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New Shipyard Plans Released

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK)- A new $10 million plan was publicly unveiled Tuesday afternoon for Green Bay's proposed Shipyard district.

The city spent the past four months re-tooling the proposal after the Green Bay Bullfrogs decided in February to move to Ashwaubenon.  A main difference between the new and old proposals is there is no main tenant that would occupy the turf field the city wants to build.

Also, the main tenant in the old plan, the Bullfrogs, was going to kick in more than $4 million for the project through a lease agreement. Now the city would be paying for most of the project.

The turf field would have the potential for football, soccer, and rugby. It would be on the edge of the 16-acre property, near the Mason Street Bridge.

Next to the field is what the city is referring to as "Container Park". That area would have old shipping containers converted to small shops or food options.

The project also includes boat slips, an urban beach, a playground, and splash pad.

Mayor Jim Schmitt says the new plan offers the city more flexibility for private development.

“When we've talked to developers who are going to make the investment across the street (slip), I think they're more comfortable with what the city is looking at versus being across the slip from a baseball stadium,” said Schmitt.

The city plans to pay for the project through tax revenue from new development in the area. Kevin Vonck, the city’s economic development director, says $30 million in new development is needed in the next 8 to 10 years to keep the project off the city’s tax levy.

No private projects are committed to the Shipyard yet. However, Schmitt says all developers that were interested in the previous Shipyard proposal remain interested in the plan.

An Anduzzi’s restaurant, a concert venue from Festival Foods President and CEO Mark Skogen, and a new world headquarters for Breakthrough Fuel were among private projects linked to the previous Shipyard proposal.

The city's Redevelopment Authority approved the plan Tuesday. The city council will take a vote next week.


Dog Attacks Again

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK)- The dog responsible for biting a child in May, and suspected by Green Bay police of being a hybrid wolf-dog mix, no sooner got cleared by police when it attacked again.

FOX 11 reporter Ben Krumholz had just finished interviewing Brian Schoen, the dog’s owner, giving him an opportunity to defend himself against recent publicity.    All three of his dogs were determined not to be wolf hybrids.   Green Bay police Monday decided to dismiss a citation issued to Schoen for having an exotic animal.   “Working with the DNR they were able to test the DNA of the dog, that bit the victim on May 17th and conclude the dog was not a wolf hybrid,” said Green Bay Police Captain Kevin Warych.

Prior to the second attack on our reporter, Schoen said he was relieved.

“You know now this can lay to rest, because I’ve been paying tickets for having an exotic animal. I don’t have one you know, so kind of relieved,” said Schoen.

Schoen maintains his dogs are a Husky-Shepard mix. And says the dog bite last month on a 5-year-old in his home, by his dog named Hudson, was a freak accident.

“My gramma brought her grandson in and all them together, there’s five of us all together there, and you know pushed to get in and Hudson just got him, you know. It was a freak accident,” said Schoen about the May 17th attack, indicated the dog had never done that before.

Following that interview Schoen was introducing Fox 11's Ben Krumholz to each of the dogs, one at a time, on the deck of his Green Bay home.

“It just got to smell you a little bit?” asked Krumholz when the first dog approached him.

Schoen answered, “yes.”

But when Hudson came out of the house. He appeared a bit different. Schoen was telling it to behave.

“You could almost see it in its eyes. I could see him almost snip at our photographer Mike,” said Krumholz.

Even with Schoen holding onto the dog’s collar it lunged at Ben without provocation, biting his hip and breaking the skin.

“Luckily the owner grabbed him again and took him off and I said hey that one's got to go in the house,” explained Krumholz.

Schoen was ordered by police to surrender the dog to the humane society. Our camera spotted Schoen dropping off the dog Tuesday afternoon. It will be quarantined for 10 days.

At this point the city's ordinance does not consider the dog to be 'dangerous,' despite the two recent attacks, because they happened at the owner's home. The two bites needed to take place on public property in order for action to be taken by the city to remove the animal.

“Most importantly we want to make sure the community is safe we want to make sure the animal doesn't re-bite anybody else,” said Warych, who indicated when pressed that might include changing the current ordinance.

“Which may include changing the ordinance. At this point we are enforcing what the city ordinance is at present day,” said Warych.

Krumholz checked out fine by medical staff at an Aurora clinic. He won't need rabies shots if the dog tests negative.

Schoen apologized to Krumholz for the incident and offered to replace his damaged pants.

Police tell FOX11 that Schoen was warned after the first incident that he should keep the dog away from people not familiar to the animal.

Frostman Wins Senate Seat

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Caleb Frostman defeated Republican State Representative Andre Jacque by more than 800 votes in the District 1 State Senate election Tuesday.

The election was held after Frank Lasee resigned from the seat last December.

Frostman will hold the seat until November when he will have to run again.

That is when Lasee's seat would have been up for election.

Frostman got 51 percent of the vote, beating Jacque 14,606 to 13,800.

Frostman released the following statement:

“This campaign is about bringing people together to improve our region. Voters in the 1st Senate District have made it clear that they want to improve the opportunities for everyone in our area to succeed - whether that is through more investment in public schools and technical colleges, increasing access to affordable healthcare, improving our aging infrastructure, or conserving the natural areas that make our corner of Wisconsin so incredible".

“As your new State Senator, I will continue the respectful, civil, and collaborative approach I’ve taken since starting my work in our community. It’s something we could use more of in our State Capitol. I am proud of and grateful for the relationships I’ve built in this district through clear communication, consensus building, being of service to those around me, recognizing and celebrating the great work of the businesses in our district, and striving toward the greatest good for our community and its residents".

“I will let your feedback and our shared values guide me in my work as your State Senator. I learned these values growing up here in Wisconsin - treating each other with respect, helping our neighbors when they need a hand, listening to each other and working together to reach our goals. My personal political beliefs haven’t affected the way I treat the people, and they never will. I don’t intend on changing my respectful, civil, and inclusive approach to communication with everyone in our district and my new colleagues in the State Capitol". 

“To my supporters who voted for me, and also those who didn’t, I promise to fight every day to make sure your values and needs are represented in Madison. Our work doesn’t stop here. The fall elections will change the future of our state and I hope my support network will grow as we work to get re-elected in the fall.”

 

Patriotism Still Shines

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ)- As Flag Day approaches, it's an important holiday for one Green Bay area business.

 It's one of the busiest time of year for Fly Me Flag, but owner Stacey Stewart says Flag Day is extra special for them.  

"We love Flag Day and this time of year because we get to see these amazing customers showing their pride and putting up that American Flag."  

She says even though the flag has become a source of controversy with the NFL and standing for the National Anthem, many people are giving them their business in order to proudly display the red, white and blue.   

"They are patriotic, and they really feel like they are raising their voice when they raise a flag."  

Stewart says they have a busy season from Memorial Day through Labor Day.  

Fly Me Flag not only sells flags but is also a source for proper flag display or use questions.   

The business is located on Ashland Street.    

Flag Day is Thursday.  

Making Sure The Flame Stays Lit

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MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) -An eternal flame meant to memorialize Manitowoc veterans could eventually burn out, and those who work to keep it lit say that day is close.

The flame is part of the Soldiers and Sailors monument across from Evergreen Cemetery in Manitowoc.

It sits on an island right in the middle of Manitowoc Boulevard for all to admire.

"As a veteran myself even though I'm not from Manitowoc County, it’s very important because it’s the recognition," said Todd Brehmer the Manitowoc County Veterans Service Officer.

"The veteran community is a very small percentage of the community in general. There's just a lot of emotion involved. "

Brehmer tells FOX 11 that many are involved in heading a fundraiser to keep the flame lit.

"The city and the county does not budget for the maintenance of these it comes strictly out of that Fund. So, the city’s been working trying to figure out how to keep this going eternally."

The flame was lit on Memorial Day, May 30, 1969.

The City of Manitowoc is responsible for the care and maintenance of the monument and, over the years, they've used gifts and donations from various residents and veterans groups.

For the last 25 years, repairs and fuel for the flame, as well as the rest of the monument, have been funded by the Fannie Angus Healy Trust.

With the endowment for the upkeep almost depleted, Manitowoc County, along with the City of Manitowoc, and local veteran’s groups have started a $200,000 fundraising campaign.

Manitowoc officials say the $200,000 is the cost to keep it eternally lit.

You can donate to the fundraiser at any time, and tickets will be sold at Manitowoc’s Fourth of July festivities to help with the fundraiser.

Cash prizes, as well as tickets to ride the S.S Badger Car Ferry, will be rewarded.

Courthouse Expansion Complete

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - The expansion and renovation of Outagamie County's new government center is now completed.

And with that, is what the county executive describes as improved security and accessibility.

If you're walking into the Outagamie Courthouse you will see some changes.

One of those being a single secured entryway that the public will now have to go through.

"All the citizens that are coming down for county business, will have to pass through the metal detector, and have their packages checked," explained Outagamie County Undersheriff, Michael Jobe.

The 90,000 sq. ft. addition will now combine each of the county offices.

Jobe tells FOX 11 the new facility will allow for easier access to each department.

"Now, everything makes a lot more sense. Citizens should notice, it's a lot more user-friendly."

That includes the family court commissioner office, which is now closer to the courthouse.

Also, The Aging & Disability Resource Center, that has been moved to the first floor.

"That was one of the priorities, not just first and foremost security, but to make this easy and accessible for the public," explained Outagamie County Executive, Tom Nelson.

Nelson says $27-million project has been in the works for at least for four years.

He says several studies were conducted focusing on the needs for additional security and office space.

"Here we are in 2018. This is one of the top concerns that the public has. Trying to make open public spaces as safe as possible."

The upgrade Jobe says will sustain the building for decades to come.

Arrests Made In Skimming Case

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FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Two men were arrested in connection with a number of credit card skimming incidents in Fond du Lac and officials say they could be involved in a much wider investigation.

Police say on Sunday around 5:00 p.m. a citizen reported seeing suspicious behavior at an ATM at the Marine Credit Union on W. Rees Street.

Police located the suspect vehicle and after a brief foot-chase, the two men, ages 26 and 35, both Romanian immigrants from Anaheim, California, were arrested.

Police recovered approximately 137 forged or cloned credit cards with about $7,500 in cash inside the vehicle.

Investigators believe this incident could be connected with a number of fraudulent ATM transactions that occurred in Oshkosh in May.

Although the same men arrested in Oshkosh are not the same men arrested in Fond du Lac, the US Secret Service believes all the suspects are part of a nationwide Romanian organized crime ring targeting local areas by stealing credit and debit card information by using skimming devices.

The men arrested in Fond du Lac are in custody, awaiting formal charges.

Fond du Lac police did not say if the two men arrested were the same men in surveillance images released last month.

Mill Expansion Bucks The Trend

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - While Green Bay Packaging is expanding, other paper mills have done the opposite.

The state lost about one-third of its mills over the past two decades.

Across the state, there's an uptick of shuttered paper mills.

Jeff Landin, president of the Wisconsin Paper Council, tells FOX 11 it's partly due to lower demand.

"We make very little printing and writing paper, that’s a declining market. We don't make a lot of coating paper, those are papers in magazines and advertisements."

You may have seen some of that in the Appleton Coated issue when it went through receivership last year. Landin said the mill made coated paper, which is a declining market.

However, Landin told FOX 11, 90 percent of the state's paper industry, including Green Bay Packaging, make high demand products like tissue, specialty papers, and packaging.

"The online retail market is booming and there’s a lot of boxes that need to be made for that. A lot of packaging paper and a lot of mills making brown packaging papers are growing."

Landin said old and inefficient mills can also result in closure, which likely won't happen with the new Green Bay Packaging mill.

"They decided they can modernize it, make it bigger, faster, more efficient, makes sense to build a new mill."

And despite the loss of paper mills over the years, Landin said 30,000 people are still employed in the state's paper industry.

According to the Paper Council, the state once had 52 paper mills, but now it's down to 35.


Brewers Shutdown Cubs

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MILWAUKEE, WI (WRN) -  Chase Anderson and two relievers combined on a two-hitter as the Brewers blanked the Cubs 4-0 in Milwaukee. 

Anderson gave up just one hit in seven innings to even his record at 5-and-5. 

Travis Shaw had two-run doubles in both the first and third innings as the Crew moved back atop the NL Central.  Milwaukee sits a half-game ahead of Chicago. 

Tyler Chatwood yielded three earned runs in five frames to fall to 3-and-5 for the Cubs.  Chicago had won five of its previous six games. 

The two teams finish up their series with day baseball this afternoon. 

Gametime is set for 1:10.

Safety Grants Announced

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MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK)- Two Northeast Wisconsin school districts are getting a boost in funding to improve safety.

Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel announced Wednesday more than $1.3 million in safety grants will be awarded to 20 schools around the state.   Joined by law enforcement, teachers, school officials, parents, and kids, to announce the next round of School Safety grant funding is going to 20 school districts around the state.  More than $1.3 million handed out today.  The Crivitz School District will receive a $20,000 safety grant and the Wautoma Area School District will get $84,435.

Listed below are other school districts receiving safety grants:

  • Barneveld School District, $38,949;
  • Benton School District, $57,975;
  • Big Foot Unified High School District, $13,975;
  • Bristol #1 School District, $22,925;
  • Kettle Moraine School District, $190,395;
  • Kewaskum School District, $106,347;
  • La Farge School District, $53,352;
  • Luck School District, $39,516;
  • Mauston School District, $188,275;
  • Prentice School District, $81,272;
  • Randall J1 School District, $21,935;
  • River Ridge School District, $55,000;
  • Rock County Christian School, $39,951;
  • St. Joseph School; $20,750;
  • Stevens Point Area Public School District, $279,827;
  • Trinity Evangelical Lutheran School, $18,334;
  • Union Grove J1 School District, $19,872;
  • Williams Bay School District, $28,960.

 

Time To Splash

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ)- Colburn Pool is opening Friday.

The pool will be home for new inflatables, toys, and classes.

The Park and Rec Department needed more time to get the pool ready for opening.

Business Offers Reward For Burglary Arrest

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FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ)- Whealon Towing is offering up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of burglary suspects.

Police say the business was burglarized early Monday morning, when a man entered the building and caused thousands of dollars of damage.

According to the reports, a Snap-on tool chest and nearly a thousand dollars worth of tools were stolen.

The burglary also included the theft of a Whealon pick-up truck that contained tools.

 

A witness says they saw suspects loading the stolen tools in a black four-door vehicle, possible a Chevy with HID headlights. 

 

If you have any information, call Fond du Lac police at 920-322-3726,or Crime Stoppers at 920-322-3720.

 

Crime Stoppers are also offering a reward for information leading to an arrest.

 

Lock Up The Guns

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ)- Green Bay Police continue the search for 20 guns stolen last from a home on Rosalie Lane last week.

The owner says he is missing handguns, shotguns and rifles. Police Captain Kevin Warych says it is unknown why the guns were taken, but there is concern.  

"It is pretty scary to think that 20 guns are circulating out in the community that are not in the hands of the correct person."  

Police Officers are conducting interviews and collecting evidence in their investigation.   

"Investigators have spoken to the home owner to backtrack who had authorization to that house when he was not there."  

Warych says gun owners should record their serial numbers for their weapons, and be sure to keep them locked, regardless of how many they have in the home.  

"Gun locks or gun safes, just make sure the guns are locked up to prevent people from walking off with these guns."  

While 20 guns may seem high to some, Warych says there is no limit as to how many guns can be in a home.  

"We believe in the Second Amendment. People can bare arms as much as they want. and they can collect as many guns as they feel they need to," Warych said. "We do need to make sure that all of those guns are safe."  

The owner said he is considering offering a cash reward for the return of his guns.     

New Acquisition Finalized

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NEENAH, WI (WTAQ)- ThedaCare announced its finalization of acquiring Fox Valley Hematology and Oncology Wednesday. 

The healthcare system now includes 25 oncology providers.

The Appelton-based system offers access to the latest technologies and treatments.

Oncology excellence can now be expanded for the patients living and working in Appleton, Neenah and Oshkosh, Berlin, Shawano, New London and Waupaca, to multiple days per week.

County Committees To Take Up Mill Plans

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BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ)- Two Brown County Committees are scheduled to meet Thursday night to discuss the plans to build a new paper mill in Green Bay.

Green Bay Packaging released plans to build a new $500 million dollar paper mill on their site and said the project is on the fast track. Before it can take off, it needs to be approved by the Brown County Board.  

Pat Evans, Brown County Supervisor says there are plenty of reasons to approve the package.  

"There are many effected positivity by retaining this in Green Bay."  

He says no matter what side of the political aisle you are on, there are reasons to be excited.  

"The conservatives like it because it is a big investment for jobs. The liberals like it because it is going to give more jobs to the United Steelworkers, and it is going to be one of the most environmentally and technologically sound plants."   

Evans says he can not think of why anyone would want to prevent this from happening.  

"People can vote against it, they would just have to answer as to why they would want to stop the second largest investment in the state of Wisconsin history."  

He says he is not sure if all supervisors will support the plan, but said the numbers speak strongly, with it being a larger investment than the Lambeau Field renovation, and second largest project in Wisconsin behind FoxConn.  

Evans says he assumes tonight's meetings were called to keep the ball rolling at Green Bay Packaging's pace.


Top Cop Award For School Resource Officer

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - An Appleton school resource officer was presented the award for "Top Cop" Wednesday.

Jack Taschner is an officer at Appleton East High School.

He was presented the award for his efforts that prevented an incident from escalating.

Last April, Taschner was patrolling the halls when he noticed two individuals who were not students.

He also discovered they were at the school to retaliate against a student.

They had guns in their vehicle and a third accomplice.

Taschner tells FOX 11 it's just part of the job these days.

"I think everyone that takes a position within a school has an almost a heightened sense of responsibility because you become, your responsible for those kids, you feel that responsibility, and when you try to work within that to make sure everything stays safe."

Two of the individuals involved were juveniles.

All three were charged with conspiracy to commit the physical abuse of a child, and possession of a firearm in a school zone.

Tips To Avoid Credit Card Skimming

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FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Fond du Lac Police arrested two men tied to a rash of credit card thefts in the city.

Authorities say the men are connected to a nationwide organized crime group, using credit card skimmers.

When it comes to her credit cards, Susan Greg says she tries to stay one step ahead of thieves.

"Who you're giving your card to, and how you do it, making sure your purse is closed," said Greg, who lives in Fond du Lac.

It's a message the Fond du Lac Police Department is also sharing with residents.

The warning follows the arrest Sunday of two men from California.

Assistant Police Chief Steven Klein tells FOX 11 both are connected to series of credit card skimming incidents.

"We were able to locate over 137 different credit cards that were in these two individuals possession, and we recovered over $75,000 in cash."

Klein says the two men are Romanian immigrants.

He says investigators believe the two are a part of a nation-wide group targeting local areas.

"We estimate possibly 30 people in this group that are traveling, placing credit card skimmers on locations where you would use a credit-debit card."

Klein says officers were alerted after a citizen witnessed suspicious behavior at an ATM off S. Reed St.

"They were taking a lot of different, what appeared to be different credit cards, and punching in a lot of different numbers in the ATM."

He says there are some tips the public can remember to keep their credit card information safe:

Always hide your ATM pin when punching it into a machine.Use ATMs in well-lit, secure locations.Always check the card reader slot.Ensure it isn't loose or has anything that looks out of place, or mismatched.

Klein says they do believe there could be others tied to the group still out there.

"There are probably still a number of individuals that are still operating in this area."

Anyone with any information on the incidents is being encouraged to call the Fond du Lac Police Department at (920) 906-5555.

Police say two men are expected to be court sometime this week.

Working To Stay In The Game

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APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - A man with down syndrome coached his first baseball game last night.

It's the story of Noah Van Vooren who played in the Miracle League for people with special needs.

With every hit in Miracle League Baseball, cheers and applause immediately follow.

But on Wednesday, some of those cheers weren't only for the players.

Noah Van Vooren has down syndrome and it's his first game as an assistant coach for the Rockies team in the Miracle League.

Miracle League manager Lisa Robbins tells FOX 11...

"Kids age out at age 19, and we do still have kids that want to be apart of the league, but there's not a lot of opportunities for kids who enjoy sports during summer, so Noah was interested in staying on the team and we decided to make him as an assistant coach."

And Robbins says Noah is something of a role model.

"I think for the group of our kids, the fact that Noah is an assistant coach, it gives them the ability to see that when they're finished with their career, when they age out of the Miracle League, that they can possibly continue to participate."

Noah's father, Todd Van Vooren, says it's a source of pride for his son.

"It makes him feel proud; it makes him feel like he's accomplishing something, and he can give back to other kids, to make sure they're fulfilling their fun there too."

Not only did Van Vooren step up as an assistant coach, but he also influenced friends to volunteer.

"Noah actually got me into this league and introduced me to the whole special needs area and I've learned so much from him," said Ariel Schrader of Little Chute.

Schrader has known Van Vooren since 2nd grade and is now the head coach for the same team.

"Noah, he does kind of the pep talk so he gets everyone going, so that's a good job for him," explained Schrader.

And with his new position, Van Vooren hopes to get every player a home run.

The Miracle League also has leagues in Allouez and Manitowoc with plans for Fond du Lac in the works.

Opportunities Available As Business Gets Aggressive

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BERLIN, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Maybe you've seen them at construction sites or inside a home, Generac's products range from generators to portable ones and even pressure washers.

The company is looking to fill 300 positions throughout its six locations in Wisconsin.

"I did a walk through interview and stuff and they took a chance with me and I've just been taking it one day at a time and moving up the chains," said Wesley Colman, Generac employee.

Colman's been working for Generac for about 10 months. He's working as a workforce development liaison.

"Pretty much I communicate with new hires or employees on a day to day basis and I help out with HR, human resources."

He knows what it's like to be a new employee and between the company's Oshkosh and Berlin locations, it's looking to hire about 100 people.

Brian Michael, Generac mobile products president, tells Fox 11 there's plenty of openings.

"Assembly related positions, welders, machine operators, material handling positions."

But Michael says the state's low unemployment rate is making it a challenge for companies to fill jobs.

"I think a lot of companies in Wisconsin are struggling with the same thing so we did and just the release and offered new wage rates for our employees as well as general increases the first two years every six months."

An entry level position starts at $13 an hour and Generac says its pay scale varies and is based on experience.

Other positions Generac is looking to fill include forklift drivers, entry level sales, and customer support.

"We have a lot of growth going on so we're looking to fill those as soon as possible," Michael said.

Donation To Fight Opioid Abuse In Green Bay

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ)- Green Bay Police officers have a new tool to fight opioid abuse.

Prevea Health donated 300 doses of Narcan and some medical kits to the department.

Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith says while Narcan has value to the department, it is not something they can afford with their budget. 

The donation of the nasal spray will help replenish the small supply.

Chief Smith says the Narcan will not only help save the lives of those who overdose, but will play a role in slowing down crime in Green Bay. Smith says he believes that a majority of crimes committed in the city are drug related in some way.

The tactical medical kits will aid officers in helping those with severe trauma injuries.

The police department started distributing Narcan to about 125 of its patrol officers in September of 2015.

Chief Smith says Narcan can also be used in cases of accidental overdoses by children or the elderly. 

 

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