The Milwaukee Post

4 • Milwaukee County Post • January 20, 2017 State gives city $2 million for blighted homes project MILWAUKEE — The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions will provide the city with $2 million for the rehabilitation and demolition of about 200 blighted homes, mostly in the Sherman Park neighborhood. The grant is part of a state-funded $4.5 mil- lion economic and workforce development package for Milwaukee that Gov. Scott Walker announced in August. A major focus of the funding package is to provide targeted training and jobs for unskilled or unemployed workers who live in the affected areas. The Milwaukee Common Council approved the package in November. In addition to the DFI, other state agencies involved in the Milwaukee effort are the Department of Workforce Development, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Health Services, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. WEEK IN REVIEW STATE AND LOCAL STORIES OF INTEREST Police: Felon flees; arrested with loaded gun and drugs MILWAUKEE — After a 25-year-old Milwaukee man fled a traffic stop, police said they arrested him and found a loaded 9 mm pistol, more than 2 grams of cocaine, more than 90 grams of marijuana and several prescription pills. Officers said they were on patrol at about 12:40 a.m. Jan. 11 in the 1300 block of West Hadley Street when they saw a car parked in a no-parking zone and the driver drove off when they approached the vehicle, which crashed into a nearby median. The man ran and officers took him into custody after a short foot chase, discovering the drugs in the car, police said. Sensenbrenner introduces the ATF Elimination Act MILWAUKEE — U.S. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner has reintroduced the ATF Elimination Act, legislation that would dissolve the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and merge its duties into existing federal agencies. The act calls for a hiring freeze at the agency and the Department of Justice will be required to eliminate and reduce duplicative func- tions and waste, as well as report to Congress with a detailed plan on how the transition will take place. Further, it would transfer enforce- ment of firearms, explosives and arson laws to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and illegal diversion of alcohol and tobacco products would be transferred to the Drug Enforcement Agency. "Common sense budgeting solutions are necessary, and the ATF Elimination Act is one measure we can take to reduce spending, redundancy, and practice responsible governance. The ATF is a scan- dal-ridden, largely duplicative agency that has been branded by fail- ure and lacks a clear mission. It is plagued by backlogs, funding gaps, hiring challenges and a lack of leadership," Sensenbrenner said in a statement. West Allis woman arrested for OWI, hitting I-41 barrel WAUWATOSA — After striking a freeeway construction barrel, a West Allis woman was arrested for her fourth operating while intoxicated offense, the Sheriff's Office reported. Alyssa D. Oberheu, 39, was driving southbound at 10:20 p.m. Jan. 12 on Interstate 41-Highway 45 at Mayfair Road when a deputy also stopped her for a lane deviation, the Sheriff's Office said. She reportedly registered 0.24 on a preliminary breath test, which is 12 times the limit of 0.02 for a fourth OWI. The felony is punishable by up to six years in prison. Her three prior convictions were in March 2006, September 2010, and April 2015. Oberheu refused to tell the deputy where she had been drinking or how much she had consumed. Oberheu also will be charged for operating a vehicle while revoked, a misdemeanor, and she had outstanding warrants for a third OWI, operating while revoked, and bail jumping. Greendale man convicted in Eagle armed robbery WAUKESHA — One of two men allegedly behind the armed robbery of an Eagle man last February was convicted in the matter Jan. 12. Alex Swette, 23, of Greendale pleaded guilty to armed robbery in a plea agreement that saw a count of identity theft dismissed and considered for sentencing. According to a criminal complaint, on Feb. 21 shortly after 10 p.m., a man was outside the Kettle Citgo when he was robbed at gunpoint by two suspects in dark clothing and hoods later identified as Joshua Otto and Swette. One had a crowbar or tire iron in his hand and the other was carrying a handgun. A news release said a credit card, cellphone and keys were taken from the victim dur- ing the incident. The same day someone accessed the victim's bank card and withdrew $400 using a Snapchat account, which was listed in Otto's name. Swette is to be sentenced March 15. Otto was expected in court today. Teen charged with reckless shooting on South Side MILWAUKEE — A 15-year-old boy with a semi-automatic handgun shot a 20-year-old man at about 5:40 p.m. Jan. 10 in 2900 block of South 12th Street, police said. The victim was taken to a local hospital, police reported. The teen was charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety by use of a weapon and possession of a dangerous weapon by a child. Surveillance cameras, alley lighting to continue with Potawatomi grant MILWAUKEE — The Forest County Potawatomi Foundation will donate $45,000 for crime-fighting and public safety measures on the near South Side, the foundation said. The grant will help continued funding for surveillance cameras monitoring business and residential areas (the video feeds are monitored by the Milwaukee Police Department) as well as alley lighting to deter criminal activity after dark, Alderman Bob Donovan said. "I am appreciative and pleased by the continued generous support from the Potawatomi, and this grant will be put to good use by Operation Impact almost immedi- ately," he said in a news release. "It (grant) illustrates the strength of public-private partnerships and how they can improve the quality of life in areas that have had some challenges in recent years." Over the years Operation Impact has funded surveillance cameras, alley lighting, a mobile neighborhood nuisance abatement vehicle, and additional MPD bicycle and foot patrol officers. The Operation Impact target area is bounded by the Menomonee Valley on the north, West Lincoln Avenue on the south, South 16th Street-South Cesar Chavez Drive on the east and South 39th Street on the west. The Forest County Potawatomi Foundation has donated other grants to Operation Impact, as well as lighting, Kaye Garcia, executive director of the foundation, said. MPD: South Side standoff ends in arrest MILWAUKEE — After about a two-hour standoff, police said they arrested a 38-year- old man armed with a .22-caliber pistol in the 400 block of West Armour Avenue on a pos- sible domestic violence-related battery charge. Officers responded at 1:15 p.m. Monday to a possibly armed, suicidal person, and talked with him to resolve the situation at about 3:20 p.m., the Police Department said. The man battered a family member in the house, police said. The police investigation is ongoing. Deputy stops wrong-way drunken driver on freeway MILWAUKEE — A sheriff's deputy reported stopping a wrong-way driver heading northbound in the southbound lanes of I-43 at Bradley Road on early Monday. The vehi- cle stopped in the median distress lane, the Sheriff's Office said. Robert Gaillard, 81, of Milwaukee, registered a 0.10 on a preliminary breath test, and told the deputy he entered the freeway at Good Hope Road and did not realize he was going the wrong way. Gaillard faces potential charges of second-degree recklessly endan- gering safety, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He was ticketed for a first- offense operating while intoxicated driving the wrong way on a divided highway. Oberheu Sensenbrenner

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