Every Friday, Stuff We Missed looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for, well, stuff we missed throughout the week.
• The past eight months have been nothing short of a disaster for music venues. Happily, some relief is on its way for a number of Milwaukee venues. Gov. Tony Evers announced on Thursday that a cool $15 million in COVID-19 Live Music and Entertainment Venue Grants had been awarded to 96 Wisconsin venues. Here’s how things shake out for Milwaukee venues:
• Eagles Entertainment, Inc. (The Rave) – $395,308.00
• Marcus Performing Arts Center – $362,287.61
• Milwaukee Repertory Theater – $362,287.61
• Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (Summerfest) – $395,308.00
• Owl Club LLC (The Cooperage, Boone & Crockett) – $134,127.61
• Pabst Theater Foundation, Inc. – $362,287.61
• PTG Live Events, LLC (Pabst Theater, Riverside Theater, Turner Hall, Back Room) – $395,308.00
• Shank Hall – $57,178.14
• The Hock Group, LLC (Budweiser Pavilion) – $197,654.00
• Wisconsin Center District (Miller High Life Theatre) – $395,308.00
• X-Ray Arcade – $24,942.35
“We know large gatherings of people in small spaces can be a catalyst for spread, which is why our folks in the live music and entertainment industry have been doing their part to help keep their communities and people safe,” Evers said in a press release. “These changes haven’t been easy, but these venues have worked to be good partners throughout this process. We hope these funds can provide critical support and stabilization to help them get through until we can all gather safely and enjoy entertainment together again.” [88Nine Radio Milwaukee]
• In a 4-3 decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit from President Donald Trump seeking to throw out hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin votes and completely undermine democracy and the very idea of free and fair elections. Conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn joined liberal Justices Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky in shooting down Trump’s latest attempt to throw out hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin votes and completely undermine democracy and the very idea of free and fair elections. Conservative Justices Patience Roggensack, Rebecca Bradley, and Annette Ziegler thought dude should at least have a shot at it. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• (Not that Trump’s quest to throw out hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin votes and completely undermine democracy and the very idea of free and fair elections is over. Two new lawsuits have since been filed by the Trump campaign.) [Urban Milwaukee]
• More good news: Cetonia Weston-Roy’s Niche Book Bar (which we wrote about yesterday) won another round of grants from the Brew City Match program. Weston-Roy wants to open a Black-focused brick-and-mortar bookstore in the city’s Harambee neighborhood. The latest round of Brew City Match winners includes 24 businesses, “100 percent of which are owned by entrepreneurs of color.” Eighty-four percent are owned by women. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Some neutral news: A “massive overhaul” of the Milwaukee County Transit System is coming in 2021. The so-called MCTS NEXT will be implemented in three phases, and will feature numerous reconfigurations to favor high-frequency routes. According to MCTS, “the plan does not eliminate any entire routes and will negatively impact only 0.5% of riders’ access to the system.” [Urban Milwaukee]
• Milwaukee Public Library has once again shifted from in-person service to curbside service. The Central Library and all neighborhood branches will stick with curbside service “until the positive [COVID-19] case rate remains at or under 15% for at least 7 days. [OnMilwaukee]
• And now for some bad news: Buck Bradley’s Saloon & Eatery, 1019 N. Old World Third St., is closed for the foreseeable future. “Let’s say when the Fiserv Forum has events again. When the Bucks return, Admirals return, I’ll return,” owner Walter Paget said. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Sigh. Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!