GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - It was an exciting day at UWGB's Weidner Center Wednesday as they unveiled their 2016-17 performance line-up.

Executive Director Kate Green says although all the shows are amazing, she does have a couple of favorites.

"Both "Black Violin" and "The HillBenders" with their bluegrass opry of Tommy; those are probably my 2 secret favorites because they are just so unique and I know they are wonderful."

Green says people come from all over to enjoy their shows.

"We have quite a strong draw from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan coming down to Green Bay, eating at restaurants, obviously filling up their gas tanks, staying in hotels. So, every little bit we program here at the venue absolutely benefits the community as a whole."

When booking shows for the upcoming season, Green says staying connected with your colleagues is a must.

"Sometimes just discovering it, finding what's available and it's key to talk to your colleagues around the country, who say 'hey we've got this up and coming group in our area that you really need to check out.' Word of mouth is huge with some of these."

Shows to look forward to starting in October include "An Evening with Garrison Keillor," The Oak Ridge Boys Hits & Christmas, and "Annie."

Find the full list of performances at www.weidnercenter.com.

PEMBINE, WI (WTAQ) - The Wisconsin DOJ is investigating after Marinette County Sheriff's deputies shoot and kill a man last night who they say was approaching them in a threatening manner and refused orders to drop a gun.  

This all happens along Hwy 141 in Pembine.  

The man was wanted by Madison P-D.  They had issued a statewide bulletin about him. 

Officials there say the man had made threats and was believed to be heading to northern Wisconsin, possibly Marinette County.

Wednesday night, Marinette County deputies found a vehicle matching the description and followed him for several miles while trying to negotiate with him by phone.

Officials say during negotiations, the man stopped his vehicle in a road in the Town of Pembine, and while armed, approached the deputies.

Officials say the man continued to come towards them and didn't listen when they ordered him to drop the gun.

Marinette County deputies then shot and killed him.

This is believed to be an isolated incident.

No one else was injured.

The investigation has been turned over to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

NEENAH, WI (WTAQ) - Neenah Police are investigating an armed robbery Thursday morning at a convenience store - the seventh robbery in the area in recent weeks.

The incident happened just after 4 a.m. at the Citgo at 1013 Main Street.

"Within about 10 minutes of opening, a lone male had walked in and pointed a gun at the clerk," says Neenah Police Chief Kevin Wilkinson. "He hopped over the counter and demanded cash."

The robber did get away with an undisclosed amount of cash and no one was hurt. Wilkinson says there's little doubt Thursday's heist is connected to these other armed robberies:

• May 26: 10 p.m.; BP station at 899 S. Commercial St., Neenah
• June 2: 10 p.m.; BP station on Hwy. BB, Fox Crossing
• June 2: 10:45 p.m.: BP station on Hwy. O, Town of Neenah
• June 3: 9:10 p.m.; BP station at 899 S. Commercial St., Neenah
• June 8: 9:35 p.m.; BP station on Hwy. BB, Fox Crossing
• June 10: 4 a.m., Main Street Citgo. 1013 Main St., Neenah

"First we just don't have these, it's unusual to get a gas station robbery. Maybe we'd get one a year in the area or something like that. So to have 7 all in the space of about 3 weeks in a small, geographical area...obviously that links them," explains Wilkinson. "The general description of the suspect is the same."

Despite always wearing a mask, the description of the suspect is a black man, about 5'8" to 6' tall. Descriptions vary, Wilkinson says, because clerks who are victims describe things differently. 

ONGOING TEAM EFFORT

The Fox Valley has several different jurisdictions with their own law enforcement agency, so having them share information on suspect descriptions, tips received and other data is vital.

"There's a network of detectives that work together really well throughout northeast Wisconsin," says Wilkinson. "They get together for regular meetings, they share information and certainly that entire network is working in some way on this series of crimes and providing tips, if you will, about a possible suspect."

Wilkinson pointed out a possible pattern change in these robberies. The first five armed robberies took place at night, around the time the businesses were closing. These last two have now taken place in the morning hours. Asked if this means the perpetrator may be looking to keep police off balance...

"Well it's certainly a possibility," Wilkinson responds. "There are other explanations that certainly could be plausible there as to why he changed his behavior, including his own schedule. It's hard to say, but it's creating quite a challenge for local law enforcement."

The chief added that he thinks every cop in the Fox Valley wants to be the one who catches this robber.

Anyone with information is asked to call Neenah police at (920) 886-6000. You can also call Crime Stoppers at (920) 231-TIPS (8477) or text the work "IGOTYA" and your message to 274637.

(Additional reporting by WTAQ's Jeff Flynt).

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton police have made an arrest in a five-year-old sexual assault case thanks to DNA.

Back on November 11, 2010, police say a 26-year-old woman was attacked while walking over the College Avenue Bridge around 11:15 p.m. She reported being grabbed from behind and repeatedly groped by a man she didn't know.

The victim, police say, fought against the male, attempting to scratch and gouge at his eyes.

"As we would tell any victim she fought hard to try to get away from him," says Sgt. Dave Lund of the Appleton Police Department. "And while doing this inadvertently ending up with her fingers in his mouth."

A search of the area by Appleton police officers were unsuccessful, but they managed to collect DNA samples during their investigation.

"After a period of time our case went cold, we were unable to locate a suspect and we didn't have additional information," Lund says.

Fast forward to May 2016 when the Appleton Police Department got a databank hit confirmation from the Wisconsin Crime Lab. That DNA from the victim's finger matched a man who had lived near the College Avenue Bridge in the Offender Index. 

48-year-old Eric L. Philipsen of Appleton had been convicted of a prostitution charge in Winnebago County in January 2016. Philipsen, based on that conviction, was ordered to submit a DNA sample.

Investigators tracked down Philipsen on Wednesday and arrested him on a charge of second-degree sexual assault with force. He's currently in the Outagamie County Jail.

CSI-STYLE TAKEDOWN

While an episode of the hit TV show "CSI" can use DNA and other scientific methods to locate the suspect in a crime within an hour, real life drama like this takes much longer.

Lund explains that while the case can go cold, DNA submitted to the Wisconsin Crime Lab remains in their database waiting to be matched up with a name.

"There are a number of crimes where upon conviction, individuals have to submit DNA samples," Lund says. "I believe Philipsen's DNA sample was given in February, was then entered by the Wisconsin Crime Lab and through their technology they try to match that DNA to any open cases that they have where evidence was submitted and a DNA sample was obtained."

That sample from Philipsen was then crossed with those open cases, and it found a link with the unsolved 2010 sexual assault case. Lund explains that they often get contacted about cases by the Crime Lab.

"Often times it may be that something was inconclusive or that there's no current matches," says Lund. "But we've also been fortunate that we've had a few of these happen."

In mid-May, the Appleton Police Department was told by the State Crime Lab that they had a match from their Offender Index on DNA submitted from that 2010 case. 

"That allows us to reopen a case that had really gone stagnant about a year or two after it happened," Lund says. "This information allowed our investigators to go back and look at this individual to see if he had connections to anyone involved, or see if he was in the city."

Investigators say they learned that Philipsen lived very close to the scene, which put him in the area. They continued to work that angle until authorities were confident Wednesday to make an arrest.

Police generally joke with the media about perceptions of television crime shows and how quickly a crime can be solved, which brings us back to the "CSI" reference.

"It doesn't happen that quickly," Lund says. "In this case we're talking well over 5 years that it took for us to be able to link up the evidence we collected at the crime scene and from the victim on that night in November 2010 to the suspect and be able to make an arrest."

NEENAH, WI (WTAQ) - Neenah police say a six-year-old boy biking to summer school was hit by a vehicle driven by his dad.

Police say the crash happened in the area of Campbell and Kraft streets around 8:10 a.m. Thursday.

Officials say the boy's father was driving alongside his son when the crash happened. It remains under investigation.

The boy was first taken to ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah, but was then flown to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa.

His condition is not known.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - It was a historic and emotional day Thursday for the owner of Hinterland Brewery and Restaurant in Green Bay, as ground was broken at the new construction site across from Lambeau Field.

Owner Bill Tressler got choked up expressing how proud he was of the establishment and its hometown. "Hinterland has always been proud to call Green Bay home...I'll get there...but we're deeply honored to call Titletown home."

Packer CEO and President Mark Murphy spoke at the event and says this day has been a long time coming.

"This is something that's really been in the works for almost 7 years, working a lot of different options, looking at different places, really excited about where we ended up."

Tressler conveyed his hopes and dreams for the business.

"I'm sure it will be a gathering place for everybody in our community but even more, it will be an incredible legacy for future generations."

Attendees of the event got to sample Hinterland's Groundbreaker Double Pilsner, specially made back in February for this occasion.

Construction on the business is slated to be done at the end of March with Hinterland moving in, in April.

The brewery is in its 21st year of business.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - "The Green Bay Mural," was unveiled on Thursday on Main Street.

Local artist Beau Thomas painted the artwork, which spans just under 110 feet and features vibrant colors and iconic locations from around the community.

It's part of a public art program called "Art on Main". The goal is to bring art out of the galleries and onto the streets. 

Thomas tells FOX 11 he's very proud of the mural.

"I think it's the biggest and the best, so I'm really proud to have this opportunity and really happy how it turned out," Thomas said. "At times, it was really overwhelming. It's a huge, huge wall. It's a big task, so I just kept working day by day on sections of the mural, fix things up a bit, and finally we're done; it's awesome, good feeling."

This is the 4th mural in the "Art on Main" program.

STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has started the repair process on the Michigan Street Bridge in Sturgeon Bay.

Engineers are using a laser-guided camera system to map damaged caused in April, when construction equipment being hauled across the bridge struck the steel overhead.

Then that information will be used to manufacture custom-made parts for the 85-year-old Michigan Street Bridge.

Engineers say this is the first time the system called LiDAR has been used in Wisconsin to map the surface of a bridge.

BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - We're learning more details surrounding the ugly split involving former Brown County Corporation Counsel Juliana Ruenzel and County Executive Troy Streckenbach.

Late last year Ruenzel was accused of harassing new mothers pumping breast milk at work. She denies those allegations, but did resign from her job in March. Ruenzel also received a nearly $61,000 settlement to cover six months' pay and 9 months of health insurance costs.

Some county supervisors criticized Streckenbach for that deal. In an interview with FOX 11 Thursday, Streckenbach said the newly released documents explain the position he was in.

"Ultimately we were faced with a bad or a worse decision, and ultimately we chose to go with the route that best mitigated the possible liability for the county," said Streckenbach.

A seven-page report from a Madison law firm investigating the allegations involving Ruenzel was made public Wednesday night by the county. 

The report, written by Jill Pedigo Hall of the firm von Briesen and Roper, concludes Ruenzel showed bias against young women, was dishonest and made her employees fear retaliation.

Inside the report, multiple staff members heard Ruenzel make comments like "Isn't that [pumping] getting old?" and "That is gross to me." The county makes private rooms available for anyone who may be breast feeding.

Meantime, a two-paragraph statement from Ruenzel was also released in which she accused Streckenbach of a "one-sided" investigation which led to her resignation.

"I was merely holding employees accountable for county time and protecting the county coffers," writes Ruenzel. "There was no harassment here as was concocted by two disgruntled employees."

Supervisor Pat Evans defended Ruenzel in an interview Thursday.

"The issue of breast-pumping is there, I get that, but making Ms. Ruenzel out to be a monster is certainly not true," Supervisor Pat Evans said, defending Ruenzel. "I think the public will find it quite interesting that it is a really a one-sided quote un-quote investigation. From the beginning it was determined that they wanted to get Ms. Ruenzel out of there, and they did that."

Streckenbach said the law firm's report shows what really happened.

"I think the report that was done and conducted by a third-party truly represents the matter and it speaks for itself," he said.

Streckenbach says the county is conducting interviews to find Ruenzel's replacement.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A former Brown County sheriff's deputy will learn his fate later today for stealing thousands of dollars from the DARE program.

Kevin Vanden Heuvel pled guilty back in March to theft by an employee and misconduct in office.

Sheriff John Gossage last year opened up about their investigation and its findings...

"betrayal, disappointment, anger, disbelief....the words that describe how I felt when Kevin Vanden Heuvel admitted to embezzling cash from the Dare parking funds"

Gossage is expected to give a victim impact statement during today's sentencing hearing in Brown County Court.

"the reprehensible actions betrayed the community he served, the children he instructed and the law enofrcement community he served with"

Prosecutors will recommend Vanden Heuvel serve 2 years in prison, but the judge could go as high as 6-and-a-half years.

CHICAGO, IL (WTAQ) - You may not have known it, but the feds have been in the area, looking for criminal aliens and other immigration violators.

The month long campaign brought ICE agents to 6 midwest states, including Wisconsin.

Gail Montenagro is with ICE.

"specifically, in Wisconsin, we made 39 arrests and 12 of those were in Green Bay"

Montenagro says the total arrests list for all the states involved in this push, from May 9th through June 13th, totaled 331.

"these are individuals who have been convicted of crimes in the United States and are here illegally and are eligible for deportation"

The feds received assistance in the local campaign from Green Bay PD and the Brown County Sheriff's Office.

Those who have already been deported and came back into the U-S illegally will be booted back out of the country.

Others will begin the deportation process.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Antown Powell pleaded not guilty Friday to the Dec. 3 murder of David Shorter at a duplex on Bellevue St.

The trial on the three counts, including first-degree intentional homicide, is scheduled for Oct. 17.

If convicted of that charge, he faces a mandatory life prison term.

According to the criminal complaint, Powell had accused Shorter of breaking into his home and stealing money and marijuana earlier that day.

The two had argued back and forth on the phone throughout the day.

That night, Powell went to Shorter's home on Bellevue Street and shot him when he went outside for a cigarette, the criminal complaint states.

POY SIPPI, WI (WTAQ) - A fire has significantly damaged a former elementary school building in Waushara County.

Fire crews arrived at the scene around 4:30 a.m. Friday as flames shot out of the roof of the former Poy Sippi Elementary School. 

Officials discovered that the fire was in the middle of the building. Firefighters put out the blaze, saving the gym and additions on either side of the building.

While the building hasn't been used as a school for several years, a food service company had been using it. However they moved out about 2 months ago.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

ALGOMA, WI (WTAQ) - A northeast Wisconsin winery has brought home four more gold medals for their work. 

Von Stiehl Winery in Algoma won the golds at the Tasters Guild International Wine Competition and the West Coast Wine Competition. Two gold medals were awarded to von Stiehl's Sangiovese Grosso, and one each for their Late Harvest Riesling and an experimental wine called Apple Icing.

"It's always a joy to receive awards, to get gold medals and it's something that never stops," says Brad Schmiling, co-owner of von Stiehl Winery. "We've been submitting for awards since the 80's, and every year we pick our favorite wines and we think these vintages are good, but what do the judges think and what's new that we want to talk about."

Schmiling explains while it's great to get a gold medal for some of their older wines, like the Riesling that's been made since the mid-1990s, earning recognition for newer wines like the Sangiovese and Apple Icing is pretty sweet. No pun intended.

"That makes our day," Schmiling says, especially given that he called Apple Icing an "experimental wine."

"Apple Icing was an experiment through cryoconcentration. We developed a very sweet apple juice that we fermented into apple wine," says Schmiling. "That one is different and unique. We've seen a couple in Canada, not too many in the U.S."

Visitors to the von Stiehl tasting room, 115 Navarino Street, typically may not be interested in trying an Apple wine if they're seeking out their award winning grape varieties. But Schmiling cautions that quaffers shouldn't jump to conclusions with Apple Icing.

"Our Apple Icing is certainly not the level of the German wines in time invested, but it's a different process," Schmiling says. "It develops an amazing amount of flavor in a sweet wine. There's sweetness there which is natural from the apples, but there's this amazing amount of flavor. If we get them to try it, and then say now imagine it with a cheesecake, or as a wine pairing with something sweeter and it opens people's minds."

WHAT'S IN A NAME

The double gold medal winning Sangiovese Grosso got its start from Schmiling's love of dry red wine, as von Stiehl now produces several varieties. But its name actually derives from the process it takes to get the grape into a glass.

"In Italy, there are certain classifications and the same wine will change in name depending on how it's treated in the barrels," explains Schmiling. "So the Chianti rootstock had a clone made of it, the Sangiovese clone called VCR 6, and if you want to call your wine Sangiovese you age it for about a year in oak. To take the next step up, called Sangiovese Grosso, we age it 16 months and then another six months in the bottle before releasing."

If von Stiehl wanted to go to the next level, called Brunello, they would age it a minimum of 2 years in the barrel and another year in the bottle.

Those grapes are grown in California's Sierra Foothills AVA, then pressed, fermented and aged at von Stiehl. The finished product includes aromas of black cherry, along with a subtle hint of sweet pipe tobacco and barrel spice.

A NEIGHBORLY BUSINESS

The awards made grab some of the headlines and attention for visitors to the Lake Michigan shoreline winery, but more than that, Schmiling credits his neighbors for driving in thirsty customers.

"There's a certain number of people who pay attention to which wines have won which awards, but I don't see it across the board," says Schmiling. "I think we've seen about a dozen new businesses open in Algoma in the last 2, 3 years. And it just brings more people to town, so that aspect has probably helped us grow more than anything else."

Saturday will be a busy day for both von Stiehl and its sister business, the award winning Ahnapee Brewery next door, as they host the "BrewVino Steer Roast". It's described as a true "farm to table" experience, since they will serve a steer raised on Ahnapee Brewery spent grains at the Bryersquart Family Farm in Door County. It's bathed in a von Stiehl cherry wine marinade before roasting.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Green Bay Packers have released their full 2016 training camp scheduled.

It all begins on Tuesday, July 26 and 8:15 a.m. at Ray Nitschke field for the "Back to Football" theme training camp. That's across from Lambeau Field.

• You can view the entire schedule here

The following week on Sunday, July 31, the Packers will host their annual Family Night scrimmage at Lambeau Field.

The Packers will hold 3 open practices at Ray Nitschke Field before the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on August 7.

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - Oshkosh police are trying to figure out how a large shed snake skin, believed to be that of a Burmese Python, ended up in Menominee Park Tuesday.

On Thursday, police were notified of the discovery. 

Officials from the Menominee Park Zoo say they don't have snakes, so it didn't escape from the zoo. Right now, it's unclear where the snake came from.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources say the snake is more than 10 feet long and probably weighs around 75 pounds.

Burmese Pythons are not venomous and they can be found in the water or on land, as they are good swimmers. They are often found along shorelines but can also be found in areas that collect heat, such as rock piles.

Burmese Pythons are native to tropic and subtropic areas of South and Southeast Asia.

If you locate the snake, do not approach it. Keep a safe distance and call authorities.

Anyone with information on who may have placed the shed snake skin or released a live snake in or near Menominee Park, is asked to call the Oshkosh Police Department at (920) 236-5700.

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

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - Oshkosh police have arrested an Appleton man for allegedly sending nude photos of himself on a social network site to an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old girl.

The 40-year-old man was arrested after arranging to meet up with the teen in Oshkosh on Monday. 

Investigators found that the man also had sexual contact with a 16-year-old Menasha girl and had sent nude pictures of himself to another Oshkosh teen.

Police are reminding parents that they should monitor their child's use of all Internet sites, including Whisper, KIK, Facebook and Snapchat.

If teens receive sexual content via social media or other means, they should alert a responsible adult who can contact the police to conduct an investigation.

WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office said Friday that they've arrested a man in connection with a recent string of armed robberies.

Deputies executed a search warrant and took the man in custody on a parole violation. They believe he's connected to the series of 7 armed robberies over the past several weeks.

The investigation is ongoing and no other details were released as of late Friday.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The woman accused of arson and murder from last year appeared in Brown County court Friday.

Roni Coonen Anderson of Oneida is charged in connection with 2 fires. One of them killed an 89-year-old Hobart man.

According to witnesses, Anderson was found kneeling over the man's body in the front yard of the house. 

The other fire was started at a quarry office building on South Pine Tree Road.

Anderson was issued a $100,000 cash bond. She's due back in court July 1.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A man accused of killing two women and injuring a man in Hobart was back in court on Friday.

26-year-old Jacob Cayer hasn't been formally charged in the murders, but continues to be held in jail on a $5 million cash bond.

Cayer is due back in court June 24. His attorney is requesting a competency exam before that next court hearing.

A criminal complaint is expected to be filed next week.