by | October 22, 2012 · 10:10 pm

Caterpillar’s Continued Gloomy Outlook

Caterpillar further reduced its 2012 forecasts and reiterated its concerns for global growth as it reported its third-quarter earnings on Tuesday.

Check out coverage from Reuters, the Wall Street Journal and Associated Press. From the Journal:

Last month, Caterpillar predicted revenue for the year would be about $2 billion lower than the midpoint of its July revenue range of between $68 billion and $70 billion. On Monday, it chopped an additional $1 billion from its revenue forecast and shaved its 2012 profit outlook, reinforcing a view of rapidly deteriorating end-market demand.

“As we’ve moved through the year, we’ve seen continued economic weakening and uncertainty,” Chairman and Chief Executive Doug Oberhelman said. “It’s definitely impacting our business with dealers intending to lower inventories and mining customers delaying some projects and reducing orders.”

Caterpillar has dialed down production rates, temporarily idling some assembly plants and laying off workers. It said lowered production rates would likely accelerate during the fourth-quarter and extend into the first quarter of 2013. But executives stressed that the slowdown is likely to be temporary.

“We think the opportunity for growth still exists in 2014 and 2015, and you have to make sure you’re ready,” said Chief Financial Officer Ed Rapp during an interview.

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by | October 22, 2012 · 5:48 pm

Report: South Milwaukee Man Arrested In Oak Creek Bank Robbery

Oak Creek Patch has the story …

According to the Oak Creek Police Department logbook, a security guard at Caterpillar’s South Milwaukee facility reported seeing a man matching the description of the suspect talking with a Caterpillar employee.

The employee told police the suspect is his roommate. A detective then went to the suspect’s South Milwaukee apartment and arrested him.

Online court records show the man, who had not been charged as of noon Monday, has open cases in Milwaukee and Racine counties for misdemeanor retail theft. He remains in Milwaukee County Jail.

Nice job, Caterpillar security guard.

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by | October 21, 2012 · 9:04 am

South Milwaukee Fire Forces 12 People From Their Apartments

Update: The Red Cross has been called to help those displaced by the fire. And the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more details — including word that South Milwaukee police helped evacuate some from the building. 

Thankfully, no one had to be taken to the hospital following the fire Sunday morning at 708-710 Madison Ave., although there was damage to all three apartments.

Here is the update from Acting South Milwaukee Fire Chief Joe Knitter …

At approximately 5:17 this morning, South Milwaukee 9-1-1 Dispatch received a call from the occupants of the third floor apartment at 710A Madison Avenue reporting that their bathroom was on fire.  The building is a multi-family apartment building with three addresses, 708-710 & 710A Madison Avenue. Upon arrival of South Milwaukee Police and Fire units, occupants were in the process of self-evacuating while fire vented through the roof above the rear, northwest corner of the building. 

Firefighters made their way up the narrow, winding staircase to the third floor and found significant fire involvement in the bathroom and above their heads in the attic area.  Walls and ceilings had to be pulled to access the fire that continued to burn. 

In all, 12 occupants were evacuated from the three apartments with one receiving medical evaluation on scene and refusing transport.  Damage in the attic was extensive throughout with significant damage to the rear portion of the third floor apartment and water damage to the 2nd and 1st floor apartments.

The initial fire response included assistance from Cudahy, St. Francis, Oak Creek, and the 128th Air Refueling wing.  In addition, a MABAS Box alarm was requested due to the numerous void spaces that would have to be opened up to check for fire extension and the extensive overhaul that would be required.  The MABAS alarm brings units from Greenfield, Greendale, Franklin to the scene and Hales Corners, who provides staffing to cover our station and respond to subsequent calls.

The fire remains under investigation at this time, but accidental, intentional and providential causes have been eliminated with close examination of the electrical system in the third floor apartment continuing.

Please keep these families in your prayers … and say another thank you to our firefighters for the work they do. I’ll keep you posted.

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by | October 20, 2012 · 9:54 pm

In-Person Absentee Voting Opens Monday

Starting Monday, you can vote at City Hall.

In-person absentee voting runs from Oct. 22 through Friday, Nov. 2, and you can vote during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 2424 15th Ave.

Learn more on the city website’s elections page, which includes sample ballots and district maps.

Remember: No photo ID is necessary, but voters will have to sign the poll book before receiving a ballot.

And you can register at City Hall. From the city site:

Voters can register at the City Clerk’s office prior to the election date or at the polling place on election day. Voters should bring their Wisconsin driver’s license or state ID card when registering. If the information on your license does not list your current address, additional documentation with the current address will be needed to establish residency. A voter must have lived at their residence for at least 28 consecutive days prior to registering. Remember, you must change your voter registration if you are new to the city, have changed residences within the city or if you had a legal name change. 

Of course, Election Day is Nov. 6.

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by | October 20, 2012 · 9:53 pm

Oak Creek Bank Robbery And Other Headlines

Check out these local headlines …

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by | October 20, 2012 · 7:46 am

South Milwaukee Football Team Falls In First Round Of Playoffs

Brookfield Central rolled to a 33-8 victory over South Milwaukee Friday night in the first round of the WIAA playoffs, ending the season for the Rockets.

Here is a game story. And here are stats.

After losing their first two games of the season, South Milwaukee finished 5-4 — and landed a share of the Woodland Conference East title, their first conference title since 1980.

Congratulations on a good season!

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by | October 19, 2012 · 9:57 pm

Haunted Grant Park? And Other Headlines

The Wisconsin Gazette has an interesting roundup of haunted local places, and that includes Grant Park’s Seven Bridges.

Check out the story here, and these other South Shore headlines …

And State Sen. Chris Larson has published a new Larson Report. The headline: “Democratic Legislators Push for Accountability.”

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by | October 18, 2012 · 9:52 pm

Report: South Woods Of Cudahy Closing

The South Shore is losing an institution.

South Woods is closing later this month after 42 years in business, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

See the story here.

Owner Larry Burss cited factors including the rising price of beef and seafood and the prohibitive expense of making the lower-level banquet room fully accessible for customers with disabilities.

It’s been an emotional week since making the decision to close, he said. “A lot of people, I’ve known for 40 years,” he said.

Burss started working at South Woods in 1974 as a dishwasher; at 16 he was cooking, and at 18 he was tending bar. In 1992, he bought the business.

Although he and his wife are closing South Woods, he’s not leaving the restaurant business.

Starting Nov. 5, he’ll manage banquets at Joe’s K Ranch, about two miles away at 4840 S. Whitnall Ave. in Cudahy.

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by | October 18, 2012 · 4:52 pm

Council Update: Wastewater Treatment Projects, Drug Paraphernalia, Emerald Ash Borer, Foreclosure Demolition … And Spirits

From Tuesday’s South Milwaukee City Council meeting …

  • The council voted 7-0 to award a contract of more than $4.5 million to C.D. Smith Construction for a variety of necessary upgrades to the Wastewater Treatment Facility. This includes construction of a new ultraviolet disinfection system, a new pumping system, a new diesel generator to serve as a backup power source for the plant, various upgrades to the plant’s secondary digester, new “tube mixers,” and a new plant power distribution system. The rate increase approved earlier this year will fund the project. Learn more in my previous posts here and here.
  • The council voted 7-0 to give first reading to an ordinance around drug paraphernalia. This ordinance adopts the state statute locally, stating this: “No person may use, or possess with the primary intent to use, drug paraphernalia to plant, propagate, cultivate, grow, harvest, manufacture, compound, convert, produce, process, prepare, test, analyze, pack, repack, store, contain, conceal, inject, ingest, inhale or otherwise introduce into the human body a controlled substance or controlled substance analog in violation of this chapter. Any person who violates this subsection may be fined not more than $500.” An important goal of adopting this ordinance change: Stop local businesses from selling gear that while not solely used for drug use, is clearly meant to be used for just that purpose.
  • The council voted 6-1 to match a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grant that will help us take a big first step in fighting back against the emerald ash borer. The city recently applied for a $46,000 grant from the DNR, with $23,000 of those funds coming from the city and the other half from the state. If we get the money, the grant will pay for mapping all trees on city-owned land and in the street right of way, preparation of emerald ash borer preparedness and urban forest management plans, and production of information materials. I am a strong supporter of this initial step because, at this point, we don’t know what we don’t know when it comes to EAB. We don’t know how widespread nor how acute the EAB infestation is in South Milwaukee – nor do we have a plan for next steps once we do know this information. This funding will answer those questions … giving us the education we need to make an informed decision. Doing nothing is really not an option here.
  • The council voted 7-0 to approve spending up to $8,400 on demolition of a foreclosed home at 3804 4th Ave. I consider this a sad case study in the impact of the foreclosure crisis on neighborhoods. This home has been abandoned for some time – the owner apparently walked away from the mortgage – and the demolition was a long time coming (too long) because of the complexities so commonly associated with the foreclosure process. While lawyers, lenders and others spent years trying to bring this to a conclusion – including spending months fighting just over who actually owns the property – the home became a hazard as its foundation crumbled. It got so bad that a neighbor’s driveway has been damaged by the deterioration. The demolition will at least stop the damage, bring this property a step closer to being a home again … and conclude, for now, a story that is unfortunately playing out across the country, one neighborhood at a time.

Also, the next City Council meeting is Nov. 13, rescheduled from Nov. 6 (Election Day). The other council meeting next month will be Nov. 27, when the budget will be considered.

And, finally, the newly formed Chapter 68 Appeals Committee, at its meeting Monday night, voted to deny the variance sought by the owner of Spirits Bar & Grill for installation of an automatic sprinkling system. Spirits suffered a major fire in May, and owned Ed Abrams is looking to rebuild. However, city ordinances are clear: The rebuilt establishment must have an automatic sprinkling system, for safety reasons. Abrams told the panel that he wants the exception because he can not afford the estimated $50,000 it will cost to install the system, and insurance will not fund it. I am not sure what the denial will mean to the future of Spirits, but I will keep you posted.

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by | October 18, 2012 · 9:04 am

Rocket Update: South Milwaukee Sports News

Check out the latest edition of Rocket Update, the South Milwaukee School District’s sports news source.

The latest edition, published Tuesday, includes updates on all the fall sports, including information on the WIAA playoff-bound football team — which was named a Preps Plus Team of the Week this week.

The update also has this item on the boys’ volleyball coach from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and this item on the cross-country team …

The Rockets hosted the Woodland Conference Cross Country Championships last Friday on a fantastic fall day. Sophomore Josh Janusiak finished in 6th place in the boys meet, earning first-team all-conference status with a time of 16:37 (a pace of 5:21 per mile in the 5K race). In the girls’ race, senior Abbie Fakler earned 3rd team All-Woodland by taking 18th place in a time of 16:05 (1 pace of 6:29 per mile in the 4K race) and freshman Rebecca Heller earned 2nd team All-Woodland with a time of 15:57 (a pace of 6:25 per mile in the 4K race). 

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by | October 17, 2012 · 9:09 pm

Who Gets Your Vote For President?

Just wanted to call out my latest poll.

If you haven’t voted already, please do … and post your comments below!

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by | October 17, 2012 · 9:08 pm

Second Parenting Focus Group Planned

The South Milwaukee Health Department is holding another focus group aimed at “looking at ways we can support the parents and future parents in our South Milwaukee community.”

It’s from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5, at the South Milwaukee Library. Learn more in this flyer.

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by | October 17, 2012 · 9:06 pm

South Milwaukee Man Hurt In Oak Creek Crash And Other Local Headlines

A South Milwaukee man was injured in a crash in the College Avenue tunnel near the airport, according to Oak Creek Patch.

Check out the story here, and check out these other South Shore headlines:

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by | October 17, 2012 · 7:50 am

Happy Birthday, Blog

The blog was born three years ago today.

I published my first post on 4th District Blog (the site was renamed later) on improvements to 15th Avenue. More than 1,200 have been published since then, attracting more than 1,700 comments. And I’m just getting started.

Of course, none of this would be possible — or worth it — without readers, and I sincerely thank you for logging on. I hope you find what you read here valuable, and always welcome feedback on how to make the blog better.

In the end, this is your blog — a community resource that would not be what it is today without community support.

So far, the blog has logged more than 142,000 page views, and readership continues to grow. The blog’s biggest month was last month, with more than 12,500 page views alone, including 1,276 on Sept. 19 (the blog’s busiest day).

I hope that figure only increases … and I’m already looking forward to celebrating the blog’s fourth birthday. I’ll bring the cake.

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by | October 16, 2012 · 10:23 pm

South Milwaukee Pedestrian Killed In Crash Identified

An earlier version of this post (and a WTMJ story) misidentified the victim. My apologies. Here is Mr. Budge’s obituary.

The 54-year-old South Milwaukee man who died Monday after being struck by a car on Loomis Road in Greenfield has been identified as David Budge.

Here is the WTMJ story. From it:

Former Greenfield Alderman Richard Eaton was saddened when he heard a man died while walking along that busy stretch of Loomis Road Monday afternoon.

“Safety is supposed to be the number one issue,” says former Alderman Eaton.  “Sidewalks are a safety issue.”

David Bulge (sic) was walking on the road, facing traffic, when a Cadillac Escalade drifted close to the curb and hit Bulge.

“When I saw someone was killed on a main road like this, you just get sick to your stomach,” says Eaton.  “You wonder what is holding people up.”

Eaton argued ten years ago that sidewalks should be put in along all busy roads in Greenfield.  He was recalled and lost his seat, and claims neighbors didn’t want to pay for, or shovel the sidewalks.

“I wish that ten years ago when I said someone is going to get run over and killed, that I was wrong,” says Eaton.

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