Stories you might have missed from around Wisconsin.
Sturgeon Bay: Couple spots bird rarely seen in North America.
Candy and Rush Evans didn’t expect to see anything out of the ordinary when they went for their daily visit to Sturgeon Bay’s Portage park to look for birds. They got more than they bargained for. The Evans’ told the Journal Sentinel, they didn’t expect to see anything special because of the time of year. However, perched on a rock overlooking Lake Michigan was a small gray, white and black bird with a rounded belly and long legs. After looking at their field guide, The Evans’ realized they had spotted a white wagtail, a species common in Europe and Asia but rarely found in North America. Their sighting of the white wagtail marked the first time the species has ever been seen in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. Birds inherently know where to migrate. But this wagtail was wayward, likely ending up in Wisconsin after being blown off course in a storm or getting confused when migrating from Siberia. Immediately after identifying the white wagtail, Candy began contacting people in the local birding community and posting about the experience on social media. Those posts brought more birders to the park to view the rare bird. Full Story
Onalaska: Little Heart Project to be featured on PBS.
There is still a stigma around mental illness. There are groups and people who work tirelessly to remove that stigma. Kathleen Jensen and the group she founded, The Little Heart Project have earned widespread recognition for her efforts to destigmatize mental illness. Another recognition will come tonight when PBS’s “Wisconsin Life” will feature the Onalaska-based Little Heart Project in its first episode of the new year. “The Door County newspaper ran a story about what we were doing up in Door County, and the day after that ran, I got an email from a PBS Wisconsin producer,” Jensen told the La Crosse Tribune. “When he asked if I wanted to do the show, I said, ‘Yeah, I do – because whoever needs to see it, will see it.’” Little Heart Project participants crochet hearts with notes of encouragement attached to each. Since filming the episode segment in September 2023, The Little Heart Project has continued to expand its reach. From her home alone, over 97,000 hearts have been mailed in the past 2½ years since starting the project. Across the rest of the world, she estimates more than 300,000 hearts crocheted and found in various locations across 37 states. The “Wisconsin Life” episode will air tonight at 7p.m. Full Story
Manitowoc: After 20 years, Steven Avery still appealing his conviction for the murder of Teresa Halbach.
Outside of Wisconsin, most of the US hadn’t heard of the tragic murder of Teresa Halbach or the trial of the man who was convicted for orchestrating her death Steven Avery. Netflix released “Making a Murderer” in 2015 and that changed. Now almost 20 years later Steven Avery, now 62, has been working to appeal his conviction since a jury found him guilty of homicide in 2007. The Netflix series brought international attention to the unusual Manitowoc County case. Avery, who served 18 years in prison for a sexual assault he did not commit, was a free man for just over two years before he was arrested again and charged with homicide for Halbach’s death. His attorneys argued at trial that Avery was framed by a disgruntled sheriff’s office that stood to lose millions to Avery in a lawsuit for his wrongful conviction. The Post-Crescent reported Avery was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility for release. His only hope to ever leave prison lies on if his appeal efforts are successful. Currently, Avery awaits a decision from the Wisconsin Court of Appeals about whether or not a circuit court judge erred in denying Avery’s third motion for post-conviction relief. His attorney, Kathleen Zellner, told the Post-Crescent that she anticipates the decision to be issued in the spring. Full Story
