MENASHA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Right now, there is a shortage of school bus drivers in northeast Wisconsin.

On Saturday, Lamers Bus Lines hosted two open houses to encourage more people to get interested in school bus driving opportunities.

A "Drive the Bus" job fair was held in both Green Bay and Menasha.

It featured immediate interviews and opportunities to talk to current drivers.

People could even test drive a big, yellow school bus on a closed course.

Doug Peomerenke, a dispatcher for Lamers Bus Lines, tells WLUK that all the terminals are short handed.

"Right now, were just trying to get a driver pool. We need to get them trained up, so they are ready by fall."

Companies only have a limited amount of time to find, hire and train drivers before the school year starts.

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Outagamie County will be looking for a new district attorney.

Governor Scott Walker has appointed longtime DA Carrie Schneider as a judge.

 Walker says "I am pleased to appoint Carrie Schneider as a judge in Outagamie County.  Her commitment to enforcing the law has been evident through her years of service as Outagamie County District Attorney and demonstrates that she will be an excellent judge.”

Schneider replaces Judge Michael Gage, who stepped down this month.

She has served as the county's district attorney since 2002.

Schneider's judicial term expires this spring.

WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A 38-year-old Oshkosh man has been charged with covering up a death in a home on the city's east side.  

Angel Arriaga faces felony counts of Hiding a Corpse and Bail Jumping, in connection with last week's death of 36-year-old Trisha Baniel.  

Arriaga is expected to make his initial court appearance this afternoon.

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A 20-year-old Oneida man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering two people last September.

Vance Reed is eligible for parole after 45 years.

Reed stabbed Harry and Lorraine Brown Bear during an argument at their home.

MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - A 75-year-old Manitowoc man has been taken to the hospital with potential life-threatening injuries after his bicycle collided with a motorcycle.  

Manitowoc Police say the accident happened at 1:35 pm Monday at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Lilac Drive.  

Officers say the eastbound bicyclist blew a stop sign on Lilac Drive and has been cited accordingly.  

The 20-year-old Valders man operating the motorcycle suffered minor injuries.  

Both men were wearing helmets, and both bikes were heavily damaged.  

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Appleton residents will see a new look to one city park.  

Following nearly a year of construction, Erb Park is scheduled to reopen Wednesday.

Director of Facilities Dean Gazza notes there are two pools, one being a 50-meter pool with basketball hoops and multiple slides.

"That starts off at 3' 6" and then that'll take you all the way to the 12' 6" on the other end, where there's the diving boards."

Gazza says the other one is a zero-entry family pool.

"(At the zero-entry end there are) slides, fountains, spray features.  As you move into the pool, it gets a little bit deeper and then there's a center area where you can sit underneath an umbrella.  Then there are some benches that are built into the pool."

Gazza notes that pool has a maximum depth of 3' 6".

In addition to the swimming area, Gazza says there are plenty of other revamped offerings.

"(We were) re-installing the two tennis courts, rebuilt the basketball court, put in a ping-pong table, the new sledding hill with a runout, nicer area for ice-skating rinks."

Gazza says there are also expanded walking and biking paths from what was offered in the past.

He notes the park's pavilion will be open for people to rent, starting in August.

While most areas of the park will be immediately accessible, Gazza says some are still closed off.

"You'll see some fences up, keeping people off the turf areas and the grass.  That's to establish the turf."

Wednesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony gets underway at 10 am, with the pool opening to the public at 1 pm.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - A former middle school teacher isn't happy with the Green Bay Area Public School District's response to her safety concerns.

Kerstin Westcott was back at the district’s headquarters Monday night, about a month after she first publicly expressed concerns to the school board.

During her June 5th resignation from Washington Middle School, Westcott told the board that teachers and students feared for their safety at the school.

“I come here today because I still haven't heard answers to the questions I raised on June 5th,” said Westcott.

District officials admit they can do better for students and teachers.

“The solutions however that we have implemented have truly not been enough,” said Michelle Langenfeld, the district’s superintendent.

Westcott told the board she lost all hope for improvement at Washington after listening to the school district's news conference responding to her safety concerns at the school.

“Dr. Langenfeld, you stated at the press conference that you were not there to ‘dispel anyone else's truth’ and that ‘there are always two sides to every story. A student I had never met approached me in the hallway during passing time and said I have a gun and I'm going to shoot you. Bang, bang. Bang, bang. What is the other side to that story?”

Langenfeld apologized to Westcott, saying she regrets making the two sides statement and also expressed regret for not doing more for Washington.

“It simply has not been enough and for that I have apologized to the staff, to Miss Westcott, we are very sorry and we can do better.” Langenfeld, other district officials, and Washington's principal outlined a variety of ways they intend to improve safety.

The district plans to give the school another associate principal, counselor, and three more teachers. They also plan to increase hallway and cafeteria supervision and communication with parents. The district is also talking with county prosecutors about implementing a teen court.

“Without question, the work in front of us is large, but it's also imperative on behalf of the students and families that we serve that it gets done,” said Dennis Christensen, the principal at Washington.

But Westcott says the district's plans need to be more specific.

“We want to hear from you action steps addressing safety that you will be taking along with deadlines prior to the start of the upcoming school year so that we as a community can hold you accountable.”

Westcott tells WLUK she plans to teach in the Manitowoc School District next year.

MANITOWOC COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Heavy rain and hail moved through parts of Northeast Wisconsin Friday afternoon.

And those strong storms may have impacted crops trying to grow in the area.

Many farmers along the Lakeshore are getting a good look at that damage.

It's adding to an already tough year for those in agriculture in Manitowoc County.

One farmer, Randy Geiger of Ran-Rose Dairy Farm, tells WLUK he may have lost his entire corn crop.

"The corn was probably a foot taller than it is now. This happened late Friday, and you can see that the leaves are all drying up already."

Geiger says hail and high winds near Reedsville turned his 80-acre crop into a shredded mess.

"Had a nice stand of corn. Beautiful. Something to be proud of. And kiss her goodbye. She's gone."

It's a similar story across the area.

"It went basically from Brillion, Reedsville area, down to southeast Manitowoc County," said Scott Gunderson, Manitowoc County Agriculture Agent.

Gunderson says the hail affected about 40 percent of the county's corn.

"It will limit the genetic potential of the crop. So we will have less yield, clearly as a result."

And it's more than just corn. Many farmers in the area are trying to salvage another crop. Gunderson says alfalfa, used to make hay, was damaged by widespread winter kill.

"In fact, we think our losses are probably about 65 percent on alfalfa. There's some really good fields on well-drained soils, but there's a lot of other fields on heavy clay, especially, that just didn't come back at all."

Gunderson says some of the alfalfa and corn may recover. Farmers need to be patient.

"Don't replant. Don't tear up a field right now. I think it's best to wait a few days to see where the dead tissue is versus live tissue. Basically the growing point of the corn to see how it's impacted."

Meanwhile, Geiger says he has enough silage on hand to feed his 50 cows for now. But this season is far from over.

Ag-Agents say farmers need to document any damage from the storm.

That information will be necessary when farmers make claims with their insurance companies.

BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A 20-year-old Green Bay man accused of escaping a Brown County treatment center is heading to trial.  

Daniel Patrykus has pleaded not guilty at arraignment to charges he fled the institution last July.  

Patrykus was reportedly arrested in Chicago a few weeks later.

His trial is scheduled for August 9, with a final pre-trial conference two days prior. 

MARINETTE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A 27-year-old Marinette woman has been convicted for her role in a weekend-long manhunt. 

Ashley Niewierowski has pleaded no contest to felony counts of Armed Burglary, Fleeing an Officer, and Driving a Vehicle Without the Owner's Consent.

Four other felonies and five misdemeanors were dismissed but can be considered at sentencing.

Niewierowski, along with Chad Setunsky, were accused of stealing an ATM from a Stephenson convenience store on April 8 and then leading police on a high-speed chase.

She is scheduled to be sentenced September 11.

Setunsky, who faces 41 counts, is due back in court for a status conference on August 14. 

DODGE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A 43-year-old woman has died in a two-vehicle Dodge County crash.  

Sheriff's officials say the accident happened around 2:15 am Tuesday on Highway 151, near Gunn Road, just south of Beaver Dam.

Investigators believe the woman was ejected after the northbound pickup truck she was riding in struck the side of a semi when the pickup's driver swerved to avoid hitting the semi.  

The drivers of the two vehicles, both 27-year-old men, were uninjured.

No names have been released.

A stretch of Highway 151 was shut down for roughly seven hours while investigators were on scene.  

BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A July 28 plea hearing has been scheduled for the 19-year-old Green Bay man officers say they arrested for drunk driving twice in the span of a few hours.  

Preston Bierhals faces two felony Bail Jumping counts for the alleged June 4 incidents.  

Bierhals reportedly had a suspended license, failed a field sobriety test, had a blood alcohol level of .157, was cited, and was released to another adult.  

A few hours later, he was again stopped and ticketed for driving impaired, with a blood alcohol level of .121.   

Bierhals manditory court date for the drunk driving tickets is July 19.

A first OWI charge is not a criminal offense in Wisconsin so the only criminal charges Bierhals face are the bail jumping counts, in connection with previous transgressions.

Bierhals cannot be charged with his second OWI until the first OWI ticket is resolved.

Officials say no legal action will be sought against the woman who Bierhals was released to after the first stop, since it is not a legally binding contract.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay Police is looking for a 61-year-old woman who has gone missing.

Investigators say Charleen Reinhart was believed to have been at the University Avenue Market around 9 am Monday, with plans to travel by either foot or bus to the Bellevue Walmart.

She does not have access to a vehicle.

It is unknown what Reinhart was wearing when she was last seen. 

Anyone with information should call Green Bay Police Captain Muraski at 920-391-7450, or 911 in the event or an emergency.

People can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 920-432-STOP, texting 'GBTIP' plus the message to 274637, or visiting www.432stop.com.

BEECHER, WI (WTAQ) - Marinette County Sheriff's officials say a man found unresponsive inside his truck died of natural causes.

Authorities responded to a report of a truck and trailer in the trees off Highway Z in the Town of Beecher around 4:30 pm Monday.

Officers have identified the man as 72-year-old Joseph Skrobiak of Michigan.

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Cleanup work is expected to continue for several days following a Monday morning discovery that manure spilled into a 1 1/2 mile stretch of Dutchman Creek near Freedom.

The DNR says the spill, which came from Neighborhood Dairy, killed a high percentage of the fish in that section of the creek.

DNR officials believe the spill resulted from a valve malfunction that caused manure from a full pit to run out of the farm's runoff collection system, where it flowed through a grassy swale and into the creek.

The manure reportedly flowed northeast, under Section Line and Vans roads, before being stopped by a berm north of Vans Road.

Much of the affected area is in the Oneida Indian Reservation.

The DNR says farm workers responded quickly once the spill was discovered and note the farm has a good record of compliance.

Farm managers told the DNR they estimate 20,000 gallons of manure spilled.

While DNR groundwater specialists are monitoring the situation, they say thick clay soil may have kept groundwater from being affected.

The DNR says Neighborhood Dairy operates as a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, or CAFO, and most recently reported milking 950 cows on the land.

ALGOMA, WI (WTAQ) - Governor Walker kicked off Farm Technology Days in Kewaunee County Tuesday by speaking during the opening ceremony

He showed his support for farmers all over the state.

"Farming is not just a part of the economy, although it is an important part...$88 billion dollar economic impact, over 413,000 jobs but for a lot of our farmers it's more than just a business, it's a way of life," said Walker.

Walker explained that the farming industry is not only a large part of the state's history but a major part of what's to come.

"With days like this, when you see all the new equipment and technology, it's also an important part of our future."

Speaking to media, he answered questions about the budget and his potential bid for a third term in office.

Walker says he hopes to have the state budget worked out in the next few weeks.

"I think part of it is easing things out between the assembly and the senate. We thought it was a reasonable position to be in. We already had the lowest bonding since before 9-11 but we know the assembly has some concerns and so we proposed lowering it by 200 million dollars," Walker said.

Walker says the budget stalemate is not hindering his announcement on whether he'll run for a third term in office.

"Well, with more people employed than ever before, with near record levels of unemployment, with one of the highest percentages of people employed in the nation, I think we have a great story to tell no matter who ends up running in 2018."

Democratic businessman Andy Gronik announced Tuesday that he'll challenge Walker in the 2018 election for Wisconsin governor.

Farm Technology Days runs July 11-13.

MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - Miracle League of the Lakeshore officials say one of their baseball fields wasn't damaged after all.  

Manitowoc's Dewey Street Park's field does not need to be replaced, after fireworks were lit on the diamond last week.  

League officials still want to add a security system at the field, which has reportedly had trespassing issues in the past.

The league serves children with physical and intellectual disabilities.  

ALGOMA, WI (WTAQ) - The state's largest agricultural show got underway in Kewaunee County Tuesday.

Wisconsin Farm Technology Days is hosted this year by Ebert Enterprises, LLC in Algoma.

Owner Randy Ebert, a sixth generation farmer, says they found out three years ago that they were picked as the 2017 host farm, and it's been a whirlwind experience ever since.

"We believe that if the good Lord had a plan, it was the right thing to do then we would do it. So, we're still working on that comfort level in front of a microphone but all the other stuff has been an experience we'll never forget," said Ebert.

Amber Hewett, Executive Chair of Kewaunee County Farm Technology Days, says you can see field demonstrations, speak with commercial exhibitors, and learn about the latest in agricultural research.

Hewett has some advice for people visiting the popular event.

"Don't get overwhelmed when you come in because there's information booths all around everywhere. Anyone that's wearing a yellow shirt are our volunteers, they will gladly help you where you need to go," explained Hewett.

Farm Technology Days sits on 60 acres of land and highlights over 600 vendors.

The 3 day event brings in over 45,000 attendees and runs through Thursday.

MILWAUKEE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - UPDATE: The Amber Alert has been canceled.

Naveah Martin and her mother have been found safe.

*****

An Amber Alert has been issued for a Milwaukee child.

8-year-old Naveah Martin is believed to be in extreme danger.

Naveah is 4' tall weighing about 60 pounds. She had blue flowery pajamas on.

She was last seen on foot traveling around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday with her mom, Jasmine Martin- Williams in the area of north 38th Street in Milwaukee.

Jasmine Martin- Williams is 29 years old. About 5'4" tall and 140 pounds. She was wearing a white t-shirt, yellow shorts and a black baseball cap.

Police say Martin-Williams has threatened to harm herself and her child.

Anyone with information is asked to call Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7405.

BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Three people have been arrested in connection with a commercial sex trafficking case.

Brown County Sheriff's officials say an adult female, adult male, and juvenile female were taken into custody following a two-day investigation that wrapped up Wednesday.

Lieutenant Jim Valley says "we received information that possible commercial sex trafficking and human trafficking were involved in multiple locations throughout Brown County.  This individual itself is contained within Brown County.  However, the individuals are not local individuals and are from elsewhere in Wisconsin."

Authorities say the trio has been booked in the Brown County Jail.

"Those individuals will appear in court, I believe tomorrow (Thursday).  The investigation will continue throughout, and the individuals were referred to the district attorney's office to review and decide on charges."

Assistance was provided by the Green Bay Police Department, De Pere Police Department, and Brown County Drug Task Force.

No further details have been released.