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Wisconsin’s ‘Top Chef’ pays it forward, helps young chef follow her dreams

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Wisconsin’s ‘Top Chef’ pays it forward, helps young chef follow her dreams


MILWAUKEE — Chef Dan Jacobs has been busy since earning a top-three spot on season 21 of “Top Chef,” which featured many locations across Wisconsin.

He said being on the Bravo network cooking show was one of his longtime dreams. Jacobs credited all the people who supported him in his career with helping him fulfill it.

Now, he’s returning the favor by helping other chefs fulfill their dreams.

(Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)

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What You Need To Know

  • Chef Dan Jacobs has been busy since earning a top-three spot on season 21 of “Top Chef,” which featured many locations across Wisconsin
  • It’s a dream he’s had for a long time. Now, he’s returning the favor by helping other chefs fulfill their dreams
  • He joined young chef Kitty Storey to film the 204th episode of her show, “Cooking with Kitty.”
  • Jacobs and Kitty Storey have a similar mission to raise awareness for those in the disability community


Jacobs invited Kitty Storey, 17, from Wauwatosa to come cook with him at one of his Milwaukee restaurants, EsterEv. Together, they filmed the 204th episode of Kitty Storey’s show, “Cooking with Kitty.”

Kitty Storey, who has Down syndrome and autism, has earned quite a following on YouTube with her show. 

“This is an inspiring thing to be able to do,” said Jacobs. “I have a lot of requests for my time, but this is one of the things I really wanted, because to me, this is what it’s all about. This is why I went on ‘Top Chef.’ This is why I do the things I do, because I want to be able to show that anybody can do anything.”

Kitty’s mom, Kim Storey, helps her daughter put the show together. She shoots and edits every episode. Kim Storey said having her daughter was the best thing that ever happened to her.

(Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)

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How thankful I am that I get to be her mom, and that she was born to us,” she said.

Kim Storey said that her daughter was born prematurely, weighing only two pounds. She said the first time Kitty’s grandmother held her, she remembered her saying, “she’s just a baby kitty.” After that moment, the name stuck.

Kim and Kitty Storey started cooking together during the pandemic as part of a school assignment. It was a challenging time, as Kitty Storey’s school went entirely virtual. Kim Storey said she soon realized it was an opportunity to inspire and educate others by sharing the cooking segments.

“We’re doing it to give representation to people in the disability community, and a lot of people don’t realize that people with Down syndrome can also have autism,” she said.

(Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)

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Jacobs has a similar mission. He was diagnosed with the neuro-muscular disorder, Kennedy’s disease, eight years ago. Among the many challenges it presents, it affects the use of his arms and legs. It’s something he talked about on “Top Chef.”

“I love the idea of being a spokesperson, or somebody who inspires people who are differently abled,” he said. “It’s hard. None of this stuff is easy, like I wake up and I want to go back to bed. At the same time, you got to get up. You got to do what you got to do, because I do love this, and I love the fact that I’m inspiring other people.”

In his quest to inspire, Jacobs said he gets inspiration from Kitty Storey.

“Just her willingness to jump in and do anything, like I had her rolling out gnocchi. She takes instruction really well,” said Jacobs.

(Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)

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While filming the latest episode of “Cooking with Kitty,” Jacobs shared some advice with Kitty Storey and her mom.

“Don’t let anybody ever tell her no, that she can’t do something. Also, do what you love. Don’t do it just because you have to do it. Do it because you love it,” he said.



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Stepmom from hell accused of starving 35-pound teen daughter enters plea — could spend the rest of her life behind bars

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Stepmom from hell accused of starving 35-pound teen daughter enters plea — could spend the rest of her life behind bars


The Wisconsin stepmother from hell accused of abusing her 35-pound 14-year-old daughter by depriving her of food and water has entered a no-contest plea in the twisted case.

Melissa Goodman, 52, now faces up to 46 years in prison if she’s handed the maximum sentence for charges of chronic neglect causing great bodily harm, chronic neglect causing emotional damage and false imprisonment.

She’s set to be sentenced on July 1.

Goodman, along with husband Walter Goodman, have been accused of starving her autistic stepdaughter. Outagamie County Jail

Goodman, along with husband Walter Goodman, has been accused of starving her autistic stepdaughter.

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Goodman’s daughter Savanna Goodman and her girlfriend Kayla Stemler were also charged over the alleged abuse, People reported.

The family is accused of locking the teen in a bedroom without a mattress, restricting her to only her room for years and depriving her of food and water, according to Wisconsin prosecutors.

The mobile home they lived in became a house of horrors for the teenager, who was mistaken for a 6-year-old when she was found by cops in August 2025 and rushed to the hospital.

Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, called 911 to report that his daughter was lethargic and ill.

Responding officers found her weighing just 35 pounds; she was hospitalized with multi-organ dysfunction, including respiratory failure and pancreatitis.

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Melissa Goodman
Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, called 911 to report that his daughter was lethargic and ill. WBAY TV-2 | Green Bay, WI/YouTube

From 2020 until August 2025, the victim, whose name is not disclosed because she is a minor, was allegedly isolated in a trailer on Hattie Lane, in Oneida, Wisconsin.

Extended family members were told she was away on vacation or with other relatives to explain her absence.



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‘Song Sung Blue’ subject Claire Sardina playing Wisconsin State Fair

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‘Song Sung Blue’ subject Claire Sardina playing Wisconsin State Fair


When “Song Sung Blue” – the biopic about Milwaukee Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning & Thunder – had a premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee last December, star Hugh Jackman gave Claire Sardina (played in the film by Kate Hudson) an engraved bench honoring Lighting & Thunder to be installed at Wisconsin State Fair Park.

In August, Sardina will get to have a seat on that bench – and sing again on a State Fair stage.

Sardina will perform with tribute act So Good: The Neil Diamond Experience Aug. 9 at the Bank Five Nine Amphitheater, the largest stage at the fair featuring free concerts with admission.

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For Sardina, it will be a return to a place central to Lighting & Thunder. The band performed in the Milwaukee area from 1989 until Mike Sardina, aka Lightning, passed away in 2006. The State Fair was one of their favorite places to play, and the couple got married there in 1994.

The couple’s wild story – from a performance at a Pearl Jam Summerfest concert to major health issues – was the subject of the documentary “Song Sung Blue” that inspired the biopic, and earned Hudson an Oscar nomination for portraying Claire Sardina.

Fair officials May 8 revealed the full headliner lineup for the stage, which includes:

  • Aug. 6: Sixteen Candles
  • Aug. 7 and 8: Here Come The Mummies
  • Aug. 10 and 11: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
  • Aug. 12: Hairbangers Ball
  • Aug. 13: Too Hype Crew
  • Aug. 14: The Gufs
  • Aug. 15: Let’s Sing Taylor – An Unofficial Live Tribute Show
  • Aug. 16: Pat McCurdy

All Bank Five Nine Amphitheater concerts are included with fair admission.

The lineup is also nearly complete for the Bank Five Nine Main Stage, with just a show on Aug. 11 to be announced.

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Tickets are on sale for these shows at wistatefair.com and include same-day fair admission:

  • Aug. 6: Hairball
  • Aug. 7: Nelly
  • Aug. 8: Bailey Zimmerman with Chandler Walters
  • Aug. 9: Wynonna Judd and Melissa Etheridge
  • Aug. 10: For King + Country with Rachel Lampa
  • Aug. 12: John Mulaney
  • Aug. 13: The All-American Rejects with Joyce Manor
  • Aug. 14: Lindsey Stirling with PVRIS
  • Aug. 15: AJR with Em Beihold
  • Aug. 16: The Beach Boys



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Wisconsin universities and schools impacted by Canvas data breach

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Wisconsin universities and schools impacted by Canvas data breach


WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW/GRAY NEWS) – A ransomware group has claimed to have breached the learning management system Canvas, possibly exposing the personal information of students, teachers and staff across the country.

According to a statement from the Universities of Wisconsin website, they were notified of a nationwide security breach experienced by Instructure, the provider of Canvas. Universities of Wisconsin schools use the cloud-based management system.

UW-Stevens Point tells NewsChannel 7 they have not confirmed UWSP was involved in the breach, but did send communication that Canvas was down and students should not perform any asked actions if prompted, as it may not be legitimate while Canvas is down.

Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, posted on May 1 about a cybersecurity incident that had been reported and was under investigation.

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The next day, Chief Information Security Officer Steve Proud wrote that the information involved in the attack included names, student ID numbers, messages between users and email addresses.

“At this time, we have found no evidence that passwords, dates of birth, government identifiers, or financial information were involved. If that changes, we will notify any impacted institutions,” he wrote.

The Wausau School District sent a letter to parents Wednesday regarding the cybersecurity incident. They said there is no evidence that passwords, single-sign-on credentials, financial information or social security numbers were impacted. They stressed that type of information is not stored in Canvas.

Wausau School District email to parents regarding Canvas data breach(WSAW)

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