Aug. 4, 2024 8:50a; Updated at 9:50a with Coffee Pot post
From WGTD News:
A candidate has emerged for Racine County Executive. Wendy Christensen, who currently serves as county clerk, has been circulating nomination petitions. She's also officially registered as a candidate. A special election for county executive will be held in December to replace Jonathan Delagrave, who died unexpectedly this summer while serving his third term in the position. As a Republican, Christensen was elected county clerk in 2008, and has been re-elected every four years without opposition. The office of county executive is non-partisan.
-0-
An experienced hand in city government has been appointed to fill a seat on the Kenosha County Board. Julia Robinson spent ten years as a city council member. Now she's been selected by County Board Chair Monica Yuhas to fill the position that was vacated by Brian Thomas. He resigned just a few months after winning re-election. Thomas' estranged wife was among the 7 applicants for the job. The full county board will be asked to ratify Yuhas' appointment at its regularly-scheduled meeting Tuesday night.
-0-
A popular downtown Kenosha area diner was heavily damaged by a pair of fires Saturday. The Coffee Pot will be closed indefinitely. Firefighters were summoned late Saturday morning and thought they had contained a fire to a wall. But they were back a few hours later after the blaze rekindled, according to Battalion Chief Brian McNeely, who called it a difficult fire to extinguish because flames had reached 'void' spaces that weren't readily accessible. Much of the damage was caused by firefighters having to break through walls and the roof. In the heat and humidity, firefighters from neighboring communities were brought in to spell Kenosha firefighters. They were on scene for nearly four hours. McNeely said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation. According to city property records, the building was built in 1900. A social media post from the owners late Saturday night indicated that the restaurant appears to be a total loss, but that they'll know more in the coming days.
-0-
Strong to severe storms are possible late Monday afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service. The best chances for rough weather are mainly south of a Lone Rock to Kenosha line. Strong winds and localized flooding are the main hazard, with hail also possible.
-0-
A top White House official will be in Racine Monday. Former Obama administration Labor Dept. Secretary Tom Perez currently serves as White House Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. He'll be at a home in Racine to highlight federal efforts to remove lead water pipes. He'll be joined by Racine Mayor Cory Mason, state Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer and Forward Together Wisconsin President Mandela Barnes. Perez has another event scheduled for later Monday in Milwaukee.
-0-
The Kenosha County Board is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a resolution in support of an effort to take a deep dive into the feasibility of extending commuter rail from Kenosha to Milwaukee. A county board committee has already gone on record in support of the move. A similar resolution was killed this spring under the old county board. The study--funded by a $5 million federal grant--is currently underway.
-0-
A former Racine County Emergency Services Manager and his wife have been cleared of child abuse charges. James and Tiana Kerner had been accused of abuse by James Kerner's now 15-year-old daughter. But according to a report in the Journal Times, the girl's brother told a much different story. The case had been transferred to the Kenosha County District Attorneys' office, where a prosecutor last week recommended to a judge that the charges be dismissed.
-0-