Stories you might have missed from across Wisconsin.
Milwaukee: County Zoo achieves AZA accreditation.
The Milwaukee County zoo has once again achieved high honors for it’s standards of animal care. The zoo was reaccredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s (AZA) independent Accreditation Commission at this year’s annual conference. The accreditation means that the zoo maintains the world’s most rigorous standards of animal care. To get this distinction, an institution goes through a comprehensive peer-reviewed process every five years. The inspecting team looks at all aspects of the zoo’s operation including animal care and wellbeing, veterinary care, staff training, safety, educational and conservation efforts and more. County executive David Crowley released a statement of the zoo’s reaccreditation, saying in part: “The Milwaukee County Zoo is a cultural asset that the community can feel confident in supporting, particularly with this latest achievement in AZA accreditation. I commend all the Zoo staff for meeting, and exceeding, best practices in animal care, stewardship, and beyond.” The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, animal welfare, education, science, and recreation. Full Story
Janesville: City plans to take ownership of GM Assembly Plant site.
There is a large plot of land, 240 acres to be exact, just south of Janesville where rubble is overgrown with grass, and small trees. The land has been vacant since 2009 when General Motors closed the Janesville Assembly Plant. When it closed, the plant employed about 1,200 people. A Missouri firm bought the land in 2017, but no plan was ever submitted that, according to a statement from the Janesville Economic Development Director gave WPR, “you’d want in the middle of a neighborhood”, so the land continues to sit vacant. The city has had enough and now is state statutes dealing with condemnation of blighted property to take possession of the site. Four other properties are included in the condemnation order, one of which is a popular tavern. In February, Janesville’s City Council approved a relocation order for the five property owners. It was the first step in Wisconsin’s legal process for municipal condemnation due to blight. The city has been conducting appraisals of the impacted properties and plans to send the numbers to property owners in the next thirty days. Then, landowners have a window to make counter-appraisals, which opens negotiations between both parties. Full Story
Elkhorn: Duesterbeck’s Brewing to distribute to Milwaukee.
It’s never too early in the week for a good beer story in Brew City. Duesterbeck’s Brewing Company, a family owned micro brewing in Elkhorn has begun distribution to Milwaukee and according to a story in the Milwaukee Business Journal, they have no intention of stopping getting their beers to consumers across Wisconsin. The brewery which opened in 2019 on the Duesterbeck Farm which had been in their family for over 150 years has signed a distribution deal which will bring the their beer to  Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha county retailers for the first time. This is the third distribution deal the brewery has made. Duesterbeck’s has worked with two other distributers to distribute in the Kenosha, Racine and Walworth Dane and Rock County since 2023. Now that the beer is available throughout Southern Wisconsin, the brewery has plans to turn its attention north over the coming years. Full Story
Rhinelander: Film tells the story of Northwoods man who built a castle.
Who wouldn’t want to live in a castle like a king or a queen? A Rhinelander man has taken his dream and made it a reality by building his own castle. Now his, and his castle’s story are the subject of a short film that will premiere this month. the film is “Pete’s Castle” and it follows Pete Kelley’s decades long project of building a Medieval-style castle in the Tomahawk area. Kelley is an electrician by trade. He opens the castle to the public once a year during the Northwoods gathering of motorcyclists. Renaissance Faire-style actors and events are part of the experience for his annual visitors. Kelley told WPR that he built the castle “just because he wanted to build something big.” Why a film? Filmmaker Nate Sheppard said. “I was particularly interested in the mentality and the man behind it, and sort of what type of man creates something like this.” Kelley decided at 19 he was going to build a castle. He started building in 1987 using salvaged bricks. The 35 foot castle is functional but according to Kelley it won’t be finished in his lifetime. Full Story
