Shopko Pharmacies Close; Barca Officially Resigns; Hit & Run Charges Filed

Pharmacies located within the Shopko stores in both Racine and Kenosha have closed amid reports that the Green Bay-based retailer will declare bankruptcy next week. Voice messages at both pharmacies refer customers to local Pick 'n' Saves. A Shopko pharmaceutical drug supplier tells a newspaper that it hasn't been paid for millions of dollars' worth of drugs that it has supplied the retailer since early November. The Shopko pharmacy in Delavan remains open.

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State Rep. Peter Barca has officially resigned from the Legislature to join Gov. Evers' cabinet. The move clears the way for Evers to call a special election for the Kenosha Democrat's seat. No word on when that might happen. Barca will head the Department of Revenue.

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Bond for the 71 year-old Kenosha man charged with hit and run in connection with the death of a bicyclist on Sheridan Rd. in Mt. Pleasant Monday night was set at $50,000 cash Wednesday. According to the criminal complaint, debris at the scene enabled investigators to trace the model and approximate age of the offending vehicle, leaving just a small pool of registered vehicles in the area to check on. A detective who went to Johnny Taylor's business found a matching vehicle with damage that aligned with the crash, and also found Taylor in the process replacing damaged parts. The complaint also says a video camera mounted on a house near the crash site captured an image of the accident. It also showed the offending vehicle returning to the scene for a slow drive-by. Taylor claimed that a female acquaintance had been driving, but he couldn't provide the woman's last name. Taylor said he and the woman believed that they had hit something, but couldn't be sure. The victim, Teren Cagle, laid in the ditch for some 40 minutes before a passerby--an off-duty sheriff's deputy--noticed the body and debris and summoned help. Cagle died the following day.

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