3-year-old uninjured after being found hanging by hands on balcony
A Kenosha family had a scare Sunday after a stranger found a 3-year-old boy hanging by his hands from a second story balcony.
The boy was not hurt and the incident ended without arrest, but the boy’s father had a bit of explaining to do before police left their apartment in the the 2100 block of 89th Street.
The drama began unfolding about 12:50 p.m., when a 56-year-old man saw the boy dangling. He said the child looked like he was playing around and helped him down. But the man called police after he knocked on the family’s door for about five minutes and got no answer.
At one point, the child’s father showed up. But he left again before police arrived.
That was “stupid,” explained the 29-year-old father. He was afraid that police would “take” his children. So, rather than answer questions, he took his other son, age 7, to the park.
To put it another way, the report says, “he panicked.”
“It scared the s--- out of me to come home and see some guy taking care of my kid,” the father told police. “...I know I f----- up.”
The man’s series of missteps apparently began when he left his sons alone so he could run out to cash a check while his wife was at work. On his way back, the father stopped at a gas station to buy an energy drink.
He didn’t think he was gone that long. And, the man said, he had never done anything like that before.
His wife confirmed that and said she didn’t know anything about her husband leaving their children alone.
Police found nothing criminal and left the children with their parents.
Rockies edge Cubs 4-3
CHICAGO (AP) — Todd Helton hit two home runs and Colorado continued its torrid start by beating Chicago 4-3 at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night.
Jorge De La Rosa (4-0) allowed one earned run in seven innings and Huston Street gave up a solo homer to Alfonso Soriano leading off the ninth before closing out the Cubs for his ninth straight save to start the season.
At 16-7, the Rockies have the best 23-game start in team history.
Brewers beat Reds 3-2
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Rickie Weeks, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder all hit solo homers and Milwaukee beat Cincinnati for the first time this season.
Milwaukee had been 0-4 against the Reds this year and losers of 19 of 22 against them before Weeks homered off reliever Logan Ondrusek (2-2) to lead off the eighth.
Fielder hit his to begin the second to drive in his major league-leading 23rd run. Braun’s shot to start the fourth was his major league-leading ninth this season.
Kameron Loe (2-1) worked the eighth and John Axford threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save.
Proposed network of county bicycle routes taking shape
A proposed network of Kenosha County bicycle routes would stretch from the lakefront to Walworth and Racine counties.
The route map took shape during meetings last month, according to Don Moldenhauer, chairman of the Kenosha County Committee on Countywide Bicycle Facilities Planning and Development.
“This was to connect communities, and I think these routes do a pretty decent job. That’s what was said at the opening meeting: ‘To connect people and places throughout the county,’” Moldenhauer said.
“There is no county in the state of Wisconsin that has as much access to tourism bicycling traffic as Kenosha County by virtue of the North Shore Trail,” he said. “Sometimes people are just passing through. Sometimes they’re going downtown.”
Kreuser is banking on the plan attracting state and federal monies.
Laying it out
Moldenhauer and subcommittee members began meeting March 8, brainstorming and laying out on-road routes with an objective of creating two east-west bicycling corridors traversing the county — 80 miles of interconnected routes.
With guidance from the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the subcommittee selected routes with high safety ratings based on traffic volume and other factors.
It does not include existing or proposed off-road bicycle paths or trails, but Moldenauer wants to see them, as well as other municipal on-road routes, show up on the map as the larger Bicycle Facilities Planning and Development Committee forges ahead.
Formed in February 2010, the committee includes elected officials from each of the county’s 13 municipalities, plus non-voting citizen members. The committee is working to create a long-term plan for municipalities and the County Board to adopt.
Moldenhauer said subcommittee members, all experienced bicyclists, individually ranked best route options and overlayed the selected routes on a county map.
Pedaling to explore
Members also studied possible route signs, kiosk-type markers, means for dispensing literature that directs users to local shops, restaurants, museums, parks and other points of interest connected by the network.
He wants to encourage people’s curiosity, entice them to explore by pedaling to different areas farther afield from their familiar surroundings.
And he wants to raise drivers’ awareness, alert them to bicyclists sharing the roads and having the right to do so.
“It’s the beginning. I see the seeds of collaboration with the county and the city. Hopefully, Pleasant Prairie will be part of this. The county wants people to know what’s in the western part of the county, not just downtown.
“It’s trans-county as opposed to transcontinental, like the railroad. We have a trans-county bike system,” Moldenhauer said.
Route priorities
A Kenosha County subcommittee on bicycle route planning recently mapped out a proposed on-road network according to two priorities:
— Provide at least two east-west corridors comprising safe and convenient links for bicyclists wanting to pedal their ways to and from the farthest areas east and west of I-94.
— Post signs on a network of bicycle routes linking primary population centers as well as recreation sites, parks, schools and employment areas. Signs must be highly visible, clearly delineate the network, direct users to specific destinations and provide distance and time information to those destinations.
Benefits of bicycling
According to “Valuing Bicycling’s Economic and Health Impacts in Wisconsin,” a University of Wisconsin report published in January, bicycle recreation supports more than $924 million in economic activity in Wisconsin.
The report also shows:
— Bicyclists riding Wisconsin roads and trails spend an estimated $533 million annually on food, drink, entertainment and other expenses related to cycling.
— Bicyclists from other states supply $535 million yearly in indirect revenue to Wisconsin businesses.
— Bicycling manufacturers, distributors and retailers in Wisconsin account for $594 million in economic benefit to the state.
— The equivalent of an estimated 13,193 full-time jobs are related to bicycling in Wisconsin.
— Increasing nonresident bicycling by 20 percent can potentially boost economic activity by more than $107 million and create 1,528 full-time equivalent jobs.
— Increasing resident and nonresident bicycling by 20 percent could create $184 million in new economic activity and generate 2,638 additional jobs.
— More than 49 percent of Wisconsin residents engage in recreational bicycling.
— Wisconsins’s extensive network of bicycle trails and scenic country roads led to a No. 2 national ranking in 2009 by the League of American Bicyclists.
— County construction of bicycle paths was authorized by the Legislature in 1901, with bike lanes on roads since at least the early 1940s.
— From 1993 to 2008, Wisconsin invested nearly $40 million of state and local funds in bicycle projects, with an additional $156 million contributed by the federal government.
— The state’s bicycling-related infrastructure has improved safety and convenience for residents and attracted nonresident bicycle tourists.
Source: “Valuing Bicycling’s Economic and Health Impacts in Wisconsin,” http://sage.wisc.edu/IGERT/download/bicycling_Final_Report.pdf
Egyptians turn anger toward state security agency
CAIRO (AP) — Three weeks after President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster, Egyptians are turning their anger toward his internal security apparatus, storming the agency’s main headquarters and other offices Saturday and seizing documents to keep them from being destroyed to hide evidence of human rights abuses.
Thursday’s high school basketball scores
Boys
Central 47, Elkhorn 46
Waterford 57, Wilmot 50
Reuther 70, Maranatha Baptist 42
Girls
Shoreland 46, Heritage Christian 37
Maranatha Baptist 31, Reuther 25
Girl Scouts tackle bullying
SOMERS — Relational aggression.
Not exactly the phrase you’ll hear on the playground when children try to describe how they’ve been harassed, demeaned, indeed, bullied by others.
Often, adults fail to recognize the signs. But in recent months as a growing number of incidents has been reported, some even leading to student deaths nationwide, local Girl Scout officials and troop leaders have sought to take a preventative stance – one that aims to teach young girls positive role modeling and steps to empower and protect others when they suspect a bully in the house.
At a training session recently at the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast’s Trefoil Oak Program Center, 16 troop leaders gathered to learn just that.
Understanding signs
Trainers Amanda Tiffany and Mary Casey, along with Girl Scouts’ Sarah Fuerstenau, senior vice president for strategy and innovation, wanted to help the women understand the signs and what to do when they see it within their own troops.
Fuerstenau said while not all of the troop leaders attending have seen such behaviors within their groups, many wanted to know how to “nip bullying in the bud” as they realize its pervasiveness in school as well as other social settings.
According to the National Education Association, 160,000 children miss school each year due to bullying. Many experts, however, believe there are far more who are absent and don’t report their reasons for fear of retaliation.
Tiffany, who facilitated the Nov. 4 training, one of two this month, said many times it isn’t that adults don’t want to intervene. It’s that they don’t know what the signs are.
The curriculum “When Words Hurt” is designed for girls in grades K-3. Designed by the scout organization, in consultation with the Ophelia Project, a nonprofit in Racine that promotes anti-bullying measures, Tiffany said leaders can use the curriculum to empower themselves.
“What we want to do is encourage and empower you to know what is acceptable (behavior) and what is not,” she said.
Blowing the whistle
In determining whether a situation warrants intervention, Tiffany said troop leaders should know several identifying behaviors of bullying:
— They are harmful or hurtful, whether emotionally, mentally or physically.
— There is a power imbalance, whether perceived or real by a person. The imbalance can be based on a number of things from, age, size and gender to race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
— They are behaviors that are repeated and intentional.
Moreover, Tiffany said, bullying thrives on secrecy and the power that is exerted by the aggressor can be exacerbated when no one knows and no one tells. She said although bullying takes many forms – whether overtly physical behaviors to the more high-tech aggressions played out on social networking sites and on the Internet – even young girls can pick up on behaviors that can lead to hurtful situations.
“Here we talk about prevention because it is about prevention at this age,” she said.
Exercising the positive
In a situation where bullying is playing out, instructors said each person involved often has a role. The target is the person who is bullied. The aggressor is the bully who is hurting someone intentionally. Sometimes the bully has assistants, as in people who hang out with or egg on the bully and those can include bystanders. Most of the time, bystanders try not to be involved.
Tiffany said leaders should be asking their troop members whether they know what bullying is. Fuerstenau said the word itself might not be something really young children know, but they know about how it feels.
“If you mean to be mean..knowing how to push another person’s buttons…then, you start seeing the symptoms of bullying,” she said.
So, why don’t bullies just stop?
“Many times, it’s because no one has ever told them that they are hurting someone,” Fuerstenau added.
Pleasant Prairie woman hurt in crash
An intersection collision sent one person to the hospital on Monday.
Carol A. Andrea, 71, Pleasant Prairie, was treated for chest pain after the 8:39 a.m. crash, said Kenosha Police reports.
For more details, check this website later today and read Wednesday’s Kenosha News.
Pedestrian dies in Monday accident
A Somers woman died in a traffic accident Monday night.
Denia Harris, 50, was crossing Sheridan Road about 7:14 p.m. when she was struck by a car, said Kenosha Sheriff’s Department reports.
For more details, read Wednesday's Kenosha News.
U.S. economy grew at 2.5 percent pace last summer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew at 2.5 percent pace last summer, aided by stronger consumer spending and exports.
For more on this story, see national news at www.KenoshaNews.com or see Wednesday’s Kenosha News.
Victims stabbed, punched in fights
One man was stabbed and another man’s lip was split in separate but related fights on Sunday.
Both received stitches for their wounds and were ticketed for underage drinking.
For more details, read Wednesday’s Kenosha News.
Airport security chief warns against boycott
ATLANTA (AP) — The nation’s airport security chief pleaded with Thanksgiving travelers for understanding and urged them not to boycott full-body scans on Wednesday, lest their protest snarl what is already one of the busiest, most stressful flying days of the year.
For more information, see tomorrow’s Kenosha News.
Pedestrian struck by car
SOMERS—One person was injured in a car versus pedestrian crash on Sheridan Road at Highway A at about 7:25 p.m. Monday night. The Somers Fire Department responded to the scene and took the person to an area hospital. The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department is still investigating the crash.
Revised plan resurrects County Board health insurance
Health insurance benefits are back on the table for members of the Kenosha County Board.
The board’s Administration Committee voted 3-2 tonight in favor of a proposed compensation plan that would see supervisors retain their health benefits with an increased premium contribution, while receiving a $500-a-year salary increase.
The committee endorsed last month endorsed a package that would have eliminated insurance benefits and provided supervisors with a $3,000-a-year raise.
For more information, check later at www.kenoshanews.com or see tomorrow's Kenosha News.
FBI raids three hedge funds
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation has raided three hedge funds in what one of the targets is calling a wide-ranging probe of insider trading in the financial industry.
For more information, see tomorrow’s Kenosha News.
Tornado hits homes near Fontana
MADISON (AP) — Authorities say an apparent tornado has damaged some homes near the village of Fontana.
Walworth County Undersheriff Kurt Picknell says his agency is still assessing the damage. No one has reported any injuries or fatalities.
He says a deputy saw what appears to be a tornado. State Emergency Management spokeswoman Lori Getter says a couple homes were damaged in the area, but she had no further details.
3,100 without power, including 130 in Kenosha County
About 3,100 We Energies customers across southeastern Wisconsin were without power after the storms struck.
Utility spokesman Barry McNulty said the outages were concentrated heavily around Union Grove, Dover and Yorkville in Racine County. In Kenosha County, McNulty said about 130 customers were experiencing outages as of 5:30 p.m., including 67 in Brighton and 60 in Paris.
Power out, damage in Union Grove
Damage from a tornado has been reported in Union Grove, near the Racine County Fairgrounds.
Damage was reported at Grove Gear, 1524 15th Ave., where 50,000 square feet of the plant’s roof was ripped off. About 50 people were working, but they were in shelter when the storm hit, and there were no injuries.
There are trees and power lines down, and the power is out in that area of the village.
Tornado warning off, watch in effect until 6
A tornado warning for Kenosha and Racine counties was called off shortly before 4:30 this afternoon.
A tornado watch remains in effect until 6 p.m.
Significant damage reported in Union Grove
Heavy damage was reported just north of KR by Interstate 94. Kenosha County is currently assisting Racine County. The Interstate is shut down in Racine County. Significant damage has been reported in Union Grove.
Tornado spotted in Union Grove
A confirmed tornado has been seen in Union Grove. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for northern Kenosha and Racine counties. Residents are being asked to shelter.
Storm tracking toward Racine
A storm deemed capable of producing a tornado was located near Union Grove shortly after 4 p.m., moving northeast at 45 mph.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm is expected to be near Sturtevant at 4:10 p.m. and downtown Racine about 4:20 p.m.
A tornado warning for northern Kenosha County remains in effect until 4:30 p.m.
Tornado warning issued for Kenosha County
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for northern Kenosha and Racine counties until 4:30 p.m.
Tornado watch issued
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch until 6 p.m. tonight for Kenosha, Dodge, Jefferson, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Dane and Rock counties.
For more informationsee KenoshaNews.com or Tuesday’s Kenosha News for more on this story.
Officers stop three in fight
Two males were ticketed and one woman arrested for fights on Friday.
Desiree C. Thomas, 27, was arrested for disorderly conduct, while Javareon J. Thomas, 24, and a 14-year-old male were cited for fighting in public.
For more details, read Tuesday’s Kenosha News.
Tornado watch issued for county
A tornado watch has been issued for Kenosha County until 6 p.m. Monday. Check kenoshnews.com/weather for information as it becomes available.
Weather turns colder, snow possible for holiday
Enjoy the temperatures in the 60s today because it’s not going to last.
Rain showers and scattered thunderstorms are expected this afternoon with rainfall totals expected to be 0.30 to 0.50 inch. Temperatures tumble tonight with lows in the mid 20s.
Highs Tuesday will only be in the mid 30s, rebounding to about 40 on Wednesday. Rain is expected on Wednesday night. For Thanksgiving Day, there is a 30 percent chance of snow with a high in the upper 30s and slowly falling temperatures.
Vikings fire coach Childress
The Minnesota Vikings fired head coach Brad Childress today after the team was soundly defeated by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
According to WCCO in the Twin Cities, defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will be interim head coach for the rest of the season.
See KenoshaNews.com or Tuesday’s Kenosha News for more on this story.
Zoo interchange to reopen
State transportation officials expect the Blue Mound Road bridge on U.S. 45 will reopen by mid-morning.
The bridge was closed at 6 a.m. today after someone saw concrete fall onto the roadway. Bridge inspectors have determined that it is safe to reopen the bridge.
Gasoline prices in state decline
Average retail gasoline prices in Wisconsin have fallen 5.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.88 a gallon.
This compares with the national average, which has fallen 1.3 cents in the last week to $2.87 a gallonaccording to gasoline price website WisconsinGasPrices.com.
The average price for gasoline in Kenosha is $2.84 a gallon.
U.S. 45 bridge closed after concrete falls
The Blue Mound Road bridge on U.S. 45 is closed this morning after a piece of concrete fell from the bridge, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The concrete fell about 6 a.m. and no one was injured, according to the Milwaukee County Sherriff's Department. The ramp from eastbound I-94 to northbound U.S. 45 in the Zoo Interchange is closed while grews clean up the area and the bridge is inspected.
TSA head pleads against body scan boycott
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration's top transportation security official today urged passengers angry over safety procedures not to boycott airport body scans.
For more on this story, got to national news at www.KenoshaNews.com.
UWP women’s basketball team improves to 3-0
The UW-Parkside women’s basketball team improved to 3-0 with a 77-60 win over Wayne (Mich.) State Sunday at the DeSimone Gymnasium.
For more details, see kenoshanews.com or pick up Monday’s Kenosha News.
Rodgers, Packers romp past Favre, Vikings 31-3
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Aaron Rodgers threw for 301 yards with three of his four touchdown passes to Greg Jennings, besting Brett Favre and Minnesota for the second time this season and sending the Green Bay Packers to a 31-3 victory over the skidding Vikings on Sunday.
The Packers (7-3) kept pace in the NFC North race with the Chicago Bears (7-3) and ruined any realistic hope the Vikings (3-7) had left to give Favre another shot at a playoff run in his 20th NFL season.
Jimmie Johnson wins fifth NASCAR championship
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson has won his record fifth consecutive NASCAR championship by making the fewest mistakes in the season finale. Johnson trailed Denny Hamlin by 15 points at the start of Sunday’s race. But he had the cleanest race of the three championship contenders and maintained his reign atop NASCAR.
For more information, check later at www.kenoshanews.com or see tomorrow's Kenosha News.
Westbrook leads Thunder past Bucks
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Russell Westbrook sank two free throws with 7.3 seconds left to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to an 82-81 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.
For more information, check later at www.kenoshanews.com or see tomorrow’s Kenosha News.
UNLV defeats Wisconsin in basketball
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Chace Stanback scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half to lead UNLV to a 68-65 victory over Wisconsin on Saturday. Jordan Taylor led the Badgers (2-1) with 19 points.
For more information, see tomorrow’s Kenosha News.
Fire damages Paddock Lake home
A family of three was displaced Saturday after fire damaged their rented home in Paddock Lake.
For more information, check later at www.kenoshanews.com or see tomorrow's Kenosha News.
Parkside men’s basketball team gets first win
The UW-Parkside men’s basketball team notched its first victory of the season with a 79-75 triumph over Northwood University on Saturday at Saginaw Valley State in University Center, Mich.
The Rangers improved to 1-2 overall.
Carthage men’s basketball falls in Classic
The Carthage men’s basketball team lost to 18th-ranked John Carroll (Ohio), 70-69, in the Carthage Classic championship Saturday at Tarble Arena.
The fifth-ranked Red Men (2-1) opened the tournament with a 108-92 victory over Bethany Lutheran (Minn.) in Friday’s semifinal.
Mom encourages arrest of son
The mother of a Kenosha teen who allegedly punched, injured and stole a wallet from an 18-year-old man on Thursday urged the victim to file a complaint against her son.
The man did, and the teen was arrested at his home for strong-arm robbery.
For more details, read the Sunday Kenosha News.
Salem accident injures one
An intersection crash in Salem on Thursday sent one person to the hospital.
Shawna L. Pennock, Salem, was hurt in the 4:34 p.m. incident, said Kenosha Sheriff's Department reports.
For more details, read Sunday’s Kenosha News.
Rollover accident reported on Hwy. 50
Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue were called at 2:17 p.m. to the 11700 block of 75th Street, or Highway 50, for a two-car traffic accident in which one vehicle rolled over.
At least one person was injured. Extrication equipment was requested.
For more details, monitor this web site and read Sunday’s Kenosha News.
Regulators close First Banking Center
First Banking Center, Based in Burlington, Wis., was taken over Friday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and will reopen on Saturday as part of First Michigan Bank.
Branches of First Banking Center include one in Bradford Plaza, 3825 39th Avenue, and at 8700 75th St., both in Kenosha.
For more information, check later at www.kenoshanews.com or see Saturday’s Kenosha News.
Schobert, Waukesha West run over SPASH in D1
MADISON (AP) — Joe Schobert ran for 296 yards to break the WIAA championship record to lead Waukesha West over Stevens Point 45-20 on Friday in the Division 1 title game.
The junior eclipsed the record established by John Clay in 2005. Clay, now a standout at the University of Wisconsin, rushed for 259 yards on 19 carries for Racine Park.
Schobert had two rushing touchdowns on 38 carries and one receiving touchdown to lead Waukesha West (13-1) to its first Division 1 title.
The Wolverines had 486 total yards, including 369 yards on the ground. Quarterback Brandon Berghoefer added two rushing touchdowns.
Waukesha West eliminated Bradford 30-15 in a state semifinal on Saturday.
Blast fears delay search for missing miners
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Search efforts for 29 workers missing after a powerful blast tore through a coal mine in New Zealand were stalled Saturday over fears that a buildup of dangerous gas could trigger a second underground explosion.
For more information, see tomorrow’s Kenosha News.
Pilots to be exempt from some security checks
DALLAS (AP) — Amid a growing protest against stepped-up and intrusive screening of airline passengers, the government has cut a break for one very influential group of travelers — the pilots.
The Transportation Security Administration agreed today to let uniformed airline pilots skip the body scans and aggressive pat-downs at the heart of a national uproar. The pilots must pass through a metal detector at airport checkpoints and present photo IDs that prove their identity.
For more information, see tomorrow’s Kenosha News.
School Board to consider language pilot program
A pilot program intended to help students learn English through exposure of core subjects in traditional classroom settings with the support of teachers with specialized training in language acquisition will go before the Kenosha Unified School Board on Tuesday.
The program which is being implemented as a pilot for the 2010- 2011 school year, aims to meet a need for a growing number of students who speak languages other than English and who attend schools throughout the district.
Seizure causes accident
A driver apparently had a seizure, causing him to speed up and strike a vehicle in front of him on Thursday.
The driver, Nathan A. Debruin, 24 Kenosha, was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries after the 2:34 p.m. accident.
For more details, read Saturday’s Kenosha News.
Parkside loses in NCAA women’s soccer playoffs
The UW-Parkside women’s soccer team lost 3-0 today to Grand Valley State in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional.
For more, check back later at www.KenoshaNews.com or see Saturday’s Kenosha News.
