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UPDATE: Body of Missing Combined Locks Man Found in River

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COMBINED LOCKS, WI (WTAQ) - Authorities are identifying the body found near the Kaukauna Utilities dam in Combined Locks Monday afternoon.

Fox Valley Metro police say they were called to 100 W. Prospect Street around 12:50 p.m. after 2 utility workers doing routine checks found the body.

The Outagamie County dive team was also called in to help pull the body out of the water.

On Tuesday, police identified the body as that 61-year-old Eugene Schmelzer, who disappeared from his Combined Locks home on January 28.

In a release from the Fox Valley Metro Police Department Tuesday:

"The Schmelzer family is grateful for family/friends for their continued support during this time. The family would also like to thank the community for their efforts during Eugene's disappearance."

Authorities say there is no preliminary indication of foul play.

An autopsy was performed Tuesday. Those results were not released.

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Oshkosh Police Search for Couple in Car Theft, Use of Stolen Credit Cards

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OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - Oshkosh police are searching for two suspects who allegedly stole a car and then tried using the victim's credit cards.

On Sunday around 10:30 p.m., officers say a woman parked her 2007 gold Toyota Prius Hybrid in her driveway. She didn't lock her doors and left her purse inside the car.

Authorities say the car was stolen sometime before 6:05 a.m. Monday. The suspects were able to get the key inside her purse.

Police say at 6:07 a.m. the car was caught on video surveillance pulling up to the ATM at the Verve Credit Union on Witzel Avenue. The suspect driving the car tried using one of the credit cards in the stolen purse, but could not get cash out of the ATM.

Then both suspects were seen on video surveillance in the Walmart store in Neenah at 7:15 a.m. They tried using one of the stolen credit cards to buy several items. The credit card by this point had already been canceled by the victim and the suspects weren't able to use it.

The first suspect is described as a black man, 20 to 30-years-old, wearing a black coat with light colored jeans and a green and white stocking cap with a tassel on top.

The second suspect is described as a black woman, 20 to 30-years-old, wearing a red hoodie with black or grey sleeves and multicolored leggings.

Videos of the suspects are posted on the Oshkosh Police Department's Facebook page.

The vehicle, with Wisconsin license plate number 401-XUL, has not been recovered.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Officer Deanna Krueger of the Oshkosh Police Department at (920) 236-5700.

If you would like to remain anonymous, please contact Winnebago County Wide Crime Stoppers at (920) 231-8477 or text IGOTYA and your crime tip to 274637 or go online and submit your text via the web. You may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

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Menasha Crash Leads to Water Main Break

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MENASHA, WI (WTAQ) - Water shot out of a hydrant in Menasha Monday night after a car slammed into it.

Police say it happened in the 900 block of Midway Road. 

According to the department's Facebook page, police will keep the road closed until the utility companies can ensure everything is okay.

No one was seriously hurt after the car also struck a utility pole.

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Stabbing in Oshkosh Injures Man, Suspect Sought

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OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - Oshkosh police are investigating a stabbing overnight.

Authorities say a 56-year-old man was stabbed in the 400 block of W. 8th Avenue around 2:50 a.m. Tuesday.

The suspect is described as a black man in his late 30s, about 6-feet tall with a thin but muscular build. He's described as being bald with a pitted complexion.

Officers say he was last seen running east from the scene.

The victim is expected to recover.

Anyone with information is asked to call Oshkosh police at (920) 236-5700. Anonymous tips can be left with Winnebago County Wide Crime Stoppers by phone at (920) 231-8477, by text message with the keyword IGOTYA to 274637 or online.

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Manitowoc Man Charged with Severely Injuring Buddy in Drunken Crash

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A Manitowoc man is facing over a quarter-century in prison after causing a motorcycle crash while drunk.

24-year-old Dustin M. Yanda is facing five charges, including injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle, knowingly operating while revoked causing great bodily harm and 4th offense OWI.

According to the criminal complaint, Brown County Sheriff's Deputies were called to a two-vehicle accident at County Highway KB and Irish Road in the Town of New Denmark on May 31, 2014.

Upon arrival, officers noticed two men and their motorcycles laying in the south ditch. One of them, identified as Dustin Yanda, was taken by Eagle III to a hospital. The other man was taken by ambulance.

Yanda, per the complaint, was unconscious as he arrived at the ER and had visible signs of injuries, "Including a broken/missing right index finger and visible facial and head trauma."

The other victim told deputies that around 8:20 p.m. he and Yanda were on a motorcycle ride when Yanda struck the rear of his motorcycle, causing him to lose control.

The victim said that the impact of the strike by Yanda's bike forced him into that ditch. He admitted that both of them had been riding most of the day and, "Had a few beers over the course of several hours."

One witness who lives near the crash scene says he saw, "Approximately 5 motorcycles accelerating eastbound on KB, going very fast down the road and passing each other." Shortly after the bikes passed his home, he heard what sounded like a crash. The man went to the site of the crash and pulled the drivers out from the water in the ditch.

The victim in this crash sustained, "An open fracture of shaft of fibula with tibia, a tibia fracture, a right open ankle fracture and pneumothorax (collapsed lung)." He underwent surgery to place pins in his legs.

The complaint also states that Yanda submitted to a blood test, which revealed that his blood alcohol content was 0.20 percent.

Yanda's license, according to investigators, was revoked at that time due to his 3 prior OWIs.

Dustin Yanda is due in Brown County court on March 25 for his preliminary hearing.

UPDATE: Man Shoots, Kills Himself at Buchanan Town Hall

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TOWN OF BUCHANAN, WI (WTAQ) - Multiple law enforcement agencies are at the Buchanan Town Hall Tuesday after a man apparently walked inside and shot himself.

Outagamie County Sheriff's report that a man walked into the town hall with a handgun and pulled the trigger just before 1:30 p.m.

Investigators say they aren't sure exactly how many people were in the town hall at the time. Authorities are still trying to figure out what caused the man to do this.

The identity of the man has not yet been released.

A Town Board meeting scheduled for tonight has been canceled.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts, click here to see a list of suicide prevention resources.

TOWN ADMINISTRATOR TELLS HIS STORY

During the shocking suicide that happened at the Buchanan Town Hall on Tuesday, Town Administrator/Clerk Joel Gregozeski was in his office at the time, located in the back of the building. 

"I don't have visual access to the front office area, but I did hear a single gunshot occur," said Gregozeski. "I slowly approached the front counter area with another co-worker, checking things as we moved and progressed to the front of the building and it was at that point that we found the individual who had shot himself."

Gregozeski says that 4 to 6 staff members are normally inside the town hall building at a given time. 

"We have grief counselors coming in to speak with our front office staff, and as a result of that we will be closing our offices on Wednesday," he said, adding that whether the office opens Thursday depends on where staffers are at after the session.

Talks of upgrading security were, ironically enough, already happening before Tuesday's incident.

"Our discussions were really precipitated by some other events, whether it's the Trestle Trail Bridge incident or some of the other local events that have occurred, this just brings things a little closer to home for us," Gregozeski explains. "When you experience it and you live it that probably pushes up the emphasis to really make some hard decisions on how we want to handle our office environment and ensure that our employees are safe."

As for re-scheduled the Town Board meeting, Gregozeski hopes to have it done within the next week to 10 days.

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Read This Before Jetting Off To Spring Break

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Spring break is just a couple of weeks away and that means more people will be traveling through Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay.

Airport Director Tom Miller says there are some important things to remember before boarding your plane.

"Arrive a little bit early because it will be busier than normal. You should expect lines at the security check points as well as the airline ticket counter."

Another way to speed up the traveling process is by printing out your boarding pass at home or try using an electronic boarding pass via your smart phone.

Like many airports, Austin Straubel makes it easier to pick up your friends or family from a flight. They provide a cell phone waiting lot on the west end of the entrance road as you come into the airport.

"It has a display that shows the anticipated arrival times of individual flights. Once you get on the ground, you can call whoever is going to pick you up," says Miller.

Between 600,000 and 650,000 passengers pass through Austin Straubel International Airport every year.

For more information on airline requirements regarding luggage or other TSA rules, go to www.flygrb.com.

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Man Charged with Stabbing at American Foods

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A man arrested in connection with a Green Bay workplace stabbing incident has been formally charged.

47-year-old Armando Rodriguez appeared in court Tuesday and was charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

Rodriguez is accused of stabbing co-worker Alfonzo Sanders during a shift change at American Foods Group Monday.

The Cuban native is expected back in court March 22.

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Shawano Co. Internet Sex Sting Nabs 6 Men

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SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ) - The Shawano County Sheriff's Department says six men have been arrested as part of an Internet sex sting over the past week.

Investigators say all 6 men made contact online with undercover deputies posing as children younger than 16. All the suspects arranged meetings with the "children," and were taken into custody when they showed up.

During the probe, deputies also encountered other alleged violations on the part of one man, including attempted delivery of a Schedule 2 drug and possession of marijuana. 

Authorities also say one of the suspects arrested is currently on the Sex Offender Registry. 

The men arrested were a 25-year-old from Pulaski, a 26-year-old from Cecil, a 20-year-old from Green Bay, a 46-year-old from Oshkosh, a 31-year-old from Waupaca and a 22-year-old from Hobart.

Over the past two years involving this operation, Shawano County Sheriff's deputies say they've arrested about 35 people altogether.

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John Brush Convicted in Death of Toddler

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WAUPACA, WI (WTAQ) - A man has been convicted in connection with the death of a toddler.

35-year-old John Brush pled no contest Tuesday to a charge of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. 7 other charges, including reckless homicide, were dismissed.

Online court records indicate Brush will be sentenced July 20.

Prosecutors are expected to cap their recommendation to a decade in prison. The judge in this case doesn't have to go along with that sentence, given that the maximum would be 12 years and six months.

Police were called to New London Family Medical Center back on June 14 after the child was rushed there, according to the criminal complaint. The 3-year-old boy was left in the care of Brush, who's the mom's boyfriend.

Brush told the mom that her son fell down the stairs. The child died nine days later.

Autopsy results show the child, however, died from blunt force trauma not consistent with such a fall.

"None of Brush's multiple explanations of the cause of injuries to the child are consistent with expert medical opinions, and the child could not have received life threatening injuries in the manner described by the only person present with him when the injuries occurred," the complaint states.

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Appleton Sidewalk Poetry Winners Unveiled

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Six poems have been selected as winners of this year sidewalk poetry program in Appleton.

Chad Doran, communications coordinator for the city of Appleton, says one of the poems chosen to be imprinted on sidewalks this summer include one from the late Ellen Kort.

"Ellen was Wisconsin's first poet laureate and a huge literary giant, I guess, not just in Appleton but the Fox Cities."

Beside's Kort's poem, winners include a 2nd grader, two high school students and two adults from the area.

Doran says they have Mayor Hannah to thank for pushing the expansion of public art.

"The city has really put a focus on public art in the last few years. We have so many talented artists of all kinds of different genres and this is just another way to include a different kind of art throughout the city. "

It will still be a few months before the poems are stamped into the concrete. Doran thinks the process will start in June.

You can read the poems at www.appleton.org.

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Menominee Indian H.S. Teacher Charged with Stealing iPads, Laptops

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KESHENA, WI (WTAQ) - Prosecutors say a teacher has been charged with stealing over two dozen iPads and laptops from Menominee Indian High School.

32-year-old Leona Dixon of Keshena is charged with one count of theft of property.

Officials say the value of the 23 iPad tablets and 3 laptops are about $8,600.

Dixon faces 5 years in prison if convicted.

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Suspect in Green Bay Armed Robberies Arrested

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A man suspected of committing a string of armed robberies in the Green Bay area has been arrested.

"Investigators learned of a person of interest in the string of armed robberies and police were able to locate that male," says Green Bay Police Captain Kevin Warych. "We're not releasing the name, the investigators are still speaking with him. But we believe this person is involved, this person is in custody."

The arrest was apparently made Tuesday by a patrol officer.

The suspect is believed to be involved with at least 4 armed robberies in the Green Bay area. He may also be linked to armed robberies in the Fox Valley.

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Report: Appleton Police Use Force on Public Less in 2015

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - The Appleton Police Department has released its annual report about its use of force during calls for service.

According to their "2015 Use of Force Review and Analysis", officers responded to 48,809 calls for service last year and utilized force 47 times. That's a 32% decline from 2014's numbers and is a 40% drop from the previous 10-year average.

"We try our best to be transparent and let people know, as much as we can, what we're doing, what kinds of things are occurring in their community and how we end up handling those situations," says Appleton Police Department Sgt. David Lund. 

To reduce the number of "use of force" incidents, Appleton Police looks for and trains with alternative and safer ways to control resistive or combative individuals. The use of trained techniques and alternative approaches played a role in decreasing the number of incidents utilizing focused strikes (9) and ECD or Taser activations (14). No use of force involved pepper spray, baton strikes or deadly force.

The agency says they include the following intervention techniques and options in their use of force policy:

  • Electronic Control Devices (Taser)
  • OC Spray (Pepper Spray)
  • Passive Countermeasures
  • Active Countermeasures
  • Incapacitating Techniques
  • Impact Weapons
  • Kinetic Energy Impact Weapons
  • Canine Bites
  • Firearms/Deadly Force

The Appleton Police Department says when they use any of these intervention options, the incident requires notification to an on-duty supervisor and a written report to be completed. Each completed report is reviewed by a unit/district commander, Unified Tactics Coordinator and the Assistant Chief of the department.

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Green Bay City Council Works Late To Address A Trio Of Issues

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Green Bay, WI (WTAQ) - The Green Bay city council decided to take more time to review a proposal to build a $9 million outdoor event center in the city's downtown.

Big Top Baseball, the owner of the Green Bay Bullfrogs, wants to build the stadium next to the Mason Street Bridge on Broadway. Mayor Jim Schmitt fears a delay in the project could lead the Bullfrogs to bring its proposal to a different municipality.

On the other hand, the council approved a development agreement between the city and the group that wants to build a Festival Foods and a Kwik Trip on University Avenue.

The project still needs more zoning and street removal approvals. Festival's goal is to be open on University Avenue this fall.

And, the council approved a resolution asking state legislators to reverse a 2013 budget decision. That decision took away most power from local municipalities on cell tower placement.

The council also voted to have city staff draft a resolution asking NEW Lutheran High School to reconsider the placement of a tower it has agreed to lease on its property. Alderman Tom DeWane is leading the charge.

"just in my district alone, we have two houses that have been on sale since November. they see that cell tower and say I don't want to be looking at that all day"

Rodney Carter is the lawyer for SBA Communications, the group that has the lease agreement with NEW Lutheran.

"there's is no proof that a cell tower lowers home values"

The council is also exploring legal options to block the tower.

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Spring Severe Weather Season Is Upon Us

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Green Bay, Wi (WTAQ) - Starting this weekend, Outagamie County will be testing its outdoor warning systems. Lisa Van Schyndel is Outagamie County's Emergency Management Director.

"we like to test them weekly because....it's technology and stuff happens"

In August 2013, a series of tornadoes ripped through the Fox Valley. During that severe weather event, the outdoor warning sirens didn't go off. Since then, a back-up plan has been put into place. But the key is making sure people get the information in a timely manner.

Since the spring severe weather season is starting to ramp up, the National Weather Service says now is a good time for everyone to get prepared.

"all too often I hear, after a storm moves through, people say it came without warning. when in fact, usually warnings are issued before storms hit. it's just a matter of not getting that information"

Jeff Last, with the National Weather Service, recommends having a weather radio, downloading a weather app for your smart phone, watching and listening to the news.

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Juvenile Committed Suicide at Buchanan Town Hall

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TOWN OF BUCHANAN, WI (WTAQ) - Officials with the Outagamie County Sheriff's Department say the person who committed suicide inside the Buchanan Town Hall building Tuesday was a juvenile.

Authorities say the 16-year-old boy sustained a self-inflicted facial injury in the incident that happened just before 1:30 p.m.

In a release Wednesday by the Kimberly Area School District, officials say he was a student at Kimberly High School.

"It is with deep sorrow that we were informed that an 11th grade male student died unexpectedly on Tuesday afternoon," said Nicole Noonan, Marketing and Community Coordinator. "Our hearts go out to the family and friends during this difficult time."

The release states that the Kimberly Area School District's Trauma Team activated their Trauma plan on Tuesday. Grief counseling is being provided for students and staff.

"In addition, the Kimberly Area School District is encouraging parents and guardians to speak to their child about this very sad event as it is important to discuss the realities of teen suicide and to learn how their own child may be reacting to this information," said Noonan. "Suicide is a national issue and our entire community continues to work on this. It is vitally important that we continue our awareness of suicide prevention resources and the necessity of access to mental health care."

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with suicidal thoughts, click here to see a list of suicide prevention resources.

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Sturgeon Bay Drunk Driver Arrested After Hitting Child, Several Vehicles

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STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Police in Sturgeon Bay say a man has been arrested for allegedly striking several vehicles and a child on a scooter while drunk.

Police were called multiple times about the driver just after 3:15 p.m. Tuesday on W. Maple Street near Madison Avenue. Officers say the driver tried to leave, when someone was able to stop his vehicle, turn it off and take his keys away.

The 58-year-old Sturgeon Bay man refused to take field sobriety tests, but cops say he smelled of alcohol, could not walk on his own and was slurring his speech and mumbling.

Charges of felony hit-and-run causing injury, misdemeanor first-offense OWI causing injury and 2 citations for hit-and-run of an unattended vehicle are being referred to prosecutors.

The 5-year-old child was taken to the hospital, but police say he didn't suffer serious injuries.

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Oshkosh Police Believe Man Killed by Train was Disoriented

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OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - We're learning more about the man hit and killed by a train last weekend in Oshkosh.

Police say 20-year-old Sawyer J. Zeinert was biking north on the east sidewalk of Fond du Lac Road around 10:30 p.m. Friday. The bike hit the edge of the concrete wall of a small bridge on S. Main Street (Highway 45) throwing Zeinert off the bike.

Authorities believe he was injured and became disoriented. The train hit Zeinert on tracks a few hundred feet south of Fond du Lac Road.

Investigators are still looking for anyone who may have seen a person who looked to be disoriented in the area of Fond du Lac Road and W. 24th Avenue late Friday night. Anyone with information is asked to call Oshkosh police at (920) 236-5700.

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NTSB: Pilot Error Blamed for EAA Plane Crash

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OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - An investigation into last summer's plane crash at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh has been completed.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the cause of the small plane crash was pilot error.

The single-engine Piper Malibu plane crashed while trying to land on a runway at Wittman Regional Airport on July 22.

The NTSB writes:

"The pilot's failure to perform a go-around after receiving a modified landing clearance and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering to land resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack in a steep bank and entering an accelerated stall at a low altitude."

All five people on board the plane were injured, along with a bystander.

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