http://demo.wehaa.com/articles.sec-6-1-cover-story.html “Comparing 2004 to 2008, we have made substantial progress,” Chisholm said. Over at City Hall, the post-election analyses are going well, said Neil Albrecht, assistant director of the city of Milwaukee Election Commission. “Things look very good,” Albrecht said.]]> Some of the most prestigious awards in architecture were handed out earlier this year. But while the initial flurry of excitement greeting the annual American Institute of Architects awards or the much coveted Pritzker Prize has subsided, one set of accolades still remains for Milwaukee’s design: ]]> MANY WERE SHOCKED WHEN THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL and Prevention (CDC) reported last year that one in four teenage girls had contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD). But Milwaukee experts weren’t. Milwaukee has a long-standing problem not only with teen pregnancy, but with teen STDs as well. The city routinely rates in the top five or 10 cities for chlamydia, gonorrhea and teen pregnancy. Milwaukee County accounts for 50% of all STDs in the state of Wisconsin, and the city of Milwaukee has the 10th highest rate of STD infection among the 63 cities studied by the CDC. ]]> The Traveling Shepherd’s Best Wisconsin Towns poll is perfectly timed for those who want a close-to-home trip instead of a wallet-busting holiday. In our survey, nearly 3,000 people voted for favorites in 20 categories of Wisconsin towns. Now those recommendations can be your inspiration for summer day trips, weekends away or full-blown vacations. These are Wisconsin places you can afford to visit—even if gas prices reach the dreaded $4 a gallon. Here are the winners, close runners-up and tips on what else to look for when you get there. ]]> For 2,000 years the Jews were a people without a homeland who made the world their home. The first Jews to arrive in Milwaukee came in the 1840s from German-speaking Central Europe. They found a village at the edge of a wilderness, far from the centers of the Jewish culture. Within a generation a full community grew from the seeds of Milwaukee’s first Jewish settlers. Soon the city elected a Jew to Congress, Victor Berger, a socialist remembered for his principled stand against America’s entry into World War I. A few years later North Division High School graduate Goldie Mabowehz moved to Palestine under the inspiration of Milwaukee’s socialist Zionists. ]]> There’s no need to haul canoes, hiking shoes or mountain bikes Up North. Milwaukeeans have paradise in our own back yard. The Milwaukee River valley—home to factories and condos, as well as endangered but vibrant plants, animals and birds— ]]> “I WISH EVERY CAR COULD BE LIKE THIS!” Seven-year-old Annie Rhoads was mesmerized by a ZAP Xebra sedan at the recent Home and Garden Show at State Fair Park. The electric car comes with zebra-stripe decals, runs on three wheels and looks like a cross between a golf cart and a VW Beetle. ]]> If you haven't heard, or if you've been ignoring the message, now is the time to begin paying attention: America’s digital transition is less than one year away. On Feb. 17, 2009, all television stations will cease broadcasting the analog signals that the medium has used since 1941, and will switch entirely to digital signals. If you’re like the average American, you don’t fully understand what this transition means for you. A poll released in November found that less than half of respondents were even aware of the switch, and only 17% could correctly identify the year analog signals would be cut off. ]]> IN JANUARY 2006, UW-MILWAUKEE SENIOR EVAN MCDONIELS WAS ITCHING TO EXPLORE the world beyond campus. When he heard that the Venezuelan consulate was offering free trips to Venezuela for nearly 40 U.S. citizens, he jumped at the chance to learn some Spanish... ]]> LOST IN THE SMEARS, LIES AND DISTORTIONS IN THE TV commercials run by special interests is the fact that the race for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court is a serious matter. Our Supreme Court justices rule on the most important and difficult legal cases facing our state... ]]> SITTING ALONE AT A LONG, WHITE TABLE BY THE ENTRANCE GATE, KELSEY KAUFMANN SMILED at the festivalgoers, handing them concert schedules as they filtered into the park. They were arriving for a bash called Mess With Texas, one of the largest of the storied day parties... ]]> If state Sen. Lena Taylor was tired at the end of a long day that included tending to a young son, working in the state Senate, the umpteenth campaign debate with Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and preparing for the next forum, to be held at 7:30 the following morning, it didn’t show. ]]> Both companies are tight-lipped about what’s in store for the future MillerCoors, but it’s apparent that two corporate headquarters will merge in one location, a process that will match Milwaukee in a corporate beauty contest with picturesque Golden—or even another location. ]]> EVERYONE WAS WRITING ABOUT THE WRITERS’ STRIKE AND I WAS WONDERING ABOUT AMERICAN GANGSTER AND CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR. To put it another way, the pundits were focused on the obvious potential impact of an ongoing strike on the big night. ]]> The 2008 election could alter our course, and Sen. Barack Obama is the one person who could transform that desire for change into real results. That’s why Obama has earned the endorsement of the Shepherd Express as the next president of the United States. ]]> "I love you.” The whispered words float across the linen tablecloth, over the delicate silverware, the fine china, between the glasses of wine that glow with the light of a nearby candle. It’s Valentine’s Day and you sit across from the person you love most in the world. ]]> Nine candidates are running to represent the Sixth District on the Milwaukee Common Council, but the contest is marked by the one man who isn’t able to actively campaign for the seat— ]]>