Green Bay News

LAKE GENEVA (AP) – A Wisconsin snow sculpting team that won the last two national championships is trying to defend their trophy in Lake Geneva.

The U.S. National Snow Sculpting Championship began Wednesday with judging set for Saturday along Geneva Lake.

David Andrews, Jason Anhorn and Steve Bateman make up one of the Wisconsin teams. They are following up their last two wins with a sculpture of two connected trees this year. Andrews has been part of seven championship teams altogether.

The 15 teams from 10 states receive a cylinder snow block eight feet in diameter and nine feet high. They can use saws, axes, files, scaffolding, shovels and other homemade implements.

They will be judged on creativity, technique and message. The winner also gets an invite to an international snow sculpting competition.

NIAGARA FALLS – Weather on the East Coast has created quite a sight in New York State.

Parts of Niagara Falls is frozen over and as you can see, one brave man decided to climb it!

Canadian ice climber, Will Gadd, decided to scale parts of the frozen waterfall. It took about an hour to climb almost 150 feet to the top.

After the first successful climb, he did it twice more.

By the end of the day, Gadd says hypothermia was starting to set in and he called it a day.

Watch the raw footage below.

Tony Bennett guided Virginia to its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 38 years with a foundation in defense, smart play and hard work.

A season later, the No. 2 Cavaliers are off their best start since the Ralph Sampson era.

In a league featuring Hall of Fame coaches and marquee programs, Bennett and the Cavs are again atop the standings. They’re one of the nation’s last two unbeatens entering a stretch that could reveal whether they’re as good as their ranking, starting Saturday against No. 4 Duke.

“It’s still the same mindset: Will you be faithful to the things that have gotten you there?” Bennett said. “It doesn’t change. Nothing changes. All of a sudden, you don’t become someone you’re not. That would be fool’s gold. That would be a big mistake.”

After some lean years before Bennett’s arrival, a roster led largely by unheralded veterans has Virginia alongside top-ranked Kentucky — stocked with potential one-and-done NBA players — as college basketball’s only undefeated teams.

Now the Cavaliers (19-0, 7-0 ACC) face the three ACC teams picked to finish ahead of them, each coached by Hall of Famers.

First up is Mike Krzyzewski and the preseason favorite Blue Devils (17-3, 4-3) in a rematch of last year’s ACC tournament final. Duke is coming off Wednesday’s loss at No. 8 Notre Dame then Thursday’s dismissal of guard Rasheed Sulaimon after Krzyzewski said the junior had been “unable to consistently live up” to team standards.

Virginia visits No. 13 North Carolina and Roy Williams on Monday and hosts No. 10 Louisville and Rick Pitino next weekend.

“We don’t need to worry about the next couple of games that are coming up,” all-ACC junior guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “We have one opponent to play on Saturday and we need to worry about going in there and playing Virginia basketball from the start. … We have to keep building on the success we’ve had.”

The Cavaliers were ranked No. 9 this preseason despite losing seniors Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell from a 30-win team that reached the NCAA round of 16 for the first time since 1995 as a No. 1 seed.

And as with last year, they don’t win with overwhelming talent.

Rather, a team with no McDonald’s All-Americans plays tough defense and tempo-controlling offense. They force opponents to defend deep into the shot clock and play together to overcome teams with more individual talent, led by a 45-year-old coach described by Krzyzewski as someone who “really understands the total game.”

It’s not glitzy or crowd-pleasing basketball – outside of Charlottesville, anyway – but effective.

“You have a bunch of good players who have played together and bought into a system and believe,” said Old Dominion assistant coach Bryant Stith, Virginia’s career scoring leader and father of Cavs freshman B.J. Stith. “It just goes to show the formula that worked so well for Butler and the Davidsons and all those mid-major schools … has now translated well in the Atlantic Coast Conference.”

Everything starts with defense, where the Cavaliers allow a national-low 49.1 points per game — with three opponents failing to crack 30. While their offensive pace holds down that average, they also rank second nationally in field-goal percentage defense (34 percent), second in points allowed per possession and third in both rebounding and scoring margin, according to STATS.

At the other end, Virginia ranks 13th nationally in points scored per possession (1.208) while shooting 47 percent with a balanced attack posting the best averages of Bennett’s 6-year tenure. And junior Justin Anderson has developed from ACC sixth man of the year to the team’s top scorer (13.9 points) while shooting a league-best 52 percent on 3-pointers.

That both-ends-of-the-court efficiency has Virginia enjoying its best start since the 7-foot-4 Sampson-led Cavs went 23-0 and reached the Final Four in 1981.

The Cavaliers had missed the NCAAs in 10 of 12 seasons before Bennett’s arrival from Washington State. They’re trying to make the workmanlike formula that got them here carry them even farther.

“They’re just such a thorough team,” said Boston College coach Jim Christian, whose Eagles lost to the Cavaliers this month. “You know that you’re going to have to take advantage of every opportunity they give you because there’s not going to be many.”

OSHKOSH – The Oshkosh Police Department is investigating an incident where two men, claiming to be city workers, entered a home and stole jewelry.

Police say on Thursday in the early afternoon in the 600 block of Florida Avenue, a man went up to a home and told the homeowner he was with the City of Oshkosh and needed to trim trees. While the man was talking with the homeowner, another man went into the home and stole an undisclosed amount of jewelery.

The homeowner described the man as Hispanic, 5″05′, stocky, and wearing a red sweatshirt. The homeowner also said the two men drove off in a white van.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please call (920) 236-5700. If it is an emergency, call 911.

Oshkosh Police are reminding homeowners that if a city worker comes to your door, they should have identification to prove they are. You should also not allow individuals enter your home and do not walk outside with them if they cannot provide proper identification.

WHITEWATER — The search for a head football coach to lead the six-time national champion University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is over.

Defensive assistant coach Kevin Bullis will inherit the football dynasty, along with great expectations. The Whitewater has the nation’s longest winning streak (32 games) to go with its six Division III titles in the last eight seasons.

Bullis has served as interim head coach for the Warhawks. He becomes the 21st head coach in the 121-year history of UW-Whitewater football.

He replaces Lance Leipold, who left to take the same position at Buffalo after beating Mount Union in the championship game last month. He finished a remarkable eight-year run with a 109-6 record.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Professional wrestling star Mick Foley was ejected from the Wing Bowl eating contest Friday after stuffing uneaten chicken wings into a fanny pack.

People following the event on social media dubbed Foley’s attempt at boosting his wing total “inflate gate,” a play on the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots’ deflated football controversy.

Chicago’s Patrick Bertoletti won with a Wing Bowl record 444 wings in 26 minutes. He edged out 2014 champion Molly Schuyler, of Bellevue, Nebraska, who eclipsed her record 363-wing mark with 440 wings.

The fan-favorite Foley, who’s known in the ring as Mankind, said after his ouster that he didn’t want to overstuff himself and get sick, like other competitors.

“I didn’t want that to be my legacy,” said Foley. “So I stretched the rules. I thought people would appreciate that, right here in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!”

Wing Bowl started in 1993 as a way for Philadelphia’s long-suffering sports fans to blow off steam before the Super Bowl.

About 20,000 people gathered at the Wells Fargo Arena — home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers — to drink beer and watch scantily clad women serve competitors wings.

 

By AARON BEARD
AP Basketball Writer

Tony Bennett guided Virginia to its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 38 years with a foundation in defense, smart play and hard work.

A season later, the No. 2 Cavaliers are off their best start since the Ralph Sampson era.

In a league featuring Hall of Fame coaches and marquee programs, Bennett and the Cavs are again atop the standings. They’re one of the nation’s last two unbeatens entering a stretch that could reveal whether they’re as good as their ranking, starting Saturday against No. 4 Duke.

“It’s still the same mindset: Will you be faithful to the things that have gotten you there?” Bennett said. “It doesn’t change. Nothing changes. All of a sudden, you don’t become someone you’re not. That would be fool’s gold. That would be a big mistake.”

After some lean years before Bennett’s arrival, a roster led largely by unheralded veterans has Virginia alongside top-ranked Kentucky – stocked with potential one-and-done NBA players – as college basketball’s only undefeated teams.

Now the Cavaliers (19-0, 7-0 ACC) face the three ACC teams picked to finish ahead of them, each coached by Hall of Famers.

First up is Mike Krzyzewski and the preseason favorite Blue Devils (17-3, 4-3) in a rematch of last year’s ACC tournament final. Duke is coming off Wednesday’s loss at No. 8 Notre Dame then Thursday’s dismissal of guard Rasheed Sulaimon after Krzyzewski said the junior had been “unable to consistently live up” to team standards.

Virginia visits No. 13 North Carolina and Roy Williams on Monday and hosts No. 10 Louisville and Rick Pitino next weekend.

“We don’t need to worry about the next couple of games that are coming up,” all-ACC junior guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “We have one opponent to play on Saturday and we need to worry about going in there and playing Virginia basketball from the start. … We have to keep building on the success we’ve had.”

The Cavaliers were ranked No. 9 this preseason despite losing seniors Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell from a 30-win team that reached the NCAA round of 16 for the first time since 1995 as a No. 1 seed.

And as with last year, they don’t win with overwhelming talent.

Rather, a team with no McDonald’s All-Americans plays tough defense and tempo-controlling offense. They force opponents to defend deep into the shot clock and play together to overcome teams with more individual talent, led by a 45-year-old coach described by Krzyzewski as someone who “really understands the total game.”

It’s not glitzy or crowd-pleasing basketball – outside of Charlottesville, anyway – but effective.

“You have a bunch of good players who have played together and bought into a system and believe,” said Old Dominion assistant coach Bryant Stith, Virginia’s career scoring leader and father of Cavs freshman B.J. Stith. “It just goes to show the formula that worked so well for Butler and the Davidsons and all those mid-major schools … has now translated well in the Atlantic Coast Conference.”

Everything starts with defense, where the Cavaliers allow a national-low 49.1 points per game – with three opponents failing to crack 30. While their offensive pace holds down that average, they also rank second nationally in field-goal percentage defense (34 percent), second in points allowed per possession and third in both rebounding and scoring margin, according to STATS.

At the other end, Virginia ranks 13th nationally in points scored per possession (1.208) while shooting 47 percent with a balanced attack posting the best averages of Bennett’s 6-year tenure. And junior Justin Anderson has developed from ACC sixth man of the year to the team’s top scorer (13.9 points) while shooting a league-best 52 percent on 3-pointers.

That both-ends-of-the-court efficiency has Virginia enjoying its best start since the 7-foot-4 Sampson-led Cavs went 23-0 and reached the Final Four in 1981.

The Cavaliers had missed the NCAAs in 10 of 12 seasons before Bennett’s arrival from Washington State. They’re trying to make the workmanlike formula that got them here carry them even farther.

“They’re just such a thorough team,” said Boston College coach Jim Christian, whose Eagles lost to the Cavaliers this month. “You know that you’re going to have to take advantage of every opportunity they give you because there’s not going to be many.”

Bennett played college basketball at UW-Green Bay and later was an assistant coach at Wisconsin under his father, Dick Bennett.

The former Daily Planet restaurant in downtown Green Bay – a space that has not been used in more than a decade – is being transformed into Backstage at the Meyer.

PITTSBURGH (AP) – A dented chocolate football created by a Pennsylvania candy maker to poke fun at the New England Patriot’s “Deflategate” scandal has ended up raising $20,000 for charity.

The ball created by Sarris Candies of Canonsburg was auctioned off Friday on KDKA radio to benefit the Dollar Energy Fund.

The fund provides utility assistance for poor residents.

A local car dealer bid $5,000 for the chocolate ball, and that price was matched by candy maker Bill Sarris. The utilities that help support the Dollar Energy Fund matched that $10,000.

The chocolate football was molded with a dent to make it appear deflated. Sarris posted it on Facebook as a joke and initially didn’t intend to sell it.

Now he says, “It’s going to a good cause, so that’s the best thing.”

PHOENIX (AP) — The NFL won’t decide on any discipline for Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch until after the Super Bowl, commissioner Roger Goodell said at his Super Bowl news conference Friday.

Lynch has kept all his media appearances this week to five minutes or less and hasn’t said much. He has also donned hats with logos of his own apparel line, which are not sponsored by the NFL.

While Goodell did not comment about what the possible penalty might be, he made clear that Lynch had an obligation to do the interviews.

“It’s part of your job,” Goodell said. “There are things in your job that you might not necessarily want to do. I think Marshawn understands the importance of the Super Bowl and the importance of his appearance in the Super Bowl.”

TOKYO (AP) — The fates of a Japanese journalist and Jordanian military pilot were unknown Friday, a day after the latest purported deadline for a possible prisoner swap passed with no further word from the Islamic State group holding them captive.

“Government institutions are working around the clock on the case of pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh,” Jordanian military spokesman Mamdouh al-Ameri said in a statement. “We will inform you of any developments in due time.”

He urged Jordanians not to listen to rumors.

Jordan has said it will only release an al-Qaida prisoner from death row if it gets proof the pilot is alive and so far has received no such evidence from the hostage-takers.

Officials in Tokyo also said they had no progress to report.

“There is nothing I can tell you,” said government spokesman Yoshihide Suga, reiterating Japan’s “strong trust” in the Jordanians to help save the Japanese hostage, freelance journalist Kenji Goto.

Suga said the government was in close contact with Goto’s wife, Rinko Jogo, who released a statement late Thursday pleading for her husband’s life.

An audio message purportedly posted online by jihadis said the pilot, Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, would be killed if Sajida al-Rishawi, the al-Qaida prisoner, was not delivered to the Turkish border by sunset on Thursday, Iraq time. It was not clear from the recording what would happen to Goto if the Iraqi woman was not turned over by the deadline.

The authenticity of the recording could not be verified independently by the AP. But the possibility of a swap was raised Wednesday when Jordan said it was willing to trade al-Rishawi for the pilot.

The pilot’s father, Safi al-Kaseasbeh, said Friday that he had no word on the fate of his son and had not received any update from Jordanian authorities.

“I have nothing,” he said, speaking after Muslim noon prayers in the Jordanian capital of Amman.

With no news on the fate of either the pilot or Goto, their families’ agonizing wait dragged on.

Jordan faces a tough choice over whether to release al-Rishawi, 44, who faces death by hanging for her role in a suicide bombing, one of three simultaneous attacks on Amman hotels in November 2005 that killed 60 people. She survived because her belt of explosives didn’t detonate. She initially confessed, but later recanted, saying she was an unwilling participant.

She is from the Iraqi city of Ramadi and has close family ties to the Iraqi branch of al-Qaida, a precursor of the Islamic State group. Three of her brothers were al-Qaida operatives killed in fighting in Iraq.

Releasing al-Rishawi, implicated in the worst terror attack in Jordan, would be at odds with the government’s tough stance on Islamic extremism.

However, King Abdullah II faces public pressure to bring home the pilot, who was captured in December after his Jordanian F-16 crashed near the Islamic State group’s de facto capital of Raqqa in Syria. He is the first foreign military pilot to be captured since the U.S. and its allies began airstrikes against the Islamic State more than four months ago.

Jordan’s participation in the U.S.-led airstrikes is unpopular in the kingdom, and the pilot is seen by some as a victim of a war they feel the country shouldn’t be involved in.

The hostage drama began last week after the Islamic State group released a video showing Goto and another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa kneeling in orange jumpsuits beside a masked man who threatened to kill them in 72 hours unless Japan paid a $200 million ransom. That demand later apparently shifted to one for the release of al-Rishawi.

The militants have reportedly killed Yukawa, 42, although that has not been confirmed.

The crisis prompted the Japanese Foreign Ministry to issue a warning Friday to journalists to avoid the border town in Turkey that could be a crossing point from Syria if a prisoner swap goes ahead.

It noted that Islamic State militants were likely aware of who was in the area. “We cannot dismiss the possibility of a kidnapping of Japanese journalists or of other risks to them,” it said.

“Under such circumstances, reporting on Turkish-Syrian border, even on the Turkey side, and of course in Syria, is likely to lead to unanticipated risks and be very dangerous,” the statement said, reiterating earlier warnings. “We strongly urge you to refrain from visiting or staying in the area for reporting, and to leave immediately.”

The warning followed news that a Japanese journalist helping cover a possible prisoner swap at the border died in a car crash near the area Thursday, according to Turkish officials.

Kazumi Takaya, based in Turkey for 22 years, was working as a translator for Fuji TV at the time of the crash, local media reports said.

___

Laub reported from Amman, Jordan.

___

Associated Press writers Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, Omar Akour in Amman, Jordan, Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad, and Miki Toda, Kaori Hitomi and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Slumping sales of Barbie did little to bring a happy holiday to her maker, Mattel Inc.

Mattel’s fourth-quarter earnings release Friday drilled down into the details of a weak performance that led to the resignation of its chairman and CEO.

Barbie sales fell 12 percent, though that wasn’t as bad as the third quarter’s 21 percent drop. Fisher-Price sales fell 11 percent. While American Girl slipped 4 percent, it was better than the 7 percent decline in the third quarter.

Hot Wheels sales rose 5 percent.

Interim CEO Christopher Sinclair said he will spend the next few months evaluating the company’s businesses to “revitalize our brands.”

The results for the quarter that ended Dec. 31 are important because they include the holiday season, a make-or-break time of year for toy makers.

Mattel’s fourth-quarter performance fell far short of Wall Street’s expectations when the toy maker provided preliminary results Monday, the same time it announced the departure of CEO Bryan Stockton.

Stockton became CEO in January 2012 and then was named chairman a year later. A former Kraft Foods executive, he served as a Mattel’s chief operating officer before becoming CEO. Sinclair has served as a Mattel Inc. director since 1996.

For the fourth quarter, Mattel posted an adjusted profit of 52 cents per share on revenue of $1.99 billion. That was below the 83 cents per share on revenue of $2.07 billion that analysts polled by FactSet predicted.

Drew Crum of Stifel Nicolaus said in a client note that not all was bad for Mattel in the fourth quarter, as it significantly lowered retail inventory in domestic markets and reported better-than-expected revenue from Mega Brands.

But the analyst kept a “Hold” rating, saying he is waiting for evidence of improvement in its core brands.

Mattel’s full-year adjusted profit was $1.48 per share on revenue of $6.02 billion.

The difficulties Mattel is facing are not new for those in the toy sector, though, according to Chris Byrne, content director for TTPM, a consumer website that offers reviews, videos and live price updates for toys, baby gear and other items.

“The toy industry is, always has been and always will be product/hit driven. Kids don’t care who makes the toy they want,” he said.

Byrne said that toy companies need to be able to create and market individual products that appeal to children, whether or not they fit into a particular brand.

Byrne said that Mattel’s Monster High and Ever After High products had strong holiday seasons, and initial sales of Barbie in Princess Power toys are doing well ahead of the release of the home video they are tied to.

Byrne said Mattel may be up against a difficult movie slate in 2015, as many of the new features scheduled to come out — such as “Jurassic World” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” — are not titles for which it has product licenses. But Mattel does have a small “Star Wars” license, Byrne said, which should help when “Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens” hits theaters.

The company’s stock rose 10 cents to $27 in midday trading.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The pilots of a helium-filled balloon flying across the Pacific Ocean surpassed a duration record Friday by spending more than 138 hours in the air, marking a historic day for the team that already has eclipsed a distance milestone as they approach North America.

Pilots Troy Bradley of Albuquerque and Leonid Tiukhtyaev of Russia were headed south along the California coast when they surpassed the duration record of 137 hours, 5 minutes and 50 seconds aloft in a traditional gas balloon.

The pair launched from Saga, Japan, shortly before 6:30 a.m. Sunday Japan time, eclipsed the distance record of 5,209 miles Thursday and are expected to land in Mexico early Saturday.

The duration milestone is considered the “holy grail” of ballooning. It was set in 1978 when Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman made the first trans-Atlantic balloon flight.

To establish a record, international aviation rules required Bradley and Tiukhtyaev to stay aloft 1 percent longer than the current record. The distance and time still have to be confirmed by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, a process that can take weeks or even months.

When the duration mark was reached, mission control team members cheered and held up their smartphones to document the moment, much as they did Thursday when the distance record was bested.

Mission control director Steve Shope said the focus is getting the balloon the rest of the way across the Pacific to a safe landing. No one has crossed the Pacific in a gas balloon since 1981.

“Maybe later when they get down on the ground, I can look back and say this is a great accomplishment, but right now we have a big job ahead of us to get this balloon down,” Shope said.

The plan is for the balloon to continue south toward Baja California, Mexico, where the pilots plan to skim the water Saturday before touching down on the beach. Once the pilots reach the sand, they would have traveled an estimated 6,835 miles.

A chase crew of volunteers and members of the mission were en route Friday.

The team originally planned to cross into North America in Canada but shifted the plans because of changing weather. They are now catching a wind pattern that will take them south.

The shift was tough on the pilots, who have been on oxygen for days and in high altitude that can take a physical toll, Shope said.

“It’s a pretty sophisticated dance up there,” said Ray Bair, a member of the mission control team.

The balloon is outfitted with an array of monitors and other instruments that are tracking its course and compiling data to be submitted to the record-keepers. With a massive, helium-filled envelope and a specially-designed carbon fiber-composite capsule, it was designed to stay aloft for up to 10 days, but the loss of gas and ballast has shortened that time by a couple of days.

BOSTON (AP) — Boston continued to dig out from a historic storm that dumped over two feet of snow this week on Thursday, even as forecasters predict more snow on the way for Massachusetts and parts of southern New England in the coming days.

In the city’s Charlestown neighborhood Thursday morning, Richard and Laura Cranford shrugged at the prospect of more snow as they strolled arm-in-arm along a mostly cleared sidewalk by the Bunker Hill monument, a towering obelisk that marks a famous Revolutionary War battle.

“There’s not much you can do about it,” said Richard Cranford. “But we’ll get along okay here, like we always do.”

Across the historic neighborhood, where Paul Revere began his famous midnight ride, hundreds of improvised markers — beach chairs, stepping stools, water jugs, milk crates and parking cones — had been deployed by residents to reserve freshly shoveled parking spaces, a time-honored Boston tradition.

At the Bunker Hill monument, young children took advantage of another day without school to go sledding down short, gentle slopes.

Down the road, Farrell Dolan was shoveling out a parking space near a corner piled high with snow.

He credited city workers with making most roads easily passable but hoped they would return soon to clear snow mounds — some of which are well taller than parked cars — from corners.

The once-fluffy mounds of snow were also becoming heavier and more compact with time, Dolan said.

“It comes down to where do you put it?” he said. “It’s the biggest challenge for anyone shoveling snow now.”

Boston, like many other Massachusetts communities, cancelled school for a third consecutive day on Thursday as city workers struggled to clear sidewalks and corners.

Derek Maher, a Pembroke resident working in the neighborhood, said he’d be fine with schools simply cancelling classes for the rest of the week.

“Why send them back for one day?” he said. “You got to spend all that money to heat that place and get people in, why not just give them the day off?”

Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday urged those than can to remain at home as communities prepare for a storm that forecasters expect to begin late Thursday night and continue into Saturday morning, bringing mostly light to moderate snowfall.

The National Weather Service says it’s also monitoring another possible storm late Sunday into Monday.

FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) – The judge overseeing former New England Patriots standout Aaron Hernandez’s murder trial says jurors can watch this weekend’s Super Bowl but must be vigilant for any mention of him.

Bristol County Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh gave jurors instructions Friday before dismissing them for the weekend. The Patriots are taking on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Hernandez caught quarterback Tom Brady’s last Super Bowl touchdown pass in the Patriots’ 2012 loss to the New York Giants.

Garsh says if jurors watch the game, they must take precautions to avoid being exposed to information about Hernandez.

Hernandez is charged in the 2013 shooting death of semipro football player Odin Lloyd. Opening statements in the trial began Thursday.

Hernandez had a $40 million contract with the Patriots when he was arrested.

BRILLION – Ariens will lay off ten workers permanently and shut down its plant for two weeks next month due to slow snow thrower sales.

The layoffs affect salaried employees in the operations department, primarily at corporate offices in Brillion, according to spokesperson Ann Stilp.

“Ariens has experienced significant growth over the last several years and this change is a course correction to balance that growth against the unpredictable weather impact that drives the outdoor power equipment business, especially the snowthrower business,” she said.

The company will also be taking a plant shutdown for 14 days in February for maintenance. The shutdown is directly related to a high level of inventory built up in the snow thrower retail channel due to the lack of snow this year.

Workers may take vacation or file for unemployment during that time. The company is covering employee medical, dental and vision contributions during the shutdown so they wont have “catch up” deductions when they return, she said.

WAUPACA – A suspect in at least three armed robberies this week was arrested after police tracked him through the snow from a truck stop to a nearby hotel Friday morning, according to Waupaca County Sheriff Brad Hardel.

The 41-year-old Fremont man is a suspect in an armed robbery Wednesday in Waupaca, Thursday night in Mukwa, and Friday morning in Waupaca.

In all three cases, a masked man showed a gun, obtained cash, and ran from the scene, Hardel said.

The suspect is expected in court Monday.

WHITEWATER, Wis. (AP) – The search for a head football coach to lead the six-time national champion University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is over.

Defensive assistant coach Kevin Bullis will inherit the football dynasty, along with great expectations. The Division III Whitewater has the nation’s longest winning streak (32 games) to go with its six national titles in the last eight seasons.

Bullis has served as interim head coach for the Warhawks. He becomes the 21st head coach in the 121-year history of UW-Whitewater football.

He replaces Lance Leipold, who left to take the same position at Buffalo after beating Mount Union in the NCAA Division III title game last month. He finished a remarkable eight-year run with a 109-6 record.

DE PERE – An executive with the Milwaukee Brewers organization – who also happens to own one of Wisconsin’s most famous furry faces – will be the featured speaker at St. Norbert College’s graduation ceremony.

Marti Wronski is a 1994 graduate of the college. The Neenah native went on to ear a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. She has worked for the Brewers since 2003, spending the last nine years as the team’s vice president and general counsel.

Wronski is a member of the college’s board of trustees and has been active in charitable organizations, including as a driving force behind the Miracle League of Milwaukee, a baseball program for children with disabilities.

Milwaukee Brewers mascot Hank meets with a young fan at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, June 1, 2014. (WLUK/Gabrielle Mays)

In 2014, Wronski and her family adopted a dog named Hank, a Brewers mascot. The dog became a hit with fans after showing up to the team’s spring training facility in Arizona. The Brewers brought Hank with them to Wisconsin last spring.

St. Norbert’s commencement ceremony is set for 1:30 p.m. May 17 at the Schuldes Sports Center on campus.

The college also plans to give Wronski its President’s Medal.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Reliever Neal Cotts and the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract.

The 34-year-old left-hander was 2-9 with a 4.32 ERA and two saves in a career-high 73 relief appearances for Texas last season, a year after going 8-3 with a 1.11 ERA in 58 games with the Rangers. Cotts has held opponents to a .223 average during the past two seasons with 128 strikeouts in 123 2-3 innings.

Cotts is 20-24 with a 4.05 ERA and four saves in 410 relief appearances and five starts for the White Sox (2003-06), Cubs (2007-09) and Texas. He appeared in all four games of the 2005 World Series and got the win in Game 2 against Houston.

He had Tommy John surgery in July 2009, did not pitch in 2010 and ’11 because of arm and hip injuries, then spent 2012 in the Rangers’ minor league system. He made his debut for Texas on May 31, 2013, his first big league appearance since May 25, 2009.

To make room for Cotts on the 40-man roster, infielder/outfielder Elian Herrera was designated for assignment Friday.