Green Bay News

NAVARRE, Fla. (AP) – This tranquil beachside enclave normally provides a respite for soldiers, airmen and Marines who come here to relax or to train between dangerous deployments.

But the hotels and bars where military families share laughs in good times became places of shared grief Wednesday as boats and helicopters searched the waters and beachfront for seven marines and four soldiers presumed to have died after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in dense fog during a routine training exercise.

“My heart is really hurt right now knowing these people were here just on training – knowing they went and left their family members and did not give that goodbye, you know, because they weren’t going off to war,” a tearful Dolly Edwards said. The 35-year-old wife of a Marine was among hundreds who attended a vigil held at the end of a pier jutting into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday night.

The same thick fog that plagued the Black Hawk on Tuesday night engulfed the pier. Combined with the crashing of the Gulf’s waves, it created a somber backdrop to the songs, tears and prayers of the large gathering, which included many with strong ties to the military in a part of Florida that is home to the sprawling Eglin Air Force Base.

“We just need to be here to pay respects,” said Norman Caron, a retired airman, as he held a candle.

The vigil came after a long and difficult day for searchers who struggled in thick banks of fog to find the remains of the 11 soldiers believed to have been killed in the crash of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

The military has provided few details about the crash, which happened about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. The names of the soldiers have not been released.

On Wednesday it was learned that a second helicopter turned back safely shortly before the crash.

Military officials haven’t said what caused the crash, but the weather was bad enough for the other crew to return to land, said Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard.

Jack Cullen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Mobile, Alabama, said Thursday would likely bring more dense sea fog and a good chance of rain. He said the foggy conditions could stick around through Friday, a common phenomenon this time of year as warmer southern air encounters cold water near land.

The helicopter that crashed had a veteran crew from Hammond, Louisiana, that served multiple tours in Iraq and helped humanitarian missions after Gulf Coast hurricanes and the BP oil spill.

They were carrying “unconventional warriors” from the Marines Special Operations Command. Like the Army’s Green Berets and the Navy’s SEALs, they were highly trained to endure grueling conditions and sensitive assignments on land and at sea, from seizing ships to special reconnaissance missions and direct action inside hostile territory.

Tuesday night’s training involved practicing “insertion and extraction missions,” using small boats and helicopters to get troops into and out of a target site, said Capt. Barry Morris, spokesman for the Marine Corps Special Operations Command at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The helicopter crashed in the Santa Rosa Sound, a strip of water between the mainland of the Florida Panhandle and a long barrier island facing the Gulf. Military officials said search crews were focused on a 6-mile stretch of the sound.

Kim Urr, 62, who works at the Navarre Beach campground near the Eglin Air Force Base training area, said she heard a strange sound, followed by two explosions about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“It sounded like something metal either being hit or falling over, that’s what it sounded like. And there were two booms afterward, similar to what you hear with ordnance booms, but more muffled,” Urr said.

Human remains were found Wednesday before the weather deteriorated again, and all 11 service members were presumed killed. But it was still considered a search and rescue mission.

All through the day Wednesday, debris from the crash was seen floating in the sound.

“We saw gloves, a uniform with a last name on it,” said Alan Collinsworth, a hotel desk clerk. He said that when he got to work at 6:30 a.m. lots of debris was floating by the hotel’s waterfront. “We were very shocked.”

“It’s a big military community here and something like this hits home,” said Paul Castillo, a former airman who, along with his 15-year-old son, brought 11 white roses that they laid at a memorial for the crash victims at the pier’s entrance. Under his arm he carried a folded American flag.

Earlier in the day, President Barack Obama expressed his condolences to the families and said he is confident a detailed and thorough investigation will take place, said his spokesman, Josh Earnest.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families as the search and rescue continues,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Capitol Hill.

GREEN BAY- The WIAA is gearing up for the state basketball tournament.

This is the third year the tournament is being held at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon.

The first game starts at 1:35 p.m. Thursday.

There are only two local teams in the tournament.

Click here for the schedule.

Good Day Wisconsin will be live from the Resch Center.

FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) – The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports two police officers have been shot outside the Ferguson Police Department.

The shots were fired early Thursday as police and protesters gathered outside the station after the resignation of police Chief Thomas Jackson on Wednesday.

Ferguson Lt. Col. Al Eickhoff tells the newspaper that he didn’t think either officer was from his department. Eickhoff says he doesn’t know the extent of the officers’ injuries.

Jackson was the sixth employee to resign or be fired after a Justice Department report cleared white former officer Darren Wilson of civil rights charges in the shooting of black 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, but found a profit-driven court system and widespread racial bias in the city police department.

 

GREEN BAY – Behind a 24-point effort from guard Kaili Lukan, the top-seeded Green Bay women’s basketball team defeated No. 8 seed Milwaukee 74-62 in their Horizon League quarterfinal matchup at the Kress Center.

Wednesday night’s win is the Phoenix’s third against the rival Panthers this season and helps them advance to Friday’s semifinal game against Youngstown State. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. In the early contest, the No. 2 and 3 seeds will battle as Wright State takes on Cleveland State at 5 p.m.

Mehryn Kraker tallied her fifth career double-double in the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Sam Terry also hit the double figure mark with 12 points in the contest.

Green Bay has now won nine-straight games heading into their next contest, it’s their longest winning streak in the past two seasons.

SUAMICO – With spring of course comes the annual ritual of potholes.

Many roads have seen better days, however, some of the worst roads won’t be seeing major repairs any time soon.

For a third straight year, Janice Holewinski is preparing to complain to the Village of Suamico about the quality of her street, Longview Lane.

“Last year we had to replace both struts in the rear of my car and anytime I go down the road I just wonder how much damage I’m doing to it by even slowly going through all this damage on the road,” said Holewinski.

The village’s department of public works is already out doing road maintenance.

“This warm weather has kind of caught us by surprise,” said Dan Drewery, director of public works for Suamico. “There is a lot of activities taking place.”

The activities include road evaluation. The village uses a system called Pacer, which rates roads on a 1 to 10 scale. Public works makes repair recommendations from those ratings, with the village board having final say. Drewery says it’s a process used by most communities.

A 1.2 mile stretch of Westline Road is the only section of roadway that Suamico will completely repave this year.

“It’ll be a bit of a hassle while its going on, but it’ll be nice when it’s done,” said Lori Cartwright of Suamico.

Suamico is splitting the more than half million dollar cost with the town of Pittsfield. Drewery says that cost is a major reason only one street was chosen to be repaved.

“If they’re not being rebuilt, we’ll be looking at some chip sealing,” said Drewery. “We’ll definitely look at some crack filling to try to maintain the integrity of that roadway as long as we possibly can prior to rebuild.”

The decision to rebuild takes a year.

As for reappearing potholes, Drewery says that will happen until the road is repaved, or that section is cutout. He says the freeze-thaw cycle and wear from vehicles will cause any temporary fix put in potholes will eventually break apart.

MENASHA – The Menasha School District says it tries its best to make sure all students feel welcome.

“We have the obligation as a public school to make all of our students feel safe and comfortable,” said Superintendent Chris VanderHeyden.

After receiving a complaint from a transgender Menasha High School student in January, the superintendent says his district wanted to be pro-active in how it treat students who are transgender or gender non-conforming.

“It helps us stay in compliance with our legal obligations under Title IX and as far as we follow guidelines from the office of civil rights. It also helps us further our local goals for the creation and maintenance of a positive and supportive environment,” said VanderHeyden.

The document introduced at this Monday’s school board meeting outlines anti-harassment and non-discrimination guidelines. It details the use of appropriate names and pronouns, as decided on by the student. The policy would allow students to use the restrooms and locker facilities that feel most comfortable to their gender identity. It would also offer students additional privacy, if they choose.

We spoke on the phone with an advocate for transgender students, speaking on behalf of the Menasha student’s family. He says the policy is a step in the right direction.

“What I really like about the policy is it really does think about the safety, privacy, and dignity of all students as opposed to saying oh we’re going to single out a group of students. It really focuses on supporting all students,” said Brian Juchems, who works with the group GSAFE.

VanderHeyden says not everyone in the community is on board with the new policy.

“We have had feedback on both sides of the issue, and I expect that we will continue to receive such,” said VanderHeyden.

VanderHeyden says with this possible policy, any student who feels uncomfortable in their school environment could receive special accommodations.

The Menasha School Board will discuss this policy further at its next two board meetings. Those meetings are open to the public, for anyone wishing to share their views on the topic.

NEW YORK — Matt Carlino had all but two of his 26 points on 3-pointers and ninth-seeded Marquette had its best game of the season from beyond the arc in a 78-56 victory over eighth-seeded Seton Hall on Wednesday night in the opening round of the Big East tournament.

Carlino was 8 for 12 from 3-point range as the Golden Eagles (13-18) finished 13 for 22, just the second time this season they shot better than 50 percent from long range.

Marquette faces top-seeded and fourth-ranked Villanova in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Luke Fischer had 14 points and Duane Wilson added 13 for Marquette, which was 13 of 25 (52 percent) from 3-point range in a 95-85 overtime loss to Georgetown on Jan. 24.

Derrick Wilson had seven points and a career-high 14 assists for Marquette, which led 35-22 at halftime and went up by as many as 27 points in the second half. Marquette had lost six of its last seven and it snapped a four-game losing streak in the Big East tournament.

Isaiah Whitehead had 12 points for Seton Hall (16-15), which has lost nine of 10. The Pirates were ranked as high as 19th this season but went 4-12 after that point.

Marquette came into the game shooting 33.6 percent from 3-point range, ninth in the 10-team conference.

Seton Hall finished 5 of 21 from 3-point range.
___

TIP-INS
Marquette: Steve Taylor Jr. banked in a 3 at the halftime buzzer to end Seton Hall’s 8-0 run and give the Golden Eagles a 35-22 lead. … Marquette’s biggest win the Big East tournament was a 74-45 victory over St. John’s in 2009.
Seton Hall: The Pirates missed their first six 3-point attempts, then made two in the late 8-0 run. … The Pirates’ worst loss in the Big East tournament was a 75-48 decision against Boston College in 2001.

UP NEXT
Marquette: Top-seeded and fourth-ranked Villanova in quarterfinals on Thursday.
Seton Hall: Hoping for an outside chance at an NIT bid.

FOND DU LAC — The St. Mary’s Springs girls basketball team knew when it started this season there was a target on its back after reaching the state tournament a year ago.

The Ledgers hardly flinched during the regular season going 20-2 with both losses coming to defending Division 3 state champion Kettle Moraine Lutheran.

Thursday, the Ledgers return to the Division 4 state tournament and this year’s run has the team believing.

“We kind of had a big target on our back all year because last year making and this year bringing back four starters, so it’s that we make it back this year,” senior Kelli Schrauth said. “I’m super proud of everyone. We worked really hard.”

Girls State Basketball Schedule

St. Mary’s Springs fell to Algoma last year in a state semifinal and the Ledgers feel that experience is going to help them Thursday when they take on Cuba City, which has a state-high 10 state titles.

“I think we’re more comfortable this year,” senior Melanie Schneider said. “We’re more confident. We’re just ready to get out there Thursday and give it our all and see where it takes us.”

“Definitely going to be more comfortable,” Schrauth said. “I think we’re going to play better, too, because we’ve been there before.

“We’re going to know the situation. It’s huge being at a state and it’s super exciting, so I think we’ll be ready.”

This year, Springs is not happy just showing up.

“They’re really focused accomplishing their goal of winning a state championship,” coach Mitch Redig said. “They’re not just content being at state. They’re focused; they’re excited, but they know the routine, they know what to expect. So there’s that end goal of the gold ball.”

All 20 teams at the state tournament this week are thinking one thing: gold ball. Springs has a tough challenge with Cuba City but the players are confident.

“I can’t even describe the feeling (it would be to win state),” Schneider said. “I can picture it every day. It’ll be a huge accomplishment.”

Thursday night is the beginning of the end for the Ledgers and they hope this ending, unlike last year, ends with gold.

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) – A Canadian man wanted in a scheme that defrauded Waukesha County investors out of more than $350,000 has been captured after a decade on the run.

The U.S. Marshals Service said Tuesday that 60-year-old Antonius “Anthony” Ceulen was detained in Thailand recently.

Ceulen was charged in 2005 with one count of racketeering.

According to the complaint, Ceulen orchestrated a plan to solicit investments from people for a business deal that reportedly included banks in Ghana and Amsterdam. The Freeman reports that nearly a dozen Waukesha County investors were defrauded with promises of returns of up to 50 percent. Two other men were charged in the case.

Douglas Bachert of the U.S. Marshals says Ceulen used multiple aliases. Bachert says he hopes Ceulen will be extradited to Waukesha within the year.

MADISON – It was Badgers Pro Day down in Madison Wednesday as players try to raise their draft stock for NFL Scouts.

Wisconsin Badgers running back Melvin Gordon was in attendance. He did not run the 40 yard dash but did participate in some drills.

Packers General Manager Ted Thompson was also in attendance, as well as 27 other NFL teams represented.

A couple area athletes made the trip to Madison, including Jacob Pedersen, who is from Menominee and played tight end for the Badgers two seasons ago.

Green Bay Notre Dame alum and former University of Eau Claire defensive back Thurgood Dennis also tried making an impression.

Both feel they showed what they are capable of.

“I got some good feedback and tips for stuff to work on,” Dennis said. “It makes me think of good things because coaches and scouts wouldn’t tell you to work on things if they thought you couldn’t improve. I got feedback and I want to build on it and build my athletic portfolio over the next week and see how it goes.”

Pedersen says experience helped him this year, “I am not as nervous as I was last year. I know what to expect. Knowing that and if I get into a camp I know the whole NFL scene and OTAs and camp so I think it will help.”

 

 

 

 

 

OCONTO FALLS – The quick melt of our snowpack and all the dry, brown grass becoming exposed earlier this week hinted at potentially escalating fire danger.

And now, the DNR has put burn permit requirements into effect for Southern Oconto County.

But potentially escalating fire danger and the burn permit requirements aren’t necessarily tied together.

While the burn permits end up being required every year at some point in Southern Oconto County, it’s not usually this soon.

According to Chris Duncan, a forester with the Wisconsin DNR, “It is very early and it is kind of unexpected. The heat wave came through pretty fast and it melted stuff very quickly… Generally it’s closer to the end of March when we start gearing up for fire season.”

But it wasn’t any kind elevated fire danger that prompted the issuance of the burning restrictions.

In fact, the fire danger is still listed as “low” state-wide.

It all has to do with the snow pack.

Once the snow is gone, the permits go into effect there– regardless of fire weather or danger conditions.

And Southern Oconto County, now that the snow is gone, has shifted into their burn permit requirement, and will remain there until May 31st.

The expectation is that by then, brush and plants will have greened up.

But just because fire danger is low, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for a wildfire to start

Duncan cautions, “It can still get a fire started and it can still become a wildfire, it’s just hard to do when it’s at that low level. Your humidities are usually a little higher, your temperatures are cooler, and there’s still a lot of moistur eleft in the fuels.”

Even with the currently “low” fire danger, the DNR isn’t letting its guard down now.

“I filled up my truck up yesterday with water… If I get a fire page today, I wanna make sure when I leave taht it’s ready to go and ready to fight so that’s what I’m doing this morning, is making sure that everything is good and ready on it,” says Duncan.

Besides, If the weather stays this warm and this dry, that fire danger could escalate very quickly in the coming weeks.

In talking with a few municipal fire departments around Brown County, they all have different regulations on what kind of burning is allowed and when.

If you don’t live in one of the DNR-controlled counties, called your local fire department to check on regulations before burning– especially as we continue to see this dry, warm weather.

OSHKOSH – It’s another sign of the transition between seasons as ice bridges are off Lake Winnebago. This week’s warmer temperatures have caused a lot of the ice on the lake to get thinner.

Members of the Otter Street Fishing Club removed all four of their steel bridges Wednesday afternoon in Oshkosh. Ice expert Don Herman says the bridges had to come off because the warmup caused the top layers of the ice to get soft.

“We drilled a hole, there’s still 30 inches of ice out there,” said Herman. “But the top 6 or 8 inches is kind of mushy.”

He said the ice fishing season was an average length.

“This is normal though,” said Herman. “We normally pull them off somewhere between March 10 and March 20, so it’s a little earlier than normal, but it’s real close.”

A few ice shanties still sat on the shore of the lake Wednesday. Last Sunday was the deadline to take them off the ice.

“Just be safe out there,” Herman added. “The fishing is really great right now. I know a lot of people shed a little tear because the ice fishing season’s ending.”

GREEN BAY – A plea for help from the family of a missing Green Bay man – and more than 24 hours later, they’re still waiting.

“Right now we’re just trying to get the word out,” said Mary Koehler, a friend and boss of Philip Jeanquart’s wife, Diane. “He’s been gone since approximately noon yesterday.”

It’s been a difficult day for Koehler – who spoke on camera with FOX 11, at the request of the Jeanquart family.

“Any help would be appreciated to share with all your friends, he’s a good man,” she said, crying.

Philip Jeanquart, 68, seen in this undated photo with his wife, Diane, and dog named Ruby. (Family photo)

The Wisconsin Department of Justice issued a Silver Alert for Jeanquart, 68, late Tuesday night. Authorities say he suffers from dementia, walks with a limp, and has stitches in his lower lip.

Police say Jeanquart has his dog with him – a gray and white Shih Tzu named Ruby – and he may be driving a 2008, grey Buick Lucerne sedan with Wisconsin plates 854-WMN.

“He’s on medication and so is the dog and neither of them have had it since – I’m assuming, yesterday morning,” Koehler said.

It’s asked that if you do see Jeanquart – or anyone that may be missing – to call 911 or the local police department immediately, try to keep the vehicle, or person in sight until law enforcement arrives. If you personally come upon the individual, be calm, use direct sentences and keep the person calm until help arrives.

The last time his family saw him was at about noon, Tuesday, but according to Jeanquart’s family, he was spotted later that day.

Jeanquart’s family tells me an employee of Kimp’s Ace Hardware in Howard saw the Silver Alert and remembered helping him find his car keys that he dropped in the parking lot. Jeanquart had reportedly just purchased a bag of dog treats for Ruby.

“We did get word that they saw him in Howard. He bought the dog treats, but that’s the last we heard,” Koehler said. “He would do anything for Ruby.”

Koehler says security camera footage has been reviewed to try and help in the case.

Jeanquart’s known to frequent area dog parks and pet stores. His family says he’s known by name at the Petco location on the city’s east side. Koehler says he and Ruby are inseparable, and hopefully, where there is one, there will be the other.

“Call the police if you see the dog, or Phil, one will be next to the other.”

Kimps Ace Hardware store in Howard, Wis. is seen on March 11, 2015. (WLUK/Bill Miston)

Wisconsin Silver Alert system ‘successful’

Wisconsin’s Silver Alert system is a statewide missing person alert system, specifically for people with Alzheimer’s, dementia or other cognitive impairments.

Administered by the state Department of Justice, it went live across the state last August.

“We’ve sent out 21 alerts – the most recent was the one last night,” said Wisconsin Silver Alert Coordinator Kari Orn in a phone interview with FOX 11.

Of the 21 alerts issues, the DOJ says 17 people have been found alive, two were found dead, and two others – including Jeanquart – are still missing.

Orn says the more people who sign up for the service, the better it works.

“We want to get the word out to as many people as possible, so that you can have as many eyes looking for the person who’s missing.”

The Green Bay Packers have re-signed T Bryan Bulaga.

Bulaga started a career best 15 games at right tackle for Green Bay last season as well as both postseason contests.

In 2014, he was part of an offense that ranked No. 1 in the NFL in points per game (30.4), No. 6 in yards per game (386.1) and tied for No. 1 in giveaways with a franchise-record 13. Bulaga was originally selected by the Packers in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.

For his career, Bulaga has started 48 of 52 games played during the regular season and all seven postseason contests he has participated in.

ASHWAUBENON – The WIAA Girls State Basketball Championship kicks off tomorrow at the Resch Center.

Last year, the tournament was packed with local teams. This year only two regional teams are in the running.

Workers prepped the court at the Resch Center Wednesday morning, putting logos on the hardwood in preparation for the tournament. It’s the third year the tournament will take place here; previous tournaments were held in Madison.

“Each year it takes on a little bit of a different persona if you will based on how that scenario works out as far as local versus out of town,” said Brad Toll with the Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau.

This year, of the 20 teams competing, only two – St. Mary’s Springs and Xavier – are local.

Brad Toll with the Convention and Visitors Bureau says with the majority of teams coming from out of town, he expects a boost in hotel reservations and restaurant business.

“People are definitely going to have to eat out if they are from a community a great distance from us. So it does definitely stimulate a lot of business for our restaurants,” Toll said.

However, Toll adds that’s just one piece of the puzzle. With few local teams, he then worries more about ticket sales.

“Because that’s a part of WIAA’s success, and certainly every year that they’re here, we want them to be very, very successful so there’s always that mix between the two pieces,” said Toll.

The Resch Center has a tournament contract with the WIAA through 2020. Brendan Bruss, PMI’s executive vice president, says so far advance ticket sales are looking good.

“Our attendance rate is tracking just about the same it was the first two years which is a really good sign, especially coming off your first year which is typically the excitement and growth of it,” Bruss said.

Bruss says when you get to the teams that are outside Division 1, oftentimes entire communities come to show their support regardless of whether they are 30 minutes away or three hours away.

And even with few area teams in the tournament, Bruss is predicting many local basketball players will want to come out and watch the action on the court.

“One thing though, that we may see, and we’ve heard about actually – without local teams, you know, all of the communities around the area that play basketball are going to come as spectators not just cheering on one team,” Bruss said.

This year, marks the 40th anniversary of the WIAA Girls State Basketball Championships.

WICHITA (KWCH-DT) – Before diners get their pancakes and eggs, they’re served a laugh.

Brian Maixner is a crowd-favorite waiter at Doo-Dah diner in downtown Wichita.

His shining personality and infectious laugh didn’t match his teeth.

Maixner says he couldn’t afford to get them fixed, “Started out as I got a chipped tooth and it spread. And then after that I couldn’t keep up with them and they were getting out of control pretty bad.”

So Maixner says he just made the best of it, “I just try to smile through it and show people you know there is still good people no matter how bad they look. Appearances aren’t always everything but they are (laughter).”

That’s when an unlikely hero came in.

A lawyer from Oklahoma was in town visiting his daughter when he first met Maixner at the diner.

Attorney, Fred Boettcher, said, “I looked at this guy and I thought this guy, this guy is something special.”

Boettcher decided to help and offered to pay for Maixner’s new smile.

“No matter what religion you might be or whether you even believe in an after life the way to be satisfied in your life is to be kind to everybody and be as generous as you possibly can be,” Boettcher said.

A month later, the results speak for themselves.

 

 

A look at famous industry lawsuits, including the recent case against singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for their hit ‘Blurred Lines.’

GREEN BAY – A Neenah dentist has been convicted of failing to pay income taxes.

Prosecutors say Eugene Darkow, 58, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of willfully failing to pay federal taxes. According to investigators, Darkow failed to pay about $450,000 between 1998 and 2012.

Darkow faces up to one year in prison when he is sentenced June 1. He has been released on bond until then.

GREEN BAY – Three Appleton men have been indicted in federal court on meth charges.

Prosecutors say Kham Meng Vang, 32; Sa Xiong, 24; and Bee Vang, 23, are charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Kham Meng Vang and Xiong are also charged with having firearms while furthering drug crimes. Prosecutors say they had semi-automatic weapons.

If convicted on the drug charges, all three face prison sentences of between 10 years and life. The firearm charges each carry a mandatory prison term of five years.

[SBG NATIONAL DESK] Has Hillary Clinton put enough questions to rest about her personal email account to carry out a successful presidential primary campaign, if she decides to run in 2016?

On Capitol Hill Wednesday, California Senator Barbara Boxer (D) said, “I think she was terrific and she explained it really well.” Boxer was referring to Clinton’s news conference at the United Nations on Tuesday.

But political observers on the right and left now say the fiasco over Clinton’s personal use of an email account to conduct government business, while she served as U.S. Secretary of State, is not going away anytime soon.

“The American public like’s transparency, they like government, and they like officials at least with the presumption they are telling them the truth,” said Mileah Kromer with the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher College in Maryland.

The online news site BuzzFeed tracked public sentiment of Mrs. Clinton on Facebook since the start of 2015. Favorable opinions of Clinton have been on a downward spiral since January. By the time news of the email account surfaced, more people, according to BuzzFeed, had a negative opinion of her.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily an ethics question. I think her biggest concern ought to be whether the American people find her believable now,” said North Carolina Republican Senator Richard Burr.

Negative public sentiment is also flowing from mainstream newspapers, where the headline “Democrats are not so fired up about Hillary Clinton” appeared in the Washington Post earlier this week.

“All the signs are there of the Democrats – slowly, but surely wondering is this, who we want to represent us in 2016, said Richard Vatz, a communications professor at Towson University in Maryland.