Villard Avenue once was a bustling commercial sector, and though many businesses still operate on the street, challenges to restore it to its former prominence remain.
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 inCarousel, Home, Neighborhoods, News, Public Safety
Not guilty ruling doesn’t make things all right. Not even close.
After a Milwaukee County Municipal Court judge found Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporter Edgar Mendez not guilty of trespassing Monday, he reflects on a wrong that he said should have never happened.
Posted inClarke Square, Multimedia, On The Block
On the Block: Construction on Greenfield Avenue
Store owner Naser Asad said road construction on Greenfield has hurt his business.
Posted inCarousel, Community, Home, Neighborhoods, News
Legislators hope to build on momentum created by results of marijuana referendums
Several state leaders are urging voters to continue pushing for legalization of marijuana and also calling for bipartisan support for changes in the state law.
Posted inCarousel, Community, Home, Neighborhoods, News
Milwaukee groups urge residents to vote “yes” for legalizing marijuana
The Wisconsin Justice Initiative, ACLU of Wisconsin, MICAH and some state leaders believe that passage of the Nov. 6 referendum on legalizing marijuana would lead to reforms that could lessen the impact of unequal law enforcement and create economic benefits for the state.
Posted inArts and Recreation, Carousel, Home, Neighborhoods, News, South
‘Talking shop’ event to recall hip-hop origins on South Side
The “Talking Shop: Hip Hop,” event at Mitchell Street Library will revisit the days when breakdancing, hip-hop and the Cuteria barber shop were at the center of the neighborhood’s cultural shift.
Posted inCarousel, Home, Neighborhoods, News, Public Safety
Amid praise for stop-and-frisk from Trump, ACLU educates people about their rights
The ACLU of Wisconsin is working to inform residents about the impact of a lawsuit targeting stop-and-frisk that led to police reforms in Milwaukee.
Posted inMultimedia, On The Block
On the Block: Just scrapping
CC Ryder, 32, said he has a 9- to -5 job, but scraps metal to make a few extra bucks.
Posted inCarousel, Community, Home, Neighborhoods, News
Head of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee resigns
Vincent Lyles, who announced his resignation Thursday, cites increased membership in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and college access for its members as among his proudest accomplishments during nearly seven years as CEO and president of the organization.
Posted inAmani, Carousel, Home, Metcalfe Park, Neighborhoods, News, North, Public Safety, Sherman Park
West Allis Police Department uses armored vehicle to serve search warrant on Milwaukee’s North Side
A video recorded and broadcast on Facebook by community activist Dennis Walton and others shows a heavily armored West Allis Police Department vehicle preparing to conduct a raid.