Second Century news fellow based in Milwaukee from 2024-25.
Nick Rommel
Latest Posts
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Record-setting Wisconsin Supreme Court race nears finish line
The campaign for Wisconsin Supreme Court neared the finish line Monday as the candidates wrapped up tours of the state and outside spending continued to smash records.
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Governor vetoes bill to undo changes to student testing standards
In his veto message, Evers said that even while “reasonable minds can disagree” over how to measure academic achievement, he objects to “the Legislature’s attempts to undermine the constitutional authority and independence” of the DPI superintendent.
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Election mailers, disguised as local newspapers, sent to Wisconsinites
With the election for a pivotal seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court Tuesday, political pamphlets that look like local newspapers have been showing up in Wisconsinites’ mail.
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Village of Slinger enforces, then walks back, political yard sign rule
“It is a little disparaging when you’ve got so many people who are willing to rip on their own community publicly, but yet not be part of the solution,” said Scott Stortz, Slinger’s village president.
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MPS let kids into lead-contaminated classrooms, state says
“MPS allowed children back into the work areas at Fernwood to attend class on March 11, 2025, while paint chip dust and debris from the previous night’s work was present,” the letter states.
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Microsoft pauses construction on parts of Mount Pleasant site again
On a swath of ex-farmland slated for future phases of the project in Mount Pleasant, Microsoft’s preliminary work was paused in January — then restarted — and now paused again.
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Chippewa leader gives State of the Tribes address at Wisconsin Capitol
Thomas Fowler, tribal chair of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, gave the annual State of the Tribes address on Tuesday at the state Capitol.
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Wisconsin sees record migration, Milwaukee County grows
The number of people moving to Wisconsin hit at least a 20-year high last year. And the state’s biggest counties are growing — including Milwaukee County, which grew for the first time since 2014.
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USDA cuts program that brought locally-grown food to schools, pantries
In an email to WPR, a USDA spokesperson called the initiatives “pandemic-era” programs with “no plan for longevity,” and said the department was returning to “long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives.”