Private investment firms that are helping finance America’s artificial intelligence race and the huge buildout of energy-hungry data centers are getting interested in the local utilities that deliver electricity to regular customers — and the servers that power AI.
Billions of dollars from such firms are now flowing toward electric utilities in places including New Mexico, Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota that deliver power to more than 150 million customers across millions of miles of power lines.
“The reason is very simple: because there’s a lot of money to be made,” said Greg Brown, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor of finance who researches private equity and hedge funds.
Private investment firms that have done well investing in infrastructure over the last 15 years now have strong incentives to add data centers, power plants and the services that support them at a time of rapid expansion and spiking demand ignited by the late 2022 debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Brown said.
BlackRock’s CEO Larry Fink said as much in a July interview on CNBC, saying infrastructure is “at the beginning of a golden age.”
“We believe that there’s a need for trillions of dollars investing in infrastructure related to our power grids, AI, the whole digitization of the economy” and energy, Fink said.
In recent weeks, private equity firm Blackstone has sought regulatory approval to buy out a pair of utilities, Albuquerque-based Public Service Company of New Mexico and Lewisville, Texas-based Texas New Mexico Power Co.
Wisconsin earlier this year granted the buyout of the parent of Superior Water, Light and Power and the owner of Northern Indiana Public Service Co. last year sold a 19.9% stake in the utility to Blackstone.
However, a fight has erupted in Minnesota over the buyout of the parent of Duluth-based Minnesota Power and the outcome could determine how such firms expand their holdings in an industry that’s a nexus between regular people, gargantuan data centers and the power sources they share.
Under the proposed deal, a BlackRock subsidiary and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board would buy out the publicly traded Allete, parent of Minnesota Power, which provides power to 150,000 customers and owns a variety of power sources, including coal, gas, wind and solar.
Both sides of the fight have attracted influential players ahead of a possible Oct. 3 vote by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Raising the stakes is the potential that Google could build a data center there, a lucrative prospect for whoever owns Minnesota Power.
Opponents of the acquisition suspect that BlackRock is only interested in squeezing bigger profits from regular ratepayers. Allete makes the opposite argument, that BlackRock can show more patience because it is free of the short-term burdens of publicly traded companies.
Opponents also worry that a successful Minnesota Power buyout will launch more such deals around the U.S. and drive up electric bills for homes.
“It’s no secret that private equity is extremely aggressive in chasing profits, and when it comes to utilities, the profit motive lands squarely on the backs of ratepayers who don’t have a choice of who they buy their electricity from,” said Karlee Weinmann of the Energy and Policy Institute, which pushes utilities to keep rates low and use renewable energy sources.
The buyout proposals come at a time when electricity bills are rising fast across the U.S., and growing evidence suggests that the bills of some regular Americans are rising to subsidize the rapid buildout of power plants and power lines to supply the gargantuan energy needs of Big Tech’s data centers.
Mark Ellis, a former utility executive-turned-consumer advocate who gave expert testimony against the Minnesota Power buyout, said he’s talked to private equity firms that want to get into the business of electric utilities.
“It’s just a matter of what’s the price and will the regulator approve it,” Ellis said. “The challenge is they’re not going to come up for sale very often.”
That’s because electric utilities are seen as valuable long-term investments that earn around 10% returns not on the electricity they deliver, but the upcharge that utility regulators allow on capital investments, like upgrading poles, wires and substations.
That gives utility owners the incentive to spend more so they can make more money, critics say.
The fight over Minnesota Power resembles some of the battles erupting around the U.S. where residents don’t want a data center campus plunked down next to them.
Building trades unions and the administration of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who appointed or reappointed all five utility commissioners, are siding with Allete and BlackRock.
On the other side are the state attorney general’s office and the industrial interests that buy two-thirds of Minnesota Power’s electricity, including U.S. Steel and other owners of iron ore mines, Enbridge-run oil pipelines and pulp and paper mills.
In its petition, Allete told regulators that, under BlackRock’s ownership, Minnesota Power’s operations, strategy and values wouldn’t change and that it doesn’t expect the buyout price — $6.2 billion, including $67 a share for stockholders at a 19% premium — to affect electric rates.
In essence, Allete — which solicited bids for a buyout — argues that BlackRock’s ownership will benefit the public because, under it, the utility will have an easier time raising the money it needs to comply with Minnesota’s law requiring utilities to get 100% of their electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040.
Allete has projected needing to spend $4.3 billion on transmission and clean energy projects over five years.
However, opponents say Allete’s suggestion that it’ll struggle to raise money is unfounded, and undercut by its own filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in which it says it is “well positioned” to meet its financing needs.
It hasn’t been smooth sledding for BlackRock.
In July, an administrative law judge, Megan J. McKenzie, recommended that the commission reject the deal, saying that the evidence reveals the buyout group’s “intent to do what private equity is expected to do – pursue profit in excess of public markets through company control.”
In recent days, a utility commission staff analysis echoed McKenzie’s concerns.
They suggested that private investors could simply load up Minnesota Power’s parent with massive debts, borrow at a relatively low interest rate and turn a fat profit margin from the utility commission granting a generous rate of return.
“For the big investors in private equity, this is a win-win,” the staff wrote. “For the ratepayers of the highly leveraged utility, this represents paying huge profits to the owners if the private equity ‘wins’ and dealing with a bankrupt utility provider if it loses – it is a lose-lose.”
NOTE: The above video first aired on April 22, 2025.
High temperatures are expected to be well above average this weekend and the following week.
The average temperature this time of year is 69 degrees, and Saturday is expected to be in the mid-70s, with many of the following days reaching or exceeding 80 degrees.
Sunny conditions will continue throughout the week, although there will be a few more clouds on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
Katie Steiner grew up in Hastings, MN (GO RAIDERS!) and loves everything about Minnesota. She left the greatest state in the union to go off to college and is absolutely thrilled to be back home.
The Palmyra police department is the first municipal department in Wisconsin to sign a 287(g) agreement with the federal Immigration Customs Enforcement agency. | Photo via Palmyra Public Safety Department official website
A village police department in southeastern Wisconsin has pursued a type of 287(g) agreement with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that is not held by any other agency in the state.
The Wisconsin Examiner’s Criminal Justice Reporting Project shines a light on incarceration, law enforcement and criminal justice issues with support from the Public Welfare Foundation.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin criticized the Palmyra Police Department in Jefferson County, saying it is “partnering hand in glove with ICE to carry out this regime’s plan to deport our immigrant neighbors and loved ones.”
In a statement to the Examiner, interim police chief Paul Blount said the department’s focus is on criminals who threaten public safety and that this is “not a blanket immigration enforcement program.” Blount was not immediately available for an interview.
“If we find out that we have to participate in that aspect of it, where we’re actually going out, actively enforcing immigration policy and procedure and door to door, looking for undocumented individuals, then I would go on record on saying that we won’t participate in that,” Blount said, according to WISN 12 News.
He said that the agreement could be what keeps a local police department in the village, due to financial challenges, according to WISN 12 News. He also said there is a $100,000 incentive for the first arrest of an undocumented person that has been involved in a crime or is wanted, and $7,500 for each subsequent arrest.
According to WISN 12 News, Blount said that if the federal government approves the agreement, he would not move forward without approval from the village board. ICE’s online list currently shows Palmyra as a participating agency and includes Monday, Sept. 22 as the date of signature.
The Task Force Model serves as a “force multiplier,” according to ICE. It allows officers to enforce limited immigration authority while performing routine police duties, such as identifying a person who is not a U.S. citizen or national during a driving under the influence stop and sharing information directly with ICE. Agencies can carry out immigration enforcement activities under ICE supervision and oversight.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin said the department is “even taking it a step further than other agencies, instituting the most aggressive 287(g) model that gives officers the green light to stop people they think might be immigrants on the street, question them about their citizenship status, and even take them into custody.”
The 287(g) program allows a local law enforcement agency to enforce certain aspects of U.S. immigration law. According to ICE’s online list, Palmyra is the only police department in the state with a 287(g) agreement. There are 13 Wisconsin counties with a sheriff’s department partnering with ICE. These partnerships use the warrant service officer model or jail enforcement model, which are focused on local jails.
In the statement to the Examiner, Blount said that if the program is approved, it would allow officers to work in closer partnership with federal authorities. He said officers would gain access to databases and resources that help investigations and help combat serious crimes, such as narcotics trafficking and human trafficking.
“This is a tool, not a blanket immigration enforcement program,” Blount said. “Our focus is on criminals who threaten public safety — not law-abiding residents. The core mission of our department remains unchanged: responding to emergencies, enforcing traffic safety, and preventing crime in our community.”
The ACLU of Wisconsin also raised concern about racial profiling. Stateline reported that the task force agreements with ICE were discontinued in 2012 after a Department of Justice investigation found widespread racial profiling and other discrimination in an Arizona task force.
“This program tears apart communities and instills fear, and we must reject it in Wisconsin and everywhere else,” the ACLU said.
According to WISN 12 News, Blount said he will ensure there is a policy or procedure in place if the village does move forward so that residents “are protected from being profiled.”
A loyalist of Donald Trump who represents a broad swath of Wisconsin’s rural north woods in Congress entered the governor’s race in the battleground state Tuesday, shaking up the Republican primary.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany becomes the front-runner over the two other announced Republican candidates who have less name recognition and support from key conservative donors.
President Donald Trump has not endorsed anyone, which will be key in the August GOP primary. Tiffany said earlier this month, after reports that Trump declined to immediately endorse him, “I’m not worried about endorsements. I think we focus too much time chasing endorsements.”
Another GOP candidate, businessman Bill Berrien, has faced fierce criticism on conservative talk radio after he backed former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley in the 2024 primary and said in August 2020 that he hadn’t decided whether to support Trump.
The third Republican in the race, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, has also tried to court Trump voters. He represents a suburban Milwaukee county that Trump won with 67% of the vote in 2024.
“I have the experience both in the private sector and the public sector to be able to work from Day One,” Tiffany said in an interview on “The Dan O’Donnell Show” announcing his candidacy.
“I give us the best chance to win in 2026,” he said, promising to make the governor’s race one of the most competitive in the country by raising up to $40 million himself to attract additional outside spending.
Reacting to Tiffany’s announcement, Schoemann said he looked forward to a primary “focused on ideas and winning back the governor’s office.”
Even if he lands a Trump endorsement, Tiffany faces hurdles. In the past 36 years, gubernatorial candidates who were the same party as the president in a midterm election have lost every time, except for Evers in 2022.
Tiffany has cruised to victory in the vast 7th Congressional District, which covers nearly 19,000 square miles encompassing all or part of 20 counties. Tiffany won a special election in 2020 after the resignation of Sean Duffy, who is now Trump’s transportation secretary. Tiffany won that race by 14 points and has won reelection by more than 20 points three times.
But candidates from deep-red rural northern Wisconsin have struggled to win statewide elections, largely because of the huge number of Democratic voters in the state’s two largest cities, Milwaukee and Madison.
Prior to being elected to Congress, Tiffany served just over seven years in the state Legislature. During his tenure, he was a close ally of then-Gov. Scott Walker and voted to pass a law that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers.
Tiffany also voted in favor of legalizing concealed carry and angered environmentalists by trying to repeal a state mining moratorium to clear the way for an open-pit mine in northern Wisconsin.
In Congress, Tiffany has upset animal welfare activists with his push to take the gray wolf off the endangered species list, which would open the door to wolf hunting seasons.
In 2020, Tiffany voted against accepting the Electoral College votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania as part of an effort to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s win. He was one of just 14 Republican House members in 2021 who voted against making Juneteenth a national holiday.
Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Devin Remiker branded Tiffany as “Tariff Lover Tom Tiffany,” highlighting his support for Trump’s tariffs, his push at the federal level to ban abortions around six weeks of pregnancy.
“We’re going to show Wisconsinites what a fraud he is and defeat him next November,” Remiker said.
When asked about his abortion stance Tuesday, Tiffany said he stood by the current Wisconsin law that bans abortions after about five months of pregnancy. He also reiterated his support for Trump’s tariffs.
Tiffany promised as governor to freeze property taxes, lower income taxes, improve schools, bolster job creation, overhaul the state Department of Natural Resources and protect farmland from foreign ownership.
Tiffany, 67, was born on a dairy farm and ran a tourist boat business for 20 years. He has played up his rural Wisconsin roots in past campaigns, which included ads featuring his elderly mother and one in which he slings cow manure.
A Republican manufacturer running for governor in Wisconsin as a conservative supporter of “family values” and President Donald Trump followed numerous sexually explicit accounts online, including a nonbinary pornography performer.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday that Bill Berrien, the CEO of Pindel Global Precision and one of two announced 2026 Republican candidates for governor, unfollowed several accounts in recent days after the newspaper asked about the matter.
Berrien, in a statement to The Associated Press, downplayed any concerns about his online activity.
“There are a lot of important issues that are affecting our state and nation,” he said in the statement, “but what is the mainstream media focused on right now? Some stupid articles I read years ago, not the plans I have to reindustrialize our state, turn the economy around, and bring prosperity for all through work.”
In a post on X on Monday, Berrien derided the Journal Sentinel story as “garbage political hits.” He did not refute anything written in the story in his comments to the AP or in his post on X.
The revelation led to calls from some Republicans for Berrien to drop out of the race.
Berrien, 56, is a political newcomer running his first race for Wisconsin’s open governor’s seat. Josh Schoemann, the Washington County executive, is the other Republican in the race. The GOP primary is 11 months away. Numerous Democrats have also announced they are running in an attempt to succeed Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is not seeking a third term.
Berrien has been critical of transgender people in the opening weeks of his candidacy. On his campaign website, he says “our daughters’ sports teams and locker rooms are at risk because of radical social experimentation.”
But the Journal Sentinel reported that Berrien has an account on the online platform Medium.com where he followed nonbinary porn performer Jiz Lee and several other authors of sexually explicit essays. He also followed “publications,” which are similar to blogs, that dealt with exploring sexuality, including having relationships with multiple partners.
Berrien stopped following the accounts of 23 people, including the most sexually explicit ones, after the Journal Sentinel asked about his history on the website, the newspaper reported.
“Is this the best they can do?” Berrien posted on X. “Just days after I promised to stand with President Trump to protect our state, stop the woke indoctrination, and keep boys out of girls sports, they came after me with the same failed attacks they tried with President Trump. Garbage political hits didn’t slow President Trump down, and the Democrats and the media’s latest attempts to keep me out of this fight won’t work either.”
Schoemann, the only other announced Republican candidate in the governor’s race, declined to comment. The Wisconsin Democratic Party also declined to comment. Wisconsin College Republicans urged Berrien, in a post on X, to drop out of the race.
Bill McCoshen, a longtime Republican strategist, posted on X that he thought the revelation would be the end of Berrien’s candidacy. Conservatives, including influential talk radio hosts, already had criticized Berrien for his support of former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primary and for saying in August 2020 that he hadn’t decided whether to support Trump.
“I’ve thought this campaign was over for some time,” McCoshen posted. “Now there’s no doubt.”
Dan Degner, president of the social conservative group Wisconsin Family Action, said that “family and sexuality issues matter” with Republican voters. The group’s political action committee will make an endorsement in the Republican primary next year, he said, and it will only go to a candidate who “champions social conservative causes,” Degner said.
“We would have to have some pretty in-depth conversations with him before we would consider an endorsement,” Degner said of Berrien.
Fall has officially arrived. Summer has come to an end, meaning cooler and shorter days are on the horizon.
What You Need To Know
Fall begins Monday, Sept. 22
The 2025 autumnal equinox happens at 2:19 p.m. ET
The largest daily loss of daylight occurs in September
The change in seasons occurs with the solstice or the equinox determined by the Earth’s tilt and orbit around the sun.
What is the equinox?
The Earth is tilted at a 23.5-degree angle, and as it travels around the sun, the Earth’s axis is tilted toward or away from the sun.
During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up, allowing the sun’s rays to shine directly on the equator. This means that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight.
Meteorological Fall vs. Astronomical Fall
The meteorological seasons are calendar-based, whereas the astronomical seasons rely on the Earh’s position to the sun.
Meteorological fall occurs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. The meteorological seasons are broken down evenly into 3-month periods based on temperature and weather cycles.
Astronomical fall typically starts between Sept. 21 and Sept. 23. This varies because of leap years, which can shift the start date by a day or two.
Why do we lose so much daylight?
We have been slowly losing more and more daylight since the summer solstice in June, and will continue to lose more daylight until the winter solstice in December. The largest daily loss of daylight occurs in September, especially as the autumnal equinox approaches.
The Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt is the main reason we see daylight changes throughout the year. Your latitude also plays a role as well.
This time of year, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, leading to a decrease in daylight. Areas located closer to the equator will see less variation in daylight hours as opposed to areas located closer to the North Pole.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
The slow-moving storm system that has been over the region the past few days will continue to provide clouds and fog Saturday morning.
Later in the day, spotty showers and thunderstorms could pop up. However, we shouldn’t see as much rain today as we did on Friday. Temperatures will be seasonable, with highs in the low 70s.
While pop-up showers are expected on Sunday afternoon, anyone planning to tailgate for the Vikings game should stay dry.
Monday and the rest of the work week should be sunnier due to high pressure moving our way. The first week of fall will have temperatures in the 70s.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, weather has been a passion for Adam for as long as he can remember! Whether it was thunderstorms or winter storms, Adam has always been geeking out. After earning his meteorology degree from Penn State, he made his way to the Ohio Valley to forecast for WTOV.
For those who like to crank the thermostat up during the winter, a new report showing data for the Midwest and other parts of the country says you should be prepared for a much higher price tag this season if you have electric heat.
Friday’s report from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association says that on average, heating costs will increase by more than 7.5% from last winter across the country, from $907 to $976. However, officials with NEADA say homeowners with electric heat are expected to see an even higher increase.
The average price last winter was $1,093, and this year, NEADA projects that same average cost to be $1,205. That’s an increase of $112, or 10.2%.
The association says electrical bill increases are due to the construction of large data centers, the rising cost of natural gas as well as maintaining and upgrading the electrical grid.
The report went on to break down estimated winter heating costs by region by using regional temperature and price projections. In the Midwest, electric heat users on average spent $1,251 last winter, according to the report, which projects this winter to cost $1,498. That’s an increase of $246, or nearly 20%.
Meanwhile, natural gas users in the Midwest should see an average increase of $99, while propane users should see an increase of about $5. Those are increases of 16.4% and 0.5% from last winter, respectively.
Since the winter of 2021-2022, NEADA says the average winter heating cost has risen by 31% for electric users and 26.5% for those who use natural gas.
According to NEADA, roughly 21 million households are behind on energy bills. Nationally, 3 million homes had their energy shut off in 2023, and another 3.5 million followed suit in 2024. This year, that number could reach 4 million.
In Minnesota, a state law known as the Cold Weather Rule prevents utility services from being shut off from Oct. 1 to April 30, while the Extreme Heat Law makes sure electricity isn’t turned off when temperatures reach excessive heat levels. However, to make sure your service isn’t disconnected, a payment plan must be made and agreed upon by the user and the utility company. A payment plan can be set up at any time during the Cold Weather Rule season.
Leaves are changing, and the first day of astronomical fall is next Monday, Sept. 22. Most of the country will begin to see cooler temperatures in the coming weeks, and some won’t have to wait long.
Even though winter doesn’t begin until December, cold air and freezing temperatures arrive well before then for most of the U.S.
What You Need To Know
The Northern Plains and Intermountain West usually dip down below freezing before September is over
Interior New England and the Great Lakes also see freezing temperatures before most of the country
Cold air arrives in Florida, the Gulf Coast and the Desert Southwest last
Winter arrives at the time time every year on the calendar, but not on your thermometer. Every year is different. The maps below give a good idea of when you can expect the first freeze where you live based on the 1991-2020 U.S. climate normals.
The maps below show the ‘median,’ or average date of the first freeze. This is when you could expect the first freeze to arrive during a ‘normal’ year. The next one shows the ‘earliest 10%’ which shows a scenario of when colder air arrives early, about once every 10 years. And the last map shows the ‘latest 10%,’ so during a warm year when cold air arrives late.
Northeast
Most of the Northeast and New England see the first freeze before or during early fall, in September or early October. The mountains and high elevations across interior New England and the Adirondacks average freezing temperatures sometime in September, with the rest of the Northeast getting freezing cold sometime during October or early November.
Midwest
The Upper Midwest and Northern Plains also get in on the cold early. Around the Great Lakes and Dakotas, the first freeze typically arrives during September or early October. Further south the wait isn’t much longer. Freezing air usually arrives to the rest of the Midwest sometime before Halloween.
Northwest
There are many microclimates across the Northwest, so the arrival of cold air varies. Across the Rockies and Intermountain West, some areas experience cold year-round and as early as August and early September. The Pacific Northwest might not see freezing temperatures arrive until late October or November thanks to the maritime influence.
Southwest
The Southwest has a variety of climates as well, so the temperatures differ greatly during the fall and winter. The Desert Southwest and coastal California don’t see the arrival of cold air until late in the season, sometimes not until December. Once you get into the high desert and Southern Plains, it arrives much earlier, around October or early November.
Southeast
If you live in the Southeast, it still gets cold, especially away from the large bodies of water. In the Appalachians and areas away from the Gulf and Atlantic coast, freezing temperatures usually begin before Thanksgiving in late October or early November. The Gulf Coast and Florida, however, wait much longer, with freezing temperatures not arriving until late November or December. In South and Central Florida and southern Texas, freezing temperatures may never even arrive.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
A West Milwaukee pizza factory worker was tragically killed after being crushed by a robotic machine on shift, authorities confirmed.
The victim, identified as 45-year-old Robert Cherone of Elkhorn, was working at Palermo’s Pizza’s facility around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday when the fatal accident occurred, per reports.
Police and firefighters rushed to the factory after receiving reports of an industrial accident, but despite immediate life-saving efforts, Cherone was pronounced dead at the scene.
A factory worker died in an industrial accident at a Wisconsin pizza plant.(Google Maps)
Officials from the West Milwaukee Police Department said the incident is under investigation, with assistance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Details on how Cherone became trapped in the machinery remain unclear.
“The tragic accident that took an employee’s life earlier today is a terrible incident that is being fully investigated,” Palermo’s spokesperson Rebecca Schimke said in a statement Wednesday.
“We are cooperating with government officials and gathering facts. Palermo’s will be supporting the employee’s family and next of kin. We will also be offering counseling and support services to the Palermo’s team during this difficult time.”
Robert Cherone, 45, was working his shift at Palermo’s Pizza facility when the fatal accident occurred.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Cherone was a bakery manager at the Palermo’s facility.
He had worked in the food production industry for years and was known among colleagues for his dedication to the craft.
Wisconsin’s largest labor organization, the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, also released a statement.
“This tragic incident underscores the need for everyone involved in our workplaces—workers, employers, relevant government agencies—to work together aggressively to ensure that every person who goes to work to provide for themselves and their family comes home safely at the end of the day,” it read.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Milwakee Police Department for further comment.
Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.
Sid Miller loves rock climbing, sailing and designing 3D-printed objects. This summer, he began studying graphic design at Milwaukee Area Technical College.
He’s also deafblind, and savors the deafblind culture and community in Wisconsin.
Since age 4, he has relied on a state-run program, funded by a federal grant, to develop his abilities and connect with that community.
But in late August, the U.S. Department of Education canceled that program, called the Wisconsin Deafblind Technical Assistance Project (WDBTAP), for the same reason so many other programs nationwide have been shuttered: It had goals involving diversity — persons of color, women, veterans and people with disabilities.
It’s the only program of its kind in the state that works with deafblind youth. Miller can’t imagine life without it.
“It feels like you have no place in the world because you’re not like other people,” said Miller, who lives with his mother in Cedar Grove. “It’s so easy to be bumped aside, left sunken down in a corner. That’s where I would be if I didn’t have WDBTAP and all the great people I’ve met in my life.”
The federal education department says the grant services will be reinvested into other special education programs, but no one has explained how or in what specific programs.
Advocates don’t trust that will happen, or how it could even work.
The Deafblind Program has been administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction since 2009, but it’s been a staple of the deafblind community since the 1960s when it was housed at the now-shuttered Silver Lake College in Manitowoc.
By the numbers, the Deafblind Program is small. It currently serves 170 deafblind young people in Wisconsin. For the final three years of a five-year grant cycle, from 2023 and 2028, the project was supposed to be awarded about $551,000. That’s a little more than $183,000 per year.
Still, families and advocates describe the program as a lifeline.
Deafblind kids need specific skills early in life — learning how to use American Sign Language and assistive technology, for example — to prevent language deprivation. The Deafblind Program supports them from birth through K-12 school, and the transition to adulthood. It provides coaching for families, assistive technology and other tools.
Though all 50 states have federally funded programs for deafblind youth, Wisconsin is one of just eight states where those programs were recently cut.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is appealing the federal government’s decision. Among other things, DPI argues it included the diversity-related goals because the grant’s own requirements were established in the Biden era.
“This would be horrendous for deaf-blind children in the state of Wisconsin,” said Adrian Klenz, executive director of the state’s Center for Deaf-Blind Persons, Inc., which serves adults.
Parents say Deafblind Program is critical for learning, connections
Leah and Casey Garner spoke to the Journal Sentinel over speakerphone as their 3-year-old daughter babbled in the background. They attribute much of her growing ability to communicate — using “voicing,” assistive technology and sign language – to the Deafblind Program.
“Basically, taking out this program is taking out a leg of the three-legged stool for supporting kids,” Casey Garner said.
The Deafblind Program connected the family with an adult mentor who is deaf, and could teach them to communicate using American Sign Language. It’s a resource that other organizations wouldn’t have provided until she turned 3, the Garners said.
“Trying to be able to figure out, how do we tell our daughter, ‘Hey, we love you. Hey, are you hungry? Do you need a diaper change?’” Casey Garner said. “Having a deaf mentor made an enormous impact.”
They also rely on the Deafblind Program’s library of loanable tools, like communication buttons, which can be expensive. They get a new book, in both braille and written English, each month.
The Garners live in the Reedsburg area ― a relatively small community where most other kids interact with the world differently than their daughter. They say it’s been critical to attend the deafblind events for families with deafblind kids.
“I just see it affecting so many families negatively, not being able to have this,” Leah Garner said.
The Deafblind program follows kids from birth to age 21. Most of the participants, 85%, have four or more disabilities.
Cedar Grove student Sid Miller, 19, graduated with honors from Wisconsin Virtual Academy and earned a prestigious scholarship to attend Milwaukee Area Technical College in 2025. His mother, Jennifer Robers, 49, says the support of Wisconsin Deafblind Technical Assistance Project made it possible for Miller to succeed.
Miller, the 19-year-old, began relying on the deafblind program when he was 4 years old.
He remembers sitting on his first-grade classroom carpet at his public school, feeling alone and discarded. But when a professional from the Deafblind Program came to observe his class, they understood right away he wasn’t learning. He needed accommodations.
He’s been on a successful path ever since. For the last three years, he’s been a member of the National Honor Society; more recently, he earned a prestigious college scholarship for academic excellence.
Now, he’s a mentor to younger deafblind kids and their families.
“The program allows you to achieve the unachievable,” Miller said. “They will push you to do what you want to become and provide the support to do so. It’s really that simple.”
His mother, Jennifer Robers, hoped health care providers and educators would be able to help her navigate deafblindness.
But by and large, those professionals didn’t understand how to help, Robers said. Parents, just their deafblind children, need guidance.
“It’s like going into a new field and there’s a bunch of acronyms, but nobody gives you a glossary of what they stand for,” Robers said. “That’s what entering this whole world is like as you try to get accessibility for different things.”
Can Deafblind Program services be picked up elsewhere?
Savannah Newhouse, press secretary for the U.S. Department of Education, pushed back on the idea that funds were being cut. Instead, she said they are being “re-invested immediately into high-quality programs that better serve special needs students.”
However, Newhouse did not provide more details when asked.
Advocates worry federal officials don’t understand services for deafblind people are specialized and can’t easily be provided by other programs.
For example, Wisconsin has a Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired. The council refers people to the Deafblind Program for services it can’t provide, said executive director Denise Jess.
“We can rock the blindness skills,” said Jess, who herself is blind. “But when you factor in the other sensory loss, we’re not the experts in that area.”
While Wisconsin does have a Center for Deaf-Blind Persons, Inc., its focus is on adults.
The federal government notified the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction on Aug. 27 that, after a review, it found the program’s activities conflict with federal policy “prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence in education.”
Specifically at issue are Wisconsin’s goals related to diversity in hiring, including that 40% of applicants would befrom underrepresented and historically marginalized groups. The review also took issue with goals that 7% of grant expenditures were to businesses owned by women and/or minorities, and 4% to businesses owned by people with disabilities or veterans.
Newhouse, the federal spokesperson, said Wisconsin’s grant was among 35 recently terminated programs as part of efforts to ensure federal funds would no longer “go out the door on autopilot” on the taxpayer’s dime.
“Many of these (grants) use overt race preferences or perpetuate divisive concepts and stereotypes, which no student should be exposed to,” Newhouse said.
Wisconsin DPI’s appeal is multi-layered
Sid Miller, 19, has a passion for graphic design and 3D printing. He’s able to work with a modified monitor to visualize his designs and bring them to life. He’s pursing graphic design at Milwaukee Area Technical College and wants to continue crafting objects designed especially for his deafblind peers.
Miller has been an intern with the Deafblind Program for the last year. Along with mentoring deafblind youth, he designs tools to help them practice braille.
For the past several months, he’s has been making gold metals, 3D-printed in braille and written English. He planned to present them at the Deafblind Program’s annual Olympics celebration event.
But he was laid off because of the funding cut. His last day is Sept. 30.
“The Olympics probably won’t happen now either,” Miller said, turning the medal in his hand.
Sid Miller, 19, designed gold medals to be awarded to all deafblind participants of the 2026 Winter Olympics hosted by the Wisconsin Deafblind Technical Assistance Project. After the U.S. Department of Education abruptly canceled federal funding for the grant program in late August 2025 and with it, Miller’s internship with the program, the winter Olympics aren’t likely to happen now, Miller says.
On Sept. 11, the Department of Public Instruction sent a letter back to the federal government arguing funding should be reinstated. Along with saying the loss would be “devastating,” it says the Trump administration’s actions are unlawful.
According to the department’s letter, the diversity-related goals cited by the Trump administration are from materials that haven’t been used since 2023. Further, it included those goals in its grant application to fit Biden administration requirements.
The department provided a copy of the Biden-era grant application requirements to the Journal Sentinel. It requests grant applicants, like DPI, “ensure equal access and treatment for members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.”
When the Journal Sentinel asked the Trump administration about these contradicting priorities, Newhouse did not respond.
Sid Miller, 19, uses his 3D printer to design braille learning tools for deafblind youth. The braille “pop-its” can be depressed and raised to introduce words in braille.
For families, the need to speak out was immediate.
Leah Garner said she was distraught when she learned the funding was cut. Casey Garner said he sprang into action, and started looking for ways to help. It’s why they are sharing the family’s story, and contacting Wisconsin lawmakers to see if the state could find another way to provide services.
For Miller, he said he wants people in the federal government to put themselves in his shoes.
“I wish they would experience how this is going to impact us before they make decisions,” Miller said. “I feel like they didn’t really think ahead on how this would hurt us. Like they just did it to prove something that has nothing to do with us.”
Cleo Krejci covers K-12 education and workforce development as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at CKrejci@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. For more information about Report for America, visit jsonline.com/rfa.
Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. You can reach her at neilbert@gannett.com.
A Democratic state lawmaker who is promising to be a “wild card” joined Wisconsin’s open race for governor on Wednesday, saying she will focus on a progressive agenda to benefit the working class.
State Rep. Francesca Hong, who lives in the liberal capital city of Madison, is embracing her outsider status. In addition to serving in the state Assembly, Hong works as a bartender, dishwasher and line cook. As a single mother struggling with finding affordable housing, she said she is uniquely relatable as a candidate.
“I like considering myself the wild card,” Hong said. “Our campaign is going to look at strategies and movement building, making sure we are being creative when it comes to our digital strategies.”
Part of her goal will be to expand the electorate to include voters who haven’t been engaged in past elections, she said.
Hong, 36, joins a field that doesn’t have a clear frontrunner. Other announced Democratic candidates include Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and state Sen. Kelda Roys. Additional Democrats are considering jumping in the race, including Attorney General Josh Kaul.
On the Republican side, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and suburban Milwaukee business owner Bill Berrien are the only announced candidates. Other Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and state Senate President Mary Felzkowski, are considering running.
The race to replace Gov. Tony Evers, who is retiring after two terms, is open with no incumbent running for the first time since 2010.
Hong is the most outspoken Democrat to join the field. She is known to use profanity when trying to make a point, especially on social media.
Hong is one of four Democrats in the Wisconsin Assembly who are also members of the Socialist Caucus.
“We’re meeting a moment that requires a movement and not an establishment candidate,” she said.
She promised to make working-class people the center of her campaign while embracing progressive policies. That includes backing universal child care, paid leave, lower health care costs, improving wages for in-home health care workers and adequately funding public schools.
Like other Democrats in the race, Hong is highly critical of President Donald Trump’s administration and policies.
“It’s important to refer to the administration not as an administration but authoritarians who aim to increase mass suffering and harm working-class families across the state,” Hong said. “A lot of communities are scared for their families, for their communities, how they’re going to continue to make ends meet when they’re worried about health care and salaries.”
Hong was elected to the state Assembly in 2020 and ran unopposed in both 2022 and 2024.
The Democratic primary is 11 months away in August 2026, and the general election will follow in November.
A Wisconsin state senator who came in third in the Democratic primary for governor in 2018 is running again, saying in her campaign launch video that “extremists” like President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk are putting the nation’s democracy at risk.
Kelda Roys, an attorney and small business owner who represents the liberal capital city of Madison in the state Senate, launched her campaign on Monday.
“We are in the fight of our lives for our democracy and our kids’ future,” Roys says in her campaign launch video. It shows people protesting along with images of Trump and Musk.
The two other highest-profile announced Democratic candidates are Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Several other Democrats are expected to join the race in the coming days.
On the Republican side, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, 43, and suburban Milwaukee business owner Bill Berrien, 56, are the only announced candidates. Other Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and state Senate President Mary Felzkowski, are considering running.
Roys, 46, served in the state Assembly from 2009 until 2013. Roys ran for an open congressional seat in 2012, but was defeated by a fellow state lawmaker, Mark Pocan, by 50 points. She was elected to the state Senate in 2020.
As a lawmaker, Roys has been an outspoken defender of abortion rights and for union rights. In her launch video, Roys highlights her opposition to then-Gov. Scott Walker’s law which effectively ended collective bargaining for public workers in 2011.
“With everything on the line, Wisconsin needs a governor who’s been training for this moment her whole career and knows how to deliver,” she said.
Roys said she would work to improve public schools, make health care more affordable and create quality jobs.
The race to replace Gov. Tony Evers, who is retiring after two terms, is open with no incumbent running for the first time since 2010. Roys lost to Evers in the 2018 gubernatorial primary, coming in third out of eight candidates behind him and Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin.
Every fall, people travel far and wide to go ‘leaf-peeping.’ The goal is to catch the leaves at peak color to see all the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows that Mother Nature has to offer.
Weather plays a primary role in knowing when and where to go.
What You Need To Know
Weather plays a significant role in fall foliage
Heat and soil moisture determine foliage timing and intensity
Stressed trees will lose leaves earlier or later than normal
Right place at the right time
The first step of successful leaf-peeping is being at the right place at the right time. All other factors aside, this is the average time of the year around the U.S. that you can see peak fall colors according to Explore Fall.
(Explore Fall)
Aside from the Florida peninsula, the Gulf Coast and parts of the desert Southwest, most of the continental U.S. sees color change during fall.
Weather’s role
The weather determines whether the fall foliage comes out early, on time or late every year, but what role does it play?
Heat and moisture are the biggest factors that influence fall foliage. The summer weather helps give an idea of when colors will pop, but the weather during September and October are the biggest influencers.
Here is how soil moisture and air temperature affect fall foliage.
(Explore Fall)
A prolonged late-spring or severe summer drought that leads to dry soils in the fall not only affects the timing, but the quality of the colors. Drought and drier soil puts a higher stress on the trees, dulling down the colors and forcing them to lose their leaves sooner.
Heavy rainfall and wet soils in the summer and fall can delay the colors’ arrival by a few days, or even weeks. The later arrival time can produce better fall colors.
Colder and below-normal temperatures bring out fall colors early, while prolonged summer heat and above normal temperatures delay the colors.
According to the USDA Forest Service, “a succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp but not freezing nights seems to bring about the most spectacular color displays.” In other words… typical fall weather.
Current fall foliage
Here is a map of the current fall foliage around the U.S.
In some parts of the country, leaves have already started turning. The first areas to see color are typically further north and at higher elevations, including parts of the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains, the Mountain West and interior Northeast.
Parts of New England are in a severe drought, with much of the mountain west under an extreme or exceptional drought, which could cause the trees to lose leaves early and mute the colors.
7-Day foliage outlook
Here is a look at Explore Fall’s 7-day foliage forecast and what the foliage is expected to look like in a week from now.
Our team of meteorologists dive deep into the science of weather and break down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Slain conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s organization Turning Point USA wielded political influence in Wisconsin.
The group began as a youth-focused group active on college campuses and has since expanded its voter outreach operations, particularly in Wisconsin where Republicans have made gains on college campuses.
Kirk, who was shot and killed Sept. 10 during a campus event in Utah, has been present in Wisconsin during past campaign seasons in the battleground state. He and Donald Trump Jr. visited Oconomowoc in March to rally for Brad Schimel, a conservative state Supreme Court candidate who lost the race.
He also delivered remarks at the 2024 Republican National Convention held in Milwaukee and appeared at events for conservatives around the city during the week-long event.
Kirk visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September 2024 as the first stop on his “You’re Being Brainwashed” tour, according to the Daily Cardinal, a student newspaper at the university.
About 150 people attended that event, where Kirk debated with students on issues like abortion, gay marriage and affirmative action. No counter-protestors were present, according to the Badger Herald, another newspaper at the university.
In the 2024 presidential election, Kirk’s group established a broad get-out-the vote operation in Wisconsin, opening an office in Waukesha and training hundreds of “ballot chasers” to boost turnout of conservative but low-propensity voters.
Later, during the spring 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race, Republicans worried that a “turf war” for influence over party infrastructure and leadership between Turning Point and the Republican Party of Wisconsin.
In the wake of Kirk’s death, Wisconsin political figures on both sides of the political aisle called for prayers and condemned the act of political violence.
President Donald Trump shared on social media: “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”
Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean spans June through November, and this year was forecasted to be near to above average.
What You Need To Know
The 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season was forecasted to be near to above average
Through early Sept. 2025, there have only been six named storms
The climatological peak of hurricane season is on Sept. 10
However, as we approach the climatological peak of the season, we’ve only had six named storms.
2025 Atlantic Season predictions
Both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Colorado State University (CSU) made their seasonal forecasts back in May and updated them in August. The latest outlooks predict an above-average season: 13 to 18 tropical cyclones (down from 13 to 19 named storms) for NOAA and 16 named storms for CSU (down from 17 to 24 named storms).
The new predictions include the six named storms we’ve already seen. The average number of named storms is around 14 per season.
How the season began
Tropical Storm Andrea formed on June 23, 2025. This marked the latest start to a season since 2014.
Next, Tropical Storm Barry formed toward the end of June and made landfall in Veracruz, Mexico.
After Barry, Tropical Storm Chantal impacted the southeastern U.S. The storm made landfall in South Carolina on July 6, bringing tropical storm force-winds and flooding rainfall to the Carolinas.
Flooding from Chantal at Cooper Road at the Haw River canoe access in Graham, North Carolina. (Graham Police Department)
Tropical Storm Dexter followed, and next, Hurricane Erin. Erin became a large and powerful Category 5 storm. The storm stayed well off the coast of the U.S., but it brought dangerous rip currents to most of the eastern seaboard.
Since then, there has been a lull in tropical activity.
Still a lot of the season to go
In September and early October, storms are most likely to form in the central Atlantic and the Caribbean. However, as more frontal boundaries move through the U.S. at this time, it’s possible for tropical cyclones to develop along old fronts in the Gulf of Mexico and off of the southeast coast.
“We are just coming up on the halfway mark of the hurricane season, usually the time of peak activity,” says Dr. Frank Marks, a meteorologist in the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA/Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.
Don’t let the lull in the Atlantic lull you to sleep. As we approach the peak with quiet conditions, there’s still plenty of time for more storms to develop.
Notable September and October tropical cyclones
Even though many may be focused on fall, hurricane season is ongoing! There have been many tropical cyclones that have formed and made landfall in September and October.
Just last year, Hurricane Milton formed in October and rapidly intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm in the Gulf of America. This was the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded over the Gulf since Hurricane Rita in 2005. Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, FL.
While the outlook over the next seven days looks quiet in the Atlantic, make sure you’re focusing on the forecast as conditions in the open waters can change. Tracking the Tropics.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Data centers require massive volumes of water to operate, and the growing use of artificial intelligence means more of these centers are popping up in water-abundant regions such as the Great Lakes. However, despite their access to the vast bodies of water, not all communities in or near the Great Lakes basin have the capacity to sustainably support this industry, experts say.
A recent report warns the region is not prepared for the unprecedented, growing demand from data centers and other water-heavy users — which, if not addressed, could lead to shortages and conflict. The report also points to agriculture as a growing stressor.
Every Great Lakes state has passed tax incentive legislation to encourage data centers to locate there. But these incentives are not “reflective of where water is available — and where it isn’t,” said Helena Volzer, author of the report and senior source water policy manager at the nonprofit Alliance for the Great Lakes.
In addition, data centers are not required to report their water consumption.
The threat reaches far beyond what the eye can see and deep under our feet. The volume of fresh groundwater in the basin is equal to that of Lake Huron, earning it a nickname among scientists: the sixth Great Lake. Alongside precipitation and snowmelt, the inflow from this underground water helps replenish the massive bodies of water. But that still happens very slowly — each year, 1% of the Great Lakes is recharged.
“Those of us who work in this space think of the Great Lakes more as a finite resource,” said Melissa Scanlan, director of the Center for Water Policy at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.
And it’s experiencing strain like never before. Last year, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimated that in 2023, data centers across the country consumed 17 billion gallons of water for cooling and projected that those figures could double or quadruple by 2028.
Additionally, hotter summers and drought — exacerbated by human-made climate change — are increasing agriculture’s reliance on irrigation.
“There are some gaps that we need to address, to accommodate (the) increase in demand,” Volzer said. State laws and regional planning need to inform economic development decisions that are sustainable.
Illinois is no stranger to some of these emerging threats to its water resources. As of September, it was the fourth state with the most data centers in the country at over 200, behind only Virginia, Texas and California.
These companies are moving into small towns, threatening to deplete municipal water supplies, wells and groundwater. For instance, a data center that could require 3 million gallons of water a day has been proposed in the village of Minooka near Joliet, an area that expects its groundwater supply to dry up in the next five years. Both municipalities and other surrounding communities have entered into a deal with the city of Chicago to purchase water from Lake Michigan.
While Illinois legislation is trying to keep up with the influx of data centers, Volzer said, “it’s not happening fast enough.”
Black box of water use
Phones and laptops overheat during heavy use, such as when several apps or tabs are open simultaneously, or when the devices are being used to play video games or watch movies.
The same happens inside data centers, Scanlan said.
“They have giant servers in these buildings, and they’re generating lots and lots of heat, so they need to be kept cool,” she said. Massive volumes of cold water are circulated through pipes in and around computer equipment, absorbing heat produced by the servers.
The Edged data center in Aurora on Feb. 26, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The centers also use water in other indirect ways, such as in the production of electricity to power the facility — “in some cases, the equivalent amounts to a small city,” Scanlan said. When that electricity is obtained through fossil fuels, as opposed to solar or wind energy, the production process requires even more water.
“So, part of the water use puzzle is: What kind of technology is being used to cool the centers? And the other part is: How are they getting their electricity?” Scanlan said.
Yet these technology companies rarely reveal how much water they consume. Less than a third of data centers track water use, Volzer said.
“We have a kind of black box around that water usage,” she said. “Then, how can we predict demand?”
About 97% of data center operators obtain water from municipal supplies. This means that, like regular citizens, these companies are considered customers and are not required to publicly disclose their usage or report it to a regulatory body, according to Scanlan.
“So it’s been very difficult to get a handle on how much water is going to this new business,” she said. “That’s part of the difficulty for communities trying to assess: ‘Do we want to host a data center?’ They don’t really have all the information that they need to make a good decision.”
Policy and regulations have yet to catch up.
“And, by design, the information has been obscured,” Scanlan added. “This is an industry that uses nondisclosure agreements and confidentiality agreements when they’re going into communities.”
In Illinois, Democratic state Sen. Steve Stadelman, 34th District, introduced the Illinois Data Center Energy and Water Reporting Act earlier this year to require data centers to report their energy and water consumption every year and to make some of that data available to the public. The bill didn’t advance, but Stadelman expressed hopes that language around reporting requirements will be included in the final omnibus energy legislation the General Assembly could pass this fall or next year.
Stadelman said his concerns emerged in recent years as developers of data centers began moving into the state, resulting in increased energy and water demand. The industry has opposed his bill, the legislator said, by claiming that usage information is proprietary. But some of that information is already shared with utility companies and during the permitting processes at the local level, he added.
“It’s difficult to craft policies to ensure residential ratepayers are not unnecessarily burdened and shouldering the price spikes when we really don’t know exactly how much energy and water data centers use,” Stadelmen said in a written statement to the Tribune.
Incentivizing water use
Most data centers mainly use drinking water for cooling purposes, but this is not necessary. Instead, they could use alternative sources, including reclaimed or treated wastewater to relieve pressure on municipal supplies.
“States need to be exploring … ways to allow for non-potable reuse,” Volzer said. “What is the incentive to use recirculation, to be more efficient? It kind of has to come from the government.”
In Illinois, data centers outside Chicago can hook onto municipal water supplies that often rely on groundwater, which makes up between 20% and 40% of the total water flowing in and out of the Great Lakes system.
“In the Great Lakes region, especially Illinois and the northern part of the state, we’re pretty blessed with the access to quantity and quality of groundwater that we do have,” said Brian Snelten, a former president of the Illinois Association of Groundwater Professionals and the National Ground Water Association. “We forget about it because we can’t see it.”
But as climate change scrambles precipitation patterns, it is putting more pressure on these resources. Even scattered extreme rain events are not enough to replenish aquifers — at least not “in the same way that more subtle, lighter rain events do over time,” Volzer said.
Most of the rainfall runs right off, she said, especially where clay soils with poor drainage, like those predominant in Illinois, don’t easily allow it to seep through.
“You get this conflict between reasonable use for life, and then you have industry that wants to come in,” Snelten said. “The first thing people think about when they hear about the amount of water being used (by data centers) is: ‘Is my well going to go dry?’”
Illinois is also particularly attractive to data centers moving into the region in that it’s the only state that can divert and sell freshwater from a Great Lake.
The Great Lakes Compact — an agreement between the surrounding eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces — prohibits diversions of water from the basin, but a Supreme Court decree from 1967 allows Illinois to divert over 2 billion gallons of Lake Michigan water via Chicago every day.
Joliet chief water plant operator Jay Rivera in the city’s public utilities building on Feb. 23, 2021. The green pipe carries water from multiple wells, and the blue pipe carries treated water. Joliet voted to switch over to Lake Michigan water as groundwater depletion continues in northeast Illinois. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
It’s how Joliet entered a $1 billion deal with the city of Chicago in 2023, to supply the suburb and five neighboring communities with 105 million gallons of Lake Michigan water a day for at least a century as their groundwater supply depletes. One of those communities is Minooka, where the proposed data center would need millions of gallons of water per day.
While Volzer advocates for scaling back tax incentives or outright eliminating them, she said tax breaks and credits can be coupled with responsible and efficient water use to avoid depleting the resource wherever it may already be scarce.
A couple looks over Lake Michigan minutes before sunrise, Aug. 29, 2025, on Navy Pier. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
For instance, Michigan enacted a law last year that authorized tax incentives for new data centers, under the condition that they must connect to a municipal system that has the available capacity to supply water. That legislation is designed, Volzer said, to encourage siting where the resource is available.
“Economic development can happen,” she said. “We’re just saying: Plan for it in a sustainable way.”
Scanlan echoed the need for thoughtful planning around a water supply that is not unlimited.
“So, thinking about how you use your finite resources in a planned way that makes sure you’re maximizing local benefits and local job growth — that’s also, I think, a very smart choice for communities, to enter into that planning,” she said.
Agricultural pressures
Groundwater is the main source of agricultural irrigation in Illinois. And while the region has long relied on agriculture, drought is requiring some states to use more water than before. According to the 2023 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Illinois used 134 billion gallons of water to irrigate almost 680,000 acres of farmland that year, when Illinois had its worst drought in over a decade.
In 2018, the state used 108 billion gallons on almost 565,000 acres; in 2013, which followed a year of particularly bad drought, it used 119 billion gallons on over 540,000 acres.
Additionally, rising average temperatures from climate change are increasing the rates at which the millions of acres of corn crops in Illinois release water vapor into the atmosphere as they mature in the summer. This accelerated process means the crops require more water during their growth stages to avoid stress and yield loss.
“The soil is very much a living thing, and it has the ability, naturally, to be able to really take in a lot of moisture,” said Eliot Clay, executive director of the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Some of that water filters through to recharge aquifers.
While agriculture can contribute to dwindling groundwater resources, Clay said, certain practices can help address the issue.
“It’s not impossible for us to deplete an aquifer,” he said. “What we know for a fact is that, with the adoption of a successful conservation operation on a farm, they are able to decrease the amount of water coming off their landscape and put it back into (groundwater), which essentially is going to be used by people, for either drinking water or industry or what have you.”
Even though agricultural conservation practices — such as cover crops and tillage to improve soil health — can help replenish the resource, Clay called them “largely Band-Aid approaches.”
“Those aquifers took thousands of years to fill,” he said. “And we can do a lot to help make sure that the land is doing the best it can to take up water. … But, is it going to solve the problem? I don’t know.”
The conservation districts act as “the first line of defense” for groundwater, Volzer said, recommending limits to state agencies for high-capacity wells.
Beyond that, however, Illinois has no centralized system for groundwater management, meaning the state can’t proactively address depleting aquifers until after negative effects have occurred. This is because the districts are nonregulatory and can make recommendations for well limits only after receiving a landowner complaint, carrying out an investigation and finding a substantial lowering of groundwater levels.
“I think Illinois is really in need of a more comprehensive groundwater management law,” Volzer said.
The report suggests that Illinois create a centralized, state-level management program for registration, permitting and well siting that limits groundwater use where depletion is likely to occur, rather than where it is already happening. It also recommends that all the Great Lakes states implement energy and water efficiency standards, as well as reporting requirements, for large water users.
Scanlan said a decentralized system might’ve made sense in an earlier time with a smaller population, less water conflict and agriculture that required less irrigation. But not anymore.
“It could be really beneficial for the state to have a bigger picture of what’s going on with (its) groundwater,” she said.
Still, the devil is in the details, Clay said, “in terms of how something like this would develop.”
He believes the benefit of conservation districts is that they provide on-the-ground, personalized technical assistance to farmers and communities to implement resource conservation practices. Centralized groundwater management and monitoring are important, he said, but should be in the hands of a state agency while the districts continue in their nonregulatory role.
“(Conservation districts) are way more important now than they’ve been, because of what’s going on federally,” he said, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture rolls back programs and regulations under the Trump administration. “But, overall, I do think that there’s merit in trying to figure out what the actual usage of groundwater is in Illinois, in a more quantifiable way.”
Saints first-year defensive backs coach Terry Joseph used to love working in college football, having spent the last 19 years at some of the biggest brands in the game.
His stops included LSU, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Tennessee and most recently, Texas.
Earlier this year, Joseph joined the ranks of new NFL coaches who’ve seized opportunities to leave the college game behind, disillusioned by the effects of recent rule changes liberalizing player movement and payments.
What You Need To Know
Recruiting isn’t what it used to be
NFL coaches work long hours during the season and for significant stretches in the offseason, but when the calendar says they’re off, they’re off
The NFL is benefitting from a broader pool of coaching candidates
Recruiting, an area where Joseph once thrived, isn’t what it used to be. It’s become an almost 24-7 grind that is more centered around player finances and retention than mentorship and development, he said.
“The part of recruiting that I really enjoyed was connecting with players and their families, really kind of talking about how they were going to develop from being this young man in high school to a grown adult,” Joseph said, adding that he’d pledge to recruits to “be a coach for the rest of your life.”
But in recent years, Joseph noted, “I kind of felt personally that the relationship building on recruiting was fading away because you had all of these external factors — the transfer portal; name, image and likeness — that were becoming so much bigger.
“I wanted to be a recruiter and a coach, not necessarily a financial planner, a tax-information person, or answering questions about when is the check coming,” he said.
So, when Saints first-year coach Kellen Moore offered a spot on his staff to Joseph, who also is a New Orleans native, leaving the Longhorns for the NFL was a “no-brainer,” he said.
Joseph isn’t the only Saints position coach who crossed over to the NFL from college this year. Bo Davis, who coached defensive line at LSU in 2024, also is now with New Orleans.
Davis has coached in the NFL before, but spent most of the past three decades working for college programs, including Alabama, Texas and earlier stints at LSU, where he also played.
The work-life balance in the NFL is better, Davis said, because he doesn’t have to constantly keep tabs on the players in his position group, never mind their families and representatives. And he doesn’t have to worry unceasingly about the various forces pulling at his players and their associates, promising more money and better opportunities elsewhere.
While NFL agents must register with the NFL Players Association and receive standard commissions of around 3% of playing contracts, representatives for college players essentially make their own rules and commissions range widely.
The larger the commission, the more incentive agents have to seek out increasingly higher bidders for their players, regardless of whether a more lucrative opportunity is in fact a better fit.
Some college player agents “don’t (care) about the kid,” Davis said. “They’re looking at the next dollar. … They’re not actually saying, ‘Is this guy in a good spot that he’s going to be successful?’”
For Davis, seeing college players develop over three to five years “was always my reward,” he said. “That was always my goal as a position coach, to try to help that young man better his life.”
Now, “You don’t really have a real good bond with them because, it’s like, one-year-rental guys,” Davis said.
By the time Davis decided to leave college football, he felt like he was literally losing his religion. He couldn’t find time to attend church on Sundays because there always seemed to be a recruiting breakfast to attend.
He also felt he was missing out on important moments with his youngest child, who at age 15 is still at home, and his wife.
NFL coaches work long hours during the season and for significant stretches in the offseason. But when the calendar says they’re off, they’re off.
“Now I can spend time with my family. I can go to church” on those Sundays when there isn’t a Saints game, Davis said. “I can take my wife out to eat.”
LSU coach Brian Kelly said that while he understands why Davis went to the NFL, there’s still a lot of mentorship going on in college football.
“They’re still 18- to 21-year-olds,” Kelly said. “They still need coaches that are going to develop them in all areas.”
Those areas range from how they play to off-the-field associations, whom they trust for financial management and how their public persona affects their individual brands and endorsement opportunities.
“Many of them come from single-parent homes that never had this kind of wealth,” Kelly said. “That is a new part of college football that you have to decipher and manage, and if it’s not for you, I can see why you would go to the NFL.
“But, for me, the relationships are still what gets me up in the morning and developing these young men,” Kelly added. “There’ll be a couple (players) that you lose along the way because maybe he got offered more money, but you move on to the next kid.”
Meanwhile, the NFL is benefitting from a broader pool of coaching candidates, Moore said.
Long-time college coaches are “bringing an energy and different perspective which is really, really good,” said Moore, whose brother, Kirby, is a college offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Missouri.
“The college game is awesome,” Moore said. “But there’s a lot of uncertainty around it and the calendar is such that their season is really never over. There’s always something going on. So, I think the NFL calendar has a little bit more consistency.”
New NFL assistant coaches who’ve made similar moves include Joseph’s former fellow assistant at Texas, Tashard Choice, now the Detroit Lions’ running backs coach. Dallas Cowboys receivers coach Junior Adams and offensive line coach Conor Riley are in their first NFL seasons after two decades in the college ranks.
Buffalo Bills cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae moved to the NFL in 2024 after 17 seasons as a college coach with West Virginia, Michigan, Cincinnati, Arizona, Minnesota, Georgia and Miami.
“I think I’m the start of a new wave,” Addae said. “Until recent years, I never really had the itch to coach pro ball.”
But college football “has changed so drastically from what it was when I got into it that it was almost” the same as the NFL, he said. If anything, he said, the NFL is more regulated than college now.
It was one thing to recruit high school players, Addae said. But “still having to re-recruit them consistently,” and “looking for the poachers” was an unsavory recipe for burnout.
“There probably wasn’t a whole bunch of thought put into what the universities, the coaches and so forth would have to deal with behind all of the new rule changes,” Addae said. “It’s forcing some guys to say, `You know what? If I’m going to deal with this here. Why not go to the highest level.”
That’s what first-year Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley decided to do after spending his previous five seasons at the college level, including four as head coach at Boston College. Hafley left an NFL job to become Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator in 2019, just a couple years before the NIL era began. By 2024, he was ready to come back to purely professional football.
“Certainly college football has changed and I do think that — I’m not gonna get on a soap box here today — but what I will say is I that do think there needs some things to change,” he said. “But it’s still a great game.”
Saints first-year defensive backs coach Terry Joseph used to love working in college football, having spent the last 19 years at some of the biggest brands in the game.
His stops included LSU, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Tennessee and most recently, Texas.
Earlier this year, Joseph joined the ranks of new NFL coaches who’ve seized opportunities to leave the college game behind, disillusioned by the effects of recent rule changes liberalizing player movement and payments.
What You Need To Know
Recruiting isn’t what it used to be
NFL coaches work long hours during the season and for significant stretches in the offseason, but when the calendar says they’re off, they’re off
The NFL is benefitting from a broader pool of coaching candidates
Recruiting, an area where Joseph once thrived, isn’t what it used to be. It’s become an almost 24-7 grind that is more centered around player finances and retention than mentorship and development, he said.
“The part of recruiting that I really enjoyed was connecting with players and their families, really kind of talking about how they were going to develop from being this young man in high school to a grown adult,” Joseph said, adding that he’d pledge to recruits to “be a coach for the rest of your life.”
But in recent years, Joseph noted, “I kind of felt personally that the relationship building on recruiting was fading away because you had all of these external factors — the transfer portal; name, image and likeness — that were becoming so much bigger.
“I wanted to be a recruiter and a coach, not necessarily a financial planner, a tax-information person, or answering questions about when is the check coming,” he said.
So, when Saints first-year coach Kellen Moore offered a spot on his staff to Joseph, who also is a New Orleans native, leaving the Longhorns for the NFL was a “no-brainer,” he said.
Joseph isn’t the only Saints position coach who crossed over to the NFL from college this year. Bo Davis, who coached defensive line at LSU in 2024, also is now with New Orleans.
Davis has coached in the NFL before, but spent most of the past three decades working for college programs, including Alabama, Texas and earlier stints at LSU, where he also played.
The work-life balance in the NFL is better, Davis said, because he doesn’t have to constantly keep tabs on the players in his position group, never mind their families and representatives. And he doesn’t have to worry unceasingly about the various forces pulling at his players and their associates, promising more money and better opportunities elsewhere.
While NFL agents must register with the NFL Players Association and receive standard commissions of around 3% of playing contracts, representatives for college players essentially make their own rules and commissions range widely.
The larger the commission, the more incentive agents have to seek out increasingly higher bidders for their players, regardless of whether a more lucrative opportunity is in fact a better fit.
Some college player agents “don’t (care) about the kid,” Davis said. “They’re looking at the next dollar. … They’re not actually saying, ‘Is this guy in a good spot that he’s going to be successful?’”
For Davis, seeing college players develop over three to five years “was always my reward,” he said. “That was always my goal as a position coach, to try to help that young man better his life.”
Now, “You don’t really have a real good bond with them because, it’s like, one-year-rental guys,” Davis said.
By the time Davis decided to leave college football, he felt like he was literally losing his religion. He couldn’t find time to attend church on Sundays because there always seemed to be a recruiting breakfast to attend.
He also felt he was missing out on important moments with his youngest child, who at age 15 is still at home, and his wife.
NFL coaches work long hours during the season and for significant stretches in the offseason. But when the calendar says they’re off, they’re off.
“Now I can spend time with my family. I can go to church” on those Sundays when there isn’t a Saints game, Davis said. “I can take my wife out to eat.”
LSU coach Brian Kelly said that while he understands why Davis went to the NFL, there’s still a lot of mentorship going on in college football.
“They’re still 18- to 21-year-olds,” Kelly said. “They still need coaches that are going to develop them in all areas.”
Those areas range from how they play to off-the-field associations, whom they trust for financial management and how their public persona affects their individual brands and endorsement opportunities.
“Many of them come from single-parent homes that never had this kind of wealth,” Kelly said. “That is a new part of college football that you have to decipher and manage, and if it’s not for you, I can see why you would go to the NFL.
“But, for me, the relationships are still what gets me up in the morning and developing these young men,” Kelly added. “There’ll be a couple (players) that you lose along the way because maybe he got offered more money, but you move on to the next kid.”
Meanwhile, the NFL is benefitting from a broader pool of coaching candidates, Moore said.
Long-time college coaches are “bringing an energy and different perspective which is really, really good,” said Moore, whose brother, Kirby, is a college offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Missouri.
“The college game is awesome,” Moore said. “But there’s a lot of uncertainty around it and the calendar is such that their season is really never over. There’s always something going on. So, I think the NFL calendar has a little bit more consistency.”
New NFL assistant coaches who’ve made similar moves include Joseph’s former fellow assistant at Texas, Tashard Choice, now the Detroit Lions’ running backs coach. Dallas Cowboys receivers coach Junior Adams and offensive line coach Conor Riley are in their first NFL seasons after two decades in the college ranks.
Buffalo Bills cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae moved to the NFL in 2024 after 17 seasons as a college coach with West Virginia, Michigan, Cincinnati, Arizona, Minnesota, Georgia and Miami.
“I think I’m the start of a new wave,” Addae said. “Until recent years, I never really had the itch to coach pro ball.”
But college football “has changed so drastically from what it was when I got into it that it was almost” the same as the NFL, he said. If anything, he said, the NFL is more regulated than college now.
It was one thing to recruit high school players, Addae said. But “still having to re-recruit them consistently,” and “looking for the poachers” was an unsavory recipe for burnout.
“There probably wasn’t a whole bunch of thought put into what the universities, the coaches and so forth would have to deal with behind all of the new rule changes,” Addae said. “It’s forcing some guys to say, `You know what? If I’m going to deal with this here. Why not go to the highest level.”
That’s what first-year Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley decided to do after spending his previous five seasons at the college level, including four as head coach at Boston College. Hafley left an NFL job to become Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator in 2019, just a couple years before the NIL era began. By 2024, he was ready to come back to purely professional football.
“Certainly college football has changed and I do think that — I’m not gonna get on a soap box here today — but what I will say is I that do think there needs some things to change,” he said. “But it’s still a great game.”
Door County, Wisconsin, may be famous for cheese curds and tart cherries, but its true magic lies in the outdoors. Nestled between Lake Michigan and Green Bay, this slender peninsula is home to five state parks—each with its own personality, scenery, and seasonal charm.
Whether you’re a casual hiker, stargazer, paddler, or snowshoer, Door County’s parks offer a refreshing escape in every season. Here’s a look at five standout parks and what makes each one worth the trip.
Newport State Park: Stargazing and Solitude
Where Lake Michigan whispers and the cosmos answers—Newport’s night sky is pure wilderness wonder.
Located at the northern tip of the peninsula, Newport State Park is Wisconsin’s only designated International Dark Sky Park. On clear nights, the stars feel close enough to touch—perfect for astronomy buffs or anyone craving quiet wonder.
By day, explore 30 miles of hiking trails, paddle along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, or picnic beneath towering pines. In winter, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing offer peaceful ways to explore the snowy forest.
Peninsula State Park: Bluffs, Beaches, and Big Views
Two friends, one view—soaking in the sweep of Green Bay from Eagle Tower’s lofty perch.
Often called Wisconsin’s most complete park, Peninsula State Park has it all: rocky bluffs, sandy beaches, forested trails, and even a golf course. The park hugs Green Bay with eight miles of shoreline and dramatic views from the Niagara Escarpment.
Visitors can hike, bike, boat, camp, and even catch a musical at the Northern Sky Theater. Don’t miss Eagle Tower—a 60-foot accessible observation deck with panoramic views of the bay and surrounding islands.
In winter, the park transforms into a snowy playground with sledding, tubing, and cross-country skiing.
Curious why Peninsula is often called Wisconsin’s most complete park? From bluff-top views and beach days to historic lighthouses and forest trails, there’s more to explore than meets the eye. Dive into our full guide to Peninsula State Park.
Potawatomi State Park: Trails with a Glacial Story
Golden hush over Sturgeon Bay—Potawatomi’s autumn canopy glows with quiet magic.
Located in Sturgeon Bay, Potawatomi State Park is home to the eastern terminus of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. This 1,000-mile trail traces the edge of Wisconsin’s last glacier, and Potawatomi’s segment offers a scenic introduction.
The park’s limestone cliffs and forested hills make it a favorite for hiking, biking, and paddling. Winter visitors enjoy snowmobiling, skiing, and ice fishing. With eight miles of off-road biking trails, it’s also a great spot for cyclists looking for a challenge.
Rock Island State Park: Ferry Adventures and Lighthouse Views
Lake Michigan unfolds below—Pottawatomie Light stands watch from Rock Island’s rugged northern bluff.
Getting to Rock Island is half the fun. First, take the Washington Island Ferry across Death’s Door—a strait with over 275 shipwrecks. Then hop aboard the Karfi Ferry to reach Rock Island, where no vehicles are allowed.
Once there, hike ten miles of trails, tour Wisconsin’s oldest lighthouse, and enjoy primitive camping under the stars. It’s a rugged, rewarding escape for those who love remote adventures.
Tip: Grab a bite at Jackson Harbor Soup before boarding the ferry. Their hot soups and fresh sandwiches are a local favorite.
Want to make the most of your time on Washington Island before heading to Rock Island? From scenic drives and hidden beaches to quirky museums and local eats, we’ve mapped out the best adventures. Explore our full guide to the island.
Whitefish Dunes State Park: Sand, Forest, and Soul-Soothing Views
Shoreline locked in silence—Lake Michigan’s icy lace clings to the shore at Whitefish.
On the peninsula’s eastern shore, Whitefish Dunes State Park protects Wisconsin’s fragile dune ecosystem. Boardwalks and forest trails lead to Old Baldy—the state’s tallest dune—and offer stunning views of Lake Michigan and Clark Lake.
The park’s nature center features exhibits on ecology, archaeology, and shipwrecks. While camping isn’t allowed, visitors can hike, swim, paddle, and picnic. In winter, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing reveal a quieter side of the dunes.
Plan Your Door County Escape
Whether you’re chasing fall foliage, spring blossoms, or snowy solitude, Door County’s state parks offer something for every season—and every kind of explorer. From ferry rides and forest hikes to stargazing and shoreline strolls, these parks invite you to slow down and savor the moment.
Want to go a little deeper? We’ve put together a broader overview of Door County’s parks that includes seasonal tips, insider highlights, and one bonus park you won’t want to miss.
