Green Bay News

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – A Florida postal worker who piloted a gyrocopter onto the U.S. Capitol lawn to call attention to his belief that campaign finance laws are too weak is “a patriot” who first came up with the idea about a year ago, a friend said.

Doug Hughes, 61, called his friend Mike Shanahan on Wednesday and said he was in the D.C. area and ready to take off, Shanahan was quoted by The Tampa Bay Times as saying. Shanahan said he feared law enforcement would shoot down the small aircraft emblazoned with the Postal Service logo, so he alerted the U.S. Secret Service. The gyrocopter landed about half a city block from the Capitol building.

“I was scared to death they were going to kill him,” Shanahan said.

Hughes steered his tiny aircraft onto the Capitol’s West Lawn after flying through restricted airspace around the National Mall, police said. A Senate aide told The Associated Press the Capitol Police knew of the plan shortly before Hughes took off. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the aide was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation.

Hughes is a married father of four who wanted to “spotlight corruption in DC and more importantly, to present the solution(s) to the institutional graft,” reads a statement on his website, The Democracy Club. He lives in the Tampa Bay area community of Ruskin.

In an interview with the Times before his flight, Hughes told the paper he sees himself as a showman patriot – a mix of Paul Revere and legendary circus owner P.T. Barnum.

The stunt, which led to breathless reports on national cable TV networks, involved delivering letters to all 535 members of Congress to draw attention to campaign finance corruption.

His website talks of “bi-partisan corruption” and urges readers not to focus on him.

“Let’s keep the discussion focused on reform – not me – I’m just delivering the mail,” he wrote.

According to his website, Hughes was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, where his first job was at a McDonald’s. Upon graduating from high school, he joined the Navy, he wrote, and then worked in restaurant management on the West Coast. He lived in North Carolina and then moved to Florida following a divorce.

He’s worked for the Postal Service for 11 years.

“As I have informed the authorities, I have no violent inclinations or intent,” Hughes wrote. “An ultralight aircraft poses no major physical threat – it may present a political threat to graft. I hope so. There’s no need to worry – I’m just delivering the mail.”

He said he told the Times about his stunt because he feared being hurt or arrested. He also said he kept his Russian-born wife and 12-year-old daughter in the dark about his plan.

Hughes has three other children, including one son who took his own life by driving his car head-on into another vehicle, killing both himself and the other driver nearly three years ago. Hughes said his son’s suicide was a catalyst for him.

“He paid far too high a price for an unimportant issue,” Hughes told the paper. “But if you’re willing to take a risk, the ultimate risk, to draw attention to something that does have significance, it’s worth doing.”

About two hours after Hughes landed, police announced that a bomb squad had cleared his gyrocopter and nothing hazardous had been found. The authorities then moved it off the Capitol lawn to a secure location.

House Homeland Security panel Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said Hughes landed on his own, but authorities were prepared to shoot him down if he had made it much closer to the Capitol. “Had it gotten any closer to the speaker’s balcony, they have long guns to take it down, but it didn’t. It landed right in front,” McCaul said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot had not been in contact with air traffic controllers and the FAA didn’t authorize him to enter restricted airspace.

Airspace security rules that cover the Capitol and the District of Columbia prohibit private aircraft flights without prior coordination and permission. Violators can face civil and criminal penalties.

The White House said President Barack Obama had been briefed on the situation.

Witnesses said the craft approached the Capitol from the west, flying low over the National Mall and the Capitol reflecting pool across the street from the building. It barely cleared a row of trees and a statue of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.

John Jewell, 72, a tourist from Statesville, North Carolina, said the craft landed hard and bounced. An officer was already there with a gun drawn. “He didn’t get out until police officers told him to get out. He had his hands up” and was quickly led away by the police, Jewell said. “They snatched him pretty fast.”

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – The search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 will be expanded by another 60,000 square kilometers (23,000 square miles) in the Indian Ocean if the jetliner is not found by May, officials said Thursday, affirming their commitment to not give up until it is located.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said that Malaysia, Australia and China, which are leading the hunt for the Boeing 777 that went missing on March 8 last year, are “committed to the search.”

He told reporters after meeting with his counterparts from the other two countries that so far 61 percent of the 60,000 kilometer (23,000-square-mile) search area has been scoured off Australia’s west coast. The remaining 39 percent would have been searched by the end of May, he said.

“If the aircraft is not found within the 60,000 square kilometers, we have collectively decided to extend the search to another 60,000 square kilometers within the highest probability area,” he said. However, searchers are hopeful that they can find the plane in the current search area, he said.

The announcement removes some ambiguity about the future of the search as it was never made clear what would happen if the plane is not found. It will also come as a solace to the relatives of the victims, who are holding out the hope of recovering the bodies.

Liow said the two areas together would cover 95 percent of the flight path of the plane, which went missing while on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board. Most of the passengers were Chinese. It dropped off the radar, and investigators using satellite data later figured out that it made a series of turns and headed in a completely opposite direction from where it was going before crashing into the Indian Ocean.

“We are confident we are searching in the right area,” Australian Deputy Prime Minister and transport minister Warren Truss said at the news conference, alongside Liow. “We are confident we have the best search equipment … if the plane is in the area we will find it.”

He said Malaysia and Australia will continue to fund the cost of the next phase of the search. He or the other ministers did not say how much it would cost.

“Australia and Malaysia have been sharing the cost and we will continue to do that,” he said. “We are confident we will be able to fund whatever is necessary.”

In the first phase, a total of 120 million Australian dollars ($93.6 million) was spent by the two countries, split equally, and Liow said the next phase is estimated to cost A$50 million ($39 million).

The lower cost is because the equipment has already been purchased.

The two ministers said they expect the second phase to take the rest of this year. But it is likely to be hindered by bad weather as winter sets in soon in the southern hemisphere, where seasons are opposite that of the northern hemisphere.

A statement issued after the meeting said the ministers also agreed on plans for recovery activities, including securing evidence, in the event the aircraft is found, but gave no details.

In late January this year, Malaysia’s government formally declared the plane’s disappearance an accident and said all those on board were presumed dead. A comprehensive report into the disappearance found no significant anomalies in the flight, except that the battery of the locator beacon for the plane’s data recorder had expired more than a year before the jet vanished.

That still does not explain what caused the plane to veer so off course in what has become aviation’s biggest mystery that continues to confound experts and investigators alike. At the same time, the relatives of the dead have got no closure and many still believe that their loved ones may be alive amid a host of conspiracy theories including one that the plane was hijacked and landed somewhere safely.

One theory also has the plane flying west to Maldives. Truss said the plane may have had enough fuel to reach Maldives but it would have been impossible for it to be in the reported area in daylight and not be seen by anyone. Also, the flight path to Maldives would be inconsistent with satellite and radar data. “It is not considered a likely possibility,” he said.

China’s transport minister Yang Chuantang said China may contribute vessels and other assets in the next search phase.

“We will marshal some physical assets including vessels to participate in the search,” he said. “We will not waver in our commitment to continue the search until we find the plane and resolve the mystery.”

DE PERE – A new business has opened in De Pere!

FOX 11’s Emily Deem spent Thursday morning at Hello Lemon Studio to see what the place is all about!

Hello Lemon Studio is a place to bring out the DIY in you!  It’s also a place to express your creativity, you can learn new things and much more!

Here are some of the projects the studio has to offer:

Birdhouses
Canvas Art
Chalkboards
Flower Pots
Magnets
Paper Mache  Letters
Photo Boxes
Picture frames
Puppets
Wood Crates
Wood Signs
And more!

Click here to learn more about Hello Lemon Studio.

The FOX 11 meteorologists along with representatives from Midland Radio Corporation will be at Mills Fleet Farm in Grand Chute Thursday.

They will be programming weather radios all day. If you don’t have a weather radio, you can buy one at Fleet Farm.

Bruce Jones from Midland Radio Corporation joined Good Day Wisconsin.

MILWAUKEE — Gigi Datome scored 22 points, including two key buckets in the final 3 minutes, and the Boston Celtics ended the regular season with their sixth straight win following a 105-100 victory Wednesday night over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kelly Olynyk added 16 for the Celtics, who are locked into the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference when the playoffs begin this weekend.

Ersan Ilyasova had 21 to lead Milwaukee, the sixth seed in the East.

With their postseason futures set, the teams turned to reserves mainly in the fourth quarter. The pace bogged down at times in the final 12 minutes with little-used players on both sides getting significant minutes.

The pony-tailed Datome stepped up, following a 3 with 2:20 left with a layup to give Boston a 105-97 lead with 1:28 remaining.

FOND DU LAC – Emerald ash borer continues to spread with the city of Fond du Lac joining Green Bay, Appleton and nine area counties that have confirmed the tree-killing insect.

A little more than a year ago emerald ash borer showed up in Fond du Lac County. Now it’s in the city.

“Brian and his crew have taken down a few trees with confirmed emerald ash borer,” explained Fond du Lac public works director Jordan Skiff.

Skiff was referring to city arborist Brian Weed who told FOX 11 he found the EAB last week.

“It was a matter of time and unfortunately it happened. Fortunately we haven’t seen it in the residential areas,” Weed explained.

Skiff told us EAB will continue to spread if nothing is done to stop it. He said the insect is 100-percent deadly to ash trees.

“It, essentially, becomes a public safety, a safety hazard if these trees are allowed to die,” Skiff explained, saying dead trees can fall at any time, even on people, vehicles and homes.

Skiff told FOX 11 some of the city’s public ashes can be treated with an injectable pesticide, but he said most, about 5,000, will need to be taken down. That means even trees that are healthy now will have to go.

“The cost to the city would be astronomical to remove them all at once. We wouldn’t be able to do it as much with our own staff. We would be relying much more on contractors,” Skiff explained.

The city has budgeted $2 million over the next ten years to fight the infestation. It’s a fight that’s already begun.

“We’ve taken a total of about 1,500 trees of the street population,” said Weed.

Throughout Fond du Lac you can see newly planted trees. As city workers remove the ash, they try to replace them with a different variety of tree.

“Different trees, we’re going to have to try to diversify our street population, as well as our park,” Weed explained.

Skiff told us ash trees are so common now, because they’re easy to grow and maintain. Losing them will be a huge blow to the city.

“It’s gonna be a very rough rime for our community as far as aesthetics and the benefits trees provide. It’s gonna be decades before we start seeing some of those benefits again,” he said.

About seven percent of Wisconsin trees are ashes.

According to arborists, treating a single tree costs about 120 dollars every two years.

And the EAB problem isn’t just for the city’s trees, it will be an issue for private property owners with ashes on their own property. Skiff recommends people look into treating or having the trees removed. He told us it’s against city ordinances to have dead trees on your property.

Fond du Lac citizens we spoke with off camera said they’re upset about losing the trees and that so much money will need to be spent on this issue. However, those we talked to said they understand it needs to happen.

Neenah played at Appleton East in a Fox Valley Association softball game Tuesday.

ASHWAUBENON – No one was injured after a pick-up truck burst into flames in the empty parking lot where the K-Mart store once stood Wednesday night.

The driver of the truck said he pulled into the vacant parking lot on Lombardi Avenue around 8:00 p.m. because his truck lights started flickering and he could see smoke coming up from the dash.

He was able to park and exit the truck safely before the truck started on fire.

Dozens of onlookers stopped to get a closer look.

DE PERE – Dog owners may want to brush up on their knowledge about the dog flu.

A canine flu outbreak is spreading across the Midwest. That includes one case in southern Wisconsin.

Dogs at Tailwaggers Doggy Day Care get right up close and personal when greeting their friends.

“There’s no personal space bubble with dogs. That’s how they say hello and how they feel out their territory,” said Ashley Beyersdorf, the manager at Tailwaggers Doggy Day Care.

And that close contact between dogs is what’s spreading a possibly deadly virus in the Chicago area.

Here’s the straight story.

Some doggy day cares have temporarily closed as more than 1100 cases of canine influenza, or dog flu, have been reported in Illinois. Six dogs have died in that area.

“As of right now, we do not have any definitive cases that have occurred in the area. Certainly, the Chicago area is a hot area for it right now. There has been a case diagnosed in Madison. But, that is not the same dog flu is the same kind that we can vaccinate against. This is a new strain,” said Veterinarian John Barnstorff.

Barnstorff says dog flu symptoms include sluggishness, nasal discharge, cough, decreased appetite, and fever.

“As far as treatment goes there’s not really much you can do about the virus, per se. It’s just supportive treatment, making sure that they’re well hydrated, and if there are other bacterial infections making sure they’re treated. And fortunately, most of these guys recover,” said Barnstorff.

Even though humans can’t catch dog flu, they can spread it from one animal to another.

“Basically just thinking of washing your hands, or if you’re around a dog I would say strip the clothes, get them in the wash right away, try not to let your dog get in contact with it,” said Beyersdorf.

For now, local doggy day cares have sent information home with owners to keep an eye out for dog flu symptoms, and keep their pets healthy and happy.

Veterinarians say you can reduce the risk of your pet getting the dog flu. They suggest if you’re travelling to the Chicago area soon, leave your dog at home.

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A third man has been charged with participating in a spring-break sexual assault on a woman on a Florida Panhandle beach that was captured on a cellphone video, authorities said Tuesday.

George Davon Kennedy, 21, was arrested Tuesday in DeKalb County, Georgia, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office reported. The Middle Tennessee State University student is charged with principal to sexual battery by multiple perpetrators.

Investigators in Florida learned that Kennedy has family in Georgia and contacted authorities there. Deputies in DeKalb County just east of Atlanta made the arrest. A Middle Tennessee State University spokesman confirmed that a George Davon Kennedy is a student but said officials hadn’t been notified of any arrest.

Delonte Martistee, 22, and Ryan Calhoun, 23, were arrested and charged with sexual assault last week. Both men are students at Troy University in Alabama but were suspended after their arrests. Court records do not list attorneys for either man.

Kennedy was being held without bond. Jail records didn’t list an attorney.

The video shows several men assaulting an incapacitated woman on Panama City Beach while a crowd of spring-break revelers watches, the sheriff’s office reported. The victim told authorities she thought she had been drugged and didn’t remember the incident well enough to report it.

Authorities have released few details of the assault, which they say happened sometime between March 10 and March 12 but was only recently uncovered while Troy University police were investigating a shooting.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office released a short video of the crowd they said was present at the time. The recording shows a seemingly normal day at the beach for dozens of bikini-clad spring breakers goofing off and standing around talking about Instagram. At one point, a few people cheer, but it’s unclear why.

The sexual assault serves as another black mark against Panama City Beach’s spring break festivities following an unrelated March 28 shooting that injured seven people at a beach house party. Officials have cracked down on underage drinking and increased the presence of law enforcement because of the violence.

Submitted by Scott Hurley, April 15, 2015, with the caption:

“Smoke from Winnebago Co. fire visible over I-41 at Vandenbroek Rd. in the town of Vandenbroek, just north of Little Chute.”

GREEN BAY – Another April 15th deadline may cause thousands of utility customers in the state to spend any tax refund money on their past-due electric and gas bills. Utilities can start shutting off power Thursday.

According to Northeast Wisconsin’s three largest utility companies, WPS, We Energies and Alliant Energy, more than 107,000 customers in their service areas in the state are at risk of being disconnected, having racked up millions of dollars in unpaid bills.

“We do not want to disconnect any of our customers, we want to make sure our customers are safe,” said Wisconsin Public Service spokesperson Lisa Prunty. She says through February, more than 28,000 rate payers have unpaid bills.

State law prohibits utilities from shutting off power over the winter. She says 200 to 300 W-P-S customers could see their electricity and gas turned off, starting Thursday. Last year, WPS disconnected about 14,000 customers through the end of October.

If you need help paying your bill, utility companies have ways to manage your past-due payments. There is also financial assistance available through state, county and private social service agencies.

“We want people to call us, right away, give us a call, let us get that payment plan set up, and then – again – if you fall into a situation where you’re still on hard times, you’re not able to pay that bill, call us, back right away so that we’re aware of that situation.”

Prunty says disconnection notices have been mailed out to past-due customers and users will get a phone call, notifying the day their service will be disconnected. But she says beware.

“If someone calls you whether you’re a business or a resident, and they tell you that this is WPS and we are going to disconnect your power within 45 minutes, do not give them any money over the phone.”

“These scams come in waves, and when they come in waves, we may hear from a handful of people a day,” said Jared Albracht, a spokesperson with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. “They tend to move around the state and almost go from city to city, using a different utility’s name as they go around.”

Albracht says people can mask the caller ID to make it appear the phone call is coming from the utility. He says if it seems suspicious, hang up and call your utility company directly.

WAUPACA COUNTY – A Red Flag warning from the National Weather Service and the D.N.R. for Wednesday covers 39 counties, basically the western half of the state.

In Northeast Wisconsin, Waushara, Waupaca and Green Lake Counties are included.

But the rest of the area is considered to be in the second riskiest category, which is very high.

Flames and smoke billow from a grass fire burning in a field which started in northern Winnebago County Wednesday afternoon.

A red flag warning is in effect for much of the state.

“On a day like today, there’s going to cause extreme fire behavior, where we can anticipate running crown fires, long-range spotting downwind of a main fire,” said Lucas Schmidt, D.N.R. Forestry Team Leader.

At Hartman Creek State Park near Waupaca, Lucas Schmidt says the area hasn’t seen rain for days.

“All of last year’s growth. It’s absolutely bone-dry. Very crunch to the touch,” he said.

Schmidt says his crew responded to 18 wildfire calls in the area this season.

“This is the time of the year where even though there may be a lot of moisture in the soil, all the vegetation material on top of that soil is dried, dead, and cured,” said Schmidt.

The National Weather Service issues the red flag warning when certain weather factors come together to create dangerous wildfire conditions.

“The biggest concern is when the humidity is lowest, and the winds are strongest, which is typically the mid to late afternoon,” said Jeff Last, National Weather Service Meteorologist.

Last says the mild Spring weather may be to blame.

“The lack of heavy snow cover, and relatively early melt of that snow, and relatively dry conditions as well have let to those fire conditions,” he said.

In the meantime, fresh grass fires burned across the area.

The Hartman Creek fire crew had one last request.

“The next couple of days, the warning would be very clear. Absolutely do not burn. You don’t need to burn. Hold off,” said Schmidt.

ASHWAUBENON – Life with a couple dozen first graders every day not only keeps them moving, but it also keeps their teacher moving, which is exactly how she’s designed it

Valley View Elementary teacher and one of this year’s Golden Apple recipients, Ashley Gonwa says, “I’ve always known that I wanted to be, wanted to work with kids in some way.”

Gonwa is in her 9th year of teaching, second at Valley View, where she focuses on making her first graders smarter and more independent.

That seems to blend seamlessly with her passion, “I like to see how we can lay the groundwork and foundation for them to be better readers and writers. Just seeing them grow and instilling that love of learning in them is really great,” says Gonwa.

She’s prepared her students to choose from among five options each day.

Whether it’s read to self, read to someone, work on writing, word work, or the last one is listen to reading, Gonwa makes reading a high priority.

“We’re not telling them you have to write right now, you have to read right now. Giving them that choice really keeps them motivated. There’s a lot of problem solving in first grade,” Gonwa said.

Activities that now take advantage of 21st century technology.

“This is my first time getting to use 10 iPads in a classroom, which is amazing,” admits Gonwa, “It’s tiring, but it’s so rewarding, it outweighs any kind of tiredness you might have. I love teaching and I think one of the neat things is not only is every year different, but every .day is different. The kids are excited to learn and I’m excited to help them, help them learn.”

OSHKOSH – It was a ceremonial beginning to an addition to an elementary school in Oshkosh.

District officials and design team members helped turn over some dirt at Lakeside Elementary Wednesday.

For the past 7 years, fourth and fifth graders have attended Green Meadow Elementary, six miles away. Once the addition is built, these students will join the kindergartners through 3rd graders at Lakeside.

The district says the addition should be completed in time for school this fall.

Crews are working on putting out a grass fire burning in both Winnebago and Outagamie Counties.

The call for the fire came in just after 1 p.m.

Authorities say it stretches from Hwy. M/Loop Rd. in Winnebago County north into Outagamie County. This is in the Rat River State Fishery Area near Medina.

Smoke from the fire was visible on FOX 11 Storm Tracker Radar this afternoon.

Smoke from the marsh fire along the Outagamie/Winnebago Co. line is showing up on our radar. pic.twitter.com/oWQLxbqlIa

— WLUK FOX 11 Weather (@fox11weather) April 15, 2015

The fire comes as the National Weather Service has put much of the state in a “red flag warning” for fire danger. Dry, windy conditions have been favorable for fires.

FOX 11’s Ben Krumholz is covering this story and will have reports on FOX 11 News at Five and Nine.

GREEN BAY – Project VOTE of Brown County awarded its Voter Challenge trophy to the City of Green Bay.

The City of Green Bay posted a voter turnout of more than 31 percent to win the Gold Division for larger municipalities.

The Green Bay mayoral race helped bring the more than 16,000 votes cast.

You can see Project VOTE results here.

Mayor Jim Schmitt said that it means a lot that citizens exercised their right to vote in this last election, “It is a good number, it could be better, but we are very pleased that people got out and voted, and exercised their right. We as candidates work hard for their vote and for them to give that respect back to the candidates means a lot.”

This was the first election that Voter Challenge trophies were awarded in two separate population categories.

The Town of Eaton had a voter turnout of 48 percent to capture the Green Division for Brown County municipalities with populations below 10,000.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The chairman of the Assembly Education Committee says it appears unlikely that a deal can be reached with the state Senate to pass a school accountability bill this session.

Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt commented Wednesday after a Senate committee scheduled a vote on its version of the proposal that doesn’t include sanctions for failing schools. That is something Thiesfeldt and other Assembly Republicans have demanded they wanted included in the bill.

Thiesfeldt says he doesn’t see Republicans in the Senate ever compromising with Assembly Republicans to reach a deal. He says the Legislature may decide to wait and see what direction comes from Congress.

Gov. Scott Walker has also opposed sanctions on schools, saying he wants to instead give parents as much information as possible.

(SBG National Desk) The obstacles standing in the way of cutting a nuclear arms deal with Iran are thorny and foreign policy experts tell us, there’s no easy path to push it forward. “It is going to be very hard to get past that mistrust, “says Patrick Clawson with The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

For starters, Iran’s most important voice on foreign policy is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and he still forcefully articulates “death to America.” How do you overcome such deep-seeded hatred?

“You don’t.” That’s why this deal is full of flaws. It’s a piece of Swiss cheese as far as I have seen,” said U.S. Senator John McCain, R Arizona.

Among the largest holes in reaching an agreement may be Khamenei, himself. He has stated he’s neither for nor against it. Why has Khamenei not taken a position?

“In case the deal does not work out very well for Iran, he can say ‘I told you it was a bad idea.’ But on the other hand, if it does work out well for Iran, he can say ‘well I let it go ahead,’” said Clawson.

Another deeply troubling area is gaining access to all of Iran’s declared and non-declared nuclear facilities. President Barack Obama touted the tentative framework would lead to unprecedented inspections. Khamenei said the Obama administration lied about that. U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter says it would be a key ‘make it or break it’ component of any deal. “Any successful agreement has to have adequate provision. It can’t be based on trust.”

WAUPACA – Three people were arrested after a 21-year-old woman accidentally overdosed on heroin in Waupaca Tuesday night.

Police say at 6:00 p.m. officials responded to a medical emergency at a home in the 100 block of North State Street.

Emergency responders found a woman overdosed on heroin and was unconscious and barely breathing.

The woman was transported to the hospital for treatment.

Officials continued to investigate the incident and executed a search warrant shortly before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday at a home two doors down from the overdose on North State Street.

Police say they found 2.5 grams of heroin, cell phones, cash and drug paraphernalia. As a result, three people were arrested and are being held in the Waupaca County Jail.