Caledonia dog shot, killed, 54-year-old man arrested

2-year-old dog shot and killed in Caledonia, police investigate

Loose horse struck and killed by Amtrak train in Caledonia

From JSOnline:

Adrienne Davis

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A horse was severely injured and later put down after being struck by an Amtrak train July 7 in Racine County, according to the Caledonia Police Department.

Police responded to the area near Prairie Crossing Drive and Racine County H in Caledonia around 6 a.m. after two horses were seen running loose.

Officers attempted to corral the animals while working to keep them off the roadway with the help of the horses' owners, but the horses began to run west along the train tracks near where they were originally seen. Police notified the train companies to request that all trains be stopped until the horses could be safely guided off the track, but a northbound Amtrak train could not stop in time and hit one of the horses.

No passengers on the train were injured. The second horse was not hit and was safely corralled into its enclosure.

A vet from the Sturtevant area was called to the scene and humanely euthanized the horse due to its severe injuries.

Adrienne Davis is a general assignment and breaking news reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Got any tips or stories to share? Contact Adrienne at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2026/07/07/horse-euthanized-after-amtrak-train-collision-in-caledonia/90840067007/

Firework sales ahead of America 250 | FOX6 News Milwaukee

Former RUSD janitor sentenced in child pornography case

From The Journal Times.com:

Milana Doné

RACINE — A 29-year-old Caledonia man was sentenced three years of incarceration Tuesday in connection to child pornography possession charges.

Nicholas Wotnoske, a former school janitor, was charged in July 2024 with six counts of sexual exploitation of a child and 15 counts of possession of child pornography.

He was found guilty of three counts of child pornography possession in February, and the remaining counts were dismissed but read in to the court record.

Wotnoske also was ordered to serve three years of extended supervision, and the court imposed a $500 surcharge for each of 21 images, according to online court records.

According to previous Journal Times reporting, the Racine County Sheriff’s Office announced Wotnoske’s arrest July 8, 2024, identifying him as a second-shift janitor in the Racine Unified School District.

Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Michael Luell said investigators did not believe any RUSD students or other local children were alleged victims in the case, and that the accusations against Wotnoske were unrelated to his employment.

RUSD spokeswoman Stacy Tapp said in July 2024 that the school district had placed Wotnoske on unpaid administrative leave.

The district hired Wotnoske as a building engineer in 2021, and Tapp said there had been no complaints about him.

“We were extremely concerned to learn of these charges,” she said.

According to RCSO, the Internet Crimes Against Children unit intercepted photos and video of child pornography “in relation to” a residence in Caledonia.

Investigators reportedly found about 44,000 illegal images in Wotnoske’s possession and RCSO said he allegedly admitted to possessing child pornography.

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_9ce5d35b-ed6e-4739-b3ea-a6cacd0ce62d.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Community rallies after strong storm damages Caledonia farm, greenhouse

Wisconsin rain leads to flooding near Root River | FOX6 News Milwaukee

Racine-based Burn Pit BBQ coming to Wisconsin Walmart stores in April

From JSOnline:

Business grew out of pandemic-era hobby

Francesca Pica

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Burn Pit BBQ, a small Racine-based barbeque seasoning business, is moving into the world's largest brick-and-mortar retail chain.

Walmart will carry Burn Pit BBQ's garlic seasoning and Memphis-style barbeque rubs at 70 Wisconsin stores starting April 19. It's a dramatic expansion for a business that grew out of a pandemic-era hobby.

Founders Ben Kreple and Greg Fischer, former soccer teammates at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, bonded after graduation over a shared love for grilling.

"It was a way to continue to get our families together," Kreple told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Racine residents saw more neighbors fire up their backyard grills, some for the first time. So, they started a blog offering recipes and tips.

"When Greg and I first started grilling together, we would reach out to ask questions, and there'd be times you'd get trounced on for asking certain questions," Kreple said. "Our vision was to have something for the newer, beginning grillers to feel free to ask questions."

Soon, Kreple and Fischer began experimenting with their own recipes. They opened an online store, Burn Pit BBQ, in 2020.

Burn Pit BBQ specializes in barbeque sauces, seasonings, and hot sauces. Sauces and seasonings run $12 per bottle, and hot sauces cost $15 per bottle.

The business boasts all-natural ingredients and gluten-free options. Kreple and Fischer said they wanted to offer a healthy, Wisconsin-made option for new grillers and enthusiasts alike.

After a couple years of online sales growth, Burn Pit BBQ expanded to a few local retailers. Among them are Metcalfe's Market in Wauwatosa, Butcher Block Meat Market in Oak Creek, and Harry Hansen Meat Service in Caledonia.

Walmart's Open Call program provided an opportunity

Last spring, a friend made Kreple and Fischer aware of Walmart's Open Call program, which invites small businesses to pitch for a chance to put their products on the retail giant's shelves. They applied online and were invited to meet with a buyer at Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas.

"We got 30 minutes to pitch our brand and our products, and after that 30
minutes, we were told that they'd like to give us a shot," Fischer said.

The pair run Burn Pit BBQ with the help of partner distributors and co-packers, but this new expansion has them looking bring on more people in the next few years. If all goes well, they hope to grow regionally.

"We want to focus on our backyard," Kreple said. "That's always been our goal – focus really heavily on Wisconsin, where we're from, and the Midwest."

Kreple and Fischer, both of whom served in the U.S. military, also host an annual "Back Yard Bash" fundraiser at Greendale's Explorium Brewpub to support local veterans' organizations. The event has raised more than $30,000 since it began five years ago.

"Being a veteran-owned business, it's very important for us to continue to remember our service as well as those that have served and continue to serve," Fischer said.

During this period of rapid growth, Kreple and Fischer want to keep accessibility central to Burn Pit BBQ.

Each online product description offers a rundown of flavor profile and which meats are best paired with it. Burn Pit BBQ's blog posts weekly recipes and grilling advice.

It's a part of helping others continue to bond over the grill, they said.

Francesca Pica can be reached at fpica@usatodayco.com.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2026/03/27/racine-based-burn-pit-bbq-coming-to-wisconsin-walmart-stores-in-april/89330883007/

Caledonia woman reported missing has been found dead, police say

From JSOnline:

Steven Martinez

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A 65-year-old Caledonia woman who police reported missing March 24 has
been found dead.

Police early Wednesday, March 25 issued a missing endangered person alert for Kari Nelson. Authorities cancelled the alert about 9:20 a.m., saying Nelson's body had been found.

Nelson was last seen about 6:30 p.m. March 24 leaving her house to pick up medication from a Meijer in Oak Creek. She never returned home.

Police found her car around 10 p.m. that night in Bender Park. Her cellphone was inside the vehicle, the alert said.

Police issue missing endangered alerts when a missing person does not meet critera for certain missing alerts, like an Amber Alert, a Silver Alert or a critical missing alert, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2026/03/25/caledonia-police-issue-missing-endangered-person-alert-for-kari-nelson/89312698007/

Microsoft vows to end secret data center agreements with local governments

From JSOnline:

Ricardo Torres

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Microsoft is ending its policy of using non-disclosure agreements with local municipalities as it builds out its data centers, according to an announcement by the company on March 18.

A company statement said it "made the decision that being transparent with the communities where we operate or seek to operate is paramount. This shift is about strengthening public trust, enabling better dialogue, and ensuring that our growth is matched by meaningful engagement. "

Transparency, or lack there of, on data center projects by technology companies has been raised as a major criticism by local residents opposed to data center projects.

For those municipalities that already have an NDA in place with Microsoft, the company said it is reaching out to those local governments to "coordinate termination."

"Microsoft has sometimes used NDAs during early stages of data center development to help protect sensitive commercial information, address early security considerations, and ensure we can comply with local regulatory and permitting processes," the company said. "It is a common industry practice to seek NDAs to protect early information about development proposals."

However there are some parts of development that require proprietary information and Microsoft said it will "seek to protect such information from records disclosure to protect our business interests" where the law allows.

"We often work in close coordination with local governments to develop our designs to reflect local requirements and priorities," the company said. "Because of this coordination and the sequential nature of our development, we may not have all development details from the beginning, but we endeavor to share information transparently when it is available."

Rima Alaily, corporate vice president and general counsel for Microsoft, said in a LinkedIn post the company "will continue to use NDAs in connection with private transactions when  acquiring  land, and we will continue to rigorously protect our trade secrets and data center design information. But we will not use NDAs as a default mechanism in our engagement with local governments."

Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, applauded Microsoft for taking this step.

"It's important to note that it's happening only after their attempts to work with these work with these non-disclosure agreements blew up in their face," he said.

"When people found out there was an agreement with local officials and companies to change the character of their communities, they resented it bitterly and pushed back," Lueders said. "I think that it was pretty clear that the revelations about non-disclosure agreements was bad PR for the companies. It was not a good look and it's not a surprise that they're eager to move beyond that."

Lueders believes other companies could take similar action.

"It's likely that these efforts to work with local officials under secrecy agreements are counter productive and they need to take a different tact," Lueders said.

Peg Sheaffer, communications director for Midwest Environmental Advocates, said the Microsoft decision is "an indicator that public opposition is gaining real traction and that the data center developers are getting nervous."

"Companies typically don't make announcements about building community trust unless those communities are already pushing back pretty hard," Sheaffer said in a statement. "If you’re a community member who’s been showing up to meetings, asking tough questions, and asserting your right to open and transparent government—keep it up. You are making a difference."

NDAs part of reason Caledonia residents opposed Microsoft

In 2025, Microsoft planned to build a data center in Caledonia, but the project involved a level of secrecy in the beginning that caused residents to oppose the development.

After hearing the outcry from residents, Microsoft decided to change course and dropped its plans.

“It doesn’t make sense to go where people don’t want us," said Microsoft President Brad Smith said in an interview 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 its first data center on its campus in Mount Pleasant, and has began construction on a second data center. So far the company has committed to about $7.3 billion to build its data center campus in the village.

Patrick Brever, deputy village administrator for Mount Pleasant, said this policy changed does not impact its relationship with Mount Pleasant.

"The village did not enter into a non-disclosure agreement with Microsoft while negotiating their investment in Mount Pleasant," Brever said.

Microsoft has approval from Mount Pleasant to build 15 more data centers during the next 10 years.

Microsoft is on track to be Racine County's largest taxpayer when it pays its bills in 2026, based on 2025 assessments.

This story has been updated with additional information.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2026/03/18/microsoft-vows-to-end-secret-data-center-deals-with-local-government/89210439007/

Caledonia missionary keeping faith close to her heart while battling cancer

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.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2026/01/14/caledonia-data-center-opponents-spoke-up-microsoft-says-it-listened/88171111007/

Caledonia man changes plea in April child pornography case

From The Journal Times.com:

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.

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_33bfd3ad-3b5f-40fc-926d-b28335c26fd5.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Little free food pantry in Caledonia | FOX6 News Milwaukee

Ascension and UnitedHealthCare renew in-network medical care

From The Journal Times.com:

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:

• myuhc.com

• myuhcmedicare.com

• retiree.uhc.com

• uhc.com/communityplan/wisconsin

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/business/health-care/article_8fc5d36d-f36d-4c83-bb00-a3f6259b8c43.html

Microsoft withdraws land rezone request for data center from Caledonia

From The Journal Times.com:

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.

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/business/article_862d09e0-51c8-4f2d-b9e7-6170fffa4771.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Microsoft drops Caledonia data center after facing opposition. Company looking for new site

From JSOnline:

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).

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2025/10/08/microsoft-pulls-plans-for-data-center-in-caledonia-wisconsin/86580822007/

Port Washington Common Council meeting

Click on the lower right of the video to enlarge it