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Kaukauna Apartment, Business Damaged by Fire

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KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ) - A fire causes $15,000 in damage to an apartment, while also damaging the Kaukauna business underneath it.

Fire crews were called to the second floor apartment at 136 E. 2nd Street at 10:26 a.m.

Authorities say no one was home at the time. The fire was contained to the kitchen in the apartment, with crews getting flames under control within 10 minutes.

The apartment sustained heavy smoke damage, while the first floor business had some light smoke and water damage.

The resident of the apartment has been displaced, and the cause remains unknown.

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Hobart Official: We're Boring But Beautiful

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HOBART, WI (WTAQ) - "Oh gosh, the word is out."

Boring is not always a bad thing according to Hobart Village President Rich Heidel. The distinction was given to the Wisconsin community of around 8,000 by the website roadsnacks.net earlier this year.

"For the young family with kids, boring is good. For the older, retired couple and folks that just want to enjoy their life, boring is good."

Although Hobart may be boring in the eyes of some, Hydel says they are also among the top five safest municipalities in the Badger state.

He also says there are many things that make Hobart a wonderful place to call home. Hydel notes the rolling hills, centuries old dairy farms and it's vicinity to Green Bay. They are all key factors in Hobart's simple country living.

According to Hydel, most people in the rural community who are commenting about the questionable honor, are chuckling about it.

And really, there are worse things than being labeled "boring."

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Electrical Fire Closes Ashwaubenon Target

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ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) -An electrical fire has caused the Target store in Ashwaubenon to close for the night.

According to Public Safety officials, a fire alarm went off at the Cormier Road location just before 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Everyone inside the store evacuated safely. As officers arrived, they noticed smoke coming from the building.

Crews found a part of the utility area of the store was on fire shortly after. That area is in the back of the store, near the loading dock.

The fire was contained to the mechanical room area and quickly put out.

Officials are trying to figure out what caused the fire and it's not clear how much damage was done.

"An observer said that there was a loud pop outside shortly before we had the fire alarm, so we have public service dispatch out now to take a look at the area," Chief Eric Dunning of Ashwaubenon Public Safety told FOX 11.

The store is closed for the night while electricity is being restored.

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UPDATE: One Person Dead After Sheboygan County Crash, Fire

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TOWN OF WILSON, WI (WTAQ) - One person is dead following a crash in Sheboygan County Tuesday.

Sheriff's deputies received a 911 call about a single vehicle crash on Stahl Road west of Frontage Road in the Town of Wilson around 5:34 p.m.

Authorities were told the vehicle was up against a tree and on fire. When officers arrived on scene, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames.

The preliminary investigation found that the vehicle was driving east on Stahl Road, lost control after crossing railroad tracks and slammed into the tree. 

Just one person was inside the vehicle. On Wednesday morning, the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department identified the victim as 16-year-old Sean A. Zempel of Sheboygan.

A Wisconsin State Patrol trooper responded to the crash, along with the Town of Wilson Fire Department, Kohler Fire Department and Orange Cross Ambulance.

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Recommendations Released on Kewaunee Co. Groundwater Problem

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KEWAUNEE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A group has released its recommended proposals to fix Kewaunee County's groundwater contamination problem.

Studies have shown that 1 in 3 wells tested positive for contamination. However, studies haven't yet pinpointed where the contamination coming from, be it farm runoff or septic fields.

"The workgroups, are they the end-all, be-all? Absolutely not," Workgroup member and Town of Lincoln resident Jodi Parins told FOX 11. "They're a start, they're a gosh-darn good start, and we just have to have people implement these."

Four issue subgroups put forward the recommendations.

"Everybody's got something that they brought to the table," said Parins. "We looked at all of this data. We looked at a lot of science and the recommendations are reflective of that."

Here is the breakdown of the recommendations: Short-Term Solutions group looks to get people safe drinking water and find the contamination source; the Sensitive Areas/Best Management Group seeks to define at-risk locations for pollution and recommend practices that should reduce or eliminate the contamination; the Compliance Group is reviewing, evaluating and identifying areas for improvement in state agriculture regulations, well drilling and septic system rules; and the Communications Group will then review recommendations and communicate the information to the public.

A fourth group, Alternative Technologies, has yet to start.

While the contamination source hasn't been clearly identified yet, Kewaunee County's large dairy industry is being viewed as a potential source. 

"We have about 250 cows here, so we're a little bit above average in size, here in Kewaunee County," dairy farmer Paul Cornett explained, who is on the compliance work group.

"Well, some of the issues brought pretty easy consensus, I think when it came to doing a better job of enforcing the regulations that are already exist, there was fairly good consensus there and I think there's a lot of motivation for all of us here to do a better job when it comes to water quality."

Cornett says he felt some at the table were trying to slow the county's dairy industry and potential expansions, but says the proposed recommendations - which were reached at a consensus - are a step forward, not back.

"It's the 'art of the possible' at this point, and hopefully everybody's willing to do what they can and I think we'll make progress."

A final report will be released in the spring. As the work groups continue to work on their recommendations, a DNR-funded study into the problem will also continue this year.

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Proposed Hotel Project Upsets Grand Chute Residents

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GRAND CHUTE, WI (WTAQ) - Some Grand Chute residents are fighting a plan to build a pair of hotels in their neighborhood.

A Holiday Inn and a Holiday Inn Express would go up close to the Fox River Mall at 215 S. Maple Hill Drive, according to the plan. It's a $20 million project which needs land there to be rezoned by town officials.

On Tuesday night, residents like Michelle Wrobleski sounded off.

"It was a beautiful, wooded lot joined with other wooded lots. And at that time, that property was zoned for single family back there," Wrobleski, who bought her home on Long Court in 1995 for a reason, told FOX 11.

The Grand Chute town board rezoned property on S. Maple Hill Drive, right behind her house, in 2001 to allow for two-story office buildings. Now, leaders are considering rezoning again to allow Wisco Hotel Group to build a 4-story Holiday Inn and a Holiday Inn Express there.

"That's right in our backyard. We would be standing on our deck looking at this giant building," said Wrobleski.

Wisco Hotel Group President and COO Todd Winkler said this is an ideal spot.

"It's between (Appleton International Airport) and downtown (Appleton). We think there's a need for new product. We like the fact that they're going to be doing a convention/expo center downtown. So that adds to it," Winkler explained.

Members of the town plan commission Tuesday decided to delay a vote on rezoning the property. They said they it sounds like the project could benefit the town overall, but that there are some unanswered questions.

"It's a major growth and even other hotels have said that they're actually sending business away. We have 20 hotels and apparently on a lot of occasions it's not enough. So other hotels are not even against this project," said Town Chairman Dave Schowalter.

However more than a dozen neighbors spoke out against the project Tuesday. Dozens more signed a petition against it.

"Well, I think it means a significant reduction in my property value, you know? I haven't met anybody yet that wants to be someplace where they have a hotel in their backyard, looking right at them," Wrobleski said to FOX 11.

"We're gonna with on the landscaping to protect their investments and their homes," countered Winkler.

The plan commission rescheduled the vote for March 15. The full town board will also need to approve it. The project calls for the first hotel to open in 2018.

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Old Shawano Hospital Expected to be Torn Down

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SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ) - Shawano city leaders and officials from ThedaCare say the former Shawano Medical Center building will be torn down and the land made available for redevelopment.

The announcement was made Wednesday.

ThedaCare plans to apply for local and state demolition permits. The approval process is expected to take about 45 days, with demolition taking another 45 to 60 days.

Both entities have considered two proposals to reuse the building since the new ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano facility opened last September. Neither plans, however, worked out.

Back in 2013, the city and ThedaCare agreed to tear down the former hospital if the building could not be reused.

"ThedaCare and the City have been working hard to find a creative reuse for the building for three years," Dorothy Erdmann, CEO of ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano, said in a news release. "The building was well-maintained and well-loved, and served the community for over 80 years. Now, it has become apparent that it's time to move on. We are taking steps to honor our commitment to the community to not allow the old building to languish and become a burden. ThedaCare will spend the money to take down the building, as we promised."

ThedaCare hopes to recycle about 90 percent of the hospital's components, such as copper pipes and wires, interior wooden doors, windows, bricks and kitchen equipment. Some furniture such as desks, chairs and file cabinets, was given to charitable organizations.

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PHOTOS: 2 Oconto Falls Men Break Through Ice in U.P.

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IRON COUNTY, MI (WTAQ) - Two Oconto Falls men had to be rescued last weekend after busting through some thin ice on an Upper Michigan lake.

WLUC-TV reports that the pair went out onto Michigamme Lake/Peavey Backwaters in southern Iron County on Saturday. Sheriff's say they were riding in a Polaris Ranger side-by-side when they drove over thin ice near a tributary around 2:30 p.m.

They broke through the ice over water about 25-feet deep. Both men were able to swim to short.

Officials later pulled the side-by-side out of the water.

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2 Green Bay Men Arrested in Armed Robbery

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Two Green Bay men have been arrested after allegedly threatening another man with a gun and stealing his winter jacket.

Police say they were called after a 36-year-old man was walking in the area of Fisk and Leo Streets early Tuesday morning.

Around 4:25 a.m., the man told officers he was approached by two men in a vehicle. They threatened him with a handgun and demanded his jacket and other personal items. The victim was not hurt.

The officers responding to the scene remembered that the vehicle described to them was similar to one they had contact with earlier in the night. Detectives got the description of the suspects and vehicle, and were able to locate and confirm that they were the ones behind the heist.

Police say 19-year-olds Justin D. Brennan and Robert I. Morales were arrested on charges of armed robbery. 

The victim got his jacket and items back from the detectives.

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Lawsuit: Pierce Manufacturing Broke Federal Wage Laws

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UNDATED (WTAQ) - An employee at Pierce Manufacturing is suing the company in federal court, claiming they violated wage laws.

The suit filed by Eric Ehmann alleges that changes in company policy earlier this year led to workers not getting paid for all of the time they were clocked in.

Ehmann wants it turned into a class-action lawsuit. He suggests over 1,000 workers were impacted by these changes.

Pierce Manufacturing, which is owned by the Oshkosh Corporation, has not filed a formal response in court. 

FOX 11 reports that an Oshkosh spokesman said they don't comment on pending litigation, but noted, "This matter relates only to Pierce and to policies that are no longer in place."

Green Bay Sailor Killed in Pearl Harbor to be Buried

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UNDATED (WTAQ) - A Green Bay sailor killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor will finally be laid to rest nearly 75 years after he was killed.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced that Petty Officer 1st Class Vernon T. Luke will be buried on Wednesday March 9 in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Luke was serving on the battleship USS Oklahoma when Japanese forces made a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. That sparked U.S. involvement in World War II.

Luke had been listed among the casualties for decades. But recent advances in DNA analysis, along with pressure from family members, are expected to help identify the remains of about 90 percent of the 429 people killed on the Oklahoma.

Luke, who had also served in World War I, was 43 when he was killed.

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Rosemary Hinkfuss, Former Lawmaker/Packers Board Member, Dies

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UNDATED (WTAQ) - A former local and state lawmaker and the first female member of the Green Bay Packers Board of Directors has died.

Rosemary Hinkfuss served on the Brown County Board and the Green Bay City Council from 1974 until 1992. Hinkfuss represented the 88th District in the Wisconsin Assembly from 1988 through 1994.

In 1980, Hinkfuss was named as the first female member of the Packers Board of Directors. She served until 2001, when she became a director emeritus.

Hinkfuss was 84.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Newcomer Funeral Home, but details have not been announced.

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Double Fatal OWI Crash Suspect in Court Wednesday

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The man charged in a double fatal drunk driving crash appeared in Brown County court Wednesday.

27-year-old Daniel Boucher appeared via video from jail. He waived the 10-day limit for the preliminary hearing, which was scheduled for April 5.

Boucher is accused of causing a crash on Packerland Drive on February 19 which killed James and Wendy Rush. The crash also severely injured Boucher's fiancé.

If convicted of all six counts, Boucher faces up to 162 years in prison.

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Potholes A Pain In Green Bay

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - If you've noticed potholes popping up on roads around Green Bay lately, you're not alone.

Steve Grenier is the Director of Public Works in the city and says the spring season brings on the unavoidable ruts.

City crews are out on a dedicated basis to address some of the locations that need attention. Grenier says they appreciate it when people contact them about dips in the road.

"We rely heavily on individuals e-mailing us, calling us, and writing in to let us know where there's potholes. We also get a similar kind of input from the alders letting us know where those potholes are developing," says Grenier.

A big contributor to those nasty craters is the inconsistent weather we experience in the Spring. Moisture is a huge factor in creating the cavity.

"As we get melting conditions, the water finds it's way into any crack in the pavement and then when it gets cold again it refreezes. That water is down inside the small cracks and when it turns to ice, it expands. That allows the crack to continue to develop. Eventually it turns into a pothole."

Grenier says removing the access water in the holes is key to a good seal.  

If you see a pothole in your neighborhood, contact the city of Green Bay through greenbaywi.gov or call 448-3535.

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Green Bay Film Festival Opens Thursday

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The 6th Annual Green Bay Film Festival kicks off Thursday night in De Pere.

Festival director, Cyndee Sweetland says the 3-day event will feature 90 films.

"The festival is from March 3rd through the 6th. We are in a new location at St. Norbert College. We'll be in three of their buildings using their theaters."

Ninety films will be presented throughout the weekend and there are six free seminars to take advantage of this year.

Sweetland says there's something for every movie lover no matter what genre you prefer.

"We even have a party Saturday night with 29 filmmakers that are coming from all over the world to talk to our filmgoers."

Single tickets are available at the door, $7 dollars for adults and $5 dollars for students or you can buy day passes for $20 dollars at gbfilmfestival.org.

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Free Narcan Training in Oshkosh

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OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - An important live saving training opportunity is being offered for free Thursday night in Oshkosh.

The Harm Reduction Pillar of the Winnebago County Heroin Task Force is teaming up with AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin to provide a free Narcan training to community members.

"Generally the people that are interested in this kind of training are friends and family members of someone who has an addiction to opiates," says Heidi Keating, re:THINK Coalition Coordinator. "If they've overdosed, this is a life saving training. So you learn how to respond to an overdose and how to safely use Naloxone or Narcan."

The training is at 7 p.m. at the Fox Valley Tech in Oshkosh, Room 113. 

To RSVP, please call Ashley at (920) 232-3035. You can also learn more here.

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Not Interested In A Run For Congress

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De Pere, WI (WTAQ) -  State Rep. André Jacque (R- De Pere) released the following statement today regarding his decision not to seek the GOP nomination to the 8th Congressional District this fall:

"It is a tremendous honor to serve the citizens of the 2nd Assembly District and to be able to make a difference in reforming state government for my constituents in Northeast Wisconsin and the Lakeshore area.

My family and I are deeply appreciative that so many people have taken the time to contact us encouraging me to run for Congress. Now is not the right time for us to take that step, though it is a prospect I will certainly take into consideration in the future. This has been a productive session working for and with you to accomplish meaningful improvements in state government, but there remains much more work to be done.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to lead and see progress on a broad array of issues, working across the aisle to reduce the tragic toll of domestic violence and drunk driving, providing tools for and removing barriers to economic development, reducing costs for local government and taxpayers, defending the right to life and human dignity, tackling regulatory reform, honoring our veterans, enacting regulatory reform, listening to our sportsmen and sportswomen, and combatting the fraud that threatens the integrity and sustainability of our public programs. With your help, I intend to work even harder to move Wisconsin forward."

For now, 3 Republicans, including Mike Gallagher and State Senator Frank Lasee are in.  No Democrats have formally announced yet.  

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Assortment Of Drugs Found In Shawano County Bust

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Town of Bartelme, WI (WTAQ) - Two people have been arrested after a drug bust in Shawano County.

It happened around 5:30 Wednesday afternoon in the Town of Bartelme.

Cops found more than 30 grams of meth, along with heroin and mushrooms. 

A 24 year old woman and a 31 year old man were arrested.

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Wrightstown Man Injured in Crash

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WRIGHTSTOWN, WI (WTAQ) - A Wrightstown man was rushed to the hospital following a crash in Outagamie County Wednesday.

The Wisconsin State Patrol says it happened at County Line Road and French Road near Wrightstown at 4:30 p.m.

Officials say an SUV was travelling on County Line Road when it crossed the center line and after correcting back, it was hit by a truck.

Eagle III helicopter was initially called to the scene for the 28-year-old SUV driver, but was later cancelled and the driver was taken by ambulance. The driver suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The truck driver, who's 49, was not hurt. 

Authorities say the crash remains under investigation.

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WATCH VIDEO :: Suspect Wanted in Multiple Green Bay Armed Robberies

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A suspect behind a string of armed robberies in Green Bay is being sought, and police need your help locating him.

During a news conference Thursday, Green Bay police said the latest heist happened at the BP gas station, 2056 Main Street, around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. 

Police believe the person who took off with an undisclosed amount of cash from the BP is also responsible for three other robberies in the past 2 months.

Authorities describe the suspect as a black man between 40 and 50-years-old, about 5'10" to 6' tall, weighing approximately 180 to 200 pounds. He has been described as having some sort of facial hair, probably a goatee that has distinctive graying on the sides.

His vehicle used in the robberies is described as possibly a 1999 or 2000 Hyundai Elantra, 4-door with damage to the front and rear passenger sides. It has black outside mirrors and 8-spoke hubcaps.

In all four robberies, no one has been hurt but a handgun was used in all of them and store employees were threatened.

Officers say some of the money taken in the BP robbery was coated with a dye. The suspect is believed to have this dye on his hands or possibly face and clothes. This dye usually produces a blue or purple coloring of the skin that remains for a few days.

Green Bay police are asking for the community's help to look at the photos of the car and the suspect to see if they recognize him.

Anyone with information about these incidents should contact the Green Bay Police Department at (920) 448-3208. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at (920) 432-STOP (7867). You can also submit a tip online.

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