Green Bay News

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – One of the world’s tallest residential towers caught fire early Saturday in Dubai’s Marina district, sending hundreds of residents pouring into the streets as bright yellow flames raged several stories high. No one was reported killed.

The fire broke out at about 2 a.m. in the 86-story Torch tower on the northeast end of the densely populated waterfront district, which is packed with multi-story skyscrapers.

High winds whipped through the area, fanning the flames, and debris from the fire cluttered nearby streets.

Dubai’s police chief, Maj. Gen. Khamis Mattar al-Muzeina, said in a statement that firefighters put out the blaze before it caused serious damage.

Several balconies were damaged, and a number of people who sustained minor injuries were treated by ambulance crews at the scene, he said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. Investigators were examining the scene, but there are no indications of foul play, al-Muzeina said.

The Dubai blaze happened a day after a fire gutted a building on the outskirts of the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi, killing 10 laborers who had been illegally living in a storage area inside. Another eight people were wounded in that fire.

The Torch is managed by Kingfield Owner Association Management Services, which is arranging temporary shelter and supplies for affected residents. It said in a statement that everyone inside the tower was successfully evacuated.

“All fire safety systems functioned effectively during the incident thereby restricting fire damage to the exterior of the building,” it said.

The Marina area is home to dozens of towering apartment blocks and hotels, many of them built over the past decade. They are popular with Dubai’s many expatriate professionals.

Police blocked off areas around the Torch. Residents of at least one neighboring tower were told to evacuate as a precaution because of strong winds, but they were later allowed back inside.

Two residents of the Torch said they were told the fire started around the 52nd floor. Flaming material falling from the initial fire then set a lower part of the building ablaze, they said.

One of the residents, Steve Short, 53, of Liverpool, England, praised the work of firefighters who arrived quickly. He said fire alarms alerted residents to the blaze and building management sent workers knocking on doors to ensure residents got out.

Resident R.J. Morlock, 33, of Houston, Texas, shot video on his phone that showed bright yellow flames reaching what appeared to be several stories on two separate parts of the building.  He said residents were nervous coming out but fire crews were able to bring the situation under control.

“I was really surprised they got it under control pretty quickly,” he said. “It looked like it was going to go up.”

As daylight broke, residents waiting across the street to be allowed back home were able to see the extent of the blaze: External cladding on the corner of more than two dozen stories from roughly the 50th floor to the top was mangled and charred black.

Cleanup crews dressed in orange uniforms swept up pieces of shattered glass and other debris covering the street outside the building. Tram service in the Marina was disrupted for several hours because of debris on the tracks, but it was restored by midmorning.

The Torch opened in 2011, according to developer Select Group.

The tower has 86 floors, rises 352 meters (1,155 feet) and contains 676 apartments, according to the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which maintains a database of skyscrapers.

It ranks it as the world’s fifth-highest residential building and is the ninth-tallest completed building overall in skyscraper-packed Dubai, which is home to the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa.

ASHWAUBENON – Milder temperatures today, but don’t get used to it as another shot of arctic air move in Sunday.

For today we’ll have mostly cloudy skies.  Occasional snow showers will become more numerous in the afternoon.  New snow amount of around 1 inch is possible this afternoon.  High temperatures will reach the mid 20s.

Light snow is possible this evening, skies will be cloudy with a low diving down to 1 degrees.

Mostly Cloudy skies on Sunday with a few flurries. Temperatures won’t climb much as the afternoon high will reach about 5 degrees.

Sunday night temperatures and wind chill fall. The low Monday morning will be near -15 with wind chills near -30.

The cold continues for most of next week.

APPLETON – Many countries across Asia welcomed a new year earlier this week.

Lawrence University will host its 4th annual Lunar New Year celebration on Friday night.

Some of the festivities include a traditional Chinese lion dance, contemporary Korean “k-pop” dances, and a traditional Hmong dance. People can also participate in cultural games, origami folding, arts and crafts, tea-tasting, and a photo booth.

The event takes place Warch Campus Center 224 – Esch Hurvis Studio from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

FOX 11’s Pauleen Le spent the morning checking it out and shared pictures from her family’s celebration that took place earlier in the week.

For more information about the Lunar New Year event, click here.

ASHWAUBENON – We are “thinking spring” with some farm fresh recipes!

Chef Todd Bowman and Heather Cleveland with Nourish Farms joined FOX 11’s Emily Deem on Good Day Wisconsin to create some tasty recipes.

Click here to learn more about Nourish Farms.

Chef Todd’s orange broccoli stir fry

1T coconut oil
Zest and juice of one orange
1 # broccoli tops
Med onion chopped
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 chopped ginger
1-1 1/2 # protein (diced pork tenderloin, chicken, or tofu work well)
1 TSunflower seeds
1 T or to taste Sriracha sauce
2t Soy sauce or tamari sauce
2t Sesame oil
2t Rice wine vinegar

Melt the coconut oil over med high heat and sauté your raw meat until cooked nearly through seasoning with salt and pepper.  Transfer to bowl and let sit.
Return pan to heat and add  more coconut oil if needed.  Quickly stir fry the onions for 3-5 minutes, add garlic, ginger, and broccoli, stir fry 2-4 minutes longer, return the protein to the pan add remaining ingredients and heat through.  Serve over rice or noodles!

Chicken, Vegetable and Coconut Oil Sauté with Penne Pasta

2 T coconut oil
4 oz bacon or sausage, small dice
1 onion, small dice
1 cup Broccoli, small florets
1 cup squash, diced and blanched if hard type
2 4-5 oz chicken breasts
1 cup tomato, diced and seeded
1 cup spinach, washed
1 T balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Place oil in pan on med hi burner when melted and sizzles add bacon or sausage. Sauté for 3 min add onion sauté another 5 min. Add broccoli and squash and cook until nearly soft.  Add tomato and spinach heat through and season. Toss with pasta and serve!

APPLETON — Next season Xavier will move to the Bay Conference, so this year is the Hawks’ final chance to win Eastern Valley Conference titles in all sports.

Friday, the boys basketball team had quite an opportunity to leave on a high note as co-leader Xavier met co-leader Ripon with the winner clinching at least a share of the league title. For the Hawks, there would be no better way to leave the conference.

Feeding off its homecourt advantage and toughness, Xavier did just that, outlasting a game Ripon squad, 65-58, at Torchy Clark Gym.

“Says a lot about this group of seniors,” Xavier coach Matt Klarner said. “We lost some really good players last year and I think the seniors decided they were going to lead us. We could’ve been happy being .500 or a little below but these guys fought. Each game we won we got a little more confident that we could be here, we could do it.”

“We did it as a team, our fans were great; everyone played a part,” junior Sam Burkart said. “It was awesome.”

Earlier this season, Xavier handed Ripon (18-3, 13-2), ranked No. 4 in the FOX 11 Top 11, its only conference loss, 66-57. That was when Ripon had 6 foot 7 sophomore standout Bennett Vander Plas. However, Vander Plas may be done for the season after breaking his foot a couple weeks ago.

Nonetheless, the Tigers didn’t back down from a Xavier team hungry to repeat. After opening a 30-26 halftime lead, No. 9 Xavier (18-3, 14-1) started building a double-digit lead on multiple occasions. It appeared the Hawks were ready to roll, but desperate to rally, Ripon did just that.

The Tigers are loaded with shooters and they started finding the range from beyond the arc. The lead was trimmed to six points in the final minute, but Xavier didn’t wilt, hitting free throws and making enough stops.

In the fourth quarter, we were trying to ice away the game and they kept making shot after shot,” Klarner said. “Some of them were ‘horse’ shots, just kind of throwing it off the hip and kind of hoping it would go in from who knows where. Give them credit, they have kids that can make those kinds of plays.”

Xavier has kids that make plays, too, and many of the Hawks’ key players are also football players. That toughness translates from the football field to the basketball court.

“Everyone works hard in the offseason,” Burkart said. “Zach’s (Simons) built and Tom’s (Johnson) a humongous man. We’re preparing ourselves in the offseason for this moment now.”

Xavier finishes the regular season next week at Little Chute where a win clinches the outright title.

“Our guys did it tonight and we’re going to try to keep getting better,” Klarner said. “We’re going to try to finish this thing the way we want to.”

And then it’s off to the postseason, where the Hawks have to be regarded as a team with a chance to make the Division 3 state tournament.

“Hopefully we can get another game here,” Burkart said. “We feed off the fans, it’s great. I think we can do as much damage as we want to, as long as we play as a team.

“We have a lot weapons. Teams don’t know how to defend us because we have guys who can go off every night.”

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

Thursday night’s 42-point win over Valparaiso is the blueprint for how Green Bay coach Kevin Borseth has won a staggering 600 basketball games in 28 years. Recruit talented players, maximize their effort and make sure the opposition can’t do the same.

“We grind the kids into playing their best basketball every time they step on the court,” Borseth said. “This really wasn’t our focus heading into the game. It’s not about the coach. It’s about the players.”

To the everyday fan. His approach may seem “over the top” at times. Like calling a timeout to lecture when leading by 35 points. However, it’s that passion and demand of perfection, that has always had those most integral to his success, buying in.

“It’s easy for a player to play for a coach who is as successful as he has been,” Phoenix senior guard Ellen Edison said. “Both in the past and the fact he still is today. It’s really impressive.”

“He earned it,” Phoenix freshman forward Jessica Lindstrom said. “We’re all really happy for you, we want you to know that again. Congratulations.”

Nearly half of Borseth’s wins have come in Green Bay. A place that has “defined” his career over 2 stints and 12 seasons. To hit the milestone in front of the Phoenix faithful holds a special place in his heart.

“It was a really nice gesture, I wanted to show my respect,” Borseth said. “We have really great fans and they have been good to me.”

As for his future, another 600 wins would be surely welcomed. But the 60-year old coach says he’s going to take it one game at a time.

“No, I don’t know how many more I have left,” Borseth said. “The kids make it fun. We’re just trying to keep the kids home and continue the success that we’ve had here at this program.”

 

 

Sam Burkart talks about Xavier’s 65-58 win over Ripon on Friday night.

The Green Bay men’s basketball dropped their first home game of the season Friday night, falling to Cleveland State 66-61 in overtime.

Leading 50-44 with nearly five minutes to play, the Phoenix allowed the Vikings to fight their way back in with a late 8-0 run. After both teams missed their chance to win in the closing seconds, the contest headed to overtime tied at 55. It was there that CSU pulled away, using five straight points from Trey Lewis to cement the game’s final advantage.

At matching 10-3 Horizon League records, the game pitted two teams battling for second place. With the loss, the Phoenix drop to 20-7 overall and 10-4 in league play.

Greg Mays led the way for Green Bay with 19 points, while Bob Cousy award finalist Keifer Sykes added 18. The team returns to the court next Thursday when they travel to U.I.C. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Ripon visited Xavier in a battle of the top two teams in the Eastern Valley Conference on Friday.

Xavier won, 65-58.

OSHKOSH – About 1,500 people are freezin for a reason in Oshkosh this weekend.

Friday and Saturday the 15th Annual Polar Plunge will benefit the Special Olympics.

And they are indeed freezing with chilly temperatures in and out of the water.

Before any plunging took place, a lot of ice needed to move.

SUNK? Dive and Ice Service donated man power Friday, but thanks to the weather they needed to bring in the heavy artillery.

“They wanted us to cut it yesterday, but it was, remember it was about ten below,” explained Don Herman, owner of SUNK?

They normally push the blocks of ice back under the ice surface, but because the blocks are two feet thick and the water is only four feet deep, there’s just not enough room to do that. So they had to use a crane to lift some of the blocks out.

“Most years we only have 15-16 inches in the bay here, but this cold weather is just making it a little bit harder,” said Herman.

Organizers told FOX 11 this is one of their coldest Polar Plunges in 15 years. They say if the temperatures are ever too cold they can modify the plunge, having people just dip a toe or finger in.

“Safety is our number one concern. So we’re gonna make sure everyone’s safe and we’ll have the dive team in the water and they’ll make sure everyone gets in and out,” explained Matt Harper, the regional director of development for the Special Olympics and the event organizer.

Once it was all ready to go, the first plungers took their place. And no one dipped just a toe or finger in, they took the full plunge.

“I’m thinking you gotta go through the cold water to get to the hot tub,” said Matt Morrissey, an intern with the Special Olympics.

Friday law enforcement personnel jumped. People also pushed their bosses into the icy water.

And cold it was, very cold.

“It takes your breath away. It’s hard to breathe when you come up!” exclaimed Josh Helmer.

So why go through this torture? Those who took the plunge say it’s totally worth it.

“It’s a good cause. We have a lot of fun raising money,” said Steve Schueler.

“This is all raising money for the summer games for the Special Olympics. So we just wanna bring in all we can to give them a good year,” added Morrissey.

Plus, there’s always the bragging rights.

“And it was fun!” added Helmer, laughing.

Freezin’ for a reason and then some.

The Polar Plunge continues Saturday with teams and individuals making the jump. If you’re interested you can just show up and sign up on the spot.

Harper told us the event raised about $430,000 last year, this year he says the hope is to raise $450,000.

MINERAL POINT, Wis. (AP) – Cheese lovers are already lining up to lock in a nibble when a Wisconsin cheese maker releases a 20-year-old cheddar this summer.

Hook’s Cheese in Mineral Point created a stir in the cheese world in 2009 when it debuted a 15-year-old cheddar. John Hook also set aside another 500 pounds for this year.

Despite a price tag of $209 a pound, the Wisconsin State Journal reports, foodies are eagerly ordering now even though it won’t be available until late May.

In 2012, a cheese shop owner in Oconto found some even older cheeses in the back of a cooler. The 40-year-old cheese went for $10 an ounce.

Hook’s cheese isn’t a case of forgotten inventory, but a plan he put in place after his 15-year was such a hit.

With only the clothes on their backs, about three million refugees from Syria have fled their homes over the last few years, and the vast majority of them are now living in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.  The United States has been asked to open its doors to more of them, but some lawmakers are now urging the Obama Administration to think twice about letting any of them re-settle in the United States.

At a hearing earlier this month for the house Homeland Security Committee, Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) voiced his concerns.

“I think this would be a huge mistake if we bring in these refugees in to the United States that could potentially become radicalized,” he said.

Some worry the radicalization has already taken place, and that members of groups like the Islamic State may already be hiding among them.

Brigitte Gabriel is the President of ACT for America, a non-profit organization which focuses on national security in America.

“It’s not our business to start gathering refugees from all over the world.  How come we did not bring in refugees from Nigeria? How come we did not bring in refugees from Sudan, over two million people displaced?” she asked

Gabriel is also the author of the book, “They Must Be Stopped.”

The U.S. State Department is reportedly reviewing about nine thousand applications of those who wish to re-settle in the United States in 2015.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has vowed rigorous vetting of each one selected.  They issued this statement:

“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is committed to ensuring the integrity and security of the refugee vetting process to prevent terrorists and criminals from entering the United States. DHS continually improves and expands its procedures for vetting immigrants, refugees and visa applicants, and today our vetting process considers a far broader range of information than it did in past years. Relying on both biographic and biometric information, our procedures continue to check applicants against records of individuals known to be security threats, including the terrorist watchlist, or of concern to law enforcement. Today, all refugee applicants worldwide are subject to rigorous background vetting, including biographic and biometric checks coordinated across several government agencies. These checks are vital to ensuring the highest standards of security and public safety, while protecting the world’s most vulnerable persons.”

But Frank Gaffney, President and CEO of The Center for Security Policy, said Thursday there’s no way to actually do that.

“You’re talking about people who are refugees who almost have little if any identifiable background information with them.”

Gaffney added that once they arrive, they’re often forgotten by the groups that help re-settle them.

“They basically bring them into these communities, dump them into those communities without forewarning, dump them, put them on welfare and then turn around and start figuring out how to bring their extended families in.”

Participants jumped in the freezing water in Menominee Park for the 15th Anniversary of the Oshkosh Polar Plunge on Feb. 20 and 21 to raise money for Special Olympics Wisconsin.

LITTLE CHUTE — At one point this season the Little Chute girls basketball team was tied for last place in the Eastern Valley Conference … but that was just after one game.

Since that conference-opening loss at Freedom, the Mustangs have not looked back, winning their next 15 conference games to secure their first conference title since 1994.

The Mustangs (19-3) are led by do-everything senior Abbie Botz, who scores, defends and rebounds as well as any player in the conference. But it doesn’t stop there, the Mustangs have a strong supporting cast, which leads Botz to say, “We’re a special group of kids.”

She then elaborates, saying, “We’re really athletic and have all that passion, too. We all get along on and off the court, so I think that’s a big part, too, we all like each other. There’s never any problems or anything, so that’s a big part of our success.”

While the Mustangs had been without a conference title for a while, Botz knew her team was capable of adding a number to the banner this season.

Definitely one of our goals from the start of the season,” she said. “We definitely knew that it was achievable this year and we all worked really hard for it, so it’s just really cool that we finally secured it and we’re going to get the number up there.”

Said senior Laurissa Johnson: “It’s a big thing, especially for our seniors because we’ve been working for this since we were like in sixth grade; way younger when we went to the state tournament in sixth, seventh and eighth graders, so it’s a big thing.”

Little Chute concluded its conference season Thursday, beating Winneconne, 50-41, and those two teams could meet next week in a regional semifinal.

Speaking of the postseason, the Mustangs are seeded in a Division 3 bracket that resembles a conference tournament. The top five seeds are from the EVC: Little Chute, Xavier, Freedom, Fox Valley Lutheran and Winneconne

Little Chute is 7-1 against those teams and the Mustangs coach believes the team has what it takes to reach the state tournament at the Resch Center.

“Absolutely. I think we can compete. I think we’re going to have to play well,” he said. “I know the other coaches and I know their kids will play well. It’s going to be who has the better night. If we keep playing the way we’ve been playing, we can keep moving on, I think.”

Little Chute has not lost since Jan. 2. No reason now to doubt the Mustangs.

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

But even if you don’t win the grand prize of a $1,500 gift card, there are still weekly prizes for picking the winners of NASCAR races in Finish Line Challenge.

Here’s how you play:

Log on to fox11online.com, hold your mouse over Sports and click on NASCAR, then on the Finish Line Challenge link.

Once you sign in, click on the “Game” tab. That’s where you’ll be able to pick the top finishers of each week’s race. Click “My Picks” to select your drivers – make sure to pick first through 10th place. Click on the “Official Rules” link for scoring information. When you’re finished, hit “Submit My Picks.”

That’s how you play; now here’s what you can win:

Each week, the winner from Northeast Wisconsin and Upper Michigan takes home a NASCAR on FOX cap. The national winner gets a Fathead poster.

At the end of the season, we’ll be giving away grand prizes, too. The local winner gets a $1,500 Visa gift card, and the second-place winner gets a $500 card. The national grand prize is a trip for two to next year’s Daytona 500.

INDIANAPOLIS — Mike McCarthy couldn’t wait to answer the question. He was asked at the NFL Scouting Combine about the safety position on the Packers. He was happy because, at this event last year, he got more safety questions than anyone could enjoy. The team subsequently drafted Ha Ha Clinton-Dix out of Alabama, and now it’s a stable position with he and Morgan Burnett.

The coach sees another area of his team that needs upgrading, possibly being addressed in the NFL Draft.

“I think the inside linebacker position could be compared to where we were last year at the safety position,” said McCarthy.

The draft board may align in Green Bay’s favor if they choose to pick an inside linebacker early: the highest-rated players at that position are largely predicted to be late-first or early-second round picks by Draft analysts.

Among the top-rated prospects is UCLA’s Eric Kendricks. He’s the younger brother of Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks and is confident he can make an impact in the NFL.

“I want to play with relentless effort and courageousness,” said Kendricks. “I want my teammates to feel my energy and feed off of that.”

Kendricks has faced questions about his height through his college career — the same doubts, he notes, faced by his brother. Another highly regarded player at inside linebacker checks in at 5’11: Miami’s Denzel Perryman, who sees a former Badger as proof he can succeed in the league.

“I got a comparison to [former Badger] Chris Borland, plays for the 49ers,” said Perryman. “I watch his highlights. I’d say it’s a pretty good comparison. I’m my own man.”

Height is no problem for another player hoping to be the first inside linebacker off the board during the Draft: Mississippi State’s Benardrick McKinney, an imposing presence at 6’5.

“Looking over the line of scrimmage, being long and having a long wingspan, getting off tall, big offensive lineman, using my hands,” said McKinney. “It gave me a big advantage.”

Those are, for many pre-Draft rating services, the top three options at inside linebacker. If they’re all available when the Packers pick 30th in the first round, Green Bay count end up anointing, in their eyes at least, the best player at the position this year.

“It’s been a dream since I was young to be the best at what I do, try to be the best linebacker in the country,” said McKinney.

Perryman adds, “It’s something I can say was one of my goals when I first started playing football, get to the NFL. Now I’m here. To be the first inside linebacker taken, that’s a blessing.”

APPLETON — The last time Xavier and Fox Valley Lutheran met in girls basketball, the Foxes took it to Xavier, winning 51-37.

So, Thursday night the rivals met again in a regular-season finale which also was the final meeting between teams as Eastern valley Conference opponents as Xavier will move to the Bay next year.

Xavier didn’t want to end its EVC existence with a loss, especially to its main rival, so the Hawks came out fast and established itself with an early lead and never looked back.

The Hawks topped the Foxes, 54-47, and will enter the postseason feeling pretty good about itself, riding an eight-game winning streak.

“It’s really important for momentum sake going into the playoffs,” Xavier coach AC Clouthier said. “This is a big pride one for the kids. This probably meant more for the kids than the conference championship.

Hoped it really wouldn’t go down to the wire like that, but I hope that helps us in regards to down the line.”

Xavier’s win clinched second place in the EVC behind champion Little Chute, but it didn’t come easy as Clouthier said. Despite leading throughout, Xavier (18-4, 13-3), ranked No. 4 in the FOX 11 Top 11, saw its lead dwindle to 43-42 in the fourth quarter.

Much of that was due to FVL’s Bailey Diersen (23 points), the EVC’s leading scorer, who was trying to take over the game. She did at times and that made it close.

“We tried everything against Bailey,” Clouthier said. “You can’t stop a player like that, you can only limit her.”

Momentum was on FVL’s side, but then Peyton Ufi drilled a 3-pointer, and that seemed to be the difference. From that point on, No. 6 FVL (17-5, 11-5) played the foul game in an attempt to rally, but it didn’t happen.

“We want (tough) games at the end of the year,” Clouthier said. “This is a big one for us. We started out and jumped on them early. We wanted this game to be a little higher. They do a nice job controlling the pace, but forturnately tonight we made the shots when we needed to.”

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

GREEN BAY – Improvements to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame are expected to be complete this summer.

Construction work continues, but just what can fans expect to see when it is all finished?

At the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay, fans like Gloria Gaie, can tour the temporary home to the Packers Hall of Fame.

“They’ve done a nice job on this, and it’s nice to see the trophies, and everything here,” said Gaie.

The history of the Packers is on display at the Neville, because of renovations at Lambeau Field. A $166 million, multi-phased project includes a new two-story hall of Packers history.

“It’s going to be a new look, we’re excited for people to see it,” said Brent Hensel, Packers Hall of Fame Curator.

Familiar favorites will be updated.

“We’ll still have Vince Lombardi’s office. A brand new intro film,” said Hensel.

And there will be a throw-back to history too.

“We’re recreating the Packers uniforms, dating back to 1919. We’re showing the history of the uniform up to currently,” said Hensel.

Hensel says there will be more than just artifacts as well.

“There’s going to be two floors. A number of different interactives. The second floor will really address the history of the Packers from Curly Lambeau, to Vince Lombardi, to the new era,” said Hensel.

“We want to basically cover a lot ot the great moments, bring back a lot of memories for the fans. Let them relive them,” he said.

And fans say they can’t wait.

“We can go over there, and just, the whole atmosphere, just being part of Green Bay,” said Gaie.

“As long as they continue to really capture the richness and tradition that is the Green Bay Packers, I as a fan will be very pleased,” said Tim Lange, Peshtigo.

The new hall is scheduled to open this Summer.

The Packers Hall of Fame Curator gave his remarks as part of a month-long celebration at the Neville Public Museum. That initiative was sponsored by the Wisconsin Historical Society.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – If the Menominee tribe can’t open a casino in Kenosha, maybe it’ll grow marijuana instead.

Tribal legislator Craig Corn opened the door Friday to growing marijuana on the tribe’s impoverished reservation. He tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the tribe has numerous legal hurdles it must research and overcome before it could legally plant and sell marijuana.

Now we embark on a new economic endeavor, it is time to progress forward. We are gonna fast track a effort to legalize Marijuana.

— Craig Corn (@CornCraig) February 20, 2015

We will draft strict laws and will monitor all aspects of the operations. Menominee is a world leader in Indian Country. #8901stong

— Craig Corn (@CornCraig) February 20, 2015

However, Corn later downplayed the idea, posting on Twitter, “For the media, we are NOT legalizing marijuana.”

For the media, we are NOT legalizing marijuana, sense Governor Walker did what he did to us, we need to look at all options.

— Craig Corn (@CornCraig) February 20, 2015

Interesting call from the media, trying to make me say something that ain't true, We hear some of the membership we are looking at options.

— Craig Corn (@CornCraig) February 20, 2015

The question of tribes entering the marijuana business has been smoldering since last year, when the U.S. Department of Justice told federal prosecutors not to prevent tribes from growing or selling pot on their reservations, even in states that ban it. Indian law experts say the Justice Department memo left many questions unanswered.

Still, interest has grown since Gov. Scott Walker last month rejected the tribe’s proposal for an off-reservation in Kenosha.

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Florida defensive lineman Leon Orr admits he made a mistake, and knows he’ll have to explain himself to most teams he meets at the NFL Combine. The 6’5, 323 pound lineman was dismissed from the Gators after a conflict with the coaching staff over not being a starter, even being sent home on a Greyhound bus after the dispute. Orr was happy that incident didn’t keep him from the Combine. He says he has met with the Green Bay Packers at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl all-star game in Carson, California.

On incident leading to being dismissed from the team
It was a big regret. The biggest thing for me is to try to move on, try to make success out of my mistakes. You live life to make mistakes and I made a big mistake. I’m just trying to make up by becoming a better person and a better man.

What he’s telling NFL coaches about the incident
It was a big miscommunication between me and the coaching staff. It kind of ended the way it ended, the wrong way. Just trying to move on from it, become a better player from it and learn more about professionalism and accountability.

If he was worried about not being invited to the Combine because of the problem
Oh yeah, of course. Just being able to be here, be able to sit and talk to you guys is a blessing because the situation I was in, I didn’t know if I was going to get the opportunity. One thing about it, I got the opportunity to go out to California, to the NFLPA Bowl, the opportunity to get invited here. I’m just counting my blessings and trying to make the best out of every opportunity I get.

His reaction when he was invited to the Combine
It was surreal. I had went through a lot of media disputes, people getting misconceptions about me as a person. To be here, to be able to come here and talk to different coaches and players, let people get a feel for who I am as a person, it’s just a blessing to the utmost.

His strength as an NFL lineman
The biggest thing I feel like I bring to the table is my versatility. I can play the nose, I can play the 4-I, I can play the 5. I just put myself in the position to do whatever I need to do to help the team win.