Jim Piwowarczyk

"Instead of worrying what they are calling their inmates, maybe the MCSO should worry about their blue flu," a source told Wisconsin Right Now, but the Sheriff's spokesman points to the County Board and Executive, who have power over compensation. The Milwaukee County Jail is struggling with severe staffing shortages that appear partly driven by low pay that isn't comparable to the pay offered by other local jails, such as Racine's, Wisconsin Right Now has learned. They're 84 people short, with three more correctional officers resigning last week alone. The staffing crunch is even more severe due to people calling in sick, sources told us. How bad is the crisis in the jail? A source told us more than 35 correctional officers called in sick on Saturday and more than 25 called in sick on Sunday alone. The Sheriff's spokesman confirmed to Wisconsin Right Now that "we are currently operating at 177 out of 261 officer positions filled, a number tha...

The Milwaukee County Jail is struggling with severe staffing shortages that appear partly driven by low pay that isn't comparable to the pay offered by other local jails, such as Racine's, Wisconsin Right Now has learned. They're 84 people short, with three more correctional officers resigning last week alone. The Sheriff's spokesman confirmed to Wisconsin Right Now that "we are currently operating at 177 out of 261 officer positions filled, a number that's decreased at a fast pace over the preceding months." The staffing crunch is even more severe due to people calling in sick, sources told us. The problems in the jail come at a time of skyrocketing crime in Milwaukee, and they're causing Milwaukee police to have to hold people for days in district stations, when they would normally be held for hours, a source told Wisconsin Right Now. We also heard that the issues are coming on the heels of a gradual reduction in budgeted positions over the years...

“Vitriol, insults, and trying to destroy our businesses," “unfathomable. I was told to put a bullet in my head. I was told children would die, and students would starve. It’s unacceptable." - Corey Montiho, school board member describing threats he received. Folding to aggressive threats and bullying from a national "mob" driven by politics and misleading news coverage, the Waukesha School Board reversed direction by rescinding its decision on free school lunches, some board members said in a heated special meeting on Aug. 30. The 5-4 vote came after an emotional discussion in which school board members in opposition to rescinding the vote described receiving threats, with one board member saying people's businesses were imperiled, and he was told to "put a bullet in my head." Board members described their children's pictures being posted online. Several board members said the board would be caving to a bullying mob if it changed its earlier...

Andrez Martina, the grandfather of Andre Smith Jr., is the suspect accused of bludgeoning the boy to death with a hammer, a law enforcement source told Wisconsin Right Now . The boy's aunt also identified Martina on social media. Andrez Martina was on the run, although the aunt wrote, "they got him." We've learned that he is a multiple time felon convicted of drug dealing and was arrested years ago for homicide, which raises the question of how he was able to access the child, who was under the supervision of Child Protective Services. Court records show that he was convicted of a charge under Wisconsin Statutes 940.01(89), according to online court records. 940.01 is the first-degree intentional homicide statute. The clerk at the courthouse said that charge was first-degree intentional homicide. Our source confirmed that he was arrested for first-degree intentional homicide on June 11, 1989. The case is converted in the system because it's so old; we'v...

“vitriol, insults, and trying to destroy our businesses.” , “unfathomable. I was told to put a bullet in my head. I was told children would die, and students would starve. It’s unacceptable." - Corey Montiho, school board member describing threats he received. Folding to aggressive threats and bullying from a national "mob" driven by politics and misleading news coverage, the Waukesha School Board reverses direction by rescinding its decision on free school lunches, some board members said in a heated special meeting on Aug. 30. The 5-4 vote came after an emotional discussion in which school board members in opposition to rescinding the vote described receiving threats, with one board member saying people's businesses were imperiled, and he was told to "put a bullet in my head." Board members described their children's pictures being posted online. Several board members said the board would be caving to a bullying mob if it changed its earlier dec...

The Waukesha School District is just pulling out of a program that gave kids free lunches regardless of income. Poor kids would still get free lunches. Have you seen the negative stories making the Waukesha School Board members look like a bunch of misers who don't want to give kids free lunches? The truth is that kids in Waukesha will still get free meals if they are low-income. But you wouldn't know it from some news stories; instead, the district is being blasted in headlines nationwide. The media also fixated on a single school board member's quote that staying in the universal program could make some families "spoiled," truncating her full quote in a way that made it sound worse and lose context (we give you the full quote later in this article.) Some of the media's reporting on the Waukesha School District pulling out of a pandemic-related "universal" school lunch program is unfair. What some stories don't tell readers: The Waukesha...

Several sources within the Milwaukee PD tell Wisconsin Right Now that felon Earl Lawhorn pointed a gun at officers twice, and it's believed he shot at least once during a foot chase after he fled from officers who tried to stop him for reckless driving. Officers returned fire, fatally striking Lawhorn. MPD spokesman Efrain Cornejo would not comment on that and only said, "We are not releasing any further information than what was released in our press release until we release our community briefing. Waukesha PD is the lead investigating agency and this incident is still under investigation." EarlLawhorn was a convicted felon and his possession of a firearm would have resulted in a serious "felon in possession of a firearm" felony charge punishable by several years in prison. His most serious offenses were 2015 felonies for child abuse-recklessly cause harm and battery - domestic abuse repeater. He was wanted on a warrant for a 2020 case of resisting an offi...

At Least Ten US Marines Killed Explosions in Afghanistan outside the Kabul airport Thursday have led to at least ten US Marines killed and several other civilian casualties according to FOX News and further heightened the chaotic evacuation of American citizens and Afghan nationals. “There has been a large explosion at the airport, and there are reports of gunfire,” the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan said in a statement. “U.S. citizens should avoid traveling to the airport and avoid airport gates at this time. U.S. citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate now should leave immediately.” “We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the Pentagon. “We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. We will continue to update.” The Pentagon said the attack hit multiple s...

According to FOX NEWS, 4 US Marines have been killed . Explosions in Afghanistan outside the Kabul airport Thursday have led to several civilian and military casualties and further heightened the chaotic evacuation of American citizens and Afghan nationals. “There has been a large explosion at the airport, and there are reports of gunfire,” the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan said in a statement. “U.S. citizens should avoid traveling to the airport and avoid airport gates at this time. U.S. citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate now should leave immediately.” “We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the Pentagon. “We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate. We will continue to update.” The Pentagon said the attack hit multiple spots with casualties. “Beca...

The Biden administration directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to cancel Operation Talon, a nationwide operation conducted by ICE to remove convicted sex offenders illegally in the U.S. Over the past 10 months, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents have made 8,691 southern border arrests of known criminals who have entered the U.S. illegally. Combined, they have committed 12,685 crimes in the U.S., according to federal data. Because Border Patrol agents do not have access to criminal records from other countries, they rely on information reported in the National Crime Information Center database. Many southern border arrests made by the Border Patrol are registered sex offenders who were previously convicted and served time in U.S. prisons. They were released and deported only to reenter the U.S. again illegally this year. Southern Border Arrests In a recent Laredo, Texas, Border Patrol Sector report, among a group of 20 apprehended this week, one was a Honduran na...

"Just gonna drop this here, so we can have a nice bundle for whoever runs against him." - Kelda Roys' tweet A Democratic legislator, Kelda Roys, is under fire for cruel tweets trashing a Republican lawmaker, Andre Jacque  (R-DePere) and trying to raise money to get him out of office, as he lies in the hospital battling COVID-19. Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch was among those criticizing the Kelda Roys tweets. "She should resign," Kleefisch tweeted. Conservative Mike Mikalsen, a legislative staffer, wrote on Twitter, " A prime example of Wisconsin elected Democrats…they are just horrible human beings. Sen. Kelda Roys regularly proves she is lower than all the rest!" Instead, Kelda Roys, a Democrat from Madison, doubled down on her attacks against the ailing Jacque, a father of six, including an infant. Jacque, 40, is now reportedly on a ventilator in the hospital. Kelda Roys' Tweets In the Kelda Roys' tweet, she cruelly wrote ...

"We will continue to partner with law enforcement to aggressively prosecute those that poison our community by dealing drugs and also seeking treatment options for those battling addiction," -Eric Toney In a press release announcing that a local methamphetamine dealer was sentenced to prison, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney called on the federal government to "gain control of the border crisis," saying that "this border crisis is contributing to deaths within our community and has literally spilled into our streets.” David S. Bresser was sentenced in a methamphetamine drug overdose homicide and fentanyl delivery in Fond du Lac County. Toney used the case as a moment to highlight the source of many lethal drugs in Wisconsin, saying,"fentanyl and methamphetamine pour across the Southern border." Eric Toney is running for Wisconsin Attorney General as a Republican (Professor Ryan Owens is the other Republican primary candidate). Er...

In a press release announcing that a local methamphetamine dealer was sentenced to prison, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney called on the federal government to "gain control of the border crisis," saying that "this border crisis is contributing to deaths within our community and has literally spilled into our streets.” David S. Bresser was sentenced in a methamphetamine drug overdose homicide and fentanyl delivery in Fond du Lac County. Toney used the case as a moment to highlight the source of many lethal drugs in Wisconsin, saying,"fentanyl and methamphetamine pour across the Southern border." Toney is running for Wisconsin Attorney General as a Republican (Professor Ryan Owens is the other Republican primary candidate). Toney is highlighting his experience as a front-line prosecutor. We previously published a lengthy investigative report on AG Josh Kaul's crime lab delays and backlogs; one of those areas involves delayed testing for c...