"NEAL UNGER - 60 YEAR OLD SKATEBOARDER"

Sk8er Boi

"Viewers share joy of college-bound teen with Down syndrome"

From JSOnline:

By Erin Richards of the Journal Sentinel

Little Chute — "Noah Van Vooren waited by the mailbox every afternoon. They said the letter would come in April. So he waited. Even in the rain. Even when his sisters yelled at him to come inside.

"Noah, 19, had applied to college like many of his friends at Little Chute High School. Edgewood College in Madison hosts a special track for people like him, with Down syndrome or other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

"He wanted to be the first to know whether they'd take him.

"The news he got on April 5 has now been enjoyed by the half-million people who have watched the family video posted to YouTube. Noah opens the envelope and bursts into unadulterated joy, which ends with him yanking off his Badgers sweat shirt and flexing muscles under his high school 'Mustang Pride' T-shirt.

"'I got accepted!' he roars."

Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/viewers-share-joy-of-college-bound-teen-with-downs-syndrome-b99251149z1-255828171.html#ixzz2zJDHb5u1

I saw this video the other day and meant to post it, but forgot.  Now the Journal Sentinel has a story on it.

Open Blog - Weekend

May your eggs be merry and bright.

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone and welcome back! It's great to have this Good Friday off and chill out. Who knows what could happen on my vacation.... Anyways, your questions...

1) What do you prefer narrow ruled or wide ruled paper?

2) What was your neighborhood like when you were growing up?

3) What is the best invention in your lifetime?

4) KISS, Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstant, and Hall & Oates all recently have inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Who do you think should be in there by now or in the future? Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

Enjoy your weekend!

"Good Friday Holiday Closings"

From The Journal Times.com:

GOVERNMENT OFFICES: Most government offices are closed on Friday. 

MAIL SERVICE: Mail will be delivered, and post offices are open Friday.

BUS: Belle Urban System runs as scheduled on Friday.

BANKS: Some banks have restricted hours on Friday.

THE JOURNAL TIMES: The office is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday. For a missed paper, call 262-634-3322 between 6:30 and 10:30 a.m.

GARBAGE PICKUP: There will be garbage/recycling pickup on Friday as normally scheduled in Burlington, Caledonia and Mount Pleasant.

Racine — Solid waste/recycling collection will not be collected on Friday. The solid waste/recycling collection schedule will resume on its normal schedule on April 25.

Read more: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/good-friday-holiday-closings/article_9b79a52c-c62c-11e3-a748-0019bb2963f4.html

Open Blog - Friday

Don't get too worked up.

"Father Sends Epic Warning To Boys Interested In His Daughter"

http://buttonpoetry.com/

About Us

Mission

Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for performance poetry.

Vision

We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry’s audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.

What we actually do

Button produces and distributes poetry media, including: video from local and national events, chapbooks, collaborative audio recordings, scholarship and criticism, and many other products.

Read more: http://buttonpoetry.com/about-us/


Performance poetry and/or poetry slams are great entertainment when done well.  I don't have the cojones to do it.

"Russian Ghost Car Appears Out of Nowhere..."

Wtf?

Russian auto insurance companies and body shops must be swamped.

There must be 64 ways to leave your mayor

From Racine Community Media:

"The truth behind the State of the City Address & what Mayor John Dickert really should of said in his speech to the residents and taxpayers of Racine."

Read more:  http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/post/82973946041/the-truth-behind-the-state-of-the-city-address

Open Blog - Thursday

I'm thinking about it.

The Root River!

Yesterday I was on my way to go and see Drew for lunch and I go over the bridge for the Root River on 4 Mile Rd in Caledonia. I looked at the river and I could not believe how high it was. My thought was dang it I don't have the camera with me to get some pictures. Then I went to see how the river looked by 5 Mile Rd and I was really bad there too. I was almost late to go and see him for lunch by the time I got there some of the guys were coming out for lunch. I told Drew about it then I said I am bringing the camera with me when I pick up and I am getting some pictures.

I did bring the camera with me to get some pictures to share with everyone. The only place I do have to go and check out is by Spring Street. The weather men are saying that the rivers are going down but this morning they looked the same to me.

Here are the pictures:

                                      This is on 4 Mile Rd in Caledonia Wi this is looking North.

                                      This is on 4 Mile Rd in Caledonia Wi this is looking South.

                                      This is on 5 Mile Rd in Caledonia Wi this is looking North.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my winter-weary friends!  How are you?  Yes, that was snow the other day.  It’s difficult not to get discouraged with this weather.  Next up, floods.  The winter that wouldn’t die is clearly still alive.  Enough is enough.  We have to drive a stake through its heart.  Part those clouds and let the sun shine in.  We, the people, demand warmth!  Give me higher temperatures, or give me Florida.

The local news seems to be filled with nothing but fires and robberies.  One bar has been robbed three times in a month.  Sooner or later, one of these robbers is going to be shot by a bartender, business owner, or customer.  I predict that when it happens, Racine will prosecute the bartender, business owner, or customer.  Oh my.

It’s best to remember that you are responsible for your own safety.  I heartily salute and thank all Law Enforcement Officers who daily do their best to combat crime.  But the police simply can’t be everywhere at all times.  At least, not in a free country.  For self-protection, Señor Zanza uses what he calls “projective hypnotism,” which is instantly hypnotizing people from a distance.  The last mugger who tried to rob him ended up confessing to the police while dancing like a chicken.

I, of course, can astral project myself out of dicey situations.  Junior is left with his cell phone for protection.  I mean, he’s in school, which used to mean relative safety, so he can’t arm himself.  The school, of course, has teachers, officials, and even police officers on hand to deal with situations that may arise.  It’s crazy to think this way, to worry about my son being killed or harmed by some maniac, or another student, while he’s in school, but our world has changed so much.  It’s difficult raising children in these times.

Indeed, sometimes it can be difficult just existing.  Stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times.  Don’t be the next victim.

In regard to the political trickery that takes place in our beautiful city, I quote the Holy Bible, Matthew, 7:15-16: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”

Oh dear, once again I find my blog turning negative.  Here’s a video completely off the subject to cheer you up:

Seals are so cute.  Apparently, they just want a belly rub.

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. America, for visiting my blog today.  I always appreciate an audience, and I always appreciate you.

How to deal with false prophets?  Ask: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Enjoy the hopefully warmer weather to come this week.  As it warms, more pedestrians, bicycles, and motorcycles are on the road.  Watch out for others.  And watch out for yourselves.  Decalfate!     

Open Blog - Wednesday

Don't tell me. I don't want to know.

Eclipse Photos

Very hectic day and week...so I am just going to post some eclipse photos from last night. Enjoy!

"Fruit Ninja in Real Life to Dubstep!"

Unfortunately for you guys, I like dubstep.

Open Blog - Tuesday

Have a fruity Tuesday.

"Total Lunar Eclipse Special"

Scheduled for Apr 15, 2014

"On the night of April 14th, two significant and spectacular events will take place simultaneously, as Mars reaches its closest point to Earth while the Moon will be totally eclipsed. Slooh will present these events in real time, starting with coverage of Mars at 7 PM PDT / 10 PM EDT / 02 UTC (4/15) (International Times) from Slooh's telescopes off the west coast of Africa in the Canary Islands and transitioning to coverage of the Total Lunar Eclipse starting at 11 PM PDT / 2 AM EDT (4/15) / 06 UTC (4/15) (International Times) with live feeds from throughout North America. Viewers can watch free on Slooh.com or by downloading the Slooh iPad app. The live image stream will be hosted by Slooh Observatory Director Paul Cox and Slooh astronomer Bob Berman, who will be reporting live from Prescott Observatory in Prescott, Arizona. Viewers can ask questions during the show by using hashtag #Slooh."

Read more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7aXzE5ZNH8


A little over an hour and a half to go as of this posting. 

Fired on First Day!

How do you manage to get fired on the first day in a Winnie the Pooh costume?

By putting on your costume pants the wrong way around!

Post gets Pulitzer, Snowden gets Putin

Local Loyalty - Dessert Heaven

Welcome back !

Today's edition will quite likely make you hungry!

(I'm actually writing this on an empty stomach, yikes!)

Dessert Heaven 

 Located at 327 Main Street, is the best hidden treasure!

Don't let the name fool you, it's more than just desserts -

 Breakfast, and lunch are served daily, 

as well as dinner Friday (Fish Fry) and Saturday (Soul Food).

 Walking in, you're greeted so warmly by V, the owner. 

She made me feel instantly at home. 

While Dessert Heaven has been here since September of 2013, 

I know I had to have walked by and not noticed.  :(

WOW, how I wish I was more observant sooner, this place is awesome!

Open Tues, Wed, and Thur 9-4, 

Friday and Saturday's 8-8   

(still winter hours, May 1st should go to M-Th 9-6, same Fri and Sat 8-8)

She has been in business of making cake pops and small desserts, and catering for a number of years, only recently opening a store front. 

Cake pops, candy buffets, cupcakes, anything dipped in chocolate (what's not to love???)

So much deliciousness in one place, are you drooling yet? 

Friday nights are fish fry nights, with catfish, cod, or tilapia and hushpuppies. 

Saturday nights are soul food 

Here is a link to their MENU

V would love to branch out, and open kiosks in malls 

as well as getting a dessert truck(s).

Her personality is so warm and her smile is just infectious, 

I know she is going to do great things!

Her 3 words are - 

1. Unique

2. Welcoming (most definitely!)

3. Blessed

Please check her out! 

I can't wait to go back and try out lunch one of these days soon

(and of course, pick out something awesome for dessert!)

Don't forget to let her know you saw it here!     

 

 

Open Blog - Monday

Monday always feels upside down.

Venus and Neptune

I love taking pretty astro photos as much as the next person. However, I also enjoy taking shots that may not be as visually appealing but that show an interesting phenomena.

One such opportunity arose as the planets Venus and Neptune had a close conjunction on April 12th. At closest approach, they were only 40 arc minutes (2/3 of a degree) apart. They would have been a little farther apart by the time they rose in Tucson that morning, but still pretty close. Unfortunately, the morning of the 12th was cloud so I had to wait for the clouds to break. This morning (the 13th) was nice and clear when my alarm went off. According to Stellarium, they would be about 1 degree, 32 arc minutes apart when I went out this morning. 

Again, I fired up the trusty Canon 60D with the 75-300mm zoom lens at 300mm. I didn't bother with the Skytracker as I figured I should be able to get the pair with a fairly short exposure. I took quite a few shots, but my favorite ended up being a 2 second exposure at ISO5000 (which showed the mountains faintly in the foreground). I put an arrow to help you find Neptune.

The star immediately above Neptune is HIP111398 and the two brighter stars to the right are sigma Aquarius (top) and 58 Aquarius (bottom) for those trying to get oriented in the sky.

Although they appear close together in the sky, they are far apart. Venus is a mere 78 million miles away and Neptune is 2.85 billion miles away! Light takes about 7 minutes to reach us from Venus but about 4 hours and 12 minutes to arrive from Neptune! Neptune's diameter is about twice that of Venus, but is appears dim since it is so far away and receives much less sunlight than Venus. 

If you have similar equipment to mine, you can go out and try to get your own photograph of a nearby planet and a distant planet in the same shot for the next few days. 

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

"Republican Racine County DA Rich Chiapete’s Excellent Adventure In Screen Shots"

From Racine Exposed:  

http://racineexposed.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/republican-racine-county-da-rich-chiapetes-excellent-adventure-in-screen-shots/

More Musical Madness

"Saturday Night Dance Party"

From Racine Exposed:

"To All The Corrupt Racine Politicians And Officials"

"It’s Saturday Night.

"Time to Party on Down!

"Get Your Groove ON!

"PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC!"



Read (and dance) more: http://racineexposed.wordpress.com/2014/04/12/to-all-the-corrupt-racine-politicians-and-officials/

Open Blog - Weekend

Party on!

Welcome Back, Racine County Corruption!

http://racinecountycorruption.blogspot.com/

Racine County corruption has been added to the sidebar list of Local and Area Blogs and Sites.

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone and welcome back! It has been a busier week than usual.... Some overtime, some days out there in the sunshine. Good to have the temperatures back up there... Anyways, your questions....

1) What kind/model of car do you want to test drive?

2) What is your favorite instrumental song?

3) What do you enjoy the most being outdoors?

4) What cartoon do you still like to watch?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Friday

Me, too.

“'We Are Racine' to begin Peaceful Solutions Education Program"

From RacineUncovered:

"We Are Racine has partnered with Peaceful Solution Character Education from Abilene, Texas to begin a first ever program in Racine, Wisconsin. We will start doing this program in conjunction with our summer programs

"W.A.R. and PCSE are devoted to promoting character education as its main tool for positive character development. Teachers and volunteers with We Are Racine will begin teaching The Peaceful Solution Character Education Program (PSCEP) with a variety of courses to area children. We want to reach all ages so the impact of character change can be realized and effected in society.

"It is so important to establish a foundation of moral excellence by teaching right from wrong and positive ways to deal with conflict in our lives. It is a given that every child born will face conflicts and have to make choices on a daily basis. If we can give them the tools they will need to be able to weigh their choices and choose to act in a positive manner, then they will have that foundation to be upright, moral citizens in the societies of tomorrow.

"Conflict Resolution… Self- Control… Honesty… Respect.

"These are all character traits that must be learned. They are the tools that can be used to foster peace.

"We all know what kind of world we live in… but we can live in a better world."

Read more: http://racineuncovered.org/2014/04/we-are-racine-to-begin-peaceful-solutions-education-program/

We Are Racine: http://weareracine.org/

"Settlement agreement reached in District Attorney OWI case"

From RacineUncovered:

"The prosecution and the defense in the City of Racine –v- William R. Chiapete case have reached a settlement agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Chiapete pleads guilty to all charges. Mr. Chiapete will be required to pay forfeitures and costs totaling $1,205.00 and have his driver license revoked for one year. He will also be required to install an ignition interlock device on his vehicles and will only be permitted to drive a vehicle with an ignition interlock device installed for one year.

"The settlement agreement has been filed with the Racine Municipal Court. Kenosha Municipal Judge Michael Easton, who was appointed to hear the case after Racine Municipal Judge Mark Nielsen recused himself. Judge Easton is aware the parties have reached an agreement, however he has not yet reviewed the actual written agreement. Judge Easton has the discretion to accept or reject the parties’ agreement."
 
SCOTT R. LETTENEY
Deputy City Attorney
City of Racine, Wisconsin

Read more: http://racineuncovered.org/2014/04/settlement-reached-in-district-attorney-owi-case/

Also see: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/da-cited-for-obstructing-a-police-officer-agrees-to-settlement/article_cdc3ef9e-c0df-11e3-92c6-001a4bcf887a.html

This Saturday - Root River Rollers Roller Derby

From RacineUncovered:

"Tickets are $9. Root River Rollers Derby are donating a portion of our proceeds to the Women’s Resource Center. There will be a kringle eating contest during half time. The WRC will also be conducting a 50/50 raffle. We secured a historic venue for this monumental event. Racine has never before had their very own roller derby team.

"Like them on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Their website is rootriverrollers.com"

Read more: http://racineuncovered.org/2014/04/april-12-root-river-rollers-roller-derby/


I may be there.

Open Blog - Thursday

Go on. You deserve it.

"The Ultimate Warrior Is Dead At Age 54"

"We've got some very bad news to report. Wrestling legend The Ultimate Warrior has died at the age of 54. After typing that, it feels like someone just kicked my childhood in the crotch.

"Warrior began his career with WWF (before it was renamed WWE) back in 1987, and quickly became one of the most popular wrestlers of his generation. He even kicked Hulk Hogan's ass at Wrestlemania VI, and people were happy about it. Considering Hogan's popularity at the time, that's pretty amazing.

"One bright note is that he lived to see his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, which took place just a few days ago. He also attended WrestleMania 30, and gave this short speech on last night's Monday Night Raw.



"Warrior was his legal name, by the way. His original name was James Brian Hellwig, but he had it changed in 1993. He leaves behind a wife and two daughters.

"At any rate, R.I.P. Warrior."

Read more: http://www.break.com/article/ultimate-warrior-dead-at-54-2596255


While I scanned the net for news and blogs about the Ultimate Warrior, I was struck by how many of the online tributes were written by young men who remember the Ultimate Warrior as one of their heroes growing up. The Ultimate Warrior made an impression on a generation.

A Night On Kitt Peak

Last night I was fortunate enough to accompany a U of Arizona student on a trip up Kitt Peak. He was trying to observe an exoplanet transit with the 0.9 meter telescope (he got data...has to analyze it to see if he saw the planet). We also took some pretty pictures (again, pending analysis) with the telescope. 

Fortunately, there were times I could sneak outside with my camera and take some pics. The Moon was waxing gibbous so it's light would dominate until it set. Fortunately, there are still interesting things you can photograph. Mars was at opposition last night so I took a couple of pictures of Mars and Spica as they rose over the domes.

As twilight ended, I setup  for a shot I have wanted to do for a long time. I walked down to the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope. This famous telescope looks like the number 7 on its side. It is polar aligned which means that the tunnel points straight toward the north star (less than half the tunnel is above ground...it's really a cool scope!) I set up my camera at the base of the telescope where the tunnel went underground and set my intervalometer to take a whole bunch of 30 second exposures which I then stacked to produce the star trails shown below. The one star at the tip of the telescope that stays still is the North Star.

I then went back to the 0.9 meter scope and setup  for a star trails shot pointing toward the 4 meter telescope. Some clouds started rolling in and I stopped after a while thinking my photo wouldn't come out. I processed it anyway and the moving clouds created an interesting image. Maybe I should have kept taking more images to make the trails longer!

Did some visual observing for a while and then after the Moon set, went for some images of the Milky Way rising.

Great night, but got very little sleep...say, that sounds like a good idea.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Poll: Should Rich Chiapete Resign As Racine County DA?

I'm bumping up this blog because the poll continues to be popular.

Originally published on Monday, April 7, 2014 at 3:56 PM:


Also, Racine Exposed has a story up on the Chiapete arrest: http://racineexposed.wordpress.com/2014/04/07/racine-county-da-rich-chiapete-arrested-for-hit-and-run-and-owi/

Also see: http://racineexposed.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/county-of-racine-da-republican-rich-chiapetes-big-nite-out/ 

"County of Racine DA, Republican Rich Chiapete’s Big Nite Out"

From Racine Exposed:

http://racineexposed.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/county-of-racine-da-republican-rich-chiapetes-big-nite-out/

"LuckyTV | Uitsmijter" [Bouncer]

CAUTION: ADULT LANGUAGE, ETHNIC SLURS, AND RELIGIOUS HUMOR



I'm sure some people will find this disrespectful, but I like the new pope and wish him no dishonor.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my spring flora and fauna!  How are you?  The slow slog to warmer temperatures continues, but it still seems cold outside.  Until the ground and lakes thaw out, we’re going to be chilly.  Then it will suddenly be in the high 90 degrees and warmer for a few weeks, then back to the cold.  Summer’s over.  Oh my.

Oh my, indeed, for what has transpired in Racine since my last blog.  I do hope that federal agents or employees who are in the area and/or monitoring Racine don’t get the wrong impression.  Then again, I’m not so sure anymore what the “right” impression is.

The murder of a patron occurred outside the downtown bar of one of Mr. Mayor Dickert’s best friends.  The federal civil rights lawsuit related to Pattern or Practice that has been brought against the city alleges different treatment for different bars in Racine.  It’s horrid that someone died.  But, given that someone has, what action or inaction will be taken against the bar owner?  This seems to be right up the federal lawsuit’s alley, and it doesn’t bode well for Racine.

Then, of course, we have the OWI and hit-and-run alleged against our District Attorney.  Oh dear.  Another black eye for Racine.  How many eyes do we have?

Remember when Mr. Ex-Mayor Becker was targeted for OWI, but he made it home safely before the police arrived?  Then it turns out that he’s a pedophile.  We would have been better off keeping him drunk.

I’m sorry for the negative tone of this blog, but there are some very strange things happening in this town and we need the likes of a St. Patrick to drive our snakes out and into Lake Michigan.

The good news is that it looks like two cold cases of murder may finally be solved.  Thank you to all the people in and out of law enforcement who worked on these cases.  May this be balm for the victims’ families.  May justice finally be done.

Another issue has been the censorship at the Journal Times site.  They seemed to have taken it up a notch or two lately to protect Mr. Mayor and his friends.  That is precisely why this site exists.  We got fed up with the Journal Times’ censorship of our comments, so we started our own site.  Ta-da!  Please join us.

I can’t leave you on such a sour note.  Watch this video.  It has the answers to all of our problems:

http://thaigoodstories.com/

May we always help each other, Irregular or not.

Thank you for reading my blog.  I enjoy your company and consider all visitors my friends.  Love, love, love is in the air.

What’s the meaning of meaning’s meaning?  Ask madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Enjoy the longer, warmer days, my friends.   May spring dig us out of the snow and ice.  Early blooming bulbs are poking through the soil.  Hello, my lovelies.  Facinorous!

Open Blog - Wednesday

From super to terrific to happy. These are P & P blogs.

"Richard Turner - One of the World's Greatest Card Magicians - Dealt Teaser Trailer"

http://dealtmovie.com/

"You don't know what you can do until you try." - one of my AA sponsors.

Open Blog - Tuesday

Terrific maybe, but I'm tacky for sure.

Local Loyalty - Nick James Studios

Welcome back!

Today, I want to introduce you to a man named Nick.

Nick is the man behind Nick James Studios.

Nick mainly works with videography but is also a very talented photographer. He records, edits and masters his own work. He does weddings, and other occasions and events, as well as recording little league games and even a funeral for a loved one who couldn't make it. 

Nick's goal is to keep things small and personal and ultimately affordable by doing everything himself from home.
He uses high def camcorders and masters everything 

with professional editing software. 

He got his start recording weddings 

as gifts for friends and family and found 

there was quite a need for affordable wedding videography.

Nick works by word of mouth, and could use our help!
Do you know someone getting married? 

Graduating? 

Babies?

Doing something awesome that needs to be shared? 

Give Nick a call, he's here to help!
 Nick's 3 words are -
1. Small
2. Personalized
3. Affordable

He also works with home IT stuff, like computer repair/virus removal, home networking set ups, and hands on education for software and hardware.

Nick's a pretty awesome go-to guy, with lots of talent and knowledge to share. 

Don't forget to let him know you saw it here!

Open Blog - Monday

Is that possible?

"Slow Life"

Slow Life from Daniel Stoupin on Vimeo.

Best viewed full screen.

These are real corals and real colors.

Read more: http://vimeo.com/88829079

"Racine County DA Cited for OWI, Hit & Run"

From Racine County Eye:

"Racine County District Attorney Rich Chiapete received municipal citations Friday night for both operating while intoxicated and hit and run.

"The accident reportedly happened at the intersection of Melvin and Main Streets in the City of Racine near Chiapete’s home.

"Chiapete released a statement apologizing for the incident Saturday morning.

“'I exercised extremely poor judgment on many levels. I did receive municipal citations for OWI and Hit & Run,' the statement reads, 'I take full responsibility for my actions. I am ashamed and embarrassed.'

"Racine Police Chief Art Howell confirmed the citations were issued.

“'We did issue citations to (Mr. Chiapete) following a property damage accident,' Howell wrote to Racine County Eye in an email.

"This is Chiapete’s first offense for both the OWI and the hit and run charges. Howell explained that when an accident does not involve other parties and does not result in any injuries, officers are given the discretion to issue citations instead of elevating the charges to a state level.

"Howell said a full press release – including his statement – is expected early Saturday afternoon.

"Here is Chiapete’s statement in full:

"I wanted to contact you with this information immediately. I did not want you to hear it from some other source. Last evening, I was involved in a single car accident near my house. I was coming home from a birthday party and had a few drinks. I did initially panic and leave the scene. I exercised extremely poor judgment on many levels. I did receive municipal citations for OWI and Hit & Run. I take full responsibility for my actions. I am ashamed and embarrassed. I apologize to my family, to the law enforcement community and to all of the citizens in our community. This should not have happened and I pledge to work hard to restore your faith in me."

"We will update this story as more information becomes available." 

Read more: http://racinecountyeye.com/2014/04/05/racine-county-da-cited-owi-hit-run/

Press release: http://racineuncovered.org/2014/04/elected-official-cited-for-owi/

Open Blog - Weekend

Ar, arooooo! Arooooo!

"Cats seized from Caledonia neglect case now available for adoption"

"RACINE – Several cats who were removed from a home in Caledonia due to suspected animal mistreatment are now available for adoption at the Wisconsin Humane Society Racine Campus, and the organization is asking for the public’s help in finding them good homes.

“'Six of the cats have been medically cleared to go into our adoption program, after treatment for conditions ranging from dental issues to respiratory infections,' said Alison Kleibor, director of the Racine Campus. 'They are so deserving of loving families and we hope to place them soon.'

"There is no fee to adopt an adult cat at the Wisconsin Humane Society, and they do same day adoptions M-F 12-8 and Sat 10-6. The cats who are healthy enough to be placed will remain in the adoption program until they find a new home. Animals in the WHS adoption program have as long as it takes to find a new home – there are no time or space limits.

"Most of the cats are seniors ranging from 7 to 14 years old, which Kleibor states makes it more challenging to find them homes. 'Many people are looking for kittens or younger cats to adopt, but we know that some people love to provide seniors with happy retirement homes. It is so rewarding to share your home with a kitty in her golden years.'
 
"Available animals can be viewed on their website and filling out an adopter profile online will help expedite the adoption process. More information can be found at www.wihumane.org or by calling the WHS Racine Campus at 262-554-6699."

Read more: http://www.wihumane.org/news/cats-seized-from-caledonia-neglect-case-now-available-for-adoption-