This year, setting the trick-or-treat hours was easy.
Since Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, South Milwaukee trick-or-treating will be from 2 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 31.
I continue would like to see trick-or-treating done at night in South Milwaukee, but I don’t see council support for this. What do you think? Post your comments below.
Filed under Community
Expect a big increase in the size of your next water bill.
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has approved the South Milwaukee Water Utility’s requested rate increase, meaning the average property owner’s bill will go up 56 percent effective Oct. 1.
November bills will reflect the increase for one month.
Click here to see the full PSC decision. From it:
The Commission appreciates and is sensitive to the customers’ concerns in this matter. However, the Commission finds that the revenue resulting from the authorized rates is necessary to provide for the financial needs of the utility over the long-term. …
These rates are reasonable and just. All customers will be required to pay an appropriate amount for the service provided.
Just how much will you pay? Obviously, it depends on usage, but average residential customers will pay $97.75 every four months with the increase, up from $62.82 currently (or the aforementioned 56 percent).
Increases for larger commercial, industrial and public users will run in the mid-60 percent range.
Check out a complete rate chart in Appendix D of the PSC decision.
While the increase is unfortunate — I have said before that I wish the pain of such a large increase could have been spread over a series of years vs. levied all at once — I was happy to see that residents made their voices known in the debate. According the PSC, 17 individuals submitted written comments to the commission, and 39 water customers appeared at the public hearing earlier this month.
“Most expressed concern with the level of rate increase in this bad economic environment,” according to the decision.
I share that same concern … while at the same time accepting the increase as necessary given the recent $9.4 million in plant upgrades, declining industrial and residential usage and other factors. I don’t love it. But I will live with it.
What do you think? Post your comments below … and cast your vote in my new poll on the right-hand side of this page.
Filed under Water Utility
Updated: Kayla was found later Tuesday evening near 105th and Hampton Avenue in Milwaukee. See the updated release here.
Police are searching for a 15-year-old South Milwauke High School student who went missing from school this morning.
But Kayla Sirovina is not a typical runaway.
From the press release:
Sirovina suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Prader-Willi Syndrome. The disorder does not allow her to control her hunger. Unsupervised, she will eat until her stomach ruptures.
She is 5-foot-2, 144 pounds with brown or hazel hair and was last seen wearing a hooded jacket, blue jeans and white, pink and silver tennis shooes. If you see here, please call police at 768-8060.
Check out the Fox 6 story, with photo, here.
I’ll keep you posted on this story as I hear more.
Filed under Schools
It’s budget season, and I promise to keep you informed on the city budget process as it unfolds in coming weeks.
Here are some key upcoming budget dates:
Check out the complete listing of important dates here.
Filed under 2011 Budget
It took four days, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story finally has a comprehensive story on the Lake Bluff settlement the South Milwaukee City Council approved on Tuesday.
Read the story here.
And check out these other headlines of South Shore interest:
Filed under Headlines
Sixteen years of on-and-off-again litigation over the Lake Bluff Apartments is coming to an end.
The South Milwaukee City Council voted 8-0 Tuesday night to settle a complicated lawsuit involving, among others, State Financial Bank, the American Civil Liberties Union and the owners of the two lakefront apartment buildings that the city contended for years were built illegally.
Here is an in-depth Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story summarizing the lawsuit from 2009 — written before a Milwaukee County Circuit Court jury decided that, if the city tore down Lake Bluff, it would be considered discrimination against the low-income and disabled residents who live there.
That ruling set in motion the settlement talks, which culminated with Tuesday’s vote. Here are the key details:
Of course, the deal is much more complicated than that because the case itself is so complicated. You can imagine the paperwork (and legal fees) that 16 years of litigation has wrought.
In the end, however, the deal is a good one because it’s time. It’s time for this to end. It’s time to move on.
The city was victorious in court every step along the way … until the 2009 ruling. We could have appealed, but that would have meant more years of court battles and more tarnish to our image. It’s a prospect few were happy with, including me.
This settlement gives us a chance to put this behind us. I’m ready to do so.
Do you agree? I’d like to know what you think. Post your comments below, and vote in the new poll on the right-hand side of this page.
Filed under Community
The front page of the South Milwaukee website has information for those seeking help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency following the July storms. Visit the site here.
Here is a direct link to the FEMA website’s Assistance section, and you can apply online at www.disasterassistance.gov. You can also apply by phone by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362).
WISN also has a good flooding recovery resources page.
Nearly 2,000 people have already applied, and FEMA wants to hear from everyone who suffered flood damage, so please take advantage of the aid.
Filed under 2010 Flooding
It looks like South Milwaukeeans who suffered flood damage in the July storms may receive federal aid after all.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story:
Federal officials, reacting to an appeal, have decided to make federal flood aid available to individuals in Milwaukee and Grant Counties, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Saturday.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency had previously approved disaster aid only for local governments in the two counties following the record flooding.
Millions of dollars in loans and grants will flow into the state to affected residents, said Lori Getter of the Wisconsin Emergency Management division.
“This is good news,” said Getter.
The application process for aid will start immediately.
I’ll keep you posted as to how to apply.
Filed under 2010 Flooding
The man found dead in his car Tuesday morning near 13th and Rawson Avenues died after an accidental prescription drug overdose, according to South Milwaukee Police.
That’s all the information I have, but I hope it puts some minds at ease.
See my original post here.
Updated: Reports in South Milwaukee NOW that arson was the suspected cause of this fire were incorrect. I apologize for repeating the error on this blog. I’ll keep you posted on more information when I get it.
Here is how you can help the family displaced by the recent fire at 500 Willow Lane.
Rawson Elementary is collecting clothes for the two children (girls sizes 6-8 and boys 10-12) until Wednesday, Sept. 22. Donations can be brought to the school office, with the family picking up donations from there.
See my previous post about the fire here.
I’ll keep you posted as I learn more about this.
Filed under Fire
Update: Here is the PowerPoint deck presented at the meeting.
I wanted to thank everyone for turning out for tonight’s Nicholson/Pennsylvania expansion public information meeting.
By my count, about 50 people were there for the presentation by Foth, the engineering firm working on the project. It was informative, and I think most questions were answered.
I will post the PowerPoint deck shown by Foth as soon as I get it, and I (and the city engineer and his staff) are committed to keeping you updated on this project as it goes forward.
Of course, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments, and post your comments below.
Filed under Construction
So, what happened?
That’s on a lot of people’s minds following Chris Larson’s surprisingly big victory state Sen. Jeff Plale Tuesday.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had a good follow-up story on the race online today, with interviews from both candidates. From the story:
A crossover of Democrats voting in the GOP primary for governor set state Sen. Jeff Plale up for a devastating 61% to 39% primary loss to Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson, both candidates agree.
“There was a huge turnout in the Republican primary and that coupled with the Democratic version of the tea party, I don’t know if it’s any more complicated than that,” Plale said of his loss. “The folks who have traditionally supported me through thick and thin were faced yesterday with a very difficult decision.”
Here is some additional perspective from various blogs and other media outlets:
Filed under Politics
Update: See the full local results here.
South Milwaukeeans turned out in huge numbers to vote in Tuesday’s primary.
Turnout was 35.3 percent, as 4,664 of the city’s 13,196 registered voters came out to the polls, according to totals from the South Milwaukee city clerk’s office.
That is a pretty amazing number for a primary election, and it’s clearly a reflection of the bitterly contested 7th Senate District race between incumbent Jeff Plale and challenger Chris Larson, among others.
Plale easily beat Larson in the city (see post below).
So, how did South Milwaukeeans vote in the other races?
I’ll post more details on the election as I get them. Check out voting totals on the Journal Sentinel website.
Filed under Politics
Update: Here is the Journal Sentinel story.
South Milwaukee will have new representation in the state Senate.
Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson rolled past incumbent Jeff Plale, a 4th District resident, in the Democratic primary on Tuesday.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Larson had 7,607 votes (60 percent) to Plale’s 5,033 (40 percent).
As expected, Plale did well in South Milwaukee, topping Larson 1,157 to 658 — a huge margin that shows just how wide the gap was in the rest of the 7th Senate District.
Larson will face Republican Jess Ripp in November and be a heavy favorite.
Filed under Politics, Uncategorized
A 46-year-old man was found dead in a car on 13th Avenue near Rawson Tuesday morning, South Milwaukee Police reported.
Check out the complete press release here. From it:
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office has been contacted and the incident remains under investigation.
Here is the story from AM-620 WTMJ.
I’ll post more details as soon as I get them.
South Milwaukee Blog 