Author Archives: Erik Brooks

From the Friends of the South Milwaukee Library …

After a year off, the South Milwaukee Lighted Christmas Parade returns in 2021, as part of a full day of holiday activities in and around City Hall.

Check out the graphic for more information … and sign up for the parade here.

Please share this information far and wide, and let’s light up South Milwaukee with this unique event!

We lost Richard Grobschmidt much too soon in 2016. His memory, however, will live on for future generations as the namesake of one of the area’s most beautiful pieces of architecture.

The public is invited to the dedication of the Richard A. Grobschmidt Memorial Bridge at 11:30 a.m. this Saturday, Oct. 16, at the bridge, located at Lakeshore State Park, 500 N. Harbor Drive.

Parking is available at Discovery World, or on the street near the north gate of Summerfest.

I hope see to you there. More information on the naming here.

Here is your updated schedule. Like the Facebook page for regular updates.

And thanks to everyone who plays a role in delivering these special special events!

From the South Milwaukee Street Department …

And on Facebook.

It’s a festival like no other — four days of fun, and a special weekend for our city.

Thanks to all of the volunteers working tirelessly to pull this together!

The South Milwaukee and St. Francis Health Department has COVID-19 booster clinics planned for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both Monday in Cudahy and Wednesday in St. Francis.

From the department …

The Oak Creek, Cudahy, and South Milwaukee/St. Francis Health Departments will be offering weekly booster dose clinics across the south shore. 

The Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine that has been approved by the FDA and CDC for booster doses. You must be at least 18 years old, at least 6 months must have passed since you received your second dose of Pfizer, and you must be a member of one of the eligible groups listed below in order to receive a booster vaccine at this time. If you received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you are not eligible for a booster dose at this time. 

We currently have 2 booster dose clinics scheduled. 

To make an appointment, please click on the links found here.

Also, the Health Department will no longer be offering walk-in vaccinations. Instead, it will be offering vaccines by appointment only on Tuesdays or Fridays. Please call 414-768-8055 ext. 3 to schedule.

We need more South Milwaukeeans to get vaccinated. South Milwaukee continues to lag on vaccinations, with just 50.6% of residents fully vaccinated.

Cases continue to rise locally.

Friday’s data shows 33 new COVID cases in South Milwaukee this week, with our burden rate increasing to 318. We also had a new COVID death in our city.

Six South Milwaukee School District students are currently isolating due a positive case, while another 185 are absent due to symptoms or a close contact determination. Seven staff are currently isolating or quarantining due to a positive case, symptoms or close contact.

• Here is the October 1, 2021, COVID-19 update from the South Milwaukee/St. Francis Health Department.
• Situational Briefings, including burden rate can be found here: https://bit.ly/SMSituationalBriefs
• Find school data here.
• Looking for COVID-19 vaccination information? Sign up for email notifications on our COVID-19 vaccine efforts. Sign up today! https://bit.ly/COVIDVaccineCommSignup
• For information on where you can get tested for COVID-19 in your community, visit: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/community-testing.htm

Find the latest schedule here, and follow the Facebook page for updates!

Strong progress on the Oak Creek Watershed Restoration Plan continues, as work begins to wrap up ahead of its year-end delivery.

You can see the plan draft and more information here.

The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission is holding a stakeholder meeting to review the critical Chapter 6 “Plan Recommenations” tonight (Sept. 29) at 6 p.m.

Here are the details from SEWRPC …

UPDATE! Our next Stakeholder meeting is scheduled for TONIGHT, Wednesday, September 29th from 6 – 7:30 pm and will occur online.

This meeting will include a review and discussion of partial Chapter 6 (Plan Recommendations) for the Introduction, Water Quality, Habitat, Recreation, and Flooding recommendation sections of SEWRPC Community Assistance Planning Report No. 330, A Restoration Plan for the Oak Creek Watershed. We will also review and discuss the final partial Chapter 6 (Plan Recommendations) for the Public Awareness, Priority Projects, Measuring Progress, Implementation, and Technical and Financial Assistance sections of SEWRPC Community Assistance Planning Report No. 330, A Restoration Plan for the Oak Creek Watershed.

The draft chapter text and meeting agenda can be found on the project website at www.sewrpc.org/oakcreekwrp. Please use the link below to join us.

Oak Creek Stakeholder Meeting

Wed, Sep 29, 2021 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM (CDT)

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/580263373

You can also dial in using your phone.

United States: +1 (408) 650-3123

Access Code: 580-263-373

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/580263373

From the South Milwaukee Fire Department …

SMFD responded to a report of smoke in the area of 1522 Minnesota Avenue at approximately 11AM this morning.  While en route, SMPD Dispatch notified them that officers were on the scene reporting that smoke was coming from a chimney and other places.  The level of alarm was upgraded to a working fire.  Upon arrival, SMFD units encountered moderate smoke and heat conditions in a 2^nd floor apartment and extinguished the fire.  Investigators are currently still on scene, but the area of origin appears to be in and around a bathroom in that unit.  Two other apartments had smoke and water damage.  No injuries were reported. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the displaced families.

I love fall in South Milwaukee. That means it’s Rocketober!

And while the list of events is a little shorter this year, there is still plenty to celebrate in coming weeks, all leading up to Halloween trick-or-treating.

Check out the PDF schedule here, and on the Rocketober Facebook page.

Please patronize these local events! (And if I missed something, email me at brooks@smwi.org.)

One is a manufacturer who found the space it needed to accomodate rapid growth in support of the world’s largest shipping companies.

Another is an espresso and milkshake business owned by two local entrepreneurs looking to build on their successful food truck operation with a brick-and-mortar location.

Another is a young couple going all in on their love of baking for farmers’ markets to now include a storefront and wholesale operation.

All of them chose South Milwaukee in which to grow.

And they are not alone. Here are a few stops I made just this week.

Steele Solutions

I was excited to meet Steele Solutions, Inc. owner, President and CEO Kevin O’Neill and his team on Monday. He took us on a tour of their manufacturing facility in the former Bucyrus campus, where we got to hear about the millions of dollars of investment and up 200 jobs they are bringing to our city, as they look to serve customers like FedEx, UPS and Amazon in the fast-growing mezzanine and steel structure business. They are committed to growing here and will be an anchor for the reborn campus, and our downtown. Welcome to South Milwaukee!

Better Together Cafe

This is another small business success story for South Milwaukee — and an amazing transformation of this space. The espresso milkshakes aren’t bad either. Learn more about Zach, Becky and the Better Together Cafe (now open in the former Dairy Queen at 1301 N. Chicago Ave.) on their website and Facebook. And try the s’mores shake, shown here.

Wild Flour/Stephen’s Breads

I was also happy to welcome Stephen and Christine Blanchard to South Milwaukee, as the new owners of Wild Flour Bakery downtown. They are committed to investing in the business, from wholesaling to farmers’ markets to the retail bakery at 1205 Milwaukee Avenue — and the upgrades are already underway. Welcome to South Milwaukee! https://www.facebook.com/WildFlourBakeryMilwaukee/

More here … https://amp.jsonline.com/amp/8345204002

The Hammer is back in South Milwaukee!

From the Thursday evening parade, pep rally and bonfire to the 51-8 victory over Cudahy to the halftime ceremony with the announcement of the $1 million contribution from the Bucyrus Foundation for a new football field … Homecoming 2021 was a really fun couple of days for the entire community.

Relive it with some amazing images from J&J Double Take. Thanks, Julie and Jodi!

Thursday: Parade

Thursday: Pep Rally and Bonfire

Friday’s Game: South Milwaukee 51, Cudahy 8

It’s Homecoming Week! Show your support this Thursday and Friday, as the Rockets prepare to take on Cudahy and try to win back the Hammer.

Thursday Homecoming Events

• 6 p.m. Parade begins. Staging is near 15th and Maple Avenues, and the parade heads north on 15th to Oak Creek Parkway, ending near the pep rally and bonfire.
• After the parade (about 6:45 p.m.): Homecoming pep rally, behind Galewski Field
• After the pep rally (about 7 p.m.): Homecoming bonfire

Then at 7 p.m. on Friday it’s kickoff against the Packers! The Rockets are looking to rebound from last week’s loss to Whitnall after opening the season 3-0. Cudahy is 0-3 and has been outscored, 127-0, so far this season.

If you haven’t yet experienced this tradition, you should. Go Rockets!

Thanks to J&J DoubleTake for the beautiful photos from last week’s game against Whitnall.

Thank you to the South Milwaukee School District and South Milwaukee Police Department for their professional handling of these dual threats today. Thankfully, three suspects were quickly identified, with one arrest.

Here is the SMPD press release …

On the morning of September 14, 2021, the South Milwaukee Police Department was notified of a threat toward the South Milwaukee High School. The threat came to a student, via text message, indicating the school would be ‘shot up.’

The South Milwaukee Police Department investigated the incident and arrested a 16 year old juvenile, from Milwaukee, as a result of the investigation. The arrestee is not a current student at South Milwaukee High School.

On the morning of September 14, 2021, the South Milwaukee Police Department was also notified of a photo which included a bomb threat toward the South Milwaukee Schools.

The South Milwaukee Police Department investigated the incident, identified two suspects and have interviewed both juveniles, who admitted to the threat. There is no actual threat of harm, based on the investigation. The juveniles will be referred for charges.

The South Milwaukee High School and Middle have resumed classes.