Flood cleanup & recovery underway as infrastructure damages top $20 million (MILWAUKEE COUNTY)
In Milwaukee County alone, costs of damage from historic flooding in southeast Wisconsin are growing as assessments and recovery efforts continue. County Executive David Crowley and Director of the County Office of Emergency Management Cassandra Libal said Thursday that the most recent estimate for damages to public infrastructure are $23 million. Residents are being counseled to be patient and to exercise caution while working in homes and businesses. Dr. Ben Weston, Chief Health Policy Advisor for Milwaukee County, said that means avoiding touching floodwater that could be contaminated, wearing heavy gloves, waterproof boots, and a mask if indoors when handling debris. If water has touched electrical outlets, wiring or appliances, don’t use them until they’re confirmed safe. Information collected by Emergency Management teams will be submitted to FEMA.
AG Kaul highlights one year of Missing Child Alerts (MILWAUKEE)
It’s been one year since Wisconsin’s Missing Child Alerts went into effect. Established through bipartisan legislation, Attorney General Josh Kaul said Thursday in Milwaukee that the first alert went out last August. The Prince Act was signed into law by Governor Tony Evers and named after 5-year-old Prince McCree who went missing in Milwaukee – and also recognizes 10-year-old Lily Peters, who went missing in Chippewa Falls. Kaul said there have been cases that would not have met the Amber Alert criteria where alerts have been able to go out and information has been provided to people nearby where, where missing kids are located. Kaul said there have been 17 alerts issued involving 14 different children in just over a year.
Little Brown Bats on the rebound in Wisconsin (UNDATED)
Little brown bats are recovering in Wisconsin. A social media post from the Department of Natural Resources reports that the species, once decimated by white-nose syndrome, has growing numbers for the third consecutive year at summer roost sites. Last month, volunteers across Wisconsin participated in the annual Great Wisconsin Bat Count and observed nearly 25,000 bats as they emerged from their daytime roosts, up from 22,600 counted in July 2024. These efforts help DNR biologists better understand the status of Wisconsin’s bat populations. The species still has a long way to go, but multiple years of increasing numbers give hope for recovery. Bats are important for agriculture and forestry. It is estimated that bats in Wisconsin save farmers up to $658 million every year in the form of pest control.
Classrooms across Wisconsin can “Adopt a Cow” this year (UNDATED)
Registration is now open for the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin’s Adopt a Cow program. Community Programs Manager Erika Schade says it’s geared toward educators working with Wisconsin’s youth. Participating classrooms will be matched with a calf and receive regular photo and video updates on it over the course of the school year. Schade says it’s a great way to teach young Wisconsinites about the dairy industry. Last year the program reached roughly 55,000 students across 1,500 classrooms.
Evers urging Trump administration to restore funding for unemployment system projects (UNDATED)
Governor Tony Evers is urging the Trump administration to restore funding for Wisconsin’s unemployment system. The Democratic governor is asking the administration to reconsider its decision to cut $29 million from the state’s unemployment insurance system modernization project. Evers says the funding was crucial to improving the system to prevent fraud and abuse. Developed in the 1970s, Wisconsin’s unemployment insurance system faced significant challenges during the COVID pandemic when there was a surge in unemployment claims. Evers says without the $29 million, support for projects like fraud detection and cybersecurity improvement won’t be possible.
State Patrol launching Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign (UNDATED)
The Wisconsin State Patrol is launching another Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign Friday. State Troopers will be educating drivers about the dangers of impaired driving during the annual campaign. More troopers and inspectors will be on the road looking for signs of impairment leading into the Labor Day weekend. The State Patrol reminds you to always select a sober driver ahead of time and don’t let someone get behind the wheel impaired. There were 7,067 crashes involving alcohol or drug impairment in Wisconsin in 2024. Nearly half of all traffic fatalities involved either drugs or alcohol.
Madison-area software company wins union contract with Microsoft (MIDDLETON)
A group of Madison area video game employees have struck a union deal with Microsoft. Workers at Raven Software in Middleton finalized the contract earlier this month, capping off a three year process that pitted them against the largest gaming publishers in the industry. Wisconsin Watch reports the employees do quality assurance testing on the blockbuster Call of Duty series, which makes billions of dollars in sales each year. The contract gets the team a 10 percent raise, caps mandatory overtime, and allows remote work. The company was previously owned by Blizzard Activision, which was bought out by Microsoft for nearly 70 billion dollars in 2022.
Brewers announce celebration series for Bob Uecker (MILWAUKEE)
The Milwaukee Brewers will be honoring the life of Bob Uecker starting next weekend. The team announced a three game celebration starting August 23. That night the team will induct pitcher John Axford to the Hall of Fame. Long time friend of Uecker Bob Costas will be hosting an official pre-game celebration on August 24th. And August 26th, the team is giving away shirts featuring first baseman Andrew Vaughn. Uecker died this January at the age of 90 after being with the team for 54 seasons.