Caledonia homeowner Gerald Dinda says he paid James Ferdon $80,000 for unfinished work, while Ferdon now faces theft by contractor charges in a separate Waterford case. #contact6 #wisconsin #news

Two months after announcing its closure, the Sentry Foods grocery store at 6350 W. Silver Spring Drive on Milwaukee’s far northwest side will reopen as One City Foods under the same operator.

Milwaukee Ald. Mark Chambers announced plans for the reopening of the “reinvigorated” supermarket at Tuesday afternoon’s Common Council meeting. He thanked owner Viral Patel, who previously operated the Sentry Foods store, for the quick turnaround on the store and noted that the store will open on April 3.

“We did it,” Chambers said. “Hopefully it’ll be bigger and better than ever.”

Patel could not be reached for comment.

Two license applications were filed with the City of Milwaukee on March 23, one for a permanent change of business and another for an alcoholic beverage dealer. The applications state the store will sell groceries, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, cigarettes and electronic vaping devices.

If approved, One City Foods will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Sentry Foods announced its closure in January with a sign on its door that read: “It is with a heavy heart we share the news that this store is permanently closing. This decision was not made lightly. Many factors were carefully considered before coming to this difficult conclusion. Saying goodbye is truly painful, and we are deeply sorry to bring this news to the community that has supported us over the years. We are incredibly grateful for your loyalty, kindness, and support. It has meant more to us than words can express, and we thank you sincerely for standing by us throughout this process,” BizTimes’ media partner WISN-TV Channel 12 reported at the time.

On Wednesday, the Chad Smith Foundation announced its After-School Music Program (AMP), a nationwide initiative designed to expand access to high-quality music education. Milwaukee will be the launching point, with community organizations receiving financial and operational support to help students get hands-on experience with the world of music.

“Music has the power to change lives, and every child deserves the chance to experience that,” said Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and co-founder of the organization that bears his name. “AMP is about bringing instructors, instruments and opportunities directly to kids so they can discover their own voice through music.

“At the foundation, we are working to eliminate all the barriers that we hear too often as reasons for why young adults don’t have access to music programs.”

The initiative is a collaboration between the foundation and four key local partners: the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, the Salvation Army, Notes for Notes and Running Rebels. By embedding music education directly into the existing after-school programs, AMP seeks to create sustainable opportunities for students to discover their musical voices.

Milwaukee would like to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from staging on city-owned properties. And a new resolution, pending approval from the full Common Council and Mayor Cavalier Johnson, would do just that.

On Monday, the Council’s Steering & Rules Committee approved a resolution that “prohibits the use of City owned or controlled properties for civil immigration enforcement actions.” The resolution is the third item to be approved from a so-called “ICE Out MKE” legislative package that was announced by members of the Council in February.

Properties identified by the latest resolution include “parking lots, vacant lots, garages, public buildings, and parks.”

“Like so many Americans across the country, our city was dismayed and heartbroken to hear the aggressive actions taken by federal immigration enforcement agencies in other cities like Minneapolis and Chicago, just right next door to us,” said lead sponsor Alderperson JoCasta Zamarripa. “My colleagues and I have been implored by our constituents to prepare and do everything that we can to keep our constituents safe. […] This resolution that’s before you today prohibits the use of city properties for immigration enforcement activities.”

“We are on the right side of this, and we want to make sure that there are safe places for everybody in the City of Milwaukee,” said co-sponsor Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic. “I’ve been asked, ‘What is it that local government can do to stop the federal government?’ We’re going to find out everything that we can do. We cannot do everything, but we’re going to do all that we can.”

The 2026 Milwaukee Film Festival cometh! Yes, the 18th annual cinematic blowout is set to take over the screens of the Oriental and Downer theaters April 16-30. It’s gonna be great. (The Downer, in case you missed it, was recently purchased by Milwaukee Film.) Advance ticket packages and passes are available NOW.

Need more incentive to get those advance tickets? On Tuesday, Milwaukee Film unveiled 10 titles that will be part of MFF26, plus the festival’s official artwork. The latter is from Milwaukee digital design studio Northern Ground, which also created Milwaukee Film’s new logo and website.

Workers at Discourse have won voluntary union recognition after a third-party card count found majority support for this, cafe management announced Monday.

The move establishes the Discourse Coffee Workers Union, which is expected to begin contract negotiations in the coming months with representation from the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH).

“Workers want to have a voice, a seat at the table and a say in the future, as opposed to a critique of existing management or some problem with the company that needed to be fixed immediately,” MASH President Peter Rickman told Urban Milwaukee in an interview, adding that Discourse management “deserves credit for remaining neutral throughout the process.”

The new collective bargaining agreement covers all employees at Discourse’s Milwaukee cafes: 1020 N. Broadway and 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave. It does not include the Chicago-based location, but is likely to apply to any future Milwaukee stores, according to founder and CEO Ryan Castelaz. Rickman said 74% of workers voted to join the union, though he believes actual support is higher, noting that some employees have not yet had a chance to sign on.

“We have always stood behind our teams, and we are incredibly excited to foster a strong relationship with their union, ensuring that equitable compensation and employee well-being remain at the core of our mission as we grow in Milwaukee and beyond,” Castelaz said in a statement.

Attendees of the ribbon cutting ceremony at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges locked arms to form human chains on either side of Melody McCurtis, deputy director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.

As she cut the ribbon tied around the new community fridge in the neighborhood nonprofit's office, lyrics to “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers filled the room.

Lean on me when you’re not strong. I’ll be your friend – I'll help you carry on. For it won’t be long ‘til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.

It was a fitting end to an event centered on solidarity, mutual aid and community-led solutions to food insecurity on Milwaukee’s north side.

Organizers and elected officials praised the response created by and for neighbors after the sudden departure of the Metcalfe Park Pick ‘n Save on North 35th Street nearly eight months ago.

Milwaukee Film now owns the Downer Theatre.

The nonprofit behind the Milwaukee Film Festival – and operator of the Oriental Theatre since 2018 – has purchased the 111-year-old two-screen Downer Theatre, Milwaukee Film officials announced March 2.

“Owning the Downer Theatre is a dream-come-true for Milwaukee Film,” Milwaukee Film Executive Director Susan Kerns said in a news release. “It affords our organization stronger financial footing and ensures our ability to provide the city we love with the film festivals and year-round programming it deserves. We’re delighted to close this deal in time for this April’s Milwaukee Film Festival.”

Bridge33 Capital purchased the Downer Theatre, 2589 N. Downer Ave., and surrounding businesses in early 2020. Milwaukee Film operated the Downer beginning in 2024 through a rental agreement with Bridge33, with Milwaukee Film reporting an additional $925,000 spent in the neighborhood in 2025 for dining, shopping, parking and more, according to a Cinema United study.

Several private donations and a low-interest loan courtesy of The Helmerich Trust helped make Milwaukee Film's Downer acquisition possible. Financial details of the sale were not disclosed.

Hope this helps fellow gamers find more opportunities to meet people and game on!

You know what Oakland Avenue in Shorewood could use? More places to eat. That’s the word on the street. And the street seems to be listening. The owners of Bay View’s Sorella are opening a pizzeria in the former Nana Sushi (4511 N. Oakland Ave.), a vacant spot adjacent to Three Lions Pub.

Co-owner Kyle Toner says he and partner Paul Damora plan to open Pizzeria Di Lusso in late spring or early summer of this year. While Sorella serves up puffy-crust, wood-fired pizza, the new spot will serve two kinds of pies: Trenton style, and “grandma” style. Trenton, New Jersey, is known for tomato pie, where the cheese and other toppings are added, then the tomato sauce on top of them. “The best way to describe Trenton style would be a cross between New York and Midwest tavern style, cracker style. So it’s thin, it’s crispy, but it’s still got some chew,” says Toner, a native of New Jersey.

• Starting March 8, routes 11, 22, 24, 80, and 88 will be shortened as part of the MCTS 2026 Service Plan.
• Seven routes will face long-term detours, and schedules for Route 30 and CONNECT 1 have been adjusted to maintain reliability during I-94 reconstruction.
• These changes prioritize maintaining neighborhood access by reducing service frequency in low-ridership areas.

Companies across the country are waiting on the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the legality of President Trump's tariff war. Throughout his second term, Trump has used tariffs to pressure countries into trade deals, punish those who impede his foreign policy objectives and retaliate against critics.

These tariffs have been implemented haphazardly, with many businesses struggling to budget for the future. That’s especially true for small businesses who import food and beverages like coffee, chocolate, wine or other items that aren't produced at a large scale in the U.S.

"[Stone Creek Coffee] has to import every single bean, and they do 600,000 beans a year — which is no small number," says journalist Drew Dawson. "But that cost means they had to pay an additional $270,000 on tariffs alone last year."

For this month's Milwaukee Magazine, Dawson chatted with folks from Stone Creek, Chocolate Sommelier, 2A Wine Merchants and Pan-Asia Supermarket to see how they're handling tariff uncertainty. He spoke with Lake Effect's Joy Powers to share what he found.

The North Shore Library reopened at 10 a.m. on Feb. 2 in its new Bayside building after years of planning and construction.

The new library, at 711 Grace St., contains a story time room for children's programming, nine study rooms, a stage area, a young adult section, a community gathering space and a sensory room.

The space is not yet in its final form, Library Director Rhonda Gould told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Over the next several weeks, staff will help move in more furniture, signage, art and equipment before a grand opening ceremony on March 14.

In the meantime, visitors can still explore the new space, check out books and other items, and utilize services for printing, scanning and faxing.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has opened the Stritch Family Literacy Center, which supports literacy development among local elementary and middle school students.

The now-shuttered Cardinal Stritch University previously housed the program. After Cardinal Stritch closed in 2023, UWM faculty offered to move the program to UWM’s Children’s Learning Center, according to a Tuesday news release.

The Stritch Family Literacy Center offers individualized learning plans and private tutoring sessions for students with literacy challenges. This spring, the program’s first 15-week session will support 24 elementary and middle school students.

“The depth of the program makes it stand out from other tutoring programs in the area,” said Mary Kellner, the president of the board of the Stritch Family Literacy Center. “We do a thorough assessment that pinpoints the exact skill sets the child may be lacking, such as phonics or reading comprehension. Then master instructors zero in on those skills.”

MILWAUKEE - Glorioso’s Italian Market on Milwaukee’s Brady Street will hold their Grand Reopening 80th Anniversary Celebration Jan. 19 through Feb. 28.

In the past month or so, the snowplows in West Allis have been getting some semi-regular use as winter made its flurry-filled presence known to locals early. As useful as the road clearing vehicles have been to this point, the suburb’s snowplow fleet has, sadly, been operating without any names. Well, City of West Allis officials are taking steps to change that, and they’re asking you to help.

Yesterday, the finalists in West Allis’ “Name The Snowplow” contest were announced. Basically, people are encouraged to vote for their favorite snowplow-suited name between now and 11:59 p.m. on Monday, January 19. As you might expect, there are some real gems in the final 30 names (which were culled from a field of more than 300 total submissions). Some of our personal favorites include:

• Blizz-erace
• Clearopathra
• Ctrl+Salt+Delete
• Mr. Icy Pants, Esquire
• Ope Let Me Scoop By Ya
• Sleetwood Mac
• Taylor Drift

Milwaukee Film, the ever-busy nonprofit organization that stages the annual Milwaukee Film Festival and operates the historic Oriental and Downer theaters all year long, has a snazzy new look for 2026. Out with the old (that all-seeing “eye”), and in with the new (see below).

On Friday, Milwaukee Film Executive Director Susan Kerns unveiled both a new Milwaukee Film logo and a similarly redesigned Milwaukee Film website. The name and theme of the logo? “Big Screen,” of course. Fans of retro colors and aspect ratios rejoice!

“This logo, with its colors reminiscent of the Oriental Theatre, the Downer Theatre, and celluloid film stock itself, feels like a part of the theaters and calls one inside,” Kerns says in an open letter. “It’s a logo with movement, with pull, that also lets the film images shine. It’s a logo befitting not just of a film festival but of year-round community. It frames the movies while drawing us together to experience them.”

The logo and website were designed by Milwaukee studio Northern Ground.

According to Shorewood and the project managers, the pavement on Oakland Avenue has deteriorated, requiring it to be replaced. The village will also upgrade underground infrastructure by replacing water mains, laterals, sewers and any lead pipes.

The newly constructed road will include curb extensions and enhanced bicycle accommodations. The village said it will remain the same width.

Also, rectangular rapid flash beacons will be installed at Elmdale Court and Glendale Avenue to improve pedestrian safety. They are also going to replace and modify RRFBs at Jarvis Street.

The southbound right turn lane at Metro Market will also be removed.

The link here is to the Google Calendar. It is also on:

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/westallisboardgames
• https://gamenight.host/@wa_bgn

Anyone is welcome to suggest the next schedule for Feb (I'm limited to Monday, Thursday, and Friday evenings, but I don't need to be present at all gatherings), or to share ideas about how we could leave Google or Facebook.

Anyway, hope to see some of you there! Come with your favorite board games or bring nothing; people always have titles they're willing to teach!

Shorewood is only 1.5 square miles, and it isn't cheap real estate. Moving it into Riverworks would make sense. They already have a post office annex over on Holton Street.

Milwaukee could get a new public works facility, but it would be for a neighboring suburb.

The Village of Shorewood is looking to move its public works facility to a vacant, 4.2-acre site near Capitol Drive.

A newly filed occupancy permit request is just the latest step in a long-running effort by the village to relocate its public works operation from a constrained, New Deal-era site located between the Oak Leaf Trail and N. Morris Boulevard.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is demanding reports from Milwaukee’s two public transit systems about their plans and funding for addressing fare evasion.

In letters sent Friday afternoon, FTA Administrator Marcus Molinaro demanded the heads of the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) and, curiously, The Hop provide the information by Dec. 22. If the entities don’t respond, the letters say funding could be withheld.

In a letter to Milwaukee County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Interim Director John Rodgers, the FTA is asking for MCTS “actions and plans” reducing crime and fare evasion, and a breakdown of all funding being used to improve transit security and reduce crime and fare evasion. The agency also told MCTS it should “expeditiously and appropriately” begin targeting FTA grants for projects addressing crime and fare evasion.

I blame Motorhead, lol

But for real why was it so hard to find any Milwaukee based communities in the fediverse? It could be use error I'm kinda slow

A local man is headed to municipal court in Shorewood Dec. 2 to challenge a claim that he trespassed on a private beach.

The case could serve as a test of just how much access the public has to Lake Michigan’s shoreline. It’s a question that has yet to be definitively decided in Wisconsin.

Shorewood native Paul Florsheim is a professor at UWM’s Zilber School of Public Health.

He says for years, he’s walked the winding path down to Shorewood’s public Atwater Beach, and then headed north, walking the shoreline below homes along Lake Drive.

“I sort of beelined for the shoreline because my understanding has always been that along the shoreline, you can walk,” Florsheim says.

But late last summer, Florsheim’s routine was broken when a homeowner just north of Atwater Beach told Florsheim he was trespassing.