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Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Launches ‘Destined for Greater’ Public Safety Initiative

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Crowley highlights how $1.5 million in state grant funds are being activated with new community violence intervention projects and partnerships

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley launched “Destined for Greater,” a comprehensive public safety and community violence intervention initiative within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that brings together existing community violence intervention programs, mental wellness services and resources, and new projects funded with $1.5 million in grant funding from the State of Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention (OVP).

 

The Destined for Greater initiative will work to reduce community violence by building on the measurable success of existing programs. Since the launch of Advance Peace Fellowship in 2024, 95 percent of fellows reported no new gun injuries, while the Credible Messenger Program, which started in 2021, most recently reported 76 percent of youth had no referral or offense while participating in the programming. Destined for Greater will ensure coordination between multiple projects and programs to best serve youth, families, and the community. It will create advanced collaboration between established programs and partners, such as the Milwaukee Bucks Foundation, Milwaukee Turners, Fathers Making Progress, the HIR Wellness Institute, and others. New programs and projects will be implemented in neighborhoods across Milwaukee County starting this summer.

 

“At Milwaukee County, we know that community safety and community health go hand in hand. That’s why we’re investing in prevention, intervention, healing, housing stability, behavioral health services, and pathways to opportunity for our young people,” said County Executive Crowley. “When we address the root causes of violence and support the well-being of our residents, we build stronger, healthier communities for everyone. Through our Destined for Greater initiative, we are working together to create safer neighborhoods, expand access to violence prevention resources, and continue to ensure every resident has the support they need to thrive.”

 

DHHS is taking a system-wide approach to community safety and mental wellness – using a cross-sector, multi-partner network to execute projects from boots on the ground services for people in need, to support for infrastructure and capacity. Community partners will increase capacity for services in Milwaukee County, both deepening existing collaborations and opening the door to new partnerships.

“For DHHS, this work brings together Children, Youth and Family Services, Behavioral Health Services, housing, prevention efforts and community-based violence intervention strategies,” said David Muhammad, Deputy Directory, DHHS. “It recognizes that public safety is achieved by meeting the basic needs of youth and families to change behavior and requires more than one kind of support.  In addition to intervention and helping navigate conflict, they may need housing, mental health support, transformative mentoring, a job, or other services to help them thrive.”

 

“The Bucks are proud to stand as a civic partner in this work and help create access, opportunity and hope for local individuals and families,” said Josh Glessing, President of the Bucks and Fiserv Forum. “We’re excited to continue our work supporting pathways to jobs and opportunity for residents who are reentering the community by connecting them with jobs.”

 

Some DHHS programs and services, like the Advance Peace Fellowship, impact individuals with high risk factors that place them close to the gun violence crisis. Other programs and services seek to reach those with more moderate risk factors, as well as efforts working to prevent young people from ever having a reason to touch the juvenile justice system. In each case, the goal is to reduce risk factors while increasing protective factors—strategies rooted in public health approaches to reducing gun violence. By addressing all sides of the spectrum, DHHS takes an active role in gun violence prevention.

 

Partners will convene regularly with DHHS to report progress and affirm their commitment to the collective goal of reducing community violence, share updates, and serve as resources to each other in moving the work forward to improve impact and coordination. The Destined for Greater initiative will feature shared messaging and impacts related to Milwaukee County’s ongoing support for peace and community well-being.

 

The following projects will be funded through State of Wisconsin OVP funds and demonstrate the multi-component work throughout 2026:

  • Milwaukee Turners: The Holistic Violence Intervention Initiative will engage community-based partners to include Fathers Making Progress, HIR Wellness Institute, Helping Kids Better Themselves, Ana Paula Soares Lynch, and Turners’ programming to provide holistic and targeted violence prevention efforts in high-need neighborhoods.
  • INPOWER Solutions: Expansion of positive community-based, youth driven events, including Grinding to Glory, as well as the youth employment services through the Grow Rich Initiative.
  • CC We Adapt: Technical assistance for individuals from Credible Messenger teams within Milwaukee County Children, Youth & Family Services (CYFS) to gain capacity to work within Milwaukee County Comprehensive Community Services (CCS);
  • Community Justice Council: Convene and coordinate efforts with multi-sector leaders in supporting CVI staff and programming, improving coordination, and reducing youth involvement in the justice system;
  • Milwaukee Bucks Foundation: Expand the Rotational Program to support skill-building, employment, and reentry for justice-involved individuals, and partner with DHHS on a violence prevention campaign;
  • Providers serving youth in detention with positive support include Muhibb Dyer, Speak Wellness, AJH Solutions, and La’Ketta Caldwell.
  • Funding also increases capacity of some ongoing services of the department, including crisis housing funds for individuals and families relocating due to violence, supporting professional development for Credible Messengers programs, and expanding youth employment work with Bloom Integrated Therapies and Youth Advocate Program.

 

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Carini’s Southern Italien Restaurant to be Featured on America’s Best Restaurants

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Local eatery Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant will host a visit from America’s Best Restaurants (ABR), a national media and marketing company, for an on-site visit as part of the ABR Roadshow.

America’s Best Restaurants travels the country spotlighting independent, locally-owned restaurants that make a positive impact on their communities. During the visit, the ABR Roadshow team will highlight Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant on-camera, featuring an extensive interview with Owner Janice Carini about the restaurant’s special place in the community.

Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant has a rich history that began when Peter Carini, the chef, started working at a local restaurant as a busboy at the age of 17. Recognizing his passion for cooking, the chef promoted him to a cook, where he learned to run a scratch kitchen focused on minimizing waste. After 13 years of climbing the ranks and gaining extensive culinary experience, Peter opened his own restaurant in 1996. After a thorough search, he found the perfect location in the Oakland building, a momentreminiscent of a child in a candy store. Inspired by his mother, many of the restaurant’s menu items reflect his Sicilian heritage, creating a dining experience filled with the charm of old-world Sicily.

Carini’s is not only known for its authentic family-run atmosphere and personal service but also for being one of the first restaurants in Milwaukee to introduce authentic Neapolitan pizzas. The restaurant actively engages with the community by sponsoring local high school sports and providing food donations to various charities, showcasing their commitment to making a difference. “We are so excited to be featured on America’s Best Restaurants. It is such an honor to be included with the many other great restaurants featured here. Though we would love to say, ‘When you’re at Carini’s, you’re family,’ that phrase is already taken. Truth be told, we have made many lifelong friends, and we are always being told we make them feel like part of our family. Buon Appetito!” Janice Carini expressed.

The menu at Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant boasts standout items, and the episode will feature popular dishes such as Margherita Pizza, Conca d’Oro, and Lisa’s Shrimp Tortellini. Each dish tells a story, from the wood-fired Margherita pizza, honoring the Queen of Italy, to the Conca d’Oro, which reflects Peter’s fishing town roots in Sicily.

America’s Best Restaurants was on-site at Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant on June 15, 2026, from 9 AM to noon.

The completed episode will be aired extensively on social media channels at a later date. The premiere date will be announced on the restaurant’s Facebook page and featured on America’s Best Restaurants’ website and YouTube channel.

About Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant: Carini’s Southern Italian Restaurant is located at Milwaukee, WI. For more information, visit https://www.atouchofsicily.com/

About America’s Best Restaurants:

Headquartered in Florence, KY, America’s Best Restaurants is a national media and restaurant marketing company that travels the country telling the stories of locally owned, independent restaurants through its ABR Roadshow. With over 2,000 episodes filmed, ABR features restaurants across its social media channels, website, and the restaurant’s own digital platforms. Learn more at AmericasBestRestaurants.com.

Common Council to host the Women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. tomorrow

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Tomorrow – Tuesday, June 23, from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Epsilon Kappa Omega and Upsilon Mu Omega Chapters will be at City Hall to meet with members of the Common Council as part of the 12th AnnualAKA Day at City Hall to engage with Common Council members and city officials. Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. will be discussing various community-related topics with Council members and attending the meeting of the full Common Council at 9 a.m. in the 3rd-floor Council Chamber. The theme of this year’s AKA Day is “Safe Communities, Strong Democracy: From Neighborhood Safety to the Ballot Box.”

Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, a proud member of the AKA sorority, said she is pleased to celebrate 12 years of AKA Day at City Hall. “I love that the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority are so civically minded and engaged, and I sincerely hope that other groups that are like-minded would also come to City Hall to learn more about the issues we are working on and discuss what issues are important to them,” she said.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is the oldest Greek-letter service organization established by African-American college-educated women with more than 280,000 members worldwide.  It was founded on January 15th, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C. In 2026, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. celebrates its 118th year of “serving all mankind,” and its service program centers on education, health, building strong families, environmental sustainability, and community concerns. Epsilon Kappa Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. was chartered on May 11, 1949, and it is the oldest alumnae chapter in the State of Wisconsin with over 200 members. Epsilon Kappa Omega has a longstanding history of fighting for civil rights and against social injustice, and remains focused on uplifting underrepresented individuals and families.

What:    AKA Day at City Hall

 

Where:  City Hall, Council Chamber and Room 303

 

When:   Tuesday, June 23 from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Review Board to Hold Hearing to Discuss Public Power

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On Wednesday, June 24, at 9 a.m. the Public Transportation, Utilities and Waterways Review Board will hold a hearing to discuss the concept of public power. This board is chaired by Alderman Robert J. Bauman. Alderman Alex Brower, a strong proponent of public ownership of public utilities, notes that this hearing is an important step in advancing the conversation around the practicality of public utilities.

“Necessities like electricity and natural gas should be provided for the collective benefit of all, not for the profit of shareholders. Chapter 197 of the Wisconsin State Statutes allows cities like Milwaukee to replace their investor-owned utility with a municipally owned one,” said Ald. Brower. “While the process is long and may be difficult, our city would be better served by a utility that we own, similar to the Water Works.”

We Energies has increased its rates by 25% over the last four years and is now requesting an additional 10% rate increase in 2027 and another 5.5% in 2028. “These increases would further hurt working-class people at a time when they are already feeling squeezed by high inflation and wages that haven’t kept up. We Energies has failed the residents of Milwaukee, and it’s time that we looked to other options,” Ald. Brower added.

Prior to the review board hearing on June 24, a public demonstration will be held at 8:30 a.m. outside of City Hall, 200 E. Wells St. The hearing will then take place in room 301-B at City Hall. Media coverage is invited, and residents are encouraged to attend.

Op-Ed: Black Women Can Still Lead Democratic Tickets Despite Losses By Kevin Harris

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Kevin Harris

Black women remain the Democratic Party’s most loyal constituency. That reality has been repeated so often it risks sounding cliché. Yet despite Black women’s contributions, many Democrats seem all too ready to accept Black women’s labor but not their leadership.

Questions about Black women and leadership continue to linger following the party’s fumbled release of its 2024 autopsy. The autopsy cited the Biden Administration’s inadequate support for Kamala Harris as a major contributor to the party’s eventual loss to Donald Trump. Many wonder if Democrats could’ve stopped Trump had the nominee not been a Black woman.

But Georgia’s latest Democratic primary results offered another reminder that voters still place enormous trust in Black women leaders. That trust comes even after Harris’ 2024 loss to Trump and Stacey Abram’s historic but unsuccessful bids for governor in the peach state.

Now that the General Election ticket has been set, Georgia is moving forward with an impressive roster of Black women. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ crushing victory to secure the 2026 Democratic nomination for governor set the tone. Bottoms will campaign alongside Black women nominees for key statewide offices including Attorney General, Secretary of State and Labor Commissioner.

This November, 12 Black women are on the ballot for seven of Georgia’s nine statewide offices and five congressional seats, marking one of the strongest showings of Black women’s political leadership in the state’s history. A Bottoms victory would be historic. No Black woman has ever been elected governor of a state.

Georgia underscores a political truth that should not be ignored. Voters are still willing to trust Black women at the ballot box despite failed bids from Harris and Abrams.

Republicans and too many Democrats have attempted to cherry pick those losses as evidence that voters may be cooling on Black women candidates.

Georgia Democrats just suggested otherwise.

They asked a valid question too many Democrats are uncomfortable acknowledging. If white male moderates can run and lose time and again, why should we preemptively disqualify Black women?

Georgia Democrats did not retreat from Black women and instead reaffirmed their belief that Black women remain among the party’s most effective communicators, coalition builders, and organizers.

The lesson from Georgia is not that Democrats are ignoring the electoral challenges facing the party. It is that Democrats still see Black women as central to solving those challenges.

That confidence is not rooted in nostalgia or identity politics alone. It is rooted in the receipts that Black women can show for their efforts to build the party. Black women have led voter registration drives, turnout operations and fundraising networks. They have governed major cities, served in Congress and led federal agencies.

And outside Georgia, there continues to be growing evidence of Democrats standing behind Black women. Despite disappointment following Jasmine Crockett’s Texas primary loss this year, the party is poised to have an historic number of Black women serving in the United States Senate. Illinois Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton is heavily favored to win her senate bid in November. She’ll join Maryland’s Angela Alsobrooks and Delaware’s Lisa Blunt Rochester in Congress, marking the first time in history three Black women served as senators at the same time.

A Black woman is likely to succeed Mayor Muriel Bowser in Washington DC following three successful terms leading the nation’s capital. Washington will join the ranks of Baltimore and Atlanta where Black women have succeeded each other as Mayor of major cities. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass has overcome steep odds to potentially secure another term in November. If successful, Bass will remain the only Black woman leading a top five city ranked by population. And Harris continues to top many 2028 polls for president as she evaluates another potential bid.

The Democratic autopsy didn’t really answer much. But one thing Democrats should stop obsessing over is the electoral viability of Black women. Democrats should not question if voters will stand behind Black women. They should not question if voters can assess Black women candidates based on the same qualities as white male candidates who rarely have their electability questioned in the same way.

Georgia Democrats still believe Black women are among the party’s strongest political assets. And results around the country show Georgia Democrats are not alone.

So might we see another Black woman atop the Democratic ticket in 2028? Georgia’s primary suggests that’s not as far fetched as many would like us to believe. But should a Black woman come forward and compete, Democrats should recognize that race and gender are not the disqualifier many would like it to be.

 

Kevin Harris is a Democratic strategist who has advised over 100 campaigns and ballot measures, including the past five presidential elections, served in the Obama Administration, cabinet member for two big city mayors and Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Scooter restrictions on the table after horrific sidewalk collision

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Statement of Alderman Robert J. Bauman

June 18, 2026

The caught-on-video incident earlier this week of a LIME scooter rider striking a man as he was walking across a public sidewalk on N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. near State Street is brutal to watch. The impact knocks the pedestrian off his feet, and he flies backward with his head and neck striking sidewalk furniture and the ground.

Reports state that the man suffered broken ribs, broken bones in his feet, and that he will need spinal surgery.

I have been frankly skeptical of the wisdom of mixing electric scooters with vehicle and pedestrian traffic – especially downtown – since the beginning, and I have had enough. The city’s abilities to keep scooter riders off sidewalks and to keep them from blocking public spaces (and public property) have simply proven to be inadequate.

I will be introducing a Common Council file to have a full review of safety protocols in our scooter program, and I will also be requesting that DPW initiate further, significant speed restrictions in the downtown area of my district.

Third open house info session for Midtown Center development site will be virtual

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Alderman Mark Chambers, Jr. announced today that the Saturday, June 27 public informational meeting regarding the proposed Midtown Center redevelopment project will be fully virtual.

If approved, the Midtown Center site would house a Milwaukee Public Library branch, computing facility, storage units, and housing.

The second of three planned community meetings will take place in person TOMORROW– Thursday, June 18 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the former Walmart at 5825 W. Hope Ave.

The (third and final) meeting on Saturday, June 27, from 12 – 1:00 p.m. will require attendees to link in to participate. Virtual attendees should go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4557456362045704282 to participate in the info session.

In addition to Alderman Chambers, staff from the Milwaukee Public Library and the Department of City Development, and developers AFS Milwaukee, LLC, and Gorman & Co. will be available to speak with attendees and answer questions during each of the final two sessions.

Reasonable accommodations can be provided upon request. Call (414) 286-3475 or email[email protected].

Summer in Milwaukee

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Greg Thompson

                  Well, we are all looking forward to the great summer weather that we always get this time of year. Yes, all the summer festivals, state fairs, concerts, Brewer baseball games, the zoo, plus many other things too throughout the summer. But always mixed with all these fun things are some things that we could do without. School is now out for the summer also and kids are everywhere with most just trying to have fun also. There are some with their teenage friends that get into activities we think might be a little unsafe at times. One of late is called “street takeovers” which can be extremely dangerous to the drivers and pedestrians watching the event.

                  “Street takeovers” are when a large group of people close all a street intersection to party in the middle of the street. Cars burn rubber in a circle at a high rate of speed with the crowd standing remarkably close to the activities. Fireworks and bottle rockets are being set off in addition. Many are drinking, partying and just having an enjoyable time. This creates disturbance in the area where it is being held where many states they cannot sleep or enjoy quiet time in their homes. Also, it is extremely dangerous and the people in the crowd can be seriously injured or killed if one of the cars goes into the crowd. In the past few weeks people were slightly tapped by the moving vehicles, but no injuries were reported.

                  MPD Command staff was called in front of the Common Council and asked what you are doing about these events because we are getting numerous complaints. They reported a takeover task force and advised arrests were coming. During one incident they reported one arrest, five towed vehicles and nine citations issued. Mayor Johnson and Chief of Police Norman both state this behavior will not be tolerated. The task force now has arrested the main person who was putting together these takeovers plus towed his vehicle. The interesting thing is this person is from Illinois and came over here just for these activities.

                  Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed an ordinance into law on June 3 that empowers Milwaukee County sheriff deputies to impound vehicles involved in reckless driving. This is part of the county and city’s vision zero initiative, implemented in 2022, that aims to eliminate all fatal traffic accidents and serious injuries by 2037. Vehicles can only be towed by deputies at the time of issuing a citation or making an arrest for reckless driving. The owner of the impounded vehicle will pay fees and any outstanding fines before retrieving the vehicle.

                  The City of Milwaukee enacted a similar ordinance empowering MPD the ability to impound vehicles in November 2025. MPD has impounded 154 cars involved in reckless driving so far in 2026. Part of the city ordinance also issued fines for the people out in the crowd watching the events. The fines can go to as high as $1000 dollars. It looks like between the city, County, Mayor Johnson, Chief Norman, and County Executive Crowley the streets will be a little calmer this summer.

Second open house info session at Midtown Center development site happening Thursday

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Alderman Mark Chambers, Jr. wants to remind residents of the upcoming public informational meeting at the Midtown Center site that (if approved) would house a Milwaukee Public Library branch, computing facility, storage units, and housing.

The second of three planned community meetings will take place on Thursday, June 18 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the former Walmart at 5825 W. Hope Ave. In addition to Ald. Chambers, staff from the Milwaukee Public Library and the Department of City Development, and developers AFS Milwaukee, LLC, and Gorman & Co. will be available to speak with attendees and answer questions.

 “There has been significant attention and interest around this redevelopment proposal, and to make sure they have all the facts, I strongly encourage area residents to attend one of the remaining informational sessions to learn more and share their thoughts,” Alderman Chambers said. “I want to see Midtown developed, but I want it to be developed in a way that brings the greatest benefit to its nearest neighbors and the entire city. Resident input is a crucial part of the process.”

A third and final meeting will be held on Saturday, June 27, from 12 – 1:30 p.m. at the same location. Reasonable accommodations can be provided upon request. Call (414) 286-3475 or email [email protected].

Alderwoman Taylor to host 9th District ‘Taylor Talkbacks’ on 3rd Thursdays starting June 18

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Alderwoman Larresa Taylor will hold 9th District informal feedback sessions every 3rdThursday over coffee – these conversations will be called Taylor Talkbacks – startingThursday, June 18 at the Tru Bru Café, 6550 N. 76th St., from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

“I am inviting residents to attend my upcoming Taylor Talkbacks and voice any comments or concerns freely,” Alderwoman Taylor said. “These conversations are intended for residents to engage by asking questions, stating your concerns, and sharing ideas for the district. We will be here to listen and to partner with them in moving the district and the city forward. I look forward to seeing you there!”

 

What:                        Taylor Talkbacks

 

When:                         3rd Thursdays – June 18, July 16 & Sept. 17 (12 to 2 p.m.)

 

Where:          Tru Bru Café, 6550 N. 76th St.