Newsroom Waukesha County Technical College

WISN -- The peregrine falcon chicks at We Energies' Oak Creek Power Plant were given their names and identification bands on Tuesday. The names are a special nod to Wisconsin school mascots. Three of the 10 chicks born this year were named after mascots. They are: Ollie, after Waukesha County Technical College's Ollie the Owl; Bucky, after University of Wisconsin - Madison's Bucky the Badger; and Ember, for Carthage College's Ember the Firebird.

CBS 58 -- The public has voted and three peregrine falcon chicks at the Oak Creek We Energies power plant will be named Ollie, Ember, and Bucky. The names honor local mascots, Ollie for Waukesha County Technical College, Ember for Carthage College, and of course, Bucky for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Along with receiving their names, they were also given identification bands.

Patch (Brookfield) - -Lakeland will relocate its Milwaukee Cente to WCTC's main Pewaukee campus and become the Lakeland University-Waukesha Center ahead of fall.

Waukesha Freeman -- Gov. Tony Evers announced Waukesha County Technical College student Janixa Franco Gonzalez is one of four appointees to the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board.

Fox 6 -- People across Wisconsin were asked to share their school spirit and vote to name We Energies’ peregrine falcon chicks in honor of the state’s most beloved college mascots, and Waukesha County Technical College's "Ollie" was selected as No. 3, just behind UW-Oshkosh's "Clash" at No. 2 and St. Norbert College's Green Knight "Norby" at No. 1.

The TechEd Podcast -- WCTC President Rich Barnhouse, Ph.D., talks with podcast host Matt Kirchner about the role of artificial intelligence in higher education.

WisPolitics.com -- Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers today announced four appointments to the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board. The governor has appointed Alex Lasry, Janixa Franco Gonzalez (WCTC student), and Lindsay Blumer, in addition to reappointing Quincey Daniels.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- Nationwide, just 9 percent of firefighters are women, but local women in the fire service say there's never been a better time for women to pursue firefighting. In fact, in recent years at WCTC, the number of students who have taken fire classes has increased.

Waukesha Freeman -- Waukesha County Technical College is working closely with local fire departments to help train and prepare firefighters through a variety of educational pathways, according to WCTC associate dean of Fire and EMS Courtney Hull, including Dual Enrollment Academy and Start College Now.

Spectrum News 1 -- It’s no secret that filling jobs in the hospitality field has proven challenging. While true for restaurant servers and bartenders, it’s also true for chefs. With a growing industry and a finite number of qualified people, many soon-to-be chefs are finding themselves in demand as they enter the workforce. Hear more from Waukesha County Technical College student Angelica Wells-Mendoza and Chef Andy Tenaglia (instructor) about the rewards and challenges within the culinary field.

Waukesha Freeman -- Monday marked the 100th birthday of Waukesha County Technical College, and to celebrate, Milwaukee’s Hoan Bridge was illuminated at sunset. The bridge featured three light displays developed by WCTC students and instructors, with a little help from coding experts with Light the Hoan.

CBS58 --The first We Energies peregrine falcon chicks have hatched! The company made the announcement April 25, and now, it's time to start naming the babies! Each year, We Energies asks the public for help naming the baby falcons. This year's theme of names is in recognition of Wisconsin's most beloved college mascots. WCTC is joining in on the fun (and hint: WCTC's owl mascot is named Ollie)! The names with the most votes will be given to the falcon chicks that hatch at We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) power plants this spring.

Fox 6 -- Waukesha County Technical College was host to the STEM Forward Contrapt Wisconsin contraption competition on Friday, April 22. Tim Alft, associate dean in the School of Applied Technologies, talks about the benefits of the competition and the importance of exposing teens to STEM concepts at an early age.

Waukesha Freeman -- More than 150 middle school students tested out their contraptions at the STEM Forward Contrapt Wisconsin machine competition held at WCTC on April 21. The students were tasked with hammering a nail in eight or more steps.

Waukesha Freeman -- As Earth Day approaches, volunteers will head out to beautify areas around southeast Wisconsin, and Waukesha County Technical College is celebrating with a community cleanup effort.

WISN -- Students from throughout Wisconsin convened on the WCTC campus to participate in the Skills USA Wisconsin Culinary Arts Competition. Contestants had to prepare a three-course meal, and judges scored the students on their organization, preparation, taste appearance of the food and much more.

Ascendiumeducation.org -- More than 700 Wisconsin apprentices -- including 48 enrolled at WCTC -- received a Tools of the Trade Scholarship from Ascendium Education. The scholarships, which are $1,500 per student, help to eligible construction and industrial trade apprentices in the Wisconsin Technical College System to assist with expenses related to their apprenticeship including the purchase of tools, equipment and clothing, curriculum costs and more.

BizTimes Milwaukee -- With nearly two years at Waukesha County Technical College, President Richard Barnhouse, Ph.D. is looking to make decisions that will have an impact on the College for years to come.

Waukesha Freeman -- Over the past 100 years, the Waukesha Vocational School has transformed drastically, becoming what the community recognizes today as Waukesha County Technical College. WCTC has witnessed many milestones between then and now, with many exciting new projects and programs underway.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- A Waukesha-based chef with an international background will take her cooking class model nationally through franchising rights. Chef's Pam Kitchen, itself a a kind of culinary creation of WCTC grad Pam Dennis, announced it has embarked on its effort to find new partners to expand a cooking-class concept that began in downtown Waukesha in 2019 and rapidly grew locally, even against the headwinds of a pandemic.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- WCTC grad Evan Nevels knows the jokes people make about avocado toast and millennials. He understands them, too. He still thinks avocado toast is much more than a trend. In 2021, he built his business, Vocado MKE, on avocado toast. He began at farmers markets with a simple tent. Last year he added a food truck, and this summer he’s adding a second truck to his lineup, all offering an entire menu of avocado toast variations.

Omaha World-Herald -- Stacker, a new media company focused on data-driven stories, named the 1-- best community colleges in America, and Waukesha County Technical College was listed as no. 23.

Milwaukee Business Journal -- Laura Catherman has become a go-to resource in southeast Wisconsin for her expertise on the topic. As of November, she leads the Corporate Training Center at Waukesha County Technical College, which helps local employees grow their skill sets and supports employers in upskilling their workforces.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- WCTC graduate Ashlyn Haury got her start in baking with her grandmother when she was a young girl, but it wasn't until after she'd started making and selling cakes that she realized how many people needed gluten-free options. Today, she's focusing on gluten-free options as she continues to build her business, Ashlyn's Sweet Revenge.