Beats Me

Just like Milwaukee, thousands of lead service lines deliver water from the main into Wauwatosa households. Wauwatosa's public works director David Simpson estimates nearly 10,000 of its 15,000 customers have lead pipes feeding water into their homes.

Along the shore of Lake Michigan, a coal-burning power plant occupies more than 1,000 acres of land in Oak Creek. Joe Dubanewicz, who lives nearby, has been wondering about the plant, so he reached out to WUWM's Beats Me with his concerns. “I am wondering if the coal ash ponds are leaching into the groundwater. Who tests the groundwater and are there any monitoring stations for coal dust?” he asks. Joe's questions are specially relevant given We Energies admitted that a wind event on March 6,

Many educators throughout Milwaukee and Wisconsin have embraced the Montessori learning method. Not exactly sure what makes a Montessori school different? You aren't alone. Working your way down the list of schools within MPS, you’ll see a variety: lots of what most people refer to as “traditional” public schools, some charters, language immersion, gifted & talented…and a handful of Montessori programs. Listener Ben Rangel works in education, and has spent plenty of time in Milwaukee

Like many Milwaukeans, Deb Schampers of Bay View has driven past the wind turbine just south of the Hoan Bridge countless times. For years, she’s been wondering about it: Why is it there? Why only one? Who benefits? Just for fun, during her daily commutes, Deb made up her own answers -- “It was possibly helping us make Milorganite for the world... It’s heating the ovens at DiMarini’s (a pizza place a half mile from the turbine.)” Not satisfied with her made up stories, Deb reached out to WUWM’s

In Milwaukee, there are more school options than ever for families to choose from. So many, that making a choice can seem overwhelming to some. With such a wide selection, how do parents go about picking a school for their kids? This week marks National School Choice Week . And organizers say, the celebration is not just about voucher schools. “We’re talking about all options: traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online academies, private schools and

Greenfield resident Anah Radatz has been religiously recycling for years, and has wondered what happens to her empty milk jugs and newspapers. So, she reached out to Beats Me. _ _ “The main thing I wanted to know is do people handle this? [Is it] all conveyer belts or [do] people put plastic gloves and handle it?” Anah adds, “Because I’m really good about rinsing out everything.” Her question led WUWM’s environmental reporter Susan Bence to Johns Disposal Services in rural Racine County. That’s

Wisconsin is home to arguably the largest school choice scene in the country, and many local parents are aware of the public and private school options available to them. But there’s one lesser-known alternative: homeschooling. Tim Cushman of Mequon submitted a question to WUWM's Beats Me series asking for basic information about homeschooling and what it looks like in southeastern Wisconsin. The state defines “homeschooling” as a home-based private educational program – basically, it’s a parent

Milwaukee County is home to 15,325 acres of parkland. There are 158 unique parks are rooted across the region – from Joseph Lichter Park in the north to Oakwood in the south; from tiny Pompeii Square nestled beneath a tangle of downtown freeway spurs to 626-acre Whitnall Park. But, why is Milwaukee home to so many parks? That’s the question Beth Van Gorp had on her mind when she reached out to WUWM’s Beats Me series. To get to the why, WUWM’s environmental reporter Susan Bence had to start at