Investigation into dead animals found in Waupaca County continues

March 24, 2014, 9:43 am

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TOWN OF ROYALTON, WI (WTAQ) - Waupaca County authorities are learning more about two groups of animals found dead over the weekend.

Officials now say they might have been killed by other animals in the wild, and somebody disposed of them improperly.

Investigators are trying to determine who rounded up the animals, after the carcasses were discovered in the towns of Royalton and Lebanon.

A group of dead geese and ducks was found near Royalton. At Lebanon, four dismembered chickens were found along a roadside together, along with a dead deer and a cat.  

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

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Appeals Court hands down ruling on Green Bay trash incinerator

March 25, 2014, 7:15 am

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A state appeals court ruled Tuesday the city of Green Bay overstepped its authority when it revoked a conditional use permit for a controversial energy plant backed by a company owned by the Oneida Tribe.

Oneida Seven Generations and its subsidiary, Green Bay Renewable Energy, received a permit for a waste-to-energy facility on Hurlbut Street. On March 1, 2011, the City Council approved a conditional use permit.

In August, the city granted a building permit. But after opposition to the plant grew, the city revoked the conditional use permit on Oct. 16, 2012. 

UPDATE: Waupaca County fatal house fire

March 25, 2014, 7:51 am

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TOWN OF CALDEONIA, WI (WTAQ) - A Waupaca County man and his dog are dead following an early morning house fire.

Sheriff's officials say 82-year-old Wayne Tesch died of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning in the blaze Tuesday. The family's dog also died.

77-year-old Joyce Tesch, Wayne's wife, was rushed to the hospital for smoke inhalation. She has been treated and released.

The call went out just after 3:30 a.m. to the home at N688 Bellin Road. Crews from the Town of Dale and Fremont responded to the remodeled schoolhouse.

Investigators say the fire appears to be accidental and is not thought to be suspicious. However, an exact cause is still not known.

The Red Cross is helping the family.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

Milwaukee Co. jail inmate, driver injured in van crash

March 25, 2014, 9:26 am

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WINNECONNE, WI (WTAQ) - A van that was sending a Milwaukee County Jail inmate to the state prison in Stanley crashed Tuesday morning, and two people were injured.

It happened on Highway 45 near Winneconne.

Winnebago County sheriff's deputies said the van slid off the highway and overturned. The inmate suffered leg pains, while the contracted van driver had head and back pain.

A second officer in the vehicle escaped injury, but all three were still taken to an Oshkosh hospital for observation.  

The crash is still being investigated.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

Court: PSC doesn't have to explain how wind turbines affect property values

March 25, 2014, 9:30 am

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WAUSAU, WI (WTAQ) - State officials did not have to explain how wind turbines affected property values, when they imposed standards on where those turbines should be located.

That's what a state appeals court ruled Tuesday.

State Realtors, builders, and local town officials sued the state Public Service Commission, after it approved new rules in 2012 for locating the high tech windmills.

The plaintiffs said the rules were not valid, because the PSC never wrote a report on the how the rules affect home and land values. A circuit judge in Brown County said the report was not required.

The Third District appellate court in Wausau agreed Tuesday morning.

It said a report is only needed when state rules directly affect housing. The PSC concluded that wind turbines do not affect land values, although many residents still disagree. The court said it agreed with the PSC's conclusion. 

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

Ex-Green Bay teacher arrested for sexually assaulting student

March 25, 2014, 11:10 am

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Green Bay Area Public School District has fired a teacher after he was charged with sexually assaulting a Sullivan Elementary School student.

57-year-old Jer Lovaj is facing two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child.

In a statement, the district said Lovaj was an English as a Second Language Teacher (ESL) at Sullivan. Lovaj was arrested after a student reported the assault.

Sullivan Elementary school officials say they notified parents that Lovaj was fired after his arrest.

He is being held on a $50,000 cash bond. Lovaj returns to court next week for his preliminary hearing.

Recent thefts from vehicles under investigation in Oshkosh

March 25, 2014, 12:04 pm

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OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - Oshkosh police say recent vehicle thefts in parts of the city are due to thieves looking to sell or trade items for drugs.

Authorities say the thefts happened in the 1700 block of Robin Ave., the 2900 block of Bowen St. and the 1100 block of High Ave.

The thieves are taking what they steal and selling or trading those items for drugs including heroin, marijuana and prescription medications.

The Oshkosh Police Department is reminding drivers to not leave anything valuable in their vehicles, including loose change, power cords for electronics, purses and laptop computers. Drivers are also reminded to lock their doors, as thieves will often hit the easiest target by pulling on door handles until they find one that's unlocked.

Authorities also recommend locking your house doors, even when someone is home.

Alert resident helps Appleton police catch burglary suspects

March 25, 2014, 4:05 pm

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton police are crediting an alert citizen to helping them catch some suspected burglars.

On Monday night, the person called the P.D. after spotting two men go into a vacant house on West Cherokee Dr. 

Officers found the two men walking in the area a short time later. They were allegedly carrying some tools police believed could be used to break into things.

Some footprints in the snow helped lead officers to several vehicles and garages that were broken into. 

Both men are 18-years-old. One is from Appleton and the other is from Oshkosh.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

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Woman pulled from Fox River early Wednesday

March 26, 2014, 3:59 am

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Green Bay, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay Police say a woman was pulled from the Fox River Wednesday. 

It was about 3 a.m. when someone heard screaming near the Walnut Street bridge. Green Bay Metro Fire Department rescue crews rushed to the scene and were able to pull the 18-year-old woman from the water.

She was taken to the hospital. Police say she's in good condition.

They're still trying to figure out how she wound up in the river.

Man arrested with drugs, paraphernalia in Waupaca County

March 26, 2014, 8:59 am

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WAUPACA COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Authorities in Waupaca County arrest a man for allegedly possessing drugs and drug paraphernalia overnight.

Cops say they pulled over a 24-year-old Ogdensburg man around 2 a.m. Wednesday for an equipment violation on his vehicle.

During the stop, officers say they found 17 grams of cocaine, 30.7 grams of marijuana, 75 tablets of alprazolam, drug paraphernalia and $335 in cash.

Commonly sold under the name Xanax, alprazolam is a prescription drug used to treat panic and anxiety disorders.

Authorities say the man is currently on probation following a 2013 conviction for felony aggravated battery. He has yet to be formally charged in this case.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

Post-season ticket policy change helps Packers avoid another controversy

March 26, 2014, 9:10 am

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ORLANDO, FL (WTAQ) - National Football League owners have made a post-season ticket policy change that will help the Green Bay Packers avoid the controversy that arose when the team qualified for the playoffs late last season.

Meeting in Orlando, Florida, owners decided fans should be charged for playoff tickets only after their team makes the post-season and is assigned a home game.

Season-ticket holders buying tickets in advance had to pay for two possible playoff home games at Lambeau Field. And the Packers told them that money for unused tickets would be applied to 2014's season ticket purchases and not refunded - something fans weren't happy about.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

Local candidate asked to resign from county GOP amid disparaging comment

March 26, 2014, 12:13 pm

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The chair of the Brown County Republican Party is asking for a Board of Supervisors candidate to resign from the party over disparaging remarks made online.

In a statement Wednesday, Mark Becker called on Jason Wisneski to give up his 2nd vice chairmanship with the party after comments Wisneski made on a Green Bay Press-Gazette story about Democratic State Senator Dave Hansen.

The statement read, "Neither Mr. Wisneski nor his wife speak for the Brown County Republican Party. His comments are beneath the character standards we have set and we denounce them wholeheartedly. I have reached out directly to Senator Hansen at his home to offer our sincerest apologies. And effective immediately, I have requested the resignation of Mr. Wisneski from affiliation with the Brown County Republican Party."

The Press-Gazette story had to do with Wisneski's 2008 animal mistreatment plea. In the comments section, Wisneski and his wife made a tasteless comment regarding the 2007 tragedy involving Hansen accidentally running over his granddaughter.

A spokesman for Sen. Hansen's office tells WTAQ that Mark Becker did speak with Jane Hansen over the phone. Wednesday afternoon, Hansen issued this statement, “While Mr. Wisneski’s comments are unfortunate and have caused great pain to our family, the outpouring of support we have received has reminded us of how many friends we have here and what a truly caring community Green Bay and Northeast Wisconsin is.”

We have been unable to get further comment from Becker or Wisneski about the matter.

Wisneski is running in District 1 against incumbent Tom Sieber in the April 1 election.

 

New London cheese production plant closing

March 26, 2014, 12:49 pm

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NEW LONDON, WI (WTAQ) - A Canadian cheese producer is closing down four of its facilities, including one in New London.

Officials with Saputo say they're consolidating production into other facilities to improve efficiency.

Approximately 180 employees will be affected. Those will be given help in finding other work and severance pay. Some could have the chance to move to other Saputo plants.

This closure is expected to begin in May and finished by December 2015.

The three other plants shutting down are in Hancock, Md., along with Wetaskiwin and Glenwood, Alberta.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

Flood insurance rate hikes hit Green Bay homeowners the hardest

March 26, 2014, 1:01 pm

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay homeowners were among the hardest hit in the state, after FEMA recently raised insurance rates for those living in flooplains.

Some residents saw premiums climb as much as 300 percent.

Realtors Association of Northeast Wisconsin President Mari Reichel is hopeful legislation signed by President Obama last week will limit future increases.

The bill limits annual increases to between 18 and 25 percent, which she says should provide more certainty for property owners. Without the limits, Reichel says it would have been nearly impossible to sell homes located in a floodplain.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

Appleton committee to discuss allowing pedal pubs

March 27, 2014, 11:01 am

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - City leaders in Appleton will consider allowing pedal pubs to operate.

Back in December, Governor Scott Walker signed a law which allows people to bring their own beer on the pedal-powered bicycles.

Right now only Milwaukee and Madison have these taverns on wheels.

How it works is riders pay a fee to rent one of the 12 to 16 seats on the bike. Riders are then able to bring up to 36 ounces of beer on the bike.

Appleton Alderman Tim Trauger tells FOX 11 he thinks the idea could work in the city. However, as a member of the safety and licensing committee he and others would have concerns about where and how the bier bike would operate.

Trauger says he knows of at least one person who's expressed interest in starting up a pedal pub downtown.

The issue will be discussed at next Wednesday's safety and licensing committee meeting.

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Brown County Taxpayers Assn. opposes referendum, county sales tax

March 27, 2014, 4:21 pm

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Brown County Taxpayers Association is out with their official stances on two big issues ahead of Tuesday's election.

The first has to do with the Green Bay School District $20 million referendum. The group opposes the referendum asking voters to allow them to borrow for maintenance projects.

"Allocating sufficient budget dollars to maintain facilities is a key responsibility of any school board," said BCTA President Richard Parins in a statement. "Underfunding facility maintenance in annual budgets and then coming back to the taxpayers every few years with requests to borrow money to repair failing facilities is not sound fiscal practice."

The other part had to do with receiving pledges from 16 Brown County Board candidates to oppose any attempt to enact a half-percent county sales tax.

"We know the county option sales tax does not provide property tax relief -- it only fuels government spending," said Parins. 

The association has heard rumors that some interests want to put that sales tax in place after the Lambeau Field Stadium District tax expires in 2015.

Appleton East HS teacher chosen for national fellowship

March 27, 2014, 4:31 pm

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - A chemistry teacher at Appleton East High School is one of 14 teachers from across the country chosen for an Albert Einstein Distinguished Education Fellowship.

Kara Pezzi will spend 11 months working at the Department of Energy in Washington D.C. starting in September.

The point of the program is to have teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math share their expertise with policy makers.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

Appeal of waste permit decision up for discussion Monday

March 28, 2014, 12:54 pm

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A closed session on Monday will be used to discuss whether the city of Green Bay will appeal a decision overturning the revocation of a controversial waste-to-energy plant's conditional use permit.

The Third District Court of Appeals earlier this week ruled the city overstepped its bounds when it stripped the permit for the facility on the east side being built by the Oneida Seven Generations Corporation.

City leaders moved up its meeting due to the spring election on Tuesday.

According to the Green Bay City Council agenda released Friday, the council plans to meet as a committee of the whole in closed session to talk about the suit. City leaders could appeal the decision to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Tribal members, however, have since voted to dissolve the OSGC. So without an active project, it's unclear what impact a possible reversal by the state Supreme Court would have.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11)

Austin pleads not guilty to charges tied to Preble High fights

March 28, 2014, 1:32 pm

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A teenager charged for his role in a number of fights outside of Preble High School has pled not guilty.

Authorities say 17-year-old Davion Austin of Green Bay injured two Preble students last month.

Austin entered that plea Friday to charges of battery and disorderly conduct. His trial is scheduled to begin May 21.

Another teen, Trevon Massey, is also charged in the case.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

Michael Potts agrees to last-minute plea deal in '08 murder

March 28, 2014, 3:06 pm

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - A last-minute plea deal Thursday means a man charged in a Grand Chute homicide in 2008 has been found guilty.

The Appleton Post-Crescent reports that ahead of jury deliberations in his second trial, Michael Potts agreed to the deal and was convicted of an amended first-degree reckless homicide charge.

Prosecutors will recommend a 28-year prison sentence for Potts.