Forty children under the age of 18 have been victims of homicides in Milwaukee County since 2023.
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, Public Safety
Readers offer insights on how to stop youth homicides
Readers respond to a call for ideas on how to stop the rise in youth homicides in Milwaukee County, where 40 children have been killed since 2023.
Posted inCommunity, gun violence
Our children are dying. We need your solutions.
Since 2023, 40 children under the age of 17 have been victims of homicide in Milwaukee County, according to data from the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Posted inCommunity, gun violence, Public Safety
Community weighs in how to decrease youth violence
Citing a number of violent incidents involving youths, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman issued a strong statement asking the community, especially parents, to help his department.
Posted inCommunity, Economic Development
Mother-daughter duo thrives in business by breaking new ground
June Perry-Stevens and her daughter Krystle Rogers are co-owners of Best Ed Business, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Posted inCommunity, Inside the NNS Newsroom
Inside the NNS Newsroom: Edgar Mendez starts new role as gun violence solutions reporter
I’ve been reporting for NNS since the news service launched in 2010, covering everything from the opioid epidemic to unequal law enforcement. Now I’m focused on gun violence solutions, perhaps my biggest challenge yet.
Posted inCommunity, News
Here’s what you need to know about the Aug. 13 election in Milwaukee
On Tuesday, Aug. 13, voters across the city will head to one of nearly 200 polling sites to cast their ballots in the fall partisan primary election.
Posted inCommunity, Health and Wellness, Public Safety
Milwaukee County unveils new projects to stem the tide of opioid overdose deaths
As drug overdose deaths continue to scourge the community, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has announced a series of new projects aimed at stemming the tide of death and destruction caused by opioid addiction.
Posted inCommunity, Health and Wellness
Michael Totoraitis reflects on first year as health commissioner, looks forward to full term
Michael Totoraitis brings his unique skill set and stability to the role of Milwaukee commissioner of health, a position that has seen extremely high turnover over the past several years.
Posted inCommunity, News, Public Safety
Family of man killed by officers during RNC seeks answers
Angelique Sharpe, the sister of Samuel Sharpe Jr., is outraged over his fatal shooting by Columbus, Ohio, police who were in town to work the Republican National Convention.