Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Drone footage of the snow storm that dropped nearly 10 inches of snow on Racine and Kenosha
Mike De Sisti
Monday, November 10, 2025
Woman charged in shooting of Concordia student says the two became paranoid after smoking pot
David Clarey
Prosecutors say a 32-year-old Milwaukee woman grew paranoid after smoking marijuana and shot a Concordia pharmacy student and herself on Nov. 4.
Jamica Simone Mills, who was 31 at the time of the shooting, is charged with first-degree reckless homicide by use of a dangerous weapon in the shooting that killed 26-year-old Ariel Spillner, who she described as her friend to authorities, and led to her injuring herself accidentally.
The prosecutor's Nov. 8 criminal complaint details what Mills told police the evening the shooting occurred at her home after the two smoked marijuana together and both became paranoid.
Spillner was expected to cut Mills' dog's hair with scissors, but Mills retrieved a handgun from her bedroom after becoming paranoid. She later shot Spillner, after the victim made a "hand motion," Mills then accidentally shot herself in the abdomen, according to the criminal complaint.
Mills told police Spillner did not threaten her, she did not "observe" the scissors, and she did not mean to kill the other woman, according to the complaint.
The complaint shows Mills having other adverse, seemingly strange reactions to smoking marijuana. When first responders arrived, she was not wearing clothes and was combative, including to hospital staff who treated her injuries. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner has not released an autopsy report for Spillner's death.
Mills initially gave police a different narrative of events, where she was not the shooter, but later said it was incorrect, according to the compliant.
Online tributes to Spillner described her as an accomplished college basketball player at Clarke University in Iowa and "a light to everyone who knew her." A fundraiser for Spillner's family has raised nearly $12,500 as of Nov. 10.
Spillner was enrolled in the School of Pharmacy at Concordia University Wisconsin, a Lutheran university in Mequon. The university said in a statement it was "deeply saddened" of her death and was offering counseling and pastoral care to students.
"Our hearts and prayers are with Ariel's family, friends, classmates, and all who knew and loved her," the statement said. "We take comfort in the promise of Christ’s presence and pray for God’s peace to surround all who mourn Ariel’s passing."
Milwaukee County Court Commissioner Katharine Kucharski set Mills' bail at $150,000, according to online court records. Mills next court appearance is for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 17 at 1:30 p.m.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.
The Demon weed strikes again!
How much snow did it snow around Racine and Kenosha Monday morning?
Anna Kleiber
Some Wisconsinites saw a heaping amount of snow after a strong lake effect snow band moved in over the southern half of Lake Michigan overnight into Nov. 10.
While Milwaukee County only saw trace amounts of snow early Nov. 10, eastern Racine and Kenosha counties saw upwards of 13 inches.
More snow could fall across southeastern Wisconsin in the early morning of Nov. 11, but there will only be a 20% chance of any of that accumulating, according to Benjamin Sheppard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan.
Here's what snow totals looked like Monday morning in Milwaukee-area communities.
How much did it snow last night in Wisconsin?
Here are the snow totals, according to the weather service, that were reported in southeastern Wisconsin early Nov. 10.
- Pleasant Prairie: 10.5-13 inches
- Elmwood Park: 10.5 inches
- Wind Point: 7 inches
- Kenosha: 9.5 inches
- Racine: 5.8-9 inches
- North Bay: 5.1 inches
- Franksville: 4 inches
- Sturtevant: 2 inches
Kelli Arseneau of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
Anna Kleiber can be reached at akleiber@gannett.com.
Windy conditions, snow expected in Milwaukee area. 5 inches possible along lakefront.
Anna Kleiber
Southeastern Wisconsinites should bundle up Nov. 9 with scattered light snow showers expected during the day, followed by a potential for moderate to heavy lake effect snow in some areas along Lake Michigan, according to the National Weather Service Milwaukee office in Sullivan.
A strong lake effect snow band is expected over the southern half of Lake Michigan overnight into Nov. 10, with chances for thunder. Milwaukee County could see one to five inches of snow near Lake Michigan and up to one inch further inland. Snow showers could impact travel and cause low visibility late Nov. 9 into the morning hours.
Additionally, a gale warning was issued by the National Weather Service Milwaukee office in Sullivan urging mariners to stay off Lake Michigan in southern open waters under 6 a.m. Nov. 10 with north winds up to 40 mph and waves 8 to 13 feet expected. Mariners should avoid these hazardous conditions and remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course and/or secure their vessel for severe conditions, according to the National Weather Service.
The rest of the week, southeastern Wisconsin can expect windy conditions and a chance of snow.
Forecasters expect a high of 38 and sunny conditions Monday, Nov. 10 with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service. In the evening, a low around 35 degrees, with a west wind 10 to 15 mph.
On Nov. 11, there's a 30% chance of snow before 3 p.m. followed by a slight chance of rain and snow showers. Milwaukeeans can expect mostly cloudy conditions and wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
While conditions are expected to be sunny with a high near 49, windy conditions will carry into Nov. 12 with wind 10 to 15 mph and gusts as high as 25 mph.
The wind will subside later in the week, with sunny conditions and highs in the low 50s expected on Nov. 13 and 14.
(This story was updated.)
Anna Kleiber can be reached at akleiber@gannett.com.
Sunday, November 9, 2025
Trump administration tells Wisconsin to 'undo' full FoodShare payments. Evers says 'No'
Molly Beck
MADISON – The Trump administration late Saturday told Wisconsin state officials to "undo" their fulfillment of food assistance benefits amid a court battle over funding the nation's anti-hunger programs during the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.
The directive to all state officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture came after the Evers administration discovered the U.S. Treasury had rejected reimbursing Wisconsin grocers for food purchased by participants in Wisconsin's food assistance program, known as FoodShare, according to the Evers administration.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers had a one-word response to the directive: "No."
In a statement, he said Wisconsin "legally loaded benefits to cards."
"Our administration is actively in court fighting against the Trump Administration’s efforts to yank food assistance away from Wisconsin’s kids, families, and seniors, and we are eager for the court to resolve this issue by directing the Trump Administration to comply with court orders and provide the certainty to the many Wisconsin families and businesses who rely on FoodShare," he said in the statement.
Nearly 700,000 FoodShare recipients received their full November allotment of benefits after Evers' health department officials pushed through a request to fill the recipients' card balances after a federal judge on Thursday demanded the Trump administration fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program through the government shutdown.
But while the recipients' cards had balances available to spend through lines of credit, the Treasury had rejected sending money to cover those purchases to grocers and other businesses that accept such cards, according to an Evers administration official.
After the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday granted a stay of the ruling compelling the Trump administration to pay the benefits, Agriculture officials sent memos to state officials asking them to "immediately undo" any actions to direct funding to their residents using food assistance cards.
The officials said in the memo that any move to fully fund benefits, like Wisconsin had done, was "unauthorized."
The Agriculture officials also noted that failure to comply would result in funding reductions to administer their food assistance programs.
Evers said in a court filing Saturday that without the reimbursement approval from U.S. Treasury, known as a line of credit, the state will be no longer be able to send funds to retailers for the purchases made by FoodShare recipients by Monday.
Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin residents received full food benefits early Friday after state officials moved to release the funding after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to fully fund the program.
More than $104 million in benefits were paid to 337,000 households at midnight, a spokeswoman for Evers said Friday, Nov. 7. The federal funding was distributed after the Evers administration made a request late Thursday, before the Trump administration sought to block the order.
The Evers administration expects the U.S. Department of Agriculture to at least make partial funding available to divert to retailers, according to an Evers spokeswoman.
"Based on what the state knows today, Wisconsin does not expect any immediate impacts for FoodShare members while the state continues to work to secure funds owed from the federal government," she said.
Federal subsidies for meals have become a flashpoint in the fight between Democrats and Republicans who have been unable to agree on a new bill to fund the government, leading to a federal government shutdown now in its 40th day.
Funding for SNAP benefits, known as FoodShare in Wisconsin, expired Nov. 1 amid the shutdown.
Since then, two federal judges issued orders to compel the Trump administration to tap into contingency funds to keep SNAP payments moving, but the Trump administration said it would fund only a portion of the benefits.
Doing so would cause long delays, because the systems set up to distribute benefits would need to be overhauled to release a smaller amount.
If the Trump administration funded the program at the reduced level, grocers would be reimbursed, according to the Evers administration.
The Trump administration said it does not have enough funds to pay full benefits.
"This is a crisis, to be sure, but it is a crisis occasioned by congressional failure, and that can only be solved by congressional action," Trump administration wrote in a court filing seeking the emergency stay.
Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Saturday, November 8, 2025
Wisconsin FoodShare recipients received full benefits overnight, Evers administration says
Molly Beck
MADISON - Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin residents received full food benefits overnight after state officials moved to release the funding late Thursday before the Trump administration sought to block the payments, according to the Evers administration.
More than $104 million in benefits were paid to 337,000 households atgover midnight, a spokeswoman for Gov. Tony Evers said Friday, Nov. 7. The federal funding was distributed after the Evers administration made a request late Thursday.
Federal subsidies for meals have become a flashpoint in the fight between Democrats and Republicans who have been unable to agree on a new bill to fund the government, leading to a federal government shutdown now in its 38th day.
Should the federal shutdown continue into December, Wisconsin and other states will again be facing an end to food assistance payments.
Thursday's release of benefits for recipients of FoodShare, Wisconsin's food assistance program under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the latest development in the saga that has landed in two federal courts.
Funding for SNAP benefits, known as FoodShare in Wisconsin, expired Nov. 1.
Two federal judges issued orders last week to compel the Trump administration to tap into contingency funds to keep SNAP payments moving, but the Trump administration said it would fund only a portion of the benefits.
Doing so would cause long delays, because the systems set up to distribute benefits would need to be overhauled to release a smaller amount.
“The defendants failed to consider the practical consequences associated with this decision to only partially fund SNAP,” U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island said in a Nov. 6 court hearing responding to the Trump administration before ordering the full payments.
“They knew that there would be a long delay in paying partial SNAP payments and failed to consider the harms individuals who rely on those benefits would suffer."
The Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to block the order. It's unclear whether the Trump administration could pull back benefits that have already been paid.
The Trump administration said it does not have enough funds to pay full benefits.
"This is a crisis, to be sure, but it is a crisis occasioned by congressional failure, and that can only be solved by congressional action," Trump administration wrote in a court filing seeking the emergency stay.
“This Court should allow USDA to continue with the partial payment and not compel the agency to transfer billions of dollars from another safety net program with no certainty of their replenishment."
Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Milwaukee police announce death of beloved retired police dog
Kelli Arseneau
The Milwaukee Police Department announced the death of a beloved retired police dog, Rocky.
"Rocky was a triple threat K9, who was trained in apprehension, narcotics, and firearms detection," a Nov. 7 post on Facebook and X from the Milwaukee Police Department reads. "Rocky enjoyed being around everyone and was often a fan favorite at many of the MPDK9 Foundation events. He loved to 'lean' into anyone that was petting him but was always ready and excited to go to work."
Rocky died Nov. 7, at the age of 14. He was born on March 12, 2011, in Germany, and worked with the Milwaukee Police Department for nearly eight years, from June 2012 through January 2020, according to the department's social media post.
Rocky became the family dog for the family of his handler, Officer Shawn Burger.
"He enjoyed his days dancing with his human brother, splashing in his pool and laying in the sun in the backyard," the post reads.
"We wanted to spend the rest of our lives with you, but instead we are deeply honored knowing you spent the rest of your life with us," a statement from Burger and his family reads.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.
First snow of the season expected Southeast Wisconsin this weekend
Milana Doné
RACINE — Racine can expect a taste of winter this weekend as the first snowfall and freezing temperatures of the season move into the area.
Michaela Heeren, a National Weather Service meteorologist at the Milwaukee/Sullivan station, said a trail of potential snowfall will travel from southern Minnesota through southern Wisconsin and possibly stretch into parts of northern Illinois.
Southeast Wisconsin will start to see snowflakes Saturday evening, which will last into Sunday morning. The initial stages will be a mix of rain and snow.
Then, as temperatures fall overnight, the mix will transition into snowfall.
Snowfall totals are expected to range between a trace and a couple hundredths of an inch, Heeren said.
“We’re not really looking at anything sticking on roads or anything impactful necessarily,” Heeren said. “It’s mainly going to be grassy and elevated surfaces because we have had such warm conditions up until this point.”
Heeren said she doesn’t expect roads to be icy because ground surface temperatures will still be in the mid-30s.
While the snowfall won’t be substantial, Heeren does recommend taking precautions.
“If you have some travel plans during the overnight hours on Saturday, you might see some visibility decreases,” she said. “Definitely take extra caution when you’re going over bridges … because those do freeze before the roads.”
Although this is the first wintery weather the area has seen this season, Heeren said things will warm up again next week with highs in the 40s and maybe low 50s.
This is definitely a very typical Wisconsin late fall, early winter snowfall, she said.
Friday, November 7, 2025
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Legislature launches audit of DPI licensing processes following criticism
KIMBERLY WETHAL
Lawmakers will audit the state Department of Public Instruction’s process for granting and revoking licenses for educators as the criticism over how the agency investigates cases of teacher misconduct continues.
The Legislature’s joint audit committee voted unanimously Wednesday to task the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau with investigating nearly a dozen aspects of DPI’s licensing process, including how it investigates allegations of educator misconduct, the steps it takes to revoke or suspend licenses and if the department is following its state laws and its own policies as it does so.
The audit follows an October investigative report by The Cap Times that found that, between 2018 and 2023, DPI investigated about 200 public school teachers, substitutes, aides and administrators for alleged sexual misconduct or grooming behaviors toward students.
Republican lawmakers in particular have homed in on the report, stating DPI’s offers of voluntary revocation early in the investigation process is evidence they don’t investigate incidents fully.
DPI officials, including State Superintendent Jill Underly, said the license investigation process is transparent and the agency does not seek to hide any information from the public. Rather, DPI officials argue, there’s gaps in state law making it harder to hold accountable the people who are "grooming” children, widely known as courting a child’s favor and affection for eventual sexual gain, as well as other legal limitations the agency faces in investigating accused staffers.
Underly said Tuesday there’s room for improvement, though, and said the agency is working on creating a specific database where the public can search for suspended or revoked licenses. Future iterations could include reasons why an educator had their license revoked.
Underly told lawmakers Wednesday she thinks the department could supply all of the data the audit bureau will be seeking.
Earlier this week, lawmakers introduced two bills that would define an umbrella of behaviors that constitute grooming and would require school boards to set limitations on how staff communicate with students.
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