Saturday, February 21, 2026
Cops Gone Wild: A former CHP officer charged with lying under oath will not have her case go to trial. Why?
Friday, February 20, 2026
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Robin Vos, state’s longest serving Assembly speaker, will not seek re-election
MITCHELL SCHMIDT and KIMBERLY WETHAL Wisconsin State Journal
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Thursday he will not seek re-election next year, ending a more than decade-long career as one the the most influential Republicans in the state.
Vos, 57, the longest-serving Assembly speaker in state history, choked up as he addressed fellow lawmakers and staff on what is anticipated to be the Assembly’s final floor session of the year, saying his career has been “the greatest professional honor of my life.”
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Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. OWEN ZILIAK, STATE JOURNAL ARCHIVES |
The Rochester Republican was first elected to the Assembly in 2004 and has represented portions of Racine and Walworth counties. He has led the chamber as speaker since 2013.
His tenure in the Assembly has spanned a plethora of notable moments in Wisconsin politics, including the passage of Republican then-Gov Scott Walker’s controversial Act 10, which dramatically limited collective bargaining powers in the state, and multiple high-stakes presidential elections.
Vos said the decision on whether to run again had been weighing on him for months, but having a mild heart attack in November was part of his decision. Vos is fine, he said, but it his doctor told him he needed to reduce his stress levels.
“Let me tell you, this job is stressful,” Vos said. “It was a sign from God that convinced me I needed to choose a different path.”
Vos told the Wisconsin State Journal at the end of December he would decide in February whether to pursue another term.
Vos’ retirement means that two of Wisconsin’s most influential politicians won’t be in the Capitol come January. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, a longtime foil of Vos and his Republican agenda, announced his intent to retire in July, after this year’s budget was finalized.
Vos’ retirement means that two of Wisconsin’s most influential politicians won’t be in the Capitol come January. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, a longtime foil of Vos and his Republican agenda, announced his intent to retire in July, after this year’s budget was finalized.
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Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said the decision to retire had been weighing on him for months, but a mild heart attack in November helped him make the decision. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL ARCHIVES |
Evers said in a statement Vos’’ “retirement marks the end of an era in Wisconsin politics, and I’m grateful to have served as governor during Speaker Vos’ tenure.”
“Although we’ve disagreed more often than we didn’t, I respect his candor, his ability to navigate complex policies and conversations, and his unrivaled passion for politics,” Evers said.
“Being in public service is challenging and can be thankless work, most especially when you’re responsible for getting things done,” Evers added. “I understand that better than most. For your sacrifices and your service over the years, thank you, Mr. Speaker.”
Prior to joining the Assembly, Vos was a Racine County supervisor for 10 years. A graduate of UW-Whitewater, a relative powerhouse for churning out influential Wisconsin Republicans, Vos worked as a legislative assistant for Rep. Jim Ladwig, and his successor and wife, Bonnie Ladwig, as well as a district director for Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann.
Outside of state government, Vos owns both a food processing company and a real estate company that largely rents student housing in Whitewater.
Vos’ decision comes as state lawmakers head into the November elections under new, more Democratic-friendly maps signed in early 2024. Vos was a key player in the legislative redistricting fights that took place in 2010, when GOP lawmakers used their legislative majorities to redraw the state’s congressional and legislative maps to favor Republicans. There are currently two legal challenges before the state Supreme Court, which holds a 4-3 liberal majority, seeking to redraw Wisconsin’s congressional boundaries.
Under new legislative maps, liberals are feeling especially bullish on their chances to wrest control of the state Senate and Assembly away from their Republican colleagues.
Republicans say the measures they’ve been able to get across Evers’ desk, including more than $1 billion in tax cuts in the state’s two-year spending plan, should encourage voters to keep the party in control of the Legislature in 2027.
The election also hosts the first open race for Wisconsin’s executive office in 16 years. Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany is the frontrunner on the GOP side, while more than half a dozen Democratic candidates are running.
Vos has often been a thorn in the side of both Evers and his Democratic colleagues in the Legislature due to his ability to lead the Assembly Republican caucus as one of the most influential conservatives in the Capitol. But he’s also clashed with members of his own party at times, including President Donald Trump.
While Vos hired former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman in 2021 to lead a taxpayer-funded review of Wisconsin’s 2020 presidential election — following pressure from Trump to substantiate his baseless claims that the election had been “stolen.”
Trump lost to Joe Biden in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes that year, an outcome that has been substantiated through a recount, court decisions and multiple independent reviews.
The relationship between Gableman and Vos soured over the course of the seven-month review, with Vos ultimately firing Gableman in August 2022 and later calling him “an embarrassment to this state.
Vos closed out his speech saying he hopes the Legislature as an institution will remain strong, especially against the two other branches of government, and offered a reminder that the Legislature is not meant to be “fast, convenient, or easy.”
“I’ll miss the clowns, but not the circus,” Vos said, echoing Linda Upmeyer, former Speaker from Iowa, who said something similar upon her retirement in 2020.
Nobody knows if Wisconsin hemp products are safe or legal. So we tested them.
Gina Lee Castro
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Racine man sentenced to prison on 2025 child pornography charges
Milana Doné
RACINE — A 24-year-old Racine man was sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday in connection to 20 counts of possession of child pornography.
Christopher Dufay pleaded guilty in December 2025 to five of the counts. The remaining 15 were dismissed but read in to the court record.
Dufay also was ordered to serve five years of extended supervision.
Allegations
According to previous Journal Times reporting, Dufay was arrested in April 2025 after the Caledonia Police Department received a cyber tip from Internet Crimes Against Children.
The tip included eight videos and a Kik account with an IP address associated with a residence in the 2700 block of Holly Grove Court and an account name of Christopher Dufay.
CPD served a search warrant for the account, which showed 209 images/videos had been downloaded or shared by the account owner. CPD reportedly found 20 distinct videos containing child pornography.
Investigators also searched Dufay’s residence and seized several items as evidence, according to previous reporting.
Dufay originally pleaded not guilty to all charges during an arraignment in April 2025.
Sextortion, booming in Wisconsin, is exploding across North America
Natalie Eilbert
Less than 50 days into 2026, Wisconsin has already been tipped off to 111 sextortion cases happening across the state – more than two incidents per day.
That number is a reflection of why sextortion is the fastest-growing cybercrime targeting children in North America.
It's also especially disturbing, said Jesse Crowe, a special agent at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, because it continues the steep year-over-year climb of reported cases in Wisconsin. Crowe also cautioned that the number of cases could be much higher, given the numbers reflect tips pulled from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline, and don't include cases from law enforcement.
According to Crowe, there were more than 170 reported Wisconsin cases in 2023, the first year state agencies started tracking for this specific crime. In 2024, it climbed to a little more than 230 reported cases. Then, in 2025, Wisconsin tallied 650 reported sextortion crimes. At the current rate, 2026 is on pace to approach 850 cases in Wisconsin.
In other words, cases in Wisconsin have quadrupled over a three-year period and have led to two known suicides: Landon Weigelt, 17, of Oconto, and Braydon Bohn, 15, of Kronenwetter, outside of Wausau.
Bohn's death on March 5, 2025, prompted lawmakers to fast-track a bill recognizing sextortion as a crime, with felony murder charges against any cases ending in suicide. That law, Crowe said, has made it possible to prosecute people for any sextortion case that causes death. Bohn's parents tirelessly advocated for the passage of the bill.
Sextortion is a form of child sexual exploitation that involves threatening or blackmailing children, often after tricking them into sending them nude or sexual images, although images don't necessarily need to be sent. The scammers threaten to go public with their photos if they don't comply with their demands, which sometimes involve money, sexual activities or sending additional sexual content.
"There's a lot of victim blaming and shaming out there. One of the huge messages we try and get out there is that it is not these children's fault. It's not the parents fault either," said Crowe, commander of the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children task force. "They are victims of crimes. They have been tricked into doing something against their will."
Why are the numbers rising so quickly?
Part of the steep rise in sextortion cases has to do with state-led Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces pushing for more public information, Crowe said. By doing outreach and education campaigns on sextortion, that has given more people knowledge of what to be on the lookout for, not to mention access to the CyberTipline.
For the first time, too, online companies are doing more to scan their networks to identify and report suspicious user accounts to the CyberTipline.
But there's also no bottom to the internet. It's a vast network with seemingly endless access points for criminal behaviors. If you're able to connect with anybody, Crowe said, that means anyone, including people who are intent on causing harm.
How do criminals find children to sextort?
Perpetrators send out mass quantities of friend requests to groups they intend on targeting, Crowe said. And once they get someone willing to engage, they build rapport and establish trust.
Once that happens, they'll have the child switch to another platform to continue their conversation, one that is more secure. Sometimes, these platforms use disappearing messages. Sometimes, they have end-to-end encryption, which makes it extremely hard for outside parties to track conversations taking place.
"That's when the actual sextortion starts to happen. They've already built their rapport and a seeming friendship with that potential victim," Crowe said.
Are any apps more common than others for sextorting children?
Crowe said he's seen these crimes take place across all platforms, which is what makes it particularly scary. His task force has seen these crimes take place on popular social media sites, but also blog sites and gaming apps.
Naming one app over another isn't necessarily helpful, Crowe said.
"We want to focus on the actual behavior itself, because we want people to use the internet responsibly," Crowe said.
Are there any patterns to who is committing sextortion crimes?
Many sextortion cases come from international organizations, Crowe said, and both domestic and international suspects have been identified.
Further, "organizations" in some cases is a generous categorization. Sometimes it's just two people in a country colluding on these crimes. Other times, it's a criminal enterprise doing this as a massive money maker.
How can I protect my children or students from being sextorted?
Start the conversation about online safety with your child, and do it early and often, Crowe said. Many children are using tablets at very young ages.
Emphasize the importance of online safety and how to responsibly use technology.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has tip sheets to help parents and guardians explain to children what healthy relationships look like, and also how to identify and report online criminal activities.
If you believe you or someone you know is the victim of sextortion or other forms of child exploitation, report the incident on the CyberTipline. To speak to someone directly, contact 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). The phoneline is available 24/7.
If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text "Hopeline" to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
Pewaukee man accused of exchanging explicit information about teens with Racine inmate
Holly Gilvary
RACINE — Two men have been charged in connection to allegations that they conspired to commit child sex crimes.
Nelson Heckenkamp, 27, of Pewaukee, is accused of exchanging explicit information about and contact information for several teenage girls with Jakob Wilhite, an inmate at the Racine Correctional Institute.
Heckenkamp was convicted of second-degree sexual assault of a child and child enticement in Racine County in April 2025. He was sentenced to three years of probation and credit for time served, according to a criminal complaint.
He is now charged with conspiracy to commit use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime as a repeater; conspiracy to commit child enticement as a repeater; and failure to register as a sex offender.
If convicted, Heckenkamp faces up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both; up to 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both; and up to six years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, for each respective charge. All three are felonies.
Additionally, he faces a bifurcated sentence of three-and-a-half years for the first two charges because of his status as a repeat violator.
Wilhite, 25, is charged with use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime as a repeater and child enticement as a repeater.
If convicted, he faces 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000 or both; and up to 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000 or both, respectively.
According to online Racine County court records, Wilhite was previously convicted of possession of child pornography and child sexual exploitation in 2021, as well as failure to update his information as a sex offender in 2025. He is currently serving his sentences at the Racine Correctional Institute.
According to a criminal complaint, Heckenkamp first contacted Wilhite in September 2025.
Wilhite is alleged to have provided Heckenkamp with information about several girls between the ages of 16-17, one of whom Heckenkamp allegedly exchanged explicit photographs with and later met in person.
A cash bond of $25,000 was set for Heckenkamp in Racine County Circuit Court on Monday.
He is scheduled to appear for preliminary hearing on Feb. 26, according to online court records.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Cops Gone Wild: Sober man charged with DUI leads to investigation of officer who made arrest | WSB-TV
Monday, February 16, 2026
Is that spring in sight? Daylight saving time will be here in less than three weeks
Maia Pandey
On March 8, clocks will once again "spring forward," and the sun will set at 6:49 p.m. in Milwaukee, according to timeanddate.com.
The change often reignites debates about whether daylight saving time should exist at all. Though the time adjustment allows for more daylight during spring and summer evenings, many have argued it disturbs the body's circadian rhythms and has other health drawbacks.
Here's what to know as daylight saving time approaches.
When does daylight saving time start?
Daylight saving time will resume on Sunday, March 8. Clocks will jump forward one hour between 2 and 3 a.m., meaning there will be more light in the evening and less light in the morning.
When does daylight saving time end?
Daylight saving time will end for the season on Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks are turned back an hour at 2 a.m.
What is daylight saving time?
Between March and November, Wisconsin residents set their clocks forward by an hour to gain more daylight in the evenings. During the other four months of the year, the clocks fall back to allow for more daylight in the mornings.
Daylight saving time was enacted during World War I in an attempt to save on fuel costs by adding an extra hour of sunlight to the day. While it's a common misconception, its creation had nothing to do with allowing farmers to work longer hours, and the agriculture industry actually "fervently opposed" the measure, according to the Library of Congress.
Why do some people want to end daylight saving time?
In the decades since daylight saving time was enacted, politicians, sleep experts and farmers have all pushed to change the practice, either by eliminating daylight saving time or making it permanent year-round.
In 2020, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine said the United States should "eliminate seasonal time changes in favor of a national, fixed, year-round time." Daylight saving time disrupts the natural circadian rhythms of the human body, and the abrupt time change has been linked to increase risk of mood disorders and heart diseases, according to the organization.
From a public safety standpoint, the academy said daylight saving time also increases risk of vehicle crashes since drivers are especially sleep deprived after losing an hour of rest when the clock "springs forward."
Have there been efforts to end daylight saving time in Wisconsin?
Though some states have done away with the practice, Wisconsin continues to observe daylight saving time.
As of October 2025, 19 states have enacted legislation to observe daylight saving time year-round, if Congress were to allow such a change, and two states and several territories observe permanent standard time year-round, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
In Wisconsin, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation last spring to end daylight saving time and adopt permanent standard time, but no further action has been taken on the bill.
Midwest grocery prices tick up as egg prices fall nationally, report says
Maia Pandey
The cost of groceries has been ticking up in the Midwest, but there's at least one bright spot nationwide: egg prices have recovered after hitting all-time highs in 2025.
In January, Midwest grocery prices were up 0.4% from December 2025 and up 2.4% from a year earlier, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report. The increase comes after last month's report showed Midwest grocery prices remained stable toward the end of 2025.
Nationwide, the cost of food at home increased by 0.2% last month. That's down from a 0.7% increase in December 2025, meaning grocery prices rose at a slightly slower pace in January. Egg prices in particular were down by more than two dollars in January when compared to a year earlier.
Here's the latest on Midwest grocery prices, including why egg prices are finally dropping.
Are groceries getting more expensive in the Midwest?
Aside from fruits and vegetables, the price of all other Midwest groceries rose over the past year, according to the Consumer Price Index report released Feb 13.
In addition to Wisconsin, the Bureau of Labor Statistics includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota in its Midwest region analysis.
Here's how much grocery prices changed last month in the Midwest:
- Cereal and bakery product prices dropped by 0.1% from December 2025 but were still up by 2.4% from January 2025
- Meat, poultry, fish and egg prices rose by 0.2% from December 2025 and by 3.8% from January 2025
- Dairy product prices rose by 2.7% from December 2025 and by 0.4% from January 2025
- Fruit and vegetable prices dropped by 1.6% from December 2025 and by 2.9% from January 2025
- Nonalcoholic beverage prices rose by 0.8% from December 2025 and by 2.1% from January 2025
- Alcoholic beverage prices rose by 0.5% from December 2025 and by 1.6% from January 2025
Egg prices coming back down after bird flu outbreak
Though meat, poultry, fish and egg prices were still up slightly in the Midwest, egg prices nationally are finally recovering after hitting record levels in early 2025 due to the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, outbreak.
The national Consumer Price Index indicates the average cost for a dozen Grade A eggs in the United States was $2.58 in January 2026, compared to $4.95 in January 2025. In March 2025, average egg prices hit a record high of $6.23.
Wholesale egg prices have also dropped nearly 90% over the past seven months, USA TODAY reported. Bird flu is still present in the U.S., but much of the egg industry is now facing an oversupply problem, with some farmers selling eggs at below production cost.
How much do Wisconsin residents spend on groceries?
Despite increasing grocery prices in the region, Wisconsin residents rank in the middle of the pack in terms of how much they're spending on groceries, according to a Feb. 12 analysis by WalletHub, a personal finance website
The report compared the cost of commonly purchased grocery items against the median household income in each state. In Wisconsin, residents likely spend 1.97% of their monthly income on groceries, or 27th-highest of all the states, WalletHub found.
The U.S. Census Bureau's median income data on Wisconsin says that would amount to about $1,526 annually, or $127 monthly, spent on groceries.
Mississippi residents tend to spend the largest portion of their income, 2.6%, on groceries, and Massachusetts spends the least at 1.51%, WalletHub reported.
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