Latest news with #MilwaukeeJournal
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 Zoo officials have been concerned for some time that the building is small, outdated and doesn't meet modern standards for animal care.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
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
How Judge Hannah Dugan helped ‘alien' Eduardo Flores-Ruiz evade ICE arrest
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested and charged on Friday with two felony counts for helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest after he appeared in her courtroom last week. While officials have not yet identified the defendant whom she is accused of assisting, but Milwaukee Journal reported that Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican immigrant, was in Dungan's courtroom on April 18 for a pre-trial conference. Reuters cited the justice department's criminal complaint to report that Hannah Dugan was 'visibly angry' after she learned that immigration officials were there to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz. The 65-year-old ordered ICE officials to speak with the chief judge and then escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a door that led to a non-public area of the courthouse. Read More: Donald Trump says he's 'really not trolling' about making Canada the 51st US state Judge Dugan appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries. According to her attorney, she 'wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety'. Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a 30-year-old Mexican national and undocumented immigrant, was involved in an altercation in Milwaukee. He allegedly hit another person 30 times after being asked to turn down loud music. ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) task force arrived at the Milwaukee County Courthouse with an administrative warrant to arrest Flores-Ruiz. Dugan was 'visibly angry' and allegedly escorted Flores-Ruiz and his public defender out of the courtroom through a restricted jury door. An FBI affidavit noted Dugan saying, 'Wait, come with me,' to Flores-Ruiz and his attorney. Flores-Ruiz fled the courthouse after exiting through the public area. ICE task force members located him outside and chased him on foot, and apprehended him a short distance away. Flores-Ruiz was taken into custody. Read More: US universities help foreign students weather Trump deportations FBI agents arrested Judge Hannah Dugan at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on charges of obstruction of an official proceeding and concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest. If convicted, Dugan faces up to six years in prison. FBI Director Kash Patel announced Dugan's arrest in a post on X, stating, 'Just NOW, the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction — after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week.' He claims Dugan 'intentionally misdirected federal agents' to allow Flores-Ruiz, an 'illegal alien,' to evade arrest, adding that her actions 'created increased danger to the public.' The post was deleted shortly after but later reposted.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
America hasn't experienced such an attack on democracy. Make your voice heard.
I am 77 years old and I have lived in Wisconsin since moving here in 1964. For a big chunk of that time, I would rise to in the morning, read the Milwaukee Sentinel and then, after work, pore through the evening Milwaukee Journal. Over those years, daily newspapers across the country covered many threats to American democracy, including the Watergate scandal, heart wrenching political assassinations, two presidential impeachments and multiple terrorist attacks. Opinion: Doctors battle misinformation. RFK Jr. is wrong — and measles may only be start. In all my years, however, I have not witnessed an attack on our democracy such as the one we are all experiencing today. To you younger readers, please make no mistake: This is very different and profoundly concerning. What is happening today is nothing short of an effort by powerful interests here and abroad to unravel American democracy as we have come to know it. Younger citizens, this is your moment: Watch, listen, read, question and act. With any luck, one day you'll be my age and you will be able to look back with pride and say, 'I stepped up and made my voice heard.' James Larson, Milwaukee I have lived in this country all of my 66 years, and I have never seen an attack on our democracy like this. At the root of all this destruction is a man who was elected by slightly over half the voters, and a naturalized citizen, both of whom are so wealthy that they will suffer no harm from the effects of their destruction. In fact, they, along with the rest of the richest people, will be the ones to benefit by decreased government spending and decreased monitoring of business and tax collections. In the meantime, absolutely nothing has been done to reduce inflation or deal with other issues affecting average Americans. Opinion: Andrew Tate, Joe Rogan and the 'manosphere' show misogyny is mainstream The Federal government is the only thing preventing predatory credit card rates and loans, ensuring that companies don't pollute our drinking water or our air, ensuring that large companies pay their share of taxes and making sure that we receive the Social Security and Medicare dollars we have earned and are entitled to. I may not live long enough to witness all the damage done by this reckless disregard of the will of the American people, but my children and grandchildren will, and it breaks my heart. Thomas Speech, Milwaukee Here are some tips to get your views shared with your friends, family, neighbors and across our state: Please include your name, street address and daytime phone. Generally, we limit letters to 200 words. Cite sources of where you found information or the article that prompted your letter. Be civil and constructive, especially when criticizing. Avoid ad hominem attacks, take issue with a position, not a person. We cannot acknowledge receipt of submissions. We don't publish poetry, anonymous or open letters. Each writer is limited to one published letter every two months. All letters are subject to editing. Write: Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 330 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 500, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Fax: (414)-223-5444. E-mail: jsedit@ or submit using the form that can be found on the on the bottom of this page. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Powerful interests here and abroad want to unravel democracy | Letters
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Voice of resistance,' longtime Milwaukee columnist Joel McNally dies at age 80
"A voice of resistance." "One of the most devoted and active progressive liberal individuals." "Always looking out for the underdog." "An absolute character." Those are just a few of the many ways Joel McNally's former Milwaukee Journal colleagues remember their longtime friend. The longtime columnist and thorn in the side of many Milwaukee public officials died Tuesday in Virginia. He would have turned 81 on March 4. The family said a memorial will be held in Milwaukee at a future date. McNally spent 27 years with the Milwaukee Journal, predecessor to the Journal Sentinel. He'd go on to have a second act with the Shepherd Express, where he spent a little time as an editor and a longer stretch as a columnist. He also dabbled in public television and radio along the way. He continued to write his syndicated column, Taking Liberties, up until just a few months before his death, according to a statement from his wife, Kit and their daughter Kelly. 'Believing he was truly contributing to justice and a better life for everyone with his words and his honest take on the problems and progress within the city of Milwaukee was what fueled Joel's passion and powered the words in his columns,' they said. "Joel had a very unusual, creative mind and it manifested itself just across the board," said Jim Rowen, a former Journal and Journal Sentinel reporter and editor. "It was a privilege — people overuse these words — but it was an absolute privilege to be his friend." McNally was known for his signature long red locks — grayer and more receding as he aged — thick mustache and distinct laugh, which one friend described as "more of a giggle." "I never met anyone quite like him," said Neil Rosenberg, a former Milwaukee Journal and Journal Sentinel health reporter and editor. "His commitment. His interest in the welfare of the citizens of this country. His wanting to improve things and make things better no matter what it might cost him — whether it be pissing off the editors at the Journal or whatever. It didn't bother him. He was fearless. But, compassionate. And, fun to be with. And, the life of the party." McNally proposed to Kit immediately after college. They'd remain partners and best friends for the next 60 years, Kit and Kelly said in their statement. 'Joel also was a patient and devoted father to kids Sean, Shannon, and Kelly and an enthusiastic granddad to grandsons Lucas and Nicolas," the statement said. "He was never too busy to appreciate their talents, listen to their ideas, or take them to a concert or a ballgame.' An Indiana University graduate, McNally worked for The Chicago Tribune before joining the Milwaukee Journal in the late '60s. When he was elevated to local columnist, he became a rare element of cool fearlessness in the city's largest, very traditional newspaper. His columns were typically satirical, and the emphasis could vary from humorous to harsh depending on McNally's mood or the subject. Eventually, his work carried a notification that it was a satirical column of personal opinion, presumably to make sure readers understood the intent because too many either weren't getting it and were offended. His fans were legion; they loved seeing him needle the latest public figure. "He used humor to make some pretty biting social commentary," said Meg Kissinger, who reported for the Journal and Journal Sentinel. "It was an important voice for the city of Milwaukee at a time when not everybody was willing to stand up to authority." His detractors, especially near the end of his run at the Journal, thought he had become out of step with the city, one-dimensional, a charming but predictable anachronism. He was known for his tough reporting on Mayor Henry Maier, Police Chief Harold Breier, police brutality, discrimination and civil rights. And he blended politics and pop culture references of the day, as he did in a 1992 column driven by television's Murphy Brown deciding to start a family on her own. He poked fun at Republican Vice President Dan Quayle, referring to him as "Vice President Snerd sums up everything that is wrong with society in the simplest of terms. The problem, according to the vice president, is Murphy Brown is 'mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone and calling it just another lifestyle choice.'" Around deer hunting season, McNally was known for writing an anti-hunting column in a state heavy on the sport. It was full of humor and sarcasm — and tinged with seriousness, Rosenberg said. And, it always provoked a lot of reader reaction and letters to the editor, according to Rowen. During his time with the Journal, McNally won a National Headliner Award for 'Consistently Outstanding Local Column' and numerous state and local journalism awards, according to his Shepherd Express bio. During Rosenberg's first week on the job as a general assignment reporter at the Milwaukee Journal, he got to tag along with McNally, who was a city hall reporter at the time. "I was so impressed about the people he knew and met and his sources and everything else," said Rosenberg, who now resides in Florida. "I said, 'That's what I want to be.'" McNally was part of a tight-knit group of Journal folks that did "all sorts of crazy things" together, Rosenberg said. One time, they canoed down the Peshtigo River, emulating the 1972 film "Deliverance." McNally loved the Brewers. "He and I sometimes played hooky and just left the paper in the afternoon and went to a ballgame," Rosenberg said. "We were like school kids in many ways." Wednesday paydays and Friday afternoons often called for lunch at Saz's. And the McNallys hosted holiday parties at their longtime east side home. All were invited: The managing editor, editors, reporters, photographers and community members from "every walk of life," Rosenberg said. When the Milwaukee Journal and the Milwaukee Sentinel merged in 1995, McNally was among the many who were not offered a job. When he got up to walk to the door after being let go, the newsroom gave him a standing ovation, Kissinger recalled. "I remember walking down the staircase with him when I saw that he got the tap on the shoulder," Rosenberg said. "We were both crying, and I put my arms around him and I said: 'You're going to be OK.' And, he was." McNally would go on to become a columnist for the Shepherd Express, where he also spent two years as editor. He co-hosted a radio morning show, called "Morning Magazine," from 2006 to 2010 with Cassandra Cassandra on WMCS-AM (1290). When Kane interviewed McNally, McNally said he understood the skepticism, but was determined to prove it to be a good fit. According to McNally's Shepherd Express bio, he also was involved with Milwaukee Public Television as a contributing producer for "Inside View" and a regular panelist on 'InterChange.' He spent time as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, teaching courses in urban history, community problems, and race and public policy, his Shepherd Express bio said. He continued writing for the Shepherd even after he and his wife made their move to Virginia within the last decade. When Rosenberg last talked to McNally about two months ago, his voice sounded a little weaker, but he was still "the same Joel, the same laugh, the same zest for life, the same interests, still knowledgeable about what was going on." In recent weeks, McNally called Rowen out of the blue to catch up. While he wasn't quite his old self, he sounded pretty good and was joking around, Rowen said. They talked politics and about McNally not being thrilled about the current state of the country. Rowen filled him in on what was new with their old Journal pals, and Rowen let him know the whole crew was rooting for him. Rosenberg tried to call his friend Tuesday, but he didn't answer. That wasn't unusual. "Typically, he doesn't answer, but he may answer in a week or so when he feels better," Rosenberg said. The next day, McNally's daughter Kelly let Rosenberg know his friend had passed away overnight. "Joel was very much a huge part of my life," Rosenberg said. "He made me a better person for knowing him. And, he was almost as much a brother to me as he was a friend." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'Voice of resistance,' longtime Milwaukee columnist Joel McNally dies
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
Get to know award-winning Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigative reporter John Diedrich
John Diedrich started at the bottom of this business. The ground floor anyway. As a college student, Diedrich drove newspaper trucks, delivering the Milwaukee Journal and the Milwaukee Sentinel across Wisconsin 35 years ago. The job plunged him into journalism, leaving the inky stains of the news on his hands with every shift. A Milwaukee-area native, Diedrich somewhat randomly enrolled in a journalism class at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee his freshman year and said he was soon enamored by pace and variety of the job, and most of all by the chance to share people's stories. So, let's get to know Journal Sentinel reporter John Diedrich: I get the opportunity to delve deeply into subjects, spending months to document how people are being harmed, who or what is responsible and how it might be fixed. My days vary. On some, I go through tips from readers like you and call back folks. Other days, I work with government employees to get data or craft the top of a story. On the best days, I am out talking to people, like Fiesha Parker, whose son was accidentally shot; like Chuck Lovelace, a Park Falls gun store owner helping fellow veterans struggling with mental health; and like David Tate, whose sister, Tiffany, suffered a stroke next door to Froedtert Hospital but because of a little-known policy was turned away and died. The Journal Sentinel is a special news organization because of its commitment to investigative journalism. It has been so since I came back to Milwaukee in 2004 and the commitment remains. I feel blessed to be able to work here and do what I do. I wrote a bit for my high school newpaper (Wauwatosa East '88). Results were iffy. My first reporting job was at the Oak Creek Pictorial, as a part-timer while in college. I still have the printout of an article from my editor, Lorraine, marked generously with her red grease pencil. Then I did internships at the Journal and the Sentinel (pre-1995 merger) and then it was off to my first full-time reporting job at the Kenosha News. I had written about guns for years but I tried a different approach when I was awarded the O'Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University. I spent almost all my time talking to gun owners about why they owned firearms and their ideas to prevent the misuse of them. I found that suicides account for 71 of 100 gun deaths each year in Wisconsin and there were grassroots as well as government-led efforts to reduce them that hadn't gotten much attention. We changed that. This year, I continued the project, now focusing on accidental shootings of children. I found that parents in these incidents are often charged with felony child neglect in Milwaukee County, while in other counties they are more often charged with misdemeanors or not at all. The response has been powerful and positive. I often started interviews by asking people about when they first shot and why they own a gun today. Those stories were always rich and made it into the articles. I have received many positive comments from gun owners and in fact I have been invited to speak to people like Cam Edwards, who has a podcast on gun issues. Boy, that's a tough one. The stories all have had deeply powerful moments, when I could sense what I think of as the spirit of truth guiding the interviews and pointing me to where the reporting should go. This story comes to mind. I was sitting with an Army sergeant in Fallujah, Iraq, on May 1, 2003. That day then-President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" regarding the war in Iraq. With a grimy face fresh off a harrowing patrol, this sergeant looked at me and said, "I don't know what they are selling back home but this thing is far from over." I felt the responsibility then and now, to carry such messages to those in power. I have to be careful not to disclose too much to protect my source. But I once got a report leaked to me about government malfeasance by having it left in a plastic grocery bag, hanging on the handle of my front door at night. It felt like something out of the Watergate stories. I enjoy reading, composting, backyard fires, riding my mountain bike, being active in our church and checking out new restaurants with my wife, Raquel. We have two grown sons and two dogs, Easy and Fern. John Diedrich is an investigative reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at jdiedrich@ This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Q&A: Investigative reporter John Diedrich, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
