As Governor Tony Evers mobilizes 500 Wisconsin National Guard troops to Kenosha to be on standby for the final days of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, a former resident will keep tabs from his home in Jacksonport. Closing arguments could come as soon as Monday in the trial of Rittenhouse who is facing five felony charges including first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, and two counts of reckless endangerment. He is accused of killing two men and injuring another during the riots stemming from the police shooting of Jacob Blake in the summer of 2020. Rittenhouse’s defense says the Illinois teenager was acting in self-defense when he encountered the men. The riots were especially troubling for Mike Serpe and his wife, who both grew up in Kenosha and still have a home on the city’s south side. He feels bad for the businesses that were impacted and hopes for peace after the verdict is given no matter which direction it goes.

The riots last summer caused over $50 million in damage to the city of Kenosha. Serpe is happy that large portions of the city have been able to rebuild in the time since.