Metronews

MILWAUKEE — There are big changes ahead for Milwaukee restaurants. By next year, patrons will start seeing letter grades appearing in windows. Those grades will be the result of food sanitation inspections. It’s a move that had its supporters and opponents. In Milwaukee, food establishments are usually inspected once a year. Currently, all of the results of Milwaukee food sanitation inspections are available online.  Starting in 2018, they’ll start appearing in front windows in the form of a letter grade. Milwaukee Sanitation Grading System “Grades are a snapshot of what the inspector sees that day. Once we have three years of inspections in the system, it’ll be a weighted average,” explained Claire Evers, Consumer Environmental Health Director for the Milwaukee Health Department . Alderman Michael Murphy — restaurant grading The Milwaukee Health Department will start assigning grades to sanitation inspections in January 2018. Posting grades will be voluntary for the...

OAK CREEK -- Drivers are assessing the damage done to their vehicles after going over a large pothole on I-41/94 SB near Ryan Road on Wednesday, November 29th. One man says the pothole came out of nowhere. At first glance, you may not even notice anything wrong with John Monefeldt's Lexus IS. "My steering wheel isn't straight anymore. I have quite a bit of vibrations from city speeds up to highway speeds," said Monefeldt. The devil's in the details, and Monefeldt says his car's wheels met their match Wednesday night. I-94 at Ryan Road (PHOTO: WisDOT STOC) "It came up pretty quick. It was about two-foot wide, halfway into the left lane. It looked like a 6-8 inch hole in the pavement," said Monefeldt. John Monefeldt Calling it a pothole doesn't quite do it justice. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) officials say the mess blocked two southbound left lanes and backups for drivers were extensive. Some, like Monefeldt, dro...

GERMANTOWN — A 61-year-old man suffered serious injuries after he was struck by a vehicle while riding a bicycle in Germantown. Officials say the victim was struck at Country Aire Drive and Mequon Road. According to Germantown Fire Department, upon arrival authorities found the victim in the roadway. He was conscious but extremely confused. Officials say he was transported by a Flight for Life helicopter to Froedtert Trauma Center with serious injuries.  

Abel Gonzalez WAUKESHA — Diagnosed with a life-long, debilitating disease, Abel Gonzalez decided to accept the challenge, and not let it win him over. He also accepted another challenge — serving as a role model. “I am very passionate about Ninja Warrior, about being on the show, being competitive. I love it,” Gonzalez said. He has participated in American Ninja Warrior nine times. “I knew I wanted to be a professional athlete growing up, so that was kind of the idea,” Gonzalez said. Abel Gonzalez The idea almost didn’t happen, as he was faced with a lot of obstacles in his life. Abel Gonzalez “I grew up in Chicago and lived there until I was 10. My parents were divorced and my family was split down the middle and I was sent to Texas. That was really rough going through,” Gonzalez said. Even tougher was what happened to him in early adulthood. “When I was 23, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and that was pretty close to putting me out, as far as my movement. I ...

MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee Police Department squad car was struck in a hit and run near 16th and Lincoln Thursday, November 30th. Police say it happened around 8:30 p.m. According to police, several people got out of the vehicle that struck the squad and ran on foot after the incident. No officers were injured. Police have not taken anyone into custody.

MINNEAPOLIS — Outraged Garrison Keillor fans deluged Minnesota Public Radio Thursday with complaints about the firing of the humorist over alleged workplace misconduct. Some say they will no longer support MPR, one of the nation’s largest public radio operations, which depends heavily on financial contributions. MPR said Wednesday it was cutting ties with Keillor, creator and former host of the popular public radio show “A Prairie Home Companion,” over an allegation of workplace misconduct. The network did not give details, but Keillor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he had put his hand on a woman’s bare back while trying to console her. On Thursday, MPR repeated that it had received just one formal complaint against Keillor, a day after a statement by him raised questions about the extent of the allegations. Keillor told MPR’s news department in an email that two employees had made allegations. MPR spokeswoman Angie Andresen, asked to clear up the discrepancy, said the netw...

MILWAUKEE — Soccer through the eyes and ears of Matthew Knowles is indeed a beautiful game. “There’s always something to watch and people going past, and he gets pretty excited,” said his mother, Sarah Knowles. Matthew Knowles and family at UWM Panther Arena Matthew and his family are regulars at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, where they cheer on the Milwaukee Wave. “I like the fact that we can go there, and we’re just a family going to a Wave game,” said Knowles. Matthew was born with a chromosomal abnormality — an error in his genetic code that has significantly impacted his development since birth. Because of that, every trip to the arena involves a game within the game for the Knowles family — a race against the clock. “The very last thing we do before we leave the house is change Matthew’s diaper,” Knowles explained. “I think that’s the biggest challenge we have — finding places to change him,” said Monika Hering. Monika Hering and Ryan Hering and Knowles have n...

Trump's upcoming campaign event just across Alabama's border shouldn't fool anybody. This is clearly a Roy Moore rally.

Renowned actress  Angela Lansbury  is facing criticism after saying women “must sometimes take blame” for sexual harassment because of the way they dress. In an interview Monday with British entertainment media company  RadioTimes , Lansbury said women “have gone out of their way to make themselves attractive. And unfortunately it has backfired on us … Although it’s awful to say we can’t make ourselves look as attractive as possible without being knocked down and raped.” Lansbury was speaking about the wave of sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations made recently against such powerful men as Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. Her comments went viral, and not in a good way. Some people said they thought the beloved “Murder, She Wrote” actress, 92, was trending because she was deceased but were mortified to hear what she said. Others pointed out the irony of the actress playing a mystery writer and amateur detective who advocated for victims in “Murder, She Wro...

Trump is doing his best to hand Robert Mueller and congressional investigators an open-and-shut obstruction of justice case against him. 

Donald Trump claims he has brought Christmas back to the White House, but it was clear on Thursday night that nobody else got the memo.

SHEBOYGAN COUNTY — A 25-year-old Sheboygan man is accused of leading police on a high-speed chase — reaching speeds of 125 mph — and reportedly told police he did it because he was late for work. According to the criminal complaint, on Wednesday, November 22nd, a deputy set up stationary radar and tracked 25-year-old Zachary Aschenbach, traveling at speeds topping 120 mph on I-43 in Sheboygan. A chase was ensued; the deputy’s squad reached 125 mph before losing sight of Aschenbach. The criminal complaints states Aschenbach eventually crashed, leaving approximately 215 feet of skid marks before coming to a stop on an exit ramp. Officials say upon arrival to the crash scene, the vehicle was still warm and the keys were still in the ignition — but Aschenbach had fled. Aschenbach was eventually found and taken into custody. According to the criminal complaint, Aschenbach told police he was speeding because he was “going to be late for work and lose his job.” Zachary Aschenbach has been...

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office has been called to the scene of a shooting near Green Bay Avenue and Capitol Drive Thursday night, November 30th. The call to police came in around 6:00 p.m. Milwaukee police have the scene taped off. FOX6 News has a crew at the scene. Check back for updates.

Democrats have stepped up to the plate and are trying to put billions of dollars toward a crisis that deserves more than just lip service. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Jurors have found a Mexican man not guilty of murder in the killing of a woman on a San Francisco pier in a case that touched off a national immigration debate. The jury reached the verdict Thursday in Kate Steinle’s death. Jose Ines Garcia Zarate had been deported five times and was wanted for a sixth deportation when Steinle was fatally shot in the back in 2015. Garcia Zarate didn’t deny shooting Steinle and said it was an accident. Before the shooting, the San Francisco sheriff’s department had released him from jail despite a federal immigration request to detain him for deportation. Its “sanctuary city” law limits cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities. President Donald Trump cited the case during his campaign in a bid to show the country needed tougher immigration policies.

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Alderman Tony Zielinski, who is a candidate for mayor, is introducing a resolution about sexual harassment in the City of Milwaukee. The resolution tells the director of the Department of Employee Relations to create a policy to put city employees through sexual harassment training. “Everyone deserves a respectful and safe workplace. This is a common sense resolution that will ensure our high standards are reflected with each employee’s behavior,” Zielinski said in a news release. The proposal is expected to be heard by the Finance and Personnel committee in December. Zielinski announced on November 29th that he’s running for mayor. A spokeswoman for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett issued this statement: “Mayor Barrett and the head of the department of employee relations have a plan in place to further address the issue of sexual harassment.”

Tihler Townes RACINE — A 19-year-old man now faces multiple criminal charges in connection with several shots fired incidents and armed robberies in the Racine area. The accused is Tihler Townes. Townes is being charged with the following crimes: Stalking, domestic abuse assessments Criminal damage to property (4 counts) Discharge firearm within 100 yards of a building (3 counts) Attempted first degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon (2 counts) First degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon (3 counts) Armed robbery with use of force, as a party to a crime Carrying a concealed weapon Obstructing an officer A police investigation revealed that Townes was involved in multiple incidents of criminal activity between September 30th and November 22nd at the following locations in Racine: 21st St. and Center St. 13th St. and Highland St. 13th St. and Grand Ave. Dekoven Ave. and Howell Ave 16th St. and Indiana St. 1200 block of Highla...

OAK CREEK — Formal charges have been filed against a woman accused of taking her four-year-old granddaughter and going on the run for days. Kelly Smith 43-year-old Kelly Smith of West Allis faces one count of interfering with custody/beyond visitation, one count of possession of THC, second and subsequent offense and misdemeanor bail jumping. According to a criminal complaint, on November 22nd, a man (Smith’s estranged husband) reported to police that his adopted daughter, Kirsten Smith, was missing. She’d been with Smith for a supervised visit on November 21st, and the man said he hadn’t seen her since. The girl’s adopted father said he has sole legal custody and primary placement of the child. An investigation led police to the Villa Vista Hotel on S. 20th St. near Drexel in Oak Creek, where they found Smith and the 4-year-old girl.  A suspected marijuana blunt was also found in the room, according to the complaint. It tested positive for the presence of THC. The complaint...

OAK CREEK/FRANKLIN — Random drug testing high school students; it’s a proposed policy change up for debate in the Oak Creek-Franklin School District. Thursday, November 30th, parents are weighing in at the first public meeting. A change like this would impact nearly 75 percent of the student body at Oak Creek High School. While it’s still in the early phases, it would also come at a cost. Gail Green “I’m very interested in learning both sides because I am undecided at this point,” said Gail Green, Oak Creek High School parent. Parent Gail Green, is certain she wants a safe environment for her ninth grade son, but undecided on the thought of random drug screens. “I don’t really have a strong stance one way or the other yet. I think drugs are an issue with our high school but I don’t know if that’s the right use of resources,” said Green. The proposed change would impact student athletes, any student involved in activities, or any student who applies for a parking permit. “If yo...

On Sunday, stargazers, astronomers and curious sky-watchers will get a chance to witness the first and only supermoon of 2017. In November 2016, the moon reached a distance closest to the Earth than ever seen since 1948,  producing a supersized supermoon . However, on Sunday night, the moon will still shine 16% brighter and appear 7% larger than its usual size. A supermoon occurs when the sun, moon and Earth align, and a full or new moon aligns with the sun’s lunar orb. This supermoon will be the first in the series of three consecutive full moon supermoons, the next two to occur in January. While it has been a year since a visible supermoon last lit up the sky, everyone in the world has a chance to marvel at this upcoming full moon. Most astronomers suggest watching the supermoon right after sunset and into moonrise, and minutes before the next sunrise as well. But for those who can’t wake up that early, the moon will still look bigger — and brighter — throughout the night. ...