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Woman Accused Of Attacking Boyfriend After Finding Him In Bed With Another Woman Posts Cash Bail

Stephanie Vargas, 25, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Stephanie Vargas, 25, of Kenosha, posted a $650 cash bail Thursday and was released after prosecutors charged her with misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct, both with domestic abuse enhancers, stemming from a confrontation that allegedly began when she found her boyfriend in bed with another woman. Stephanie Vargas, 25, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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18-Year-Old Accused Of Shooting At Two Students Arrested More Than Two Months After Warrant Issued; Case Remains Sealed

Dewayne L. Wright, 18, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Dewayne L. Wright, 18, of Kenosha, was arrested July 28 on a warrant that had been issued May 15 after prosecutors charged him with two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety while using a dangerous weapon. As of Thursday, any bail determination and other details of his custody remain unknown because Kenosha County Circuit Judge Dougvillo has not yet unsealed the case. Dewayne L. Wright, 18, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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Kenosha Man, 17, Given $10,000 Cash Bail On Felony Allegations Of Possessing Fentanyl And Heroin With Intent To Deliver

Justin J. Sumeland Jr., 17, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Justin J. Sumeland Jr., 17, of Kenosha, was given a $10,000 cash bail Wednesday after prosecutors charged him with two felony drug offenses and two misdemeanor weapons charges after police allegedly found a loaded handgun on him during a traffic stop and later discovered heroin and fentanyl packaged for distribution in his bedroom. Justin J. Sumeland Jr., 17, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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Kenosha Woman Accused Of Smashing More Than $100 Worth Of Liquor Bottles After Refund Dispute

Chasity N. Johnson, 29, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Chasity N. Johnson, 29, of Kenosha, has been charged with misdemeanor criminal damage to property after prosecutors say she entered a Kenosha liquor store and intentionally knocked bottles of alcohol from displays following a dispute over a declined card payment. Chasity N. Johnson, 29, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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18-Year-Old Accused Of Shooting At Two Students Arrested More Than Two Months After Warrant Issued; Case Remains Sealed

Dewayne L. Wright, 18, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Dewayne L. Wright, 18, of Kenosha, was arrested July 28 on a warrant that had been issued May 15 after prosecutors charged him with two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety while using a dangerous weapon. As of Thursday, any bail determination and other details of his custody remain unknown because Kenosha County Circuit Judge Dougvillo has not yet unsealed the case. Dewayne L. Wright, 18, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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Kenosha Man, 17, Given $10,000 Cash Bail On Felony Allegations Of Possessing Fentanyl And Heroin With Intent To Deliver

Justin J. Sumeland Jr., 17, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Justin J. Sumeland Jr., 17, of Kenosha, was given a $10,000 cash bail Wednesday after prosecutors charged him with two felony drug offenses and two misdemeanor weapons charges after police allegedly found a loaded handgun on him during a traffic stop and later discovered heroin and fentanyl packaged for distribution in his bedroom. Justin J. Sumeland Jr., 17, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

City of Kenosha Posts City Administrator Opening About Nine Days After Announcing John Morrissey’s Retirement

KENOSHA, Wis. — About nine days after announcing that City Administrator John Morrissey will retire at the end of the year, the City of Kenosha has officially begun recruiting his replacement, posting the position with a salary range of $168,492 to $251,184 annually. The opening was recently posted on the city’s employment website and will remain open for approximately three weeks. The posting comes after Mayor David Bogdala announced on July 15 that Morrissey, a longtime public servant who has served as Kenosha’s chief of police, director of inspections, city administrator and is also a member of the Kenosha County Board of Supervisors, plans to retire after decades of service. A city spokesman later clarified that Morrissey’s final day with the city will be Dec. 31, 2026. The city is

City Of Kenosha Invites Public To Help Shape New Zoning And Sign Codes At Aug. 5 Open House

KENOSHA, Wis. — The City of Kenosha is inviting residents, business owners and other community stakeholders to help shape the future of development in the city by attending a public open house on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, as officials begin a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s Zoning Ordinance and Sign Code. The open house will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Kenosha Innovation Center, 5522 26th Ave. The event will be conducted in an open-house format, allowing attendees to stop by at any time during the two-hour period. There will be no formal presentation. The city is partnering with consulting firms von Briesen and GRAEF on the project, which officials say is intended to modernize zoning and sign regulations that have been in place for more

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$10,000 Cash Bail Set For Twin Lakes Man Accused Of Spitting On Officers, Injuring Officer During Domestic Disturbance

Erik Tapia Barradas, 22, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Erik Tapia Barradas, 22, of Twin Lakes, is being held on a $10,000 cash bail after prosecutors allege he assaulted his girlfriend, violently resisted police, injured an officer, and twice spat on law enforcement officers responding to a domestic violence call. Court Commissioner Alexandra Smathers set the bail Wednesday, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 7. Erik Tapia Barradas, 22, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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Sisters Charged After Prosecutors Say Loaded Rifle, Marijuana Were Left Accessible To Toddlers; One Held On $2,000 Cash Bail

Deashanti N. Wright, 24, and Jada N. Wright, 20, both of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Sisters Deashanti N. Wright, 24, and Jada N. Wright, 20, both of Kenosha, were charged Wednesday after prosecutors alleged two toddlers were left in a home where a loaded rifle and marijuana were easily accessible. Deashanti Wright faces two felony child neglect charges and was ordered held on a $2,000 cash bail, while Jada Wright faces two misdemeanor child neglect charges and was released on a no-cash bail. Jada N. Wright Deashanti N. Wright You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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Kenosha CNA Charged With 15 Felony Identity Theft Counts After Prosecutors Allege He Stole Nearly $1,800 From 88-Year-Old Nursing Home Resident

Brandon A. Merlos, 23, of Kenosha(facebook.com) KENOSHA, Wis. — Brandon A. Merlos, 23, of Kenosha, has been charged with 15 felony counts of unauthorized use of an individual’s personal identifying information and one misdemeanor count of theft after prosecutors allege he stole nearly $1,800 from an 88-year-old resident of Crossroads Care Center, where he worked as a certified nursing assistant. In a separate criminal case filed the same day, Merlos is also charged with misdemeanor criminal damage to property for allegedly acting as a lookout during the slashing of eight tires on four vehicles. Prosecutors allege the damage case involved two co-defendants, Jeremy P. Westplate and Ian N. Brzozowski, who are accused of participating in the same vandalism incident. Brandon A. Merlos, 23, of Kenosha(facebook.com) You must be logged in

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Judge Sentences Man To 60 Days In Jail With No Work Release After Guilty Plea In Third-Offense Drunk Driving Case

Luis A. Hernandez-Bahena, 47, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Judge Heather Iverson on Wednesday sentenced Luis A. Hernandez-Bahena, 47, of Kenosha, to 60 days in the Kenosha County Jail with no work release after he pleaded guilty to a third-offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration charge stemming from a January traffic stop in Pleasant Prairie. Luis Hernandez-Bahena Luis Hernandez-Bahena You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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Twin Lakes Man Accused Of Choking Wife Twice During Domestic Violence Incident Given $1,500 Cash Bail

Erich M. Schwertfeger, 46, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Erich M. Schwertfeger, 46, of Twin Lakes, was charged Wednesday with felony strangulation and suffocation, misdemeanor battery, and disorderly conduct after prosecutors allege he attacked his wife during a domestic violence incident earlier this month. Erich M. Schwertfeger, 46, of Twin Lakes(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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Former Waukegan Police Officer Previously Convicted Of Statutory Rape Charged After Prosecutors Say He Urged ICE To Deport Former Girlfriend

Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Willis K. Baird, 55, of Kenosha, a former Waukegan police officer who was previously convicted in Illinois of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving a 15-year-old girl, is facing a felony stalking charge after prosecutors allege he repeatedly targeted a former girlfriend by standing outside her workplace with signs identifying her by name, accusing her of infidelity, and urging U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport her. You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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Prosecutors Refile KDOG Cocaine Delivery Case After Missing Legal Deadline, Judge Orders Confidential Informant’s Identity Disclosed

Lavell T. Craig, 48(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Less than a week after a Kenosha County judge dismissed a felony drug case because prosecutors missed a statutory deadline, the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office has refiled the charges against Lavell T. Craig, 48, with one significant condition imposed by the court: prosecutors must immediately disclose the identity of the confidential informant whose information forms the backbone of the case. Lavell T. Craig, 48(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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$10,000 Cash Bail Set For Kenosha Teen Accused Of Stalking, Sending Alleged Murder Threats

Calvyn Akai Moore, 18, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Calvyn Akai Moore, 18, of Kenosha, is being held on a $10,000 cash bail after prosecutors charged him with felony stalking and two misdemeanor counts of sending threatening computerized messages in a domestic abuse case stemming from allegations that he repeatedly threatened his child’s mother and her new boyfriend. Calvyn Akai Moore, 18, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

Rogue Detective Refers Felony Stalking Charge Against KCE Editor for Truthful Reporting on Judge Kerkman

“The dignity of a wise and righteous judge needs not the artificial safeguarding which is a heritage of the old days when if dissent found a tongue the public executioner cut it out. The Bench will be sufficiently respected when it is no longer a place where dullards dream and rogues rob . . .That the corrupt practices in our courts of law be uncovered to public view, whenever that is possible, by . . . the press.“ —Ambrose Bierce KENOSHA, Wis. — “I have not violated a single law. Every word I’ve published is constitutionally protected reporting on an elected Kenosha County Circuit Court judge. In six years covering dozens of judges, this is the only one who has ever tried to have me imprisoned for it. Apparently this

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Kenosha Man Charged With Felony Sexual Assault Nearly Two Years Later; Summoned To Court Instead Of Arrested

Larry L. Hall, 42, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — Larry L. Hall, 42, of Kenosha, has been charged with felony second-degree sexual assault in connection with allegations that he sexually assaulted a heavily intoxicated woman in Veteran’s Park in August 2024. Rather than being arrested, Hall was issued a summons ordering him to appear in Kenosha County Intake Court on Sept. 10 to answer the charge. Larry L. Hall, 42, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

LakeFest Returns Aug. 22 With Expanded Festival, Live Music, Boat Parade And Family Activities Across Two Lakefront Venues

KENOSHA, Wis. — One of Kenosha’s largest summertime celebrations is returning next month with an expanded footprint, live entertainment at two waterfront locations, family-friendly activities, food, vendors and a sunset boat parade as LakeFest celebrates its fourth year on Saturday, Aug. 22. Organizers say this year’s festival will be the biggest yet, stretching across Celebration Place at HarborPark and the Kenosha Beach House on Simmons Island. Throughout the day, residents and visitors will be able to travel between the two venues aboard a complimentary City of Kenosha trolley while enjoying different attractions at each location. Admission to the event is free. LakeFest has grown into one of Kenosha’s signature summer events since its debut, with organizers emphasizing the city’s connection to Lake Michigan while showcasing local musicians, businesses, artists and

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Man Charged After Prosecutors Allege He Punched Pregnant Woman Carrying Twins, Kicked Her In The Stomach

Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Montrell Clark, 23, of Kenosha, is facing criminal charges after prosecutors allege he repeatedly punched his ex-girlfriend, who was six months pregnant with twins, kicked her in the stomach, and damaged her vehicle during a confrontation outside their workplace in May. Clark is charged with battery to an unborn child, criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct. You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

City Launches Storm Brush Pickup As More Than 30,000 Kenosha County We Energies Customers Remain Without Power

KENOSHA, Wis. — As thousands of Kenosha County residents continue to deal with widespread power outages following Monday’s severe thunderstorms, the City of Kenosha has announced a special storm debris pickup program to help residents clear fallen trees and brush from their properties. The announcement comes as We Energies reports 30,643 customers without power in Kenosha County, the highest total of any county in its service area. Across southeastern and eastern Wisconsin, the utility reported 78,322 customers without electricity and 771 active outages as of about 9:20 p.m. Monday. Many customers also received an automated phone call from We Energies warning that the storms caused extensive damage to electrical infrastructure and that restoration efforts could take multiple days in some areas because of the severity of the damage. To help

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Commissioner Alex Smathers Gives Teen Waived Into Adult Court No-Cash Bail On Felony Auto Theft Charges

Kenosha Police Department(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Keith K. Wright Jr., a 16-year-old Racine teen who was waived from juvenile court into adult court on felony charges accusing him of stealing two vehicles, was nevertheless granted no-cash bail Tuesday by Court Commissioner Alexandra Smathers. You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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Woman Given No-Cash Bail On Felony Charge After Prosecutors Allege She Scratched 62-Year-Old Husband Until He Bled, Threatened To Kill Him And Child

Katie L. Rivera, 43, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha woman accused of scratching her 62-year-old husband until he bled and threatening to kill both him and his 11-year-old stepson was released Tuesday. Court Commissioner Alexandra Smathers ordered the no-cash bail and prohibited Katie L. Rivera, 43, of Kenosha, from contacting the alleged victim. Katie L. Rivera, 43, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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Illinois Man Accused Of Leading Two Separate High-Speed Police Chases Through Kenosha County, Reaching More Than 110 MPH

Kenosha Police(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye) KENOSHA, Wis. — Charly Jenkins, 24, of Waukegan, Illinois, is facing two felony counts of fleeing or eluding an officer after prosecutors allege he led both Kenosha police and Pleasant Prairie police on separate high-speed pursuits through Kenosha County, reaching speeds exceeding 110 mph before escaping across the Illinois state line. You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

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Prosecutors: Woman Sold Boyfriend’s SUV After He Was Taken To Jail

Malena M. Benjamin, 46, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha woman is facing a felony charge after prosecutors allege she sold her boyfriend’s SUV after he was taken to jail, despite being repeatedly told she did not have permission to drive it. Malena M. Benjamin, 46, of Kenosha, is charged with operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent as a repeat offender. Malena M. Benjamin, 46, of Kenosha(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office) You must be logged in to view the rest of this article.

More Than 30,000 We Energies Customers Without Power In Kenosha County; Utility Warns Repairs Could Take Multiple Days

KENOSHA, Wis. — A powerful line of thunderstorms has left tens of thousands of We Energies customers across southeastern Wisconsin without electricity, and the utility is warning some residents that the damage is so extensive that restoring power could take multiple days. As of about 9:20 p.m. Monday, We Energies was reporting 78,322 customers without power across its service territory, including 30,643 customers in Kenosha County alone. Kenosha County had the highest number of reported outages of any county served by the utility. Milwaukee County was reporting 14,748 customers without power, followed by Outagamie County with 14,695, Winnebago County with 9,863, and Racine County with 3,516. In total, We Energies was tracking 771 separate outages. Many customers also received an automated phone call from We Energies advising that widespread storm

Taco John’s Closes Kenosha And Racine Restaurants Less Than Two Years After Expansion

KENOSHA, Wis. — Two southeastern Wisconsin Taco John’s restaurants have quietly closed their doors for good, ending the chain’s brief run in Kenosha and Racine and generating significant discussion on social media among customers. Google now lists both the Kenosha restaurant on 75th Street and the Mount Pleasant location on Washington Avenue as permanently closed. The Racine-area restaurant opened in August 2024 with hopes of expanding the brand’s footprint in southeastern Wisconsin. The Kenosha location followed as part of the company’s efforts to grow in larger metropolitan markets after decades of focusing primarily on smaller Midwestern communities. The closures appear to have taken place within the last week. Residents first noticed traffic cones blocking the Kenosha parking lot, while others reported arriving at the restaurants only to find them closed.

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