APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - An armed robbery of a home in Appleton on Wednesday morning has resulted in two arrests.

19-year-old Caleb Brown and 17-year-old Tyler Brown of Menasha have not been formally charged for the incident that took place at around 10 AM on Wednesday, but officials are recommending armed robbery and criminal damage to property charges.

Police first received a report of an armed robbery taking place in the 700 block of W. Eight Street from the victim that claimed three individuals dressed in black shot him with a stun gun.

The suspects drove away in a black Chevrolet truck after stealing two safes, according to the victim.

A description of the vehicle and partial license plate was dispatched to officers and during that time citizens provided crucial responses.

One individual reported seeing a similar vehicle on the Memorial Bridge over the Fox River and a large plastic bag being tossed into the water.

Suspicious activity was reported on the Fox Valley Technical College campus and a safe was found in the garbage outside a convenience store near the college.

A third suspect was not arrested.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Christmas came early for more than 200 students at Fort Howard Elementary school in Green Bay on Thursday as they received a new pair of shoes.

The kids have been devoting their time in the community throughout the year and were rewarded for their efforts.

"The shoes are really great just to get them motivated and getting them excited to have something that's all theirs, that they can wear and be proud of," says Katie Barrientos, a school social worker. "I love that they can make these connections and get excited about it. They're doing great things and getting something in return."

The kids appreciated their works of kindness being noticed.

"It's important to help other people because if you are generous people will be nice to you, and they will be your friend, and notice you in life, " says 4th-grade student Fredrick Freeman.

A local business called Breakthrough Fuel partnered with the "Shoes that Fit" non-profit organization to make the gifts possible.

"There are always going to be kids in need and I'm a mom of three and can't imagine what some of these kids might be," says Kim Larson from Breakthrough Fuel. "So if there is something we can do, even something as small as a pair of shoes that came make a difference for them we want to do that."

 New shoes were provided for more than 100,000 students at 2,200 schools across the country last year by the "Shoes that Fit" Organization.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - A high school in Appleton confirmed a student is being treated for a contagious disease.

The St. Francis Xavier High School student is now out of school recovering from tuberculosis.

Xavier High School families found out Thursday that one of their kids' classmates had contracted tuberculosis.

School principal Mike Mauthe tells FOX 11 the student isn't going to class until the bacterial disease can no longer spread.

"The protocols for treating tuberculosis are actually, fairly standard, and so that student is obviously in isolation and going through all of the treatment to recover.”

TB comes in two forms: one, where the bacteria is inactive and can live in your body without making you or others sick. Then there’s Active TB, or TB disease, which is what the high school student has.

Appleton Health Department health officer Kurt Eggebrecht tells FOX 11 TB disease is contagious.

"If somebody coughs or sings, or talks and you're in that airspace for a significant amount of time with that sick individual, that's how you can contract it.”

To catch the disease, health experts say you only need to be within six feet of an infected person.

Eggebrecht says they also need to have repeated contact with that person for about eight hours.

"In the state of Wisconsin, we see about 40 to 50 active TB cases a year, so it's not totally rare. In the city of Appleton, we've dealt with active TB cases multiple times in the last several years."

Other Xavier students, who might've been exposed to the infection, received letters from the Appleton Health Department.

"They are in a group to be at slightly a higher risk,” Mauthe said. “They will be tested by the health department for tuberculosis, and then followed-up with sometime later, as well."

Health officials want to stress, TB is not easily transmitted, and they don't believe the community is in serious danger.

The school is also offering free testing for any student or faculty member there on-site at the school.

Symptoms of tuberculosis include a cough, fever, weight loss, night sweats and some may even cough up blood.

Last year, 10 million people worldwide contracted TB. Of those cases, 9,000 were in the United States -- the fewest on record.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The tenth year of PCB dredging in the Fox River wrapped up Thursday.

Crews have been working to remove PCBs from the sediment in a process to clean up the popular waterway.

Much of this year’s work took place from Porlier Street in Green Bay north towards the mouth of the Fox River.

Scott Stein, spokesman for the Fox River cleanup project, say work is expected to resume in spring.

This year, for the first time, some areas of sediment were capped with sand, stone or quarry spall. About 52 acres were treated in this way.

Over the past decade, more than 5.4 million cubic yards of sediment have been dredged. And, more than three million tons of sediment has been processed and taken to the landfill for disposal.

ALLOUEZ, WI (WTAQ) - A portion of the East River Trail will be cleared for joggers and bikers this winter.

The village of Allouez says the trail will be cleared of snow and ice from Green Isle Park south to Wiese Park.

“We look forward to keeping this great trail open for year-round enjoyment by village residents and other trail users this winter," said Chris Clark, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry for the Village of Allouez.

“We hope to provide another opportunity for people to enjoy the great outdoors, especially during a time when we tend to be less active and stay indoors.”

The village parks department will also continue to groom a cross-country ski trail between Kiwanis Park and Wiese Park as weather permits.

Officials ask those jogging or biking not to use the cross country ski trail to prevent damage.

Trail hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. but officials say users should use caution as the trail is not lighted.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Hunters will be taking to the woods soon for the gun-deer season opener and officials are weighing in on what they can expect.

DNR Wildlife Biologist Josh Martinez gave his insight on the nine-day hunt and says in his opinion, conditions are overall favorable.

"Weather is looking great right now, our deer populations are looking pretty healthy across the state, and it's going to be a pretty good season I feel," says Martinez.

The weather will be something closely monitored throughout the next nine days.

If conditions are favorable it can often time make the process of tracking deer much easier for hunters.

"The snow is not really out there much in the northeast, but in the north, we're looking to have a little bit of snow on the ground, which will help deer stand out more," he explains.

He also noted that the nine-day deer season is being scheduled differently this year than times in the past.

That can bring with it some benefits to hunters.

"This year we have a little of an earlier nine day gun season, which is a little better for people that are looking to hunt the rut," says Martinez.

And Martinez has spent plenty of time before Saturday gathering thoughts from others involved.

"Talking with a lot of hunters, talking with meat processors in the last few weeks they've seen a big increase in the bucks that are coming in and being harvested," he says.

The nine day gun deer season begins this Saturday morning.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - An expansion project taking place on Webster Avenue means that an outdoor warning siren is getting the boot.

The siren is located in the area of North Webster Avenue and Vanderbraack Street.

According to Brown County Emergency Management, it's being taken down because there simply won't be enough room. 

The purpose of the warning sirens is to alert people of danger when they are outside.

Officials are encouraging people to utilize NOAA weather radios in order to be properly informed of severe weather.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Officials have given an update on hazardous chemicals that were found inside a Green Bay home Thursday morning.

"The scene has been rendered safe and those concerns have been alleviated."

Green Bay Captain Jeremy Muraski said Friday that the neighborhood is also no longer on alert as the chemicals found have been deemed to be non-explosive in their own capacity.

"There is nothing illegal about the chemicals themselves, but if they are combined in a certain way they can be highly volatile."

That is what tests that are being conducted will determine.

Captain Muraski said while the chemicals were typical, the setup was not.

"You see things like beakers and transfer containers," he said. "I would describe it as a collection of household and industrial type chemicals. It is not something that you typically see in your average workshop or under someone's sink."

Investigators also described the laboratory as "clandestine."

He also noted that a woman previously missing from the residence was found Friday morning in the basement.

The man living inside the home has been identified as 38-year-old Michael Anderson.

It was revealed in court on Friday that Anderson threatened to throw acid on officers when they entered his residence.

Anderson was charged with in relation to the disturbance call but could face additional charges depending on the chemical test results. 

"The chemicals that were mixed together that are undergoing further testing, could result in additional charges depending on what those results are."

Anderson is expected to be charged on November 28 and his current bail is set at $25,000.

This incident started as a disturbance call between a man and a woman around 9 a.m. Thursday, according to police. When police responded to the area, they said they saw the man and woman inside a vehicle, leaving the residence. After police made contact with the couple, they said the woman, who was not properly dressed for the cold weather, ran inside the home.

Captain Muraski says on Friday, they were able to locate a woman that they could not find Thursday. 

The woman was found in the basement of the residence and appeared to be attempting to conceal herself.

"Whether she left and came back or whether she was able to hide and conceal herself all day yesterday, we can't determine that."

Both Anderson and the woman live at the home, police say. Officers could not specify their relationship.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - A third arrest has been made in relation to an Appleton home invasion on Wednesday.

17-year-old Youcef Bentalla of Appleton was arrested Thursday but has yet to be formally charged.

A 17-year-old Caleb Brown and 19-year-old Tyler Brown, both from Menasha, were arrested on Wednesday and are facing charges including burglary, battery, and robbery with use of force.

The home invasion took place in the 700 block of W. Eighth Street. A victim was physically assaulted and shot with a stun gun by the three individuals. 

They stole two safes from the residence, which were both later recovered by police.

Both Tyler and Caleb Brown have been released on bail.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) -  Gas prices are down just in time for Holiday travel.

Patrick DeHaan of Gasbuddy.com says that is due in part to oil prices.

"Oil prices are down from about $76 dollars in early October to about $57 dollars.

He says production also has played a role this month.

"Supply suddenly increased as a result of OPEC increasing production and the US issuing waivers."

The low price in Green Bay is $2.35 and the average price is $2.50 a gallon. He says there are plenty of places to get gas below the average price.

"See if you can find gas for $2.45 or less."

For those planning on traveling for Thanksgiving, DeHaan says there really is no need to hurry and fill up.

"We will keep seeing prices fall across, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the region," he said. "If anything you may see prices go down a couple of cents between now and Thanksgiving. Especially when hitting the road, there is some low hanging fruit out there."

DeHaan added that those who are traveling towards Chicago may be able to save some money as they get closer to their destination.

"The Southeast portion of the state generally is cheaper."

Prices around the Fox Valley is similar to Green Bay with low prices at $2.35 a gallon and the average price at $2.51 a gallon.

BERLIN, WI (WTAQ) - A company in Berlin is proving this Holiday season that truly one man's trash can be another man's treasure.

Saving Grace Salvage Company is hosting their 13th annual Christmas Bazaar where they take old items and turn them into Holiday displays.

The discarded items could be an old bucket, or a chair seat, or a barrel lid.

The shop's assistant manager, Nicole Roost, says the event, which about a dozen vendors participate in, is counter to most people's mindset.

"We kind of been slated the throw-away society and we wanted to get away from that," she says. "We want to show people that we don’t have to throw things away, they still have value and they're still graceful and beautiful and that’s why we want to save them."

For the more daring, they will even provide raw materials to create a unique display.

And it all happens inside an old church that had its parish leave years ago. Perhaps because the building doesn't have heat inside.

"It sat empty for 12 years and we talked to the owner and he was thrilled and wanted to keep it from being torn down," says Roost.

Saturday from 10 to 6 PM is the last day the shop will be open for the year.

Plans are for it to reopen in May of 2019.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Officials have given an update on hazardous chemicals that were found inside a Green Bay home Thursday morning.

"The scene has been rendered safe and those concerns have been alleviated."

Green Bay Captain Jeremy Muraski said Friday that the neighborhood is also no longer on alert as the chemicals found have been deemed to be non-explosive in their own capacity.

"There is nothing illegal about the chemicals themselves, but if they are combined in a certain way they can be highly volatile."

That is what tests that are being conducted will determine.

Captain Muraski said while the chemicals were typical, the setup was not.

"You see things like beakers and transfer containers," he said. "I would describe it as a collection of household and industrial type chemicals. It is not something that you typically see in your average workshop or under someone's sink."

Investigators also described the laboratory as "clandestine."

He also noted that a woman previously missing from the residence was found Friday morning in the basement.

The man living inside the home has been identified as 38-year-old Michael Anderson.

It was revealed in court on Friday that Anderson threatened to throw acid on officers when they entered his residence.

Anderson was charged with in relation to the disturbance call but could face additional charges depending on the chemical test results. 

"The chemicals that were mixed together that are undergoing further testing, could result in additional charges depending on what those results are."

Anderson is expected to be charged on November 28 and his current bail is set at $25,000.

This incident started as a disturbance call between a man and a woman around 9 a.m. Thursday, according to police. When police responded to the area, they said they saw the man and woman inside a vehicle, leaving the residence. After police made contact with the couple, they said the woman, who was not properly dressed for the cold weather, ran inside the home.

Captain Muraski says on Friday, they were able to locate a woman that they could not find Thursday. 

The woman was found in the basement of the residence and appeared to be attempting to conceal herself.

"Whether she left and came back or whether she was able to hide and conceal herself all day yesterday, we can't determine that."

Both Anderson and the woman live at the home, police say. Officers could not specify their relationship.

TOWN OF MAINE, WI (WTAQ) - Outagamie County authorities are reporting a man has died after collapsing from chest pains while hunting early Saturday morning.

At 6:40 a.m. Officials were called out to Cty M and Cty F in the Town of Maine to assist a 38-year-old male who complained of chest pains and collapsed.

A family member began CPR and was aided by Outagamie County Dispatchers over the phone until medial help arrived.

The man passed away before he could be transported to a hospital.

The man's name is not being released until family is notified.

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ- WLUK) - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas all over Northeast Wisconsin.

Whether you do it yourself or hire some of “Santa’s little helpers” to do the heavy lifting this time, you now have options when it comes to decorating for the holidays.

“We offer exterior lighting, so we light roof lines, trees, we do the front planters in front of houses…anything from very simple to pretty high-end. The sky’s the limit for Christmas!” said Kelly Smith. She works in sales and design for Vande Hey Company.

No more hauling Christmas boxes out of the attic, untangling lights or fussing over things like burnt out fuses.

Tom Jensen, a sales consultant with Vande Hey Company says his team can add some convenience to holiday decorating.

“We bring in lifts, and tall ladders and things that people may just not want to do anymore. Things that might take them days and weeks to do, we can do in a much shorter time, and again, custom to their specific situation," he explained.

But for some people like Troy Campbell, who’s been transforming his Kaukauna home into the North Pole for the past decade, not decorating yourself takes away the magic of Christmas.

“When you put your heart and soul into it, knowing what your mission is, it puts a whole new light on things. Yeah, I can have somebody come do this, but it won’t be the way I’d like it,” said Troy Campbell, ”North Pole”Owner.

Campbell starts his decorating in September, and everything at the North Pole, Campbell has created himself.

“I listen to the guest that we have here; the children and what they’re looking for, and I like to surprise people with different things every year,” he said.

While he may feel hiring a company to do the work for him is a waste of time, time is what professional decorators say they give more of during the holidays.

“If you hire somebody to do your lighting, you have time to do more of the baking and the shopping," Smith said.

Whichever route you choose, happy decorating to all, and to all a goodnight.

Hiring a decorating company this holiday season can set you back anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on the project.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - Compared to this time last year the number of Deer Hunting licenses sold throughout the state is down 3%, and it's causing some concern for people in Wisconsin.

"I mean it's a lot of fun. Sitting in the woods and being in nature and everything," said local hunter Alexandria Berkhahn.

But a new report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, a nonpartisan research group, says fewer people seem to be interested in the activity.

"We found that hunting licenses have fallen by nearly 6% between 1999 and 2017," said Jason Stein from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. "Traditionally hunting has been a sport by rural white males and we live in a society that is urbanized. We also see fewer adults that can teach young people, and that makes it harder for people to get into the sport," he explained.

The drop in licensing sales is not only raising concerns for some hunters, but it could have a long-term effect on the state's revenue.

"There is something called the Fish and Wildlife account, and the money from the sales goes in that account. It's used for a whole variety of things, like paying DNR Wardens and conducting research," said Stein.

To address this issue, conservation groups around the state are now introducing ideas that could help generate more revenue.

One of those ideas is a possible increase in licensing fees for hunters.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - It happened in four states within three days, and the school year is just two months in. Six bus stop crashes resulted in five children dead and eight others seriously injured.

Robertson said, even with these recent tragedies making headlines across the country, people don't seem phased.

Robertson's daughter gets on the bus on County Highway BB, which sees more traffic than the average residential street.

"As a mom I'm concerned about it," she said. 

"Accidents that occur with pedestrians over 25 mph are far more likely to be fatal," said Jeremy Wildenberg, transportation manager for Green Bay Area Public Schools. He says following all of the recent bus stop deaths, he's asked bus drivers to be extra vigilant.

"I sent out, recently, a guidance to our bus companies to kind of follow up with their drivers on their monthly training meetings," said Wildenberg.

While bus drivers and students are taught how to avoid dangerous situations, it's ultimately on drivers.

"I like to think of an acronym called snow," said Wildenberg.

It stands for 'Slow down, no distractions, observe traffic laws, watch and wait,' all things Robertson says drivers aren't doing.

"People do not stop both ways. They seem to only want to stop behind the bus even so they sometimes pass the bus and the traffic," said Robertson, adding that drivers on the opposing side rarely stop at all.

According to Wisconsin's Department of Transportation, even on a four-lane road, all lanes of traffic must stop for a school bus. The only time opposing lanes do not have to stop, is if the highway is divided with a center median

Robertson says police have been responsive to her concerns. 

"It’s a lot to ask a police department to be here daily. It's got to be a culture change, its got to be a routine change for people to stop and listen, and imagine if your kids lived here," she said.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - A business that was impacted in a negative way by the latest construction project on Oneida Street in Appleton is now on the road to recovery.

"We got knocked pretty good for the last 19 months, we were down 20 percent or better over the course of that time frame."

Richard Neimuth was not sure that his business Neimuth's South Side Market was going to see the end of the project.

"We survived the two best years in the economy in the last 75 years but we didn't participate."

While plenty of noise was heard at the construction site, people not being able to get to the building meant business inside was anything but booming.

"Just lost income. There is no government program and no insurance. It is just by luck and determination that we made it through."

Neimuth says that went on for 19 months.

"You tighten your belt and we ran through our reserves and it was kind of touch and go here till the end on if we were going to make it or not."

He says since the project completed, business has picked up again and they received one more unplanned perk from the whole deal.

"Working with the one driveway we had, they took ten feet off of our lot and we were able to negotiate a new driveway which makes it easier for our delivery guys too."

Community members helped show their support by walking to the building and raising awareness on Facebook.

"We got a love from the community and a had a lot of great customers. 

He says that was a key to their survival.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Wisconsin Consumer Protection and the Better Business Bureau are warning of a Secret Santa that you don't want to participate in.

Its called "Secret Sister" and the gift exchange campaign is taking social media by storm.

The idea is to buy a little to get a lot back.

"It is asking users to send one gift valued at $10 dollars or more to your secret sister and promises up to 36 presents, but the twist is that you might be getting yourself involved in a pyramid scheme."

Michelle Reinen, Director of Consumer Protection says what makes it a pyramid scheme is how the exchange is designed and that the design allows for the original sender to get 36 gifts back in exchange.

"This type of gift exchange can see really reasonable in theory. When you break it down you have six friends that will all invite six more friends and they will all send gifts to the person in that first level spot, she said. "The process repeats itself and then the person in the second level spot will do the same thing so you can see the beginning of the pyramid.

On top of the activity being illegal, Reinen says the activity is also subject to mail fraud.

"The U.S Postal Service would have concerns given that participants could ultimately be subject to penalties for mail fraud because they would be using the mail system in order to transfer these gifts."

She adds the fact that the original participant's address is sent to people they don't know, identity theft is a concern.

"There could also be concern that someone that is part of the scheme could also just be collecting data for future scams and then you will be targeted for those as well.

The Better Business Bureau says if you receive an invite on Facebook, click the three dots at the upper right corner of the post and report the post.

The scam has been dormant since 2015.

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Experts are warning Wisconsin travelers that they'll see more cars on the road this Thanksgiving holiday.

Nick Jarmusz with AAA says they're expecting a five percent increase in travelers state-wide for the holiday and most of that increase will be on the roads.

"Right here in Wisconsin were expecting very close to a million people will be making a trip of 50 miles or more from home at some point during that holiday period," he explains.

He says a steady economy and low-unemployment is driving the increase.

"People will travel and want to travel if they have the means to do it," says Jarmusz.

All that traffic means congested highways, especially on a couple of busy days.

Jarmusz says a couple of factors will make the day before Thanksgiving the busiest travel day of the week.

"You're going to have a mix of folks who are getting that early start and hitting the roads for their travel mixing in with those who are still doing their daily commute," he explains.

Another busy day will be Sunday when most people are returning from trips prior to the start of the work week.

If possible, AAA recommends traveling on Thanksgiving Day, Friday, or Saturday to avoid heavy traffic.

The good news for those embarking on longer trips is that gas prices have taken a steep hit just recently.

"Probably about a 30-cent decrease from where we were just this time last month," says Jarmusz.

He says that won't have much of an effect on the number of people taking to the road, but should lighten the financial impact on traveling parties.

Congestion for air travel should mirror similar trends to road traffic, according to AAA.

Expect moderate crowds on Monday, heavy traffic on both Tuesday and Wednesday, and then relatively light crowds on Thanksgiving Day. 

Additionally, last-minute flight availability is expected to be very limited.

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas all over Northeast Wisconsin.

While many are decking the halls themselves, some folks are hiring outside help.

Whether you do it yourself or hire some of “Santa’s little helpers” to do the heavy lifting this time, you now have options when it comes to decorating for the holidays.

Many landscaping companies, like Vande Hey Company in Appleton, have made a list of services, checked it twice and decided to add Christmas decorating to it this time of year.

“We offer exterior lighting, so we light roof lines, trees, we do the front planters in front of houses…anything from very simple to pretty high-end. The sky’s the limit for Christmas!” said Kelly Smith. She works in sales and design for Vande Hey Company.

No more hauling Christmas boxes out of the attic, untangling lights or fussing over things like burnt out fuses.

Tom Jensen, a sales consultant with Vande Hey Company tells FOX 11 his team can add some convenience to holiday decorating.

“We bring in lifts, and tall ladders and things that people may just not want to do anymore. Things that might take them days and weeks to do, we can do in a much shorter time, and again, custom to their specific situation.".

But for some people like Troy Campbell, who’s been transforming his Kaukauna home into the North Pole for the past decade, not decorating yourself takes away the magic of Christmas.

“When you put your heart and soul into it, knowing what your mission is, it puts a whole new light on things. Yeah, I can have somebody come to do this, but it won’t be the way I’d like it.”

Campbell starts his decorating in September, and everything at the North Pole, Campbell has created himself.

“I listen to the guest that we have here; the children and what they’re looking for, and I like to surprise people with different things every year.”

While he may feel hiring a company to do the work for him is a waste of time, time is what professional decorators say they give more of during the holidays.

“If you hire somebody to do your lighting, you have time to do more of the baking and the shopping."

Hiring a decorating company this holiday season can set you back anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on the project.