Western Kenosha County's news source
The Canadian National Railway tracks near Highway JF in Trevor were getting some work Tuesday.
West Jacobs shared theses images he took of the work, which appeared to be replacement of rails.
The crossing was closed Tuesday. We don’t know if the work was completed, but you might want to have an alternate route ready just in case.
This post sponsored by Westosha Floral.
The following deaths of local residents and those with local connections are being reported by funeral homes today. Click on name to see obituary/service information:
Continue reading →
Note: Westosha Sports Complex is a westofthei.com sponsor. This is a paid announcement. — DH
Weather or season never gets in the way of your golf game at Westosha Sports Complex in Silver Lake.
Westosha Sports Complex is a professional training facility where players up their game, practice their swings, and just have fun.
Westosha Sports Complex features Full Swing, the worldwide leader in cutting edge indoor golf simulation technology. Full Swing simulators are in the homes of top Tour Pros including Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington, and many more. Its patented dual tracking technology delivers superior ball tracking data and makes Full Swing the only simulator that actually measures ball flight indoors. With over 30 years of experience, Full Swing provides the most accurate and realistic golf experience you can find. There are 15 different courses you can play.
Refreshments, including beer, are available for purchase.
If your game is baseball or softball, stop in for Westosha Sports Complex’s HitTrax baseball/softball hitting simulator.
HitTrax is not your average batting cage. Its patented technology measures real-time data and displays live results for immediate feedback. Analyze key performance metrics to identify tendencies before stepping onto the field.
With HitTrax, players are further engaged, in-depth performance reports are generated. Whether it’s hitting leagues, tournaments or home run derby’s, HitTrax brings the excitement of the outdoor game into this facility.
Click here for full pricing details.
Westosha Sports Complex is located at 1215 N. Pryor St, Silver Lake.
Voters in the Salem School District will be able to vote on an operational referendum in the spring election on April 1.
We sent a questionnaire to district officials. Following are the responses from:
Voters in Randall will be able to vote in a contested election for supervisor #3 in the spring election.
On the April 1 ballot will be:
The same questionnaire was submitted by westofthei.com to each candidate by email.
Here is their biographical information followed by their question responses, presented in alphabetical order:
Continue reading →Note: The following is a paid announcement from James Woodke for Salem Lakes Village Board Trustee Committee
PAID for by the James Woodke for Salem Lakes Village Board Trustee Committee.
Longtime Twin Lakes village Trustee Sharon Bower was recognized for her service to the village at last week’s Village Board meeting.
Village President Howard Skinnner read a proclamation and presented Bower with a plaque.
Bower, first elected in 2005, resigned in January.
Here is the text of the proclamation:
VILLAGE OF TWIN LAKES PROCLAMATION
A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING TRUSTEE TO SHARON BOWER FOR DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE VILLAGE OF TWIN LAKES
WHEREAS, the Village has benefited from the service of long-standing Trustee Sharon Bower; and
WHEREAS, Sharon Bower was elected in April 2005 as Village Trustee, and has been a Trustee ever since; and
WHEREAS, during her twenty-year tenure, Sharon was on a variety of board committees including Administration and Finance where she oversaw countless projects for the Village.
WHEREAS, the Village of Twin Lakes wishes to honor Sharon Bower for her distinguished service to the citizens, friends and families of the Twin Lakes community.
WHEREAS, the residents of this community can all be proud to have such dedicated persons among us who are willing to devote so much of themselves to the betterment of our community.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS PROCLAIMED, the Village President and Village Board of Trustees do hereby publicly acknowledge and thank Sharon Bower for her commitment and service to the Village of Twin Lakes.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and cause the Seal of the Village of
Twin Lakes to be affixed on this 17 th day of March, 2025.Howard K. Skinner, Village President
Voters in Twin Lakes can vote in a contested election for village trustee in this year’s spring non-partisan election.
On the ballot will be:
Infusino was appointed to fill the vacancy of Sharon Bower, who resigned from the board in January. She was already not running for re-election.
The candidates with the top three vote totals will fill the three available seats. Voters will be able to vote for three candidates.
The same questionnaire was submitted by westofthei.com to each candidate by email.
Here is their biographical information followed by their question responses, presented in alphabetical order:
Continue reading →
Note: Glenda and Butch Dupons, of Bear Realty, are westofthei.com sponsors. This is a paid announcement — DH
Here are open houses being hosted today by Glenda and Butch Dupons, of Bear Realty:
Kara Winch, a marketing major from Twin Lakes, was one of 31 students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater who were individually recognized as the university took home the Wisconsin Collegiate DECA Chapter of the Year award for the third straight time.
Winch earned the following honors at the competition: First place, sports marketing.
As a chapter, UW-Whitewater also claimed the Community Service Award and earned the Chapter Passport, highlighting the organization’s commitment to leadership, professional development, and community engagement. Chapter president Bella Biever, a communication major from Stewartville, Minnesota, was selected as the Student of the Year.
Frank Lanko, faculty advisor for the UWW chapter stated, “The DECA students who signed up for competition this year have actually been working toward their competitive events the entire academic year. Our prepared event teams started working on their projects in the fall and continued through winter break in order to have a finished product in time for the state competition. These teams, along with all of our other competitors in individual and team case study events, went through a lot of practice sessions – rehearsing their presentations with our board members and myself and participating in a ‘dress rehearsal’ prep day that we hosted in early February where everyone presented their events in front of alumni and employer judges to receive practice, coaching, and feedback.”
He continued, “As we look forward to the International Career Development Conference in San Francisco in early April, the students are continuing their competition preparation – revising their written projects based on judges’ feedback from the state conference and reviewing additional sample case studies as well.”
“All of these events give our students an opportunity to take what they are learning in their classes and apply the knowledge to real-world case studies and competitive events (designing advertising campaigns, new business proposals, writing detailed financial statement analysis, and competing in case studies that pull from knowledge gained throughout their academic careers),” said Frank Lanko.
UW-Whitewater’s DECA chapter, the largest in Wisconsin, is housed in the university’s College of Business and Economics, the state’s largest business school.
To learn more about UW-Whitewater’s DECA chapter, visit uwwdeca.com.
Note: Glenda and Butch Dupons, of Bear Realty, are westofthei.com sponsors. This is a paid announcement — DH
Here are open houses being hosted today by Glenda and Butch Dupons, of Bear Realty:
Are you a Salem Lakes resident with ideas and opinions about local economic development?
If yes, the village government would like to hear from you.
From a recent announcemt by the village:
The Economic Development Committee was created to assist the Village in retaining and recruiting local businesses, residential housing developments, and other similar investment opportunities. The committee will assist with recruiting businesses to enhance local employment opportunities, identify grants to help support or expand local programs and business districts, and review the Villages policies, procedures, and ordinances to support a healthy and diversified economy and community. The committees’ work should support businesses and developers with a positive atmosphere to locate, innovate, grow and prosper within the community.
The committee has developed a community questionnaire. You can fill out the questionnaire by clicking here.
New Salem Lakes Economic Development Committee meeting to gather public opinion before setting goals
Note: The following is a paid announcement from the village of Paddock Lake — DH
From the Kenosha County Executive’s Office:
A new report offers the findings of a research project that Kenosha County commissioned as part of ongoing efforts to combat opioid misuse, addiction and overdoses in the community.
The county’s Division of Behavioral Health Services, on behalf of the Opioid Settlement Advisory Panel that County Executive Samantha Kerkman formed in 2022, engaged with Kane Communications Group to conduct the research.
This comes as the county is receiving settlement funds from pharmaceutical companies as part of national, class-action litigation against several producers of prescription opioids. To date, Kenosha County has received approximately $4.5 million, with additional, unconfirmed amounts to be paid over the next 15 or more years.
“With these funds continuing to flow into our county, we set out to identify the most impactful opportunities to use these resources to build a comprehensive approach to combat the opioid crisis in our county,” Kerkman said. “It was very important for us to get the community’s feedback to inform the county as we make these critical decisions.”
The research project included two primary objectives:— To explore the effectiveness of services and resources throughout Kenosha County in relation to opioid prevention and treatment.
— To identify areas for improvement in the effectiveness of those services.
The researchers identified housing — particularly recovery housing — as the top area of need, while also hearing strong feedback about transportation and job assistance.
This was followed closely by support in navigating services and recovery, particularly peer support specialists and navigators.
Improved education, awareness and communication were also noted as top priorities.
Members of the Opioid Settlement Advisory Panel said they are pleased with the research project’s results.
“I appreciate the work of Kane Communications and the participation from the community,” said County Board Supervisor Guida Brown. “While I’m not terribly surprised by the findings, this research helps confirm where we should be focusing our efforts. I look forward to working on these priorities in the months and years to come.”
Pleasant Prairie Police Chief David Smetana said the feedback outlined in the report confirmed some of the input he and others in the law enforcement community had already received.
“The information gathered in the report more or less corroborated what my thoughts were on this issue,” Smetana said. “Now the important part is that it gives us a jumping off point to target the settlement funding toward efforts that can be vetted and have data behind them to best help people experiencing substance use disorder in Kenosha County.”
Regarding housing, transportation and job assistance, the report noted that respondents across the community reported concerns with accessible, affordable, safe housing, particularly for people in recovery. Of particular concern were individuals early in their recovery journey or released recently from incarceration.
The report recommends expansion of recovery housing, which could pull many community and peer supports into one location.
As the demand for certified peer specialists in the area far exceeds the current supply, the report recommends a local investment in navigators — individuals who would be available to meet with people regularly to discuss their treatment goals, whether their basic needs are being met, and identify how they can help streamline the processes that surround recovery.
“Navigation support could be strengthened with centralized coordination of services by the county to ensure a “no wrong door” ethos to accessing support,” the report states, adding that offering a centralized point of entry to services staffed by informed navigators would elevate the role and effectiveness of the navigators.
Additionally, the report makes recommendations on strengthening supports for families of people affected by opioid use and the use of co-responders for law enforcement — specially trained staff that would be deployed along with officers called to intervene in crises related to opioid misuse.
The survey that generated the findings was focused on the treatment-and-recovery community, but was also available on the county website for all to see and complete.
Kenosha County Division of Behavioral Health Services Director Kari Foss said the research report will be a valuable resource going forward.
“Now the work will turn to how we can move the needle to address these specific concerns that the community has shared,” Foss said. “I’m thankful to everyone who weighed in in the survey, and to the Opioid Settlement Advisory Panel for its support of this process.”
The full research report is available on the Kenosha County website here.
Voters in the Silver Lake-Salem Jt. 1 School District (Riverview School) will be able to vote on a capital referendum in the spring election on April 1.
We sent a questionnaire regarding the referendum to district administrator Kimberly Taylor. Here are her responses:
Continue reading →Wilmot Union High School District officials took local media on a tour of the building last month to explain the need for the $22.9 million capital referendum that is on the April 1 election ballot.
Leading the tour were: District administrator Michael Plourde, principal Rob Kreil, director of building and grounds Daniel Nelson and School Board President Wayne Trongeau.
Here is video of the tour:
Information about the referendum is also available here, at the district’s website.
This post sponsored by Westosha Floral.
The following deaths of local residents and those with local connections are being reported by funeral homes today. Click on name to see obituary/service information:
Continue reading →Voters in the Wilmot Union High School District will be able to vote in a contested election for School Board.
Appearing on the ballot will be:
There are no incumbents running for re-election.
The candidates with the top two vote totals will fill the two available seats. Voters will be able to vote for two candidates.
The same questionnaire was submitted by westofthei.com to each candidate by email.
Here is their biographical information followed by their question responses, presented in alphabetical order:
Continue reading →
At about 7:44 p.m., Bristol Fire and Rescue, Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue and Newport Fire Protection District units and sheriff’s deputies are responding to a report of a crash in the 12200 block of I-94 northbound lanes.
Per dispatch: Two vehicles involved, one being a semi. Scene not blocking traffic. Injury being reported.
Voters in Bristol School District #1 will be able to vote in a contested election for School Board.
Appearing on the April 1 ballot will be:
The candidates with the top two vote totals will fill the two available seats. Voters will be able to vote for two candidates.
The same questionnaire was submitted by westofthei.com to each candidate by email.
Here is their biographical information followed by their question responses, presented in alphabetical order:
Continue reading →This post sponsored by Westosha Floral.
The following deaths of local residents and those with local connections are being reported by funeral homes today. Click on name to see obituary/service information:
Continue reading →Note: Westosha Sports Complex is a westofthei.com sponsor. This is a paid announcement. — DH
Weather or season never gets in the way of your golf game at Westosha Sports Complex in Silver Lake.
Westosha Sports Complex is a professional training facility where players up their game, practice their swings, and just have fun.
Westosha Sports Complex features Full Swing, the worldwide leader in cutting edge indoor golf simulation technology. Full Swing simulators are in the homes of top Tour Pros including Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington, and many more. Its patented dual tracking technology delivers superior ball tracking data and makes Full Swing the only simulator that actually measures ball flight indoors. With over 30 years of experience, Full Swing provides the most accurate and realistic golf experience you can find. There are 15 different courses you can play.
Refreshments, including beer, are available for purchase.
If your game is baseball or softball, stop in for Westosha Sports Complex’s HitTrax baseball/softball hitting simulator.
HitTrax is not your average batting cage. Its patented technology measures real-time data and displays live results for immediate feedback. Analyze key performance metrics to identify tendencies before stepping onto the field.
With HitTrax, players are further engaged, in-depth performance reports are generated. Whether it’s hitting leagues, tournaments or home run derby’s, HitTrax brings the excitement of the outdoor game into this facility.
Click here for full pricing details.
Westosha Sports Complex is located at 1215 N. Pryor St, Silver Lake.
Note: The following is a paid announcement from Kenosha County ARDC — DH
The Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) offers no-cost, unbiased, Medicare workshops for those new to Medicare, or who want to learn more. Trained benefit specialists will be available to answer your questions and discuss the decisions you’ll need to make, including the basics of Medicare coverage, options for private health and drug coverage, and public benefits that can help with health care costs. If possible, sign up for a workshop 3-4 months before your Medicare starts.
UPCOMING MEDICARE 2025 WORKSHOPS:
Kenosha County Center, 19600 75th Street, Bristol, WI 53104
Kenosha County Job Center, 8600 Sheridan Road, Entrance A, Kenosha 53143
Twin Lakes Twin Lakes Community Library, 110 S. Lake Avenue, Twin Lakes 53181
Westosha Senior Center, 19200 93rd Street, Bristol, WI 53104
Kenosha Senior Center, 2717 67th Street, Kenosha, WI 53143
Due to limited seating, reservations are required. Call the ADRC at 262-605-6646 to make a reservation or to learn more.
Young authors and artists at Wheatland Center School recently participated in the 2024-25 Southern Lakes Anthology writing project. The theme of this year’s anthology project was “The Power of…”
Student work was judged on clarity and message, creativity and originality, technical skill and presentation, and overall quality. Each of the thirty-seven participating districts submitted a total of 24 pieces to be judged. Wheatland had 19 of its 24 pieces chosen for publication.
The following students had their work selected for publication in the 2024-25 Southern Lakes Anthology – “The Power of…”
In addition to having their piece published, students will be recognized for this accomplishment and receive a copy of the publication at a reception in Whitewater this coming May. Sixth grader Stella Marr will receive special recognition this year by having the opportunity to read her poem at the reception.
Precipitation of a couple different types and varied quantities are in the latest, local National Weather Service forecast.
A wind advisory also has been issued from 7 p.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m., Thursday. Winds from 15 to 25 mph and gusts as high as 45 mph could be seen during that period.
First there’s a 70 percent chance of rain on Wednesday, with a thunderstorm possible after 1 p.m. A quarter to a half inch of rain is possible. High temperature 49.
Overnight, the rain may be mixed with snow and then changing to all snow after 3 a.m., Thursday. Less than one inch of accumulation is expected.
There could be more rain/snow Friday night, Sunday and Sunday night.
The Wheatland J1 School District board is scheduled to meet Wednesday, starting at 7 p.m. in Room #164 – Community Room at the school.
Agenda items include:
This post sponsored by Westosha Floral.
The following deaths of local residents and those with local connections are being reported by funeral homes today. Click on name to see obituary/service information:
Continue reading →Voters in the Westosha Central High School District will have a contested race for the Brighton seat on the School Board.
On the April 1 ballot will be:
Incumbent Jeff Kinzler is not running for re-election.
Nutting currently holds the Paris seat on the board, but he has moved to Brighton. If elected he will resign his Paris seat, said Kim Hole, exec assistant to the Board of Education and district administrator, and serve that three-year term. If he does not win the Brighton seat, Nutting can continue to fill the Paris seat until the end of that term, which is April 2026, since he was living in Paris when he took the oath of office.
The same questionnaire was submitted by westofthei.com to each candidate by email.
Here is their biographical information followed by their question responses, presented in alphabetical order:
Continue reading →
Note: This is a paid announcement from Hartnell Chevrolet — DH
Tires are a crucial component of your vehicle, directly affecting safety, performance, and fuel efficiency. Over time, tires can wear down or degrade, leading to various issues that may compromise your driving experience.
Here are a few signs you might need new tires:
At Hartnell Tire Outlet, we understand the importance of reliable tires. Our expert team is here to assist you in assessing your current tires’ condition. We offer free tire inspections to help you identify any issues. If new tires are needed, our certified technicians can professionally install them, utilizing our state-of-the-art laser alignment system to ensure optimal performance.
Don’t wait until it’s too late—visit Hartnell Tire Outlet at Hartnell Chevrolet today for a free thorough tire inspection and let us help keep you safe on the road!
www.hartnelltireoutlet.com 262-843-2361
The Silver Lake-Salem Jt. 1 School District (Riverview School) board is scheduled to hold a special meeting Tuesday, starting at 6 p.m. in teh school library.
Agenda items include:
News from Kenosha Lens
