, I don't live in the Hundred Acre Wood. Another sign? Maybe.) I used to complain about this time of year. Every mid-May through mid-June, Mother's Day, Father's Day and both my parents' birthdays were clustered together. It was always Hallmark whiplash. In my case, before the deer appeared, I was thinking this upcoming Father's Day might be a little rough. And like Mother's Day, Father's Day can stir up some bittersweet feelings for many folks. I think it filters down to where you are in life, and your parent-child history. Maybe all your loved ones are here, and everything is close to perfect. If so, fire up that grill and pour some ketchup on your good fortune. Or maybe, for a million reasons, your recent expectations of how family life should be are not aligned with reality. And I use the word aligned intentionally because no matter what, most dads are automotive-ly hyper aware of the importance of straight wheels and regular tire rotations. Everything in life can be whack, a dad can miss the mark in so many ways, but if the treads on the tires are wearing evenly maybe he's trying. Old dad might say the wrong things or wear embarrassing jeans, but he could be trying in ways we never realize. I don't know. My dad always did his best even though he was born in a time and place of historic setbacks and tragedies. He had no head starts and no parenthood manual. He was an immigrant who enriched America with his wit, his charm, his work, his creativity, his service in the U.S. Army and most of all, the genuine love he passed down to his beloved grandchildren. He did his best to show up for all of them. And now, they are all making this world a better place. My dad's happy moments were always around nature, especially in his backyard garden. I don't think that deer showing up in mine — on his birthday — was a mere coincidence. Father's Day is going to be OK. Reach Denise Snodell at stripmalltree@
Buzz Feed
11 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
18 Wild Crunchy Parent Posts That Went Too Far
I'm sorry, but online parenting groups are out of control, and we need to talk about it. Instead of providing parents with a positive online forum and community, these groups tend to devolve into toxic echo chambers brimming with misinformation, bad advice, and brain rot. Here are 18 screenshots to prove it: This mom who wants other mom friends, but only if they're upper-middle class: This absolutely shameless weirdo who proves you really can't trust anyone: This person who spouted dangerous nonsense online: This overstepping grandparent who needs to be kept far away from this baby: This grossly judgmental parent who is going to give their child body images issues for life: This parent who harshly called their first child bad simply because they developed at a slower rate than their second child: This parent who is feverishly obsessed with pushing essential oils on their 16-year-old son: This parent who thinks scaring the hell out of their 4-year-old is an acceptable technique: This commenter who must suffer from serious brain rot because they think it's suitable to use a child's pain as an opportunity for a parent to grow: This parent who really, really wants to get their 10-week-old baby's ears pierced: This parent who really doesn't see how leaving their children alone in a car for half an hour is dangerous: This poster who wants to skip an important doctor's appointment for their baby, and a commenter who thinks asking ChatGPT is as good as receiving medical care: This anti-vax parent who wants to protect their kids from whooping not enough to vaccinate them: This stepmother who was upset that their stepchild was sick and "ruined" their Mother's Day: This expecting parent who spoke to a doctor and needs medical care, but rather consult randos on Facebook: This person who seems more concerned with the aesthetic of their homebirth than making sure it's safe: This parent who wants specialized care for their child who keeps getting kicked out of daycare, but refuses to pay fairly for such care: And finally, this parent who is drinking all sorts of internet Kool-Aid: H/T: r/ShitMomGroupsSay
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Maxwell Anderson verdict, push for task force on missing Black women
The Brief A jury found Maxwell Anderson guilty of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson. According to Columbia researchers, Black women in Wisconsin between 2019 and 2020 were 20x more likely to be murdered than white women. State Rep. Shelia Stubbs wants to create a task force to address that. MILWAUKEE - A jury found Maxwell Anderson guilty of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson on Friday. Robinson's mother now looks to lawmakers for help, wanting the state to set up a task force on missing and murdered Black women. By the numbers Columbia researchers found Black women in Wisconsin between 2019 and 2020 were 20x more likely to be murdered than white women. The researchers said that was the worst disparity in the country. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android What they're saying For four years, Wisconsin Representative Shelia Stubbs urged the state to set up a special task force on missing and murdered Black women and girls. The group would be made up of police, survivors, attorneys, and victims' rights experts. It would look into what leads to violence against these people, and the task force would have to give recommendations on how to stop it. The Wisconsin State Assembly passed Stubbs' bill in 2024, but it stalled in the Senate. On Friday, Stubbs joined Sade Robinson's mother and family in court and then spoke with FOX6 News. "We need the state to pass this legislation. We couldn't save Sade, but we have a chance to save somebody else. And that's what I stand here today. With this verdict, I stand here with the family. And it's the right verdict," said Rep. Stubbs. Stubbs said the guilty verdict motivates her to rally her fellow lawmakers to make her bill a law. It's had bipartisan support. The governor has supported it, too. His budget proposal even included money for this proposed task force. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley "My thoughts are with the family, the friends, and the community of Sade Robinson who are deserving of our continued support. Regardless of today's verdict, real justice is living in a world where Sade Robinson is still alive and her killer never had the chance to take her life. As a husband and father, I can't imagine the pain, anger, and grief that Sade's loved ones are carrying. It's my hope that the Robinson family can rest tonight knowing that Sade's killer will be held accountable. Looking ahead, we all must recommit ourselves to protecting the lives of innocent women – particularly Black and Brown women – and working towards a community where everyone is safe from violence." The backstory Anderson is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson of property other than a building. He is accused of killing Robinson after a date, dismembering her and dumping her body parts across Milwaukee County. One of her arms was later found on an Illinois beach. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Prosecutors said Anderson and Robinson showed up at a Menomonee Valley bar on April 1, 2024 – the night she was last seen or heard from. The next day, Robinson's burned-out car was found near 30th and Lisbon in Milwaukee. Surveillance photos show a man investigators believe is Anderson walking away from the area, and who was later seen on a bus heading back towards his home on the city's south side. Anderson had planned to kill Robinson weeks before her death, according to a statement from a "confidential informant" noted in court filings FOX6 News obtained. A search warrant also revealed prosecutors believe Anderson tried to cover up Robinson's death with a text message. Dig deeper FOX6 News is streaming the entire Anderson trial each day on FOX LOCAL. The app is free to download on your phone, tablet or smart TV. Day 9: Jury finds Anderson guilty of killing, dismembering Robinson Day 8: Closing arguments made, jury deliberations begin Day 7: Sade Robinson killed; mapping path of Robinson's car Day 6: Jurors get look inside Anderson's home; see clothing Day 5: Testimony provided our first look at Anderson's arrest Open Record: Maxwell Anderson trial Day 4: Video from Milwaukee, discovery of Sade Robinson's remains Day 3: Testimony resumes; law enforcement, friends of Sade Robinson take stand Day 2: Opening statements, testimony begins Day 1: Jury selected in single day Sade Robinson homicide: Timeline of events leading to criminal charges Sade Robinson homicide: Parents navigate grief ahead of trial Sade Robinson homicide: The psychology behind the murder Sade Robinson homicide: Lasting legacy, from tragedy to advocacy Open Record: A Date With Death The Source FOX6 News was in court for the Anderson trial. Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, Wisconsin Circuit Court, and prior FOX6 coverage of the case.
