Green Bay News

Warmer weather is returning and highs will be near 70 degrees the next few days with rain moving in for the second half of the Memorial Day weekend.

Expect a beautiful day today with plenty of sunshine as a high pressure is in control. Highs will be near 66 and winds will be 5 to 10 mph out of the northwest in the morning then turning to the south. Highs along the lakeshore will only be in the upper 50s.

Memorial Day weekend will start out nice but will end wet. Tomorrow will be partly sunny with a high near 74. There may be an isolated shower late in the day.

A storm system pushes in on Sunday and will bring showers and thunderstorms.  The best chance of the rain will start in the afternoon but we’ll still see a high near 72.

On Memorial Day, showers and some thunderstorms are likely with high temperatures near 70.

Warm weather is expected much of next week with another chance of showers Tuesday.

GREEN BAY – A Silver Alert has been issued for a missing Green Bay man.

Police say Edwin Karr, 83, suffers from dementia and glaucoma.

He was last seen about 9 a.m. Thursday. Police say Karr may be driving a blue 2003 Buick LeSabre with Wisconsin plates 960-BPZ.

If you have any information, call Green Bay police at (920) 448-3200.

ATLANTA (AP) – Julio Teheran pitched seven strong innings and the Atlanta Braves took advantage of Milwaukee reliever Will Smith’s seventh-inning ejection for allegedly using pine tar in a 10-1 victory Thursday night.

Play was stopped briefly with Atlanta leading 2-1 and the bases loaded with one out in the seventh when Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez successfully argued to umpires that Smith had pine tar on his right forearm.

Crew chief Jim Joyce walked over to the mound, touched a shiny substance on Smith’s arm and ejected the pitcher from the game. Gonzalez claimed that Smith was breaking the rules after the left-hander threw a pitch that bounced in front of the plate and hit pinch-hitter Pedro Ciriaco, the only batter he faced, in the leg.

The Braves have won five of six. Milwaukee has dropped four of six.

Teheran (4-1) allowed two hits, one run, one walk and struck out eight in seven innings. He pitched past the sixth inning for the first time in 10 starts, the longest stretch of a career that spans 95 starts.

Christian Bethancourt’s RBI single chased Brewers starter Matt Garza (2-6) with one out in the seventh. After Smith hit Ciriaco, the next two pitchers – Neal Cotts and Michael Blazek – combined to allow RBI singles to Jace Peterson and Freddie Freeman, Cameron Maybin’s two-run single and Nick Markakis’ RBI double.

Freeman scored the last run of the inning when Jonny Gomes, batting for the second time in the seventh, reached on a throwing error by second baseman Hector Gomez.

Garza allowed five hits, four runs, two walks and struck out three in 6 1-3 innings, dropping to 0-4 with a 4.93 ERA in six career starts against Atlanta. He was coming off a 14-1 loss last Saturday in which he allowed 10 hits and 10 runs at the New York Mets.

Teheran had allowed 32 hits in his last four starts, a span of 22 1-3 innings. He let the Brewers force a 1-all tie in the fourth when Carlos Gomez walked, advanced to third on Gerardo Parra’s single and scored on Ryan Braun’s sacrifice fly.

Teheran improved to 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA in four starts at Turner Field this year.

Atlanta went up 1-0 in the first on Markakis’ RBI single.

The Braves made it 10-1 in the eighth when Bethancourt scored on Brandon Kintzler’s wild pitch and Freeman had an RBI single.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: Brewers manager Craig Counsell said SS Jean Segura, out since May 13 with a broken finger on his right hand, could be getting closer to his return. “When we get back home (to begin a four-game series against the Giants on Monday), that’s probably going to be the big day,” Counsell said. “Everything right now looks good and it’s going to be how does it feel when he starts swinging the bat.”

Braves: 3B Chris Johnson, sidelined since April 30 with a broken left hand, could return next Thursday at San Francisco. Gonzalez said Johnson will have five at-bats in extended spring training Friday, take batting practice on Saturday, rejoin the Braves for batting practice on Sunday and then have a rehab assignment in three games next week.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Wily Peralta (1-5) is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in three career starts against Atlanta, but gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings of a 5-1 loss to the New York Mets last Sunday.

Braves: LHP Alex Wood (2-2) is 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA in four starts and one relief appearance against Milwaukee. Wood gave up seven hits and one run in a 5-3 win at Miami last Saturday.

MENASHA – More than 1,200 names line this replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. They are the names of all the Wisconsinites killed during the Vietnam War.

We introduced you to Steve Conto of Menasha last year. He built the replica wall three years ago and now he’s displaying it in honor of Memorial Day.

The replica has changed over its three years.

“The average age is 20 or 21. There’s 200 teenagers on this wall,” Conto told FOX 11, 200 teenagers, among the more than 1,200 names on this replica Vietnam Memorial.

Conto told us each one is more than just a name, it’s a life.

“They were so many things. They were altar boys, they were hunters, they fished,” he explained.

Conto made this memorial three years ago. At first he only had names from three counties, last year he expanded that to 15 counties.

“This year I started adding names and I kept adding names,” he said.

Until each Wisconsinite was accounted for.

“Kind of draws it all from a bigger picture, from the large wall, these are ours,” Conto explained.

For Conto, it’s very emotional.

“I shed tears. I had to stop during some of these lines,” he told FOX 11.

To him this is a labor of love. As a Gulf War Veteran, Conto told us he looks up to the men listen on this wall as his big brothers.

“I’ve been blessed by a whole life. They’ve been denied being fathers, being husbands, being grandfathers,” he explained.

As we approach Memorial Day, Conto told FOX 11 this is a reminder that for those who knew the men on this wall, the pain is still fresh.

“For the families, friends, comrades, Memorial Day is every day,” said Conto.

And he said it’s a reminder these were men with their whole lives ahead of them, they’re not just names.

“Everything they gave up for us. They obeyed the law, they served and they made the ultimate sacrifice,” he told us.

The replica wall will be on display in Conto’s yard on Edgewood Drive in Menasha through May 30th.

Conto is also making it his goal to visit the grave sites of each Wisconsinite lost in the Vietnam War. He told FOX 11 so far he’s been to more than 900. Conto told us he cleans the sites, places flags at them and photographs them. It’s called his “Final Bridge Project,” which you can follow at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund website here: vvmf.org.

GREEN BAY – These Green Bay kids are eager for the school year to end. And they’ll be in class one less day in between now and the final bell.

“It had been communicated out at the beginning of the year that May 26 was going to be our built in day,” said Lori Blakeslee with the Green Bay Public School District.

Because the winter was mild and no weather cancellation days were required, students won’t be in school this coming Tuesday.

While it was on the district calendar and in newsletters, some parents were taken by surprise.

“I actually didn’t know about it until yesterday. I had to look at the calendar. It was definitely surprising,” said Lindsey Lewis, the parent of a kindergarten student.

“I thought it was a little strange,” said Kimberly Gadwood, the parent of a third grader. “But then I remembered if they didn’t have off or didn’t have a snow day that that day was off.”

Some parents said they extra day can cause an inconvenience.

“Then you have to find childcare,” said Lewis. “And luckily, the day cares are open, which is great.”

But others say it won’t be too much of a hassle.

“I didn’t have to, because my schedule is flexible,” said Gadwood. “But, I’m sure that many parents are scrambling.”

Parents we spoke with say they wish the timing of the extra day off was different.

“I think it would be great to have it at the end of the school year. Just shorten up that last week. We already get out on a Wednesday,” said Lewis.

“I would prefer having them done a day earlier in June, but it’s alright,” said Gadwood.

While ending a day early might not be as difficult for elementary levels, the school district says it’s harder to end the year early for high school students.

“It just doesn’t work to take a day off at the end of the school year, due to the fact that we have graduation, end of the year finals,” said Blakeslee.

Parents say despite having to rearrange some plans, knowing enough in advance that Tuesday is a day off is easier than having a winter full of last-minute weather cancellations.

And parents, if you’re planning ahead—next school year’s extra weather recess day is set for May 13, 2016.

APPLETON – The Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team heads to Appleton this weekend for the NCAA Division III Championship at Fox Cities Stadium.

After a 33-13 season, the Midwest Regional Champions will take on Salisbury University (Md.) in their first game Friday night at 7: 45 p.m.

The eight-team tournament is a double-elimination format, with two sets of teams broken in Pool A and Pool B. The winners of each will meet in a best-of-3 series.

The Eagles bring a local feel back to Northeast Wisconsin with four players from the region including starting catcher Ben Morgan and second baseman Travis Buxton-Verstegen, both Appleton natives. For several area standouts, coming back to this ballpark is a dream come true.

“It’s awesome, I’ve been dreaming about this since the sixth grade,” Buxton-Verstegen said. “I’d come here all the time with my parents, it’s cool that a dream finally becomes a reality.”

“I’ve been coming here for the past six to eight years,” Morgan said. “Now to be able to play in it, my mom lives a mile or two down the road, so it’s great.”

 

 

GREEN BAY – Trips to Green Bay’s Kroc Community Center are now safer, thanks to a several year project.

A paved trail between the Kroc Center and the Imperial Lane neighborhood is now lighted.

“There were always little stories that you’d hear, it’s not safe, it’s not secure, people don’t want to send their kids running over to the Kroc Center,” said Major Lisa Mueller with the Salvation Army.

Mueller guarantees that’s about to change.

The concern was taking the quarter mile trail at night. The goal is for the new lights to bring more people to the Kroc Center from Imperial Lane.

“Without the trail, I believe it’s a little over two miles by street to get here, so a pretty easy solution,” said Eric DeJardine of Leadership Green Bay.

That is what DeJardine and his Leadership Green Bay team realized five years ago. Leadership Green Bay is an annual program for young professionals. Each year the program picks a community project to complete.

“We had to raise a pretty significant amount of funds and we felt that was a good challenge and it was a project that we wanted to happen,” said DeJardine.

As if raising $100,000 for the lights wasn’t hard enough, the group also faced permit challenges and federal funding delays for the trail’s pavement.

“They worked and worked and worked until it was done,” said Mueller.

The Salvation Army is happy they did, saying the project couldn’t have been done without them.

Steve Conto, a Gulf War Veteran, built a Vietnam War Memorial in his yard in Menasha to honor Wisconsinites who lost their lives in the war.

NEW YORK (AP) – Golden State’s Stephen Curry, the league MVP, and LeBron James are the only unanimous selections to the All-NBA first team.

New Orleans’ Anthony Davis and Memphis center Marc Gasol joined Curry as newcomers on the team. Houston’s James Harden rounded it out with his second straight selection.

Curry and James, who are three victories from meeting in the NBA Finals, each received first-team votes on all 129 ballots Thursday. James earned his ninth first-team selection in 12 years, tying Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson for third all-time.

Voting was done by a panel of writers and broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada, who voted for two guards, two forwards and one center to comprise a first, second and third team.

Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook led the second team, joined by Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge, the Clippers’ Chris Paul, Chicago’s Pau Gasol and Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins. The third team was the Clippers’ Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, San Antonio’s Tim Duncan, Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving and Golden State’s Klay Thompson.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – The Green Bay Packers signed third-round pick Ty Montgomery on Thursday.

The 6-foot receiver had five punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns during his four-year career at Stanford.

General manager Ted Thompson also announced the signing of free-agent cornerback Travis Manning. He went undrafted after helping Northwest Missouri State win the Division II national championship as a senior in 2013.

Green Bay has been stocking up on defensive backs since the draft last month, including the selections of Damarious Randall in the first round and Quinten Rollins in the second round.

FISH CREEK – If your holiday weekend includes a trip to the top of the Eagle Tower at Peninsula State Park, you will have to make new plans.

It’s a popular Door County attraction, but it’s closed until further notice.

Sign at Eagle Tower in Peninsula State Park, May 21, 2015. (WLUK/Eric Peterson)

It could be another week before park leaders know their options.

Stewart Cole and his wife Pascale Manning tried to climb the Eagle Tower Thursday morning.

“We were wondering whether it might be the tallest tower we’ve climbed so far in any of the state parks. So we were quite excited about it. So we’re a little disappointed definitely,” said Pascale Manning, Oshkosh.

But a padlock prevents anyone from making the climb. Park leaders closed the 75-foot tower Wednesday after an inspection three weeks ago.

“Just this week we received the verbal report from the consultants that there was some structural decay, and concern underneath the staircases, and also underneath the deck areas,” said Kelli Bruns, Peninsula State Park Superintendent.

It’s 108 steps to the top of the 83 year-old tower.

“At this point, there was not from my understanding concern regarding the pillars, or main supports,” said  Bruns.

There are several observation decks along the way.

Stairs leading up Eagle Tower in Peninsula State Park. Park leaders closed the tower because the structure was deemed unsafe. (WLUK/Eric Peterson)

Patty and Bob Sheahan climbed the tower days ago.

“I went up Monday, and it was great. The view and that. But I was always interested walking up being the age it was. Thinking about that,” said Patty Sheahan, Brookfield.

“The hand rails, going up and so forth, could be reinforced. Made for people like myself who are a little bit more fearful to have a little bit more sense of protection,” said Bob Sheahan, Brookfield.

The park superintendent says the written inspection report should be finished in a week, and any plans to rebuild or replace the tower are premature.

“Today, we don’t have an answer. It’s just very preliminary. Right now, the goal is to keep people safe, so that’s why it’s closed,” said Bruns.

And in the meantime, people will have stay away.

“It’s not too much of a disappointment. I’d rather it close due to structural instabilities than have me walk up there,” said Stewart Cole, Oshkosh.

GREEN BAY – When you think of the Green Bay Packers championship teams of the 1960’s, Vince Lombardi gets a lot of the credit. But there was a man behind the scenes, you may not have heard of, who helped build those teams.

Jack Vainisi served as the head scout for the Packers in the 1950’s. Pretty soon, a monument honoring Vainisi will be on display for all to see near Lambeau Field.

“This is giving Jack the respect I think he really deserves,” said Vainisi’s younger brother, Sam Vainisi. “You know the older generation knows a lot about Jack, but the younger generation really doesn’t and this will give a chance to get back in some history and find out what really happened.”

The monument will be erected at the corner of Ridge Road and Lombardi Avenue. A groundbreaking for the tribute was held Thursday morning.

Sam Vainisi says he and his older brother were very close; separated by just four years in age. But over the years since Jack’s death, Sam says his brother’s importance on the Green and Gold has faded away.

Vainisi scouted now-famous players like Bart Starr, Jerry Kramer, Ray Nitschke and many others of the 1950’s.

“He gave his everything to the Packers,” Vainisi said. “He was just so frustrated that he had so many good players, and they weren’t producing.”

That is until Jack Vainisi’s behind-the-scenes negotiating brought a little-known New York Giants assistant coach to Green Bay.

Yep. You guessed it – Vince Lombardi. All that work before Vainisi died at age 33.

Vainisi’s monument will be stylized in the same way as the other 24 granite and metal Packers monuments throughout the stadium district. The plan is to have Vainisi’s monument done by the end July, in time for the Packers shareholders meeting.

“It will have, actually, a large ‘V’ at the top for Vainisi and Vainisi will be the first name you see on the Titletown District corner, over here on the Northeast Corner of Ridge and Lombardi,” said Corrie Campbell, the owner of Legends Monuments and Events, the group behind the project.

A small honor for a man that helped build a successful foundation for what the Packers organization has become, but never lived to see.

“Because of his death, he didn’t get the notoriety that some of the other figures have,” said Packers spokesperson Aaron Popkey, “but no less important in terms of what he did in building that team.”

Sam Vainisi is the one paying for the monument, which will stand kitty-corner from the Packers’ future ‘Titletown District’.

Popkey says the team hopes to publicly announce its plans for the area soon.

In the last decade, the organization has spent more than $53 million to acquire 62 properties.

BALTIMORE (AP) – All six officers charged in the police-custody death of Freddie Gray were indicted by a grand jury, a prosecutor said Thursday.

The indictments were very similar to the charges Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced about three weeks ago. The most serious charge for each officer, ranging from second-degree “depraved heart” murder to assault, still stood.

Gray suffered a critical spinal injury after police handcuffed, shackled and placed him head-first into a van, Mosby has said. His pleas for medical attention were repeatedly ignored, she said.

Mosby said prosecutors had presented evidence to the grand jury for the past two weeks. Some of the charges were changed based on new information, but she didn’t say what that new information was. She also did not take questions.

“As is often the case, during an ongoing investigation, charges can and should be revised based upon the evidence,” Mosby said.

In all, three of the officers had additional charges brought against them while three others had one less charge.

Gray was arrested April 12. He died in a hospital a week later and became a symbol of what protesters say was police brutality against blacks.

Two officers, Edward Nero and Garrett Miller, were indicted on second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.

Caesar Goodson, who drove the transport van, faces manslaughter and second-degree “depraved heart” murder. Sgt. Alicia White, Lt. Brian Rice and officer William Porter are each charged with manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.

Gray died on April 19, one week after he was critically injured, and his death inspired outrage among Baltimore residents that spawned protests that at least two points gave way to violence, looting and arson. In the wake of the riots, Democratic Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake implemented a curfew for all Baltimore residents, and Republican Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency.

Gray was arrested in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of West Baltimore. According to court documents, Gray made eye contact with a police officer and took off running. He was apprehended two blocks away and arrested for possession of what Miller wrote in charging documents is illegal under a city ordinance.

Mosby said the arrest was unlawful because the knife is legal under state law.

None of the officers secured Gray’s seatbelt in the van, a violation of police policy. Soon after he was placed in the van, Goodson stopped to secure him with leg irons because he had become “irate,” police said.

After a ride that included several more stops, including one to pick up a second passenger, the van arrived at the Western District station house. By that time, Gray was non-responsive.

Take a look back at the horses who have won all three of horse racing’s biggest events.

APPLETON – All family members, including the dog, made it out of a house fire okay in Appleton Thursday afternoon.

Fire officials say they were called to the home at 1804 Bouten Street around 1:00 p.m.

It is unknown how the fire started or what the estimated damage is at this time.

 

(SGG) – When we sat down with Doug Hughes Wednesday he was only facing 1 felony and 1 misdemeanor, things have changed dramatically. He now faces 6 charges that could land him behind bars for up to 9.5 years in prison.

And while he said he’s open to a plea deal, that doesn’t appear to be in the works—so he pleaded not guilty before the judge Thursday afternoon, to all 6 counts for that eye-popping flight down the national mall eventually landing on the U.S. Capitol lawn.

We asked Hughes, who was trying to bring attention to what he calls corruption in election finance rules, looking back—would he do anything differently:

“Lemme be clear, I’ll never do anything like this again, but I would do it exactly the way I did,” Hughes said, “Nobody else could do what I did and get away without at best being forced down, at worst being shot down and I highly recommend nobody don’t try it.”

There were some other developments in court: the judge relaxed his home detention rules, now he can leave the house and move throughout Hillsborough County, Florida. He however, still can’t go anywhere near the U.S. Capitol or White House. When in D.C. he can only visit his attorney or go to court.

Another hearing is set for next week.

 

 

(KCCI) Bacon lovers rejoice.

One pound of America’s favorite smoked meat is 25 percent cheaper than a year ago, according to U.S. Agriculture Department data.

That’s a $1.25 in savings.

You can thank reproduction for the savings. Pigs can give birth to several piglets at a time, quickly refilling America’s pork supply.

Shoppers should now be able to find sausage and bacon at about the same price.

 

 

 

 

ASWAUBENON – A manure spill created a messy situation for police and firefighters in Ashwaubenon Thursday afternoon.

Crews were called to clean up a manure spill at the intersection of Babcock Road and Highway 172. Police and firefighters used hoses to spray the street. Officers also helped direct traffic while the mess was being cleaned up.

Police haven’t said who may be responsible for the spill.

BROWN COUNTY – Stretches of northbound Interstate 41 in the Green Bay area will be closing next week.

The state Department of Transportation says parts of the highway between Ashland Avenue and Mason Street will close during overnight hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday night, crews will be repairing pavement and on Wednesday night, traffic will be switched to new inside lanes of I-41.

Here is the schedule:

I-41 closure and detour Tuesday night, May 26:

• Full closure of northbound I-41 between Ashland Ave. and WIS 172 from 9 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday.
  • Northbound I-41 traffic will be detoured off at Ashland, take Ashland north to Pilgrim Way, Pilgrim Way west to the WIS 172 westbound on-ramp and take westbound WIS 172 to northbound I-41.

The following ramps are also closed Tuesday night:

• Northbound I-41 on-ramp from County Road G closed 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Northbound I-41 on-ramp from Oneida Street closed 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Northbound I-41 on-ramp from eastbound WIS 172 closed 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
  • Northbound I-41 traffic will be detoured off eastbound WIS 172 at Vanderperren Way, take Vanderperren west to Holmgren Way, and Holmgren north to Pilgrim Way, take Pilgrim east to westbound WIS 172 and WIS 172 west to northbound I-41.

I-41 closure and detour Wednesday night, May 27:

• Full closure of northbound I-41 between WIS 172 and Mason Street from 8 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday.
  • Northbound I-41 traffic will be detoured off at eastbound WIS 172, take WIS 172 east to northbound I-43, and I-43 north to northbound I-41.

The following ramps are also closed Wednesday night:

• Northbound I-41 on-ramp from eastbound WIS 172 closed 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
  • Eastbound traffic seeking northbound I-41 will follow eastbound WIS 172 to northbound I-43, and northbound I-43 to northbound I-41.
• Northbound I-41 on-ramp from westbound WIS 172 closed 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
  • Traffic seeking northbound I-41 will be detoured off at Pilgrim Way, take Pilgrim east to Ashland Ave., Ashland north to Mason St., and Mason west to northbound I-41.
• Northbound I-41 on-ramp from Lombardi Avenue closed 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Northbound I-41 on-ramp from Oneida Street closed 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Once traffic is switched onto the new pavement, the DOT says construction crews will begin constructing the new outside lanes of I-41.

GREEN BAY – Future filmmakers, graphic artists and dancers will have an expanded chance to build their skills at the Green Bay Boys & Girls Club.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Thursday morning at the Lutsey Clubhouse on University Avenue, to show off a dance studio, video production studio, where children can learn about editing, lighting and TV production, and there’s an area dedicated to graphic design.The children will be able to make their own comic books.

John Benberg from the Boys & Girls Club hopes this opportunity will also help academically, “Giving our tweens, this is for 10 to 13-year-olds, an opportunity to experience the arts that they might not otherwise have had a chance to experience.”

Green Bay is one of three clubs chosen to test a youth arts initiative.