Updated 10:15 p.m. 1-4-17
Kenosha---A proposal to regulate online-based home-sharing in Kenosha was defeated by the Kenosha City Council Wednesday night by a vote of 11-5. Backers said that requiring annual licenses and periodic usage reports would curb nuisance issues. Opponents said existing ordinances can do the job.
Racine---The K-Mart in Racine that's located off of Green Bay Rd. north of Regency Mall is closing. The store is on a list of dozens of K-Mart and Sears locations around the country that are going out of business. None of the other stores on the list are located within WGTD's primary listening area.
Kenosha--- Judge Bruce Schroeder is known for using sharp-tongued language during sentencing hearings. In a recent appeal filed on behalf of a domestic violence defendant, an attorney complained that Schroeder improperly accused his client of running a--quote--"serial harem"---when he actually impregnated two women at the same time 26 years ago. An appeals court this week, for one thing, found that the man's six-year sentence for attacking his girlfriend wasn't excessive, and that the 'harem' description wasn't out of line, saying it went to the defendant's character as he actually has eight children by four different women.
Racine---A former Racine police chief died unexpectedly this week. Richard Polzin suffered a heart attack on Tuesday. He was 74. Polzin is best known for bringing the community policing concept to Racine which involves in part basing neighborhood patrols out of substations that look like homes.
Kenosha---If elected sheriff's are the front men for their departments, then it's the chief deputy who serves as the organizational glue. Chuck Smith, the man who has kept the Kenosha County Sheriff's Dept. on track for the past 24 years, retired this week. At a retirement get-together in the courthouse Wednesday, Smith said law enforcement has gotten increasingly complex over the years, recalling that when he became a deputy some 42 years ago, the only training involved riding with a more experienced officer.
Racine---A woman is facing a pair of felonies for allegedly lying on a food stamp application and in periodic reviews. 42 year-old Tijuana Starks initially claimed that she was separated and lived alone with her two children, when in fact a husband was present for almost all of the time she was collecting benefits. What's more, the man was employed full-time at a local manufacturing firm. According to a criminal complaint, the fraudulent claims amounted to more than $26,000.
From the Associated Press, our partners at WRJN and the WGTD News staff.
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