SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ) - A long battle to get water levels on Shawano Lake up to normal level, has resulted in a positive outcome for those who use Shawano Lake, and a little bit of water went a long way.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave approval just in time for the Fourth of July boat traffic. 

The plan is raising the water level by four inches. 

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Video showing a little girl swinging and tossing a puppy by its legs has some people upset.

The Oshkosh Police Department is shedding light on the incident that happened at a home in Oshkosh.

Officials said the incident was brought to their attention this past Thursday.

"Upon investigation, it was discovered that a citizen had videotaped a 5-year-old girl and her conduct with some puppies at that location. The 5-year-old's family are not owners of the puppies an the puppies have since been returned to Milwaukee to their owners," the police department said in a press release.

The girl's mother spoke to FOX 11 on Sunday. She said her daughter meant no harm.

“She’s only five, she was not trying to hurt the puppy. I know that.”

The family wanted to share their side of the story.

The mother says the family has a full grown dog and the girl is used to rough-housing with it, all in good fun.

"Maybe this is why she thinks it's okay to do that with the baby," she said. "So I had to explain to her, no you can’t play with the babies like you do with the big dog."

The department said a detective is assigned to the investigation and is working with the 5-year-old's family to make sure it has the resources it needs.

A veterinarian checked seven of the puppies and didn't find any physical injuries, according to police.

One puppy was sold to someone in the Milwaukee area.

The Oshkosh Area Humane Society also released a statement on Facebook that says, in part, "The Oshkosh Police Department made the decision to release the puppies back to the owners. OAHS had no authority in that decision."

The agency also thanked "everyone that showed concern for the welfare of the dogs."

The girl's mother questioned why the man videotaping did not step in to stop the behavior.

"I would've stopped it immediately," she said.

The puppies were returned to their owner in Milwaukee.

Oshkosh Police says efforts are being made to make sure such treatment of animals doesn't happen again.

MORRISON, WI (WTAQ) - Two people died after their vehicles collided Sunday afternoon.

Just before 3:30, the Brown County Sheriff's Office responded to a call at the intersection of Dickinson and Park roads, in Morrison, where a motorcycle headed west on Park Road didn't stop at a stop sign and was hit by a car going south on Dickinson Road.

The 38-year-old motorcyclist from the Green Bay area, and the driver of the car, a 60-year-old man from the Mount Pleasant area, both died at the scene.

Deputies report the 60-year-old was wearing his seat belt, and the 38-year-old wasn't wearing a helmet.

The names of the two men haven't been released yet.

No one else was issued.

NEENAH, WI (WTAQ) - The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office wants people to be careful with shooting firearms.

On the Department's Facebook page Sunday the agency says it's aware of two .22-caliber firearm bullets that were found in the area of Terra Cotta Drive and Sundial Lane in the last 3 weeks.

The post also says the person who fired the weapon being unsafe with its use.

The Sheriff's Office also posted safety guidelines, such as assuming that all firearms are loaded, never letting the muzzle get in front of anything one would want to destroy, keeping one's finger off of the trigger and guard until ready to use, and to know the target and what is past it.

HORTONVILLE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - A Greenville man's CPR training is being applauded after he saved the life of a 70-year-old woman.

It happened during a Hortonville High School band trip to Washington D.C. last week.

While on the trip, the band marched in the Independence Day Parade.

72-year-old Linda Leith tells FOX 11 it was a trip she'll never forget.

"Basically a sudden cardiac death on the ground, to sitting here talking to you is pretty amazing."

Leith whose granddaughter is in the band, collapsed while out touring Arlington National Cemetery with the students.

"The next thing I knew I was looking at three strange men in the back of an ambulance," she continued. "And had no idea what happened to me."

Jennifer Hohn was a chaperone on the trip.

"Everyone just jumped into action. I grabbed the phone to call 911. CPR began right away with Tom and Michelle, life-saving efforts took place."

The group is applauding the efforts of Tom Veeser, who was also a chaperone on the trip, trained in CPR.

"I'm not trying to be dramatic, but she would not have lived if we didn't have people who understood CPR immediately next to her."

Veeser with the help of Leith's daughter Michelle, rendered CPR to Leith until an ambulance arrived.

"Six-and-a-half minutes of CPR. And then another 15 minutes stabilizing her with an AED getting vital signs."

Leith has since been released from the hospital and is making the trip back home to Wisconsin.

But she is stressing the importance of those trained in CPR, like Veeser.

And the ready availability of an AED, a device used for emergency heart failure.

"The real heroes are the people who know how to do that," said Leith. "And take the time and energy to learn it and practice it."

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Green Bay Police Department is investigating two overnight incidents.

First, report of shots fired.

It happened on the 400 block of Quincy Street.

On 07-09 at approximately 12:30am, Green Bay Police Officers on patrol heard the sound of gunshots in the area of S Quincy and Crooks St.

Officers flooded the area and were able to locate a residence mid-block in the 400 Block of S Quincy St with a bullet hole in it.

No injuries were reported related to this incident.Several people were detained and are being interviewed by Detectives.

Also, the P-D is investigating an armed robbery.

That happened at the Grand Central Station at East Mason and Bellevue Street. No one hurt in that incident.

At approximately 1:30am, Green Bay Police responded to the report of an armed robbery that occurred at this location.

A suspect, described as a white male, fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Officers observed a truck leaving the area at a high rate of speed.

Officers pursued this vehicle on Main Street before it turned off into a residential neighborhood.

Officers checking the area located the truck which had crashed into the front porch of a residence approximately 3 blocks from Main Street.

Minor structural damage occurred at the residence but there were no injuries reported. The driver fled the scene and has not been located at this time. No one was injured during this incident. If anyone has information concerning either case, please call the Green Bay Police Department at (920) 448-3208. You can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward by contacting Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers by phone at #920-432-7867, through their website at 432stop.

SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ) - A motorcyclist was killed as he was trying to pass a truck in Shawano Sunday night.

The crash happened around 8:30 on S. Airport Drive, south of E. Richmond Street.

Police say 31-year-old Justin Kleczka was traveling southbound on Airport Drive and while attempting to pass a truck, struck the back end of the vehicle.

Police report Kleczka was pronounced dead at the scene. He was wearing a helmet.

The driver of the truck was not hurt.

MARINETTE (WTAQ-WLUK) - Marinette County officials are hoping new suspect sketches will help break the case in the murders of a young Green Bay couple 42 years ago.

The DNA collected from the scene was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) but never got a match.

For $4,000, the Marinette County Sheriff’s Office hired Parabon NanoLabs in Virginia to create a new sketch through a process called DNA phenotyping.

This process predicts the physical appearance and ancestry of an unknown person from their DNA.

“This is science at work,” said Marinette County Sheriff, Jerry Sauve. “To me this is fascinating, it’s exciting and a huge development in this case.”

The new sketches show the suspect at age 25, around the age when investigators believe he committed the crime and age 65, what he would look like today.

The news conference comes on the 42nd anniversary of the shootings.

Mathys' relatives tell Fox 11 they are hopeful the new sketches will lead to arrests and some closure for the family but declined to talk on camera about the sketches being released.

MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - Police say they arrested a man that hid in the trunk of a car, just to cause a disturbance at an apartment complex.

30-year-old Jason Appicelli of Minnesota was taken into custody for allegedly hiding in a woman's trunk in Sturgeon Bay, riding inside to Manitowoc. 

The woman told officers that she heard a knocking come from her trunk. 

She told officers that she let him out, but demanded that she give him a ride back to Sturgeon Bay.

She then told the man that he could stay there for the night, but he ended up causing a disturbance.

Appicelli made his initial bond appearance Monday. A $450 signature bond was set.

Police say they are requesting two misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest against Appicelli after being forced to use a stun gun. 

MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - A new technology was unveiled Monday in Manitowoc. 

Energybank debuted FUSION, a project that they have been working on for years.

“There really is no regular solar LED,” said founder Neal Verfuerth. “Everything on the market today has a battery and a lot of apparatus to make a grid-connected, where this doesn't have that.

Without converting the power, the lights have a longer life and they're cost-effective.

A phone app also measures the amount of power to use based on how much sun the location is getting at the time.

The technology separates each user from the power grid, so each building can be lighted independently.

Governor Scott Walker was at the facility Monday. While praising the company on its innovative LED lights, he said Energybank continues to grow and be a leader in technology.

“It's huge just looking at the number of employees. We're talking just about Energybank. The growth that they've had has more than doubled almost tripled the number of employees,” said Walker. “We're going to need to attract more millennials here.”

Company founder Neal Verfuerth says he's also addressing workforce shortage starting right in Manitowoc.

He says the company is always looking for people "that have the skills that are just looking for getting in the new industry that’s kind of on the leading edge of things,” said Verfuerth. “Some really like it and some don’t, as things change very quickly in this industry.”

Walker says Energybank is another example of bringing more talent to the state.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Democrat Kelda Roys announced an endorsement and her campaign agenda as she looks to challenge Governor Scott Walker to become the next Governor of Wisconsin.

In Green Bay Monday, Roys announced that she was being endorsed by Outagamie County Executive Thomas Nelson.

"I have known Kelda for almost 15 years and there is no better advocate and champion for working families," Nelson said. 

Nelson said he chose to endorse Roys after she rolled out her campaign agenda "Building Wisconsin's Future: An Agenda For Working Families."

Roys says the agenda has three pillars: education, healthcare, and economic security. 

Roys says part of her plan is to renew Wisconsin's commitment to Public Education, which includes universal access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education, free tuition to two-year universities and technical colleges, a chance to refinance student loan debt and restore cuts made to the UW-College system.

With healthcare, Roys says she wants to reduce prescription medication prices, make BadgerCare an option to reduce prices and expand access to mental and behavioral health services. 

To help workers and families, Roys says her goal would be to ensure woman have the right to choose, pass universal Paid Family & Medical Leave, Raise minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour, restore workers rights to collectively bargain, and eliminate WEDC. 

"I'm running for governor because I have a track record of delivering for working families, and Wisconsin needs that now more than ever," said Roys. "We can restore opportunity and fairness to Wisconsin, making our state a place where every child, and every family, can thrive."

BELLEVUE, WI (WTAQ-WTAQ) - The Brown County Sheriff's Department says fire crews were called to a trailer home just before 10 p.m. last night.

The fire broke out at Parkview Properties on the 1300 block of Bellevue Street.

A smoke detector woke up the homeowners.

They were able to get themselves and one of their dogs out of the house safely. One dog did not make it out.

Crews were able to control the fire within 30 minutes, but they stayed on the property for an additional three hours to inspect the damage and check for hot spots.

No one was injured.

Officials say the trailer house and a detached garage are both a total loss. The fire caused $90,000 worth of damage.

Bellevue Fire and Rescue is still investigating the cause.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Brown County voters are a step closer to being able to give their opinion on legalizing marijuana.

On Monday night, the county’s executive committee recommended putting two questions on the issue on ballots in November. However, the full county board's support is still needed before that happens.

“I think you owe it to us to put this on a ballot and let the people say yay or nay,” said Jeff Nelson of Green Bay.

Supervisors Erik Hoyer and Alex Tran are proposing an advisory referendum, which is not binding.

“This is a public opinion, allowing the state to gauge where people in Wisconsin are at on this issue,” said Tran.

24 people spoke on the subject during a public comment period.

23 supported a referendum.

“They are suffering medical patients with horrible and in some cases terminal ailments,” said Wendy Coriell of Green Bay about marijuana supporters.

“They are people tired of being arrested for partaking in a relaxing recreation, far safer than alcohol, that has killed no one.”

The one member of the public who spoke against a referendum was former Green Bay Alderman David Boyce.

“I believe the very best place to address this issue is at a state level.”.

Some executive committee members, like Brown County Supervisor John Van Dyke, agreed with Boyce, saying the county shouldn't be taking up a state matter.

“I think it's pretty clear that if you go to the polls and you're in support and this is your determining issue, then vote for the Democrats because then you're going to get what you want.”

In the end, the committee voted 3 to 2 in support of two referendum questions, one on full marijuana legalization, and one on only medicinal legalization.

Two committee members abstained.

“We represent the people, when they want to be heard, let them speak,” said Tom Sieber, a Brown County Supervisor.

The full county board is expected to make a final decision on a referendum at its meeting next Wednesday.

According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, ten counties in Wisconsin are considering similar advisory referendums.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Outagamie County officials believe a stretch of highway in the Fox Cities would become safer and less congested if they get their way.

Monday, the Highway & Solid Waste Committee voted to ask for an expansion.

Over the past five years, there have been about 450 crashes a year on Interstate 41 between Breezewood Lane in Neenah and Highway 441 in Appleton.

Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson tells FOX 11one way to make that stretch safer is to expand the highway.

"This has been a huge problem for several years. We have been beating the drum, asking for the state to give serious consideration and to expand this."

Highway Commissioner Dean Steingraber has been leading an effort to have the highway expanded, and now other county leaders are joining in.

Monday morning, the committee voted to write a resolution, asking the state to expand I-41 to six lanes between Highways 15 and 441.

Nelson says the resolution would also ask for more law enforcement resources from the state.

"It is local law enforcement from Little Chute, to Appleton, Grand Chute that is predominant…¦as well as Outagamie County Sheriff's Department…that are responding to these crashes, and it's an interstate."

One big concern the county executive has is that other highway projects, such as those in Racine County near Foxconn, have overshadowed others in the state that he said need more attention.

“Politics is about who pays and who gains, and right now it's communities like Outagamie County that are paying, while other parts of the state are gaining, and I think, fundamentally, that's just not right,” Nelson said.

State Rep. Dave Murphy, a Republican from Greenville, who said he has seen how dangerous that stretch of highway I-41 is, said other highway projects in the state, Foxconn included, are just as important, and they all need to be done.

He tells FOX 11 he strongly supports the expansion.

"This system ties into that, and so to keep the economic development going, we need them to come back and do this section through Appleton, and I'm going to make a strong push to get that done. We should bring the same kind of intensity to this project…once we get shovels in the ground, we need to keep it going, and get it done quickly."

After the resolution is written, the committee is expected to vote on the final wording at its meeting next month.

Once approved, the full county board would then vote on it.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - A homeless shelter in Green Bay has been looking for ways to help people who would otherwise take to the streets to sleep.

Monday, the city's planning commission voted unanimously to allow the shelter to do just that through the summer months.

In the past, St. Johns Shelter was not permitted to house people during the months it was closed, primarily summer, and parts of spring and fall.

Last week fire officials asked leaders of the shelter to apply for a permit to do so.

"We speak to the need that exists when doors close April 30th," said Alexia Wood. Wood is with the St. Johns Shelter.

She tells FOX 11...

"the reality is certainly homelessness exists beyond the six months St. Johns is able to meet that need."

Wood says the shelter has been considering being open for more than a year, however, it's a conversation that has been going on for over a decade.

At Monday's planning commission meeting, Wood said the shelter doesn't act as a long-term housing program, but an emergency for those in need.

APPLETON, WI (WLUK) - A traffic citation for reckless driving has been issued against a man who allegedly drove through several yards trying to flee police, and then aimed his vehicle at a police squad car.

The citation to James Skogman was filed Monday in Outagamie County. Criminal charges have not yet been filed.

Police tried to pull Skogman over July 5th, but he took off.

The vehicle then turned on the roadway at N. Appleton Street and continued at a high rate of speed, police say.

When the vehicle temporarily stopped in the 500 block of W. Wieland Avenue, officers tried to talk to Skogman but police say he drove through a yard and fence before getting on E. Northland Avenue.

A short time later, Skogman began tailgating an Appleton squad car at N. Meade Street and E. Glendale Street.

When officers attempted to box the vehicle in, police say Skogman accelerated and turned in front of one of the squad cars and crashed into it.

The officer was not hurt.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A 37-year-old Casco man is in custody for an armed robbery at the Shell gas station on East Mason Street Monday.

With the assistance of the Kewaunee County Sheriff's Department, officers arrested Robert Herrington.

Police Captain Kevin Warych says officers followed leads from the scene of the robbery and from a vehicle that was crashed into a porch in a residential neighborhood to identify the suspect.

"When that crashed occurred, we had a crucial piece of evidence being that vehicle."

Herrington is charged with Armed Robbery, Eluding and Officer and operating a motor vehicle without owners consent.

"This is a great example where the agencies came together to locate that individual and get him off the streets so that we as a community are safer."

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - After a rescue of 12 boys from a cave in Thailand, it may just be half the battle to recovery.

"They don't have any exposure to outside air, and there is water in there, so you wonder if there could be some potential for lung involvement."

Infections and respiratory concerns are two things that Bellin Infection Prevention Specialist Ellen Roy says come to mind given the situation that the boys were in.

"It is dark and wet and a breeding ground really."

She says their are multiple ways that can happen, but an open wound would be a common way.

She says to make matters worse, not having proper nutrition could compound the situation.

"That wound needs proper nutrition to heal, and if you are not getting that, it is not going to happen."

Roy added that being around that much water for that long of time is not helpful in keeping infection and disease away.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Green Bay Police Department is warning of a phone scam.

Police say residents have been reporting that they have been receiving calls from someone that claims to be from the police department, telling the victim that a relative was in custody.

The caller then asked for bail money. Officers say the department's number is even showing up on caller ID.

Officers say if you receive a similar call, you should hang up and call the police department yourself and contact the family member to confirm that they are okay, but never give payment.

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - A 7-year-old boy is alive after being hit by a car while riding his bike is Oshkosh.

The incident happened Monday evening in the 600 block of Frederick Street.

Officers say the boy rode into the roadway and was hit by a southbound car.

The boy suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers say the driver of the vehicle was a 27-year-old Oshkosh woman.