Police say 81-year-old Jimmie Brooks was piloting the 18-foot aluminum boat when it struck the north pier–throwing Brooks into the water. His body was later recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard.

A 68-year-old passenger, who’s identified as Randy Sieg of Appleton, sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene and released.

The accident remains under investigation. ]]> https://www.whby.com/2026/08/20/appleton-boat-crash-victim-identified/feed/ 0 https://www.whby.com/2026/08/20/appleton-area-school-district-teachers-union-at-an-impasse-on-compensation-plan-for-new-school-year/ https://www.whby.com/2026/08/20/appleton-area-school-district-teachers-union-at-an-impasse-on-compensation-plan-for-new-school-year/#respond Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:10:43 +0000 Jonathan Krause 2026-08-20T17:20:57+00:00 https://d1215.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=185330 (Image provided by Appleton Area School District) APPLETON, Wis. — Teachers in the Appleton Area School District may return to the classrooms without a new compensation plan in place. The district and the teachers’ union are at an impasse on a new deal.

The district is offering an increase of more than 2.7-percent in total compensation next year.

Appleton Education Association President Corey Otis says the base wages used by the district are too low………..

Act 10 allows school boards to impose a qualifying offer anyway, but board members like Oliver Zornow are not comfortable with that process……..

Superintendent Greg Harjes points out that the package increases overall teacher compensation by more than the School Board originally authorized……..

The Appleton Area School Board will try again next Monday night to approve the teacher pay package.

Oshkosh police say Darius Shields is taken into custody in Thomas County, Georgia. He faces charges on several outstanding warrants and Burglary to a Dwelling.

Shields was identified as a suspect after security video showed him near the scene of Players Pizza & Pub, which was damaged by a fire earlier in the week.

]]> https://www.whby.com/2026/08/19/suspect-in-players-pizza-and-pub-burglary-arrested/feed/ 0 https://www.whby.com/2026/08/19/former-neenah-public-works-superintendent-charged-with-theft/ https://www.whby.com/2026/08/19/former-neenah-public-works-superintendent-charged-with-theft/#respond Wed, 19 Aug 2026 23:18:36 +0000 Terry Kovarik 2026-08-20T16:46:05+00:00 https://d1215.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=185327 (Image: City of Neenah) faces a misdemeanor theft charge.

Police say 54-year-old Gregory Radtke allegedly had employees recycle city-owned scrap metal and pocketed the proceeds.

According to the criminal complaint, police began investigating Radtke in June after he was terminated from his job. The complaint goes on to say employees were directed to take scrap metal to Gibson Iron and Metal for cash, which was never deposited into city accounts.

If convicted, Radtke faces up to nine months in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.

[WBAY-TV] ]]> https://www.whby.com/2026/08/19/former-neenah-public-works-superintendent-charged-with-theft/feed/ 0 https://www.whby.com/2026/08/19/appleton-police-make-arrest-in-connection-with-car-break-ins/ https://www.whby.com/2026/08/19/appleton-police-make-arrest-in-connection-with-car-break-ins/#respond Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:35:34 +0000 Jonathan Krause 2026-08-20T16:42:18+00:00 https://d1215.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=185320 (Image provided by the Appleton Police Department) string of vehicle break-ins and thefts. Officers were called to the area of Bennett and W. Winnebago streets around 11:20 p.m. Tuesday on the report of a suspicious person.

They found three juveniles, ages 13 to 15, in the neighborhood. One was wearing a backpack that matched what a suspect was wearing in a home security video of a person checking out a car in a driveway.

Officers determined that one of the teens may be involved in a string of car entries and thefts in recent weeks. Juvenile charges are pending.

The other two kids were released to their guardians.

]]> https://www.whby.com/2026/08/19/appleton-police-make-arrest-in-connection-with-car-break-ins/feed/ 0 https://www.whby.com/2026/08/19/185249/ https://www.whby.com/2026/08/19/185249/#respond Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:06:17 +0000 Jonathan Krause 2026-08-19T19:06:17+00:00 https://d1215.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=185249 What if I told you that I had put together a plan to build a new sports league that would feature one of the most-popular games in the country, but at a lower talent level?  And that the new league would play at a time of year that is opposite of the time all other levels of the sport are played?  And that the thing the league would be most-known for is the political and cultural arguments that people look to get away from while enjoying sports?

Some of you would tell me, “You won’t make a dime with that business plan!” And those people would be 100% correct.  Those more familiar with the entire professional sports landscape in the US would probably tell me, “You don’t need to form a new league like that, we already have one!” And those people would also be 100% correct.  The name of that league is the WNBA.

Now in its 30th season, “The W” is finally getting the national attention it always claimed it deserved.  Unfortunately, it is not for amazing plays on the basketball court, but rather for the treatment of its most-popular player by almost every other player in the league, a near strike over player salaries, and vitriol directed toward everyone associated with the league based on their stance on transgender athletes in women’s sports.  Let’s just say there is a lot to unpack here.

For the first 27-years of its existence, the WNBA operated on the fringe of the sports landscape.  ESPN carried some games to fill open time between the NBA and NFL seasons, and highlight packages would air late in SportsCenter each night.  But three years ago, the league was handed a Golden Goose in the form of Caitlin Clark, a player who garnered national attention as a collegian at Iowa for her long-distance shooting prowess and flashy style.   If you were to look up the most-watched games in women’s college basketball history, the top three are all Iowa games featuring Clark.

It was assumed that her legion of fans would follow her directly to The W, and so far that has played out.  After being drafted by the Indiana Fever, that team saw a huge spike in season ticket orders.  Road games featuring Indiana also sold out.  ESPN scheduled a large number of Fever games for national broadcasts, and even led SportsCenter with their highlights.  For the league, it was the biggest boost in popularity it had ever seen.

You would think that everyone associated with the WNBA would be ecstatic with this new-found exposure.  But there was (and still is) one group that is not that happy, and that would be the WNBA players themselves.  Many bristled in interviews when asked about what Clark would mean for the league.  They would often point to other players like A’ja Wilson, Brittney Griner, or Breanna Stewart as being better players and deserving of more recognition.  Outside of Griner (who gained worldwide attention for being arrested and imprisoned in Russia for trying to sneak drugs into the country), Wilson and Stewart could likely walk through any airport terminal or mall in America and not get a second look from passersby–while Clark would be mobbed.

And rather than allow Clark to be the free-wheeling star that she was in college, it was almost like the rest of the league decided that she was going to be physically abused every night.  There were as many highlights every game of Clark being knocked to the floor by hard fouls, getting knocked to the floor by hard picks, getting poked in the eye, and otherwise physically challenged by opponents as there were of her making 3-pointers from just inside the half-court line.  That physicality was explained away as “making her earn it” or “it’s a more-physical style here in the ‘W’ and she’ll have to learn that.”  It would only lead to injury-plagued first and second seasons, and not the stats a lot of fans expected.

That abuse has continued into this season, and that has fans and pundits wondering (rightly) if it’s more than just rookie hazing–and that there is something more systemic in play here.  Back in June, Alyssa Thomas–on a loose-ball situation–took the opportunity to throat-punch Clark while she was lying on the floor.  No foul was called on the play, but after video of the incident was played ad nauseum on the sports networks, talk shows, and everywhere on social media, the WNBA issued a flagrant foul against Thomas and suspended her for a game.

In an unbelievable response, Thomas claimed the throat-punch was not intentional (even though the ball was nowhere near Clark at the time) and that people should instead be asking if she is “okay” because of the “mental stress” the incident was causing her.  Fever Head Coach Stephanie White added fuel to the flames by saying it was the officials’ fault for not calling a foul at the time–then defended Thomas’ actions and saying that fan backlash was unfair.

An extenuating factor in all of this is that Clark is white, and the vast majority of WNBA players–and those delivering the physical blows to her night after night–are Black.  I’ve seen interviews with both Larry Bird, his own teammates, and other NBA players from the early 1980’s where they talk about the resentment among Blacks when the media crowned Bird as the “savior” of the league early in his career.  They readily admit (even his teammates) they tried to physically intimidate him those first couple of years.  But, Bird torched those clowns every night–trash talking them the entire time.  So far, the WNBA isn’t allowing Clark to do the same.

While it was Clark that was bringing new eyes and attention to the league, it was all the other players that felt entitled to reap the benefits.  It just so happened that the collective bargaining agreement expired during the last off-season, and the players association demanded a huge jump in salaries.  This might be a good time to mention that in its 29-seasons the WNBA has NEVER turned a profit.  NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in 2021 that the W lost about 10-million dollars a year since its inception.  Last year, the Washington Post reported total losses for the league were 50-million just for the 2024 season alone.

Despite those numbers, the players donned t-shirts during pre-game warmups saying “Pay us what you owe us”.  When asked to explain what was “owed” to them, the players maintained that they had “earned” the right to get the same share of revenues (obviously not profits) as NBA players get as part of their collective bargaining agreement.  For a good portion of the winter and spring, it looked like there may not be a season, but in a continuing act of charity, league owners agreed to give up 20% of revenues.  NBA players get 50%.

Right now, I think many of those same owners and league officials would have taken the strike over the way things have played out this season.  In addition to the continual physical abuse of Clark, the league is now embroiled in a never-ending doom loop of gender identity issues.

Multiple players have used social media platforms, t-shirts, and post-game press conferences to defend transgender participation in female sports–originally in response to Trump administration executive orders.  Then, Clark’s teammate–Sophie Cunningham–did an interview with ESPN in which she spoke out about her opposition to biological males in female sports.  That led to considerable backlash–not just  from some WNBA fans–but from other players, coaches, owners, and league officials–including her own coach, none other than Stephanie White, again.

Every Indiana Fever game since then has become a protest/counter-protest with rallies outside the arena supporting Cunningham and groups trying to shout those fans down.  Girls are coming to games with “Thank you Sophie” signs.  At a Fever game in Seattle against the Storm last month, girls wearing XX-XY Sports t-shirts walked past the owner of the Storm–Celeste Keaton–and she tried to trip one of them.  What is this, 3rd grade?  Keaton also profanely berated girls carrying signs supporting Cunningham–drawing a five game suspension and an undisclosed fine by the league.

Cunningham was in the center of another controversy last week when Chicago Sky player DiJonai Carrington clotheslined her during a breakaway layup–leading to a flagrant 2 foul being called, and Carrington being ejected.  Moments later, Carrington took to social media–while in the locker room–to post “White privilege”–leading to even more backlash against the league.  And who was there to make it even worse?  Stephanie White, AGAIN, as she used her post-game press conference to defend Carrington and to claim that she “didn’t see the play in real time”–even though there are photos of White looking directly at the play from the sidelines.

Things got ugly at the next Fever home game, as Indiana fans booed White for refusing to back up her players in multiple incidents.  In her post-game press conference White launched into a tirade about how “love is a win” and “grace is a win” and wrapped up by saying the fans “can go to hell”.  That is exactly the message you want to deliver to your paying customers at a time when you cannot avoid negative headlines.

And then there is WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert, who was heavily criticized by players during collective bargaining negotiations, and has been mealy-mouthed at best about all of the issues and incidents I’ve mentioned before.  Last month, she told the Dan Patrick Show that she would do an interview with them while the radio and TV show was broadcasting from a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.  After the crew and hosts set up to record the interview, Englebert didn’t show up.  Two hours later, her PR folks let the show know that she was not showing up because she has “other matters to attend to”.  That came as everyone on the set could see Englebert hitting shots out of a bunker and practicing putting on the golf course.

The trans athlete debate took a turn for the absurd this week, as two former NBA players–Enes Cantor and Royce White–started trolling the league by declaring their intentions to enter the WNBA draft as they now identify as “women”.  White even donned a wig for a TV interview.  In response, WNBA officials convened a task force meeting on Wednesday to set parameters for gender identity and eligibility to play in the league.  However, the meeting ended up with no parameters being set–kicking off another round of criticism for not being able to define a “woman”.

For 27-seasons the WNBA demanded to be taken seriously and to get the same media coverage and exposure as men’s sports.  Now that they have it, all they seem to be able to create is bad press and division among players, coaches, officials, and the fans themselves.  It would not be hard to imagine attendance at games breaking down not into fans of the home team and the road team, but rather who thinks trans athletes should play against women versus those who think they should not, and those there to cheer on the Black players versus those who come to root for the white players–regardless of which team they are on.

In the short term, all of this chaos is actually paying off.  A Fever-New York Liberty game this week drew two-million viewers on ESPN.  How many were tuning in to see Caitlin Clark play and how many were tuning in to see if protesters stormed the court and glued themselves to Sophie Cunningham, we can’t tell for sure.  But relying on culture wars, and racial animus is no way to build a sustainable sports product.  It’s a shame that Jerry Springer died a few years ago, because he would make the perfect commissioner for this circus.

Our concert will be held at Breese Stevens Field, the soccer stadium just north of the Capitol building.  It’s never been the “best” part of town–but now it sits just a few blocks away from where Corey Ruiz was shot and killed while fighting with police officers trying to arrest him for breaking into cars a couple of weeks ago.  Until Tuesday morning, that is also where protesters were camped out in the street, until the city forced them to vacate so that surrounding businesses and residents could use their public streets again.

Those same protesters have taken to interrupting other events in that part of Madison.  The weekly Saturday Farmers Market in Capitol Square was forced to shut down early the week after the shooting as protesters showed up to block access to the streets.  The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra canceled its weekly Concert on the Square after protesters showed up and started shouting in the faces of attendees trying to eat their dinners before the show.  So why would they pass up the opportunity to interrupt and try to shut down our concert as well?

I’d be less concerned if the organizers of the other events hadn’t kowtowed to the group by claiming they didn’t shut down because their attendees were being harassed for something over which they had no control.  But instead, they issued statements saying the cancellations were in “solidarity” with the protesters.  It seems to me that if you were “hurting” as much as those blocking traffic and shouting in people’s faces, you would have cancelled your events before they started–rather than waiting for your customers to be subjected to verbal threats.  And of course, the protesters were doubly rewarded with media coverage of their “triumph”.

My wife and I have had serious discussions this week about not going to the concert out of concern for our personal safety.  Breese Stevens does not have on-site parking, which means attendees will have to park on surrounding streets.  It was those same streets that Corey Ruiz was breaking into cars, leading to his confrontation with police.  Will the Madison Police Department be as vigilant in patrolling those areas this weekend to make sure our personal property is protected?  And if someone is spotted “just looking into” the cars, will officers be as likely to step in and ask questions, or will they just “hang back” to avoid another potentially violent incident?

A city at war with its police force is not a safe place to be, whether you are a law-abiding resident, visitors from out of town just looking to mind your own business, or a multiply-convicted felon armed with a knife and a history of fighting with officers.  And right now, Madison is at war with law enforcement.

That starts right at the top, with Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, whose initial statement after the shooting called into question only the behavior and reactions of the police officers and all but excused Ruiz’s actions.  She thought that could appease the angry mob by letting them set up their encampment, block off public streets with homemade spike strips to blow out tires, set fires in garbage cans, refuse to allow police to access the site, and to take no action during the aforementioned incidents at public events.  She promised to put up a permanent memorial at the site.  She even allowed the protesters to hijack a press conference where threats were made against the police department while Police Chief John Patterson stood right there next to them

But the Mayor would learn the hard way that appeasement of groups like that is no different than European appeasement of Hitler in the 1930’s.   The mayor’s decision to finally shut down the protest encampment led to the protesters heading directly to her house to give her–and all of her neighbors–a “wake up call” of shouts and threats early that morning.  “Peace in our time” is just an illusion, because they will always want to push the boundaries even farther to see just how much you are willing to let them get away with.  Meanwhile, protesters keep coming back to the site, while others are establishing a new encampment outside the Public Safety building on West Doty Street.

City Hall continues to fan the flames of the conflict–literally–with the conduct of the Independent Police Monitor Aeiramique Glass at the takedown of the original encampment.  Glass showed up to protest the police action and during a confrontation with officers was caught on cellphone video stating “I will burn this f@#$ing city down!”.  On Thursday, Glass told a Madison TV station that she was using the phrase “metaphorically”–and that she stands by it.  But those screaming at people trying to watch the orchestra play don’t seem very “metaphorical”.  What would strike a greater blow for “justice” than starting to “burn this f@#$ing city down” by setting on fire a bright orange Jeep parked near a concert full of white people?

Before we move on, I should note that the position of Independent Police Monitor is not an elected position and does not appear to be accountable to anyone at City Hall.  Glass has no training or experience in law enforcement techniques, doesn’t list a college degree anywhere in public posts, and is suing the city of Baltimore–where she held a similar position before initially being fired, then being reinstated to another position before being fired again, and then filing a lawsuit against the city alleging retaliation for her demands and discrimination because she was a cancer survivor.  When hired by the Police Civilian Oversight Board in Madison, its members said they had no concerns about those past incidents.

So what happens if something does happen on Saturday?  How would officers called to the scene react?  Will they ask us attendees to “just be okay” with verbal threats?  Will they “tolerate a little bit of civil disobedience” even if it results in personal property damage?  Would an officer hesitate to use lethal force if another person’s life was in danger?  Those are real questions those of us heading to Madison for what should be a fun night of music have to ask ourselves.  And my wife and I will have to make a decision based on those questions Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, tonight we will be hoping that the knife-wielding and the mentally ill allowed to wander our streets will keep on their best behavior for at least one more night.

In past iterations of this feature, I’ve noted that large-scale urban redevelopment used to be far more common in the early 20th century due in large part to fire–and blazes that consumed large sections of municipalities.  Cities like Chicago and Oshkosh were ushered into the modern urban era by large-scale fires that destroyed wide swaths of the cities, requiring mass reconstruction.  In cities like San Francisco, earthquakes have remade skylines–while along the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic, hurricanes have led to rebirths of some areas in new ways after extensive flooding.

Once the downed trees are cleared, the power poles and lines are restored, and estimates can be made as to the extent of all the damage, some serious decisions will have to be made.

For those that had their homes destroyed, will it be worth it to rebuild?  While I would assume that everyone had homeowners insurance, will those policies pay out enough to actually build a new home in today’s market?  Fair market value for a home built prior to the pandemic is not going to come close to covering the cost of building the same house with the same size, materials and amenities from new.  So, how many homeowners will choose to just pay off the mortgage–pocket the rest–and look to buy somewhere else?

For the rental property owners, they face the same question.  Is the expense of building an entirely new house or duplex a sound business idea?  Those insurance checks would probably go a lot farther toward purchasing another older existing house somewhere else in the city.  And those tenants face a likely dilemma, as a decision not to rebuild means you have no place to go back to–and a decision to rebuild new means much higher rent.

And what about those neighborhood bars, bakeries, and other small businesses that have “been around forever”?  Young people are using marijuana a lot more than alcohol now, so is it worth it to try to reopen the corner pub?  DoorDash and UberEats work much better for the national chains and fast-food places, so is the expense of a new dine-in eatery going to be worth it?  And who offers breakfast food without coffee?

It is entirely possible that much of the property in the hardest-hit parts of Menasha will basically be abandoned–and that is where local government, and those with their own ideas for urban redevelopment, will step in.

When you look at Menasha’s zoning map, the majority of what the locals are calling “ground zero” lies in R-1 single-family designation.   If you have been following our copious stories about redevelopment and rezoning in other communities, you’d know that R-1 is under attack on all fronts.  Urban density is all the rage–and what better time to do away with it in what had been a residential neighborhood than after the neighborhood is wiped out by a tornado?  For years now, Common Council members have bemoaned the fact that Menasha is “land-locked”, and that the only way to build additional housing base and property tax revenue is through “in-fill”.

The thought that entire blocks would be available for redevelopment must already be going through the minds of some Menasha leaders.  At some point, visions of new “multi-purpose” developments with hundreds of apartment units and townhouses, ground-floor retail, and walking trails will start dancing in their heads.  Being able to say “I helped clear the way for that to be built” to your friends while pointing at a five-story building with six shades of brown exterior and weird-angled walls is very enticing.

Young progressives are taking over in Menasha City Hall–whether elected or hired for their positions–and young progressives want more young progressives to join them.  And since young progressives have been told that they will never be able to afford their own houses, they have learned to accept being crammed into as small a space as possible to live.  So they want more opportunities to live in such “communities”–well, provided everyone else in there thinks the same way they do.  And a bonus for government officials: renters never come to complain about property tax increases, utility rate hikes, or garbage and recycling fees because they just assume its the “greedy landlord” that charging more for rent.

That’s something that those considering rebuilding their existing single-family homes will have to consider.  As other cities have shown, just because it’s R-1 on the map next to you now, that doesn’t guarantee that it can’t become R-4 Multi Family, High Density after the next Common Council meeting.  How much additional traffic, noise, and police activity are you willing to stomach to keep that family home in the family after you went from a couple of neighbors to more than 80?

It’s also attractive to re-imagine the commercial corridors as well.  Who needs a car repair place when everyone is walking and biking on the paths of the new housing developments?  Why not replace that bakery with a new Asian-Latin fusion restaurant?  Which will eventually become a brewpub.  Which will eventually become an in-house coffee roaster.  Which will then become a Tex-Mex place.  Which will turn into a ramen and pho restaurant.  Which will give way to a hot chicken place.  Which will…..well, you get the idea.  And what had been the corner bar for several generations can see much more businesses selling vape pens and THC products of questionable legality.

In addition to wielding the power of rezoning, Menasha city government will be flush with cash through state and federal disaster aid–and still have tax incremental financing to sweeten any development deals.  It’s not often you hear about TIF designations for a new neighborhood of houses and duplexes–but you can’t even consider putting up a high-density apartment building without it–along with state and federal tax credits.  So as long as those pot sweeteners are available, more apartment builders will come calling at Menasha City Hall than those looking to re-create the traditional neighborhood that was destroyed.

Hopefully, Menasha officials will have learned a hard lesson from The Brin development–which was plagued by construction delays, slow rental rates, lawsuits from sub-contractors, and still no ground-floor retail presence.  I would also hope that they check out the study conducted by Forward Analytics for the Wisconsin Counties Association showing that the predicted demand for new housing units in the state was greatly overstated following the pandemic.  And I would hope that they consider that their neighbors in Appleton are clearing the way for more than 2,000 new housing units on the Thrivent property (although I’ll believe that much will be built when I see it) and consider how competitive apartments in a downtown area of Menasha will be with units just minutes away from access to Interstate 41.

If history is any guide, those that may have grown up in Menasha and moved away years ago will return to the city in the coming years and not recognize the place.  And they will be correct in saying, “Menasha will never be the same again”.

You’ll find Dorena’s Summer Pickle recipe here – Dorena’s Summer Pickles [RECIPE] | WHBY

Chef Jeff’s Tortilla Corn Salad 

• 2 lbs corn (whole kernel, cooked, drained)
• 1 lb Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 cup Ranch Dressing
• 1 cup Diced Red bell pepper
• Cayenne Pepper or hot sauce (to taste)
• 10-12 oz Corn Tortilla Chips, any flavor, crushed

In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine the corn, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, red pepper, red onion and (optional) cayenne pepper or hot sauce. Refrigerate until service.

Just before serving, mix in the crushed tortilla chips. Serve as a cold side dish and enjoy!

Chef Jeff’s Baked Haddock with Crust

• 2 lbs Bonless Haddock fillets
• 2 tsp Seasoned Salt
• 2 tsp coarse black pepper
• 4 T Salted Butter
• 1 Cup Panko Crumbs
• Pan Spray (as needed)

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the panko crumbs. Set them aside and allow them to cool.

On a flat baking pan sheet, spray the cooking surface with pan spray.

Place the haddock fillets on the sprayed surface skin-side down.

Season the haddock fillets with seasoned salt and pepper.

Evenly top the seasoned haddock fillets with the buttered panko crumbs.

Place the haddock into the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. The desired internal temperature should not exceed 145F or the haddock may begin to dry out.

Serve immediately with appropriate side dishes. ]]> https://www.whby.com/2026/08/19/summer-recipes-with-chef-jeff/feed/ 0 https://www.whby.com/2026/08/18/appleton-police-report-a-rash-of-car-break-ins-and-thefts-this-summer/ https://www.whby.com/2026/08/18/appleton-police-report-a-rash-of-car-break-ins-and-thefts-this-summer/#respond Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:44:04 +0000 Jonathan Krause 2026-08-18T17:23:30+00:00 https://d1215.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=185296 (Image provided by the Appleton Police Department) APPLETON, Wis. — Appleton police are warning of a rash of car thefts and break-ins this summer. Officers have investigated 28 thefts from vehicles, 15 vehicles being rummaged through and 11 cars being stolen, all in neighborhoods on the north side of the city.

Similar incidents have been reported in surrounding communities as well this summer. Police are reminding residents to keep their vehicles locked, to not keep their keys in their cars and to remove all valuables from vehicles.