Green Bay News

FOND DU LAC – While no one has heard from Andy Land, the mountaineering company he’s with and his wife say the hospice nurse is stuck at one of the climbing camps on Mt. Everest. An evacuation plan to get Land and fellow climbers to the mountain’s base camp could start soon.

The route climbers take to get up the south face of the mountain, between base camp and camps one and two, is badly broken up. Violent aftershocks have caused the normally treacherous path to become unsafe to descend, according to a post on International Mountain Guides website Sunday.

“After the injured climbers were evacuated this morning from Base Camp, and before the clouds came in this afternoon and shut down the helicopter operations for the day, we had a reconnaissance of the Khumbu Icefall route from the air,” wrote IMG partner Eric Simonson. “Bottom line is that the route is badly broken up, many ladders are lost, and ropes buried. IMG guide Justin Merle and several guides from other teams descended from Camp 1 to observe the upper route and they confirm this.”

The post goes on to say the company is “working on a plan to evacuate the climbers and Sherpas…down to EBC and are hoping for good weather again tomorrow to start this operation.”

Photo of Andy Land at the base of the Khumbu Icefall on the one year anniversary of the avalanche that killed 16 Sherpas. (Courtesy: Climbing for Hospice)

Land, 53, of Fond du Lac booked his trip with IMG to scale the mountain, using the climb to raise hospice care awareness.

In a post on his Climbing for Hospice Facebook page, Land’s wife Mary Sue posted late Saturday night she received a voicemail from Simonson, saying “Andy is safe at Camp 1 and they will probably stay there another day or so and then head back down. I am so relieved. Thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers.”

“People have been texting and calling and it’s wonderful, I’m so blessed that I have so many people that care and love us, but it’s really been kind of overwhelming,” said Mary Sue in an interview with FOX 11 at the couple’s home Saturday, hours after news reports began trickling in about the earthquake that rocked several south Asian countries.

“He was going to take his phone with him, because maybe when he got to camp one or camp two, he might be able to call me,” she said of his plan before the quake. “But he said, don’t be alarmed if you don’t hear from me for five days.”

Since, Land clung to the idea that no news is good news about her husband’s well-being, at least until her calls to his climbing company were returned.

In photos posted Sunday by IMG guides from the Everest Base Camp, favorable weather allowed helicopter evacuations to resume for those injured when an avalanche caused by the earthquake, struck the upper portion of the base camp. Current reports put the number of dead at 18, with more than 60 injured.

In Simonson’s post, according to one of the expedition leaders “While the main focus at (Everest Base Camp) yesterday was the care of the injured, today there remains a lot of work to do digging through the avalanche debris at the upper EBC site to recover any further missing climbers.”

The avalanche now marks the deadliest event on the mountain since 16 Sherpas were killed in an avalanche on the mountain a little more than one year ago.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Adam Lind hit a two-run homer and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 Sunday for just their second victory in the last 12 games.

Milwaukee, off to the worst start in team history, improved to 4-15. Every other team in the majors has at least six wins.

The Cardinals had won nine of 10. They headed back to St. Louis, where ace Adam Wainwright will have an MRI on Monday to see how long his injured Achilles and left ankle will sideline him – there is speculation he could miss the rest of the season.

St. Louis got 13 hits, but stranded a season-high 14 runners, including eight in the first three innings.

Mike Blazek (1-0) pitched two innings for the victory. Starter Mike Fiers gave up one earned run on nine hits and two walks in four-plus innings.

Lance Lynn (1-2) allowed six runs on 10 hits in five innings.

The Brewers took a 3-0 lead in third after Logan Schafer reached on infield single that bounced off the back of Lynn and Gerardo Parra tripled. Cardinals right fielder Jason Heyward appeared to stumble on Parra’s hit and left the game with left groin tightness, and was listed as day to day.

Lind then hit his third homer.

The Cardinals got a run back in the fourth when Jon Jay, who replaced Heyward, singled with two outs. Jay moved up when Lind mishandled a pickoff throw and scored on Jhonny Peralta’s single.

Mark Reynolds, who played last season for Milwaukee, cut the lead to 3-2 with his first home run to lead off the fifth, chasing Fiers.

The Brewers scored three times in the bottom half on doubles by Parra, Khris Davis and Elian Herrera, and an RBI single by Hector Gomez.

Catcher Cody Stanley, called up from Triple-A to take Wainwright’s roster spot, made his major League debut as a pinch hitter to lead off the eighth and singled. He later scored on Matt Adams’ bases-loaded grounder.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: C Yadier Molina was out of the lineup for the second straight day as he recovers from getting hit by a foul tip on Friday. “He’s feeling better, even though we just need to go ahead and take at least another day,” manager Mike Matheny said. “He can hit, he can run, but squatting is the major issue right now.”

Brewers: CF Carlos Gomez is getting closer to ready to play when he’s eligible to come off the 15-day DL. “(Gomez) was really good running bases yesterday,” manager Ron Roenicke said. “He is taking flyballs. He is doing all the things I think he needs to do to be ready. We will just see where the timing is. He should be close.” Gomez went on the DL on April 16 with a strained right hamstring.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP John Lackey gets the start as the Cards return home for a four-game series against Philadelphia after a six-game road trip. He is 1-0 with a 4.34 ERA in three starts.

Brewers: Jimmy Nelson, 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA, will be making his fourth start to open a three-game series at Cincinnati. The 25-year-old right-hander has been one of the few bright spots this season, giving up no more than two runs in any start.

The Oshkosh Wave Robotics team has placed second in its division at the FIRST Robotics World Championship in St. Louis, Mo.

More than 18,000 students from over 40 different countries competed in the four different FIRST programs.

The Oshkosh team participated in the FIRST Robotics Competition program, where students build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks.

The team had six weeks to build their robots for this year’s competition called “Recycle Rush.”

Each group was scored on how well their robots could stack totes on scoring platforms, cap those stacks with recycling containers and properly dispose of pool noodles that represented litter.

The robots created for the competition are computer programmed and controlled with video game controllers.

The Oshkosh team will be returning home Sunday evening. Parents, family and friends are welcoming the team at the Global Technology Center (Oshkosh Corporation) at 5:45 p.m.

 

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin has seen the number of organ donors rise since relaunching the state’s donor registry in 2010.

Five years ago, Wisconsin had zero registered organ donors as the state transitioned into a new system that includes legal consent for the lifesaving medical procedure.

Now, about 2.6 million residents are registered as organ, eye and tissue donors. But a report by Gannett Wisconsin Media says there are still some 2 million eligible residents who have not signed up.

Nationally, Wisconsin is slightly above average in the percentage of residents on its registry.

Advocates hope outreach efforts, especially during Donate Life Month in April, will push the state’s rate closer to 75 percent.

___

Online:

Donate Life Wisconsin http://yesiwillwisconsin.com

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Kurt Busch dominated once he took the lead and won the rain-delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway on Sunday.

Busch led 291 of the 400 laps on the 0.75-mile oval, and outran Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick over the final dozen laps to end a 35-race winless streak.

The race looked much like the Xfinity Series event Friday night in which Denny Hamlin led 248 of 250 laps and only lost the lead during green flag pits stops.

This time, there were actual green flag lead changes, but only two – when Busch passed Joey Logano after 94 laps to take the lead, and when Jamie McMurray passed Busch after 262 laps.

Busch regained the lead under caution and never relinquished it.

___

Follow Hank on twitter at: http://twitter.com/hankkurzjr

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

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon says a U.S. military plane has departed from the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware bound for earthquake-stricken Nepal.

Onboard are 70 personnel, including a U.S. Agency for International Development disaster assistance response team, a Virginia-based search and rescue team and 45 tons of cargo to provide assistance to areas hit by Saturday’s massive quake that left more than 2,500 dead.

The Pentagon says the flight is expected to arrive at Kathmandu on Monday. More than two dozen Defense Department personnel and a transport plane are currently in Nepal on a training exercise. All personnel are accounted for.

The 7.8 magnitude temblor was felt in neighboring countries. UNICEF staff has reported dwindling water supplies, power shortages and communications breakdowns in the stricken areas.

Aid groups are rushing to get crucial supplies to survivors of Nepal’s devastating earthquake, which has killed more than 2,500 people. Here’s a look at humanitarian efforts under way in Nepal and how to donate online:

UNICEF

The U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, says nearly 1 million children in Nepal need help. UNICEF says it is preparing two cargo flights with a combined 120 tons of humanitarian supplies including medical and hospital supplies, tents and blankets, for urgent airlift to Kathmandu.

Online: http://www.supportunicef.org/site/c.dvKUI9OWInJ6H/b.9274583/k.FBFF/Help_Children_in_Nepal_Donate_for_earthquake_response.htm

WORLD FOOD PROGRAM

The U.N. World Food Program says logistics and emergency response teams have arrived in Kathmandu.

Online: https://give.wfp.org/5279/?stepcountry&lead_source2015-wfp-nepal-emergency&form_tag2015-wfp-nepal-emergency

RED CROSS

The International Committee for the Red Cross says it is working with the Nepal Red Cross Society and has a team working on emergency response.

Online: http://familylinks.icrc.org/nepal-earthquake/en/Pages/Home.aspx

MERCY CORPS

Mercy Corps warns that prices for essential supplies in Nepal are rising quickly. The group says it is working with the Nepal Red Cross Society to help distribute essential household supplies, shelter kits and tarpaulins. Mercy Corps has 90 staffers on the ground in Nepal, some of whom have lost their homes in the quake.

Online: https://www.mercycorps.org/donate/survivors-need-your-help-now

SAVE THE CHILDREN

Save the Children says it has staff in 63 districts and emergency kits, hygiene materials and tarpaulins already in Nepal and ready for distribution. Additional supplies and emergency recovery teams are being flown in.

Online: https://secure.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.9274575/k.FD90/Nepal_Earthquake_Childrens_Relief_Fund/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp

OXFAM

Oxfam says its team in Nepal is assessing needs and it is sending emergency food, water and sanitation supplies. “Communication is currently very difficult. Telephone lines are down and the electricity has been cut off making charging mobile phones difficult. The water is also cut off,” country director Cecilia Keizer says in a statement.

Online: https://secure2.oxfamamerica.org/page/content/nepal_earthquake/?utm_contentbuffere2455&utm_mediumsocial&utm_sourcetwitter.com&utm_campaignbuffer

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS

Doctors Without Borders, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres, says it is sending medical staff and supplies to Nepal, including emergency surgical teams.

Online: https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/onetime.cfm

JDC

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is providing relief and medical supplies and sending a disaster relief team.

Online: http://jdc.org/nepalearthquake

SAMARITANS PURSE

The Christian aid organization has deployed a disaster relief team and initial supplies for 15,000 households to support partner hospitals.

Online: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/deadly-earthquake-in-nepal/

LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF

The Lutheran aid group is on the ground trying to meet basic needs such as the distribution of water filtration units and quilts.

Online: https://www.kintera.org/site/c.dmJXKiOYJgI6G/b.9274577/k.9A5A/Nepal_Earthquake/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?cdmJXKiOYJgI6G&b9274577&enatKJJXMDL9JSL7NGK8JPI3NQKtIWK1NMJoLWK1PHLhLZI6NOJxH

CARE

The humanitarian organization that fights global poverty is on the ground in Nepal.

Online: https://my.care.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid6F40D2BBF1D1AE679400857567051488.app312a?18842.donationform1&df_id18842

WORLD VISION

The Christian aid organization is on the ground assessing the disaster in Nepal.

Online: http://donate.worldvision.org/nepal-quake?&campaign10680827%20ow.ly/M71ga

PAYPAL GIVING FUND

The web payment company announced it was waiving fees for donations to the Nepal relief effort. It was delivering donations through its PayPal Giving Fund to several of the aid groups listed above, among others.

Online: https://www.paypal-donations.com/pp-charity/web.us/campaign.jsp?cid35

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Milwaukee police are investigating two shootings that left a 23-year-old man dead and two other people injured.

Police say the Milwaukee man who died after shot about 9 p.m. Saturday while inside a minivan parked at a gas station.

The Journal Sentinel reports the man died at the scene. Investigators continue to try to identify suspects and a motive.

About an hour before that shooting, police were called to a shooting that injured two people outside of a home on Milwaukee’s south side. A 17-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man were wounded about 8:10 p.m. Saturday as they sat inside a car.

Police say the two were taken to a hospital and are expected to survive. Investigators believe the shooting was gang-related.

FOND DU LAC – Two people were taken to the hospital Sunday afternoon after a traffic crash in Fond du Lac.

Fond du Lac Police say a southbound car ran a red light at Linden and 9th Street and struck a westbound van.

The driver of the car was not injured.

The two people from the van were transported to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Traffic was re-routed for clean-up.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin lawmaker is trying again to increase penalties for drunken driving in the only state in the nation where first-time offenders face tickets, not jail time.

Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon, said he plans to introduce seven bills that would increase punishments for drunken driving offenses, including a measure that would require first-time offenders to appear in court.

“It will make an impression to offenders that this is the road they’re going down,” Ott said. “Hopefully standing in front of a judge will help them change their path.”

Current law doesn’t require a court appearance on a first offense, but does require it on subsequent offenses.

After hearing about cases of drunken drivers who rack up multiple offenses, Ott said he was spurred to action.

Ott said he also decided to reintroduce half a dozen other bills that died in the Legislature last session. It’s not clear whether they will face a similar fate this year, but the same Republicans who were in charge last session didn’t take a position Friday on the proposals.

Among them are bills that would increase the minimum sentence for drivers who injure or kill another person in an accident; eliminate a rule that reduces penalties for offenses that occur more than 10 years apart; increase minimum sentences for fifth- and sixth-time offenders; and close a loophole for offenders with suspended licenses who drive without an ignition interlock device. The ignition interlock device requires a driver to blow into a device similar to a Breathalyzer to start a car. The device must be in place for at least a year.

Federal road safety agencies have said ignition interlocks are a good way to prevent people from drinking and driving repeatedly.

In 2013, there were 185 drunken driving-related deaths and 2,660 injuries on Wisconsin roads, the state’s Department of Transportation reported. The 2013 data is the most recent finalized data made available by the department.

“It’s not a problem we’re going to solve by just adding a couple laws, but the idea is that if we create more of a deterrence and possibly reduce suffering, it’s got to help,” Ott said.

Though he acknowledged that the bills received mixed reviews when they were introduced in 2013, Ott said he was optimistic about their success this session.

Frank Harris, a lobbyist for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), said the measures are a good start but don’t go far enough. The group has supported a separate bill that would require ignition interlocks for all drivers charged with a previous offense.

A spokesman for the Tavern League, the state’s powerful alcohol lobby, didn’t respond to a message seeking comment Friday.

Myranda Tanck, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Kit Beyer, a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said the lawmakers haven’t had time to consider Ott’s proposals.

ALLOUEZ – The daughter of a missing Pittsfield woman is still looking for answers. Marsha Loritz’s mother, Victoria Prokopovitz, was last seen at her Pittsfield home two years ago.

Loritz is hosting a missing persons awareness event at Heritage Hill State Historical Park today from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Local law enforcement officers will be at the event to talk about missing persons in Wisconsin.

A report from the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children and Adults shows, as of November 1, 2014, 1,000 people have disappeared in the state. Of those 1,000 people, 697 are children and 303 are adults.

FOX 11’s Gabrielle Mays will have the full story tonight on FOX 11 News at Nine.

OCONTO COUNTY – Cuts are coming to recreation areas in the Northwoods. Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest officials announced reductions in services at 11 percent of its sites.

The forest covers 1.5 million acres in northern and northwestern Wisconsin.

The reductions go into effect next week. Some state lawmakers are offering what they call a solution, the forest service is moving forward with the cuts.

At the Green Lake picnic area near Mountain, the signs are down, and the tables are stacked. The beach will be closed this year.

“Unfortunately we’ve had to make some changes and reduce some services at about 11 percent of our recreation sites. Some of those are hard closures, where the gates will be up. Some of those are just reduced services,” said Hilary Markin, U.S. Forest Service Service Public Affairs Officer.

It will be a long-shot getting to the Mountain Fire Tower. The gate is locked, picnic tables are gone, and there will be no mowing.

It’s a similar story at Rose Lake near Langlade. The toilet building will be closed, and the grass will continue to grow.

“Some of the reasons why we chose to close those areas reduce certain services, those areas don’t necessarily receive a lot of use on the forest. It’s a lot of cost to maintain these sites,” said Markin.

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest surrounds the Lakewood area. Local leaders are worried a recent increase in county tourism may be affected.

“It makes it a little tougher. I think if you have the amenities, the little goodies, that people like when they are camping, or come swimming or boating. They’re a little more appreciative of it. If they have to struggle to get to the lake because the boat landing is closed, now you have a problem,” said Kathy Rank, Lakewood Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Forest Service says overnight camping visits are down 20 percent over a five-year period, and the current shortfall is hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Three Wisconsin lawmakers have an offer they say would generate millions. Their plan includes turning over the forest to the state, then harvesting and selling more trees.

“Let Wisconsin take those forests back in our hands. We will manage them. We’ll manage the forest and along with the timber harvest and the things that are done with the forest, and the money that is made off the forest. We will take and we manage all the parks, keep them open. The federal government does not have to stick a nickel into it,” said State Representative Jeff Mursau, (R) Crivitz.

“It’s a very complicated process. There is no mechanism for them to be able to do that. Bottom Line. There is no mechanism for the state to take of the National Forest right now. It would have to go through Congress and be appropriated all the way down,” said Markin.

Both sides say they would entertain talks in the future.

But in the meantime, places like the Mountain Fire Tower and the beach at Green Lake may be a little quieter this season.

“We do recognize we probably have closed maybe somebody’s favorite spot, but usually right down the road, there’s another comparable site that has the same amenities, and same experiences,” said Markin.

The forest service will evaluate the decision at the end of the summer.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Two Wisconsin men climbing Mount Everest have survived an avalanche set off by a powerful earthquake in Nepal.

Benjamin Breckheimer, who grew up in Menomonee Falls, was trying to become the first wounded warrior to climb Mount Everest. Breckheimer, who now lives in Port Charlotte, Florida, was wounded by a homemade bomb in Afghanistan in 2009.

Breckheimer’s mother, Mary Lyons, who lives in Menomonee Falls, tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that her son called her at 4 a.m. Saturday. Lyons says her son said the situation was “pretty bad” but that he was OK and would call in a few days.

Andy Land, a hospice nurse from Fond du Lac, and the rest of his climbing team led by International Mountain Guides in Ashford, Washington, all survived the earthquake.

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) – Shell-shocked and sleeping in the streets, tens of thousands of Nepalese braced against terrifying aftershocks Sunday while digging for survivors in the devastation wrought a day earlier by a massive earthquake that ripped across this Himalayan nation and killed more than 2,500 people.

Acrid, white smoke rose above the nation’s most revered Hindu temple, where dozens of bodies were being cremated at any given time.

Aid groups received the first word from remote mountain villages – reports that suggested many communities perched on mountainsides were devastated or struggling to cope.

Landslides hindered rescue teams that tried to use mountain trails to reach those in need, said Prakash Subedi, chief district official in the Gorkha region, where the quake was centered.

“Villages like this are routinely affected by landslides, and it’s not uncommon for entire villages of 200, 300, up to 1,000 people to be completely buried by rock falls,” said Matt Darvas, a member of the aid group World Vision. “It will likely be helicopter access only.”

Saturday’s magnitude 7.8 earthquake spread horror from Kathmandu to small villages and to the slopes of Mount Everest, triggering an avalanche that buried part of the base camp packed with foreign climbers preparing to make their summit attempts. At least 18 people died there and 61 were injured.

With people fearing more quakes, tens of thousands spent the day crowding in the streets and the night sleeping in parks or on a golf course. Others camped in open squares lined by cracked buildings and piles of rubble. Helicopter blades thudded periodically overhead.

Crows screeched as the ground shook with the worst of the aftershocks – magnitude 6.7. Panicked residents raced outdoors.

“We don’t feel safe at all. There have been so many aftershocks. It doesn’t stop,” said Rajendra Dhungana, 34, who spent the day with his niece’s family for her cremation at the Pashuputi Nath Temple in Katmandu. “I’ve watched hundreds of bodies burn. I never thought I’d see so many … Nepal should learn a lesson from this. They should realize proper buildings should be built. There should be open spaces people can run to.”

Nepal authorities said Sunday that at least 2,430 people died in that country alone, not including the 18 dead in the avalanche. Another 61 people died from the quake in India and a few in other neighboring countries.

At least 1,152 people died in Kathmandu, and the number of injured nationwide was upward of 5,900. With search-and-rescue efforts far from over, it was unclear how much the death toll would rise. Three policemen died during a rescue effort in Kathmandu, police spokesman Komal Singh Bam said.

The city is largely a collection of small, poorly constructed brick apartment buildings. But outside of the oldest neighborhoods, many in Kathmandu were surprised by how few modern structures collapsed in the quake.

While aid workers cautioned that many buildings could have sustained serious structural damage, it was also clear that the death toll would have been far higher had more buildings caved in.

Aid workers also warned that the situation could be far worse near the epicenter west of Kathmandu. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered near Lamjung, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Kathmandu.

As planeloads of supplies, doctors and relief workers from neighboring countries arrived at Kathmandu’s airport, thousands of Indians lined up outside in hopes of gaining a seat on a plane returning to New Delhi.

One of those fleeing, 32-year-old tailor Assad Alam, said he and his wife and daughter were leaving with heavy hearts.

“It was a very difficult decision. I have called this home for seven years. But you have to think about the family, about your child.”

The earthquake was the worst to hit the South Asian nation in more than 80 years. It destroyed swaths of the oldest neighborhoods of Kathmandu, the capital, and was strong enough to be felt all across parts of India, Bangladesh, China’s region of Tibet and Pakistan.

Nepal’s worst recorded earthquake in 1934 measured 8.0 and all but destroyed the cities of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan.

Rescuers aided by international teams spent Sunday digging through rubble of buildings – concrete slabs, bricks, iron beams, wood – to look for survivors. Because the air was filled with chalky concrete dust, many people wore breathing masks or held shawls over their faces.

Hundreds of people in the western Kalanki neighborhood nervously watched the slow progress of a single backhoe digging into the rubble of the collapsed Lumbini Guest House, once a three-story budget hotel frequented by Nepalese.

Police officer RP Dhamala, who was coordinating the rescue efforts, said they had already pulled out 12 people alive and six dead. He said rescuers were still searching for about 20 people believed to be trapped, but had heard no cries, taps or noises for a while.

Most areas were without power and water. The United Nations said hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley were overcrowded and running out of emergency supplies and space to store corpses.

Most shops in Kathmandu were closed after the government declared a weeklong period of recovery. Only fruit vendors and pharmacies seemed to be doing business.

“More people are coming now,” fruit seller Shyam Jaiswal said. “They cannot cook so they need to buy something they can eat raw.”

Jaiswal said stocks were running out, and more shipments were not expected for at least a week, but added, “We are not raising prices. That would be illegal, immoral profit.”

The quake will probably put a huge strain on the resources of this impoverished country best known for Everest, the highest mountain in the world. The economy of Nepal, a nation of 27.8 million people, relies heavily on tourism, principally trekking and Himalayan mountain climbing.

With Kathmandu airport reopened, the first aid flights began delivering aid supplies. The first to respond were Nepal’s neighbors – India, China and Pakistan, all of which have been jockeying for influence over the landlocked nation. Nepal remains closest to India, with which it shares deep political, cultural and religious ties.

India suffered its own losses from the quake, with at least 61 people killed there and dozens injured. Sunday’s aftershock was also widely felt in the country, and local news reports said metro trains in New Delhi and Kolkata were briefly shut down when the shaking started.

Other countries sending support Sunday included the United Arab Emirates, Germany and France.

After the chaos of Saturday – when little organized rescue and relief was seen -efforts were more orderly on Sunday as rescue teams fanned out across the city.

Workers were sending out tents and relief goods in trucks and helicopters and setting up shelters, said disaster management official Rameshwar Dangal.

Mukesh Kafle, head of the Nepal Electricity Authority, said power was restored to main government offices, the airport and hospitals.

The earthquake also damaged several landmarks, including the nine-story Dharahara Tower, built by Nepal’s royal rulers as a watchtower in the 1800s and a UNESCO-recognized historical monument. It was reduced to rubble, and there were reports of people trapped underneath.

The Kathmandu Valley is listed as a World Heritage site. The Buddhist stupas, public squares and Hindu temples are some of the most well-known sites in Kathmandu, and now some of the most deeply mourned.

NEW YORK (AP) – For Democratic politicians, same-sex marriage has become an easy issue: They’re for it. Many Republican VIPs – notably the presidential hopefuls – face a far more complicated landscape.

Looming ahead for these contenders are early contests in states such as Iowa and South Carolina, where a major role will be played by conservative Christian voters firmly opposed to same-sex marriage. Further down the road is the 2016 general election, where the nominee will likely need backing from independents and moderate Republicans who support gay unions.

“Republicans are trying to thread the needle on this, with varying degrees of skill. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why,” said Gregory Angelo, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, which represents gay conservatives and seeks to make the GOP more inclusive.

“The more shrewd members of the field know that in order to win the general election, they cannot be in absolute opposition to LGBT equality,” Angelo said. “If that is their position, they automatically turn off a large portion of the electorate.”

Some of the most conservative contenders – such as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee – are comfortable using forceful language in opposing gay marriage and railing against judges who have struck down state laws against it. Others, even while sharing disapproval of gay marriage, have used softer phrasing.

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida says he’d attend a same-sex wedding of someone close to him, and remarked that sexual preference is something most people are born with, not a choice. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has suggested gay couples could enter into civil contracts. And former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, after a court order made gay marriage legal in his home state, urged respect for the rule of law.

Bush added: “I hope that we can also show respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue, including couples making lifetime commitments to each other who are seeking greater legal protections and those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty.”

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in four states’ same-sex marriage cases on Tuesday, and by the end of June is expected to rule on whether such marriages – now allowed in 36 states – should be recognized nationwide. Cruz has signed a brief filed with the high court on behalf of 57 GOP lawmakers, urging the justices not to impose a nationwide rule and instead to let the political debate continue.

Opinion polls show that a majority of Americans, including young Republicans, favor nationwide legalization. A Supreme Court ruling to that effect might be a relief to some GOP candidates, such as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has made clear that gay marriage is not a favorite topic of discussion.

“Jeb Bush and Scott Walker want to have this be settled law before the presidential election really gets going, so they can move on,” said Marc Solomon, national campaign director for the advocacy group Freedom to Marry.

In the 2012 GOP primary campaign, most of the leading candidates endorsed the idea of a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. The current contenders no longer broach that idea, instead urging the Supreme Court to avoid a nationwide ruling for gay marriage and leave the matter to the states.

“It’s important that citizens, not judges, define marriage,” said Ryan Anderson, a research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. “For all these candidates, that’s the message I want to see.”

However, some conservative leaders already are bracing for a possible Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage.

“I would want presidential candidates who understand the need to protect religious liberty in the aftermath of a Supreme Court decision,” said the Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’ Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

“Many (gay-rights activists) are not wanting simply a ‘live and let live’ approach to marriage but are wanting instead to use the power of the state to coerce religious people and institutions to violate their consciences in actively celebrating such unions,” Moore said in an email.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal alluded to such pressure as he reinforced his opposition to same-sex marriage in an opinion article in Thursday’s New York Times.

“Polls indicate that the American consensus is changing – but like many other believers, I will not change my faith-driven view on this matter, even if it becomes a minority opinion,” Jindal wrote, dismissing complaints from the business community about legislation that would allow some businesses to deny services to same-sex couples.

The issue of religious freedom has been troubling for some Republicans governors, including Mike Pence of Indiana and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas. In each state, GOP lawmakers modified new religious-objections laws after critics said they could be used to discriminate against gays. Amid the uproar, the Republican governors of Michigan and North Dakota took a different tack, urging their own legislatures to extend anti-discrimination protections to gays.

Developments in Iowa, with its high-profile GOP caucus, underscore the shifting nature of the marriage debate.

Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, as a candidate in 2010, assailed the state Supreme Court for legalizing gay marriage. But testifying recently in a deposition, he said “the whole situation has changed,” adding: “The state laws have been overturned by the courts. And so we have a new situation in this country today, and I think it’s something we have to accept.”

That’s been the attitude among many Republicans in the early-primary state of New Hampshire, where gay marriage was legalized in 2009 by a Democratic-controlled legislature. In 2012, after the GOP had gained control, lawmakers rejected a bid to repeal that law.

Few GOP primary voters in the state want gay marriage to be a front-burner issue, said Dante Scala, a political science professor at the University of New Hampshire. “They prefer that their candidates not discuss social issues at every opportunity.”

By contrast, Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, in the recent video that launched her campaign, signaled her full embrace of same-sex marriage. Among the “everyday Americans” featured in the video was a gay couple in Chicago sharing the excitement of their plans to wed this summer.

HOWARD – Green Bay’s men’s rugby club, the Celtics, is on their way to having one of the best seasons in team’s 43 year history.

This year’s team has yet to lose a game, standing 9-0 so far.

They kept their streak alive Saturday after beating the Northwest Illinois Woodsmen in the first round of their playoffs, 20 to 15.

It was a tight match, especially considering their average margin of victory had been roughly 46 to 7.

The team is working toward their first national playoffs appearance in almost 10 years.

Their next playoff game will be at home in Barney Williams Park in Howard on May 9th.

According to player/head coach Cole Coopman, “Our talent base is very good. We’re very deep. Some years we have a lot of talent but we’re only 15, 20 guys deep. this year, we have a multiple, multiple guys that can step in and help out.”

If their run to the playoffs does continue past the weekend of May 9th, that could mean some extra work for club officers.

“We might have to do some fundraising in the near term because if we make it past Midwest (playoffs), we have to go out east to the Carolinas and then back for the finals, US finals, in Colorado. So while I’m very happy for the club, it could put a lot more work on my shoulders,” says club treasurer Matt Goetsch.

Their May 9th game will be against the Milwaukee Barbarians, a team the Celtics beat during the regular season by a score of 38 to 5.

The Barbarians just upset the other top seed in the Chicago-Wisconsin league to secure their spot in the upcoming game.

The winner of May 9th’s game would then play another game the next day against the Minnesota-Iowa league champion.

That winner would then go on to the next round in North Carolina on the 30th and 31st, and should they continue their streak through that weekend’s matches, finals would be in Colorado on June 13th and 14th.

Ingredients:

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds beef tenderloin or sirloin steak, cut into 1-1/4-inch cubes
1 large green pepper, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into wedges (optional)
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks

Directions:

In a large bowl whisk together first 5 ingredients. Pour a little more than half the marinade into a large re-sealable plastic bag. Add beef. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Cover and refrigerate reserved marinade.
Remove beef from the marinade. Alternate beef, peppers, onions, and pineapple on metal or soaked wood skewers. Grill kabobs uncovered, over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side or until steak is done to your liking. Baste skewers with reserved marinade the last few minutes of grilling.

DUNDAS – We are ready to create the ultimate Bloody Mary!

Linda Fassbender from Two of a Kind joined FOX 11’s Emily Deem on Good Day Wisconsin to create the tasty drink!

Linda also cooked up a popular menu item.

Click here for more information on Two of a Kind.

MINNEAPOLIS – Hennepin County officials say a police officer has non-life threatening injuries after a shooting at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Airport Police responded to a report of suspicious persons at a rental car ramp around 9:30 pm Saturday.

That’s when a man in a vehicle allegedly tried to run down the officers, who were on foot.

Police fired at the vehicle. The suspect was taken to an area hospital. His condition is unknown.

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.

ASHWAUBENON – After a successful weekend of fun, the 14th annual Titletown Train Show pulls out of Shopko Hall Sunday.

The show is the third largest in Wisconsin and features vendors selling model railroad engines, cars and kits, along with railroad clothing and memorabilia. Train rides are also available for kids.

People can check out the final day of the show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is as followed:

Ages 13-64 … $7
Seniors 65+ … $6
Ages 6-12 … $1
Ages 0-5 … Free
Parking … $4

FOX 11’s Pauleen Le spend the morning checking out the event.

For more information on the Titletown Train Show, click here.