2023 was a year that didn't fall short of major news across the country with headlines focused on the war between Ukraine and Russia, violence in the Middle East, wildfires, chaos in the Capitol, and even UFO discussions.
Pop culture also dominated the news cycle thanks to Taylor Swift's and Beyonce's blockbuster worldwide tours and concert films, as well as the release of Barbie and Oppenheimer [Barbenheimer, anyone?]
Here in Wisconsin, it was the dangers of reckless driving and ongoing gun violence that drew interest. But, it wasn't all bad. Wisconsinites cashed in on the Swiftie hype when the pop star visited Green Bay, and piqued their curiosity when flamingos flocked to Port Washington.
TMJ4 thanks its viewers for being with us through it all as we continue to promise you breaking news, as well as positive and uplifting stories, in the new year. 2024 will be a packed year with the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, the Paris Olympics right here on TMJ4, as well as another historic presidential election.
Here's a look back at the top digital stories on TMJ4.com that captured your attention in 2023.
Top Wisconsin report of 2023 on TMJ4.com
State Patrol dash cam highlights dangers of speeding 100 mph on the freeway: 'I hammered you with tickets'
April 25, 2023 | Ben Jordan
MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin State Patrol says a dangerous trend has become too common on the freeways.
State troopers have caught more than 4,000 drivers going over 100 miles per hour (mph) since 2020. Wisconsin Department of Transportation data shows it’s a massive spike compared to previous years.
Dash camera footage obtained by TMJ4 shows state troopers catching the reckless behavior on interstates in southeastern Wisconsin.
101 mph in Racine County, 102 mph in Kenosha County, and 103 mph in Ozaukee County.
They’re three examples in recent months of state troopers clocking triple digits. One of which was in the middle of a rainstorm.
Dash camera video shows a black car zipping past law enforcement on the road. Ten seconds later, the car is out of sight. The driver is finally pulled over a mile later after the trooper catches up.
"You've gotta slow down,” the trooper said. “I know I hammered you with tickets.”
WisDOT says that an Illinois driver was hit with five citations.
"102 in the rain is reckless driving man,” the trooper told the driver.
State Patrol took TMJ4 behind the wheel for a ride along so our Project: Drive Safer team could witness the problem in real time.
"The highest speed I've ever clocked was 121 miles an hour,” said Master Trooper Brendan Braun.
Braun has been a state trooper for 23 years. He spends his shifts cruising the freeways in southeastern Wisconsin to search for driving violations.
Continue reading this full report from Ben Jordan.
January 2023
Milwaukee woman shares chilling footage of unknown man shooting at her home: 'I don't feel safe'
January 19, 2023 | Taylor Lumpkin
MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee mom says she can no longer go inside the house she once called home after it was shot at multiple times by a man she didn't know in broad daylight.
"I don't think that I'll ever feel safe there again."
Too afraid to show her face on camera or even share her name, the owner of a Milwaukee home, that's now covered in bullet holes, shared chilling video footage of the shooting. It was caught entirely on her doorbell camera.
"I'm distraught, I'm terrified, I just don't feel safe."
It happened Monday afternoon in a neighborhood along north 17th street. According to the victim, she had the day off from work and was upstairs listening to music while she cleaned. Her 14-year-old daughter and 2-year-old twin grandsons were also upstairs asleep. That was until her daughter heard a loud noise.
"She was like, 'did you just hear that?' And I'm like, 'hear what?'"
The victim says she replayed her doorbell camera to see if it captured anything. That's when she saw a man, who she says she'd never seen before, standing at her doorstep.
"I was like, 'oh, somebody was here. Maybe he dropped something off. Maybe he left something.'"
But what happened next shocked her to her core.
Continuing reading this full story by Taylor Lumpkin.
February 2023
Parking structure partially collapses at Bayshore Mall
February 23, 2023 | Julia Marshall, Jackson Danbeck, Ubah Ali, Shaun Gallagher, Madison Goldbeck
GLENDALE, Wis. — No injuries have been reported after a parking garage partially collapsed at Bayshore Mall Thursday afternoon.
North Shore Fire and Rescue Chief Robert Whittaker said the department was called to the Silver Spring parking garage around 12:15 p.m. Thursday.
The initial response was a large number of resources including the Milwaukee Fire Department, a special collapse team, and the Regional Heavy Urban Rescue Team.
Crews investigated and found the third floor collapsed onto the second, causing the second floor to collapse onto the first in a "pancake-like collapse," the chief said.
Officials knew of two vehicles in the collapse zone. North Shore Fire/Rescue says they were able to confirm with the car owners that they were safe.
Chief Whittaker said he's fairly confident based on security footage that there was no one in the collapse zone.
Continue reading this full report.
March 2023
Five people shot outside Prime Social in Milwaukee
March 27, 2023 | Jackson Danbeck
MILWAUKEE — Five people were shot and injured outside a restaurant near 76th and Good Hope Road early Monday morning, according to police.
Milwaukee police said in a statement the shootings happened around 1:30 a.m. A TMJ4 News crew confirmed it happened outside the Prime Social restaurant and bar.
According to MPD, a 26-year-old Milwaukee male, a 25-year-old Milwaukee male, a 30-year-old Oak Creek male, a 26-year-old Milwaukee male and a 44-year-old Milwaukee male suffered "non-fatal injuries" and were brought to a local hospital for treatment.
April 2023
2 police officers killed, suspect dead in shootout in Barron County, Wisconsin, DOJ says
April 8, 2023 | Jackson Danbeck
CITY OF BARRON, Wis. — A suspect killed two police officers during a shootout at a traffic stop before dying at a hospital in Barron County in northwestern Wisconsin on Saturday, officials said.
The shootout happened around 3:38 p.m. in the village of Cameron, about 95 miles east of Minneapolis, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
It began when an officer with the Chetek Police Department conducted a traffic stop, the DOJ said. During the traffic stop, gunfire was exchanged between someone in a vehicle and the responding officer or officers.
Following the shooting, one Chetek Police Officer and one Cameron Police Officer were pronounced dead at the scene of the incident. The person who exchanged gunfire with law enforcement was brought to a hospital, where they died, according to the DOJ. No other specifics were released. Authorities have not identified the officers or suspect.
The DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is leading this investigation and is being assisted by numerous local and state law enforcement agencies, according to a news release on Saturday.
Continue reading this full report by Jackson Danbeck.
May 2023
Money raised through GoFundMe for Hartford family stolen by friend
May 26, 2023 | Jenna Rae
HARTFORD, Wis. — When tragedy strikes and you're left with nothing, many turn to friends and family for help. In the age of technology, a lot of that help can come in the form of online donations through sites like GoFundMe. The I-Team sits down with a Hartford family who leaned on friends in a desperate time of need, only to find out help wasn't what they were getting.
An afternoon ritual for Mindi Multhauf's kids, snacks after school.
"We were in Orlando. We decided to take our very first sisters trip ever," Mindi Multhauf said.
This was in late February. While Multhauf was on that trip she got a frantic call from her son.
"I actually got a call saying 'Mom my arms are bubbling, but I got the fire out, but what should I do?' My heart immediately dropped," Multhauf explained.
A fire in their kitchen burned her son's arms and damaged a lot of their home.
"The ceiling was black," Multhauf described. "There was not one inch it didn't cover the house. Right now, the loss, I can't even put a total dollar number to."
One tragedy, after another.
"We were advised that we couldn't stay in the house anymore because it was hazardous to everyone's health," Multhauf said.
Continue reading this story by Jenna Rae.
June 2023
6 teens shot after Milwaukee's Juneteenth celebration: 'What's going on with our children?'
June 19, 2023 | Madison Goldbeck
MILWAUKEE — As Milwaukee's Juneteenth Parade celebrations were winding down on Monday, six teens were shot in the area of MLK and Chambers.
Milwaukee police officers responded to the area around 4:20 p.m. Thousands were still gathered in the area since the city's Juneteenth event ended at 4 p.m.
During a press conference Monday evening, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said the shooting stemmed from a fight between several young girls on MLK.
The victims include four females (ages 14, 16, 17, and 18) and two males (17 and 19). Two of the victims, a 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man, are suspected shooters in the incident.
The victims were transported to a local hospital with non-fatal injuries and the 19-year-old was arrested.
“Milwaukee, what’s going on with our children?” Chief Norman said. “Eight years I’ve been part of the Juneteenth celebration… this has never happened before. And I've been in this city all my life, this has never happened before."
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson also spoke during the press conference.
"You don't have the right to steal the joy the community felt today," he said.
Continue reading this report by Madison Goldbeck.
July 2023
Children found naked & filthy, roaming Milwaukee streets; mom, boyfriend charged with child neglect
July 17, 2023 | Shaun Gallagher, Mary Jo Ola
MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee mother and her boyfriend face several felony charges after two children were found roaming the streets of Milwaukee naked and filthy, according to a criminal complaint.
Katie Koch, 34, and her boyfriend, Joel Manke, 38, face a total of 10 felony charges for chronic neglect of a child and false imprisonment. A criminal complaint says on July 13, neighbors spotted two naked children on the streets near 71st and Dixon.
One neighbor says he spotted the kids in the street as he returned home in his car. He says they appeared to be wearing costumes.
“It looked like they were wearing wigs,” Rick Eder said. “When I got a closer look at them, I looked at my wife and tell her, that’s not costumes. It looked like they were hit with a belt. That was more terrifying than anything, seeing a child like that.”
The children, both under the age of 10 according to the criminal complaint, had broken a window in the house to escape. According to the criminal complaint, the children were covered in lacerations to their backs, shoulders, and lower back and were not clothed. A person who called 911 said it looked like they had bruises and red marks on their thighs.
Eder says, as neighbors tried to approach the children to help, the older child would run away and the younger would plug their ears with their fingers and scream.
Continue reading the full report by Shaun Gallagher.
August 2023
Tony Romo's take on Jordan Love, the Green Bay Packers, and the NFL
August 15, 2023 | Lance Allan
GREEN BAY, Wis. — After golfing in Wisconsin, Tony Romo is getting back to football.
"We're getting started up right now, at CBS," Romo says. "We got the Super Bowl this year in Vegas so I think that's going to be, you know, something that will be on everyone's minds at CBS because that's a big deal."
According to Romo, the NFL is more balanced than ever.
"Last year? Shifted everything," Romo says. "It's the most teams, I think it will be the same this year, that have a chance to win a Super Bowl. I think usually there's about 3 or 4 teams max who could really win it. And one team might surprise you, like the Bengals a few years back. But obviously, they're in the mix now, year in, year out. But I think there's like 7 to 9 teams who have the talent, ability and coaching who can actually win it, and that's rare."
Continue reading the full story by Lance Allan.
September 2023
Flamingos flock to Port Washington beach: 'I had tears in my eyes'
September 22, 2023 | Shaun Gallagher
PORT WASHINGTON, Wis — Flamingos were spotted at a Port Washington beach on Friday, bringing dozens of people to catch a glimpse.
The birds, normally suited for a warmer place like South Beach in Miami, were spotted at South Beach in Port Washington around 2:30 p.m. Experts say the flamingos were flying between Cuba and Mexico when they were diverted by Hurricane Idalia, a Category 4 hurricane formed in late August.
No matter the reason, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the folks in Port Washington Friday afternoon.
"I heard it this afternoon," Beth Lambright said. "It's a zoo down here."
"We just came," Angela Figueroa said. "We had no idea there would be this many people."
For this type of rare experience, one man drove up from Oak Forest, Ill.
"This is what we call a lifer, in the birding community," Ian Sarmiento said. "I've never seen one in my life so I got to go get it. It's what, two and a half hours? It's a lifer."
Sarmiento was one of the many people who were snapping very professional photos. Their rigs look like they'd be better suited on a football sideline for the Super Bowl. Lengthy lenses that can pick up the finest details of these fluorescent phoenicopteriformes
Continue reading the full story by Shaun Gallagher.
October 2023
Man dead after being shot by Germantown police on Kennedy Middle School roof
October 23, 2023 | Madison Goldbeck, Shaun Gallagher, Mariam Mackar
GERMANTOWN, Wis. — A man is dead after being shot by Germantown police officers on the roof of Kennedy Middle School on Monday.
Germantown Chief of Police Mike Snow said during a press briefing on Tuesday that his officers responded to the middle school around 6:30 p.m., for a subject acting erratically in the parking lot.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), the man had no known relationship with the community or school. He was driving a vehicle with out-of-state plates, which broke down and was at a nearby car repair business.
The man, according to the DOJ, attempted to enter Kennedy Middle School, but the entries were locked. He then climbed onto the school's roof and two Germantown police officers pursued him on foot.
According to the DOJ, "The subject discharged a firearm at the officers while on the roof, and they returned fire. A third officer also discharged their firearm."
The chief said the suspect was struck, and officers attempted life-saving efforts, but that the man died at the scene. The identity of the suspect is not being released due to the investigation.
Continue reading the full report.
November 2023
Suspect ends up in stinky situation, trapped in porta potty after police chase in Glendale
November 15, 2023 | Jenna Rae
GLENDALE, Wis. — A police chase ended in a porta potty Wednesday after Glendale police attempted to pull over a driver in a stolen car. Little did officers know, they would end up in a smelly situation shortly after the pursuit.
It began with a crash on I-43.
According to the Glendale Police Department, officers located a Dodge Durango, which was stolen out of Plymouth, Minnesota, on the 5400 block of Port Washinton Road around 11:40 a.m.
Officers saw the driver driving recklessly and an officer attempted to deploy stop sticks. The driver drove into oncoming traffic and caused a crash with two other vehicles on the 5000 block of Port Washington Road.
The four people inside the stolen vehicle fled from the vehicle and ran from police, who were not far behind.
Golfers at a nearby golf course then saw police cars speeding across the green.
A video taken from golfers at Lincoln Park, which is on the west side of the highway, shows police officers surrounding a porta potty. It's where they found one suspect trapped after a golfer stepped in and took matters into his own hands.
"When we realized they were being chased and that kid was in the porta potty, we tried to tell the police officer," golfer Adam Westermayer shared. "He went off to chase the other one and I just made a rash decision to go push the porta potty down."
Read this full report by Jenna Rae.
December 2023
Taylor Swift's private jet has landed in Green Bay for Chiefs vs. Packers game
December 3, 2023 | James Kust
GREEN BAY — Taylor Swift's private jet has landed in Green Bay, Wisconsin, according to a social media account that tracks the star's comings and goings.
Shortly after 4 p.m. CT, the Instagram account that tracks Swift's movements via private plane shared that the singer's jet was en route to Wisconsin.
"Taylor Swift's 7x Took off near Kansas City, Missouri, US. Going to Green Bay, Wisconsin, US (GRB, Austin Straubel International Airport)," Taylor Swift's Jets posted on Instagram.
Just after 5:30 p.m., the account posted that Swift's jet had landed near Green Bay.
"Landed near Green Bay, WI, US," the post said.
Kickoff for the Chiefs vs. Packers game is at 7:20 p.m., which should give Ms. Swift plenty of time to navigate from the airport to the stadium.
The plane in question? A Dassault Falcon 900, which SimpleFlying.com says is worth an estimated $40 million.
On Friday, Packers coach Matt LaFleur made headlines when he said "he's heard" the pop star would be at Lambeau.
Speculation about Swift at Lambeau has been rampant for weeks, ever since Swift started dating Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce. Swift has appeared at several Chiefs games already this season.
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