Latest news with #Neenah
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Man advocates for home health aides by riding wheelchair to Madison
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – A man is riding his wheelchair from Neenah to Madison to advocate for a group of people who help him out every single day. Carl Schulze told Local 5 News he became a quadriplegic about 18 years ago after a terrible accident at Oktoberfest in Appleton. He relies on his home health aides to help him with daily tasks and says their assistance allows him to live on his own. Village of Harrison breaks ground on public works garage expansion 'If I didn't have home health care aids, and I couldn't find family to fill in the gaps, the only option would be an institution,' Schulze said about the importance of his home health aides. 'A nursing home, if I'm lucky, a nice one.' With the help of his aide Katelynn, Schulze is riding his wheelchair from Neenah to Madison to advocate for home health aides. He said there's a lot of turnover in the profession, which makes it difficult for the people who receive the care. He said he's also appalled by the average salary for this type of healthcare worker. 'From my perspective, it is insulting because what they do is help people have dignity and stay alive in their own environment,' he told Local 5 News. 'It's just shocking that people who take care of other humans are paid the worse in our society right now.' According to on average, home health aides in Wisconsin make $17.92 per hour. Schulze's journey to Madison will take several weeks. During each leg of the trip, he rides until the battery on his wheelchair dies. He's usually able to make it 10 or 11 miles each day and hopes to make it to Madison by the final week of July or the first week of August. He said he's been in contact with at least one lawmaker to share his story and explain why advocating for home health aides is so important to him. He's also connected with several groups that help and advocate for people with disabilities. 'Serious risk of illness': Waters of Lake Winneconne Park closed, elevated levels of E. coli He's documenting his journey on his YouTube page as well. 'I'm trying to absolutely keep the same dedication and punctuality that they give me the respect of by completing this journey,' he said. 'Someone has got to do it (stand up for home health aides) nobody is stepping up yet.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
Former Neenah police officer pleads not guilty to child pornography possession
A former Neenah police officer entered not guilty pleas July 10 to two charges of child pornography possession. Owen Halls, 22, of Kaukauna, had been employed by the Neenah Police Department for one year before he was fired in March as a result of the child pornography accusations. Halls was a probationary police officer, and his new-officer probationary period would have continued until November, Neenah Police Chief Aaron Olson said. At Halls' arraignment, the court set a pre-trial conference date for 9:30 a.m. Nov. 7 and a two-day jury trial for Nov. 20-21. Halls is out of jail on a $20,000 cash bond. The following information is from a criminal complaint filed in Outagamie County Circuit Court: In September 2024, an officer from the Kaukauna Police Department reviewed a digital CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding two videos depicting child pornography that were uploaded June 10, 2024, onto the messaging application Kik. Through warrants and subpoenas, the officer was able to connect the email address linked to the CyberTip to an address in Kaukauna. Four people, including Halls, lived at the address at the time. Police "later made contact" with Halls, the complaint says. It does not specify when that meeting occurred. During the conversation, Halls admitted to having an account for messaging applications Telegram and Kik, for "pictures of females that are not (his) girlfriend," the complaint says. Halls recognized the Internet Crimes Against Children insignia on one of the officer's belongings, and asked if they were speaking to him about something "ICAC related," the complaint states. Halls told the officers, "I'm sure you guys are aware of what's been going on." When asked to clarify, Halls explained a website exists that includes links to different pornographic content, and sometimes the links contain people who are underage. Halls told officers he had in the past accidentally stumbled upon child sexual abuse material online while searching other types of pornography, but when that happens he would "close out of it and move on." He said he "probably should" report it but never has. When an officer informed Halls that they had seen content from his account "of early teenagers under the age of 18 performing sex acts," Halls nodded affirmatively and said "mmhmm," the complaint states. Under Wisconsin law, each possession of child pornography count carries a minimum sentence of three years in prison. The maximum term of imprisonment for each count is 15 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision. Halls could also be fined up to $100,000 on each count. In a March news release announcing Halls' firing from the department, Olson said the police department is additionally following processes to have Halls decertified as a Wisconsin Law Enforcement Officer by the Law Enforcement Standards Board. Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@ Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @ArseneauKelli. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Former Neenah police officer pleads not guilty to child pornography charges
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Yahoo
Neenah teen convicted of reckless injury in apartment shooting that injured 2
A Neenah teen pleaded no contest June 30 to charges in connection with a November 2024 shooting that injured two people at a Neenah apartment. Anthony Hendricks, 18, pleaded no contest to one count of second-degree reckless injury and one count of maintaining a drug trafficking place, as party to a crime. Three other felony charges — aggravated battery, possession with intent to deliver THC, and an additional count of second-degree reckless injury — and one misdemeanor charge of resisting or obstructing an officer were dismissed. Investigators say on the evening of Nov. 29, 2024, Hendricks, then 17 years old, fired a gun at an around-18-year-old man during an altercation at Hendricks' family's apartment, striking both the man and Hendricks' 11-year-old brother. A no contest plea means Hendricks accepts a guilty verdict without admitting or denying any guilt. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sept. 8 in Winnebago County Circuit Court. The following information is from a criminal complaint and and testimony of investigators at Hendrick's preliminary hearing in January: Around 7:15 p.m. Nov. 29, police were dispatched to an apartment at 130 W. Bell St. in Neenah for reports of gunshots and a gunshot victim. Outside, on the north side of the apartment building, officers found the around-18-year-old victim with multiple gunshot wounds to his leg area. Inside the apartment where the shooting took place, officers found the injured 11-year-old. Both gunshot victims were transported to ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah and received treatment for their injuries. Through interviews and review of surveillance camera footage, investigators learned multiple people had been in and out of the apartment that evening, including multiple children. In an interview from the hospital after the shooting, the around-18-year-old gunshot victim told investigators he got into an altercation in the apartment unit earlier in the day, with a 15-year-old boy who pulled an AR-style rifle on him. Surveillance video showed the 15-year-old run out of the building before the shooting took place. A short time later, three males went to the apartment building and stood outside the locked exterior door. Audio from the external surveillance camera captured one of the males, identified as the older victim's brother, asking someone inside the building who pulled a gun on his brother. One of the other two males pulled out and racked a handgun, surveillance video and audio captured. A neighbor let the three males into the building, and they were later let into the apartment unit by someone inside. Surveillance camera did not capture what happened inside the apartment unit, but some time later, Hendricks' mother, Elizabeth Johnson, was seen walking the three males out of the building, then returning inside. As the three males got into a vehicle and were driving out of the parking lot, the surveillance audio captured the sound of three gunshots. The around-18-year-old gunshot told investigators he and others in the apartment wrestled a gun away from Hendricks, but then Hendricks retrieved another gun and shot him. In police interviews from the hospital, both Hendricks and Johnson said Hendricks fired a gun after a group of people pointed guns at Johnson. During a search of the apartment, investigators found between 4,000 and 4,500 grams of THC products, a Glock handgun inside a backpack, and a handgun under the mattress in a bedroom. Hendricks and the 15-year-old were arrested Dec. 4, at a motel in Grand Chute. The 15-year-old had a handgun on him, and investigators located an AR-style rifle in their motel room. In February, Johnson — Hendricks' mother — pleaded no contest to a felony count of maintaining a drug trafficking place, as party to a crime. She was sentenced to three years of probation. Lamell Matthews, 18, of Appleton, is charged with harboring or aiding a felon in connection with the shooting. According to the criminal complaint, Matthews was seen on surveillance video leaving the apartment after the shooting while appearing to conceal something in a large blanket. Days later, officers located a blanket matching the description of the one Matthews carried in a nearby yard, but did not find any evidence with it. When questioned about the blanket, Matthews told investigators he was moving drugs that belonged to him, not firearms. Matthews has a plea and sentencing hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. July 10. Although Hendricks was not yet an adult at the time of the shooting, 17-year-olds in Wisconsin are automatically charged as adults. For second-degree reckless injury, Hendricks faces up to 7½ years in prison and five years of extended supervision. For maintaining a drug trafficking place, Hendricks faces a maximum of one year and six months in prison and up to two years of extended supervision. Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@ Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Neenah teen convicted of reckless injury in apartment shooting
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Yahoo
Have fireworks gotten out of hand in the Fox Cities? Tell us your thoughts in this short survey
Wendy Szczepanski arrived at Neenah City Hall with a simple request for police and elected officials: Enforce the fireworks law that's already on the books. Szczepanski said her dog, a Cocker Spaniel named Luke, died of a massive heart attack on July 4, 2024, when an illegal M-80 firecracker exploded in her Neenah neighborhood. She's on a campaign to prevent any such reoccurrence. "I don't want to let this drop," Szczepanski said. "I understand that this probably won't be effective for this Fourth of July, but I'm darn hoping it will for 2026." Wisconsin's fireworks law states that possessing or using fireworks is illegal without a permit. Police define fireworks as anything that explodes or leaves the ground on its own power. Opinions on fireworks, though, are diverse and divisive. A 2018 online survey written by Menasha police found that 58% of the nearly 1,300 respondents favored additional laws or fines to stop people from lighting off illegal fireworks. Conversely, 55% rated the level of concern for their safety or property due to fireworks as "a little" or "not at all." A vast majority of the survey respondents were from Menasha, Neenah, Oshkosh, Fox Crossing and Appleton. Szczepanski said a lot of people are reluctant to complain to police about fireworks because they're afraid of retaliation from their neighbors or because they know police won't enforce the law. Neenah police have written only two citations for fireworks violations in the past two years. Both were for repeat offenses. So how big of a problem are fireworks in the Fox Cities? Have opinions changed since the 2018 survey? The Post-Crescent invites residents and visitors to share their thoughts by filling out the following fireworks survey. Responses will be collected through July 10, and the findings will be used in future reporting. Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@ Follow him on X at @DukeBehnke. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Have fireworks gotten out of hand? Share your thoughts in this survey
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Farmers enlist unlikely heroes to tackle dangerous growth in nature area: 'We're going to test drive it and see how it goes'
A flock of sheep in Neenah, Wisconsin, is doing its part to help protect the environment. "We're going to test drive it and see how it goes," said Neenah's Parks and Recreation director, Mike Kading. A Post Crescent article explained that 50 sheep from Wooly Green Grazers and about a dozen goats from Van Acres Homestead were ushered to Carpenter Preserve and immediately got to work eating the invasive plants in the area in a pilot project to help rid the area of unwanted vegetation. It is an environmentally friendly alternative to applying chemical herbicides. Invasive species are plants or animals — in this case, plants — that are not native to the area in which they are growing. They can quickly dominate and cause harm to the area as they take over resources that native species need to survive. The animals were eager to get started on their task, taking their place on the nature preserve and immediately getting down to business. Roxie Emunson, co-owner of Wooly Green Grazers, explained that the sheep will naturally take a layered approach, eating the vegetation they find tastiest first. "They'll go around and eat all of their desserts," she explained. The animals will then make a second pass for additional plants they find appealing, and then go for the least desirable — yet still acceptable — plants until the entire area is cleared of the invasive species. Carpenter Preserve has invasive plants such as buckthorn, teasel, and thistle. The sheep graze around the natural ground cover, leaving the native plants. The goats are then brought in to stand on their hind legs and take care of the taller vegetation. The article reports that studies have shown that after the sheep and goats chew, digest, and excrete the invasive plants, over 90% of the seeds are nonviable. The fight to control the invasive species through their multiyear seed cycles brings job security to the animals that goes beyond the pilot project. The city of Neenah is paying over $7,000 for the service and plans to continue using it if it is successful. Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The public is encouraged to view the process without bothering the animals in hopes that this environmentally friendly way to help balance the ecosystem will help educate and inspire locals. These small ways to take local action can add up to a healthier ecosystem that benefits everyone in the community. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
