WLIP K-Town Rewind 4/5/19
Kenosha Police are looking for a suspect that shot a 22 year old Wednesday night. The incident happened around 10 PM on 28th avenue near 40th street. According to police reports, the man was riding his bike in an alley when a suspect shot him from a stopped vehicle. Multiple shots were fired, two struck the man in his upper body. The wounds are thought to be non-life threatening. There is no description of the suspect reported.
Attorneys for a Milwaukee man accused of killing a Kenosha man were in court yesterday asking for more time before trial. 36 year old Jason Killips was found dead in his apartment in November last year. In early December 39 year old Daniel Vanderpool was arrested in connection with Killips death and charged with fatally stabbing him. According to police reports, Vanderpool allegedly stole Killips car and cell phone. Prosecutors allege that Vanderpool killed Killips in a frenzied rampage after spending Thanksgiving together with Killips’ family. Autopsy reports have not yet been filed and Vanderpool’s attorneys need more time to review evidence. A pretrial is set for early June.
The investigation into the arson at Dairyland Greyhound Park is complete. While investigators have not revealed exactly what they uncovered, they say it’s clear that the fire was set intentionally. Demolition continued on the decommissioned building Wednesday. Flames broke out around 8 PM Tuesday and crews worked late into the night to extinguish the blaze. Investigators believe that trespassers most likely started the fire as numerous accounts of people breaking into the site have been reported for many months if not years. About 100 firefighters responded to the scene. A new industrial park is set to be built on the site of the former dog track that closed in 2009.
Two property owners fighting the Highway S expansion have filed complaints in Kenosha County Circuit Court. The owners of Icky Ricky’s at the intersection of highways S and H say that the relocation option offered by Kenosha County is too far from their customer base. Richard and Roberta Weeks as well as Ron Rinaldi, who owns a property farther west, are asking the court to nullify the county’s relocation offers. They also dispute that the county can condemn their properties. 61 relocations are needed to widen highway S to four lanes between Green Bay Road and I-94. Construction is set to get underway next year.
Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Tip McGuire has won a three-person Democratic primary for an open Wisconsin Assembly seat in Kenosha and Racine counties. McGuire beat community organizer Gina Walkington and U.S. Air Force veteran and chauffeur Spencer Zimmerman in Tuesday’s primary. McGuire will face Republican Mark Stalker, a former Kenosha school board member in the April 30 general election. The winner will replace Peter Barca, who resigned after Gov. Tony Evers picked him to lead the state Revenue Department. The seat has been reliably Democratic for decades. Barca has held it since 2009.
Kenosha officials investigating a social media post that reportedly offered free drinks in exchange for voting. The post allegedly made by the Somers House also endorsed Somers candidates Kevin Matthewson and Peter Gochis. The post was spotted by Somers Town Chairman Mark Molinaro who made formal complaints to both the Wisconsin Election Commission and the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office. Gochis-whose family owns the Somers House, told the Kenosha News that he didn’t have any involvement in the posts and that they were removed. The post said that voters would receive a wristband at the establishment which could be redeemed for drinks. Matthewson and Gochis lost their respective races.
Kenosha Unified has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. The award is given to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify, Unified officials answered detailed questions about funding, class participation, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Responses were reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. It’s the fourth year in a row KUSD has been honored with the award.
The city of Kenosha has a new alderman on the Common Council. Bill Siel is a former photojournalist with the Kenosha News. He was chosen by a council vote from four candidates who applied to fill the vacant 2nd district seat. Siel told the council that he plans to build relationships in the community so he can effectively represent them. Siel received 11 votes for confirmation while former Alderperson Rhonda Jenkins got 4 votes.
The family of a man murdered in 1985 along with Kenosha County officials are trying to keep his killer in prison. Eric Nelson was convicted of killing Joseph Vite and has spent the past 30 plus years in prison. However Nelson was recently moved to a minimum security facility ahead of being paroled. Now Vite’s family has started an on-line petition to keep Nelson in prison. At a Monday press conference, Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser and Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced an effort to reach out to other officials who may be able to influence a decision by the Wisconsin Parole Board. If you want to learn more about the case or to sign the petition, we have links on this story at our website, wlip dot com.
The AP contributed to this report.
