Rachel Catlett was one of the first voices against a proposed 765-kilovolt power line through Walworth County, which could go across her farm. She learned through the mail this week that she's also in the path of a potential 345-kilovolt line.

"My husband handed me a piece of paper and said, 'We got another letter,'" Catlett said. "We're just being inundated with out-of-state transmission lines. "It's like getting hit by lightning twice."

The 345-kilovolt line is known as the Wisconsin Southeast Transmission Project, or WISE. The 106-mile project is proposed by Viridon and is planned to connect to the Sugar Creek substation just north of Elkhorn.

The previously announced 765-kilovolt BECI Project from Midcontinend Grid Solutions also plans to connect through the Sugar Creek substation. That transmission line proposal has received near-universal disdain from Walworth County residents and municipalities since it was unveiled two months ago.

"When you mess with people's homes and the character of the community, that's a bridge too far," Catlett said.

One of the strongest critics against both the BECI Project and the WISE Project is Walworth County Land Use & Resource Management Director Michael Cotter.

He explained last week that the Sugar Creek substation is eyed as the connection point for BECI, WISE, and another 345-kilovolt power line proposal, which would require a large expansion through farmland.

"In my mind's eye, I can look and see 165 acres that are going to be a substation. That's what's coming," Cotter said. "We're outgunned here, we're outgunned in Madison. That fight happened in Washington, DC and no one told us."

Catlett said she and her neighbors are refusing to back down from the power line plans, even after another pamphlet arrived on her doorstep.

"Start putting all of your documentation into another folder because here we go again," Catlett said.

Viridon is hosting open houses throughout Southeast Wisconsin on the WISE Project in upcoming weeks. Walworth County's event is planned for Dec. 1 at The Todd Venue in Elkhorn.

The full list of WISE Project open houses through the power line's affected counties is below. All events have scheduled sessions between 11am-1pm and 4pm-6pm.

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Delavan's city council decided 7-1 to cancel its contract with Flock after community anger at the agreement. Crews removed the cameras on Wednesday, and the city will not install any similar products from competing companies.

Tuesday night's vote came after a petition from Delavan resident Rachel DeBow and a special meeting on the city's Flock camera usage last month.

"My phone blew up in the last 12 hours or so," DeBow said on Wednesday. "It's giving me more hope in a time where it might not feel that way in a lot of areas. This really helps reinforce that hope."

As TMJ4 previously reported, Delavan purchased nine Raven license plate readers from Flock and agreed to pay the company $27,000 per year to maintain the cameras and infrastructure.

The vote to dissolve the contract also ensures Delavan will not purchase any license plate readers from other companies in 2027.

"I definitely feel vindicated," said Delavan resident Jeff Terhune, who vehemently opposed Flock cameras and attended Tuesday night's council meeting. "It's wonderful. It's democracy in action."

Terhune said the city's decision makes him proud to be from Delavan because of how councilors quickly recognized residents' concerns with the cameras.

"The expediency with which this vote happened and the decision carried out was nothing short of amazing," Terhune said. "For them to say they don't want anything is the cherry on top. Hit the road, Flock."

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East Troy parents have repeatedly told the school board why they removed their students because of the district's culture. A former student joined them Monday night and detailed how she was bullied.

"Until they come up with some meaningful effort, we'll keep attending every single board meeting," said Rachel Anderson, an East Troy parent who first told TMJ4 about the concerns within the district last month.

Rachel's daughter Clara, who is now a freshman at UW-Madison, returned to East Troy to tell the board what she went through as a student.

"I was harassed and assaulted daily for three years by several boys in the East Troy School District," Clara told the board during the public comment session. "I was kicked while sitting on the band room floor, punched in the stomach, had my knees knocked out from under me, and was body slammed almost daily into lockers by boys twice my size."

Rachel believes the bullying within East Troy Schools is a generational problem which needs to be addressed.

"I myself was a graduate of East Troy and I myself was bullied back in the day," Rachel said. "It is one thing to say this as the mom of a child, but Clara carries those wounds deeply and with her to this day."

East Troy Schools did list "review of student(s) past investigations per public participation comments" as an agenda item for Monday's meeting, but discussed the item in a closed session. However, two board members did publicly state a desire to reform the school district's anti-bullying procedures.

"I might ask to have admin come and review with us in the public session the district's processes when there's a report of bullying or something similar," school board member Kevin Bong said during the meeting.

"If it wasn't for the two board members who chose to speak up, there would have been nothing said publicly," Rachel Anderson said.

TMJ4 e-mailed East Troy Schools superintendent Chris Hibner for comment, but he did not respond.

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Municipalities across Walworth County have passed resolutions against the proposed 765-kilovolt BECI Project power line. The county itself joined the list on Tuesday night.

"We're talking generations and generations of stewardship of this land," said Whitewater resident Barb McComb, who witnessed the county's vote on the resolution. "To have people come in and destroy it for something that isn't helping Wisconsin is outrageous."

The Walworth County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of an opposition resolution after testimony from county land use and resource management director Michael Cotter.

"I'm frustrated, I'm really upset," Cotter said before the vote. "Someone knew and didn't tell us. MISO [Midcontinent Independent System Operator] is overseen by the federal government but no one bothered to tell us at all."

Town of Richmond supervisor Joe Staller said the company behind the BECI Project, Midcontinent Grid Solutions, also failed to tell his town about their plans.

"We were never notified at all on the Plan Commission level, and we got the information at the township level after many of the residents got the information," Staller said.

Richmond was one of the first Walworth County municipalities to pass a resolution against the power line, which has become a controversial topic since the plans were revealed. Staller said he's pleased the county followed their lead.

"This isn't the American way," Staller said. "The American way is when every level of government is informed and every level of community knows what's going to happen."

While the local resolutions are purely statements, Walworth County's resolution also includes the option to try and legally intervene with the Public Service Commission.

"This will give the county a seat at the table to voice the board's concerns," Cotter said. "In my opinion, the best way to have any influence with the Public Service Commission is to intervene."

Midcontinent Grid Solutions was invited to the meeting, according to Walworth County Board president Rick Stacey, but they declined the offer.

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Lake Geneva hopes to turn the former Hillmoor Golf Course into the city's backyard with modern amenities. The city has a plan to pay for the items on their wishlist without affecting taxpayers.

"I'm so optimistic because everyone wants to see this thing succeed," said Lake Geneva Parks Director David Winger, who started as the city's first ever parks director last August.

The city is planning to launch the Lake Geneva Parks Foundation, in which interested donors can raise money for Hillmoor and other park projects across Lake Geneva.

"It's getting the voice of the donors out there to say, 'Yeah, we want this project,' while also mitigating the impact on taxpayers," Winger said.

The city has spent years shaping the vision for Hillmoor, including hosting several meetings for residents to give their opinions earlier this year.

"Sometimes you go into some of these projects, and it's crickets," Winger said. "This has not been the case for this project."

The amenities planned for the future include a splash pad, an amphitheater, a playground, a trail by the White River, and a brand new dog park.

Winger said the initial construction will focus on projects funded by a Knowles-Nelson grant, as well as maintaining the park's popular disc golf course.

"We'll be moving the dog park, building a new dog park, and putting in new trails," Winger said. "We're hoping that 2027 is a big year for us."

Bart Surroz of Pell Lake frequently takes his dogs to the Hillmoor dog park. He said he's pleased Lake Geneva has chosen to invest into it.

"Without this, the dogs are just walking around town and unfortunately using edges of grass, it's nice to have them feel comfortable unleashed," Surroz said. "To have this as a nice park for them to go somewhere, it's more of a community than just a yard with a fence."

The master plan for Hillmoor also includes a plaza with a fountain, picnic shelters, and native plants.

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