WLIP K-Town Rewind 5/17/19

The Kenosha teen who allegedly shot and killed his ex-girlfriend made his first court appearance yesterday. 15 year old Martice Fuller is charged with 1st degree intentional homicide in the death of Kaylie Juga. According to the criminal complaint, Fuller reportedly illegally entered the Juga home in the 109-thousand block of 66th avenue around 3 PM last Thursday. Fuller is alleged to have gone up to Kaylie’s room and shot her multiple times. Upon hearing Kaylie scream and then the shots, Kaylie’s mother, Stephaine,confronted Fuller in the doorway of daughter’s room. Stephanie reportedly told Fuller “ you don’t have to do this.” Fuller responded “yes I do.” He then allegedly shot her as well. She survived with non-life threatening injuries. Fuller is also charged with 1st degree attempted homicide and armed burglary. He’s being held on one million dollars bond and is due back in court later month.

There were 23 opioid overdose calls in Kenosha in the three week period that ended May 9th. The Kenosha County Opioid Task Force reports that one of these cases was fatal. As reported earlier here on WLIP, 10 overdoses happened between April 25 through 28th and it’s thought that this trend is a continuation of that situation. The youngest person affected is 21 years old, the oldest is 64 with an average age of 38. 22 of the overdose cases were brought back through Narcan. So far, first responders have been called to 79 overdose cases, 40 of which involve opioids. Nine of that group had Narcan administered before emergency crews arrived. The Kenosha Fire Department has administered 41 doses so far in 2019. Kenosha County offers Narcan and training for free, paid for by grant money.

The Kenosha City Council will consider a plan Monday night which will drastically change the look of the city’s Uptown Neighborhood. The 22nd Avenue reconstruction project will sweep through the area between 60th and 64th street next summer and will leave the area looking very different. 17th district Alderman David Bogdala told WLIP’s Wake Up Kenosha that the biggest change will be the placement of the median down the middle of 22nd avenue. Changes will also be made to the Wilson Triangle, a small piece of land that connects 22nd to 63rd street and Roosevelt Road, which includes the removal of the 30 foot Evergreen Tree in that area. You can see the specs of the changes at our website, wlip dot com.

Over 150 people gathered outside the Kenosha Detention Center this week to protest the immigration arrest of a Racine student pastor. Carlos and Betty Rendon were arrested by Immigration and Customs officials earlier this month on an order from a decade ago. The Rendons and their daughter came to this country as refugees from Columbia after their lives were threatened by gangs for opposing their recruitment of young people from their neighborhood. Their daughter is protected by the Dream Act as so was detained but released. Betty Rendon is a student Lutheran pastor and served at the Emaus Evangelical Lutheran Church in Racine. She and her husband are being detained in Kenosha after a 2008 ruling by an immigration judge that they be removed from the country. It remains unclear if they will be deported.

The Racine County Board has approved eminent domain plans for the widening of Highway KR. Despite months of debate, the Racine Journal Times reports that the board passed the measure easily, on a 19-2 vote. The Kenosha County Board also passed the measure by a wide margin last month. The resolution, which also authorizes other measures for land acquisition, will now go to the state Department of Transportation for final approval. The DOT’s plan calls for widening the highway from two to four lanes between Highway H and Old Green Bay Road to accommodate the expected increase in traffic due to the nearby Foxconn development. The 59 million dollar project will add a 30-36 foot raised median, railroad overpasses, and wider shoulders. Some two dozen property owners are affected by the plan.

The Pleasant Prairie Plan Commission has approved plans for German candy maker Haribo to begin construction in the village. The gummy bear manufacturer will locate in the Highland Corporate Park on a 137 acre property. Of the multiple buildings planned for the site, the first phase will be a 602-thousand square foot manufacturing facility and an over 162-thousand square foot warehouse. The company plans to employ at least 450 people and produce more than 66-thousand tons of candy each year. Construction will begin in the spring of 2020.