Latest news with #Wauwatosa
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Calls for Wauwatosa superintendent's firing, school board disagrees
The Brief There are calls for the firing of Wauwatosa School District Superintendent Demond Means. One critic at the school board meeting said there is a "pattern of poor leadership, a lack of transparency and a dismissive attitude towards community input." The board said there were no grounds to fire the superintendent. WAUWATOSA, Wis. - Protesters showed up at a school board meeting in Wauwatosa on Monday night, June 7, 2025. The 2030 Tosa Task Force is calling for the firing of Wauwatosa Schools Superintendent Demond Means, but others are touting the successes of the Wauwatosa School District. "What I've noticed, along with many others, is a pattern of poor leadership, a lack of transparency and a dismissive attitude towards community input. And that is undermining confidence in the district from the top down," said Troy Woodard with the 2030 Tosa Task Force. "I believe we've made strides as a district in the last few years. Though progress is slow and change can be painful, there is much to celebrate in our district," said a parent at the meeting. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News In response to calls for the termination of Demond Means, Wauwatosa School Board President Lynne Woerhle sent out a statement saying there were no grounds to fire the superintendent. She offered some examples of the district's success, such as 48 students scoring 30 or higher on the ACT, with four students scoring a perfect 36. One of the students is also a National Merit Scholarship winner. Means' annual evaluation will take place on June 23. The Source FOX6 crews went to the school board meeting and spoke with those in attendance.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
America's cities are sinking, and that could be a big problem
The Brief A new study finds all 28 of the most populated U.S. cities are sinking. At least 65% of the urban area is affected. Some cities are dropping by more than 5 millimeters per year. MILWAUKEE - Turns out that sinking feeling is not just your imagination. In fact, many of America's biggest cities are slowly sinking into the ground. What we know A major new study published in Nature Cities found that all 28 of the most populated U.S. cities are experiencing what's called land subsidence. Land subsidence is the gradual sinking of the Earth's surface. In all but three of those cities, at least 65% of the urban area is affected. In some cases, the land is dropping by more than five millimeters per year. That may not seem like much, but that could have a big impact over time. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News What we know According to the study, the leading cause is groundwater extraction. That is when a city pumps water from underground aquifers, leaving behind big empty spaces in the soil. That then causes the land above to collapse downward. This is especially common in fast-growing urban areas like Houston, Dallas and Phoenix. Milwaukee takes most of its water from Lake Michigan, but cities like Waukesha and Wauwatosa do rely on water from aquifers. Other factors that are also at play include oil and gas extraction, and what's known as natural post-glacial rebound in places that were once compressed by ancient ice sheets. Of course, there's also the weight of our cities themselves. Those buildings, roads, and infrastructure are all pressing down and, over time, add to the problem. Why you should care According to the study, over 30 million people live in subsiding areas. That includes almost 30 thousand buildings in zones where the risk of structural damage is high or very high. Sinking land doesn't just mean a few cracks in the sidewalk. It threatens roads, bridges, homes, water lines, and public safety. It also makes flooding worse, especially as climate change intensifies storms and sea-level rise. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android What you can do There isn't much an average citizen can do, but researchers do say city planners need to start treating subsidence like the ticking time bomb that it is. That means using satellite and ground-level data to monitor land movement, updating building codes, and rethinking how we manage groundwater. Smart planning today could save billions in damage and make for a safer tomorrow. Want to read the full research article? Click here to learn more. The Source Information in this report is sourced from a study published in the Nature Cities online science journal, accessible through the link above.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Donated brain thrown out; Children's Wisconsin 'profoundly sorry'
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Brief Children's Wisconsin says it accidentally 'discarded' the frozen portion of a young woman's donated brain. Ashtyn Fellenz, who died in December, underwent pioneering gene therapy 21 years ago. The doctor who conducted the surgery in 2003 said the lost brain tissue was vital for ongoing gene therapy research. WAUWATOSA, Wis. - When 24-year-old Ashtyn Fellenz died on December 5, 2024, the dry ice was waiting. She was already at Children's Wisconsin where a pathologist was prepared to carefully extract her brain and preserve it for future research. A 'tremendous' loss What we know By all accounts, the extraction of her brain was flawless. It was separated into hemispheres - half of it chemically fixated in a formalin solution, the other half segmented and rapidly frozen. The plan was to quickly ship both halves to a Living BioBank at Children's Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. Instead, the tissue sat in a Children's Wisconsin laboratory for months. Ashtyn Fellenz died on December 5, 2024, at age 24 Eventually, after internal administrative changes and a laboratory move, hospital officials discovered the frozen half of Ashtyn's brain had been accidentally "discarded." The discovery stunned not only the Fellenz family, but the researcher who had requested the brain be preserved – Dr. Paola Leone. "The loss is tremendous," Leone said. A silent life The backstory Ashtyn was born on June 15, 2000, apparently healthy. By six months of age, her parents knew something was seriously wrong. "She started missing milestones, not being able to lift up her head," said her father, Scott Fellenz. Ashtyn was diagnosed with Canavan Disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes degeneration of the protective coating around nerves and a loss of white matter in the brain. Children with Canavan progressively lose the ability to use their muscles and become trapped inside their own bodies, like a living rag doll. Without intervention, most children with the disease die before age 10. Just after her 3rd birthday, Ashtyn received gene therapy through a viral vector injected directly into her brain. The pioneering surgery was aimed at replacing the defective gene that causes Canavan disease with a functional gene. In 2003, Ashtyn underwent pioneering surgery to inject a functional gene into her brain in hopes of replacing the defective one. The experimental gene therapy did not cure the disease, but Dr. Leone said it improved her quality of life and helped her survive until age 24. "That sounds like a success," said FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn. "It is a success," Dr. Leone replied. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android Ashtyn never spoke a word in her life, but Dr. Leone said there was a treasure trove of information inside her brain. "In that silence, there was so much knowledge," the doctor said. A big part of her legacy What they're saying Asthyn was one of 16 children to get the experimental treatment, but Dr. Leone said she is one of the rare Canavan patients to have died under optimal circumstances for preserving her brain. "Most Canavan patients die at home," the doctor said. By the time their bodies are available for autopsy, the brain tissue has degraded significantly. Asthyn died at Children's Wisconsin. "The scenario was perfect," Dr. Leone said. "She was in the hospital. The dry ice was there, ready to go." Dr. Paola Leone, now a professor at Rowan University in New Jersey, performed the surgery in 2003. Ashtyn's family had long ago agreed to donate her brain for research. "I knew that's what we wanted to do," said Arlo Fellens, Ashtyn's mother. "It was no question that we had to do that," said Scott Fellenz, her father. "It was a big part of her legacy." Unexplained delays Timeline When Ashtyn died on Dec. 5, Children's Wisconsin determined that a previous consent form signed by her parents was outdated. Before the hospital could ship the brain to Ohio, they would need a new one. Dr. Leone sent the updated consent hours before boarding a flight to Wisconsin to deliver a eulogy at Ashtyn's funeral. "Her powerful voice encrypted in her DNA will deliver life-saving messages," Dr. Leone told a packed Pewaukee church, still believing the brain would soon be ready for her to evaluate. What happened next is detailed in a series of emails between Dr. Leone and a pathologist at Children's. "I mean, I gave the address, the FedEx number," Dr. Leone said. "Everything was ready to go." Dr. Leone flew to Wisconsin to delivery a eulogy at Ashtyn's funeral on December 7, 2024 More than a month passed without any shipment. On Jan. 13, Dr. Lauren Parsons, Director of Pathology at Children's Wisconsin, wrote an email thanking Dr. Leone for her "patience," adding that "holidays and some leadership transitions" had kept her busy. Dr. Parsons wrote, "I fully endorse sending the brain" to Ohio. But two more months passed – still nothing. "We follow up with emails, no reply," Dr. Leone said. "Other emails, no reply." "She literally ghosted her for two months," Scott Fellenz said. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Finally, in March, Arlo Fellenz contacted the hospital for answers. She received a call back from "grief services," asking to set up a meeting. Arlo knew the news would not be good, so she demanded to hear about it over the phone. "They regret to tell me it was, her brain was disposed of," Arlo recalled hearing "They threw your daughter's brain away," said FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn. "Yeah, that's what it comes down to," Arlo said. "They tossed out her brain. How can you do that with a brain?" Actually, half of Ashtyn's brain was eventually shipped to Ohio – the fixed portion. But it was the frozen half that was inadvertently thrown away. Dr. Leone said that was the most valuable part for research purposes. "And I was like, 'How could you discard something so valuable?,' Arlo Fellenz said. "And they kept just saying, 'Well we're sorry. We just, it was just disposed of, we can't tell you anything more.'" "It was literally like losing Ashtyn all over again," Scott Fellenz said. It's irreplaceable Dig deeper For Dr. Leone, the loss is both personal and professional. "When Ashton passed away we were all heartbroken," the doctor said. Beyond the emotional ties she had to Ashtyn, Dr. Leone said the post-mortem examination of her brain would have offered unparalleled insights into how the gene therapy worked inside Ashtyn. Arlo and Scott Fellenz have hired attorney James Gende to represent them. "This would have just led, just paved the way for any other application of gene therapy into the brain to let us know if gene therapy can persist," the doctor said. Dr. Leone said it would most likely have resulted in a "high-impact" publication that could have served future research. "It's a loss of information that would have been precious and cited for the years to come, for the centuries to come, because this is the one and only specimen, not just for Canavan, for any other gene therapy," the doctor said. "It's irreplaceable." We are 'profoundly sorry' The other side Children's Wisconsin declined a request for an on-camera interview. In a statement emailed to FOX6 Investigators, a spokesperson writes: "We were honored to support Ashtyn's family's wish for her legacy to help others. As we communicated to the family when this error was discovered, and reiterate now, our team is profoundly sorry this happened, and we continue to take steps to reinforce our protocols to help ensure this does not occur again. The availability of human tissue to support life-changing and lifesaving medical research is critical to offering hope to families. We take seriously our work to support research through proper tissue collection, storage and usage. We are deeply grateful for Ashtyn's life and for her family's advocacy and care, and again offer our most sincere regret and apology." After receiving the statement, FOX6 Investigators submitted 16 written questions to Children's Wisconsin seeking further detail. The hospital responded with this: "As this situation is under the threat of litigation, and due to patient privacy matters, we are unable to respond in detail to many of your questions. We share the following in the hope it provides additional context: We have comprehensive processes in place to properly manage tissue donated for research purposes. Aspects of those processes were not followed, which caused this error. We realized this error as the sample was being prepared for shipment. While one portion of the tissue remained, it became apparent that the separate frozen portion of the tissue was erroneously disposed of. To your question regarding timing, it appears several matters created the gap in time from when the autopsy occurred to when the tissue was approved for shipment (which is when we realized a portion was accidentally disposed of). Those factors included time needed to secure and review correct consent forms from the receiving institution, the move of the lab and various scheduling matters. The change in lab leadership had no bearing on this matter. None of the above is an excuse for the remaining tissue sample being accidentally disposed of and for the delay in realizing and communicating this error. We have taken several specific steps to learn from this, including:The team has participated in re-education on our matter is being prioritized as it proceeds through our internal quality review the quality review process identify other areas for improvement, we will address those improvements with the seriousness they deserve. The team has participated in re-education on our processes. This matter is being prioritized as it proceeds through our internal quality review process. Should the quality review process identify other areas for improvement, we will address those improvements with the seriousness they deserve. This was a very unique situation. We cannot recall any previous situation where organ tissue donated for medical research was erroneously discarded." Lawsuit imminent What's next The Fellenz family has hired attorney James Gende to represent them. If Asthyn's brain can't help with Canavan research, her family said perhaps money will. "Then Ashtyn can have some meaning in her life after her death." The family has set up a separate fund at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Pewaukee. According to the website, Ashtyn's Hope supports families and children with Canavan Disease with medical equipment.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Federal civil trial begins in police shooting of Wauwatosa teen
Tracy Cole, the mother of Alvin Cole, surrounded by her family. (Photo by Isiah Holmes) A federal civil trial into the killing of 17-year-old Alvin Cole by then-Wauwatosa officer Joseph Mensah five years ago began on Monday, bringing Cole's family, Mensah, a cast of current and former Wauwatosa officers, and other witnesses into the U.S. district court building in Milwaukee. The lawsuit accuses Mensah of using excessive force when he fired five shots at Cole in 2020, killing him after a foot chase in a darkened mall parking lot. During opening statements, attorney Kimberly Motley said police officers receive extensive training in use of force under Wisconsin's Defense and Arrest Tactics (DAAT) standards. Motley said that when officers fire their weapons they must 'articulate each shot' and that Mensah 'did not exercise restraint' when he shot Cole. Cole's case was Mensah's third shooting over a five year period, although attorneys agreed to not bring up that fact during the trial. 'We believe that Joseph Mensah did not have the right to shoot and kill Alvin Cole,' said Motley. The mostly white jury of seven women and one man listened intently to statements from both Motley and attorney Joseph Wirth who represents Mensah. They recounted the events of Feb. 2 2020, a Super Bowl Sunday, when Cole and a group of his friends got into a verbal altercation with another group of boys at the Mayfair mall. Police were called and the boys fled. Officers later testified that a single gun shot was heard as the police were chasing Cole, though they did not see who fired the gun. While Cole was on his hands and knees, surrounded by officers, Mensah fired five shots, later claiming that Cole pointed a gun at him. Wirth said footchases are dangerous and unpredictable and stressed that the events leading up to the shooting took place over less time than it took the attorney to introduce himself to the jury. He appealed to the jurors saying they could be sympathetic to the Cole family, while also ruling that Mensah's use of force was reasonable. 'Put yourself in the officer's shoes,' Wirth told the jury. Motley said that Cole accidentally shot himself in the forearm before he fell, breaking his arm in the process. The broken arm would have made it hard for him to aim his gun at Mensah, as Mensah claimed, Motley said. Also, an officer who was closer to Cole than Mensah said that Cole hadn't moved at all before Mensah fired. That officer, David Shamsi, who's now an FBI agent, was called as a witness on Monday. Another officer, Evan Olson, who said the gun was pointed in a completely different direction than Mensah claims, is also expected to testify later in the week. The contradictory statements from officers Mensah, Olson, and Shamsi persuaded U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman that the lawsuit should go to trial. On Monday, Alvin's father, Albert Cole, recalled dropping his son off with his friends the last time he would see him. After Alvin died, Albert became 'anti-social,' he testified, Crying on the witness stand, he said Alvin's death left a hole in his life and that of Tracy Cole, his wife of over 30 years. 'That hurt was inside me,' he said. Shamsi testified that he was 'tunnel visioned' on Cole's gun, which he said remained on the ground and didn't move after Cole fell to his hands and knees in the dark parking lot. Shamsi hadn't considered whether Cole was wounded and, in fact, was prepared to fire his own weapon if the boy moved again. 'I did not see him point a gun at me,' said Shamsi. During questioning, attorneys noted that Shamsi changed his story when he was re-interviewed about the shooting months after it occurred. It was during that interview that Shamsi said that he saw Cole's arm extended towards officers. When he was deposed for the civil lawsuit and then on the stand Monday, Shamsi reverted to his original statements that he did not see Cole move after he was on the ground. Cole family attorney Nate Cade told Wisconsin Examiner that he suspects Shamsi changed his story after meeting with Mensah's attorneys, because 'no one wants to turn around and say that a fellow officer did something wrong.' He said Shamsi's testimony that the gun never moved 'is the most damning thing.' Cole's shooting was initially investigated by the Milwaukee Area Investigative Team (MAIT), before the Milwaukee County district attorney decided Mensah wouldn't be charged for killing Cole in 2020. A recent investigation by Wisconsin Examiner in partnership with Type Investigations found a pattern of MAIT policies protecting officers and contradictory statements left unchallenged. Cade said 'the district attorney looked the other way' and that there were things that investigators 'should have done' but neglected, such as measuring the distance between Cole's body and bullet casings. 'There are no measurements,' said Cade. 'None of the officers identified exactly where they were standing.' Attorneys also called a civilian witness who'd seen Cole's group running from police and witnessed the shooting. The witness said that he did not see Cole running with anything in his hands, suggesting that he had not turned his body to point a gun at officers as he ran. Wauwatosa officer Dexter Schleis agreed with Cade that deadly force is allowed if an armed person turns towards an officer, he would not answer directly when asked if deadly force is appropriate when an armed person has their back to an officer, is on the ground and isn't moving. Schleis repeatedly asked for the question to be repeated, that he didn't understand, or couldn't say whether the shooting complied with police protocol. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
