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GB Catholic Diocese Bishop David Ricken reacts to pope's resignation

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ALLOUEZ, WI (WTAQ) - Catholic Diocese of Green Bay Bishop David Ricken is reacting the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.

In a statement released Monday, Ricken said:

“My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I was as shocked as everyone else to hear the news that our Holy Father has tendered his resignation from the office of the successor to Peter. He has written about this as a possibility, which we can now say was a preparation for this. This was a courageous decision made by Pope Benedict, and we thank him for his years of service.

The important thing for us to remember is that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide the Church and for all of us to pray for Pope Benedict and for the cardinals who will select a successor.

In the meantime, we continue our mission of proclaiming the Gospel, providing for the sacramental life of the Church, and loving and serving our brothers and sisters. As part of the New Evangelization, this will be a wonderful opportunity for us to discuss our faith with others and to encourage them to once again strengthen their relationship with the Church.”

The 85-year-old pope announced Monday morning that he would step down at the end of February, citing his age.


Appleton police arrest man for stealing vehicles

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton police have arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly stealing two vehicles.

After getting a report of a stolen car early Monday morning, police were able to track down the suspect Gage Dawiedczyk.

An officer located the missing car being driven by Dawiedczyk within five minutes of the call.

Cops followed the vehicle as it returned to the neighborhood where it had been stolen. The vehicle pulled into a driveway near the victim’s home. That’s where officers took Dawiedczyk into custody.

During the process of the investigation a stolen truck was also found.

Dawiedczyk is currently being held in the Outagamie County Jail.

Police are recommending multiple charges against him including: burglary, damage to property and operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. He has already been issued several traffic citations.

Accused child abuser waives preliminary hearing

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - A man charged with child abuse waived his preliminary hearing in Outagamie County court Monday.

Michael Kitzman of Little Chute is accused of beating his 2-year-old son, tying him up and putting him in a dog kennel.

Police say it happened back in October.

No arraignment date has been set for Kitzman

Brown County Salvation Army falls short of fundraising goal

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Officials with the Salvation Army of Brown County fell short of its 2012 Christmas Campaign fundraising goal.

The agency hoped to raise $1.2 million, but ended up with $1,093,488, which is about 9 percent short of the goal.

"While there are some signs pointing to an improving economy, the need remains high in the community," Captain Ken Shiels, Brown County coordinator, said in a statement. "At the same time, it appears that people are still cautious with their charitable dollars."The campaign was extended into January after donations felt short of this year’s goal.

With the goal being missed, the Salvation Army says some programming adjustments will need to be made. 

Salvation Army leaders say there will be additional fundraising opportunities throughout the year.

St. John's homeless shelter request to increase beds tabled for 60-days

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay’s Plan Commission didn’t even begin discussion on a request from St. Johns Evangelist homeless shelter to increase its occupancy, instead immediately moving to table the request for 60 days. 

Commission members didn’t even open the floor to hear from the operators, the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay. 

The shelter was cited back in December for being over capacity, but the Diocese maintains their operational plan that was approved as part of their permit, allows them to serve the up to 20 overflow guests. The city attorney's office disagrees, even though it the over flow plan was discussed at the August Plan Commission meeting. 

Right now, the shelter has a 64-bed conditional use permit, but are requesting to serve an additional 20 people to be in compliance with what the city. 

At Monday's meeting, Mayor Jim Schmitt took to the podium and immediately began to rail against Deacon Timothy Reilly calling him disrespectful, dishonest and the most difficult person to work with since being elected Mayor. 

After the meeting, when asked about the comments, Mayor Schmitt didn’t feel they were a personal attack. 

Schmitt says he has asked Bishop David Riken to replace Deacon Reilly. 

All of members of the Plan Commission are appointed by the Mayor.  An original motion was made to table the request for 30-days until Schmitt gave a nod to increase it to 60-days. 

Ahead of the meeting, the city planning department reviewed the request and recommended approval to increase the shelter's bed capacity to 84 guests.

Deacon Reilly was surprised by what he called a “bombshell” and was disappointed the commission didn’t even open the floor to hear from them, instead hearing from Schmitt and other Aldermen. 

Reilly says they have already made an investment in developing a wing of the old school they occupy and are serving the overflow guests. 

Reilly says can serve up to 84 guests, and will continue to do so. 

Schmitt says the city will not issue another citation against the shelter. 

The emergency nightly homeless shelter is a cold weather facility.  It is only open six months out of the year and operates November through April. 

GB Ald. Boyce wants to change vote for new Police Chief to live outside city

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay Alderman David Boyce says he intended to vote against allowing the city’s new Police Chief Tom Molitor’s to live outside the city and now wants to change his vote. 

City ordinance requires all department heads to live in the city.

“Ideally we would bring it up for a total reconsideration on the floor” Ald. Boyce said. 

Last week, Boyce voted twice in favor of Molitor.  First, against the Personnel Committee's denial and second in favor of a waiver. 

"The vote just came, bang" Boyce said "before the meeting, I had told several people I was going to vote the opposite way that it came out.” 

Boyce was then one of nine council members voting in favor of granting an exception.

On a handful of occasions in the past, Boyce has had issues following council proceedings and understanding rules. He was elected in the spring of 2012.  

“There was a lot of double negatives and very intense conversations at the time, and I thoroughly regretted my vote, I wasn’t really sure about the process of correcting that”  Boyce said. 

If Boyce is able to change his vote, the outcome would likely not change.

Last Thursday, Boyce submitted a request to change his vote.  The Press-Gazette printed a story Friday and that morning the city attorney said he had recanted his request.  Then on Monday, Boyce said he wanted to see the council reconsider the issue.

Harassment trial set next week for former Calumet County DA

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A federal court trial is scheduled to begin a week from Tuesday for the first woman who accused former prosecutor Ken Kratz of sexually harassing her.

Stephanie Van Groll is seeking unspecified damages from the former Calumet County district attorney, who filed for bankruptcy last April.

She said Kratz violated her civil rights, by sending racy text messages and trying to start up an affair in 2009 while he was prosecuting her boyfriend for abusing her.

The word didn’t get out about that until 2010. And when it did, several other women said Kratz made sexually-suggestive remarks to them.

A couple months later, Kratz resigned after former Governor Jim Doyle started proceedings to remove him. Later, Kratz ran a private law practice in the Fox Valley for a while – and he has since moved to Florida.

Last year, the state’s Office of Lawyer Regulation asked the Supreme Court to suspend Kratz’s law license for six months. The justices have not made a decision. 

Report: Wisconsin touched by Superstorm Sandy's wrath

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SISTER BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Weather experts have confirmed what we just assumed at the time – that Wisconsin felt the wrath of Superstorm Sandy.

The National Hurricane Center released a detailed report about Sandy’s destruction Tuesday morning.

It said the storm created wind gusts as far west as the Badger State, and as far north as Canada.

According to the report, Sandy began as a tropical wave off the coast of Africa on October 11th. It reached the Caribbean a week later, and it temporarily weakened below hurricane strength over Cuba. And then it built steam again as it approached the U.S. on October 27th.

The National Weather Service said the wind gusts from Sandy hit 61 miles an hour near Sister Bay in Door County on October 30th. And news reports at the time said there was minor erosion along Lake Michigan at Pleasant Prairie in Kenosha County.

Folks there were planning to evacuate, after a forecast of 18 foot waves on the shore. But they never materialized. Nobody had to go anywhere because the waves never got above 8 feet.

The highest surge from Sandy as reported in New York, where the waves got 12-and-a-half feet above normal on the west edge of Long Island Sound. 


Lt. Gov. Kleefisch promoting job openings by working at Gulfstream Tuesday

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch is promoting the Wisconsin jobs’ Web site, by doing one of the jobs that the site advertises as being open.

The Republican Kleefisch is spending the day at Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation of Appleton, which makes jet planes for businesses. The plans to work from time to time at a business which advertises its job openings on the state Web site.

There are thousands of openings listed on the site, which can be found at JobCenterOfWisconsin.Com. 

Green Bay Police investigate east side death

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay Police investigating after a body was found near the intersection of Main Street and Deckner Avenue. 

Capt. Todd Thomas of the Green Bay Police Department says he's was found by a passerby. The deceased male, who was been identified as 53-year-old Earl Reed, was also found without shoes or identification on him.

Thomas says there are no signs of trauma to the body, but authorities are still working on determining the exact cause of death.

Police add that Reed lived nearby, but it's unclear at this point if he was walking home or what he was doing outside. Officials say it appears Reed was outside for several hours. 

An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.

Appleton crossing guard, student injured after being hit by vehicle

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton police say a crossing guard and student were hurt after being struck by a vehicle Wednesday.

Authorities say it happened at the intersection of East Taft Avenue and South Clover Lane around 7:50 a.m.

Police say the 49-year-old crossing guard was helping the 10-year-old student across the street when the crash occurred in front of McKinley Elementary School.

The crossing guard suffered a leg injury and the student’s arm was injured. The driver of the car was not hurt.

Police are continuing their investigation and no citations have been issued.

Neenah police chief wants departmental pay studied

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NEENAH, WI (WTAQ) - The police chief in Neenah says he's frustrated by delays in addressing pay issues which now have lieutenants making more money than captains inside the department.

Chief Kevin Wilkinson says work on fixing the issue started about three years ago. But so far, the city council has not passed a measure to fix the problem.

In January, thanks to three percent pay raise, all 7 lieutenants now make more than Capt. Howard Fuerst, a non-represented employee who was given a 1.7 percent raise.

Fuerst has asked to be demoted to lieutenant, Wilkinson says, because the position pays more and comes with less reponsibility. Fuerst currently makes $78,841, compared to the lieutenants, who are now paid $78,875.

Wilkinson tells FOX 11 the department's other captain has also asked to be demoted if a lieutenant position in the department becomes available. That captain currently makes $80,555, but Wilkinson says the difference in pay increases, known as compression, will soon catch up to the salary of the other captain as well.

Mayor George Scherck says the city is currently working with an outside consultant on a compensation study for all city employees.

Scherck says the issue is bigger than just a pay issue for a police department captain. Scherck says other city departments will be facing similar compensation issues in the near future and the city wants to deal with them all in a fair and timely fashion.

Bi-partisan bill calls for criminals to pay for crime prevention efforts

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MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay area lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are getting behind a bill that would asses a surcharge on criminals to fund crime prevention efforts. 

Republican Andre Jacque says studies show for every dollar spent toward on crime prevention saves ten dollars in future costs of incarceration or treatment. The bill calls for a $20 surcharge for those found guilty or pleading no contest to criminal felony or misdemeanor charges. 

Jacque says last year, the surcharge would have brought in $90,000 for crime prevention efforts in Brown County alone. 

Plastics recycling plant proposal moves forward for Oneida tribe

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ONEIDA, WI (WTAQ) - Plans to build a plastics recycling plant on Oneida tribal land is moving forward.

On Wednesday, the land commission voted to rezone the property needed for the Oneida Nation-owned plant.

Officials also granted a conditional use permit for the land.

The plant must follow ten guidelines to keep the permit.

Wrightstown Community Schools hands over crisis situation plans to police

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WRIGHTSTOWN, WI (WTAQ) - Wrightstown Police have received crisis situation plans from the Wrightstown Community School District after intervention from the Village Board. 

Concerns were raised last week about student safety and a lack of cooperation from the district during a Village Board meeting.

Superintendent Carla Buboltz and the district have trust issues with Police Chief Perry Kingsbury concerning student confidentially over past incidents.

A handful of Village Board members met with BuBoltz Tuesday where she aired out grievances the district has. 

The next day, Wrightstown police received crisis situation plans.

The district also submitted plans to Brown County SWAT last week after WTAQ reported that the SWAT Commander had not received the plans after months of requests. 


Wisconsin's Drought of 2012 continues this winter

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MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - The Drought of 2012 lives on in Wisconsin.

The U.S. Drought Monitor said Thursday that things have not changed very much in the Badger State since winter set in – and if anything, it’s gotten worse.

88.6 percent of Wisconsin’s land area is at least abnormally dry, up by three-tenths of a percent since mid-November. And the amount of land in a moderate to severe drought rose from 53 percent in mid-November to almost 62 percent now.

The places that do not have drought conditions are about the same as they were three months ago. They include a dozen counties from Waushara and Marquette counties on the west, to the Lake Michigan border on the east from Door to Sheboygan counties.

Wisconsin had a January thaw, but not enough water seeped into the ground to make a difference in the state’s drought. 

Police search for suspects who stole $7,000 ring

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay police are looking to identify and find two suspects who stole a ring worth $7,000 from an east side jewelry store. 

A white man and woman took the ring Monday. 

Police have released surveillance video photos of a woman with lighter colored brown hair wearing a purple coat. 

Winnebago County law enforcement has new way to fight heroin use

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NEENAH, WI (WTAQ) - A new method is being used to help fight the growing heroin problem in Winnebago County.

The Winnebago County District Attorney's office is now prosecuting people who overdose on heroin with possession of the drug.

Neenah Police Chief Kevin Wilkinson tells FOX 11 that if his officers are called to the scene of an overdose and find drug paraphernalia, they can request a blood test of the individual from the hospital.

That sample is then sent to the state crime lab for testing. If the sample shows heroin or its derivatives in the person's system, they can be charged with possession, which is a felony offense in Wisconsin.

Wilkinson says his department has seen a big increase in heroin use and drug related crimes in the past few years.

Wilkinson adds heroin is one of the most addictive drugs and he says it's important for the community to recognize the problem. 

Two hurt after ambulance versus car crash in Manitowoc

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MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - A crash in Manitowoc between a vehicle and an ambulance leaves two people hurt.

It happened Thursday morning at the intersection of Franklin and South 10th Streets.

Manitowoc police say a 26-year-old woman slid into the intersection and struck the ambulance.

Two fire department employees were hurt. Their injuries are not life-threatening.

The woman was cited for driving too fast for conditions.

Grady gets 11 year prison sentence for Planned Parenthood clinic fire

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The man convicted of trying to set a fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Grand Chute will go to federal prison.

On Thursday, Francis Grady was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. He also got 3 years extended supervision.

Last summer, Grady was found guilty of trying to start a fire at the clinic.

Grady told FOX 11 as he was being escorted out of court he does plan to appeal. 

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