Saturday, February 15, 2025
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Friday, February 14, 2025
DNR confirms bird flu in duck found on Lake Michigan shore in Milwaukee County
The Department of Natural Resources confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, was found in a merganser recovered in early February on the Lake Michigan shoreline in Milwaukee County.
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| A hen red-breasted merganser feeds on a crayfish Feb. 9 in the Milwaukee harbor. Paul A. Smith |
A wild duck found in January along the Lake Michigan shore in Milwaukee County tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, according to a Friday announcement by the Department of Natural Resources.
The bird, a red-breasted merganser, was among 21 birds taken in by the Wisconsin Humane Society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Milwaukee between Jan. 2 and Feb. 10.
All were dead or so severely ill they were euthanized, said Mary Landry, WHS wildlife rehabilitator.
Bird flu was suspected in all the birds the center received. The merganser was submitted for confirmatory testing at the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center in Madison.
The virus, which has circulated in wild and domestic birds in North America since late 2021, has caused the largest loss of poultry in the U.S. in at least 50 years and has killed untold numbers of wild birds.
As of Wednesday the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported 157.7 million poultry have been lost due to HPAI in the current outbreak. The toll on wild birds is much more difficult to estimate; 11,966 wild birds have tested positive for the disease so far, according to a USDA report. Experts say that number is a small fraction of the number of wild birds affected.
In 2022 Sumner Matteson of the DNR and other scientists documented the loss of at least 1,000 Caspian terns to bird flu on islands along the Door Peninsula in northeastern Wisconsin. That same year the virus was documented in dead adult and hatchling bald eagles in southeastern Wisconsin.
Internationally, many thousands of cranes have died during bird flu outbreaks in recent years at sites in Israel and Japan, according to the International Crane Foundation.
In recent regional events in wild birds, bird flu was found in a die-off of hundreds of waterfowl along the Lake Michigan shore in Chicago. From 200 to 300 dead birds, mostly red-breasted mergansers, were reported by observers in Illinois. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has also reported 300 dead birds, mostly Canada geese, suspected with bird flu in five Michigan counties since Jan. 1.
The disease also has shown effects, but more limited, in wild birds in the Milwaukee area in recent weeks.
Since Jan. 2 the WHS wildlife staff received 21 birds suspected of having bird flu, Landry said. The total included nine red-breasted mergansers, three Canada geese, three Herring gulls, two red-tailed hawks and one each American crow, great-horned howl, mallard and ring-billed gull.
Birds that gather in flocks and breeding colonies are particularly affected by H5N1, as are raptors that scavenge on sick or dead birds infected with the virus.
Ducks, geese, swans, eagles, hawks, pelicans, cranes, gulls and terns are among the types of birds found dead and have tested positive for bird flu during the current outbreak.
The virus has also affected mammals, including dairy cows, domestic cats, red fox, otter, bobcat and fisher in Wisconsin. Human cases of bird flu, including one in Wisconsin, have been documented but the virus poses a low risk to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The most common type of HPAI seen in wild and domestic birds is H5N1. Sequencing results are pending on samples from the merganser obtained in Milwaukee. Scientists are monitoring the virus for potential changes.
Since mid-December, the DNR said HPAI has been detected in wild birds in six Wisconsin counties: Brown, Dane, Milwaukee, Racine, St. Croix and Wood. The majority of mortality reports have been for waterfowl, including various duck species, tundra and trumpeter swans and Canada geese.
"It is important to remember that avian influenza is still present in Wisconsin, and we are seeing it affect birds in isolated areas around the state," said Jasmine Batten, DNR Wildlife Health Supervisor. "However, this winter's HPAI detections in wild birds have remained relatively low. The best advice we can give is to remain aware and avoid handling wild birds as much as possible."
According to public health officials, the risk to the human health from avian influenza remains low. However health officials recommend people avoid handling sick or dead wildlife and, when possible, prevent their pets from coming into contact with sick or dead wildlife.
If you must touch a dead bird, the DNR recommends you follow guidance provided on the the agency's Avian Influenza webpage. More information on HPAI and public health can be found on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services' Avian Influenza A Virus webpage.
The DNR is interested in groups of five or more sick or dead wild birds. Depending on the specifics of the case, DNR staff will decide whether to collect a sample.
The public can report sick or dead wild birds through the DNR’s Sick or Dead Bird Reporting Form or by contacting the Wildlife Switchboard at DNRWildlifeSwitchboard@wisconsin.gov or 608-267-0866.
More information on avian influenza viruses and the ongoing response to this HPAI strain is available on the DNR’s Avian Influenza webpage. The DNR will continue to update the webpage with any future HPAI findings in wild Wisconsin birds.
Racine declares snow emergency for Friday, Saturday
Holly Gilvary
RACINE — The City of Racine has declared its second snow emergency this week, in effect 6 p.m. Friday to noon Saturday.
About 1-3 inches of snow is expected to accumulate Friday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Commissioner of Public Works John Rooney said he made the declaration in order to aid the city's snow removal operations.
During the snow emergency, parking will not be permitted on either side of the city's highways, arterial streets and collector streets.
For all other streets, alternate-side parking will be in effect. Vehicles parked in violation of the restrictions will be ticketed and subject to towing.
Alternate-side parking regulations will expire at noon Saturday. After the snow emergency ends, alternate-side winter parking regulations will resume from 2-6 a.m.
All City of Racine Department of Public Works drop-off sites will be closed this weekend to ensure adequate staffing for plowing operations, according to the city. This includes the Racine Transfer Station at 6300 S. 21st St. and the Pearl Street Facility.
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Teachers Gone Wild: Former teacher enters plea in connection to alleged sexual assaults of students
Annie Pulley
RACINE — A former teacher at 21st Century Preparatory School in Racine pleaded no contest Tuesday in connection to allegations that he sexually assaulted several students.
Jamill Sanders of Racine, who is 37, pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree sexual assault and one felony count of the physical abuse of a child meant to cause bodily harm.
He originally was charged with one count of second-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of the repeated sexual assault of the same child.
Both charges, which are felonies, were dismissed and read into the court’s record during the Tuesday hearing.
Sanders had pleaded not guilty to the original charges May 29, 2024, and signed a $10,000 cash bond May 14, according to online court records.
On Tuesday, Judge Jon Fredrickson ordered Sanders to comply with a pre-sentence investigation through the state Department of Corrections, and Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Flynn noted that the state will request at sentencing that Sanders comply with the sex offender registry.
That sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 15 at the Racine County Courthouse.
Original allegations
According to previous reporting, Racine police officers were sent to the K4-8 school at 1220 Mound Ave. on March 27 after a report of a sexual assault.
Sanders had been working as a behavioral interventionalist, and five students from the school reportedly made allegations against him.
A 12-year-old student reportedly told police that Sanders touched her inappropriately, and that on a separate occasion allegedly pinched her breast.
Another 12-year-old girl alleged that Sanders touched her breast several times over a few months. Three 14-year-olds made similar allegations.
Thursday, February 13, 2025
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Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Racine County buildings closed until Thursday
JOURNAL TIMES STAFF
RACINE COUNTY — All Racine County buildings will be closed for the rest of the day Wednesday because of extreme weather and will re-open for normal business hours on Thursday.
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Mount Pleasant declares snow emergency
Holly Gilvary
MOUNT PLEASANT — The Village of Mount Pleasant has declared a snow emergency from noon Wednesday to noon Thursday.
Parking restrictions are in effect during the snow emergency, the village said.
If a road is signed as alternate street parking, the alternate street parking rules apply during the emergency. If a road is not signed as alternate parking, vehicles should not be parked on the street or in a cul-de-sac.
Vehicles parked in violation may be ticketed and are subject to towing, according to the village.
Residents must also clear sidewalks by 10 a.m. of each day during a snow storm, per village ordinance. The village said in a release that residents should not move snow or ice into public streets, sidewalks or alleys when clearing private driveways or walkways.
A Wisconsin winter storm is on its way. Here's what you should keep in your car
Cailey GleesonJenna Prestininzi
Flurries have already begun falling around Milwaukee, where up to nine inches of snow are expected Wednesday.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for multiple counties throughout Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, beginning at noon through 3 a.m. Thursday — and Milwaukee County is under a snow emergency.
More:Wisconsin live weather updates today: Radar, warnings and closures
As the snow ramps up, it's important to make sure you're prepared if you need to drive.
"If you absolutely have to venture out, be sure to have emergency supplies in your vehicle, and that your mobile phone is fully charged — it could become your lifeline if disaster should strike," the NWS said on its website.
There are certain things you should bring inside, but what items should you keep in your car in case of a winter emergency?
On top of making sure you have a full tank of gas, here's what the NWS recommends:
- Ice scraper, snow brush and shovel
- Cell phone charger
- First aid kit
- Jumper cables
- Water and non-perishable foods
- Flashlight
- Tire chains or snow tires
- Flares
- Extra warm clothes and winter accessories
- Blanket
- Tow rope
- Bag of sand or cat litter
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Tuesday, February 11, 2025
City of Racine declares snow emergency
RACINE — The City of Racine has declared a snow emergency beginning at noon Wednesday and ending at noon Thursday.
According to the National Weather Service, Racine County residents can expect 5-9 inches of snow near Lake Michigan between Wednesday and Thursday.
Racine Department of Public Works crews on Tuesday began applying brine to roadways, which forms a thin protective layer on pavement, preventing ice from bonding and making plowing more efficient, according to the city.
The city said DPW will deploy snow plows immediately once snowfall begins.
Plows will start with arterial roads and then move onto neighborhood streets, city-owned facilities and parking lots, and public sidewalks.
Since a snow emergency has been declared, parking is prohibited on arterial and collector streets. Vehicles parked on these roads during the snow emergency may be towed, according to the city.
Residents can assist snow removal efforts by following the city's alternate-side winter parking ordinance, in effect from Dec. 1 to April 1. The city said the Racine Police Department will actively enforce winter parking regulations, with increased attention during snow events.
DPW staff may be reassigned from garbage collection to snow removal efforts, the city said. Residents should still place bins at the curb by 7 a.m. on their scheduled collection day but be aware that pick up may be delayed.
Additionally, the city is asking residents to clear sidewalks within 24 hours of the snowfall stopping.
Ongoing dispute: Police union, City of Racine still at odds
Annie Pulley
RACINE — Racine’s police union has operated without a formal contract since 2021.
More than a dozen Racine Police Department officers who are members of the Racine Police Association attended the city’s Common Council meeting Feb. 4 to address just that.
“Racine’s officers have worked without a contract for five years, the longest of any group in the state,” said executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, Jim Palmer, who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting. “This persistent conflict harms recruitment, retention and morale during a critical time when police agencies suffer from a lack of qualified candidates.”
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Jim Palmer, the executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, addresses the ongoing contract dispute between the local police union and the City of Racine at the Feb. 4 Common Council meeting. |
The WPPA, based in Madison, is the parent organization of the Racine Police Association. It represents more than 11,000 active and retired members.
The linchpin in the dispute is whether the city has the legal ability to bargain with the RPA about healthcare benefits for, especially, retired police officers.
According to city administrator Jim Sullivan, who was hired in 2024, the city is eager to find a resolution that aligns with state law.
“I certainly hope to be able to guide the city and our PD and union through the process and get to a successful conclusion,” he said.
According to Sullivan, the city approved a tentative agreement with the RPA in spring 2023. This agreement is not an official contract, however.
From his perspective, the city continues to honor that agreement, which includes pay increases for police officers, who, on average earn about $100,000 a year, he said.
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| Sullivan |
Palmer recognized that the city has upheld most of its commitments and even provides retiree benefits via its employee manual.
“The employee handbook isn’t enforceable by anybody,” Palmer said. “The City of Racine can change that. That’s why we have collective bargaining laws. And so the contract actually matters, and what’s in the contract and what’s not actually matters.”
RPD Police Chief Alex Ramirez also weighed in via an emailed statement Feb. 7.
“The ongoing contract negotiations are a priority, and we are committed to resolving the dispute as quickly and fairly as possible,” he wrote. “We recognize that collective bargaining can be challenging, especially when there are differing interpretations between the parties. However, we understand that wages and benefits are critical to the morale of our officers and directly impact the retention of our dedicated personnel.”
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Racine Chief of Police Alex Ramirez addressed crowds at the National Night Out kickoff event at Lakeside Community Oriented Policing House in August 2024. |
History of dispute
The disagreement ignited in 2021 when the city asked the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission for a declaratory ruling about certain portions of the police union’s proposed contract.
The city reportedly wanted guidance about whether the contract violated state law, namely 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, which strictly limited the topics for which public safety employees in public sector unions could bargain.
Act 32, and its sister law of Act 10, were passed in 2011. Both laws and their subsequent statutory revisions severely limit the viability of public sector unions in Wisconsin.
Mayor Cory Mason, formerly a state legislator, opposed Act 10 in 2011.
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| Mason |
healthcare benefits were not legal topics for bargaining.
In page eight of the 2022 decision, the commission states that it has “long held that municipal employers have no duty to bargain over insurance benefits for employees who have already retired inasmuch as those individuals are no longer bargaining unit employees.”
The commission also said the city is not obligated to provide such healthcare coverage.
Page seven of the WERC’s decision states that “the Commission concludes that the City’s position is correct. This proposal is a prohibited subject of bargaining because it mandates the existence of a City health insurance plan.”
Soon after the WERC announced its decision, the RPA along with the WPPA, appealed the decision in the Dane County Circuit Court.
Racine’s International Association of Fire Fighters union, Local 321, also appealed the WERC’s decision.
On Oct. 30, 2023, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jacob Frost vacated the WERC’s ruling and denounced the commission’s conclusion that municipalities have no obligation to provide healthcare.
“Per WERC’s interpretation, only if a municipal employer chooses to offer a health plan must it collectively bargain with the public safety employees regarding how the employer and employees split responsibility for the premium owed on the plan,” Frost wrote. “This interpretation ignores rules of statutory construction and renders absurd results. I therefore reject it.”
Frost ordered the WERC to vacate its ruling and release another decision.
Just days before Frost’s ruling, the state Legislature amended a key statute by passing 2023 Wisconsin Act 34, which clarifies Acts 10 and 32.
The statute notes that the existence of municipal healthcare is a guarantee and that who is covered by that plan is not a prohibited topic of negotiation.
State senator and former RPD police officer Van Wanggaard represents the 21st Senate District in southeast Wisconsin.
One of the senator’s representatives shared a statement from Wanggaard at the Common Council meeting Feb. 4.
“I wrote the bill that eventually became 2023 Act 34,” Wanggaard’s statement read. “We clarified 2011 Acts 10 & 32, and 2013 Act 20 to state affirmatively that the existence of health care coverage, and who is covered by that health care plan is not considered ‘health care design’ for the purposes of the law, and is therefore negotiable for public safety employees. It passed the Legislature unanimously, and was signed into law by Governor Evers.
“There isn’t any gray area here,” the statement continued. “The law has been clear for 10-15 years. And the gray area that Mayor Mason pretended to see in those laws have been cleared up for 2 years.”
Ongoing disagreement
According to Palmer, whose organization represents about 300 local unions statewide, the city’s decision to ask for the initial WERC ruling contradicts historical practice.
Palmer said in an email that “The existence of retiree health insurance goes back more than 20 years in the contracts between the City and the RPA … it was specifically included in the four collective bargaining agreements following the passage of Act 32 in 2011.”
Sullivan couldn’t recall whether retiree benefits were included in contracts after 2011 but noted that the city attorney would be able to clarify.
The Journal Times has not yet received a response after a Feb. 7 request for clarification from Sullivan or the city attorney.
Palmer said Racine County, Franklin, Eau Claire, Lake Geneva, Hartford, Wauwatosa, Whitefish Bay and Kenosha are just a few examples of municipal employers who have bargained for retiree health insurance in Wisconsin.
“All of this kind of begs the question, is Racine the smartest city in the state in figuring something out that no other municipality has, or is it more likely that Racine is out in an island on this issue?” Palmer wrote in his email.
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Major points in the five-year contract dispute. |
Current landscape
According to Sullivan, the city has been waiting 15 months for the WERC to reissue a decision.
“We will absolutely abide by the terms of the WERC decision,” he said. “That does not mean that the city has the resources to be able to pay these kind of open-ended benefits.”
Sullivan said that the city offered a referendum in 2022 to increase funding and benefits for the RPD and its officers. However, it was rejected by voters.
If the WERC reverses itself and the city and RPA are still unable to reach an agreement, Sullivan said the goal would be to resolve the matter via mediation, and if that fails, through binding arbitration.
“We are trying to fund and maintain the best police force that we can within our means, recognizing the fact that there are very limited resources in the City of Racine and that we need to be able to maintain the streets and the water system and the parks,” Sullivan said.
Racine police respond
Kevin Kupper, an RPD investigator and the president of the RPA, said the department has about 183 members, 27 of whom are either in the academy or in field training.
RPD is authorized for 196 sworn officers, and in recent years has seen more than a dozen officers leave for other law enforcement agencies, including the Racine County Sheriff’s Office.
“It is essential that we retain the hardworking men and women who serve and protect this community and that they feel valued and supported,” Ramirez wrote. “Reaching a fair and equitable agreement on this contract is a vital step in ensuring that we can continue tosheri support our officers and maintain a strong commitment to the safety and well-being of our community.”
Act 10 overturned
Frost, the same Dane County judge who issued the opinion vacating the WERC’s ruling in 2023, also overturned major portions of Act 10 in December 2024.
He has since stayed his opinion, and the case likely will go to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
According to Palmer, the WPPA doesn’t believe that changes to Act 10 will affect their case because Act 10 is more relevant for general public employees, whereas Act 32 deals with public safety employees specifically.
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