Lake Effect Spotlight

If you’re trying to live a more plastic-free life, Milwaukee’s new “refillery” might be for you. At ECO MKE Refillery, you can bring in a reusable container, like a mason jar or glass jug, and buy refills of dish soap, detergent, body wash and more.   Kayla Bouma is the owner and founder of ECO MKE. She says her new brick-and-mortar in the Third Ward also sells sustainable home goods like bamboo u...

Earlier this spring, conservationists marked the return of sturgeon to the Milwaukee River for the first time in more than one hundred years. This past weekend, people gathered to celebrate that return and acknowledge the significance of the restoration for the Indigenous community.  A traditional game of lacrosse was held at Kletzsch Park – one of the most important sturgeon restoration sites. Th...

An eviction can follow a person for years. Even if the case is dismissed or if the renter was not at fault – experts say it can have a long-lasting impact.   A record of eviction can prevent someone from finding stable housing and deepen barriers to ever becoming a homeowner.  WUWM Eric Von Fellow Maria Peralta-Arellano explores a possible way to remove that blemish from someone’s record...as part...

Last month, Milwaukee’s Common Council passed a curfew for food trucks operating downtown.   Alderman Robert Bauman says a 10 P-M closing time will curb violence and loitering, especially around Water Street. The curfew would affect a two-square mile area encompassing downtown.    One food truck owner has filed a lawsuit against the city, and a judge has put the curfew on pause at least until June...

When you think of maritime music, you might imagine pirates or sailors exploring the ocean on an old, masted ship.   But what if I told you the Maritime Music Directory International is not based in a sea-faring, fishing village - but on the shores of Lake Michigan, in Racine, Wisconsin?   That’s where founder Dean Calin manages the directory of international musicians and festivals with a singula...

Tom Oberhaus is the co-operator of Cozy Nook Farm in Waukesha County. Cozy Nook is primarily a dairy farm, and it supplements its business with seasonal pumpkin and Christmas tree sales.  When Lake Effect’s Sam Woods spoke with Oberhaus in January, Christmas tree sales were down, and the farm was planning for 2026. Sam checked back in with Oberhaus to see how things are going on the farm ahead of...

Since the dawn of the internet, online spaces have been rapidly changing and eating up more of our time. Social media and attention-driven apps are shaping how young people think and feel and how they learn.  A new documentary, “Your Attention Please,” highlights the real-world consequences of social media and how it reshapes all of us. It also shows how a new generation of parents and teens are f...

The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund will likely come to an end this June. Earlier this year, the state senate failed to reauthorize funding for the program. The stewardship fund has helped protect 750-thousand acres of land statewide by investing roughly one-point-three billion dollars to protect Wisconsin’s natural landscape.   The stewardship fund has been working with government and nonprofits...

If you go to a natural history museum almost anywhere in the world, you can expect to see dioramas displaying how animals live in the wild. Dioramas have become integral to museums, transporting visitors to unfamiliar landscapes through art and science. But did you know that it started right here in Milwaukee?   The Milwaukee-style diorama revolutionized how museums curated their exhibits, and the...

A new documentary looks at what students with different faith backgrounds can learn from each other. The film focuses on an ambitious teacher and his students in a World Religions class at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, Illinois.   It’s showing at the Milwaukee Film Fest and ahead of that WUWM’s Maayan Silver speaks with filmmaker Allison Walsh and producer Lily Qi about the project, and...

We all know about Smokey Bear — the iconic mascot for wildfire prevention. But do you know about Torchy Timberloss? He’s Wisconsin’s very own fire mascot who recently came out of retirement. Torchy is a devilish looking flame that dates back to the 1950s.   The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says Torchy’s image has evolved over the years. Nowadays, he’s focused on spreading the message...

John Gurda is perhaps best known as the chief historian of the City of Milwaukee. His documentary series and book The Making of Milwaukee have become vital resources in understanding the city’s history.   But Gurda’s impact on Milwaukee has been broad and varied. In fact, his work can be seen in neighborhoods throughout the city, on lampposts and in homes. John Gurda joins Lake Effect’s Joy Powers...

Later this week WUWM will begin a series about an out of state landlord that’s being sued by the Milwaukee City Attorney’s Office.   Lake Effect’s Sam Woods and Jimmy Gutierrez will explore how some of David Tomblin’s tenants have joined together to fight for their housing rights, and how the city is backing those residents trying to loosen Tomblin’s grip on the 260 properties he owns. Here’s Sam...

Conservationists are celebrating the return of sturgeon to the Milwaukee River – 20 miles upstream from Lake Michigan.  It’s the first time one of the giant fish was documented in Ozaukee County in more than a century. Sturgeon disappeared from the river because of things like overfishing and degraded habitat. The discovery of the sturgeon so far from Lake Michigan signals a milestone in a sturgeo...

WUWM has been addressing barriers to homeownership in Milwaukee and the possible solutions in our series, Keys to Homeownership. One local program is working to make housing more attainable – and affordable - for early educators. For teachers or childcare providers, the salary can range from thirty-five thousand dollars a year up to about 70 thousand.   Now, I don’t have to go into statistics for...

Wisconsin’s spring election was yesterday. Voters elected liberal-backed candidate Chris Taylor to the state supreme court. She won by a wide margin over conservative-backed Maria Lazar. And there were local races in many parts of the state. To give us a rundown on some of the results, Lake Effect's Joy Powers chats with WUWM editor Emily Files, who leads our voter guide project.

The Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee recently released the Women's Well-Being Index. This data-driven report provides both a state-wide outlook and one of Greater Milwaukee on how women are faring across areas such as safety, health, economic security, education and more.  The study was made in collaboration with the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madiso...

Tomorrow's election comes after the elections in 2023 and 2025 altered the ideological makeup of the State Supreme Court. Liberal-leaning justices now hold the majority.  The ideological makeup will not be influenced by this election, but that doesn’t mean the race won’t have a long-term impact. WUWM’s Maayan Silver is joined by Barry Burden, politics professor at UW-Madison, to find out what’s at...

If you’re buying protein-rich foods or supplements, there’s a good chance that protein came from a Wisconsin cheesemaker.   Whey is a liquid byproduct of the cheesemaking process and is rich in protein. It is usually processed into the form of powder to be added to smoothies, bars, or other food advertising high protein content. Wisconsin farmers produce about one-third of the nation’s whey, and d...

Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming embedded in our society – at work, school and in much of our online activity.  Researchers across the Universities of Wisconsin wanted to create a safe place to learn about AI. So they created a seven-part video series about the technology, how to use it and what kind of mistakes it can make. WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal is joined by Emily Lai...

Over the past year, the city of Milwaukee has been wrestling with the use of facial recognition technology. This is tech that some law enforcement agencies use to assist in investigations using surveillance footage.   The Milwaukee Police Department has used the technology without clear guidelines in place and community members have pushed back. This debate has played out online, in the streets, a...

It’s no secret that in Milwaukee, out-of-state investors have been buying up housing inventory to turn into rentals. That means less housing stock for people who want to become homeowners. One non-profit is trying to counter that trend and get more Milwaukeeans owning their own homes in the city.   WUWM has been examining systemic housing problems – and solutions – for more affordable housing in o...

A New York Times investigation has uncovered sexual abuse allegations against Latino civil rights leader, Cesar Chavez. Since then, cities throughout the country have removed or are considering removing Chavez’s name from buildings, street signs, plaques and more.  In Milwaukee, a statue of Chavez at El Rey Family Market on Chavez Drive was removed. City leaders say there will be a conversation ab...

Commencement is just around the corner for thousands of college students in Milwaukee. At Marquette, some students are pushing back after the university announced that its graduation speaker this May will be Chris Duffey. He’s the head of AI products and platforms at Adobe.   To understand student reaction, WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal spoke with Elena Metinidis, a reporter at Marquette...

In 1993, five women decided to start and run Renaissance Theaterworks after recognizing the clear inequities professionals like them faced on stage and off. One of those women was Suzan Fete.   For more than three decades, Renaissance has championed women’s stories and careers and worked towards gender parity. Co-founder Suzan Fete has led the company as artistic director through over 200 producti...