MENASHA, WI (WTAQ) - A fire Thursday morning has damaged a Menasha Police Department squad car.

Police say it happened while an officer was driving the car around 7:30 a.m. The cop noticed the dashboard lights flicker on and off several times. He eventually started to smell a faint burning odor and drove to the city's mechanic garage.

While the car was at the garage, some wiring in the back of the squad started on fire. Mechanics used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.

Police say a damage estimate isn't known, but the vehicle will not be a total loss. The city of Menasha's insurance company has been notified.

NEENAH, WI (WTAQ) - Firefighters in Neenah were called after a report of a fire on the roof of the former Minergy plant.

Crews responded to the scene Thursday morning. 

No injuries were reported and a cause is not yet known.

Officials say the building is in the process of being demolished.

BELLEVUE, WI (WTAQ) - The Brown County Sheriff's Department says one of their police dogs died in a hot car when the air conditioning malfunctioned on Wednesday.

Authorities say the K9, Wix, and his partner, Deputy Austin Lemberger, were on special assignment in Sheboygan County at the PGA Championship. Wix and Lemberger were contacted to help with security at the event in Haven because they specialize in detecting explosives.

Authorities say Wix was placed in the squad car with the engine running and the air conditioning on. Officials say Lemberger checked the dog throughout the morning. 

But around 12:30 p.m., Lemberger found Wix unresponsive in the car. He discovered the air conditioning had stopped working. 

"We do have an alarm system that is supposed to activate when the temperature rises too high," said Brown County Sheriff's Capt. Dan Sandberg. "For some reason that system didn't activate and that's what we're investigating right now."

The 3-year-old Belgian Malinois had been with the Brown County Sheriff's Department since April 2014. Wix, who was also trained in tracking, worked with Lemberger the entire time.

"It's like losing a member of your family, it's been very hard on him," Sandberg said of Lemberger.

Bay East Animal Hospital is helping to investigate Wix's death. Dr. Margaret Eastman said Thursday that these highly-trained dogs are not like your typical pet.

"Those dogs are so well trained, that every time they come out of that car they are on high alert and that's an important thing to remember," Dr. Eastman said. "Utilizing the vehicle as a place to rest is a necessity for them. They cannot do the dangerous things we ask them to do, the meticulous work, if they don't have a rest cycle, and they will not get rest if they're just hanging out in the parking lot."

Sandberg says the department has six slots for K-9 units, now this unfortunate incident leaves them with 5. For each of them, leaving the patrol dogs inside idle squad cars is not unusual.

"If they're investigating a sexual assault up at the hospital, the dog could be in the car for extended hours," said Sandberg. "But the K-9 officers are very conscientious about going down there, getting them out for bathroom breaks and checking on the dogs."

No timetable was provided for how long this investigation will take.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Formal charges have now been filed against a former Brown County Sheriff's deputy and D.A.R.E. volunteer for allegedly stealing funds from the program.

Late Thursday afternoon, Brown County District Attorney David Lasee filed those criminal charges. 

Kevin Vanden Heuvel is charged with 4 felonies, including two counts of theft by an employee and two counts of misconduct in office.

A former D.A.R.E. volunteer, Early Fuller of Green Bay, is also facing charges. Fuller is facing charges of party to the crime of theft and obstructing an officer.

Vanden Heuvel was the lead officer of the Brown County D.A.R.E. program for many years, affectionately known as "Officer Van."

For over a decade, members of the sheriff's department and about 50 volunteers helped park cars near Lambeau Field on game days. The money raised parking cars is supposed to go into a special D.A.R.E. account to pay for officer salaries and supplies.

Both Vanden Heuvel and Fuller are accused of stealing money while helping to park those vehicles.

Last October, Brown County Sheriff John Gossage said his agency found that someone had been handing out fake parking passes and taking money meant for the program.

Gossage says Vanden Heuvel was placed on administrative suspension on October 6, 2015. Vanden Heuvel resigned two days later.

Then at a press conference in May, Captain Jeff Sanborn said Vanden Heuvel and a then un-named volunteer allegedly handed out fake parking passes to campers who arrived the day before Packers games and kept some of the money.

Since it was mostly cash, investigators said they had a difficult time finding out how much money was stolen.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

FOXBORO, MA (WTAQ) - The Packers' starting offense has problems in the red zone, but the prospects made sure Green Bay won its pre-season opener at New England Thursday night 22-to-11.

Aaron Rodgers completed 11-of-19 passes for 117 yards, but his starters failed to score on two long drives. They finally settled for a field goal the third time down.

Scott Tolzien completed 10 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown to Jeff Janis. Undrafted Alonzo Harris ran for a 25-yard TD, and Packers' rookie Brett Hundley threw a 10-yard scoring strike to John Crockett.

The Green Bay defense sacked Patriots' quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo 7 times. He went 20-for-30 for 159 yards. Tom Brady did start. He went three-and-out and four-and-out in two series.

Green Bay reported two injuries. Corner Kyle Sebetic sprained an ankle, and tight end Justin Perillo had a concussion.

Packers' coach Mike McCarthy is now 19-18 in exhibition games.

The Packers' next one is a week from Sunday at Pittsburgh.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - Wisconsin gas prices have jumped by more than 30 cents a gallon in the last two days.

The AAA's statewide average was almost $2.81 Friday morning for regular unleaded. That's 13-and-a-half cents more than Thursday at this time, and 23 cents more than Wednesday.

It's all blamed on a breakdown at the BP oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana, which might not get fixed for another week or two.

The AAA says Milwaukee is the only Wisconsin metro with an average price above $3, rising 22 cents in the past day to $3.03. Madison's fuel jumped by 19 cents the past day.

Smaller hikes are reported to the north. La Crosse is the state's cheapest at $2.64.

Before the breakdown, gas prices were falling amid the lowest crude oil prices in six years.

Motorists in the nation's mid-section are feeling the worst pain at the pump, from Wisconsin and Michigan to as far south as Oklahoma. Friday's Wisconsin average is 16 cents higher than the national norm of $2.65.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A Green Bay building catches fire on Thursday, forcing fire crews to swing into action.

The fire happened at a storage facility on Cofrin Drive around 6 p.m.

Fire crews were able to put out the flames within an hour. No one was hurt.

Green Bay Metro Fire officials says they're not sure what caused the fire, but it did about $200,000 in damage.

BELLEVUE, WI (WTAQ) - Just a day after the Brown County Sheriff's Department confirmed the unexpected death of a K-9 patrol dog, the agency is going on the defense.

That's because they've received numerous calls and complaints about the death of Wix on Wednesday.

"I've had phone messages from Colorado, North Carolina and other parts of the nation on this," Brown County Sheriff's Capt. Dan Sandberg said by phone Friday. "I think we're getting lumped in with some people who have been negligent with their animals and this is, by far, not the case."

Authorities say Wix, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, and his partner, Deputy Austin Lemberger, were on special assignment in Sheboygan County at the PGA Championship. Wix and Lemberger were contacted to help with security at the event in Haven because they specialize in detecting explosives.

Authorities say Wix was placed in the squad car with the engine running and the air conditioning on. Officials say Lemberger checked the dog throughout the morning.

But around 12:30 p.m., Lemberger found Wix unresponsive in the car. He discovered the air conditioning had stopped working.

"I think there's a lot of assumptions being made that this dog was left in a car with the air conditioning not running, and that's not true," said Sandberg.

Sandberg says many assume that highly-trained dogs and family pets are the same, but they're not.

"These animals aren't like the family pet where we're driving to the grocery store or something," Sandberg says. "We're working in an environment that dictates that sometimes a dog has to be left inside the car, so the officer can take a report or do some other kind of police work. If he gets that dog out of the car, that is now his primary concern and he can't do other kinds of police functions."

Authorities say the K-9 units operate within an area, and not just handling specific areas of law enforcement which they are specifically trained for. Because of that, deputies are involved with police calls which do not involve their dogs.

The squad car's air conditioning system failed, along with an alarm system that was supposed to warn the officer that the dog could be in danger.

"So we're basically looking at two failures here, we're trying to find out why stuff didn't activate," Sandberg explained during a press conference on Thursday.

The K-9 heat alarm warns the deputy there is a problem by turning on the squad car's red and blue lights, honking the horn and rolling down the windows.

And although authorities warn you should never leave your pet in a car alone, Bay East Animal Hospital's Dr. Margaret Eastman said its normal for K-9 officers to stay in squads with the engine running.

"That's an important thing to remember, that utilizing the vehicle as a place to rest is a necessity for them," said Eastman.

Meantime, PETA is weighing in on the issue by reminding people about tips for safeguarding animals during hot weather.

MARINETTE, WI (WTAQ) - The man convicted of killing Eric Volp in Marinette County back in 2008 learned his fate Friday.

Erik Smith was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Judge David Miron also placed Smith on extended supervision for a total of 20 years.

Smith used his vehicle to run over Volp, then dumped his body by a stream. Authorities discovered Volp's body the following year.

Erik Smith was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison for the 2008 murder of Eric Volp.

During Friday's sentencing hearing, Smith apologized to Volp's family.

Smith is currently service a 19-year federal prison sentence in Colorado for a child pornography possession conviction handed down in 2010. His Wisconsin sentenced will begin after the federal time is up.

MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - State health officials now say there are 13 confirmed cases of blastomycosis connected to the Little Wolf River in Waupaca County.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services issued a statement Friday saying that another 13 cases are probable. Officials believe exposure happened starting with Memorial Day weekend and continued at least through July.

DHS says they anticipate more cases to be confirmed.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, blastomycosis lives in soil and decaying organic matter, like leaves and wood. When the soil is disturbed, the fungal spores become airborne. Breathing in those spores can cause people to become ill.

Health officials say if you're experiencing symptoms of blastomycosis and you visited the Little Wolf River during the estimated exposure time, to contact your health provider.

Symptoms include fever, cough, muscle aches, and fatigue, which may progress to weight loss, chest pain and a persistent cough.

DHS will be updating cases numbers weekly on it's website.

FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ) - Prosecutors filed new drug possession charges on Friday against the man accused in the 1990 murder of Berit Beck.

Dennis Brantner now faces 10 charges, including 3 of possessing narcotic drugs, one of possession of a controlled substance, one of possession of an illegally obtained prescription and 5 for bail jumping.

Online court records indicate that Brantner had his bond set at $50,000 cash during a court appearance Friday. However, Brantner is already held on a $1 million bond in the Beck murder case.

He's due back in court for a preliminary hearing October 15.

The drugs were found inside Brantner's cowboy boots by jail staff on March 27, which was the day he was charged with Beck's murder.

According to the criminal complaint, the drugs found inside a zipped baggie included Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Zolpidem and Cyclobenzaprine. Brantner did not have prescriptions for the drugs, although his brother did.

Subsequent drug tests did not find any of the drugs in his urine or blood, the complaint states.

Brantner has pleaded not guilty in the murder case, although a trial date has not been set.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Several strong thunderstorms with strong winds and hail are moving through much of Northeast Wisconsin Friday.

Meteorologists at FOX 11 expect the storms to be completely out of our area by 9 p.m.

The storms have caused thousands of Wisconsin Public Service customers to lose power.

There are currently more than 4,000 WPS customers in the Green Bay area in the dark.

You can keep track of outages by clicking here.

We Energies says more than 1,000 customers in their regional service area has lost power. You can follow outages by clicking here.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Friday afternoon's storms which rolled through the Green Bay area left downed trees and branches in its wake.

Jeremy Pazurek says he was passing fire trucks on his way home, where his daughter was alone. When Pazurek reached the house on Beech Tree Road, he saw a tree cut his garage in half. Another tree landed on a car in his driveway.

“I ended up running to the door and she was fine,” Pazurek told FOX 11.

His daughter, Kaylee, was in her room when the trees came crashing down.

“First thing I did was go look for my cat and then I ran down in the basement because I was scared another tree was going to fall or something,” said Kaylee Peters.

While across the street, a tree Mary Hardie-Roze heard fell on a power line connected to her house, sparking a fire on the siding. Flames then spread to her deck and the wood chips underneath.

“I said that doesn't look good and all of a sudden pow, the light, the sound, the smell, everything happened at once and I just saw the tree go and all the power went out,” Mary Hardie-Roze told FOX 11. “My heart is still beating and then of course the fire department made us run out and stand in the rain for goodness, ages and ages, while they were trying to make sure the fire was out.” 

The fire was quickly doused by firefighters. Both families now have the task of cleaning up ahead of them, and the memories of this storm they won't soon forget.

TOWN OF ALMON, WI (WTAQ) - Authorities in Shawano County say a man was found dead inside a plastic storage tank.

Deputies were called just before 5 p.m. Friday to an address on River Road in the Town of Almon for a man who was unresponsive in the 8,000 gallon plastic tank. The tank was filled with Whey.

The 32-year-old Birnamwood man was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy is underway to determine the exact cause of death.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - One person had to be extricated from their vehicle following a crash in Appleton late Friday.

Police were called to the corner of Lawe and North Street around 11:30 p.m. for a two-vehicle crash.

First responders helped remove the roof and side of the vehicle and the person was rushed to an area hospital.

Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash.

SHAWANO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A multi-vehicle crash in Shawano County Friday night leaves two people dead and three others injured.

Shawano County sheriff's deputies say that a pickup truck crossed the center line on Highway 47, and slammed into a motorcycle and an SUV.

A 42-year-old De Pere man, who drove the pickup, and a 55-year-old Milwaukee motorcycle driver were both pronounced dead at the scene.

The wife of the Milwaukee man, who's 53, and her two children, ages 16 and 12, were taken to local hospitals. All three were riding in the SUV.

Fond Du Lac, WI (WTAQ) - One man was flown to a trauma center after a crash early this morning (Monday) in Fond du Lac.  

Police say a car hit a train at the Scott Street crossing around 3.  

A man inside the car was taken to a hospital.  

No one on the Canadian National Railway train was injured.  

An investigation into what led to the crash is continuing.   

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The man investigators say was the head of a heroin distribution ring had his sentencing hearing delayed.

Prosecutors reached a plea deal with Jafari Mahonie back in June, and was due to be sentenced Monday morning in Brown County court. However, a district attorney's office request to adjourn that hearing was accepted.

Mahonie faces over 100 years in prison after pleading guilty to 4 heroin delivery charges, and no contest to 2 other counts. Several other charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal.

This comes after a drug bust last summer in which at least 28 people face similar charges. Those cases are still working their way through the courts.

Mahonie's attorney, John Birdsall, said the case against his client isn't necessarily what people might think when the plea deal was reached. He also disagreed with investigators calling the Illinois man a ringleader.

According to an assistant D.A., one reason the state sought the delay is because information received late last week revealed that Mahonie possibly violated terms of his plea deal. An investigation into that claim is underway.

Brown County Judge Tammy Jo Hock rescheduled the sentencing hearing for 10 a.m. on October 16.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11)

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A Milwaukee-based researcher is trying to re-establish the historically plentiful amount of mayflies in the bay of Green Bay.

Jerry Kaster of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee says at one time the flies played a crucial role in the health of the bay, serving as a major protein source for walleye and other fish.

Kaster says restoring the insects could cause the bay to once again become a world class fishery and thus boost the local economy.

Although the lower portion of the bay hasn't seen an overwhelming number of mayflies in decades due to poor water quality, Kaster believes conditions have improved enough to support a repopulation.

In the past few years, Kaster and student volunteers have been collecting mayfly eggs and placing them in the bay.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

SUAMICO, WI (WTAQ) - Storms that tore through Northeast Wisconsin on Friday caused approximately $20,000 in damage to the NEW Zoo.

Most of the damage was to fences surrounding the exhibits and many trees were blown down, according to zoo director Neil Anderson.

No people or animals were hurt, and some animals had to be moved temporarily.

Anderson says he expects cleanup will take a week or two.