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FBI offers reward in Noelani Robinson case

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Milwaukee police are asking for nationwide help in finding two-year-old Noelani Robinson. During a Friday press conference, Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales said that the toddler’s mother Sierra Robinson was murdered – allegedly by Noelani’s father, Dariaz Higgins.

Morales said Higgins has provided investigators with information on Noelani’s whereabouts “however, all of it has proven to be untrue. The suspect is a cold-blooded killer.”

Morales also said Higgins and his victim have been involved in human trafficking.

“We’re asking the media to help put this information out there,” because Higgins has ties to several midwestern states, including Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri. “But he has ties all the way down to Miami, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada,”

The FBI is now offering a $5,000 reward for information that helps locate the little girl.

Bill would train truck drivers on human trafficking

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Some disturbing realities were revealed, during testimony at the Capitol Thursday on a bill to require instruction on human trafficking for new truck drivers in Wisconsin. State Senator Alberta Darling, a co-sponsor of the bill (AB-22), says human trafficking happens in all 72 counties.

“In 2016, the national Human Trafficking Hotline received 261 calls reporting 91 human trafficking cases in Wisconsin,” Darling told members of an Assembly committee.

Milwaukee is the epicenter of human trafficking here, according to Kelly Olson with Damascus Road, a Neenah based organization that works with survivors.

“Milwaukee is actually known as the Harvard of pimp schools,” she said. “Trafficking in Milwaukee is generational.”

Veteran trucker James Massey of Green Bay told lawmakers that trafficking is a common sight at truck stops across the state. “I’ve actually seen women jump from one truck to the next.”

Fox Valley Technical College is already offering training on the recognition and prevention of human trafficking. The bill would require that in all commercial motor vehicle driver education courses.

Baldwin and Johnson split votes as U.S. Senate rejects Trump’s emergency declaration

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Sen. Ron Johson

Wisconsin’s U.S. Senators split their votes Thursday, as the U.S. Senate voted 59-41 to approve a resolution to overturn President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. A total of 12 Republicans joined all Democrats to pass the resolution, which passed the House last month.

Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson released a statement following his “no” vote.

“Unfortunately, securing America’s border has turned into a political brawl, with Democrats – who supported border barriers in the past – now refusing to supply the funding for necessary barriers because they don’t like this president. We have a growing humanitarian crisis at our border that has seen more families and unaccompanied children enter our country in the last five months than at any other time on record. That certainly qualifies as an emergency. Today’s vote will not fix any problem, but it does demonstrate whether a senator supports or opposes border security. I will always choose to support border and homeland security. We will deal with the issue of reclaiming congressional authority under the National Emergencies Act in my committee in the very near future.”

Seantor Tammy Baldwin

Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin noted that the House passed the resolution with bipartisan support, 245 to 182, and Republican U.S. Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner and Mike Gallagher joined Wisconsin Democrats Ron Kind, Gwen Moore, Mark Pocan in voting yes.


The Senate vote sends the resolution to the president, and Congress does not have the votes to override Trump’s promised veto.

Crim addresses 2005 child abuse charge at hearing

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Dawn Crim, Governor Tony Evers’ pick to lead the Department of Safety and Professional Services, testified Wednesday before a state Senate committee, as part of her confirmation process. Crim has gotten attention in recent weeks for a 2005 felony child abuse charge, and she addressed that.

“Fourteen years ago, I made a horrendous mistake that hurt my son. It was the worst experience of my life. I have take responsibility for my actions, and I have vowed that it would never happen again, and it hasn’t. So I come before you with the support of my community, and most importantly of my family.”

The case against Crim, in which she allegedly poked her 5-year-old son n the hand with a pen, was handled under a deferred prosecution agreement and the charges never proven in court. If confirmed, Crim would head the agency that oversees licensing and regulation of businesses and service providers as well as prescription drug monitoring.
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GOP legislative leaders want to hire attorneys in lawsuit over abortion laws

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Republican legislative leaders want to intervene in a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. Democratic state Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed paperwork in the case. Kaul intends to represent the state, but has not specified what legal position he will take. Republican lawmakers will hire their own attorneys at taxpayer expense. In a statement, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester said “It’s important that there’s representation in this case that will stand up to Planned Parenthood and defend these important pro-life laws.”

Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz accused Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of being on a “power trip,” in a statement. “It’s clear they are more interested in doubling down on an ideological agenda than serving the public. This latest decision proves that a primary focus of Wisconsin Republicans is to abuse taxpayer dollars in order to undercut and undermine an Attorney General that was democratically elected by the majority of Wisconsin voters.”

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin filed a federal lawsuit in January, challenging several state abortion laws. Laws included in that suit include a prohibition on advanced practice nurses, like nurse practitioners, from performing abortions. Other laws included in the suit mandate that a women see the same practitioner for two required visits before receiving an abortion, and a requirement that a physician be present when a patient receives a prescription for abortion drugs.

Pocan cites unanswered questions from 2018 ICE raids

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A Wisconsin Congressman says there are too many unanswered questions surrounding an immigration action last year. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 83 people in Wisconsin over four days last September. Congressman Mark Pocan said  a Freedom of Information request reveals 39 individuals had no criminal record.

“When you tell us that they’re going after MS-13 gang members and drug dealers and human traffickers, and you come back with people with offenses or no offenses, that’s a lie,” Pocan said Monday. “ICE has lied over and over and over again, at the direction of this White House.”


Hundreds of pages were redacted, but the FOIA request did reveal ICE officials referring to Madison and Dane County as home to “radical populations.” Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney reacted to that. “To say that Dane County or Madison or any of our other communities are radical and cannot be trusted is false,” Mahoney said. “We have never countered the mission of any federal agency, nor will we.”

Pocan said he’s prepared to sue, in order to get answers on what actually occurred when ICE made those arrests.

Evers’ capital budget largely aimed at UW campuses

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Governor Tony Evers WRN image

Governor Tony Evers’ proposed capital budget includes borrowing $2 billion over the next two fiscal years, a plan at least one legislative leader calls “alarming.” A release from the governor’s office says Evers is “recommending historic investments in state-owned vertical infrastructure.”

About half the money from Governor Tony Evers’ proposed building program would be spent on University of Wisconsin campuses. “The University of Wisconsin System ranks very low as it compares to other systems as it compares to repairs and remodeling,” the governor said Thursday at UW Eau Claire. “You can build new buildings but if the buildings next door to it are falling apart, that’s a problem.” Evers told WEAU. “I think we struck the right balance.”

State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said in a statement that the amount of spending and borrowing Evers is requesting is “alarming,” especially when coupled with the increases Evers has proposed in his biennial state budget.

Evers said state agencies submitted approximately $3.4 billion in requests to address deferred maintenance and counter low levels of funding in recent budgets. Evers responded by recommending a $2.5 billion two year plan of investment.

The State Building Commission will meet March 20 to vote on the Governor’s Capital Budget Recommendations. Its recommendations must be submitted to the Joint Committee on Finance by the first Tuesday in April.

D.A. declines to file charges in Madison middle school incident

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Mikiea Price WRN photo

No charges have been filed, in an alleged assault by a white educator on a black Madison middle school student. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said police found no probable cause for a charge. He asked to review reports on the February 13 incident at Whitehorse Middle School.

“It is my job to review all the information and render an opinion, based on how the law defines a crime,” Ozanne said Tuesday. “In this case, I do not believe a crime was committed.”

According to the police reports, both the girl and staffer Rob Mueller-Owens alleged the other initiated physical contact after the girl refused a teacher’s directions. Mikiea Price, the mom of the 11 year-old girl, says she’s disappointed for her daughter

“It’s sad, but it also teaches her a lesson that white people are privileged,” Price said following Ozanne’s announcement.

Price’s daughter has since returned to school. A district spokeswoman said information from police reports will be used to “take appropriate action.” Mueller-Owens will remain on leave while the district determines next steps.

Evers wants extended hours at DMV service centers

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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is ordering a state agency to develop a plan to help people get the identification needed to vote in elections. That would expand hours at Division of Motor Vehicle offices so people can have an easier time acquiring driver’s licenses and identification cards for voting.

Evers issued an executive order Monday telling the Department of Transportation to deliver the plan by the end of this year. Evers said the plan could include keeping DMV offices open on weekends and evenings and building new offices accessible by public transit.

Madison Water shuts well amid contamination concerns

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Madison’s water utility shuts down a North Side well contaminated with toxic chemicals. An announcement from the water utility said it expects the well to come back on line this summer, after state public health officials determine potential health hazards of water contaminated with per-and poly-fluoroalkyls, known by the acronym PFAS.

A spokeswoman said temporarily using other wells may give families in the Well 15 service area some peace of mind. Truax Air National Guard base about a mile north of well 15 is the likely source. A full investigation and cleanup has yet to be scheduled because of budget constraints. PFAS is an ingredient in firefighting foam.