Green Bay News

GREEN BAY- It’s a frigid morning with wind chills between -10 and -25 in the area.

We’ll see sunshine this morning and partly sunny skies this afternoon with highs near 14 and blustery conditions.

Winds will pick up this afternoon at 15 to 25 mph out of the southwest which will keep wind chills below zero all day.

MARATHON COUNTY- A two vehicle crash left three people dead in the Town of Spencer.

The crash happened around 5 p.m. Wednesday on Highway 12 between Spencer and Marshfield.

Officials don’t know where the victims are from.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 25 points and Brandon Knight had 24 as the Milwaukee Bucks outlasted the Los Angeles Lakers 113-105 in overtime Wednesday night for their fifth consecutive victory.

Knight, who returned to the lineup after missing Monday’s game in Toronto with a quadriceps injury, scored 12 points in overtime. Khris Middleton and O.J. Mayo added 21 points apiece for Milwaukee.

Carlos Boozer had 28 points for the Lakers, who lost for the 11th time in 12 games – including eight in a row on the road. Ed Davis had 20 rebounds for Los Angeles.

Boozer’s layup with 1:02 remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Lakers a six-point lead. Mayo sank a 3-pointer to cut it to 91-88, but Jeremy Lin connected for a 3 on the next possession for the Lakers. Knight’s 3-pointer made it 94-91 with 20.4 seconds left.

ASHWAUBENON – A comic book legend made time for area fans Wednesday night.

Neal Adams is the artist known for making Batman the Caped Crusader we know today.

“This is the man that saved comics,” said comic book collector Arthur Ciesielczyk.

Those are some weighty words fans use to describe Neal Adams. Don’t know who he is? Well, you probably know his work.

“If you’re familiar with Batman from the films or tv shows or anything, he’s kind of the one that transformed him from the 1960’s campy style to the more realistic style that we’re used to today,” explained David Powers, the owner of Powers Comics & Collectibles in Ashwaubenon.

“I like to think of him as the Norman Rockwell of comic books, because he draws so real and what you think a super hero would really look like,” added Ciesielczyk.

In his career Adams has worked with comic giants DC and Marvel.

Wednesday he signed autographs with fans at Powers Comics and Collectibles.

Adams also took time to really talk with his fans.

“He just loves talking comics, he’ll do it all day long,” said Powers.

Adams told us he’s proud to be a part of so-called “nerd” culture.

“I think they’re wonderful, you know all these people. You have to understand we’re taking over the world,” he said.

The artist said this culture encompasses a lot more than some people give it credit for.

“I think I encourage people to be intelligent, I think I encourage people to be well-read. I think I encourage people to understand the culture around them,” Adams explained.

And Adams has amassed quite a following, hundreds of people lined Powers to meet him.

One fan waited several hours to get that first autograph.

“I got here at 2:30 so I would be the first in line,” said Ciesielczyk.

“He’s kind of on the Mount Rushmore of comic book legends for artists. So it’s huge to have him in Green Bay. It’s just not something we ever see,” explained Powers.

So we had to ask Adams what he thinks of the title “Savior of Comics.”

He laughed and told us he did work to change the direction of the art form.

“Yeah, I did that! That’s true, but I didn’t save comics. We all saved comics,” Adams said.

The Green Bay women’s basketball team returned to the Kress Center on Thursday after sweeping a four-game road trip and was looking to continue its recent hot play.

The Phoenix hosted Oakland (Mich.), looking to extend its overall winning streak to nine games, but the Golden Grizzlies stunned the Phoenix, 70-67, in a Horizon League game.

Green Bay (17-4, 7-1) built a 44-33 second-half lead and appeared to be well on its way, but the Grizzlies (10-11, 4-4) never wilted and battled its way back.

Oakland led 68-64 in the final seconds but Tesha Buck buried a 3-pointer to bring Green Bay within 68-67 with 1.1 seconds left. After a Green Bay foul, Oakland made two free throws and Green Bay’s desperation shot at the buzzer wasn’t even close.

Green Bay next plays Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Kress Center against Cleveland State.

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) – Police and school officials say there has been a shooting at a high school in Maryland, with two reported injuries.

Frederick, Maryland, Lt. Clark Pennington confirmed a shooting Wednesday night, but would give no other details.

Frederick County Public Schools tweeted that two students were hurt in an incident at the high school and were receiving care.

Another tweet said all other staff and students were safe and accounted for.

According to Frederick High School’s website, a boys’ junior varsity basketball game was scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The public school has 1,326 students.

GREEN BAY – Governor Scott Walker is looking to expand the statewide private school voucher program, but also increasing some restrictions.

In our area today, the Governor talked more about lifting the enrollment cap on the program where state money pays for parents to send their children to private schools.

Critics say that would be costly to public schools.
Walker’s budget proposal could lift the cap on private school vouchers.

Right now that statewide program admits 1,000 students.

“I want to make sure that every family has the best choice for their son or daughter,” said Walker.

The Xavier School System in Appleton currently has 92 low-income students attending classes through vouchers this year.

Its administrator Ray DuBois says he supports expansion.

“It very much helps some of the smaller private, smaller private and religious schools,” said DuBois.

Teachers’ union representatives say expanding private school vouchers harms public schools.

“What it really does is it takes money away from neighborhood public schools and puts that money into private schools,” said Lori Cathey, the president of Green Bay Education Association.

Currently, the Department of Public Instruction pays private schools in the statewide program more than seven thousand dollars per voucher student.

That money was put aside in the last state budget, using taxpayer dollars.

Under the proposed changes, the money would come out of the budget of the public school that is losing the student.

“We don’t have a specific number in mind, mostly because the dollar will follow the student,” said Walker.

Currently, 70 percent of statewide voucher students had already attended their private school.

The governor’s new voucher proposal would only allow existing private school students entering kindergarten, first grade, or ninth grade.

The Xavier school system in Appleton says the current proposal to limit the amount of students already attending a private school won’t affect their schools as much.

“The majority of our voucher students were in public schools or schools outside of our system. So I think the impact from that direction would be less for us,” said DuBois.

The Governor’s budget proposal, including the voucher expansion, will need to be taken up by the state Legislature. Both public and private schools expect changes to the current proposal.

SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) – Superior officials say work will resume on an ice sculpture that collapsed this week.

Roger Hanson was trying to create a 75-foot-tall ice sculpture that would be the centerpiece of a festival on Barker’s Island this month. But the creation, more than a month in the making, collapsed Tuesday after its core apparently was weakened by warm weather.

In a statement, Mayor Bruce Hagen says the city intends to move forward with creating a signature winter event in Superior.

WDIO-TV reports Hanson began work to repair his equipment and rebuild the sculpture on Wednesday morning.

Hanson says in a statement he’s “not a quitter” and adds: “My work here is not done.”

The city paid Hanson $30,000 to create the sculpture.

MANITOWOC – Inside Natural Market in downtown Manitowoc, the corner business is filled with the various sundries you would expect in a thriving, 30-year-old health food store.

From teas and tonics, to vitamins and herbal supplements.

“You get what you pay for, very often,” said Natural Market’s owner Kristina Schram of some herbal supplements on the market, “and if something is unbelievably inexpensive, it might not be what it’s touting itself to be.”

Schram is in the business of providing people products to stay healthy, naturally. However, she has an analogy for those taking supplements because of what they read on the internet.

“If you’re wearing mittens, and they’re not keeping your hands warm, you need to find a different pair of mittens,” she said, referring to supplements one might take for a certain health benefit, but not see any effects.

Schram says navigating the supplement market can be difficult because the products aren’t regulated like pharmaceuticals. But Schram says she works to stock shelves with high quality supplements, made under industry guidelines, by people she knows and trusts.

“We’re not doctors, we’re not pharmacists, we’re not health advisors,” she said. “And if you buy supplements from companies that are third-party tested, do have that verification from outside sources, then it’s not them only saying that’s what’s in their supplement, it’s being tested and it’s verified, and we do try to keep those companies on our shelves.”

In New York state, authorities are investigating the labeling of herbal supplements, sold by several major retailers.

New York State’s Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has ordered Walmart, GNC, Target and Walgreens to stop selling store-brand herbal supplements. This, after D-N-A tests revealed the supplements don’t contain the herb on the label, or contain just a small amount of it.

The herbal companies at the center of the New York state probe have not responded to the claims that their products sold at the four retailers contain little or no Echinacea, ginseng, Saint John’s wort, garlic, ginkgo biloba and saw palmetto DNA.

Officials say it’s the unlisted ingredients that could put people at risk.

“These supplements that are taken by the public to preserve or maintain their health pose a significant danger to those who have food allergies or take medication,” said Schneiderman.

The retailers are responding to the claims. However, the herbal supplement industry is criticizing the methods used to analyze the samples taken from the stores.

Both Schram and doctors say people looking to add herbal supplements to their daily regimen need to educate themselves on products before using them.

“Everyone’s different, so there’s always different recommendations for every patient,” said Dr. Alyssa Kasper with Bellin Health Care System. “So I think it’s important that they ask their doctor about what they can do, specifically.

Or if they should, at all, including physicians who specialize in natural medicine.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Paul Chryst didn’t have much time to get comfortable when he returned home to coach Wisconsin.

The turnover at the top for the Badgers had Chryst scrambling to hold on to some recruits that had committed to previous coach Gary Andersen, while trying to woo new prospects to take a look at Wisconsin.

Chryst is happy with the 21-member class that signed Wednesday, a group that includes a holdover quarterback recruit and a new signal-caller that followed Chryst to the Midwest.

Austin Kafentzis of Sandy, Utah, stayed with Wisconsin after weighing whether to join Andersen at Oregon State. Alex Hornibrook of West Chester, Pennsylvania, had initially talked to Chryst while he was at Pittsburgh.

Now they’re both early enrollees at Wisconsin, where Chryst has a track record of developing quarterbacks.

Here is a complete list of all the Badgers committed recruits.

Zack Baun, olb,6-3, 198, Brown Deer HS, Milwaukee

Titus Booker, cb, 5-11, 176, Grayslake (Ill.) North HS

Jon Dietzen, ol, 6-5, 330, Seymour HS, Black Creek, Wis.

David Edwards, te, 6-7, 225, Downers Grove (Ill.) North HS

Kevin Estes, ol, 6-5, 270, San Marcos (Calif.) HS

Arrington Farrar, olb, 6-2, 202, Woodward Academy, Atlanta

Alex Hornibrook, qb, 6-4, 215, Malvern Prep, West Chester, Pa.

Kraig Howe, de, 6-3, 253, Archbishop Alter HS, Bellbrook, Ohio

Alec Ingold, ilb,6-2, 205, Bay Port, HS, Green Bay, Wis.

Andrew James, wr, 6-0, 168, Cardinal Gibbons HS, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Austin Kafentzis, qb, 6-1, 200, Jordan HS, Sandy, Utah

David Moorman, ol, 6-5, 275 Northville (Mich.) HS

Chris Orr, ilb, 6-0, 215, DeSoto (Texas) HS

Kyle Penniston, te, 6-5, 230, Mater Dei HS, Orange, Calif.

David Pfaff, de, 6-2, 253, Homestead HS, Mequon, Wis.

Olive Sagapolu, ng, 6-2, 295, Mater Dei HS, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Bradrick Shaw, rb, 6-1, 205, Hoover HS, Birmingham, Ala.

Jordan Stevenson, rb, 5-9, 190, South Oak Cliff, HS, Dallas

Nick Thomas, lb, 6-2, 230, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.

Serge Trezy, db, 6-1, 220, Orlando, Fla., Eastern Arizona CC

Jake Whalen, fb, 6-1, 220, Wausau (Wis.) West HS

Wednesday was national signing day throughout the country and locally many area athletes signed to play collegiately, most notably football.

Ashwaubenon’s James Morgan and Bay Port’s Alec Ingold were the most notable players to sign with Morgan inking with Bowling Green and Ingold with Wisconsin.

Morgan threw for more than 7,000 yards during his career and is looking forward to his next challenge.

“This is the accomplishment of one goal and the start of another one,” Morgan said. “It feels good to have one done and is exciting to start upon the journey to accomplish another.”

Morgan’s coach, Mark Jonas, had high praise for his former signal caller.

“As a leader James made everybody better,” Jonas said. “I’m not looking forward to Saturdays because that means James isn’t here. However, I’m looking forward to Sundays which is where I think he will end up.”

Meanwhile, Ingold’s college future is not where he was the past two seasons for the Pirates. The 2014 AP player of the year, who rushed for more than 2,300 yards and 35 touchdowns and threw for another 1,400 and 15 TDs, is moving to defense, likely linebacker.

Ingold committed late to Wisconsin after Paul Chryst became the new head coach, decommitting from Northern Illinois, where he was slated to compete at quarterback.

The position switch means nothing for Ingold, who’s excited to be a Badger.

“Not much was going through my head when I signed,” Ingold said. “(Tuesday) night, just thinking a whole lot; it’s a dream come true and I couldn’t be happier with the place I’m at. It wasn’t the easiest decision in my life, but I feel like I made the right decision.”

Ingold isn’t the only local quarterback moving to linebacker for Wisconsin. Tyler Johnson led Menasha to the Division 2 state title and the Bluejays quarterback will be a preferred walk-on.

“Growing up playing in the backyard, always watching the Badgers, pretending I was out there being my favorite Wisconsin Badger and now I have a chance to live that dream,” Johnson said.

Wisconsin didn’t land every local Division I recruit, however. Fond du Lac’s Robert Windsor is headed east as he signed with Penn State.

“It’s a relief,” he said. “This takes a lot of eight off my shoulders. It’s good to have the recruiting process over. Very blessed to have this opportunity; I’m going to make the most of it.”

Another notable signing was the state’s leading rusher, West De Pere’s Dom Conway, who rushed for 2,447 yards and had 31 TDs. He signed with Minnesota-Duluth, as did teammate Connor Konshak.

Local Football Signings
Alec Ingold ATH, Bay Port: Wisconsin
Troy Albrecht, LB, Bay Port: Illinois State
Logan Brunette, OL, Bay Port: Michigan Tech
Cole Van Enkenvort, LB, Bay Port: Northern Michigan
Blair Van Ess, WR, Bay Port: Bemidji State
James Morgan, QB, Ashwaubenon: Bowling Green
Robert Windsor, DL, Fond du Lac: Penn State
Dom Conway, RB, West De Pere: Minnesota-Duluth
Connor Konshak, WR, West De Pere: Minnesota-Duluth
Austin Behm, LB, Menasha: Minnesota-Mankato
Zac Hawn, TE, Menasha, Minnesota-Duluth
Isaac Edrmann, Menasha, LB: Minnesota-Duluth
Tyler Johnson, ATH, Menasha: Wisconsin (walk-on)
Bret Verstegen, DB, Kimberly: Wisconsin (walk-on)
Charlie Rotherham, QB, Notre Dame: Northern Illinois (walk-on)
Kieran Thomas, RB, GB Southwest: Concordia (Minn.)
Noah Meyer, DL , GB Southwest: Bemidji State
Andrew Rose, RB, De Pere: Michigan Tech
Evan Heim, OL, De Pere: Minnesota State

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

MADISON/LAWRENCE – Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s plans for spending $68 billion are getting mixed reviews from state leaders, including lawmakers on his own side of the political aisle.

The governor gave his budget address and released his full budget proposal for the state’s next two-year cycle Tuesday evening in Madison.

Walker’s plan would slightly lower state property tax rates over the next two years. The owner of a median-sized home would see bills go down by $5 each year from the very small portion of your property tax bill that goes to the state.

The governor also wants to keep state support of K-12 education essentially the same. He is also proposing to eliminate the enrollment cap on using taxpayer money to pay for children to attend private schools.

Everything is just a plan. Walker’s ideas must now be accepted, revised and rejected by state lawmakers.

Most of the legislative work on the state budget will be handled by the Joint Finance Committee. Two Northeast Wisconsin lawmakers on that committee said Wednesday morning that they continue to dig deeper into what Walker has proposed.

“It’ll be up to us to make changes as we see fit because we have a role to play in it, too,” said State Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, a co-chair of the committee.

“All the decisions are tied together with each other, and I think that’s the challenge for the Finance Committee,” said State Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh.

Both Hintz and Nygren expect one debate will focus on public school funding.

“All of our colleagues are proud of the schools that they represent, proud of where they come from,” said Nygren. “So how his budget affects K-12 I think will be one of the things we’ll take a good, close look at.”

While in Lawrence Wednesday, Gov. Walker said he’s open to an increase in spending especially if state revenues rise in the coming months.

“The question will be where best to spend that,” said Walker. “My guess is that some will go into K-12 education. Some may go to offset some of the changes made in the University of Wisconsin System.”

Walker wants to cut $300 million from the UW while giving it more freedom from state oversight. Republicans and Democrats say the plan that needs to be looked at closely.

“Pleased with the initial comments of concern,” said Hintz. “And looking for ways that we can work together to improve the original proposal.”

“They’re a large percentage of our bureaucracy, so if we’re going to do some belt tightening, they have to be part of the overall equation,” said Nygren.

Nygren and Hintz also anticipate a lot of discussion on the governor’s transportation funding proposal. Walker wants to avoid any tax or fee increases and issue more bonds.

The governor’s plan increases borrowing for roads by 30 percent. Many Republicans and Democrats say they don’t want to increase bonds for roads.

Nygren outlined a timeline for the budget process.

Nygren expects to hold budget meetings with state agencies in early March. Then he’s planning four public meetings across the state – one possibly in the Fox Valley.

He hopes the full legislature will begin debating the budget after Memorial Day, so it can be signed by the governor and in effect by July 1.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Republican Gov. Scott Walker has resurrected his plan to cut $15 million from the state’s popular prescription drug program for senior citizens.

Walker’s 2015-17 budget proposal recycles a plan from his 2011-13 budget that would require SeniorCare enrollees to first sign up the for federal Medicare Part D prescription drug program. They could use SeniorCare to cover drugs the federal program doesn’t. That plan would have saved $15 million over the two-year budget but the Legislature ultimately removed it from the budget.

Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick stressed the governor’s 2015-17 budget doesn’t eliminate SeniorCare.

Rep. Andy Jorgenson, a Milton Democrat, said in a statement Wednesday that SeniorCare offers better discounts and Walker’s plan would hurt seniors’ pocketbooks.

Spokeswomen for Republican legislative leaders didn’t immediately return email messages.

FRESNO COUNTY, CA – It’s not every day an eight-year-old opens up their own business, but a little girl from Fresno County, California became the youngest entrepreneur in the county’s history.

Her business was inspired by her love for reading.

Watch the story above from Liz Gonzalez.

GREEN BAY – If you’re looking for a way to lose the winter blues and get your kids active, a family event at Lambeau Field could just be the cure.

The Packers are hosting Project Play 60, a free event that is focused on getting kids out of the house and enjoying physical activity.

The event is set for Saturday, March 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Lambeau Field Atrium and the Legends Club on the fourth floor.

The event will have inflatables, climbing walls, bungee trampolines and face painting. Free yoga will also be available from Live54218. The event will feature entertainment by the West Bend Dance/Tumbling Troupe, a professional gymnastics group that has performed all over the world.

MADISON – Menominee tribal leaders say Gov. Walker’s rejection of their plan to build a casino in Kenosha is based on inaccurate information.

Walker rejected the Menominee request on Jan. 24. The governor has said he believed approving the $800 million casino would put the state on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses due to terms of a compact with the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe.

However, in a letter to Walker on Tuesday, the Menominee tribe reminded Walker it previously promised to cover any money the state lost.

• Click here to read the letter

The letter is in response to a Jan. 20 memo sent to Walker by state Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch, analyzing the risks to the state.

• Click here to read the memo

Walker has said he will not reconsider his decision. However, Menominee leaders say the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs told them the agency would accept a new decision by Feb. 19.

NEW YORK (AP) – Evolving shopping habits have forced yet another retailer to think outside of the box.

Staples, the nation’s largest “big box” office supply chain, announced Wednesday that it’s spending about $6 billion to buy its second-ranked rival, Office Depot.

The acquisition reflects a reversal of fortunes for big-box retailers. Founded in the late 1980s, Staples and Office Depot were among a group of chains led by Wal-Mart that opened thousands of supersized stores during much of the next two decades for shoppers who wanted to buy in bulk.

But shopping patterns changed in recent years as Americans have grown increasingly deal-hungry and comfortable with online shopping. Competition from smaller stores and the rise of online retailers like Amazon.com also have hurt big-box chains.

Office supply retailers also have some unique issues, though. The impact of technology on the U.S. workforce has dramatically shrunk the demand for items that were once their bread-and butter, including personal computers, ink cartridges, and printers.

In the 1990s, office supply retailers catered to the throngs of workers setting up home offices. But, now with the popularity of smartphones, people can work anywhere. They also are buying fewer PCs and other big gadgets in favor of small devices like smartphones.

Staples has been ahead of its peers in responding to the changes. It’s been changing its mix of products in the stores, beefing up services like copying and offering more items online. It’s also been opening smaller stores and investing in services aimed at specific small businesses.

But the brick-and-mortar office supply chain business has continued to struggle as online sales have grown. Last year, office products sold online hit $9.2 billion in 2014, accounting for 24 percent of the overall office supplies category.  That’s up from $2.6 billion, or 7 percent of the market, in 2004, according to Forrester Research.

Meanwhile, Office Depot’s sales have been mostly on a downward slope since its fiscal 2007 year when they peaked at $15.5 billion, according to research firm FactSet. Sales rose in the latest year because of its deal with OfficeMax. Staples’ sales peaked in fiscal 2011 at $25 billion, and have been down since.

Hedge fund Starboard Value LP, which disclosed a 5.1 percent stake in Staples in December, last month publicly urged the company to make a move on Office Depot. Staples and Office Depot tried to combine forces before but were blocked by anti-trust regulators.

That was almost 20 years ago, however, and with the boards of both companies signing on unanimously to try it again, they appear confident that the landscape has changed substantially.

The deal, which comes a little more than a year after Office Depot acquired OfficeMax for $1.2 billion, still has to get a nod from the Federal Trade Commission. And Office Depot shareholders, who will own about 16 percent of the combined company, have to approve it.

In the proposed deal, Office Depot Inc. shareholders will receive $7.25 in cash and 0.2188 of a share in Staples Inc. at closing. The transaction values Office Depot at $11 per share, which is based on Staples’ Monday closing stock price – the last trading day before initial reports of a buyout began to leak. The companies put the deal’s equity value at $6.3 billion.

On news of the deal, which is expected to close by year’s end, shares of Staples shed fell $2.15, or 11.3 percent, to $16.86 in afternoon trading. Office Depot’s stock added 26 cents to $9.54

The combined company, which will have 4,000 stores, means the two retailers no longer have to compete. Annual sales of the new office-supply giant are expected to approach $39 billion. Additionally, Staples expects to realize at least $1 billion in annual cost savings by the third full fiscal year after the transaction is complete.

Ron Sargent, Staples CEO and chairman who will retain his roles in the combined company, said the acquisition enables Staples to “more effectively compete in a rapidly evolving competitive environment.”

Sargent said it’s too early to talk about integration plans for the company, but Staples and Office Depot each plan to close stores this year. Staples previously announced that it would close up to 225 stores by the end of 2015, and Sargent said Wednesday that those plans haven’t changed. Office Depot CEO Roland Smith said the chain is looking to close 135 stores this year.

David Marcotte, senior vice president of retail insights at Kantar Retail, a consultancy, believes the combined footprint of both chains will be reduced by half in the next few years and combined sales will be trimmed by a quarter. He believes the future will be small stores tied to the Internet.

“The physical will give away to the virtual,” he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Declaring the Internet critical for the nation, a top U.S. regulator on Wednesday proposed an unprecedented expansion of federal power to ensure providers don’t block or slow web traffic for America’s countless users.

• Q. What is net neutrality?
  A. Net neutrality is the idea that Internet providers should not move some content faster than others or enter into paid agreements with companies such as Netflix to prioritize their data.Broadband providers have questioned the fairness of this approach. They have invested heavily in a sophisticated infrastructure and question whether the government should be telling them how to run their networks and package services.

  But what if the major cable companies that provide much of the nation’s broadband had free rein to load some files faster than others? It is easy to imagine scenarios where these providers might favor content produced by their affiliates or start charging “tolls” to move data. Consumers naturally would gravitate toward faster sites and services that pay those fees, while smaller startups or nonprofits get shut out.

• Q. Wasn’t all this debated years ago?
  A. The FCC had used the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which was intended to encourage competition in the telephone and cable industry, to enforce “open Internet” rules. However, a federal appeals court knocked down that approach.President Barack Obama and consumer advocates say a better tack would be to apply Title II of the 1934 Communications Act. That law, written with radio, telegraph and phone service in mind, prohibits companies from charging unreasonable rates or threatening access to services that are critical to society. That’s what Wheeler proposed Wednesday.

  Unlike the 2010 rules that were struck down by the courts, Wheeler’s proposal doesn’t exempt wireless carriers from these open-access requirements. That’s important given that cellphones are becoming the primary way for many people to access the Internet.

• Q. What will this mean for cellphones?
  A. If the rules are adopted, carriers would still be allowed to engage in “reasonable network management.” That means carriers might be able to slow down heavy users when there is network congestion. But broader throttling wouldn’t be permitted. AT&T is the only major carrier still doing that with some phones on unlimited plans, but the company already plans to switch to a congestion-based policy later this year.

The proposal by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler was a victory for advocates of “net neutrality,” the idea that Internet providers must allow data to move across their networks without interference. The idea has been the subject of heavy lobbying and millions of dollars in advertising in the past year.

“Net neutrality” means that whether you’re trying to buy a necklace on Etsy, stream the season premiere of Netflix’s “House of Cards” or watch a music video on Google’s YouTube, your Internet service provider would have to load all of those websites equally quickly.

Major Internet providers insist they have no plans to create such fast or slow lanes, but they strongly oppose the regulation, arguing that it could stifle innovation and investment. Open Internet rules had been in place but were recently knocked down by a federal court.

Wheeler’s proposal attempts to erase any legal uncertainty by reclassifying the Internet as a telecommunications service and regulating it under the 1934 Communications Act. The plan would apply to both wired service provided by companies like Comcast and wireless service by companies like T-Mobile.

That would put all Internet service in the same regulatory camp as telephones and any other public utility, which Republicans and industry officials say would discourage investment and increase taxes.

The FCC will vote Feb. 26 on the proposal, and approval is considered likely. President Barack Obama has called for regulation under the Communications Act, and Democratic appointees hold a commission majority.

“It is counterproductive because heavy regulation of the Internet will create uncertainty and chill investment among the many players — not just Internet service providers — that now will need to consider FCC rules before launching new services,” said Michael Glover, Verizon senior vice president and deputy general counsel.

But Wheeler and consumer groups say the move is necessary to prevent providers from creating slow or fast lanes on the Internet in which content companies like Netflix can pay to jump to the head of the queue. Wheeler also shrugged off any suggestions that his plan would chill industry investment, citing $300 billion in investment by the wireless industry in the past two decades.

“My proposal assures the rights of Internet users to go where they want, when they want, and the rights of innovators to introduce new products without asking anyone’s permission,” Wheeler wrote in an article that Wired magazine posted online.

Still, his plan is an aggressive regulatory leap in an industry that has so far seen little government oversight. Wheeler said he would not use the new regulations to tell broadband providers how much to charge customers, as the Communications Act would allow. Still, industry says that’s only a matter of time.

“Despite the repeated assurances from the president and Chairman Wheeler, we remain concerned that this proposal will confer sweeping discretion to regulate rates and set the economic terms and conditions of business relationships,” said Michael Powell, head of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and former FCC chairman.

Wheeler’s plan aligns the former telecom lobbyist and venture capitalist with President Barack Obama, who has called on the FCC specifically to regulate the industry under Title II of the Communications Act. But assuming the FCC adopts the new rule, the next stop would be the courts. Industry lobbyists say it’s likely that one of the major providers will sue and ask that enforcement be suspended.

Lawmakers could step in to resolve the uncertainty. But that is considered unlikely in the near term. Because Wheeler’s proposal satisfies consumer advocacy groups, Democrats would have little incentive to revisit the issue. And while Republicans have the votes to ram though their own anti-regulation legislation without Democratic support, Obama could veto it.

“These rules are a declaration of Independence for the Internet,” said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.

But Sen. John Thune, Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, called the plan “radical” and a “power grab” by the FCC.

So far, Republicans have pitched an idea that would enforce basic open Internet rules but also could strip the FCC of its ability to help local municipalities build their own broadband — a nonstarter for Obama and congressional Democrats who say poor and rural areas have been left behind in the deployment of high-speed Internet.

In addition to banning providers from discriminating among web traffic, the plan would give the FCC the authority to regulate the “back end” of the Internet, where content providers like Netflix say they are still vulnerable. Netflix connects with network middlemen like Cogent or Level 3 Communications that can move data across long distances. Netflix has accused major Internet providers of allowing these transit points to become clogged on purpose. Netflix now pays these providers interconnection fees.

Under Wheeler’s plan, a company could ask the FCC to review the fairness of these deals.

“If such an oversight process had been in place last year, we certainly would’ve used it when a handful of (Internet service providers) opted to hold our members hostage until we paid up,” said Netflix spokeswoman Anne Marie Squeo.

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AP writers Jennifer Malloy in Los Angeles, Michael Liedtke in San Francisco and Mae Anderson and Nick Jesdanun in New York contributed to this report.

FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) – The judge overseeing the murder trial of ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez warned the victim’s mother to not cry on the stand in front of jurors Wednesday, a reference to the two previous days she left the courtroom in tears when seeing photos of her son’s body.

“I understand this is very emotional for you,” the judge told Ursula Ward, the mother of Odin Lloyd who was set to testify for the first time. With the jury out of the room, Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh instructed her to “retain control of your emotions.”

Ward did not cry and instead remained stoic as the jury returned and a prosecutor showed her an autopsy photo, then another photo of a smiling Lloyd wearing the same clothes he had on when he was found dead: a plaid shirt and a Red Sox cap.

Hernandez, a former New England Patriots player, is accused in the 2013 killing of Lloyd, a 27-year-old semipro football player who was dating his fiancee’s sister. Hernandez, 25, had a $40 million contract with the Patriots when he was arrested.

Also testifying Wednesday for the third day was Lloyd’s girlfriend, Sheneah Jenkins. She said Hernandez and Lloyd often smoked marijuana together and hung out during family gatherings but had only the beginnings of a friendship and were not very close.

That contradicts what Hernandez’s lawyers have said about the two being friends and Hernandez having no reason to kill him.

Wednesday was the first day of Jenkins’ testimony that her sister, Shayanna, attended. The two sit on opposite sides of the courtroom: Shaneah with Lloyd’s family behind prosecutors and Shayanna with Hernandez’s family behind the defense table.

Shayanna Jenkins appeared to pay close attention, taking notes as her younger sister spoke and sharing them with one of Hernandez’s lawyers during a break.

Prosecutors also showed video surveillance from inside Hernandez’s home the morning after Lloyd was killed and a few hours after Shaneah Jenkins learned from police that Lloyd was dead. In the video, Shaneah Jenkins is seen driving up to the home, getting out of a car with her uncle and going inside the house. Shayanna Jenkins is then seen coming up to her sister and giving her a long hug.

As she watched the video, Shayanna Jenkins put her hand on her head and wiped tears away.

The video also shows Shayanna Jenkins carrying what her sister has said was a trash bag toward the basement.

Shayanna Jenkins has been charged with perjury and accused of lying to a grand jury, including when she said she couldn’t remember what she did with a box prosecutors believe she disposed of after getting a coded message from Hernandez. She has pleaded not guilty.

It’s possible Shayanna Jenkins will be called as a witness in the Hernandez case.

GREEN BAY – A federal judge Wednesday denied a request to dismiss ricin possession charges against an Oshkosh man.

Kyle Smith, 21, faces two counts: knowingly developing and possessing ricin for use as a weapon, and having ricin not in its naturally occurring form and not for a reasonable purpose. The first count carries maximum penalty of life in prison, while the second count has a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.

According to a criminal complaint, Oshkosh police and the Wisconsin National Guard found 1 1/2 grams of ricin in Smith’s apartment on Halloween.

Smith’s attorney argued the two statutes were vague and too similar. But Judge William Griesbach denied the motion.

Smith’s attorney also has another motion pending, asking that Smith’s statements to police be deemed inadmissible due to Miranda violations. No decision was made on that Wednsesday. The parties return to court Feb. 17.

The trial was pushed back from Feb. 17 to March 16.