Green Bay News

WATERFORD (AP) – Racine County sheriff’s officials say one man has died in a house fire on a Fox River island in Waterford.

Sheriff’s Lt. Dan Klatt says firefighters were dispatched to Fox Isle Park Drive about 6 a.m. Thursday. Klatt says a frantic caller told a dispatcher that several people were unable to get out of the burning house. Klatt tells The Journal Times that everyone eventually made it out, except for one man who died.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

MADISON (AP) – A Wisconsin appeals court has ruled that a DNA surcharge applied to a convicted felon was too high because it was based on a law that was not in effect at the time he committed his crimes.

The 4th District Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that Gregory Radaj should have been charged $250 rather than $1,000 after being convicted of four felonies. He committed the crimes in 2013 before the law took effect in January 2014, but he was sentenced in March 2014.

Radaj argued that his punishment was unconstitutional since he committed the crimes before the higher surcharge took effect in 2014.

The appeals court ordered that the law in place at the time of his convictions allowing for a $250 DNA surcharge be applied by the circuit court.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Legislature’s finance committee is set to make changes to Wisconsin’s popular SeniorCare program.

Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal calls for requiring SeniorCare enrollees in the popular prescription drug program to first sign up for the federal Medicare Part D drug program. SeniorCare would then fill in any additional coverage. Walker’s administration estimates the change could cut the cost of SeniorCare in half.

The finance committee’s co-chairman, Rep. John Nygren, has said that idea is dead. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has suggested raising the $30 enrollment fee, which could generate millions of dollars in additional revenue depending on the size of the increase.

The committee is set to take up the SeniorCare portion of Walker’s budget on Thursday.

Green Bay police arrested a suspect for two recent robberies involving a man wearing a Halloween mask.

The first incident happened May 15 at the Grand Central Station, 2597 W. Mason St .

The second incident was May 19 at the Grand Central Station, 1121 Radisson St.

The suspect’s name was not released. He was arrested Wednesday afternoon on the east side.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Legislature’s finance committee is expected to consider changes to Gov. Scott Walker’s floundering job creation agency.

The governor has called on legislators to reform the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s operations by phasing out direct loans to businesses and move those dollars instead toward tax incentives. He also wants to use $55 million he set aside for regional loans for worker training instead.

The finance committee is expected to vote on making changes to WEDC during a hearing Thursday.

The Joint Finance Committee meets for an Executive Session at the state Capitol, May 12, 2015. (WLUK/Andrew LaCombe)

Walker created WEDC in 2011. The agency has been plagued with problems since its formation, including not tracking past-due loans, leadership turnover and critical audits revealing mismanagement.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – The ride-hailing service Uber is expanding to five more Wisconsin cities.

Uber already operates in Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay. Thursday it rolls out in Wisconsin Dells, Lake Geneva, Racine, Kenosha and Waukesha. The Journal Sentinel says the expansion comes just weeks after a law went into effect that creates a statewide standard for the ride-booking companies, including Lyft.

The law requires companies to buy a $5,000 license, conduct driver background checks and get liability insurance. It prohibits cities from imposing local regulations.

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) – Kenosha County health officials say the number of salmonella cases has grown to 60.

The county Division of Health says it’s still investigating the source of the outbreak, but is working with the Supermercado Los Corrales grocery store in Kenosha.

The Kenosha News says one family reported eating pork carnitas from the store and then getting sick the next day. Health officials say the meat and food preparation area at the store has been closed.

Salmonella infection carries flu-like symptoms and can vary in severity, sending some to the hospital.

HOWARD- Many people are busy in their yards this time of year.

And if you plan to do any digging, there are things you need to think about.

One thing you need to do, is call Diggers Hotline.

We spoke with Wisconsin Public Service who shared some important tips with us.

Click on the video to learn more.

GREEN BAY – This Manitowoc man’s mission is to get his community to eat healthier!  Ben Cress holds cooking classes at the Riverbank Social Club that are designed to get people to look at food differently. His “Connect with Cooking” classes teaches plant-based, whole-food, gluten and dairy-free meals.  Cress talked about the connection between healthy eating and a person’s wellness and happiness on Good Day Wisconsin.  He also shared the following recipes:

SEGMENT ONE: “How to Make a Little Meat Taste Like a Lot”

Low-Carb Cabbage & Green Bean & Mystery Meat Power Bowl

2 C fresh chopped cabbage
1 C frozen French-cut green beans (or frozen Chopped Broccoli works great, too)
1/2 C matchstick carrots
2 oz leftover beef or pork (if it’s already ground, perfect. if not, dice it up!)
2 oz extra firm baked tofu (if you don’t have baked tofu, just squeeze the excess water out of plain extra-firm tofu and toss it in!)
1/4 C chopped mushrooms (use your favorite kind, it doesn’t matter. And, leave them in the sunshine for awhile before you cook with them, if you can.)
1/8 C chopped walnuts
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T (rounded) cashew or almond butter (don’t be stingy with the nut butter, it’s delicious!)
1 t beef base (I like using Superior Touch’s “Better Than Bouillon.” They make a beef, chicken or veggie version.)
1/2 t Braggs Amino Acid
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/8 t paprika
1/8 t turmeric
juice of a quarter of a lime
salt & pepper to taste

I like to chop the cabbage into semi-uniform strips. (Once it cooks down, your mouth can mistake it for noodles, which is precisely the point.) Saute the cabbage, carrots, red pepper flakes, chopped nuts, leftover meat and tofu – until the cabbage begins to wilt. Then, toss in the frozen French-cut green beans. (They are already cooked, so all we’re doing here is getting them up to the temperature of the other ingredients.) While this is happening, add the rest of our ingredients: the beef base, nut butter, onion & garlic powder, paprika, turmeric and lime juice. If the mixture is too dry for your liking, add a tablespoon of water or beef stock.

SEGMENT TWO: “The Wonderful World of Baked Tofu”

Quick & Delicious Baked (or sauteed) Tofu Marinade

1/8 C Tamari (or Bragg’s Amino Acid works in a pinch, too.)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T honey (try it some time with Maple syrup in place of the honey)
1 large garlic clove minced
1/4 t fresh minced ginger
a few drops of Sesame Oil (optional)
a squeeze of fresh lime

Mix the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Next, cut a half a block (about 8oz) of extra firm tofu into 1/2 slices. Pat the excess water out with paper towel. Cut your slices into small, fun shapes. Then place the tofu pieces in the marinade to soak for at least 20 minutes. If you forget and the tofu marinates longer, it won’t hurt anything. (Retain the marinade for experimenting with seasoning brown rice, sauteed veggies or other Power Bowl creations.)

Remove tofu pieces from marinade and arrange them on a lined baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes. Keep and eye on them so they don’t burn. Use a spatula or tongs to turn the pieces during baking. Remove from the oven when they’re browned to your liking. Transfer them to a plate to cool. Try not to eat them all.

Ps. If you don’t have the time of patience for baking the tofu in the oven, sauteing the tofu & marinade together in a non-stick skillet until it’s brown & lovely is also an option. The texture will be different than the baked version, but the flavor will be just as delicious!

 

MILWAUKEE (AP) – The family of a nurse practitioner from Wisconsin killed in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting is set to receive his Purple Heart.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the family of Russell Seager will get the honor Friday at the Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Milwaukee. The 51-year-old was one of 13 people killed in the shooting at the Texas military base.

Seager worked at the VA medical center as a nurse practitioner in mental health and was a captain in the Army Reserve. He was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan when he was killed.

Victims of the shooting were awarded with Purple Hearts last month at Fort Hood. Events such as the 2009 shooting were included under criteria for the award updated last year by Congress.

MARSHALL, Wis. (AP) – Police say an 8-year-old boy is accused of stabbing a dog he had played with in Dane County.

The dog survived the stab wound and cuts to her throat and is recovering. Owner Jacki Wilkerson says her dog, Athena, was injured while she and her family were away from their house in Marshall Sunday night. Wilkerson says a friend stopped by and found the injured dog, along with blood and a knife.

WKOW-TV reports the young suspect is a family friend of Wilkerson’s neighbors. Police say animal cruelty and trespassing charges are possible in juvenile court.

TOWN OF HARRISON – Memorial Day Weekend is almost here!

A lot of people will probably be doing some work around their home — landscaping, gardening and more!

FOX 11’s Emily Deem got some helpful tips from the folks at The Home Depot on how to be prepared for this weekend!

Click here to find a Home Depot near you.

HURLEY- If you’re looking for something to do Friday May 22, you could take a trip to northern Wisconsin.

Hurley is hosting “Let’s Set the Guinness Record for Largest UTV Parade”

The parade line up starts at 4 p.m. with the parade starting at 7 p.m.

There is currently no record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the Largest UTV Parade —- Help make history and be a part of this record – setting event!

All UTV’s MUST be registered to be counted.

GREEN BAY- Highs will be near 65 Friday and winds will be 5 to 10 mph out of the northeast in the morning then turning to the southeast. With the east winds, highs along the lake will only be in the mid 50s.

Saturday will be partly sunny with a high near 74.

A storm system pushes in from the southwest on Sunday and brings scattered showers and thunderstorms with high near 70.

On Memorial Day, showers are likely with highs in the mid 60s.

Click here for Director of Meteorology Pete Petoniak’s full forecast.

DETROIT (AP) – Nick Castellanos arrived at third base, clapped his hands joyously and bent over to slap the dirt.

Finally, the Detroit Tigers had broken through for a big inning.

“I’ve been waiting for that all season,” Castellanos said. “I needed it, the team needed it, the organization, the fans needed it. Everybody needed it.”

Castellanos hit a bases-loaded triple with two out in the eighth inning to lift Detroit to a 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.

The Tigers avoided a sweep in the three-game series thanks to a rally in their final at-bat. They had scored only three runs in the first two games against Milwaukee.

With two out, nobody on and the score tied at 2, Jonathan Broxton (1-1) allowed consecutive singles by J.D. Martinez and Yoenis Cespedes and a walk to Tyler Collins.

Castellanos’ line drive down the line dropped in, then skipped past right fielder Gerardo Parra to clear the bases.

“I got two quick outs and then I didn’t get myself out of the inning,” Broxton said. “That’s always frustrating, especially when I thought I was making good pitches. I have to be able to end that inning.”

It was the third triple of the season for Castellanos, who raised his average to .240.

Blaine Hardy (2-0) struck out the only batter he faced for the win, and Joakim Soria pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 13 chances.

Ryan Braun homered for the Brewers.

Cespedes had three hits and a walk. He led off the second with a double, then stole third and scored when catcher Martin Maldonado threw wildly to third for an error.

Braun tied it at 1 in the fourth with his 10th home run of the season. He’s hit nine in his past 21 games, and that solo shot gave Braun 790 RBIs for the Brewers, pulling him even with Paul Molitor for third on the team’s career list.

Martinez led off the bottom of the fourth with a single, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Cespedes and Collins followed with singles, and Martinez scored on a groundball by Castellanos.

The Brewers tied it in the seventh on Elian Herrera’s RBI double, but with one out, Luis Sardinas was held up at third on the play. Maldonado followed with a lineout to the shortstop, and Sardinas, who had started for home, was easily doubled off.

“That’s just bad luck,” Diamondbacks manager Craig Counsell said. “Sardy is going on contact, and Maldy hit the ball hard. That’s what you want with a drawn-in infield, but he hits it right at someone.”

NIFTY DEFENSE

James McCann, Detroit’s No. 1 catcher now that Alex Avila is injured, made a nice catch of a foul popup against the netting behind the plate. He also threw Carlos Gomez out stealing.

“The longer you play in a stadium, the more used to the netting you get,” said Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, himself a former catcher. “He certainly hasn’t played at Comerica (Park) very much. Every out seems to be big for us right now, so it was a big play.”

QUALITY STARTS

Detroit’s Shane Greene allowed two runs and three hits in 6 1-3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.

Milwaukee’s Kyle Lohse gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: Gomez, who was hit in the head by a pitch Sunday, took one off the right arm Wednesday. There was a delay while Gomez was checked, but he remained in the game.

Tigers: Reliever Bruce Rondon (bicipital tendinitis) begins a rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Toledo.

UP NEXT

The Tigers host AL West-leading Houston on Thursday. David Price (3-1) takes the mound for Detroit against Scott Feldman (3-4) of the Astros.

Milwaukee plays at Atlanta on Thursday night. Matt Garza (2-5) of the Brewers faces Julio Teheran (3-1) of the Braves.

GRAND CHUTE – Helping people who have been through a traumatic experience, it’s the mission of about 40 area volunteers.

The group is the Fox Cities Victim Crisis Response Team. The team supports first responders at crime scenes to help victims.

Volunteers have different reasons for joining the VCR, or Victim Crisis Response Team.

Some were once victims themselves.

“I actually had the VCR team respond to something I was going through years and years ago and it was just so helpful to me, that I wanted to pay it forward to other people,” explained volunteer Shanen Sadowski.

Others are retirees looking for ways to keep helping.

“This was a way for me to keep giving back, to keep making a difference in people’s lives and making the world a better place,” volunteer Gary Zurbuchen told FOX 11.

The team started at the Appleton Police Department in 1997. Since then it’s spread to support 13 departments in Outagamie and Winnebago Counties. Volunteers are available 24/7 to respond to crime scenes involving victims.

“To help them emotionally with their grief and what they’re going through,” said Zurbuchen.

“Sometimes it’s something really simple like getting them bottled water or a blanket,” added Sadowski.

Next the team refers victims to resources for future help.

“Get them over the initial trauma of the event and then get them to where they need to go to be in a better place,” explained Zurbuchen.

Recently VCR’s helped in the wake of the deadly Trestle Trail shooting.

“I am several other VCR’s did some counseling, follow up counseling,” Zurbuchen told FOX 11.

The team is currently looking for and training new recruits.

“Training is pretty extensive. It’s about 30 hours of training,” explained Sadowski.

Once training is over, team members say they truly begin to make a difference for victims.

“To have another human being standing with them, experiencing with them, being there for them, it’s a very powerful, powerful thing,” said Zurbuchen.

To learn more or to help out you can find information on the Fox Cities Victim Crisis Response Team by clicking on the link under “related content” in the upper left hand of this post.

GREEN BAY – The Packers passed on hosting Brett Favre’s charity flag football game at Lambeau Field.

It will instead be played at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on June 19th, the day after Favre’s hall of fame and jersey retirement ceremony in Green Bay.

If it were up to Favre, he’d probably choose to play his flag football game where he’s played 131 professional games.

“I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t have been great to play at Lambeau for obvious reasons,” said Favre.

When Lambeau wasn’t available, Favre suggested playing in Madison, where he played six preseason games in the 90s.
“This is not Lambeau, but it’s pretty darn close,” said Favre. “What a great place to play.”

In a statement, Packers spokesperson Aaron Popkey explained why the team passed on Favre’s game.

“Our main goal for Lambeau Field’s playing surface is to have it in the best condition possible for the start of the season,” wrote Popkey. “The June 20 Chesney-Aldean Concert will add some challenges to that goal, so we need to prevent any further wear and tear on the field prior to the season getting underway.”

You might remember Chesney’s summer night at Lambeau in 2011, the stadium’s first concert. The field suffered some damage because of the concert. Parts of the field needed to be reseeded.

If that happens again this summer, Favre’s game would have put football cleats on grass that was reseeded within a month.

For fans we spoke with, the venue won’t have much impact on whether they will attend Favre’s game.

“Camp Randall is almost in my backyard, but I’d come up here to Lambeau as well,” said Tom Irwin of Waunakee.

“Cheering for 50 year olds playing touch football, I can do that with my buddies on the weekend,” said Jeff Messer of Edgerton.

While the game might not be for everyone, if Favre’s hall of fame induction ceremony is any indication, there will be plenty of interest. It took a day to sellout 67,000 seats. However, remember tickets to that event were $4 a piece.

The flag football tickets are between $34 and $55.

It’s been a few years since former Packers quarterback Brett Favre has aired one out in the state of Wisconsin.

“We enjoyed our time here, when you’re playing football, there’s no better place,” Favre said.

The longtime Green Bay signal caller hasn’t played since 2010 but he’ll be back to work July 19th. The 20-year NFL Veteran set to take the field at Camp Randall Stadium for the Brett Favre Legends Game. A charity flag football showdown benefiting the Favre 4 Hope Foundation

“With the proceeds going to charity and the chance to play in Wisconsin one more time,” Favre said. “It was a win, win.”

It’ll be quite the weekend of celebration for No. 4. The flag football game follows Favre’s induction into the Packers Hall of Fame. The event will be held at the Lambeau Field Atrium on July 18th.

“It’s time, I’ve said that before,” Favre said. “This will be a great chance to kickoff the ceremonies we’re going to have coming up.”

Favre says he’s looking forward to reuniting with old teammates on and off the field. While rosters are still coming together, Mark Chmura, Frank Winters and Javon Walker all say they’ll participate in the game.

“It’s still a work in progress but there’s a long list of players I’d like to have play in this game,” Favre said.

Now all he has to do is throw some touchdowns and stay off the trainer’s table.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to stay on the field and not go to the orthopedist,” Favre said. “I think it will be competitive.”

In Green Bay, Dylan Scott Fox 11 Sports.

Click here for more information about the Fox Cities VCR team.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A Nebraska man opened fire Wednesday on officers who were trying to arrest him for a previous shooting, prompting police to return gunfire in a shootout that left one officer and the suspect dead, Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said.

Officer Kerrie Orozco, 29, died at Creighton University Medical Center shortly after the 1 p.m. shooting, Schmaderer said at a news conference. Schmaderer said the suspect, 26-year-old Marcus Wheeler, also died at the hospital.

Schmaderer said Orozco was part of a fugitive task force looking for Wheeler to serve a felony arrest warrant. Wheeler, who was wanted on a warrant charging him in an earlier shooting, opened fire on the officers as they approached him. Officers fired back, and Wheeler was later found behind a neighbor’s house suffering from gunshot wounds, the chief said.

This photo provided by the Omaha Police Department shows officer Kerrie Orozco. A suspect being sought by police for an Omaha shooting opened fire on officers Wednesday, May 20, 2015, promoting a shootout that left Orozco and the suspect dead, according to Police Chief Todd Schmaderer. (Omaha Police Department via AP)

A semi-automatic handgun was also found on Wheeler, Schmaderer said.

“Mr. Wheeler is a convicted felon and a known gang member,” he said.

Orozco was a seven-year veteran of the department and worked in its gang unit, Schmaderer said. She was also a new mother with a premature baby who is in an Omaha hospital.

“(The baby) is set to be released from the hospital tomorrow,” Schmaderer said, his voice breaking.

It’s been more than 10 years since an Omaha officer was killed in the line of duty, when Officer Jason “Tye” Pratt was shot and killed in September 2003, while chasing down a fleeing suspect. The suspect, 21-year-old Albert Rucker of Omaha, was in turn shot and killed by another officer.

Orozco is the first female Omaha police officer to die in the line of duty, according to a list on the Officer Down Memorial online page.

Besides her daughter, Orozco is survived by her husband, Hector Orozco, two stepchildren ages 6 and 7, her mother and two siblings.

Kerrie Orozco coached baseball at an Omaha Boys and Girls Club, was a Special Olympics volunteer and served as president of the Police Officers’ Ball to benefit the Special Olympics, the chief said. She also took in rescue dogs and was a Girl Scout mentor.

“She was a friend, a popular officer,” Schmaderer said. “I just can’t even imagine that this has happened. The city of Omaha owes her and her family a debt of gratitude.”

Dr. Michael Wagner, a trauma critical care surgeon at the hospital, said his team provided “aggressive care” to both Orozco and Wheeler, but neither could be revived. Paramedics had performed CPR on both the officer and the suspect as they were taken to the hospital.

Tiffany Atkins, who lives less than a block from where the shooting happened, said she heard between five and 10 shots Wednesday afternoon in the Florence neighborhood in north Omaha, made up mostly of tudor-style brick homes along tree-lined streets. She said she took shelter in her basement and heard police cars swarming the scene within seconds of the shooting.

“I was raised in this neighborhood,” Atkins said. “This makes me want to move.”