The city of Milwaukee wants people to vote by mail in both the August and November elections. On Monday, the city sent out more than 250,000 voter information mailers to households explaining how to register online and request mail-in ballots. Officials are hoping to curb some of the difficulties with mail-in ballots that took place in the April spring election and presidential primary. That includes difficulties faced by Synovia Moss. The lecturer at the UW-Milwaukee School of Continuing

As coronavirus cases increase in Wisconsin, the state’s largest school district is proposing a virtual start to the upcoming school year. Milwaukee Public Schools leaders are calling for a phased-in reopening of schools — beginning with virtual instruction for all students, for at least the first 30 days. Read the MPS reopening proposal here Depending on the public health outlook, the district could move into phase 2, which involves students rotating two days a week in classrooms. If

Updated Tuesday at 1:29 p.m. CT The Milwaukee Common Council voted unanimously Monday to institute a citywide mandatory mask requirement. Under the ordinance, anybody age 3 and older would have to wear a face-covering in buildings open to the public, as well as any outdoor public space when it’s not possible to stay 6 feet away from people who aren’t in the same household. There are exceptions for medical conditions or religious reasons. The Milwaukee Health Department, not the police, would be

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue estimates at least 200,000 Wisconsin residents haven't filed their state and federal income tax forms ahead of Wednesday night's deadline. This year's filing date was pushed back three months to July 15 due to COVID-19, and there are still some impacts of the coronavirus on the process . Just like when taxes are due on April 15, the state believes the great majority of last-minute filers this summer are people who owe money. No sense in paying the IRS or the

It’s been about a year since the city of Wauwatosa created its Equity and Inclusion Commission. The goal of the advisory group is to advise the mayor and common council on ways to promote a positive environment for people of color who live and visit the city. In the wake of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis, the commission is getting more attention. To Sean Lowe, the commission's chairman, racial equity looks like reform on many levels. “Bringing forth the recommendation that all the city of

The Milwaukee Common Council Health and Public Safety Committee on Thursday approved an ordinance to require masks whenever an individual is in public. The ordinance, now headed to the full council, was introduced by Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic. She says she was spurred into action thinking about her son and his safety. She says the fact that Wisconsin set another single-day high with 754 cases reported on Thursday is troubling. “We have just a small amount of time here. We are not doing

Updated on July 14 at 3:27 p.m. CT The Trump administration dropped its plans to impose restrictions on the number of online classes international students in the U.S. are allowed to take in the upcoming school year. The reversal was announced at a hearing in the lawsuit brought against federal officials by Harvard and MIT. Earlier in the week, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul joined 16 other states in a lawsuit opposing the ICE rule. The lawsuit includes statements from Wisconsin

Updated Friday at 10:25 a.m. CT Newly elected Alderwoman JoCasta Zamarripa is receiving a salary from the Wisconsin Legislature and Milwaukee City Hall. In April, the Democratic state Assembly member was elected to the Milwaukee Common Council as the first Latina and first openly out member of the LGBTQ community. Zamarripa is a member of three working committees of the Common Council, one of which is the Community and Economic Development Committee where she serves as the vice chair. There are

On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Common Council narrowly confirmed the appointment of Claire Woodall-Vogg as the executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission. After an hour-long discussion, Woodall-Vogg was approved in a vote of 8 to 7. Woodall-Vogg’s appointment comes with a bit of urgency as the Aug. 11 partisan primary draws near. The job was open because former Executive Director Neil Albrecht announced plans to retire. Mayor Tom Barrett appointed Woodall-Vogg to take Albrecht’s place.

Updated Thursday at 9:51 a.m. CT Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said Wednesday that he plans to seek federal approval to restart a long-stalled project to expand a 3.5-mile stretch of Interstate 94 around Milwaukee. Then-Gov. Scott Walker abandoned the project in 2017, when it came with a price tag close to $1 billion. The plans were to expand the east-west corridor from four to eight lanes to ease congestion in a stretch identified as one of the most dangerous in the state that runs from the