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From the Article:

With colder weather on the way, Milwaukee County leaders have announced locations where people can stay warm this winter.

In addition to already existing services, several warming centers will be opening in the coming weeks.

A warming center is a short-term emergency shelter where people can go to stay warm when temperatures become dangerously low.

From the Article:

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who has pushed for full legalization of recreational marijuana, said Wednesday that he is open to a more limited medical marijuana legalization being promoted by Republicans.

"I would think that getting it all done in one fell swoop would be more thoughtful as far as meeting the needs of Wisconsinites that have asked for it," the Democrat said in an interview with The Associated Press. "But if that’s what we can accomplish right now, I’ll be supportive of that."

Republicans have been working behind closed doors for years on a medical marijuana bill and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in December that they would unveil it this month. Republicans have repeatedly rejected calls from Evers and other Democrats to legalize all uses of marijuana, including medical and recreational.

Vos said the proposal would be limited and modeled after the medical marijuana law that had been in place in neighboring Minnesota before it moved to full legalization.

"I'm glad that the governor is open to supporting our proposal," Vos said Friday. "But if he keeps saying it’s only a precursor to recreational marijuana, it will kill this proposal."

From the Article:

A 17-block stretch along Walnut Street in Milwaukee has gotten a "first of its kind" makeover. The new design goes from Vel R. Phillips Avenue to North 20th Street on Walnut Street and is unlike any other street in the city right now.

"This was one where we were going to reconstruct the road, and this gave us the opportunity to kind of have a blank canvas," David Tapia, the city's Department of Public Works major project manager, said. "We were able to eliminate one of the travel lanes in each direction."

DPW said losing that one lane in each direction allowed crews to install protected bike lanes. One stretch has bicyclists off the road entirely and puts them on the same level as the sidewalk.

"We've got bump-outs, we've got raised crosswalks. We really started to implement a lot of the things that we wanted to do in totality on this project," Tapia said.

"What do you think of it?" WISN 12 News Hannah Hilyard asked a young man walking along Walnut Street Thursday.

"I think it's nice. I think it's more safe for the people who are riding bikes so people don't get hit by cars," Zechariah Malone responded.

At the intersection of North 6th and Walnut streets, crews installed more than a dozen concrete islands. Tapia said it's meant to slow drivers down as they make turns at the intersection and add "more locations that are protected for the pedestrian or bicyclist."

"If it betters the driving, and it looks better, I'm for it," Milwaukee resident Christopher Jones said.

Reducing the number of lanes and installing more bump-outs like this one has some residents concerned for snowplow drivers and how they'll maneuver along Walnut Street.

"We work with a fantastic group in our operations department and worked with them through the design process to make sure the width, even how we come in and out of these bump-outs, the fact we will now have these raised crosswalks," Tapia said. "Everything we do, we involve them through the process."

DPW said the project's point is to slow traffic down, making the roadway safer for all who use it.

"Take your time, understand where you're going," Tapia said. "Look for the pedestrians and bicyclists and make your maneuver safely."

Later this year, the city said it's looking to finish the project through North 2nd Street. There are also plans to install raised bike lanes on a portion of Wells Street downtown.

From the Article:

Wisconsin's political party leaders met in the state Capitol for about six minutes Tuesday morning to determine which presidential candidates will appear on the primary ballot in the state: including former President Donald Trump.

The quick, no-hiccup meeting contrasts with two other states that have moved to bar Trump from the ballot. That decision was made by the Colorado Supreme Court and Maine's Democratic secretary of state based on an anti-insurrection clause in the 14th Amendment. The issue is likely to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Last week, the Wisconsin Elections Commission quickly rejected a petition filed by Kirk Bangstad — a Democratic activist and owner of the Minocqua Brewing Co. — that sought to keep Trump off the ballot on those grounds. Bangstad plans to challenge the decision in Dane County Circuit Court, and hoped it would reach the state Supreme Court.

WEC does not place candidates on the ballot in Wisconsin. That decision is up to the bipartisan state Presidential Preference Selection Committee, which is made up of state Democratic and Republican party chairs, majority and minority leaders in the state Legislature, and others.

The six candidates named by the state Republican party include: former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former President Donald Trump.

The state Democratic party presented only one name for the ballot: President Joe Biden. Author Marianne Williamson and Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips are also running as Democrats.

State law requires the committee to include all names "whose candidacy is generally advocated or recognized in the national news media throughout the United States," and can include additional names.

The names now go to WEC, which contacts the candidates to inform them they will appear on the ballot unless they notify the commission by Jan. 30 that they do not intend to run.

From the Article:

The Forest County Potawatomi Community is going all in on the entertainment business.

Sources tell the Journal Sentinel that the Potawatomi is planning to construct a $200 million concert venue that will seat up to 6,000 people on property just to the west of the tribe's Hotel & Casino.

The plan calls for the tribe to get approval from city officials and the Common Council this year and break ground in the first quarter of 2025.

"It would be shovel in the ground in March or at least the beginning of 2025," said a source familiar with the project.

Officials with the tribe declined to comment when asked about the concert hall.

But this unexpected proposal could throw a wrench into city-approved plans to build a $60 million music theater in the Deer District that would seat 4,500.

Why?

It appears that the Potawatomi would fund the venue on its own without relying on traditional financing, removing one major hurdle for the construction project.

In addition, one prominent Milwaukee music insider said the two venues would end up competing for the same performers, creating a showdown between the Deer District theater, which is backed by music-industry behemoth Live Nation Entertainment, and the casino-funded music hall.

"It would be Godzilla versus King Kong," the insider said.

The Journal Sentinel recently reported that the Potawatomi casino at 1721 Canal St. won at least $415 million from gamblers during the 12-month period that ended June 30, according to Journal Sentinel calculation based on fees paid by the tribe to the city and county of Milwaukee.

In the previous 12 months, the tribe posted a net win of about $395 million in winnings, the records show. The net win is the amount of money that gamblers lose at slot machines and table games.

Jeff Fleming, a spokesman for Mayor Cavalier Johnson, said the city's top official had not received any briefings or specifics on the proposed new venue. But Fleming said Johnson "has been consistent in not using zoning or other regulatory approvals to address competitive business concerns."

From the Article:

Attorneys for Republican lawmakers are asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to reconsider its 4-3 decision that found the state's current legislative maps unconstitutional and ordered them to draw new ones, arguing their timeline to do so is rushed.

The court ordered parties on Dec. 22 to submit map proposals by Jan. 12, and consultants are set to review them by Feb. 1. The Wisconsin Elections Commission has said maps must be in place by March 15 for the fall legislative races. Candidates must circulate nomination papers for an Aug. 13 partisan primary ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.

But Republicans argue instituting new maps as the 2024 elections draw closer would "needlessly disrupt the electoral process." They are asking those deadlines to be reconsidered and for the court to halt all proceedings in the meantime.

"Announced the Friday before Christmas, the parties have been given 21 days — a third of them falling on weekends and state holidays — to submit proposed remedies, lengthy remedial briefs and expert reports," attorneys wrote in a filing late Thursday.

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:

Minocqua brewery owner and political gadfly Kirk Bangstad says he will go to court to force the Wisconsin Elections Commission to keep Donald Trump off of the state’s presidential ballots in 2024 under the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Bangstad filed a complaint with the elections commission Thursday demanding Trump’s exclusion. The election commission’s dismissal came almost immediately afterward, in a letter saying that the complaint “is being disposed of without consideration by the Commission.”

Bangstad had anticipated the commission’s rejection, telling reporters immediately after he filed the document that he expected it would be dismissed and that he would sue the commission in circuit court to press the complaint’s demand. After receiving the dismissal notice Bangstad said he would follow up with a lawsuit next week.

Bangstad said that he views Article 3 of the 14th amendment as a clear-cut justification for keeping Trump from running for president again.

His elections commission complaint says, “Donald Trump disqualified himself and forfeited his right to serve as President of the United States of America by choosing power over the oath he took as an officer of the United States to uphold the Constitution of the United States and engaging in an insurrection against the Country he swore to protect.”

It calls on the six commissioners to find Trump “disqualified from serving as President of the United States of America” and to “refuse Donald J. Trump access to the 2024 Republican presidential preference primary ballot.”

The complaint cites a Wisconsin statute that allows a voter who believes that an election official’s action or failure to act “is contrary to law” or an abuse of discretion to file a complaint with the commission “requesting that the official be required to conform his or her conduct to the law.”

From the Article:

Wisconsin election officials have declined to review a complaint attempting to remove former President Trump from the state’s primary ballot, citing the 14th Amendment.

Madison, Wis., brewery owner Kirk Bangstad filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Thursday, claiming Trump should be removed from the ballot due to his actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

The commission said the complaint was thrown out for procedural reasons, and it lists members of the commission itself as respondents.

“The complaint was disposed of without consideration by the Commission,” spokesperson Riley Vetterkind said in a Thursday statement to the media. “It is the position of the Commission that a complaint against the Commission, against Commissioners in their official capacities, or against Commission staff, warrants an ethical recusal by the body.”

Bangstad’s complaint relies on the same arguments as removal efforts in Colorado and Maine, which have been accepted, pending legal appeals.

The 14th Amendment bars those who “engage in insurrection” from holding office. The Maine Secretary of State and the Colorado Supreme Court found that Trump’s Jan. 6 conduct fell under that definition.

The Hill has reached out to the election commission and Bangstad for additional comment.

Other states have also rejected similar 14th Amendment claims. On Wednesday, a Michigan court ruled that its Secretary of State does not have the authority to determine the eligibility of candidates using the “insurrection clause” of the amendment.

Trump’s campaign denounced the Maine decision Thursday as “election interference.”

“We are witnessing, in real-time, the attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said. “Make no mistake, these partisan election interference efforts are a hostile assault on American democracy.”

From the Article:

Gov. Tony Evers ordered that flags will fly at half-staff across Wisconsin to honor the life of former Bucks owner, U.S. senator from Wisconsin and lifetime Milwaukeean Herb Kohl.

The executive order states that flags should be flown at half-staff from Dec. 28 through the date of interment for Kohl.

Kohl's death was announced Wednesday by the Herb Kohl Foundation. He was 88.

“A Milwaukeean and Wisconsinite through and through, U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl dedicated his life to serving our kids, our communities, our state, and our country," Evers said in a statement Wednesday after Kohl's death was announced. “Sen. Kohl was, without a doubt, nobody’s senator but ours. Kathy and I are devastated by the news of his passing."

Many friends, colleagues and Wisconsinites have remembered and shared stories of Kohl's storied life.

“Sen. Kohl was deeply committed to community, kindness, and service to others. Wisconsin’s seniors, students, teachers, and schools, and farmers and rural areas, among so many others, are better off because of his life and legacy, the impacts of which will last for generations," Evers continued in his statement.

“Kathy and I join the people of Wisconsin, friends and colleagues of Sen. Kohl, and the many people whose lives he impacted — both near and far — in offering our sincerest condolences to the Kohl family and the Herb Kohl Foundation in mourning the loss of this Wisconsin giant.”

From the Article:

Wisconsin’s economy ended 2023 in good shape with businesses hiring workers and the state’s unemployment rate at 3.3%, lower than the national average of 3.7%.

Jobs and employment data is still being gathered for December. However officials with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development said that in November the state had more than 3 million people working, which is a new high for the state, and in the month 1,700 employees were added to the workforce.

In 2023, roughly 32,300 workers entered the workforce in Wisconsin.

The biggest problem with the economy has been there aren’t enough bodies to fill the openings.

“As the Baby Boomers age out, we find that we need more and more workers just in general,” said Scott Hodek, Section Chief for DWD's Office of Economic Advisors, “This is the big piece that we’re seeing influence the workforce and the economy into the next decades.”

Hodek made his comments during the department’s virtual economic briefing in December.

“Students, right now graduating, have a great job market,” Hodek said. “We saw we’re getting more people into the labor force, and that’s good, but we need more.”

And while the job market is in workers favor, there might be some signs of hiring slowing down.

According to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association and Commerce's most recent data from October, Milwaukee metro area employment averaged 862,000, a 0.3% increase from one year ago.

“A weakened overall employment trend, as well as negative manufacturing and unemployment indicators, suggest a sluggish metro area economy,” Bret Mayborne, MMAC vice president of economic research, said in the monthly report. “On the positive side, local housing and real estate indicators may be on the mend after registering declines for the better part of two years.”

There are still some workers who received bad news this year.

In December only one employer filed a WARN notice with the state: Dovenmuehle Mortgage, Inc., based in Brookfield, informed 17 remote workers that they would be laid off beginning Feb. 16.

In 2023, 6,727 workers learned they would need to find a new job, which is up from 5,563 a year ago, and up from 2,888 in 2021.

But that annual number is a fraction of the 39,756 workers that were laid off in 2020.

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.