88nine: Community Stories

We're in the heart of the Milwaukee Film Festival, and there's one member of our Radio Milwaukee team who chose some of the movies you'll see this year. In addition to being an 88Nine DJ and co-host of La Alternativa, Paula Lovo is the new programmer for Cine Sin Fronteras, created 10 years ago to showcase the Latin Diaspora. Paula, an artist and documentarian herself, is continuing that mission and talked about the films selected for this year's festival. The Milwaukee Film Festival runs April 16-30.#####Host: Kim ShineUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Casimir Pulaski High School’s automotive program is the largest in Wisconsin. Created in 1963, it’s also the only one left within Milwaukee Public Schools. Episode host Kim Shine takes you inside the shop where students learn everything from changing oil and gas lines to replacing alternators and brakes, as they travel the road to becoming certified technicians.#####Host: Kim ShineUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

The Milwaukee Film Festival has always been a place to see movies from a variety of filmmakers, including local talent from here in southeastern Wisconsin. One of the groups getting their own spotlight at this year's event: the area’s youth filmmakers.As part of the “Rated K: For Kids” program, the Milwaukee Youth Show features eight short films made by the city’s next-generation creatives. Before they take center stage at 10:45 a.m. Saturday, April 25, at the Downer Theatre, we talked with two of these talents: animator and Brookfield Central High School junior Sam Slowik, and recent Kettle Moraine School for Arts and Performance graduate Joseph Tzougros.#####Guest host: Rachel TarbyUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the support of our Radio Milwaukee members.

‘What is justice without democracy? This was the question asked at Marquette University's 10th annual "Justice in Action" conference. It's a student-led initiative encouraging students, and residents, to think critically about their world.“Justice is something that I think is hard to define. I think people have different understandings of justice, but being at a conference like this and seeing how everyone is so intentional about coming together to serve the greater good of everybody, that's what justice is about to me,” said Lauren Fitch, a master’s student in Marquette University’s Public Service program.The session featured keynote speaker and former Wisconsin poet laureate, Dasha Kelly, and various community organizations held breakout sessions around the topics of social justice and civic engagement.Rachel Tarby spoke to conferencegoers about what it means to be changemakers on campus, and in life. #####Episode host: Rachel TarbyUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the support of our Radio Milwaukee me

“1,2,3 swing those arms!” This is the magic of young students learning to let go. They’re understanding the power of movement, as part of the in-school dance program – Mad Hot Rhythm. The Danceworks series is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a competitive event. Episode host Kim Shine visited Trowbridge School in Milwaukee as elementary students practiced their African Jazz, Tap and Tango skills.The Danceworks 20th anniversary competition will be on April 28 at the UWM Panther Arena. To learn more, click here.#####Host: Kim ShineUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Comité Sin Fronteras has diligently worked alongside other organizations on leading immigration reform in Milwaukee. They support a community-defense network that’s responding to the growing ICE presence in the Midwest.A grassroots collective, the help local undocumented communities in various ways, from family-to-family mutual aid, DACA support, migra watch and more. Comité co-chairs, Iuscely Flores and Jenny Melo, explain how the organization is preparing for ICE presence in the city, the importance of connection, and the value of the term “solo el pueblo salva el pueblo” - only people save the people. #####Guest host: Paula LovoUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Wisconsin’s Spring Election is April 7, and the most high-profile race is the State Supreme Court seat vacated by conservative judge Rebecca Bradley. So who better to talk with than someone who put the court at the center of an entire podcast season?“Right now, the liberals are in the majority of the court. So, there are seven seats on the court, liberals hold four of those.” That’s how Sam Woods, producer and co-host of WUWM’s Swing State of the Union, started his high-level explanation.“Now it doesn’t quite work like a political party kind of thing,” he continued, “but when we’re talking about cases like abortion rights or redistricting or cases that involve hot-button issues, it tends to kind of side with that ideological — liberals go one way, conservatives go another.”Woods and co-host Joy Powers focuses on 2025’s expensive Supreme Court race for season two of Swing State of the Union, and now they're going even deeper into the court with two bonus episodes they’re releasing in March, asking questions ab

Q: What do Queen, Prince, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac and Martin Luther King, Jr. all have in common?A: They’ve all played at the historic Miller High Life Theatre.The venue earned that official designation in December of 2025, and a few weeks later the Wisconsin Center District commissioned a study to explore the “highest and best use” of the area that also includes UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. One of the findings was that a new hotel would maximize investment in the Baird Center and pointed to the Miller High Life Theatre as a target for replacement.Since the study’s release, there’s been an outpouring of support to preserve the venue, which got guest host Carolann Gryzbowski thinking about its importance as a Cream City landmark. And there was only one person she wanted to explore it with: OnMilwaukee senior editor and Urban Spelunker Bobby Tanzilo.#####Guest host: Carolann GryzbowskiUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

The last time Lisa Caruthers visited the Wisconsin State Capitol she was about seven or eight years old, and on a school trip. More than 50 years later, she returned as part of “Black Advocacy Day," hosted by the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus on Feb. 26.Uniquely Milwaukee host Kim Shine takes you to Madison, where residents of all ages met with elected officials and learned how to champion their needs. As a whole, the Black Caucus campaigns for the best interests of African Americans, and all people of color, throughout the state. Currently, there are 11 Black Legislators in Wisconsin, 10 of whom are members of the caucus. #####Host: Kim ShineUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

“You know, we all are made in the image and likeness of God, and God is creation. So we're all creative, but sometimes I think some of us are given an extra dose.”Celine Farrell has lived a lot of life, and those words are just a sliver of the knowledge she’s picked up along the way.She's seen what it takes to get inspired and fired up creatively. At the end of the day, it's why she's kept engaged, making art as a sculptor and beautifying her space as owner and curator of Grove Gallery (she's also the curator and gardener of its grounds). Everything in her day-to-day touches on some form of tactile creation and inspiration from a higher power.In this episode, guest host Erin Wolf spends time with Farrell as this creatively driven member of our community shares a few pieces of the vast knowledge she's gathered over the years.#####Guest host: Erin WolfUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the support of our Radio Milwaukee members.

In the heart of the Riverwest neighborhood is a weekly showcase of some of Milwaukee’s most talented voices.Linneman’s Acoustic Open Stage began in 1993, making it the city’s oldest open mic and a staple of the local music scene.“Linneman's is an institution, and it's meant a lot to tons and tons of people,” said Chris Porterfield, frontman for Milwaukee-based band Field Report and an alum of the open mic. “It's a really special place. And what Jim and Marty have built is a great gift and service to our city.”Jim Linneman and Marty Hacker are longtime partners in life and nightlife. The venue’s namesake rarely misses an installment of the Acoustic Open Stage, and he was there the night we were on hand to experience the energy of a community built on a shared love for music.“Each and every Wednesday we have a featured performer who gets a half hour,” Linneman explained from the stage as he introduced Ethan Munson, the night's spotlight artist. “And to be the feature here, you have to come in and take part in o

A true calling always finds its way to you. Valencia Caldwell is living proof.Her father was an air-traffic controller who always encouraged his children to follow their dreams. After his death, a special flight helped lead Caldwell back to her first love — one that wouldn't be easy to reconnect with.The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates there are 213,000 aircraft pilots and engineers in the country. Just 4% are African American, and organizations like Sisters of The Skies estimate there are fewer than 200 Black women professional pilots in the United States.Undaunted, Caldwell has been accepted to the United Aviate Academy, an intensive flight school through United Airlines. On this episode, podcast host Kim Shine talks with her about the often-turbulent path she's followed back to flying and how she turned to her community to help support her dream.#####Host: Kim ShineYou can contribute to Caldwell's GoFundMe here.Uniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

Step by step… Left foot, then right. Each month, line dancing takes over the Sherman Phoenix Marketplace at a free community event held in partnership with Primetime Line Dance.  Whether they're grooving on the floor or have two left feet, participants say the classes build community,  boost their mental health and provide an all-around good time. Kim Shine joined in as everyone celebrated the event's one-year anniversary. #####Host: Kim ShineUniquely Milwaukee is made possible by the generous support of our members.

On Saturday outside Milwaukee City Hall, solidarity showed itself in the form of hundreds of bike riders. They came together in the name of one of their own: Alex Pretti.A longtime resident of Green Bay before he moved to Minneapolis, Pretti would make the trip to Milwaukee for the annual Riverwest 24 bike ride. When the 37-year-old was shot and killed by federal border patrol agents while protesting against President Trump’s immigration operations, communities across the country looked for something — anything — they could do in response.Many of those communities banded together to hold bike rides in honor of Pretti. More than 500 people joined the one in Milwaukee, which added to the 100+ events held as far away as Finland and Australia. The sentiments shared at these rides centered on simple ideas, like the ones shared by Milwaukee resident Parabh at city hall.“We believe in our basic human rights,” he said, “and those are some things that no one can really take away from us no matter how hard things get.”

Mister Rogers once challenged us by saying: “Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered just one kind word to another person.”When he gave us these instructions, it wasn’t hard to look at the neighbors to the left and right of our home, and then imagine friendly conversations with them. But what about the neighbors we pass on the street everyday on our commute — those sleeping under bridges, at bus stops, in tents.As temperatures recently dropped to negative-15 degrees in Milwaukee, the health and wellness of these people became front of mind. And an organization in Milwaukee that for nearly a decade has been extending kindness to our neighbors experiencing homelessness continued their mission in subzero conditions.On this episode, we talk with Street Angels co-founders Shelly Sarasin and Eva Welch about how a change meeting at a warming shelter in 2016 grew into an award-winning nonprofit with an unwavering mission.#####Host: Kim ShineGuest Host: Carolann Grzybowski

In the middle of Milwaukee winter, most of us are used to being outside and active if the conditions are juuust right. But there's a cycling group that meets every month — warm or cold, rain or shine — to ride and connect.Scrappy Hour typically meets on the last Sunday of the month, rolling out from places like Cactus Club and The Daily Bird, with riders of all kinds joining in. Radio Milwaukee director of development Jay Burseth was one of those riders on a foggy and overcast December morning that wasn't exactly ideal cycling weather. But, as he found out, that's one of the group's secrest to community-building: showing up, regardless of the conditions.To learn more about Scrappy Hour, including info about future rides, follow them on Instagram.#####Episode host: Kim ShineGuest host: Jay BursethUniquely Milwaukee is supported by our Radio Milwaukee members.

We’re changing things on the podcast this year, with shorter stories and themed months, each one with a different topic. For January, it’s Health & Wellness. In this episode, we focus on yet another Milwaukee grocery store in danger of closing, and it's in one of the city’s food deserts.Earlier this month, the owners of Sherman Park Grocery Store asked the public for support — a message that came amid a string of other grocery stores closing last year and just days before a nearby Aldi on the north side shut down. Maurice “Moe” Wince and his wife, Yashica Spears, have owned the store since July of 2022 and are dealing with setbacks that threaten its future. A drop in customers, theft and nearly $100,000 in damage from historic flooding in August have left Wince and Spears in a difficult position. So they've turned to the community --- looking for grants, asking for help from business and marketing experts, inviting new customers into the store, and exploring whether vendors can be more flexible with deliv

Join us for this encore edition of Uniquely Milwaukee as we grab a drink at Agency, Milwaukee's first hybrid bar and a 2025 James Beard Award finalist. Immerse yourself in the choice of indulging in an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage. Plus you'll hear from the founder, Ryan Castelaz, as he shares the story of how this innovative concept came to fruition.Click here to learn more about Agency.#####Podcast host: Kim ShineEncore host: Salam FatayerUniquely Milwaukee is supported by our Radio Milwaukee members and sponsored by the Milwaukee Public Library.

Happy New Year! This Uniquely Milwaukee throwback goes beyond the age-old question: "What's your New Year's resolution?" For this episode, we embraced the idea of rejection therapy by trying new things we were pretty sure would end in failure ... and bust a little ego in the process.#####Podcast host: Kim ShineEncore host: Salam FatayerUniquely Milwaukee is supported by our Radio Milwaukee members and sponsored by the Milwaukee Public Library.

Thank you for listening and supporting Uniquely Milwaukee! In this episode, we have a special message of gratitude from Radio Milwaukee executive director Jordan Lee as he reflects on the triumphs and changes of 2025, and looks ahead to a brand new year. #####Podcast host: Kim ShineGuest host: Jordan Lee, Radio Milwaukee executive directorUniquely Milwaukee is supported by our Radio Milwaukee members and sponsored by the Milwaukee Public Library.