Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• To say that professional Twitter troll, talk show pundit, podcast host, and part-time Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke had a doozy of a week would be a wee bit of an understatement. On Tuesday, a Milwaukee man filed a complaint claiming he was indirectly “harassed” by the sheriff. The man, Dan Black, had been on the same weekend flight from Dallas to Milwaukee as Clarke. When Black asked Clarke, who was decked out in Dallas Cowboys gear, if he was indeed Clarke, Clarke replied he was. Black then shook his head and walked away. Upon landing at Milwaukee’s General Mitchell Airport, Black was met by “six uniformed deputies and two bomb/drug dogs” and escorted from the premises. On Wednesday, Clarke released a statement saying he would “knock out” any “goofs” who pulled a similar “stunt.” And on Thursday, he threatened to murder them.
Now, amidst calls for Clarke to apologize (good luck with that), Milwaukee attorney Dan Adams has offered the sheriff some snarky advice on Wisconsin’s self-defense law. Oh, and some help finding a nice anger management counselor. Highlights of Adams’ letter, published on Charlie Sykes’ Right Wisconsin site, include:
“I know it’s been almost 40 years since you first learned these legal concepts at the Milwaukee Police Academy, so my hope is this refresher will knock loose some of the baseline knowledge I know you already possess.”
“This is the part that gives me pause about your statement today, sheriff. I just can’t wrap my head around how Mr. Black asking if you were our sheriff would give a person of ‘ordinary intelligence and prudence’ a belief that they’d be battered or assaulted? So, my unsolicited advice is not to follow through with your threat of ‘knocking out’ someone who approaches you in an unthreatening manner in a public space. I just don’t know how you’ll justify that in court and, Lord knows, county taxpayers don’t need to cover any more legal bills or settlement costs.”
“In closing, sheriff, I’d also like to suggest an alternative approach to this issue: there are several counselors in Milwaukee who offer vast experience at a reasonable cost in the field of anger management. I’d be happy to recommend a couple of them that I know are professional, discreet, and would provide you with some insights.” [Right Wisconsin]
• If you’ve been thinking a lot about alternate universes today, consider this: Ikea, which breaks ground this year in Oak Creek, once considered the Shops of Grand Avenue for its Wisconsin location. Huh! [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• The Milwaukee County Transit System’s free bus fare GO Pass program—aimed at disabled riders and/or those over 65—ain’t gonna be free any more. Beginning this year, first-time applicants must pay a $5 application fee, and prove they’re receiving Medicaid or FoodShare benefits (65 years and older); or receiving Medicaid, Social Security, or have a veteran’s disability designation (under 65). The reason for the changes? Too many people were using it. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• The Milwaukee Bucks’ “entertainment block” took yet another step closer to reality with a final approval from the Milwaukee Common Council. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Sister duo Reyna—formerly Vic And Gab—formally unveiled an infectious new single, “Matinee.” [Highclouds]
• Where does Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett rank in a national survey of mayor pay, asks a Milwaukee Business Journal headline. Twenty. #SavedYouAClick [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Chicago-based jazz and blues magazine DownBeat named Milwaukee’s Jazz Estate and Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts two of the best jazz clubs in the world. Great job, Milwaukee! [OnMilwaukee]
• It’s Friday, which means another brewery is nearing completion. City Lights Brewing, 2210 W. Mount Vernon Ave., will open February 1. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Evan Rytlewski called the new Luxi album, Geometric Universe, an “electro-pop masterpiece.” [Shepherd Express]
• Ruckus, a new Shorewood burger joint from the owners of Colectivo, is open for business. [OnMilwaukee, Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Mason Street Grill will close January 22 for an “interior refresh.” It will reopen February 9. [OnMilwaukee]
• Purple Door Ice Cream will be closed through January 31 for “cleaning, meetings, etc.” [OnMilwaukee]
• Vincent VanGREAT released an incendiary video for his incendiary song “Radical.” [YouTube]
• B-Free dropped by the Tap Milwaukee studios for a live Sound Check performance. [Tap Milwaukee]
• FreshFin Poke, which recently opened on Milwaukee’s East Side, delivers now. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Micheal Horne delved into the tangled history of Lee’s Luxury Lounge, and stopped by for a “Blessing of the Bar.” [Urban Milwaukee]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!