GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - For a second straight year, Green Bay's Titletown Brewing Company has been voted America's favorite brewpub.
It beat out 19 other nominees in USA Today's 10 Best contest, that allowed people to vote for their favorite brewpub once per day from February through mid-March.
To celebrate consecutive wins, Titletown will hold a celebration at a later date.
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) -- Multiple roadwork projects on I-43 will impact traffic in two Northeast Wisconsin counties soon.
Areas of I-43 in Brown County and Manitowoc County will see lane closures and traffic delays starting Monday.
Click here to see a project list:
On March 20, the County MM Bridge over I-43 in Brown County will be closed and detoured until late May 2017 while the bridge deck is getting replaced.
All I-43 lanes under the County MM bridge will be closed nightly from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Drivers can use the County MM ramps to get off and back on I-43 during the nighttime closures.
The WIS 96 interchange ramps on I-43 in Brown County will also have nighttime closures for concrete repair. Closures are expected to start after June.
MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - A wave of burglaries and thefts has hit Manitowoc's north side.
Manitowoc Police say at least five incidents of houses being entered while the occupants were not home have been reported in the past ten days.
Authorities say these incidents have happened during daytime hours, leading them to believe the supect(s) are either attempting contact at residences and entering when nobody is home or watching the area and entering when they notice someone leaving.
According to police, the break-ins have been reported on the 800 block of N. 14th Street, 800 block of N. 15th Street, 900 block of N. 15th Street, 900 block of N. 16th Street, and 1500 block of New York Avenue.
Manitowoc residents are advised to make sure all doors and windows are locked before leaving home.
Any suspicious people or vehiclels should be reported to the Manitowoc Police Department. This includes unknown people coming to one's door and asking for unfamiliar people or asking for directions to where someone lives.
Residents are asked to obtain descriptive information of any suspicious person or vehicle.
OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Two people are dead and one injured after a semi-tractor trailer and a mini-van crashed head on in Oconto County Friday.
The accident happened around 11:40 a.m. on Highway 64, about a mile west of Highway 32 in the Town of Mountain.
A mini-van traveling east on Hwy. 64 apparently crossed the center line and collided with a westbound semi.
Two people in the mini-van were pronounced dead at the scene.
The semi driver was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injures.
The Oconto County Sheriff's Office believes road conditions were a factor in the crash.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - The three men, who prosecutors call top tier dealers in a busted Brown County cocaine ring, appeared in court for the first time Friday afternoon.
The Green Bay men are three of the 15 people who were arrested Tuesday as part of the cocaine bust.
Prosecutors say those arrests and nine executed search warrants were part of a several month investigation.
The accused ringleaders, Charles Howard, his brother James Allen, and their cousin, Joshua Cook, appeared in court for probable cause hearings. No charges have been filed in connection with this case.
In court, Howard was issued a cash bond of $250,000. Allen and Cook were issued $150,000 cash bonds.
They are accused of being part of a majority of the 43 controlled cocaine purchases law enforcement conducted in this investigation.
Prosecutors say Charles Howard sold more than two ounces of cocaine to informants from June through January.
“The defendant involved much of his family in this organization: brothers, sons, nephews, as well as acquaintances and there appears to have been a substantial profit as well as part of this organization,” said Caleb Saunders, an assistant district attorney for Brown County.
Howard and Allen's father spoke with FOX 11 after court.
“You're noticing they're saying grams of this, 1 1/2 grams of this, 2 1/2 grams of that, there is no big cartel,” said James Allen Sr. of Milwaukee. “They are trying to make it look like they are getting a whole bunch of drugs off the street and they just took down this whole big drug cartel when it really isn't.”
Between Friday and Wednesday, 11 of the 15 people arrested in this case have now made court appearances.
Formal charges are expected to be filed at the end of the month.
CRANDON, WI (WTAQ) - More than 40 animals have been taken to an emergency shelter after being seized from a Crandon property.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is aiding the Forest County Sheriff's Office in removing 30 wolf-dog hybrids and 14 horses from a property that is involved in an animal cruelty investigation.
The female property owner was arrested on cruelty-related charges and additional charges could follow.
Authorities received numerous complaints from local residents about the owner breeding wolf-dog hybrids and also reports of those animals frequently escaping the property.
ASPCA officials say wolf-dog hybrids are the result of breeding a wolf with a domestic dog. They claim most of them end up being extremely timid and unpredictable, making them unsuitable and potentially dangerous pets.
Upon arriving at the property, responders found the wolf-dog hybirds were living in 'deplorable conditions' that included many of them being kept on chains without access to food or water. Some were suffering from medical problems.
Officials say other hybrids were found running loose on the property, which also contained deceased animals.
In addition, some of the horses were suffering from malnutrition and neglect.
“We’ve been concerned about these neglected animals for quite some time,” said Sheriff John Dennee with the Forest County Sheriff’s Department. “We wanted to make sure this case was handled properly and we cannot thank the ASPCA enough for their expertise and assistance in this investigation.”
“We’re stepping in because the basic mental, social and physical needs of these animals are not being fulfilled and they are suffering from a very poor quality of life,” said Tim Rickey, vice president of ASPCA Field Investigations and Response. “Our immediate goal is to remove these animals over the next few days and provide much-needed medical care and treatment at our emergency shelter.
The ASPCA plans to work through the weekend to establish humane traps to capture the loose wolf-dog hybrids and take them to emergency shelters. They also plan to provide care for and conduct behavioral evaluations on the animals until disposition is determined by the court.
In Wisconsin, people who own wolf-dog hybrids are required to obtain a license and meet minimum requirements for animal care, confinement, reporting, and record keeping. However, ASPCA officials say those regulations are largely unenforced.
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - People have an opportunity to start getting through airport security a bit faster.
Appleton International Airport is hosting a TSA PreCheck enrollment event May 1-5.
TSA Precheck is an expedited screening program that allows enrolled travelers to get through screening without removing shoes, lights outerwear, and belts when using the PreCheck lane. It also keeps certain liquid containers from being opened and laptops from being checked.
PreCheck lanes are offered at more than 180 airports and through at least 30 airlines nationwide.
TSA PreCheck certification costs $85 and is valid for five years. That fee can be paid via credit card, money order, company check, or certified/cashier's check.
Anyone interested in attending the Appleton event can register for a ten-minute appointment at https://www.tsa.gov/. Walk-ins are also accepted.
People need to complete an online application and then bring proof of identity and U.S. citizen documentation to the appointment.
Free parking will be available in the airport's short-term lot for those participating in the screening.
Applicants do not need to be a ticketed passenger to participate since the screenings will be held before security in the airport's conference room.
MADISON, WI (WRN) - Some bipartisan push back on an element of the president’s budget that impacts Wisconsin.
Governor Scott Walker has joined a bipartisan coalition of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation has urged President Donald Trump not to cut funding for the Great Lakes that he’s proposing to eliminate.
Trump’s budget released last week would eliminate all funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that targets the region’s biggest environmental threats.
Seven Republican and Democratic members of Congress from Wisconsin joined with 40 other lawmakers in signing a letter to Trump in February asking him to fund the program that President Barack Obama established in 2009.
House Speaker Paul Ryan of Janesville did not sign the letter.
The program has pumped more than $2.2 billion dollars into the eight-state region for projects that have removed toxic wastes from industrial harbors and fought invasive species in waterways.
PRINCETON, WI (WTAQ-KFIZ) - A person of interest is in custody for a fatal fire in the City of Princeton.
Princeton Police Chief Matthew Bargenquast announced during a press conference Saturday that the person was taken into custody on a probation warrant in Florida.
After a fire at 103 South Farmer Street early last Monday morning the body of a woman was found in the home.
An autopsy was conducted in Madison.
Due to findings of the autopsy the death is being treated and investigated as a homicide.
Next of kin won't be notified until a positive identification of the body is made.
Anyone with information is asked to call 920-294-4000.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay Police continue to search for a missing man from over 20 years ago.
Dan Skenandore was reported missing by his live-in girlfriend in 1996. Investigations Commander Jim Runge says police were told he was headed west, wanting to travel to Wyoming when he vanished without a trace.
"His best friend at the time and his girlfriend at the time appear to be truthful in their statements. We've done computer voice stress analysis tests with them...they appear to be telling us the truth."
Runge says friends reported last seeing Skenandore in Black River Falls, WI.
"Probably one of the most puzzling ones (cases) we have in our file," Runge said.
Police say this case gets reopened every couple of years and was recently reassigned to another detective.
See the full interview in the latest episode of Green Bay Crime above.
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Starting today, Appleton residents might see delays near one of the city's busiest roads.
Mayor Tim Hanna says crews are beginning work on a two-year reconstruction of Oneida Street from the south end of the Skyline Bridge to Highway 441.
The purpose of the project is to fix up the many potholes and rough spots on the street while also addressing aging underground infrastructure.
The city is contributing $5,000,000 and the state is putting up $3,000,000, as part of the 441 expansion effort, for the $8,000,000 reconstruction.
Hanna says the project will be done in stages to avoid having to shut down the entire street at once. He says the underground work will be done this year with the visible improvements being made in 2018.
City officials say detours will be posted, with the main one being Memorial Drive.
Hanna notes that people will still have access to downtown businesses and the St. Elizabeth Hospital.
According to Hanna, the city has been planning this project for at least five years, saying it has been identified in its five-year capital improvement plan.
Officials say the construction was originally slated to get underway at an earlier date but was delayed due to setbacks with the contractor.
Upon completion, Hanna believes the finished product will give drivers an easier, smoother travel through the city's downtown.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Push back on a plan to save the state millions of dollars and self-insure its employees.
Gov. Scott Walker introduced the self-insurance plan as part of his two-year budget.
The projected savings would go to fund other parts of the budget, like education.
But some lawmakers question the savings.
At a stop in Green Bay Sunday, Governor Scott Walker tells WLUK that switching state workers to a self-insurance plan would save the state $60 million over the next two years.
"We believe conservatively $60 million and that's money I committed a year ago, more than a year ago, would go entirely into public education and that's what we put in this budget"
Under the plan, Walker says the state would pay for health insurance for about 250,000 state workers and family members directly. That's opposed to buying insurance through 17 health maintenance organizations. The state would also assume the risk for medical claims.
"Almost every major private sector employer has self-insured, why do they know something that the public sector doesn't? Because in reality, we know self-insurance works"
However, some lawmakers, like Democratic State Rep. Eric Genrich, have concerns.
"The governor has attached funding for K-12 schools, funding for the UW-System to whether or not the self-insurance plan is approved, and I think it's inappropriate. I'm hoping that the Joint Finance Committee sees fit to disentangle those concepts and like I said let the idea rise and fall on its own"
State Rep. David Steffen is all for saving money....but he has concerns.
"I think the question is, will it actually save $60 million, it's a lot of money, but if there is an opportunity to save that kind of money for tax payers I think we need to look at it"
Steffen says switching to self-insurance wouldn't change people's coverage just how it is paid for.
"So instead of an insurance company holding the money, taking the risk and then making money off it, the state is going to hold the money and transfer that savings back to the people"
Last week, Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steinke said the legislature will likely reject the plan.
MILWAUKEE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) -- A Silver Alert has been issued for a Milwaukee woman who went missing on foot.
63-year-old Clarice Kidd is described as five feet tall and 120 lbs. She has shoulder length black hair, pulled back into a ponytail. She was last seen wearing dark blue jean leggings, black shirt, dark green jacket, black shoes, carrying a black purse.
She was last seen in the 1600 block of N. 27th Street.
Officials say she has gone missing before and was found near her previous residence at 60th and Silver Springs. They say she likes to ride the bus and walks slow.
If you have any information about her whereabouts, please contact the Milwaukee Police Department at (414) 935-7405.
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - A convicted sex offender is moving into an Oshkosh warming shelter.
Oshkosh Police say 57-year-old Ronald Spiering moved into the shelter at 449 High Avenue on Monday and will be staying there for an undisclosed amount of time.
Spiering was convicted in three separate sexual assault cases since 1985, twice involving minors.
Any questions/concerns should be directed to Oshkosh Police at 920-236-5742.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay Police are holding a Retail Theft Summit on Tuesday at police headquarters, in an effort to curb the number one crime problem in the city.
Captain Kevin Warych says during the meeting, retailers and law enforcement hope to share ideas to reduce and help prevent retail theft from happening within the community.
"We encourage them to come to the police department to have this roundtable discussion on the current trends and the current prevention strategies people are using to prevent retail theft."
Retail thefts account for an estimated 28 percent of all thefts occurring in the City of Green Bay.
"If we can reduce that number drastically, that's going to reduce the amount of officer’s time, reducing the amount of retailers losing their merchandise and it's going to be a win-win for everybody," said Warych.
The department averages over 600 retail theft incidents a year.
The Retail Theft Summit will take place at Tuesday, March 21, 11:30 a.m. at the Green Bay Police Department located at 307 S. Adams Street.
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton Police have used force less often in recent years.
The department recently released a report stating that its officers used various forceful means on 48 occasions in 2016, one more than in 2015 but 33% below their ten-year average.
Sergeant Dave Lund credits annual training for keeping officers fresh on how to best defuse situations without the use of force and also for reminding them which tools are best used in which instances.
Since the start of 2015, Lund notes there has not been a single instance of an Appleton officer using pepper spray, a baton, or deadly force.
He says the extent of force used in the last two years has been a taser, which was activated 16 times in 2016.
According to Lund, last year also saw 42 uses of passive countermeasures such as forcing the subject to the ground or against a wall, the lightest force tactic officers employ.
While Lund says it is never ideal to use force, he notes that it is inevitable due to the large amount of calls the department fields each year, 49,894 in 2016.
UNDATED (WTAQ) - The Blood Center of Wisconsin is issuing an emergency appeal for all blood types.
Fay Spano is the Director of Public Relations and says despite being dangerously low on "O" negative blood, they are actually experiencing a shortage across the board.
"Anyone with any blood type, we're really encouraging people to schedule an appointment. Donors can call 1-877-BE-A-HERO," said Spano.
Spano says they are down to a one day supply of "O" negative blood, which equals to only about 30-40 units.
"O negative donors, as I mentioned, have a very special capacity to save lives because of the universal blood type. So we really don't like to see the "O" negative or "O" positive blood get below even a day’s supply."
Ideally they'd like to have a 2 or 3 day supply of each blood type.
"The hospitals that we serve do have good inventory and good supplies of blood on the shelf but we need to ensure that we have that blood here at the blood center...that those blood donors are coming in the door every day," Spano said.
The blood center says they hope to see 700-800 donors everyday throughout their 10 centers across Wisconsin but the recent winter weather has hindered blood donations.
Visit the Wisconsin Blood Center website to see how you can donate today.
The Wisconsin Blood Center has locations in Greenfield, Kenosha, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Marshfield, Milwaukee, Racine, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, and West Bend.
MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - Two junior high students are denying charges that they brought a gun and ammunition into their school last week.
The two 14-year-old boys had hearings in Manitowoc County's juvenile court on Monday.
Both entered denial pleas on charges of Possession of a Dangerous Weapon by a Person Under 18, Possessing a Firearm in a School Zone, and Carrying a Concealed Weapon. 'Denial' pleas are the equivalent of 'not guilty' pleas in an adult courtroom.
On March 14, school administrators received student tips that the boys had brought the firearm and ammunition into the building.
The officials called Manitowoc Police, who say they found a loaded .22 caliber revolver in one student's backpack and bullets in the other student's bag.
The boys were arrested and have since been held in the Manitowoc Juvenile Detention Center.
Both teens are expected back in court Thursday.
Since the boys are being tried as minors, no names can be released.
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - After what they are calling a successful 2016, Appleton Downtown Inc. is looking to the future.
Marketing Director Anne Wiegman says 13 new businesses entered the downtown district last year, bringing the occupancy rate to 81%. With four new businesses joining Appleton Downtown Inc, Wiegman says the group now has over 250 members.
According to Wiegman, over 500,000 people attended a total of 126 downtown events in 2016.
Weigman says popular events from a year ago, such as the weekly farmers' markets, summer concerts, and fashion show are back for 2017.
However, she says Appleton Downtown Inc. is most excited about construction of the new Fox Cities Exhibition Center.
Wiegman expects the project will be finished in late 2017 and notes the building has already been booked to host events in early 2018, including the Governor's Conference on Tourism next March.
She says the facility, located behind the Radisson on Lawrence Street, will have the ability to accommodate a number of events including: large conferences, company meetings, and weddings.
Construction started last fall, and Wiegman says it will allow the downtown to attract new clients since the interior gathering space will be significantly larger than that offered in any existing downtown building.
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - A summer-long construction project on I-43 got underway Monday.
That effort will span from Highway 172 in the Green Bay area to Sheboygan County.
On Monday morning, a 10.6 mile stretch of I-43 in Brown County, north of Denmark, was down to one lane. Department of Transportation officials say more closures and traffic delays will follow.
Project Manager Brian Haen of the Department of Transportation says they are starting by patching concrete on the main line and ramps.
After the patchwork, Haen says they will mill two inches of asphalt and then pave four inches of asphalt over the top.
Crews also plan to replace the County MM bridge deck, which connects I-43 to Highway 29 east.
That bridge is expected to be closed for roughly two months.
The D.O.T.'s Mark Kantola is reminding drivers to be cautious in the work zones.
He says that no texting, calling, speeding, or distracted driving will be tolerated as law enforcement will be issuing tickets, not warnings, for violations. Kantola notes that fines double in construction zones.
