July 22, 2026 11:30a
A proposal to allow members of Racine’s Johnson family to spend $10 million to rejuvenate and revamp the city-owned golf course in Wind Point sailed through the council Tuesday night on a vote that was unanimous. The deal gives the Leipold Johnson Golf Group a 50-year lease to manage the Shoop Golf Course on Lake Michigan after they build a new clubhouse, protect the shoreline from further erosion and create a ‘dunes-styled’ course. Some environmentalists opposed the move, saying the project could make the area less attractive to migratory birds that descend upon the area in great numbers during the fall and spring seasons. In addressing the council, Craig Leipold Johnson essentially urged the council and others to trust the family. "We're not developers," he said. "We're trying to do this because we are a generational family. We will always be in this city. This is our home." The Shoop project is still not a done deal. Approval from the Wind Point Plan Commission is needed, along with the state DNR and the Army Corps of Engineers.
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The Racine School Board tightened up its cell phone policy for students Monday night. The board voted 4-1 to essentially ban the student use of cell phones at the middle school level during the school day. Phones can still be taken to school but once students arrive phones must be turned off and stored in a locker. At the high school level, cell phones are allowed during passing times and at lunch but they can’t be used during instructional periods. Board member Scott Coey cast the only no vote, saying he opposed allowing cell phones to be used between classes in high schools. Board President Jane Barbian said she would’ve preferred a stronger anti-cell phone policy but "we cannot do everything at once." While agreeing that student cell phone use in school has become a major impediment for learning, board members differed on how to address the issue. The new policies will go into effect at the start of the school year.
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The City of Racine is getting complaints from water users about a change in the taste and odor of what’s coming out of their taps. The city put out a news release Tuesday saying it’s trying to address the problem on several fronts. For one thing, they emphasize that the water is perfectly safe to drink and that the problem is a seasonal one, possibly exacerbated by climate change, that involves certain algae and other naturally occurring organisms in the lake. The city is in the final stages of getting approval from the state DNR to implement a carbon treatment system. In the meantime, it’s stepped up the flushing of mains in areas where the complaints are concentrated. City officials are advising residents who are concerned to refrigerate their tap water before drinking and letting the water run briefly before filling a glass.
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