Stories you might have missed from around Wisconsin.
Racine: Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave dies suddenly.
Citizens of Racine County are mourning the sudden death of Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave. Delagrave, who has been active in county government since 2003 Dies suddenly last Friday. He was 51. Starting his service to the county in 2003 at the Human Services Department, he rose through the ranks and became Director in 2010. He was first elected as Racine County Executive in 2015 and subsequently re-elected in 2019 and 2023. He is being remembered by County leaders as a forward thinker, a good man and someone who prided himself on being bipartisan and getting things done. Full Story
Green Bay: Port of Green Bay misses out on federal grant.
The Port of Green Bay missed out on a $25 million dollar grant that would have filled a funding gap allowing it to build a new port terminal that would have allowed them to relocate the coal piles out of Green bay’s central city. The grant would have been part of the Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure With Sustainability and Equity Program. The cost estimates of building the new terminal came in at $49 million which is $19 million more than expected. Almost one hundred fifty grants were funded at a total of $1.8 Billion. Although tis is a setback, Port Director Dean Haen says the project will happen. Full Story
Rice Lake: Rice Lake’s Kenny Bednarek is returning to the Olympics.
In 2020, Rice Lake High School alum Kenny Bednarek won a Silver Medal in the 200 meters at the Tokyo Olympics. After his performance at the US track and field championships in Eugene Oregon Saturday night it looks like he’ll be bringing a medal home from Paris too. Bednarek took second in the men’s 200 meters with a time of 19.59. He was just behind teammate Noah Lyles who had a time of 19.53. These times are the first and second fastest times in the world! Oddly, this is the same order the teammates finished in Tokyo. Bednarek has also qualified for the 100 meters event. Full Story
Milwaukee: It’s Bobby Bonilla Day…and Christian Yelich too.
If you’re a baseball fanatic, you might know that July 1 is referred to unofficially as “Bobby Bonilla Day”. The day doesn’t honor his achievements on the field, but a financial deal that became the standard for certain contracts. Here’s the deal. In 2000, Bonilla let the Mets keep the $6 million they owed him for the season and in return he agreed to be paid over a period that ends in 2035. That simply means that every July 1, the Mets have to send Bonilla $1 million until he’s in his 70’s. If you don’t like math, that turns the initial $6 million into nearly $30 million with interest. Why does this matter in Wisconsin? This is the same strategy that the Brewers Christian Yellich employed when negotiating his $215 million contract in 2020. He deferred $30 million and the team will pay him $2.5 million a year from 2031-2042. He chose for the payments to come on July 1 in tribute to Bonilla. Full Story
