GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay police are investigating the theft from a construction site under the Mason Street Bridge.

It happened sometime over the weekend.

Authorities say one of the items stolen was a large red metal gate with reflective tape and a power box on the end, measuring 22 feet long. The gate weighed about 1,300 pounds and was part of the old crossing gate on the Mason Street Bridge.

There were also about 40 pieces of lumber and sheets of plywood stolen.

Police believe the suspect or suspects used the site’s Caterpillar fork lift to transport the items to the road in front of the C. Reiss Coal Office to load the items up.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Green Bay Police Department at (920) 448-3208 or you can call Crime Stoppers and remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward. (920) 432-STOP (7867). You may also submit a tip on the web at www.432stop.com.

NEENAH, WI (WTAQ) - Next month marks the third anniversary of Wisconsin's concealed weapons law -- and local schools and police are agreeing on their own to let off-duty officers carry guns in school buildings.

Tuesday, officials in the Neenah School District will act on a memorandum of understanding with the police department. It would allow off-duty officers to carry weapons in Neenah schools, despite a ban in the state law.

Before concealed carry was passed, both on and off-duty officers could have weapons in and around Wisconsin schools. But now, only on-duty officers who visit schools during their workday can have guns.

The Legislature did not act on a proposed amendment this spring to rectify the matter -- so schools and police are acting on their own.

Ken Trump of National School Safety and Security Services tells the Appleton Post-Crescent that law enforcement officers are essentially on duty at all times, and they should be equipped accordingly.

Schools in Green Bay, Ashwaubenon, New London, and Wisconsin Rapids are among those with agreements to let armed off-duty officers into schools.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - Wisconsin's attorney general told officials throughout the state Monday to act "fairly and impartially" in handing out same-sex marriage licenses.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the state's appeal to try and preserve the 2006 ban on gay marriage and civil unions.

The order immediately ended delays on same-sex marriage license requests in Wisconsin and four other states.

Van Hollen said his Justice Department attorneys acted "admirably" in defending the ban, whether they agreed or not with the underlying policy issues. Now, the Republican Van Hollen says he encourages "everyone to respect" the Supreme Court's action and "administer the law fairly and impartially."

County clerks in Madison and Milwaukee were the first to announce they would take same-sex marriage applications, after their county attorneys agreed the ban is now unconstitutional. However, some counties are slow to go along -- just like in June, after Federal Judge Barbara Crabb ruled the state's ban unconstitutional.

FOX 11 interviewed county clerks in northeast Wisconsin -- and officials in Oconto and Kewaunee counties don't expect to approve same-sex licenses until Tuesday. Calumet and Waupaca counties said they were waiting for guidance from their internal county attorneys.

Clerks in Brown, Outagamie, Winnebago, Manitowoc, Fond du Lac, and Menominee counties said late this morning they would issue licenses immediately.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Seven Wisconsin beers have won awards at the recent Great American Beer Festival, sponsored by the Brewers Association of Boulder Colorado.

Miller Lite was given the gold medal for the American-style lager or light category. The Capital Brewery of Madison also won gold for German-style Marzen beers.

MobCraft Beer of Madison took second place for coffee beers.

The new Stillmank Brewing Company of Green Bay took the bronze medal for ordinary or special bitter products. Titletown Brewing of Green Bay took bronze for Munich-style helles beers.

Leinenkugel of Chippewa Falls took bronze in the German-style kolsch category. And the Stevens Point Brewery took third for pumpkin beers.

Over 5,500 beers were entered. 268 medals were handed out in 90 categories.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

MILWAUKEE (WTAQ) - Stockholders will decide next month whether to approve Wisconsin Energy's plan to acquire the Chicago-based Integrys Energy Group.

Shareholders of both firms plan to meet at the same time to vote on the acquisition -- 10 a.m. on November 21st.

The stockholders of We Energies' parent firm will meet in Milwaukee. Owners of Integrys, which owns the Wisconsin Public Service utility in Green Bay, will hold their vote in downtown Chicago.

Shareholders as of October 13th will be eligible to vote. Proxy statements will go out sometime after next Monday.

Federal and state regulators must also approve the acquisition. If approved, it could take effect in the third quarter of next year.

The proposed merger would create one of the nation's largest electric utility companies, with electric and natural gas operations based in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

HOWARD, WI (WTAQ) - A gas leak Monday night closed a section of Wisconsin 29 and police asked some people near the scene of the leak top leave their homes.

This all started just before 7 p.m. in the area of Highway 29 and Packerland Drive. Wisconsin Public Service arrived to get things under control.

It took a while, because several valves had to be shutdown.

911 operators recieved some calls of a strong smell of gas in the area.

Police wound up closing Highway 29 from Brown County FF to U.S. 41. The highway was reopened about a half an hour later.

Fire crews checked nearby businesses to see if the gas had anywhere else.   

There were no injuries reported.

DE PERE, WI (WTAQ) – Bonsai Sushi in downtown De Pere was evacuated Monday evening after a fire broke out.

It happened around 6 p.m. on South Broadway St.

Fire officials say a lit cigarette discarded next to the building started other cigarette butts and trash on fire. That fire spread to the side of Bonzai Sushi.

Officials say the fire caused about $5,000 in damage.

No one was injured.

The restaurant did not reopen Monday evening after the fire. A restaurant employee says he believes it would be a couple days before the restaurant reopens.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Green Bay City Council will take up a proposal Tuesday night that would raise the price of parking in the city's downtown.

Cafe Espresso owner Rachel O’Leary tells FOX 11 that her concern is the possibility of losing free parking on nights and weekends. 

“That’s when we do most of our business, so that’s a concern if that’s going to affect people coming down or not,” said O’Leary.

Currently parking meters in downtown Green Bay cost 60 cents per hour. Ramps cost 55 cents an hour and the Adams Street lot is 75 cents. All are free on nights and weekends.

Should the city council pass committee recommended changes, the rates would go up to 75 cents an hour for parking meters, 75 cents an hour in ramps, and $1 an hour in the Adams Street lot.

The council’s approval would also give the city the go ahead to evaluate the end of free night and weekend parking.

“Most of these rates haven’t been raised in many, many years, so we are just simply not keeping up with the rate of inflation, which is the biggest issue we have,” said Steve Grenier, the director of public works. 

Daily parking rates haven’t changed since 2008. Grenier says right now parking revenue doesn’t cover operating costs or parking ramp bond payments. He says the proposed changes would help the city break even.

“We’re looking at something like a dollar or so for overnight parking,” said Grenier. “We haven’t decided on a number. We’re still running the financials to see what it would be.”

“I don’t like any deterrent, so as a business owner, of course I have a different perspective on that, being that you don’t want any reason to not come to downtown,” said O’Leary.

If approved, the parking rate increases would take effect next year. Other changes the city is considering are automated payment systems and adding credit-card capable meters and kiosks.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Authorities in Brown County say a chase that began in Door County ended in Brown County with a one-vehicle crash.

It happened at the ramp connecting Highway 54 and southbound Highway 57 on Monday evening.

The Brown County Sheriff's Department says the two people inside the vehicle were injured.

Officials say Door County Sheriff's deputies started the chase, with Brown County deputies assisting after it crossed county lines.

Door County Sheriff's would not comment about the incident.

MENASHA, WI (WTAQ) - Menasha police say a man is undergoing a mental health evaluation following a disturbance Monday night.

Police were called about someone trying to break into the lower apartment at 109 Racine Street around 9:30 p.m.

Upon arrival, officers thought they heard gunshots inside the apartment. They then saw a man leave the apartment with a gun. The 65-year-old was taken into custody without incident.

Authorities say the man didn't live at the apartment, and cops didn't find anyone else inside. They did find evidence that gunshots were fired inside the apartment.

Residents living in the upper apartment were home at the time, but they were not harmed. No word yet on a possible motive.

TOWN OF LAWRENCE, WI (WTAQ) - Brown County authorities say a car hit a building overnight in the Town of Lawrence.

It happened near Scheuring Road and Packerland Drive around 1 a.m. Tuesday.

Authorities say a couple of people were hurt, but it's not known their exact conditions.

It's also unclear right now if those people were inside the car.

TOWN OF OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - The Winnebago County Sheriff's Department is investigating a fatal vehicle fire where human remains were found Monday.

The call came in around 3:52 a.m. about the blaze at the intersection of Leach Road and County Highway S.

The victim has been identified as 44-year-old Jeffrey MacDonald of Winneconne.

The Sheriff’s Departments asks that anyone who had any contact with Jeff MacDonald over the weekend, beginning Friday October 3, through the early morning hours of Monday October 6, to please contact Detective Ron Timm at (920) 236-7369.

MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - A half-million dollar federal grant is being used to update Wisconsin's official land cover map.

State DNR land experts are working with cartographers from UW-Madison on the project. NASA satellites are helping the map makers describe landscapes of the various areas.

WLUK-TV of Green Bay says one of the main purposes is to improve the way the state's deer herd is managed. Bob Nack of the DNR says the new map will help landowners and county committees learn more about the hot spots for deer -- so they can maintain healthy deer populations in a manner that's safe for everyone.

Nack says some of the land cover on the current map is outdated because it's more than 20 years old, and land use often changes over time.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the grant for the new map, as part of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act. The project is expected to be finished in the middle of 2016.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

MILWAUKEE (WTAQ) - Wisconsinites who heat with natural gas may only pay about three-fourths of what they did last winter -- if we get normal temperatures, that is.

We Energies projects the typical residential gas bill to be about $583 from November through April. That's $200 less than last winter, when wind chills dropped as low as 55-below zero and temperatures were the coldest since We Energies began providing natural gas in the 1940's.

Utility spokesman Brian Manthey says the forecast is based on today's natural gas prices plus average winter temperatures from the past 20 years.

We Energies is based in Milwaukee, and provides natural gas service to the vast majority of Wisconsin.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

MARINETTE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - The state DNR has confirmed its first two cougar sightings of 2014.

Officials said Tuesday that trail cameras caught images of a cougar in Lincoln County in July, and in Marinette County on Labor Day.

DNR wildlife biologist David MacFarland said the two images could have photographed the same cougar.

A landowner spotted a cougar image on his trail camera east of Merrill. The Marinette County sighting was near Middle Inlet, and it was reported to the DNR last Tuesday.

Cougars had almost vanished in Wisconsin in 1910, but there have been more of them sighted in recent years.

Last year, the DNR got dozens of reports of cougar sightings -- but only 3 were verified, and 8 were confirmed as probable.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Authorities in the Fox Valley say they uncovered a drug lab inside an Appleton home, but the possible drug is something you may not know about.

It all started as a marijuana investigation at 1120 E. Sylvan Ave. on Tuesday night. The Lake Winnebago Area Metro Enforcement Group drug unit, armed with a search warrant, entered the home looking for marijuana. 

After finding a quarter-pound of pot, they also found chemicals used in the production of DMT.

“We found what we believe or are alleging was a DMT lab. We did not anticipate finding a lab at that location. So we wound up – sort of surprised at what we found,” Brad Dunlap, Director of the Winnebago Area MEG Unit, told FOX 11.

Investigators wearing Hazmat suits cleared the house of items they believe were used to make dimethyltryptamine (DMT). It’s a hallucinogenic drug people generally smoke or inject, and is rare in Northeast Wisconsin.

“The manufacture or process involves some chemicals that have the potential for explosion and or fire and that’s why we had Hazmat and fire crews out there,” said Dunlap.

The suspect, an Appleton man who lives at the residence, was in the driveway when officers arrived, however Dunlap says they did not arrest him. Authorities say first, they need to confirm what they believe they found.

“Based on the interviews, we believe that assessment is correct, but until we get results back from the crime lab we won’t be able to confirm that and that’s also the reason we’re holding off on charges,” Dunlap told FOX 11.

Authorities say it could take a couple of weeks before getting results from the crime lab. They would not say if the man is cooperating, or if he has a criminal history.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

MARINETTE, WI (WTAQ) - Two Forest County correctional officers were among six people arrested in an undercover drug investigation.

A male and a female who work at the jail in Crandon were booked on possible counts related to stolen property. Charges were not filed as of Tuesday, and neither has a prior criminal record.

Forest County Sheriff John Dennee reportedly learned a few months ago that one or more jail employees might have been taking part in criminal activity.

The Brown County Drug Task Force from Green Bay was brought in to investigate, along with state and federal agencies.

Search warrants were executed on Monday. Authorities said they seized cocaine, marijuana plants, guns, computers, thousands of dollars, and other items from some of those arrested.

The Forest County jail workers were being held in the Marinette County Jail, as they await court action. The other 4 suspects were booked into jails in Oconto, Green Bay, and Marinette.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - A proposed new license plate in Wisconsin is closer to becoming a reality.

Appleton resident David Hinds brought the idea to Neenah Rep. Dean Kaufert. The new plates will ready "In God We Trust".

The state Department of Transportation requires an organization that comes up with the idea to pay for the startup costs for the new plates.

On Tuesday, Hinds presented a check for $9,000 raised mostly through donations. The money raised from the license plates will go to Wisconsin's Veterans homes.

“We’re gonna be successful in raising some money for our vets, they deserve it. All our freedoms whether you believe in God or you don’t is because of vets. You wouldn’t be able to do that in any other country,” Hinds told FOX 11.

The plates still have to be approved by the state legislature.

If you’d like to see other types of specialty plates offered by the state, click here.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A fire at a west side Green Bay home displaces a family of four.

Green Bay Metro Fire crews were called to the home in the 700 block of 10th Avenue around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Authorities say clothing was too close to a water heater in a utility room and it ignited. The fire caused $8,000 in damage.

Firefighters indicate the blaze did cause a water line to burst, which kept the fire from getting bigger.

Two adults and two children were forced out of the home. No one was hurt.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Many Wisconsinites had a great view of the "blood moon" -- the year's second total lunar eclipse.

It began around 5:25 a.m. Wednesday, and ended almost an hour later.

It was called a "blood moon" because the eclipse made the moon look a burnt red -- almost orange. If you missed it, don't worry -- you'll get two more chances next year.

Experts say a series of "blood moons" is at its halfway point. The next one is due April 4th, and the last will appear next September 28th.

It's a rare treat. NASA's Fred Espenak said we went for 300 years without seeing any blood moons.

Other eclipses reveal a partial shadow of the moon, without the bloody color that only total eclipses provide. Lots of Wisconsinites placed photos on social media.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)