MADISON, WI (Wisconsin Radio Network) - A lengthy hearing at the state Capitol Tuesday offered a preview of what’s likely to be a contentious battle next spring over the future of transportation funding in the state.

The Assembly Transportation Committee held a day-long informational hearing on a budget proposal released this fall by the state Department of Transportation.

The proposal, which will help guide Governor Scott Walker in writing the budget he puts out next spring, calls for delaying several road projects around the state and using borrowing to close a $1 billion hole in the state’s transportation fund. It also puts a greater focus on preserving existing roads and bridges, rather than expanding the system.

State Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette), who co-chairs the Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee, argued the plan amounts to a “disinvestment” in Wisconsin roads, after factoring in the increasing amount of money the state will have to spend paying off the debt for what it borrow to fund roads.

Nygren is among several Assembly Republicans who contend the state should explore all options to increase revenue for roads, including a hike in the gas tax or vehicle registration fees. Governor Scott Walker and several members of the Senate GOP oppose any increases.

DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb spent more than three hours explaining the plan and defending it, arguing that it is based on the instructions laid out by the governor.

“The governor has made a determination that he does not think this is the right time to raise taxes or fees on Wisconsin families or businesses,” he said.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle repeatedly argued the current plan being considered will leave Wisconsin’s infrastructure worse-off than it currently is after the next two-year budget cycle is done, while creating a higher price tag for the future.

“By putting these things off, which I think everybody agrees are needed for both public safety and commerce, we are increasing our cost,” argued Rep. Robb Kahl, a Monona Democrat.

Lawmakers also heard testimony from local government leaders. While many of them praised the proposal for including an increase in local aid programs, their testimony was often tempered with warnings about trying to keep up with already poor road conditions in their communities.

“For many years we’ve been asked to do more with less, and we have done that,” said Ashland Mayor Deb Lewis. “But we are at the bare bones level, we’ve been pushing the rock up the hill for a long time…and we’re tired.”

UNDATED (WTAQ) - Officials with the Kimberly Area School District announced that they've reached a final settlement in its lawsuit with the Royal Bank of Canada.

The Fox Valley school district is one of five Wisconsin school districts getting a settlement total of $217.9 million.

• Click here to read the settlement

Kimberly, Kenosha, Waukesha, Whitefish Bay and the West Allis-West Milwaukee school districts sued two investment firms for misconduct for selling risky investments back in 2008.

District officials believed the money was directed to low-risk investments for retired teachers' benefits, but rather was put into high risk mortgages.

In a statement, Kimberly School District Superintendent Robert Mayfield said:

“While no one ever wishes for litigation, I’m extremely proud of what the districts and our lawyers were able to accomplish together. Not only is this settlement with RBC a tremendous result from a monetary perspective, but I think it will also serve as a deterrent to other firms who may be tempted to try to take advantage of small municipal investors like us in the future.”

The school districts received 109% of the amount originally invested.

It's the second largest civil settlement in Wisconsin history.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor is Wednesday.

Green Bay resident Firman Balza served on the USS Maryland at that Hawaiian base and recalls that morning, eternally remembered by the words of then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a "day which will live in infamy."

"I was standing on the starboard gallery deck, looking out over Ford Island, me talking to a first-class gunner's mate by the name of Joe Climcack and a first-class cook by the name of Rocky Halstead," recalls Balza. "And we were talking about with that many ships in the fleet in the harbor, if the Japanese showed up in an attack and sunk a ship in the channel to the harbor, all those ships that are in there wouldn't be able to get out."

Balza says shortly thereafter, he noticed a plane fly overhead. As he points out, air battles don't last very long and it's the devastation left behind is what causes the chaos.

"The Maryland was fortunate, we only lost 5 people that day. The Oklahoma, which was tied up to us and capsized and rolled over, lost 460," Balza says. "It was a traumatic experience, because those people who were trapped in the hull that rolled over couldn't do anything but wrap on the hull to let somebody know they were still alive and in there."

According to the Britannica Online Encyclopedia, the first Japanese dive bomber appeared at 7:55 a.m. local time. That first wave of aircraft involved 187 planes, Balza says, which included torpedo planes, bombers and fighters.

"And they came from every direction you could think of, and how they didn't run into each other is beyond my comprehension," says Balza. "Arizona directly behind the West Virginia blows up, sinks to the bottom. Pennsylvania at the dry dock over in the Navy yard, bombs hit, two destroyers in the dock with them, the Case and the Downs, destroyed, the USS Shaw, completely blown up and out of commission. It was one hell after another."

Over the next 4 days, Balza says he and other survivors rescued 32 people out of the hull of the USS Oklahoma. But one person no one could save was Balza's division officer, which had an immediate impact on him.

"The shrapnel from the first bomb killed a guy by the name of Howard Crowe. I didn't even know he was dead until 2 o'clock in the afternoon," Balza says. "They put him in the laundry on the second deck. And I went down to the laundry on the second deck, they had him lying on the deck covered with a mattress cover. All I could see is his hand sticking out. Of course he had bled to death, so he was completely negative. He had no color at all. I looked at him, and I got sick to my stomach. And I stayed sick to my stomach for 3 days. I did not eat for 3 days."

Overall, 2,400 Americans died and another 1,200 were wounded.

USELESS FLEET

Balza, who lives in an east side home, enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 17. He was assigned to the USS Maryland in the Pacific on April 13, 1941. He remained stationed on the Maryland until April 7, 1944. 

"I went on there as an apprentice seaman, and left there as a second-class gunner's mate," Balza says. "Joining the Navy was just a personal thing, it had nothing to do with going to war or defending my country or any of these other things."

Balza recounts that back when he signed up for military duty, the U.S. was nowhere near equipped or prepared to enter World War II. A fact that is lost to history, especially upon those who've written it in textbooks and teach it in schools.

"We had all the reason in the world to know that the Japanese were up to something," says Balza. "Because in July when I left San Pedro Harbor to go to Hawaii, there were 7 Japanese tankers in the harbor waiting for them to lift the oil embargo so they could load up with oil and go back to Japan. It did not happen. They stayed there, they were still there when the Japanese struck the fleet in Pearl Harbor."

Often written about December 7, 1941, is the narrative that much of the country's Pacific fleet was either "rendered useless" or "severely crippled". Balza says not so fast.

"Nonsense, absolutely nonsense," Balza contends. "You know what they did? They actually came over there and sunk all of our old junk. Because that what we really had was a bunch of old junk."

The event did declare some victors and fall guys. Admiral Husband Kimmel and General Walter Short were relieved of duty. It sparked official investigations into how the Pacific fleet could be so unprepared. Balza, however, is still steamed that the Navy and Army commanders on Oahu were blamed.

"Kimmel and Short, who took the brunt of damage, ruined their careers. And they still haven't made them honorable people," says Balza. "That I cannot accept and I never will. Both of them are dishonorable, not to me they're not. They're no more responsible for what happened in Pearl Harbor than you and I."

Balza explains that with the fall guys, they needed to anoint heroes. Those roles would end up being filled by General Douglas MacArthur and Donald Ross, who was a warrant officer on the USS Nevada.

"The Nevada had the duty that weekend, and she could get some steam up. There was no commissioned officer on board, so Mr. Ross he decided he was going to get the ship out of the way. I didn't know where he thought he was going to go or what he was going to do when he got there. He would've been better off if he had stayed right where he was," Balza says. "Before he went down battleship row, he got hit by 5 torpedoes and the ship was sinking. It was going to sink in the channel, but had the good sense to run it up on the beach. I did see him on the 50th anniversary when I was in Pearl, and he was a full captain. They had given him a Medal of Honor for what he did. I thought that was about as poor an excuse for giving a man a Medal of Honor." 

As for MacArthur, Balza maintains that the five-star General had all his planes on the ground and parked in a row 11 hours after the attack.

"Now there's something wrong with a man that's going to run this whole outfit if he can't think any further than that," says Balza. "That's Firman's thinking...I'm strictly telling you what I saw when I was there."

After President Roosevelt's speech on December 8, 1941, Roosevelt asked Congress to approve a resolution recognizing the state of war between the United States and Japan. The U.S. Senate unanimously supported it, while the U.S. House of Representatives signed off on a vote of 388-1. 

Three days afterward, Germany and Italy would end up declaring war against the United States. The U.S. government did the same and after 4 years and losing 400,000 American lives, World War II came to an end thanks to a successful Allied war effort.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Green Bay’s city council made decisions on a number of projects on Tuesday night.

But it's the one they didn't make that is generating some comment.

The city council delayed a decision on whether to move forward with rebuilding Colburn Park Pool.

The council was supposed to choose between five bids to rebuild the Olympic sized pool. The lowest bid would put the project at $6.5 million, which is $2 million over budget.

The council wants its finance committee to figure out whether it’s possible to pay the difference before accepting a construction bid.

Alderman John VanderLeest spoke to WLUK.

“Why not take a shot at trying to reduce the cost and save the taxpayers some money and still get the job done”

Meanwhile, project supporters like Amanda Tuttle, are disappointed in a decision being delayed.

“It's been an awfully long time that this process has been going on. A private group fundraised one million dollars for this and that was a year ago. We really need to move forward.”

Council members hope to make a final decision on the project in two weeks.

The city council provided the green light for a downtown housing project.

Mayor Schmitt broke a 6-6 tie, passing a development agreement to build luxury apartments on top of the Cherry Street Ramp.

The $16 million project will include $2 million in city assistance. Construction on the 71 units is expected to begin next spring.

The council also agreed on how to split $1 million of excess Lambeau Field sales tax money it set aside for economic development.

15 organizations will receive part of the money. The city's revolving loan fund will take the largest portion at $200,000.

KIMBERLY, WI (WTAQ) - A school district in the Fox Valley has reached its final settlement in its lawsuit with the Royal Bank of Canada.

Five Wisconsin school districts, including the Kimberly Area School District, have received a settlement total of $217.9 million.

In 2008, Kimberly, Kenosha, Waukesha, Whitefish Bay, West-Allis West Milwaukee school districts, sued two investment firms for misconduct for selling risky investments.

The districts believed the money was directed to low-risk investments for retired teachers' benefits but was rather invested in high risk mortgages.

Dr. Robert Mayfield, Superintendent of the Kimberly School District, said:“While no one ever wishes for litigation, I’m extremely proud of what the districts and our lawyers were able to accomplish together. Not only is this settlement with RBC a tremendous result from a monetary perspective, but I think it will also serve as a deterrent to other firms who may be tempted to try to take advantage of small municipal investors like us in the future.”

The school districts received 109% of the amount originally invested. This settlement is the second largest civil settlement in state history.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Green Bay's city council meeting Tuesday night started and ended with heated exchanges between Mayor Jim Schmitt and Alderman Guy Zima.

It started when Zima opened the meeting by taking a shot at the Mayor.

"I think you seriously need to consider resigning, stepping down"

....and then flashed a copy of Tuesday's Green Bay Press-Gazette with the headline "Intent To Deceive".

"I don't think anybody in the city wants a Mayor to negotiate any business when he has a title like that under his name"

Schmitt says Zima has been after him for years. It certainly didn't catch him off guard.

"He's always found something to challenge me on, so I'm not surprised by that"

As for the legal issues, the Mayor says Guy Zima Needs to get over what happened in court on Monday and move on.

"I don't know what's going to happen. The city needs to move and so do I....and I have"

Last night's meeting came one day after Schmitt was sentenced for three misdemeanor campaign finance violations. Schmitt was sentenced to $4,000 in fines and 40 hours of community service.

And, he says he's not going to resign.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The home of a Lincoln Elementary School student believed to have brought a vial of mercury to school Tuesday is now condemned because of dangerous levels of the toxin.

The Brown County Health Department has declared the Shawano Avenue house "a human health hazard" and "dangerous and unsafe." Signs on the house state that it cannot be used for human habitation or occupancy.

Officials with the Green Bay Metro Fire Department confirm that the student who took the vial to the school lives at that house.

All students and staff members were evacuated, first outside, then brought into the school's cafeteria for several hours before they could be checked for possible exposure to the mercury. Officials say it all began when some children were playing with a vial of it outside in the morning. 

District officials say the school is closed Wednesday for cleaning after testing revealed high levels of mercury in some parts of the building. The school is expected to be back in session Thursday.

On Tuesday, none of the students showed apparent effects of mercury poisoning when emergency crews checked them out. By Wednesday afternoon, the school's principal said she had not heard of any students sickened or showing effects.

No students will be disciplined from the incident, the principal said.

The mother of the student says her daughter believed the substance was some sort of arts and crafts supply. She says her children found one vial of mercury at another older home she was cleaning. The mom says none of her children have shown any effects from the mercury.

The Green Bay Area Public School District's facilities manager says the district does not have an estimate on how much the clean-up process will cost. The clean-up is expected to last a few hours Wednesday. Staff from the state DNR and federal EPA are on site, as well as private contractor hired by the district.

A district spokesperson says according to Green Bay police, the parents of the student who had the mercury don't face any discipline, either.

UNDATED (WTAQ) - A man wanted by the Calumet County Sheriff's Office since October has been arrested in Las Vegas.

29-year-old Edwin Hughes is a fugitive in Calumet, Outagamie and Dane counties on charges including kidnapping, armed robbery, battery, burglary and theft.

In 2012, Hughes was convicted of burglary in Outagamie County. He was released from prison in July 2015 and had been living in Oshkosh. Hughes' last contact with his parole officer was this past August 5.

Authorities say they are in the process of extraditing Hughes back to Wisconsin.

MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - The Wisconsin Department of Justice's "Dose of Reality" campaign to combat prescription drug abuse is rolling out a new PSA which will air on TV and radio stations across the Badger State.

“The Dose of Reality campaign has been raising awareness about prescription drug abuse and correcting the myths surrounding this epidemic,” said Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel. “The myth that prescription drugs are totally safe because they are prescribed by doctors is just not true. The dose of reality is driving under the influence of prescription drugs is just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol.”

Schimel says 149 people were killed in drug-related traffic crashes in Wisconsin last year. That's a nearly a 200 percent increase over the previous decade.

“In addition to illegal drugs, the overuse and abuse of prescription medications, especially when combined with alcohol, severely impairs driving ability and judgment. Drugged drivers are in grave danger of killing or injuring themselves and innocent victims," Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb said. "Law enforcement officers have extensive training and experience in identifying drivers impaired by alcohol and use many of those same procedures to identify drugged drivers. With our collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, we are striving to prevent drugged driving through effective education and enforcement efforts.”

State officials want everyone to be aware of the following points regarding prescription drug abuse and drugged driving:

• The serious legal and financial penalties for a drugged driving arrest are the same as drunken driving arrests.
• Do not mix drugs and alcohol.
• Report impaired drivers to law enforcement by calling 911.
• Take prescription medications only as prescribed to you.
• Store prescription medications safely and securely.
• Dispose of unused prescriptions properly and promptly.
• Heed the warning labels on prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies about the drugs’ effects on driving.
• Four out of five heroin addicts started with the abuse of prescription pain killers.
• More than 70 percent of people abusing painkillers get them through friends or relatives.

According to state officials, prescription painkillers are involved with more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay police are investigating the death of a person along Interstate 43 on the city's east side.

In a statement from the police department, the crash happened during the early morning hours of Wednesday but was not discovered until just before noon.

The body of a male victim was found.

All lanes of I-43 were closed between E. Mason Street and Manitowoc Road (Hwy. JJ) for about 90 minutes while an accident reconstruction team completed their investigation. That stretch of I-43 reopened to traffic at 5:30 p.m.

No other information is available at this time.

MADISON, WI (Wisconsin Radio Network) - A statewide recount of the votes cast in the presidential race in Wisconsin is on track to finish by next week’s deadline.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission says 34 counties have completed their recounts already and all are expected to be done by December 12 at 8 p.m. Overall, 70 percent of the roughly three million votes cast in the state last month have been recounted.

Officials with the Brown County Clerk's office say they anticipate finishing their recount Wednesday night. In Outagamie County, officials report they're about halfway done with their recount. 

Based on an analysis of results so far, the WEC says Republican president-elect Donald Trump and running mate Mike Pence are up 410 votes and Democrat Hillary Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine have gained 492 votes. Green Party nominee Jill Stein, who requested and is paying for the recount, has picked up 60 votes.

The results show the Clinton/Kaine ticket has gained 82 votes over the unofficial results. Trump won Wisconsin by more than 22,000 votes.

WEC spokesman Reid Magney said most of the vote total changes have been the result of human error. For example, a voter may have marked their ballot in a way where machines would not have read it properly, which was then discovered during the hand recount.

"FAKE NEWS" STORIES

Magney also responded to several claims being made on social media and through “obscure” websites that he said are based on incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information about the recount.

Those include claims that Trump/Pence votes in Waukesha County were being counted twice and that some ballots were being inserted into machines face down to conceal the results.

Magney said the first was based on a social media post, which has since been deleted, and that there’s no other evidence to show that’s been happening.

On the second, Magney said all campaign representatives have a chance to view a ballot before it goes into the machine and the vote is recorded, while inserting one facedown has no impact on the functionality of the machine.

Another claim has centered on broken warranty seals on scanners used in St. Croix County, which the county attributed to a technician not having replacement seals on hand while servicing them. Based on evidence from the county and the maker of the machines, Magney said they are confident the voting equipment is accurately tabulating and reporting results.

“They say a lie will travel the globe before the truth has a chance to tie its shoes,” Magney said. “There’s a lot of claims out there about this, and unless you see it from a trusted news source…it’s probably not true.”

(WTAQ Reporter Jeff Flynt contributed to this report)

MADISON, WI (Wisconsin Radio Network) - Evidence collected during the investigation into photographer Teresa Halbach’s murder has been sent to the state crime lab for new testing.

The testing was ordered as part of Steven Avery’s appeal of his conviction in Halbach’s 2005 murder. The evidence found in Halbach’s vehicle includes multiple blood samples, which prosecutors used to show Avery had been in her RAV4. The vehicle was found in the Avery salvage yard days after Halbach was reported missing.

Avery’s attorneys have argued the blood may have been planted, using a previously collected sampling, and they hope more advanced testing methods will help show the sample pre-dates Halbach’s murder.

Asked about the theory Wednesday, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel raised some doubts about whether the testing would produce a different outcome. However, he promised a fair review of the evidence at the state crime lab, which his office oversees.

“You can count on, as members of the public, that the crime lab will do this objectively and thoroughly,” Schimel said.

Appeals by Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey have picked up momentum in the past year, after a Netflix series released last December raised questions about the investigation into Halbach’s murder.

Earlier this year, a federal magistrate overturned Dassey’s conviction after ruling his confession was coerced. The state has appealed that ruling.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - One of the best known breweries in Green Bay is celebrating two decades of business.

Titletown Brewing Company opened 20 years ago in December of 1996. In honor of the milestone they've decided to throw a party on Friday, December 9, inside the Tap Room from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. The public is invited.

There will be a DJ mixing 90's music and beer priced like its 1996.

Brewmaster David Oldenburg says they've made a special lager called "Score" for the party that's bound to please the palette.

"This is pre-prohibition style American lager which means it's malty and it's very strong. It's about 6 1/2 percent alcohol."

Oldenburg says there's plenty of the golden beverage to go around. The 500 gallons on hand took about 4 weeks to perfect.

Looking Back

Green Bay native and owner Brent Weycker reminisces about when the business first started.

"I think when we opened up, I probably was a little bit naive. We wanted to be located in downtown Green Bay which a lot of people said we were crazy and we wanted to be in an historic building and open a brew pub. No one really knew what that was about. So to come 20 years later and kind of look back at things, we're pretty excited and amazed of what we've done. I never thought we'd be here."

Weycker says the best part of his job has most definitely been the people.

"That's actually one of the sad things...I look back to when we opened and all the people that have come and gone and customers that have left us or moved on or moved away and just meeting people. I think you get into the hospitality business and you have to like people."

The historic preservation of downtown Green Bay is something that Weycker is passionate about. Moving forward, he hopes to inspire people to invest in the heart of the city.

"I hope to continue to get more people to live downtown...to come down and take part in the farmers market, all the parks, the new city deck on the other side of the river. Just to get people to come back to where Green Bay started, the center of the city," said Weycker

Weycker says he's grateful for everyone that's made the business what it is today.

"I just want to thank everybody who's been a customer of Titletown, our founding investors which were my parents and about 10 other people locally that put their money on the line and risked building something that, thank God, is here 20 years later. And to our customers that are always coming in and supporting us and most obviously to our staff...we have such a great staff."

Learn more about the 20th anniversary celebration at www.titletownbrewing.com. 

TWO RIVERS, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - A group of off duty first responders jumped in to help a basketball referee, suffering from a medical emergency.

It happened Tuesday night at Two Rivers High School during the boys' basketball game .

“We’re just sitting there watching and a foul was called, and we noticed one of the refs collapsed to the ground,” said Zack Peterson.

Peterson is a paramedic with the Two Rivers Fire Department and spoke about the incident to WLUK. He said the referee was suffering a heart attack.

“You just don’t expect it to happen in front of you, especially when you do this every day you work”

Two Rivers Athletic Director Matt LaTour says there were only four minutes left in the game when the referee fell to the ground. He said the game was called and the gym was cleared.

“We had a lot of first responders in our gymnasium, and a lot that were here as spectators. We had two nurses, two off duty EMT’s and our athletic trainer”

Peterson said when he saw the incident unfold, his instincts took over and he ran from the stands.

“I didn’t second guess it at all, somebody needed help and I was right there”

With the help of others and an Automatic External Defibrillator or and AED, the group was able to revive the referee.

He added Peterson says the AED was key in saving the man.

"A lot of times these patients that go into cardiac arrest, they're in a rhythm called v-fib or ventricular fibrillation where their heart needs to be shocked, and that might be the only thing that brings them back, and that was the case last night”

Peterson said had it not been for the quick thinking of others, there could have been a different outcome.

“It was a team effort that helped this gentleman”

The Two Rivers Fire Department is one of three training centers for the American Heart Association. It offers classes for the general public on CPR training and AED training.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay Police have made an arrest in connection with a fatal hit and run crash that happened Wednesday on I-43.

32-year-old Juan Manuel Zuniga was jailed on potential charges of hit-and-run involving death. 

Around 11:40 a.m. officers responded to a call of a single vehicle rollover about 100 yards off the road near East Mason Street.

Investigations Commander Jim Runge says the accident occurred around 5 a.m. but the second vehicle and body of Michael De Grave was discovered over six hours later.

"One of the vehicles was towed shortly thereafter, but because of the position of the second vehicle, the vehicle that was hit was very difficult to see, particularly in the darkness." 

Police used the imprint of license plate numbers on the victim's vehicle to help track down the suspect.

"There was significant evidence left at the scene and just by bagging up the evidence of the night on some of our calls and also calls from the sheriff's department...this accident happened right at the corner of the city and the county," said Runge. 

Zuniga has not been formally charged in the case.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay police have arrested 2 people in connection with a recent Craigslist scam.

28-year-old Mitchell A. Terry and 20-year-old Katlyne M. Legare, both of Green Bay, allegedly met with the victims claiming to be managers for area properties, and collected cash for rent and security deposits. Police say no properties were ever for rent in these cases.

Police say the victims replied to ads on Craigslist for rental units on Western Avenue, Plymouth Lane and Baird Creek Lane, among other locations. 

Investigators are looking into whether there are more victims who have not come forward.

Terry used the names "Lenny Bender," "Larry Bender" and "Dale Bender" in some cases, police say.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. David Steffens at (920) 448-3200 ext. 0253, or email davest@greenbaywi.gov.

No charges have been filed.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Fire crews in Appleton responded to a grease fire at a restaurant Wednesday night.

The fire was reported around 10:30 p.m. at Good Company, 110 N. Richmond Street. 

According to the fire department, employees found a grease fire on their grill. They were able to put out the flames with fire extinguishers before firefighters arrived.

The department ensured that the fire didn't spread and the kitchen was properly ventilated.

It's the third fire to be marked with a red bulb during Appleton's Keep the Wreath Green campaign. It aims to bring fire safety awareness to the forefront during the holiday season.

Lighted wreaths on Appleton fire stations start with all green bulbs, but a red bulb is put in place of a green one when a fire occurs in the city.

BELLEVUE, WI (WTAQ) - Firefighters say dirty rags from wood staining are believed to have caused a fire at a Bellevue business.

Crews were called around 6:45 a.m. Thursday to Creative Deck and Gazebo, 2004 Commercial Way. Upon arrival, firefighters saw dense smoke down to the floor.

No one was injured.

The origin of the fire, officials say, was in the middle of the shop where some wood staining was being done. They suspect the blaze started in rags left under the material being stained.

Firefighters remind everyone that oily rags should be kept in well-covered metal cans and thoroughly dried before they are collected or moved.

UNDATED (Wisconsin Radio Network) - Republican President-elect Donald Trump will be in Wisconsin next week, as he continues a victory tour across the country.

Trump will attend a rally next Tuesday evening at State Fair Park in West Allis.

It’s the same location where had planned to hold a rally the Sunday before the election, which was canceled due to what the campaign said was a scheduling conflict.

Trump campaigned that day in Minnesota instead.

The event is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Tickets are available through Trump’s campaign website.

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - The Outagamie County Sheriff's Office is investigating a crash that killed two people Thursday afternoon.

Officials say a dump truck driving westbound on County Highway EE ran a stop sign and struck a car on Highway E. A man and woman inside the car died. 

The man driving the dump truck was taken to a local hospital.

As of 4 p.m., officials expected the road to be closed for another three to four hours.