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Charges Filed in Fatal Crash

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LAWRENCE, WI (WTAQ) - Cash bond has been set at $50,000 for a 46-year-old De Pere man in connection with a deadly Thursday night crash.

David Meyer faces two felony counts of Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle.

Hobart-Lawrence Police officers were called to French Road, just south of Highway S around 7:30 pm.

Lieutenant Dan Vanlanen says "we're in the early stages, but it appears that speed and alcohol were factors.  He was arrested for drunk driving."

The lieutenant says authorities are still working to determine exactly where on French Road the accident happened.

"Due to the nature of the crash and the gruesome scene, we do not know exactly.  The Brown County Reconstruction Team will be piecing everything back together and trying to determine that." 

Rebecca Pennenberg,44, and her 18-year-old daughter Raelia were killed in the crash.


High School Graduation Rates On The Rise

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Green Bay Area Public Schools are seeing a graduation-rate increase of 4.4 percent from the previous year.

83.8 percent of Green Bay public high-school students graduated during 2015-2016, that's up from the previous year of only 79.4 percent.

Green Bay Public School District Superintendent, Michelle Langenfeld, tells WLUK it all stems from the efforts of staff members and the community.

"I think of a program called 'Be Great Graduate' which is part of the Boys and Girls Club, or the Department of Instruction does 'Gear Up' and these are all opportunities for students to extend their learning."

And although the increase may be exciting, graduation rates for Green Bay is still under the state average of 88 percent.

Langenfeld said that's because Green Bay sees a lot of mobility.

"Sometimes they'll leave and come back, sometimes it's where the daycare is and sometimes it's more convenient for the family and family needs to be closer to work, for example. But we do monitor that."

The superintendent says although enrollment stayed steady over the years, demographics have changed.

"I think we have to recognize the fact that a number of our students come to us from other countries who may not have acquisitions in the English language. So they need to learn that in addition to the content."

According to the Brown County LIFE Study, Green Bay served more minorities and low-income students than any other Brown County school district.

"Some of our students take longer to graduate and so we don't just look at four years but also five," Langenfeld said.

She doesn't expect the increasing graduation trend to stop.

Reports Of Shots Fired In Apartment Complex

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GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- The Green Bay Police Department says at least five shots were fired in the 1500 block of Leo Street on Green Bay's west side Saturday afternoon.

 "I was sitting on the front porch and they was arguing, in the apartment building" said a woman who lives in the area and spoke to WLUK.

She went on to say a man had a knife but others took it from him.

"I don't know where he came from but somebody else pulled up and he pulled out a gun and they was just shooting in the air and then, everybody just ran after that." 

The incident happened just after 3 p.m. When police went into the apartment, they say the suspect was not inside. Police are still looking for that person.

Officials did not release a description of the suspect and say no one was hurt.

"It is believed that this was not a random act and the groups knew each other to some degree," police said in a news release.

If you have information on the incident police want to hear from you. Call (920) 448-3208.

Cops Continue Campaign To Boost Community Relations

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK)- A local group called 'One Dream Team' hosted its second annual 'Unity Walk' event in Green Bay Saturday.

The group started the event last year after the 2016 police shooting of a Minnesota black man.

After the nation's recent focus shifted attention to race, violence and tension, community members of the Green Bay area knew they didn't want to be part of that statistic.

Donald Spencer started the Unity Walk last year in hopes of building bonds between police, firefighters and the people they protect.

He spoke to WLUK.

"I'm here now doing this event trying to show the community, not just the community, but people in general that we're all not evil, we're all not bad." 

However, one parent isn't convinced that a single event can make a difference.

"I think they need to put in more effort," Tyesha Jackson said. "Just a walk is not going to cure everything in our community."

Jackson is worried about the future of her children. She hopes officers come around more often to be a visible presence in the neighborhoods and a role model for the kids.

"When they're out in the community, not with their parents, they're getting taught things they have no business doing."

Green Bay Police Captain Kevin Warych says officers say they too can't do their job without local residents.

"The community is just as vital as every police officers in this community because we're working together, because there are eyes and ears where we can't be." 

My Brothers Keeper, a mentoring program, partnered up with One Dream Team to put the event together. The group says it hopes participants take something away from the walk.

"If there's anything we would like to accomplish, if we do it together, it can happen," Jason Wright said. "So, that's basically what we would hope everybody gets from this. That together we're united."

Together, community members hope to ease tensions on the streets.

Packers Reserves Rally For Late Win

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UNDATED (WTAQ) -  No one knew that Aaron Rodgers would start in Saturday's pre-season game against the Redskins.

He did, and looked sharp -- throwing a touchdown pass and going 6-of-8 for 37-yards.

The Packers starters left the game with a 14-3 lead mid-way through the first half. The Packers reserves rallied in the fourth quarter for a 21-17 win.

Martellus Bennett had the touchdown catch with 5-minutes left in the first quarter, beating linebacker Zach Brown.

Rodgers connected with Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams on the 12-play scoring drive. Rodgers also ran twice, and used a hard-count to draw the defense offsides.

The Redskins didn't pick up a single first down until the final play of the opening quarter, during their fourth possession of the game. Their starters played the entire first half. 

The Redskins reserves regained a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter.

The final score of the game came with 3-minutes remaining in the game when Packers reserve quarterback Taysom Hill scrambled through the Redskins defense for a 23-yard touchdown run.

The Packers improved to 2-0 for the pre-season.

The Packers will play their third pre-season game next Saturtday against the Denver Broncos.

Popular Pub/Restaurant Damaged By Fire

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EGG HARBOR, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) -- Shipwrecked Brew Pub, in Egg Harbor, has been damaged by a fire.

The restaurant says none of its customers were hurt and it's unclear what started the blaze.

Fire officials say paramedics from Ashwaubenon, Green Bay, De Pere and other departments came up to help assist dehydrated firefighters.

Most of the fire damaged the second floor of the resturant and officals say based on the amount of fire and water used, the bulding is in rough shape.

The main street through Egg Harbor, Highway 42, was shut down for hours while crews battled the blaze.

Search Suspended For Missing Kayaker

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DOOR COUNTY,WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - A 20-year-old man disappeared Saturday after kayaking, according to the Door County Sheriff's Department.

The man's family contacted the Coast Guard just before 9:00 p.m. He was supposed to be back by 4:00 p.m.

Authorities say they believe the man was kayaking from Nicolet Bay to Horseshoe Island.

The man's car was found at boat ramp close by, and his life jacket and cellphone were inside.

A rescue crew was sent around 10:15 p.m. Saturday.

However, on Sunday, the Coast Guard suspended its search for the missing man.

Damaged Mailboxes Rampant In One Neighborhood

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SUAMICO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Mailboxes, bent, turned over, or knocked on the ground, is what residents who live off Lakeview Drive in Suamico found Sunday.

One resident spoke to WLUK.

"They should have something better to do, than to go around destroying other people's property."

In a series of tweets the Suamico Police Department says the vandalism happened between hours of 1 and 3 Sunday morning.

At least 80 mailboxes have been damaged.

Mailboxes have also been damaged in Howard and Pittsfield over the past few days, according to police. And, officials say the incidents could be related.

"I just don't understand it, " said Joe Turner, who also lives off Lakeview Drive.

He says it's been an ongoing issue.

"I think what they're doing is riding around in a pickup truck or something, and just slamming it with a baseball bat."

Turner says, he just fixed his mailbox just a few weeks ago, from the same type of vandalism.

"I'm going to fix this one again, It's been about the third time, but I think I can fix it again, maybe next time, I'll have to get a different one."

Farther up the road a similar story, according to Jacob Warns. He tells WLUK....

"I have replaced that about two or three times alread."

Warns says he did hear something during the early morning hours.

"Two or three in the morning, we heard loud clunks going on, but didn't pay much attention to it, come out this morning, and there it is again."

He continued to explain that it is typically a quiet neighborhood, "Nice, peaceful, expect for the mailboxes."

If you have information about the damaged mailboxes, contact Deputy Pizzala via email at pizzala_bd@co.brown.wi.us or call (920) 391-7450 and usE the reference incident number 17-35697.


Total Eclipse of the Park

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton has a unique way for you to experience the partial solar eclipse today.

An event called "Total Eclipse of the Park" will include the Timber Rattlers playing the Quad City River Bandits starting at 12:05 p.m.

Director of Media Relations with the Timber Rattlers, Chris Mehring, says they also have a special way for you to view this rare event.

"We have worked with Wisconsin Vision to set up a viewing station with some eclipse glasses to allow fans to view the eclipse safely," Mehring said.

Camera in the stadium will be fitted with special filters allowing the eclipse to be shown on a videoboard.

But that's not all, there will be lots of non-celestial events for the kids during the game too.

"Our Kids' Zone has a bunch of inflatables like a slide and a bounce house and some other fun things down there are free on Monday and after the ball game its "Kids Run the Bases," said Mehring.

The eclipse is scheduled to begin just before the ball game, at 11:53 a.m.

For more information on the event or purchasing tickets, CLICK HERE.

Search Resumes for Missing Kayaker

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DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Authorities have resumed the search for a 20-year-old kayaker who did not return home.  

Door County Sheriff's officials say the search began after the man was reported missing Saturday night.  

His vehicle was found in the Town of Gibraltar's Peninsula State Park.  

A kayak was located off the waters.   

Brewpub 'Heavily Damaged' During Fire

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EGG HARBOR, WI (WTAQ) - Investigators continue to look into the fire damage at a popular Door County restaurant.

Egg Harbor Fire Chief Steven Schopf says the Sunday morning blaze at Shipwrecked Brew Pub began in one of the motel units above the eatery.

"The third and second floors of the inn part are pretty much destroyed.  They're standing in tact, but they're pretty much gutted inside.  The first floor, where the restaurant and brewery are, is all in tact, with heavy smoke and water damage."

Schopf notes the structure's first floor contains just the restaurant and brew pub, while the second and third floors are a combination of motel units, apartment units, and business offices.

No official cause has been given for the blaze, but Schopf says they have their suspicions.

"We're looking into an area around an air conditioning unit.  That's just where the heaviest fire load is."  

While no exact dollar amount has been given for the damage, Schopf says the second and third stories are likely a total loss.

As for the business, Schopf says its owners have a long road ahead.

"They won't be able to open without doing extensive work on the building.  The second and third floors aren't safe at all.  The floors between them are soft from fire damage."

Schopf says the fire, which started around 11 am Sunday, only took about 30 minutes to put out, but notes crews stayed on scene until around 1:30 am Monday.

The chief notes nobody inside the building was injured but says 9-12 firefighters were taken to the hospital with heat-related conditions, such as dehydration.

Schopf says all of the firefighters were released after suffering no major injuries and are expected to make full recoveries.  

Investigation Continues Into House Explosion

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SHAWANO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Still no word on the cause or origin of last Thursday's home explosion in Shawano County.

Sheriff's Captain Tom Tuma says "we're currently waiting for the pathologist report.  Our detective sergeant and the State Fre Marshal continue to collaborate.  We anticipate closure some time in the coming weeks."

While early reports indicate propane may have been responsible for the blast on Richter Court in the Town of Westcott, Tuma says it's too early to confirm.

"We have to wait for all the reports to come in and really take a look at everything.  Until that point comes, we're not going to draw any firm conclusions."

Tuma notes they are still seeking more perspectives on the explosion.

"We're collecting additional information from anyone that may have something to say about this scene: what it was like before, what it was like after."

The blast claimed the life of 54-year-old Diane Pickett.  

The house's other resident was not home at the time of the explosion.  

Elevated Charges Recommended in Fatal Crash

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OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Amended charges have been requested against a 24-year-old Freedom woman, after word that the motorcyclist she is accused of drunkenly colliding with has died.

Prosecutors are recommending one count of Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle against Kendra Bruley.  She currently faces one count of Injury by Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle.  

They say 65-year-old Stephen Gebert died Sunday morning from injuries sustained in that August 11 crash in the Town of Greenville.  

Outagamie County Sheriff's officials say autopsy results show Gebert died from multiple blunt force traumatic injuries.

Bruley is due in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing. 

Sheriff's officials say Gebert is the 16th person to die on Outagamie County roads this year, the seventh that was alcohol related.

West Nile Confirmed in NE Wisconsin

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NORTHEAST, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Two human cases of West Nile have been reported in Northeast Wisconsin.

Department of Health Services officials say the state's first two confirmed cases of 2017 are in Oconto and Fond du Lac counties.

They say West Nile is spread by mosquitoes and note the chances of contracting the virus are low.

Those who become ill may develop a fever, headache, and rash that lasts a few days.

Symptoms may begin 3-15 days after being bitten.

Health officials say there's no specific treatment for West Nile except for treating the individual symptoms.

In rare cases, West Nile virus can cause severe symptoms such as muscle weakness, stiff neck, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, paralysis, and coma.

Older adults and those with compromised immune systems have a greater risk of severe disease from the virus.

WATCH: Green Bay Watches Rare Solar Eclipse

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Hundreds of people gathered on the City Deck downtown Green Bay Monday to get a glimpse of the long-awaited solar eclipse.

Young and old alike were prepared with special eclipse glasses in hand or perhaps a homemade viewer made out of a cereal box.

But no matter how you decided to look at the rare event, everyone was excited.

Tania Jones of Green Bay says she experienced the celestial event when she was a child but nothing quite like this.

"So now being an adult and being a middle school teacher, it was really interesting and I knew it was something that wasn't going to happen again for almost another 100 years, so we thought we'd come and check it out," Jones said. 

Nancy Selinsky and her husband brought their lawn chairs...ready to relax while the event unfolded.

"We're having a great time, I'm telling you. We were in Iron Mountain this morning and it was cloudier the closer we got towards Green Bay and thought maybe we should have stayed up there. But no, look at this day. It is just awesome. It's everything that's everybody said it was going to be," said Selinsky. The peak of the eclipse in Wisconsin happened around 1:16 p.m.

If you missed the rare event, you won't have to wait too long see it again. The next solar eclipse will happen on April 8, 2024 that will stretch from Texas to Maine.


Fatal ATV Crash Involves Child Driver

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MARINETTE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - An 8-year-old girl has died in a Marinette County ATV crash that involved a 7-year-old driver.

Authorities say it happened Sunday night in the Town of Niagara.

Rebekah Chapman was thrown from the vehicle after it struck a tree, later dying at the hospital.

The girl who was driving was not injured.

Investigators say neither girl was wearing a helmet.

Bus Drivers Needed as School Approaches

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ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) - As the new school year nears, the bus company that serves roughly 40 Wisconsin districts is still looking for drivers.  

Lamers School Bus Operations Manager Cindi Lawler says they hope to add 6-8 drivers in the Green Bay area.

She notes applicants need to pass a criminal background check and drug test, have a good driving record, and be in good physical condition.

Lawler says drivers will have to pass a knowledge test to get their training permit before taking a final exam.

"They have the test broken down into basically three areas: there's the pre-trip inspection, then their next area is the backing course, and then the road portion of that is the student pick-ups and drops, railroad crossings, general highway driving."

Once drivers are hired, Lawler notes how they assign the routes.

"We try to match them to the group.  If the person tends to be a little bit on the quieter side, they're probably not going to do well with a group of middle schoolers who are going to be a little more boisterous."

She says other factors include the driver's availability and interests, as there are also charter routes that cover field trips and athletic events.

If the half dozen or so drivers are not hired by the start of the school year, Lawler explains how the routes will be covered.

"We have all of our office staff and mechanics licensed as well, so if we don't have a substitute driver or charter driver that can fill in on that route, then it would be office staff or mechanics that would fill in on it." 

Lawler says route drivers work an average of 15-30 hours per week.

She would not comment on the starting hourly wage, saying it varies by district.

In addition to hiring bonuses and holiday pay, Lawler also cites the perk of constant work opportunities.

"The last time I can remember having drivers lined up waiting for work to come available was like the 1980's." 

Anyone interested in being a bus driver is urged to call Lamers' Green Bay location at 920-496-3600 or 800-236-1240.

 

Vandalism Wave Continues in Suamico

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SUAMICO, WI (WTAQ) - Authorities are looking for those responsible for a recent wave of vandalism to mailboxes.

Brown County Sheriff's Deputy Justin Raska says 84 mailboxes were smashed in Suamico in the early hours of Sunday.

"We don't exactly have a motive.  Typically with frequent damages to mailboxes, it seems to be kids, either still in high or recently out of high school, that quite honestly don't have anything else to do." 

Raska says all of the incidents likely occurred in just a two-hour span, between 1-3 am Sunday.

"It's obviously not just one person.  It's most likely someone driving a vehicle and someone else hanging out the passenger side of the vehicle.  We think it's probably a baseball bat that was involved."  

The deputy notes the damage is quite costly to the homeowners.

"(There was) dents to the sides of mailboxes, especially the metal mailboxes.  We've seen mailboxes completely clean off the post.  I've seen a couple wooden mailboxes that were completely shattered."

Likely related, Raska says similar complaints came from Howard and Pittsfield earlier in the weekend.

"Those though were only probably three, four, five, maybe ten mailboxes total between the two reports.  This one was significantly more than that, and it seems like it was isolated just to the Suamico area."

Early Monday, there were also reports of several cars spray painted in Green Bay, with eight of the incidents happening in the 1400 block of Weisner Street. 

Anyone with information about any of these crimes is asked to call the Brown County Sheriff's Office at 920-448-4200.  

Police Employees Hospitalized After Exposure to Substance

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A Hazmat team and FBI were called to the Green Bay Police Department Monday afternoon after two employees got sick after opening an envelope received in the mail.

Chief Andrew Smith says a captain and secretary were opening an overnight envelope with a cardboard tab. When they pulled the tab, they immediately felt ill.

"They described their sensations as weak in the leg, weak in the extremities, queasy, a little bit dizzy, and in an abundance of caution, we gave them a dose of Narcan," said Smith.

The incident happened around 3:30 and the building was evacuated shortly after.

The two employees were transported to a local hospital.

The Hazmat unit completed a preliminary investigation and found no evidence of a substance.

Smith says the air conditioning in the building was reversed to blow all the air inside the building out and the Green Bay Metro Fire is helping air the place out with fans.

"We're going to make sure the envelope is triple sealed and we're going to send it off to the FBI for them to analyze and we'll take it from there," Smith said.

Headquarters is scheduled to reopen around 7p.m.

State Investigates Officer Involved Shooting

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FRANKLIN, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Officials are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Kewaunee County.

Kewaunee County Sheriff Matthew Joski says the shooting happened a little after 8 last night (MON) near a home on County Road AB in the town of Franklin.

Joski tells WLUK the male suspect is deceased and the officer is unharmed.

"I want to hesitate in providing any premature information that would undermine the investigation. We owe it to the victim, we owe it to the officers and we owe it to the community, so we have to be patient and we have to walk through this very slowly and methodically."

The Division of Criminal Investigation is on scene.

Joski says the public is not in danger. More information is expected to be released today.

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