Green Bay News

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — An Oklahoma reserve sheriff’s deputy charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of a man who was subdued on the ground has surrendered to authorities.

Robert Bates turned himself in Tuesday morning at the Tulsa County Jail. The 73-year-old insurance executive was charged with second-degree manslaughter Monday in the April 2 shooting.

The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office reserve deputy was released after posting bond. He didn’t comment to the media. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Authorities say 44-year-old Eric Harris tried to sell an illegal gun to an undercover officer. They say Bates accidentally shot Harris after confusing his stun gun and handgun.

As Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week continues in Wisconsin, FOX 11 Meteorologist Phil DeCastro takes a look at the costliest and deadliest tornadoes in the state’s history:

When we talk about severe weather awareness, part of that is reminding ourselves that costly and very deadly tornadoes do happen here during severe weather season.

We haven’t seen any historic events lately, but Wisconsin has quite a history nonetheless.

• Click here to see how many tornadoes have hit each county in Wisconsin

When it comes to the costliest five tornadoes in Wisconsin’s history, there are few surprises here.

• Adjusting for 2015 dollars, the Barneveld tornado is the one I’m considering to be the costliest in Wisconsin’s history, resulting in about $90 million of damage.
• I’m slotting the New Richmond tornado of 1899 in second, but only because we know so little compared to the impacts of the others. No hard figures were given for that tornado, but the range could put it anywhere from about $65 million to over $100 million in damage, and it could very well be in the upper limits of that range.
• The Oakfield F5 of 1996 in Fond du Lac County is third; it’s also the last F5 to hit the state.
• In fourth is the 1958 Colfax F5, about which is again some uncertainty. The range could be anywhere from $40 million to $400 million – a daunting range, but my thoughts are it falls on the lower end of that range.
• And the fifth-costliest is the most recent on the list, an F3 that struck Stoughton in Dane County in 2005.

The top five tornado death toll list is much more cut and dried.

• In a league of its own is the 1899 New Richmond tornado, which killed 117 and injured 125 more.
• Two tornadoes, one in 1907 and 1924, killed 26 people.
• An 1883 tornado killed 25 in Racine County.
• Twenty-four died in an 1865 tornado in Vernon County.
• Two tornadoes killed 19, one in 1878 and the aforementioned Colfax F5 of 1958.

What can we learn from all this? Most importantly, we’re NOT immune from violent and deadly tornadoes in Wisconsin. What also sticks out on this list, to me, is that the most recent one is Colfax in 1958. That says volumes about the leaps and bounds by which forecasting has improved, in addition to improvements made in how people get their warnings.

Case in point: The 1996 Oakfield F5 that was third costliest in state history and nearly demolished the entire town didn’t kill a single person.

And awareness may be at an all-time high these days, thanks to proliferation of televisions, radios, and now smart devices giving you warnings in more places than ever.

But it’s important we don’t let our guard down, as the next killer tornado could always be around the corner.

GREEN BAY – Many recreational trails in Brown County are set to open Saturday.

The county park department says the Fox River Trail, the trails at Neshota Park and the mountain biking and horse trails at the Reforestation Camp are set to open. Trail hours are 8 a.m.-sunset.

Passes are required for everyone 16 and older.

• Click here for more information about fees and buying passes

GREEN BAY – Area leaders and law enforcement professionals are scheduled to participate in a panel discussion Tuesday night on race relations and local police.

The event is planned for 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday in the Phoenix Room at the University Union on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus. The event is free and open to the public.

In a news release, UWGB said panelists will include Green Bay Police Chief Tom Molitor, Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt, UW-Green Bay Public Safety Director Tom Kujawa, Public Safety Training Coordinator Michael Molnar of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, and pastors Paul Davis of Kingdom Agenda Church and L.C. Green of Divine Temple Church, both of Green Bay.

The moderator will be Justin Mallett, director of diversity for UW-Green Bay. Mallett says in the wake of police shootings in Ferguson, Missouri, and Madison; he’s been pleased to learn that Green Bay police and members of the local community have already been talking about issues impacting race relations and police.

“The event isn’t intended to criticize the police or their efforts,” said Mallett in a news release. “It’s to ask questions and help more people understand what our community is doing to continue to make sure these events don’t happen in Green Bay. I expect that students will share their perceptions of the local police and public safety. Some of their questions could be direct and even pointed, but it’s my view that we won’t be able to move forward with our overall mission if people just want to criticize and blame.”

Also Tuesday, from 11:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in UWGB’s University Union, NWTC will set up a “shoot/don’t shoot” training simulator. A sign-up sheet to participate in the simulated exercise is available at UWGB’s American Intercultural Center in University Union Room 150.

FOX 11’s Andrew LaCombe will have a complete story about simulator and the planned discussion tonight on FOX 11 News at Five.

PORTAGE (AP) – A woman charged with killing a Beaver Dam man in 2001 is out of jail on bond after her trial was postponed until October.

The Portage Daily Register reports 39-year-old Leah Waldhart had been in the Columbia County Jail since February 2014. She’s accused of causing the death of Curtis Wylesky through cocaine toxicity. His body was found in a ditch.

A judge told prospective jurors Monday that he had to lower Waldhart’s bail to a $100,000 signature bond because her trial was delayed so many times, and that she was being released from jail. The judge said there’s a chance it could be delayed again.

As part of conditions for Waldhart’s release, she’s required to report to the jail every 72 hours until she gets an electronic monitoring device.

GREEN BAY – You won’t have to make the trip to Lambeau Field to shop the Packers Pro Shop’s annual tent sale this year.

The shop has announced that the sale will be held mostly online this year. In the past, it has been held at the Lambeau Field Atrium.

The organization did not provide dates for the sale, but a Packers spokesperson says items will be added to the website’s clearance section in the coming days and weeks.

• Click here to visit the Packers Pro Shop’s website

There will still be some discounted items at the Packers Pro Shop at Lambeau Field.

“This new step will allow us to serve a wider audience, including those who haven’t been able to make it to our store in person,” Packers director of retail operations Peggy Prebelski said in a news release. “The new format also allows us to better use our resources to serve our customers more effectively.”

The tent sale has been held each spring since 1994.

MADISON (AP) – The first votes to be taken on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal will be on whether to further erode the already limited power of the secretary of state’s office and to eliminate a panel that provides research on judicial issues.

The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee is scheduled to begin budget votes Wednesday. It will meet regularly through May to approve, alter or delete proposals Walker made in his two-year spending plan.

Once the Republican-controlled committee completes its work, the budget then goes to the Legislature for consideration before going back to Walker for final approval.

Walker is expected to sign the budget in late June, just before the new fiscal year begins in July.

The budget committee is putting off deciding on the biggest budget items until later in May.

LA CROSSE (AP) – Prosecutors in La Crosse County have filed charges against a woman accused of leaving her 3-year-old child in a hot car while she visited a drug house.

Police say two officers spotted the toddler alone in the car Sunday afternoon when temperatures reached 70 degrees. Police reports say the child was sweating and his skin was flush and red. Twenty-four-year-old Katie Kaiser, of Galesville, is charged with child neglect.

Prosecutors say Kaiser has admitted she stopped at the house to buy heroin. The La Crosse Tribune says Kaiser is jailed on a probation hold. Court records don’t list a defense attorney.

MADISON (AP) – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker tells a German audience that young people around the world will be stronger if a new trade agreement between the United States and the European Union can be reached.

Walker made his comments Tuesday at the Hannover Messe trade show.

A recording of his comments provided to The Associated Press shows the likely Republican presidential candidate voiced his support for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP. Negotiations between the U.S. and EU began on it in 2013 but many Europeans remain skeptical over concerns about environmental protections, labor security and other issues.

Walker referenced his two college-aged sons in saying, “Their generation will ultimately grow stronger, I believe, when we approve a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.”

Ingredients:

1 package organic crescent rolls
2 chicken breasts, grilled
1/4 cup mayo with olive oil
1/4 cup Chobani nonfat plain Greek yogurt
3 artichoke hearts, squeezed
1/4 – 1/2 cup frozen, organic spinach, squeezed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shred chicken breasts into medium bowl. Combine remaining ingredients. Roll out crescent dough and separate into perforated pieces. Gently pull lower portion to make into a more triangular shape. Divide chicken mixture among 8 pieces of dough and place in the upper center part. Fold the bottom corner in first and then each side. Bake as directed.

Ingredients:

1 angel food cake cut in 1 to 2 inch cubes
2 packages (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla or French vanilla pudding
3 cups cold milk
1 container (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 cups assorted fresh berries (raspberries, sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries)
Fresh mint sprigs

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat the milk and pudding mixes together until pudding starts to thicken. Fold about half of the whipped topping into the pudding mixture. Layer some of the of the cake into the bottom of a mini trifle dishes, wine glasses, juice glasses or clean small canning jars. Then, spoon about of the berries on top of the cake.

Next, spoon some of the pudding mixture on top of the berries. Repeat layers. Cover and refrigerate a few hours or overnight. Before serving, uncover and top each with a doll-up of the remaining whipped topping, a few remaining berries and a fresh mint sprig.

An Outagamie County travel business must pay more than $4.6 million in restitution and fines for fraudulent transactions, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday.

A jury found that Castaways Vacations, Inc., William Bailey, Christy Spensberger, and Travel Services, Inc. (collectively, Travel Services) made multiple misrepresentations and failed to disclose required information when selling travel club memberships to Wisconsin residents, in violation of two state statutes and one administrative code provision. The circuit court entered a judgment requiring Travel Services to pay $3,803,562 in restitution and $841,599.50 in forfeitures.

Travel Services appealed, offering four arguments – all of which were rejected by the appeals court.

“Travel Services’ due process arguments fail for the reasons addressed above. First, the circuit court did not shift the burden of proof to Travel Services. Contrary to Travel Services’ assertion, the procedure the court used was consistent with Tim Torres. Thus, the court’s restitution award did not violate Travel Services’ due process right of fair warning or its right to procedural due process,” the court wrote.

“Second, the circuit court’s findings regarding the number of violations were supported by existing law. The court’s findings were consistent with the plain language of the relevant statutes and regulations. Menard, the principal case on which Travel Services relies, is distinguishable. Consequently, the circuit court’s findings regarding the number of violations did not violate Travel Services’ due process right to fair warning,” it ruled.

MADISON (AP) – One of the country’s top-spending Democrats has run a full-page newspaper ad calling on Gov. Scott Walker to “stop Wisconsin’s war on science.”

The ad ran in Tuesday’s Wisconsin State Journal. It was paid for by NextGen Climate Action, a political action committee run by Tom Steyer, a retired San Francisco hedge fund billionaire.

The ad references a vote last week by the obscure Republican-controlled Board of Commissioners of Public Lands banning its nine employees from doing any work connected to global warming. Walker is not a member of the board.

But the ad indirectly faults Walker, saying he’s protecting the interests of big oil and conservative billionaires like David and Charles Koch.

Walker’s political and state office did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Fond du Lac-Two pets died in an early morning fire in Fond du Lac Tuesday.

The Fond du Lac Fire Department posted the video above on YouTube.

Firefighters responded to a home at 410 Ellis Avenue at 3:36 a.m. Crews saw flames and heavy smoke coming from the back of the house.

Firefighters were able to control the blaze. However, it still severely damaged the inside of the home. Fire officials say the building is now uninhabitable.

No one was hurt. The fire did kill a dog and a cat.

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the fire.

LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) – A company that provides dining services at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has informed the state it will lay off nearly 300 employees in June.

That’s when Sodexo’s contract with the university ends. The school will return to its previous food service, Chartwells.

A university spokesman, Larry Ringgenberg, says Sodexo employees will be eligible for jobs with Chartwells.

MENASHA- Nature centers around the area are ready for spring.

We spent some time at the Heckrodt Wetland Reserve on Good Day Wisconsin.

They are offering summer camps for kids.

And Frogtastic is coming up in May.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Public workers covered under a two unions would get a 1 percent raise under a pair of collective bargaining agreements scheduled for approval in the state Assembly.

The contracts up for approval Tuesday were negotiated by Gov. Scott Walker’s administration and unions covering members of the Wisconsin State Attorneys Association and the Building Trades Negotiating Committee.

The deals are for the current fiscal year only. The 1 percent negotiated raises are the same that other state employees received.

No pay increases are proposed in Walker’s budget for the two-year period that begins in July.

The contracts up for an Assembly vote must also pass the Senate and be signed by Walker before taking effect.

BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) – Sheriff’s officials say a man has died after falling from a moving vehicle in Jackson County.

Authorities say the man was riding on the bumper of a vehicle when he fell off near Pettibone Pass and Morrison Rd. Monday about 5 p.m.

GOLDSBORO, N.C. (AP) – The man wanted in the shooting death of the print shop director at a community college in North Carolina has been arrested in Florida.

Goldsboro Police Capt. Dwayne Dean says 20-year-old Kenneth Morgan Stencil III was arrested early Tuesday when he was spotted sleeping on the beach in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Dean says Stancil was arrested without incident when beach patrol officers found the suspect sleeping on the beach, a violation of a local ordinance.

Stancil is accused of shooting and killing Ron Lane in a building at Wayne County Community College on Monday morning.

Dean says officials will work to have Stancil returned to North Carolina to face charges.

GREEN BAY- 12 businesses around the Olde Main Street district will be featured in the 2015 Gallery Nite Series.

The free event encourages attendees to enjoy an evening with the artists and also check out many of the Olde Main Street shops, restaurants and galleries.

Click on the video to learn more.