Green Bay News

MADISON (AP) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wants to continue a three-walleye limit for lakes and rivers within the state’s ceded territory, rather than annually adjusting the number based on how many are taken by the six Chippewa tribes.

The proposal to maintain the bag limit will be considered by the Natural Resources Board at its April 8 meeting.

The proposed rule would replace the current system of adjusting the limits based on the Chippewa’s harvest plans. In past years those limits would then be adjusted throughout the season.

DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp calls the proposal “an effective solution based on sound science and long-term management practices.”

Republican lawmakers from northern Wisconsin issued a statement supporting the plan, saying it will bring certainty to the fishing season.

WAUSAUKEE (AP) – The man who was fatally shot after encountering a bank robbery suspect in Marinette County is remembered as a beloved member of his community.

Authorities say 59-year-old Thomas Christ was shot along a road not far from some farmland he owned near Wausaukee. Investigators say the man suspected of robbing a bank in Wausaukee Tuesday afternoon is likely responsible for Christ’s death. That suspect, Steven Snyder, later was killed along with state Trooper Trevor Casper in an exchange of gunfire in Fond du Lac.

Christ’s longtime friends tell the Journal Sentinel that he was a peaceful man who was married, had two adult sons and recently became a grandparent. They say he drove a logging truck for Wild Rivers Transport.

MADISON (AP) – The Republican co-chair of the Legislature’s budget committee says Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to require enrollees in the popular SeniorCare prescription drug program to first sign up for Medicare Part D coverage is dead.

Rep. John Nygren tells The Associated Press on Thursday that there is not support for the idea among Republicans in the Legislature. Nygren says the issue has also been a top priority for many who have spoken out against it at public hearings on the budget being held across the state.

The Legislature, under bipartisan opposition, killed a similar proposal from Walker in 2011.

SeniorCare serves about 85,000 people.

MADISON (AP) – Wisconsin’s chamber of commerce is backing a Republican plan in the state Legislature to repeal the personal property tax on business equipment.

The proposal is meeting resistance because homeowners would have to make up for the lost revenue, which comes to about $80 a year for the owner of a typical home.

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce lobbyist Scott Manley said in a statement Thursday that the personal property tax on business equipment is antiquated and needs to be eliminated. He says doing that will make the state more competitive.

Real estate agents and local government officials are urging rejection of the idea, saying the shift in the tax burden is unacceptable.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Fewer people sought U.S. unemployment benefits last week, evidence that strong hiring should continue despite signs of slower economic growth at the start of 2015.

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications for jobless aid fell 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 282,000. The decrease suggests that a recent slowdown in manufacturing, housing starts and retail sales have not trickled into the job market, a possible indication that economic growth will rebound after a harsh winter.

The four-week average, a less volatile measure, tumbled 7,750 to 297,000. Over the past 12 months, the average has dipped roughly 7 percent.

Applications are a proxy for layoffs. The relatively low average shows that employers are holding onto workers and may increase hiring. Applications below 300,000 are generally consistent with solid monthly job gains.

The economy has been struck by some setbacks during a frigid February. Factories cranked out fewer long-lasting goods, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Builders broke ground on fewer homes last month, while retail spending has fallen.

Those reports indicate that growth will be dramatically lower than its annual average of 2.2 percent during the final three months of last year, which was already a decrease from growth averaging more than 4 percent in the middle of 2014.

The Atlanta Federal Reserve forecasts that first-quarter growth will be at an annualized rate of 0.2 percent. Private firm Macroeconomic Advisers estimated somewhat more optimistically on Tuesday growth of 1.4 percent.

Still, as layoffs have dipped, job growth has soared. In each of the past 12 months, employers have added at least 200,000 jobs. The gains totaled 295,000 in February.

The job growth has slashed the unemployment rate to 5.5 percent from 6.7 percent a year ago.

However, wages have yet to rise significantly, limiting the benefits to the overall economy from the additional jobs. Average hourly wages have climbed just 2 percent over the past 12 months.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – New census figures show the population dropping in nearly half of Wisconsin’s 72 counties.

The population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show 35 counties lost people from 2013 to 2014. Manitowoc County lost 463 people during that time, the largest decline among counties. Next was Wood County with a decline of 336 people and then Adams which lost 289.

Overall, the population in 37 counties grew slightly. Dane County had the widest margin of growth, gaining about 6,200 people.

The Journal Sentinel reports Wisconsin as a whole gained approximately 14,600 people from 2013 to 2014 for a total population of about 5,760,000.

MANITOWOC – The Manitowoc Historical Society has opened a new war exhibit.

“A Local Look at the Vietnam War” opened last month. Members of the society showed us what the exhibit has to offer.

Click here for more information

Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin says pounding could be heard on the door during the final minutes as alarms sounded. He said the co-pilot “voluntarily” refused to open the door, and his breathing was normal throughout the final minutes of the flight.

He identified the pilot as a German national and who had never been flagged as a terrorist.

___

12:51 a.m. (1151 GMT 7:51 EDT)

French prosecutor says Germanwings co-pilot appeared to want to “destroy the plane.” Prosecutor says information was pulled from the black box cockpit voice recorder, but the co-pilot did not say a word once the captain left the cockpit. “It was absolute silence in the cockpit,” he said.

___

12:46 a.m. (1146 GMT 7:46 a.m. EDT)

says the co-pilot was alone at the controls of the Germanwings flight that slammed into an Alpine mountainside and “intentionally” sent the plane into the doomed descent.

___

12:14 a.m. (1114 GMT) 7:14 a.m. EDT

Duesseldorf airport says two special Lufthansa flights for relatives of the plane crash victims left for southern France Thursday morning. The German Parliament held a minute of silence for the victims, as did schools and companies in North Rhine-Westphalia, the state where Duesseldorf is located.

___

11:39 a.m. (1039 GMT, 6:39 a.m. EDT)

A Lufthansa plane carrying 62 relatives of victims who will visit the plane crash site in the French Alps has arrived in Marseille on a flight from Barcelona.

Lufthansa says they will meet up with 14 others who decided not to fly to France and instead took an overnight bus from Barcelona provided by the airline.

The airline said the relatives will be taken together “to the closest point possible to the accident zone, taking into account the difficult access conditions.” Part of the zone is closed to everyone except crash investigators and experts removing remains of the victims.

___

10:42 a.m. (0942 GMT, 5:42 a.m. EDT)

An Airbus training video shows that the A320 cockpit has safeguards in case one pilot inside becomes incapacitated while the other is outside, or if both pilots inside are unconscious. Normally, someone trying to get into the cockpit requests access and a camera feed or peephole lets the pilot decide whether to accept or specifically deny access.

If there is no response, a member of the flight crew can tap in an emergency code again requesting access. If there is still no response, the door opens automatically. If, however, the person in the cockpit denies access after the emergency request, the door remains locked for five minutes, according to the Airbus video.

___

8:55 a.m. (0755 GMT, 3:55 a.m. EDT)

Lufthansa says the co-pilot joined Germanwings in September 2013, directly after training, and had flown 630 hours.

The captain had more than 6,000 hours of flying time and been Germanwings pilot since May 2014, having previously flown for Lufthansa and Condor, Lufthansa said.

___

8:20 a.m. (0720 GMT, 3:20 a.m. EDT)

An official with knowledge of the audio recordings from the Germanwings flight says one of the pilots apparently was locked out of the cockpit when the plane went down.

The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation, told The Associated Press Thursday the details emerged from recordings recovered from the black box found among the debris of the pulverized aircraft.

Lufthansa on Thursday said it had no new information about the investigation and could neither confirm nor deny reports about the pilot.

WESTON, Wis. (AP) – A Weston man is accused of intentionally burning his girlfriend’s young son.

The 16-month-old boy is being treated in the burn unit at University Hospital in Madison. Authorities say the toddler suffered second-degree burns to his face.

Everest Metro police investigators believe the child’s face was intentionally immersed in hot water. Police were called to a Weston hospital where the boy was initially being treated.

WSAW-TV reports the 22-year-old boyfriend is expected to be charged Thursday.

OSHKOSH- The 55th annual WPS Farm Show wraps up Thursday.

The show attracts about 20,000 people each year from across the Midwest and Canada.

It showcases the latest farm technologies and equipment.

Click on the videos to learn more.

CHICAGO (AP) – The Rev. Jesse Jackson says his son, former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., has been released from an Alabama prison after serving a year and a half for illegally spending $750,000 in campaign funds.

Rev. Jackson confirmed around 5:30 a.m. Thursday that his son has been released from the Montgomery, Alabama, facility, calling it a “joyous reunion.” He says his son is doing “very well.”

The 50-year-old Jackson will serve the remainder of his sentence at a Washington, D.C., halfway house. Jackson began his 2 1/2-year sentence in 2013. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons lists his release date as Sept. 20, 2015.

The Illinois Democrat pleaded guilty to misspending the money on items including furs and vacations.

Jackson’s wife must serve a related, year-long term after her husband completes his sentence.

FOND DU LAC – Despite Tuesday being Trevor Casper’s first day working alone as a trooper, State Patrol leaders believe he did what he was supposed to do.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the State Patrol held a news conference to share more information on Casper and what happened when he was killed in a shootout with Steven Timothy Snyder, a suspected bank robber and murderer.

With heavy hearts, Casper’s colleagues placed a mourning band on a State Patrol vehicle in the 21-year-old’s honor.

“In speaking with his mother, she said he was so proud to have the opportunity to wear the Wisconsin State Patrol uniform,” said Lt. Col Brian Rahn of the State Patrol.

On his first solo assignment in uniform, State Patrol leaders say Casper came across Snyder.

“We had a description of a vehicle that this subject may have been operating in and a vehicle license plate was given and Trooper Casper was able to locate that vehicle along Highway 41,” said Captain Anthony Burrell of the State Patrol.

Authorities say Casper spotted the vehicle near Highway Double O, about two and a half miles from the crime scene near Pick n Save. They say Casper followed the vehicle there without his lights on. They say he didn’t have the backup necessary to pull the suspect over.

“It was textbook from the time he made contact with the vehicle until the event was over,” said Rahn.

State Patrol leaders say investigators continue to piece together what might have occurred between first contact and the apparent shootout.

“Trooper Casper was with us a short period of time, but will leave an everlasting effect on all of us,” said Rahn.

“I had always asked him if he was having fun and his response was I sure am, so with a smile on his face he was very eager and pleased to be doing the job he’s been doing in such a short period,” said Burrell.

GREEN BAY – Change is coming to the UW system and some high schools in the state.

The UW system will no longer fund a program allowing students to earn college credits while in high school.

For decades, students in Wisconsin high schools have taken classes for both high school and college credit.

“It’s a nice partnership to have with them, so it’s something that we want to keep doing,” said Pulaski High School Associate Principal Jeremy Pach.

The Course Options program used to be funded by the state. That funding stopped last year. The UW system temporarily pitched in to cover the cost. But starting next fall, local school district will have to foot the bill for the program.

“After funding it for a year as kind of a stopgap measure, UW System is now asking school districts to help pay for the program while they also work out new negotiated agreements with partner UW institutions,” said Alex Hummel, a spokesperson for the UW System.

Roughly 7500 high school students participate statewide. 900 of those are at UW-Green Bay. 70 come from Pulaski High School, which offers French and Spanish courses at a college level.

Even though the UW system is stepping aside, some UW campuses are stepping up. Pulaski High School Associate Principal Jeremy Pach says his district and others have worked out a new payment agreement with UW Green Bay.

“We had set a price that we thought most districts would be able to afford. Our credits will be $20 a credit, which school districts have been very receptive to. Originally when they were going to be 50% of normal tuition, which is how we would normally operate, most everyone said we wouldn’t be able to offer the program anymore,” said Meagan Strehlow, the UWGB College Credit Coordinator for high school students.

Without a payment plan in place, Pulaski schools would possibly have to pay roughly 50 thousand dollars to keep the program.

“It would be a lot of money. But you know, it is worth every cent because the students are getting what they need and I know that the parents are very thankful for these programs because if they didn’t take it here, they’d have to pay for it themselves,” said Pach.

School districts and the UW-Green Bay say the new deal is temporary, and a more permanent solution is needed.

The Pulaski School Board approved the 20 dollar per credit partnership with U-W Green Bay tonight. But, the deal also includes parents picking up half of the cost.

UW-Green Bay says it is still trying out work out the funding to aide with the program, but says it will be there.

UW System President Ray Cross says a long-term option may be having parents and students pay for the courses directly.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Milwaukee police say two boys in a speeding stolen car were killed when the driver ran a stop sign and collided with another car.

The crash happened about 3:30 p.m. on Milwaukee’s west wide.

Police Chief Ed Flynn says two other teens in the stolen car suffered non-life-threatening injuries. A 47-year-old man driving the other car was treated at a hospital and released.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the two killed were a 17-year-old boy and another boy who Flynn says “appears to be very youthful.”

The two injured teens are 16 and 17 years old. Both are in police custody.

Flynn says the stolen car was a 2013 Toyota taken with the keys from Milwaukee’s south side two days ago.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – Authorities say one person is dead and multiple others are injured after tornadoes hit Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Tulsa County Sheriff’s Capt. Billy McKelvey says a mobile home park near Sand Springs in the Tulsa area was nearly destroyed Wednesday. It’s not clear yet whether it was a tornado or straight-line winds that hit the mobile home park.

McKelvey says one person was killed there. He said multiple other people were injured, though he couldn’t say exactly how many people.

Sirens also went off at Moore, Oklahoma, where 24 people died in a top-of-the-scale EF5 tornado in 2013. Television coverage Wednesday evening showed a small twister on the ground. Another tornado was reported near the fairgrounds in western Oklahoma City.

Others touched down in the Ozark Mountains of northwestern Arkansas.

LOS ANGELES — Bo Ryan is trippin’ about being back in the NCAA West Regional.

First, the Wisconsin coach has the same man escorting him around that he did last year, when the Badgers won the regional in Anaheim. Then Ryan bumped into coach Sean Miller, whose Arizona team lost to the Badgers in a one-point overtime game to get to the Final Four.

“I’m like, wait a minute,” Ryan said. “Weren’t we just doing this a year ago?”

So Ryan feels right at home in Los Angeles, and he’s hoping Frank Kaminsky & Co. do, too.

The top-seeded Badgers (33-3) take on fourth-seeded North Carolina (26-11) in a regional semifinal on Thursday night at Staples Center. The teams are meeting in the NCAA Tournament for the second time and the first since 2006. The Tar Heels won both games.

North Carolina hasn’t been this far since 2012, although the Tar Heels are 25-6 all-time in regional semifinals.

Their top task? Defending Big Ten player of the year Kaminsky, who leads the Badgers in scoring (18.4 points), rebounding (8.1), and field-goal percentage (.556).

“Very, very seriously is the way we’re going to try to deal with him,” Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said Wednesday.

Carolina’s front line of 6-foot-9 Kennedy Meeks, 6-6 J.P. Tokoto and 6-8 Justin Jackson can’t match the 7-foot Kaminsky in height, but the 270-pound Meeks has nearly 30 pounds on “Frank the Tank.”

Meeks sprained his left knee in the win over Arkansas that got the Tar Heels into the final 16. He didn’t do much during their open practice Wednesday, but had limited contact during an earlier closed practice.

Williams said if Meeks experiences any pain or swelling overnight, he wouldn’t play. Otherwise, he would be a game-time decision Thursday.

I’m doing pretty well,” Meeks said. “I’m jumping a little bit more and trying to do all the right things so I can take care of my knee.”

If Meeks can’t go, the Tar Heels may go small, like they did after Meeks went out against the Razorbacks. But that has its drawbacks, too.

“I don’t want to just say when nobody can guard Frank, let’s just play small because that takes away part of our game as our inside scoring,” Williams said. “So it is a balance there that you have to have.”

Carolina can throw 6-9, 228-pounder Brice Johnson at Kaminsky, too.

Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker, left, laughs as forward Frank Kaminsky answers a question during a news conference Wednesday, March 25, 2015, in Los Angeles. Wisconsin is scheduled to play North Carolina on Thursday in an NCAA men’s college basketball tournament regional semifinal. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

“His combination of size and athleticism isn’t very common in college basketball,” Kaminsky said. “He does a great job of attacking the glass, getting things done inside.”

The Badgers have a question mark on their own roster, with guard Traevon Jackson’s playing status up in the air.

The senior has yet to appear in the NCAA Tournament and has missed 18 straight games since breaking his right foot in a loss at Rutgers on Jan. 11. Jackson got in a few possessions during practice on Tuesday, and Ryan said Wednesday that if he’s physically ready he would reward Jackson with some playing time.

“Now how many possessions or how many trips up and down the court, that remains to be seen,” the coach said.

Jackson made it sound like he’ll return. “I’ve been playing this game for too long to have nervousness on the court,” he said. “It’s a joy to be back on the court.”

Jackson gives the methodical Badgers a different look when he’s on the court, according to Carolina guard Marcus Paige.

“He kind of has that freedom to attack full court and give them that full court transition attack,” Paige said. “If he does play, we’re going to try to contain him because he’s really good and crafty with the ball.”

ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Bronson Koenig was recruited heavily by Williams, but the guard from La Crosse decided to stay in-state and play for the Badgers. “I’ll pull for him like crazy tomorrow, I just won’t pull for his whole team to do well,” Williams said. “But he’s a big-time young man that I really enjoyed recruiting.”

OLD SCHOOL BO: Ryan emphasizes limiting opponents to one shot per possession. It’s a stat he’s been keeping since he coached junior high basketball in the 1970s. Now, it’s trendy information, which makes Ryan laugh. “We just chuckle, the guys that have known me for years. ‘Hey Bo, I think you were on to something there with those points per possession,'” Ryan said. “No kidding.”

COMEDIC IDOL: Kaminsky got to interview Will Ferrell when the actor-comedian received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday. Kaminsky said it was cool meeting one of his comedic idols, but there was the inevitable letdown. “He said he’s cheering for North Carolina because he’s got family from there, which was obviously a little disappointing,” Kaminsky said.

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) – When a Vietnam veteran briefly stopped in Hawaii on his way home from war, he vowed to return one day to honor the people who perished during the attack on Pearl Harbor. With just less than two months to live, Joseph Hooker realized his longtime dream on Wednesday.

The Marine Corps veteran, who has heart disease and cancer, traveled from his home in Essex, Maryland, to Honolulu to visit the site of the Japanese attack that pushed the United States into World War II. The Dream Foundation, which grants wishes for those who have life expectancies of a year or less, arranged for the journey.

Hooker’s brother and sister-in-law, who are his caregivers, took turns pushing him in a wheelchair as they went on a private tour of the battleship USS Missouri.

The Hawaii dream stems from a 20-minute stop in the islands in 1971 as Hooker headed home from Vietnam, Hooker said from his Waikiki hotel room Tuesday. He was let off the ship just long enough to make a phone call to his family and eat some ice cream. He promised to come back someday “to honor the men and women that gave their life at Pearl Harbor.”

More than four decades later, Hooker visited the spot where Japan surrendered on the deck of the USS Missouri and got a rare peek inside the captain’s cabin. “I’ve never seen a battleship like this before,” he said.

The Dream Foundation’s new program, Dreams for Veterans, made Hooker’s wish possible. In applying, Hooker wrote a letter saying that he longed to visit Pearl Harbor to “learn, touch and understand what happened there.”

In the letter, he described voluntarily enlisting in the Marine Corps when he was 17, saying, “My heart was telling me that I was a Marine and that I was going to work hard and train to be the best.”

Veterans often see Pearl Harbor as a symbol of why they served in the military, said Jessie Higa, a volunteer historian for Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, who accompanied the Hookers on their tour. “They served to serve those before them,” she said.

The decorated veteran moved up through the ranks to become a sergeant.

“My dream was to see Pearl Harbor,” Hooker said while resting in the Missouri’s captain’s cabin – a location where presidents have visited. “I can go home now and rest in peace.”

The U.S. government and major business leaders are renewing their call on the Thai government to crack down on slavery in its fishing fleets, and to punish people who force migrant workers to catch seafood that can end up in the United States.

The State Department, the U.S. seafood and retail industries and a member of Congress reacted swiftly Wednesday to an Associated Press investigation published this week that found slave-caught fish clouds the supply networks of major supermarkets, restaurants and even pet stores in the United States. The AP reported that hundreds of men were trapped on the remote Indonesian island of Benjina, and tracked seafood they caught to Thai exporters who then sell to the U.S.

“It has become increasingly clear that workers in the fishing industry, many of whom are migrants, are exploited at multiple points along the supply chain, from harvesting to processing,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a briefing Wednesday.

The State Department blacklisted Thailand last year for failing to meet minimum standards in fighting human trafficking. Psaki did not say whether current trade talks with Thailand include labor rights.

The National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National Fisheries Institute, in a letter to the ambassadors of Thailand and Indonesia, also demanded to know what will be done to free the slaves described in AP’s coverage and bring their masters to justice. The industry leaders said that in the past they have asked the Thai government to address forced labor, but have lacked specific allegations.

“The AP article changes this dynamic,” they wrote.

The Thai government says it is cleaning up the problem and has laid out a plan to address labor abuse, including new laws that mandate wages, sick leave and shifts of no more than 14 hours. However, Thailand’s military leader, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, has asked the media not to report on human trafficking without considering how the news will affect the country’s seafood industry and reputation abroad.

Thailand’s biggest seafood company, Thai Union Frozen Products, announced that it immediately cut ties with a supplier Wednesday after determining it might be involved with forced labor and other abuses. Thai Union did not name the supplier.

In the U.S., many companies that sell seafood from Thailand have said they are already taking steps to prevent labor abuse in their supply chains. Gavin Gibbons, spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute, which represents about 75 percent of U.S. seafood sellers, said AP’s reports of labor abuses “have been particularly painful for the seafood community.”

He added that his members now plan to follow up using details from the report.

“Pointing to specific boats, producers and processors gives us the ability to push for aggressive investigation and enforcement,” said Gibbons.

U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said legislation can be part of the solution, and is reintroducing a law requiring large companies to disclose policies to keep their supply chains free of slavery.

“The reporting by The Associated Press reveals that even though we outlawed slavery in America, we’re still importing too many products created with slave labor,” Maloney said. “That’s wrong, and we need federal legislation to help stop it.”

Oceana, a nonprofit watchdog, is pressing yet another solution: Use satellite tracking to identify fishing vessels pulling illegal harvests in foreign waters, and traceability tools to follow a fish from boat to plate.

“Until now, fishing on the high seas was often out of sight, out of mind,” said Jacqueline Savitz, vice president for the nonprofit Oceana. “Illegal fishing and other horrible practices such as slavery on the open ocean have gone virtually unseen and continue to occur.”

The more than 40 men the AP interviewed on Benjina said captains on their fishing boats forced them to drink unclean water and work 20- to 22-hour shifts with no days off. Almost all said they were kicked, whipped with toxic stingray tails or otherwise beaten if they complained or tried to rest. They were paid little or nothing.

The Obama Administration plans to convene experts next month to learn about surveillance and enforcement technologies being piloted to track fishing in marine protected areas around the world. The State Department, Defense Department and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are all participating.

___

Associated Press writer Bradley Klapper contributed from Washington.

After being trapped in the Blizzard of last year’s 2-12 season, Green Bay has begun to see the light in 2015.

“Simply put, it feels good to win football games,” coach Tommie Smith said. “We’re 2-1, now we need to go 3-1, 4-1, 5-1.”

Winners of two of their first three games, the Blizzard are one of the IFL’s early season surprises.

“The team has had a good attitude, a positive attitude,” running back James Walker said. “Being positive early in the season has been why we’re off to a good start.”

“We want to prove that we can play with everyone,” defensive back Dontrell Johnson said. “We’re just one good team, playing together.”

A big part of their fast start has been the return of star quarterback Donovan Porterie. After a year in the AFL, the signal caller is playing like an MVP candidate. Porterie is among the league leaders with 12 touchdown passes and only one interception.

“Guys look at me as a veteran and I take that seriously,” Porterie said. “I like that they count on me to go out and make plays for those guys. It makes we want to work harder and keep improving.”

The Blizzard host the Bemidji Axemen Sunday at the Resch Center with a chance at a third-straight win. It’s something that hasn’t happened since the star quarterback’s first stint in Green Bay.

“In 2012, we won the United Conference. We started the season with a loss, kind of like this year. From that point on, we won 10 straight.”

A potentially winning forecast for the bright days ahead. At Brown County Arena, Dylan Scott Fox 11 Sports.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Saudi ambassador to the United States says his country has begun airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who drove out the U.S.-backed Yemeni president.

Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir says the operations began at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

He says the Houthis, widely believed to be backed by Iran, “have always chosen the path of violence.” He declined to say whether the Saudi campaign involved U.S. intelligence assistance.

Al-Jubeir made the announcement at a rare news conference by the Sunni kingdom.

He says the Saudis “will do anything necessary” to protect the people of Yemen and “the legitimate government of Yemen.”

The departure of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi illustrated how one of the most important American counterterrorism efforts has disintegrated.