Green Bay News

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Kitty Rhoades says it would be up to the federal government to deal with the fallout if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that subsidies offered under President Barack Obama’s health care law are unconstitutional.

Rhoades was asked Tuesday during a briefing before the Legislature’s budget committee whether she had a plan for dealing with the possibility that the court may strike down the subsidies.

Gov. Scott Walker turned down federal money to expand Medicaid and instead forced anyone earning above the poverty line to purchase subsidized insurance through the federal health exchange.

Rhoades says if the Supreme Court strikes down the subsidies the state will work with its federal partners “to make sure they get it fixed right.”

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Kitty Rhoades says no one will get kicked off the state’s popular prescription drug program SeniorCare under Gov. Scott Walker’s budget.

Walker’s proposal requires that SeniorCare enrollees first sign up for the Medicare Part D prescription drug program and use state benefits under SeniorCare as a supplement.

Rhoades told the Legislature’s budget committee on Tuesday that whether costs will go up depends on the circumstances of the person and what plan they choose under Medicare Part D.

Because SeniorCare is an alternative to Medicare Part D, thousands of seniors not yet enrolled in the federal program would be asked to switch and could face higher fees.

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

SeniorCare serves about 85,000 people.

GREEN BAY – The Bay Area Humane Society has agreed to help the Packerland Veterinary Center.

The city of Green Bay pays Packerland $144,000 a year to take care of animals the city picks up.

According to the city council president, the Humane Society agreed to take the strays if no one has claimed them after seven days. Previously, Packerland would send the strays to other facilities.

The practice led a city alderman to request giving the contract to the Humane Society, however, that request was voted down.

LONDON (CNN) — A photo of a weasel hitching a surprise lift on the back of a flying woodpecker near London has gone viral on Twitter, with more than 7,000 users retweeting the original post of the image.

It was first posted by photographer Jason Ward on Monday and credited to Martin Le-May.

After #WeaselPecker gained momentum, British media soon picked up the story, and television channel ITV interviewed Le-May.

The amateur photographer from Essex, near London, told the broadcaster he had been walking with his wife in Hornchurch Country Park, Essex, when they heard “a distressed squawking” noise and spotted the woodpecker.

“Just after I switched from my binoculars to my camera the bird flew across us and slightly in our direction; suddenly it was obvious it had a small mammal on its back and this was a struggle for life,” Le-May said.

Eventually, Le-May told ITV, the weasel — known as a “least weasel” in some countries — lost its grip and the bird flew away.

Marina Pacheco, chief executive of Britain’s Mammal Society told CNN the image looked genuine and that it was possible an omnivorous weasel would take on a woodpecker.

A weasel clings on to the back of a woodpecker near London Mar. 3, 2015. (Photo courtesy of Martin Le-May)

“Weasels will go for anything that looks like food — they’ve got a high metabolism and they’ve got to eat a lot,” she said. “It doesn’t surprise me that a weasel took a punt — I’ve seen a photo of a weasel charging a group of sparrows, they’re very hungry animals.”

But she said the weasel, which would generally try to break the neck of its prey to subdue it, may have exceeded its abilities in this case.

“I think it was a bit of a long shot — it looks like it tried to grab the neck of the woodpecker to break it,” Pacheco said. “I think that it probably doesn’t have a big enough jaw to bite through the spine of the woodpecker.”

Weasels would not normally target green woodpeckers, Pacheco said — their predators are normally the size of a stoat or larger. But the birds are known to spend a fair amount of time on the ground pulling up worms and hunting insects.

“If the woodpecker had managed to hit the weasel with its beak it would have been the end of the weasel,” she said. “They’re quite gung-ho little creatures.”

The pluckiness of the weasel spawned a number of parodies on Twitter, with manipulated images showing the creature in turn being ridden by Russian President Vladimir Putin, popstar Miley Cyrus, football star John Terry — and even what appears to be a red panda dressed in a Darth Vader costume. (Update: Twitter has now educated us on the difference between a dog and a red panda. Sorry, Darth!)

As for the bird? The green woodpecker is also known as a “yaffle” for its laughing call. After the shock of being targeted by a hungry weasel wears off, we can only hope it lives up to its nickname.

 

GREEN BAY – Before the sun came up Tuesday, snow blanketed parts of Northeast Wisconsin.

Plows were out in full force trying to keep the roads clear.

Sheriff’s departments around the area say they were dealing with several crashes this morning.

But it wasn’t enough to build a snowman. It wasn’t even enough to sled down a hill.

The snow did give drivers like Jackie Brassfield a reason to be more cautious.

“I saw a black pickup truck that just came barreling down and I thought at the time, ‘No wonder we have accidents,'” said Jackie Brassfield.

Brassfield says whenever the snow starts to fall, forgetfulness sets in.

“We haven’t had any snow for a while so now they’re learning to drive again on snow,” Brassfield said.

Steve Zepnick says if it’s snowing, he and his dog Jeanie like to go for a ride.

“She’s a fan of the snow. We love the snow,” said Zepnick.

He noticed some streets were slicker than others.

“There are not a lot of crazy drivers out there at all. There’s some people sliding around a little bit,” Zepnick said.

Snow turned to slush as cars traveled along West Mason Street on Green Bay’s west side.

Then sirens blared and a fire truck honked which sidelined a few cars passing by.

No matter what the weather outside, it was easy to find someone inside Zesty’s looking for a frozen treat.

The co-owner of the Howard location says some of her customers are dreaming of warmer weather.

“They have cabin fever. They like to get out and about and still treat themselves,” Janelle French, co-owner of Zesty’s.

French says she’s hoping to put the outdoor benches and walk up window to good use once the snow melts.

“We are definitely looking forward to the weather changing and it being nice,” French said.

GRANTVILLE, GA – The town of Grantville, Georgia, made famous in an episode of ‘The Walking Dead,’ is up for sale on eBay.

Watch the story below:

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin state Assembly plans to start debate of the right-to-work bill at 9 a.m. Thursday and end no later than 9 a.m. Friday.

Republican Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke said Tuesday that the 24 hours of debate time was negotiated with Democrats. He says Democrats wanted 48 hours of debate.

Republicans also agreed to have the Labor Committee hold an executive session on Wednesday to consider Democratic amendments.

Steineke says he does not anticipate than any amendments will be made to the bill. It already passed the Senate last week and if it is changed, the Senate would need to vote again.

Gov. Scott Walker has said he will sign the bill into law.

Democrats complained during Tuesday’s 12-hour hearing that no executive session had been planned.

The boys basketball postseason tips off Tuesday with most of the state tournament contenders receiving byes into Friday’s regional semifinals.

Certain brackets promise to be entertaining as the area looks for a state title after not winning one last season, despite Neenah and N.E.W. Lutheran reaching championship games.

Some teams to look out for this postseason include Kimberly, Kaukauna, Neenah, Seymour, West De Pere, Xavier, Ripon and Brillion.

With that in mind, here’s a look at each division for our local teams and what to expect.

DIVISION 1
Best team: Kimberly (19-3). The Papermakers won the toughest conference in the area, outlasting Neenah and Kaukauna in the Fox Valley Association. Kimberly’s only losses have come to Kaukauna (twice) and DeLaSalle (Minn.). The Papermakers reached the sectional final last season, losing to eventual state champ Germantown. They could meet again in the same game, unless De Pere, or someone else has something to say about it.
Next best: Neenah (18-4) or De Pere (19-3). Neenah lost to Germantown in the state title game last season, but with 6-11 Matt Heldt the Rockets can make another deep run, although Stevens Point is in the same sectional. As for De Pere, Brevin Pritzl can fill it up with the best of them and if he gets hot, watch out everybody.
Notes: Kimberly and De Pere could meet in a sectional semifinal. Kimberly has won three straight over the last two years vs. De Pere, including last postseason. … Bay Port and De Pere could meet in a regional final. … Interesting #5-#4 matchup has Green Bay East at Sheboygan North on Friday. They split the season series, each winning at home.

DIVISION 2
Best team: Kaukauna (19-3). The Galloping Ghosts are 4-3 in their last seven games and all of those losses came to Division 1 teams Neenah, Oshkosh North and Oshkosh West. Kaukauna is high-octane with freshman point guard Jordan McCabe and shooting guard Carter Belling. Its style of play can run any team out of the building.
Next best: Seymour (19-3). The Bay Conference champs proved a lot a year after losing Sandy Cohen and Dakota Oskey. The Thunder hasn’t been to state in the last three seasons but the way the Thunder has played this season, it’s hard to doubt they make a deep run.
Notes: Best early matchup has No. 2 Ashwaubenon (17-5) hosting No. 3 West De Pere (16-6) in a regional semifinal. … Shawano is a No. 1 seed and will play either No. 5 Waupaca or No. 4 New London in a regional semifinal. … Kaukauna’s road to state is filled with “land mines,” as it could face Luxemburg-Casco (17-5), West De Pere/Ashwaubenon, Seymour and then No. 1 seed Port Washington in a sectional final.

Boys Basketball Brackets

DIVISION 3
Best team: Xavier (19-3). The Hawks have won 13 straight games and won the Eastern Valley Conference by just outworking teams. Among their wins the Hawks beat Ripon (twice), Little Chute (twice) and split with Freedom. Five players average 8 ppg. or more, including Sam Burkart, who leads at 15.1 ppg.
Next best: Ripon (19-3). The Tigers will likely be without 6-7 sophomore Bennett Vander Plas (16.7 ppg., 10. 7 rpg.), who broke his foot in February. Still, the Tigers are a team to watch with sophomore Luke Loewe (18.7 ppg.) running the show. He’s arguably the best player in the area who’s not a senior. Also, Riley Haas is capable from 3-point land so the Tigers will be a team to watch.
Notes: Ripon is in a southern bracket and its biggest obstacle would be Flyway champ Kettle Moraine Lutheram (20-2). … Peshtigo (16-6), Southern Door (19-3) and Valders (17-5) are No. 1 seeds and Valders and Southern Door could meet in a sectional semifinal. … Xavier could meet Peshtigo in a sectional semifinal assuming it gets through it bracket which includes Freedom, which beat Xavier this season. … Also don’t forget about No. 2 Roncalli (18-4), which reached the state tournament last season.

DIVISION 4
Best team: Brillion (18-4). The No. 2 seed reached state last season, losing to Dominican in a state semifinal. The Lions have lost two of their last three games (Roncalli and Valders), which cost them the Olympian title. Brillion is led by Tyler Lemke (13.7 ppg.)..
Next best: No. 1 Lourdes Academy (20-2). Like Brillion, Lourdes’ season was ended last season by Dominican, only in a sectional final. Lourdes won the Trailways North by going 18-0 and its two losses came at Laconia and to Algoma. Once again, the Knights likely will meet Dominican and Diamond Stone in a sectional final.
Notes: Lourdes could meet St. Mary’s Springs (16-6) in a regional final. .. Brillion could meet No.2 Algoma (18-4) in a regional final. … Crivitz is a No. 2 seed and will play the winner of No. 6 Coleman and No. 3 Crandon in a regional semifinal.

DIVISION 5
Best team: Wausaukee (20-2). The Rangers won the M&O Conference with a 16-0 mark and its two losses came at Lakeland and at Wabeno/Laona. … Zach Orlando leads the Rangers, averaging 17.8 ppg., while Aaron Schlies adds 16.5 ppg.
Next best: N.E.W. Lutheran (11-11). The No. 2 seed could meet Wausaukee in a sectional semifinal. The Blazers fell in the state title game last season. Noah Gosse leads the Blazers in scoring at 16.3 ppg., while Gabe Lloyd adds 12.4 ppg.
Notes: Oneida Nation (14-7) is a No. 3 seed and could meet N.E.W. Lutheran in a regional semifinal Friday. … Hilbert is a No. 3 seed and hosts No. 6 Valley Christian on Tuesday.

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state, rather than a government-issued email address, potentially hampering efforts to archive official government documents required by law.

Clinton’s office said nothing was illegal or improper about her use of the non-government account and that she believed her business emails to State Department and other .gov accounts would be archived in accordance with government rules.

“Like secretaries of state before her, she used her own email account when engaging with any department officials,” Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said. “For government business, she emailed them on their department accounts, with every expectation they would be retained. When the department asked former secretaries last year for help ensuring their emails were in fact retained, we immediately said ‘yes.'”

“Both the letter and spirit of the rules permitted State Department officials to use non-government email, as long as appropriate records were preserved,” he said.

For Clinton, the new developments, first reported by The New York Times, place a spotlight on her tenure in the Obama administration as she prepares to launch a widely expected 2016 presidential campaign that Republicans have already started to deride as a third Obama term. They also come after recent examinations of the fundraising practices by the charitable foundation started by her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Republicans quickly pounced on Clinton’s use of the personal email account, arguing that she failed to comply with the law while serving in the State Department. Kristy Campbell, a spokeswoman for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is considering a 2016 presidential campaign, said Clinton “should release her emails. Hopefully she hasn’t already destroyed them. Governor Bush believes transparency is a critical part of public service and of governing.” She noted that Bush recently released personal emails from his two terms as governor.

Last month Bush made available on a website more than 275,000 emails sent to and from his personal email account, on which he conducted all state business. The messages released were only those that pertained to state business; those covering politics and personal matters were not included.

Former technology executive Carly Fiorina, another potential GOP presidential candidate, said the report “once again raises serious questions as to Hillary Clinton’s definition of leadership. Does she believe that leadership means acting outside the law? Does she believe that leadership can exist without transparency?”

Deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the agency asked former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Clinton last year for records that should be preserved. In response to that request, Clinton provided emails from the personal account that she used during her time as the nation’s top diplomat in President Barack Obama’s first term from 2009 to 2013. However, she also said that the department has “long had access to a wide array” of Clinton’s records, including emails sent between her and officials with an official state.gov email address.

Harf says Clinton’s successor, John Kerry, is the first secretary of state to primarily use an official state.gov email account and that the department is now updating its records preservation policies to bring them in line with current regulations. That includes regularly archiving all of Kerry’s emails.

Among the messages Clinton provided were 300 that met the criteria for a request for relevant emails from the House Select Committee investigating the September 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomat mission in Benghazi, Libya, Harf said. Those emails have been turned over to the committee, she added.

___

Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Potential Republican presidential candidates are wasting no time in questioning Hillary Rodham Clinton’s use of a personal email account during her time as secretary of state, rather than a government-issued email address.

Clinton’s office says there was nothing illegal or improper about it.

But a spokeswoman for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush says Clinton should “release her emails” if she “hasn’t already destroyed them.” Spokeswoman Kristy Campbell says that Bush — who is considering a 2016 presidential campaign — “believes transparency is a critical part of public service and of governing.”

Former technology executive Carly Fiorina, another potential GOP presidential candidate, said the report “once again raises serious questions as to Hillary Clinton’s definition of leadership.” Fiorina asks if Clinton believes that “leadership can exist without transparency.”

 

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin’s schools superintendent is warning the Legislature’s budget committee that Gov. Scott Walker’s K-12 education budget plan continues an unsustainable downward trend in funding.

Walker’s two-year spending plan calls for holding public schools’ money essentially flat. It also would do away with a $150-per-student payment schools in the first year of the budget and wipe out a cap on private voucher school enrollment.

Superintendent Tony Evers told the Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday that the 2011-13 budget featured cuts and the 2013-15 budget froze school revenue. He noted that school districts have asked voters for money through 230 referenda since 2010.

He says schools have reached a tipping point.

He also reiterated his opposition to Walker’s plan to give schools letter grades, saying the analogy to student grades doesn’t work.

NEW YORK (AP) — Target Corp. plans $2 billion in cost cuts over the next two years through corporate restructuring and other improvements.

The goal: to make the Minneapolis-based discounter more agile to compete in an increasingly competitive landscape.

The moves unveiled Tuesday are being spearheaded by CEO Brian Cornell, who took over last August and who is charged with reclaiming the retailer’s image as a purveyor of cheap chic fashions.

 

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA (KCBS-TV)- A freak hail-storm Monday covered a southern California beach in enough of the white stuff to look like snow.

It covered the sand at Huntington Beach in Orange County.

Temperatures were cold enough that it stuck around for awhile — at least long enough for the So-Cal beach crowd to get out and play.

Some folks made teeny, tiny snowmen, who were actually “hail-men”.

The National Weather Service says about half an inch of hail fell.

 

MADISON (AP) – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says he will sign into law a ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Walker on Tuesday issued what he called an “open letter on life” in which he stated his support for the ban, saying he expects the Republican-controlled Legislature to pass such a bill.

Walker, a likely presidential candidate, also says he supports a federal ban.

Putting a ban on abortions after 20 weeks is based on the assertion that fetuses can feel pain at that point, which is disputed in medical research.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade allowed states to limit abortions in cases where there’s a viable chance the fetus could survive outside of the womb, generally considered to be between 22 and 24 weeks.

A Winnebago County man will receive a new trial in a drug delivery death case, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday.

Jason VanDyke was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of first-degree reckless homicide for the 2011 death of Cole Trittin.

VanDyke appealed, arguing his attorney was ineffective for failing to object to introduction of the toxicology report.

In its decision, the appeals court agreed, saying: “The toxicology report directly proved Trittin’s “use,” and was the conclusive basis of Kelly’s cause-of-death opinion. Yet, VanDyke was afforded no opportunity to cross-examine anyone from the laboratory, much less someone involved in the testing or the person who signed off on the official report. This violated VanDyke’s constitutional rights to confrontation. Further, because Kelly served as a mere conduit for the toxicology report and was unable to offer an independent cause-of-death opinion, the violation was prejudicial.”

The case will be sent back to Winnebago County Judge Thomas Gritton.

GREEN BAY –  Representatives from more than 100 Green Bay area businesses came together Tuesday at the KI Convention Center for the Greater Green Bay Chamber’s Business Showcase.

The chamber calls it one of the largest business-to-business networking events in the area.

Exhibitors come from all sorts of service industries such as financial institutions, retailers, health-related industries, tourist attractions, and educational institutions.

The event offers workshops and opportunities for professionals to meet and network.

Laurie Radke, President of Greater Green Bay Chamber, said, “Today is an opportunity for us to really share our story with other business folks and community members. And it’s really important that people get this opportunity because we know that successful business means a successful opportunity for our community.

FOX 11 is one of the sponsors of the event. Our very own, Pete Petoniak was part of the ribbon cutting to kick things off.

LUXEMBURG – Bank of Luxemburg has announced they will close two of their nine bank locations by June.

The Forestville branch, located at 216 West Main Street, and the Algoma Denny’s branch, located at 514 5th Street will close at 5:00 p.m. on June 12, 2015.

John Slatky, President of Bank of Luxemburg says, “The foot traffic at the Forestville branch has significantly declined because of the successful opening of the Sturgeon Bay branch last year and the continued shift of our customers to online banking, direct deposit and ATMs. The Denny’s branch was an opportunity for us to enter the Algoma market. Denny’s led us to then open a larger, full-service branch in Algoma which has exceeded expectations.”

For more information on Bank of Luxemburg, you can visit their website here.

TOWN OF MIDDLE INLET – Drugs were falling off a man during a traffic stop in Marinette County – literally, sheriff’s officials say.

Sheriff Jerry Sauve says when a deputy pulled the man over for speeding Tuesday in the town of Middle Inlet, the deputy smelled marijuana. The deputy asked the 44-year-old man from Kingsford, Michigan, to get out of the vehicle. While he was outside the vehicle, a bag of cocaine fell out of his right pant leg. The man then briefly struggled with the deputy, trying to destroy the bag. While that was going on, another bag fell out of his pant leg – this one containing heroin.

The sheriff says the cocaine weighed in at about two ounces and the heroin about one ounce.

In searching the man’s vehicle, deputies also found marijuana, hash and drug paraphernalia.

Deputies took the man to jail; his name has not been released.

Generally speaking, when you work out, you feel better, about yourself, about your life. And an area gym is making sure that more people have that chance.

Amanda Boeder is one of those tough teachers, who you really love. You can just tell that she cares about her clients and believes in what she’s doing.

“It’s important for these people, for everyone, to feel encouraged and inspired,” said Amanda Boeder, group fitness instructor.

Boeder is a group fitness instructor at Western Racquet and Fitness, who wants everyone to enjoy the benefits of working out, even away from the gym.

That’s just one reason she volunteers at Golden House, by teaching exercise classes to victims of domestic violence.

“For this hour, it actually helps them take their focus off what’s going on in their personal life and just be able to focus for themselves, for one hour,” said Boeder.

She’s in a rotation with other instructors, who come to the shelter in Green Bay, and teach a class to the women, and sometimes children staying there.

“It’s a really great tool.  Some of these women are not safe going out in the community, to a gym or going outside for a run.  So it’s an amazing tool for these women to have an exercise class here, inside the building,” said Lorena Mongin, Golden House.

The partnership has been going on for seven months.

And already it’s making a difference.

“Not only for their physical well-being, but also it relieves stress and it’s really good for their emotional and mental health,” said Mongin.

“I left in tears a couple of times just because of the sincerity of these women thanking me. It was pretty cool,” said Boeder.

But for Amanda, there’s also personal satisfaction for what she is doing. She’s been in their shoes.

“I had a lot of emotion when I went there, being a victim of domestic violence in the past.  I know… not exactly what they’re going through… but I have an idea,” said Boeder.

She says she loves paying it forward to these women. And she says they, too, give something in return.

“They inspire us just as much, if even not more.  Because that’s why we do this job.  That’s why I go to Golden House.  Because they inspire me to want to be a better person,” said Boeder.

“Western Racquet has been amazing.  They’ve sent some wonderful instructors.  They love coming here and they just really connect with the women,” said Mongin.

“I feel like this world would be a better place if we all worked on helping each other out,” said Boeder.

For now, that’s happening, one fitness class at a time.

If you know of someone or something making a difference in the community, click here, and let us know.

LOS ANGELES (AP) – A tearful mother of a college student slain in a rampage outside Santa Barbara last year said Tuesday that she and the parents of the first victims sued the county sheriff and other parties to prevent future tragedies.

Kelly Wang choked up at a Los Angeles news conference as she described the difficult decision to file suit Monday in federal court against the county, the Santa Barbara sheriff and the apartments where her son and his two friends were slain.

Elliot Rodger, 22, stabbed his two roommates and their friend, Wang’s son, George Chen, in the Capri Apartments before going on a shooting rampage in which he killed three more University of California, Santa Barbara, students and injured 14 other people before killing himself as police pursued him.

This undated file photo from the California Department of Motor Vehicles shows the driver license photo of Elliot Rodger, 22, who went on a murderous rampage Friday, May 23, 2014. Authorities concluded that Rodger who killed six people and injured 13 others near the University of California, Santa Barbara, last year acted alone. The Sheriff’s Office released a report Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015, on its eight-month investigation into the massacre. (AP Photo/California DMV, File)

The lawsuit said the apartment management company and the Sheriff’s Department were negligent because they knew ignored numerous warning signs that Rodger was violent and unstable.

Wang painted a metaphor of Santa Barbara as a beautiful, peaceful pasture where innocent lambs are in jeopardy because security procedures are outdated.

“As the mother of a lost lamb, the fence must be mended so no more innocent lambs will fall victim to future evil wolves,” she said as she wiped her eyes with tissues. “Please fix the fence before one more lamb is lost and before another mother has to sit here and do the plea as I do. The purpose of this legal case is to fix the fence.”

Wang spoke on behalf of the three families, saying she was the only mother well enough to do so and that they all wished they could have laid down their lives for their children.

Rodger’s first three victims were roommates, David Wang and James Hong, and Chen who was visiting. Each was stabbed numerous times with a nearly 9-inch boar-hunting knife.

The lawsuit contends that authorities, and the apartment building and its owners, Asset Campus Housing, a Texas-based company that provides student housing around the nation, failed to check Rodger’s online postings in which he spouted venomous comments about women and others and bemoaned his virginity.

After Rodger killed himself, police found three semi-automatic handguns and nearly 550 unspent rounds in his car. All were purchased legally.

The suit said that after Rodger moved into the Capri complex in 2011, he insulted and clashed with a string of roommates and exhibited bizarre behavior, yet the apartment owners failed to conduct reasonable background checks before assigning Hong and Wang as his roommates. The suit also says the complex failed to warn them that “Rodger had had serious conflicts with his previous roommates and was not only racist but also potentially violent and dangerous.”

It also contends that the county and its Sheriff’s Department violated the victims’ rights to due process by ignoring repeated “red flags” that Rodger was violent and unstable, even after a mental health worker saw YouTube videos that Rodger had posted and contacted authorities to say that Rodger appeared to be a danger to himself and others.

The Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that it could not comment on pending litigation “and anything we might say in response would be insufficient when measured against the grief suffered by the families of those killed so tragically.”

Messages seeking comment from representatives of the county were not immediately returned. The offices of Capri and Asset Campus Housing were closed and messages could not be left there seeking comment.