1st District Candidates; New Policy Suggested in Wake of Tolefree Case

Dec. 10, 2019 10p

(WGTD)---An attorney specializing in issues of public interest announced her candidacy Tuesday for the Democratic nomination in the 1st Congressional District. Angela Cunningham grew up in Kenosha County, and has a law practice near the courthouse. Another attorney, 39-year-old Josh Pade of Kenosha, previously announced his candidacy. This isn’t the first campaign for Pade. In 2018, Pade was on the Democratic primary ballot for governor with Tony Evers. The winner of the Aug. 11th primary will face Republican Brian Steil who replaced Paul Ryan in the House.

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(WGTD)---A candidate for Kenosha School Board chided the board Tuesday night for not taking quick action in response to allegations that a former Bradford High School administrator had sex with a student in his office multiple times ten years ago. Kyle Flood was referencing the case against Curtiss Tolefree, and a criminal complaint indicating that Tolefree had covered up the lone pane of glass in his office.  Flood said there should be a policy in place that guards against staff meeting privately with a student with no visibility from the hallway.  Tolefree has been ordered to appear in court January 2nd on three counts of felony sexual assault of a student by staff, and two misdemeanor counts of exposing himself to the girl. Tolefree is on administrative leave from his job as principal of an elementary school in Zion. No other references to the Tolefree case were made at the school board meeting.

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(WGTD)---No clear motive is indicated in the criminal complaint that was filed Tuesday against a 57-year-old Kenosha man who’s facing a count of 1st Degree Intentional Homicide. Edward Pendleton reportedly went to an apartment in the early-morning hours of December 4th to buy cocaine. Five men were in the apartment at the time. Pendleton left with the victim, 42-year-old Marlon Allen. Seconds later, the remaining men heard gunshots, and found Allen dying in the hallway with multiple gunshot wounds. Arrested a few hours later, Pendleton reportedly admitted to being in the apartment, but said a masked man shot Allen. Authorities aren’t buying it.

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(WGTD)---A criminal complaint details the frantic efforts of a couple of Burlington police officers last month to prevent a child from falling four stories from an apartment window. Police were dispatched on a report of a woman screaming. They didn’t find the woman, but they came across a child in an apartment who was pushing on a window screen that was about to give way. Officers had to force their way into the apartment. The heavily-littered apartment included drug paraphernalia and the pungent smell of pot. Taylor Holbeck, the child’s mother, and a man found in the apartment, Desmen Pete, both 21, are now facing charges of child neglect and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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(WGTD)---Racine’s primary shelter for the homeless has a new executive director. Nina Thilleman, HALO’s current Finance Director, will take over for Gai Lorenzen, who is retiring. According to a news release, a slow transition is anticipated.

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(WGTD)---Congratulatory graduation cards will be mixed in with holiday greetings for several hundred UW-Parkside students. Nearly 400 graduates will receive their diplomas in a ceremony at the school this Saturday. The main speaker will be Susan Podlogar, a 1984 Parkside grad who currently is employed as chief human resources officer for MetLife.

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