Green Bay News

MILWAUKEE (AP) – After a late-night arrival, the San Francisco Giants thought they’d quickly caught a bizarre break – Khris Davis was called out for missing the plate on his home run trot.

Davis wound up with his homer after Milwaukee challenged the ruling. Hunter Pence and the Giants got the win, though, rallying past the Brewers 8-4 Monday afternoon.

In the first inning, Davis pointed in the crowd in celebration and skipped across the plate. It appeared to both umpire Will Little and Giants catcher Andrew Susac that the back of Davis’ right foot failed to touch down on the dish.

Before Ryan Braun stepped in, the Giants appealed. Pitcher Tim Lincecum lobbed the ball to Susac, who stepped on the plate. Davis was declared out.

“I knew he didn’t,” said Susac, who stood next to Little for a close-up view as Davis came by. “The thing was, I asked the umpire, you know I know he’s not going to tell me whether he knows or not, but I said as soon as he did it, ‘It looked like he missed it.'”

Giants manager Bruce Bochy came out of the dugout before the out call. Brewers manager Craig Counsell then walked onto the field to contest the decision.

After a replay review that took several minutes, the home run counted. Davis stomped firmly in the middle of the plate after hitting another solo home run in the third.

Davis was in no mood to talk about the odd sequence. He repeated several different variations of the same phrase to deflect attention away from the play.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the team,” he said.

Pence’s two-run double capped a seven-run rally in the sixth. Center fielder Carlos Gomez made two errors in the inning.

The Giants trailed 4-1 before eight straight batters reached in one stretch. After Angel Pagan struck out for the second time in the inning, Pence’s double off the left field wall made it 8-4.

Nori Aoki homered for San Francisco and reached base in all five plate appearances. Milwaukee lost its third in a row.

Lincecum (5-2) wasn’t as effective as his previous three starts, giving up Davis’ two homers and a tape-measure shot to Braun, but earned a win thanks to San Francisco’s big sixth.

“The game started off good but then got away from us,” Braun said. “It’s a huge momentum shifter. It seems like we’ve been on the wrong side of too many of those innings as of late.”

Lincecum went five innings, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks.

Kyle Lohse (3-5) took the loss.

Braun hit a 474-foot homer in the fifth. The two-run shot was the fourth longest in Miller Park history and cleared the left field bleachers. It gave Milwaukee a 4-1 lead, but the Brewers unraveled the following inning.

“We’ve had the rain delays in Colorado and the travel and lack of sleep,” Susac said. “It’s a pretty gutsy effort from us right there.”

After the start of Sunday’s loss to the Rockies was delayed by 2 hours and 10 minutes, the Giants didn’t arrive in Milwaukee until 1 a.m. local time.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: Susac started in place of Buster Posey. Bochy said it was for nothing more than a day game following a night game. After the start of Sunday’s loss to the Rockies was delayed by 2 hours and 10 minutes, the Giants didn’t arrive in Milwaukee until 1 a.m. local time.

Brewers: Counsell said SS Jean Segura (broken finger) will be activated on Friday when his stint on the 15-day disabled list ends. Counsell also said C Jonathan Lucroy (broken toe) will head out on a rehab assignment soon. … RHP Wily Peralta was put on the 15-day disabled list after the game. Peralta left Friday with a strained left oblique and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks.

UP NEXT

Giants: Ace Madison Bumgarner (5-2, 2.84 ERA) starts the second game of the series against the Brewers. The 25-year-old left-hander is 4-2 with a 1.65 ERA in seven games against Milwaukee, and even better in Miller Park with just one earned run allowed over 15 2-3 innings.

Brewers: Matt Garza (2-6, 5.71) startds against Bumgarner. While Garza has had a season to forget so far, against current San Francisco hitters, he’s held them to a combined .203 average with one home run and 12 strikeouts over 64 at-bats. The lone homer was by Aoki, who is 1 for 11 in his career against Garza.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Authorities are looking for whoever fired a gunshot that struck an ambulance responding to a call in Milwaukee.

Police say it happened Saturday night on the northwest side. The two EMTs inside the ambulance heard what they thought was a rock striking the vehicle. But when they arrived, they discovered that a bullet had hit it just above the driver’s window.

Teri Nitka, director of ambulance operations at Paratech Ambulance Services, says the EMTs were shaken up but OK.

Nitka says the company has reminded its employees to be extra vigilant and aware of scene safety.

Bell Ambulance has also put its paramedics on alert. Deputy Director Scott Mickelsen says it’s saddening and repulsive that someone would try to harm people who are trying to help people.

EDGAR, Wis. (AP) – Marathon County authorities say a woman has died from drowning in a pool in Edgar in central Wisconsin.

Lt. Tim Burkholder of the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department says it happened sometime after midnight Monday.

While the investigation is ongoing, he says the drowning appears to be accidental.

The department is withholding the victim’s name and other details for now.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – Police say Chicago Bears defensive end Ray McDonald has been accused of domestic violence in Northern California, the latest arrest for the former San Francisco 49er.

Santa Clara police Lt. Kurt Clarke tells the San Francisco Chronicle (http://bit.ly/1cWyGwZ ) that McDonald was taken into custody at 7 a.m. Monday on suspicion of domestic violence and child endangerment.

Clarke didn’t immediately return calls or an email from The Associated Press.

The Bears did not respond to a message seeking comment Monday.

Chicago signed McDonald to a one-year contract in late March knowing it was a gamble given his history of legal issues.

Chairman George McCaskey even acknowledged at the time that he initially told new general manager Ryan Pace not to go after him.

But McCaskey came away impressed from a face-to-face conversation that he described as “very candid, very forthright” and “difficult” after McDonald paid his way to Chicago.

In December, the 49ers released the 30-year-old, citing a “pattern of poor decision-making.”

In letting him go late in the season, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said, “Ray’s demonstrated a pattern of poor decision-making that has led to multiple distractions to this organization and this football team that really can no longer be tolerated.”

His release from the team came just a month after the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office announced it had declined to file charges against McDonald in a separate domestic violence investigation stemming from an arrest on Aug. 31 while celebrating his 30th birthday at his Northern California home.

Prosecutors cited conflicting versions of what happened, a lack of verifiable eyewitnesses and a lack of cooperation by the alleged victim, McDonald’s fiancee, in explaining their decision not to pursue charges in the domestic violence investigation.

But his trouble continued.

In March, McDonald filed a defamation lawsuit against a woman who had accused him of rape.

McDonald says security camera footage will show a consensual sexual encounter occurred in his hot tub.

Police say the woman doesn’t recall any sexual encounters and reported blacking out after drinking alcohol and falling at McDonald’s home.

She said she went to police after waking up naked next to McDonald. The Santa Clara County district attorney is considering whether to file criminal charges.

McDonald had been signed by the 49ers through the 2015 season. He had three sacks in 14 games last year.

McDonald had 19 1/2 sacks in eight seasons with the 49ers.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

TOWN OF EASTMAN, Wis. (AP) – Two people have died and another was critically injured in a two-car crash on a wet highway in Crawford County of southwestern Wisconsin.

The sheriff’s department says it happened just after 2 p.m. Sunday on State Highway 27 in the Town of Eastman. It says a 19-year-old Eastman woman was southbound when her car hydroplaned on the wet pavement and spun into the northbound lane, where it was hit by a car driven by an 85-year-old Tomah man.

The Eastman woman died at the scene. The Tomah man and his wife, also 85, were extricated from their car and take to a hospital in Prairie du Chien, where the man died. The woman was later taken to a La Crosse hospital in critical condition.

Their names were not immediately released.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Customers of Wisconsin’s largest utility caught a break this past winter.

After paying almost $800 to keep warm during the “polar vortex” winter of 2013-14, bills for a typical We Energies customer were down by almost $190 for the six-month heating season that ended April 30. Company spokesman Brian Manthey told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that a typical customer’s bill fell 24 percent to $596 for the season.

“It’s certainly a much better picture for customers than it was a year ago,” he said.

While this past winter was 9 percent colder than normal, the previous winter was even more frigid at 20 percent below average.

“Because the price of natural gas remained stable and we didn’t have those spikes we saw last year, natural gas was a very good value for our customers this year,” Manthey said.

Wisconsin utilities store much of their natural gas underground in Michigan. Statistics from the Energy Information Administration indicate more natural gas was withdrawn in December 2013 and January 2014 than at any point since at least 1990. So much gas was used so soon that utilities had to rely on increasingly expensive spot-market gas from the Gulf Coast, which pushed prices to levels not seen since 2005. Natural gas prices at a point in Chicago where utilities buy gas spiked above $40 per 1,000 cubic feet several times in the winter of 2013-14.

Those prices never climbed above $11 this winter, Manthey said.

The State Energy Office said propane and heating oil users also saw savings. Propane prices fell from the previous winter’s record highs and finished the heating season down 25 percent at an average of $1.79 a gallon. Prices had jumped 60 percent amid shortages during the winter of 2013-14. Heating oil prices came down 21 percent this winter.

NEW YORK (AP) – Authorities say U.S. military jets have escorted an Air France airliner to New York’s Kennedy Airport after a threat was made against the flight.

The FBI says the jets scrambled Monday morning after an anonymous caller claimed a chemical weapon was aboard the aircraft.

Authorities say the airliner landed safely and a search so far has turned up no weapons.

Air France didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A variety of businesses could soon keep a supply of epinephrine injectors to be used in case of life-threatening allergic reactions under a Republican bill moving through the Legislature.

Schools are already allowed to keep a supply of the auto-injectors. The bill would add camps, colleges, day care facilities, restaurants and other businesses to the list of entities allowed to carry and administer the drug. The auto-injector is used to treat anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that causes constricted airways that make it difficult to breathe.

Co-author Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa, said the measure is meant to be a “logical extension” of the existing legislation. Vukmir, who was a nurse and leads first aid training courses, said the establishments should get legal protection to administer the drug to people who need it.

Under the bill, people who give the drug and physicians who treated the person afterward would be covered by the state’s Good Samaritan law and protected from legal action. The bill would require establishments that carry the drug to offer a training course to anyone who would give the drug.

The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports that about 50 million Americans are affected by nasal allergies. That’s as many as 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of kids. More than 20 million others have other allergies. The college reports that allergic diseases are the third most prevalent chronic illness in children and the fifth most chronic in all ages.

Bill co-author Rep. James Edming, R-Glen Flora, said he owns a convenience store in Glen Flora and wishes he could provide support to a customer experiencing an allergic reaction in his shop.

“If I could spend $200 or $300 on something that could save someone’s life, it would be well worth it,” Edming said. “Anyone looking out for the betterment of mankind should be able to have these. It’s just a bill of good American patriotism.”

Vukmir said she is planning three amendments to the bill at this point, based on concerns she heard in a public hearing last week. One amendment would require that training programs tell trainees to call 911 when administering the drug. Another would allow doctors and others who are trained to administer the drug in a public place without fear of legal action. And the third would make sure establishments that choose not to carry the injectors would not be held liable.

But Ruth Simpson, a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Association for Justice, said the group opposes the bill because it could pose a danger as it provides legal immunity to the health care practitioner and pharmacist who prescribe the drugs.

Vukmir said the auto-injectors that contain epinephrine would likely not have a negative impact if a person wasn’t suffering an allergic reaction. She said for most people it would just speed up their heart rate, but for some with previously existing conditions it could pose additional danger.

Edming and Vukmir said they hope the bill will pass the Legislature and reach Gov. Scott Walker for his signature by the end of June.

“We are in bee sting season, and pollen,” Edming said. “If we can save one life this summer it will be well worth it.”

The bill must be approved by Senate and Assembly committees and passed by each chamber before it reaches the governor.

Walker’s spokeswoman did not immediately respond to request for comment asking if Walker would sign the bill.

GREEN BAY – Jim Gignac and his team at Salon Aura gave Nikki a makeover this morning.

Click the video above to see how they gave her a nearly maintenance-free look.

OSHKOSH — Many communities around Northeast Wisconsin are holding events to celebrate Memorial Day.

One of those communities is Oshkosh.

Schedule of events on Monday, May 25:

7 a.m.
Reading of the names ceremony at at Memorial Park square at South Park (corner of 11th and Ohio).

8 a.m.
Wreath laying ceremony (Riverside Park)

9 a.m.
Memorial Day procession (starting at corner of Algoma Blvd. and Division St.) it will proceed down Algoma all the way to Riverside Cemetery.

Around 10:30 a.m.
Memorial Day service at Riverside Cemetery
After the service, the military funeral will take place for three veterans whose remains were never claimed.
The remains are that of Dorothy Stratton, Frank Brookins, Jr. and Clarence Schreiber. All our Oshkosh veterans.

Warm and wet weather will stay with us through this week.

Today, expect scattered rain showers on this Memorial Day to continue with a small chance of thunderstorms. The consistent rain will mainly be in the morning, then a little drying in the afternoon with a few thunderstorms through in the evening again. The high will be 76 with strong south/southwest winds at 10 to 25 mph gusting to 35 mph this afternoon.

Most locations picked up at least an inch of rain yesterday with Green Bay measuring 1.24″ of rain and Oshkosh 1.2″.

Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with mainly afternoon scattered showers and possible thunderstorms.  Highs will be near 77 with southwest winds at 10 to 15 mph.

Wednesday, look for mostly cloudy skies with a chance of morning showers and a high near 78.

Thursday we’ll dry out…expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 80.

Friday will see more scattered showers and thunderstorms moving through with a high of 78.

Cooler weather blows in for the weekend with highs in the mid 60’s and a chance for showers on Saturday.

Warm and wet weather will stay with us through this week.

Today, expect scattered rain showers on this Memorial Day to continue with a small chance of thunderstorms. The consistent rain will mainly be in the morning, then a little drying in the afternoon with a few thunderstorms through in the evening again. The high will be 76 with strong south/southwest winds at 10 to 25 mph gusting to 35 mph this afternoon.

Most locations picked up at least an inch of rain yesterday with Green Bay measuring 1.24″ of rain and Oshkosh 1.2″.

Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with mainly afternoon scattered showers and possible thunderstorms.  Highs will be near 77 with southwest winds at 10 to 15 mph.

Wednesday, look for mostly cloudy skies with a chance of morning showers and a high near 78.

Thursday we’ll dry out…expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 80.

Friday will see more scattered showers and thunderstorms moving through with a high of 78.

Cooler weather blows in for the weekend with highs in the mid 60’s and a chance for showers on Saturday.

DARBOY (AP) – A left ventricular assist device, along with a bulky battery pack and controller, has been a part of Bruce Nechodom’s life since since his heart attack in late 2013.

The 55-year-old is one of more than 2,300 people in Wisconsin on a waiting list for an organ – in his case through the University of Wisconsin Hospital transplant program.

“I’ve got to carry a control with me, a couple big batteries in my pockets, but (it) is keeping me alive,” Nechodom said. “They tell me the average wait is 290-some days … I’m just waiting for that call. It’s going to come sooner or later.”

Nechodom, who spent 47 days in the hospital following his heart attack, described the left ventricular assist device as a portable life-support system. His wife of 33 years, Tanya, changes the bandages associated with the device daily.

Transplant specialists said there’s a gap between the number of organs available for transplant and the need. Dr. Johnny Hong, director of Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Transplant Center, said he sees the gap throughout Wisconsin. The Transplant Center is a joint effort between Froedtert Hospital, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and the Blood Center of Wisconsin.

“Only a third on the list will get transplanted every year,” Hong said. “A significant number of patients – predominately liver patients – will die because organs just don’t come sooner.”

‘Neighbors, friends’

Statewide there are more than 2,300 people on waiting lists for organ transplants, said Greg Asmus, hospital development supervisor with the Wisconsin Donor Network in Milwaukee. Nationally there are more than 123,000 people waiting for an organ.

“Those are big numbers, and people get scared off by big numbers, but what we want to make sure people know is these aren’t numbers, these are our neighbors and our friends,” Asmus said. “We don’t have enough organs to fill that gap. The most recent statistic tell us 21 people are going to die today around the country waiting for their chance at a life-saving organ.”

Four hospitals in the state perform transplants: Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center; Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin; Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin; and the University of Wisconsin Hospital transplant program.

University of Wisconsin doctors performed 425 transplants last year; including 252 kidneys, 14 hearts, and 32 lungs, according to the hospital. The Blood Center of Wisconsin, through its Wisconsin Donor Network, facilitated 198 organ transplants in 2014.

Asmus said only a very small percentage of donors die in a manner that allows their organs to be used for transplants.

“Donation is a rare opportunity,” he said. “You have to die in a manner that will be consistent with your organs being preserved and able to be passed on to another. That’s only about 1 to 2 percent of deaths.”

Hong said Froedtert performed 41 liver transplants last year, up from 26 in 2013 and about 15 in 2012. He said that number has been increasing thanks to medical procedures allowing doctors to use portions of the liver to help multiple patients.

“In the past, the center only offered deceased-donor whole organ (transplants),” he said. “Now we’re able to offer … the whole organ from a deceased donor, a split liver from a deceased donor, or a half organ from a live donor.”

Hong said transplant medicine continues to move forward with researchers working to develop new techniques for transplants and organ preservation.

“The trials and research projects are geared toward ‘How do we increase the number of transplantable organs – because of the shortage – or organs we thought were not transplantable,” he said.

That includes work developing methods to resuscitate some livers and a machine to give transplant doctors additional time to evaluate lungs for possible transplant.

“We’d like to convert those organs we thought were not transplantable to a state when they can be transplanted and you can save lives,” Hong said.

Donor registry

Sandy McCrory, donor liaison with Aspirus Wausau Hospital , sees both sides of the decision to donate.

“On one hand we’re helping a grieving family because they just lost their loved one – it can be hard, especially with the younger donors – and on the other hand we’re elated because they’re going to get to help other people and we’re going to be able to save some more lives,” McCrory said. “It’s very busy and it’s very emotionally taxing. You put a lot of yourself into these.”

She said preparation – talking about wishes ahead of time and filling out donor paperwork – can make the donation decision easier for family.

“Some donors are already signed up on the registry and have indicated they are a donor, and that’s legal consent, and we approach families with that, ‘Did you know your loved one signed up to be an organ donor?'” McCrory said. “That is a much easier thing to do because a family is not then sitting there wondering, ‘Is this the right decision? Is this what they would have wanted?’ It becomes much, much, easier.”

Both Asmus and McCrory said potential donors can sign up on a donation registry at sites like yesIwillwisconsin.com or when renewing a driver’s license. A family discussion is also a key part of the process.

“When you lose a loved one you have enough to worry about,” Asmus said. “To know what the wishes would be, and to be able to carry out those wishes, that’s usually a tremendous sense of relief and satisfaction with the families.”

Nechodom, who has two grown sons and 10 grandchildren, said he tries not to think about when the call will come, but he’s also acutely aware that when it does, it means someone else has died.

“What I think about when I get this transplant is how I’m going to feel about the person who gave up their life so I could live,” Nechodom said. “That’s the most important thing I have to deal with… It’ll be gratitude.”

LA CROSSE (AP) – In 2008, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse professor James Longhurst started commuting to work on his bicycle.

Longhurst didn’t do it to save the planet or because he doesn’t like cars – Longhurst owns both bikes and a car. But the spike in gas prices that year made him re-examine just how much he drives, especially for short trips, and led him to take a look at the long history of bicycles in America.

His studies have culminated in the book “Bike Battles: A History of Sharing the American Road,” where Longhurst examines the history of public policy and law surrounding bikes and the conflicts that arose between bike riders, pedestrians, motor vehicles and cities trying to accommodate different forms of transportation. An urban and environmental historian, Longhurst is interested in ways cities relate to their surroundings and the effects policy decisions have on people’s lives.

“We are now having a huge fight over bikes and reintroducing them to cities,” he said. “People get into huge fights about them and whether they should be on the road.”

Longhurst is conducting a Midwest tour to highlight his book. Along with visiting La Crosse, the tour includes stops in Rochester, Minn., Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago. During his stop in La Crosse, members of the Driftless Region Bicycle Coalition led a bike ride to Pearl Street Books for the book signing and reception.

America is in the midst of the largest bicycle boom since the 19th century, Longhurst said. “Bike Battles” looks at forgotten history of the bike and picks out six historical battles that still affect today’s debates about the bicycle.

The battles aren’t strictly between bikes and cars, he said, but about transportation in general and urban planning. For example, one of the battles cited in the book was over the separate bike trails and the sidepath movement in cities in the 1890s. During World War II, there were discussions about the Victory Bike program, where the government encouraged bike riding during gasoline and rubber rationing.

Battles also have taken place over how people view bikes. Bikes were classified vehicles in the 1870s for regulatory purposes, paving the way for automobiles in later decades. There have been debates about whether bikes are for recreation or for transportation, with different kinds of riders having diverging views on the bike.

That’s one of the tricky things about its history, Longhurst said. Each generation has had its own views about the bike, he said, and it has meant many things to different demographics.

In the 1970s, the bike gained popularity with athletes, which has continued to this day. In other eras, the bike was alternately the vehicle of the working class and a stylish ride for the rich and elite. As the bike has evolved, it has been difficult to craft public policy around it, and today’s political dysfunction hasn’t made things easier.

“The system has become broken,” Longhurst said. “We’ve come to demonize certain public uses of the road.”

Successful policymakers won’t be able to ignore issues around bicycles, Longhurst said, as the bike boom continues amid pressures of downtown parking, the costs of road construction and public health issues such as obesity. While La Crosse has had a number of early successes in developing itself as a bike-friendly community, Longhurst said, the goalposts are constantly moving forward, and much of Wisconsin is falling behind.

“The rest of the nation is getting better, faster,” he said. “Wisconsin is falling behind in bike-friendly rankings for states.”

A lot of people are interested in bikes, Longhurst said, but aren’t as interested in academic work and dry urban and environmental policy. That’s what the book is for. He said it takes these concepts and makes it accessible to a more general audience.

“It’s not about the bike,” Longhurst said. “I continue to be interested in cities and the decisions we make to make them better. But the bike is a vehicle to explore that.”

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) – Carl Edwards won for the first time in two seasons – and the first time since joining Joe Gibbs Racing – moving in front 20 laps from the end to take the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night.

Edwards hadn’t won in 49 races since November 2013 at Texas Motor Speedway. He ended his long association with Roush Fenway Racing this past offseason, hoping for bigger things with JGR.

He got it at Charlotte Motor Speedway after shuffling in front as most of his competitors needed green-flag pit stops close to the end. Most figured Edwards would have to stop, too, but remained on the track and cruised to his first victory at Charlotte.

Greg Biffle was second, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., pole-sitter Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr., who notched his 11th top-10 finish in 12 events this season.

Edwards parked his car, did his signature back flip and rushed into the waiting arms of his crew, all jumping around in celebration. He climbed into the stands to grab the checkered flag before heading to victory lane.

“JGR is back,” Edwards said.

The win gave JGR a Charlotte sweep, Denny Hamlin won the All-Star Race on May 16th.

Hamlin looked like he might gain the sweep on his own, leading the pack with less than 50 laps remaining. But Hamlin felt a vibration in a wheel and had no choice but to head to the pits to straighten out – costing him his chance at the victory.

Hamlin finished eighth. The fourth Joe Gibbs racer, new father Kyle Busch, was 11th in his first points race since breaking his right leg and left in a crash at Daytona three months ago.

Edwards capped racing’s biggest day. It began when Nico Rosberg got his third straight win at the Monaco Grand Prix. It continued in Indianapolis when one-time NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya won the Indy 500 for the second time.

Edwards joins Hamlin and Kenseth with wins this season, all figuring to make the Sprint Cup season-ending chase for the championship.

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – As shots are fired in a symbolic salute in cemeteries throughout Northeast Wisconsin this weekend, the sights and sounds of the final military honor during interment became far-too common not that long ago.

Many lives are touched by those who serve in the Armed Forces. Memorial Day isn’t the only time of year we recognize our brave men and women in uniform, but it is also a time to remember some of those who died in the line of duty.

Pfc. Rachel Bosveld

U.S. Army Pvt. Rachel Bosveld, 19, of Waupun, was fatally injured during a mortar attack in Iraq in 2003. She was the first soldier from Northeast Wisconsin to die in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pvt. Steven Drees

Army Pvt. Steven Drees of Peshtigo would be the first from Northeast Wisconsin to be killed in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The 19-year-old was killed when insurgents attacked his unit in 2009. One year later, a US 41 bridge north of Green Bay was named in his honor.

Pfc. Nichole Frye

Another bridge on US 141 was named after Lena native Nichole Frye in 2006. The 19-year-old was killed in Iraq a year in 2004 when her convoy hit a roadside bomb.

Cpl. Justin Ross

The 9th street post office in De Pere was renamed last year by congress to honor Army Cpl. Justin Ross of Green Bay. Ross was killed in March 2011 when his unit was attacked in Afghanistan.

USS Green Bay Commemorates Marines

While the USS Green Bay is not named after soldiers, a portion of the ship is dedicated to four fallen Marines from Northeast Wisconsin.
Pfc. Ryan Jerabek, 18, of Oneida was killed in Iraq in April 2004.

In 2009, his parents traveled to Long Beach, California for the ship’s commissioning, to see the plaques honoring Jerabek, and Private Brent Vroman, 21, of Oshkosh, Sgt. Ben Edinger, 24, of Green Bay and Cpl. Jesse Thiry, 23, of Casco. They all lost their lives in Iraq.

Luxemburg-Casco Marines

Thiry, killed by hostile fire in 2004, is just one of three soldiers from the Luxemburg-Casco area that died over the course of four years, in the same region of Iraq.

In 2006, 24-year-old Sgt. Luke Zimmerman was killed during combat operations in Al Anbar Province. Lance Cpl. Dean Opicka died in 2008.

Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger

While death met some Northeast Wisconsin natives a world away, for some, it struck on US soil. Amy Krueger, 29, of Kiel was killed in 2009 during a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.

JACKSONPORT – Door County’s unofficial summer kickoff festival took place this weekend in Jacksonport with Maifest on Saturday and Sunday.

Maifest includes multiple activities including arts and crafts vendors, a parade with a flag ceremony honoring our service men and women.

The event is sponsored by the Jacksonport Advancement Corporation.

Last year the event raised $18,000. Organizers say the event is unique because all of the money stays in Jacksonport.

“We help with the restoration of the park, you may notice we have a park restoration program going on,” said Ann Sheridan, Maifest Planning Committee member. “We help buy things for the fire department, we give scholarships to our local students, that means our local students get to work at Maifest as well.”

This year marked the 43rd year for the event.

STURGEON BAY – The rain held off long enough for tourists to spend time outside and explore Door County Sunday.

As the cherry trees blossom, the population also starts to grow.

The Gruen and Martin families are from the southern part of the state but they’re spending their Memorial Day weekend farther north.

“We’ve been out bumming around Algoma and Sturgeon Bay looking for little shops and stores… shopping and playing at the parks,” said Jennifer Gruen.

From candy shops to artwork, there are plenty of places to explore. The family spent time downtown Sturgeon Bay.

“I bought little things. I bought this little notepad and I bought little pieces of paper,” said Makayla Martin.

They also enjoyed a fishing trip.

“We went out on a charter boat and we fished for everything like lake trouts, salmon, and I caught a lake trout. It was 12 pounds. It was really heavy. My dad had to help me hold the pole and I had to reel it in,” said Kaylin Gruen.

Research from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism shows visitors spent around $11 billion, in the state, last year.

Tourism is big in Door County. In 2013 visitors spent nearly $300 million. In 2014 that number went up almost five percent. Visitors spent $313 million.

For Alan Filipa, his annual trips to Sturgeon Bay started eight years ago.

“We came to visit because our other son is here with his daughters, my granddaughters, and my daughter-in-law. We wanted to see those little sweethearts,” said Alan Filipa said.

In between visiting family, Filipa says he likes supporting local businesses in the area.

“I like the breweries and the wineries and I just got some olive oil,” Flipa said.

At Kick Coffee, employees work hard to keep up with the demand from visitors.

“We get lines out the door. It’s usually steady. We never really get a break, per se. People are usually just ordering every minute of the day,” Jolene Feeney a barista at Kick Coffee.

As customers continue to filter in and out of the shops, business owners know the tourism season is just getting started with the Memorial Day weekend. They’re hoping for sunnier days ahead.

• Click here for more information on Door County cherries

A big draw for Door County is it’s cherry crop. Door County is one of the largest producers of tart cherries in the country. The visitor bureau says cherry-picking season usually starts mid-summer.

GREEN BAY- The National Weather Service in Green Bay has issued a beach hazards statement for dangerous swimming conditions.

The statement is in effect from Monday morning through Monday evening affecting beaches in Door, Kewaunee and Manitowoc Counties.

Strong southeast winds will bring waves of three to five feet to the Lake Michigan shore of Northeast Wisconsin.

The high wave action will cause strong currents, making swimming difficult.

Beaches affected in Door County include Rock Island State Beach, Baileys Harbor Beaches and Whitefish Dunes Beach.

Beaches in Kewaunee County include Cresent Beach and City of Kewaunee Beach.

Beaches in Manitowoc County include Point Beach, Neshotah Beach and Red Arrow Beach

BRIGHTON, Wis. (AP) – The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department says it has wrapped up its “on scene” investigation of animal abuse at farms in Brighton and Paris townships and is forwarding the case to prosecutors for possible charges.

Authorities found more than 80 dead calves at the two farms on Friday. The animal carcasses have since been removed and cleanup is underway.

Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth has given the family that owns the farms one week to fix the issues there.

Fifteen calves that were moved from the Brighton Township farm are being cared for at another location. About 100 live cattle remain at the Paris Township farm, and it appears they had been fed and are in good health.

The department said earlier that the farm owners were cooperating.

KANSASVILLE, Wis. (AP) – A man has died after he became trapped in a fiery pickup truck in Racine County.

Authorities say the incident happened after a crash Sunday on state Highway 75 in the Town of Kansasville. The driver of a sport utility vehicle had fallen asleep and drifted into the lane of a pickup truck that was pulling a trailer.

The driver of the pickup truck was forced into a ditch and became trapped before his vehicle caught fire.

The Racine County Sheriff’s Office says deputies arrived to find the truck engulfed in flames.

Authorities say the crash is being investigated and it’s unknown if drugs or alcohol were a factor.

The name of the victim hasn’t been released.