Wisconsin
Wisconsin judge finds McCarrick not competent to stand trial in abuse case
NEW YORK – A Wisconsin judge on Jan. 10 suspended a sexual assault case against Theodore McCarrick after a court-appointed psychologist found the ex-cardinal not competent to stand trial, possibly ending efforts to secure a criminal prosecution.
County Judge David Reddy didn’t dismiss the case outright, because, he said, the court doesn’t have that authority, and the decision will be made by Walworth County District Attorney Zeke Wiedenfeld. For now, the case is scheduled for a review hearing on Dec. 27, 2024.
The charge against McCarrick, 93, is one count of fourth-degree sexual assault.
According to a previous announcement from Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and Wiedenfeld, the complaint alleges McCarrick engaged in repeated sexual abuse of the unnamed victim over time, “including the charged incident that involved the alleged fondling of a victim while staying as a guest at a Geneva Lake residence” in April 1977.
The “not competent” finding in Wisconsin essentially mirrors the results of a similar psychological evaluation conducted on McCarrick when he was prosecuted on criminal sex abuse charges in Massachusetts. A psychological exam in that case was submitted at the end of June 2023, and the charges were ultimately dismissed at the end of August 2023.
In Massachusetts, McCarrick was criminally charged in 2021 with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, stemming from the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old boy during a wedding reception at Wellesley College on June 8, 1974.
McCarrick, who once led the Archdiocese of Washington, is the first former or current U.S. cardinal to be charged criminally with sexual abuse. Pope Francis laicized McCarrick in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he sexually abused both minors and adults.
Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, said that it’s “disheartening yet unsurprising” that McCarrick likely won’t face criminal prosecution.
“Our hearts go out to the courageous victim who brought this case, and to all of McCarrick’s victims,” Doyle said in a Jan. 10 statement.
Follow John Lavenburg on X: @johnlavenburg
Wisconsin
UPDATE: Wisconsin woman breaks record, swims entirety of Lake Winnebago
MENASHA, Wis. (WFRV) — History was made today, as Melodee Liegel successfully completed her nearly 17-hour swim just before 9:00 p.m. on July 7.
The swim, which started at the Fond du Lac Lighthouse and ended in Menasha, was just under 28 whole miles in length. Liegel began her swim at 4:00 in the morning, treading water only occasionally for snack and rest breaks.
Liegel, a resident of Delafield, Wisconsin, is the first person in history to complete the swim, which covered the entirety of Lake Winnebago.
Local fishing guide Troy Peterson was riding alongside Melodee as she completed her swim. His Facebook has more information, as does their website tracking her swim.
WFRV will update this story as necessary.
Wisconsin
Northeast Wisconsin says goodbye as Savannah Wood leaves FOX 11 for a new chapter
GREEN BAY (WLUK) — It was a bittersweet sign off on Good Day Wisconsin Tuesday.
It was morning anchor and field reporter, Savannah Wood’s last day at FOX 11.
The Good Day Wisconsin crew says goodbye to Savannah Wood on her last day at FOX 11, July 7, 2026. (WLUK)
She thanked the station and the Northeast Wisconsin community for embracing her over the past two years.
You’ve all watched many of my early morning field trips across Northeast Wisconsin over the last couple of years, many, too many to count, and I’ve had the privilege of getting to experience so much of what makes this community truly what it is and meet amazing people along the way,” Savannah said.
Savannah will be staying in news but going back to her home state of Pennsylvania to be closer to family.
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Goodbye and good luck Savannah!
Wisconsin
Wisconsin DOT begins $6.87M I-41 ramp deck overlay upgrades in Brown County Tuesday
GREEN BAY (WLUK) — Delays and disruptions will be coming to your daily commute.
A project involving I-41 flyover ramps in Brown County starts Tuesday, where a total of six flyover ramps will see closures.
The good news is, they won’t all be closed at the same time.
Delays and disruptions will be coming to your daily commute. A project involving I-41 flyover ramps in Brown County starts Tuesday, where a total of six flyover ramps will see closures. July 6, 2026 (WLUK/Tony Langfellow).
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said this project is necessary to help preserve the roads.
It’s been more than 10 years since the I-41 corridor was completed.
Now with the creation of some new technology, six I-41 flyover ramps in Brown County and one in Winnebago County are getting an upgrade.
This includes the I-41/I-43 interchange and the I-41/WIS 29 interchange.
“The project will be milling off the existing deck overlay and then be doing any necessary deck repairs. And then we’ll be putting on this new overlay, which is a more robust weather resistant overlay that will protect the bridge decks here,” Wisconsin DOT Project Manager Josh Lang said.
The new overlay is called “Polyester Polymer Concrete.”
But what exactly is that? When you’re driving on the ramps, you may notice patchy black and white spots on the road — that’s what the DOT is fixing, with a new specialized type of concrete.
Lang said the new overlay is key for high traffic areas.
“The main purpose of this material is to protect the bridge decks. That’s what our structures see the most wear and tear, but it does have those added benefits. The traction benefits the durability and such there,” Lang said.
The $6.87 million project is being funded through a mixture of state and federal funding.
Lang said the project is happening now because this new overlay technology didn’t exist until after the original highway project was complete.
There are no other issues with the flyover ramps, according to Lang.
Most of the closures will be quick, but will cause delays and detours.
Lang called this project an important step in preserving the roads for years to come.
“It’s really exciting. It’s really a great application of this material and I’m excited to see how this performs to keep our infrastructure, everything that was built with this 41 expansion in great shape,” Lang said.
The first ramp closure starts Tuesday with I-41 south to 29 west.
Lang said that work will last about a week.
The DOT expects all of the Brown County improvements to be done by September.
The Winnebago County project will begin in 2027.
I-41/I-43 interchange, Brown County:
- Northbound I-41 to southbound I-43 southbound (over Velp Avenue)
- Northbound I-43 to southbound I-41 (over I-41)
- Northbound I-43 to northbound I-41
I-41/WIS 32/WIS 29 interchange, Brown County:
- Southbound I-41 to westbound WIS 29 (over WIS 29)
- Eastbound WIS 29 to northbound I-41 (over I-41/WIS 29)
- Northbound I-41 to westbound WIS 29 (over I-41)
Winnebago County:
- Northbound I-41 to northbound US 45 (over I-41)
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