Here is the third edition of Appleton area rankings for high school softball Kaukauna (11-0)Kaukauna has outscored its last seven opponents 65-1 The team's 11-1 victory over Appleton East on April 29 snapped a six-game shutout streak for the Ghosts The Foxes are the lone undefeated team in the North Eastern Conference and are coming off a doubleheader sweep of Oconto Falls Vote for team of the month: Which team was the best in April? Vote for the Piggly Wiggly Post-Crescent high school team of the month Kimberly (9-1)The Papermakers move up in the rankings and the team's offense has been on an upswing surpassing 10 runs in five of the last six games The Lions drop two spots after first loss of the season with 6-1 defeat at home against New Holstein They have four games this week at Southern Door on May 5 at home against Roncalli on May 8 and at Manitowoc Lutheran on May 9 Neenah (10-3)The Rockets are back in the top 5 after going 3-0 last week with wins over Appleton East Hortonville (11-2)The Polar Bears' win streak hits nine games They have a big Fox Valley Association matchup with Kimberly on May 6 that could have league title implications Appleton North (8-3)Lightning holds steady at No 2 in rankings and has three games at home this week: Appleton East on May 6 Kaukauna on May 8 and Fond du Lac on May 9 The Thunder has won 10 of its last 11 games including a doubleheader sweep of West De Pere on May 3 The Papermakers' 6-0 loss to Hudson snaps four-game winning streak Kimberly can rebound with FVA showdown at home against Hortonville on May 6 Chilton (10-3)The Tigers see eight-game win streak end with 11-2 loss to Kiel on May 2 Team will look to bounce back with home game against Roncalli on May 6 Papermakers are the new No. 1 after big 1-0 victory over Appleton North on April 29 followed by a 3-1 win against River Falls on May 3 Kimberly is tied with Oshkosh West for the top spot in the Fox Valley Association Wolves notch their fifth shutout of the season with 8-0 victory over Berlin on April 29 The competition level goes up several notches with a nonconference home matchup against Xavier on May 8 Appleton North (9-3)The Lightning shakes off loss to Kimberly with a 3-0 victory over De Pere on May 3 The Hawks are tied atop the Bay Conference with Seymour with 3-0 records and are coming off a 1-0 victory over Ashland on May 3 The Ghosts get a 1-0 win over Hortonville on April 29 along with a scoreless tie against Ashwaubenon on May 1 Kaukauna has an important FVA game against visiting Appleton North on May 6 Oshkosh North 0KIMBERLY - The Papermakers scored three runs in the first inning and seven in the second inning in the five-inning Fox Valley Association win Sawyer Deering pitched three innings to get the win did not walk a batter and struck out eight Grant Gloudemans pitched the final two innings Braedon Ellefson had two hits and three RBIs KIMBERLY - The Raiders scored four runs in the first inning in the nonconference win over the Papermakers including two each by Shaefer Peterson and Benny Kieffer Jace Mataczynski and Sam Manchester each hit two home runs for Hudson Mataczynski had two hits and drove in three runs Friday's high school results: Appleton area high school sports results for Friday, May 2 HORTONVILLE - Taiven Gass pitched a complete game to lead the Polar Bears to the victory over the Wildcats Gary Wuest drove in the only run for Hortonville on a sacrifice fly in the first inning Neenah 1NEENAH - The Redbirds defeated the Rockets in five innings in the nonconference matchup Neenah scored in the second inning on an unearned run but De Pere answered with eight runs in the top of the third inning The inning was highlighted by back-to-back two-run hits by Brett Weckwerth and Ryan Wettstein Wettstein broke open the game with a three-run double in the fifth inning Wettstein finished 2-for-2 with two doubles and five RBIs Isaac Poehlman and Weckwerth also collected two hits Caden Krutz pitched five innings to get the win DENMARK - The Tigers swept the North Eastern Conference doubleheader winning 7-6 in the first game and 2-1 in the second game Wrightstown scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning in the first game to take a 7-2 lead and held on for the win Ryan Leahy and Caleb Podgorski each had two hits Podgorski pitched 5⅓ innings to get the win Eli Kapinos and David Dittmer each had two hits for Denmark Aiden Humphreys pitched 5⅓ innings to get the win Trevor Vande Hey had a double and an RBI for the Tigers Waupaca 3-2WAUPACA - The Marines swept the North Eastern Conference doubleheader beating the Comets 4-3 in the first game and 4-2 in the second game Nik Williams pitched a complete game in the opener for Marinette Marinette scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure the win after Waupaca had taken a 2-0 lead in the first inning Justin Kruse pitched seven innings for Marinette EAU CLAIRE - Vada Sousek had three assists for the Papermakers in the victory Emily Urban and Grace Peters scored goals for Kimberly Papermakers goalie Bee Brockert had one save APPLETON - Addison Wreath had two goals for the Patriots in the nonconference tie Appleton East goalie Natalie Nielsen made 17 saves DE PERE - The Lightning scored three goals in the first half in the nonconference win over the Redbirds Aubrey Scherer and Brinley Dunsirn scored for North Lightning goalie Ava Koleske made nine saves BOYS GOLFFond du Lac InviteWEST BEND WEST 332 Top individuals: Anthony Pietrangelo WBW 76 The demand for on-street parking in downtown Appleton remains high and emotionally charged the Appleton Common Council voted 14-0 to proceed with the loading zone on a six-month trial but not before downtown business owners and customers had their say "This loading zone was not in the original plan and it seems like a slap in the face for businesses such as il Bar etc.," Grand Chute resident Mary Kleefisch Klasen said in an email to the city "Adding this at the end of the game just isn't fair." "Poor planning on the city's part should not be taken out on these wonderful places!" Appleton resident Jan Riehl said Trout Museum requests loading zone for children 120,000-square-foot Lawrence University/Trout Museum building is under construction at 325 E The museum will own and occupy the first floor and requested a loading zone on the south side of College Avenue said the loading zone is needed so buses of schoolchildren and senior citizens using walkers or wheelchairs can safely and efficiently access the building Lawrence University will own and control the upper three floors with the second floor housing academic spaces and the third and fourth floors housing 46 one- and two-bedroom apartments City Traffic Engineer Eric Lom said the number of deliveries at apartment buildings has increased significantly in the past five to 10 years "On top of the loading zone needs that the Trout has outlined you're going to have 46 apartments that are going to need DoorDash deliveries Amazon deliveries and all the other types of deliveries that I'm sure you can all imagine," Lom told the Municipal Services Committee If Appleton doesn't provide a loading zone Lom said delivery drivers will park in the bike lane or traffic lane fearing the loss of street parking will result in a loss of business that they won't frequent businesses that don't have close parking," she said Rabideau suggested using Kimball Alley along the south side of the Lawrence/Trout building for loading and deliveries Turner said the new building doesn't have a public entrance on the south side Lom said Kimball Alley is only 16 feet wide so any delivery would block traffic from getting through saw no need to lose two parking spaces that are in high demand "I'm just worried about the precedent this might set," Mollen said and there's probably more to come in the future I don't think it's fair to necessarily take away parking spaces when people do need to park downtown." The trial loading zone complies with Appleton policy which says no more than 10% of the parking stalls on any block shall be designated as loading zones Council member Sheri Hartzheim saw both sides of the issue "I wish I had a magic wand to make a solution occur here," she said Hartzheim said the city and downtown developers need to do a better job planning for loading zones without cutting into the parking on College Avenue "They put the cart before the horse," she said "They have this big building that's going to have people living in it and people visiting the museum we didn't realize we're going to need something to have DoorDash come.' That just feels crazy to me." Lom said city staff have had internal discussions about making requests for loading zones a part of a development's site plan review Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @DukeBehnke My granddaughter, Magdalene, recently had a sewing lesson at Ana’s Sewing Studio in Green Bay For the beginner seamstress and the quilter the growth in the studio proves that the comment is not unwarranted Just as my granddaughter has been inspired to learn more so are the hundreds of loyal customers who join clubs The owner behind this success is Ana Rivera of Appleton Rivera took quite the turn in her career when she purchased Julie’s Sewing Center in Green Bay (it was renamed after purchase to Ana’s Sewing Studio) in 2016 But it was a journey that started many years earlier who learned to craft and sew from her grandmother graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior in 2002 with a major in legal studies and focus on domestic conflict and abuse “My grandmother insisted that I work before committing to spending that much on obtaining a law degree,” Rivera said She moved to the Fox Valley area and accepted a job with Department of Workforce Development where she worked with clients who were looking for employment opportunities A hard worker (she says she worked as many as three jobs at one time) she moved through the ranks and accepted additional management responsibilities Her off hours were spent quilting and sewing When her grandmother gave her $5,000 as an advanced inheritance and told her to spend it on something fun she bought her first embroidery and sewing machine “I loved that machine and learned everything about it,” she said Years later and still in love with her hobby Rivera began taking lessons at Julie’s Sewing Center in Appleton (Christensen had purchased Holtz Sewing Centers in Appleton and Green Bay.) Rivera found the shop to be welcoming and unlike many of the other specialty shops in the same niche The next step in Rivera’s journey came when she was talking to her aunt and confided that her dream was to have her own sewing and quilting shop someday but recommended that she learn the business first by working in a similar shop why don’t you go there and see if they have any part-time jobs,” her aunt said Rivera took that advice and was hired at Julie’s evenings and weekends were dedicated to learning the ins and outs of the shop “I would leave work and then spend evenings fixing machines Some nights I would stay up almost all night because I fell in love with it.” That love for the machines translated to success in selling them She joked about a customer who came in to purchase a light bulb for his wife’s machine and when he saw how enthralled his wife was with the new machines came in the next day without her to buy one as a surprise “He came in for a light bulb and ended up with a machine,” she laughed “But I can only sell like that because I love these machines; I’m passionate about this.” That passion grew as she continued to learn the business it was fitting that Rivera would be the new owner Rivera said that Julie had been teaching her — both the good and bad of business ownership — and Rivera was ready for the transition in ownership They figured out the inventory cost and agreed on a price for Rivera to purchase the Appleton and Green Bay shops An important part of the transaction was making certain that the dealership agreements would transfer so that the same top-quality machines could be sold It wasn’t long before she was in growth mode She took a team approach to staffing that turned out to be very effective I have a team leader in the shops because I recognize that everyone contributes to our success The employees are the best and work well together I can’t afford to always have two or three people working at one time so we need to be able to communicate without always working together.” The teams are part of what she says are one-stop shops with an inventory of 5,000 to 6,000 bolts of fabric and the largest selection of thread in the area She sells quilting kits with pre-cut squares and supplies There is a schedule of classes on the website and information on special projects and clubs “People enjoy getting together to gather and socialize you learn from the other students,” Rivera stated including private lessons like Magdalene took are part of the growth the shops have experienced Rivera opened a store in Wausau and is now in the process of opening a fourth shop in Columbus The goals she set in 2016 are taking shape “My long-term goal was to open a fourth store and a sewing retreat The retreat is almost complete (it is in Appleton where she purchased the building) and it will be a place where people can do projects and take classes set up a booth for special events and sell their stash of fabrics Other plans call for building a suite above the retreat center where she will live initially She said that she sees growth within the industry as machines become more technical Many have computers and tablets built in them and are able to perform such tasks as taking a photo from a mobile phone and then presenting options for completing the project With that additional complexity comes the need for training that the studio provides She says that her customers develop the same passion for the machines that she felt when she purchased her first good machine why not go home and do something you love?” she said “You can lose yourself in the fabrics and colors and I find that if I’m worried about something I can get on a project and just forget about it Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and Past District Director for SCORE (This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.) A new brewery and taproom is coming to downtown Appleton with plans to preserve and utilize the building's historic features Renovations for Vault 202 Brewery & Taproom The over-9,000-square-foot space will be located in the space next to Chase Bank. Investors for Vault 202 partnered with Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction, Inc. for the design and execution of the renovations revealed details about the future brewery in a news release on April 30 announcing the business will open this summer The space will feature a main bar with a gas-fired pizza oven and ample seating a private event space with views of the brewery equipment and a spiral staircase that leads downstairs to a bar and lounge with seating inside an existing bank vault “Vault 202 will be a unique destination for guests to enjoy great food and conversation in the Fox Cities,” Cindy Stuedemann “Partnering with Hoffman has been a wonderful collaboration and we can’t wait for the renovation to be complete so we can open our doors and share Vault 202 with the community.” The brewery and taproom made a post on its Facebook page on April 28 revealing more of what people can expect from the business The post confirmed that the business will offer pizza and wings in addition to craft beer brewed on site Several of the original features of the 1962 First National Bank building will be preserved and utilized in the new design “Vault 202 will be a fantastic addition to the entertainment landscape in downtown Appleton,” Hoffman president Sam Statz said in the news release “It’s going to be a fun renovation project and we’re excited for the owners to be able to open in time for Mile of Music." Faith Huey is a business reporter for The Appleton Post-Crescent. You can reach her at fhuey@gannett.com or view her Instagram profile at @Faith.Huey. Shrewsbury Town are the ninth club of Michael Appleton's managerial career Shrewsbury Town boss Michael Appleton has signed a two-year contract as the club's permanent manager The 49-year-old was appointed head coach on 26 March on a deal for the rest of the current campaign following Gareth Ainsworth's departure for Gillingham Appleton was unable to save Salop from relegation to League Two a fate confirmed by other results on 18 April but he has been in talks with the board about remaining at the club Oxford and Lincoln City boss has won one of his eight league games in charge "It's no secret that I wanted to stay at this football club so I'm really pleased the deal is now done," Appleton told Shrewsbury's official club website., external "The last few weeks have been a challenge but I've been really encouraged by how the players have responded and taken on board what I've asked of them I've learned a lot about the group - what we need going forward and who I want to be part of the journey next season." Michael Appleton's assistant Richard O'Donnell has also committed his future to Shrewsbury Town Appleton had been out of work since being sacked as Charlton boss in January 2024 following a run of 10 league matches without a win Despite being unable to halt their slide to League Two the club have decided to stick with Appleton - who is known for his ability to work with young players - as they plan their return to the fourth tier for the first time in 10 years Shrewsbury also confirmed Appleton's assistant will remain in his role ahead of the 2025-2026 season "The club has a clear vision for how it wants the team to play And I hope in the games I've had so far you've seen the type of football we are working to introduce," Appleton added "The positive feedback I've had from supporters has been fantastic That identity though doesn't just happen in a few weeks both Richard and I are determined to build a team that will really make you proud next season." Shrewsbury conclude their League One campaign against fellow relegated side Crawley Town at the Croud Meadow on Saturday (15:00 BST) Champions League semi-final updates: Calafiori back for Arsenal; Dembele returns for PSG Stunning stats and 'Ronaldo behaviour' - is Yamal cut out to rival Messi PSG's Dembele fit for second leg against Arsenal A gritty crime saga set in Liverpool starring Sean Bean Stacey Dooley explores Britain’s shoplifting epidemic Who has made Troy's Premier League team of the week Is the risk that Mercedes took with Antonelli paying off Trailblazer Zhao set to take snooker to 'another level' in China 'Calamity keeper' or 'human wall' - which Donnarumma will Arsenal face Zhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights VideoZhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights Alexander-Arnold leaves as modern Liverpool great - but fans will feel hurt 'Scheffler and DeChambeau wins further raise US PGA excitement levels' Match-fixing scandal to Crucible champion - fall and rise of Zhao 'We need to take a look at ourselves' - Arsenal stalling at wrong time Europa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney VideoEuropa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney Ask Me Anything the new BBC Sport service designed to serve you Bayern's 'James Bond' - how Kane clinched his first trophy Nine bolters with a shot of making the Lions squad How 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool VideoHow 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool Solskjaer on Besiktas Saints 'punch' favourites Leinster in game for the ages VideoVardy the best £1m ever spent - Shearer Poppy's tears Elton John & Happy Gilmore - McIlroy on Jimmy Fallon show Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Hudson 2HORTONVILLE - Gary Wuest was 2-for-3 with four RBIs as the Polar Bears used a five-run fourth inning to break open a close game in nonconference action while Turner Kuhnke drove in a run for Hortonville pitching five innings and allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out four Sam Abrahamson had two hits and an RBI to lead Hudson FOX CROSSING - The Zephyrs scored four runs in the first inning one in the third and three in the sixth to earn the Big East Conference win three RBIs and two runs scored; Joe Pirillo who was 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored; and Alex Rice pitching five innings and allowing three hits two runs - one earned - with two walks and nine strikeouts Nolan Sand and Jax Vogel had two hits each to lead Mishicot CHILTON - The Raiders scored five runs in the third inning to take a 5-0 lead and cruised to the win over the Tigers Chilton pitchers walked nine batters and the Tigers were charged with six errors Peyton Juckem and Lucas Groeschel each had two hits for Chilton to lead the Papermakers to the win over the Terrors Kimberly snapped a 1-1 score in the second inning by plating six runs on seven hits three other Papermakers - Arabella Carlson Paige Wyngaard and Hermus - had multiple hit games allowing four runs on two hits and 10 walks over five innings Madison Buchinger took the loss for Appleton West OSHKOSH - The Polar Bears took the lead for good with two runs in the fourth inning that snapped a 2-2 tie with the Spartans Gracin Foytik had three hits for Hortonville Grace Danoski pitched the first four innings for Hortonville to get the win She allowed two runs on four hits and four walks Kierra Wunderlich pitched the last three innings giving up a run on two hits and a walk to get the save Brooke Peters took the loss for Oshkosh North FOND DU LAC - McKenna Thome hit an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning to drive in the go-ahead run for the Cardinals in the win over the Patriots Lillian Birschbach had three hits for Fond du Lac Susan Vokes pitched a complete game for the win Oconto Falls 0-10APPLETON - The Foxes got plenty of offense as they pounded the Panthers twice to sweep the North Eastern Conference doubleheader the Foxes opened the scoring in the first with three runs and never looked back The Foxes banged out 11 hits in the game as Brianna Dahlke and Andi Bierman each drove in three runs while Claire Pfrang and Natalie Bromm each collected multiple hits for FVL Natalie Bromm drove in five runs on three hits but FVL scored 13 runs on eight hits in the second for a 14-2 edge Olivia Fischer collected two hits for the Foxes in five at-bats Amelia Danielczak led Oconto Falls with four hits Addy Leja and Lylia Leja each collected multiple hits for the Panthers Brenna Wilson and Lauren Warner scored goals for the Papermakers in the victory at the Lori Bembinster Memorial Invite Ashlyn Krueger and Katie Owens had assists for Kimberly Papermakers goalie Bee Brockert made four saves LUXEMBURG - Gia Bay scored a pair of goals including the game-tying goal in the 74th minute as the Foxes and Spartans played to a draw in North Eastern Conference action Emi Kuhn and Aaliyah Wallace scored unassisted goals for Luxemburg-Casco Ashley Fameree made five saves in net for the Spartans while Sabrina Schmidt made four saves for FVL TRACK AND FIELDKimberly Gil Frank InvitationalBOYS West Bend 5 (Wednesday)WEST BEND - Jaylen Kempfer scored six goals for Appleton in the victory over the Rush Roen Willis and Elliott Olm each had two goals Jayden Golding and Brody Olp had one goal each Fox Valley Lutheran individuals: Kaden Kusserow 88 We asked readers of the Appleton Post-Crescent to share their favorite brunch restaurants in honor of April being national brunch month Although the month-long holiday has come to an end While readers praised several locations around town hosts its Jammin Brunch Buffet every Sunday an event that earned it several mentions from our readers "We call it Jammin Brunch because we always have live music," said owner Nathan Vande Walle "We offer a traditional brunch buffet and everything is homemade." Customers can also add on bottomless mimosa and bloody mary drink specials "I think people can tell the difference in food when it's homemade," Vande Walle said "That's really important to us making sure we have quality food out on the buffet but the food is what keeps them coming back." customers can also enjoy live music performances from varying artists The restaurant has seen live performances by artists like Jake Tell For more information visit Uncle Mike's Food Emporium's Facebook page or umfoodemporium.com Patty & Pablo's, 145 E. Second St. in Kaukauna, serves Mexican and American cuisine menu which earned it high praise from readers. The restaurant offers an extensive breakfast menu, including huevos rancheros, chilaquiles pancakes and waffles. Iced horchata lattes and freshly made aqua fresca are available daily. For more information, visit the restaurant's Facebook page or pattyandpablos.com Jexi's Restaurant, 1011 Crooks Ave. in Kaukauna, has an extensive breakfast and brunch menu. Customers can find several different versions of benedicts, breakfast bowls, frittatas, omelets, crepes, pancakes and more. For more information, visit Jexi's Restaurant’s Facebook page Spats, 733 W. College Ave. in Appleton, serves brunch from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays only. It's brunch menu offers corned beef and hash, pancakes, breakfast burrito, omelet, steak and eggs, and more. Additionally, the restaurant offers bottomless mimosas and signature brunch cocktails. For more information visit spatsappleton.com SAP Brunch, Brown Bag & Bakery, 708 N. Casaloma Drive in Grand Chute, which focuses on breakfast and brunch meals, offers dishes like huevos rancheros, corned beef hash, toasted bagel and cured Nova Scotia salmon, eggs benedict, pancakes and French toast. The restaurant sources many of its products from local businesses including coffee from Colectivo, meats from Haen Meats and bread from Breadsmiths. For more information visit sapbrunch.com Mary's Family Restaurant, 2312 N. Richmond St. in Appleton, has specialized in homemade comfort meals since 1958. It's breakfast menu is served all day, every day and comes with dishes like omelets, French toast, pancakes and skillets. Readers say its pancakes are the best in the area. For more information visit marysfamilyrestaurant.com Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@gannett.com Follow her on X (Twitter) at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa Broadway Off-Broadway Off-Off Broadway Cabaret Dance Opera Classical Music Nashville Minneapolis / St. Paul Connecticut Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles WEST END UK Regional Canada Australia / New Zealand Europe Asia Latin America Africa / Middle East TV/Movies Music Theatre: In a return to your Fox Cities Performing Arts Center be swept away once more by the electrifying energy and soul-stirring harmonies of the Soweto Gospel Choir an internationally renowned 20-member South African ensemble whose performances are nothing short of a cultural celebration captivating audiences with their powerful a cappella renditions of both traditional and contemporary songs Expect vibrant performances brimming with emotion and energy as they sing in a mix of English and African languages The Soweto Gospel Choir’s distinctive sound is amplified by their dynamic choreography dazzling costumes and deep-rooted connection to the rich musical heritage of South Africa With two Grammy Awards and a long list of prestigious performances a Soweto Gospel Choir performance is a vibrant Fox Cities Performing Arts Center is at 400 W College Ave and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows © 2025 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media, all rights reserved. Privacy Policy based on David Lindsay-Abaire’s play of the same title revolves around a teenage girl named Kimberly Levaco who suffers from a condition that rapidly accelerates the aging process Before she has had a chance to venture forth into the world as an adult she finds herself turning into an old woman Yet the effect is powerfully life-affirming in the way it reminds audiences of the preciousness of the time we have at hand Full of quirky humor and social satire on grownup immaturity the musical features a score by Jeanine Tesori (music) and David Lindsay-Abaire (lyrics) that will leave you both grinning and deeply touched I'm your neighborhood reporter dedicated to Green Bay (The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story) Sunrise Elementary School in Appleton marked its 25th year participating in the Kids Heart Challenge raising vital funds for the American Heart Association For physical education teacher Dean Lamers this year's event held special significance after his own life-saving heart surgery Students at Sunrise Elementary School in Appleton raised more than $26,000 for the American Heart Association through the Kids Heart Challenge an annual event focused on heart health through fundraising and fitness who has led the school's participation for years this year's challenge held special significance it extended my life big time," Lamers said Lamers underwent heart surgery after experiencing health complications "They took an artery from my chest and connected it directly to my heart," Lamers said "I still cannot fathom or believe that it happened until I look in the mirror and see the scars that are left," Lamers said American Heart Association Youth Market Director noted that Lamers' innovative surgery resulted from research and treatments funded by students participating in challenges like this one "His recovery time of bypass surgery is significantly less than even a decade ago Third-grader Claire Baker understands the importance of their fundraising efforts "I think it's important because we can actually help them so they don't suffer and they can actually go to their homes and spend time with their families," Baker said The impact of the students' generosity isn't lost on Lamers not even knowing the people that it affects and now they actually have someone that it affected and it helps," Lamers said This year will mark Lamers' last at Sunrise Elementary as he looks forward to spending more time with family and friends He hopes his story encourages people to get tested early and often for heart conditions _________________________________________________________________ (This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.) We cover stories making an impact in Appleton. This is your home to stay on top of what is changing in Appleton and why it matters to you and your family. We want to hear from you! Click here and tell us what we should be covering in your neighborhood She returns to court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing The prosecutor asked for a $50,000 cash bond The victim reported the incidents to police about two months ago The first time was in an overflow parking lot of the high school The alleged encounters took place between Sept police recorded a call the victim made to Ryan He tried to ask about the alleged interactions while he was in high school The criminal complaint contains material that may not be suitable for some readers Schnese further reports that he asked Rebecca about her first sexual encounter with VICTIM 1 that took place in the overflow parking lot near Appleton West Near Appleton West?" Rebecca indicated she did not remember being in the overflow lot with VICTIM 1 Schnese reports that he looked over at Rebecca and observed that she was breathing with shallow breaths Rebecca placed her head in her hands and said "I did not sleep with [VICTIM 1]." the Appleton School District issued this statement: “Rebecca Ryan was employed by the Appleton Area School District from August 29 there were no reports or allegations involving inappropriate contact with students We are committed to partnering with the Appleton Police Department as needed to support any ongoing investigations.” by Josh Cavender & Scott Hurley APPLETON (WLUK) -- A memorial to Wisconsin's Vietnam War veterans was dedicated Wednesday President of Vets & Friends Coffee House Jack Voight said it has been years in the making I was able to negotiate an agreement with the Veterans Museum in Madison and they gave me the graphics and I took it from there and created the wall itself and that's what you see now," he said The permanent Veterans Wall features the photographs and names of Wisconsinites who died in Vietnam "It's called a face with every name unbelievable what that person went through," Voight continued it adds another dimension of interaction that sends a message and also has a different rapport when they see a face with a name." Vets & Friends Coffee House sponsored the project The 17-panel wall aims to feature photos of the 1,249 Wisconsin veterans who died in the war Voight told FOX 11 it's important to remember those who didn't come home and remember where they came from did not have a veteran that died in Vietnam," Voight said Deaths that VFW Post Commander Wayne Martin said "I know every veteran in here cannot forget Wednesday is the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon APPLETON (NBC 26) — In a statement given to NBC 26 Tuesday afternoon the Appleton Area School District addressed the situation: "Rebecca Ryan was employed by the Appleton Area School District from August 29 there were no reports or allegations involving inappropriate contact with students We are committed to partnering with the Appleton Police Department as needed to support any ongoing investigations," the District continued A reporter with NBC 26 also spoke with the Outagamie County District Attorney's Office Tuesday afternoon An office worker confirmed that Ryan is currently booked in Outagamie County Jail pending her initial appearance but a date and time has not yet been confirmed **Below is previous information from our initial report** A former Appleton West High School teacher has been arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a student according to the Appleton Police Department Police say Rebecca Ryan of Neenah was arrested on three counts of sexual assault of a child by a school staff member Police say their investigation found the former teacher was in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student while working at Appleton West High School during the 2017-2018 academic year "These incidents were reported to law enforcement in March of this year and investigators reacted swiftly and were able to establish probable cause to make an arrest in this case," the Appleton Police Department said in a news release Police say Ryan is now in custody at the Outagamie County Jail She was not employed as a teacher when she was arrested Police believe no other evidence suggests that other students were involved or harmed Police are encouraging anyone with information related to the case to contact them by Scott Hurley APPLETON (WLUK) -- A former high school teacher was arrested Tuesday for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a student Appleton police are recommending Rebecca Ryan be charged with three counts of sexual assault of a child by a school staff member Investigators say the contact with a 17-year-old student took place during the 2017-18 school year when Ryan was a teacher at Appleton West High School Police say the incidents were first reported to them last month and there is no evidence other students were involved the holiday celebrating Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire While the holiday takes place on a Monday and you may not be able to celebrate as enthusiastically as you'd like there are still plenty of ways to participate The following are seven events in the Fox Cities celebrating Cinco de Mayo over the weekend and the day of these events take place on the actual holiday Tirado's Taqueria, 105 W. Northland Ave. in Appleton, is celebrating with dine-in specials including free chips and salsa, free soda, $3 tacos and $4 specialty tacos including lengua, cabeza, birria and tripa. The restaurant will also be selling homemade tamales. For more information visit the restaurant's Facebook page Get adventurous with 'exotic' tacos at All Things JerkyAll Things Jerky, 1894 N. Casaloma Drive in Grand Chute, will be offering exotic tacos with the choice between alligator, antelope, bison and venison meat for $6 each or two for $10. Customers can also try the Gator Nachos with personalized toppings for $10 and deep fried Gator Bites for $10. For more information visit All Things Jerky's Facebook page. Celebrate with the community at a Tipsy Taco block partyTipsy Taco, 129 S. Memorial Drive in Appleton, is reserving the whole block on May 4 for a day-long celebration including live music, DJ performances, drink specials and an outdoor taqueria. For more information visit the restaurant’s Facebook page Tailwaggers Doggy Daycare, 865 S. Oneida St. in Menasha, is calling all furry friends. You don't need to be a client or check in for daycare to celebrate with Tailwaggers, which is offering dog-friendly tacos and a photo of your dog in a taco stand for $12. For more information visit it's Facebook page. Tailwaggers Doggy Daycare, 100 Allegiance Court in Little Chute, is offering doggy margaritas, made with cucumber, broth and yogurt, for $3. For more information visit its Facebook page El Agave, 1750 N. Casaloma Drive in Grand Chute, will feature a Mexican-style taco flight for $12 with the choice between steak, grilled chicken, al pastor, carnitas, chorizo, ground beef and shredded chicken. The restaurant will also have specials on margaritas and tequila shots and live music performances all day. For more information visit El Agave's Facebook page. Civic Media’s John Maino, co-host of Maino and the Mayor APPLETON, WI—(WISS)— Hundreds of people took time to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War in Appleton yesterday (April 30 2025) with a solemn dedication of the Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Wall The memorial at 2508 North Richmond Street in Appleton is the only permanent wall honoring the over 1200 Wisconsin Veterans who died in the Vietnam War. Vets & Friends Coffee House, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides free meals to veterans raised the funds for and built the memorial.  Family members, friends, and veterans who served in Vietnam attended the dedication ceremony on April 30, 2025. Terry Judkins served in Vietnam. So did his twin brother, who did not come home. “We both enlisted. I  went into the Army. He went into the Navy. He wanted to be a paramedic. So he became a medical corpsman, and darned if he didn’t get transferred into the Marines as a medic. So then you have him in the Northern part of Vietnam, and me right below him.” Judkins said. “For my mother, who was raising five children by herself, to have twins in a warzone was horrible!” Made up of 17 aluminum panels with names, photographs, and biological information of the Wisconsin soldiers who died in the Vietnam War, the monument is 7-feet high and more than 50-feet long. The monument, built late last year, is free to visit any time, day or night, thanks to motion-sensor lights. Want More Local News?We've got you. Scan it to get it. Community News Ethics and Standards | Privacy Policy Tucked behind an unassuming two-story stucco building at 2508 N. Richmond St. in Appleton stands the only permanent wall honoring the 1,249 Wisconsin veterans who died in the Vietnam War Anyone can visit the Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Wall free of charge because motion-sensor lights will illuminate the outdoor exhibit doesn't know how many people have come to experience the wall I know there have been people here," Voight told The Post-Crescent The Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Wall has been in place since fall but will be formally dedicated during a somber ceremony at noon on April 30 The date was chosen because it marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War Vietnam veterans James Marohn (representing Winnebago County) Jerry Ott (Calumet County) and Voight (Outagamie and Waupaca counties) will read the names on the wall from their respective counties The ceremony will conclude with the laying of a wreath "I have no idea how many people will attend," Voight said What does the Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Wall show?The wall consists of 17 aluminum panels embedded with the names faces and biographical information of the 1,249 Wisconsin veterans who died in the Vietnam War "It is emotional," Voight, 79, said. "The wall in Washington just has the names there's a different rapport with the person seeing the wall this way." The names on the wall are grouped by county Nearby is a locator panel with the names listed by alphabetical order and cross-referenced to the corresponding panels with their faces The wall stands 7 feet high and is more than 50 feet long At the center of the memorial are the U.S. Wisconsin and Vietnam Veterans of America flags The site also features two bald eagle statues and a fallen soldier marker that says The wall is a replica of "Wisconsin Remembers: A Face for Every Name," a traveling exhibit that consists of indoor historical societies and schools throughout the state Voight wanted something permanent and outdoors He has been working on the project for four years Voight and his nonprofit organization, Vets & Friends Coffee House Inc. obtained permission from the Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs and the Wisconsin Veterans Museum to embed the graphics from the traveling exhibit onto aluminum panels for the memorial in Appleton including $25,000 from VFW Post 2778 in Appleton He is working on arrangements to move the wall to another location if his property ever were to be sold Army and served as a sergeant in the Signal Corps in Vietnam and Cambodia in 1969 and 1970 He is a former state treasurer and former president of the Appleton Common Council Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DukeBehnke by Josh Cavender & Ashley Kaster APPLETON (WLUK) -- One of the area's largest music festivals announced its first 50 acts to performers from Canada and the United Kingdom Dave Willems says Mile of Music is aiming to make it’s 12th mile its most varied yet we’ve always had artists from about 25 states or so but to have that international flavor start to kick in -- artists from Canada Talent buyer Ian Thomson told FOX 11 it’s a chance to show off Midwest flair “I think it’s really cool to expand on that to experience what Appleton has to offer and to also experience the Midwest lifestyle and Wisconsin and then they take that back to their countries In 2022, the festival introduced Spanish language artists to the lineup Willems said it’s always the direction they’ve wanted to go “We always look for having significant numbers of artists who represent different cultures "Folks that can come here and can feel that this is a place for them.” It's a feeling that Thomson works to curate every year and showcase that there is something for everyone in the entire lineup as well," he said The 12th annual event will feature 200 artists from around the world across 40 different venues Mile of Music is set for July 31 through Aug And with it being only 90 days away, organizers also put a call out to volunteers and sponsors to help make the event a success Mile of Music will be revealing more artists for the lineup to round out a total of 183 performers across 35 venues APPLETON (WLUK) -- One of Appleton's largest annual events will be a part of NFL Draft week Downtown Appleton will play host to "SongWalk" which mimics the four-day Mile of Music festival held each summer "We thought it would be kind of cool to have a handful of venues that had some original music," said Dave Willems, one of the organizers of Mile of Music and SongWalk "One of the things we're most known for is original music SongWalk will feature two hours of live music "[It's] a chance to give [visitors] a little bit of a taste of what happens every summer when we have Mile of Music," said Willems Fans can also head to various restaurants and bars around the area hosting watch parties. Neenah will conclude the draft weekend with a light projection display on Saturday night "We're very excited to showcase all of Northeastern Wisconsin on a national and really even an international stage," said Cathy Trebatoski marketing communication director at the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau A former Appleton West High School teacher is charged three felonies for allegedly having sex with a student in the 2017-2018 academic year Rebecca Ryan, 43, of Fox Crossing, is charged with three counts of sex assault by school staff Each charge carries a sentence of up to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision While she was previously identified as a Neenah woman Winnebago County GIS data places her address in Fox Crossing Ryan made her initial appearance in Outagamie County Circuit Court May 1 She is currently held in Outagamie County Jail on $50,000 bond a now-25-year-old man told police in March that when he was a 17-year-old student at Appleton West High School he had sexual intercourse on multiple occasions with Ryan The man said the encounters while he was underage took place during the first semester of his senior year The man told police the first time they had sex was in a vehicle in the overflow parking lot of Appleton West High School which both took place in vehicles in different areas of Appleton she said she never slept with the former student She was not employed as a teacher at the time of her arrest This story was updated to add new information Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @ArseneauKelli Oshkosh North 2OSHKOSH - Kimberly scored four runs in the first inning three in the third and three in the sixth to earn the Fox Valley Association win Paige Wyngaard helped power the Papermakers offense going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored Oshkosh North scored a pair of runs in the fifth Olivia Borowitz paced the Spartans offense Vote for the top athlete: Choose from golf, softball and track and field nominees for Cellcom Post-Crescent high school athlete of the week Appleton West 0APPLETON - Lillian Birschbach drove in six runs and had a double and two home runs to lead the Cardinals to the win over the Terrors Susan Vokes added three runs batted in with a double and a home run for Fond du Lac Reghan Ziegler added a home run and two RBIs CLINTONVILLE - After the Truckers took a 1-0 lead in the third inning the Foxes answered with six runs in the fourth en route to the North Eastern Conference win allowing three hits and one run over four innings Abby Tate had three hits and Marley Tauferner had two to lead Clintonville MENASHA - Trailing 3-2 in the third inning the Bluejays struck for six runs in the third and two in the fourth en route to the Bay Conference win Alyssa Rusch and Isabella Timm had two hits each KEWASKUM - Claire Kollat was 3-for-4 and Libby Jahnke added two RBIs to lead the Wolves past Kewaskum in East Central Conference action Winneconne scored twice in the first and once in the third en route to the win Kewaskum scored once in the first and once in the second allowing two unearned runs on six hits in seven innings SHEBOYGAN - The Wolves scored 13 runs in the final three innings to defeat the Crusaders Savannah Buhler drove in three runs for Hilbert Brooke Bradley and Grace Kloehn both had two hits Bradley’s hits were doubles and she had two RBIs Alexa Christ scored three runs for Hilbert Alandra Grenzer pitched the first four innings to get the win for Hilbert Brylee Jueds and Libby Maus each had three hits against the Wolves to spoil the debut of Manawa’s new softball diamond Lily Krenke and Briley Rosin each had two hits Clendenning pitched a complete game to get the win for Iola-Scandinavia Behnke pitched 4⅔ innings of relief for Manawa and took the loss APPLETON - The Patriots won their fourth straight game with the victory over the Rockets Rylan Winkler pitched four innings to get the win Appleton East is 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the Fox Valley Association Neenah goes to 2-5 in the FVA and 3-6 overall FOND DU LAC - Broden Butzin was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs and Kaden Kresti added a double and a triple to help power the Polar Bears past the Cardinals in Fox Valley Association action allowing four hits and one walk while striking out five Griffin Jens came in and registered the last out Hortonville scored single runs in the fourth and fifth before adding two in the sixth and two in the seventh KAUKAUNA - Maddux Hermus allowed three hits in six innings to pitch the Papermakers to the win over the Ghosts Hermus struck out 12 batters and did not issue a walk Kimberly finished with 10 hits in the victory West De Pere 6MENASHA - Trailing by six runs early the Bluejays mounted an epic comeback to slip past the Phantoms in a key Bay Conference matchup but Menasha answered with one run in the bottom of the third Paul Schmolinske and Ethan Olszewski had two hits each for the Bluejays Jake Olszewski picked up the win in relief pitching two innings and allowing one walk while striking out three but took advantage of four walks and four errors while Alec Krejcarek scored two runs and drove in a pair as Oconto Falls earned the North Eastern Conference win pitching six innings and allowing no runs on four hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts five runs - none earned - with one walk and seven strikeouts CLINTONVILLE - Trevor Vande Hey hit a three-run home run in the first inning and a grand slam in the fourth to power the Tigers past the Truckers in North Eastern Conference play Vande Hey finished 3-for-4 with nine RBIs and two runs scored Caleb Podgorski was 4-for-4 with three RBIs Jackson Leitzke was 3-for-4 with four runs scored and Bennett Stengel was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored Wrightstown scored eight runs in the first Linken Korth and Owen Lorge had two hits each for the Truckers three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to give the Tigers a 5-3 lead in their victory over the Raiders Mike Vanden Heuvel and Kale Wagner each had two hits for Chilton Peyton Juckem picked up the win for the Tigers with a complete game SEYMOUR - Christian Collins hit a home run and drove in two runs for the Tritons in the nonconference loss Jack Frelich pitched 5⅔ innings for Notre Dame APPLETON - Ashlyn Krueger’s breakaway goal in the 72nd minute proved to be the difference in the battle of undefeated teams in the Fox Valley Association The win leaves the Papermakers (6-2 overall) at 3-0 atop the FVA North is 2-1 in league play and 8-2 overall “This was huge,” Kimberly coach Andrew Sutton said and we both have had a good start to the season.” Green Bay West 0MENASHA - Monica Robinson scored three goals and added one assist while Allison Guyette scored three goals as Menasha raced to a seven-goal lead by halftime en route to the Bay Conference win Also scoring goals for the Bluejays were Saoirse Seidl Sullivan APPLETON - The Foxes scored five goals in the first half in the North Eastern Conference victory over the Truckers Sydney Szerkins and Kyleigh Huza each scored two goals for FVL WRIGHTSTOWN - Emi Kuhn broke up a 1-1 halftime tie to help lead the Spartans past the Tigers in North Eastern Conference action Casidee Jacobson opened the scoring off an assist by Kuhn but Carlie Verbeten’s free kick at the 15-minute mark evened the score at the half for Wrightstown Kuhn assisted on Aaliyah Wallace’s goal at the 62nd-minute mark while Wallace assisted on Maggie Pravechek’s goal in the 65th minute Ava Krueger made six saves in net for Wrightstown while Ashley Fameree made three saves for Luxemburg-Casco Kimberly wins based on fifth score of 41-44 Oneida Classic (Monday)NOTRE DAME ACADEMY 308 With one more full month to go in the school year students and teachers are counting down the days to summer vacation To help you figure out how many days that is we've put together a list of when area school districts end their school year Rebecca Loroff is an education reporter for the Fox Cities. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at rloroff@gannett.com by David Go APPLETON (WLUK) -- On a week when Green Bay hosted 600,000 visitors Local businesses expected to see an uptick in customers during draft week "We ramped up for everything," said Kendal Koch owner of Mad Apple Burger & Billiard Co And it's really a testament to what Lambeau Field did because they really retained those customers and kept them there." it was a fairly normal week -- sentiments that were indicative of the businesses FOX 11 spoke with "We really didn't notice that much of an uptick," added Koch "We got some people in that were traveling out and about but definitely not worth the ramp-up or any of that." yet it's better to measure their impact by air traffic than foot traffic "We saw about a 20% increase in traffic at the airport," said Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Pam Seidl "They said it was like another kind of heavy spring break week." "Our hotels were a little disappointed in the pickup of rooms," said Seidl "There were some dynamics going on there where I don't think our hotels received as many rooms as they would have hoped in a situation like this and a little slow in the downtown Appleton area from the hospitality businesses It was really just kind of an interesting demand cycle." Seidl added that downtown Appleton was about normal The city decided not to schedule non-draft events that are part of the regular calendar in Appleton likely contributing to the relatively slow week One business owner estimated she received more out-of-town guests But the fact that there was virtually no news during draft week may have been good news "Given that we're one of the retail and hospitality hubs in the Fox Valley we added some additional staffing for that Thursday Friday and Saturday of the draft," said Cpl Dylan Davis of the Grand Chute Police Department we did not necessarily need that extra staffing." traffic violations or abnormal activity during the week -- a normal week in Appleton "Certainly it was an extraordinary week in Green Bay," said Seidl Little Chute 6, Marinette 4MARINETTE - Ethan Melendrez pitched five innings to lead the Mustangs to the victory over the Marines Brock Gardner earned the save for Little Chute Noah Faccio had two hits and drove in two runs for Little Chute including a go-ahead RBI single in the third inning Chase MacGregor had three hits for Marinette Clintonville 1WRIGHTSTOWN - The Tigers scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning in the victory over the Truckers Bennett Stengel was 3-for-3 with two RBIs for Wrightstown Aiden Humphreys pitched six innings to get the win Freedom 3OCONTO FALLS - Carter Heroux allowed two hits in six innings to pitch the Panthers to the victory over the Irish Easton Engel hit a home run and a double for Oconto Falls Chase Carriveau and Cole Bozile also had two hits apiece DE PERE - The Phantoms scored four runs in the second inning and five in the fourth inning in the five-inning win over the Bluejays walked three and struck out eight for the victory Pierce Deneys and Ethan Olszewski had hits for Menasha DENMARK - The Foxes hit three home runs in the victory over the Vikings Brianna Dahlke hit a two-run home run in the second inning Madison Babcock hit a two-run homer in the third inning and Olivia Fischer added a solo home run in the third She struck out 10 batters and allowed four runs Rebekah Dittmer had two hits and two RBIs for Denmark NEW LONDON - Isabella Timm hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to give the Bluejays a 3-0 lead and they went on to beat the Bulldogs Gabrielle Farr pitched five innings to get the win Teagan Massey-Plamann pitched the final two innings for Menasha Mary Catholic 0MISHICOT - Mishicot sent 16 batters to the plate in the first inning in the four-inning victory over the Zephyrs drove in three runs and scored three runs for Mishicot Kasey Brouchard also had three hits and two RBIs Karsyn Adair and Nevaeh Malchek added two hits each Kiran Sanford pitched a no-hitter for Mishicot APPLETON - Tristan Dean scored five goals for Appleton in the victory over the Ghostbirds while Jaylen Kempfer and Jayden Golding each had one goal Eastern Wisconsin Conference #3BRILLION 177 There's plenty of season left for girls soccer teams in the Fox Valley Association But it certainly felt like the matchup between Kimberly and Appleton North on April 29 was a tussle for conference supremacy with the Papermakers emerging with a 1-0 victory at Paul Engen Field Kimberly improves to 3-0 in league play and 6-2 overall. The Papermakers reached the WIAA Division 1 state final last season and lost plenty of firepower from that team but return a roster that's not only junior heavy but features a few standout freshmen Freshman Ashlyn Krueger scored the lone goal in the Papermakers' victory over the Lightning “I think we’re still grinding through the idea that we’re not last year’s team," Kimberly coach Andrew Sutton said "We graduated so many good players and we’re starting some freshmen and playing some girls who didn’t get a lot of minutes last year the Papermakers defense has been almost impenetrable Junior defenders Emily Urban and Skyler Brey help lead the charge for Kimberly "I feel like we’re all connecting," Urban said so we have people filling in different roles and trying to find our identity But we know we’re an aggressive team that’s going to fight until the end." Having the players find that early chemistry was crucial "It's about realizing that we’re not last year’s team and we have to jell and we have to play well," he said "And we have to take every practice seriously because we don’t have a bunch of four-year starters out there." The win over North was a positive sign for the Papermakers who have a nonconference game against Hudson on May 2 before returning to FVA play with a game against Neenah on May 6 "I felt this might be the conference championship game," Sutton said and nobody is going to take us lightly and nobody is going to give it to us easy Hopefully we can build on this and be ready for some of the tough games down the road." which has had a solid start under first-year coach Sarah Hagen The Lightning is 8-2 overall and 2-1 in FVA play. North was 9-3-3 last season and Hagen, a former North standout and professional player, was named the head coach in July. North is led in scoring by Brinley Dunsirn (13 goals) Claire Zulewski leads the team with six assists Hagen put in the time to watch the players compete on their club teams as well as at open gyms "Hopefully they've gotten to know my personality in the offseason enough so that when we got to the preseason and to the start of the season they were familiar with me and my coaching style," Hagen said Hagen added she's pleased with how the team has been competitive "I'm happy with the way we've been able to compete from just a conference standpoint so far," she said "Obviously Kimberly is a tough opponent and our nonconference schedule we've had a lot of success as well." Hagen said she has a "great group of girls" to coach her first year We have some young talent and some good senior leadership," she said "The parents have been absolutely phenomenal so I couldn't have asked for a better situation to walk into." APPLETON − Sam Pitz might be the perfect description of a "late bloomer." The 6-foot-6, 245-pound tight end signed an undrafted rookie free-agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens following last weekend's NFL Draft after a solid college career playing at the University of Minnesota Duluth Pitz described the experience of signing a pro contract as "super cool." "Growing up I wasn't sure what sport I wanted to play but I knew that I wanted to play something at the professional level and it ended up being football," Pitz said The 24-year-old Pitz is a 2019 Appleton West graduate and played only two years of football in high school Pitz was a self-described "small guy" as he entered high school "I didn't hit my growth spurt until middle of sophomore year," he said "Freshman year I was kind of a small guy and hadn't played football for 7 or 8 years I played YMCA tackle football for two years when I was really young but I was just always kind of a smaller guy I was on JV and kind of stuck with it and worked out a little more I gained a bunch of weight in the weight room I also grew seven inches from my freshman to senior year." where he was a four-time first-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference all-conference selection He was also a 2024 American Football Coaches Association Division II first-team All-American and a 2024 Don Hansen NCAA DII honorable-mention All-American He finished his career with 940 yards (13.2 average per catch) and 16 touchdowns in 44 games NFL teams began noticing Pitz the past few years with teams frequently showing up at Minnesota Duluth practices to watch him and his teammates "It got pretty serious this past year," Pitz said "I think every team went to our practice at least once." Baltimore Ravens the best fit for Sam PitzPitz said he and his agent went over NFL rosters to find the best fit and Baltimore seemed a logical choice He describes himself as a complete player at tight end who is more than willing to do the dirty work blocking as well as being able to run a variety of routes along with using his body in man coverage to get off pressure and find holes in the zone (my agent) was in contact with a few teams and Baltimore was the best possibility to make the 53-man roster or the practice squad," Pitz said Pitz flies to Baltimore on May 2 for rookie minicamp over the weekend before the start of organized team activities May 27-29 "We'll have a couple of practices and some workouts with weights and conditioning," he said "We'll have a bunch of meetings with the coaching staff Pitz said it was "super cool" hearing from people from his high school days after he signed the rookie free-agent deal obviously they were super excited for me," he said "But I heard from people that I was close with back at high school and maybe haven't talked to as recently I spent the day Saturday with some of my friends from high school and a few of my college buddies Also super cool to spend the day with my girlfriend also A lot of people don't get this opportunity so I'm just going to make the most of it and hopefully stick and make a good career out of it." APPLETON – The city took a step toward increasing its supply of housing by annexing 95 acres of farmland from the town of Grand Chute for development as single-family homes The Common Council approved the annexation unanimously Wednesday Mayor Jake Woodford said Appleton looks forward to providing services to the property "As a city that's sort of pushing up against our boundaries bringing 95 additional acres into the city of Appleton is a great thing," Woodford told the City Plan Commission Appleton Principal Planner Don Harp said the Wisconsin Department of Administration reviewed the annexation and determined it was in the public interest The annexation complies with the 1992 Appleton-Grand Chute Intermunicipal Boundary Agreement which established Richmond Street (State 47) as the dividing line for future development north of Northland Avenue (Outagamie County OO) Appleton promised not to accept annexations west of the line and Grand Chute vowed not to challenge annexations east of the line The Dorn property will come into the city as agricultural land but the intent is for it to be rezoned for single-family homes That use is consistent with Appleton's 2010-2030 Comprehensive Plan with the notification requirements to the property owners within 100 feet of this annexation boundary," Harp told the City Plan Commission (WLUK) -- The Appleton Police Department issued a warning Wednesday as concern continues to grows about the reckless riding of motorcycles police investigated a serious crash when an e-bike rider took off after police tried to stop them -- only to then be hit by a car It comes as the e-bike business is booming "The popularity of them -- it's become most likely 50-60% of our business now compared to what it was five years ago," said Andy Rosenthal from Cranked Bike Studio in Neenah While it's a good way for people to get outside and ride Appleton police say some motorized bikes they're seeing -- and the way people are riding them -- are not Meghan Cash with the Appleton Police Department we've continued to see behaviors changing when it comes to e-bikes on the roadway but especially young people on e-bikes on the roadway." a driver captured an e-bike rider pulling a wheelie while riding down College Avenue Appleton police tried to stop a group of e-bike riders when one rider took off "Officers are trying to make contact and because of some poor decision making folks are fleeing from the police and they're weaving through traffic and ultimately ending up in a crash and that's not something we need to see happen and that's something that's very preventable." It's not only the reckless riding police are concerned about It's also the e-bikes or motorized bikes people are riding "The last couple of years specifically we've seen a huge increase in the electric bicycles downtown and now we're seeing these -- you'd call it an e-bike you're really looking at more of motorcycle These really high powered vehicles you straddle E-bikes with pedals are legal for road and bike lane riding It's high powered motorized bikes that travel faster than 28 miles per hour with a more than 750-watt motor that are illegal and not permitted on the road Cranked Bike Studio in Neenah sells dozens of different types of e-bikes and one version of a motorized bike Not only does the shop have the state e-bike law posted in the store but they also make sure any buyer knows how the motorized bike is to be used "That is for somebody who has land up north and go on the ATV trails like going hunting or just having fun on the ATV trails," added Rosenthal Police are working to educate people on the dangers of the motorized bikes and what's legal versus illegal for city streets in an effort to keep everyone safe Cranked Bike Studio is teaming up with Wisconsin Bike Fed for a learn-to-bike class Friday I'm your neighborhood reporter in Appleton APPLETON (NBC 26) — As President Donald Trump reached 100 days into his second term we took to the streets of downtown Appleton to ask people and visitors how they think he’s doing Reactions ranged from praise to fierce criticism—and plenty of grades in between (The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story President Donald Trump recently reached 100 days into his second term—and the reactions on how he’s doing are coming in strong across the country Downtown Appleton was buzzing on a busy night when I hit College Avenue with a whiteboard and one question: How would you grade President Trump’s first 100 days on a scale of A through F One pedestrian responded “C minus.” Another shouted Just a few of the extremely passionate responses I was met with Tuesday night Local student Melody Birney offered Trump a failing mark too “I think he’s wasting our time,” she remarked Appleton residents Sharon Weber and Jean Schlais also chimed in Student Lennon Torres didn’t hold back either The Trump Administration is less than an F,” Torres argued “Immigration and all the tyrannical stuff he’s doing to our government She also expressed disappointment at how divided the country has become And I think it’s hard for people to acknowledge something positive if that’s not the individual that they wanted.” it’s clear that Wisconsin voters are split on how to feel regarding Trump after his first 100 days of his second term Por Vida Tattoo Club is now open in Appleton hyper realism and more tattoo options to the area Owner and artist Nestor Mero Cisneros has been working as a tattoo artist since 2009 He told The Post-Crescent in an interview that the journey leading up to opening the business has been rewarding "I never thought I'd open up a shop," Cisneros said "I was originally looking for an art space walked in and my wife and I both saw the potential I always had an idea and vision of what my own place would look like so bringing that to fruition has been quite an amazing journey." Originally from Chicago and a first-generation American Cisneros has been an artist for a majority of his life While he never knew he was going to develop a career as an artist his adolescence was rooted in painting murals Cisneros started off as a tattoo artist in Chicago, before moving to Appleton in 2020 after getting married to his wife, who is originally from Wisconsin. Prior to opening the shop, he worked as a tattoo artist at Big Guns Tattoo and Black Thorn Tattoo which translates to "for life," is a nod not only towards the permanency of a tattoo "When I first met my wife she was learning a bit of Spanish," Cisneros said "Later on I used to tell her 'I love you for life,' you know 'por vida.' And then it kind of became a a staple saying that I would use generally I tell people when they get their first tattoos like While Cisneros's go-to designs are black and grey realism he said his work is very versatile and he can do any style that a tattoo piece calls for Cisneros said he's most looking forward to the clients that walk through the door and being part of the Appleton community he wants to create a small gallery space in the shop to display works from local artists and host community-focused events For more information and updates, visit Por Vida Tattoo Club's website or call the shop's number at(920) 815-3004