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Showing posts with label Caledonia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caledonia. Show all posts
Monday, February 2, 2026
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Microsoft moves on from Caledonia data center following local pushback
From JSOnline:
Ricardo Torres
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Microsoft says it won't go "where people don't want us."
When Caledonia residents voiced their concerns last year about a proposed Microsoft data center, it caused the company to change course – with some local officials hoping for a better location there.
But Caledonia is officially not getting a Microsoft data center.
“I’m not aware of anything we’re looking at in Caledonia,” said Microsoft President Brad Smith in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“It doesn’t make sense to go where people don’t want us," Smith said on Jan. 13. "But I do think it’s our opportunity to have the conversations in a variety of other places about what we would hope to bring to a community.”
Microsoft is finishing a data center in neighboring Mount Pleasant and expanding its campus with a second data center to be completed nearby in the coming years.
Smith called the experience with Caledonia a “important watershed moment for us.”
“It was a message that said we need to communicate differently,” Smith said.
“I understand why we went about what we did in Caledonia the way we did," he said. "It reflected the last 15 years of our industry. People were buying land under non-disclosure agreements because the moment they said who they were, the price skyrocketed. But that will not work for the future.”
For months, Caledonia residents and some elected officials only knew the potential development as “Project Nova.” It wasn’t until later when Microsoft was revealed as the company behind the development.
“The price of that was a cloak that kept us from being transparent with the community and we need to be transparent,” Smith said. “We need to be more transparent, not just when we’re buying land.”
'They thought it'd be a cake walk for them'
Village President Tom Weatherson agreed with Smith that Microsoft should have been more upfront with local residents.
“They brought in a third party; they didn’t come in as Microsoft,” Weatherston said. “To me, that was the very first mistake is they hired another firm out of Waukesha to come in and (Microsoft) wanted to be anonymous. That was a huge mistake on their part. Maybe that’s why Brad is making a change.”
“I could be wrong, but I got that feeling that they thought it’d be a cake walk for them and they were surprised by the resistance,” Weatherston said.
Weatherston said he tried to help the find a new location for Microsoft.
“We have a couple of industrial parks that would have been very welcoming," Weatherston said. And there’s a farm on the southern edge of Caledonia that’s for sale, it would have been perfect for them and at that time I was told that Caledonia, in their business opinion, was completely off the table no matter what."
“The citizens here just didn’t want it," he said.
Thursday, December 11, 2025
Caledonia man changes plea in April child pornography case
From The Journal Times.com:
Milana Doné
Milana Doné
RACINE — A Caledonia man pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography Tuesday.
Christopher Dufay, 24, was facing 20 counts of possession of child pornography.
Each count is a class D felony which, upon conviction, can result in up to 25 years in prison, a maximum fine of $100,000 or both.
On Tuesday, Dufay pleaded guilty to five counts. The remaining counts were dismissed but read in to the court record.
Allegations
According to previous Journal Times reporting, Dufay was arrested after the Caledonia Police Department received a cyber tip from Internet Crimes Against Children.
The tip included eight videos and a Kik account with an IP address associated with a residence in the 2700 block of Holly Grove Court and an account name of Christopher Dufay.
CPD served a search warrant for the account, which showed 209 images/videos had been downloaded or shared by the account owner. CPD reportedly found 20 distinct videos containing child pornography.
Investigators also searched Dufay’s residence and seized several items as evidence, according to previous reporting.
Dufay originally pleaded not guilty to all charges at an arraignment in April.
He is scheduled for a sentencing hearing Feb. 17, 2026.
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Ascension and UnitedHealthCare renew in-network medical care
From The Journal Times.com:
Holly Gilvary
Holly Gilvary
RACINE COUNTY — Ascension Wisconsin and UnitedHealthCare have reached a new agreement for in-network medical care.
Patients enrolled in employer-sponsored commercial plans, Medicare Advantage plans (including Group Retiree and Dual Special Needs Plans) and UnitedHealthCare Community Plans in Wisconsin (Medicaid) will again have access to Ascension's hospitals and providers in southeast Wisconsin, according to UHC.
The agreement is effective immediately, according to Mo Moorman, senior director of external relations at Ascension Wisconsin.
Ascension held claims for services furnished between Oct. 1-13, so services received by patients during that period will be covered at in-network rates and patients should not be billed for out-of-network costs, Moorman said.
Letters will be mailed to members who were previously notified to inform them of UHC's renewed relationship with Ascension Wisconsin and that Ascension Wisconsin is back in-network, according to UHC.
Ascension has several locations in Racine County, including sites on Spring Street and Wisconsin Avenue in Racine, Washington Avenue and Green Bay Road in Mount Pleasant, and Four Mile Road in Caledonia.
For assistance finding a hospital or provider, patients can call the number on their health plan identification card or visit their plan's website at one of the following web addresses:
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Microsoft withdraws land rezone request for data center from Caledonia
From The Journal Times.com:
Holly Gilvary
Holly Gilvary
CALEDONIA — Microsoft has withdrawn its application for a land rezoning for a potential data center in Caledonia, the company announced Wednesday.
"Based on the community feedback we heard, we have chosen not to move forward with this site," a Microsoft spokesperson said. "We remain committed to investing in Southeast Wisconsin and look forward to working with the Village of Caledonia and Racine County leaders to identify a site that aligns with community priorities and our long-term development goals."
Caledonia Village Administrator Todd Willis said he received official confirmation of Microsoft's application withdrawal Wednesday afternoon.
The village, the Racine County Economic Development Corporation and regional economic development platform Milwaukee7 said in a joint release that they appreciate Microsoft's collaboration in working with them to bring new development opportunities to the Racine County region.
"While Microsoft will no longer be considering the originally proposed site, we look forward to continuing our conversations and partnerships to strengthen our local economy and support the essential services that make Racine County and southeastern Wisconsin a great place to live and work," the statement said.
The Caledonia Village Board was set to vote on a rezoning and land use plan amendment for 244 acres for the potential data center project at the board's Oct. 14 meeting.
Willis said any future development on the land would be the decision of WE Energies, which owns the parcel.
"It would be up to them if they felt that there was some other suitable use or suitable user, and they would, more than likely, have to come and talk to village staff to see what the feeling is on that application, should something come," he said.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Microsoft drops Caledonia data center after facing opposition. Company looking for new site
From JSOnline:
Ricardo Torres
Ricardo Torres
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Microsoft Corp. has pulled its plans for a Caledonia data center after opposition from area residents and elected officials.
"Based on the community feedback we heard, we have chosen not to move forward with this site," according to a Microsoft statement provided to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"We remain committed to investing in Southeast Wisconsin and look forward to working with the Village of Caledonia and Racine County leaders to identify a site that aligns with community priorities and our long-term development goals," the Oct. 8 statement said.
Microsoft is still planning a second data center in Mount Pleasant — where there's been little opposition.
A Microsoft spokesperson said it's possible a data center could be built in a different area of Caledonia or in a different part of Racine County. The change likely impacts the development timeline.
The Caledonia Plan Commission had recommended rezoning the data center site — 244 acres of farmland along Douglas Avenue and Botting Road, near the We Energies power plant in neighboring Oak Creek.
The Village Board was to consider the rezoning proposal on Oct. 14.
Microsoft change surprises critic
Village Trustee Fran Martin, a data center critic, was surprised about the change in plans.
“I commend Microsoft for listening to the community,” Martin said. “And for also addressing the concerns that the community had and that I had about that particular site.”
Martin has suggested the company build a data center along Interstate 94.
Racine County Executive Ralph Malicki said the county is committed to helping Microsoft find a location in Caledonia or somewhere in Racine County.
“We believe them to be an excellent partner and a good steward of our resources and whatnot in our community,” Malicki said.
Hope Otto, director of human services for Racine County, who spoke on behalf of Malicki at the Plan Commission meeting, said the majority of people who spoke at the meeting were against the project in that location.
“(Microsoft) has a high degree of social responsibility to the community that they’re investing in, so I think they heard the message that that location was not going to be a desired spot for them,” Otto said.
“And they want to make sure that they are respected and wanted in the areas in which they’re investing. And we’re committed to finding that for them and hopefully still in Caledonia.”
In a joint statement, the Racine Economic Development Corp. and Milwaukee 7 regional economic development organization said:
"We appreciate Microsoft’s collaboration in working with the Village of Caledonia, RCEDC and M7 to bring new development opportunities to the Racine County region.
"While Microsoft will no longer be considering the originally proposed site, we look forward to continuing our conversations and partnerships to strengthen our local economy and support the essential services that make Racine County and southeastern Wisconsin a great place to live and work."
Using AI to organize against Microsoft
Caledonia resident Chris Atkinson said the work isn't done for data center opponents.
“Regardless of people’s national politics, locally, people have been able to unify and find a common objective that they're working together to achieve,” Atkinson said. “The fight is not over.”
Atkinson helps run the website nodata.center which pushed against the Caledonia project and could be a model for other communities.
“I think I’m going to use that one going forward to help other people in the country rally and maybe create a unified plan,” Atkinson said. “Without the strategic plan that was implemented under a common directive, you don’t win against giants like Microsoft.”
Nodata.center includes these notes: “Developed using Gemini AI deep research and Grok 4 deep research. All facts sourced from public documents and news reports.”
The Caledonia data center was planning to assist Microsoft’s AI operations in Mount Pleasant.
“That’s hilarious and yeah, definitely the definition of irony,” Atkinson said about the notes. “You can leverage AI to do deeper searches and connect dots that no human mind can ever do.”
Microsoft's decision was announced one day after hundreds of people attended a Port Washington Common Council meeting to oppose a data center planned for that community.
The council on Aug. 19 unanimously approved a development agreement with that data center's operator, Denver-based Vantage.
The agreement covers a new tax incremental financing district that would reimburse Vantage for fronting $175 million in infrastructure improvements and other project costs. The financing district funds would come from property tax revenue generated by the data center.
(This story was updated with new information).
Port Washington Common Council meeting
Click on the lower right of the video to enlarge it
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Monday, September 29, 2025
Microsoft president Brad Smith optimistic about $7.3 billion Racine County data centers
From JSOnline:
Ricardo Torres
Ricardo Torres
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Microsoft is making a $7.3 billion bet on data centers in Racine County -- a sum that almost surely will grow -- that it hopes will pay off in the future, despite uncertainty about the economy and AI.
“Right now, what we really strive to ensure is that Microsoft is a source of digital stability and a source of economic stability,” said Microsoft president and vice chair Brad Smith in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“And we live in a time where we all could benefit from, I’ll just say, both change and stability. Depending on how you look in the world.”
Thursday, September 25, 2025
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Friday, September 5, 2025
21-year-old charged with 37 counts of possessing child pornography
From The Journal Times.com:
Holly Gilvary
Holly Gilvary
RACINE — A West Allis man has been charged with possession of child pornography following an investigation by the Caledonia Police Department.
Marvon Lynch, 21, is facing 37 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of resisting or obstructing an officer.
If convicted, Lynch could be sentenced to 25 years in prison, fined of up to $100,000 for each count of possession of child pornography, or both. Additionally, the court may impose a surcharge of $500 for each image or copy of an image, according to the criminal complaint.
Lynch faces an additional nine months in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, if convicted of obstructing an officer.
On Wednesday, his cash bond was set at $150,000, according to court records.
According to a criminal complaint, about 12:25 a.m. Aug. 13, a CPD officer reportedly saw a vehicle parked in the Cliffside Park parking lot, 7320 Michna Road, which had closed at 11 p.m.
The officer reported seeing Lynch in the backseat with a passenger, who later was confirmed to be 12 years old, the complaint said. The passenger reportedly told police that she believed Lynch was 16.
CPD searched Lynch's phone after learning that the 12-year-old might have sent "provocative photos" to him, according to the criminal complaint.
Police reportedly found about 60 images of child pornography on Lynch's phone.
Lynch is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 10 in Racine County Circuit Court.
From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_c0f5519f-6c9f-4359-a205-6f120c925f48.html
Friday, August 1, 2025
Microsoft begins hiring for Mount Pleasant data center that opens in 2026. Expansions coming
From JSOnline:
Microsoft Corp. has begun hiring employees for its $3.3 billion data center opening in Mount Pleasant in early 2026, and is proceeding with expansion plans at the 1,900 acre-site.
Earlier this year the company paused work on the expansion sites as it evaluated the buildout strategy. The latest work in Mount Pleasant will be in addition to what the company pledged in May 2024, a Microsoft spokesman told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"We’re now preparing our plans to proceed with that expansion," the spokesman said.
The company says that by the end of 2026 it will have around 500 employees and contractors running the Racine County center.
“We’ve already begun to hire full-time employees that will support our operational phase,” the spokesman said, not offering further information.
Data centers housing thousands of computer servers are springing up across the country, enabling activities such as social media, streaming video and ChatGPT.
In Wisconsin, Microsoft has led the way with its project in Mount Pleasant. The company has plans for a smaller project in Kenosha.
Data centers planned in Caledonia, Port Washington
A pitch for a data center in Caledonia, in Racine County, recently ran into resistance as community members spoke out against rezoning 240 acres of farmland. It would be along Douglas Avenue and Botting Road, near the We Energies power plant in neighboring Oak Creek.
The Caledonia Plan Commission postponed a July 28 vote until at least late August to give the developer more time to address concerns.
"As often happens, we are putting the cart before the horse. We don't know any specifics of the proposed data center, who the owners would be, what their reputation is, what economic benefit it would bring the Village in terms of tax base (and) jobs," Caledonia Trustee Fran Martin said, in a statement.
In Beaver Dam, site work is underway for a data center on 830 acres near U.S. Highway 151 and County Road A.
Beaver Dam officials have declined to name the developer of their planned center.
Bloomberg News has cited an unnamed source to report its developer is Facebook parent company Meta and that it's a nearly $1 billion project.
Denver-based Vantage Data Systems is planning a data center in rural Port Washington that’s still in the planning stage. It has already resulted in more than 700 acres of property acquisitions.
QTS Data Centers, of Virginia, has eyed the Town of Vienna in Dane County for a project.
Wisconsin Rapids has plans for a $200 million data center, and Janesville recently announced that it’s seeking one for the former General Motors vehicle assembly plant that’s been vacant since 2008.
Thursday, July 31, 2025
'We don't want it here': Caledonia residents speak against rezoning for datacenter
From The Journal Times.com:
Holly Gilvary
Holly Gilvary
CALEDONIA — More than 20 residents on Monday spoke against a land use amendment and a rezoning that would allow for the construction of a datacenter in the village.
The Caledonia Plan Commission is considering an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map and a parcel rezoning for 244 acres along Douglas Avenue and Botting Road.
Energy and water usage needed for a datacenter, as well as the disruption of the area’s ecosystem, were among the biggest reasons many residents opposed the rezoning and the possible development.
The amendment would change the land use category from Agricultural, Rural Residential, and Open Land and Low-Density Residential to Transition Light Industrial to allow for the future rezoning of the site to M-1, Light Manufacturing and Office District. The rezoning would change the parcels to M-1 from A-2, Agriculture, allowing for the opportunity for a future development of a datacenter.
The Caledonia Village Board approved the creation of the Transition Light Industrial land use category in February.
Addresses for the land involved include 8591, 8414 and 8127 Botting Road; 6005 County Line Road; and 8632 Douglas Ave., as well as multiple parcels along Douglas Avenue without numeric addresses.
The applicant for the land use amendment and rezoning, Rich Brittingham of Dewberry Engineering, said Monday that there are “many unknowns” about the project at this point, including what type of technology would be used and how buildings would be laid out on the property.
The Plan Commission postponed voting on both items until its next meeting, at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25 at the Caledonia Village Hall, 5043 Chester Lane.
If the commission approves the land use map amendment and the rezoning, the items will be sent to the Village Board for final approval.
The board’s approval would not necessarily mean a datacenter will be constructed on the land, but gives developers the opportunity to propose a more detailed plan to the village.
Resident Tiffany Hammond said she works in construction and converts a lot of “beautiful farm land” into industrial parks or new residential developments, and said she has seen developers go against their word on conservation efforts and other promises made to residents for development projects.
“They’re going to do whatever they want,” she said.
Hammond added that she and many other residents moved to Caledonia to escape “industrial parks.”
“We don’t want that here,” she said. “We’ve never wanted it here. We’re never going to want it here.”
Andrew Hendricks questioned the benefits of a datacenter to the village, saying neither Plan Commission members nor Brittingham had addressed this.
“All I really took away … was, ‘We want to put this thing here, and it’s OK because there’s (the WE Energies) power plant nearby,’” Hendricks said. “What does this offer us?”
Trustee Nancy Pierce said the question of a datacenter’s benefits should be discussed at future meetings after a decision is made on the land use.
Lee Wishau, who is a Village Board trustee but not a member of the Plan Commission, said that if a datacenter project materializes in Caledonia, it should be built in one of the village’s Tax Increment Finance districts, such as the development at the former South Hills Golf Course.
“In our budget, we are subsidizing our TIF districts to the tune of a million dollars a year because … they’re not producing the income yet, at this point, that we need it to to be in positive territory” Wishau said.
Brittingham encouraged the commission to delay the vote until the August meeting, saying he didn’t feel it was appropriate for the commission to rush into a decision when the conditions of approval were new both to Dewberry and the village.
He also encouraged residents to continue asking questions about the land use, rezoning and possible development.
“We don’t take it lightly that this is a request that poses a lot of questions to everyone in this room, and those conditions of approval are really the guiding conditions … that are going to shape how this development occurs,” Brittingham said.
He also addressed residents’ concerns about water usage, saying new datacenters use a “closed-loop” liquid cooling system, unlike those built five to 10 years ago that “admittedly, used a ton of water.”
“The water usages that you hear about are from the old technology, and the industry has adapted, because that is not sustainable,” Brittingham said. “The water usage (for new datacenters) is negligible.”
In other business, the commission approved appointments to the village’s new Special Comprehensive Plan Review Committee, which will assist in the development, review and recommendations of updates to the village’s Comprehensive Plan. The committee will serve in an advisory capacity to the Plan Commission.
The commission voted 6-1 to appoint Michael Moore, Josh Sobczak, Laura Million, Dave Pennings, Chris Tribbey, Marla Wishaw, Bob Prochaska, Kim Hood, Roger Therkelsen, Torben Christensen and Nate Haig.
Pierce voted against the appointments, saying she did not recognize a majority of the appointees listed and that several nominees told her they were not contacted by the village for interviews. Village President and Plan Commission Chair Tom Weatherston said he reached out to all nominees, but some never returned his phone calls.
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