Foxconn Responds; Vandervere's New Charges; Bradford Stabber Trial Delay

Foxconn has responded cautiously to Gov. Evers' call for a possible renegotiation of its contract with the state. In a statement, Foxconn said it's "open to further consultation, collaboration, and new ideas." While saying that the company remains committed to "long term" job creation in Wisconsin, Foxconn did not repeat its oft-mentioned 13,000 jobs number. Evers told reporters this week that he doesn't think the projection is realistic, given the company change in products to be manufactured at its Mt. Pleasant campus. 

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Kenosha---The number of counts that an Illinois man is facing for killing three members of the same family in a crash on Highway 50 earlier this month has been increased to reflect the allegation that his blood-alcohol content at the time of the accident was nearly four times the legal limit. Of the 14 charges that  are now lodged against 40 year old Timothy Vandervere, three are "Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle." In court Thursday following a preliminary hearing, Vandervere pleaded not guilty. A pre-trial conference in the case has been scheduled for the end of June.

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Kenosha---The nearly two-year-old case against a former Bradford High School student who fatally stabbed another has been delayed again. The prosecution was given extra time to review the recently-filed findings of a self-defense expert that Timothy Carson's attorneys hope to use during the trial. Carson fatally stabbed Dezjon Taylor after Taylor punched him in the face. The use-of-force expert said in a report that he believes Carson acted "reflexively" because he thought his life was in danger. The new trial date is Aug. 26th.  

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New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that there have been only slight increases in population over the last eight years in Racine, Kenosha and Walworth counties. Kenosha County saw an 1.7% increase while the population of Racine County increased .6%. The estimate for Walworth County increased by 1.5%. The number of people living in poverty increased substantially in all three counties: 11.4% in Kenosha County, 10.9% in Racine County and 10.6% in Walworth County. Overall, Wisconsin gained about 21,500 residents between 2017 and 2018 to remain the 20th most populous state. 

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