Renee Banot's Blog

We've had ongoing discussions about the issue of who has to clean up crime scenes.

Blogger Jazzbode mentioned that the Milwaukee Fire Department will only flush a scene after it's cleared by Milwaukee Police. He's got experience -- and he's absolutely right. His words are supported by one of the heads of the MFD, someone I spoke with back in October. He says they need clearance before touching any of that stuff, and they'll come back to a scene if need be, if they're called on by police.

When I blogged about this in the fall, I mentioned I hadn't heard yet from MPD. Well, this week I spoke with the police spokeswoman. She told me there is no guideline for crime scene cleanup... but they typically do call on the fire department to treat and flush the area when they're done surveying the scene. She says they've been pretty good about cleaning it up promtply... and the incident of the blood left behind at 24th and Chambers was most likely a rare slip.

I don't want to alarm anyone-- this isn't a widespread issue. I'm just casting a net out there to see if this type of incident has happened more than this one time.

I wrote two posts back in October regarding blood left behind in the street after the shooting death of a teenager at 24th and Chambers.

I need to know if you've noticed the same thing in your neighborhood. I'm calling on City of Milwaukee residents here. If you've had a violent crime happen on your street and there were medical items typically used by paramedics (ie: surgical gloves, gauze, alcohol pads, bloodied used paper toweling, etc.) along with blood or body fluids noticeably left on the street, let me know. Be specific. We're looking for instances where crews did NOT try to clean up the mess. I'm looking into whether this is a problem in the city of Milwaukee and possibly doing a story on it.

Here's what I need:

1.) Location

2.) Date of Incident

3.) Time of incident

4.) Nature of Incident

5.) Victim's name (if you know it and it is confirmed)

6..) Description of what was left behind.

My last post prompted some great tips about keeping your skin hydrated during these cruel winter months AND keeping it looking young! (Thanks, Ladies, for the AWESOME tips!)

I'll never forget the conversation I had with a woman who used to do my nails. She was in her fifities but barely looked like she was pushing forty. I asked her what her secret was. You know what she said?

Bar soap.

She didn't use anything fancy. She said she always washes her face once in the morning and once at night with bar soap and that's all it takes.

I wonder if anyone else has great, inexpensive, easy ways to look and feel young. I'm all ears!

OKAY... I've had mild cases of winter itch before but this is RIDICULOUS!

For about a week now my arms and legs are constantly itchy. Some nights I have to knock myself out with Benadryl just to get rid of the torture! I thought there was something wrong with me! Then I discovered a handful of my co-workers are going through the same thing!

My good friend, Bob Moore, eventually explained to me that the dew points plummeted within the past 10 days. With no moisture in the air, our skin is revolting!!! And I'm miserable!!!

Okay. So I know what's causing this. Unfortunately, it doesn't make me feel any better (physically).

Maybe this isn't my place... seeing as how I'm a Missouri Tiger... but is Madison going about Halloween the wrong way this year?

You see, the university is celebrating Homecoming the same weekend as Halloween weekend. A friend of mine, an alum, says this is the university's way of "distracting" the crowd. Maybe, giving them something else to do. But, I don't know. If they're trying to clog the streets even more than usual: Mission accomplished. Stopping the mayhem? Well, who knows.

I just don't know if this is the greatest idea. Then again, I haven't been to a Madison Halloween in years.

Right now it seems the job of cleaning up after an incident or accident doesn't necessarily fall on any one department.

I called the Milwaukee Department of Public Works. They say they take on the job only when their services are requested by the police department. In the case of the homicide at 24th and Chambers, it was not.

The Fire Department say they typically do it (as Basher said they used to do it at his former job)-- but, at least for Milwaukee, it's only if they have the request or permission from Milwaukee Police. They told me they try not to tidy up a scene until detectives are done combing the area for clues. That often happens over several hours. Plus, I was told they're not always fully "in charge" of a scene. Usually police are. 

I put in a call to the public information officer for Milwaukee Police. She is out of the office until Monday. When I get more info, I'll pass it on.

A lot of people were outraged to hear there was a standing puddle of blood and EMT supplies laying out in the street the day after a shooting on 24th and Chambers. Unfortunately... it happens all the time.

When we're on location and need to find the vicinity of where a homicide happened, you can typically find it by following the trail of surgical gloves and blood.

The fact that it happens all the time doesn't mean it's acceptible. I'll dig around and try to figure out just whose job it is to clean it up and if there are regulations on when and how it should be done.

He must have been standing there for two minutes.

A little boy, about 7 or 8 years old, was staring at the grass. I was a couple feet away and ignored him as I was talking to a woman who lives on the block. All of a sudden, the boy uttered an angry cry and walked away. He was sobbing.

"I think that was his cousin," The woman told me.

The boy had been staring into a large puddle of blood.

"That's why I'm glad I don't have kids, " The woman went on. "I'd never want to raise them in this environment."

Less than twelve hours earlier, someone drove by this block near 24th and Chambers and shot a 16-year-old Milwaukee boy in the head several times. He died right there in that puddle.

People walking to work and small children walking to the school bus stop couldn't keep their eyes off it. Cars drove slowly, some stopped alongside it just to take it in. Next to the puddle were alcohol pads, ointment, latex gloves and a blood-soaked paper towel: All signs of the medics' struggle to keep him alive. Neighbors said it worked... once. They revived him. But his fight didn't last long.

Friday morning, the woman I spoke with joined another neighbor in gathering up a broom, a bucket of soapy water and a scrub brush. Together, they cleaned up that teenager's blood. They wanted to wash away the reminder that their neighborhood is in big trouble. Another woman told me this was the third shooting in the past two weeks. The people here are tired. Not everyone has nothing to lose. And they want you to know that. They're hard working. After a hard day at work, they spend some nights struggling to stay alive.

As for the boy, I wonder if I witnessed his life change forever. He didn't walk away sad. He was LIVID. He lost his innocence in that pool of blood. I am haunted by the possibility that his rage will rest in his heart as revenge. I pray it's not true. I pray he takes this and vows never to become a part of this nightmare. I would have paid anything to take a big eraser and wipe that image from his mind. But I can't. So all I can do is brace myself and hope I can do a positive story on this boy... instead of another that ends just like so many others do.

I feel for the people of Crandon... on several levels.

For one, it's tough to lose one young person. Losing seven in a town of 2,000 brings them to their knees. Having to accept the fact that your son, cousin, classmate or best friend is a killer throws your emotions on a sickening roller coaster.

Throw in the fact that before this weekend, many of them may not have ever seen a television camera... and all of a sudden, overnight, media outlets from five different markets (including the network) have swarmed their streets.

They're on overload. I don't know how much more they can take.

Waiting is the hardest part.

For eight families, whose loved ones are still missing, everything is moving in slow motion. Fear has clearly turned to frustration here in the Twin Cities. People are desperate to hear about those missing in the mess from the bridge collapse and search crews are desperate to find them. But it's not as easy as it sounds.

Divers have several factors in their favor. They have advanced technology to aid in the search: sonar, GPS, etc. Plus, the Army Corps of Engineers lowered the Mississippi River by about two feet. But mother nature makes their job difficult and dangerous.

Debris continues to fall into the River, making it hard for divers to get through to victims trapped underneath. The River's current has a dangerous pull. The debris makes that current even more dangerous, creating pockets where the water is swirling. They can't help the victims if they get swept under, too. Also, pieces of the bridge still hanging overhead threaten to fall at any moment. This is why the search has gone excruciatingly slow. At this point, the chance victims trapped in the River have survived is slim. Reasonably, the city wants to avoid putting anybody else's lives in danger.

I applaud Minneapolis police and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department for their overwhelming effort to inform the public. When loved ones are missing, and every minute counts, it helps to know exactly why the process is moving at a slow pace. It's a little bit of comfort, if there's any to be had in this situation.

They look like toys.

The cars and concrete and twisted chunks of steel sticking out of the Mississippi River look like a child's playthings strewn everywhere... only blown up to horrific proportions.

Seeing the damage of the 35W collapse on television is awful. Seeing it in person, and facing the family members whose loved ones are still missing... is heartbreaking.

As one emergency crew put it-- it's a complete mess down there. That's putting it lightly.

The freeway is buckled right before where the start of the bridge used to be. At each end, the road slopes down in a sharp angle and several cars and trucks still cling to the concrete.

For someone who's driven on that bridge maybe a handful of times, it's shocking.

For people who drive on it several times a day, every day, they're constantly thinking, "It could have been me."

It's hard to explain the emotion, the anxiety and the sorrow here in Minneapolis. Luckily, the city is blessed enough to have a giant network of support here, across the country and throughout the world. 

I've got crummy luck. I admit it. When I was driving home Monday I passed a gas station that had gas for $3.09. My grandmother-- who doesn't even drive-- pointed it out and told me to stop. I said, "Eh! I'll stop later." Later, it jumped to $3.19

On my way to my sister's house yesterday, I saw two stations at $3.15. Jackpot, right? Well, I had to babysit and I was running late so I said I'd do it on the way home. Well, on the way home (3 hours later, by the by) it shot up to $3.25. Frustrated and fuming I just went home.

Then, my heart literally jumped into my throat when I drove into work this morning. $3.49?! I'm sorry... WHAT?!

Don't talk to me about refineries. Don't blame it on some storm in Kansas. I'm tired of excuses!

I've been taking a couple meds (antibiotics) for several ailments I can't seem to shake. I'm a big girl. But why are these stupid pills so hard to swallow?

When I was a kid, it was tough for me to swallow pills. The first time I actually did it, my mom had to shove it in a banana to hide it from me and I slowly but surely digested it. But it was never again a problem until my sophomore year in college. I had to take an antibiotic pill that literally dissolved the second it hit your tongue. By the grace of God, I managed to choke down about 11. Come the very last pill in the bottle, I was driving with a friend back home for break and I popped it in my mouth as we were getting back on the freeway. It lodged itself in my throat and proceeded to dissolve at just the right spot for me to taste every molecule of powder packed into it. No matter how much water I drank, the liquid just rushed past the pill as if it were a permanent fixture. Needless to say, we had to make an emergency exit, I ran out like a rabid animal and proceeded to yak on the side of the road. When I finished I heard muted applause from a house about a half mile away. Thank God I wasn't driving. Thank God it was dark out.

Fast forward to Monday, when I picked up my perscription. The instant these pills hit the tongue all those unpleasant memories crept up on my taste buds. Same problem, different pill. I have about 2 weeks of pills to take and I am not looking forward to the next dose.

Wish me luck.

I just spent the morning with some serious diehards. When it comes to camping, these guys would set up shop for more than a day just to make sure they have the best spot for the U.S. Bank Fireworks. My concern isn't the camping out. I like camping now and again.

BUT THE WAITING! I guess I'd be able to kill a few hours but some of these guys are facing 24, 48 hours in anticipation of the big show!

I guess I'd read a book, call some friends (as long as there's a socket to charge my phone nearby) and lay out in the sun. But, looking out the window right now, it's lookin' pretty grey. So THEN what? Hole up in your tent all afternoon?

What have YOU done in the past? What did you do this year? I gotta hear your tips. I'm sure we'll get some unique stories out of you!

We all took a collective sharp breath when we first heard about the abuse case regarding a 13-year-old Oshkosh girl allegedly  locked in her room for more than a year.

The latest news: Her parents, Clint and Lynn Engstrom, lose all contact with her until she's an adult. In exchange for that agreement-- and a "no contest" plea-- they walk free. Do you believe they deserve to walk or do you think they should do time?

The details of the case are pretty sketchy. The Engstroms don't go into exactly why they "punished" the girl like they did and to that extreme, but they say the treatment was an order handed down by a doctor. The district attorney said in most cases, it's punishment enough to lose a child. Furthermore, family members say the girl didn't want her parents to go to prison.

What do you think? Regardless of what the girl says and the details of the plea agreement, should the couple still do some sort of hard time?