MILWAUKEE (WTAQ) - Wisconsin's voter ID law has been struck down by a federal judge in Milwaukee.

In his decision Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman says the law unfairly burdens poor and minority voters.

Supporters have said the law, which was only in effect for a 2012 primary election, would cut down on voter fraud.

In a statement, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said, "I am disappointed with the order and continue to believe Wisconsin's law is constitutional. We will appeal."

KIEL, WI (WTAQ) - A Kiel company is announcing further expansion, which will bring with it the addition of more than 100 new jobs.

Amerequip broke ground Tuesday on a 35,000-square foot expansion with a visit from Governor Scott Walker. Earlier this month, the equipment manufacturer began a 70,000-square foot expansion. Both projects will cost about $7.7 million.

Company officials expect sales for their equipment in the lawn, landscape, farm and construction fields to rise by 75 percent over the next two years.

State officials are giving Amerequip $216,000 in tax credits for the first part of their project, and will grab more incentives for the second phase.

“The kind of jobs that we’re talking about here aren’t our parents or grandparents manufacturing,” Walker told FOX 11. “They’re new, higher tech. They require, at a minimum, technical college assistance.”

Amerequip currently employs over 200 people. Construction is expected to be finished this fall.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A new GRACE school will open on Green Bay's near west side by the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year.

Green Bay Area Catholic Education made that announcement Tuesday. 

The plans call for a K-8 curriculum, also known as Catholic classical curriculum, to focus on the studying of western classical literature, history, math, Latin, writing, along with religion.

Right now, the plan is for the school to go in the old St. Joseph School building in the 1200 block of 12th Avenue. That school shut its doors in 2008.

This new school would become the 11th that GRACE currently operates.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A former Green Bay Packer has donated some rare pieces to the team's Hall of Fame display at the Neville Public Museum.

Berlin native Bill Butler has donated his 1959 Packers team blazer and his Packers basketball uniform.

The basketball uniform was worn by Butler when he played on the Packers winter basketball team that toured the state playing Wisconsin high school alumni and faculty teams in 1959.

“People that are my age they can say I remember those guys and for the younger fans today it shows good history of the what the Packers did and how far they came,” Butler told FOX 11.

The sport coat was issued to every player and coach. The custom tailored jacket was worn for official team photos and media events.

Butler was a running back and kick/punt return specialist for the Packers. He was a 19th round pick in the 1959 draft, which was Vince Lombardi’s first year as head coach and general manager.

The items are on display at the Neville as part of the temporary exhibit “Touchdown! Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, Inc.” They will move back to the Hall of Fame at Lambeau Field once the Atrium renovation project is complete in 2015.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11)

TOWN OF MORGAN, WI (WTAQ) - Residents living near a shooting range in Oconto County say they fear for their safety.

In the Town of Morgan, residents say stray bullets have nearly hit them. The feeling is that the bullets are coming from the Oconto County Machickanee Forest Shooting Range.

John Duggan says he had a stray bullet come within two feet of his head.

“As I’m splitting wood, I heard the bullet come from the range and hit the siding,” Duggan told FOX 11.

After calling the sheriff’s department, Duggan found out his home’s previous owner had similar encounters with bullets hitting the home.

Dave Younger teaches hunter safety and uses the range a few times a year. He says it’s understandable that stray bullets could be traveling well beyond the range.

“If you’re shooting into that berm, you’ve got no problem,” Younger told FOX 11. “But if you’re shooting short, that’s when stuff flies up.”

The town hall in Morgan was full of people complaining about problems with the range including stray bullets, noise and illegal targets causing explosions.

“It’s self-policed, a lot of it is,” Oconto County Sheriff's Deputy Troy Sherman told FOX 11.

Right now, Sherman stops in at the range two to three times a day. He says it would be hard to justify to taxpayers having someone supervise the range full-time.

At this point, the county is listening to suggestions, hoping to come up with a solution to people’s concerns.

STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Door County man accused of setting fire to his neighbor's home because he was a registered sex offender has been convicted.

On Tuesday, Justin Baker pled no contest to recklessly endangering safety, while a count of arson was dropped. Baker was sentenced to 9 months in jail, placed on probation for three years, fined $500 and ordered to perform 75 hours of community service.

In the same case, T.J. Robert Hunt pled no contest to a count of arson. Hunt will learn his fate on July 14.

Both men set fire to the home of Jason Johnson, who was convicted in Michigan in 2009 of 2nd degree Criminal Sexual Assault. 

(Additional reporting from FOX 11)

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Fire has damaged a pair of Appleton homes Tuesday.

A neighbor noticed smoke coming from a home at 3601 E. Edgemere Drive around 2:30 p.m. and called 911.

Fire officials say the heat from the blaze set the home next door on fire. Flames spread up into the roof and attic of the second home. No one was inside either house.

Authorities say the home at 3601 E. Edgemere has extensive damage and is unlivable. The home next door also has significant damage to the inside and outside. People living there have been displaced. The Red Cross is helping those displaced.

No word yet on how the original fire started.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson has named former emergency management director Christina Muller as the new interim director.

Muller served as Outagamie County Emergency Management Director from September 2006 until October 2011.

Her appointment comes just two days after Julie Loeffelholz was fired. Nelson has not explained what led up to Loeffelholz's firing. 

Last August, tornado sirens failed to sound during a storm where six tornadoes tore through the county causing over $30 million in damage.

In an interview with WTAQ on Tuesday, Nelson called the emergency management director the toughest position in the county to fill.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - At least five teenagers have been arrested by Green Bay police in connection with a string of assaults and robberies.

The group of teens allegedly attacked people and, in some cases, stole money and other valuables.

Most recently the incidents happened last week on the city's west side.

Police say more arrests are expected as their investigation continues.

Authorities also say this should be a reminder for people to stay alert and be aware of their surroundings. That includes not becoming distracted by your smart phone.

Police say smart phones are desirable targets for theft. If you have one you should use a lock code and consider installing an app like Find My Phone.

In addition, you should never walk alone and avoid showing large amounts of cash while making purchases.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - The Oshkosh Corporation continues to suffer from the ending of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  

The maker of military vehicles reports a 17 percent drop in its quarterly net income.  

Oshkosh said Tuesday it netted $71.5 million in sales from January through March, down from $86 million at the same time a year ago. Earnings slipped from 96 cents a share to 83 cents.  

Oshkosh did say it's aerial construction equipment sales rose by six percent, but sales of fire and emergency vehicles fell 10 percent.  

Oshkosh CEO Charles Szews told investment analysts that his firm is another extension with the Pentagon to produce a smaller number of heavy tactical trucks. It's also looking to sell military vehicles to foreign governments, and it expects contract announcements over the next two years.

Oshkosh is now having one of its vehicle types tested in Saudi Arabia. Szews said the tensions in Russia and the Ukraine provide a potential opportunity.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

WASHINGTON D.C. (WTAQ) - Wisconsin U.S. Senator Ron Johnson says recently released e-mails showing the White House prepped former UN Ambassador Susan Rice for Sunday talk show appearances after the Benghazi attack isn't surprising.

"I think it just confirms what all of us pretty well suspected, and pretty well knew that is the whole story made up by this administration to mislead the American public on what caused the Benghazi attacks," Johnson told WTAQ's Jerry Bader Show Wednesday. "It was primarily to cover up the feckless policy of this administration. They wanted to have this narrative going into the election that they decimated al-Qaeda, they were on the run and their foreign policy was just fabulous."

The documents, which were obtained by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, included an email on September 14, 2012 by White House aide Ben Rhodes with the subject line "RE: PREP Call with Susan: Saturday at 4:00 pm ET," sent to a dozen members of the Obama administration's inner circle including Rice and current White House spokesman Jay Carney.

Carney on Wednesday responded to questions about this by saying, "It is not about Benghazi. It is about the protests around the Muslim world,"

Among the goals listed in that particular email are these two:

• "To underscore that these protests are rooted in an Internet video, and not a broader failure of policy." 
• "To reinforce the President and Administration's strength and steadiness in dealing with difficult challenges." 

The Oshkosh Republican says it's just another piece to this jigsaw puzzle.

"We still don't know what involvement President Obama had after his meeting with the Defense Secretary; kind of seems like he already checked out. Really don't know what involvement Secretary Clinton had...we do know how derelict she was in her duty prior to the Benghazi attack, denying the requested beefed up security," says Johnson.

Senator Johnson added that he hopes lawmakers can get to the bottom of all of this, not just for the American people, but for the family of the four people killed in that attack. 

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - An Outagamie County jury has found a man guilty of sexually assaulting and strangling his wife multiple times over a number of years.

After being convicted of 30 charges filed against him, David Dudas will be sentence July 17.

Dudas' wife accused him of raping, beating and strangling her and told police she thought she was going to die. While admitting to rough sex, Dudas claimed the interactions were consensual.

Bond was revoked after the verdict was read and Dudas was taken into custody.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11)

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Ongoing construction at the Lambeau Field Atrium is forcing the Green Bay Packers to not hold a party for the 2014 NFL Draft.

Packers officials did say that Curly's Pub will be open for fans to watch the draft. The first night of the NFL Draft is Thursday May 8, when Curly's Pub will offer food and drink specials. There will also be contests for fans to get a chance to win gift certificates to both Curly's Pub and the Packers Pro Shop.

The second and third rounds of the draft will take place Friday May 9 and the final four rounds will be Saturday May 10.

MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - It's getting more likely that Wisconsinites will not have to show photo ID's in order to vote in November.  

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald tells the Wisconsin State Journal there's very little room for the Legislature to act, in the wake of Tuesday's federal court ruling which struck down the ID law.

Senate GOP President Mike Ellis said any attempt to pass a modified law in a special session would be an "exercise in futility."  

That's because Judge Lynn Adelman doubted that lawmakers could pass any photo ID law that would make it as easy for blacks and Hispanics to vote as whites. Still, Adelman said he would review a modified bill if the Legislature can pass one in time for the fall elections.  

Assembly Majority Leader Robin Vos says senators should go for it, and pass what the lower house approved last fall. However, Vos fears that the issue would remain tied up in the courts when Election Day rolls around.  

The state Justice Department is appealing Adelman's decision. Both the federal and state courts would have to give the 2011 ID law its blessing before it could be re-adopted.  

A state case is pending in the Supreme Court, with a ruling expected this summer.

Republican Governor Scott Walker has said he would not schedule a special session, preferring to go the route of having the state DOJ appeal this week's court ruling.  

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - The Oshkosh Police Department is investigating the death of an infant.

According to police, someone called 911 to report the three-week-old baby wasn't breathing Thursday morning at a home in the 300 block of W. 14th Avenue.

Dispatchers could hear a woman screaming in the background of that call. First responders were unable to resuscitate the baby. 

Oshkosh police and the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office are working to figure out how the baby died

MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - A Two Rivers man is now charged in the killing of his stepson.

Jesse Moreno Jr. is facing a charge of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Koyoko Perry.

Among items contained in the criminal complaint:

• Moreno told police that Perry woke him up, and asked for help in picking up a friend at a tavern;
• After picking up two people, Perry starting arguing with Moreno, telling Moreno he needed to do a better job of taking care of Perry’s mother. Moreno said he criticized Perry for his financial situation;
• The two continued arguing, with Perry punching Moreno twice, Moreno said;
• After stopping, Moreno said the other passengers pinned Moreno against the car with the door. Perry came after Moreno, who was able to free himself, and then stabbed Perry;
• Perry left in the car.

Police say Moreno told them that if he saw Perry again, he would kill him or hire someone to do it. After cops told Moreno that Perry was dead, Moreno then claimed he stabbed him in self-defense.

Moreno's bond has been set at $250,000 cash and is due to make his initial appearance in court Monday.

(Additional reporting by FOX 11).

PEWAUKEE, WI (WTAQ) - The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has been asked by American Transmission Co. to build power lines and substation facilities across five counties in Northeast Wisconsin.

As part of the Bay Lake Project, ATC says it wants to build a power line from an area just north of Appleton to the Oconto County town of Morgan. The line would either be 40 or 48 miles long, depending on the route selected.

The billion-dollar Bay Lake Project was announced in 2012, and is aimed at improving electrical service to customers in Northeast Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

“The North Appleton-Morgan Project is needed to address reliability concerns, changes in generation and demand in the region, and the evolution of a wholesale electricity market,” David Hovde, ATC local relations consultant, said in a news release. “Without these reinforcements, areas of northeastern Wisconsin, including Green Bay and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, would be vulnerable to widespread outages.”

The North Appleton-Morgan project also includes expanded facilities at the substations at either end of the line, a new Benson Lake substation at the site of the Amberg Substation in Marinette County and work at 11 substations in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

• Click here for a map of the route options

If approved, the state Public Service Commission chooses the route.

The project is expected to cost between $307 million and $327 million. Construction is set to begin in 2017, with the line delivering electricity in 2019 if the project is approved.

MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - A traffic stop in Sheboygan County last month has turned into a sexual assault and human trafficking case in Manitowoc County.

It all started on April 23, when Sheboygan County sheriff's deputies conducted a traffic stop in the town of Sherman. While the vehicle was pulled over, the deputy thought the people inside were acting suspiciously. In the back seat was a 17-year-old Milwaukee girl, who was taken into protective custody and was later turned over to a parent.

During an investigation, deputies found out the girl had been sexually assaulted in a home in the town of Schleswig in Manitowoc County. That case was turned over to Manitowoc County authorities, who announced the arrests of 22-year-old JaJuan Q. Shaw and 52-year-old David W. Dulek.

Shaw is facing charges of trafficking of a child and being party to the crime of second-degree sexual assault. Dulek has been charged with soliciting a child for prostitution, being party to the crime of second-degree sexual assault and sex with a child age 16 or older.

Both men are due in court on Friday.

(Additional reporting by FOX 11).

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The debate over the actions of a Green Bay police officer on a viral cell phone video continues nearly two weeks after it happened.

There are two online petitions calling for Officer Derek Wicklund to be congratulated, while two others want him either criminally charged or removed from the department. The latter petition has over 27,000 signatures – some coming from other states and countries.

In the now infamous video, Officer Wicklund took down and arrested 29-year-old Joshua Wenzel for allegedly resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

The Green Bay Police Department is investigating the incident outside a downtown bar. After that, the Wisconsin Department of Justice will review it.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11)

DENMARK, WI (WTAQ) - One area cheese plant is shutting down while another is expanding.

Thursday, Land O'Lakes says they will close its Denmark facility as of July 1.

The company says its soft Italian cheese products made there have not been profitable. 92 workers will be affected by the move.

Meantime, Land O'Lakes says they will have a multi-million dollar expansion to its Kiel facility. Among the improvements in the next few years will be new milk silos, new cheese vats, upgraded whey receiving and a new vat room. No timeline has been given.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).