Stories you might have missed from around Wisconsin.
Milwaukee: Vel Phillips plaza opens.
The wait is finally over! The plaza built to honor African-American trails blazer Vel Phillips had it’s grand opening Friday. Mayor Cavalier Johnson and other city officials joined Phillip’s son Michael for the ribbon cutting ceremony. The plaza is located at 401 W. Wisconsin Ave.Michale Phillips who joined us last month to talk about the project again praised a public art installation that will be part of the plaza’s future. After graduating from Howard University, Vel Phillips attended University of Wisconsin Law school, becoming the first African American woman to graduate there. She and her husband opened a law firm. She became the first African-American woman on the Milwaukee Common Council and the first woman to be elected Secretary of State. A well deserved tribute to an exceptional woman. Full Story
Oshkosh: Oshkosh Defense lands military contract.
Only seven months after Oshkosh Corporation received a multi-million dollar contract with the U.S. Army, one of their subsidiaries, Oshkosh Defense has landed another big contract. The new $27.3 million dollar contract for 57 Medium Equipment Trailers. The trailers can be used with the Oshkosh Enhanced Heavy equipment Tractor and can transport combat vehicles weighing up to 60 tons. Chief Program Officer for Oshkosh defense, Pat Williams said in a press release, “We are honored to provide the U.S. Army with advanced trailer systems designed to deliver mission-critical equipment and cargo across any terrain worldwide.” Full Story
Baraboo: New VA clinic opens.
After being under construction for the past year, a larger Veterans Affairs clinic opened in Baraboo yesterday. The community-based outpatient clinic more than doubles the size of the former VA clinic. The new Baraboo clinic will be staffed by roughly 30 VA employees and will have the ability to serve up to 5,000 area veterans in a multitude of capacities. Services will include mental health, nutrition, physical and occupational therapy and more. Full Story
Appleton: Farmer Wants a Wife Star throws out first pitch.
Time hasn’t run out on Farmer Wants a Wife “star” Grace Girard’s 15 minutes of fame. After disclosing in May that she and farmer Brandon Rogers were no longer together, then last month going public with a new relationship with a Racine city official she made her way to Appleton Saturday to attend a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers double header. She wasn’t just heading to the yard to catch some baseball. She threw out the first pitch before the second game and got to fulfill the dream of every Timber Rattler fan, she got to fire the “Bratzooka”, a time honored tradition at home games. For the uninitiated, the Bratzooka is a type of “meat cannon” that fires wrapped brats on buns to fans! Girard said it was “a lot more powerful” than she thought and “Really fun”. The Timber Rattlers are the Brewers High-A affiliate. Full Story
