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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Outdoor drinking area approved in downtown Neenah
NEENAH, Wis. (WFRV) – Community members can now enjoy alcohol in outdoor areas in certain parts of downtown Neenah. In a 6-3 vote, Neenah alders created a designated outdoor refreshment area ('DORA') for several parts of the city's downtown. The 'DORA' would be in effect from noon until 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. It will go into effect immediately. 'I think we've got responsible citizens, responsible council members,' said alder Scott Weber. 'Responsible staff in the city and we're going to do the right thing.' The 'DORA' that alders passed is essentially a trial period. It goes through the end of March and then city officials will assess how things went and adjust accordingly if needed. Alders tell Local 5 News they can terminate the 'DORA' at any time. Green Bay-based vaping store seemingly closes abruptly after 10+ years, no reason found Neenah has implemented temporary 'DORA's' in the past for special events and alders said the results have been positive. 'I think we've got a proven track record downtown with positives,' said alder Mark Ellis. 'We've tested this program and had great success with it.' A local business that Local 5 News spoke with said that they see more customers during the temporary 'DORA's.' 'Exponential people coming into the city, enjoying their time in the city and this downtown area is so beautiful,' said Matt Gloede who is the owner of the Santé Wine Bar & Bistro in downtown Neenah. 'I think people being able to enjoy a refreshment on the street is a huge benefit I think.' Not everybody was on board with creating the 'DORA.' In addition to the three alders who voted against it, there were several people who raised concerns during the public comment portion of the meeting. 'The pervasiveness of 'DORA' sounds like we are asking for trouble, kind of what the gentleman spoke about with the effects of alcohol,' said Neenah resident Jennifer McGuire. Residents said they were worried it would lead to more cases of drunk driving, unruly behavior downtown, and that it would turn Neenah into a drinking destination. Neenah resident Michael Sturn told Local 5 News he's been sober for about four years and will avoid downtown now that people can drink alcohol outside. He said he wishes that the city would invest their time and energy into other things. 'We are at crisis level': Wisconsin Humane Society reduces adoption fees as need for dog adoptions skyrockets 'A couple of things that I feel like we should be investing in more is the farmers market and bringing back festivals,' he said. 'Looking into those things instead of encouraging drinking would be more beneficial to the community.' Alder Cari Lendrum made a motion to amend the terms of the 'Dora' to have it start later in the day and only include the summer months. Council voted down her motion. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Town of Richmond changes policy after two stray dogs shot
SHAWANO COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – Town of Richmond officials voted to change their policy for handling stray dogs after a town supervisor shot and killed two stray dogs last month causing controversy. Town officials will now call the Shawano County Humane Society to assist the town's designated dog catchers with picking up stray dogs. The town will not have to pay the Shawano County Humane Society for these extra services. Town officials will also need to post pictures of stray dogs reported to them on their social media accounts, an attempt to facilitate reuniting the animals with their owner. Explore local history for free during Brown County History Days 'We now have a path, we have a plan, we can work together,' said Shawano County Humane Society executive director Pam Nowak. 'We all understand and we're clear.' 'It'll be nice to get this behind us,' added town chairman Steve Gueths. 'I hope what we did tonight will do that.' Shawano County Humane Society officials said a policy like this could have prevented the incident that prompted these changes. According to an incident report from the Shawano County Sheriff's Department obtained by Local 5 News, town board supervisor Ken Damveld shot and killed two stray dogs back at the beginning of April. According to the incident report, Damveld told a deputy that the dogs were acting aggressively towards him and that's why he shot them. One of the town's supervisors told Local 5 News that their municipality follows Wisconsin State laws when it comes to dealing with stray dogs. According to that law, a person may intentionally kill a dog if it's threatening serious bodily harm to the person and the person tried other ways to restrain the dog or needs to take immediate action to protect themself. Many people don't buy Damveld's story. Nowak believes that people often misconstrue aggressiveness with fear, while one of Damveld's relatives says he has a history of abusing animals. Packers Athletic Club opens in Titletown with high-end amenities and exclusive access 'His own dogs through the years cower at him when he calls them, his own dogs are afraid of him,' said Gina Damveld who is Ken's daughter-in-law. 'I've heard him say repeatedly that it's quicker to shoot them than to catch them.' She said both her and her kids have witnessed Ken doing terrible things to animals. Local 5 News made multiple attempts on Monday to reach out to him to get his side of the story, but didn't hear back. He didn't attend the meeting on Monday night. Nowak said they don't really see reports of aggressive stray dogs in other cities which is a big reason why she's skeptical about Damveld's story. Community advocates have collected hundreds of signatures on a petition asking the town to stop allowing residents to shoot stray dogs. Nowak said she believes that the town of Richmond has a culture of people believing it's okay to shoot stray animals. At a meeting, a supervisor refuted this claim. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
Oshkosh man convicted in fatal stabbing, sentencing set for June
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – A 24-year-old Oshkosh man has been convicted of homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon following a fatal stabbing in August 2024. Court records show that Sybastian Crossman appeared in court Tuesday with his attorney and entered a no contest plea. The court accepted the plea and found him guilty. Wisconsin teen pleads guilty in series of burglaries at Amish businesses The charge stems from an incident on Saturday, August 10, 2024, when Oshkosh police were called to the 500 block of High Avenue for a report of a stabbing. According to investigators, Crossman and the victim—who was known to him—were involved in an altercation with multiple people. During the incident, Crossman, then 23, stabbed the 20-year-old victim, also from Oshkosh. The victim was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died. Crossman fled the scene, and police located him the following day, August 11, shortly before 3:45 a.m. at a residence in the area. 'Use to defeat the government if it came for his guns': Wisconsin man convicted of possessing chemical weapon precursors Crossman is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on June 23, 2025. He faces up to 10 years in prison, with the possibility of a 12-year sentence due to a repeat offense enhancement, and up to $25,000 in fines. Local 5 News will provide updates when Crossman returns to court. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wisconsin Blue Star Mothers serve community while their children serve the country
BLACK CREEK, Wis. (WFRV) – The Blue Star Mothers of Wisconsin Chapter 1 is part of a national organization of mothers whose children are active military or veterans. The northeast Wisconsin chapter of this group is very active in the community while supporting each other while their children are away. Manitowoc Veterans talk about visualizing walking again 'We don't get to see our kids on Spring Break or Easter,' said First Vice President Joby Sewall. 'They're gone. We have each other and it helps us get through the hard times.' Local 5 News caught up with the group at a spring craft fair at Wei Gardens on County Road B in Black Creek, Outagamie County. It's the weekend in Wisconsin, then the Blue Star Mothers are usually up to something and they participate in many craft fairs, selling the items they made themselves to support care packages for troops away from home. 'We get together at our homes and it's fun because we get to share our experiences and support each other as our children are serving,' said the chapter's Financial Secretary Jean Thyssen. 'We're a small but mighty group,' added Sewall. 'Raising money can be difficult. But we found craft fairs work for us. So, we can fulfill our missions out in the community.' Click here for more Hometown Heroes stories Those missions include preparing and serving meals with 'Vets and Friends' or visiting with folks at Veterans Village. The activities and camaraderie help the women with the uncertainty of a child who is deployed. 'We also have adoptive moms and grandparents,' said Sewell. 'Also, associate members who are dads and siblings. They can join our group as well.' Their care packages are in such demand that they've expanded deliveries to more than twice a year. A simple way to stay connected with their kids when they're away has shown that a little motherly touch through the community goes a long way. Manitowoc Hometown Hero thanks community for support Wisconsin hosts the Blue Star Mothers National Convention in Milwaukee this July. Wei Gardens is hosting a special Mother's Day Craft Fair on May 4. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New FDL program changing how authorities interact with homeless individuals
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) – A new program is transforming how authorities handle police calls involving homeless individuals. Fond du Lac police chief Aaron Goldstein said they recently studied police call trends at their dispatch center. He said that between June 2024 through January 2025 they received about 200 police calls that involved homeless individuals. After doing an analysis of all the calls, Goldstein said that about 80 percent of them didn't require police enforcement, an individual just needed some help connecting to resources. Goldstein said this got him to thinking. 'I have a vision almost like we have our mental health program, to have a co-response like model to help the community experiencing homelessness,' Goldstein said. He said the police department has been using a co-response model with mental health professionals and social workers for many police calls. He wanted to use a similar model for police calls involving homeless individuals. Goldstein reached out to Amy Loof who is the executive director of 'Solutions Center Shelter and Support Service in Fond du Lac. They operate the St. Katharine Drexel Shelter to help those experiencing homelessness. This collaboration led to the creation of the Drexel Outreach Response Program. It got off the ground at the beginning of March. 'So anything that somebody is in need of or a resource that they need to be connected to we're doing that right there in the moment,' Loof told Local 5 News when asked about the importance of the program. 'Being able to connect with them at that moment and get them what they need or where they need to go in that moment is key.' Jason Schneider leads new era of Fond du Lac baseball A trained case manager from St. Katharine Drexel Shelter will help police respond to calls involving homeless individuals. In some cases, a police officer will make first contact with the individual, and then the case manager will be able to talk and help the individual after. In many other cases, Goldstein said that police enforcement isn't even needed so the case managers will be responding to the calls on their own. Loof said that in general homeless individuals are more comfortable interacting with case managers than police officers which is another reason why authorities began this program. When the case managers arrive to help the homeless individuals, they can try to on-board them into local shelters, provide them with supplies like hygiene kits or food, or help them with an array of other things depending on what that individual needs. 'It's amazing to know that we're getting those resources and meeting them where they are at, we aren't asking them to come where we are,' Goldstein said about the program. 'I think there's a lot more awareness as well. We're talking more about the unsheltered and the unhoused.' Manitowoc launches first public health vending machine to support opioid overdose prevention Goldstein said since the program began they've used case managers for 13 calls involving homeless individuals. Loof detailed one of those cases that happened recently at a Fond du Lac truck stop. 'Just a brief conversation with her we were able to do an intake form with her and get the background checks done with her while we were talking,' she told Local 5 News. 'We had an open bed, brought her into the shelter and she's doing very well and her mental health has stabilized.' 'Success is helping person at a time because everybody has their own individual needs,' Goldstein added. 'I believe you can have community standards and show compassion, understanding, and dignity to those who are unhoused and experiencing homelessness.' Loof said that before the COVID-19 pandemic there were around 150 people in Fond du Lac experiencing homelessness. She said that number has risen since then because of higher prices and a difficult housing market. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
