What's happening in Racine County this summer?

From The Journal Times.com:

The summer months have arrived and it’s time to start thinking of what to do and where to go to keep yourselves occupied.

There are many local events planned in Racine County this summer, including several which will continue for a number of weeks that may be of interest.

Among Racine and Racine County events are:

1. Burlington Farmers Market (June 4 – Sept. 24): The Burlington Farmers Market, 517 Congress St., Burlington, will be held from June – September every Thursday from 3 – 7 p.m. Admission is free. The market will have various food items, food trucks, as well as weekly live music.
2. Racine Farmers Market (May – Oct.  24): The Racine Farmers Market held at Festival Park, 5 Fifth St., Racine, began on May 9 and will run every Saturday through Oct. 24, with over 60 vendors offering a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and other delicacies. It is located at Festival Park, 5 Fifth St. in Racine.
3. Fun & Food on First (June through Sept. 28): Fun & Foot on First will run through every Monday through Sept. 28 in Waterford, 100 First St. from 5 – 8 p.m. The annual tradition offers food trucks, vendor markets, and weekly entertainment.
4. Bend & Brew (through Sept. 30): Bend & Brew is back for its ninth season in Racine. The events consist of free yoga every Wednesday and Saturday overlooking Lake Michigan. It will be held at the Reefpoint Marina’s grassy park area from 6-6:45 p.m. Wednesdays and from 8-8:45 a.m. Saturdays. Following each session, a certificate will be provided for a free coffee, beer, or drink at 10-plus local participating businesses.
5. Free Kids’ Day: Art “250” at the Wustum Museum (Friday, June 12): This one-day event at the museum in Racine runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will offer hands-on projects, scavenger hunts, and games in and outside the museum revolving around 250 years of handcrafted creativity.
6. Racine Harborfest (Friday, June 12,  Saturday, June 13): Racine Harborfest, re-established in 2025, is back for a two-day music festival held at Festival Park from 4-11 p.m., including food and beverages. All money will go towards Pink Paddling Power, which provides education and support for breast cancer survivors throughout Racine and Racine County, and Relay for Life of Southeast Wisconsin (No One Faces Cancer Alone).
7. Greater Racine BBQ Invitational (Saturday, June 27): The fourth annual Greater Racine BBQ will be held at Franksville Memorial Park, 9614 Northwestern Ave, from 2-9 p.m. on Saturday, June 27. The event supports the Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin. Award-winning barbeque vendors will be in attendance, as well as live music, craft beer, and yard games. No carry-in alcohol is allowed.
8. Saturday Sounds (Saturdays, June 27 to Aug. 29): Saturday Sounds is an opportunity to jam out to some free, live music in Monument Square, 502 Main St, Racine, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. each Saturday. Tables and chairs will be provided, as well as drinks that are available for purchase.
9. Summer Camp at the Wisconsin Humane Society (Monday, July 6, to Friday, Aug. 24):  Available for kids first-nighth grade,animal lovers can enjoy crafts, games, and meet and interact with several animals throughout the week. Camp Critters (first- third grade) will be offered July 13-17 and Aug. 10-14. Camp Unleased (fourth-sixth grade) runs from July 6-10 and July 20-24. Junior Veterinary Camp (sixth-ninth grade) will be held Aug. 3-7. Location: 8900 16th St., Mt. Pleasant.
10. Salmon-A-Rama (Thursday, July 9 through Sunday, July 19): The nine-day fishing tournament in Racine is open Lake Michigan-wide. The grand prize is $50,000 with a nearly a total of $200,000 in prize payouts. Held at Festival Park for 10 consecutive days, there will be two bands (The Cheap Shots, Broken Forty5), raffles, kid’s games, fireworks, kids fishing pond and food and beverages.
11. Taco Fest of Racine (Saturday, July 18): Franksville Memorial Park, 9614 Northwestern Ave, will hold the seventh annual Taco Fest from 1-9 p.m. Taco trucks and Taco restaurants are invited and there will be 20-plus craft beers on tap. Live music will be playing throughout the day. Admission is free.
12. Midwest Beach Championships (Saturday, Aug. 1): Open to junior teams and boys and girls, Epic Volleyball Club will be hosting the Midwest Beach Championships on North Beach in Racine from 8 a.m. 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1. Great Lakes Watercross will also be hosting a jet ski closed course through Aug. 1-2.
13. Car, Truck, & Bike Show (Thursday, Aug. 5): The Racine Zoo, 2131 N. Main St., will be hosting the Car, Truck, & Bike Show for all ages from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be more than  250 vehicles with a total of 75 awards being handed out. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

From: https://journaltimes.com/life-entertainment/local/events/article_d12a1caa-89a2-49df-a3df-d75d31dcfd71.html#tracking-source=mp-homepage

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Lawmakers reverse DNR rule that banned guns for anglers in Wisconsin

From JSOnline:

Laura Schulte

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON - Anglers can now carry guns while they fish in Wisconsin after lawmakers overturned a decades-old rule on Wednesday.

The Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules approved overturning the rule on a 7-3 vote without discussion.

The change comes after a conservative group highlighted the law last year and how it could potentially impact anglers who carried a gun for protection but didn't plan to use it on fish.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, WILL, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Travis Kobs in Sheboygan County seeking to repeal a state rule enacted by the Department of Natural Resources in 1999 barring anglers from possessing firearms that could be used for fishing.

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Since then, the rule has prevented anglers from being able to carry any sort of firearm while they fish on the water and along banks and shores.

WILL said the regulation possibly violated the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

Kobs, according to the complaint, is an avid outdoorsman who also has a permit to conceal-carry a pistol for self-defense, which the regulation prevented him from doing while fishing.

The complaint also notes that musky fishing in Wisconsin can be dangerous, and until 1966, anglers often carried small guns to kill or incapacitate the fish before reeling them in. It also said Wisconsin's rules regarding fishing with firearms are some of the most restrictive in the nation.

Because there was a risk that a gun may be used for fishing, the regulation prohibited the possession of firearms completely.

After announcement of the lawsuit last year, the Department of Natural Resources pledged to repeal the rule, and said it already didn't enforce the rule. But, the agency said, anglers still won't be allowed to use guns to shoot fish, just simply carry them for protection.

Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X @SchulteLaura.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/29/wisconsin-anglers-now-permitted-to-carry-guns-while-they-fish/77974307007/

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Cops Gone Wild: Nephew of Ojibwe leader Maulson claims he was targeted by Oneida County sheriff's deputy

From JSOnline:

Frank Vaisvilas

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

RHINELANDER - An Oneida County man with a well-known family name in the Northwoods claims he was targeted by a sheriff's deputy because he is Indigenous, following an incident in a Walmart parking lot that left him with a head injury.

He also contends the incident reflects broader hostility toward tribal members in the area.

A Sheriff's Department captain said the treatment of Thomas Maulson was well within bounds, and that being a member of the Lac du Flambeau tribe was irrelevant. He said he was disappointed that Maulson raised the issue of targeting and being Indigenous, and said he feared it would foster unnecessary divisiveness.

Maulson, 43, of Woodruff, said he was the subject of a road rage incident March 30 in which a driver followed him into a Rhinelander parking lot and challenged him to a fight. The two briefly tussled, but soon made up and the other driver drove away.

However, an Oneida County sheriff's deputy pulled up, approached the vehicle and asked Maulson for his driver’s license and registration. Maulson asked, “For what?” according to the police report. Oneida County Sheriff’s Deputy Will Taege then asked Maulson why he was breathing heavily, according to the report, and Maulson replied, “Does it matter?”

At that point, Taege said in his report, he realized Maulson was a “no” person and was not complying, so the deputy pulled Maulson out of his car to arrest him. Maulson repeatedly asked, "What did I do?" Taege’s dashcam video shows Taege handling Maulson, who is handcuffed, and Maulson falling to the pavement, hitting his head.

Maulson’s attorney, Maggie Hogan, said Taege did not give Maulson enough time to comply. Maulson and Hogan also argue Taege tripped Maulson while pushing him hard, causing the fall. Moments later, another officer arrived and helped lift Maulson from the ground. In the dashcam video, blood is seen streaming across Maulson’s face.

Captain Tyler Young of the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department reviewed the incident and said Taege acted appropriately. Young said Taege also had the options of a taser, pepper spray or focused strikes, which he did not use.

He said Taege observed that Maulson was agitated, and Taege was trying to get the situation under control. As for the fall, the sheriff's office contends Maulson’s legs were crossed and he tripped himself.

Maulson said nothing was ever out of control.

He contends he was targeted by Taege because he is a member of the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Nation. He said many residents in the area hold animosity toward the tribe, dating back to the so-called Walleye Wars in the 1980s and early '90s, and continuing to this day because of an ongoing dispute over access to non-tribal homes located on the Lac du Flambeau reservation.

Notably, the police dispatcher told Taege before the altercation and arrest that he should be looking for Maulson from Flambeau, according to a motion filed by Maulson's attorney. But Taege later said he didn’t know Maulson was a tribal member.

Maulson shares a name with his uncle, a well-known former tribal president and leader of the tribe during the Walleye Wars. Books have been written about his uncle, and about his actions leading up to a federal court decision that the state wrongfully prohibited Ojibwe members from harvesting fish in the Northwoods outside of the state-designated fishing season. The judge said those rights were guaranteed by treaty.

Many non-tribal people in the area protested the decision.

Young acknowledged some isolated incidents of harassment against tribal members harvesting walleye do still occur. But, he said, Taege is too young to remember the controversy. Further, he said the road access issue affects only a small number of people and is essentially a private matter. Maulson’s "actions are what caused him to be on the ground,” Young said.

Maulson also said he and other tribal members choose not to have or display tribal license plates for fear of being targeted by police outside the reservations. Maulson uses Wisconsin plates.

Young said plates are not a big deal. “I feel bad that somebody feels scared to have tribal plates,” he said.

Maulson was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The other driver was caught by Rhinelander police and charged with disorderly conduct.

Maulson’s wife, Rachel Maulson, said their children, ages 6 and 2 at the time, were traumatized by the incident. She said the older one still has a visceral reaction when he sees police. “He was taught to respect authority, so he’s confused why they would hurt his loved one,” Rachel Maulson said. “When a cop drives by he’s nervous.”

Maulson received 13 stitches above his right eye, and said he still has medical issues affecting his vision and orientation.

Maulsen said he plans to sue the sheriff's office and the deputy, but his attorney told him to hold off until this case is settled. Hogan said a trial is scheduled for early January.

Frank Vaisvilas is a former Report for America corps member who covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact him at fvaisvilas@gannett.com or 815-260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2024/10/02/ojibwe-man-claims-he-was-targeted-roughed-up-by-sheriffs-deputy/75398061007/?tbref=hp

Kenosha lake rescue; fisherman slipped off pier

From Fox6Now:

KENSOHA, Wis. - Kenosha police on Jan. 14 rescued a 68-year-old man who slipped off a pier and fell into the lake while fishing. The dramatic body camera video shows the man was able to stay afloat for about 20 minutes, screaming for help.

Lake Michigan, with its tranquility and treachery, is often the star of Gary Brown's photos. 

"I love days like this, with beautiful sunshine and beautiful light," said Brown.

Brown comes out daily to capture the water and everything around it, always taking precautions. 

"I definitely do not want to fall in the lake," said Brown.

On Jan. 14, that's exactly what happened to a man who slipped on a pier.

"You can see here, three gentlemen holding onto the man who is actually in the water," said Lt. Joseph Nosalik, Kenosha PD.

The fisherman fell into the frigid water while trying to clear ice away. According to police, a dog walker heard the man's screams and called 911.

"A couple of the fire department personnel grabbed the gentleman and held onto him to keep him from going underwater," said Lt. Nosalik.

Kenosha police arrived, helping to pull the man to safety.

"Eventually, it took about four people to get this guy out of the water and get him medical attention," said Nosalik. 

The man survived the plunge, and police are sharing a warning. 

"The public needs to be aware that the lake can be a dangerous place," said Nosalik. "It’s beautiful, but it’s dangerous at the same time. When something like this does work out, it really is remarkable, and we take great pride in that."

Kenosha police said Tuesday, Jan. 25 the fisherman is doing well.  He was treated for hypothermia and released from the hospital.

From: https://www.fox6now.com/news/kenosha-lake-rescue-fishermna-slipped-off-pier

27 people rescued from floating ice chunk in Green Bay

From Fox6Now:

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Authorities rescued 27 people from a floating chunk of ice that broke away from shore in the bay of Green Bay in eastern Wisconsin, the sheriff's office said Sunday.

No injuries were reported in the incident that happened Saturday morning north of Green Bay, in the arm that's part of Lake Michigan, the Brown County Sheriff's Office reported. Many of the 27 people rescued were ice fishing at the time of the incident.

The chunk of ice floated about three-quarters of a mile during the rescue and was about a mile from the shoreline by the time everyone was brought to solid ground. Authorities said the stranded people were on the separated ice shove for about 90 minutes.

A barge traveling through the bay may have caused the ice chunk to break off the shoreline, the sheriff's office said. Shane Nelson, who was making his first ice fishing excursion, said the noise sounded like somebody had fired a gun.

"We thought it was interesting, got out of our shanty, took a look and people were yelling on the ice, ‘We’re separating,’" Nelson told WLUK-TV.

Airboats from the Brown County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Coast Guard were able to rescue eight passengers at a time.

From: https://www.fox6now.com/news/27-people-rescued-from-floating-ice-chunk-in-green-bay

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