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The latest update from the National Weather Service (as of 9:34 p.m. Friday) is still calling for one to three inches of rain in the area, and maybe more, overnight. A flash flood watch remains in effect.

The best chances for heavy rainfall will come after 2 a.m.

See the full update here.

South Milwaukee received 6.65 inches of rain on Thursday at the wastewater treatment facility on 5th Avenue.

That’s the sixth-most of all reporting stations in the area, behind three in Milwaukee and one each in Oak Creek and Franklin. The latter two are significant because the heavy rains there ultimately drain into Oak Creek, which remained above flood stage Thursday night.

According to this report from the National Weather Service, Oak Creek in South Milwaukee stood at 9.4 feet as of 9:25 p.m., well above its flood stage of eight feet.

Click here for the complete storm totals. And check out this map to see which areas got hit the worst.

The city has posted a flooding update on its website. Read it here.

Here are some experpts and additional information.

• The emergency remains in effect.
• Tonight’s Heritage Week Car Cruise has been cancelled (the car show remains on). Lionsfest remains on for this weekend, as does the Heritage Days parade. The Friends of the Mill Pond and Oak Creek Duck Race  is still on, but instead of running the ducks down Oak Creek, raffle tickets will be drawn to determine prize winners. The festivities begin at at 2 p.m. Saturday near Mill Road and Oak Creek Parkway.
• The 1400 block of Oak Creek Parkway (near the high school) and 200 block of Hawthorne remain closed.
• South Milwaukee residents that have debris to be removed due to flooding should place the items at the curb and call 768-8075 for a special pickup on Monday. Also, the self-deposit station is open today and Saturday during its regular hours.
• All Milwaukee County outdoor pools are closed today, including Grobschmidt Pool in South Milwaukee.
• All South Milwaukee School District recreation programs and student activities are cancelled Friday due to the flooding. The fitness center at the high school is also closed on Friday.

Oak Creek remained at flood stage as of 9:35 a.m. today.

The river stood at 9.3 feet, well above flood stage, which starts at eight feet. A 10-year flood occurs when the river is at 8.9 feet, acording to the National Weather Service. Minor Oak Creek flooding is being reported.

Here is the complete statement.

And we’re not done yet. A flash food watch is still in effect, as another one to three inches of rain, or more, is likely today and tonight. Here is the radar.

Here is a good roundup story from the Journal Sentinel.

The city has posted information for those with flood damage from the ongoing storms. Check out the information here.

To report flood damage, please call the city at 762-2222 and leave a message if you do not reach a city official.

We also request that all citizens and businesses call Milwaukee County 2-1-1 to report their storm/flood damage, as the 2-1-1 staff will be compiling daily reports of Milwaukee County damages.  Cell phone users should call 877-947-2211.

Questions? Please call the South Milwaukee Health Department at 768-8055.

This page on the FEMA site may also help. And check out this information from the Red Cross.

Flooded basements and roadways. Oak Creek overspilling its banks. Submerged cars. Washed out roads. Those were the types of calls flowing into police throughout the flooding emergency Thursday night.

I’d like to know how you were impacted by the flooding. Share your comments below.

Update: As of 10:30 p.m. or so, more than six inches of rain was reported at the South Milwaukee wastewater treatment facility on Thursday, and it’s raining as I post this at 11:30 p.m. And there’s more bad news: More heavy rain is possible Friday.

The city has declared a state of emergency due to today’s flooding.

See the full press release on the city website here. Here is an excerpt:

A number of streets have been flooded across the city. Also, the Oak Creek rose quickly during the storm and may continue to rise, creating additional roadway hazards. A sandbagging effort is underway to protect city sewage lift stations.

Residents are urged to be cautious when driving and avoid driving through any flooded streets.

Property owners who experience flood damage to their homes or businesses should contact City Hall at 414-762-2222 to report their problems. If you do not reach an official, please leave a message with your name, phone number, address and specific problem.

Only those with actual life-threatening or medical emergencies should call 911.

The city will do a complete damage assessment on Friday.

Of course, you can call me anytime on my cell phone at 841-8901.

How has the flooding impacted you? Post your comments below.

• Panel Recommends Supreme Court Reprimand Former Cudahy Municipal Judge (Journal Sentinel)
• Two Motorcycle Fatalities Under Investigation (Journal Sentinel)
• Court Appearance Ordered for Former Football League Treasurer (Journal Sentinel)
• 8 Communities Plus MMSD Report Sewer Overflows (Journal Sentinel)
• Cudahy Development Plan Seeking $2.5 Million in City Financing (Journal Sentinel)

Update: Here is a link to Journal Sentinel coverage of the race, and click here for some wonderful photos from Peleton-Pix.com. 

From our great sponsors to all of our volunteers, a big thanks to everyone who made Tuesday’s Bucyrus International Cycling Classic possible.

It was a huge undertaking, but, boy, was it worth it. What a great day!

I am hoping this becomes a staple of Heritage Week for years to come. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate what makes South Milwaukee a great place to live … and to showcase our community to those who haven’t yet discovered us.

Were you there? Let me know what you think. Post a comment below. Also answer the new poll question on the right hand side of the main page.

There is a guilty plea in one of the two South Milwaukee murder cases of 2010.

Joshua D. Wollinger has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second degree reckless homicide in the April death of Richard E. Ostrowski, according to online court records. He was found guilty in the case on Thursday.

Wollinger was remanded to the custody of the Sheriff’s Department, and he will be sentenced on Sept. 1.

Wollinger was initially charged with first degree intentional homicide in the case.

Heritage Week is underway … and it promises to be a memorable one.

Sunday’s 100th birthday of Grant Park was a great event, and that was just the start.

The newest addition to the Heritage Week lineup is the Bucyrus International Cycling Classic on Tuesday. I have had the pleasure of serving on the organizing committee for this event, and it promises to be a great day of competitive bike racing and family fun.

Races begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 8 p.m. along a beautiful 2.8-mile course through downtown South Milwaukee and the Oak Creek Parkway. We also have a special vendor fair (and Downtown Market) planned at 8th and Milwaukee Avenue and a variety of children’s activities near the start/finish line at 9th and Milwaukee. The youth activities, brought to you by the YMCA and Wheaton Franciscan Medical Group, begin at 3 p.m.

Learn more at www.smbikerace.com.

Some Heritage Week traditions are then planned the rest of the week — the firehouse spaghetti dinner on Wednesday, Evening on the Avenue/Downtown Market on Thursday, the car cruise on Friday, the parade and duck race on Saturday and Lionsfest all weekend.

You can see a full Heritage Week schedule at www.SouthMilwaukee.org.

Update: Check out the comments section below for more information on funeral services and memorials. And here is a link to a great story on John in the Journal Sentinel from 2006.

“Rocket” John Bogadi, hailed as the “legendary super fan” of South Milwaukee High School athletics and a 4th District resident, died on Thursday in Texas, according to an item on the school district website.

Here is the story:

“Rocket John Bogadi passed away in Texas on July 15, 2010, at the age of 86. He supported his Rockets like no other. We hope that everyone will remember his smiling face, kind words and genuine respect for all of those involved in high school athletics. He was a 1942 graduate of SMHS who played 3 years of football, and all 5 of his children were SM grads. He served our country proudly as a Marine in WWII and retired from Northwest Airlines in 1983. He attended thousands of SM events over 60+ years, and from the late 80’s to today, became the legendary super fan of Rocket athletics.”

Did you know John? Have a story to share? Post a comment below.

South Milwaukee’s Grobschmidt Pool will reopen Saturday after being closed since late June due to a chemical spill and flooding, Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik said in an email today.

That’s great news as we approach what could be the hottest stretch of weather in some time for next week.

Learn more about all of the county pools here.

Here is news of note from around the South Shore …

• Ex-Im Bank Bank Advances Loan Guarantees for Bucyrus Equipment (Journal Sentinel)
• Driver Survives Plunge Over Cudahy Cliff (WTMJ radio)
• Youth Football Treasurer Accused of Vacationing on League Funds (Journal Sentinel)
• Motorcyclist Killed in Oak Creek Crash (WISN)
• State Filings Up 27% as Races Draw Many Candidates and 2010 Election Filings (Journal Sentinel)
• Cudahy Man Faces 9th Drunk-Driving Charge (Journal Sentinel)
• Patrick Cudahy, Its Plan Recovering a Year After Blaze (Journal Sentinel)
• Philly Way to Open in Cudahy (Journal Sentinel)
• Oak Creek Wants County to Dredge Bender Park Harbor (Journal Sentinel)

So, the Hoan Bridge will get some immediate repairs after all, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Good. It certainly needs it, with chunks of concrete falling from the span and the roadway in pretty poor shape in stretches.

From the Journal Sentinel story:

The work is expected to be completed in 2011 at a cost of $12 million to $17 million, according to the plan outlined by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. While the potholes on the bridge are filled, the state will spend $650,000 on an engineering inspection to guide the decision-making on the future of the Hoan, which opened in 1977.

An “inspection to guide the decision-making on the future of the Hoan” — that is the best news of all coming out of this.

I sincerely hope this engineering “inspection” injects some facts into a debate about the long-term future of the bridge, facts that have until now been lacking in the race to redeck the span. Keep in mind that complete re-decking will likely cost well over $200 million, so I feel strongly that we must do all we can to ensure that keeping the bridge essentially as-is for the next several decades is truly the right course of action here.

This inspection, I hope, provides the information needed to determine that. It’s the right thing to do.

Of course, this is where other area political leaders and I diverge on this issue.

From the Journal Sentinel story:

“I am pleased that the DOT is planning some repair to the Hoan Bridge and am especially glad the DOT will perform an engineering inspection,” said Patricia Jursik, a county supervisor and a founder of the Coalition to Save the Hoan. “However, I am concerned that minor redecking will delay the complete redecking so desperately needed,” she said. “We cannot put this off any longer.”

I disagree. We can, and should, take as much time as we can, until we have the right information to make the right, fact-based decision that is in the best interest of the region for the long term. These upcoming repairs will hopefully buy us that time.