APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Police in Appleton say a multi-pronged effort led to the arrests of five people and the seizing of over $50,000 in drugs.

Police say three other agencies took part in the operation, and saw the suspects buy and sell the drugs at several Appleton locations.

Aside from money confiscated as evidence, police found 282 grams of crack cocaine worth about $42,300 and 73 grams of heroin worth nearly $14,600.

According to a news release, 24-year-old Tiasha A. McNeal of Park City Illinois, 23-year-old Perry G. Lee of Zion Illinois, 42-year-old Lamonuwell Graham of Kimberly, 53-year-old Nathanial K. Payne of Kaukauna and 43-year-old Vonda L. Quaas of Menasha were arrested Wednesday.

None of the five have been formally charged in the case.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The owner of Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy in Kewaunee announced Thursday plans to open a retail space inside the same building that Titletown Brewery is expanding into.

John Pagel says the new "Cannery Public Market" will be an artisan food and beverage destination featuring locally sourced products.

"There will be a number of vendors and it's going to be all about the experience of coming to the Cannery Public Market," said Pagel at a press conference. "We're going to source as much as we can locally, and we're going to have different kind of vendors to source just about any kind of meal you want to make."

Pagel says it'll be an 8,000 square foot space featuring farm-to-table products like meats, dairy, grains and vegetables. Patrons can enjoy meals prepared on-site, and then have the option of buying the ingredients used to prepare those same meals at home.

It will be located on the first floor of the south end of the former Larsen Canning building. The Cannery Public Market is scheduled to open by early to mid-2015.

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - The Air Force Thunderbirds will make their Oshkosh debut Friday, at the climax of the daily air show at the EAA's AirVenture.

For the first time, a mother will be part of the performance team, River Falls native Caroline Jensen. The 37-year-old Air Force major calls it a "dream come true" to perform at the EAA.

Jensen said she watched the Thunderbirds perform in Eau Claire as a teenager -- and it triggered her dreams to become an Air Force fighter pilot. Before joining the Thunderbirds, Jensen was an instructor and an assistant flight commander for the Air Force reserves at a base in Texas.

She'll fly the Number 3 plane during the performances, which take place each day through Sunday in Oshkosh.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - An increase in heroin, morphine and prescription drug abuse coupled with a rise in overdose deaths is leading Manitowoc's mayor to try and come up with a way to curb it.

So far in 2014, Manitowoc police have investigated 7 possible drug overdose deaths including 3 in the last 12 days. Just 5 overdose deaths were investigated all of last year.

“I want to become a community where people around know if you want to deal drugs, you’re not going to do it in Manitowoc because you’re going to get caught,” Mayor Justin Nickels told FOX 11.

Right now, the Manitowoc Police Department has two detectives working with the Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit.

Nickels says he wants to add an extra detective, along with more prescription drug collection sites for people to keep unused meds out of the wrong hands.

“The fact that we’re seeing so many overdose deaths is alarming,” Nickels said.

Detective Sergeant with Manitowoc Police David Vorpahl says his department's investigators are strained with the spike in overdose deaths being investigated.

“They have been swamped, because opiates are just taking over,” Vorpahl told FOX 11. “Historically it used to be cocaine and marijuana, but now it’s graduated to prescription drugs and people are using it with syringes and things of that nature.”

Nickels said the extra detective would cost the city about $100,000 a year. He plans to include the position in his budget proposal for next year.

Manitowoc Alderman Jason Sladky said he would likely support the extra spending, but wonders if the issue should be approached heavier through the court system.

Vorpahl says investigators have made arrests in two of the overdose death cases this year.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A new second-floor tenant has signed on to be a part of the new "Backstage at the Meyer" project in downtown Green Bay.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday at the former Daily Planet Restaurant, where the project will go next door to the Meyer Theatre.

The first floor will include an entertainment venue.

“There will be a small performance stage. There will be a meeting area and breakout space. It will be the perfect area for an intermission at a Meyer Theatre Show or for a pre-show event,” Jeff Mirkes, Meyer Theatre board president, told FOX 11.

The second floor will include additional office space for Breakthrough Fuel. It helps other companies reduce their fuel cost, consumption, and emissions.

“We think culturally it fits very well for the type of people we attract which is really knowledge workers, bright talented people that like the downtown Green Bay area,” Doug Mueller, Breakthrough Fuel president, told FOX 11.

Breakthrough Fuel chose to expand there because the two buildings are in walking distance.

The 6,200 square foot area will include open and individual workspaces for about 30 people. There will also be a rooftop deck with a view of the downtown district.

Construction is expected to finish by February 14. The expansion will also include maintenance and improvements to the theatre.

The construction project has an estimated cost of $3 million. Much of that money has been donated as a part of the theatre’s $4.5 million capital campaign.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A former librarian at Keller and Wilder elementary schools has been sentenced to six months in jail for looking online to arrange a sexual encounter with a child.

Online court records show that Jason Gehrke was sentenced last week after he pled no contest to child enticement.

Gehrke was arrested during a local undercover sting called Operation Black Veil 2. Officers posed as minors online and arranged meetings with potential suspects.

Gehrke also received 3 years probation and was ordered not to have unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18 unless prior approval is given by his probation agent.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

Oshkosh, WI (WTAQ) - A day of excitement, apprehension, tears....and for some.....healing.   Last Friday nearly 140 northeast Wisconsin Vietnam veterans took the Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight out of Oshkosh to Washington D-C.  They left to find their past....and came home heroes.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - "It's a dream come true ... It's time to come back."

That's what Brett Favre said on the phone Monday afternoon, when the Green Bay Packers' Hall of Fame announced it would induct the three-time MVP quarterback next summer.

Team president Mark Murphy said Favre's Number 4 would be retired at the Hall of Fame banquet next July 18th -- and a ceremony will later be held at a home game in 2015 where his name appear on the north facade at Lambeau.

Favre played 16 of his 20 NFL seasons with the green and gold, winning a Super Bowl in the 1996 season.

Former team president Bob Harlan said that when GM Ron Wolf, coach Mike Holmgren, and Favre came to town, "Packer pride was restored" after three decades of mostly losing seasons following the departure of Vince Lombardi.

Hall of Fame president Perry Kidder said the vote to elect Favre was unanimous.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

SHAWANO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Authorities in Shawano County are searching for a man they say was involved in a series of vehicle thefts, disturbances and a police chase.

The sheriff's department says 26-year-old Calvin Ossmann was driving a stolen semi-tractor on Sunday when officers tried stopping the vehicle near Marion around 4:15 p.m. That's when Ossmann led them on a chase.

During the pursuit, Ossmann backed the semi into one of the patrol cars twice. The chase ended when the semi slammed into a tree around 5:30 p.m. Police say Ossmann then ran off. They wouldn't say where the crash happened because of the ongoing investigation.

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department describes Ossmann as about 5’11” and 170 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. Officials ask that you call the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office at (715) 526-3111 if you see Ossmann or know where he might be.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton police have rescued a burglary suspect from the Fox River.

Officers were called just after 7 a.m. Monday to the 1400 block of Kenilworth Avenue for a stranger leaving a woman's house with a laptop computer.

On the way to the scene, a resident saw the man trying to hide the laptop under his clothes. The citizen followed the suspect and confronted him, according to police. The two got into a scuffle, and the man dropped the laptop. The citizen wasn't hurt and called police to tell them where the suspect was.

During a search of some woods east of Peabody Park, officers saw a man in the river. He was about 75 feet out and struggling to keep his head above water.

Police called in the fire department's rescue team, but before the team could arrive the man went under. Lt. Dan Weiske and Sgt. Rob Wills then jumped into the river and pulled the man to shore, where emergency workers helped him.

The 36-year-old man was taken to the hospital to be checked out and was then taken to jail. The man, who told police he was homeless, has yet to be formally charged.

OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Officials say one man is dead and another is critically injured after a lightning strike this past weekend.

Brown County Medical Examiner Al Klimek says it happened in southern Oconto County around 6 p.m. 

The two men were building a child's tree house when a small thunder cell moved through.

“One of the lightning strikes struck a large tree the two gentlemen were working in. This lightning strike resulted in the immediate death of one individual and another one was treated and transported to a Green Bay hospital,” Klimek told FOX 11. 

A 27-year-old Morgan man died, the age of the other man has not been released.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Great Recession forced local taxpayers to eat growing numbers of unpaid loans that Wisconsin communities gave to local businesses.

Gannett Wisconsin Media checked business loans award by over 40 municipal governments during the decade ending in 2013.

Only a handful of business loans had to be written off before 2008, when the financial markets nearly collapsed. After that, however, the numbers of write-offs averaged around a dozen each year throughout the 40-plus communities.

Gannett -- which puts out 10 daily newspapers in Wisconsin's mid-section -- said the local development panels averaged a total of 67 loans each year.

In Green Bay, a start-up firm called Plastic Composites was given a $125,000 loan to convert milk jugs into plastic lumber. Gannett said the recession forced most of that loan to be written off, due to a reduced demand for building materials.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

WASHINGTON D.C. (WTAQ) - A new federal audit shows that four out of six Navy littoral combat ships built in Wisconsin and Alabama are too heavy -- and it might affect the ships' performance.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office said the USS Freedom, made at Marinette Marine, did not meet its distance and speed requirements for a range of 3,500 nautical miles at 14 knots.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette said two other boats built in Marinette met their weight requirements.

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin said the Freedom class of littoral ships met its weight standards upon delivery -- and the firm submitted all of its weight reports to the Navy as its contract required.

The Freedom and similar ships are being built in Marinette for Lockheed Martin. Another design is being constructed at the Austal USA plant in Mobile Alabama.

The audit said 3 ships at Mobile were also too heavy.

The boats are supposed to carry out missions like mine-sweeping, and anti-submarine warfare.

The littoral combat ships have come under scrutiny before. President Obama has proposed reducing the Navy's orders for it. Next year's shipments would be cut from 4 to 3.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Green Bay Police Department says four officers were hospitalized after being exposed to chemicals after responding to a fight Monday.

Authorities say it happened at an apartment complex at 1512 Plymouth Lane around 5:30 p.m.

Before the cops got there, someone used a fire extinguisher inside the building. 

Police found a large group of people and a knife and ultimately six people were arrested.

The four officers affected were taken to a hospital for treatment, then later released and all returned to work.

Officials evacuated the apartment complex for the night so crews could clean up.

The Red Cross assisted residents after the evacuation.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Gannett has become the latest U.S. media giant to split its newspaper and broadcasting businesses.

Gannett said Tuesday it would create separate entities aimed at giving its broadcast and digital operations more freedom to flourish -- while its newspaper and publishing outfits would basically be debt free once they're spun off.

Gannett also said it would take full ownership of the Cars.Com buy and sell Web site for $1.8 billion.

The company owns USA Today and 81 other newspapers -- including 6 dailies in all of the Fox Valley and east central Wisconsin, plus 4 dailies in the central part of the state.

The AP says Gannett will join other large media firms in letting their fast growing broadcast and digital operations run freely, without being weighed down by declines in newspaper business.

Robert Dickey, who heads Gannett's U.S. Community Publishing division, will become the CEO of the publishing segment. Current Gannett CEO Gracia Martore will keep that post with the new broadcast wing.

Headquarters for both will remain in McLean Virginia. The Gannett board must still approve the split, which could be finalized as early as next year.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

GREENVILLE, WI (WTAQ) - A crash in Outagamie County Tuesday sends three people, including two children, to the hospital.

Sheriff's deputies say it happened at the intersection of Spring and Julius roads in Greenville just before 10 a.m.

Investigators say a 29-year-old Black Creek man ran a stop sign in his pickup truck and slammed into an SUV driving eastbound on Spring Road.

The three people inside the SUV: a 73-year-old driver from Fremont, 11-year-old boy and 9-year-old boy, were hospitalized.

The pickup driver was not hurt. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing. 

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Police in Green Bay have shut down parts of Main Street on the city's east side due to a serious crash.

The crash happened at Main and Pecan streets and authorities say it involves three people getting seriously  injured. No word yet on what led up to the crash.

Police are closing the southbound lanes of Main from Manitowoc Road to the city limits. The parking lot entrance to Walmart East will also be closed.

Drivers are asked to use the Guns Road entrance to access the Walmart parking lot.

SHAWANO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A man involved in a series of vehicle thefts and disturbances, including slamming into police cars while being chased on Sunday, remains at large in Shawano County.

The Sheriff's Department is looking for 26-year-old Calvin Ossmann. Authorities say Ossmann was driving a stolen semi tractor Sunday. When cops tried to stop the vehicle near Marion around 4:15 p.m., they say Ossmann led them on a chase.

"The speeds that he'd be running stop signs with this semi was very high rate," says Shawano County Sheriff Randall Wright. "If somebody would've been coming through those intersections at that time, I fear there would've been fatalities."

During the chase, authorities say Ossmann backed the semi into one of the patrol cars twice. The chase ended when the semi crashed into a tree around 5:30 p.m. and they say Ossmann ran off.

"Part of our problem of losing him was when the rain storm came in, we had a heavy rain storm that moved in for about an hour, hour-and-a-half," says Sheriff Wright. "That is what hindered us and allowed him to get away."

Officials would not say where the crash happened because they are still investigating the situation.

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department describes Ossmann as about 5’11” and 170 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. Wright says Ossmann has cut his hair since the above mug shot was taken and is now more clean-shaven. Officials ask that you call the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office at (715) 526-3111 if you see Ossmann or know where he might be.

Until then, Wright advises residents to lock their vehicles and remove all valuables from plain sight. Also, if you spot Ossmann or come into contact with him, Wright says you shouldn't approach him as he may be armed.

Meantime, 12 charges have been filed against Ossmann. They include stealing a vehicle, criminal damage to property, and fleeing officers.

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - The Winnebago County District Attorney's office has filed a civil lawsuit against the owner of Naughty Girls in the wake of several prostitution complaints at the club.

The club on Jackson Street in Oshkosh has a sign posted saying it is closed until further notice.

According to the assistant district attorney, the office is asking a judge to close the business for a year and that all moveable property is sold. They called Naughty Girls a nuisance to the community.

Last year two club employees were convicted of prostitution. A man was also found guilty of solicitation of prostitutes in connection to those cases.

A hearing is set for August 14th in the case.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - Over a half-million people attended last week's EAA AirVenture Show in Oshkosh.

Organizers said Tuesday that the total crowds were up 5 to 6 percent from last year -- and they were up 20 percent for this past weekend, when the Air Force Thunderbirds made their Oshkosh debut.

EAA chairman Jack Pelton said the aircraft parking and camping areas were full for the first time in several years.

More than 10,000 planes flew into Wittman Airport for the week-long gathering. The numbers of show planes, around 2,600, were up by more than 10 percent. 

Visitors from 69 countries attended.

Pelton says the planning is already underway for the 2015 EAA. He said aircraft innovator Burt Rutan wants to return, and the soon to be restored B-29 "Doc" aircraft is expected to appear during what will be the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)