My NNS journey began 15 years ago. Now, I plan to lead our newsroom into the future.
Edgar Mendez
Raised in a South Side neighborhood where he still lives, Edgar Mendez is the managing editor of the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Mendez is a proud graduate of UW-Milwaukee, where he double majored in journalism and sociology, and of Marquette University, where he earned a master’s degree in communication. He won a 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and 2014, 2017, and 2018 Milwaukee Press Club Awards for his reporting on taverns, marijuana law enforcement, and lead in water service lines. In 2008, he won a Society of Professional Journalists’ regional award for columns dealing with issues such as poverty, homelessness and racism. His writing has been published by the Associated Press, Reuters, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other media. He has also co-authored three articles published in scholarly journals.
Posted inCommunity, gun violence
New study ties weak state gun laws to child deaths in Wisconsin and other states
States with weak gun laws, including Wisconsin, experience more firearm deaths among children ages 0 to 17, according to a study published in the June issue of JAMA Pediatrics.
Posted ingun violence, Special Report
‘Nobody’s ever going to be held accountable’: Families of unsolved murder victims fight to maintain hope
Hundreds of Milwaukee families are still seeking justice for their loved one’s murder.
Posted inCriminal justice, Housing, Public Safety
‘You have to start somewhere’: Benedict Center and others work to help women get off the streets
The Benedict Center works to help women in street-based sex trade by offering food and hygiene supplies, crisis support, mobile case management, housing advocacy and other services.
Posted inCommunity, Resources
10 organizations with programs to keep your kids engaged and active in Milwaukee this summer
Here’s more of what you need to know to keep your kids active and safe in Milwaukee this summer.
Posted inPublic Safety
The Milwaukee Police Department has a plan to reduce violent crime. Here’s what that means for your neighborhood.
MPD officials used community feedback and data analysis to identify crime hot spots and have now developed specific strategies to increase safety in Milwaukee neighborhoods.
Posted inCommunity, gun violence
Street intervention efforts ramp up amid surge in gun violence
Members of 414LIFE, a violence interruption program, are working to change community norms around violence.
Posted inCommunity, Public Safety, Resources
Ways to keep kids engaged and safe this summer
Here’s what you need to know to keep your kids active and safe from violence in Milwaukee this summer.
Posted inCommunity
‘It’s a tragedy’: Public Allies alums discuss impact of AmeriCorps cuts, future of organization
Public Allies Wisconsin, a program that fostered the careers of many Milwaukee leaders, is in jeopardy.
Posted inHealth and Wellness
Drug overdose deaths are declining in the county. Will opioid settlement funds drive those numbers down further?
As drug overdose deaths decline in Milwaukee County, those who provide on-the-ground services say better collaborations and efforts funded from an opioid settlement are the reason