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Thursday, August 6, 2026
Racine Zoo welcomes carnivorous Madagascar sisters to Vanishing Kingdom
Milana Doné
RACINE — Two new animals have joined the Racine Zoo.
Fosa sisters can now be seen in the zoo's Vanishing Kingdom.
The sisters were born at the Central Florida Zoo, where they spent the first year of their life. Both were premature and needed special veterinary care to survive.
They celebrated their first birthday this spring, and grew enough to move to their new Racine home.
The Racine Zoo renovated the Fosa exhibit to provide ample climbing and fun. The sisters explored their new exhibit the morning of July 31.
The zoo said the sisters have adjusted well, bringing energy and curiosity to their new home. They can be seen climbing branches and play fighting with each other.
Fosa are agile carnivores native to Madagascar and are the largest mammalian carnivore on the island. The species has retractable claws like a cat and a long, slender body similar to a mongoose or civet. They are excellent climbers and spend much of their time in the forest canopy.
Fosa are listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union on the Conservation of Nature because of reduced habitat and numbers found in the wild.
The Racine and Central Florida zoos cooperated to fulfill a recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan that works to maintain long-term genetic sustainability of threatened and vulnerable species, Racine Zoo said.
Recent stories by Racine Journal Times reporter Milana Doné
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Community celebrates National Night Out Tuesday
Milana Doné
Monument Square was one location for festivities. Local organizations manned booths, and police officers and sheriff's deputies interacted with locals.
Racine Police officer Gabby Hood spoke to attendees, saying she has fond memories of growing up in Racine and attending National Night Out as a child.
Representative Angelina Cruz for the Wisconsin State Assembly said community residents are more likely to help each other or call their local law enforcement for help if they know them.
"Communities are safest when neighbors actually know one another," she said.
58-year-old facing child sexual assault allegations dating back to the 1980s
Milana Doné
RACINE — A 58-year-old man is facing charges following allegations of child sexual assault spanning several decades.
Trevor Stratton was charged July 16 with one count of first-degree sexual assault of a child younger than 12, three counts of first-degree sexual assault against a child and one count of incest.
Each sexual assault charge is a class B felony. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 60 years of imprisonment.
Allegations
The investigation into Stratton began April 21, according to the Racine County Sheriff's Office, and reportedly identified alleged Wisconsin victims from the 1980s through at least 2010.
During the investigation, detectives learned that Stratton had been employed at an educational institution in Union Grove for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Investigators received information alleging that Stratton may have abused a student there, but RCSO said the allegation has not been substantiated.
Similar allegations occurred involving Stratton in Glynn County, Georgia, where he had been employed by an organization providing care and educational services to children with developmental disabilities, RCSO said.
A warrant was issued for his arrest July 21.
Stratton voluntarily appeared in court July 29, according to RCSO. He was taken into custody and a $10,000 cash bond was set.
He is scheduled to appear in court for a motion hearing Aug. 24.
"Cases involving the sexual abuse of children are among the most disturbing investigations our detectives undertake," Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said. "We recognize that it can take victims years, or even decades, to comes forward, and we commend the courage of those who have done so in this case."
RCSO is asking anyone with information about Stratton or who believes they might have had contact with him that is relevant to this investigation to call Investigator Brady Winger at 262-636-3174.
We Energies starts new renewable energy plants to serve data centers
Francesca Pica
Developers have broken ground on three major We Energies projects as power demand from artificial intelligence data centers grows.
We Energies announced Aug. 4 that construction began for three clean energy projects that combined can power around 100,000 homes. They include a $443 million solar and battery project in Rock County, $355 million wind farm in Iowa and Grant counties, and $106 million battery storage facility in Walworth County.
About half of each facility’s capacity will serve the $15 billion Port Washington data center project run by Vantage Data Centers, Oracle and OpenAI. Under the terms of We Energies’ new data center electric rate, the tech companies must cover an equivalent portion of construction costs.
Chicago-based developer Invenergy will build the power plants before selling them to three utility companies. We Energies will own a majority of each facility, with the rest split between Madison Gas and Electric and the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation.
All three projects were approved by the state Public Service Commission. They will create around 450 construction jobs, We Energies says.
The facilities come as statewide energy demand is expected to rise 40% by 2032. Large data centers like the Port Washington and Mount Pleasant campuses are responsible for most of the increase, according to estimates from state regulators.
In response, We Energies parent company WEC Energy Group is eyeing $20 billion in new energy investments over the next few years. We Energies has designated several other new solar, wind and natural gas projects as resources for data centers, some of which are still waiting approval.
“These renewable energy projects are part of our strategy to strengthen reliability through a balanced mix of Wisconsin-based energy sources, including renewables and state-of-the-art natural gas plants,” We Energies President Mike Hooper said in a statement Aug. 4.
The proposed natural gas-fired plants include a 1.1-gigawatt facility in Kenosha County and a 342-megawatt project in Walworth County, both built by Invenergy. They total $2.3 billion and are pending PSC approval.
Residents and environmental advocates voiced opposition to the plants at public hearings in July, saying they serve a few tech giants at the expense of public health.
We Energies says it has more than three gigawatts of solar and wind projects and 600 megawatts of battery storage in service, under construction or pending PSC approval.
Francesca Pica can be reached at fpica@usatodayco.com
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Harley-Davidson dealerships on track to 'double' profits in 2026
Ricardo Torres
Harley-Davidson dealerships are on a good path as the company is expecting profits to "double" for the network.
Harley CEO Artie Starrs often calls the Milwaukee-based motorcycle maker's dealership network the best in the industry and is focused on the health of those dealerships.
"Based on current trends, we expect domestic dealer profitability to double in 2026," Starrs said on an earnings call with analysts and investors on July 23.
Harley-Davidson reported a second quarter profit of $80 million, down roughly 26% from the same time last year.
The company also reported motorcycle shipments of 39,200 for the quarter which is a 9% increase from 2025.
Dealer health is a major component to the company's plans to return to growth.
Inventory levels have been a balancing act the company has had to monitor since Starrs took over as top executive in the fall of 2026.
"Nearly every dealer was telling me and us, that they had too much inventory," Starrs said of his conversations at the time he joined Harley-Davidson. "Today, the vast majority believe it's either just right or they're asking for more bikes."
Starrs said the company can improve inventory even more by finding the right balance of makes and models to suit the dealerships.
Harley-Davidson raised its financial guidance and now expects to ship between 133,500 and 138,500 units compared to a range that was 3,500 cyclers lower.
The company also adjusted its outlook on its operating income. It now expects to have a operating income of between $10 million to $50 million in 2026. Harley-Davidson previously expected the operating income to range between a $40 million loss to a $10 million profit.
Monday, August 3, 2026
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Saturday, August 1, 2026
Racine Zoo says goodbye to Chanbai, its Amur tiger
Milana Doné
RACINE — A tiger at the Racine Zoo died July 26, outliving the average lifespan of her wild counterparts.
Changbai the Amur tiger was born at the Philadelphia Zoo on May 24, 2007, making her 19 at the time of her passing. Wild Amur tigers generally live between 10 and 15 years.
She lived at the Beardsley Zoo in Connecticut and the Columbus Zoo in Ohio before residing in Wisconsin. In Columbus, Changbai was featured in the National Geographic program, "Secrets of the Zoo."
Changbai came to the Racine Zoo in 2023.
According to a news release from the zoo, the carnivore team will remember her strong will, fierce independence, stunning beauty and elegance. She could often be found stalking the staff as they went about their days.
The zoo said Chanbai often would hide and watch keepers work, waiting for them to notice her and offer her favorite snacks. Other times, she took long naps in the sun, regardless of the outside temperatures.
According to the zoo, Chanbai would shred paper catalogs and cardboard boxes into small pieces, especially when they were sprayed with her favorite scent — root beer extract.
Zoo staff tracked Changbai's known medical issues throughout her stay and trained her to participate in her own medical care by presenting her abdomen, teeth, paws and tail, which helped staff maintain her health and detect any issues.
Changbai's health quickly declined early this summer, and she was euthanized July 26 while surrounded by her favorite staff members.
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