MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ) - A Manitowoc business caught fire early Tuesday morning and firefighters are continuing an investigation of its cause.
An on-patrol police officer spotted smoke coming from Extreme Audio just after 6 a.m.
When firefighters arrived they discovered the fire in the garage and the building was filled with smoke.
The fire was put out quickly by crews.
The building was empty when crews arrived and there is no estimate on total damages yet.
HARRISON, WI (WTAQ) - A fatal crash over the weekend in Calumet County has resulted in an arrest and charges.
Officials say a 22-year-old man operating a motorcycle struck a 13-year-old on a bike.
A 53-year-old woman was a passenger on the motorcycle and was killed.
The Calumet County Sheriff's Office is recommending charges for homicide by drunk driving and driving with a revoked license for the man.
Officials say he could face more charges in the future.
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - It could be an early harvest for farmers in Brown County, due to warm temperatures.
These conditions have been conducive to crop growth, which Jonathan Wiese from Wiese Brothers Farms can attest too.
"We've got some corn that's 12 to 13 feet tall," explains Wiese. "Typically 10 to 12 feet is a really good crop."
Things weren't always so optimistic though.
"2018's been a rollercoaster," claims Wiese. "We started out with blizzard Evelyn in April, so that set us back."
Brown County Agronomist Brent Petersen finds the growth slightly surprising considering the conditions.
"The crop in Brown County has actually been doing pretty good considering we haven't had a lot of moisture this year," he explains.
If farmers are able to harvest early that will allow for winter cover crops to be planted early.
Some farmers are still looking for more rain, but once harvest begins they'll be looking for dry conditions.
MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - The city of Madison is starting the cleanup process after a tough start to the week.
Monday night, inches of rain fell throughout Dane County in short period of time.
"It was just a relentless driving rain. Some areas got up to 13 inches, said Bob Hague of the Wisconsin Radio Network.
He said the rain fell so fast, it caught many off guard.
"It has been kind of a traumatic time for Madison and Dane County."
Hague lives and works in Madison and was able to make it home Monday night, others were not.
"Businesses in Middleton sheltered hundreds of people overnight because they were unable to make it home."
Hundreds were stranded in Middleton overnight in the heavy rain, including over 100 people at Costco and another 100 or so at Fairfield Inn.
One person was killed after being swept away by the water.
"A man in his 70's basically was torn out of the grasp of rescuers and sucked into a culvert. It was a very tragic situation."
Two other people in the vehicle the man was driving were rescued by people who came to their aid.
Hauge says the initial cleanup is expected to cost about $250 thousand dollars but that may just be the start.
"Eventually could cost to the city could run into the millions."
Some areas in Dane County got as much as 13 inches of rain.
As flood waters start to recede in Dane County, officials are reminding you that the cleanup is going to take a while.
Wisconsin emergency management spokesman Andrew Beckett says never try to move back into a flooded home until it's been completely cleaned.
"You don't know exactly what was necessarily what was in the water that may have entered your home or other areas, so you need to make sure that you clean it thoroughly and that it is completely dried out as much as possible before you try to inhabit that area again."
Any drywall that's been flooded out will have to be replaced to prevent mold growth, and you should also make sure to do a proper inspection of your home's foundation to make sure it's still structurally sound.
As for stranded vehicles, Middleton Police Chief Chuck Foulke guestimates they dealt with up to 100 of them.
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Just days after a boat crash on Lake Winnebago, friends are sharing pictures and memories of Cassie and Lauren Laabs, the two women who lost their lives in the collision.
While the loss of her friend is hard to accept, Rachel Schreiner says she’s also hurting for Lauren and Cassie’s parents and one sister left behind.
“I can’t even imagine what she’s going through, not only losing her two sisters but her two best friends,” said Schreiner.
There were three Laabs sisters in all. Lauren, Jessie, and Cassie are all described as being a tight, bubbly family.
26-year-old Lauren and 20-year-old Cassie were thrown into the water after their 20-foot boat collided with a 26-foot boat around 8:30 Saturday night in the Town of Vinland.
“She just made you feel good about yourself,” Schreiner said of Cassie. “Lauren was her role model and that’s the person she looked up to the most and she wanted to be just like her and travel.”
Lauren spent the last two years traveling to Africa and helping people.
Cassie wanted to teach either kindergarten or first grade.
“My friends and I realize that she didn’t get the chance to teach them, but she did get the chance to teach us many things through our friendships about how wonderful life is.”
This year was supposed to be Cassie’s Junior year at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee.
“We all live like streets away from each other,” said Schreiner.
That will make it hard to start the new semester in the coming weeks.
It still hasn’t sunk in for Schreiner that one of her best friends is gone.
“Earlier last year we went to the Milwaukee Art Museum and we were just like, in awe of how old things were.”
Today, she can’t help but Smile when she thinks of her intellectual friend.
“Cassie was just telling me 'Rach, we should go here more often it’s so much fun. I didn’t know we had this in common' because not many people think of the history that way.
Investigators with the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office have not determined any cause of death yet.
DE PERE, WI (WTAQ) - A bike ride that will start at the Mississippi River and end at Lake Michigan will be accomplished this weekend by a local area high schooler that's attempting to raise funds for an educational not-for-profit organization.
Theodore (Theo) Van Straten, a senior at Notre Dame Academy, is on his way to reaching his goal of raising $10,000 for the Einstein Project.
The Einstein Project is a resource management center that promotes STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education by providing interactive lessons and necessary materials.
Van Straten is attempting to raise the money to create a Mobile Makerspace for the Green Bay-based organization.
A Makerspace is an area which provides tools, materials, and expertise to foster hands-on STEM education and project learning.
Presently, there is a Makerspace named "Einstein's Sandbox" at the Einstein Project's headquarters in Green Bay, but many students have difficulty attending on-site programs.
"It's not plausible to bring kids in from a couple hours away to a Makerspace if they only have a day," explains Van Straten.
Van Straten envisions a Mobile Makerspace Vehicle that could bring the supplies directly to schools and allow students expanded access.
Why is this cause so important to him? Van Straten enjoyed many of the STEM projects himself when he was younger.
"I did the whole eco-column thing and light up a house and certain projects that they still do today," says Van Straten.
To achieve this goal he is attempting to raise $10,000 and has already received support from local businesses, such as Associated Bank and Bellin Health.
To expand his fundraising, Theo will be utilizing one of his passions.
"I just always had a love for bikes," explains Van Straten. "I liked building them."
Except Theo won't be building any bikes soon.
Instead, he will be embarking on a cross-state bike ride this weekend that will start in Dubuque, Iowa and finish in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
From start to finish the trek will cover roughly 175 miles.
His longest previous ride is around 25 or 30 miles, but he's firm that he'll be up to the challenge.
Theo is encouraging individuals to support his goal by donating online at www.gofundme.com/toolsforthemind.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The fall season means online shopping is once taking place in high numbers, and it's another opportunity for scam artists to spoil your shopping experience
This time of year, many are shopping online for NFL apparel and back to school items.
"It is the second largest shopping season of the year."
Susan Bach Northeast Wisconsin Regional Director of the Better Business Bureau says people are sharing credit card information across various sites, in hopes of saving a buck, but scam artists are working.
"You may get some great deals online, but know that there are a lot of phony websites out there."
Bach says fake websites will either send you nothing or counterfeit items in exchange for your hard earned money.
She says that can be done by knowing what the average price is for the items you are shopping for and it may be a better decision to pay a little more at well-known sites, to ensure you get your items.
The Better Business Bureau says there are other things to keep in mind when you are shopping online.
1. Poor-quality photos and unprofessional-looking, generic design are huge red flags that the site can't be trusted. Look out for strange wording or spelling and grammar mistakes, as it's common for these sites to be run out of countries where English isn't the first language.
2. With some exceptions, most established companies have been on the Internet for years. If you're not sure about a site, check the Wayback Machine, an archive of the Internet found at archive.org. Users can look up a website and see archived versions of the website across time.
3. Beware if the seller is requiring you to pay by money order, bitcoin, cash, wire transfer or a prepaid gift card. Reputable sites will almost always allow you to pay with secure methods, such as credit cards, debit cards or PayPal. With methods such as wire transfers, you have very little recourse to get your money back.
4. If the contact email given is a yahoo email address, or if there's simply a form to fill out on the page instead of an address or phone number, watch out. Trusted firms and retailers typically use their company name or the site's domain name in their email address. An international contact number is also another major sign something is amiss.
5. A trustworthy retailer will tell you how and where to return a product you're unhappy with. Fake websites, on the other hand, will often have refund policies that are difficult to understand, hard to find or nonexistent. Of course, bad reviews from other users is one of the biggest signs that a website is fraudulent. Type the company's name and "scam" into Google and see if there are any complaints about the site. Also, check the Better Business Bureau for reviews (bbb.org) or use our Scam Tracker tool to see if others have reported the site.
6. Go with your gut. People are often willing to defer disbelief because they want it to be true – they want the discounts they're seeing to be real. These days, you must do a little bit of research, try to determine if the website is official before putting in your credit card info.
6. If you think you've already made a purchase from a fraudulent website, file a complaint with the BBB or report it to BBB Scam Tracker.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - This school year marks the beginning of an attempt to turn around the academics at Green Bay's Washington Middle School.
The school district hired a new principal and an outside consulting firm to get the job done.
Coming from Oshkosh's Merrill Middle School, new Washington principal Cindy Olson tells FOX 11 she's heard of the problems troubling her new school.
“If what was reported is accurate, then there is a need for some change.”
Former teacher Kerstin Westcott outlined dangerous and unsafe conditions to the school board during a meeting in June 2017.
“Students and staff are physical, verbally, emotionally, mentally, and sexually abused every single day,” Westcott told the board.
In response, Green Bay schools have focused on ways to improve student behavior.
In February, the district said it had stabilized the behavior and looked towards academic improvement by hiring a new principal.
“I think one of the important pieces is to recognize this is a way different skill set and a very different individual than what we've ever had in there,” said Superintendent Michelle Langenfeld in February.
Olson beat out 30 other candidates for the job.
“It's really about systems and creating systems that help students feel safe at school and help teachers create an environment in the classroom where they can teach,” said Olson.
Staff members didn't have to be part of the academic turnaround if they didn't want to.
The school district offered teachers the opportunity to leave, with certain job placement at another school if they wanted.
Without knowing reasons for leaving, Olson believes about 15 percent of the staff is different compared to last year.
However, she says while some people chose to leave, others were fighting to be part of what is going on here.
“I believe in Green Bay's mission and doing right by students and I believe in this community,” said Jeanne Wall, a new associate principal at Washington.
Wall left her job in Two Rivers to join Washington's staff. She tells FOX 11 teachers are ready to turn things around, with Olson leading.
“From what I have seen so far, she is truly an inspirational leader and I think she is going to do wonderful things for Washington and this community.”
The last few weeks, Olson has spent her time meeting with more than 60 staff members.
“I know that every staff that I've talked with is very committed to the students that come to school here.”
The principal team has a plan for the new year's first 100 days. Olson says it includes specific benchmarks to hold the staff accountable for students' success.
The state's academic report cards for districts and schools for last year have not been released yet.
However, for the 2016-17 school year, the state identified Washington as "meeting few expectations."
Its rating was last among the district's five middle schools.
DE PERE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - De Pere residents will be voting this November on whether the city should pay for two new pools.
The city's common council voted unanimously Tuesday night to hold a binding referendum.
After rallying all summer to save their pool, supporters of Legion Pool were confident going into the likely make-or-break vote for their summer hangout.
De Pere resident Beth Hornsbth tells FOX 11...
“We just have to get over this hurdle I think before we really think of what's coming next.”
Almost two years after voting to eventually close the pools at Legion and VFW Parks in favor of one aquatic center, the common council agreed to cancel those decisions and let voters decide.
“A lot of that was driven by citizens saying what about this, what about that, and that really led to us relooking at the whole thing and deciding, you know what, the information has changed, the factors have changed, so let’s reconsider this decision right now.” said Larry Lueck, an alderperson for De Pere.
The referendum will ask residents if the city should go over its levy limit up to $900,000 to pay for upgrades and operation of the pools at VFW and Legion Parks.
“You can see in the room tonight, the citizens are thrilled,” said Dan Van Straten of De Pere. “This is a huge win.”
While Legion Pool supporters celebrate tonight's decision, Van Straten tells FOX 11 more work needs to be done.
”I think that is huge. We work with the city, we work with the city council, we work together as neighbors and we find a way to make this happen.”
No one at the meeting spoke in opposition of holding the referendum.
A decision on what type of pools will be put at each park will be made if November's vote passes.
FOX CROSSING, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Some parents are raising concerns about a sex offender living next to an elementary school in Fox Crossing.
The playground at Spring Road School is right behind Jayprakash Raval's house. Raval is a recently registered sex offender.
Parent Michael Meacham tells FOX 11 he's concerned.
"I don't think it's right that a convicted sex offender lives where his backyard is in the playground of an elementary school, I think that's my biggest concern."
Meacham's daughter attends Spring Road School.
In Wisconsin, police say a sex offender can't live within 1,500 feet of a school.
"However there is an exception to that rule if the offender already has a pre-established residency there," explained Dan Wiechman with the Fox Crossing Police Department.
In this case, Raval had been living the home before the crime happened, meaning he is legally allowed to keep living there.
"I can't believe there's not any rules or laws preventing this," said Meacham.
The Winnebago County District Attorneys office told FOX 11, Raval was first charged with having child pornography,
That charge was later lessened to "Causing a Child under 13 to View or Listen to Sexual Activity.".
"I reached out to the superintendent of the joint school district, she responded back that unfortunately there's not a lot they can do, I find that hard to believe, given the size of the school district," said Meacham.
In a statement, the Neenah Joint School District said,
Safety is always the top priority for the Neenah Joint School District, but the District has no control over where people choose to live. We continue to be vigilant and protective of our children at school every day and urge our families and neighbors to do the same.
Meacham said he's shocked at the situation and isn't looking forward to the start of school.
"I'm not excited about sending her to that school right now because I know she plays out there three times a day, early in the morning."
There are more than 500 registered sex offenders in Winnebago County, 30 of which are in Fox Crossing.
FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Voters in Fond du Lac County won’t get to weigh in on the legalization of marijuana come November.
Tuesday night, the county board of supervisors discussed adding an advisory referendum to ballots.
That decision was referred back to the county's health and public services committees.
“It will not appear on the November ballot in Fond du Lac County,” said FDL County Board of Supervisors chairperson Martin Farrell.
The committees will discuss the resolution at their next meeting, however, county board officials say, even if it is passed, it'll be too late to include it in the November ballot.
“It’s not enough time to block-out the ballots, and get them ready for printing,” Farrell said. “So, in effect, by referring to the committee, the practical effect of that is that it won’t be on the Fond du Lac County ballot this year.”
If the board had agreed to add the referendum, Fond du Lac County would've joined nine other counties in the state, asking voters for their opinions on the legalization of marijuana.
It wouldn’t have changed state law, but it would’ve allowed voters to be heard like they were given the chance to be at Tuesday’s board meeting.
“We are the people that are here, you are there to listen to what we say, and we need your help!” said a supporter of the referendum at the meeting.
The board allowed four people on each side of the issue to speak, though only three opposing the referendum took to the podium.
They included a resident who spoke of the increase in violence and crime in states where marijuana has been legalized.
“Let us not send a message to legislators that we are open to increasing an already slippery-slope problem among youth and adults in our county and our state,” a speaker on the opposing side said.
This crowd consisted mostly of those wanting to see the marijuana-related wording on general election ballots.
The advisory referendum would’ve asked Fond du Lac residents three questions, regarding the use and legalization of cannabis.
The options voters could've chosen from related to legalizing the regulated, adult use of marijuana, the medical use of it or neither.
Supervisors heard from the public for almost two hours.
Board members then got their turn to voice their opinions.
Some believed this issue shouldn't have even been brought before the board.
Sam Kaufman, another FDL chairperson, tells FOX 11....
“If this is really the heart of the issue, why would you then bring something to the county, instead, that’s effective, and that we can do!”
“I, frankly, would prefer to deal with county issues we can control,” Farrell said.
The other counties in Wisconsin will be asking similar marijuana-related advisory questions to voters in the fall.
BELLEVUE, WI (WTAQ) - Stained gloves and rags ignited behind a water heater, causing a fire at a Bellevue business this morning.
Bellevue Fire-Rescue called to Lok Safe Storage at 1932 Verlin Road around 6:30 a.m.
Everyone on the property, owned by PRK Construction, made it out safely.
Firefighters had to deal with dense smoke inside the building.
They put the fire out quickly and damage to the structure was minimized.
Bellevue Fire-Rescue says it's important for everyone to properly dispose of oily rags by keeping them in well covered, metal cans.
They also should be thoroughly dried before collection or transport.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Green Bay Police was dispatched to the 1100 blk of Cherry Street just after 1 a.m. this morning for a disturbance involving an unknown number of people in the street.
It was reported that one possible gunshot was heard.
Upon arrival, officers observed signs of a disturbance in the street and detained Donavan Mitchell, a 27-year-old Green Bay resident.
In the investigation, Mr. Mitchell admitted to being in the disturbance but the extent of his level of involvement was unknown.
As the investigation continued, officers spoke with witnesses and located what appears to be a bullet hole in a home in the 1100 blk of Cherry Street.
Officers secured the immediate area and began a crime scene investigation.
Mr. Mitchell was transported to the police department to be interviewed to fully understand his level of involvement.
As Mr. Mitchell was being interviewed, officers and detectives spoke with witnesses and collected evidence at the shooting scene.
Investigators were able to determine that Mr. Mitchell was more involved in the disturbance and believed he was responsible for the shooting.
Additionally, two guns were recovered in the investigation, one of which investigators believe was used in the shooting.
Mr. Mitchel is in custody and we are recommending charges to the Brown County District Attorney for:• Felon in possession of a firearm• 2nd degree recklessly endangering safety• Possession of marijuana• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
At this point in the investigation, there are no reported injuries and investigators are working to determine who the intended target was and or why the specific house was shot.
At this point, we have an innocent citizen who has a bullet hole in the front of their home. Investigators believe this is not a random act and the involved parties are associates of one another.
At this time, the motive is difficult to determine as the involved parties are not cooperating with investigators.
We are seeking the communities help in identifying other individuals as investigators would like to speak with any additional witnesses or persons who were involved in this disturbance.
Anyone with information pertaining to this shooting is urged to contact the Green Bay PD at 920 448-3208.
Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact the Green Bay area crime stoppers, either by calling 920-432-7867 or utilize the P3 app for reporting a crime in the greater Green Bay area.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A binding referendum has been approved by the Green Bay city council that will address an ordinance to establish term limits for various city offices.
Proposals on the referendum include that the city's mayor would not be able to serve more than three consecutive four-year terms, Aldermen would not be able to serve more than six consecutive two-year terms, and a municipal judge would not be able to serve more than three consecutive four-year terms.
The November 6 election will have this referendum on the ballot.
CHILTON, WI (WTAQ) - Further details have been released surrounding a fatal crash in Calumet County on Sunday between a motorcycle and a bicycle.
22-year-old Codi J. Miller of Kaukauna has been charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and six other counts.
His passenger, 53-year-old Kim Anderson, was killed when their motorcycle struck an individual on a bike.
The 13-year-old boy who was riding his bike remains at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa.
Miller told police that he had two drinks at Anderson's home in Kimberley, according to the complaint.
Miller was traveling east along Highway KK, when he attempted to swerve and miss the boy on his bike, but instead clipped his rear tire.
Both Miller and Anderson were tossed from the motorcycle once it flipped over.
Miller had a .02 limit for driving, because of three previous drunken driving convictions. His blood alcohol concentration was .210 at the time, according to a blood test.
A $10,000 cash bond was set when Miller appeared in court on Wednesday.
He will return to court for a preliminary hearing on August 30.
(WTAQ) - There could be more construction coming to I-41 in the future.
Governor Scott Walker announced on Wednesday that he's calling on the Department of Transportation to evaluate expanding sections of the interstate between Appleton and DePere.
Walker cited the importance of the roadway in the continued growth of northeastern Wisconsin.
The Department of Transportation has responded by stating that a study could take six months to complete.
Mark Kantola, DOT communications manager for northeast Wisconsin, claims there's a lot of factors to look at.
"We're going to look at the safety factors. We're going to look at the crash data factors, we're going to look at traffic forecasting," he told Fox 11 News.
Rep. Amanda Stuck, D-Appleton thinks the idea could be a good thing, but we're far away from anything concrete happening.
"There's no funding there to actually make this happen. We have several projects already who are in this phase, a little farther along that have already been suspended or on hold for numerous reasons so even if we do a study, there's no guarantee that anything will actually happen unless there's funding forward," she told Fox 11 News.
The first step in this process would be collecting data, followed by handing that information to the Transportation Projects Commission.
Following a review, they would then give recommendations to the Governor and Legislature.
MENASHA, WI (WTAQ) - A special event was hosted in Menasha on Wednesday by Gold Cross Ambulance to honor three golfers that saved a life.
Steve Smith was playing golf in freedom when he went into cardiac arrest and bystanders began CPR.
Responders later took over when they arrived and Smith's heart began beating again.
The event Wednesday showed that anyone can be trained in CPR and able to save a life.
It also provided Smith and his wife an opportunity to thank the individuals that acted quickly.
ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) - With one year in the books, Kate Green, Executive Director for the Ashwaubenon PAC says they are excited to launch the second year for the Performing Arts Series.
"It was very successful. The community really embraced not only the Performing Arts Series itself but other shows throughout the year and a lot of great comments about the venue."
The series has something for all ages.
Green says they were open to suggestions on what people would like to see and one big thing will be added this time around.
"Family-friendly Saturday matinee performances, so families can come out and enjoy something a little different."
Green says the first year was just to get underway, now they are ready to take off.
"We have 18 titles this year, so we expanded and offered a little more variety."
She says there already a lot to do in the Green Bay area, but this offers a little different feel.
"It's a unique space, we have about 700 seats, so it really offers something right in the heart of Ashwaubenon, just south of the new Titletown District."
The performances begin in September.
An entire calendar of events can be found here.
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) - It's a chance to have a kitten meet and greet in Oshkosh.
The Oshkosh Humane Society is having another Kittenpalooza this weekend.
"This is the time of year that we see just a tremendous number of kittens that come through."
Due to the high number of cats on hand, Executive Director Joni Geiger says it is time to find them a good home, and hopefully, people come willing to take two.
"We find that kittens really do better in pairs because kittens are like kids, they play, they sleep, they eat."
Geiger says if families are seriously considering adopting, they won't be able to complete the process on Saturday, but they should bring everyone in the family if possible.
"If mom and dad can bring kids, that is great. It just helps the process to make sure that everyone is comfortable with the choice they make."
The event is Saturday from 10 to 2.
There is no fee to adopt kittens.
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - With students returning to school across the state, Appleton is taking steps to ensure people from all backgrounds feel welcomed this year.
The Appleton Area School District is hiring Pa Lee Moua as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, which will allow her to act as an advisor, strategic leader, and partner to support equity and inclusion.
Moua explains her own diverse background.
"I actually moved to the United States in 1985," explains Moua. "My family was part of the third wave of Hmong refugees that came to the United States during that time."
Since then, she has established strong roots in Wisconsin.
Moua has lived in Appleton for the last 23 years and graduated from Appleton North High School. She and her husband are also raising their family of four children in town.
Moua knows first-hand of the towns strong culture.
"Being very involved in the community here, I know there is a lot of good people, a lot of good agency, and a lot of good organizations," she says.
She will now be transitioning from being an Associate Dean of Students at Lawrence University to serving as an advisor and strategic leader for the entire district.
She believes her professional and personal experience in the Appleton community will serve to her advantage in this new position.
"This was a great opportunity where not only will it be personal impactful, but also where I could make the most change and impact in students lives," says Moua.
