SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Stealing items from a Sheboygan Wal-Mart multiple times in June will result in a Manitowoc woman serving five months in jail.

20 year old Maria Isherwood pleaded no contest this week to a retail theft charge, allowing Judge L. Edward Stengel to sentence her to the jail time plus two years of probation.

Isherwood was arrested after Sheboygan County deputies stopped her and several others on June 9th from the Wal-Mart on Sheboygan’s northside as they investigated several recent thefts.

She reportedly admitted to stealing from the store, plus the Wal-Mart in Chilton, over a half dozen times over the past four to five months.  She added her uncle gave her a list of items to take.

As part of her sentence, Isherwood will not be allowed to have contact with the Wal-Marts in Sheboygan and Manitowoc counties.

TOWN OF SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - The Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department says an investigation is ongoing into what caused the death of a man near Evergreen Park Friday morning.

Lt Chad Broeren says the department got word around 3 a.m. of a deceased male in the Sheboygan park.  As deputies and Sheboygan Police arrived, they determined the male was just south of the park in the Town of Sheboygan.  Broeren adds the death, called in by an immediate family member, is not suspicious in nature and there is no danger to the public.

WHBL News was told by a sheriff's official Friday morning that they wereinvestigating the possibility of an overdose.  There has been no additional information regarding the cause of death since.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Sheboygan man faces prison time after being accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl four times last year.  37 year old Jevon Lyke was charged Friday with a repeated sexual assault of a child felony.

The criminal complaint for the charge states Sheboygan Police began investigating this week after the 15 year old girl claimed Lyke sexually assaulted multiple times between June and August of 2014, when she was 13.  Two times were allegedly at her home on the 1500 block of New Jersey Avenue, and the other two at Lyke’s home on the 1300 block of Union Avenue.

In all four incidents, Lyke is accused of forcing the victim to get naked and touching her private area.  Some of the incidents ended when one of them heard a sound that someone else was coming, but one encounter ended when the victim was able to get away.

When interviewed by investigators, Lyke denied the accusations and said the most he touched the victim was with a hug.

He now faces up to sixty years in prison if found guilty.

SHEBOYGAN FALLS, WI (WHBL) - Accidental or not, a Sheboygan man is charged for injuring a friend with a knife earlier this month.  Sheboygan County prosecutors charged 23 year old Ashton Thomaston with second degree reckless injury Friday.

According to the criminal complaint, Sheboygan and Sheboygan Falls police began investigating after the female victim was being treated for a stab wound to her right inner thigh at Memorial Hospital September 12.

At first, the victim told investigators she was stabbed by a white male while walking back to her apartment in Sheboygan Falls, and that Thomaston helped to get her to the hospital.  However, when discrepancies emerged between the accounts given to different law enforcement officers, the victim changed her story.

She said Thomaston came to her apartment, and was upset with her for not answering his calls. The two got into a fight that escalated to the point where he allegedly grabbed a knife from the kitchen and, when making a slashing motion, injured her.

The victim says Thomaston did apologize and drove her to the hospital, but only got to the area of North Ninth Street and Superior Avenue when he got involved in a hit and run accident.  Sheboygan Police then helped the victim get to the hospital, where she needed five stitched for the stab wound.

Thomaston now faces over 12 years in prison, and fines up to $25,000, if found guilty.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Throughout this past month drivers in Sheboygan may have noticed lane closures and heavier traffic in many parts of the city.

This is mostly due to the installation of new sidewalks.  Areas that have seen new sidewalks include along Taylor Drive from Wilgus to Superior, on Lakeshore Drive from Washington to Lakeview Park, and portions of Washington from South Business Drive and Lakeshore.

Dave Biebel, City of Sheboygan Public Works Director, says the installations are part of the Sheboygan County Non-Motorized Initiative.  They used some of their federal funds to finance what they called sidewalk gap projects, allowing people to walk or bike safely along these streets.

Biebel adds the city is currently underway with its usual sidewalk replacement projects.  He says two crews are busy working on areas where sidewalk wear and tear has gotten to the point where new concrete must be poured.

TOWN OF SHERMAN, WI (WHBL) - Five people received minor injuries in a two vehicle accident in southern Sheboygan County Friday evening.

The Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department says it occurred around 6:50 p.m. in the Town of Sherman, at the intersection of County Roads I and SS between Adell and Random Lake.

An investigation determined a vehicle traveling east on SS failed to stop at a stop sign, causing it to t-bone a vehicle traveling south on I.

All five people in the two vehicles were transported to area hospitals for minor injuries.  There was a call out for Flight for Life after one of the injured was possibly not breathing, but that call was cancelled when it was confirmed that person was breating.

Washington, DC (WHBL- KFIZ) - Congressman Glenn Grothman is asking that leadership in the House tie any Social Security Disability Insurance reform to increases in the nation’s debt ceiling.

He says it’s one of the reasons spending in the nation’s capitol is out of control. Grothman says without changes the Social Security Disability Insurance Trust Fund will exhaust its funds next year. He points outs out in 2013 alone, the program wasted over $1 billion sending the wrong payments to 36,000 people

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Click on the link below to re-listen and re-watch the latest episode of "A Closer Look", a public affairs program on WHBL and WSCS.

This week, we take a closer look at the Salvation Army operations in Sheboygan County.  Corps Officer Daryl Mangeri and Social Services Director Felicia Clavelle tells what what is done at their Sheboygan location, how big of a need there is for emergency housing and their food bank, and what programs they are preparing to run as the fall season gets underway.

A Closer Look Replay: Salvation Army

TOWN OF TRENTON, WI (WHBL/KFIZ) - More details have been released about a Dodge County accident Friday afternoon that left a 78 year old Brandon man in critical conditions.

Sheriff’s officials say Orville Kemink was in the median cross over at Highway 151 and Oakwook Road in the Town of Trenton, attempting to turn onto southbound Highway 151.  When he pulled into the outside lane an RV struck the back of his car, forcing it off the road.

Flight for Life flew him to Aurora Summit Hospital in Oconomowoc with life-threatening injuries.  No update on his condition has been provided since.

The driver of the RV, identified as sixty-eight-year-old Ronald Buholzer, and a passenger, identified as 63-year-old Steven Buholzer, both of Monroe, were not injured.

FOND DU LAC, WI (WHBL/KFIZ) - A Fond du Lac man is out of jail after his bond was reduced Friday for charges connected to allegedly threatening his ex-girlfriend with a gun late last month.

19-year-old Jerry Yang faces charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, carrying a concealed weapon, and disorderly conduct.

The criminal complaint states Yang and his former girlfriend broke up earlier in the day of August 28th.  He then allegedly showed up outsider the business where she worked, and is accused of acting despondent, pointed a gun at her and threatened to do himself harm.  No one was harmed during the incident.

During his court hearing Friday, the bond against Yang was reduced from $25,000 to $5,000 cash.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Sheboygan man will spend six months in the local jail for trying to flee from law enforcement on several roofs.

Judge Timothy Van Akkeren sentenced Nicholas Bifano last week after he pleaded no contest to two counts of criminal trespassing and resisting an officer.

According to the criminal complaint, Sheboygan Police were searching for Bifano July 29th in Sheboygan’s downtown due to outstanding warrants.  When he was spotted, Bifano fled for several blocks and eventually got onto the roof of a building.  He then jumped between two building’s roofs before officers convinced him to come down and took him into custody.

Once his jail sentence is complete, Bifano will remain on probation for previous theft convictions over the past two years.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Temperatures will drop to where they should normally be later this week, and that can be a reminder that colder weather will be here soon.

Many of us will put on a coat to stay warm, but some do not have one available.  That is why the Salvation Army in Sheboygan is once again sponsoring a Coats for Kids campaign this year.

Corps Officer Daryl Mangeri tells WHBL News collections are underway in the area for new or gently used clean coats and will continue through October 22.  "Reinbold Novak (Funeral Home) has disseminated flyers all through the area, and their many drop locations.  So they will go around and collect from these drop boxes and deliver those coats directly to use in time for distribution day."

Also assisting in sponsoring the campaign is the Point radio station in Sheboygan.

Mangeri says the program is one of several that they start up once what they call the "summer slump" is over.  "It’s our traditional period when donations tend to wane because people have been taking family vacations, they’re saving up money to send their children back to school, and now with the changing of the seasons we are focusing on our Christmas programs."

The greatest need for coats is for infants, toddlers, and children ages 10 and younger.

Mangeri says the coats will be distributed on October 23 at their location in downtown Sheboygan.

TOWN OF SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - It has been a busy road construction season across Sheboygan County as a number of projects have and continue to take place.  Another one will be starting up in the Town of Sheboygan today.

The Sheboygan County Transportation Department tells WHBL News County Road A between County Road PP and Highway 28 will close to thru traffic as the road’s surface will be pulverized, fine graded, and paved.

The road will be open to the few people who live on it.  For everyone else, they are asked to take the detour that consist of PP east to South Taylor Drive, then south to Highway 28, then west back to A.

Weather permitting, the project should be completed by Friday, October 2.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Seventeen people are getting assistance from the Red Cross after a fire displaced them from their apartments in downtown Sheboygan Sunday.

The Sheboygan Fire Department got word just after 5 p.m. of smoke coming from the windows of the three story building at 939 North Eighth Street.

Battalion Chief Terry Soerens says fire fighters had trouble finding the fire at first, but eventually found it in a back office area and was quickly extinguished.  "Pretty much it burned itself out because of the lack of oxygen, but then as soon as they opened up the door it flared up again, but was immediately knocked down by firefighters."

Crews stayed on the scene for around four hours looking for other hot spots and venting the building of smoke.

Soerens says the building is closed but not a complete loss.  "There was an office area in the Bead Coop store that was heavily damage, and the tenants that were living on the floors above are displaced at this time due to the smoke.  There’s also some water damage."

No injuries were reported, and Soerens says the owner of the building is working to get it repaired so it can reopen for business and tenants.

FOND DU LAC, WI (WHBL) - Efforts to rename the Fond du Lac Post Office after a local World War Two hero have another supporter in Congress.  Area Congressman Glenn Grothman has introduced a bill to rename the facility for James “Maggie” Megellas.

The Fond du Lac native was a First Lieutenant leading a platoon during the Battle of the Bulge in January of 1945.  He reportedly led his men in a successful attack against an enemy battalion, destroyed a German tank by himself, and helped to secure Herresbach, Belgium without a single casualty.

The now retired Lieutenant Colonel lives in Texas.

Senator Ron Johnson also submitted a bill in July to rename the post office in Megellas’ honor.

Grothman’s bill also request President Obama to award Megellas the Medal of Honor.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Milwaukee woman will serve one year of probation after she was found acting as a prostitute earlier this year.  Judge L. Edward Stengel sentenced 24 year old Christie Lipscomb earlier this month after she pleaded no contest in August to a misdemeanor for non-marital sexual intercourse.

The criminal complaint for the charge stated Sheboygan Police were called to the Super 8 Motel in May to investigate suspicious behavior in one of the rooms.  Officers reportedly found Lipscomb and a male inside and evidence that sexual acts had been performed in there.

At first Lipscomb said she was an escort, but admitted to being a prostitute for about a month.  She said she performed sexual acts with men for money over the past few days at the motel, and also reportedly engaged in similar acts at a hotel in Sheboygan Falls.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Stealing items from a half-brother will cost an Adell man four months of jail time and three years of probation.  Judge Angela Sutkiewicz sentenced Chris Phillips Junior last week after the 27 year old pleaded no contest to a theft of movable property felony.

Phillips was charged in March after Sheboygan County deputies investigated a case of stolen items from a Town of Holland home.  The criminal complaint against Phillips states over four-thousand dollars worth of items were stolen, including a minivan, an acoustic guitar, a guitar amplifier, two cordless impact drivers, and four 18-volt batteries.

Phillips, who was living at the home, reportedly admitted to taking some of the items in order to sell them for money to sustain a heroin addiction.

Judge Sutkiewicz also ordered Phillips to take part in counseling, perform random drug tests, and not to possess controlled substances or needles and syringes unless with a prescription.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Sheboygan woman will have to spend two years on probation for injuring a boyfriend with a knife, plus leaving her kids to walk several miles home.

Judge Timothy Van Akkeren sentenced 34 year old Lacie Perronne last week after she pleaded no contest to two counts of neglecting a child, plus criminal damage to property.  Perronne was also given a deferred prosecution for a second degree recklessly endangering safety felony, meaning she could have it dropped if she stays out of criminal trouble for two years.

The charges stem from two incidents back in July.

The first was when Sheboygan Police found her three kids had had been left at the Taco Bell on Erie Avenue, causing them to walk several miles to their home on Indiana Avenue. Perronne claimed she went to run an errand at the Walmart on Sheboygan’s southside and could not start her vehicle.

Nearly two weeks later police were called to investigate a disturbance near her home, and found she was fighting with her boyfriend. The boyfriend claimed the two began to talk about their relationship, and then Perronne snapped and wanted to fight him.  He claimed she used a knife, and in the process he sustained a cut to a finger.

After she tried to run away but was caught by police, Perronne say she was pushed to the ground by her boyfriend.

Sheboygan, WI (WHBL) – The first complaint of counterfeit bills in Sheboygan came Monday afternoon from the Q Mart gas station on South Taylor Drive. The store manager contacted Sheboygan Police after discovering the fake bills.

Then, on Tuesday September 29, 2015, more counterfeit money was used to pay for items at the Petro gas station on South Business Drive.

Sheboygan Police Lieutenant Mike Williams tells WHBL NEWS, investigators are trying to determine if the cases are connected.

“We’ve been taking some complaints of counterfeit bills in the City of Sheboygan, and we’re in the early stages of investigating those complaints.”

Lt. Williams says that so far, a total of six counterfeit bills have been passed off to area businesses in the last two days. But, he declines to reveal the denominations of the fake money- citing the ongoing investigation.

Sheboygan, WI (WHBL) – It was an all-out brawl at the Sheboygan Countfy Detention Center on Saturday, September 26, 2015. The brawl involved one male inmate and four  Sheboygan County corrections officers.

The officers say the incident began when the inmate, Markell Hogan of Milwaukee, blocked their ability to monitor him in his cell by covering a camera, and a viewport-which is an opening on a cell door.

A criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County court says that the officers entered Hogan’s cell after he refused several orders to remove the restrictions. That is when things went from bad to worse.

The officers allege that Hogan became violent and began to fight them, at times climbing atop his bunk where he dealt a barrage of blows to the officers.

As the officers and Hogan continued to fight, one of the officers says he felt his shoulder pop and become dislocated. Another officer suffered a broken nose, and a third officer suffered lacerations and swelling to his left upper lip, an injury to his left knee and right calf muscle. All of the officers were treated and released at a local hospital.

There is no indication that Hogan suffered injuries, according to the criminal complaint.

Hogan was arrested initially by Sheboygan Police earlier this month after he and a female accomplice allegedly tried to solicit a teenage girl for sex on Michigan Avenue.

Hogan is facing three felony counts of battery by prisoners, each count carries up to six years in prison and a fine of $10,000, if convicted.