by | November 1, 2010 · 11:15 pm

Vilter Investing in Cudahy and Other Local Headlines of Note …

Vilter Manufacturing Corp. is investing $1.6 million in its Cudahy factory.

Click here to see the Business Journal story on the planned technology and innovation center. From it:

The 7,000-square-foot center is contained within Vilter’s sprawling plant at 5555 S. Packard Ave. The project includes the installation of new equipment to create a state-of-the-art laboratory and testing facility.

And check out these other headlines of interest from around the area:

And check out this Journal Sentinel blog item mentioning South Milwaukee quarterback and kicker Sam Oliden and his heroics over the weekend.

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by | November 1, 2010 · 11:45 am

Toppers Pizza Eyes South Milwaukee

A cool, and growing, pizza delivery chain that targets the 18-34 demographic is coming to South Milwaukee.

Toppers Pizza, a 28- restaurant chain based in Whitewater, is opening at a South Milwaukee location to be determined next spring or summer. It will be run by Dave Gilewski, who opened his first Toppers franchise in Franklin in 2008.

Read the press release here. From it:

“We get a ridiculous number of phone calls from South Milwaukee wanting Toppers to deliver out to them,” said Gilewski. “That’s when the idea sparked and it all just went from there. … Toppers is already part of the South Milwaukee culture; we just aren’t physically there yet.”

Here is a story from The Business Journal with more details on a larger expansion plan.

I’ll keep you posted when I learn more.

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by | October 31, 2010 · 10:23 pm

South Milwaukee vs. Franklin: Big Game Coming to Town Saturday

The South Milwaukee High School football team is two steps from the WIAA Division 2 state title game … and the first of those steps comes at home.

The Rockets host top-seeded Franklin in their third-round playoff game after pulling of a stunning 26-23 victory over Pius XI on Saturday.

Game time is 5 p.m., according to the WIAA’s updated Division 2 bracket.

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by | October 30, 2010 · 10:36 pm

Rocket Power! Field Goal in Final Seconds Lifts South Milwaukee Football Team to Win

Update: Here are a few more details.

Sam Oliden nailed a 53-yard field goal in the final seconds, as the South Milwaukee football team came back to beat Pius XI, 26-23, in the second round of the WIAA Division 2 playoffs Saturday night.

So, it’s on to round three … and a matchup with top-seeded Franklin on either Friday or Saturday at a location to be determined.

Franklin beat Brookfield East, 36-7, Saturday.

See the full Division 2 bracket here, and go Rockets!

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by | October 29, 2010 · 8:11 pm

Candy Quest: South Milwaukee Trick-or-Treating is Sunday

As if your kids needed a reminder … but trick-or-treating is from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday in South Milwaukee.

Click here to see a complete list of area trick-or-treat times.

You’ll note that some communities hold their trick-or-treating in the late afternoon or early evening, including Oak Creek. I’d like to see us join that group starting next year, and judging from the comments on my previous post on this, I’m not alone.

What do you think is best for South Milwaukee? Cast your vote in the poll to the right.

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by | October 28, 2010 · 9:48 am

Next Up for the South Milwaukee Football Team: Surprising Pius XI

The march to Madison continues for the South Milwaukee High School football team … and it includes a surprise opponent in round two of the WIAA Division 2 playoffs.

The Rockets topped Brookfield Central, 20-13, Tuesday in South Milwaukee behind 143 yards rushing and two touchdowns by Sam Oliden. Click here for a photo gallery.

Next up is Pius XI, which surprised second-seeded Greendale 22-20 on Tuesday.

The Rockets and Popes play at 4 p.m. at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Wauwatosa, and a potential third-round matchup with top-seeded Franklin awaits the winner. Click here for the full WIAA Division 2 playoff bracket.

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by | October 27, 2010 · 10:29 pm

A Word About Absentee Voting …

Can’t make it to the polls on Tuesday? There is another option.

Any city resident can vote prior to election day by filling out an absentee ballot at City Hall through 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 1. Those ballots will then be set aside and run through the voting machines at local polling places on Tuesday, election day.

City Hall hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Of course, most people will vote on Tuesday (including me). You can get all of your election information, including a map of polling places, here.

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by | October 27, 2010 · 10:06 pm

The Tally for “South Milwaukee Pink Day” Was …

South Milwaukee always rallies around a good cause. And there isn’t a better cause than the fight against breast cancer.

City employees, our local schools and others combined to raise $3,634.07 as part of our “Justice for a Cure Day” on Tuesday, Oct. 19, according to South Milwaukee Police Chief Ann Wellens.

Here were some of the bigger donations to Susan G. Komen for the Cure:

  • South Milwaukee High School Orbit Club t-shirt sale: $732
  • South Milwaukee Police Department button, flower and clothing sales: $551.50
  • South Milwaukee Fire Department Association: $500
  • SMHS staff potluck: $438
  • Rawson Elementary School penny drive: $361.40
  • SMHS Future Business Leaders of America: $300

Great work, everyone!

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by | October 26, 2010 · 1:37 pm

Had Any Wind Damage?

Update: The city reported shortly after 2:15 p.m. Tuesday that all municipal buildings were checked and undamaged, save for continued minor leaks from the City Hall roof. There is tree debris at the east edge of Rawson Woods, and trees were down at 3400 5th Ave. and 611 Montana Ave. I’ll keep you posted if I get any further updates.

Second update: The city also reported Thursday minor roof damage (shingles blown off) of five Parkcrest buildings.

Thankfully, the tornado missed southern Milwaukee County this morning, but the strong winds are here to stay for a while.

Have you suffered any damage? Power outages? Have you seen any other effects from the potentially historically strong winds?

Post your comments below.

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by | October 26, 2010 · 1:19 pm

State Tax Credits for Bucyrus’ Expansion into Oak Creek

Gov. Jim announced on Tuesday $20 million in assistance for Bucyrus International to aid in its expansion into the former Midwest Airlines headquarters building in Oak Creek.

Read the Journal Sentinel story here. Read the press release here. From it:

Bucyrus is investing $44 million for the project, including $5 million for worker training and $39 million in capital investment to rehabilitate the former Midwest Airlines headquarters in Oak Creek. Bucyrus is known for producing high-quality mining equipment for companies around the world and has grown to 10,000 employees in nearly 100 worldwide locations.

As I’ve blogged about before, I am happy about Bucyrus’ continued growth, and what that will mean for South Milwaukee. The company has been a wonderful corporate citizen over the years, and I’m excited about what the future will hold locally.

At the same time, I’m disapointed that the company’s official headquarters designation is expected to be “Oak Creek” at some point. I wish we could have had a chance as a city to truly dig into what expansion opportunities were available on or near its existing campus in South Milwaukee.

To me, that name on the press release means a lot. It’s a pride thing.

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by | October 25, 2010 · 9:13 pm

Larson or Ripp? Endorsements Roll in in State Senate Race

The teachers like Chris Larson. Police officers like Jess Ripp.

Both candidates in the 7th Senate District race — Larson, the Democrat, and Ripp, the Republican — are landing their share of endorsements.

Most recently, it was the Wisconsin Education Association Council for Larson and the Milwaukee Police Association for Ripp.

Larson has also landed endorsements from a variety of unions, as well as a couple of supervisor colleagues, two Milwaukee aldermen and Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton. Ripp, meanwhile, has the backing of state Rep. Mark Honadel (R-South Milwaukee) and Milwaukee County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker, as well as the mayors of Oak Creek and South Milwaukee.

See a complete listing of all endorsements for Ripp and Larson on their campaign websites.

Don’t forget to vote on Nov. 2. All 4th District residents cast their ballots at Rawson Elementary School. Learn more on the city’s election information page.

Who do you plan on voting for? Vote in the poll on the right side of this page.

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by | October 25, 2010 · 9:02 pm

South Milwaukee Boys Soccer Team Falls and Other Headlines of Interest

The run to state is over for the South Milwaukee High School boys’ soccer team.

The Rockets fell 7-0 to Milwaukee Marquette on Saturday in a section final game in Whitefish.

Learn more in this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story.

And check out these other headlines of interest to the South Shore:

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by | October 23, 2010 · 8:43 pm

Visions of the Future: South Milwaukee School District Plans to Succeed

I just spent my Friday night and all day Saturday working with 30 teachers, administrators, students and other community members to begin developing a mission, vision and strategic plan for the South Milwaukee School District.

I couldn’t think of a better place to be.

It was a great experience, as we began reviewing the school and community data that will help us drive the decisions we make during this process and began working on refreshing the district’s mission statement. We made some strong progress, with a lot of productive, positive dialog from everyone involved, and I’m looking forward to the next session Nov. 5-6.

One important goal for me? To find ways the city can better partner with the school district to improve the quality of life in South Milwaukee — and then help bring that priority to life with a clear plan and action. Let’s find new and creative ways to build a better South Milwaukee … and then tell the world about all that we have to offer in this city.

It should an interesting journey. And no matter what happens, no matter comes out of this, it’s truly an honor to be asked to be part of this group, an honor to be asked to help shape the future of the district that will educate my two children in the years ahead.

I’ll keep you posted as we hold our next session and then wrap this up Dec. 4.

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by | October 22, 2010 · 9:53 pm

Sports Roundup: South Milwaukee Hosts Football Playoff Game, Soccer One Step from State

These Rockets are firing at just the right time.

The 6-3 South Milwaukee football team, fresh off a big victory over rival Cudahy, hosts Brookfield Central (also 6-3) in a first-round WIAA playoff game on Tuesday, Oct. 26. The winner has a showdown with Greendale (8-1), the No. 2 seed in WIAA Division 2, looming.

See the full bracket here.

Meanwhile, the South Milwaukee boys’ soccer team, seeded second in its sectional, also has a big game coming up — a sectional final contest with top-seeded Marquette at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The team is coming off a 4-1 victory over third-seeded Whitefish Bay on Wednesday, as Kelmend Islami tallied three goals.

I’ll keep you posted on how these games turn out … and look for more sports coverage on the blog going forward. After all, I was a sports reporter for five years in a previous life, so this does come naturally for me.

Go Rockets!

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by | October 22, 2010 · 11:43 am

Bucyrus Deal Approved and Other Local Headlines of Note

The Export-Import Bank gave its final approval Thursday to loan guarantees that will pave the way for an Indian company to purchase $400 million in equipment from South Milwaukee’s Bucyrus International — and save hundreds of local jobs.

Learn more in this Journal Sentinel story.

And check out this item on Bucyrus’ third-quarter earnings, also announced on Thursday. Earnings fell 15.7% on costs related to the acquisition of Terex Corp.’s mining equipment business.

Here are some other local headlines of note:

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