UW-Milwaukee protesters, administrators open negotiations (MILWAUKEE)
Pro-Palestinian protesters and administrators at UW-Milwaukee met for the first time Monday. Discussions reportedly went on for over an hour and a half as the second week of protests at the campus began. Organizers of the protest say another meeting with administrators is scheduled for later this week. A Monday statement from the university said as campus police monitor the encampment, their first priority is the safety and well-being of students, adding that the encampment hasn’t disrupted daily campus operations. Following Monday’s meeting, 20 more tents were added to the encampment.
Grafton die-casting plant to cut a quarter of its workforce (GRAFTON)
A southeast Wisconsin plant will lay off a quarter of its workforce. The die-casting firm Pace Industries has notified the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development about the job cuts at its Grafton facility. Officials with the company say a loss of production work is the cause of the layoffs, which will leave 44 people jobless. The company says the downsizing is scheduled to happen in phases starting in June. Pace Industries has 18 manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Mexico
Milwaukee advocacy group calls for pedestrian safety after fatal hit-and-runs (MILWAUKEE)
Milwaukee citizens are taking action for greater pedestrian safety. Following three deaths from hit-and-run vehicle incidents within a week, including that of a four-year-old girl, an advocacy group called Milwaukee Walks looks for solutions for pedestrians challenged by reckless drivers in the city. The movement is advocating for safe and accessible walking and biking environments in the city. Milwaukee has been averaging over 90 pedestrian-involved crashes per year.
Darrell Brooks pleads no contest in Milwaukee County court case (MILWAUKEE)
The man responsible for the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy was back in court Monday. Just before his trial in Milwaukee County court began, Darrell Brooks pleaded no contest to multiple charges connected to allegedly running over the mother of his children. That incident in Milwaukee happened just weeks before he drove his SUV into the crowd at the Waukesha parade in November of 2021, killing six people and injuring dozens more. Brooks, who is currently serving six life sentences for that attack, will be sentenced for the Milwaukee case in August.