Kenosha

Kenosha is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is home to the headquarters of the Fortune 1000 tool manufacturer Snap-on Inc., as well as the clothing company Jockey International. The city was once a center of industrial activity; it was home to large automotive factories which fueled its economy. In recent years, the city and surrounding county have benefited from increased job growth, and the city has worked on repairing roads and other infrastructure. Paleo-Indians settled in the area at least 13,500 years ago. The Potawatomi originally named the area Kenozia (also transcribed ginoozhe, kinoje) "place of the pike", while the Menominee referred to the place as Kensw, meaning "Northern Pike". The early Ojibwa name is reported as Masu-kinoja "trout (pike) come all at once" These refer to the annual spawning of trout, in which thousands of fish entered the rivers from Lake Michigan, providing food for the coming months. The first European settlers, part of the Western Emigration Company, arrived in the early 1830s, from Hannibal and Troy, New York, led by John Bullen, Jr., who sought to purchase enough land for a town. In 1850, the village changed its name from Southport to Kenosna which is its current name.

History

The Potawatomi originally named the area Kenozia (also transcribed ginoozhe, kinoje) "place of the pike", while the Menominee referred to the place as Kensw, meaning "Northern Pike" Paleo-Indians settled in the area at least 13,500 years ago. The first European settlers, part of the Western Emigration Company, arrived in the early 1830s, from Hannibal and Troy, New York. In 1850, the village changed its name from Southport to Kenosha which is its current name. In 1902, Rambler and Oldsmobile were the first cars to employ mass-production techniques. A prototype steam car was built by the Sullivan-Becker engineering firm in 1900. A 47-acre (190,000 m2) west side park and an elementary school are named for Charles W. Nash. In 1973, residents in the Town of Pleasant Prairie sought to have territory annexed and rezoned to allow for the industrial development of agricultural property. In the ensuing legal battle, the town accused the city of improperly coercing or bribing agricultural property owners to file for rezoning and annexation in order to obtain city water and electric services that could not be provided by the town. The town argued that industrial development would jeopardize the town's residential nature. The court found the annexation proper, with no illicit bribes or improper conduct by the city. In June 1993, the city installed reproductions of the historic LeGrande street lights that were specially designed for KenosHA by West Electric.

Geography

Kenosha has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa, bordering on Dfb) with warm summers and cold winters. Kenosha consists of neighborhoods divided into three regions - Downtown, Uptown, and West of I-94. The city's northside is home to both UW-Parkside and Carthage College. The passenger train station is the last stop on Chicago's Union Pacific North Metra Line. The record high is 105 °F (41 °C), set in July 2012, and the record low is 31 °C (35 °C) set in January 1985. The U.S. Census Bureau says the city has a total area of 27.03 square miles (70.01 km²), of which, 26.93 squaremile (69.75 km²) is land and 0.10 square mile (0.26 km²). The city is 32 miles south of Milwaukee, 49 miles north of Chicago, and is bordered by Lake Michigan to the east, Somers to the north, the village of Bristol to the west, and Pleasant Prairie to the south. It is located in southeastern Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Michigan, and has a population of around 2,000. It has an average daily rainfall of 1.6 inches (4.2 m) and an average annual temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (41 °C) The city has one of the highest concentrations of African-American residents in the United States. It also has the highest percentage of African Americans in the state.

Demographics

The 2020 census population of the city included 592 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities and 1,790 people in student housing. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race, the city was 67.9% White, 10.8% Black or African American, 1.9%. Asian, 0.5% Native American, 0,1% Pacific Islander, 7.3% from other races, and 11.5%. Ethnically, the population was 19.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race. The importance of manufacturing jobs in Kenosha continues to diminish with only 11.7 percent or 7,769 of the total workforce of 66,362 area residents involved. The Chamber of Commerce attributed this to the city's museums, lakeshore attractions, cultural and work opportunities, its public-school system, transportation amenities, and relatively lower costs-of-living. The growth has been due to both new office developments in the city but also to new suburban developments as suburban workers seek more affordable housing. The city's population grew from 3.2 million in 1990 to 3.4 million in 2010. The median age in thecity was 33.5 years. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.17. The medium household income was $56,113, with 15.6% of residents living below the poverty line. The biggest surge in employment by percentage has been in the white-collar workforce. From 1990 to 2017, the percentage of KenOSha's workforce grew from three to 11%.

Economy

Kenosha was at one time a hub of manufacturing, and is now a bedroom community because of the ease of access to the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor. During the 2010s and into the 2020s, Kenosha (and Wisconsin as a whole) saw large influxes of Illinois residents moving to the city due to cheaper housing costs and lower taxes. In 2022, Square Roots farm opened a fully indoor hydroponic facility within refurbished shipping containers. Frank's Diner is the oldest diner in the United States and has been featured twice on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, once in 2007 and again in 2021. In February 2020, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced $10 million in state funding toward the proposed Kenosna STEM Innovation Center. In November, Mayor John Antaramian announced that Lakeview Technology Academy would relocate to the KIN. In March 2022, Evers officially announced $15 million in funding towardThe KIN, which is expected to take 810 years to be fully completed and will include the collaboration of UW-Parkside, Carthage College, Gateway Technical College, and Herzing University. In December 2020, the city announced a plan for the Kin. In July 2021, the federal government awarded Kenosra $4.9 million in federal CARES Act funds toward the neighborhood. In October 2021, Keno's HarborMarket held mid-May through mid-October on 2nd Ave bisected by the 56th Street boulevard streetcar line. It hosts stalls with local food products and artisan creations.

Arts and culture

Kenosha's cuisine mirrors common food culture throughout Wisconsin. The city is home to two award winning drive-in burger stands, The Spot and Big Star. Kenosha has the highest concentration of Italian-Americans in Wisconsin, and as such is rife with Italian-American cuisine. In 2021, the city will host the Great Lakes Brew Fest, a beer festival featuring brewers from Wisconsin and Illinois competing for best beer. Since 2017, Tribute Island, a three-day music festival located at Simmons Island, features many of the top bands from the Midwest performing on five stages. It is part of the KenosHA Public Library System, which operates in four locations throughout the city: Northside Neighborhood, Southwest Neighborhood, Uptown Neighborhood, and Simmons Memorial Library, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Kenosna is located on the shores of Lake Michigan and is located in the Waukesha County portion of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It has a population of around 50,000 people (as of 2011). The city's economy is based on manufacturing, manufacturing, and distribution of paper, pulp, and paperboard. It also has a high rate of homeownership, with more than 80% of the population living in or near the downtown area. The majority of the city is made up of African-American and Hispanic residents, with the majority of Hispanic residents living in the south and west areas. The town has a large Hispanic population, with about 40% of its population living on the south shore.

Sports

Kenosha was home to the short lived Kenosha Maroons NFL franchise in 1924. It was also the home of a semi-professional football team between 1937 and 1941. The city's oldest sporting club, the Kenos Ha Yacht Club, was established in 1912. It is currently home to a collegiate baseball team in the Northwoods League, which played its first game on May 31, 2014, and in 2015 won their first championship. In 2020, it was also home to. the K-Town Bobbers, featured in a 26-game "Kenosham Series" against the.kenosha Kingfish in July 2020 as part of the NWL Pod system of play adopted for. 2020. In 2022, the city will become the home. of the KenOSHA United F.C. Premier Arena Soccer League. They play their home games in nearby Sturtevant, Wisconsin. The Bradford High School Red Devils won a state football championship in 2011. They are currently playing in the Northern Lights Football League (NLFL) They play in the nearby town of Bradford. The KenOSha Cougars were formed in 2007, and play in a local semi-pro football league. They played in the Frontier League in 2003, and the Single-A KenosHA Twins from 1984 to 1992. They were charter members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1943 to 1951. In 2012, they were featured in the "KenOSha Series" with the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs.

Parks and recreation

Kenosha has 74 municipal parks, totaling 781.52 acres (3.1627 km²) The city has 8 miles (13 km) of Lake Michigan shoreline frontage. The Washington Park Velodrome is the longest-operating 333-meter track in the United States. Kenosha is home to a statue of Abraham Lincoln by Charles Henry Niehaus as well as a veterans-memorial statue ("Winged Victory") by the Italian sculptor Decco. It has been a Tree City USA since 1982. The city is also home to the first leg of the Tour of America's Dairyland, a bicycle race that was formerly part of the International Cycling Classic's "Superweek" The city's library park is the home of Food Folks and Spokes, a festival with food booths, entertainment, and a bike race. It is also the home to The Club at Strawberry Creek, an 18-hole golf course that was dedicated on February 18, 1922, and is a city landmark. Most recently, new private courses have opened, including The Club At Strawberry Creek. The town's beaches include: Simmons Island Park and Beach, 28 acres (11 ha), Alford Park and beach, 57 acres (23 ha), and Pennoyer Park and beaches, 39 acres (16 ha) and 24 acres (9.7 ha) It also has a private golf course, called Washington Park Golf Course, which was dedicated in 1922 and has a 1937 English-cottage clubhouse.

Government

Kenosha has an elected mayor, who is the chief executive, and an appointed city administrator. The mayor is elected every four years. The city's Common Council consists of 17 aldermen from Kenosha's 17 districts. The current mayor is John Antaramian, the longest-serving chief executive in the city's history from 1992 to 2008 and from 2016 to the present. The U.S. House of Representatives is represented by Bryan Steil (R) and Tammy Baldwin (D) in the United States Senate. Robert Wirch (D), Tip McGuire and Tod Ohnstad represent Kenosna in the Wisconsin State Assembly. The Democratic Party has historically favored the city. Donald Trump won in the county for the first time since 1972 in the 2016 Presidential Election. During the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, Trump lost Wisconsin but won in Kenosza County for the second time. The Republican Party has traditionally favored the Democratic Party in the state of Wisconsin, with the exception of the 1980s and 1990s when it favored the Libertarian Party. The state has a history of electing Democrats to state and local offices. The last time a Republican won the county was in 1972, when Donald Trump was elected to the U.N. General Assembly and won the White House for a second time in his second term as President of the United Nations. The first Republican to win the county since 1972 was George W. Bush in the 1988 presidential election, when he was elected as the candidate of the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Education

Kenosha is home to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside with over 4,000 students, Carthage College with over 2,500 students, and Gateway Technical College. The Kenosha Unified School District operates 23 public elementary schools, five middle schools, seven charter schools, and six high schools. At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, St. Mary's and Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii schools became campuses of All Saints Catholic School. Journey Ministry College, a cohort of SUM Bible College and Seminary, was established in 2011. The city is also home to LakeView Technology Academy, Reuther Central High School, and Harborside Academy, the latter a research school that uses the Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound model; it was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is also the home to St. Joseph Catholic Academy, Allaints Catholic School, Bethany Lutheran School, Friedens Lutheran School and Christ Lutheran Academy. The town also has its own Montessori School, Shoreland Lutheran High School and Christian Life School. It also has a number of private schools, including St. Mark's and St. Joe's Catholic Academy and Bethany Christian School. The area is also host to several colleges and universities, including Concordia University Wisconsin, Cardinal Stritch University, National-Louis University, and Herzing University. It was the site of the World War II-era Battle of the Bulge, and the U.S. Air Force base at Shiocton, Wisconsin.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Kenosha, Kenosha County, Wisconsin = 27.2. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 30. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 89. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Kenosha = 3.3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 99,986 individuals with a median age of 35.5 age the population grows by 6.19% in Kenosha, Kenosha County, Wisconsin population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,684.1 residents per square mile of area (1,360.46/km²). There are average 2.47 people per household in the 37,487 households with an average household income of $47,365 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.90% of the available work force and has dropped -4.30% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 20.50%. The number of physicians in Kenosha per 100,000 population = 131.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Kenosha = 33.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 36.5 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 113. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 193. 80 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 13.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 51, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Kenosha, Kenosha County, Wisconsin which are owned by the occupant = 58.69%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 43 years with median home cost = $126,320 and home appreciation of -12.36%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $20.65 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,325 per student. There are 16.4 students for each teacher in the school, 505 students for each Librarian and 409 students for each Counselor. 7.85% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 12.22% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.46% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).