Latest news with #Frantz
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mentee remembers local bagpipe player killed in scuba diving accident
A 74-year-old bagpipe player who died in a scuba diving accident is being remembered by his friends. Henry Frantz II died in March while scuba diving in Hawaii. He lived in DeKalb County and became friends with 15-year-old Oban Pitts. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Pitts told Channel 2's Tom Jones that Frantz taught him so much, and it pained him to hear he died in a scuba diving incident. 'It's just really sad to have him go because I loved that man; he was amazing.' The teen still can't believe his mentor, his bagpipe buddy, is gone. 'I was kind of in shock for a while,' Pitts said. He was in shock after learning Frantz died while scuba diving in Hawaii in March. 'It's just a horrible tragedy. I feel so bad that that had to happen,' he said. Pitts lives in Colorado, but before that, he lived in Avondale Estates. When he was 12, he wanted to learn to play the bagpipes, since he's part Scottish and Oban, his first name, is a town in Scotland. TRENDING STORIES: Atlanta HVAC technician among 19 arrested in 'child predator' operation NFL fines Atlanta Falcons, Jeff Ulbrich over Shedeur Sanders number leak, prank call 5 arrested after dead goats, bunny, ferret, nearly 2 dozen live animals found at north GA home Frantz was well known for playing his bagpipes around the metro area. He founded the Atlanta Pipe Band. Pitts' grandmother reached out to Frantz to teach him how to play the instrument. She says Frantz reluctantly agreed. Pitts says he would go to Frantz's home in Decatur, where they would sit at a table and he would learn from the master. 'We had lessons every Wednesday, I believe, after school,' Pitts said. Then Oban moved to Colorado. On his last day of school before he moved away, he heard bagpipes while he was at his locker. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] He stepped outside and saw Frantz. 'He was down there playing for me, and it was quite honestly a very emotional moment,' Pitts described. It was just as emotional when he heard Frantz had died. 'The first thing that came to my mind was that I have to go to this funeral,' Pitts said. Pitts flew back to say goodbye to his mentor and friend. Pitts got the honor of playing his bagpipes with other pipers at Frantz's funeral. He met some of Frantz's family. Pitt says Frantz taught him so much about the pipes, and about life, and he just had to be there. 'He was there to play for me on my last day of school. I'm gonna be there to play on his last day as well. He taught me everything I knew,' Pitts said. Pitts now plays his bagpipes for events in Denver, just like his mentor did in the metro Atlanta area.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Neenah man mistakenly threatened with deportation by DHS email
NEENAH, Wis. (WFRV) – A Fox Valley man says he was stunned when he received an early morning email from the Department of Homeland Security, telling him his 'parole' had been terminated and he needed to leave the United States. But Tom Frantz is a natural-born American citizen. Man fires gun at Oshkosh business with multiple people inside, victim hospitalized 'I was born in the United States. I'm a legal citizen,' Frantz mentioned. 'I've never been charged with a crime, much less put on parole.' Frantz, who lives in Neenah, says he initially thought the message was spam until he discovered others, including an immigration attorney in Massachusetts, had received the same email. That's when he knew something wasn't right. The email, sent by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), appeared to suggest that Frantz's U.S. citizenship was in question and threatened consequences if he didn't leave the country. 'The letter, the tone of the letter was… intimidating, and alarming,' he said. 'There were no instructions on what to do if you received it by mistake. Just threats if you didn't comply.' Frantz contacted U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin's office. Her staff reached out to DHS for answers. According to Baldwin's office, DHS later confirmed the message was part of a broader error. The email was sent to addresses connected to the CBP One App — an online platform used by people seeking humanitarian parole, asylum, or support through immigration attorneys, NGOs, or financial sponsors. Frantz says he has never used the CBP One App and doesn't fit any of the categories listed. DHS told the senator's office the email was mistakenly distributed to all associated email addresses in the app's database. Senator Baldwin called the situation 'completely illegal,' adding in a statement sent to Local 5: 'President Trump is trying to deport an American-born, law-abiding citizen and has provided absolutely no justification. The President cannot kick Americans out of the country just because he wants — no one is above the law, including the President.' Frantz says DHS apologized for the mistake through Baldwin's office, but he worries about what could've happened if he hadn't acted quickly, or if someone else received the same letter and didn't know where to turn. Green Bay Police Department's Operations Commander leaving to become Chief in southern Wisconsin 'One mistake can lead to two, can lead to three… and where does that put me further down the line?' he said. 'It can happen to anybody.' Frantz says his situation appears to be resolved for now, but he hopes others who may have received a similar message take it seriously and seek help immediately. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A Neenah resident who is a U.S. citizen was told to self-deport by DHS. Here's what happened
A Neenah man was told by the Department of Homeland Security he had to leave the United States, even though he is a U.S. citizen. Even though he was later confirmed to be an unintended recipient, the notice was blasted by Senator Tammy Baldwin as "completely illegal." Tom Frantz, whose story first broke on WPR, received an email April 11 that told him to "depart the United States immediately" because his humanitarian parole was being terminated. Baldwin's office confirmed Frantz is a natural-born U.S. citizen who has never been on humanitarian parole, nor has he ever applied. While Frantz was confident the government made a mistake, he told WPR he was worried about what would happen if the mistake wasn't fixed, and reached out to Senator Tammy Baldwin's office for help. Tom Frantz did not immediately respond to The Post-Crescent's request for comment. According to Baldwin's office, the email was sent to addresses linked in an app used by Customs and Border Patrol, CBP Home (formerly CBP One). The email could have been sent to the person applying for parole or asylum, an immigration lawyer, an NGO or a financial supporter of the applicant, Baldwin's office said. However, the office said Frantz confirmed he did not fit any of those categories or use the app at all. In response to an inquiry from The Post-Crescent, a senior DHS official said in a statement the department had issued notices terminating parole for people without lawful status except for those in programs like Uniting For Ukraine (U4U) and Operation Allies Welcome (OAW). The DHS official said the notice may have been sent to "unintended recipients," including American citizens, if their email addresses were provided by someone who interacted with CBP, not just someone who used the app. The official also said they would review issues on a case-by-case basis. "To be clear: If you are an alien, being in the United States is a privilege — not a right," the official's statement said. "We are acting in the best interest of the country and enforcing the law accordingly." Frantz's issue was elevated to CBP and has now been resolved, Baldwin's office said. However, Baldwin said in a statement the notice was "completely illegal." "President Trump is trying to deport an American-born, law-abiding citizen and has provided absolutely no justification," the statement continued. "The President cannot kick Americans out of the country just because he wants — no one is above the law, including the President.' Baldwin's office said that if any Wisconsinites receive a similar email, they should call her office at 202-224-5653 or visit to get help. Other news outlets have reported that several other American citizens — a Connecticut doctor, a California immigration advocate and a Massachusetts immigration lawyer — have received similar emails from DHS. A federal judge in Massachusetts has blocked the government's attempt to end humanitarian parole for people who arrived from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Other entries in the docket show that the email terminating parole was sent to U4U and OAW migrants, among others. The government said the emails to U4U migrants were unintentional and has appealed the decision. More: 'We've got their backs': New London neighbors stand with Tyson Foods workers facing deportation Rebecca Loroff is a K-12 education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at rloroff@ This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Neenah man told to leave U.S. in 'unintended' Homeland Security email
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Couple wants local bagpiper's family to know that everyone did all they could to save his life
Channel 2 Action News spoke exclusively to a couple on vacation who say they were the first to notice a metro area man known for playing his bagpipes unresponsive in the ocean. Henry Frantz of Decatur died during a scuba diving trip. The couple told Channel 2's Tom Jones that they wanted to let his family know rescue crews did everything they could to save him. 'Forgive me if I get a little bit emotional,' Samantha Small said via a Zoom interview. She told Jones that she was thinking about how the 74-year-old Frantz went on vacation and never came home. 'It was just a really tragic situation,' Samantha Small said. Sam and Michael Small shared pictures of themselves at the pool at the Wailea Resort on March 10. That's when Sam noticed a man in the water, in a cove. 'And he wasn't moving, and I think that was alarming to me too,' Samantha Small said. She told her husband. 'I immediately saw him in the water,' Michael Small said. TRENDING STORIES: State Dems say police used unnecessary force during Marjorie Taylor Greene town hall Popular beach vacation spot can 'no longer be a Spring Break town' Now-retired Clayton County teacher indicted on charges he molested child in his classroom He told Jones that he ran to get a towel attendant, who radioed for help. The fire department and a dive team got there quickly. But the conditions were very dangerous. 'The waves were so rough, and it was so windy,' Michael Small said. Still, rescue crews went in. Sam Small said they first used a jet ski and a bodyboard to get Frantz out of the rough conditions. 'They immediately jumped on top of him, and they were giving him CPR,' Samantha Small said. They couldn't save him. Maui police said Frantz was on a scuba diving trip. Officers say he told his group he was exhausted and disappeared. Frantz was well known in the metro area for playing his bagpipes. Samantha Small went on social media trying to find his identity. 'Your post happened to come up,' Samantha Small told Jones. She saw Jones' story about Frantz's fatal scuba diving trip and how family members discovered the skeletal remains of his 28-year-old son in a tree house in his backyard. 'I mean, I can't even imagine what that family is going through. That's so awful,' Samantha Small said. Frantz' son disappeared 4 years ago. 'It sounds like it would be something you see on TV, right?' Michael Small said. The Smalls want Frantz' family to know that so many went above and beyond to try and save him. 'I'm hoping that in doing this that we can give his family some sense of closure,' Samantha Small said. The Smalls said the water conditions were very dangerous that day, and they don't know why anyone was out there. Maui police say they continue to investigate this incident. The DeKalb County Medical Examiner's office says it doesn't suspect foul play in Frantz' son's death and that it couldn't determine a cause of death.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Americana duo Watchhouse kicks off new tour at UConn's Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts
The folk/Americana duo Watchhouse is kicking off its latest national tour with an April 11 show at UConn's Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts in Storrs. The North Carolina band's new album 'Rituals' won't be officially released until over a month after the Connecticut show, so this will be a chance to hear some of the new songs before anyone else does. 'Rituals' is Watchhouse's first album in four years. The band released six albums under the name Mandolin Orange between 2010 and 2019 before changing it to Watchhouse in 2021. Watchhouse's captivating neo-roots folk sound has earned millions of streams on music sites and prestigious gigs at Red Rocks, South by Southwest, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Newport Folk Festival and Austin City Limits. Watchhouse is based around the married couple Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin. Much of the new tour will be done with a full band, but Frantz said the UConn show will be 'just us as a duo.' 'It's been a while ' since Watchhouse has played a college venue, Frantz said, though of course the duo is very popular in college towns. The band's last Connecticut show was at New Haven's College Street Music Hall in 2022. 'We do colleges every now and again,' Frantz said. 'Our last tour was last summer. One thing about it is we have two kids. We travel with them and that's OK.' But it sometimes determines where and how they perform. Parenthood hasn't affected the Watchhouse songwriting process. 'Andrew loves to write late at night,' Frantz said. 'It's a pretty solitary situation for him.' When the basic song is finished, Frantz takes an active role in how it will sound. 'The arrangement is where I come in. Andrew is the songwriter. I hear the songs as they are progressing, not when they're finished. It's a natural process with the ideas forming subconsciously,' Frantz said. 'I think we'll be playing a lot of the new songs at UConn,' she added. 'There's a lot of playing off between the guitar mandolin and fiddle.' As for what they're listening to themselves these days, 'I primarily listen to a lot of folk music, from the '60s on,' Frantz said. 'In the last couple of years I've gotten more into Irish music. Andrew's listening is more broad — it could be Pantera or Led Zeppelin.' Watchhouse plays on April 11 at 8 p.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, 2132 Hillside Road, Storrs. $35-$55.
