Sheboygan, WI (WHBL) –The National Weather Service in Sullivan says a rain snow-mix will move through parts of Wisconsin Wednesday night and last into early Thursday.

Meteorologist J.J Wood tells WHBL News that the system is not expected to bring accumulation. “It’s a little bit early, not unusual or unprecedented. It would be basically later tonight, after about 3 or 4am till about 7 or 8am - so about a four or five hour window where we could see a mix of rain and snow,” Wood says.  

As it stands,  forecasters say the early arctic system is not expected to create problems on  the roads.

Sheboygan, WI (WHBL) – Sheboygan area law enforcement agencies are waging an aggressive campaign against an apparent heroin epidemic which has Sheboygan County firmly in its grip.

The campaign has led to numerous recent drug busts and arrests, and has now landed two more Sheboygan residents behind bars.

 34-year-old Jason J. Deruyter and 27-year-old Danielle M. Nonnemacher admit to having a $100 a day heroin addiction, and a criminal complaint alleges that the two made daily trips to Milwaukee to sustain their habit.

Deruyter and Nonnemacher both face felony charges of maintaining a drug trafficking place after the Sheboygan County MEG unit conducted a search warrant of the couples’ North 20^th Street home.

A criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County court says investigators searched the home on Monday, October 26, 2015 and discovered; more than 1000 used and unused syringes, heroin, marijuana, a digital scale, numerous tin foil squares, used cotton balls, tie-offs, a burnt spoon, and cookers.

Investigators also say they found a number of controlled substances at the home including Hydrocodone Bitartrate. Acetaminophen, and Gabapentin were also found.

Nonnemacher reportedly admitted to investigators that she shoots up heroin 2 to 3 times a day and would travel to Milwaukee almost every day to purchase the drug at costs ranging from $150-$200 per trip.

Deruyter also admitted to having a daily drug habit, but says he and Nonnemacher paid $300 for heroin on the day before their arrests.

Nonnemacher and Deruyter could each face more than 15 years in prison if convicted.

Town of Sheboygan Falls, WI (WHBL) - An investigation into the theft of a wallet from a coworker’s purse has landed a Sheboygan man behind bars facing multiple identity theft charges. At least three victims are linked to 29-year-old Jacob Sova’s alleged crime spree.

Sova’s deeds became unraveled on Sunday, October 25, 2015 when a worker at Johnsonville reported to Sheboygan County Sheriff’s deputies that her wallet was stolen from her purse. The woman says she accidentally left the purse on the floor of the break room after her second shift lunch break, and returned for it later. But, it wasn’t until the woman stopped at a gas station to purchase items for work that she realized her wallet was missing.

A criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County court says Sheriff’s deputies immediately reviewed surveillance video of the break room area which reportedly shows Sova rummaging through the woman’s purse, removing items, then placing those items into his backpack.

The next day, deputies learned that a second worker at Johnsonville had also fallen victim to having her wallet stolen. She told deputies more than $1000 was charged to her credit card as a result.

Deputies met Sova at the beginning of his scheduled work shift on Monday, October 26^th, and questioned him about the two wallets that were stolen. Sova allegedly admitted to stealing the second victim’s wallet and says he purchased a PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with her credit card. Sova says he intended to sell the items because he is homeless with no money and has a child on the way, according to the complaint.

Deputies asked Sova where the wallet was located. He responded that he tossed the wallet out of a window while riding home on the previous night.

Then, a search of Sova’s backpack turned up the credit card of his first victim which reportedly had racked up charges from Best Buy. Sova told detectives that he forgot about having that credit card.

A search warrant was executed on Sova’s Geele Avenue residence. Even more stolen items turned up there including more driver’s licenses, a Social Security card and a UPS package that was reported stolen back in June.

Sova says he found those items. But deputies charged him with receiving stolen property.

Altogether Sova is facing two counts of identity theft, three counts of misdemeanor theft and one count of receiving stolen property. He could face more than 10 years in prison on the combined charges, if convicted.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Cedarburg man, with a past history of committing burglaries, will spent five years in state prison for his latest illegal entry involving the Collins State Bank in Random Lake.

39 year old William Works was sentenced this week by Judge Timothy Van Akkeren to the state prison time, plus five years extended supervision and six months in the local jail. Works had pleaded no contest to charges of burglary, theft from a financial institution, and possession of THC last month.

According to the criminal complaint, Sheboygan County Sheriff deputies investigated a theft from the bank the night of July 30, when someone broke a window and took over 77-hundred dollars from cash drawers before leaving the scene.

It was a short time later Ozaukee County law enforcement stopped Works during a traffic stop, and found the money in the vehicle along with marijuana.

When interviewed, Works reportedly said he was under stress to provide for him and his fiancé after she lost her job.

Works has been sentenced twice before for burglaries.   One was in 2000 in Washington County, and the other was in Ozaukee County in 2006.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - It has been more than eight months since plans were announced to transform parts of Field of Dreams North in Sheboygan into a new medical building for Aurora.  Before that happens, though, work must be completed to replace the athletic fields currently there.

Sheboygan Area School District Superintendent Joe Sheehan tells WHBL News the DNR recently approved permits so that work can begin transforming land east of Taylor Drive for the new fields.  "They will start to move dirt in preparation to turn that side into baseball and soccer fields.   They’re going to try to do some things a couple of weeks before the frost sets in."

Sheehan says the bulk of the work, including sod and seeding, will take place in 2016 so that two new baseball and soccer fields, can be ready for use in the spring of 2017.

Changes to Field of Dreams North have had its share of opposition.  The group Save the Field of Dreams has been the most vocal in trying to stop the proposed changes to the green space.  There are also some who are trying to bring a legal challenge to the plan, claiming discussions held by the Sheboygan Area School District, the City of Sheboygan, and Aurora about the plan were not held in public as they should have been.

Sheehan says he still hears from some of the people who are concerned about the changes, but in recent weeks more local people have told him they support the changes.  "Saying wow this is a great thing to do.  Aurora is expanding in our community and the Butzen Farm piece, there’s going to be quality soccer fields above and beyond what we presently have.  And the baseball fields on the east side with lights, which we don’t have."

As part of the plan, Aurora cannot start constructing its new building until the new sports fields are ready for use.  With that expected by the spring of 2017, Aurora's building may not start construction until the winter of 2016.

Sheboygan,WI (WHBL) - Dozens of spectators braved the dank and chilly weather in Sheboygan on Thursday to witness the groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future home of the Old Wisconsin Packaging and Distribution Center.

The 104,000 sq. ft. facility will be prominently located off Interstate 43, and  Weeden Creek road.

Old Wisconsin already employs 250 people and is expected to hire an additional thirty people once the new site is up and running next spring.

Sheboygan Council President Don Hammond tells WHBL News that the company’s plans were a perfect match with Sheboygan’s overall economic development. “As part of the overall economic development plan we found property on the west side of the Interstate and we’re finally able to jump the interstate, and Old Wisconsin was looking for space and was able to take advantage of it," Hammond says.

In addition to the economic boost that is anticipated once the new facility is completed, Hammond says the new jobs will help to offset impending  job losses in surrounding areas of Sheboygan County that are due to closures of other companies.

“Some of our local employers have already absorbed a lot of those jobs. They’re looking at another thirty-to-forty jobs and I have to imagine the skill sets that they have will fit quite nicely within the skill sets they’re looking at when this facility opens late next spring.”

Hammond hints that Old Wisconsin is just the beginning of announcements for what is expected to be a boon year for Sheboygan in the way of economic development.

“There are things in the works that our development office is constantly working on.  There’ll be some things coming up in the next sixty days that I think will be pretty exciting.”

Laona, Wi (WHBL) - While Sheboygan dodged the late October snowfall that was forecasted for late Wednesday into early Thursday, parts of Wisconsin enjoyed a picturesque morning. Up to an inch of snow fell  just north of Laona, WI. 

A loyal WHBL listener shared photos that were taken by security cameras at his cabin which is located in Northern Wisconsin .

Sheboygan. WI (WHBL) – Ambulances were rushed to Sheboygan’s Central High school earlier this week amid reports of multiple students who appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Now details are emerging about the episodes that led to the emergencies at the school- which have now resulted in an arrest.

17-year-old Gavin T Kaessermann is facing felony drug charges after Sheboygan police allege that he distributed Lorazepam pills to multiple students at Central high school on Tuesday October 27, 2015.  According to a criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County court, Kaessermann obtained the pills from another person at the Kwik Trip store on Calumet Drive on his way to school earlier that day.

Kaessermann reportedly told Sheboygan police that he picked up roughly 20 pills and shared them with at least three students at his school.

Not long after those three students took the pills, they wound up in the principal’s office barely able to walk, and having slurred speech. A school security officer describes one of the students as having glazed eyes.

Ambulances were dispatched to the school after one of the students indicated she was suffering from an allergic reaction to “strawberries.” It was later determined that this student along with two others had been given the Lorazepam pills.

Kaessermann is charged with one count of manufacturing and delivering schedule IV drugs. He could face up to five years in prison and fines of up to $10,000 if convicted.

Sheboygan. WI (WHBL) – By the time a sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to the Sheboygan County Detention Center on October 27, 2015, Tyler M Metzner was in the process of trying to take out a video camera that was located inside his jail cell.

Metzner is behind bars this time for allegedly threatening numerous people at random in late September outside Vreeke’s Tavern on Michigan Avenue. Witnesses told Sheboygan Police that Metzner was seen carrying a switchblade knife, and was heard yelling that he was going to, “Kill the cops.”

According to a criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County court,  on this past Tuesday, a  deputy observed Metzner punching the  camera inside his cell while watching a security monitor that is wired to the camera system.

A worker at the detention center says that the attack on the camera system capped off days of erratic behavior by Metzner. That is apparently what led workers to request a deputy to be dispatched to the facility that evening.

Metzner is accused of destroying a sprinkler system located in his cell by ripping the head off the sprinkler.

The deputy entered Metzner’s holding cell to interview him about the damage to both the camera and the sprinkler system and Metzner denied having any involvement. He reportedly told the deputy, “N***ers  did it.” Workers at the detention center however say that Metzner was the only person confined in his cell at the time the damage was committed.

As a deputy continued to interview Metzner, he reportedly admitted to destroying the sprinkler system because he was “bored.”

Metzner now faces charges ;of interference with firefighting along with  one count of criminal damage to property, two counts of felony bail jumping, and six counts of misdemeanor bail jumping. He could face nearly 20 years in prison for the combined charges if convicted.

SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, WI (WHBL) - Earlier this week, Lakeland College and Lakeshore Technical College announced they will begin a new transfer program between the two.

The Lake to Lake program will allow students who are trying to earn one of 17 associates degrees at Lakeshore Technical College the option to transfer easily to Lakeland College to earn one of nine bachelors’ degrees if they so choose.

LTC President Mike Lanser says the new program will strengthen what has been a strong cooperation between the two local post-secondary education offerings.  "We’ve always had students that have graduated from LTC and went to Lakeland, and this will make it little bit easier and a little bit more seamless."

Lanser says he typically talks with Lakeland College President Daniel Eck on a regular basis, and it was during these discussions that the idea for a transfer program came about.

After a year of discussions with each institution's academic leaders, the match of programs at LTC to Lakeland class offerings led to this week's announcement.  Lanser says each entity will work to help students in the program make sure they are taking the right classes.

“We’re hoping that people see this as an opportunity and a value for them to get a great education in a great community," says Lanser.

Lakeland College’s Director of External Relations David Gallianetti says students who join will be given special offers to ensure LTC students feel like they are already a Musky.  "We’re going to offer athletic passes, invitations to our homecoming celebrations.  We have Colloquium programs where we bring really accomplished business or science alumnus back to campus to speak to our current students."

There is already a new scholarship being offered for future students in the program that qualify to apply, and there could be some help for LTC students who need a place to live.  “For any LTC students that have an interest in living on campus for that traditional residential experience; if we have some room, and there’s some interest, we’re going to explore having LTC students live on Lakeland’s campus while their attending LTC," says Gallianetti.

Gallianetti says between 75 and 80 students from Lakeshore Technical College transfer to their university each year.  He hopes a new transfer partnership between the two will increase that number.

Sign up for the Lake to Lake program will start for students joining LTC in the fall of 2016

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) -  Sheboygan Police continue to investigate a stabbing incident on the city’s north side.

As of now, police have told WHBL News that one person was stabbed, but no condition on the victim was given.  The department continues to gather information as this remains an open investigation.

The area police are focusing on is around North 20th Street and Calumet Drive.  For reference, that is near Cooper Elementary.  Officers were seen in that area taping off portions of the sidewalk, using cones to cover up possible blood spots, gathering evidence and interviewing nearby residents.

We will update this story as more information becomes available.

Fond du Lac, WI (WHBL- KFIZ) -The 29-year-old Fond du Lac man who set fire to his foreclosed home last April has pled “no contest” to arson and mistreating animal charges.

Colin Habram will be sentenced on December 30th in Fond du Lac County Court. A pre-sentence investigation has been ordered. According to the criminal complaint Habram was depressed, out of work, and hooked on heroin when he set fire to his home at 410 Ellis Street.

A cat and dog died in the fire and a tenant wasn’t home. The home was going through foreclosure and Habram had the home and contents, and detached garage insured for over $375,000. Habram admitted to using lighter fluid on a small fire that was already going in an ashtray in a spare bedroom and then started another fire in his own bedroom.

Two other charges were read into the record and dismissed.

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

This week, we take a closer look at several education foundations that help out area public school districts.  Terry Shireel with the Sheboygan Public Education Foundation and Anne Troka with the Plymouth Education Foundation describe how their organizations came about, what they offer to do to help their local school districts, and what plans they have for the future.

A Closer Look Replay: Education Foundations

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Sheboygan woman learned her fate last week for harming her son for several years.

Judge Timothy Van Akkeren sentenced 29 year old Amber Ernisse to one year in jail with four months imposed, and five years on probation.  It comes after she pleaded no contest to a felony charge for mental harm to a child.

Ernisse was charged in August after her sister came forward to report the abuse to Sheboygan Police .  The criminal complaint filed against her stated multiple family members told police Ernisse started harming her son when he was six, and it continued for three years.  The abuse would mostly be covering and threatening to cover the child’s mouth to prevent breathing, placing him under a mattress, and striking the child.

The complaint adds when asked about the claims, Ernisse initially denied all incidents and said the child has a deep imagination.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Sheboygan man will have to spend three years in state prison for possessing child pornography.

Judge James Bolgert sentenced William Schickowski last week after the 28 year old pleaded no contest to one charge of possessing child pornography.  A second charge was dropped as part of a plea deal reached back in July.

Schickowski was charged in May in connection to an investigation that started in February by the state division of Internet Crimes Against Children.  A criminal complaint states it wasn’t until May that Sheboygan Police executed a search warrant at Schickowski’s home and found two images of children performing sexual acts.  When asked about the images, he reportedly admitted to downloading hundreds of them in the past.

In addition to the jail time, Schickowski will also spent 18 months on extended supervision and spend 25 years on the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) -  It was nearly one year ago when the Sheboygan Area School District announced a new technical education initiative called Red Raider Manufacturing.

The program, a combined effort between the district, LTC, and local manufacturers, would create a learning environment that allows students to get the necessary training needed to get a job that local factories need.

Speaking to WHBL News, Superintendent Joe Sheehan says the curriculum is in place and students have begun to take classes.  However, class space at the local high schools is not in place yet.  "We’ve ordered equipment.  We are going to be adding on to North, and discussions on what we are going to do specifically at South, whether to add on or refurbish pieces."

Sheehan says this is not the fault of local manufacturers, who have given over three million dollars to help fund for new equipment and classroom space to create a learning space where students can feel what it's like to work at a local factory.

However, efforts have been slowed due to a rejection of a federal grant, citing the guideline that they don’t fund K-12 education.  "Why wait until they graduate from high school, and then they said they want to go to college, but quite frankly a good chunk of them shouldn’t be," says Sheehan.  "They should be getting technical skills and going into the workforce.  Well, right now the federal government is saying ‘well, after they graduate then we can support them, but they aren’t supporting K-12.’"

Sheehan says he hopes Red Raider Manufacturing will lead to companies pressuring federal legislators to push for a change.

Find out more about the program by clicking here.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - The City of Sheboygan’s Common Council will hold a public hearing Monday evening regarding its 2016 budget.  The hearing is at the beginning of the council’s next regular meeting, which will get underway at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

The 35.5-million dollar budget will be a decrease from this year’s budget by nearly two-and-a-half-percent.  Revenues for the city are expected to increase by more than two-percent.

One item that could get extra attention is the recent decision to reinstate a wheel tax of twenty-dollars a year for vehicles that typically reside in the city.

The council agenda does include filing a petition with over 150 signatures asking for council members to reject the tax.  The petition called the tax harmful and regressive, adding the increase in transportation costs would limit people’s ability to find employment and opportunity.

SHEBOYGA, WI (WHBL) - The John Michael Kohler Arts Center will again offer a free summer concert series next year, and they are looking to get some help paying for musical acts with a grant from Levitt Amp

The center received one from them this past year, and they are again eligible to receive up to 25-thousand dollar in a new grant.

In order to get it, local residents will need to help support the series through online voting this month.

Amy Horst, deputy director for programming at the arts center, says a kickoff event this morning will help to build the excitement.  “Getting the crowd sourcing and the popular vote so that we can make it to the next round of funding possibilities with Levitt Amp.”

Voting continues through November 30, and click here to find out more.

Sheboygan, WI (WHBL) – Two people are facing charges that include battery of a peace officer following a large brawl that broke out on North 12^th Street and Michigan Avenue on Sunday, November 1, 2015.

A Sheboygan Police officer ran across the melee while enroute to a medical call. The officer radioed for backup to break up the fight which continued to move along the block.

The fight was apparently between 26-year-old Jessica Garcia and 28 Year Old Ryan L. Avina, and the large crowd gathered at the scene were mostly Garcia’s family members.

In a criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County court, Garcia alleges that the fight broke out after she was struck by another male, with whom she and Avina began fighting.

Officers who responded to the brawl had their hands full in trying to disperse the crowd, and bring Avina and Garcia under control. When officers initially tried to break up the fight, Avina reportedly physically attacked one of the officers - knocking his glasses from his face, and causing swelling to his facial area.

A second officer who tried to gain control of Garcia alleges that she became combative when the officer tried to escort her to a patrol car. Garcia allegedly kicked that officer with the high heel shoes she was wearing at the time.

Both Garcia and Avina are facing multiple charges including a felony charge of battery of a peace officer, also disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. The charges could land the two in jail for nearly ten years.

Sheboygan, WI (WHBL) - Details are emerging surrounding the stabbing that happened on Sheboygan’s North Side on Friday, October 30, 2015.

It turns out that a casual night among friends led to severe drunkenness, and then the stabbing.

The victim, now identified as Richard J. Thalheim, suffered a stab wound to his right hand after an alleged encounter with a homeless man turned violent.  In a criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County court, Thalheim refers to 36-year-old Michael A. Swain, the homeless man, as a friend.

Thalheim tells Sheboygan police that he was hanging out with friends at Vreeke’s Tavern early Friday morning when he received a phone call from Swain, whom he says hangs out at Worker’s Water Street Park. Thalheim says that he and Swain made plans to hang out at the Tavern before the bar closed.

Swain arrived at the bar just before closing time, so he and Thalheim walked over to Thalheim’s North 10^th Street apartment. This is where their hang out apparently took a violent turn.

Both men had been drinking, according to the criminal complaint, and Thalheim says that he was heavily intoxicated-admitting to having an 18 pack of beer and a couple of shots throughout the day.

He told police that in the moments leading up to the stabbing, Swain began to boss him around and the two began to fight. He alleges that Swain doled out a couple of fist blows before pulling out the knife and stabbing him. But Thalheim also told police that he was too drunk to remember some specific details about the assault. Swain fled the scene following the assault.

When asked about his acquaintance with Swain, Thalheim claims that he helped Swain out prior to the stabbing by providing food, clothing, and doing his laundry.

Sheboygan police spotted Swain at Worker’s Water Street Park on Saturday, October 31, and arrested him on one count of substantial battery, also two drug related charges.

 Swain denies hanging out with Thalheim, or stabbing him. He could face more than 10 years in prison on the combined charges, if convicted.