Wisconsin Weekly is a Friday news roundup of reports from Wisconsin Watch and other trusted news outlets. Access to some stories may be limited to subscribers of the news organizations that produced them. We urge our readers to consider supporting these important news outlets by subscribing, and sign up to get our free newsletters here.
Of note: This week we highlight a followup to our Feb. 6 story revealing that police in Sheboygan had quietly investigated three sexual harassment claims, disciplining 10 officers and verbally admonishing two others while also settling with a female officer for $110,000. In this latest installment, reporters Maya Hilty of the Sheboygan Press and Phoebe Petrovic of Wisconsin Watch find that some top city leaders say they were out of the loop before and after the probes in 2021.
Top Sheboygan officials lacked key details on police department sexual harassment probes
Sheboygan Press/Wisconsin Watch — February 28, 2023
Key city officials say they were left in the dark at various points during and after three 2021 internal investigations into sexual harassment by the Sheboygan Police Department. The Sheboygan Press and Wisconsin Watch first reported on the existence and results of the sexual harassment investigations, which included discipline or verbal reprimands for a dozen officers on Feb. 6. The city also settled a discrimination complaint related to sexual harassment with a female officer for $110,000.
Amber Alerts are rare. A Milwaukee grandmother thinks one could have saved her family.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — March 1, 2023
Jacqueline Brister woke up one December morning to find her car, keys and wallet gone. Her daughter, Khalilah Brister, and 7-year-old granddaughter, Tyrielle Jefferson, were missing, too. That day, local authorities got at least three reports about Khalilah, who had a history of mental health issues, and learned she had threatened to drown herself and her daughter. But it never translated into an Amber Alert. The next day, Khalilah and Tyrielle were found dead inside a car submerged in Northridge Lake.
How an anti-abortion law firm teamed up with a disgraced Kansas attorney to dispute the 2020 election
ProPublica — March 1, 2023
A Catholic-led law firm is sowing doubts about election integrity as part of its long-term strategy to battle abortion rights. The Chicago-based organization has embraced the relentless questioning of the integrity of elections, filing scores of lawsuits and complaints across the U.S.
Earlier coverage from Wisconsin Watch: Blurring of lines’: Private lawyer plays starring role in taxpayer-funded Wisconsin election probe
A 20-year-old was on suicide watch at the Milwaukee County Jail. She still died. Her mother wants answers.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — March 2, 2023
Kerrie Hirte always made sure there was money on the phone and messenger account for her 20-year-old daughter, Cilivea Sunray Thyrion. The two spoke or messaged almost daily after Thyrion was placed in custody at the Milwaukee County Jail in February of last year. The calls and messages went cold on Dec. 16. That night a detective arrived at Hirte’s Green Bay home and broke the news of Thyrion’s death that day after she swallowed part of a diaper.
What Wisconsin’s BadgerCare Plus recipients should know to keep their benefits
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service — March 3, 2023
After March 31, BadgerCare Plus recipients must return to the pre-pandemic process of reapplying and being re-evaluated for coverage. Local health care professionals want them to be prepared. BadgerCare Plus serves people who need health care coverage but who may not qualify for Medicaid. Since March 2020, those who have received BadgerCare Plus benefits have been able to keep those benefits without having to go through the renewal process as was required every 12 months before that time.
YOU’RE INVITED TO THIS FREE SPECIAL EVENT!
Administrators of the Pulitzer Prizes are coming to Wisconsin and invite the public to an evening of discussion. Pulitzer Prize winning reporters Corey Johnson of ProPublica and Raquel Rutledge of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel will discuss how journalism can help improve societal problems. “Pulitzer on the Road: How Local Journalism Helps You,” will be held Tuesday, March 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison. There will be a reception with light food and beverages following the program. The event is free, but please register here.
Access to some stories listed in the Wisconsin Weekly roundup may be limited to subscribers of the news organizations that produced them. We urge our readers to consider supporting these important news outlets by subscribing.
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