Thursday, September 30, 2021
Mount Pleasant police: Illinois man injured, held onto moving car
MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. - Mount Pleasant police were called to an accident Wednesday, Sept. 29 after a report of a man hanging from the side of a vehicle before falling onto the road.
A preliminary investigation found a 25-year-old Illinois man stopped near the intersection of Sunnyslope and Kelsey, got out of his running vehicle and walked into the intersection.
A vehicle driven by an 84-year-old Racine woman was trying to turn onto Sunnyslope but was forced to stop due to the Illinois man's presence. Police said the two talked until the Illinois man became argumentative and grabbed onto the open rear passenger window as the woman began to slowly drive away.
The man then fell to the ground and sustained significant injuries. He was taken to the hospital for initial treatment before being taken to another hospital via Flight for Life due.
Police said the man and woman did not know each other prior to the incident.
The Wisconsin State Patrol was called to assist with the accident reconstruction. This incident remains under investigation by the Mount Pleasant Police Department and Wisconsin State Patrol.
From: https://www.fox6now.com/news/mount-pleasant-accident-illinois-man-injured
Milwaukee child shootings, trauma 'devastating'
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee broke its homicide record in 2020. But the number of people shot and wounded was also hard to fathom – more than 750 people, 72 of which were children.
According to the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission, through August 2021, there have been 646 non-fatal shootings and 82 child victims. For doctors who see those victims, it is a devastating reality, but they say there is more that can be done to prevent that kind of trauma before it happens.
"The best trauma for us to see is the one that doesn’t happen," said Dr. Michael Levas, Children's Wisconsin pediatric emergency medicine physician and Project Ujima medical director.
Levas said it is hard to fathom the number of kids being injured by gun violence.
"Most of us in the health care world, it’s hard to take care of little kids who have holes in them from bullets. It’s just devastating," Levas said. "That bullet does a lot of damage. And depending on where the wound is, it can result in life-long physical disability."
Children's Wisconsin
When a child is able to leave the hospital, the wounds they take with them are more than just physical. There is emotional and psychological trauma, too.
Project Ujima works to support kids and families to try to break the cycle of violence.
"We need to think about what we invest on the front end," said Levas.
Groups like WestCare help connect youth and families with the resources they need to try to stop the factors that contribute to violence – be it housing, food scarcity or other crime reduction programs.
"Tired of seeing people being shot by guns through negligence," said Travis Landry, WestCare Wisconsin regional vice president.
WestCare has been running a free, no-questions-asked gun lock program – Love Up, Lock Down – for the past five years. Landry said the purpose is to do more than prevent an accident.
Milwaukee non-fatal shooting statistics
"The whole purpose of the gun locks is to really make you think, again, about the gun that you have in your possession. Are you using the gun to protect you, or are you using the gun for something you shouldn’t be doing?" Landry said.
The free gun lock program was started by youth who were tired of seeing others being shot because of negligence.
Landry admits there are no dbout people who won't use locks, as they have other intents or purposes for carrying a weapon. He hopes that using one can not only protect a child in a home, but on the street as well.
From: https://www.fox6now.com/news/milwaukee-child-shootings-trauma
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Teaching cursive would be required under Wisconsin bill
The bill's sponsors, including former teacher Republican State Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, said teaching cursive will stimulate different parts of the brain and improve the education of students.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) —
All Wisconsin elementary schools would be required to teach cursive writing under a bill passed Tuesday by the state Assembly.
The bill's sponsors, including former teacher Fond du Lac Republican State Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, said teaching cursive will stimulate different parts of the brain and improve the education of students.
"When you're educating students, the more mental gymnastics you can get them to do, the better training it is for their mind," Thiesfeldt said.
But opponents, including groups representing school boards, superintendents and administrators, oppose the measure, saying it could be a costly mandate and that instructional time would be better spent teaching more modern forms of communicating, like keyboarding.
"This is not about cursive writing. This is about allowing our teachers to teach, allowing our teachers to be the professionals that they are and restoring local control," former teacher and Whitefish Bay Democrat State Rep. Deb Andraca said.
Teaching cursive is included in state standards for education set by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
However, those are a model and not a requirement.
The bill would make the teaching of cursive mandatory.
No one registered in support of the measure, while a host of school-related groups were against it.
The Assembly passed the measure last year but it died in the Senate.
The Assembly passed the new bill Tuesday on a 59-39 vote.
It now heads to the Senate.
It would have to pass the Senate and be signed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in order to become law.
Evers is a former state superintendent of schools. The governor's office did not respond to WISN 12 News request for comment.
The state education department which he used to lead said in written testimony that the requirement could prove difficult for students with disabilities.
From: https://www.wisn.com/article/wisconsin-teaching-cursive-would-be-required-under-bill/37773227
Critical race theory ban passes Wisconsin Assembly
MADISON, Wis. - The national debate over critical race theory (CRT) erupted at the Wisconsin Capitol on Tuesday, Sept. 28. The Assembly debated and then voted on a bill to crack down on certain teachings in schools, including that one race or sex is superior.
The bill passed the chamber on a 60-38 party-line vote: Republicans for it, and Democrats against it. The Senate has not picked up the bill, and it is likely Gov. Tony Evers would veto it.
One thing not in the bill – the phrase "critical race theory." The theory holds that racism and oppression can be embedded into systems, including the American founding and society.
"I’ve been a teacher a long time, social studies. (CRT is) not something I taught my students, not something that I observed teachers teaching, because it’s a law school concept," said State Rep. LaKeshia Myers (D-Milwaukee) Critical race theory is just that – a theory that's derived by lawyers.")
"If people on the left say it’s never occurring, it’s a red herring, it’s not happening, what is the harm in ensuring that we make every single person in the state realize that we don’t want sexism, we don’t want racism, we don’t want stereotyping taught in our schools," said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester).
The bill would ban school districts and charter schools from teaching that a person bears responsibility for past acts committed by people of the same race or sex. It would also ban teaching that a person is inherently racist or sexist by virtue of their race or sex.
"We also have the white supremacy preservation act, which is part of a national movement to create sort of a new boogeyman in the culture wars. And use fear and resentment to motivate base voters," said Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh).
"In the testimonies, they kept saying you are going to prohibit the teaching of history, we can’t say certain words, and (the Wisconsin Legislative) Council said no, the bill does not do that," said State Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego).
The bill would make the state superintendent take away 10% of state funds from school districts that break the law. It would also allow parents to sue.
From: https://www.fox6now.com/news/critical-race-theory-ban-passes-wisconsin-assembly
Racine County pot bust; suspect accused of driving 100+ mph
YORKVILLE, Wis. - A 29-year-old man from Minnesota was taken into custody in Racine County on Saturday, Sept. 25 after marijuana was found in his vehicle during a traffic stop. It happened around 8:30 a.m. in the Village of Yorkville.
According to the Racine County Sheriff's Office, deputies were monitoring traffic on I-41 when they observed an SUV "rapidly changing lanes" and swerving between vehicles while traveling 103 mph.
During the traffic stop, a K-9 alerted on the vehicle, and a search of the vehicle yielded a bag containing 499 grams of marijuana. This bag was hidden in a rear compartment of the SUV.
Marijuana found in vehicle during Racine County traffic stop
The driver said that the marijuana must have been left in the vehicle by the previous owner.
He was taken to Racine County Jail where he was held for possession with intent. He was also issued traffic citations for speeding on the freeway, reckless driving, and operating while suspended.
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Monday, September 27, 2021
Sunday, September 26, 2021
Despite guidance from health officials, Ron Johnson says vaccinating people during a pandemic 'could be dangerous'
MADISON - U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson suggested this week that vaccinated Americans could be perpetuating the coronavirus pandemic and that distributing vaccines during a pandemic "could be dangerous."
But Johnson also said that he hopes the vaccines play a "key role" in ending the pandemic and that he supports them.
The contradictory comments from Wisconsin's highest-profile Republican come as state health officials prepare to distribute booster vaccine shots to help combat the worst effects of a surge of new COVID-19 cases. The new infections are being fueled by a more transmissible variant of the virus that took hold as vaccine rates stagnated.
In a Tuesday appearance on the John Solomon Reports podcast, Johnson suggested vaccinated Americans could be worsening the pandemic though recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services show the unvaccinated are more likely to become infected.
It is the latest example of comments from Johnson on COVID-19 that are contrary to advice from health professionals and scientists. His comments have been criticized by some medical professionals and Democrats as undermining efforts to get the pandemic under control.
"If you walk around asymptomatic with 250 times the viral load, are you the super spreader? Is that what's happening here?" Johnson said, referring to a study on vaccinated Americans that has been misrepresented and used to spread misleading information.
Saturday, September 25, 2021
Wisconsin scam victims lost $93K+ during summer 2021
The Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin reports Wisconsinites lost $93,000 over the summer because of scams. The BBB said scammers disguise themselves as credit card companies and even dog breeders.
Pleasant Prairie police arrest Illinois teen, guns found: video
PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. - Video from the Pleasant Prairie Police Department shows the arrest of a young teen in possession of a loaded gun on Monday, Sept. 20.
An officer saw three boys pushing a stalled car near 39th Avenue and 114th Place. The car, police said, had Florida license plates.
Police Chief David Smetana said everything unfolded around 6:20 p.m. on Monday. As the officer talked to them, one of the boys said he was 18 years old and had no weapons on him – both turned out to be false.
"One of the individuals said he was 18. He didn’t look 18, so now you see the officer’s suspicion start to rise, the vehicle had out-of-state plates, it looks disabled," Smetana said.
The officer patted one of the three boys down and found what the boy said was a BB gun. The officer asked the other two boys to sit on a nearby curb.
Pleasant Prairie police body camera video shows three Zion, Illinois boys. The 13-year-old (right) was arrested.
According to police, the officer did not find a BB gun. Instead, it was a loaded 9mm handgun. And that wasn't all. In a nearby bush, police found a backpack that officers said was placed there by the boys.
"Within that backpack was another loaded 9mm handgun and a 50-round drum magazine for a handgun," said Smetana.
The teen who told the officer was 18 years old turned out to be 13. The other two bots were 11 and 12 years old. All three of them were from Zion, Illinois.
Police later discovered the vehicle, which had run out of gas, was a rental car reported stolen out of Kenosha. The keys, Smetana said, were found in the 13-year-old's pocket. Additional ammunition was found inside the stolen car.
"I want people to watch out for their kids, and I want people to understand that this is a dangerous job. I think this really highlights it," Smetana said.
The 13-year-old was placed in juvenile detention. The younger boys were released to their parents.
See more: https://www.fox6now.com/news/il-teen-arrested-pleasant-prairie-officer-search-turned-up-handgun
Friday, September 24, 2021
Racine police officer injured, car hit; man charged with OWI
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| Jahleel Spencer |
RACINE, Wis. - A 25-year-old Racine man is charged with multiple counts – accused of hitting a police officer's squad car, injuring the officer, on Sept. 18.
Prosecutors say Jahleel Spencer was intoxicated at the time of the hit-and-run, which happened near 16th Street and Memorial Drive.
A criminal complaint states authorities were informed of a red box truck that had hit a Racine police officer's squad car and kept driving. The truck was later stopped by Racine police on 13th Street.
The officer said she was blocking traffic on Memorial Driver when her squad was hit by the truck. The incident was recorded on squad and body cameras. The officer was taken to the hospital with injuries and pain to her ribs.
According to a criminal complaint, Spencer was identified as the driver of the truck involved. Law enforcement at the scene noted a "strong odor of intoxicants" on his breath. After performing field sobriety tests, Spencer provided a breathalyzer sample with a result of .257 – more than three times the legal limit. He was arrested for operating while intoxicated and taken to the hospital for a legal evidentiary blood draw.
Spencer is charged with hit-and-run causing injury and operating while intoxicated causing injury. He made an initial court appearance on Sept. 20. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Oct. 7.
From: https://www.fox6now.com/news/racine-police-officer-injured-car-hit-man-charged-with-owi
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