Green Bay News

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – The ex-girlfriend of George Zimmerman gave a sworn statement in which she said she didn’t want any charges to be filed in the aggravated assault investigation that started when she told police officers he threw a wine bottle at her.

Brittany Brunelle said in the document, made public Friday, that she was under no pressure and had been offered no money to make the statement.

Officials had not previously identified Brunelle.

Prosecutors said Friday that Brunelle’s refusal to cooperate contributed to their decision not to file a formal charge in the case. Beyond her name and statement, prosecutors didn’t release any other details about her.

It was the latest run-in with authorities for Zimmerman since his 2013 acquittal in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin. The killing of the unarmed black teen touched off protests across the country.

ASHWAUBENON – A road passing beneath Hwy. 41 is set to reopen Friday night.

The Department of Transportation says Parkview Rd. will reopen. It has been closed while crews rebuilt the Hwy. 41 bridge over the road.

The DOT says Parkview Rd. will need to be closed overnight sometimes during the spring as more construction goes on.

WASHINGTON (AP) – After a three-week flirtation with a new campaign for the White House, Mitt Romney announced Friday that he will not seek the presidency in 2016.

“After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, I’ve decided it is best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity to become our next nominee,” Romney told supporters on a conference call.

Romney’s exit comes after several of his former major donors and a veteran staffer in the early voting state of Iowa defected to support former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would have served as Romney’s most likely rivals for the support of the Republican Party’s establishment-minded voters.

In his call with supporters, Romney appeared to take a swipe at Bush, saying it was time for fresh leadership within the GOP.

“I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders, one who may not be as well-known as I am today, one who has not yet taken their message across the country, one who is just getting started, may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee,” Romney said. “In fact, I expect and hope that to be the case.”

The former governor of Massachusetts, who is 67, had jumped back into the presidential discussion on Jan. 10, when he surprised a small group of former donors at a meeting in New York by telling them he was eyeing a third run for the White House.

It was a monumental change for Romney, who since losing the 2012 election to President Barack Obama had repeatedly told all who asked that his career in politics was over and he would not again run for president.

On Friday, Romney said he had been asked if there were any circumstance under which he would again reconsider. That, he said, “seems unlikely.”

“Accordingly, I’m not organizing a PAC or taking donations,” he said. “I’m not hiring a campaign team.”

The exit of Romney from the campaign most immediately helps those viewed as part of the party’s establishment wing, including Bush, Christie, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

The more conservative side of the field is largely unchanged, with a group of candidates that will likely include Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee

In the three weeks since the meeting in New York, which caught several in attendance off-guard, Romney made calls to former fundraisers, staff members and supporters, and gave three public speeches in which he outlined his potential vision for another campaign.

“I’m thinking about how I can help the country,” he told hundreds of students Wednesday night at Mississippi State University.

In that speech, and what amounted to a campaign stop a few hours before at a barbecue restaurant with Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen in tow, Romney sounded every bit like a politician preparing to run.

“We need to restore opportunity, particularly for the middle class,” Romney said then. “You deserve a job that can repay all you’ve spent and borrowed to go to college.”

But as Romney sounded out his former team about putting together a new national campaign, he discovered that several of his past fundraisers had already made plans for 2016 and were now committed to Bush.

Several key former Romney donors told The Associated Press this week that in Bush they see someone who can successfully serve as president, as they believe Romney could. But they also think Bush has the personality and senior staff needed to win the White House, something the former Massachusetts governor could not bring together in his two previous presidential campaigns.

“I’ve got great respect for Gov. Romney, and I busted my buns for him,” said Chicago investor Craig Duchossois, whose wife contributed $250,000 to a pro-Romney super PAC while he collected tens of thousands more for Romney’s last campaign. “But I have turned the page.”

Romney also lost one of his most trusted political advisers on Thursday when David Kochel joined Bush’s team. Kochel, who led Romney’s campaign in Iowa in 2008 and 2012, is in now line to play a senior role in Bush’s campaign should he run.

Romney’s decision against running clearly pained him, and he took no questions from supporters on Friday’s call.

“You can’t imagine how hard it is for Ann and me to step aside, especially knowing of your support and the support of so many people across the country,” Romney said. “But we believe it is for the best of the party and the nation.”

WASHINGTON (AP) – Shifting his focus to Washington, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is expanding his political operation as he fights for early momentum in the increasingly crowded field of GOP White House prospects.

The two-term Republican governor will address a Washington audience for the first time this year on Friday afternoon, his only speaking engagement in a day packed with private meetings and job interviews related to a possible 2016 bid. Earlier this week, Walker announced the formation a nonprofit group, Our American Revival, designed to raise unlimited amounts of money to boost his political ambitions.

While he has yet to formally announce his intentions, Walker becomes the latest in a group of high-profile Republicans taking significant steps toward launching a presidential campaign. He is less known than some of his potential competitors – former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, among others – but Republican officials report rising interest in Walker’s political future following a weekend appearance at a political forum in Iowa.

“There’s a lot of admiration for Walker, but the skepticism was whether he had the charisma to excite people,” said Fred Malek, the Republican Governors Association’s chief fundraiser, who will host Walker at his home Friday night after spending most of the day with him. “He certainly demonstrated in Iowa that he did.”

Walker gets another chance to showcase his political skills at the midday speech Friday. Most of his business in Washington, however, will be take place behind closed doors.

While he’ll end his day as Malek’s guest at the exclusive Alfalfa Club dinner, aides say Walker will begin his day at a breakfast meeting with South Carolina state Rep. Phyllis Henderson, who recently organized a private South Carolina meet-and-greet for Christie.

Walker is also expected to sit down with two potential policy staffers – one focused on domestic issues and the other on foreign matters – who may join his campaign in waiting. Aides report that Walker has already hired a national finance director and plans to announce the hiring of a national communications director next week, but the aides refused to name them.

At the same time, Walker is finishing plans to visit early voting states beyond Iowa, including New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

Despite the aggressive steps, Walker isn’t expected to join the Republican presidential race formally until after his state budget is finalized around June. Walker this week said voters want the next president to be someone who hasn’t served in Washington, a fresh face with a proven record. He said he’s seriously considering a run for president because he sees gaps in the field of likely Republican candidates.

“He’s the kind of person who can bring the party together,” said Malek, who has yet to pick his 2016 favorite. “I’m an admirer.”

WOODSTOCK, Ill. (AP) – The Chicago suburb where Harold Ramis filmed the movie “Groundhog Day” plans to honor the late director.

WNIJ radio reports that an auditorium at a movie theater in Woodstock will be named after Ramis on Saturday during the annual Woodstock Groundhog Days festival.

Rick Bellairs is on the Woodstock Groundhog Days Committee. He says the suburb’s town square is recognizable around the world because of Ramis. He says Ramis a “gracious and genuine guy.”

The 1993 movie starred Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. Ramis died last year at age 69 at his suburban Chicago home after suffering from an autoimmune disease.

WISCONSIN RAPIDS (AP) – Wisconsin’s school districts buy plenty of local fruits and vegetables for their lunchrooms, according to federal agriculture officials.

But a survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed the districts could do better in purchasing dairy products from local farmers. Thirty-two percent of schools involved in the Farm to School program are buying milk from local sources, and 22 percent of schools are purchasing other dairy products, such as cheese, locally.

Farm to School is a national program that aims to bring locally sourced foods into school cafeterias, while also educating students about the origins of their sustenance.

The USDA census shows 59 percent of 315 Wisconsin school districts that responded to a survey are involved in the Farm to School program. Eighty percent are buying local fruits and vegetables for their students.

The state’s schools have “hit it out of the ballpark” with the amount of locally sourced fruits and vegetables they provide for their students, said Deborah Kane, the national director of the USDA program.

“Schools probably got started by bringing fruits and vegetables into their salad bars or into their lunches, but it’s probably time for Wisconsin to go a little further,” Kane said.

The dairy industry is an important component of Wisconsin’s economy. Wisconsin produced 27.6 billion pounds of milk and 2.9 billion pounds of cheese in 2013, the Daily Tribune Media reported, citing figures from the state Department of Agriculture.

Kane, who spoke Thursday at the Wisconsin Farm to School Summit, said the cafeteria should be an extension of the school’s education, not just a place where students rush through.

“What if the kinds of foods that the kids are eating in the cafeteria are then used in science class or discussed in math class?” Kane said, adding, “What if school lunch looked, and felt a little more like, family meal time?”

MADISON (AP) – Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says he has the votes to pass a right-to-work bill in Wisconsin this session.

Fitzgerald made the comments Friday in an interview on WTMJ radio in Milwaukee.

A right-to-work law prohibits private-sector employers from forcing workers to pay union dues or join a union as a condition of employment.

Fitzgerald previously said he wanted to take up the issue early in the session, but now he is saying he wants to wait until after the April 7 spring election when Republicans will gain one seat to increase their majority to 19-14.

No Democrats are running for an open seat that will be filled in that election.

Gov. Scott Walker supports right-to-work, but has said debating it now would be a distraction.

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (AP) – The body of a missing La Crosse man has been found on the banks of the Wisconsin River.

Wisconsin Dells police say a kayaker found the man’s body Thursday afternoon under a rocky cliff near the Kilbourn dam. Authorities say injuries to John Dwyer’s body appear to be consistent with a fall.

The 23-year-old Dwyer was last seen in the Wisconsin Dells area early Sunday morning. Family members say Dwyer was in the Dells Saturday to attend several birthday celebrations.

JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) – Mitt Romney is scheduled to return to Wisconsin this spring, possibly again as a Republican candidate for president.

The business group Forward Janesville says Romney will keynote its annual dinner on April 7 in Janesville, hometown of his former running mate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan. The last time Romney was in Janesville was June of 2012. Two months later he named Ryan as his running mate.

Romney is in a group of high-profile Republicans considering a presidential run, including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Romney also ran unsuccessfully in 2008.

Speaking in Mississippi Thursday, Romney said he felt confident that “the great days of America have not ended; they’re ahead with the right kind of leadership.”

GREEN BAY- Wayne Sargent joined Good Day Wisconsin to share some of his ultimate recipes.

Wayne calls himself “The Ultimate Packer Fan“.

Wayne was recently on the Rachael Ray show sharing some recipes.

Here are his recipes.

The “Ultimate Marinade”

1 cup of water
1/4 cup of oil
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of sugar
2 cloves of diced garlic
4 tsp. of dry onion

In a bowl large enough to add the desired amount of meat mix all of the ingredients together and place the meat into the bowl stirring the marinade over the meat and cover for at least an hour. (longer for a stronger flavor).

Remove the marinated meat from the bowl and place on a hot grill or in a hot skillet. Flash cook the meat and place on a butter toasted bun. Cover the meat with your favorite toppings. I suggest grilled green peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheese. Or just enjoy the sandwich as it is fresh off the grill.

“The Ultimate Bratwurst”

1 12 or 16 oz. bottle of beer, (*depending on the pot size)
2 medium to large yellow onions, sliced
Worcestershire sauce, *2-4 tablespoons
Red wine vinegar, *3-6 tablespoons
Black pepper, enough to cover the pot surface
Choose a pot large enough to fit the quantity of Brats you’re cooking
Fill the pot about ½ full with water or for more flavor use Beef Broth
Bring to a boil and then add the aforementioned ingredient’s
Gently place the Brat’s into the pot of boiling water, ( be careful not to puncture them)
Bring to a gentle boil.

Directions:

After about 10 minutes from the boiling point carefully remove the Brat’s and place them on a grilling surface.
Cook turning frequently until slightly charred on both sides.
Place them in a warm bun with your favorite condiments and enjoy

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – State health officials say three more children have died from flu complications in Wisconsin, bringing the total number of pediatric deaths to five.

The latest report from the state Department of Health Services says this flu season is second only to 2009 when the swine flu caused the deaths of six children.

In the U.S. this season, Wisconsin is behind only Texas with seven pediatric deaths.

There have been 56 pediatric flu deaths across the country so far this season. This year’s flu vaccine has not proven to be a good match for the predominant flu strain, H3N2.

But, public health officials have stressed the importance of getting vaccinated anyway.

GREEN BAY- This is the first time in 20 years in Green Bay that we didn’t have a 6″ or greater snowstorm in November through January.

The most snow Green Bay has seen in a single day this season is 3.1″.

The most snow from a single storm is 3.8″.

The season Green Bay snowfall is running 9″ below normal.

Click on the video for more facts.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Authorities are investigating reports of beheaded chickens and roosters found in Milwaukee County parks.

Milwaukee County Sheriff’s deputies say a headless chicken was found near tea candles at Grant Park in south Milwaukee. WITI-TV reports another chicken was found with its head cut off last week at Bender Park in Oak Creek.

Investigators believe whoever is chopping the heads off of fowl may be conducting some kind of a sacrificial ritual.

DENMARK – With flu season in full swing, there are certain herbs and foods you’ll want to incorporate into your diet to stay healthy this winter.

The Bridge Between Retreat Center is hosting a program that will feature different ways to incorporate herbs in a diet without supplements. It will also include information on immune boosting foods that would be ideal to include in a diet, especially for winter.

The event takes place on Feb. 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pre-registration is required. The suggested donation is $40, which includes the lunch provided.

FOX 11’s Pauleen Le spent the morning checking out the event.

For more information on the event and how to register, click here.

RECIPIES:

Basic Steam Inhalation

Ingredients

4 cups of water Herbs of choice: thyme, rosemary, sage, etc. Large towel

Directions

• In a large heat proof glass or ceramic bowl, add a generous handful of your herb/s of choice.
• Pour the boiling water over the herbs, place face above bowl, and quickly throw towel over head. Use caution: start high above bowl to avoid burning face. 
• Inhale the steam for approximately 10 minutes or more.

Immune Boosting Herbal Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Ingredients

4 frozen bananas 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree 2-4 Tbsp. maple syrup (For extra immune boosting properties you can substitute raw unfiltered honey, though I truly prefer the maple syrup flavor to complement pumpkin pie) 1-2 cups of coconut milk, to reach your desired consistency 1 Tbsp. coconut oil (increases omega 3′s and fatty acids in your diet) 1 tsp. fresh ginger root (or ½ tsp. dried powdered) 1 tsp. fresh turmeric root (or ½ tsp. dried powdered) 1 tsp. cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp. cloves powder 1/2 tsp. nutmeg powder 1 tsp. echinacea powder (you can substitute astragalus root powder here too) 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

• In a blender, combine 1 cup coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk) and all of the other ingredients.
• Blend until smooth, adding more coconut milk as needed, to reach your desired consistency.
• Drink up and enjoy!

This smoothie is full of immune boosting properties! The requisite pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves) all have antiseptic and antibacterial properties, making them perfect for this smoothie. Turmeric  is well a known spicy herb used to help with digestion and immune support.

FROM: The Herbal Academy of New England,

http://herbalacademyofne.com/2014/10/immune-boosting-herbal-pumpkin-pie-smoothie/

Medicinal Curry Blend

Ingredients

1 ounce coriander seed

1 ounce cumin seed

1 ounce turmeric root

½ ounce black mustard seed

½ ounce chile pepper

½ ounce fennel seed

½ ounce ginger root

Grind herbs into a powder. Combine with a small amount of oil (1/4 cup for every 2-3tsp of herbs) in a saucepan and warm over low heat for a few minutes, until the herbs are fragrant. Use as is, or add coconut milk to make a paste. Store refrigerated for several weeks.

To treat a cold or respiratory problem, and 1 tsp to cup of miso soup or chicken broth. You can also put on vegetables or mix with oil and vinegar as a salad dressing – or use in any traditional curry dish!

Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs

Sage Tea

Well known cold and flu fighter with astringent, antiseptic and relaxing action on mucous membranes, it’s great for inflammation of the mouth, throat and tonsils.

15grams of sage leaf per cup of hot water

NOTE: Should not be used by nursing mothers, as sage can decrease the flow of breastmilk.

Sage Mouth and Throat Spray

2-3 TBS dried or fresh sage leaves

¼ cup brandy or vodka

1-2 drops peppermint essential oil

1 TBS honey (optional)

Pour 1cup boiling water over the sage, cover and steep for 30 minutes, strain. Drink ¼ cup. Combine the remaining ¾ cup with the alcohol, essential oil and honey, if desired. Store in bottle with a spray top. Spray directly in your mouth as needed.

Master Tonic

Ingredients

• ½ cup peeled and shredded/diced ginger root
• ½ cup peeled and shredded/diced horseradish root
• ½ cup peeled and diced turmeric OR 1/4 cup additional ginger and 1/4 cup additional horseradish
• ½ cup white onion, chopped
• ¼ cup minced or crushed garlic cloves
• 2 TBS powdered tumeric
• 2 organic jalapeno peppers, chopped
• Zest and juice from 2 organic lemons
• Raw apple cider vinegar
• Raw, organic honey to taste
• Several sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme (optional)

Instructions

• Add the ginger, horseradish, onion, garlic, jalapeno and lemon juice/zest to a quart-sized jar. Pack them down lightly so that the jar is about 3/4 full. Use a fermenting weight to hold down the veggies/roots, or place heavy roots at the top so that they will weigh down the herbs and jalapenos (which float). Pour a generous amount apple cider vinegar over the roots/vegetables. You want everything to stay under the liquid to prevent spoilage. Keep in mind that some of the roots will expand a little so top it off well.
• If you’re using a metal lid, line it with wax paper so that the vinegar doesn’t corrode it, then put the lid on. Place in a dark, room temperature cabinet for 2-4 weeks. (A month is best)
• When the cider is ready, shake well and then strain the roots/veggies using a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve. Add honey to taste and store in the fridge.

Take 1-2TBS at first sign of cold or flu, and continue every 2-3 hours until symptoms subside.

Adapted from Rosemary Gladstar, Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health

Pickled Garlic

Fill a jar with whole, peeled garlic cloves. Add enough tamari or unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to cover the garlic. Place in a warm spot and let sit for one month.

Strain off liquid. Place half in a pan and add an equal amount of honey. Warm over very low heat, stirring, until honey is completely mixed into the tamari or vinegar. Pour this back over the garlic, recap and let sit another month. Store in a cool, dark location.

Eat any way you like – on salads, with cheeses, meats – without the fear of stomach distress some people associate with garlic.

Healthy Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• One white onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• Coconut oil
• Homemade chicken stock, from an organic free-range chicken
• 1 piece of Astralagus root

• 1-2 minced or crushed garlic cloves

• 1 inch piece, peeled and shredded/diced ginger root
• Mushrooms
• Broccoli
• Spinach

Cook onion and celery with ginger and garlic in enough coconut oil to keep vegetables from sticking to pot, simmer for 1-2 minutes until onion is translucent. Add chicken stock, astralagus root, mushrooms and broccoli. Simmer 5-6 minutes, then add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes. Do not eat the Astralagus root – leave in pot, and then toss when soup is all gone!

NEW LONDON- Officials say a man showed a handgun overnight at a gas station in New London.

The Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department says it happened around 10:30 p.m. Thursday at the Northport BP on Highway 54.

Officials say the man made the clerk empty out a cash register. He then left the store.

The suspect is described as a man, in his 20s, about five feet, six inches tall weighing 175 pounds.

He was wearing dark colored pants, a black hoodie, a red face mask and a stocking hat.

GREEN BAY- Colder will be the weather story of the day.

Friday’s high will be near 18 but we’ll see some sunshine as an area of high pressure builds into the region.

A fast-moving storm system will pass to the north Friday night and bring a few snow showers Saturday morning but little or no accumulation.

Saturday will be mostly cloudy and a touch warmer with the storm system passing by, highs will be near 28.

Colder air pushes in on Sunday and a storm to our south may bring light snow for us but we’ll be on the fringe of this system so little accumulation is expected.

Highs on Sunday will only reach 10 degrees (Normal high is 25).

CHICAGO (AP) – While the gladiators of the NFL are clashing in Phoenix at the Super Bowl, the titans of food will be fighting for supremacy at spreads across the country.

Many parties will have chicken wings and pizza. But NPD Group, an independent market research firm that tracks Americans’ eating habits, says vegetables top the list of most popular foods eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.

Harry Balzer, chief food industry analyst for NPD, says vegetables have been tops for 30 years.

While baby carrots and veggie trays lead the pack, retailers selling salty snacks, alcohol, wings and pizza also see a sharp spike in sales.

Nationally, Pizza Hut alone will have 60,000 drivers delivering 2 million pies. Spokesman Doug Terfehr says that just before kickoff, the chain expects 1,700 orders per minute.

The Green Bay women’s basketball team stayed perfect in Horizon League play defeating Valparaiso 67-52 on the road Thursday night

With the victory, the Phoenix improve to 16-3 overall and 6-0 in conference. Six different players scored at least eight points for Green Bay, including a career-high 13 points from freshman Jessica Lindstrom. Veterans Mehryn Kraker and Megan Lukan chipped in with 10 points apiece.

The Phoenix wrap up their four-game road trip Saturday night at UIC, tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

NEENAH — Neenah has been one of the top boys basketball teams in the state the last three years and a big reason is 6 foot 10 center Matt Heldt.

However, there was a time when Heldt and Neenah weren’t on the same side.

As a freshman, Heldt played for Appleton West, but after his first year with the Terrors, Heldt decided he needed a change. He transferred to Neenah and changed the fortunes of two teams for the next three seasons.

Neenah coach Scott Bork has reaped the benefit of having Heldt, who will play next season at Marquette. He knows a player with Heldt’s presence changes the game.

“It’s a different look than what somebody sees in practice, having to finish over that kind of size,” Bork said. “On the offensive end it changes the way you play the game. You get to play it from the inside-out and that’s much more preferable than it is just shooting the three.”

Heldt’s reasoning for leaving West was simple.

“After playing a year in the FVA, I looked at which teams were sort of young and which team I’d fit well with and I knew Neenah played well as a team,” he said. “I was like, it would be best in my interest to go to Neenah.”

A player of Heldt’s potential transferring is big news, especially when he stays in conference. However, he said nobody every persuaded him to go anywhere; he basically did his own research and came to a decision.

No other schools really knew until I opened enrolled and got accepted and we started telling people,” he said. “I wasn’t recruited or anything, I did all the research on my own.”

Heldt’s move is a big reason why the Rockets have been a player in the postseason the previous two seasons. Last year, he led the Rockets to the Division 1 state title game, where Neenah fell to Germantown.

Heldt’s game is not a finished product yet, but he obviously has enough to be a problem for any defense. His length overwhelms smaller players inside and he’s capable of stepping outside and burying jumpers.

Defensively, it’s never easy to shoot over a 6-10 player.

For the season, Heldt is second in the FVA, averaging 17.6 points per game and leads the conference with 9.3 rebounds per game.

Bork was asked what it would be like if Heldt never transferred.

“We would’ve been way more guard focused,” Bork said. “I guess I’d prefer not to think about it. We’re happy the way it is.”

Everybody in Neenah is happy and Heldt hopes to lead the Rockets back to the state title game this season, only this time getting a win. But whatever happens, he has no regrets.

“I will just always remember that Neenah is the right place for me,” Heldt said. “There’s a lot of ‘what-ifs’ around everything, every decision we make.”

For Heldt and the Rockets, the right decision was made.

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

APPLETON – Some parents in Appleton are worried about how a new roundabout could impact their children’s safety. The city plans to add a roundabout in front of Richmond Elementary next year.

Parents like Karen Ruel say the three way stop that’s currently at John Street by Richmond Elementary is safe. Ruel told us a roundabout is unpredictable.

“We’re concerned about the safety of our kids crossing that street and there are a lot of kids that cross at that corner,” she said.

“The idea that cars need to stop is better than the idea that a car has to remember to stop when it sees a pedestrian,” added school principal Jack Knaack.

The roundabout plan will widen the road considerably, taking away part of Mead Park and some of the school’s parking spaces.

Appleton Public Works Director Paula Vandehey told us the intersection needs to be updated to accommodate more traffic over the next few decades. She explained a roundabout is the safest choice, including for pedestrians.

“First you only have to look at traffic in one direction, then you get to the splitter island and you look at the traffic from the other direction,’ said Vandehey.

She told FOX 11 it’s also the safest choice for drivers.

“As cars are coming into the roundabout they come to the pedestrian crossing. So they get to look for pedestrians, make that decision before they move into the intersection,” explained Vandehey.

The city plans to educate students on navigating roundabouts, one piece of that is having students fill out a roundabout-related activity book.

“And before we’d open it to traffic we’d have a Richmod day at the roundabout where we’d have kids practice walking it and biking it,” said Vandehey.

“Try to, you know, make sure that kids are ready,” added Knaack.

But Ruel and other parents aren’t convinced. They want to stop the roundabout before it starts.

“Trying to get enough people, enough signatures to go back to the city to ask them to reconsider that vote,” Ruel explained.

If that doesn’t work, Ruel told us parents will ask the city for some extra safety measures in the roundabout.

“An actual stop signal in the roundabout, which is triggered by the crosswalk,” said Ruel explaining one example that could help little ones make it to and from school safely.

Ruel said parents would also ask for education on using the roundabout for students every year for five years, instead of just the first year it goes in.

Richmond’s principal told us a crossing guard would be there during school hours. However, parents worry about children crossing in the summer to get to the park and Mead swimming pool.