GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - There will not be a do-over for Green Bay's new code of conduct for elected officials.

On Tuesday night, council members voted down a request from council president Tom De Wane to rescind the code just a month after approving it.

"We look like a group of council that can't work together, but we can," De Wane said, per FOX 11.

De Wane argues that the code is already covered by state guidelines and Robert's Rules of Order.

"I still believe this code is a step in the right direction for responsible governance and I still support it," said Alderman Randy Scannell, who helped draft the code.

Scannell wrote up the etiquette plan in the wake of behavior complaints against Mayor Jim Schmitt and Alderman Guy Zima.

"I think this thing is a joke on its face and I don't think it's worth the paper it's written on," said Zima.

The council's vote on De Wane's request was defeated 8-4.

"I've got long emails that I won't bore you with, but a lot of the citizens are tired of seeing what they see out here," said Alderman Mark Steuer.

De Wane says he plans to respect it and hopes the rest of his colleagues do as well.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - One of two teenagers accused of setting an apartment fire in Green Bay pled no contest to several charges on Wednesday.

18-year-old Jordan Gardner-Shedrick entered that plea to counts of arson, recklessly endangering safety and burglary as part of a plea deal. Two other counts were dismissed, and he's due to be sentenced December 4.

According to court documents, Gardner-Shedrick and 18-year-old Jesse Jones went to the Danz Avenue apartment building on April 27 to confront a rival gang member.

They found flammable spray cans in the basement, soaked a rag and started it on fire. No one was hurt, but more than 60 people were burned out of their homes.

Prosecutors are asking for up to 10 years in prison for Gardner-Shedrick, while the defense will argue for anything less than that. 

Jones, meantime, is set to go on trial November 4.

MILWAUKEE (WTAQ) - Wisconsin's largest natural gas utility predicts an 18 percent decrease in heating bills this winter.

We Energies says the average home customer will pay $489 for natural gas between November and next April. That's $107 less than the previous winter, and $140 less than the average for the past decade.

We Energies says the figures reflect a normal weather pattern, plus steady wholesale gas prices.

Weather forecasters predict an El Niño winter with warmer temperatures and less snow, which could mean even lower heating bills.

We Energies says its forecast is for the cheapest gas heating prices in 14 years.

The Milwaukee-based utility has 1.1 million natural gas customers throughout Wisconsin.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

GILLETT, WI (WTAQ) - Two Gillett teens told police it was all a prank, and it went wrong.

A teacher at Gillett Secondary School is hospitalized after being poisoned Tuesday afternoon. Police say the teacher noticed a strange odor coming from a bottle of soda he had left unattended.

Authorities talked with a 17-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, who say they dumped a small amount of cleaning solution into the bottle.

The teacher's current condition is unknown after being treated at a hospital.

Citing privacy matters, police and school officials are refusing to answer more questions.

KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ)- Most people are familiar with the movie Ghostbusters from the 1980's; a team of scientists join together to battle the supernatural in an effort to save New York City.

Well, it's not quite as exciting or glamorous as the movie but a local group of paranormal enthusiasts are just as excited to examine the unknown in Northeast Wisconsin.

David Kedzior and Dee Viotto are members of the Kaukauana Paranormal Research Team.

They, among several others, help those affected by what could be paranormal activity.  

They document the activity and educate the public on the paranormal, according to their mission statement.

But what exactly IS the paranormal?

"I understand the paranormal to be anything that's not normal. What I mean as normal, there's a...you know, for instance you can tell a light flashes for a certain reason, a computer operates a certain way. Then there area those abnormal or anomalies, that we experience with energies...also known as ghosts," says Kedzior.

This may not seem like a weird field of interest in this day and age, with shows like "Ghosthunters," or "Long Island Medium," gaining popularity but years ago it was more taboo and perhaps considered bizarre.

"Now had you done this in the 70's, they would have looked at you funky because back then nobody wanted to know about it, you know," Kedzior said.

That's not the case now. There are times where their team gets more calls than they can handle.

David and Dee both experienced the paranormal as a child and shared their stories with me. Here's Dee's recollection.

"I woke up in the middle of the night, went down to the bathroom and was coming back and it was a summer night, and I felt like someone was watching me. And I turned around and I saw Ray, was his name. I saw his silhouette standing in front of the window."

David has had many experiences with the spirit world as well. This one he explains was quite scary.

"Probably the most traumatic incident I had was when I was living in Green Bay on South Oakland. We were residing in a property for eight months and we left because I got attacked by something...yeah, and I ended up in the hospital."

In part two of this paranormal series, we'll take a look at dust particles versus orbs and take you down some of the most haunted places in the Green Bay area.

Melissa Barclay, WTAQ News.

BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Booze and guns don't mix, and another example of that was apparently highlighted in Brown County Wednesday night.

The Brown County Sheriff's Department says they were called to Cooperstown Road in the Town of New Denmark around 8 p.m.

According to investigators, a 40-year-old man had accidentally shot a 39-year-old man in the stomach. The victim is expected to recover.

Authorities believe alcohol may have played a role in the shooting, which remains under investigation.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton's Common Council has delayed voting on an increase in the hotel room tax.

The move Wednesday night took place due to a change in the proposed rate increase. It's part of a plan to help fund a new exhibition center.

The proposal now calls for a 3 percent increase, instead of 3.5 percent.

The vote is expected take place next week.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton police say a man involved in a crash on Highway 441 nearly two weeks ago has died from his injuries.

84-year-old Louis Wiegel Jr. of Fond du Lac was involved in a crash around 5 a.m. on October 7. Wiegel died this week.

Authorities say Wiegel's minivan was struck when the driver of an SUV changed lanes in front of it. The crash sent the minivan over the embankment, between Highway 441 and the E. College Avenue on-ramp, causing it to roll several times before coming to a stop.

The SUV driver, a 62-year-old Kaukauna man, will not be charged in the crash.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - One Green Bay alderman has thrown the proverbial challenge flag, after a strip club was accused of handing out free alcohol to the public during a tailgate party near Lambeau Field last Sunday.

Alderman Chris Wery is calling for a review of the licenses of the Oval Office after they hosted the party on 11 acres of land belonging to the strip club's owners, the DeCaster family.

Wery's accusations stem from an Oval Office advertisement in last week's Entertainer newspaper. The ad reads, "Port-a-Party Trailer with Free Beer and Bloody Mary's for all our Friends that's YOU!"

"So unless they are counting anybody who comes and pays for a parking spot as a friend, which is probably what they are doing," Wery told FOX 11. "They like to play those little games, that's probably what they're doing."

According to state law, it's illegal to give away liquor or beer if it's being done to avoid selling it without a license.

"I feel pretty strongly that they broke a liquor ordinance," said Wery. "We'll find out about the adult entertainment ordinance."

But the general counsel for the Oval Office disagrees with Wery's allegations.

"We did nothing different than anybody else doing those parties; unfortunately, my family is tied to an adult entertainment facility, therefore I'm not allowed to have a tailgate party?" Jennifer DeCaster told FOX 11.

DeCaster claims the ad for free booze was a reminder for her friends, and that liquor was only given to them.

DeCaster also showed FOX 11 pictures of the party trailer, saying it is a semi-trailer with hydraulics that allow it to open. The picture shows the trailer opens up, basically acting as an open-air bar. DeCaster says the trailer has been used at the Green Bay Police Department's golf outing for at least the past six years.

"Anything that he (Wery) would be alleging, I would think he would have wanted to stop down and check it out for himself before he would make these sorts of assumptions or allegations, unfortunately," said DeCaster.

Wery didn't pay the Oval Office pre-game party due to a fundraiser for Colburn Pool he attended.

Wery has submitted a request to rezone the area - including the DeCasters' land on Tony Canadeo Run - so a strip club can't be built there. However, the DeCasters say they have no plans right now to build one.

FOX 11 asked Wery if his accusations have anything to do with his request to rezone the DeCasters' land.

"I think it's probably a coincidence," responded Wery. "It seems like they're sure focused on that area."

"He immediately, because I own one adult entertainment venue, assumes that's what it's going to be, but I have 14 other companies in this community," said DeCaster.

Wery is now asking the city to review the Oval Office's liquor and adult entertainment licenses.

"I want to have a discussion to see what they're doing and guide them in the future and if they were doing something wrong there might be some corrective action, but we'll have to see what the committee thinks," said Wery.

"I think it's a personal agenda, not an agenda that is good for the community," said DeCaster.

The city is expected to take up Wery's request next week.

The Village of Ashwaubenon sent DeCaster a letter last September, asking her to stop serving alcohol from the trailer to the public. At that time, the trailer was parked on Oneida Street. DeCaster says the village eventually found no issues with what they were doing. We reached out to the village to confirm that, we have not yet heard back.

Green Bay, WI (WTAQ) - Six of every ten Wisconsin voters still disapprove of Governor Scott Walker's job performance, a month after he abandoned his presidential bid.

But the Governor believes those numbers will quickly turnaround.

A new poll from Saint Norbert College this week puts Walker's approval rating at 39-percent.

That's two points higher than a similar poll from the Marquette Law School a couple weeks ago.

The Saint Norbert poll also shows two-thirds of voters believe Walker's G-O-P presidential run hurt Wisconsin.

Sixty-two percent do not want Walker to run for a third term in 2018.

But Governor Walker, in Green Bay for the Manufacturing First Expo, says a lot of people didn't know the state's unemployment rate is 4.3 percent.... He also says the state is doing well with the number of Wisconsinites in the workforce.

State revenues are up and the tax burden is down.

Walker says his numbers were in the tank after Act 10, and he was the target of a recall.

But sharing the message of what the Act 10 reforms had done around the state led to winning the recall election by a greater margin than when he won the Governor's office the first time.

The Governor says he will be much more visible around the state in the months ahead, getting the word out about how well Wisconsin is doing.

On another hot topic of the day.....

Governor Walker says he fully supports Congressman Paul Ryan's conditions to become the next U. S. House Speaker.

He calls Ryan the perfect person for the job because of his brains and his desire to find common ground on issues that cause division.

"Umm, we're not one to assume something's paranormal, our job is to actually disprove it."

The paranormal realm is something the Kaukauna Paranormal Research Team takes incredibly seriously.

Have you ever wondered if you were experiencing the paranormal but just blew it off as nothing because...really, who would believe you.

Lead Investigator David Kedzior, says you might be experiencing something out of this world if you start to notice these things.

"One sign, usually, is if you have cold spots in the house. Another one is certain sounds certain sounds that aren't related to the homes foundation...when it sets. Not creaking but footsteps, sometimes things are moved...do you know what I mean? And each one can indicate a possible paranormal activity happening."

Another observance many people have experienced but have a hard time justifying are orbs in photos.

An orb is considered a manifestation of a spirit in the paranormal realm and it's hard to tell sometimes if it's just a speck of dust or an actual orb.

There are clear distinctions if it truly is an orb. Investigator Dee Viotto explains the difference.

"Dust...it kind of looks like snow flurries (sure, sure)...like, if you're looking, it will look like a snow flurry. (like you can see through it almost) you can see through it almost. They sometimes have, like a, maybe a little bit of a ragged edge. And then with orbs, they are very symmetrical...and very fluid, you know. And they move all over."

During their investigations, David and Dee have come across a lot they can't explain. However, one of they worst cases they've experienced happened in Brown County.

"Well, we have one case in East Green Bay, I think is the worst case we've every been to...and it's still under investigation. So, I can't give too much detail. I can't give the location."

This location involved a local family. David and Dee explain what happened next.

"What happened is all of a sudden it showed a half of a silhouette, of a circle...half circle and two hand prints of children. Now by the time it was done at the end of the night, it was a full circle with four hand prints. That was the first symbol of nine that came on. We went back, took pictures and none of the pictures came out. They were so blurry...we have one picture of a...it's a claw and then a hind leg like a bird foot. That is really freaky (laughs). We've been trying to contact this client for the last five months and they're not calling us back."

And with Halloween is a little over a week away and I was curious about haunted places in the Green Bay area. David had a couple of suggestions on where to visit.

"I've heard that Heritage Hill is quite the place to be at. The east side location is one of older parts and Broadway. Downtown Green Bay, the old section, there's a lot of reports of weird activity down there...and that's another area we will look in the future once our clients are caught up."

David also mentioned the Kaukauna Library is another great place to experience the paranormal.

Paranormal activity is something not just saved specifically for the month of October for these ghosthunters.

The Kaukauna Paranormal Research Team does their best with proving and disproving cases of strange phenomenon all year long.

If you'd like more information on paranormal research in our area, log on to our website at WTAQ.com. I'm Melissa Barclay, (They're baaaaack!") WTAQ News.

For more information on the Kaukauna Paranormal Research team, go to www.kaukaunaparanormal.com.

ST. PAUL, MN (WTAQ) - A gun stolen in Green Bay ends up at a high school in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A 16-year-old boy admits taking the .22-caliber weapon to Harding High School in Minnesota's capital, so he could protect himself from gang members.

Police found the gun Wednesday in a backpack that was searched at the school.

Investigators later found that the weapon was reported stolen in Green Bay. There's no immediate word on how that happened.

Thursday the boy pleaded guilty to a Minnesota juvenile charge of having a dangerous weapon on school property.

Officials say they did not find proof that the boy was planning to use the gun at his school.

(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)

HOWARD, WI (WTAQ) - Authorities in Brown County say a diesel tanker involved in a rollover crash Friday morning has closed a ramp to Interstate 41.

Sheriff's deputies say it happened on the top of the off-ramp from I-41 northbound to Lineville Road.

According to officials, the truck apparently rolled over while trying to get through a roundabout.

The ramp and Lineville Road over I-41 are expected to be closed well into the afternoon.

(Additional reporting from FOX 11).

MENOMINEE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - There was 30,000 plants bulldozed and taken from Menominee Indian tribal land on Friday.

But what exactly those plants are is up for debate.

Officials with the Drug Enforcement Agency say the plants were high-grade marijuana plants. Menominee Tribal Chairman Gary Besaw says no, that was industrial hemp.

On Friday, bulldozers were filling dump trucks with the plants from a field just west of Suring.

According to the DEA, the pot growing operation was led by growers from Colorado.

A DEA spokesperson tells FOX 11 the agency obtained a search warrant for a residence, outbuilding, and about 20 acres of tribal land. 

This news came after Besaw had issued a statement saying he was upset about federal law enforcement ruining the tribe's hemp crop.

The DEA's announcement came after Besaw issued a statement declaring feds ruined the tribe's hemp crop.

"I am deeply disappointed that the Obama administration has made the decision to utilize the full force of the DEA to raid our Tribe," wrote Besaw. "We were attempting to grow industrial hemp for research purposes in accordance with the farm bill."

There's been an ongoing disagreement with the U.S. Attorney about whether the Menominee's operation is compliant with the farm bill. The tribe says they've offered "to destroy certain strains of the industrial hemp crop that both sides had identified as problematic."

Besaw says they will go ahead with court action to settle the industrial hemp crop issue.

No arrests were made Friday and the investigation is ongoing, according to the DEA.

MARION, WI (WTAQ) - Fire crews are responding to a blaze at Carver Wood Products in Waupaca County.

Officials would not reveal any additional info about the fire, when it started nor what caused it to spark.

Carver Wood Products is located in Marion.

OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A two vehicle crash Saturday evening leaves three people dead.

Authorities say it happened around 6:30 p.m. on Highway 22 at County Road I in the Township of Oconto Falls.

 A vehicle driven by an 82-year-old Lena woman driving north on I failed to stop at a stop sign at Highway 22. That vehicle was then slammed into by a van, which was driven by a 35-year-old Oconto Falls man.

Inside the Lena woman's vehicle, three people died. A 91-year-old Lena man, an 89-year-old Oconto Falls woman and a 96-year-old Oconto Falls woman were all pronounced dead at the scene.

The Lena woman was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The van that hit the vehicle had five people inside; all are expected to be ok.

Officials say speed and alcohol are not contributing factors in this accident. The accident remains under investigation.

Gillett, WI (WTAQ) - A desperate plea is being made from a Gillett woman, asking for the public's help to find her husband.

Bruce Windorski, an Army veteran and former Menominee Tribal Police Officer, is one of several Americans who traveled to Syria earlier this year on his own to fight ISIS.

He returned home several months ago, but now he's gone again, without a trace.

Disappearing without a trace is what has Courtney Windorski concerned.

Saturday morning, the Wisconsin Department of Justice put out an alert, saying Windorski suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, and hasn't been taking his medications.

He drives a gray 2003 Dodge Durango truck with Menominee Nation plate A9658.

Courtney says Bruce was supposedly going to a veterans meeting west of Wisconsin Rapids a week ago.

When the outdoorsman didn't come home, she contacted another veteran.

"He had not seen or heard from him and he said there wasn't a meeting this past weekend," she said.

Courtney says Bruce has been "struggling with demons" stemming from the death of his brother Philip Windorski. He was killed when his helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2009.

Bruce's unannounced trip overseas to Iraq - and then Syria - earlier this year was an attempt to find closure.

Married nearly five years ago, the couple has three children from previous relationships and a four-year-old daughter together.

She says his last cell phone activity pinpointed Bruce in Ozark County, in southern Missouri last Sunday. Since then, nothing.

Authorities say, if you see Windorski or spot his vehicle, to contact Gillett Police at (920) 855-2125 - or to call 911.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton police say a 19-year-old man has confessed to a string of burglaries and attempted break-ins.

Police say they were called to the 1300 block of W. Summer Street around 5 a.m. Friday. The person who called says they were awakened by someone trying to get into the house. Another resident said they chased the burglar for several blocks.

One of the officers who responded located the suspect several blocks away. The cop chased him and caught up to him. No one was hurt.

During a police interview, Simon Gonzalez admitted trying to break into several homes on W. Summer Street to steal things. Gonzalez also confessed to a burglary on N. Mason Street in July. 

Police say Gonzalez had been out on bail.

Police are seeking charges of burglary, felony bail jumping and obstructing. Gonzalez has not been formally charged in this case.

BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - The Brown County Sheriff's Department says three teenagers have been arrested for allegedly setting porta potties on fire.

Deputies were called around 11:30 p.m. Friday to Scray Hill Park in Ledgeview. 

A witness says they followed a vehicle with the suspect leaving the park and gave authorities their license plate number.

The vehicle was located by deputies and pulled over. The driver was suspected to be impaired, and deputies found marijuana and drug paraphernalia on another teen inside the vehicle.

17-year-olds Nathanial Diederich and Isaiah Heuby-Waubeno, both from De Pere, were jailed on charges of OWI, possession of THC/Drug Paraphernalia and party to the crime of arson. 

A 16-year-old De Pere boy was taken to juvenile detention.

The fires destroyed two porta potties, owned by Jim's Johns, and valued at $3,700.

DE PERE, WI (WTAQ) - Authorities say a De Pere man passed himself off as a 17-year-old boy on Facebook in order to get nude photos of underage girls.

Dalton Hodkiewicz, 23, appeared in Brown County Court Monday.

Prosecutors say Hodkiewicz contacted girls posing as Jim Jacobsen.

"What's disturbing is for example on one of the victims he also indicated he wanted to meet up with her eventually too," Dana Johnson, deputy district attorney for Brown County, told FOX 11.

In July, police say they were tipped off when Hodkiewicz was arrested for domestic violence. At the time, prosecutors say Hodkiewicz's girlfriend showed them the Jim Jacobson Facebook account that she believed her boyfriend was using to chat with young girls.

"The chats involved numerous users, which appeared to be primary females, teen to pre-teen based on their profile pictures," said Johnson.

Through search warrants obtained during the investigation, police believe Hodkiewicz was talking with 7 girls from March through June of this year. The girls are between 13 and 17-years-old. Four of them are from Portage County, two are from South Carolina and one from Florida.

According to police, Hodkiewicz sent each girl 2 to 3 nude pictures. The 14-year-old Florida girl was the only one to send pictures of herself back.

"He later says I wonder what your friends will think when I post your pics haha," said Johnson. "She starts saying please don't post that picture."

During the court hearing Monday, Hodkiewicz's attorney says his client should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

"I haven't seen the state of the evidence at this point, but I don't know if we're talking about another person because I hear Jim Jacobsen mentioned a lot," said attorney Chris Froelich.

Hodkiewicz is being held on a $20,000 cash bond based on probable cause.

Police say there is no evidence to believe Hodkiewicz ever had physical contact with any of the teens.