Free Republic

Laylah Petersen was sitting on her grandfather's lap Thursday evening when two people approached the house and fired at it numerous times, with one bullet piercing a wall and striking the girl in the head, police said. The window was scarred with five bullet holes. Four more could be seen in the siding above the window and another below it. "She was our wild child; she was full of life," said Laylah's aunt, Amanda Legler. "Just last week we went trick-or-treating and she told me Ti-Ti Manna, I love you more than science. That was just Laylah, she was so...

With more than 289,000 ballots received as of Monday, Wisconsin has significantly increased its 2010 pre-election turnout, when Republican Scott Walker first claimed the governor's seat. This time, he's aiming for a second term that could set up a run for president in 2016.

MADISON, Wis. — The mid-term elections are right around the corner, and that means one thing: It’s voter fraud season. While many on the left see voter fraud as a fantasy — a delusion by right-wing conspiracy theorists — the fact is, stealing votes is very much alive and well in American democracy, election experts say. And the potential for election theft could play a key role in who controls the reins in American politics. “I don’t know if we are seeing more (voter fraud) than we have in the past, but I do think there are more folks today...

First Lady Michelle Obama will rally with Democratic candidate for governor Mary Burke in Milwaukee on Monday, September 29th. Last-minute preparations were underway Sunday at the Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee. That’s where Michelle Obama will join Mary Burke Monday for a Milwaukee rally in the very close race for governor. “We want to give the first lady a big Wisconsin welcome,” Burke for Wisconsin Communications Director Joe Zepecki said. Volunteers were busy Sunday at the Wisconsin Center — setting up for the first lady’s visit. “There`s always a lot of set up — little details big details. They`re handling...

Democrat Mary Burke told education officials Friday she would fight as governor to stop the expansion of voucher schools but would leave alone the long-standing program in Milwaukee. "This is something that may sound like a good political sound bite, but it is bad public policy," she said of expanding the voucher program. "I think it is the thing that most threatens a vision of a public school system and an education for students in Wisconsin to be the leaders in our country." Her comments drew applause from her audience at a Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators conference at...

Madison -- First lady Michelle Obama will come to Milwaukee next week to campaign on behalf of Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke. Burke's campaign released the news Monday and said it would provide more details in the coming days on the event scheduled for next Monday. A spokeswoman for Burke didn't immediately say whether Obama would raise campaign funds for Burke while in Wisconsin. Burke has taken criticism from conservatives and some liberals for not appearing with Barack Obama during his recent visits to Wisconsin.

A Milwaukee teen charged in a string of armed robberies last week told police he was trying to do as many crimes as he could before he turned 18 on Sept. 11. Rocarldo Chalmers is one of five suspects charged Wednesday in a dizzying spree of armed stick-ups and car jackings that only ended after a high speed chase. Chalmers faces 10 felonies, including armed robbery, car theft and fleeing. Isiah Deshawn Thomas, 18, is charged with five counts, Anthony Griffis, 17, with two. Two juveniles have been charged in Children's Court. As many as three other suspects remain at...

Nothing is more obnoxious than calling someone a liar just because they disagree with you. Unless of course, it is true. And it is getting harder and harder to describe the recent black mob violence near Milwaukpee without using the word L-word aimed directly at reporters and public officials who ignore, deny and try to wish it away. The latest case happened Saturday night in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa. Every year, they have a Tosa Fest, complete with ring tosses, pretzel booths, and this year, a free outdoor movie, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs II. It is supposed...

Frank Torre, older brother of Yankees Hall of Fame skipper Joe and former Milwaukee Braves first baseman, dead at 82 Though he was nine years older, Frank Torre, who broke into the majors with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956, served as a mentor to his younger brother growing up on Avenue T in Brooklyn, and later as a father figure after their parents split up.

Around 50 mayors and law enforcement officials from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Chicago will meet in Milwaukee on Thursday to discuss ways to reduce gun violence. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges are hosting the 2014 Milwaukee-Minneapolis Summit to Combat Gun Violence at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center on Wisconsin Ave. The event is funded with a $38,000 grant from the Joyce Foundation. It is not open to the public. This year's summit will focus on law enforcement perspectives on gun violence and include a review of new models for crime gun investigations, as well as information on...

<p>MILWAUKEE (WITI) — Digging deeper into the background of the suspects in the fatal shooting of Camron Powell; the teen had a lengthy juvenile record. Milwaukee Police Department say this crew might be responsible for dozens of robberies.</p> <p>It turns out Camron Powell was not the gunman holding up the man who shot him on Monday morning, September 1st.</p>

In and example of armed citizen stopping crime, a 30 year old West Allis man defended himself and others against an attempted armed robbery by a group of four.  He shot and killed one of the suspects, a known gang member with a long criminal history at the age of 15. The police or prosecutor have not said that the armed citizen had a concealed carry permit.   it seems likely, as he was not charged or arrested, at least not yet.  Perhaps he was openly armed, which does not require a permit.  Police have arrested five more people that...

Obama coming to Milwaukee for Laborfest By Bill Glauber of the Journal Sentinel Aug. 27, 2014 A spokeswoman for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said Wednesday that President Barack Obama will be in Milwaukee on Labor Day. No further details were available for Monday's visit, but multiple media sources said that Obama will be attending Laborfest at Maier Festival Park. A White House official later confirmed the president would visit the city for an event Monday. Obama was a frequent visitor to Milwaukee and Madison during the 2012 campaign, and was here in 2010 for Laborfest, speaking to a crowd of...

I don’t believe political party is as important as principle. Furthermore, the message should be based upon policy inclusiveness and not outreach. Therefore, when conservatives base their message on principle and articulate the pertinent policies, they will have success with the electorate — principle can win over party. And the most recent case of that premise just occurred in Wisconsin, with the primary win of Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. I first met Sheriff Clarke back in 2011 when we held a Conservative Black forum on Capitol Hill. In fact, we wrote about his pro-gun speech at the NRA convention...

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's political action committee, Independence USA, has purchased $150,833 in television ads in an effort to defeat Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. and support his opponent, Milwaukee police Lt. Chris Moews. In response to the news of Bloomberg's ads, Clarke said in a statement: "I trust the voters. The voters can't be bought." The ad buys by Bloomberg's PAC come on top of $400,000 in media ads purchased by the Greater Wisconsin Committee to try to beat Clarke, who is seeking his fourth term in Tuesday's Democratic primary election. Also on Friday, Citizens...

It's the way of politics these days, but pardon us if we yearn for simpler times...like when hundreds of thousands of dollars wasn't spent by outside groups on a sheriff's race in Milwaukee County. A sheriff's race. We've had our differences with Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., who is up for re-election on Tuesday. As we noted in an editorial back in June, "Whether it's irresponsibly calling on citizens to arm themselves, bombastic talk-radio appearances or his intensely personal feud with County Executive Chris Abele (all the while never acknowledging his own flaws), the sheriff has repeatedly diminished himself before...

Cargill plans to close a Milwaukee beef-processing plant which employs about 600 people on Friday due to a shortage of cattle. A Midwest drought in 2011 and 2012 hurt cattle levels, said Cargill spokesman Mike Martin. Now, many herders are breeding the cattle they have and not selling them. U.S. beef cattle herd is at its lowest level since 1951, Cargill said. …

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Politifact.com have been tracking Gov. Scott Walker’s election campaign promises through an online feature they call the “Walk-O-Meter” and can be found online at PolitifactWisconsin.com. There you will find that Walker has kept an overwhelming amount of his campaign promises out of the 65 they are tracking.

Sierra Guyton put up a long fight, but on Sunday her young body finally succumbed to her injuries. It was two months ago that a dispute between two men ended in gunfire and 10-year-old Sierra was shot in the head as she played at the Clarke Street Elementary School playground. Sierra died about 1:35 a.m. Sunday at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. She was taken off life support June 25, but survived another 2 1/2 weeks. If an effort ever was needed to get young black men to put down their guns and settle their disputes in a sensible manner, this...

When a major American city such as Chicago reports 82 people shot and 14 killed over a violent holiday weekend, it's time to take notice. Describing some parts of the inner city as "the Wild, Wild West" or "an urban war zone" to make a point about lawlessness just doesn't cut it anymore. It's time to call it what it is: an epidemic of gun violence as deadly as any infectious disease or plague that any health professional can imagine. When Mallory O'Brien, executive director of the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission, looks at the levels of gun violence in cities...