Green Bay News

MADISON — The Legislature’s budget committee plans to vote Friday on funding for the state’s university system. Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to cut $300 million in state aid over the next two-year budget has received a lot of attention across the state in the past four months.

The Republican-controlled budget committee’s spending plan for the state’s universities is still in the works, according to co-chair State Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette.

“Well, we’ve got to meet with the Senate yet,” Nygren told FOX 11 late Thursday afternoon. “And that will probably happen later this evening, early tomorrow.”

Nygren expects to make an announcement just before Friday’s Joint Finance Committee meeting. It’s scheduled for 10 am, but that time could be pushed back.

Lawmakers say they will be making changes to Walker’s UW proposal.

The proposed $300 million reduction would be about 13 percent of UW’s state funding, but just 2.5 percent of its total budget. The governor said that cut could be addressed by cutting the system from state laws and allowing it to operate under a model known as a public authority.

Walker also called for freezing tuition for two years and limiting future increases to no more than the rate of inflation.

Nygren says the committee hopes to reduce the size of the cut, but he hasn’t given an amount. He does plan to reject the governor’s plan to free the UW system from state oversight. However, he said some new flexibilities could still be added.

Nygren says the tuition freeze will likely stand.

Republicans have a 12-4 advantage over Democrats on the committee. The Assembly Minority Leader says Republicans should instead be looking to spend more on higher education.

“It’ll be interesting to see what they bring forward,” said State Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha. “Obviously Democrats will have alternatives to fund the university system.”

Campuses across the state have been preparing for a funding reduction with hiring freezes, athletic cuts and early-retirement programs.

The budget committee is also scheduled to vote Friday on funding for state roads, but Nygren says the panel may have to meet again over the weekend or early next week.

Everything the budget committee passes still has to be approved by the full, Republican-controlled Legislature. Then it heads to the governor who can use his line-item veto power to make more changes.

The Oneida Nation is changing its marriage law to include same-sex marriages.

The Oneida Business Committee unanimously accepted the change Thursday.

The tribe’s amended definition of marriage replaces “husband and wife” with “spouses” and language has been removed that requires marriage to be between two adults of the opposite sex.

Chairman of the Legislative Operating Committee, Brandon Stevens, says he’s very excited for the changes, “Our court has comity which means the marriages conducted here will be recognized statewide and recognizes our sovereignty.”

The amended law will become effective June 10, 2015.

DOOR COUNTY – The blossom is underway for what may be considered Door County’s “other crop.”

While cherries outnumber apples four-to-one in terms of acreage, many apple orchards are going strong.

The blossoms are a buzz at Robertson Orchard near Sturgeon Bay.

“Now, we got another nice pollinating day. Beautiful weather. Sunny. The bees are flying,” said Kris Robertson, Robertson Orchards of Door County Owner.

Robertson says his 14 acres of apple trees turned white on schedule.

“They started last week, and over the weekend. Now they’re pretty much at full bloom. Some are starting to drop,” he said.

Robertson says he is still recovering from harsh winters that killed hundreds of trees on his orchard.

“That was three months of below zero weather that we had from like December through February,” he said.

And it’s not just wintry weather that impacts crops.

At the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station north of Sturgeon Bay, what a difference a year makes. It was just last summer, when a hail storm raced through the area damaging nearly every type of crop on the 20-acre site.

“The apple crop looks really good. We had a freeze about a week and a half ago. We were a little worried about that. Some of the low spots got nipped a little bit, but for the most part, the cherry and apple crop looks really good this year,” said Matt Stasiak, Peninsular Agricultural Research Station Superintendent.

Stasiak says the amount of flowers looks promising.

“The bloom is a little heavier this year, so that usually means that the crop is going to be a little bit better this year,” he said.

And with a little help from the bees, Robertson says he hopes to be busy with the harvest this fall.

“I think we’re going to have a nice apple crop. The way it looks, the blossoms, a lot of pollination. So it looks like a good year,” he said.

If all goes according to plan, the apple harvest in Door County generally begins around the third week in September.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin may be the first state in the country to certify teachers who don’t have bachelor’s degrees under a provision put in the state budget, a move that has drawn widespread criticism and that Gov. Scott Walker refused to say Thursday whether he supports.

Under the change, anyone with relevant experience could be licensed to teach non-core academic subjects in grades six through 12. They would not need a bachelor’s degree and they could even be a high school dropout.

Anyone with a bachelor’s degree could be licensed to teach in core subjects of English, math, social studies or science.

The decision on whether to hire someone with the alternative certification would be up to the school district, including private schools that accept voucher students and independent charter schools.

The provision was added to the state budget last week with a 1:30 a.m. vote, with all Republicans in support and Democrats against. The budget must pass the Senate and Assembly, both controlled by Republicans, and be signed by Walker before becoming law.

Walker was asked Thursday whether he supported the certification change, which he did not propose. He declined to comment, saying it was something he would look at once the budget passes.

Walker has expansive veto power that he can use to rewrite the budget once it passes the Legislature.

No other state allows teachers who don’t have a bachelor’s degree to be licensed, according to the state Department of Public Instruction. Georgia does allow for certification of career and technical education teachers without a bachelor’s degree, DPI said.

State Rep. Mary Czaja, R-Irma, has said she proposed it to help rural schools find and retain teachers.

The idea has generated widespread criticism from public school advocates, including the statewide teachers union, who worry it will lessen the quality of teachers in the classroom.

“We are sliding toward the bottom in standards for those who teach our students,” said state superintendent Tony Evers in a prepared statement. “It doesn’t make sense. We have spent years developing licensing standards to improve the quality of the teacher in the classroom, which is the most important school-based factor in improving student achievement. Now we’re throwing out those standards.”

In Wisconsin, the main way a person can be licensed to teach is by completing a degree in education and other requirements, and then be recommended for a state license by their college or university.

There are several alternative teacher training programs focused on filling high-needs areas, but those are focused on people who already have a bachelor’s degree.

STEPHENSON – At first glance you might think there’s been a snow storm in the town of Stephenson, Michigan, in the Upper Penninsula.

But what looks like snow is actually hail.

The area was hit hard Wednesday night and residents say they still can’t believe what they’re clearing off their driveways.

Stephenson resident, Jeremy Baumler, never thought he would be shoveling in the month of May, “I’m 28-years old and I’ve never seen any hail this bad, in this town. And I’ve lived here all my life.”

A hail storm hit the town last night and made a huge mess…

“The storm came running through and it just piled us with hail. I mean obviously you can see here, we have a couple piles and almost six inches of hail that came down last night,” said Baumler.

Stephenson resident, Heidi Hemstock kept some keepsakes from the storm. Many hail pieces were quarter-sized, “I’m not quite sure, maybe 15-20 minutes it hailed. It was about four inches deep on the ground. It looked like a snowstorm, and there’s still stuff everywhere.”

Her vehicles had some pretty good sized dents on them and her basement had about an inch of water.

“No. Never, in my whole life, I’ve never seen anything like this. It was amazing, absolutely amazing,” said Hemstock.

The elementary school also had water damage.

Classes were canceled as staff scrambled to get things dried out.

Steve Paliewicz, Stephenson Superintendent said, “Last night we had our awards awards assembly at the high school, and all of a sudden we heard some thunder and like a jet landing on top of the roof, and sure enough, when we got out of the awards assembly, just hail, everywhere.”

Clean up from the storm was still happening Thursday morning. Crews said they tackled it the same as they would a winter snow storm.

Ken Marklein, Stephenson Public Works, said, “Basically today, we’re in clean up mode. We’ve got guys out patching and filling washouts. The sewer guys are out working extra hard. Basically, it’s getting everything back the way it should be.”

ASHWAUBENON – The Green Bay Packers are getting closer to announcing plans for a development west of Lambeau Field.

Thursday, the team gave an update to some local construction groups, including a first look at what the area could look like.

Aaron Popkey, who is the Packers director of public affairs, addressed the Northeastern Wisconsin Construction Industry Partnership at the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena.

During his presentation, Popkey showed a conceptual drawing of the Titletown District.

He says the team is planning to start by developing the area near Ridge Road.

The Packers own nearly 50 acres of property west of Lambeau Field. That area is has mostly been cleared for future development.

Popkey says the plans will include a public plaza that will be designed to attract visitors to the area throughout the year.

“We’re really looking to build upon the success that the renovation of Lambeau Field has had in terms of bringing in people year round, making it a destination, complimenting all the other great attractions this area has,” Popkey told the group.

The Packers have said they expect to announce their plans within the next two months.

CAMPBELLSPORT – A manufacturing company is moving across the county line to Campbellsport.

The Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation says Swenson Tool & Die plans to move from Washington County. The three-year-old company specializes in welding and large assembly fixtures, die-making and stamping, and tools for bending sheet metal. It sells to local and regional companies in the Midwest.

The company is borrowing money from the county’s Special Allocation Fund and Revolving Loan Fund to help its move to the Campbellsport Industrial Park.

“Swenson Tool & Die is a family-owned business that started as an entrepreneurial endeavor and is now growing and expanding its reach in the marketplace”, Steve Jenkins, president of the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation, said in a news release. “This company is a perfect fit for the Campbellsport Industrial Park and will provide critical services to customers in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin and the Midwest.”

The move is expected to add between 21 and 29 jobs to Campbellsport.

ASHWAUBENON – What’s a name without a sign?

41 went from a highway to an interstate last month but Thursday, we got our first look at the new signs that will go along the roadway to replace the now outdated U.S. Highway versions.

The DOT showed them off in Ashwaubenon, along with several elected officials.

Crews will start putting up the signs within the next few weeks, completing the installation by November.

Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch says, “10 years in the making. I know seeing 3,000 of these signs is going to be a welcome thing for economic development but also for the citizens of Wisconsin.”

41 is now an interstate from just south of the Wisconsin-Illinois border, through Milwaukee, and up through the Fox Cities and through Green Bay.

It returns to U.S. Highway status north of Howard.

(SBG) – Four people in the U.S. are now being treated for possible anthrax exposure after a potentially fatal mistake by the U.S. military.

The Pentagon says a Utah military base accidentally sent out live anthrax samples to at least one private laboratory in Maryland and possibly, 8 other states as well. 4 workers in Texas, Wisconsin and Delaware are now being treated as a precaution & 22 at a U.S. base in South Korea.

How could it happen?

“It’s a great question and that’s exactly why we brought in the center for disease control and their investigators,” said Col. Ronald Fizer of the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground.

The CDC has sent investigators but says many answers will have to come from the department of defense.

As the Pentagon investigates, the army’s chief of staff says it may not have been human error, but rather, the technical process at fault. That the samples weren’t completely irradiated or killed in labs, before they were sent out.

And sent, it appears via FedEx, without proper precautions.

FedEx tells us: “FedEx is committed to the safe transport of all customer shipments, and our priority is the safety of our employees.  We will be working closely with the department of defense and the centers for disease control to gather information about these shipments.”

“No known risk to the general public and there’s no suspected or confirmed cases of anthrax infection,” assures Col. Fizer.

While CDC investigators test all of the samples sent out, one expert tells us, the government also needs to question when was the iradiation machine last tested and staff, last trained to use it?

APPLETON – A founder of Kimberly-Clark and a man who developed in the 14th century a system to print the first mass-produced book in the world are among six people to be inducted into the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame.

Havilah Babcock, David A. Bossen, Alf de Ruvo, Norm Dove, Bjarne Holmbom, and Wang Zhen have been announced as the 2015 inductees.

Here are their contributions, according to the hall of fame:

Havilah Babcock (Neenah)

• Babcock (deceased) was a co-founder of Kimberly-Clark, along with Alfred Kimberly, Charles Clark and Frank Shattuck. As vice president of the new company, Babcock became a mentor of Frank Sensenbrenner and served as the pivotal link in the transition of leadership from the founding partners to F.J. Sensenbrenner, who eventually transformed Kimberly-Clark into a world leader of paper and tissue based consumer product.

David A. Bossen (Cupertino, California)

• Bossen (deceased) founded Measurex Corporation in order to pursue his vision of applying the emerging digital technology of mini-computers. The technology developed by Measurex and others subsequently led to improved paper quality, reduced paper losses, better machine efficiency, energy savings and optimized use of raw materials.

Alf de Ruvo (Sweden)

• De Ruvo was the holder of a master of science in chemistry and a licentiate of engineering in paper technology. His scientific work started with solid state properties of cellulose and later merged into the realm of paper physics and chemistry. He spearheaded a composite materials approach on paper packaging materials. He also was very interested in the water absorption/sorption and surface chemistry effects in hygienic products.

Norm Dove (Vancouver, Canada)

• Dove designed a better steam shower system for a fourdrinier and was awarded a patent for his invention 1970. He then founded a company to produce and market the system, Devron Engineering Ltd. He refined his steam shower design and continued working on other inventions for the paper industry. By the end of 1990, Devron enjoyed a worldwide market share of 30% while competing against much larger companies.

Bjarne Holmbom (Åbo, Finland)

• Bjarne Holmbom was born in Finland. He received his master of sciencedegree and a doctorate from the Åbo Akademi University. His interests were directed towards the chemistry of wood and the utilization of this for new products. He continued to work at the ÅA University, first as a research scientist and eventually as a professor. His studies are a superb combination of high-level basic and applied research. His research has had a major significance for the development of forest industry and wood-based innovations, creating new commercial fields building on the inherent chemistry of wood.

Wang Zhen (Shandong Province, China)

• Zhen (deceased) was born in the late 13th century A.D. during the time of Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 A.D.). He developed an innovative wooden-block movable type system to print the world’s first mass produced book, the Nong Shu, or Book of Farming (published 1313 A.D.), a full century before Gutenberg developed movable type printing in Europe. His important innovation included the use of mechanical devices to sort and organize trays of the wooden block characters that greatly improved the speed and efficiency of typesetting.

The six inductees will bring the total number of inductees to 129. The induction ceremony is set for Oct. 15.

The Paper Industry International Hall of Fame is located within the Paper Discovery Center in the historic Atlas Paper Mill in Appleton.

GREENVILLE – Owners of the Special Memories Zoo in Greenville say they’re taking steps to correct what they call minor violations.

The owners say the USDA did a routine inspection earlier this month.

That inspection found rodent droppings in and around the storage area where food is kept for the primates. It also found some animals, such as monkeys and a lemur, didn’t have enough water to drink.

The inspector also found that the stall where a white deer is kept didn’t have a clean space to lay down, as all its bedding was soiled.

• You can read the USDA’s inspection of the zoo here.

The zoo owners say at the time of the inspection, they were moving the animals from their winter living quarters to the actual zoo, and that no animals were in any danger.

This inspection took place just days before the zoo says a baby kangaroo and four baby goats were stolen.

Owners don’t believe the animals are still alive.

GREEN BAY –  Preparing for summer, the City of Green Bay’s “Summer in the City” guide was unveiled Thursday.

The plan is to have dozens of events over the next several months, from Farmers Markets to Gallery Nite, and Dine on the Deck.

Downtown Green Bay officials believe the variety will encourage people to explore downtown.

Jeff Mirkes of Downtown Green Bay, Inc. says, “The reason we program these events is so when citizens and tourists come into the downtown, they like what they see, they have a great first impression, and they may check out restaurants if they want, or come back and visit in the future.”

More than 160 events are being offered during the four months beginning next week.

NEENAH – A ceremony was held in Neenah Thursday morning to break ground for Menasha Corporation’s new headquarters.

The new building will house both its headquarters and corporate offices for Menasha Packing Company.

Company officials say growth over the last five years and increase in product demand led to the decision for the new space.

Company president, Jim Kotek says he also anticipates the addition of more jobs over time, “Over time, it will grow and it will also have, I think, additional impacts of growth for Menasha Corp. here in the Fox Valley.”

Construction is expected to be complete next fall.

Menasha Corporation specializes in retail merchandise displays, reusable containers and pallets.

MADISON (AP) – A new report says Gov. Scott Walker’s budget plan to eliminate about 30 Department of Natural Resources scientists and educators could cost the agency dozens more positions.

A memo from the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau produced on Tuesday notes that if the DNR creates lay-off groups consisting of scientists and educators, state law would require the agency to eliminate all limited-term and positions in those classifications before it could eliminate permanent positions. According to the memo, the DNR currently has 95 LTE positions in its science bureau and educator program.

The Legislature’s budget committee is set to consider Walker’s proposal during a session Friday. The committee could approve the plan, tweak it or delete it from the budget altogether.

Spokespeople for the committee’s co-chairs didn’t immediately return an email.

VILLAGE OF WINNECONNE – A Neenah man was arrested after he arranged a meeting with a minor to have sex at a Village of Winneconne park.

29-year-old Nicholas Camargo was charged with causing a child to view sexual activity and using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime.

Investigators in Winnebago County suspected Camargo of attempting to pay for sex with minors on a social media site.

Undercover officials posed as a 15-year-old girl online and Camargo arranged a meeting for the two to have sex.

Camargo drove to the park where he was planning to meet with the girl and was arrested by investigators.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) – A Southern California man whose videotaped chase on a horse and subsequent beating by deputies resulted in a $650,000 settlement has been charged with multiple counts including resisting arrest and animal cruelty.

San Bernardino County prosecutors said Thursday that 30-year-old Francis Pusok also faces charges including reckless driving and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Pusok fled by car and then on the horse in the desert on April 9 while deputies chased him on foot after trying to serve a search warrant in an identity-theft investigation.

San Bernardino County supervisors approved the settlement to avoid a lawsuit over the beating that brought national attention and led to the suspension of 10 deputies.

Pusok is currently out on $100,000 bail. His arraignment is set for June 16.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google is willing to store and organize all of the world’s digital photos and videos for free.

The online photo service announced Thursday is the latest example of Google’s desire to wrap its tentacles around virtually every part of people’s lives.

Google will provide unlimited storage of all photos up to 16 megapixels and high-definition video up to 1080p.

The service, called Google Photos, will be available as an app on Android and Apple devices, and on a website. It’s a variation of the photo-management tool on Google Plus, a social networking service that has struggled to compete against Facebook since its 2011 debut.

Apple has a photo service that offers up to five gigabytes of storage for free. Yahoo’s Flickr service offers one terabyte of storage for free.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – As three men beat and cut a deputy checking on a car at a highway rest stop, his partner – on all four of legs – came to the rescue.

K-9 officer Lucas, a black Belgian Malinois, saved Todd Frazier’s life during the attack Monday in coastal Mississippi, authorities said.

Frazier had stopped to check on a parked car about 10 p.m. in Pearlington, Hancock County Chief Deputy Don Bass said. Frazier thought he saw a stranded motorist, but when he approached the car, two men came out of the dark and jumped him with a box cutter, Bass said. The driver joined the fight.

Frazier had a remote control around his neck and as he was being dragged toward the woods, he clicked open the door of his patrol car, releasing Lucas.

“He got after somebody real good,” Bass said.

As he attacked the men, Lucas chipped some teeth and suffered road rash and other injuries as he was dragged around the pavement. The men fled in a blue Lincoln Town Car with a darker vinyl top.

Both Lucas and Frazier are recovering. Bass expects Frazier back at work next week and his K-9 partner in a couple of months.

Frazier’s patrol car is one of two K-9 cruisers equipped with the remote door lock, but it did not have a dashboard camera, Bass said.

No arrests have been made. The area is not well-traveled at night, so there were no eyewitnesses, Bass said.

But he said blood that was found on the scene and on Lucas is undergoing DNA testing. Officials are offering a reward and encouraging people to call in tips.

“We’re actively pursuing this and don’t intend to stop until we bring closure,” he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The increasing number of Americans getting some kind of public assistance from the U.S. government may be slowing down, according to new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Government officials say 52.2 million Americans – or 21.3 percent – participated in one or more of six poverty assistance programs on average each month in 2012. Census officials say that number was not a statistically significant change from the 20.9 percent found in 2011.

The number of people participating in assistance programs had increased from 18.6 percent in 2009 to 20.2 percent in 2010 to the 20.9 percent in 2011.

The programs tracked were Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Housing Assistance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and General Assistance.

BOSTON (AP) — Snow piles from the record-setting New England winter are lingering in the Boston area, even as the weather turns summer-like.

A 75-foot-high snow mound in Boston’s Seaport District has been reduced to a three-story pile of dirt and trash — including bicycles, traffic cones and even half a $5 bill — that remains encrusted in solid ice.

Department of Public Works Commissioner Michael Dennehy tells The Boston Globe the vile pile is “a science experiment waiting to happen.”

Crews have been working for six weeks to clean away the trash as it breaks free from the mound. So far, they have pulled out 85 tons of debris.

Dennehy says the pile will be around for weeks, even as the air temperature hits 80.