Green Bay News

LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) – A Missouri sixth-grader with Asperger’s syndrome has suffered complications from a severe beating he took in the lunchroom from another student, his parents say.

Twelve-year-old Blake Kitchen, of Liberty, has a cracked skull, a fractured jaw and damage to his ear that may require surgery, his mother said.

“It makes me sad and angry to see him have that moment of terror,” Destiny Kitchen told WDAF-TV. “Is your son going to make it? To listen to him cry and say, ‘Mommy, I’m going to die. Please don’t let me die. I’m not ready.’ It could have been avoided.”

The Liberty School District said in a written statement that the incident is being reviewed and school leaders are cooperating with police.

Blake has Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism, and likes to sit at the same spot each day in the Liberty Middle School cafeteria. His parents say that turned troublesome last Thursday, when a boy moved Blake’s belongings from his seat. When Blake asked the boy to move, another boy began hitting him until he blacked out.

That boy, whose name has not been released, was arrested and has been referred to juvenile court, Liberty police Capt. Andy Hedrick told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Hedrick declined to elaborate about the case.

Blake’s parents said they sent a letter to the school’s principal about a month ago complaining about the same boy bullying Blake’s older brother.

Blake spent four days at Children’s Mercy Hospital and was released Monday, Jessica Salazar, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said Tuesday.

Calls Tuesday the school superintendent’s office and Destiny Kitchen were not immediately returned to The Associated Press.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) – The 11-point halftime lead was long gone, and Maryland suddenly was tied with a surging Wisconsin team that hadn’t lost in more than six weeks.

In other words, the Terrapins were in perfect position to come away with another tight victory.

Dez Wells scored 26 points, and No. 14 Maryland held off fifth-ranked Wisconsin 59-53 Tuesday night, ending the Badgers’ 10-game winning streak and ruining their bid to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title.

Melo Trimble added 16 points for the second-place Terrapins (23-5, 11-4 Big Ten), who finished the game with a 12-6 run.

“We knew we had the poise and toughness to win the game,” Wells said.

The Terrapins improved to 9-0 in games decided by six points or fewer, and they’ve won their last three by a total of 17 points. Although Wisconsin had an opportunity to take the lead in the closing minutes, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said it wouldn’t have mattered.

“We’ve been in so many close games, we’d have just kept doing what we do,” Turgeon said. “Our guys were really determined tonight, starting with Dez Wells.”

Wells went 9 for 17 from the floor, nailed all seven of his free throws and led the team with seven rebounds and four assists.

“He was not going to let us lose,” Turgeon said.

Frank Kaminsky scored 18 for Wisconsin (25-3, 13-2) and Sam Dekker added 14. The Badgers’ winning streak was their longest since an 11-game run in 1941 to win the national championship.

Wisconsin hadn’t lost since Jan. 11 at Rutgers.

“We were close a couple of times but we just couldn’t do it. It’s definitely frustrating,” Kaminsky said. “We’ve had a great season so far. We’ve haven’t really been tested like this many times like this. … I think we’re going to learn a lot from it.”

The victory improved Maryland’s home record to 17-1. After the final buzzer, hundreds of fans stormed the court to celebrate the Terrapins’ most significant win in their inaugural Big Ten season.

“We are what we are. We figure out a way to win,” Turgeon said. “We compete when we have to. I’ll take close wins as long as we keep winning. We’re really becoming gritty and tough.”

Maryland led 55-52 before Trimble made a driving layup and was fouled. He missed the free throw, but after Wisconsin misfired twice on the other end, Trimble iced it with a pair of foul shots. The Badgers missed nine of their last 10 shots.

After scoring a season-low 20 points in the first half, Wisconsin opened the second half with a 13-4 run to close to 35-33. Kaminsky made three baskets during the spree and Josh Gasser made Wisconsin’s second 3-pointer of the game.

After Maryland bolstered the margin back to six points, Dekker made a pair of 3-pointers and Nigel Hayes connected from beyond the arc to bring the Badgers to 45-44 with 8 minutes remaining.

The game was tied at 47 before Wells made four straight free throws to put Maryland ahead for good. His dunk made it 53-48 with 4 minutes to go.

BAD HALF

Maryland limited Wisconsin to 30 percent shooting (1 for 11 from beyond the arc) before the break.

The 20 points were the fewest scored by the Badgers in the first half this season, and marked the first time they trailed after 20 minutes since Dec. 3 in a loss to Duke.

GREAT ATMOSPHERE

Even in defeat, the Badgers appreciated the enthusiasm of the sellout crowd.

“Man, this place is great,” Dekker said. “I can’t say enough about how great their fans were. They were into it right away. It was a pleasure playing here.”

Turgeon was appreciative, too.

“Our student section gave us great energy. We fed off that,” he said.

TIP-INS

Wisconsin: The Badgers fell to 8-2 on the road. … Wisconsin came in leading the nation with fewest fouls (12.7) and fewest turnovers (7.4) per game. In this one, the Badgers were called for 12 fouls and had eight turnovers.

Maryland: Wells has scored in double figures in eight straight games. He moved past Joe Smith into 25th place on the school scoring list. … Michal Cekovsky, a 7-foot-1 center, played 14 minutes in the first half, matching his total over his the last three games. He finished with four points and six rebounds.

UP NEXT

Wisconsin: hosts Michigan State on Sunday.

Maryland: hosts Michigan on Saturday.

The girls basketball postseason opened Tuesday with regional basketball highlights. Among the winners were Appleton East, Kaukauna, Freedom and Lourdes Academy.

Here are scores from around the state:

BOYS BASKETBALL
Early View Academy of Excellence 77, Mountaintop Christian 62

Fall Creek 70, Cadott 46

Green Bay East 56, Wabeno/Laona 36

Kimberly 60, Hortonville 37

Milwaukee Ronald Reagan 95, Milwaukee Saint Anthony 23

Onalaska 65, Chippewa Falls 41

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Division 1 Sectional 1
Regional First Round
Appleton East 51, Fond du Lac 47

Division 1 Sectional 2
Regional First Round
Clintonville 33, Oconto Falls 21

Sheboygan South 77, Green Bay East 54

Waukesha South 57, Menomonee Falls 48

Division 1 Sectional 3
Regional First Round
Kenosha Bradford 60, Beloit Memorial 52

Madison La Follette 54, Kenosha Indian Trail 41

Division 1 Sectional 4
Regional First Round
Milwaukee South 33, Milwaukee Pulaski/Arts 16

Racine Park 52, Milwaukee Hamilton 11

West Allis Central 44, Milwaukee Ronald Reagan 19

Division 2 Sectional 1
Regional First Round
Ashland 55, New Richmond 36

Holmen 51, Tomah 41

Merrill 63, Medford Area 55

Rhinelander 66, Wausau East 36

Sparta 49, La Crosse Central 44

Division 2 Sectional 2
Regional First Round
Kaukauna 53, Luxemburg-Casco 35

Marinette 74, Green Bay West 43

Menasha 43, West Bend West 26

Division 2 Sectional 3
Regional First Round
Baraboo 40, Reedsburg Area 32

Elkhorn Area 53, Westosha Central 49

Jefferson 58, McFarland 54

Mount Horeb 54, Monroe 31

Waunakee 54, Sauk Prairie 36

Wilmot Union 54, Delavan-Darien 28

Division 2 Sectional 4
Regional First Round
Messmer 58, Milwaukee Madison 13

Milwaukee Bradley Technical 56, Milwaukee Bay View/Lifelong Learning 33

New Berlin West 50, Catholic Memorial 40

Waukesha North 58, Whitnall 50

Wauwatosa East 51, Milwaukee Morse-Marshall/Juneau 20

Division 3 Sectional 1
Regional First Round
Altoona 48, Bloomer 43

Amery 42, St. Croix Falls 25

Black River Falls 54, Mauston 20

Northwestern 74, Spooner 10

Prescott 39, Osceola 37

Saint Croix Central 51, Ellsworth 27

Westby 45, Viroqua 29

Division 3 Sectional 2
Regional First Round
Denmark 76, Sturgeon Bay 17

Fox Valley Lutheran 46, Winneconne 35

Freedom 65, Omro 33

Kewaunee 59, Wrightstown 54

Northland Pines 62, Tomahawk 40

Oostburg 60, Chilton 28

Sheboygan Falls 52, Cedar Grove-Belgium 47

Southern Door 41, Two Rivers 26

Valders 55, New Holstein 30

Xavier 54, Berlin 18

Division 3 Sectional 3
Regional First Round
Edgerton 54, Turner 48

Evansville 40, Clinton 30

Lake Mills 74, East Troy 56

Lodi 58, Nekoosa 24

Platteville 69, Prairie du Chien 55

Westfield Area 61, Wautoma 44

Division 3 Sectional 4
Regional First Round
Brown Deer 48, University School of Milwaukee 44

Columbus 59, Watertown Luther Prep 41

Lomira 50, Mayville 15

Milwaukee School of Languages 49, Milwaukee Lutheran 31

North Fond du Lac 51, Campbellsport 37

Ripon 46, Kewaskum 39

Division 4 Sectional 1
Regional First Round
Augusta 67, Cadott 43

Colby 42, Chequamegon 39

Elk Mound 65, Elmwood/Plum City 36

Glenwood City 44, Boyceville 40, OT

Ladysmith 44, Grantsburg 24

Osseo-Fairchild 55, Mondovi 38

Regis 75, Spring Valley 32

Unity 40, Cumberland 25

Webster 39, Chetek-Weyerhaeuser 33

Division 4 Sectional 2
Regional First Round
Amherst 51, Rosholt 36

Crandon 62, Crivitz 35

Edgar 42, Spencer 38

Gibraltar 38, Brillion 35

Iola-Scandinavia 53, Manawa 30

Manitowoc Lutheran 48, Mishicot 34

Oconto 63, Coleman 22

Stratford 57, Pacelli 23

Division 4 Sectional 3
Regional First Round
Belleville 45, Palmyra-Eagle 39

Brookwood 68, Montello 36

Lancaster 61, Iowa-Grant 46

Luther 63, Necedah 37

Melrose-Mindoro 59, Whitehall 58

New Glarus 49, Darlington 40

Pardeeville 39, Boscobel 27

Parkview 51, Waterloo 33

Division 4 Sectional 4
Regional First Round
Lake Country Lutheran 54, Horicon 34

Lourdes Academy 67, Saint Mary Central 30

Ozaukee 58, Dodgeland 33

Racine Lutheran 55, The Prairie School 38

Shoreland Lutheran 52, Kenosha Christian Life 24

Weyauwega-Fremont 73, Princeton/Green Lake 20

Division 5 Section 1
Regional First Round
Bayfield 59, Butternut 31

Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran 49, Prairie Farm 38

Flambeau 81, Lake Holcombe 17

Frederic 71, Birchwood 6

Luck 50, Shell Lake 25

McDonell Central 39, Bruce 22

Mercer 51, Drummond 31

Owen-Withee 72, Cornell 33

Prentice 42, Gilman 29

Siren 51, Solon Springs 33

South Shore 77, Mellen 17

Thorp 45, Rib Lake 25

Turtle Lake 51, Clear Lake 33

Winter 74, Washburn 36

Division 5 Section 2
Regional First Round
Abbotsford 46, Northland Lutheran 39

Assumption 65, Tigerton 17

Bowler 60, Port Edwards 45

Columbus Catholic 59, Greenwood 40

Gillett 38, Oneida Nation 13

Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran 60, Saint Thomas Aquinas 14

Gresham Community 50, Sevastopol 46

Loyal 90, Wisconsin Lutheran 20

Newman Catholic 57, Pittsville 27

Niagara 67, Goodman/Pembine 47

Phelps 53, Elcho 34

Suring 48, Lena 32

Three Lakes 49, White Lake 22

Tri-County 52, Almond-Bancroft 22

Wausaukee 51, Florence 36

Wild Rose 35, Marion 26

Division 5 Section 3
Regional First Round
Alma/Pepin 52, Lincoln 42

Bangor 70, Gilmanton 22

Belmont 43, Cassville 29

Benton/Shullsburg 55, Pecatonica 37

Blair-Taylor 62, Eleva-Strum 43

Cashton 54, Weston 20

Fennimore 45, North Crawford 33

Highland 54, Ithaca 50

Hillsboro 56, Kickapoo 28

Independence 51, Granton 29

La Farge 31, Wonewoc-Center 28

River Ridge 50, De Soto 8

Royall 50, New Lisbon 30

Southwestern 56, Potosi 55

Wauzeka-Steuben 45, Seneca 40

Division 5 Secton 4
Regional First Round
Albany 38, Juda 33

Argyle 67, Abundant Life Christian/St. Ambrose 31

Black Hawk 48, Williams Bay 34

Central Wisconsin Christian 41, Oakfield 33

Elkhart Lake/Glenbeulah 48, Living Word Lutheran 25

Fall River 58, Cambria-Friesland 17

Milwaukee Academy of Science 48, Faith Christian 30

Monticello 47, Johnson Creek 28

Randolph 63, Hustisford 57

Rio 62, Wayland Academy 45

Sheboygan Area Luth. 60, Stockbridge 31

University Lake School 54, Salam School 6

DARBOY – Peanut allergies can be deadly, but research is now emerging suggesting parents’ decisions to keep their infants and young children totally away from peanuts may be doing more harm than good.

But some are skeptical of this latest study. So what does this mean for future treatment of the allergy?

With an estimated 400,000 American children suffering peanut allergies many daycare centers and schools have gone peanut-free. That means banning any and all peanut products.

“Cross-contamination, some kids, even if they come in contact with something on the table they’ll have that severe reaction to it,” explained Brianna Belongea the director of Little Hearts Daycare.

Before you even enter a peanut-free facility like some daycare centers, you’ll typically find a sign like this one telling you not to bring any peanuts inside.

“We’re constantly checking ingredients, checking what the kids are bringing in,” explained Katie Baumgart the director of Kids Kingdom Daycare.

But could that all change?

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows peanut allergies could possibly be prevented by feeding infants small amounts of peanut products.

“Currently what happens is you wait to find out if you have a peanut allergy and then you avoid it. So it’s exactly the opposite. So if this study bears fruit, it’s really ground-breaking,” explained Dr. Alan Cherkasky.

The Israeli study followed babies who were identified as “high risk” to develop a peanut allergy. Some were fed peanuts as infants, others weren’t. The study found eating the peanuts at a young age reduced the likelihood of developing an allergy by 80%.

But some parents and caregivers are skeptical.

“I’ve heard the opposite, you know, giving it to them younger makes a more severe allergy,” said Baumgart, who told us she, herself, is allergic to peanuts.

Dr. Cherkasky told FOX 11 it’s definitely too early to tell if this study is accurate. He says he does NOT recommend feeding your baby peanut products just yet.

“What I would recommend right now is do nothing. Wait ’til the science kind of filters out what’s going on. This is the exact early stages. Don’t jump on any bandwagon, because this might be a deadly bandwagon to jump on,” Dr. Cherkasky explained.

Dr. Cherkasky recommends seeing an allergist if you’re worried you’re child might have an allergy.

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) – A former Marine was convicted Tuesday in the deaths of the “American Sniper” author and another man at a shooting range two years ago, as jurors rejected defense arguments that he was insane and suffered from psychosis.

The trial of Eddie Ray Routh has drawn intense interest, in part because of the blockbuster film based on former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle’s memoir about his four tours in Iraq.

Since prosecutors didn’t seek the death penalty in the capital murder case, the 27-year-old receives an automatic life sentence without parole in the deaths of Kyle and Kyle’s friend, Chad Littlefield.

Former Marine Cpl. Eddie Ray Routh, center, enters the court for his capital murder trial at the Erath County, Donald R. Jones Justice Center in Stephenville Texas, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015. Routh, 27, of Lancaster, is charged with the 2013 deaths of Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield at a shooting range near Glen Rose, Texas. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Michael Ainsworth, Pool)

The prosecution painted Routh as a troubled drug user who knew right from wrong, despite any mental illnesses. While trial testimony and evidence often included Routh making odd statements and referring to insanity, he also confessed several times, apologized for the crimes and tried to evade police.

Criminal law experts said the verdict hinged on whether the defense could prove Routh was insane and did not know the killings were wrong at the time they were committed. Jurors had three options: find Routh guilty of capital murder, find him not guilty, or find him not guilty by reason of insanity. If found not guilty by reason of insanity, the court could have initiated proceedings to have him committed to a state mental hospital.

Kyle and Littlefield had taken Routh to the shooting range at Rough Creek Lodge and Resort on Feb. 2, 2013, after Routh’s mother asked Kyle to help her troubled son. Family members say Routh suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from serving in Iraq and in Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake.

A forensic psychologist testified for prosecutors that Routh was not legally insane and suggested he may have gotten some of his ideas from television. Dr. Randall Price said Routh had a paranoid disorder made worse by his use of alcohol and marijuana, calling his condition “cannabis-induced psychosis.”

Defense attorneys noted that Kyle had described Routh as “straight-up nuts” in a text message to Littlefield as they drove to the luxury resort.

Among evidence entered by prosecutors was a recorded phone call between Routh and a reporter from The New Yorker magazine in which Routh said he was annoyed Littlefield wasn’t shooting, but instead seemed to be watching him.

“Are you gonna shoot? Are you gonna shoot? It’s a shooting sport. You shoot,” Routh said in the phone call. “That’s what got me all riled up.”

Defense attorneys said Routh, who had been prescribed anti-psychotic medication often used for schizophrenia, believed the men planned to kill him.

“I had to take care of business. I took care of business, and then I got in the truck and left,” Routh said in the phone call.

A resort employee discovered the bodies of Kyle and Littlefield about 5 p.m.; each had been shot several times. About 45 minutes later, authorities say Routh pulled up to his sister’s home in Kyle’s truck and told her he had killed two people.

She called police, who later located Routh sitting in front of his home in the truck. A police video shown by prosecutors showed officers trying to coax him from the truck while he makes comments including: “I don’t know if I’m going insane” and “Is this about hell walking on earth right now?”

“He told us he’d taken a couple of souls and he had more souls to take,” Lancaster police Lt. Michael Smith testified.

Routh later took off and led authorities on a chase before the truck became disabled and he was arrested.

GREEN BAY – A Green Bay police officer was stabbed while on scene of a reported shooting on the city’s west side.

Police were called to Plymouth Lane, off of Fisk Street, Tuesday night.

Authorities say the officer was stabbed in the arm.

Police confirmed a shooting did occur but are not releasing more information.

Authorities are still on scene and we will have more details as they become available.

 

GREEN BAY – Young professionals were recognized Tuesday night at the Future 15 Young Professional Awards at the KI Convention Center in downtown Green Bay.

FOX 11’s Emily Deem was a host for the Kentucky Derby themed event.

Rashad Cobb, an education and career development coordinator for the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay, won the 2015 Young Professional of the Year award.

Each year a young professional is selected from a pool of Future 15 recipients. The individual must have demonstrated commitment to Brown County through civic and business involvement.

This event is part of the Current program from the Greater Green Bay Chamber Of Commerce.

GREEN BAY – A partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is looming.

Lawmakers have until midnight Friday to come to a funding agreement.

The Department of Homeland Security funds agencies like TSA, the Coast Guard, and FEMA. Their employees could be told to stay home or work and wait to be paid if lawmakers don’t come up with a funding plan by Friday.

“Let’s focus on the areas of agreement,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin. “Let’s set aside the areas of disagreement.”

Lawmakers on both sides agree Homeland Security needs to be fully funded. The disagreement has been with immigration. Most Republicans have wanted to tie homeland security’s funding with a reversal of President Obama’s immigration orders.

“There is an easy path forward here,” said Johnson. “Just have President Obama acknowledge that a court has ruled his executive action unlawful, acknowledge that.”

“Republicans need to stop playing partisan, political games, and start putting our national security first,” wrote Wisconsin Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin in a statement.

This wouldn’t be the first partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. The department was partially shut down for 16 days in the fall of 2013.

If it happens again, based on the 2013 shutdown, about 15 percent of DHS employees would be furloughed. The other 85 percent, deemed essential employees, would work, but wouldn’t be paid until a deal is done.

The Senate’s Republican leader has put out an offer to take up immigration and homeland security separately. However, Democrats say the proposal doesn’t offer a real plan to fund the department.

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) – A sea turtle that was rescued from frigid Northwest waters and treated at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport is catching a ride back to California on a Coast Guard training flight.

The aquarium says the endangered olive ridley turtle named Solstice is being airlifted Tuesday on a Coast Guard C-130 and will complete her rehabilitation at SeaWorld in San Diego.

Solstice was dehydrated with a body temperature 15 degrees below normal when she was found Dec. 21 on the Long Beach Peninsula in southwest Washington.

With the approval of the Fish and Wildlife, Solstice will be released this summer in warmer waters where turtles typically range.

At least five other turtles caught in cold currents this winter were stranded and died on the coast of Washington and Oregon.

BEIRUT (AP) — The Islamic State militants struck before dawn, staging house-to-house raids in a cluster of villages nestled along the Khabur River in northeastern Syria. They abducted at least 70 Christians — many of them women and children — while thousands of others fled to safer areas.

The captives’ fate was unclear Tuesday, a day after they were seized, and relatives said mobile phone service was cut off and land lines also were not going through, adding to the fear and uncertainty about their loved ones. Heavy fighting was reported in the area.

The Islamic State group has a history of killing captives, including foreign journalists, Syrian soldiers and Kurdish militiamen. Most recently, militants in Libya affiliated with the extremist group released a video showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians.

The group’s bloody campaign in Syria and Iraq, where it seeks to form a self-styled caliphate, has repeatedly targeted religious minorities since it took control of a third of both countries. The United States and coalition of regional partners are conducting a campaign of airstrikes against the group.

The militants struck near the town of Tal Tamr in Hassakeh province, an area predominated by Assyrian Christians. Most of the captives came from Tal Shamiram and some from Tal Hurmiz.

Nuri Kino, the head of a group called A Demand For Action, said between 70 and 100 Assyrians were taken captive. About 3,000 people fled and have sought refuge in the cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli, he said, adding that his activist group based its information on conversations with villagers who fled the attack and their relatives. His group focuses on religious minorities in the Middle East.

“Have they been slaughtered? Are they still alive? We’re searching for any news,” said an Assyrian Christian woman from Tal Shamiram who now lives in Beirut. The woman said she has been trying to find out what has become of her parents, her brother and his wife and their children, but couldn’t reach anyone in the village.

“I feel so helpless, I cannot do anything for them but pray,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of endangering relatives believed to be held by the militants.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which also reported the abductions, put the number of Christians held by the Islamic State group at 90. The Observatory relies on a network of activists inside Syria.

Both groups said that most of the captives come from Tal Shamiram, located some 85 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of the provincial capital of Qamishli, and nearby Tal Hurmiz. At least four civilians, including a 17-year-old, were killed in clashes later Monday, a relative of one of the victims said on condition of anonymity.

The extremists could use the Assyrian captives to try to arrange a prisoner swap with the Kurdish militias it is battling in northeastern Syria.

Last year, IS militants abducted more than 150 Kurdish boys and held them in a school in Aleppo province where they subjected them to daily instruction on militant ideology for five months before releasing them in batches. The group has also released Turkish truck drivers and diplomats after holding them for months. It was not known whether a prisoner deal was struck in those instances.

Hassakeh province is strategically important because it borders Turkey and areas controlled by IS in Iraq. Kurdish militiamen from the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, backed by the coalition airstrikes, have made advances in the province in a new offensive launched this week.

Heavy fighting broke out in the province Monday as Kurdish fighters and IS militants battled for control of villages near the Iraqi and Turkish borders.

The Kurds have been one of the most effective foes of IS, a reputation they burnished in recent months by repelling an assault by the extremists on the town of Kobani on the Turkish border. The coalition carried out hundreds of airstrikes that helped the Kurds break the siege in January.

On Tuesday, heavy clashes between Kurdish fighters and IS militants raged near Tal Tamr.

The Assyrian woman in Beirut said that before Monday, clashes would occasionally break out near Tal Shamiram, but that IS militants were mostly on Mount Abdulaziz, some 25 kilometers to the south.

“My family visited me last month and returned to Syria. There were clashes, but it was normal, nothing exceptional,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion.

The Islamic State group’s online radio station, al-Bayan, said Tuesday that IS fighters had detained “tens of crusaders” — the term it frequently uses for Christians — and seized 10 villages around Tal Tamr after clashes with Kurdish militiamen.

It reported an intense movement of coalition planes over Hassakeh.

The U.S. Central Command said the coalition carried out 10 airstrikes near Hassakeh on Monday, striking at nine IS tactical units and destroying two of their vehicles.

The Assyrian Network for Human Rights in Syria said on its Facebook page that the militants had moved the captives to the village of Umm al-Masamir on Mount Abdulaziz, some 25 kilometers south of Tal Shamiram. That raised fears, the network said, that IS could use them as human shields against Kurdish militiamen.

Habib Afram, president of the Syriac League in Lebanon, said he was in contact with Assyrians in Hassakeh and expressed hope that the captives could be freed in some kind of swap, although he added that he didn’t know of any formal talks.

___

Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef in Cairo and Ashraf Khalil in Beirut contributed to this report.

TOWN OF COTTAGE GROVE, Wis. (AP) – A suspect is under arrest after a second arson destroyed a home in Dane County that was supposed to house a convicted sex offender.

Sheriff David Mahoney says a 50-year-old Cottage Grove man was arrested in Sunday night’s arson in the Town of Cottage Grove.

The same home was targeted by a suspected arsonist in December. The house was repaired, but is now considered a total loss.

Authorities say the suspect became a person of interest early in the investigation. After the second fire, detectives visited his home but learned he had left town.

Detectives found the man in Muscoda. He was examined by doctors in the UW-Hospital burn unit, treated and booked into jail.

A sex offender was expected to move into the home by the end of February.

GREEN BAY – While in Green Bay, on Tuesday, FOX 11 wanted to know if Governor Scott Walker plans to run for president.

The governor still has not officially announced a run but he said it’s something he said we should know the answer to by mid-summer.

From trips to Iowa, New Hampshire, and even overseas Walker has been racking up the frequent flier miles. But he says his focus is on the state of Wisconsin.

“It doesn’t matter whether I’m standing here or a couple of weeks ago when I was in London on official business for the state or anywhere else, I think what people want is leadership,” said Governor Scott Walker.

Republican strategist Mark Graul has worked on state and national campaigns. He says the work Walker has done in the state has made the governor a frontrunner.

“I think his record in Wisconsin, the work he’s done…turning a huge deficit into a surplus, $2 billion in the tax cuts, creating jobs, and the risks he’s been willing to take have put him in a position where he is one of the leading candidates for president,” said Mark Graul.

On Tuesday Walker talked about what he thinks the American people care about.

“I think most people in this country, just like most people in this state, want to know what are your plans to help improve the economy, to responsibly balance the budget, to make sure that every American has access to living their piece of the American Dream,” Walker said.

“I don’t think he should be President of the United States,” said Deb Stover.

Stover’s a member of the Democratic Party of Brown County.

“No one’s better at not answering a question than he is. He is a career politician. This is all he’s ever been,” Stover said

Graul says when Walker’s state budget proposal is passed; it has the potential to help him in the long run.

“I think you’ll see him very focused on that state budget and making sure that ends up being the kind of document that continues to move our state forward and would give him the sort of record that people are looking for when they’re going to start considering a presidential candidate,” Graul said.

“He’s always going to give you a lot of verbiage. It’s Scott Walker. We’ll see how he continues to fend off the national media,” Stover said.

Governor Walker said if he chooses to become a national candidate, he will continue to talk about the economic and fiscal policies that he thinks people care about.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The state Senate’s labor committee has approved a Republican right-to-work bill, sending the measure on to the full Senate for a vote.

The GOP-controlled committee voted 3-1 along party lines to approve the bill after listening to more than eight hours of conflicting testimony from the public on whether right-to-work would help or hurt the state. Committee Chairman Stephen Nass had planned to end the hearing at 7 p.m. but adjourned a half-hour early, saying union leaders had threatened to disrupt the proceeding. Union leaders denied the allegation.

The committee vote clears the way for the Republican-controlled Senate to vote on the bill. The Senate’s organizational committee planned to place the bill on the chamber’s Wednesday calendar. The Assembly is expected to take up the bill next week.

GREEN BAY – Governor Walker made a stop to St Vincent Hospital Tuesday as part of a tour throughout the state for the Green Bay Project SEARCH program.

Project SEARCH is a one-year transition program for students with learning disabilities during their last year of school eligibility.

Through an application process, up to 12 students will be chosen to receive training and education through classroom instruction and internships at Bellin Health and St Vincent Hospital.

The program will start in the 2015-2016 school year.

Governor Walker said, “87 percent of the participants who had gone through project search within a year of graduation their placement and position were fully employed so it’s a pretty good statistic for any work training program let alone one that started for individuals with developmental, intellectual and physical disabilities.”

There will be a special Project SEARCH information night this week for those interested in the program. It’s Thursday, Feb 26 at 6:00 p.m. on the third floor of Bellin Hospital.

Last May, FOX 11 featured the program on Making a Difference when it expanded to Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton. You can watch the follow-up story here.

 

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (KSL-TV) – A strange object was spotted moving across the Utah sky Monday night.

NASA says that object was part of a rocket used to launch a Chinese satellite into orbit back in December.

The rocket body was about 90 miles above earth when it went over Utah.

A meteor sighting website says the object was seen Monday night in six states and parts of Canada.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – An attorney for one of two young girls accused of stabbing their classmate to please the horror character Slender Man is arguing his client doesn’t belong in adult court.

Defense lawyer Anthony Cotton filed a brief Tuesday with Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren arguing that he can’t bind 12-year-old Morgan Geyser over for trial in adult court on an attempted first-degree homicide charge.

Cotton contends Geyser should have been charged with second-degree attempted homicide because of a mitigating circumstance, namely that she believed Slender Man would hurt her and her family if she didn’t kill someone for him. Adult courts don’t have automatic jurisdiction over minors charged with second-degree attempted homicide like they do over minors facing first-degree.

Prosecutors didn’t immediately return a voicemail message Tuesday seeking comment on the brief.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Hundreds of thousands of restaurant servers, hotel housekeepers and other tipped workers in the state will soon make $7.50 an hour before tips, a big raise for them and a significant increase in labor costs for business owners.

Like most states, New York allows businesses to pay tipped workers less than the state’s minimum wage as long as tips make up the difference. Currently, servers in New York make $5 per hour, compared with a minimum wage of $8.75.

The increase will take effect Dec. 31, affecting an estimated 229,000 tipped workers. In New York City, the tipped wage will automatically go to $8.50 an hour if the city gets permission to raise its minimum wage above the state’s rate.

For Erin Leidy, who delivers pizza in Ithaca, the bump in her base pay will help her cover her car payment and buy new boots. The old pair has holes; a significant problem in the western New York winter.

“I come home every night with my feet soaking wet and cold,” Leidy said. “And I will buy better food. And more of it.”

Restaurant owners warn the higher labor costs will force them to raise menu prices, reduce hours for workers or close.

“Tipped workers make their living on tips, not hourly wages,” said Brad Rosenstein, the third-generation owner of Jack’s Oyster House in Albany, where he says servers often make three times the minimum wage in tips or more. “It’s just a question of time before inflation hits the restaurant industry. It’s becoming harder and harder to operate a restaurant in New York state.”

The increase was approved by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s labor commissioner as states across the country debate minimum-wage increases.

In New York, the wage is set to go to $9 an hour at year’s end. Cuomo wants to increase it further to $10.50 statewide and to $11.50 in New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio is seeking authority for a $13 wage.

“The sweetest success is shared success,” Cuomo said Tuesday at a Manhattan labor rally. “We want business to do well and to have businesses growing. … That is what New York has been about. That is what this nation is all about. That is what this wage increase is all about.”

Seven states including California have abolished the tipped wage, meaning service employees are paid at least the minimum wage before tips.

A state Wage Board in New York reviewed but rejected that idea in its recommendations to state Labor Commissioner Mario Musolino. Musolino rejected the board’s suggestion of a separate tip wage of $6.50 for workers who make significantly more than the minimum wage when tips are factored in.

The president of the New York State Restaurant Association, Melissa Fleischut, said the increase should have been phased in so businesses could absorb the impact.

“By rubber-stamping an extreme, unprecedented 50 percent increase it becomes hard to believe New York is really ‘Open for Business,'” she said in a statement, mocking a recent state marketing campaign.

Labor advocates, however, vowed to fight for even higher wages.

“My faith that good things can happen in Albany when people step forward to be heard has been restored,” said Sara Niccoli, director of the New York State Labor-Religion Coalition. “Next up, full elimination of the sub-minimum tipped wage.”

The median annual wage for food servers in New York state is $19,103.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Milwaukee police say an 18-year-old man had pointed a replica gun at a police officer when the officer shot and wounded him last weekend.

Police said Tuesday the gun the man pointed at the officer was an Airsoft-style gun resembling an assault rifle.

Officers were dispatched about 1 p.m. Saturday after firefighters who responded to a call for medical help discovered an “ongoing violent encounter.”

Police say the 18-year-old pointed a long gun at the officer, and the officer fired. The suspect was taken to a hospital, where he continues to be treated. No one else was hurt.

The officer was placed on administrative duty, which is normal protocol. The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation.

More than a dozen leaders and employees of Associated Bank rang the electronic bell for the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday morning.

Two months ago, the Green Bay-based bank switched from the NASDAQ exchange to the Big Board.

 

GREEN BAY – Power has been cut to a large part of downtown Green Bay after a crash.

Police say a utility pole was damaged in the crash at the intersection of Main and Jackson streets. Traffic lights on Main St. are out between N. Baird St. and N. Monroe Ave., and police are asking drivers to avoid the area.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin Public Service says the crash caused a power outage downtown. The utility’s outage map shows more than 600 customers are without power.