Saturday, July 19, 2025
Friday, July 18, 2025
Teachers Gone Wild: Ohio teacher SOBS as she’s sentenced for stalking ex-boyfriend
Clergy Gone Wild:You ask, we answer: Why is this Milwaukee Catholic TV ministry seeking donations with $40 million to spare?
Quinn Clark
Every Sunday, before Heart of the Nation begins broadcasting Mass from Milwaukee's Sacred Heart Croatian Parish, a priest encourages viewers to show their support.
“The Heart of the Nation Mass is a viewer-supported ministry," says Fr. Mark Payne, as the organization's website and phone number appear onscreen. "Please consider an offering today to support the Mass on TV and online."
On its website, the ministry cites Acts 20:35, a Bible verse where Jesus says, "It is better than give to receive." The site tells supporters that the organization "depends on donations and the generosity of hundreds of volunteers."
Ways to give range from online donations to gifts of property. The donation form starts with a default suggestion of $25 and climbs up to $1,000.
But after viewer Mike Guillory, 79, viewed the nonprofit's IRS filings, he asked Public Investigator why Heart of Nation continues to ask for money.
According to its 2023 tax filing, the Milwaukee-based ministry received over $16.4 million in contributions and spent just $6.2 million. The rest was saved, growing the nonprofit's assets by $10 million.
Its total assets now amount to $39.5 million — enough to fund its current operations for more than six years.
"I have a distrust of what is actually going on," Guillory said. "What is actually happening to all the surplus money?"
Heart of the Nation's executive director, Bruno John, told Public Investigator that ongoing donations are necessary to sustain and expand the ministry.
The media ministry owned by Santa Fe Communications began broadcasting Mass on a single channel in 1984. Today, it's based in Milwaukee and airs across the country to people who are home-bound or incarcerated.
The ministry's conservative spending is meant to ensure Heart of the Nation stays afloat after having experienced financial troubles in the past, John said.
Accounting and ethics experts, however, say nonprofits should be transparent about their finances so donors have the full picture.
"It's not necessarily a red flag just to build up a reserve like that," said Brian Mittendorf, an accounting professor at Ohio State University and expert in nonprofit finances. "The red lights come when there's a disconnect between the way the organization is raising funds and the way it's spending funds."
Public Investigator compared Heart of the Nation's financial records to three other major religious media ministries — New Evangelization Ministries, CatholicTV, and Shalom World. None stockpiled as much of their donation revenue as Heart of the Nation.
For example, while CatholicTV ended the year with $75 million in assets, it spent 66% of its revenue on programming and operations. In contrast, Heart of the Nation spent 38%, saving the rest.
Executive director says COVID, past financial troubles explain $40M reserve
John, the executive director, said the surplus of funds is a recent development due to the COVID-19, which prevented millions from attending in-person services. As a result, Heart of the Nation's viewership and donations increased.
"At the same time, we increased our outreach and expanded the reach of our TV Mass, growing our operating budget to $6.5 million to support these efforts," John said.
Expecting donations would decline once viewers could return to in-person services, John said the organization built a reserve. But John said that decline didn't happen.
"Fortunately, the people that have hung in there and continue to support us have allowed the support to remain steady for the last couple of years," he said.
According to John, the organization almost shut down in 1992 and 2017 after funding troubles, forcing it to broadcast Mass on fewer channels. That was "a painful experience" for viewers who had come to rely on the service, John said.
He added that Heart of the Nation is a "lean" organization without development staff or administrative assistants, so most of its spending goes toward programming.
The nonprofit's IRS filings confirm that most of its revenue goes to programming expenses, not staff. John is listed as the only paid employee in Heart of the Nation's IRS filings. His salary was $152,391 in 2023.
John said excess funds are "strategically set aside in a board-directed endowment," designed to protect the ministry from future downturns.
Ministry should disclose financial position and future plans, experts say
According to Mittendorf, there's nothing wrong with nonprofits spending frugally as long as they provide clarity on how and when the reserves will be used.
Heart of the Nation's fundraising appeals do not mention its strong financial position or its timeline for spending donations.
"Just perpetually accumulating the resources, even if the intent isn't bad, at some point, will backfire," Mittendorf said. "Because donors will say, 'I put my trust in you, and you just didn't spend the resources I gave.'"
John said Heart of the Nation plans to expand by creating a new prayer ministry department, evaluating additional outreach opportunities, and strengthening its organizational infrastructure.
"These planned expansions will naturally increase future operating costs," John said.
But John also said the organization doesn't set specific fundraising targets.
"It's not like we plan this out, like, 'Oh, OK, we have to raise this amount of money this year,'" he said. "We just put the message out there … and then see what happens."
That approach, Mittendorf said, may require greater oversight.
"When your budget gets in that multimillion-dollar size, you need additional layers of control just to make sure that you can provide assurances to the public," Mittendorf said.
Experts recommend getting involved before donating
Jonathan Boulos, an accounting professor at the University of Notre Dame who specializes in nonprofit financial management and law, said it's normal for donors to feel misled if fundraising messages don't match how money is spent.
"No one would bat an eye if their message was congruent with their budget, but it's the combination that creates a feeling of relative deprivation between (donors') expectations and reality," Boulos said.
For accounting purposes, nonprofits must list building costs or other capital projects as assets instead of expenses. That can sometimes make them look like they are stockpiling reserves, even if they are not, Boulos noted.
However, in this case, Heart of the Nation says its reserves are held in an endowment, not currently being spent on renovations or capital projects.
Sites like Charity Navigator can be helpful when deciding whether to support a nonprofit, Boulos said. Heart of the Nation has a 97% score from Charity Navigator based on its financial practices and accountability, earning the group the maximum four-star rating.
Still, Boulos's advice is this: Don't just rely on government filings. Instead, get involved with a nonprofit before donating by volunteering, joining a committee or asking questions.
"If the organization cannot or will not take your time and talents, you might have all of the information you need," Boulos said.
Quinn Clark is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be emailed at QClark@gannett.com.
The swine Catholics are money hungry beyond belief. The stiolen art and treasures in the Vatican total BILLIONS of dollars, yet the Catholic Church continues to plead poverty and extort more money from their poorest congregants. FUCK the Catholic Crime Church!
Thursday, July 17, 2025
US to burn 500 tons of emergency food aid | Morning in America
Can (and should) we cure blindness? | BBC Ideas
City to purchase three new electric buses
Holly Gilvary
RACINE — The city will purchase three new electric transit buses using federal grant money.
The Common Council on Tuesday approved a resolution to replace the manufacturer that the city purchases EV buses from, purchase three replacement buses and implement an affiliated workforce training program for about $4.5 million.
The new buses will replace three that have been in service for more than 12 years, Racine Transit Director Trevor Jung said.
The workforce component involves a technician who will train city mechanics to maintain the new electric vehicles, according to Jung.
The grant, which can only be used for EV vehicles, will cover $3.8 million of the costs, Jung said.
Alders also voted 9-5 to defer to their next meeting an item relating to the city employee health care plan. A new proposal would offer city employees two additional health care plans to choose from.
Alder Olivia Turquoise Davis, who made the motion to defer, said she wanted time to digest the information presented so the council can "make a clear call on what we are deciding for the employees."
"Health insurance is not something (that) you just say, 'OK, we heard it and yes, we're going to agree to this,'" she said.
The council will consider the new health care proposal at its next meeting, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6.
In other business, the council:
• Approved a resolution declaring official intent by the city to reimburse costs attributed to the 2026 lead service line replacement project. The principal aggregate amount of debt for the project is expected not to exceed $40 million, of which 49% may be allocated as principal forgiveness through the fiscal year 2026 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Safe Drinking Water Loan Program.
• Approved a resolution declaring official intent by the city to reimburse costs attributed to the 2026 water main replacement project. The principal aggregate amount of debt for the project is expected not to exceed $10 million, with the balance reduced by eligible principal forgiveness earned. The project will be funded through the fiscal year 2026 DNR Safe Drinking Water Loan Program.
• Authorized the city administrator to commence collective bargaining with the four public safety employees collective bargaining units for successor agreements.
• Disallowed a $2,652 claim from Kevin Pirelli for medical expenses allegedly arising from a slip and fall in front of a stairwell of the Gaslight Drive parking ramp in January.
• Disallowed a $4,863 claim from Cedric Foster for vehicle damage allegedly caused by a city-owned vehicle in February.
• Granted permission to the assistant fire chief to accept the $275,000 Operations and Safety Acquisition Assistance to Firefighters grant for the diesel exhaust capture system awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the AFG program.
• Granted permission to the human resources department to accept the $354,885 Wisconsin Fast Forward grant for the fire cadet and CDL trainee programs.
• Granted permission to the Financial Empowerment Center to apply for and accept a $2,500 donation from Landmark Credit Union to fund a kid's calendar art contest.
• Granted permission to Mayor Cory Mason to establish a Sister City relationship with Brantford, Ontario, Canada.
• Approved a change order to a contract with A.W. Oakes & Son for reconstruction of West Lawn Avenue, reducing the contract amount by $50,054.
• Approved submission of final payment of $1,512,178 to A.W. Oakes & Son for West Lawn Avenue reconstruction.
• Approved a change order to a contract with Century Fence Company for fence replacement at Greencrest Park, increasing the contract amount by $5,896 for a total of $75,050.
• Approved a change order to a contract with Absolute Construction Enterprises for Island Park shelter staircase removal, increasing the contract amount by $5,813 for a total of $51,753.
• Approved submission of final payment of $72,700 to Top Performance Corp. for the Chavez Center small gym floor replacement.
• Denied a new massage establishment application from Lucky Weiwen Zhu Therapy, 906 State St.
• Approved a new cigarette, tobacco and electronic vaping device retail license application for Fast Link, 1405 Washington Ave.
• Adopted the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Racine: 2050.
• Approved issuance of a Community Development Block Grant loan to the owners of 1520 Lincoln St.
• Approved issuance of a Community Development Block Grant loan to the owners of 1733 Erie St.
• Approved issuance of a Community Development Block Grant loan to the owners of 2022 Saint Clair St.
• Approved issuance of a Community Development Block Grant loan to the owners of 1310 Layard Ave.
Racine, CityWise launch verified rental listing webiste
Holly Gilvary
RACINE — The City of Racine has partnered with CityWise Software to launch a rental listing website with housing units inspected and verified by the city.
CityWise is a centralized platform that provides a “one-stop shop” for renters to find available units, including compliance with city codes, price and amenities, according to the city.
The platform will include participation from local landlords, including smaller owners who don’t typically list on major rental websites.
Racine Neighborhood Enforcement Department Manager Kelly Reed said the website “empowers renters to make more informed decisions.”
The city will conduct inspections to to ensure all rental properties meet basic standards for habitability and safety, according to Racine Communications Director Leslie Flynn.
Unlike national housing platforms, the Racine rental website is “locally managed, locally verified, and built with resident protection in mind,” Flynn said. Listings will only appear after the unit has passed a city inspection, and landlords must be in good standing to participate.
CityWise Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Schmidt said the platform “helps cities ensure there are more good actors in the rental market while giving residents better tools to make informed decisions.”
The city will reach out to landlords to add listings, but CityWise is responsible for keeping the website up to date.
Anyone who wants a listing added to the site can contact Jeremy Schmidt at jeremy@citywisesoftware.com.
CityWise is a Wisconsin-based software company founded by the team behind national student housing platform College Pads. CityWise also has partnered with several other cities in Wisconsin, including Kenosha, Mount Pleasant, Burlington, Oak Creek and South Milwaukee.
To learn more, visit www.apartments.cityofracine.org. No rentals were listed as of Tuesday afternoon, but Flynn said listings will be added in the coming weeks.
From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/article_9f78ce8d-db94-4aba-a046-a5c01f6f68d4.html
SC Johnson moving 170 employees to Racine area from Chicago for better collaboration
Tom Daykin
S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. is moving 170 employees to its Racine-area facilities from the company's Chicago office − a move it says will create better collaboration.
The move will occur in phases by the end of 2026, the company announced July 16. No jobs are being eliminated.
The shift is connected to organizational changes that took place 15 months ago, when SC Johnson established individual North America and international consumer brand business units.
“For almost 140 years, we’ve enjoyed being part of the Racine community, and proudly call it our home,” said Fisk Johnson, chairman and CEO, in a statement.
“This is an important change for our business given some recent organizational changes, and we look forward to welcoming even more SCJ people to the Racine area," Johnson said.
Employees will move into the former Educators Credit Union building, at 1326 Willow Road in Mount Pleasant, which the company bought in 2023.
It's next to two other company facilities, and is near the Waxdale manufacturing facility.
SC Johnson’s longtime global headquarters remains in Racine, at 1525 Howe St.
It is among the largest companies based in Wisconsin and has roughly 2,000 employees in Racine County. It makes such cleaning products as Windex, Pledge, Glade and Scrubbing Bubbles.
The company will still operate a downtown Chicago office, with around 100 employees, along with a manufacturing site in the Pullman neighborhood.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram,Bluesky, X and Facebook.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Joe Rogan rips DOJ’s handling of Epstein files in scathing rant against Trump admin
Forensic team probes mass grave of 800 babies at ex-Irish orphanage
Republicans join call to release Jeffrey Epstein files
Racine police are holding a news conference following a shooting that killed a woman
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Milwaukee council places age restrictions on the sale of delta-8, other hemp products
Wisconsin has no age restriction on the sale of hemp products, but after an incident from August of 2024 in which two children were hospitalized after being sold "THC gummies," city officials have found a way to crack down on the sale of hemp-derived THC products.
Common Council members backed a proposal July 15 to restrict the purchasing of hemp-derived products to anyone under 21 years old.
Those include products with names such as delta-8 and delta-10 — chemical cousins to marijuana. The legislation does not apply to "any non-intoxicating cannabinoids," including CBD.
To hold establishments accountable, anyone violating the ordinance would receive a citation ranging from $400 to $1,000. They could also be prosecuted for the offense.
An investigation last year by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Examination and AL.com found the products are causing a sharp rise in reports of children and adults getting sick. Those findings are alarming doctors and public health researchers.
Such products can be traced to Congress' legalization of the sale of hempdelta-9 and products extracted from it in the 2018 Farm Bill. Hemp is a type of cannabis plant with low levels of the psychoactive compound that gets people high, known as delta-9 THC.
A city committee voted unanimously to support the legislation earlier this month, and now that Common Council backed the potential ordinance, Mayor Cavalier Johnson would need to sign off before it can be enacted.
Study: More children turning to chatbots for friendship, therapy and more
Why some employers are hiring etiquette coaches for Gen Z workers
Mom Leaves 2 Kids in Hot Car for 2 Hours to Get Lip Fillers: Cops
Missing Minute in Jeffrey Epstein Jail Video Fuels Conspiracy Theories
Monday, July 14, 2025
Trump, Bondi face criticism over Epstein disclosures
Racine man sentenced in child sexual assault case
Milana Doné
EACINE — A Racine man accused of sexually assaulting a teenager in 2023 was sentenced to prison Friday.
Alec Venable, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of second degree sexual assault of a child May 6. One count of child enticement with sexual contact was dismissed but read into the court record.
Venable ordered to serve 12 years of initial confinement in Wisconsin State Prison, followed by eight years of extended supervision.
He also will be required to register as a sex offender for life.
According to previous Journal Times reporting, Racine Police Department officers responded to a call about a “suspicious circumstance” at Pershing Park on May 19, 2023.
A girl, who was then 15, reportedly told RPD that a man in a car approached her the previous night. The girl also reportedly told police that she had run away from home and had asked the man to drive her to a shelter.
Venable was alleged to have taken the girl to his home and assaulted her.
The next morning, he reportedly drove her to a skatepark near Pershing Park, where he allegedly attempted to prevent the girl from leaving but drove away after she walked toward three city workers.
38-year-old pleads not guilty to child sexual assault, child porn possession
Milana Doné
RACINE — A 38-year-old Cudahy man pleaded not guilty Thursday in connection to allegations of sexually assaulting a child and possessing child pornography.
Michael Wezyk was charged April 22 with one count of second degree sexual assault of a child under 16 years of age. On April 29, he was charged with five counts of child pornography possession.
The maximum sentence upon conviction for second degree assault of a child is a fine of up to $100,000, imprisonment of up to 40 years, or both.
Wezyk could face a fine up to $100,000 and up to 25 years of imprisonment for each count of child pornography possession.
According to a criminal complaint, the Racine County Sheriff’s Office began investigating following a report from the child’s biological father.
The complaint alleges Wezyk took the child to a bar and assaulted her between January and May 2024.
Wezyk also reportedly made inappropriate comments about the child and her sister, according to the complaint.
Posts
