OCONTO FALLS, WI (WTAQ) - Firefighters are battling a blzae at a barn in Oconto County.

Crews were called to the barn on Sellen Road in Oconto Falls around 7 a.m. Monday.

No word yet on a cause, or how much damage was done.

KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ) - Some firefighters in Kaukauna were called in late Sunday night to cool down some hot coal dust at the Expera mill.

The call came in around 11:50 p.m. to the mill at 600 Thilmany Road.

Employees became alarmed by warmer than normal temperatures in a bin of coal being used for boilers. The bin was 4 to 5 stories off the ground. Firefighters coated the inside of the bin with foam and about 600 gallons of water to prevent an explosion.

Mill workers reported the bin had cooled significantly by 3 a.m. Four hours later, the source of the heat was out.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Tuesday is the first day of school for most Wisconsin K-to-12 districts.

And while drivers are urged to watch for children in the streets, police will watch the motorists to make sure they do.

Last year, almost 800 tickets were issued in Wisconsin for failing to stop for school buses which flash their lights when picking up or dropping off kids. State law requires motorists to stop both ways for a stopped bus.

Dave Vander Bloomen of Lamers Bus Lines tells WBAY-TV that drivers should give themselves more time to make their morning runs during the first 2 to 3 weeks of school.

He says it would make drivers less likely to take chances just to get to work, or to drop somebody off.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

ST. NAZIANZ, WI (WTAQ) - The last two Salvatorian nuns in the Manitowoc County village of St. Nazianz are pulling up stakes and heading toward retirement.

When 91-year-old Sister Rita Faust and 87-year-old Sister Jane Barman leave Monday to spend their twilight years with two other sisters in Portage, it will close the book on 119-year-old legacy of service.

"After being here this long and making friends and now having to pull up roots ... and being the last ones, no Salvatorian Sisters here anymore, that's a sad situation," Sister Jane said.

On August 22nd, a special Mass and reception was held at St. Gregory's church and school to thank the 2 nuns for their work, which included delivery for Meals on Wheels, tutoring at St. Gregory School, and visits to nursing homes, among numerous other services.

Most of the nuns left in 2000 after a storm devastated the area, damaging most of the village's buildings including the convent where the sisters lived since 1896.

Three of them, including Sisters Rita and Jane, stayed behind.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A team effort is taking shape in order to protect all Wisconsin children.

Local and state firefighters, along with the American Football Coaches Association and the Green Bay Packers are teaming up to help Wisconsin parents in the event their child goes missing. It's called "Safety Blitz".

"Together with more than 4,000 professional firefighters across the state, our goal is to provide more than 900,000 Child ID Kits for Kindergartners through 12th graders," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy during a press conference Monday.

The Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin has already kicked off their "Fill the Helmet" campaign to support the project by helping to raise funds and awareness.

"We believe in this program because we want to give every family in our great state the best possible chance of helping law enforcement find their missing, abducted, runaway or exploited child, if the unthinkable should happen," said Mahlon Mitchell, President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin.

The overall goal is to raise more than $1 million, but in the Green Bay area, Local 141 President Chad Bronkhorst says it'll be $100,000 for the program. Bronkhorst is confident they will meet that challenge.

The Child ID Kit allows parents to collect specific info by easily recording the physical characteristics and fingerprints of their children on identification cards -- that are then kept at home. It can be turned over to law enforcement should their child go missing.

There's also a friendly challenge involving Fire Fighters in Wisconsin and Texas to see who can meet the goal first. 

HOWARD, WI (WTAQ) - Thousands of kids across northeast Wisconsin are back in class today for another school year.  

And the first day can an interesting emotional ride for everyone.  But at one local school...there's a very unique perspective.

(LISTEN TO STORY ABOVE) 

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - With almost no stars expecting to play, sellers are virtually giving away tickets to Thursday night's Packers-New Orleans exhibition finale in Green Bay.

$80 end zone seats were going for just $3 on StubHub Tuesday morning. That's rare, even for a pre-season game.

The NFL's official ticket exchange is required to sell seats for at least face value, so 80 is the minimum you'll find there.

The last exhibition game is all about keeping the starters safe from harm, and letting those on the bubble make a final statement before the last roster cuts on Saturday.

The Packers still have some spots up for grabs, most notably at wide receiver.

All exhibition and regular season games are officially sellouts in Green Bay, as season ticket holders get virtually all the seats.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - Police in Oshkosh need your help identifying the suspect, pictured above, who was possibly involved in a theft at Becket's Restaurant.

It happened sometime between 9:45 p.m. and 9:52 p.m. Saturday at the restaurant on Jackson Street.

Police say a man picked up a gift box that was on a table and left the restaurant. They believe the man in the surveillance image is a suspect.

If anyone has any information about his incident or can identify the suspect, please contact the Oshkosh Police Department at (920) 236-8477.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Wisconsin's Department of Transportation says the early start to the Packers game Thursday will likely cause some traffic headaches for drivers.

As fans make their way to Lambeau Field for the 6 p.m. kickoff, drivers will mix with other motorists heading home from work. DOT officials also remind everyone that road construction is ongoing, especially along Interstate 41.

Here are construction areas to watch out for:

I-41 and WIS 172 Interchange

• Motorists should expect heavy congestion and potential long delays at this interchange before the game and again following the game. Motorists should consider avoiding this interchange area and utilize alternate routes if possible.

Oneida Street and I-41/Oneida Street interchange

• Oneida street between Ridge Road and Hansen Road is reduced to single lanes in each direction and drivers should expect significant delays before and after the game. Drivers are urged to consider alternate routes.

I-41

• Barrier walls, narrow lanes, short merge distances and orange barrels will be present at various locations.

Brown County

• Drivers will encounter 11-foot travel lanes and reduced shoulders in multiple locations along a 10-mile segment of highway. The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph from just south of Grant Street to Lineville Road. Temporary barrier wall at various locations will cause traffic to slow.
• The northbound I-41 on-ramp from Velp Ave remains closed and drivers should plan alternate routes by using nearby interchanges such as Shawano Avenue, Lineville Road or Atkinson Drive interchanges.

Winnebago County

• Drivers will encounter reduced speed limits on I-41 near the US 10/WIS 441/I-41 interchange, as well as a southbound I-41 lane closure. Drivers should also watch for reduced lane widths and reduced shoulder widths on northbound and southbound I-41.
• The eastbound US 10 ramp to southbound I-41 is closed.

Washington County

• I-41/US 45 southbound from the I-41/US 45 split to Waukesha/Washington County line (six miles) - one left lane will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Two left lanes will be closed from 7:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday morning.

I-43 and I-43/I-41 interchange

Brown County

• I-43 between Atkinson Drive and I-41 is reduced to a single lane in each direction. Traffic heading north on I-43 to access southbound I-41 could experience back-ups in this location. The speed limit is also reduced to 55 mph.

WIS 441/US 10 and Roland Kampo Bridge

Winnebago, Outagamie and Calumet counties.

• Drivers should be aware of orange barrels, narrow lanes and barrier walls and reduced speed limits.

WIS 32/WIS 57/County X intersection

Brown County

• WIS 32/57 is closed to traffic from Scotchwood Road to County PP. There will be no access from or to WIS 32/57 at County X or Fox River Drive.

MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - A couple who graduated from UW-Madison 35 years ago is donating $10 million to their alma mater.

The university says the gift from Tom and Karen Falk will provide two annual scholarships, and two endowed faculty chairs in the schools of business and education.

Tom Falk is the CEO of Kimberly-Clark. The oldest of 9 kids, he worked his way through high school by being a golf caddie -- and it earned him a full tuition scholarship back in 1980.

His wife Karen lived in a low cost housing cooperative while at the UW.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank says both Falks have shown tremendous dedication to the campus -- and their gift will help many students in the future.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Outagamie County authorities have arrested two people, which ended a nearly five-hour standoff Wednesday.

The sheriff's department arrived with a search warrant to a house on Highway 76 in the Town of Ellington around 10 a.m. Authorities were looking for stolen property.

Deputies arrested one person, but two others ran to a barn on the property and barricaded themselves inside. Law enforcement officers went inside the barn around 3 p.m. and made the arrests.

A bomb robot was used because deputies weren't sure what was inside the barn. Also on scene were SWAT teams and drug agents.

MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says the number of blastomycosis cases connected with an area river continues to rise.

According to DHS, there are now 29 confirmed and 29 suspected cases of blastomycosis, as of Tuesday. 

Officials say anyone who visited the Little Wolf River in Waupaca County since Memorial Day weekend may have been exposed.

Those who experience a cough, fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain or chest pain should visit their health care provider. Symptoms usually take between 2 and 15 weeks to develop.

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.

STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A Sturgeon Bay-based manufacturer of luxury yachts says they will close.

Palmer Johnson officials sent a letter to employees, obtained by FOX 11, in which it reads, "our operation and employment levels have continued to diminish, sales have diminished, offshore competitive pressures have escalated, and as a result (closing its facilities) becomes a necessity."

It also says the company is working with local workforce development officials and will try to help workers affected get unemployment compensation and find new jobs.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — Green Bay police are searching for an armed robbery suspect.

It happened at 3:30 a.m. Thursday at the Shell Gas Station at the corner of Ashland Ave. and Lombardi Ave.

Police say the suspect went into the store, showed a black handgun and demanded money.

Officials describe the suspect as a black man in his 20s. He's about 5'10" with a slim build. He was wearing a gray long-sleeve sweater with a black design on it.

Detectives have been searching the area with a police dog, and crews hope surveillance video will help them identify the suspect.

No one was injured in the robbery.

BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A principal of a Brown County school says students saw a man matching the description of an attempted child abductor described in De Pere last week.

The principal at Morrison Zion Lutheran School says students described seeing a man hiding in the woods and taking pictures outside the school Tuesday afternoon.

Students say the man matched the description of a suspect wanted by police in De Pere.

Last week, the De Pere Police Department released a composite sketch and description of that man following an attempted child abduction near De Pere High School. 

Police also received several calls from people saying they spotted a man with a similar description near Susan Altmayer School in De Pere. He was allegedly photographing children and the school.

Last Wednesday a 14-year-old girl told police she was walking in the 1700 block of Merrill Street when a man tried to get her into his vehicle. She wasn't hurt and was able to run away.

She described the man as 60 to 65-years-old with white hair, scruffy beard, dirty baseball cap and a raspy voice. He was driving an older model tan/champagne colored single cab open bed truck, with heavy rust around the driver-side wheel wells.

Anyone with information is asked to call the De Pere Police Department at (920) 339-4084.

KIMBERLY, WI (WTAQ) - A special education teacher at Kimberly High School has been named Wisconsin's Special Services Teacher of the Year.

Amy Reed was presented the award for the 2015-16 school year in a surprise ceremony Thursday. 

The announcement was made by state Superintendent Tony Evers. 

Reed, who's been teaching for 13 years, says she was completely surprised by the honor. Reed will receive $3,000 from the Herb Kohl Education Foundation.

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - A woman accused of stealing money from a client has waived her preliminary hearing.

Online court records indicate that Jean Walsh-Josephson will enter pleas to charges of forgery and theft on September 30.

Walsh-Josephson was working as a personal financial adviser at Thrivent Financial's Oshkosh office. She's accused of taking money from a client's account.

Thrivent Financial is in the process of reaching out to Walsh-Josephson's clients, however if clients with the company would like to review their portfolios, they may contact (920) 628-3799 or 1-800-THRIVENT, say "directory" and enter extension 6283799.

Walsh-Josephson's registration as a personal financial adviser was suspended by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

MENASHA, WI (WTAQ) - An invasive species of fish found in the Fox River has forced the Wisconsin DNR to close the Menasha lock for the Labor Day weekend.

According to the DNR, four round gobies have been caught by anglers below the Neenah dam in recent days. It's the first time the fish has been confirmed upstream of the series of locks and dams between Neenah and Green Bay. (Since the Fox River flows north, upstream is to the south.)

Anglers are now being asked to help determine whether the round goby is present upstream of the dams in Neenah and Menasha, or even Lake Winnebago.

The DNR is asking anyone who catches a goby to kill it and take it to their Oshkosh office, 625 E. County Road Y, along with specific information on when and where it was caught. That office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, although it will be closed on Labor Day.

The DNR encourages anyone who catches a goby this weekend to freeze it and take it to their office next week.

So far, the gobies that have been caught bit on hooks baited with worms.

Gobies have a single, scallop-shaped pelvic fin on their bellies, a black spot on their front dorsal fins, frog-like raised eyes and thick lips. They are between 3 and 6 inches long, and have a mottled gray color.

The bottom-dwellers force out native fish by eating their eggs and young, taking over optimal habitat and spawning multiple times per season.

"The gobies represent a real threat to the valuable native species in the Lake Winnebago system - home to a world class walleye fishery, the largest self-sustaining population of lake sturgeon in North America, good populations of bass, yellow perch and other game and panfish species," Kendall Kamke, DNR Oshkosh fisheries team supervisor, said in a news release.

DNR workers are also setting traps and using shocking equipment on the water to determine how widespread the gobies are.

Meanwhile, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, which operates the locks along the Fox River, says while the Menasha lock is closed, boaters can access the Fox River at various public launches in the Fox Valley as well as about 60 on Lake Winnebago.

The Menasha lock closed at 10 p.m. Wednesday. The authority recommends boaters check its Facebook page for updates on when the lock will reopen.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - City officials in Appleton are doing something different to let drivers know about upcoming road construction projects.

There are now 2 signs posted along E. John Street.

The city says underground utility work has been completed there, but the road can't be paved until next spring because of the clay soil.

City officials say these signs will go up in other sites in the future.

According to leaders, they believe it's an open way to tell people the city is aware the road is bumpy with temporary asphalt. But that the new pavement will be coming next spring.

The city says the signs cost a few hundred dollars each and the money comes out of the Public Works Department's budget.

DE PERE, WI (WTAQ) - The president of St. Norbert College says he will retire from the school on May 31, 2017.

In an announcement Thursday, Thomas Kunkel says he wants to spend more time with his family.

"Deb and I have two grandchildren and another on the way in January," said Kunkel. "Then, on the other end of the family spectrum, my parents back in southern Indiana are in their 80's. So we find ourselves seeking more and more family time."

As for the timing, Kunkel says that his arrangement with the college’s Board of Trustees was to give them a two-year notice of his intention to retire, if at all possible. This announcement fulfills that promise, while allowing the board enough time to find a new leader.

During his tenure at St. Norbert College, Kunkel has overseen the construction and renovation of more than $100 million in campus facilities and infrastructure, including the Gehl-Mulva Science Center and its South Teaching Wing; Michels Commons; Schneider Stadium; the Mulva Library; Gries Hall; the Ariens Family Welcome Center; Todd Wehr Hall; Dudley Birder Hall; and the Cassandra Voss Center.

Student enrollment has reached record levels on his watch, as has the academic profile of its student body. And this fall’s incoming class is the most ethnically diverse in school history.

But Kunkel says there's still plenty to do.

"Maybe the single biggest priority is to continue to grow scholarships to make more money available to our students to keep the St. Norbert experience as affordable as possible," said Kunkel.

Kunkel, who recently published the critically acclaimed biography “Man in Profile: Joseph Mitchell of The New Yorker,” will continue his writing career after the presidency, and he intends for his first project to be a “short and accessible” biography of the college’s namesake and patron, St. Norbert of Xanten.