Wisconsin
Wisconsin gets commitment from 4-star TE Jack Sievers, but OLB Carmelow Reed flips to SEC program
An aerial view of Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
An aerial view of Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., home of the Wisconsin Badgers.
MADISON – Recruiting season can be a roller coaster.
It took University of Wisconsin fans on a ride during the evening of June 2 when in the span of an hour the program lost a previously committed prospect then scored a commitment from another.
With that the Badgers celebrated the addition to tight end Jack Sievers, while absorbing the loss of outside linebacker Carmelow Reed.
Sievers’ commitment was the fourth for the Badgers in 36 hours. Like the three commitments that preceded him, Sievers made the call after an official visit at Wisconsin last weekend.
The 6-foot-4½ , 230-pound prospect plays for Archbishop Murray High School just outside of Seattle. The multi-sport athlete recently ran the 100 meters in a personal best 11.1 seconds and during basketball season received all-conference distinction after averaging 12.1 points and 11.2 rebounding per game and posted 13 double-doubles.
ESPN lists him as a four-star prospect. Rivals, 247sports and One3 give him three stars.
Sievers announced his commitment on X.
“I would like to announce I am 100% Committed to The University of Wisconsin!,” he wrote.
Sievers joins defensive lineman Arthur Scott and Djidjou Bah and linebacker Ben Wenzel in the recent run of commitments. Sievers made his decision before scheduled official visits to Boise State, Minnesota and San Diego State.
In addition to Minnesota, he announced Power Four offers from Oklahoma and Northwestern this spring.
Sievers commitment brings the Badgers 2026 class back to 10.
Carmelow Reed changes mind, commits to Ole Miss
Earlier in the evening Reed, a 6-7, 250-pound outside linebacker from Rich Township High School in Illinois, announced his intention to play for Ole Miss. The three-star prospect had been committed to UW since April 7.
Wisconsin was the first Power Four program to offer the three-star prospect a scholarship. Seven others followed.
Wisconsin
Severe thunderstorms bring power outages, wind damage to northeast Wisconsin
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (WBAY) — Severe thunderstorms moved through northeast Wisconsin on Wednesday afternoon, leaving thousands without power and causing widespread wind damage.
According to poweroutage.us, as of 4 p.m. Fond du Lac County has 2,900 customers without power and Dodge County is at 3,600.
A tornado warning for Fond du Lac County expired last hour, but severe thunderstorms continued across the region with large hail, high winds and heavy rainfall. Trees and branches were reported down across the area.
Rain began in Grand Chute as winds picked up just after 2 p.m. A severe thunderstorm warning issued for the area warned of 80 mph winds and asked residents to take shelter and move away from windows to an interior room.
The storms produced widespread wind damage across Oshkosh, where 1,400 customers were without power. WPS reported more than 3,000 customers without power in Winnebago County.
Copyright 2026 WBAY. All rights reserved.
Wisconsin
Chris Borland heads back to Wisconsin as Hall of Fame inductee
Chris Borland’s spot in Wisconsin’s Athletic Hall of Fame came with the kind of résumé that represented the modern Badgers defense: massive production, big-game hardware and Midwestern toughness.
Wisconsin selected Borland as one of 12 athletes, staff, and supporters in the class of 2026 Hall of Fame inductees. The group will enter the Hall of Fame the weekend of Sept. 18 this fall, with Borland and the rest of the class honored during Wisconsin’s matchup against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 19 at Camp Randall Stadium.
Borland starred at linebacker for Wisconsin from 2009 to 2013 and finished as one of the program’s most decorated defenders of the era. He earned 2013 first-team All-America honors, won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and closed his career with 420 tackles. He also played in three Rose Bowls, anchoring a defense built around physicality, instincts and tackling that excelled in big moments.
Borland’s induction adds a football centerpiece to a nine-sport Hall of Fame class, and it lands on a weekend that will bring a full Camp Randall spotlight back to former Badgers. Wisconsin fans will get their on-field Hall of Fame moment on Sept. 19, when the Badgers host Eastern Michigan and Borland’s career highlights take center stage again in Madison.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.
Wisconsin
Black bear spotted in Sheboygan County may be heading north
Sightings were also reported near Wilson and Oostburg as observers say the bear appears to be heading north through the area.
Black bear walks through residential yards in Slinger
A black bear was spotted walking through residential backyards June 2 in Slinger. Resident Holly Nowak captured a video from her deck.
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY – If you see a bear lumbering through the woods or past your home, you might not just be imagining things.
The presence of a black bear recently was reported in the Kohler-Andrae State Park area, according to a report from WBHL radio station. The bear could be the same one reported earlier in the town of Saukville.
Sightings of the bear have been reported to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources since the animal appeared in the backyard of a home in Ozaukee County. Observers say the bear was heading north.
Observers rooting for the bear to make it back home
According to WBHL, someone living just south of Kohler-Andrae State Park said in a Facebook post they saw a bear Sunday evening (likely the same bear.)
Someone posted a photo of a bear in the Town of Wilson near Oostburg Sunday.
Observers seem to be rooting for the bear to make his or her way back to wherever home might be.
“Poor boy,” Erin Brown posted under the Town of Wilson photo. “He’s just making his way to his future partner. Please keep an eye out while driving.”
“He sure is making his way around,” Ruth Wood wrote. “Pretty incredible how much they’re on the move. Like someone said … we are overbuilding and taking their habitat away. Indeed we will have more wild life because of it. I feel sorry for this guy … and all the other wildlife being displaced.”
Added Cindy Schultz, “Oh stop freaking out. You know, it was bound to happen. Just be aware and cautious.”
Bear population on the rise
Authorities from the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department said Monday they had not been notified of any bears moving through the area.
Kevin Brown, assistant bear/cougar specialist for the state DNR, confirmed the agency received two notifications through its Wildlife Observation Tool on June 2 of what appears to be the same bear in the Slinger area.
Wisconsin’s black bear population is around 23,000 to 24,000, according to the DNR. Although they most commonly live in the northwoods, black bears are increasingly being sighted in south and southcentral Wisconsin. The bear population was only around 9,000 back in 1989, according to the DNR.
If you sight a black bear, DNR officials suggest that you stay calm, shout, clap or bang pots together, and make yourself look large. Never run from a bear. Brown recommended learning more at BearWise.
Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@usatodayco.com or call 920-606-2575.
-
Arizona1 minute agoArizona faces full federal tax conformity and a moratorium on data center tax cuts | Arizona Capitol Times
-
Arkansas4 minutes ago
Arkansas football lands commitment of 3-star QB Cason Myers | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
-
California9 minutes agoThis creepy insect has been found on grapevines. What it could mean for California’s wine industry
-
Colorado16 minutes agoVacation booking blunders are costing Colorado travelers. Here’s what you should be looking out for.
-
Connecticut19 minutes agoChild hospitalized after drowning incident at Connecticut campground
-
Delaware24 minutes agoDelaware Brownfield Conference to be Held Aug. 20 in Wilmington
-
Florida31 minutes agoFlorida to use US House districts drawn by Republicans for midterm elections
-
Georgia34 minutes agoNo Reset Without Releases: Georgia’s Political Prisoners and the Price of Better Relations with Washington