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No One Hurt in Fond du Lac House Fire

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FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ) - No one was hurt in a house fire in Fond du Lac early Sunday morning.

Firefighters responded to a call at a home on N. National Avenue around 3 a.m. Sunday.

Upon arrival, crews saw the fire on the second floor rear deck which spread inside the home.

Both residents managed to escape and were taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Crews quickly extinguished the fire, but it caused some structural and smoke damage throughout.

The cause appears to have been improperly discarded smoking materials.


Green Bay Garage Fire Overnight

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A garage fire in Green Bay Saturday night causes about $5,000 in damage.

Fire crews were called to the 1200 block of Klaus Street around 10:45 p.m.

The fire was sparked in an unattached garage, and firefighters arrived to find the garage fully engulfed.

The blaze was quickly knocked down and it didn't spread to the home. 

No one was home at the time and there were no vehicles inside the garage.

Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week Has New Feature

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - This week in Wisconsin is an important test to keep yourself safe when severe weather strikes.

Governor Scott Walker has declared April 11 through April 15 as Wisconsin’s Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week.

Wisconsin Emergency Management, the National Weather Service and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association have once again teamed up to sponsor the statewide tornado drill scheduled for Thursday, April 14.

A mock tornado watch will be issued at 1 p.m., and a mock tornado warning will be issued at 1:45 p.m. Then for the first time in Wisconsin, a mock tornado warning will also be issued at 6:55 p.m. on Thursday to give families and businesses a chance to test their emergency severe weather plans.

"Kids may be home alone in a given time when the weather turns for the worse," says Brown County Emergency Management Coordinator Justin Steinbrinck. "So this is a great opportunity to show kids what to do if a parent is not around to direct them as far as where to go. Also, businesses that may operate outside of the normal business hours will get an opportunity to utilize this chance as well."

Many radio and TV stations across the state will issue the test tornado warnings. In addition, mock alerts will be issued on NOAA Weather Radios and many communities will sound their tornado sirens.

If actual severe storms are expected in the state on Thursday, the tornado drills will be postponed until Friday with the same times. If severe storms are possible on Friday, the drills will be canceled.

WPS Winter Moratorium Ending

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Time is running out if you've been waiting all winter to pay your utility bill.

Wisconsin Public Service is reminding folks that the winter moratorium will be ending on April 15th.

If you haven't paid your bill all winter, you may be subject to getting your electricity shut off.

Spokesman Kerry Spees says it shouldn't catch anyone off guard.

"Anybody that is subject to disconnection will have received notices so it won't come as a surprise to anyone."

The first day that customers would be subject to being disconnected would be April 18th, however, depending on the weather that could change.

"If it's going to be cold and I think it's not going to be that pleasant, it's not likely that we'll begin right away on the 18th. It could be later once the weather warms up some."

Spees says if you want a more consistent bill throughout the year, you might want to try budget billing.

"It's worked for me for 35 years. You get to avoid the seasonal highs and lows by paying an average bill every month so you don't get the small bills in the summer but you don't get the whoppers in the winter."

You can contact WPS at 800-450-7260 to make payment arrangements or find more information at www.wisconsinpublicservice.com.

Suspect in Neenah Hostage Standoff Pleads Not Guilty

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OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - A man charged in a hostage standoff at a Neenah motorcycle shop entered a not guilty plea in Winnebago County Circuit Court on Monday.  

46 year old Brian Flatoff is charged with 16 felonies for the Dec. 5 incident at Eagle Nation Cycles, including felony murder, attempted homicide, and conspiracy to commit homicide.  

One hostage managed to escape the building but was fatally wounded by police.

Investigators say Flatoff went to the cycle shop the morning of Dec. 5 looking to confront a man about a motorcycle.  The man in question was not there, but Flatoff took hostages.  

During the standoff, hostage Michael “M.L.” Funk was able to escape the building, but was shot and killed by police.

The shooting of Funk remains under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice..

Shawano County Death Investigation

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SHAWANO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - The Shawano County Sheriff's Department is investigating the sudden death of a 25-year-old woman.

The woman was found at a home Monday morning in the Township of Fairbanks, in the Tigerton area.

The sheriff's department isn't releasing much information.

We will continue to update this story with more details ast they become available

Robbery Report in Appleton was a Hoax

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton police say one of three reported robberies last Wednesday turned out to be a hoax.

Police say 29-year-old Robert L. Supples Jr. reported being assaulted by five men in an alley between S. Walnut and S. State streets.

Supples, who did have minor injuries, claimed to have a large amount of money stolen from him. 

During the investigation, Supples admitted making the story up. Supples, who's a resident of a local shelter, said he came up with the story to cover up a fight he had with a juvenile in Grand Chute.

Supples has been jailed in Outagamie County on an obstruction charge.

Meanwhile, 2 suspects were arrested in connection with robberies in Appleton and the Town of Menasha.

Death Investigation in Waupaca County

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WAUPACA COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Authorities in Waupaca County are investigating the discovery of a body in a ditch near Clintonville.

The Waupaca County Sheriff's Department say they were called around 2:30 a.m. Monday about a body found in a ditch near Airport Road and County Highway D. That's southeast of Clintonville.

Both local and state law enforcement agencies are at the scene.

No other details have been released.

 


WPS Warns of Recent Jump in Scam Calls

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Wisconsin Public Service says they've received over 20 reports of customers getting calls threatening to cut off their utilities since Friday.

WPS officials say it's a scam.

According to the Green Bay-based utility, callers typically claim the customer needs to pay $500 by 1 p.m. or the utilities will be disconnected. The caller then directs the customer to go to a store and buy a Green Dot card. 

In the past, scammers in similar cases have asked customers to meet them somewhere.

WPS says it would never ask someone to buy a Green Dot card to pay a bill or meet an employee somewhere.

Anyone who receives a similar call should report it to the utility by calling 1-800-450-7260. WPS also asks the public to spread the word about this scam, especially the elderly.

Truck Borrower Accused in Hit-Run Crash Without a License

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A man accused of causing a hit-and-run crash without a license is due in court later this month for a pre-trial hearing.

51-year-old Robert L. Hendricks Sr. is charged with hit-and-run and operating motor vehicle while revoked, both misdemeanor counts.

According to the criminal complaint, Brown County Sheriff's deputies were called for a hit-and-run crash that happened at Velp Avenue and Riverview Drive in Howard back on August 9, 2014.

Deputies met with the driver of the struck vehicle, who had tried to follow the truck that hit her onto Lacona Court. 

According to the victim, she was driving north on Velp at Riverview in the right lane. She said a silver Dodge Ram was in the left lane and move into her line as she was going by, slamming into her driver side doors with the front passenger side of the truck. 

The victim explained to deputies that a car had been stopped in the left lane, in front of the truck, waiting to turn left onto Riverview. She said the man driving the truck spun around to go westbound onto Riverview from Velp. A driver in another vehicle at that intersection stuck their head out of their window and yelled that the truck was getting away.

She then told deputies she went westbound on Riverview to catch up to the truck and caught up to it because the truck was behind another vehicle. The victim the laid on her horn and the truck turned onto Lacona Court and pulled over.

She and the male driver both got out of their vehicles and the man admitted he didn't stop because he didn't have a license. She then asked for his information. He showed her a driver's license for a woman, claiming she was the owner of the truck. The man then showed a Wisconsin photo ID card identifying him as Robert L. Hendricks.

Hendricks asked when he could leave, and the victim told him that the police were coming. He said she could call him to get damage taken care of and got into his truck and drove westbound on Riverview.

Authorities made contact with the woman who owned the pickup truck. She said she lent the truck to Hendricks and her son to go boating and wasn't aware that the vehicle had been involved in a crash. 

The next day, the woman called deputies saying that she had not heard from Hendricks and the truck had not been returned. The truck was later found at the municipal boat launch in Green Bay, but Hendricks was nowhere to be found.

Hendricks had his license revoked thanks to 4 prior convictions for OWI.

On April 4, 2016, Hendricks was booked into Brown County Jail on both misdemeanor charges. He posted $1,000 bond the next day and was released.

Hendricks is due back in court April 28 for his pre-trial hearing. If convicted of both counts, he faces 18 months in prison and $3,500 in fines.

Authorities Urge Cooler Heads in Road Rage Incidents

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UNDATED (WTAQ) - The shocking death of former NFL player Will Smith, who was shot in a suspected road rage incident over the weekend, is making drivers think about how to deal with angry drivers on the road. 

"There's a lot of people that drive angry and they drive aggressively and they put their purpose in front of everyone else's," says Appleton Police Department Sgt. David Lund. "Because of that, we do have those conflicts out on the roadway."

The first thing law enforcement will advise you to do is use common sense. While many may believe that's becoming highly uncommon these days, try allowing cooler heads to prevail.

"If you cut somebody off and they fly the bird at you, everybody's entitled to their own opinion so to speak, is that something we need to get in a fight over?" posits Lt. Karl Ackermann with the Green Bay Police Department. "If you made a mistake, acknowledge you made the mistake, then go on your way."

Remember that with road rage, it takes two to tango, according to Brown County Sheriff's Capt. Dan Sandberg.

"Remain calm and don't react aggressively towards that person," Sandberg says. "Wave at them with all 5 fingers, and then also apologizing. The big thing is with road rage, somebody angers someone else and then they don't let it go."

DRIVING ANGRY NOT UNCOMMON

Sandberg, who directs the Patrol Division of the Brown County Sheriff's Department, says drivers see dumb things while in the car all the time. But now we have mass media and smartphones.

"I think with the advent with technology allowing us to catalog and record it, I think it brings the attention to it more often," says Sandberg.

Ackermann is a 30-year veteran of the force, and says road rage isn't a 21st Century problem.

"I remember seeing that stuff 28, 30 years ago, just not perhaps to the point of people pulling out guns and shooting at each other," Ackermann says.

In Appleton, Lund says there haven't been any shootings spurred by road rage. However, it can escalate to physical violence.

"We do run into that where we have that kind of incident and for some people that may be the first time that's ever happened to them," explains Lund. "There may be things going on that cause them to get very upset. People have called and asked officers to step up their response because people involved in the crash appear to be agitated or are yelling at one another."

Green Bay, on the other hand, saw something similar to the New Orleans incident. It happened back in late February when a crash on the Mason Street Bridge led to a shooting near W. Mason Street and 13th Avenue.

WHEN TO CALL THE COPS

Once the incident where you get cut off, or you're the one getting birds tossed your way, it's not something you can take back. But there are ways to avoid it from becoming worse than it needs to be.

"It's kind of the old one-upmanship, you know, they throw one bird so you throw two, well who won that one," Ackermann says. "I'd like to think people in this area are maybe a little bit more level-headed."

Sandberg believes in three big words -- let it go.

"If that person continues to persist, stay in your vehicle, don't get out of your vehicle because you're inviting a confrontation," Sandberg explains. "If they continue to yell at you, follow you, go to your nearest police station or call police."

Ackermann believes if you do your best to avoid this kind of conflict, and it's the other person who's continuing to push it, allow the cops to step in and handle it from there.

Arrington Has Bond Set; Search Continues for Landrum in GB Killing

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - One of two suspects charged in connection with a Green Bay murder made his first court appearance Monday.

20-year-old Richard Arrington appeared in Brown County Circuit Court on video on a count of first-degree intentional homicide. Arrington had his bond set at $750,000 cash and will return to court for a preliminary hearing on April 20.

Green Bay police revealed more about what it took to get Arrington to surrender on Friday.

"The community came together to provide information; the Milwaukee Police Department and Mr. Arrington's family helped get a safe return for Mr. Arrington," Capt. Kevin Warych of the Green Bay police department told FOX 11. "If you take one of those stakeholders out of the mix, we may not be where we are today."

Police say Arrington and Devin Landrum are involved in the April 2 murder of 25-year-old Ricardo Gomez. 

According to the criminal complaint, a witness in the same car as Arrington saw him fire approximately 3 shots at 2 men near the entrance of the home on Day Street.

When police arrived, they found Gomez lying on the ground, suffering from a gunshot wound. He later died at a hospital.

Landrum is also mentioned in the report as an accomplice in the shooting. Green Bay Police said they would like another collective effort to bring Landrum, into custody as well.

"We need that community support now to convince Mr. Landrum, whether that's through another party, to turn himself in so we can have a good resolution in this case for Mr. Gomez's family," said Warych.

Anyone with information on Landrum, is asked to call Green Bay Police at (920) 448-3200.

Green Bay Looking To Get The Lead Out....Of Its Pipes

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay is weighing its options when it comes to replacing the remaining lead service lines in the city.

The Green Bay Water Utility has a goal of removing the city's remaining lead pipes in the next five or six years.

But, with property owners on the hook for their portion of the pipe replacement, the city is looking at what it can do to help.

Green Bay Alderman Joe Moore says the cost to the homeowner could hit about $3-thousand.

"most of these are in verylow income and moderate income areas....it's a heavy burden to put on somebody"

Moore wants the city to set aside $3 million of the $5.3 million from the excess Lambeau Field sales tax money.

"we've got stadium tax money, we can hit this head on and we can eliminate it"

Water utility officials say when the replacement happens, it's important to replace the city and private portions of the service line at the same time. If it's done separately, they say the risk of lead contamination rises.

The city is also in the process of drafting an ordinance, that if adopted would make it easier for private and city repairs to be done at the same time. Last month, the Green Bay Water Utility notified customers if they had lead pipes. Most were homes built before 1944.

The city is also looking at federal options. A staff member is in D-C today to talk about possible grants and loans.

Paul Ryan: 'I am Not Going to be the Nominee'

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UNDATED (WTAQ) - U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan is aiming to put the rumors to rest regarding a possible late run for president.

On Tuesday morning, Ryan spoke with Jerry Bader about his frustration over the constant speculation.

"I am not going to be the nominee, I don't want to be the nominee," Ryan told Bader. "If I wanted to be president, I would have run for president."

Ryan (R-Wisconsin) says that his goal for launching a public relations push is to frame the Republican agenda to help win the White House.

"Here is an agenda that gets America back on track, here is an agenda using our conservative principles and applies them to the issues of the day," said Ryan. "So that the country gets a really clear choice on how to get us back on track and go in a better direction."

The 46-year-old Ryan is expected to deliver a speech reinforcing his position that he's not going to run for president Tuesday afternoon.

CONTESTED CONVENTION

As for his role as co-chair of July's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ryan says his top priority is to simply follow the rules.

"The delegates will meet and the rules committee will assemble the rules for the convention," explains Ryan. "Then stick to the rules -- clear and simple."

The Janesville native also denies claims from Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump that there has been any "rigging" of delegates.

"Each state decides its delegate allotment and everything on its own, and that's before the convention," Ryan says. "When you get to the convention, the delegates form a rules committee, they write the rules of the convention and we will follow the rules by the book."

Speculation continues about that open convention scenario, if Trump does not lock down enough delegates to secure the GOP nomination.

Ryan was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2012.

Drug Bust in Shawano County Leads to 3 Arrests

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TOWN OF RED SPRINGS, WI (WTAQ) - A drug-related search warrant executed at a Shawano County home led to the seizure of over $13,000 worth of drugs.

The bust happened Monday morning at a home in the Town of Red Springs.

The Shawano County Sheriff's Department, their K9 unit and Stockbridge-Munsee police carried out the bust.

Officers found 123 grams of what they believed to be cocaine, which they said was worth more than $12,300. They also found 38 grams of what they believed to be marijuana, worth more than $760.

The total of 161 grams of drugs is more than a-third of a pound. Officers also took scales, cash and a gun.

Two men, ages 29 and 23, along with a 29-year-old woman were arrested.


'Eyes and Ears': National Weather Service Looks for Storm Spotters

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UNDATED (WTAQ) - As severe weather season approaches, the National Weather Service is offering free seminars to help train the public how to report storms and tornadoes in their area.

"Our volunteer storm spotters act as the eyes and ears of the National Weather Service," says Jeff Last, Meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Ashwaubenon. "They're out in their communities, they're watching the weather, and when severe weather hits they contact the Weather Service with their reports."

Last says these important classes are open to anyone over the age of 15 who has an interest in weather.

"If they do, then they're more likely to report when severe weather hits," Last says. "Other than that, all you need is a good pair of eyes and a way to contact us."

The 90 minute seminar covers severe weather identification, reporting procedures, and safety. In addition to the onsite courses, several web seminars will be held this spring.

"We have Doppler radar and all of our technology that tells us what likely is happening with a certain storm, but the storm spotters are our ground troops," explains Last. "They tell us exactly what's happening, they can measure how big the hail is or how much rain or snow fell, which helps us make better forecasts and warnings."

This week, April 11 through 15, is Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin.

Man Hospitalized After Trench Collapse in Suamico

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SUAMICO, WI (WTAQ) - One man had to be flown to a hospital after officials say a trench collapsed around him in Suamico.

Authorities were called Tuesday afternoon to a home on St. Pats Drive.

The man was installing drain pipes when the ground collapsed around him, burying him chest deep.

"He was conscious and alert, he was having difficulty breathing when we extricated him, paramedics did an outstanding job, sheriff's department assisted, they did an outstanding job as always," Chief Troy Noe, Suamico Fire Department, told FOX 11.

It took firefighters about 20 minutes to dig him out.

It's not known yet what injuries the man suffered, or what may have caused the trench to collapse.

De Pere Man Charged with Stalking, Harassing Ex-Girlfriend

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BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A De Pere man is due in court later this month on charges he stalked his ex-girlfriend and repeatedly violated a no-contact order.

37-year-old Jeffery J. Noe is charged with 6 counts of felony bail jumping, stalking/previous conviction within 7 years and obstructing an officer.

According to the criminal complaint, an injunction was placed on Noe on January 30, 2015, prohibiting him from having any contact with the woman for 4 years.

However, over the next 13 months Noe would repeatedly violate that court order.

The complaint states that the victim would constantly update law enforcement about dozens of text messages and voicemails which traveled the road from reminiscing about their relationship, to the bizarre and eventually threatening.

Noe would often change his phone numbers, or block them so that he could try and use different means with which to contact her.

Then in February of this year, Noe anonymously called the Oneida Police Department faking a report of child abuse at her home. That caused officers to show up around 4:30 a.m. to find that nothing was going on in the house and there was no evidence of the alleged abuse.

Noe is scheduled to be arraigned on these charges April 22. If convicted on all counts, Noe faces more than 40 years in prison.

Anxious Hours In Downtown Fond Du Lac

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FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ) - Fond du Lac Police had the area around the County Government Center had to be closed down for hours Tuesday.

Authorities say a resident brought in what they believe to be a World War II era Bazooka rocket around 4:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities weren't sure if there was an explosive element to the weapon, or if it wass a training tool but they say they treated it like an explosive.

The Fond du Lac Police Department said it called the Wisconsin Emergency Management. Ultimately the Brown County Bomb Squad was called in to help as well.

The Fond du Lac Police Department says the resident found the device while cleaning the basement of an older home.

The Brown County Bomb squad said there was no explosive charge to the device. The area re-opened a couple of hours later.

Not Quite Ready To Say "Play Ball" At New Bullfrogs Ballpark

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Don't make plans yet to catch a Green Bay Bullfrogs baseball game at a new stadium on the banks of the Fox River.  

The Green Bay Press Gazette is reporting the city's Finance Committee wants a lot more information on how much the project would cost the city...and how much more owners of the Bullfrogs would be willing to pay.  

City staff estimates Green Bay would be on the hook for up to $ 4 million in interest payments on the $9 million dollar project.  

And that's before buying up lots near the stadium for parking, then cleaning up contamination currently buried under a clay covering.

The committee also wants more information on the costs associated with the Bullfrogs leaving Johannes Stadium, which is owned by the city.  

The Johannes Park Neighborhood Association says its opposed  to the new stadium because it would mean losing a major asset in that part of the city.

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