Latest news with #MilwaukeeCountyBoard
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Milwaukee County Zoo to shut down small mammals building, sending animals out of state
After more than 60 years, the Milwaukee County Zoo is set to close its small mammals building, bidding farewell to its animal tenants. Zoo officials have been concerned for some time that the building is small, outdated and doesn't meet modern standards for animal care. Over the decades, the building has been home to the zoo's fruit bats, foxes, sloths, porcupines, armadillos, tamarins, mongooses, otters, squirrels, bushbabies and lemurs. The relocation of the animals to accredited zoos across the country has already begun, according to the zoo's spokesperson Megan O'Shea. As efforts to transfer animals is an ongoing process, the zoo does not have an exact date for when the small mammals building will finally close for good, but it is expected to take place later this year. 'We believe our animals need to be in places where they can be successful,' said Amos Morris, the zoo's executive director. 'By closing this facility, it allows us to place these animals in habitats around the country that more fit their natural needs.' In April, the zoo announced its new strategic plan and revised master plan for the site's future, emphasizing its commitment to adding modernized habitats and immersive visitor experiences. Zookeepers who are impacted by the building's future closure will be transferred to alternate animal care areas at the zoo. Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Sheldon A. Wasserman, who is head of the county's Parks and Culture committee, met with Morris to tour the building ahead of the public announcement. Wasserman told the Milwaukee Journal he has thrown his support behind the decision. "The zoo is changing. Everything's changing in Milwaukee, and we really are very fortunate to have one of the best zoos in the nation," he said. "This is one of the things that we have to do to stay as one of the best zoos in the nation." In recent years, the zoo has removed animals from certain buildings due to inappropriate infrastructure or habitat limitations. It closed the polar bear exhibit in 2021 and the sea lion exhibit in 2023. In late 2023, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported that following the completion of the zoo's Adventure Africa campaign, Morris said he was turning his sights to the small mammals building. At the time, he mentioned concerns about the small mammals building not having enough space, as well as structural wear and tear. "When we talk about modern zoological standards, we're not just talking about new exhibitry. You can do modern animal care and husbandry in older facilities if the facilities will accommodate it. What we're looking for is the animal to have choice and control over its environment," Morris said. Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 or vswales@ Follow her on X @Vanessa_Swales. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee zoo closing small mammals exhibit, sending animals away
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'We don't want to pay for it': County readies to auction off 'Deep Thought' abandoned boat
You want to bid on Deep Thought, Milwaukee? Now could be your chance. Milwaukee County is floating the idea of publicly auctioning off the infamous abandoned boat that became a staple of Lake Michigan's Milwaukee shoreline, according to Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Sheldon A. Wasserman. "Deep Thought captured the hearts and minds of Milwaukeeans," Wasserman told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "At the same time, we don't want to pay for it." And, the good news doesn't stop there. The auction might supplement the $30,000 in donations received following the epic saga of Deep Thought's removal near Milwaukee's Bradford and McKinley Beaches, Wasserman said. In May, the Daniel W. Hoan Foundation donated $10,000 to the effort. Now, the anonymous donor who contacted Milwaukee's Mayor Cavalier Johnson to provide financial support for part of its removal has offered up $20,000, Wasserman said. The money will go toward paying off the $50,000 bill from Milwaukee-based company, All City Towing, for removing the boat in early May. An MATC student even sold a handful of salvaged pieces of Deep Thought for $10 the day it was removed from Lake Michigan. County Board Supervisor Steve Taylor expressed his concerns that taxpayers would be left to foot the bill for the boat's removal in an email to County Executive David Crowley and other department officials on May 7. Deep Thought's journey began when it was left stranded by a Mississippi couple, Sherry and Richard Wells, who ran out of gas during a thunderstorm in mid-October, landing on the lakeshore. For weeks, efforts were unsuccessful to remove the boat, turning it into a temporary tourist site. On May 6, a crowd of roughly 100 onlookers gathered to cheer and mourn as Deep Thought was finally dragged off the shoreline. In May, the county was still considering pursuing legal avenues for reimbursement. But, given the tenuous nature of the boat's ownership and the Wellses' inability to pay for the boat's removal, it was later determined that Milwaukee County was responsible for salvaging the boat. The county will provide an update on the status of the boat and its future during its Parks and Culture meeting June 10. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Deep Thought readied for auction, after abandoned boat raises $30K
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Outside courthouse, supporters call Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest a 'constitutional crisis'
Local elected officials, faith leaders and immigrant advocates called Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest the beginning of a constitutional crisis and framed it as a defining moment in U.S. history. Her supporters pled for felony charges to be dropped at a press conference outside the county courthouse April 28, where Dugan was arrested by federal authorities April 25 for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest after he appeared in her courtroom. In a brief interview with the Journal Sentinel before the press conference, Milwaukee County Board first vice-chair Steven Shea asserted the Trump administration intentionally cracked down on a judge in Wisconsin, the "most purple of states." "They could not have picked a worse possible judge, because she will stand up for the constitution, due process, the rule of law, every step of the way," Shea said. Dugan's arrest has reached news outlets like BBC and The Irish Times, and it should be considered international news, Shea said. "This is a pivotal moment in American history." Other speakers during the hour-long press conference, including state Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, called Dugan's arrest a sign of a constitutional crisis in which the Trump administration is no longer respecting the checks and balances of the judicial branch. "When they went ahead and put the handcuffs on our good friend Hannah Dugan, they put handcuffs on the judiciary," Carpenter said. Republicans in Wisconsin signaled they may act to remove Dugan through an impeachment proceeding. Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August, R-Walworth, said charges against Dugan are "serious, deeply troubling, and strike at the core of public trust." "I would advise everyone to cooperate with federal law enforcement and not endanger them and the public by obstructing their efforts to arrest criminals and illegal aliens," U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said previously in a statement to the Journal Sentinel. More: Politicians, lawyers and more react to arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, said he texted Dugan Monday and she responded that she's "doing okay." Larson described Dugan as soft-spoken, Catholic-adhering and "the person who's going to bring the best dish at the potluck." He said she sends celebratory emails on Constitution Day and Bill of Rights Day. Dugan, 65, is scheduled for a May 15 preliminary hearing. Her case will eventually go before a grand jury. As of April 28, Dugan's cases are being handled by David Feiss, a reserve judge and former prosecutor in Milwaukee County. The two charges against Dugan — obstructing a U.S. agency and concealing an individual to prevent an arrest — carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $350,000 fine, though sentences in nonviolent offenses are usually much shorter. More: Read the charges against Judge Dugan, arrested by FBI in ICE case More: What's next in Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan's case? This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Advocates call Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest a 'constitutional crisis'
