SUAMICO, WI (WTAQ) - The two people who died when their Suamico house caught fire Sunday night have been identified.
Investigators say 79-year-old Eddie White and 77-year-old Barbara White had been married for 56 years.
Foul play is not suspected in the blaze that destroyed their 1602 Woodsdale Avenue home.
The official cause of death has not been determined.
Officials say the funeral is scheduled for 10:30 am Saturday at St. Benedict's Church in Suamico.
DODGE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - UPDATE: The 43-year-old woman who died in the crash has been identified as Jessica Miller of Evansdale, Iowa.
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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.
SHAWANO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A traveling basketball coach has been sentenced for using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime.
Nicholas Bennett of the state of Oregon will spend 12 years in prison and an additional six years under extended supervision.
The 25-year-old was arrested in October 2015 after he started texting a 13-year-old boy he met at a basketball event.
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Local health departments are warning people to protect themselves from West Nile virus after a dead crow found in Brown County tested positive for the disease.
Debbie Armbruster with the De Pere Health Department says the good news is that 80 percent of people who become infected with West Nile don't become sick.
"The remaining 20 percent could experience mild symptoms like fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, photophobia or sensitivity to light," said Armbruster.
She says these symptoms develop 3-4 days after the infection takes place.
The virus is spread to humans through a bite of an infected mosquito.
Officials say it's important to remove potential breeding sites for these mosquitos.
"Such as old containers that might be filling up with water or old tires that are filled up with water. You want to make sure you empty and refill bird baths and water bowls for pets at least every three days," Armbruster explains.
Other recommendations to keep in mind is to limit your time spent outside at dawn or dusk, apply insect repellent to clothing, make sure windows and door screens are in good repair, clean roof gutters and downspouts for proper drainage, and turn over wheelbarrows, wading pools, boats, and canoes when not in use.
Click HERE to read more information on West Nile virus.
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - Police are investigating Tuesday's suspicious death of a 24-year-old Oshkosh man.
Oshkosh Police says an ambulance took the man from behind a business in the 2000 block of Jackson Street to the hospital, where he was declared dead.
Cause of death is unknown.
An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday. Results are not expected for several weeks.
Officers are looking to establish a timeline of events and would like to speak with the man who alerted an employee at the business to call 911.
A photo of the witness can be seen at the top of this page.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Kari Pettit at 920-236-5267.
People can report anonymously through the Winnebago County Crime Stoppers by calling 920-231-8477, texting 'IGOTYA' and the tip to 274637, or visiting www.winnebagocrimestoppers.org.
Oshkosh Police believes this is an isolated incident and that there is no danger to the public.
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - The newly renovated Erb Park in Appleton is now open.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wednesday morning.
The new swimming facility includes a 50-meter pool, splash pad and water slides.
Other renovations to the park include new tennis and basketball courts, a sledding hill, ice skating and playground area, and an expanded parking lot.
The city budgeted $10.5 million for the project.
In 2015, city workers discovered that the then-36-year-old pool at Erb Park was losing water.
The pool closed for good last August, and construction had been ongoing since.
WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - The seventh and eighth attorneys assigned to the man accused of initiating a deadly December 2015 standoff have left the case.
Brian Flatoff faces 16 charges in connection with the incident at Eagle Nation Cycles in Neenah.
It ended with a police officer shooting and killing a hostage.
Attorneys Richard Johnson and Eric Maciolek, like multiple of their predecessors, cited difficulties working with Flatoff.
The public defender's office will appoint a new attorney.
Flatoff's trial is still scheduled to begin January 8, 2018.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay Police is warning residents of a new phone scam.
Officers say the caller says the recipient's child has been involved in an accident on West Mason Street and asks to meet the parent at a gas station.
Police urge people not to give out the personal information that is requested.
The calls have not been displaying a local area code.
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A 20-year-old Green Bay has been convicted in a series of convenience store armed robberies.
Effriam Bowers Junior has pleaded no contest to two December robberies.
A third felony Armed Robbery count and a felony Bail Jumping charge were dismissed but can be considered at sentencing.
Bowers is part of a group that police say was involved in a total of six armed robberies in a three-week span.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 2.
Bowers co-conspirators, Hunter Haupt and DuJuan Vales are set to be sentenced July 27 and August 15, respectively.
Haupt was convicted on three counts, while Vales was convicted on one.
ONEIDA COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Cash bond has been set at $50,000 for a 55-year-old Appleton man accused of inappropriately touching a now 13-year-old female relative.
Chris Huelskamp faces one count of First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 13 in Oneida County.
Huelskamp lived with the girl in Rhinelander when he reportedly violated and struck her.
In January 2017, Rhinelander Police says it started investigating a sexual assault of a child that took place in either 2012 or 2013.
Since August 2013, investigators say Huelskamp has been on the run from his probation.
Huelskamp is due back in court July 17.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Redevelopment Authority member and Green Bay Alderman Joe Moore says although he supports moving forward with the proposed expo center for Brown County, he understands why other city leaders may have reservations.
"I get why our senior staff is doing this. They just want to make sure that we're aware of what we're voting on. But it's up to every one of us to make that decision for ourselves and be as best educated as we can be," said Moore. Green Bay Economic Development Director, Kevin Vonck, recently told the Press Gazette that he thinks the proposal for new expo center would be "a horrible deal" for the city...saying utilizing the room-tax money for the new center would take away funds for future improvements on the KI Convention Center.
WTAQ reached out to Vonck but he did not immediately respond.
Moore says the money in the hotel room tax goes into a pool that's managed by the county.
"If the city of Green Bay has all of these projects that we would like to use that money for, then we should have probably come forward with those project first with our own proposals."
The alderman is in favor of giving the public options on where to hold events.
"When you look at the quality finishes of the KI, the fact that it's attached to a hotels in the downtown...I think when people come to the city of Green Bay and they want to bring their convention there, it's actually important to give them options."
The RDA will be voting on the amended and restated cooperation agreement regarding room tax revenue Friday at 7:30 a.m.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - More details are being released on the new attraction that could be coming to Bay Beach Amusement Park.
The Friends of Bay Beach group discussed its plans to donate a $2,100,000 Ferris wheel with the Green Bay Parks Committee Wednesday.
The 96 to 108 foot tall Ferris wheel would be the park's second.
Robert Shade is with the Friends group.
"You've seen lots of other big cities, San Diego, places like this, this will be the type of wheel when they do a flyover of Monday Night Football, this is going to be something that's going to be in the skyline of Green Bay."
An exact model has not been selected.
Friends officials hope to have it in place by April 2019.
No word on the exact location, but officials say it would likely be close to the water.
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Seven Navy crew members were killed last month, when the destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a large container ship off the coast of Japan.
Now the ship and crew have been dry docked and Wednesday a group from U-W-Oshkosh sent boxes of donations to those sailors.
The hope is that simple items from books to snacks will help crew members through this tragedy.
"This is amazing! This says a lot about who our students are."
Timber Smith is the school's veterans resource coordinator and spoke to WLUK.
The donations were gathered by the junior class in the social work department. They did so for veterans in need with guidance from the Student Veterans Association.
"And presented the idea and, of course, we loved it. Then they went to work." explained Smith.
"The only thing we ever really struggled with was who to send it to." added Aaron Kloss the president of the Student Veterans Association on campus.
Then, Koss says the USS Fitzgerald collided with the container ship.
"And we had two rooms of donations and we said, 'you know what? This is a perfect opportunity."
"They're going through a transition and if we can be of a little bit of help, it means the world." added Smith.
Two cars took the donations down to Milwaukee where Koss says the donations will be shipped out to the crew of the USS Fitzgerald.
"From personal hygiene items to snacks, to clothing, these are all things they need to replace what was lost."
The mother of an officer on-board the Fitzgerald coordinated shipping the donations to the crew.
CLINTONVILLE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Clintonville Police Chief James Beggs tells WLKUK....
"Right now, we are waiting on the results of the autopsy," said Clintonville Police Chief James Beggs.
It's the aftermath of a homemade-firework explosion, which killed four-year-old Alyssa Chmielewski Monday.
"Right now with the information that we complied, led us to believe that there was no intention of making an explosive device, it's just that what he assembled, became an explosive device." Beggs says the man made a "sparkler-type" firework in a metal tube.
Something he explained officers are looking further into, "One of my patrol sergeants, because of this case went online and started researching."
With surprising results, he says his officer came across several videos, some even with instructions on assembling fireworks.
Videos that 16-year-old Shantel Duebler of Clintonville, has seen being shared online.
"There's a lot of sharing going on Facebook. I've seen it a lot."
But from her computer screen, to her community, she's seen the risks involved.
"Last year, there were fireworks lit in a house and everything, and now this."
Beggs says...."It's pushing the envelope. It's taking a danger that doesn't need to be taken for a thrill."
He says it is an important reminder, to leave the job up to the professionals.
"The common person that can access info on the web, they don't know what they are doing, or what they're getting their self into."
Police say once the autopsy results are returned, they will sit down with the district attorney's office to discuss whether charges will be filed.
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - UPDATE: Oshkosh Police says the witness has come forward and is cooperating. The department is no longer looking for the man pictured.
While the autopsy has been conducted on the deceased 24-year-old, the cause of death remains unknown as toxicology results are expected to take several weeks.
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Police are investigating Tuesday's suspicious death of a 24-year-old Oshkosh man.
Oshkosh Police says an ambulance took the man from behind a business in the 2000 block of Jackson Street to the hospital, where he was declared dead.
Cause of death is unknown.
An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday. Results are not expected for several weeks.
Officers are looking to establish a timeline of events and would like to speak with the man who alerted an employee at the business to call 911.
A photo of the witness can be seen at the top of this page.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Kari Pettit at 920-236-5267.
People can report anonymously through the Winnebago County Crime Stoppers by calling 920-231-8477, texting 'IGOTYA' and the tip to 274637, or visiting www.winnebagocrimestoppers.org.
Oshkosh Police believes this is an isolated incident and that there is no danger to the public.
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - Renovation work has gotten underway at one Oshkosh park.
Parks Director Ray Maurer says the South Park Lagoons are getting a facelift.
"The lagoons will be deeper, as well as wider and larger. We're looking to have aerators placed in the east and the west lagoon. That will help us with some of the water quality items."
Maurer believes the effort will bring a number a benefits to park goers.
"It will give more storage opportunities for when we have some major rains, to help alleviate some of the flooding that has taken place. There will be an opportunity that the fish stocked in there every spring might remain in the lagoons a little bit longer. We're adding a fishing pier that will go out into one of the ponds."
In addition, Maurer says upgrades will be made at other parts of the park.
"There's a historic bridge that is being retained. Some of the walking paths within the park are going to be renovated. They need to be moved and then repaved."
Over the next few weeks, Maurer notes residents will see the installation of a construction fence, installation of erosion control practices, and temporary relocation of a number of trees.
Drivers will also notice some temporary changes.
"Between now and when the school season kicks off again, there will be some lane closures on South Park Avenue itself. Then the intersection of South Park and Georgia Street, there will be some major utility work underground that will be taking place there."
Maurer expects sidewalks will reopen for the start of the new school year.
He says the project should wrap up by July 2018.
MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - UPDATE: The names of the two people involved in Monday's bicycle versus motorcycle crash have been released.
Officers say 74-year-old Thomas Sitkiewitz is currently recovering from serious injuries and has been cited for failing to stop at a stop sign.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Samuel Koenig sustained minor injuries.
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A 74-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.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Today, The Green Bay Packers Foundation awarded $250 thousand grants to the CP Center in Allouez, and the Green Bay Area Public School District.
District Superintendent Michelle Langenfeld says the plan is to use the money to transform the libraries in 13 schools into multi-media centers.
"Media Centers across the country right now are becoming the engagement center for students, staff and the community."
She says the centers will feature flexible and collaborative seating , maker spaces that provide materials and devices for students to create projects and active learning conferencing centers with technology pieces and media tables.
Unlike the school district grant, The CP Center will have to raise an equal amount to get the money.
It will be used to pay for the sustainability of several current programs and to bring on 5 additional programs not currently offered in Northeast Wisconsin.
CP provides progressive , individualized services for a variety of physical, sensory and communication disorders for more than 2,000 infants, children and adults each year.
Green Bay Packers Foundation chair Terry Fulwiler says picking recipients each year is tough.
"It's probably one of the most difficult parts of doing this. Because there are so many worthy organizations"
The Foundation awarded 318 grants in 2016, totaling $1.3 million.
The Packers Foundation has distributed almost $8 million for charitable purposes since it was established in 1986.
OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Applications are being sought for Outagamie County's next district attorney.
Governor Walker's office says those interested should submit a cover letter, short resume, and list of references by 5 pm on July 28.
The necessary forms are available at www.walker.wi.gov.
Whoever is selected will replace Carrie Schneider, whom Walker has appointed as the county's next judge.
The term is up for re-election in November 2020.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay Police warning residents not to fall victim to phone scams.
Captain Kevin Warych says these scams can vary on how they are presented but it comes down to one thing.
"It's usually some scam involving the exchange of money in which the victim falls prey to and they send money electronically, whatever the case may be, in exchange for some service or information or a person being released from custody," said Warych.
Warych says their investigative unit gets 1-2 reports of scams per week and every phone scam is a little different; usually with an untraceable phone number.
"With technology people can spoof calls, make calls appear that they come from a certain location when they're not. It's very hard to investigate these scams."
The most recent scam involves the caller saying the recipient's child has been involved in an accident on West Mason Street and asks to meet the parent at a gas station.
Officials say if you do get a suspicious phone call, don't answer any questions and hang up immediately.
