REGIONAL BRIEFING

UWM surpasses $200 million private fundraising goal

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has set a new fundraising record of more than $200 million in private pledges to support student success, research and community engagement.

And the campaign hasn’t ended yet. It continues through June 30, 2019.

“This is an extraordinary accomplishment, and I am grateful to all our alumni, close friends and supporters who have contributed to our campaign,” Chancellor Mark Mone said in a news release.

The university reported a recordbreaking single year of fundraising — more than $38.2 million in fiscal 2017– ’18. That’s an increase of 16.4 percent over the previous record of $32.9 million in fiscal 2012–’13.

The public phase of UWM’s campaign launched in September 2017, following more than five years of planning and quiet fundraising.

The $200 million goal is double that of the previous campaign, which ended in 2008.

The largest gift in the current campaign came from co-chairs Marianne and Sheldon Lubar, who gave $10 million in 2015 to establish the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center. It was the couple’s second $10 million gift to UWM.

“I believe there is no more important institution in Milwaukee and the state than UWM,” Sheldon Lubar said. “The university provides a pipeline of talent that is critical for our region’s businesses. We consider our investment in UWM a benefit to every citizen of Wisconsin.”

Man accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting two women

A 29-year-old convicted felon from Milwaukee is charged in the sexual assaults of two women in separate incidents earlier this month — one was walking with her boyfriend on the north side of Milwaukee, the other jogging with her dog in Wauwatosa before being taken to the Milwaukee County Grounds — according to electronic court records.

The accused, Jovon Bethly, remained in Milwaukee County Jail on Monday after failing to post $250,000 in bail set by a court during the weekend, according to court records.

Bethly also was charged Friday in both cases with multiple counts of kidnapping, possessing a dangerous weapon and criminal habituality. The attacks occurred about a week apart, according to a criminal complaint.

Bethly faces up to 244 years in prison on these charges, according to a news release from the Wauwatosa Police Department.