TWO RIVERS, WI (WTAQ) - A 22-year old Two Rivers man was arrested Wednesday for reports of physically abusing a two-month old baby.

Police were called to the home for a baby that was not breathing and was unconscious.

Paramedics resuscitated, and then transferred the baby to a local hospital, and then flown to the Children's Hospitial in Milwaukee, and is in critical condition.

22-year-old Matthew Brown-Edwards, the boyfriend of the baby's mother, has not been charged, but was in Maitowoc County Court Friday.

A judge set a $150,000 cash bond. Brown-Edwards will be back in court January 29th for a formal initial appearance.

TOWN OF PITTSFIELD, WI (WTAQ) - One man has died in a fire that took place at a home east of Pulaski Friday morning.

Crew from multiple fire departments were called out around 8:00am to a home on County Highway B.

Pulaski Fire Chief James Styczynski said the man was an older gentleman, and lived in the home alone.

Styczynski said they still don't know much about how the fire started.

"We believe it started in the backside of the house."

The home is a total loss.

"We had it under control in roughly an hour. There was a lot of extra rooms added to the house as the building grew on."

Different levels of ceilings and types of walls posed a challenge for the crews on scene.\

Roads in the area were closed while crews were on scene.

BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - A Brown County judge is expected to spend the weekend considering whether to allow Fitbit data as evidence in an upcoming murder trial.

George Burch is accused of killing Nicole VanderHeyden in May 2016, but his legal team wants to point the finger at her boyfriend Douglass Detrie.

District Attorney David Lasee is prosecuting the case, wanting to use Fitbit data to show Detrie was not involved.

"The fact that the Fitbit device is registering only 30 or 40 steps during that entire timeframe clearly rebuts the defendant’s position."

But Defense Attorney Lee Schuchart isn't so sure.

"I haven't heard a single piece of admissible evidence to lay the foundation of why that evidence is reliable."

Burch's story involves Detrie walking three miles from the Bellevue field her body was found to his Ledgeview home.

Another motion hearing is set for February 1, with jury selection starting February 16.

MENASHA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Emergency responders are urging caution when heading onto frozen bodies of water, following recent above-freezing temperatures.

When first responders get a report of someone going through the ice, they say it's better to be safe, than sorry.

"That could be a long duration search where we find nothing, but we don't wanna get back later to find out that somebody is actually missing," explained Ryan Krings of Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue.

That was the case for Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue Tuesday night. A caller reported a snowmobiler going through the ice near Jefferson Park in Menasha. Rescuers got new reports saying he'd gotten himself out, but still responded with all the search equipment.

"The boat behind me, the squad that tows it. There's gonna be a minimum of three personnel on that boat. There's gonna be support units that respond, our command vehicle, probably at least two engines," Krings told FOX 11 News, saying rescue workers did not find anyone in the water.

Firefighters told us this is a good opportunity to remind people ice safety is variable, especially with warm temperatures in the forecast.

"Conditions could change. We start getting a couple, three days of real warm weather, it's gonna create some puddling and things like that," explained Fond du Lac Fire Chief Peter O'Leary.

"The ice isn't gonna be consistent throughout. So you may have 18 inches here and 100 feet away you might have two inches," Krings added.

It's especially dangerous near bodies of water with a current like rivers or streams.

"The ice is gonna take longer to form and the current is also gonna break away at the ice from underneath," Krings told FOX 11.

So play it safe.

"Number one suggestion: always have someone with you. Always have a buddy," O'Leary advised.

Check with the local fishing club before venturing out.

"You need to know where you're going. There's not a lot of snow out there, so there's not gonna be plowed roads that you can follow. They do have tree lines. You still need to be aware of pressure cracks. Those could be two, three, four feet high," said Krings.

"You really have to be familiar with a body of water and know, based upon what other people who are knowledgeable about that body of water say about whether it's safe to be out there," added O'Leary.

It's all in an effort to try to prevent another search like Tuesday's.

Firefighters told us these reminders are especially important as we get close to sturgeon spearing. They said more people, who are unfamiliar with the waterways, tend to be on the ice.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Eighteen-year-old Jacob Frerking, an honorary Appleton police officer, died Jan. 18, 2018.

Frerking battled a rare type of aggressive cancer.

He asked to become a police officer through Wisconsin's Make-A-Wish foundation, and the Appleton Police Department responded.

In the fall of 2016, the department, along with the community, helped make Frerking's dream come true.

The Appleton Police Department granted Jacob Frerking, an Appleton teen battling the cancer, the chance to become a police officer for the day through Wisconsin’s Make-A-Wish foundation, September 9, 2016. (Photos courtesy of Appleton Police Department)

On Saturday, the department sent its condolences to his family and shared a few favorite memories in a Facebook post.

"As Officer Frerking #9275 fought his battle against an evil cancer, he gave us perspective and insight that was far advanced for a man only 18 years old. We will always remember him for his grace and courage in the face of his battle. Sadly Officer Frerking #9275 passed away on Thursday, with his family at his side. His law enforcement brothers and sisters escorted him to the funeral home to show our respect for his service. Thank you Officer Frerking #9275, you made a difference."

Frerking's obituary says his funeral will be held Jan. 22, at 11 a.m., at First English Lutheran Church in Appleton.

ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) - Thirty-two teachers from 32 area schools dashed for cash during Saturday's Green Bay Gambler's game.

During first intermission, a $8,500 was dropped on the ice.

The teacher's then dashed for cash, keeping every dollar they managed to snatch.

It was over in about a minute and a half.

Since 2015, "Dash for Cash" has raised more than 20-thousand dollars for area elementary, middle and high schools.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ)- The Green Bay Police Department is celebrating the success of a group of people today, as four new officers are being sworn in to begin their training today.

That's the next generation, those are our future leaders here" Captain Kevin Warych said. "This group is the first of what could be many officers hired this year, as the department has many openings."

That does not mean they will necessarily be in a rush to fill all open positions.

"We don't lower our standards just because we have ten openings, we have and keep high standards."

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - A new way for residents in one Fox Valley community to weigh in on community issues.

Oshkosh Assistant City Manager John Fitzpatrick explains Polco.

"It's a civic engagement tool, where by we can talk to our citizens about issues and gather their input electronically."

Fitzpatrick notes it uses survey questions to prompt people's opinions.

"We'd like to try to gather as much input as we possibly can for the council to evaluate.  In that way, we can try to make the best decision possible for the citizens.  We have a variety of citizens here that feel more comfortable expressing themselves electronically than coming to a meeting."

He explains the first topic that they're polling.

"Whether they would prefer to have a more passive park at the former Lakeshore Golf Course site or if they would prefer for us to explore the possibility of a nine-hole executive course."

People can access Polco by clicking here. 

Fitzpatrick says residents can also download the free Polco app in either the Google or Apple stores.  

APPLETON (WTAQ-WLUK) - As the government shutdown continues, residents in Appleton have a growing concern.

Kevin Cucci telling FOX 11....

"If it's just a few days, it's not going to affect us, but if it starts affecting social security and things like that, then that'll be a problem for the country."

The shutdown will impact several entities. The government breaks it up by what it calls essential versus non-essential workers.

The military is essential. They will stay on duty but their paychecks may be withheld until after a deal is made on Capitol Hill.

Thousands of federal employees could be placed on furlough meaning they won't report to work; this results in closing several federal agencies and departments.

Planning to file your taxes? The IRS expects to send thousands of employees home, meaning tax refunds may be delayed.

But don't worry, you'll still be getting your mail because the US Postal Service is not funded by tax dollars.

Local Democrats and Republicans say there's someone to blame for the shutdown. They just differ on who.

Democratic Party of Outagamie County Chair, Lee Snodgrass....

"This is the first time the White House and both chambers are controlled by one branch of government and the fact that it shut down, there's nobody to blame but the Republicans."

Republican Party of Outagamie County Chairman, Jim Duncan argues back....

"Its not the Republicans but Chuck Schumer, who has called for the filibuster and so we're stuck for 30 hours before they can bring a vote on anything."

Snodgrass said a shutdown could have been avoided if the bill included a legislative fix for the DACA program, which protects minors from deportation who came to the US illegally. Duncan sasys DACA should be considered separately from the spending bill.

Amid the divide, Governor Scott Walker is hopeful it won't last long.

"In the long term, it could be a graver concern for any state out there, but my hope is, optimistically, I hope they will meet some sort of reasonable solution in the coming days."

The shutdown will also postpone renewal of the federal children's health care program, also known as "CHIP."

Some states ran out of "CHIP" funding on Friday.

HOLLAND, WI (WTAQ) - The Brown County Sheriff's Office has identified the Manitowoc area woman who died in a crash Friday.

Yevonne M. Lane was found dead at the scene after being thrown from her car.

Deputies say Lane was driving west on County Highway D and ManCal Road when she ran a stop sign.

That's when she hit a Kaukauna man headed north.

Officials say she was not wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash.

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - A snowy owl was set free Sunday afternoon, near Shiocton.

The bird was one of two trapped at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh one month ago.

At the Feather Wildlife Rehab/Education Center near New London, volunteers prepared a snowy owl for its upcoming flight.

Bob Welch is with the The Feather Wildlife Rehab/Education Center.

"We don't want the bird to injure its feathers or injure itself. The bird is wild, and you just have to kind of settle it down, and once you have the bird in a comfortable position, it's easy to handle the bird."

The bird has been recovering at the center. The snowy is one of two owls trapped last month at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. A maintenance worker shot and killed a similar owl in November after it got too close to an active runway.

Veterinarian Jim Ziegler examined this latest bird. He says it had an infection and was underweight.

But after a month of treatment, he says the bird is healthy enough to go back into the wild.

"Actually it was a lot stronger than I remember. For a bird that size, it's incredibly strong. You can feel the talons trying to grab you, and the wing trying to beat away from you. It's pretty impressive."

On Sunday afternoon, in front of about 30 people, Dr. Jim sent the snowy on its way.

"Oh, this is what it's all about. This is what you hope for, and there's nothing better than a release to get it back into the wild."

"Very exciting release. Perhaps the longest flight we've seen in all the releases we've had. This was just moseying around and looking at the habitat and then dropped in. And a very strong flyer, so exciting," said Welch.

In the winter months, the big white birds migrate to Wisconsin from their home near the Arctic Circle.

"This is very good owl habitat. And we know that there's other ones in the area, that it's a good spot. Plus, it looks just like the tundra." said Virginia Halverson, The Feather Wildlife Rehab/Education Center.

The first owl was released in the same area late last month.

The birds are expected to stay in Wisconsin another couple months, or as long as they can find enough food.

BROTHERTOWN, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Firefighters have been busy this morning (Monday) battling a fire at the Bobbers Up bar in Brothertown.

The bar is on Highway 151.

That's in Calumet County, but near the Fond du Lac County line.

No one was inside the bar or apartments. No one was injured.

Officials say the building is a total loss and isn't structurally sound, making them unable to get inside for the time being.

The fire broke out around 4 a.m.

A couple nearby homes were damaged by the fire.

Investigators are on the scene, sifting through the rubble to determine what caused the fire.

STEPHENSON, MI (WTAQ)- A public hearing will be held to help determine the future of the Back Forty Mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday January 23 at 6:00pm, and will take place at Stephenson High School.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will use the input to help determine if they will issue Aquila Resources a wetlands permit.

The permit will be the final one needed to have approval for the projetct.

The state has already issued mining, air, and surface water discharge permits.

The Menominee Indian Tribe filed a federal lawsuit on Monday. 

“To protect the Menominee Tribe’s environmental and cultural interests in the Menominee River, which borders both the State of Michigan and the State of Wisconsin, and adjacent wetlands, and to protect many sites of great cultural, religious, and historic significance to the Menominee Tribe.”

The lawsuit was filed against the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and US Corps of Engineers.

The tribe says the action is because they aren't complying wit the Clean Water Act, and wants the court to instruct both agencies to “assume control and exercise jurisdiction over the Section 404 permitting” for the mine.

The tribe wants to protect the environmental and cultural interests in the Menominee River.

DE PERE, WI (WTAQ)- A new Facebook scheme aims to gain access to your cloud storage account. 

De Pere Police says the scammer gets into a Facebook profile and begins messaging that person's friends, asking for permission to use their email account. 

Police say people fall for the scam because they believe that it is coming from one of their friends.

Once the scammer has access, they are able to access multiple features, including google photos.

Officers say you should never give out your email account or passwords, even if the request appears to come from a legitimate source.

The best advice is to call or text your friend to see if they did send the message.

LINCOLN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ)- State officials say chronic wasting disease has been detected in another Wisconsin county.

The DNR says a two-year-old buck harvested South of Rhinelander in Lincoln County has tested positive for the deadly brain disease.

Baiting and feeding will be banned in Lincoln County for the next three years and a two-year ban in Langlade County will go into effect, since the county is adjacent to Lincoln County. The existing ban in Oneida County will be renewed after the recent discovery.

47 Wisconsin counties have been affected by CWD.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Students at one local school got the chance Monday to hear about the potentially serious consequences of bullying.

Kirk Smalley's anti-bullying presentation 'Stand for the Silent' was shared with eighth graders at Green Bay's Washington Middle School.

Smalley and his wife have spoken with kids across the country since their 11-year-old son killed himself in 2010 after being the victim of bullying.

"We decided we couldn't live in a world where that was happening so frequently without doing everything we could to make it stop.  It makes me feel good that I can make an impact on a young person's life."

The $2,500 dollars needed to bring the Smalleys to Green Bay was collected by two Allouez girls who held a lemonade stand last summer.

FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ)- Two men charged in connection with a Fond Du Lac murder, appeared in court Monday. A cash bond of $1-million dollars was set for both 22-year-old Devon Neuman and 23-year-old Jesse Schultz.

Both men were charged with first degree intentional homicide and armed robbery.

Prosecutors say the two are responsible for September's fatal shooting of Logan Foster.

According to police reports, the pair allegedly tried to rob Foster and took $100 dollars to buy drugs after they shot him. 

District Attorney Eric Toney says the request for a high bond was needed in this case.

"When we have first-degree intentional homicide charges, it can carry up to life in prison, so that makes the risk of flight very high" he said.

Toney said the 9-month investigation was an effort that was made up of hard work from law enforcement and the community. 

"A lot of dedicated work from the detectives and their agencies led to the arrest of these two" he said. "We really appreciate the public working with law enforcement with information."

Toney said law enforcement was also given help from the community in the form of one piece of information that he called very helpful. 

"It is something that most communities don't experience that often, so it is something that we take very seriously and our condolences go out to the family and friends of Logan Foster."

Neuman and Schultz will both be back in court on February 1st for a preliminary hearing.

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN (WTAQ-WLUK) - A difficult Monday morning travel for some Northeast Wisconsin residents.

While it was mainly heavy rainfall in the Green Bay area, Karen Gordon of Marinette notes it was a different story in her neck of the woods.

"It always seems like we get a little more snow and wind here.  The wind is horrible out here, and there's just a whole layer of ice under the snow.  It's crazy."

With wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour making for blizzard-like conditions, Gordon notes she would avoid the roads until conditions cleared.

"Read a book, take a nap, and of course, make sure your tank is full of gas, which is why I stopped."

Steve Berth of Abrams says he planned on staying put, with rain having turned into snow in areas north of Green Bay.

"I didn't see anybody in the ditch yet, but it's not going to get better, I know."

The Green Bay area primarily saw heavy rainfall.

BROTHERTOWN, WI (WLUK-WTAQ)- Bobbers Up in Brothertown was once a local hangout but is now a total loss.

“We got the call at about 4 a.m. this morning of a structure fire fully involved,” Town of Calumet fire chief Brian Schussman said.

The building was also home to some residents who live upstairs but they too were not home at the time of the fire.

Several crews arrived to put out the flames and say the weather created some challenges.

“We did run into icy conditions in the parking lots and stuff around the building, we had some guys slipping but everybody is okay,” Schussman said.

Fire crews were unable to enter the building to investigate because it was too dangerous. Instead, the local tavern was torn down.

“We’re not able to go inside because the building is not structurally sound anymore. We actually have a high hope in now digging some hot spots apart," Schussman said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

KEWAUNEE, WI (WTAQ) - A Monday public hearing to discuss permit applications from two Kewaunee farms.

DNR officials say Legends Farm Dairy is petitioning for a manure runoff permit to grow its facility by 130 animals.

Legends currently has about 800 milk cows and 20 beef cattle, reportedly generating around 10-million gallons of liquid manure and wastewater annually.

Hall's Calf Ranch is looking to renew a similar permit, with no desire to expand at this time.

It houses north of 8,000 dairy cows, allegedly generating 2-million gallong of liquid manure and wastewater each year.

Residents on both sides of the issue spoke.

"We ask all in attendance, and the DNR, to please bear witness to the continuing, massive regulatory failure that has been ongoing now for over a decade in Kewaunee County."

"These farms are extremely important to our rural communities.  They help the local economy.  They're helping the national economy." 

The DNR is expected to make a final decision next month.