MONDAY
– A Brown County jury has found a 75-year-old man guilty of killing his wife before she went missing nearly eight years ago. The verdict against James Prokopovitz was handed down late Saturday night after two full days of deliberations. Prokopovitz was the last person known to have seen his wife Victoria in their Pittsfield home. Prokopovitz faces a life prison term when he is sentenced on April 30th.
– A 24-year-old Wrightstown man is dead following a crash involving two motorcycles over the weekend. The incident occurred at around 7:40 PM last evening (February 28th) at the intersection of County Road O and Mayflower Road, northwest of Grand Chute. The Wrightstown man died at the scene and a 23-year-old Little Chute man was treated with serious but non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital.
– For the first time since early last year, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc will be re-opening its doors later this month. The local museum, which celebrates the nautical history of Manitowoc and the state of Wisconsin, will be re-opening its doors to the public on Friday, March 26th. Their hours of operation will be Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. For more information visit WisconsinMaritime.org.
-It sounded like the apocalypse was raining down on Mishicot Saturday evening, but in reality, roughly 32 fire trucks and police cars were escorting the State Champion Girls Basketball team back to the school. Hundreds of friends, family, and fans were on hand to welcome the girls home. Click here to see the reactions of Athletic Director Teri Risch, Coach Mike Garceau, and Seniors Kylie Schmidt and Desiree Kleiman. Click here for the story.
TUESDAY
– The trial for an Appleton man accused of killing a Manitowoc father and daughter has been rescheduled for the eighth time. 36-year-old Karl Hess now has a three-day trial on the court docket with a June 22nd starting date. Prosecutors say Hess killed Richard and Jocelyn Miller on September 7th, 2018.
– An Ohio man was found with a 12-year-old girl from rural Valders last weekend, leading to his arrest on child enticement charges. Investigators say 22-year-old Matthew R. Dice of Uniontown, Ohio met the girl online, drove to Wisconsin to pick her up, and intended to take her back to Ohio with him.
– A 27-year-old Green Bay man is facing charges after allegedly having sex with a minor while she was under duress. Roberto Carlos Varela has been charged with Child Sex Exploitation and Possession of Child Pornography.
-Froedert Health and Holy Family Memorial have officially consummated their affiliation agreement, which was announced on January 6th. An HFM news release states that this will secure the future of the local healthcare entity and provide Manitowoc County’s largest healthcare provider with long-term clinical and financial sustainability.
WEDNESDAY
– The Manitowoc County Chamber recently held a debate between Mayoral candidates Justin Nickels, and Chris Able, and one of the major talking points was a recently passed city ordinance that regulates outdoor lighting. Click here to see what both candidates had to say on the ordinance.
– A recent surge of catalytic converter thefts in Manitowoc and Manitowoc County could be tied to drug purchases and addiction. Lieutenant Dave Remiker with the Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit said they found the car parts in the home of a known drug user, who admitted that he was selling them for drug money. It’s the platinum-based metals, which thieves covet bringing anywhere from $50 to $1000 and can’t be tracked by law enforcement.
– Recently, the City of Manitowoc received a $500 Community Planting Program Grant from the American Transmission Corporation (ATC). City of Manitowoc Forester Alvin Rehme said the grant will help the city “diversity our tree population, as well as provide shade and natural beauty” within Red Arrow Park.
– After 30 years in the Two Rivers School District-most recently serving as Superintendent Lisa Quistorff has announced that she’s retiring effective June 30th. An announcement on Quistorff’s successor is expected by the School Board sometime in the Spring.
THURSDAY
– Bail is set at $5000 recognizance bond for a 41-year-old Manitowoc man charged with Physical Abuse of a Child. Police responded to a call from a local high school Tuesday afternoon (March 2nd) for a report that a student said their father identified as Jaime Fonseca had abused them. The father admitted that to authorities who then took him into custody without incident.
– A 26-year-old male who fled police after a routine traffic stop early yesterday morning (March 2nd) remains in the County Jail. Court Commissioner Patricia Koppa set bail at $500 cash for Alexander D. Gilbert who is charged with Fleeing/Eluding an Officer.
– Although colon cancer is a preventable and curable disease if caught early, it remains the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women in the United States. Throughout the month of March, in the evenings, the Prevea Manitowoc Health Center located at 4810 Expo Dr. in Manitowoc will be lit blue in honor of Colon Cancer Awareness. For more information about colon cancer screening, prevention, and treatment, visit Prevea.com.
– There are two more police officers patrolling the streets of Sheboygan. Officers Tyler Matelski and Rachel Smith were sworn in on Monday, and are entering the Police Training Program at the SPD. Officer Matelski, a Cecil Wisconsin native, graduated from the Criminal Justice Program at Fox Valley Technical College. Officer Smith is a Kaukauna transplant, who earned her Criminal Justice degree from FVTC last year as well.
FRIDAY
– The Manitowoc woman accused of driving drunk the morning she crashed her car and killed her 9-year-old granddaughter has pleaded not guilty. 51-year-old Monica Walker entered that plea on a Drunk Driving charge, but she is also charged with Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Motor Vehicle. Walker is next scheduled to be in Manitowoc County Court on April 16th for a settlement conference.
– After months of delays, and logistical issues, the newest addition to the Manitowoc micro-brew lineup has finally opened its doors. Sabbatical Brewing, located in the former Oriental Milling building on S. 29th Street, began serving up their personally cultivated beer lineup at noon on Friday. For more information about the company, visit the Sabbatical Brewing Facebook page, or SabbaticalBrewingCo.com.
– Those who have driven by the former Four Seasons Landscaping in Manitowoc recently have noticed a lot of hustle and bustle on the property. That is because a Sheboygan landscaping company is getting ready to open a second location there. Scotty Landscape Supply has completely redesigned the interior and has started the countdown to their soft opening early next month. On April 1st, you will be able to go inside, and see why Scotty Landscaping became popular enough in Sheboygan to be able to expand into Manitowoc.
– As the Spring General Election draws ever closer, the City of Manitowoc is preparing to give citizens a chance to learn more about the candidates. The Candidates Forum will be held on March 18th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and will be hosted by the Citizens Advisory Committee. The event will be completely virtual and will be aired on the City of Manitowoc Facebook Page, at www.Manitowoc.org, on Zoom, and on Xfinity Channel 4.
