Cops Gone Wild: Officer who shot 1-year-old while responding to shoplifting was justified, attorney general finds

Video shows moments after woman shoots man over Walmart parking spot

Walmart looks to pass tariff refunds onto shoppers after disappointing earnings report

Trump administration pays out $100 billion in tariff refunds to businesses

Grocery prices are driving more Americans to shoplift

Why Americans Are Buying Less Groceries

Taylor Farms recalls lettuce in 27 states amid cyclosporiasis outbreak

Army veteran allegedly shot to death over parking confrontation

Clergy Gone Wild: Priest pleads guilty to stealing​ baseball cards from Walmart

Data Center among many possibilities to replace vacant Milwaukee Walmart

Maryland becomes 1st state to ban 'dynamic pricing' in grocery stores

Police fatally shoot woman who allegedly tried to kidnap a 3-year-old at an Omaha Walmart

Walmart rolls out digital price tags: Here’s why advocates are concerned

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/

Are Driverless Freight Trucks the New Way to Transport Goods?

Hims & Hers stock plunges after weight loss pill pulled amid FDA scrutiny

Racine man charged in multi-county chase | FOX6 News Milwaukee

Microsoft's Racine County data centers to equal 40 Walmart Supercenters

From JSOnline:

Ricardo Torres

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Microsoft Corp. is planning 15 more data centers and adding 8.7 million square feet to its operation in Racine County.

The Mount Pleasant Village Plan Commission unanimously approved the site plans for Microsoft's latest development on Jan. 21. The approval goes to the full village board.

Microsoft has had a presence in the area since it announced it was building its first data center in 2024.

This latest proposal, if approved by officials from the Village of Mount Pleasant, marks the biggest expansion the company has made since it came to Wisconsin.

Here's what to know about Microsoft's latest plans for Mount Pleasant.

What is the scope of the Racine County Microsoft projects?

Microsoft's biggest presence is in Mount Pleasant in Racine County. So far, the company has committed more than $7.3 billion in the first phase of its data center campus to support its efforts on artificial intelligence, and it's likely to grow as the demand for data centers increases.

What's the location of the planned Microsoft projects in Racine County?

There are two proposals being evaluated by Mount Pleasant officials. One is located on Durand Avenue and the other is on International Drive.

On Durand Avenue, the proposal is planning for up to nine data centers with additional office space, each up to 579,796 square feet. The proposal also includes a 96,000-square-foot office and storage building, and other accessory buildings.

On International Drive, the proposal is planning for six data centers and additional office space, each up to 568,103 square feet. The proposal includes a 74,000-square-foot office and storage building, and other accessory buildings.

Is there a timeline for all of this construction?

Short answer: No.

Longer answer: Microsoft has issued a statement saying "Microsoft has proposed an expansion in Mount Pleasant, with plans submitted for two additional datacenter campuses on land we purchased in 2024. These preliminary plans are the next step in our years-long development process and we look forward to sharing more about our specific plans as we go forward as we've done for our first two sites in May 2024 and September of 2025 respectively."

How many buildings has Microsoft constructed in Racine County?

The company is finishing up its first data center, which consists of multiple buildings. And Microsoft is planning on breaking ground on a second data center later this year.

What guidelines must Microsoft follow while building in Mount Pleasant?

Village staff has set conditions to the proposals which include meeting architectural, lighting, parking and other modifications.

Also, Microsoft must "comply with all Racine Water Utility, Mount Pleasant Sanitary Sewer Utility, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources rules and permissions regarding consuming and returning water to the applicable utility systems and watersheds," the staff report says.

How many buildings does Microsoft plan to construct in Racine County?

If what Microsoft is planning comes to fruition, then nearly 20 buildings are planned for the next several years. However businesses change course regularly, even on the plot of land Microsoft is building on. It was originally intended for a giant campus for Foxconn but the original plans fell apart, giving Microsoft an opportunity to build its data centers.

And in 2025 Microsoft paused construction on its first data center for a brief period of time as the company because it was "assessing demand overall for AI and the other was assessing what kind of data center would make the most sense to build here for the second phase," according to Brad Smith, Microsoft president.

How does the Microsoft data center square footage compare with a Walmart Supercenter?

Walmart Supercenters can range from 99,000 to 260,000 square feet. A Walmart Supercenter is about 200,000 square feet.

Each data center and office space Microsoft is proposing is more than 560,000 square feet, which is nearly three times the size of a Supercenter. With 15 proposed data centers being evaluated for Mount Pleasant, that's easily more than two Walmart Supercenters per data center.

So doing some quick back of the envelope math, that means this project is in the size range of roughly 40 Walmart Supercenters in Mount Pleasant.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2026/01/21/microsofts-wis-data-centers-would-equal-40-walmart-supercenters/88270910007/

Accused shoplifter in Hartford surprised; store was teeming with police | FOX6 News Milwaukee

Here’s what experts expect shoppers to spend this holiday season