Green Bay News

Valentine’s Day treats at Seroogy’s Chocolates

Tue, 01/27/2015 - 5:08am

DE PERE – Valentine’s Day is less than a few weeks away but Seroogy’s Chocolates in De Pere started preparing for the holiday after Christmas.

FOX 11’s Pauleen Le spent the morning checking out sweet treats for the most romantic day of the year.

For more information on Seroogy’s Chocolates, click here.

1.3″ of snow reported in Green Bay

Tue, 01/27/2015 - 4:22am

GREEN BAY- The roads will be slick this morning.

Most of the area got between 1 and 2 inches of snow.

1.3 inches of snow fell in Green Bay.

We’ll have quiet weather the next few days with a warm up through Thursday.

Expect cloudy skies Tuesday morning to become partly sunny this afternoon and a high near 28.

Winds will be out of the northeast at 5 to 10 mph.

Andy and Derek Doro Memorial Fund

Tue, 01/27/2015 - 3:38am

The GoFundMe.com page established in honor of Andrew and Derek Doro.

Facebook suffers outage affecting users worldwide

Tue, 01/27/2015 - 1:13am

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Facebook suffered a widespread outage lasting roughly 40 minutes on Tuesday affecting users in the United States, Asia, the United Kingdom and Australia.

The social media giant’s Instagram service was also briefly inaccessible.

Instagram said on its Twitter account that it was aware of an outage and was working on a fix. There was no immediate statement from Facebook.

Facebook has about 1.25 billion users and Instagram has about 300 million.

News of the Facebook outage set rival social network Twitter alight.

 

Patriots owner makes strong defense of team

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 9:42pm

CHANDLER, Ariz. — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft demanded an apology from the league once the Patriots are found to be not guilty of breaking any rules regarding using under-inflated footballs in the AFC championship game.

A conclusion Kraft is certain will occur.

In an unscheduled statement, Kraft strongly defended his team’s actions and integrity Monday night.

“I believe unconditionally that the New England Patriots did nothing wrong in this process that was in violation of NFL rules,” Kraft said at the team’s first media availability in Arizona.

“If the (Ted) Wells investigation is not able to definitively determine that our organization tampered with the air pressure in the footballs, I would expect and hope the league would apologize to our entire team, and in particular to coach (Bill) Belichick and Tom Brady, for what they’ve had to endure this week,” Kraft added, at times sounding angry.

“I’m disappointed in the way this entire matter has been handled and reported upon. We expect hard facts rather than circumstantial leaked evidence to drive the conclusion of this investigation.”

The NFL has said evidence shows the Patriots used underinflated footballs during the first half of the AFC title game victory over Indianapolis. The league is still determining why the balls were underinflated.

NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash and Ted Wells of the law firm of Paul Weiss are leading the probe. Wells was the investigator in the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal and has said the current investigation could last a while.

Belichick and Brady followed Kraft to the podium, but basically left any comments on the investigation to their boss.

When asked if he was upset by the accusations and jokes of which he was the subject, Brady said: “I’ve moved past those initial feelings and I want to move forward.”

But moving away from the deflated footballs theme will be particularly difficult on Tuesday, which is media day, when just about any question has been fair game in the past.

So Kraft came out swinging before then with a speech tinged with emotion – and fire.

“Tom, Bill and I have been together for 15 years. They are my guys,” said Kraft, who has three Super Bowl titles and three other trips to the big game since 2001.

“They are part of my family. Bill, Tom and I have had many difficult discussions over the years. I’ve never known them to lie to me. That’s why I’m confident in saying what I just said.

“It bothers me greatly their reputations and integrity – and by association that of our team – has been called into question this week.”

This hardly is the first time the Patriots have been under such scrutiny. Most famously was 2007, their undefeated regular season. Revelations that New England videotaped New York Jets coaches’ signals during a game cost Belichick a $500,000 fine, and the team was fined $250,000 and stripped of its 2008 first-round draft choice by the NFL.

During this year’s playoffs, Ravens coach John Harbaugh accused the Patriots of being deceitful with some alignments on offense. The NFL exonerated Kraft’s team of any wrongdoing.

Now, Kraft has taken the offensive.

“I, and our entire organization,” he said, “believe strongly in the integrity of the game and the rules of fair play are properly, equitably and fairly enforced.”

Ice conditions on Lake Winnebago a day after a deadly accident

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 9:09pm

OSHKOSH – Ice expert Don Herman took us to the spot where a Jeep went into Lake Winnebago Sunday. You can see broken chunks of ice freezing back over.

“Tragic. It’s a freak accident. I mean it had to be at that spot. He was driving parallel with the crack and it just broke off like a trap door,” explained Herman the Owner of SUNK? Dive and Ice Service.

Herman told FOX 11 six hours before the accident he’d driven over the same spot. He said a crack formed right along a tree guideline thanks to a warm up and rapid cool down.

“It’s closed up a little bit, but there’s a crack,” Herman explained.

The crack runs about four miles off shore across the lake before turning north.

“It’s hard to mark something that’s running seven miles long,” said Herman.

According to Herman the ice is about 14 inches thick through most of the area.

He told us a big problem is this winter there’s barely any snow on the lake.

“When we have snow we plow the road and if a crack does happen we just move the road,” Herman explained.

That keeps people driving only in safe spots, this year people are going all over.

Tyler Zick told FOX 11 he’s taking precautions on the ice.

“We’re staying to the south of the tree line. I’m scared to go north up there, but we have 14 inches where we’re fishing,” he said.

Zick is also sticking with his four wheeler.

“I’m scared to take my truck,” he told us.

Zick and others said they’re playing it safe, but they’re also remembering the two people who lost their lives out here Sunday.

“Prayers to that family. It could happen to any of us. We’ve all had our moments,” said Zick.

Roger James and his mother Lori placed a bouquet and teddy bear on the shore in their honor.

“I know what it feels like losing people and family and that. So we just wanna come out here and show our support and show much much they mean to the world and us,” said James.

Wolves kill more dogs than normal this month

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 8:04pm

TOWN OF BREED – Wildlife experts say wolves have killed or seriously injured six dogs in the state this month, including two in Oconto County.

People in northern Oconto County might not see a lot of wolves, but they say they know there are plenty around.

“Well I hear them at night howling,” said Clarence Trepanier. “I haven’t seen any. Not this year yet. Last year I’ve seen a few running across the road.”

Trepanier lives in the Town of Breed. It’s where a wolf killed a two-year-old beagle while the dog was rabbit hunting Friday.

“You get concerned when animals are getting killed,” said Trepanier.

The most dogs killed or hurt by a wolf in one of the past four Januarys is three, which is half the amount the state this month.

“This spike in incidents doesn’t reflect any change necessarily in wolves numbers or wolf behavior,” said Jeff Pritzl, a DNR wildlife supervisor. “I think it’s more related to human activity.”

Pritzl’s reasoning is that the mild winter likely has more people out hunting coyotes, bobcats, and rabbits.

“That style of hunting, the dogs tend to range a pretty good distance away from the hunter, so there is a point of loss of contact and you’re out in pretty remote areas, so it just increases the chance the dogs and wolves cross paths,” said Pritzl.

Pritzl says the peak time for wolf related incidents is late summer and early fall. However, he says most of the activity is usually in the northwest part of the state.

“In Northeast Wisconsin you’ll count on one hand every year the number of contacts or conflicts we have,” said Pritzl.

“They don’t bother my dogs any or any other animals around the yard,” said Trepanier.

But just in case, Trepanier says he’ll keep his four-legged friends close to home

There has been a wolf harvest the past three years. However, late last year, the wolf was re-listed as an endangered species.

If you’re concerned about your pets and wolves, the DNR does track where wolves have killed dogs on its web site.

Woman accused of drowning puppy so she could board plane

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 7:53pm

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A Florida woman is suspected of drowning a 2-week-old puppy in a Nebraska airport bathroom so she could board a plane.

Grand Island Police Sgt. Stan Steele says 56-year-old Cynthia V. Anderson of Edgewater, Florida, was denied access to a flight Friday at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport because the puppy was so young and not properly contained. Steele says she tried to conceal the Doberman in her carry-on bag.

He tells The Grand Island Independent Anderson then was seen entering a bathroom before another woman reported finding a dead Doberman puppy in the toilet.

Steele says the Central Nebraska Humane Society conducted an autopsy. It determined the animal’s cause of death was drowning.

Anderson was arrested on animal abuse charges. She’s being held in the Hall County Jail.

 

Apartment fire in Appleton

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 7:47pm

APPLETON – No one was hurt in a multi-family apartment building fire in Appleton on Monday.

The Appleton Fire Department was dispatched to 37 Woodmere Court at 3:00 p.m.

A contractor working on the plumbing called 911. The contractor was soldering a pipe and the insulation in the interior wall of the second-floor apartment caught on fire.

When crews arrived they reported smoke coming from the roof and north side soffit and fascia of the building. Crews had to rip open the walls to extinguish the fire.

The Appleton Fire Department spent another hour removing insulation from the attic and walls to prevent the fire from spreading.

The resident of the apartment with the damage is displaced.

Crews estimate the damage to be around $15,000.

 

Falk announces Super Saturday event in Appleton

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 7:07pm

APPLETON – Time is running out for people to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Kathleen Falk, with the Department of Health and Human Services was in Appleton Monday to announce a “Super Saturday” enrollment event.

The deadline to sign up for coverage is Feb. 15.

Falk says the enrollment process is easier for people this year, compared to last year. However, she says there’s not a lot of time left to get coverage, “About 9 out of 10 of the uninsured do not know we are in the open enrollment period, much less that there are only 20 days left, so that’s why we especially need to come together here to help get the word out.”

The “Super Saturday” event will take place around the state this weekend. That includes events from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton, along with the libraries in Waupaca and Sheboygan.

School partners with Bellin Health for mental health clinic

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 7:01pm

GREEN BAY – The Dr. Rosa Minoka-Hill School opened this fall. The alternative school says it has already made progress with students.

“The kids are being successful. We’ve had a number of students already going back to their traditional schools,” said Claudia Henrickson, the Director of Special Education for the Green Bay Area Public School District.

Students at the Dr. Rosa Minoka-Hill alternative school programs in Green Bay are learning how to find success at school.

And educators say a key part of that is success is student mental health.

“We have high-schoolers and middle-schoolers who have committed policy violations. Part of the contract of getting back to their traditional school is that they receive counselling for the issues that brought them here,” said Henrickson.

The school has partnered with Bellin Health Psychiatric services to bring that care directly to students.

“We’ll be able to offer them onsite. We’ll be providing therapy and offering a psychiatrist once a month too from a medication standpoint if needed,” said Sharla Baenen, the head of Bellin Psychiatric Services.

School staff says many of the students have previously been under mental health care outside of school. But, they say some families have not been able to get to appointments because of a lack of transportation.

Mental health professionals say in order for children to learn, they have to be able to focus. And that’s how these services will help.

“It allows them to start to develop some coping skills that they can use throughout the day to be successful in school,” said Baenen. “And having on site services allows them to have better access to get there.”

Educators say this alternative school is not designed to be a permanent placement for these students. Staff hopes the extra help from mental health professionals will give students the boost they need.

“We hope to be able to eliminate that barrier and be able to focus and get back to their schools quicker than they are right now,” said Henrickson.

Success in the classroom, which will hopefully lead to future successes in the community.

Wisconsin authorities bust suspected cockfight operation

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 6:53pm

GLENWOOD CITY, Wis. (AP) – Authorities have raided a suspected cockfight operation in western Wisconsin.

St. Croix County Sheriff John Shilts says deputies went to a farm in rural Glenwood City on Saturday and arrested 19 people suspected of being spectators at a cockfight.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports no charges have been filed and the investigation continues.

A number of roosters were at the farm when deputies arrived. Those roosters have since been removed from the property.

Rescue divers talk about Lake Winnebago ice incident

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 5:42pm

OSHKOSH – When it comes to ice rescues, emergency crews will tell you, every minute counts.

The Oshkosh Fire Department says despite the outcome, Sunday’s rescue call, and recovery, went about as well as could be expected.

Rescuers had good directions and witnesses pointed them the way to the hole in the ice.

But even then it was nearly an hour before divers could safely hit the water.

It’s a call that weighs heavy on the minds of firefighters at the Oshkosh Fire Department.

“It’s a very tough day, yesterday, and today especially, that a child was lost,” said John Holland, Oshkosh Fire Department Public Information Officer.

Holland says dive crews made it to the scene in 40 minutes, and 10 minutes later divers were in the water.

It was the first actual call for Tony Montag.

“You could see the vehicle, quite easily. The visibility was quite good. You could see that it was upside down on its roof, or hood really,” said Tony Montag, Oshkosh Fire Department Rescue Diver.

Montag says the windows on the Jeep Grand Cherokee were up. Divers broke the windows, and had to open the back hatch to recover 8-year old Derek Doro, and then his 40-year old father, Andrew Doro.

Fire officials say the two were out of the water in less than 60 minutes.

“They talk about the golden hour. You want them up, which we were able to do it inside of an hour, right about at the hour. Every minute faster you can do it, the better,” said Montag.

Crews tried to resuscitate the two on the way to area hospitals.

At Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, emergency room doctors say when someone is underwater, every minute counts.

“It can be as quick as 15 minutes before you’re unconscious to the point where the risk of the chance of survival is quite slim,” said Dr. Paul Duscher, Theda Clark Medical Center Emergency Room Physician.

Dr. Duscher says people may panic.

“They react more than they probably think about what is the best scenario, best options to get out of that particular circumstance,” he said.

Rescuers say people driving across Lake Winnebago need to make a safety plan before heading out on the ice. Because if drivers do go through, it may be too late.

“We know they were within that window, so there was always that hope, but again unfortunately it didn’t happen yesterday,” said Holland.

The Oshkosh Fire Department says they have about 5-10 calls for vehicles stuck in the ice each year.

The Department says the rescue boats they operate through Winnebago County make a big difference.

Authorities in Winnebago, Calumet and Fond du Lac counties say they have the equipment ready to go for rescues on Lake Winnebago.

Winnebago County has air boats at three locations, while the Calumet County Sheriff’s Department also has equipment in three separate places.

The Fond du Lac Fire department has a boat that can be used for rescues close to shore, while the sheriff’s department has an air boat at its disposal.

Analysts: Walker a winner after Iowa speech

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 5:22pm

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s presidential prospects could be improving after this past weekend, according to a few conservative analysts.

Walker delivered a 20-minute speech at a Republican event in Des Moines, Iowa Saturday.

“I’m pleased to be here in Iowa today,” said Walker. “I’m going to come back many more times in the future.”

Iowa is scheduled to be the first state to participate in the 2016 nomination process on Feb. 1, one year from Sunday. Other Republicans considering a run were also in Des Moines.

“If you’re not afraid to go big and go bold, you can actually get results,” said Walker.

Walker told the Iowa crowd about a battle four years ago when the state reduced collective bargaining abilities for most public employees.

“We took the power away from the big government special interests, and we put it firmly in the hands of the hardworking taxpayers,” he said. “That’s what we need more of in this great country.”

Two national political writers called Walker the winner of the weekend.

“The activists in Iowa had a huge overwhelmingly positive reaction to his candidacy,” said Shira Center, the politics editor for Roll Call.

“But there were questions about whether he is charismatic to win a presidential primary and a presidential election,” said Jamie Weinstein, the senior editor for The Daily Caller. “And as Shira said, he kind of wowed the crowd this week in Iowa. Maybe he didn’t necessarily put all those questions to rest, but he certainly mollified them.”

Back in Wisconsin, Democrats say the current state budget needs Walker’s full attention. A new estimate from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau shows Wisconsin is expected to finish the fiscal year in June with a $283 million shortfall.

“While he is out there interviewing for his next job, it is really important that we focus here at home and have that full-time governor,” said State Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-LaCrosse.

The governor’s office says state finances will end in order.

“We will empower agency heads to use all available tools to live within their means and continue their prudent management of agency resources,” said spokesperson Laurel Patrick, in a statement.

How could the budget estimate impact Walker’s political aspirations? We asked a St. Norbert College political science professor.

“If he decides to become an official candidate for the race, I think that’s when you’re going to see the national media start to investigate his record in a little bit more detail,” said Charley Jacobs.

Walker says he won’t announce a decision about a White House run until summer, after the debate ends about the next state budget.

“I think that actually ind of fits well for what he needs to do, because I don’t think he wants to rush into it,” Jacobs added. “I think he wants to see how other potential candidates act and react.”

Also this past weekend, the governor was among some possible 2016 contenders who met with a group backed by billionaires Charles and David Koch. The governor is also set to travel to New Hampshire in March.

Packers sign Alabama punter

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 5:06pm

The Green Bay Packers have signed P Cody Mandell on Monday.

Mandell, a 6-foot-2, 217-pound first-year player out of the University of Alabama, appeared in 52 games for the Crimson Tide after joining the team as a walk-on in 2010. As a senior, he was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference by The Associated Press and was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award and Burlsworth Trophy.

For his career, Mandell averaged 42.6 yards per punt and landed 58 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Mandell spent part of the 2014 offseason as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. He will wear No. 9 for the Packers.

Vote for the 2014 ultimate Packers fan

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 4:56pm

Click here to vote for this year’s newest addition to the Packers Fan Hall of Fame. Voting ends Jan. 31 at midnight.

NWTC multi-million dollar referendum approved

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 4:37pm

GREEN BAY – It was a unanimous vote at public hearing Monday to approve a $66 million referendum to renovate three Northeast Wisconsin Technical College campuses.

The campuses are in Green Bay, Marinette, and Sturgeon Bay.

Representatives from the counties in NWTC’s District voted in favor of having the issue on the April 7 ballot.

“We’re at capacity,” said NWTC president Dr. H. Jeffrey Rafn. “We need to make changes to support industries that need more trained workers and Wisconsin residents who need more economic opportunities.”

The college has said the typical homeowner would pay around $8.00 per year for the NWTC portion of their property tax bill for 15 years.

The next meeting will be held on Feb. 25.

FOX 11 Top 11: Kaukauna, De Pere meet road challenges

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 4:31pm

Last week, the top-ranked boys and girls basketball teams in the FOX 11 Top 11 had road test on Friday night and after some extra time, both teams pulled out tough wins.

Kaukauna outlasted Neenah, 75-70, in double overtime, while De Pere defeated Notre Dame, 45-40.

Both teams showed why they are No. 1 as the Ghosts had to rally countless times, including in the second overtime, while the Redbirds held off a Tritons team that had won four straight.

With these wins, both teams stay at the top of the rankings this week.

As for the boys, no team left the rankings this week, but there was a little shuffling after a top-five matchup saw Seymour beat Luxemburg-Casco. Seymour enters the top five, while L-C falls just outside it.

After Kaukauna, the top five this week is, Kimberly, Freedom, Seymour and Ripon.

On the girls’ side, St.Mary’s Springs lost its first game of the season to Division 3 defending state champ Kettle Moraine Lutheran, but didn’t tumble too far from last week’s No. 3 spot. So the top five after De Pere is, Hortonville, Freedom, Little Chute and St. Mary’s Springs.

Three teams left the rankings as Kimberly, Neenah and Roncalli all lost games last week.

The three new teams are West De Pere, Seymour and Xavier.

Here are this week’s rankings:

BOYS
1.Kaukauna (13-0):
Ghosts withstand test from Neenah to stay perfect. Last week: No. 1.
2.Kimberly (11-1): Makers have big week with games against Oshkosh North and Neenah. Last week: No. 2.
3. Freedom (12-1): Irish hanging tough in Eastern Valley Conference. Last week: No. 3.
4. Seymour (12-2): Thunder get big road win at Luxemburg-Casco: No. 5.
5. Ripon (12-2): Sophomores Vander Plas and Loewe leading the way. Last week: No. 6.
6. Luxemburg-Casco (12-2): Spartans now in three-way tie for first in the Bay. Last week: No. 4.
7. De Pere (11-3): Redbirds have big game Friday at Bay Port. Last week: No. 9.
8. Shawano (12-2): Don’t forget about the Hawks in the Bay Conference. Last week: No. 11.
9. Neenah (10-3): Despite loss to Kaukauna, Rockets still in FVA race. Last week: No. 7.
10. Southern Door (13-2): Five players averaging double figures for the Eagles. Last week: No. 8.
11. Brillion (12-2): Lions suffer first conference loss to Roncalli. Last week: No. 10.
Dropped out: none.

GIRLS
1.De Pere (14-1):
Redbirds meeting all challenges right now. Last week: No. 1.
2.Hortonville (13-2): Polar Bears look to be team to beat in FVA. Last week: No. 2.
3. Freedom (12-3): Irish has big game at Fox Valley Lutheran on Tuesday. Last week: No. 4.
4. Little Chute (12-3): Mustangs in control of Eastern Valley after beating Freedom. Last week: No. 5.
5. St. Mary’s Springs (14-1): Ledgers fall on the road in big Flyway battle at Kettle Moraine Lutheran. Last week: No. 3.
6. West De Pere (12-3): Phantoms have eyes on first conference title since 1980. Last week: unranked.
7. Seymour (13-3): Thunder also eyes a Bay Conference title. Last week: unranked.
8. Green Bay Southwest (11-4): Trojans drop tough game to Sheboygan North. Last week: No. 6.
9. Fox Valley Lutheran (11-3): Foxes trying to keep pace in Eastern Valley race. Last week: No. 8.
10. Xavier (12-4): Hawks also in Eastern Valley race. Last week: unranked.
11. Algoma (11-2): Wolves drop tough overtime game to Lourdes Academy. Last week: No. 7.
Dropped out: No. 9 Kimberly (11-4); No. 10. Neenah (11-4); No. 11 Roncalli (12-3).

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

Jason Kidd, rebuilding Bucks finding success amid injuries

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 4:21pm

MILWAUKEE (AP) – His dress shirt unbuttoned at the neck, Jason Kidd looks relaxed and calm on the sideline while coaching the Milwaukee Bucks.

At 22-22, the Bucks are enjoying success while sticking with their rebuilding blueprint during Kidd’s first year in Milwaukee. Even the playoffs are a possibility now in the mediocre Eastern Conference.

“We wanted to be a team, and try to create the atmosphere of playing as a team, and we’re probably a little ahead of schedule,” Kidd said when asked if the team’s first-half performance had met his expectations.

Expectations outside of Milwaukee were understandably low then.

Hired by the team’s new owners over the summer, Kidd was charged with turning around a team with a franchise-worst 15 wins in 2013-4. The building blocks would be a pair of young forwards in Jabari Parker, the second overall pick in this year’s draft; and 6-foot-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo, a freakishly athletic but raw first-round pick the previous season.

Milwaukee started a surprising 12-12 before Parker was lost for the year on Dec. 15 after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Less than two weeks later, rim-protecting center Larry Sanders left the team for what was first described as the flu, and then personal reasons. He was suspended on Jan. 16 for a minimum of 10 games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

They were the kinds of blows that long-suffering Bucks fans have come to expect. Glimmers of hope again overshadowed by dubious developments.

The Bucks, though, have kept winning.

They ended up winning the game in which they lost Parker, beating the Suns 96-94 on the road. They are 10-10 since then headed into Tuesday’s game at Miami, two games up on the Heat for the sixth seed in the East.

Milwaukee plays hard from the opening tip, even if they have trouble closing games out. Players love the offensive philosophy installed by Kidd in which everyone gets a chance to touch the ball.

The team had a season-high 33 assists on 41 buckets in a 101-86 win on Saturday over Detroit.

“We watched film and paid attention to the little details to help us get better. That’s all we can ask for as a young team, to get better,” guard O.J. Mayo said. “We kind of feel like we’re on a high horse because we’re in playoff position now, but it’s half of the season.”

Kidd has put a premium on defense: The Bucks are giving up 92.7 points per game in their last 20 games, nearly five points less than their season average.

“You go back through and see how many teams as young as they are have been great defensive teams – it’s usually not the case because there’s so much to learn,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. “But they’re athletic and he’s got them playing very hard. They’re one of the best defensive teams in our league.”

Kidd said he had a good idea of what kind of fight his club would have after allowing a 24-point lead in the third quarter in Charlotte to evaporate in the season-opening, 108-106 loss in overtime. Milwaukee bounced back two days later with a 93-81 win over Philadelphia in the home opener.

Off the floor, Kidd has credited a changing culture within the franchise. Mayo spoke about the young team bonding on road trips.

There is optimism with the new ownership group, which is also trying to secure plans and funding for a new arena. Guard Kendall Marshall was lost for the season earlier this month with a right knee injury, but the frontcourt has been fortified with the return of jump-shooting forward Ersan Ilyasova from a broken nose and concussion.

“This last year obviously winning changes a whole lot of it,” Mayo said. “Winning pretty much puts everyone on a positive mindset as well, but it’s a camaraderie … It’s been great going to war with this group.”

___

Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Drowning of boy in Milwaukee hotel pool ruled accidental

Mon, 01/26/2015 - 4:15pm

MILWAUKEE (AP) – The Milwaukee County medical examiner’s office says the death of a 7-year-old boy who drowned while attending a birthday party at a Milwaukee hotel was an accident.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Noah Beckley was attending the party with about a dozen other children at the Comfort Inn and Suites on Saturday. Ten adults also were present.

The hotel has two pools – one only a foot deep and another with a depth of about five feet.

Surveillance video reviewed by Milwaukee police showed the boy walking to the end of the deep pool by himself and jumping in. He was underwater about five minutes before someone saw him and pulled him from the pool.

Investigators were told the boy did not know how to swim.

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