Green Bay News

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Bears selected West Virginia receiver Kevin White with the seventh overall pick in the draft Thursday night, bringing cheers from fans gathered for the event in downtown Chicago.

New general manager Ryan Pace opted to go with a play-making receiver to replace the traded Brandon Marshall rather than address a defense that has ranked among the worst in franchise history the past two years.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound White, a junior college transfer, made a big impact in two seasons at West Virginia. He had a particularly strong senior season, finishing third in the nation with 109 receptions and sixth in yards receiving with 1,447.

Chicago also has one pick in the second and third rounds Friday (Nos. 39 and 71) along with a fourth-rounder (106), a fifth-rounder (142) and sixth-rounder (183) on Saturday.

Chicago made sweeping changes after going 5-11 last season, hiring Pace and coach John Fox to replace the fired Phil Emery and Marc Trestman. The Bears also have new offensive and defensive coordinators in Adam Gase and Vic Fangio, and they’re switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense.

Roster-wise, there was no shortage of holes on offense and defense.

The Bears came in needing a top receiver to team with Alshon Jeffery after trading the controversial Marshall to the New York Jets. They’re hoping White will give them just that. He set a school record with seven straight 100-yard receiving games to start the season and established the West Virginia mark with 16 receptions against Texas on Nov. 8.

White joins a team facing plenty of big questions.

Quarterback Jay Cutler’s future with the team beyond next season is in question. And the defense remains a big concern after getting shredded the past two years under former coordinator Mel Tucker.

The Monsters of the Midway gave up the two highest point totals in franchise history during that span. Last season, only one team (Oakland) allowed more points, and the Bears joined the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons as the only teams to give up 50 or more in back-to-back games.

Pace brought in free agents such as linebacker Pernell McPhee and safety Antrel Rolle. But there still is plenty of work to do.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings have selected Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes with the 11th overall pick in the NFL draft.

Waynes was the first player at his position off the board on Thursday night. He’s the second cornerback in three years the Vikings have drafted in the first round, following Xavier Rhodes in 2013.

The 6-foot, 186-pound Waynes left the Spartans after becoming a first team All-Big Ten selection in his junior season. The native of Kenosha, Wisconsin, had eight pass break-ups and three interceptions, one of several NFL prospects on a Michigan State defense that was one of the best in the country throughout his career there.

In a division with some of the best passing games in the league, the Vikings were still looking for help in the secondary next to Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith, one of their first-round picks in 2012. They signed Captain Munnerlyn in free agency prior to last season and brought in veteran Terence Newman, but that wasn’t enough.

This was one of those rare years of the last decade that the Vikings didn’t need a keen eye on the quarterback class, having traded into the final pick of the first round last year to take Teddy Bridgewater. Good timing, too, given the sharp drop-off in quality after Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, who went with the first two picks.

The Vikings instead had cornerbacks high on their radar, and that much wasn’t any different than usual. General manager Rick Spielman said he wanted to move down and accumulate an extra selection or two for later in the draft, but the trade market was nonexistent to that point on Thursday night.

Bridgewater’s teammate at Louisville, wide receiver DeVante Parker, was available after Amari Cooper and Kevin White went off the board with the fourth and the seventh selections, limiting the wide receiver pool. But there were plenty of rounds left to address that position.

Then there was the matter of Adrian Peterson, who has stated his preference to resume his career elsewhere.

The Vikings have adamantly expressed their opposition to trading their star running back, who was recently reinstated by the NFL from his suspension for the child abuse case he was involved in, but if a deal were to go down this was going to be the weekend for it.

“We’re looking forward to having Adrian Peterson back here as a Minnesota Viking in 2015, and that’s the end of the story,” Spielman said this week.

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama has chosen his hometown of Chicago to host his future presidential library.

That’s according to a source with direct knowledge of the decision who requested anonymity because Obama’s decision hasn’t been announced.

The University of Chicago, where Obama once taught law, will develop the library along with the Barack Obama Foundation. The nonprofit screened about a dozen proposals before recommending a winner from the final four, which also included the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Obama and his foundation are expected to officially announce the winner within the next few weeks.

The University of Hawaii and Columbia University were the other two schools on the short list. Both are expected to be involved in supplementary programming surrounding the president’s legacy.

A sea of colors, including Green and Gold flowed through Chicago Thursday for Day 1 of the 2015 NFL Draft. The event returning to town for the first time since 1951.

Many Packers fans saying with the trip just three hours away, they wouldn’t miss their first chance to hear the next Aaron Rodgers or Clay Matthews become the newest member of their hometown team.

“It’s probably the only one I’ll ever get to go to,” Packers fan Frank Wayne said.

For many NFC North division fans, it’s not hard to find the enemy.

“All different jerseys, all different people, all different types,” Fond Du Lac’s Micah Sauer said.

But the Green and Gold faithful say fans are more friend than foe on this day.

“Everyone has been totally awesome,” Wayne said.

But it’s not all play, there is some business to discuss. Like who the Packers will select with the 30th overall pick?

“I’m hoping they take a defensive back or a inside linebacker,” Oshkosh’s Kyle Butcher said.

The Draft is always a hit or miss type affair.

“Luckily, I already have a ticket,” Wayne said.

A tough one to get. Any sports fan will tell you, there’s nothing quite like seeing it live.

“Super excited, Packers fan Ross Magee said. “Get to pick the next beast, win the Super Bowl.”

At least we know that selection is a lock. For Cheeseheads everywhere, from Green Bay to Grant Park.

At the NFL Draft in Chicago, Dylan Scott Fox 11 Sports

Brookfield Central Coach Jed Kennedy says the phone calls and emails have been non stop over the past month. National Football League teams and reporters have been checking in with two of his former players. You might have heard of them, NFL Draft Prospects, Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Michigan State’s Trae Waynes

“It’s been busy, a lot of people wanting to talk to me about them, Kennedy said. “It’s not an issue because they’re such great kids.” Long before they were starring on Saturdays in the Big Ten, they were starring on Friday nights for Kennedy in the WIAA as members of the Kenosha Bradford Red Devils. “Both great workers,” Kennedy said. “We had a group of great kids and they led the way. My coaching strategy was simple, give your best players the ball and get out of the way.” From humble beginnings to multimillion dollar contracts, Kennedy isn’t surprised to see how the two have risen. “You need to have two things,” Kennedy said. “God given ability and freakish athleticism, which Melvin and Trae have. Second, both are tremendous workers and have a tremendous work ethic.” A dream realized, and a moment the two have worked their whole lives for. “To both go in the first round, he’s my best friend,” Gordon said. “I’m not the only one from my hometown,” Waynes said. “Joe Keels is at Nebraska and Melvin is going through the same thing. Its made it easier.” According to many draft boards, both are projected as first round picks, now it’s up to 32 teams to make an investment, much like Kennedy did, in two of Wisconsin’s finest young men. “It’s wild to think of them as 15-16 year-old kids and now they’re here,” Kennedy said. “The crazy thing is they have barely scratched the surface. I think they have a long future of chasing their dreams.” At the NFL Draft in Chicago, Dylan Scott Fox 11 Sports.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – The family of a man killed by a Milwaukee police officer is marking the anniversary of his death with a march to the downtown park where he was shot.

About 50 people including family members of Dontre Hamilton marched during rush hour Thursday holdings signs with such messages as “We demand federal criminal charges” and chanting “Whose day? Dontre’s day.”

The event at the park also was to include food, face painting, a balloon launch, a rally and a vigil.

Officer Christopher Manney shot Hamilton during a confrontation on April 30, 2014, after responding to a call about a sleeping man. Manney said Hamilton grabbed his baton and attacked him, forcing him to open fire.

Hamilton’s family has said he suffered from schizophrenia but was not violent.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A federal judge in Milwaukee has ordered a former Shell Pipeline Company L.P. worker to pay $19.4 million in restitution for his role in a fuel leak at General Mitchell International Airport.

Former Shell corrosion coordinator Randy Jones pleaded guilty in November to failing to conduct an annual survey of a pipeline at the airport and entering false voltage readings for the pipeline in 2011.

A hole was discovered in the pipeline at the airport in January 2012 after jet fuel began showing up in the soil surrounding the facility and a creek. Prosecutors say about 9,000 gallons of jet fuel escaped.

Prosecutors said in a news release Thursday that U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa has ordered Jones to pay $19.37 million in restitution and serve five years’ probation.

MINOCQUA – In just a couple of days, thousands of anglers will take to the lakes for opening day of the inland sport fishing season, but for one popular tourism area, any walleye caught must be thrown back.

The State Natural Resources Board approved emergency rules this month calling for catch-and-release only for the Minocqua Lake Chain, and Tomahawk Lake Chain in Oneida County.

Area fishing groups, and area tribal leaders are on board, but the effect on the local livelihood remains to be seen.

The Minocqua area has been a fishing destination for decades. But beneath these crystal clear waters, is concern for the future.

“I know the walleye population has been depleted the last several years, and obviously nobody is catching anything, and we’re losing tourism,” said Tom Cornette, Minocqua.

D.N.R. fish biologists surveyed the population last week.

“It tells us we have a problem on the chain,” said Gregg Walker, Walleyes for Tomorrow, Minocqua Chapter.

Walker says he saw the process first-hand.

“We’re seeing a lot of lakes where we don’t have a vibrant male population,” he said.

It’s a similar story on Tomahawk Lake.

“That’s where we used to catch a lot of decent walleye. But for the last couple of years, it’s been horrible, said Kim Neuroth, Lorner’s Portage Resort.

And at the local bait shop, owner Jeff Smith says walleyes are scarce.

“We’re down to the D.N.R. mentioned .9 walleyes per acre. That’s not very many. So we’re hitting the point where nobody is getting anything,” said Jeff Smith, J & J’s Sports.

Sport fishermen aren’t alone. Lac du Flambeau Chippewa members harvest walleyes each spring on both chains.

“It’s way down. Our tribal spearers haven’t really seen anything out there. And the anglers, the non-native anglers, they haven’t been catching anything either. So it’s got to be really down,” said Butch St. Germaine, Lac du Flambeau Tribal Chairman.

The D.N.R. says the annual tribal harvest across the ceded territory is about 30,000 fish. That’s about 10 percent of the nearly 300,000 sport fishermen are estimated to catch.

Sport fishing or spear fishing pressure. Is that what causes this?

“We believe that the harvest levels have been reasonable for both the tribes and the anglers. These fish aren’t surviving to an age that’s clearly below the size of which anglers, or they’re being harvested. So it’s something in the environment, or it’s either a lack of success, or something else is eating them. Or it could be a any number, or combination factors. A series of bad springs, where there’s poor reproduction. Whatever the case, we want to solve it,” said Steve Hewett, D.N.R. Fisheries Management Section Chief.

The plan is for five years.

“There will be no harvest. No spearing. And catch-and-release only on the angler’s side,” said Walker.

Walker says spawning habitat will be improved.

And millions of eggs at the local hatchery are growing quickly.

By 2017, the D.N.R. plans to stock 100,000 extended-growth walleyes into the 5,800-acre chains, boosting the numbers to about three fish per acre.

“I’m hoping it will work for the betterment of not only our own band members, but for the betterment of the non-band members too. Bring the lakes back, that’s what’s important,” said St. Germaine.

“I think it’s what this area needs. It might be a little late getting that instituted, but it’s better late than never,” said Smith.

“We rely on tourism in our area. And it would sure be nice to get these lakes back to the levels where they once were. Where we can have tribal harvest, and angler harvest, and have sustainability for everybody,” said Walker.

The initiative is for five years, and walleye are the only fish affected.

The plan will then be evaluated, to see if the population recovers to the point where sport fishing and tribal fishing can resume.

BAGHDAD (AP) – The head of the European Union’s humanitarian aid department warned on Thursday that the situation in Iraq is deteriorating rapidly while the world is preoccupied with crises elsewhere.

Shortly after Jean-Louis de Brouwer sounded the stark warning, a wave of car bombs targeting public places after nightfall in Baghdad and in a town just south of the Iraqi capital killed a total of 21 people and wounded scores of others.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks but Baghdad and its surroundings have seen near-daily bombings, mostly targeting the country’s majority Shiites or security forces even as authorities struggle to win back territory captured by the Islamic State group.

Earlier in the day, De Brouwer told The Associated Press that the number of displaced people in Iraq has quadrupled in the last year and shows no signs of decreasing.

“The worst is still to come,” he said. “The situation is deteriorating, humanitarian aid is becoming even more essential than it was, the problem is funding.”

Iraq is convulsed in a battle between the government, its militia allies and forces of the Islamic State group that have taken over large parts of the north and west in the country.

The fighting has displaced some 2.7 million people inside the country, including 110,000 who fled from renewed fighting in and around the city of Ramadi in the western Anbar province in the past two weeks.

Many of these are living with other families, inside mosques or in makeshift camps around the western periphery of Baghdad. Meanwhile, there are hundreds of thousands more in the Kurdish northern regions.

“This is quite a matter for concern as the needs are skyrocketing and the resources are not increasing,” said de Brouwer. “I’m afraid there is also – not donor fatigue – but donor exhaustion.”

An even larger refugee problem in neighboring Syria and most recently and earthquake in Nepal has drawn attention away from the slow building crisis in Iraq, he said.

In June, the EU is to co-host with the U.N. a new call for humanitarian aid for Iraq in Brussels. The EU has nearly doubled its allocation for Iraq from $22 million in 2014 to $43 million this year.

De Brouwer also criticized the practice of not allowing those displaced from Sunni areas into Baghdad or the Kurdish region without sponsorship, leaving most people stranded.

“If they keep on with this kind of practice, they will end up with the kind of ethnic division that will not be good for the country,” he said.

Hours later, a wave of bombings struck Baghdad after nightfall. The deadliest of the attacks hit the western Sunni-majority district of Mansour, killing five people and wounding 12 there, security officials said.

A car bomb near an ice cream shop killed four people and wounded 14 in the Shiite neighborhood of Hurriya in northern Baghdad. Also, police said two separate car bombs killed a total of seven people and wounded 18 in two Shiite neighborhoods in eastern Baghdad. Security forces quickly sealed off the blast sites.

Also, a car bomb exploded near a number of restaurants and shops in Baghdad’s eastern Shiite district of Talibiyah, killing two people and wounding 10 others.

And in Madain town just south of Baghdad, a bomb blast near a cafe killed three people and wounded 11, the officials said.

Medical officials confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma City Zoo officials say a Sumatran tiger escaped its pen, but remained in an enclosed area before being tranquilized with no injuries and no danger to the public.

Zoo spokeswoman Tara Henson says the female tiger disappeared from its habitat shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday. It prompted the zoo to issue a “Code Red,” meaning the public and staff are moved to a safe place because an animal is out of its designated area.

Henson said staff quickly found the tiger and shot it with a tranquilizer dart.

Henson said she didn’t know how far the tiger strayed, but said it did not enter any area accessible by the public.

Henson said it wasn’t immediately known how the tiger left its area.

GREEN BAY – Green Bay Police say two teens were arrested in connection with a fire that destroyed an apartment complex on N. Danz Avenue in Green Bay earlier this week.

Authorities say they are recommending charges including arson, burglary and recklessly endangering safety.

Police say surveillance video shows the teens going in and out of where the fire started. Police picked up the teens Thursday during a traffic stop.

About 66 residents were displaced by the fire that occurred in the early morning hours of April 27.

All residents made it out of the fire safely.

FOX 11’s Ben Krumholz is working on the story and will have a report tonight on FOX 11 News at Five and Nine.

MADISON (AP) – The state Senate’s labor committee has scheduled a hearing on a GOP bill that would repeal Wisconsin’s prevailing wage law.

The committee set the hearing for Tuesday and plans to vote on the bill the following Thursday. The committee’s chairman, Sen. Stephen Nass, is one of the bill’s sponsors.

Under current Wisconsin law, workers on state or local public projects and highway projects must be paid wages equivalent to what they would earn working on other projects in the area.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has said he doesn’t have the votes to pass the bill and instead will look to revise the law using Gov. Scott Walker’s budget as a vehicle.

Nass says Vos is throwing up the white flag and it’s time to see where the votes lie.

NEENAH – A Fox Valley paper mill is facing nearly $50,000 in fines for safety violations – some of which regulators say could put employees at risk of amputation.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says it found nine “serious” violations at Clearwater Paper Neenah, 249 N. Lake St. OSHA says it inspected the plant last December.

Investigators say the mill failed to protect workers from operating parts of machinery by the using safety guards and failed to develop procedures for the control of locking devices to prevent unintentional operation of machinery during service and maintenance. Both of those violations could lead to amputations, OSHA said.

Other violations included a lack of eye wash stations for worker’s exposed to corrosive chemicals, a lack of safety latches on crane hooks and a lack of guard rails which exposed workers to fall hazards over dangerous equipment.

In all, OSHA is proposing $49,075 in fines.

A spokesman for Spokane, Washington-based Clearwater Paper says the company received the OSHA report last Friday and is still reviewing it. The company says employee safety is its highest priority.

FLORENCE –  A man who threatened tubers on the Pine River will be supervised for five years under a plan approved Thursday.

Tubers were floating on the river in Commonwealth Township Aug. 9, when Gary Bovee, 70, appeared from shore. He told them the river belonged to him and that he was “King of America.”

Bovee pleaded no contest to 12 misdemeanor counts of intentionally pointing a firearm at someone – but then found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

Judge Michael Bloom set a variety of conditions, according to online court records, including that Bovee cooperate with treatment providers, not consume alcohol, not possess firearms, and may not enter the DNR office in Florence County.

FOND DU LAC – A man charged with arson for allegedly setting his house on fire – killing a dog and cat – pleaded not guilty Thursday.

Colin Habram faces multiple charges, including two counts of arson and the mistreatment of animals for the April 14 fire on Ellis Street. He also waived a preliminary hearing Thursday, according to online court records.

No trial date was set.

GREEN BAY – This year the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon is unveiling a new design in the first of its three-year finisher medal series.

The three medals are designed to fit together and will unveil a final image on the back of the medal. It will be for participants in the marathon and half marathon.

Organizers say they wanted to show off the community in the medals.

Race Director, Larry Lueck, says, “And have come up with three great medals for the next three years. Each of them feature a different city landscape.”

One of the iconic landmarks featured on this year’s medal is none other than Lambeau Field.

The medals are in production at Medalcraft mint in Green Bay, Thursday and Friday.

 

Participants in the Cellcom Green Bay full and half marathons will have a chance to earn wedges for a complete medal over three years.

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama has signed long-delayed legislation to boost energy efficiency in buildings.

Obama signed the bill into law Thursday in the Oval Office. He was surrounded by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

The law aims to cut energy use in commercial buildings, manufacturing plants and homes.

Obama says he hopes it will lead to more progress on environmental issues. He says it’s an area where Washington could make a big impact and create jobs.

The measure was popular in both parties but was defeated last year after becoming enmeshed in a political fight over the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

The bill exempts some energy-efficient water heaters from pending Energy Department rules. It also requires federal agencies to increase energy efficiency in federal buildings, among other provisions.

GREEN BAY – Registration begins Friday for Bellin Women’s Half Marathon.

Race organizers say they are eager for a new female-focused event. Nationwide, some 60 percent of half marathon finishers are women.

Organizers say the half marathon seeks to celebrate and motivate female athletes of all levels and abilities. They say men are encouraged to participate, but women are the main focus.

Race Director, Linda Maxwell says, “We really wanted to have an event to help this particular population and it’s such a popular distance, the half marathon for women, but it’s really focused to empower women.”

The scenic point-to-point course begins at Bayshore County Park and continues along the bay to finish at Bay Beach Amusement Park.

This year’s registration is capped at 2,000 runners.

The race is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26.

For more information on the race and how to register, click here.

 

 

 

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Gov. Scott Walker says he hopes to have a financing deal to pay for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena in the “not too distant future.”

Walker commented Thursday before his first face-to-face meeting with officials from the NBA team and others who have been working to reach a deal.

Walker says his only criteria are ensuring that taxes don’t increase and that there is a net benefit to taxpayers in the state. He says the Legislature has been clear in wanting the city and county to offer more money as well.

The Republican governor first proposed a $220 million bonding plan in late January to help fund the proposed $500 million arena. Other ideas would lower the state’s contribution to around $150 million, with more money coming from local governments.