TOP NEWS STORIES OF 2016: 6-10

Wilmot Union High School won its second straight National Academic Decathlon title, behind the strong performances of nine students in Anchorage. Bottom from left: Coach Kaitlyn Keleher, Angela Schumacher, Brenna Simmons, Ashley Dabbs, Alexa Lewis. Middle row: Isaac Bruley, Carl Simmons, Matt Strother, Coach Don Serkowski, Kyle Kostrova. Top row: Joey Burba and Carlie Banchi (Submitted Photo).
Wilmot Union High School won its second straight National Academic Decathlon title, behind the strong performances of nine students in Anchorage.
Bottom from left: Coach Kaitlyn Keleher, Angela Schumacher, Brenna Simmons, Ashley Dabbs, Alexa Lewis.
Middle row: Isaac Bruley, Carl Simmons, Matt Strother, Coach Don Serkowski, Kyle Kostrova.
Top row: Joey Burba and Carlie Banchi (Submitted Photo).

Wilmot decathletes No. 6, Falcon hoops 8th

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

There were several historical events, and notable achievements in the news in 2016, marked by the cooperative plan developed by the Village of Silver Lake and Town of Salem.
Accolades for several local schools also made headlines, including the Wilmot Union High School Academic Decathlon team and Westosha Central’s boys basketball conference title.
Here is a ranking by the Report staff of the top news stories 6-10 in the area during 2016:

6. Wilmot Union repeats in Academic Decathlon
The nine-member team of decathletes successfully defended its National Academic Decathlon title in Alaska in May, and after securing the championship, received a warm welcome home from the Wilmot Union High School community.

In the national competition, Wilmot edged a school from Rhode Island by more than 2,000 points, collected more than 40 total medals en route to 47,606 points of a possible 60,000.

Of the nine decathletes, five were seniors, led by Simmons and Carlie Banchi in the honors division.

The other three seniors were Angela Schumacher (varsity), Ashley Dabbs (varsity) and Joey Burba (scholastic).

Additionally, a group of underclassmen played a role, including then-sophomores Isaac Bruley (scholastic) and Brenna Simmons (honors) along with then-juniors Kyle Kostrova (varsity) and Alexa Lewis (scholastic).

A month later, the school received an official visit from Gov. Scott Walker, who lauded the team for the title.

“It is great to be here at Wilmot, and really nice to highlight the work that these nine students have done and their teacher/coach, not to just to win the state academic decathlon, but to win the entire nation,” Walker said in June.

According to Simmons, Gov. Walker’s visit was redemption.

“It is really incredible to have Scott Walker come down here and visit us, because it validates winning the national championship,” said Simmons following the visit.

7. Trump snaps County Republican skid
While Wisconsin turned red for the first time since 1984 in a presidential election, Kenosha County’s streak was substantially longer, according to the County Clerk’s Office.

President-elect Donald Trump, who won by a mere 255 votes against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in Kenosha County, became the first Republican to win the county since 1972 when Richard Nixon also won the state contest.

Before 1972, only one other Republican has won Kenosha County since 1928 when Herbert Hoover was elected, and that was Dwight Eisenhower in 1956.

Of the 77,576 total ballots cast in the recent election, Trump received 36,025 votes compared to Clinton’s 35,770.

Despite a Presidential recount, sparked by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, the Kenosha County Clerk’s Office no changes in the overall lead.

According to the Washington Post, residents within the city stated change was needed, noting the loss of manufacturing jobs, including at Chrysler, the former American Motors Corp.

Decker agreed, stating voters have grown frustrated with finding jobs suiting families.

“They wanted to make America great again,” Decker said. “We’ve been in a recession over the Obama years.”

Additionally, the Post noted the industrial economy has diminished, replaced by tourism as Kenosha County experienced population growth.

8. Falcon boys basketball wins SLC title
Although Westosha Central’s boys basketball season ended with a WIAA Division 2 regional home loss to Fort Atkinson, the No. 1-seeded Falcons and their fans had reasons to get excited, including a Southern Lakes Conference title.

The last time Westosha Central won a boys basketball conference title, nearly the entire student body was not born yet, but the drought ended after the Falcons defeated visiting Lake Geneva Badger 67-56 to secure their first championship since 1998.

Westosha Central coach James Hyllberg, who steered the team to the title in his first year at the helm, said it was redemption for the 12 Falcon seniors.

“It feels amazing, the seniors dealt with a rough couple years, but all of the guys worked hard all season and I am really proud of them,” Hyllberg said after the game.

The Falcons received a team-leading 20 points from then-junior Tre Williams, a 5-foot-11 guard, and 17 from 6-5 senior wing Ron Hall.

“We weren’t supposed to be here, we are Central, but it was about playing hard,” said Hall said at the time. “It feels good to get it.”

9. Obregon court proceedings
Andrew Obregon, a 33-year-old from Bristol, left residents in Western Kenosha and Racine counties in its grips at the tail end of 2015, when he was apprehended in Zion, Ill. on Oct. 13 by a Zion police K-9 unit in his last attempt to avoid prosecution.

Obregon, held at Dodge Correctional Facility, faces 28 felony charges, including homicide and attempted homicide along with allegations he stole several vehicles during his 22-day string of crimes.

Since then, Obregon has made a handful of appearances in Kenosha County Circuit Court in 2016, when his public defenders sought several motions.

Motions include severing the most severe charges, like first-degree intentional homicide and hiding of Tywon Anderson’s remains, from the smaller crimes he is accused of.

However, Kenosha County Circuit Court judge Chad Kerkman denied the request sever, in addition to a change of venue requests by his public defenders, who claim media coverage hinders Obregon’s ability to receive a fair trial.

In December, Obregon’s request to change attorneys, citing tension between him and his public defenders, was also denied.

Obregon faces a Jan. 30 jury trial.

10. Bookkeeper charged, takes plea
Mary Anderson, a former bookkeeper at Wheatland Center and Salem Grade schools, was charged in Kenosha County Circuit Court in June, when she initially faced two felony counts of theft.

Anderson, however, has since reached a plea agreement, according to online court records, which state charges were amended to one felony count of forgery/uttering and a misdemeanor count of theft/false representation and ordered to pay restitution. Those looking for criminal defense attorneys to act on their behalf after being accused of similar crimes may want to look to the Law Offices of Robert Tsigler.

She was accused of taking $17,000 while she served as bookkeeper at Salem Grade School, and another $11,607 at Wheatland Center School, where she was the Human Resource Finance Specialist, according to a criminal complaint.

Anderson is due for sentencing in March.


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