Racine couple returns from vacation to old tires dumped in yard



RACINE (WITI) -- A Racine couple went on vacation, and came home to dozens of old tires dumped in their backyard! And unfortunately, due to health concerns, the couple was unable to clean up the mess. That's when some Good Samaritans stepped in.

Patricia King recently had to retire from her job because of a disability.

As a result, she doesn't get to travel much -- but when she got a severance check, she and her husband decided to pack their bags for a two week trip to Israel.

When they came back, there was a surprise waiting in their backyard -- someone had dumped 60 or 70 tires in their backyard.

"I thought, how sad is it that somebody would do this to somebody. The police came out. They did a report and basically said 'well, you gotta get rid of these tires,'" King said.

Normally, the city charges a $3 fee per tire to dispose of them. The Public Works Commission offered to waive that cost, but King and her husband would be responsible for getting the tires to the drop-off site.

Hauling 60-plus tires out of the yard was out of the question for King -- and her husband couldn't do it either, because he's had two knee replacements and currently has a torn rotator cuff.

"He wants to do everything but he's not supposed to do anything until it's repaired," King said.

The city could clean up the mess, but that would cost the couple close to $500.

"I have enough to deal with. I don't need this on top of it," King said.

Just when things looked bleak for King and her husband, Scott Killips showed up to help. He read of the couple's plight in the local paper.

"I think she deserves some help. I know what it's like to need help," Killips said.

Recently unemployed and searching for work himself, Killips says he just wanted to do something for somebody else.

"I got to trust in God that God will bring me the angels I need to do the work. I can't tell you what this means. There are good people out there. There are," King said.

King says a lot of people in the Racine area stepped up to try to help her figure out this mess when they heard about what had happened -- and says she'd like to thank them all.