Natural gas vehicles face chicken-and-egg syndrome

Published: May 9, 2012
Tags: hybrid, natural gas, Stodder

While the push is under way in some states to provide roadside battery charging for the thousands of electric cars on the highways, another alternative, the natural-gas-powered vehicle, mostly sits idle.

Viral ‘wind map’ aims to promote alternative energy

Published: April 12, 2012
Tags: Stodder, wind, wind farm

Two media artists moonlighting from Google’s “Big Picture” visualization lab have created a “wind map” to show where, when and how powerfully the wind blows, in real time, all over the lower 48 states.

Study: Fracking doesn’t pose groundwater risks

Published: April 3, 2012
Tags: fracking, groundwater, Stodder

In a possible foreshadowing of long-awaited findings by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin has found “no direct link to reports of groundwater contamination” from the controversial natural gas extraction method known as fracking.

The mild winter: 2012′s economic powerhouse

Published: March 21, 2012
Tags: economy, Hot Topics, John Stodder, weather

What has had the biggest influence on business so far in 2012? One strong contender was the mild winter.

Realtors hope $25B foreclosure settlement will spark housing revival

Published: February 10, 2012
Tags: blog, foreclosure, Hot Topics, mortgage, Stodder

With the residential real estate industry shell-shocked from years of a moribund market, its spokespeople can be forgiven for taking a cautious attitude toward Thursday’s announcement of a $25 billion settlement with five of the nation’s biggest mortgage lenders over flawed and fraudulent foreclosure practices.

Fracking debate begins to draw heat

Published: January 25, 2012
Tags: blog, fracking, Hot Topics

The spectacle of protesters descending on New York’s capitol to pressure Gov. Andrew Cuomo to support a ban on fracking earlier this week has prompted various interested parties to revisit the question of what lies ahead for the controversial natural gas drilling technique.

A new tool in the fight against pothole-pallooza

Published: August 12, 2011
Tags: blog, Hot Topics, pothole, Pothole Killer, potholes, Yovino
Comments: 1

By Joe Yovino

Web editor

Meet the Pothole Killer — it can fill a hole in 60 seconds with a much smaller crew.

Local rail focus a streetcar to nowhere

Published: July 29, 2011
Tags: blog, Hot Topics, streetcar, Yovino
Comments: 7

By Joe Yovino

Web editor

This week’s scorecard: Streetcar 1, common sense 0 (regional rail forfeited).

‘Open for business’ doesn’t cut it for Milwaukee developer

Published: February 9, 2011
Tags: blog, Hot Topics, Ivory Retail/Office, Orenstein, Rohde
Comments: 2

By Marie Rohde

staff writer

Milwaukee developer William Orenstein would like to see policy makers move past catch phrases like “Open for Business” and have a meaningful discussion of what it takes to make Wisconsin attractive to business.

Some brats, a couple six packs and White House admission

Published: February 4, 2011
Tags: blog, Hot Topics, Obama, Rohde, Tom Barrett

By Marie Rohde

staff writer

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says jokingly that when he got his invitation to a Super Bowl party from the White House, he asked, “What should I bring? Some brats? A couple of six packs?”