ALLOUEZ, WI (WTAQ) - In just a few short days, drivers won't have to take any side streets to get to homes and businesses along Webster Avenue.

Saturday, October 29 is the official day the Webster Avenue Bridge reopens to traffic.

Since July 18, the 64-year-old bridge has been under construction, revamping it into a single span, concrete girder bridge.

Owner of Schroeder's Flowers, Brian Schroeder, says although they knew 2 years in advance about the project, he's looking forward to business picking back up again.

"Yeah, we're still here. All the businesses are still here. There's a nice, smooth road that we have now."

Over the last 3 months, Schroeder say he saw some pretty interesting driving habits alongside his business at 1530 S. Webster Ave.

"Every 20 minutes you see a car turn around because they don't understand the bridge is out. Every day I think someone tries to go through and it says 'bridge out," but they stop."

The public is invited to the Webster Avenue Bridge Celebration on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Schroeder's Flowers parking lot. There will be Booyah from the Lorelei Inn, the Lions Club will offering up brats, music and much more. A ribbon cutting will take place at noon.

The bridge, that carries an average of 14,000 vehicles per day, will officially open to traffic after the event.

The total cost of the construction is $1.39 million dollars.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Despite a new national poll showing most Republican and Republican-leaning voters believing that Donald Trump is causing a lasting fracture within the GOP, Republican Party of Brown County Chairwoman Marian Krumberger says she's seeing a more united group.

"Internals of the Marquette poll has Trump up by 19 points," Krumberger says. "There's a reason why he came here twice and he'll be here again in the next week, he's doing really well here."

The NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll found 57 percent of Republican or Republican-leaning voters believe we're going to see a lasting fracture within the party.

"There are some that don't like him, but the party is very united," says Krumberger in response to those poll numbers. "We've had a lot of new members in the last year, probably we've increased our rolls by a-third."

Part of that increased interest in the county GOP has to do with newer candidates, or outsiders, like Trump.

"Some of them are brought in by the new candidates such as (Mike) Gallagher and (Eric) Wimberger," Krumberger says. "Everybody has their favorite candidates or least-favorite candidates, but are we going to fall apart on this? Absolutely not. Are we stronger? Absolutely, 100 percent stronger."

Krumberger believes that many backers are supportive of the basic tenets of the GOP like the Constitution, First and Second Amendment rights, as well as being pro-life. 

LOCAL VS. NATIONAL OPINION

Many party insiders, analysts, strategists, Republican Party officials, governors and others who have expressed a negativity, at times, with Trump's candidacy and its lasting impact on the GOP.

"I think that there's frustration, again, when you look at party leaders, how many people in the House of Representatives, Senate, etc. and look at the Washington establishment," explains Krumberger. "Look at the state of Wisconsin, there's been a lot of changes the last couple of years which have been positive. But you look at Washington, people are seeing it at the grassroots level that they're out of tune with what grassroots people in Green Bay want."

Krumberger is confident that Trump, much like 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, will win Brown County. She says beyond just the numbers, it's talking to people coming into the office picking up their campaign yard signs.

"People who have joined the party are grassroots people who are saying, look, enough is enough with Washington, I want a change," Krumberger says. "And maybe for some of the people in Washington who are elected officials, Donald Trump may be too much of a change."

ROLE IN WINNING 

Earlier this year, HotAir.com Senior Editor Ed Morrissey wrote a book entitled, "Going Red: The Two Million Voters Who Will Elect the Next President--and How Conservatives Can Win Them". In it, he highlights the seven counties in the U.S. which could determine the outcome of the presidential election on November 8.

One of those is Brown County, but Krumberger cautions that comes with certain assumptions. The so-called "WOW" counties in southeastern Wisconsin (Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington), Krumberger says, must carry the water for Trump in order for Brown County to be the pivotal player in Wisconsin. 

"If not, I don't think Brown County makes the difference everyone believes it can," Krumberger says. "The 7th Congressional District is looking strong for Trump, which is a good sign, but the WOW counties, I don't know, I'm hearing a lot of things."

Ultimately, Krumberger feels that voters should focus on the big picture when it comes to the direction of the country.

"You're breaking it down to too many minute things and I think, is the country going to go for change or not," says Krumberger. "That's the basic question I hear from people walking in our doors and I've heard it for a while. Are people going to get sucked into the details of this or are we going to look at the bigger picture? I don't know, that's the question."

As of Tuesday, a composite of polls at RealClearPolitics.com show Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton leading Trump by 5.4 points.

MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - A 58-year-old Manitowoc woman sits behind bars after police said she stabbed her husband.

The incident happened at a residence on the 4200 block of Broadway Street just before 11 p.m. last night (Tuesday).

According to the Manitowoc Police Department, an argument at the residence escalated into a physical fight.

The woman, who was holding a steak knife, then stabbed her 57-year-old husband in his hand.

The man was treated and released from a local hospital.

The woman is currently being held at the Manitowoc County Jail on multiple charges including injury by negligent use of a dangerous weapon, battery and bail jumping.

Police are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call the Manitowoc Police Department at 920-686-6551.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Thursday is your time to learn about opportunities to work at Lambeau Field.

Delaware North Sportservice, which operates the stadium's restaurants and concession stands, is holding a job fair.

Among the possibilities....openings for part-time jobs at 1919 Kitchen & Tap, as well as various positions during Green Bay Packers game days.

Jobs include line cooks, bussers, concessions supervisors, night auditors, and more.

The job fair is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. on the third floor of the Lambeau Field Atrium.

Enter through the American Family Insurance or Miller Lite gates.

Applications will be available at the job fair and attendees are asked to dress professionally.

TOWN OF FREEDOM, WI (WTAQ) - A driver of a vehicle involved in a rollover crash Wednesday morning in Outagamie County has been found dead.

Sheriff's officials responded to a report of a one-vehicle rollover crash on County Highway J near Van Asten Road around 6:45 a.m. A passerby discovered the vehicle.

Despite lifesaving attempts by first responders, the driver died at the scene, officials say.

An identity of the driver has not been released pending notification of family members. The crash remains under investigation.

UNDATED (WTAQ) - Fond du Lac County's "social host" ordinance cannot be enforced because it goes beyond what state law allows, a ruling from the Wisconsin Court of Appeals said Wednesday.

At issue is a high school graduation party on June 20, 2015 that Stuart Muche hosted for family and friends.

Towards the end of the party, several people who were not invited to the party who were under age 21, brought beer and were drinking it. Muche took their keys before sheriff's deputies arrived.

Muche admitted to officials that he didn't do anything to stop the underage people from drinking the alcohol they brought, but he says he didn't host an underage drinking party. Muche was cited for violating Fond du Lac County Ordinance § 6-5, the social host ordinance.

He appealed the ticket, arguing that the penalties and language exceeds what's permitted under state law is uneforceable. While the circuit court judge disagreed, the appeals court overturned the conviction Wednesday.

"We note that the penalties under the Fond du Lac ordinance are not in strict conformity with those set forth in the state statute... The Fond du Lac penalty applied to Muche exceeds the penalties authorized by § 125.07(1)(b). Thus, Fond du Lac's social host ordinance is not in strict conformity with the state statute, even if, in substance, it were," the court wrote.

It ordered the citation be dismissed.

HOWARD, WI (WTAQ) - An armed robbery at Fantasies Lingerie is under investigation.

According to the Brown County Sheriff's Department, the robbery happened at the store in the 1800 block of Velp Avenue just before 10 p.m.

Officials described the suspect as a white man wearing a black jacket, tan pants, a black winter cap, black gloves and a red bandana over his face.

The man showed a knife and fled with an undisclosed amount of money, officials say.

No one was hurt and a description of the suspect's vehicle has not been released.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Brown County Sheriff's Office at (920) 448-4200.

FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ) - A fire has damaged a Fond du Lac adult entertainment club.

Fire officials were called to "The Other Place" at 208 N. Main Street around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

According to officials, no one was inside the building at the time.

A fire appeared to have been smoldering unnoticed on the outside of the building for some time. Fire crews say flames eventually spread between the original masonry on the outside of the building and a steel facade which had been added later.

The Fond du Lac Fire Department is declaring the building uninhabitable until repairs are made. No word yet on what may have sparked the fire.

FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ) - Police say a man was injured after being hit by a vehicle in Fond du Lac Wednesday.

It happened in the area of Main and Johnson streets around 6 a.m.

The pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

No other information is available.

UNDATED (WTAQ) - Voters waiting in line to cast their ballots on Election Day in Wisconsin may notice it easier to get a response for complaints of voting rights abuses and fraud.

The two Wisconsin U.S. Attorney's Offices have announced they will deploy Assistant U.S. Attorneys as part of a nationwide Justice Department effort on November 8.

"Wisconsin's proud history is one of expanding the opportunity to vote, and ensuring that every citizen votes without interference or discrimination," said United States Attorney John W. Vaudreuil of the Western District of Wisconsin, in a statement. "This Department will never yield in its commitment to protecting that most sacred of Americans' rights - the right to vote."

AUSA Peter Jarosz has been appointed to serve as the Election Officer for the Western District of Wisconsin, which covers Madison and approximately the western 44 counties of the state. AUSAs Zachary Corey and Christopher Ladwig have been appointed to serve as the Election Officers for the Eastern District, which covers Milwaukee and approximately the eastern 28 counties of the state.

As Election Officers, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, these AUSAs are responsible for overseeing the handling of complaints of voting rights abuses and election fraud in their respective districts.

"The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy," United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin said in a statement. "We all must work to ensure that those who are entitled to vote are free to exercise that right if they choose, and that those who seek to interfere with that right are brought to justice."

In order to respond to complaints of voting rights abuses or election fraud and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, the Election Officers will be on duty in their districts while the polls are open.

Also, the FBI will have Special Agents available in each Field Office and Resident Agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The FBI in Madison can be reached by calling (608) 833-4600. The FBI in Milwaukee can be reached by calling (414) 276-4684.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington by phone at 1-800-253- 3931 or (202) 307-2767. You can also reach them by email or filling out a complaint form online.

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots or voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.

For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law.

Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Folks around the country will once again get a look inside of 'life on the streets' in Green Bay.

The city's police department will be featured on Saturday's episode of "Cops" on Spike TV.

Over the summer camera crews spent 8 weeks filming two different shifts, accumulating roughly 320 hours of footage.

Take a sneak peak of this weekend's episode in the above video featuring an officer targeting someone for shoplifting.

The episode titled "One Headlight" will air at 7 p.m.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Green Bay Water Utility needs help from some homeowners to identify private water service lines made out of lead in the city.

Officials are sending postcards to 2,182 homes identified to have private water service lines that were installed before 1945, which is the year Green Bay stopped installing lead water service lines.

The private water service line is the pipe where water enters the home.

"It is important that these homeowners identify the material of their Private Water Service Lines and report the findings back to us as soon as possible, even if the material is not lead," Nancy Quirk, general manager of Green Bay Water Utility, said in a statement. "If homeowners discover their Private Water Service Lines are lead, they may be eligible to have them replaced at no cost. We have funding available now to cover 100% of the replacement fee, but we do not know how much longer the funds will be available."

The postcard will include directions for identifying lead in the home's private water service line, along with how to report the findings to Green Bay Water Utility.

The Green Bay Water Utility has a goal of removing the city's remaining lead pipes in the next 5 or 6 years.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A popular Green Bay haunted house just got a lot creepier this year with the discovery of human remains on the premise.

A project designer at Terror on the Fox was rummaging through props in a storage area and came across two antique caskets that had been donated to the house from an area funeral home.

After looking inside, the designer found bones in both burial boxes and a complete human skeleton in one.

Senior project manager Mike Krausert says the revelation came as a surprise.

"Nobody knew the whole time they were sitting there for several years that there were actual bones in them."

The skeletal remains were used in the medical field and likely date back to the 19th century.

"You know, we're being very respectful about how we handle them or display them. At the end of our season, we're going to sit down, meet, and figure out what's the next step. Do we want to keep these or do we want to donate them somewhere?" said Krausert.

The real bones are displayed inside the Dead House attraction.

Terror on the Fox is celebrating its 20th year and is located at 2285 S. Broadway in Green Bay.

TWO RIVERS, WI (WTAQ) - A Two Rivers man has been arrested on drug charges Tuesday.

The Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit executed a search warrant at a home in the 1300 block of 23rd Street, near East River Street.

Investigators say they seized about 19 "one pot" or "shake and bake" containers that had residue from methamphetamine production and other chemicals that were found throughout the home and a detached garage.

Other items recovered include IV drug-use paraphernalia, drug packaging and distribution-related items. 

The 39-year-old man is currently in the Manitowoc County Jail.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine will be visiting Wisconsin next week.

The Virginia Senator will campaign in Appleton and Madison on Tuesday, just one week before Election Day. Kaine will discuss what's at stake in the November 8th election and urge Wisconsin residents to get out and vote early for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

A location and time for Kaine's event in Appleton has not been announced. According to the campaign's website, it will take place in the afternoon.

You can RSVP to the event here.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Progress is being made toward announcing the next concert to be held at Lambeau Field.

The Green Bay/Brown County Professional Stadium District Board met in closed session Wednesday about the topic for over an hour. 

"I think our board has made some progress in negotiating with the act and we see it as a real possibility at this point in time," says Executive Director Patrick Webb, who declined to name the act being discussed. "Well it's really not our place to do it, it's really a team event, so it's really up to the team to do it, and it's not really part of our decision-making."

Webb says the talk of possibly hosting two concerts over a three-day span or on the same weekend next June is still up in the air. He says their main focus is on negotiating the 10 percent ticket tax.

"I think we've come pretty close to doing that with Live Nation," Webb says, adding it likely will come down. "We want the act here, we want the economic development for the importance to the community. Everybody knew what it was like to have the LSU game here, what it was like to have a (Kenny) Chesney concert here and things like that. So, we want to facilitate those types of events."

Webb admits he's not a concert aficionado, but said that the promoter thinks whomever the performer or performers are that it's, "going to be in the neighborhood of a Chesney concert."

In June 2011, Kenny Chesney played Lambeau Field for the first time and drew about 45,000 fans. Four years later, Chesney and fellow country music star Jason Aldean brought in 53,363 people for a more than 6 hour event.

SCHMITT EMAIL SNAFU

After Wednesday's meeting, Webb addressed a mistakenly sent email to the media in response to the release Friday of the board's agenda.

The reply came from Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt and read:

"While we cannot make this meeting please add Kevin Vonk and myself regarding a presentation with a $500,000 request regarding the redevelopment of the ShipYard." 

"Word is out here about the potential of doing some work with The Shipyard," Webb said. "We want to work with the city, we want to send them a grant obligation, and we want to get through all of the economic impact analysis of a project like that."

Webb says once that paperwork is dealt with, they will bring the item up for consideration at a future Stadium District Board meeting.

MADISON, WI (WTAQ-METRO) - Governor Scott Walker says his Task Force on Opioid Abuse will hold its first meeting October 28th in Green Bay to look at ways to deal with the growing epidemic.

He appointed 20 people to the panel this week, which will be co-chaired by Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and state Representative John Nygren.

Walker notes more people were killed by drug overdoses in the state in 2014 than car accidents, and the number of overdose deaths doubled from 2004 to 2014.

Prescription pain killers accounted for 47-percent of the deaths, while heroin is blamed for 32-percent.

One of the offensives in the fight took place last Saturday.

Drug Take Back Day in Wisconsin was a statewide effort to help fight prescription drug abuse by having people bring their unwanted medications to locations in their area.

Officials across Northeast Wisconsin claim the day was a success.

Sgt. Kurt Zempel with the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department says that more than 357 pounds of unused prescription medication was collected from the community.

Volunteers and law enforcement coordinated 5 take-back locations throughout the county.

KENOSHA COUNTY , WI (WTAQ) - One person is dead after walking on I-94 in Kenosha County.

The crash happened shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday near Kenosha.

That section of highway was closed for a couple of hours.

Officials aren't sure why the person was on the highway.

BRILLION, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Next month, more than 300 people will be out of work after Brillion Iron Works closes its doors.

Bobbi Miller is with the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board. She spoke to WLUK.

"We've had staff over at the plant for the past three weeks helping to prepare the workers for this next step”

On Friday, the workforce development board is holding a job fair specifically for employees who were recently laid off at Brillion Iron Works.

Miller explained some employees have been with the iron plant for their entire life, and looking for a new job can be scary, which is why the job fair can help.

"It's the one time that you get to meet directly with officials from that company. It's your one time to make that first impression and really start connecting”

Ariens Company is one of 58 companies that will be at the job fair. Times are good there.

Andy Preissner, a senior human resource manager with Ariens, says they have more than 140 full time openings.

"We recently relaunched our products on the lawn and garden side. There has been a huge buzz around that and that has generated some good sales for the organization, so we need to make a lot more product than we have in the past”

That product growth is one reason Preissner says company is looking to hire more than 140 full-time workers.

"We're really focused on hiring some good qualified people from the area. We focus on the skills from attitude, work ethic, you know, people who want to show up and work hard”

The Friday job fair runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Brillion High School.

Again, that fair is for Brillion Iron Works employees only. The public job fair for Ariens follows on Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The city of Green Bay is firing back at a national report earlier this week highlighting an email from its clerk arguing against establishing an early, in-person absentee voting site on the UW-Green Bay campus, in part, because it would help Democrats.

"A lot of detail and nuance about our decision has been completely and totally lost," says Celestine Jeffreys, Chief of Staff for Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt. "It's not the clerk's office waiving a magic wand and doing it."

Jeffreys explained in detail why the city didn't establish any "satellite clerks' offices" this year.

"It's about ballot security, having the appropriate software so that we can register voters the same day and basically duplicating the clerks' office someplace else," Jeffreys says. "Her email had nothing to do with our decision not to establish those locations for the November election."

Lauding Kris Teske's work on getting as much background information from both the Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commissions, Jeffreys echoes the response WTAQ received earlier this week when speaking with a spokesperson for the now-splintered former Government Accountability Board.

"The Elections Commission staff counsel provided the clerk with guidance on what criteria she and the city council could consider when deciding whether to establish satellite absentee voting locations, and where they might be," wrote Reid Magney, Public Information Officer for both the Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commissions. "Polling locations are established by municipal clerks and their governing bodies (city councils or village and town boards)."

UW-Green Bay is a polling location for wards 1, 2 and 3 in district 1 on election days. Jeffreys reiterates that just because that's a place used, doesn't mean it can easily happen.

"This is important and it is complex and we had met many times before making a decision to not establish any satellite locations," says Jeffreys. "When the clerk's office establishes those locations that is something the governing body has to say yes to. It needs to be brought before the governing body to say yes not only to doing it but to appropriating the budget. It's not impossible, but it isn't simple either."

MADISON SHADE

The Teske email story has drawn so much attention to Green Bay, that on Wednesday even Madison's mayor and city clerk chimed in on their situation.

"The notion that a local official, be it a city clerk or an elected official, would do anything to thwart voter turnout is just repugnant," Madison Mayor Paul Soglin said, during a press conference touting his own city's early voting numbers.

Asked about the public swipe at Titletown, Jeffreys spoke about the differences between the two cities.

"What people's motives are, are something you to ask that individual person," Jeffreys says. "I actually contacted the city clerk in Madison to find out how they did it. Madison is a different place than Green Bay."

Jeffreys learned that Madison has 12 satellite locations, with 9 of those located in libraries. The libraries in Madison are the city's property, whereas in Green Bay, libraries are the county's property.

"The city has the ability to activate those sites because they're already city property," explains Jeffreys. "The Madison librarians have been for quite some time been very involved in registering voters, so again, it was very easy for the clerk to activate that system that was already in place."

The remaining three locations, according to Jeffreys in a conversation with Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl, are in a municipal building, at UW-Madison and at Edgewood College.

"We don't have the libraries, our libraries are not as numerous as Madison, we're looking forward to being able to do satellite locations, but we're putting that in for the very first time," Jeffreys says.

Jeffreys also slammed the writer in The Nation story, Ari Berman, for not once contacting the city for a comment calling it, "rather poor journalism."

NEW LOCATIONS IN 2017

While Green Bay may never have thought about putting into play several satellite early, in-person absentee voting locations, next year may be when those places may be opened.

Jeffreys says planning for this voting expansion rollout continues, with several cities like Madison being looked to for examples of what it would look like.

"What was the philosophy behind the decision making? Is it location, is it hours, is it accessibility? We're looking at all that and trying to discern what are the common threads here," says Jeffreys. "We are looking forward to establishing expanded opportunities for April 2017."

She believes that Green Bay residents would want their city officials to get this right, rather than doing it quickly.