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Packers Family Night tickets now on sale

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Fans lined up Monday morning to get their hands on Packers Family Night tickets.

Each ticket is $10 through Ticketmaster over the phone or online. They are also available at the Packers ticket office.

Packers Family Night, presented by Bellin Health, will take place August 2 at Lambeau Field.


Flyover ramps at Highways 41, 29 to open Thursday

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HOWARD, WI (WTAQ) - Brown County's first flyover ramps will open to drivers on Thursday morning.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced Monday that the new ramps connecting Highways 41 and 29 will greatly help travel.

“Highways 29 and 41 are both backbone routes and have the highest degree of importance within the state transportation system.” said Will Dorsey, NE Region Director, WisDOT “Improving the connectivity of this interchange is essential to the continued safe, efficient transportation between major cities of the state.”

Meanwhile, construction of the Shawano Avenue interchange will begin in two weeks. Shawano Ave. will be closed between Taylor Street and Packerland Drive for 60 days beginning July 7, as will Highway 41 ramps at Shawano Ave.

The ramp from Hwy. 41 northbound to Shawano Avenue eastbound will only be closed for 21 of those days, however.

De Pere man arrested for sexual assault, punching of 15-year-old girl

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton police have arrested a 21-year-old man after he allegedly punched and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl whom he met through a social media application.

Police say the teenage victim told them she met Anthony D. Miller through Whisper, a social media phone app. Miller contacted her earlier in the week, and she agreed to meet him on Saturday.

Authorities say Miller and the victim met at Memorial Park around 1:30 p.m. Investigators describe Miller's behavior in the park as "sexually aggressive." He touched the victim inappropriately and punched her in the face when she resisted his advances. Miller then left the area.

Investigators used another social media site based on information provided to them by the victim to track down Miller at his De Pere home. With help from the De Pere P.D., authorities arrested him at home. 

According to its description in Apple’s app store, Whisper allows users to “connect with likeminded individuals, and discover the unseen world around you. With Whisper, you’re free to anonymously share your thoughts with the world, and build lasting, meaningful relationships in a community built around trust and honesty.”

Country USA grounds off to soggy start at annual gathering

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OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - The recent soggy weather is putting an early damper on things for some Country USA campers.

Organizers opened the grounds at 2 p.m. Monday, two hours ahead of schedule, because they expected delays getting campers in the grounds. That early open didn't include festival sites.

Between 500 and 800 festival sites are currently too wet for camping, according to Country USA organizers. 100 electrical and 60 VIP sites have already been moved. Organizers warn that groups of more than 4 sites may be split up because there are no dry locations for large groups.

Officials say that drivers of tour buses, large trucks and heavy camping units are warned that they are likely to get stuck. Organizers are working with local farmers to use their tractors to help pull vehicles in and out of the grounds.

Get all your complete info on Country USA here.

Parent firm of Wisconsin Public Service bought for $9.1 billion

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MILWAUKEE (WTAQ) - Wisconsin Energy's proposed acquisition of Integrys Energy would be among the largest business deals in the Badger State in recent years.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the purchase of price of $9.1 billion is more than the $8.8 billion Caterpillar spent in 2011 to buy mining equipment maker Bucyrus International.

Also, the Wisconsin Energy deal is much bigger than the $4.1 billion that BMO of Canada spent to buy the former M&I Bank chain in late 2010.

Under the deal, the parent firm of We Energies would buy the Wisconsin Public Service utility of northeast and north central Wisconsin. Both companies say the merger would create a more diverse company that's more attractive to stockholders.

The Journal Sentinel notes that Integrys heavily expanded its involvement in natural gas utilities in recent years -- at a time when utilities saw virtually no growth in electricity sales.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

Crash mars opening day for Country USA

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TOWN OF NEKIMI, WI (WTAQ) – Three people were hurt after they were hit by a pickup truck near the Country USA grounds Tuesday.

A 17-year-old Oshkosh boy was driving the pickup truck south on Washburn Ave. just after 10 p.m. when he hit three people walking along the road, the State Patrol says.

A 23-year-old man was airlifted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The other two, a 20-year-old woman, and a 22-year-old man, were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the pickup truck was not hurt.

Police said wet conditions on the festival grounds may have played a role.

The crash is still under investigation. 

Family Night tickets flying off the shelves

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Get them while they're hot !  Tickets are selling fast for Packers Family Night, presented by Bellin Health.

The team says it sold more than 60 thousand tickets since Monday morning, when they went on sale. There are a limited number of seats left.  The event is August 2 at Lambeau Field.

The night will also feature jersey giveaways and the big fireworks show to close things out. Tickets cost 10 dollars apiece.

Prosecutors say charges unlikely against teen in East High pellet gun incident

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Prosecutors say they don't expect to file charges against a teenager that brought a pellet gun early Monday to Green Bay East High School.

The school had to be put on lockdown, then kids were evacuated and classes ere canceled. No one was hurt. Two people were arrested, but only one case was referred to the Brown County District Attorney's office.

Green Bay police referred a charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Lasee says his office is still reviewing the case, but doubts charges will be filed. Lasee says a pellet gun is not considered a firearm, which could carry a more serious charge.

There still is no known reason why the teen brought the pellet gun to school.

(Additional reporting by FOX 11).


Three charged in drug overdose death of Manitowoc man

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MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - Three men are due back in court next Monday on reckless homicide charges in the overdose death of a Manitowoc man from painkillers.

A coroner ruled that 26-year-old Christopher Vogel died from an overdose of prescription Fentanyl gel patches, allegedly provided by 29-year-old Tyler Reed of Manitowoc.

Investigators said Reed bought them from 29-year-old David Radandt of Two Rivers, who purchased them from 33-year-old Thomas Fagan of Two Rivers. Officials said Fagan had a prescription for the narcotics.

All three men are charged with first-degree reckless homicide.

Reed was put under a $10,000 bond, and Fagan under a $6,000 bond. Online court records show that Radandt posted his $5,000 cash bond.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

Report: Area hospitals face Medicare payment cuts

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WASHINGTON D.C. (WTAQ) - Sixty-five Wisconsin hospitals could get federal penalties if they don't reduce high rates of treatment related complications, infections, and patient injuries.

The Janesville Gazette uncovered the list, based on preliminary findings from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

St. Mary's Hospital of Janesville is on the list -- along with hospitals in virtually all parts of Wisconsin.

In the northeast part of Wisconsin, 12 hospitals are on the list:

  1. Appleton Medical Center -- Appleton
  2. Aurora Baycare Medical Center -- Green Bay
  3. Aurora Medical Center in Manitowoc County -- Two Rivers
  4. Aurora Medical Center -- Oshkosh
  5. Bay Area Medical Center -- Marinette
  6. Bellin Memorial Hospital -- Green Bay
  7. Holy Family Memorial -- Manitowoc
  8. Mercy Medical Center -- Oshkosh
  9. St. Agnes Hospital -- Fond du Lac
  10. St. Elizabeth Hospital -- Appleton
  11. St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center -- Green Bay
  12. St. Vincent Hospital -- Green Bay

A total of 761 U.S. hospitals could lose one percent of their Medicare reimbursements for the year starting in October, if their scores don't improve.

Kim Sveum of St. Mary's in Janesville said the final report will consider two years of data, from June of 2012 through July of this year -- and her hospital remains confident that once the expanded data is considered, its score will improve.

Sveum said small hospitals like St. Mary's could take a real hit with just one treatment related infection.

The penalties are part of the Obama health care law, and they're designed to improve patient safety and overall treatments.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

RiverHeath project officially opens in Appleton

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Officials in Appleton held a grand opening for a riverfront development on the site of a former paper mill.

The RiverHeath project on Banta Court, along the Fox River, took nearly 7 years of cleanup in order to become a reality.

Mayor Tim Hanna told FOX 11 RiverHeath’s grand opening shows how far the city has come in embracing the river.

“It’s the next generation of the Fox River in Appleton,” he said.

The $7 million project started in 2007. It is a mix of apartments, town homes and commercial space. There is also a river front boardwalk.

Aside from the cleanup, the project hit roadblocks in 2008.

“With the recession and the change in the banking laws, it changed his whole financial picture, in terms of how to finance this, but he plowed ahead,” Hanna explained.

A $1.6 million loan from the city helped.

“It’s not just one building, it’s an entire neighborhood that will eventually be down here. It’s people living, businesses, it’s retail. It’s gonna be, really, a gem,” the mayor said.

The developer plans to build another apartment complex, a riverfront trail, and an outdoor music venue. That phase should be complete next spring and cost around $7 million.

Upcoming schedule for the Weidner Center released

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Weidner Center has announced its 2014-15 Performing Arts Season schedule.

Some of the acts include musicians, comedians and Broadway hits. 

There are also kids shows, like "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "Sid the Science Kid Live."

Other acts include musicians like The Oak Ridge Boys and Wynton Marsalis, and Broadway shows like "Camelot," "Sister Act," and "STOMP."

Enhancement, new construction among suggestions for Fox Valley sports tourism

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NEENAH, WI (WTAQ) - A study commissioned by the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau was released to community members Wednesday in Neenah.

The study's goal is to identify how to grow sports tourism spending in the Fox Valley through regional and national sports tournaments.

“Some of our recommendations are enhancements to what they’re already doing, and it’s not just venue-based, but more people power as well,” Jon Schmieder, CEO of Huddle Up Group, told FOX 11.

The Phoenix-based firm is recommending the bureau pursue a sports venue development and marketing campaign, construct a new indoor facility for hard-court sports like basketball, volleyball and track; and enhance current facilities, such as the Tri-County Ice Arena in Neenah, as well as Appleton’s Family Ice Center and the USA Youth Sports Complex.

“There are a couple different suggestions we have,” said Schmieder. “It just depends on what the bureau wants to do.”

The group is also recommending the bureau work to raise the hotel room tax by 2 percent, which would generate an estimated $24 million over 30 years; with the bureau pitching in $500,000 to get the project off the ground.

Tourism officials say the room tax increase is on top of the yet-to-be-approved room tax increase to fund part of Appleton’s proposed $28 million downtown exhibition center expansion.

“The nice thing about sports tourism – its families,” said the visitor's bureau executive director Pam Seidl. “They tend to stay longer and spend a little more money when they’re here.”

Seidl says the bureau – which represents 19 communities along the Fox River, south of Brown County – paid less than $20,000 for the study. 

Once the bureau decides what it wants to do, the next question is who will assume the risk, if the facilities and improvements don’t make money.

The consultant is suggesting bids for the recommendations start this summer, with a grand opening in 2016. However, that timeline depends on what recommendations the visitors bureau moves forward with, and how quickly.

(Additional reporting by FOX 11).

E-cigarettes banned in public places in Ashwaubenon

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ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) - Ashwaubenon's village board has unanimously approved a revision of its smoking ban to require people who use e-cigarettes to follow the same rules as those using regular tobacco products.

“We banned them everywhere you would use tobacco,” Ashwaubenon Village President Mike Aubinger told FOX 11.

Starting Friday, the rules for electronic cigarettes will change in Ashwaubenon.

“It’s not preventing you from buying them, it’s just preventing you from using them in certain public facilities,” Aubinger said.

Aubinger says the board felt smoking e-cigs mimics a bad habit, and that the vapor is irritating. The ban apparently stemmed from a request by school district administrators to address the use of e-cigarettes on school property.

“We have a district policy that includes the banning of e-cigarettes, as well as other tobacco products, but by the village ordinance being passed now, that now allows us to enforce that ban in terms of a municipal citation,” Ashwaubenon Schools Superintendent Brian Hanes told FOX 11.

So why does the ban apply to the entire village?

“We then said this becomes confusing to people about where they can and cannot use them,” explained Aubinger.

Vapin USA store manager Nolan Marzett is still confused.

“They said public places, we don’t know if our private owned business could be considered a public place,” said Marzett.

The ordinance reads like this:

-The law modifies the definition of smoking to include smoking of electronic cigarettes, cigars and pipes

-Using those devices is banned in public places, school grounds and municipal buildings

-”Public place” means any enclosed place that is open to the public, or a place to which the public has lawful access or may be invited

That would include Vapin USA.

Wisconsin’s indoor smoking ban only addresses tobacco products. A measure to exempt e-cigarettes from the ban stalled in the Legislature earlier this year.

(Additional reporting by FOX 11).

Some Green Bay residents have lead in their water

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Residents who live in an older section of Green Bay are at risk for lead contamination of your water.

That's according to the Green Bay Water Utility.

“Our source water, which is Lake Michigan, and our filter plant, do not have any lead in the water. So, it’s only in the home plumbing and the service lines that the lead is coming into the homes,” Green Bay Water Utility general manager Nancy Quirk told FOX 11.

If consumed, lead can cause delayed mental and physical development in children. The possible contamination is limited to around 1900 homes, which is only 6 percent of the city.

Quirk says the city has done its part to start replacing pipes. It’s also flushing hydrants to get rid of lead sediment.

“It’s basically increasing the speed at which the water’s going through the pipe which basically scours the pipe,” said Quirk.

Green Bay Water Utility says homeowners who live in a home built before the 1940s to run their water for at least two minutes every morning.

Contractors say it’s not totally necessary to remove the pipes on your property that might contain lead. The process can be costly.

Homeowners on the east side said they have not been individually notified about lead issues.

To find out whether your home is among the nearly two thousand in danger of lead contamination will require a telephone call to the Green Bay Water Utility at (920) 448-3480.

To find out how to get your water tested for lead, call the Green Bay Water Utility or visit gbwater.org.

(Additional reporting by FOX 11).


Drug needles cleanup effort grows in Marinette, Menominee

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MARINETTE, WI (WTAQ) - Residents in Marinette and Menominee have had enough of finding drug needles throughout their communities due to what they feel is a growing drug problem.

On Wednesday, some residents who organized cleanups through social media gathered at Red Arrow Park in Marinette to cleanup some of those needles.

“I just feel sorry for my grandchildren if they come down to this beach and I used to swim here a lot when I was a child,” Tina Rupert, who found a needle while cleaning up the beach, told FOX 11.

Rupert joined a few dozen other people who want to keep the community clean.

“In the last week this suddenly happened due to a few of us going out on the beach one night finding needles,” Benjamin Conley, the organizer of the cleanup, told FOX 11.

Conley helped organize the cleanup through Facebook. Conley says a similar outing last week produced about a dozen needles in three hours.

“It could be heroin,” Marinette Police Sgt. Scott Ries told FOX 11. “It could be other types of drugs being used intravenously.”

Police say no matter what the needles are being used for, they are extremely dangerous because of the potential for disease.

“Now it’s just to the point where it’s really bad,” said Peterson. “We have posters, people finding needles in their mailboxes, in their lawns.”

The group’s organizer says 4 needles were found in the park on Wednesday.

(Additional reporting by FOX 11).

Early morning fire destroys a Green Bay home

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Green Bay, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay fire crews had their hands full battling the flames at a house at 2551 Dunbar Lane just before 1am this morning.  

No one was hurt, 3 people displaced. 

Green Bay Metro Fire Marshal's office says the fire origin appears to be at the rear of the house...but no official cause has been determined.  The structure is considered a toal loss. 

6 people homeless after an early morning fire

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Town Of Chase, WI (WTAQ) - An early morning fire destroyed a garage and spread to a home in the Town of Chase.  Fire officials say they were called to the scene on Harvest Valley Lane just east of Pulaski around 1 a.m. When crews arrived, the garage was fully engulfed and flames had spread to the house.  All six people in the home evacuated safely.   Fire officials say the garage is a total loss and the top half of the house was destroyed.  The cause of the fire is unknown.

Green Bay plays host to a free dental clinic

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Dozens of people lined up for a free dental clinic Friday before the doors opened at the KI Convention Center on Main Street in downtown Green Bay.

The Wisconsin Dental Association is putting on the two-day clinic with volunteer dentists and hygienists. 

The WDA is hoping to provide $1 million in free dental care to an estimated 2,000 people. Care is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. 

There is currently no waiting for those who want to head down to the KI for this free clinic. Doors will remain open until about 5 p.m. Friday. They will re-open at 5:30 a.m. Saturday.

Adults and children of all ages with limited financial resources or otherwise unable to visit a dental office and who don't have a medically-compromising condition that prohibits safely receiving care are invited.

Over 1,000 volunteer dentists, dental hygienists and assistants, lab technicians, Marquette University School of Dentistry students and residents statewide will help out.

New Brown County highway ramps are a case of good news and bad news

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Howard, WI (WTAQ) - A major change for drivers on the west side of the Green Bay area: The first flyover ramps opened on Thursday.

They’re part of the interchange connecting U-S highway 41 and State Highway 29 in Howard.   But the new ramps are causing some confusion for drivers who are headed west on 29 and thought they could get off on Packerland. They have to drive 3 miles down the road and turn back for that.

And there's more.  Starting July 7th, Shawano Avenue will close for 60 days from taylor to Packerland. The Highway 41 project has 3 more years of work scheduled.

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