The Milwaukee Post

4 • Milwaukee Post • June 21, 2013 WEEK IN REVIEW STATE AND LOCAL STORIES OF INTEREST 1 Milwaukee residents charged with armed robbery 2 Caterpillar laying off 260 employees at South Milwaukee plant Charges were filed Monday against two Milwaukee residents who allegedly committed an armed robbery earlier this year. Kenyatta Clincy, 23, and Montreal Freeman, 23, are facing one count of armed robbery by use of an article the victim reasonably believed to be a dangerous weapon and one count of robbery by use of force. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, acting as special prosecutor for Milwaukee County, filed a criminal complaint in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Monday . According to the criminal complaint, Clincy and Freeman are accused of robbing a woman in the 2300 block of S. Lenox Caterpillar, Inc. said it is placing about 260 production employees at its South Milwaukee plant on indefinite layoff because of weaker demand for mining equipment. The layoffs represent about a third of the more than 800 workers represented by the steelworkers union at the plant. The layoffs go into effect Monday . Caterpillar officials said the Peoria, Ill.-based company earlier announced plans to lay off production employees at the plant. The officials said customer orders for mining equipment made at the plant are weaker than they were a year ago. The layoffs will bring production in line with demand, officials said. Caterpillar and the United Steelworkers Local 1343 approved a new six-year contract at its South Milwaukee plant just days earlier. The new contract went into effect Monday. 3 Moore addresses MATC students on threat of increased interest rates U.S. Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore recently held a news conference with Milwaukee Area Technical College students about student loan interest rates on the downtown Milwaukee campus. "This is a national crisis for everybody, not just the student debtors," said Moore, who serves Wisconsin's Fourth Congressional District. "Student loan debt surpasses auto loan, credit card and home equity debt combined. In our recovering economy, it is absurd that we are even debating whether or not to keep student loan interest rates low." "We need to craft a long-term solution to the issue of student loan debt. We need to make higher educaCourtesy of Milwaukee Area Technical College tion more affordable." The interest rate on Stafford loans will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent July 1 unless Congress takes action to prevent the change. According to a news release, more than 7 million students across the country rely on the federally subsidized Stafford loans to help pay for college. 4 Rawson Avenue bridge decks placed The Wisconsin Department of Transportation successfully placed the Rawson Avenue bridge decks last weekend. The WDOT used a self-propelled modular transporter to move the 3-million-pound deck pieces and carry them from the side of the roadway into position over Interstate 94. The WDOT said the use of the technology allowed a transition from bridge demolition to a reopened bridge in a four-week stretch rather than a four- to six-month window using traditional construction methods. I-94 was shut down at College and Rawson Avenues for southbound traffic and at 27th Street at the Racine-Milwaukee County line going northbound from 10 p.m. June 14 until 10 a.m. June 15. The decks were constructed along the side of I-94 and moved into place during a 12-hour stretch of time. Street. Clincy robbed the woman with an objected that appeared to be a gun and took her purse while Freeman served as the getaway driver, it added. The robbery took place in front of the victim's home, the complaint said, and she warned her husband that the robber may be armed with a gun. The first count carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $100,000. The second count carries a maximum of 21 years in prison and fines up to $50,000. Clincy will have a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Freeman's initial appearance hasn't been scheduled as of press time. 5 Cleveland Avenue bridge closed 6 Eleven arrested in Operation Drive Sober 7 Northwestern Mutual recognized as a top IT place to work by magazine The Cleveland Avenue bridge over Interstate 894/Highway 45 closed this week for demolition and reconstruction as part of the Zoo Interchange project, according to an email from the Department of Transportation. Motorists should use Highway 100, West Oklahoma Avenue and South 92nd Street to get around the closure. The Dakota Street pedestrian bridge will remain open during this time, the email stated. To minimize the length of impacts, crews will work into the evening as well as on weekends to complete the work. Demolition will occur over a two-week period. Local access to residents and businesses within the closure area will be maintained at all times. The $2.5 million project will lengthen the bridge, replace sidewalks and include lighting. It is estimated to be finished in November. The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office's Operation Drive Sober resulted in 11 drunken driving arrests last weekend. The initiative, which runs from 6 p.m. Fridays through 6 a.m. Sundays, netted an average blood-alcohol level of .013. There were two repeat offenders, both of Milwaukee, ages 22 and 45, respectively . A 23-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested for his first offense and also was scheduled to be charged with drunken driving with minor children under 16 years of age in the vehicle. Other first-time offenders included a Homeland Security agent. The age range for first-time offenders was 23 to 44. Northwestern Mutual has been named one of the 100 Best Places to Work in Information Technology by Computerworld magazine, a leading source of technology news and information worldwide. It is the eighth consecutive year the company has been named in the top 100, ranking 63rd overall. Additionally Northwestern , Mutual ranks 21st among medium-sized companies (2,500 to 9,999 U.S. employees), and is the only company in Wisconsin to be recognized on the list. "The talents and contributions of our IT team play a critical role in helping Northwestern Mutual consistently deliver value to our clients and policyowners. We are honored that our IT employees feel Northwestern Mutual offers an engaging environment in which to work," said Tim Schaefer, Northwestern Mutual senior vice president and chief information officer.

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