Friday Night Football, Week 4

Bay Port High School's Beau LaFave (17) eludes Green Bay Notre Dame High School's Alex Miller (20) and Andrew Kwaterski (48) in the third quarter of a game in Suamico, Wis., Friday evening, Sept. 17, 2010.

Green Bay Notre Dame High School's Alex Miller (20) gets dragged down by Bay Port High School defenders Ben Messenger (19), Nick Beese (9), and Ben Nicla (34) in the third quarter.

Green Bay Notre Dame High School's Thurgood Dennis (4) and Austin Welhouse (42) bring down Bay Port High School's Dylan Cleereman (24) in the first quarter.

Green Bay Notre Dame High School's Peter Mortell (15) closes in on Bay Port High School's Dylan Cleereman (24) in the first quarter.

Amputation can't stop him

From our story about N.E.W. Lutheran High School offensive/defensive lineman DaVonte King by Scott Venci:

"Every day in the hospital, I would say, 'Why? Why did this have to happen to me?'" King said. "And then I would pray. Another day I would just be like, 'God, why did you do this to me? Why? Why me?

"But I realized that it's whatever. I have to live with it for my life. I can do most of the things other kids can do my age."

That includes playing football.

King (no relation) is a freight train with a fun personality. You can tell after watching him for five minutes that he loves to play and isn't going to let anything stop him. I really liked his posture and intensity in the photo below.

N.E.W. Lutheran High School's DaVonte King prepares to make a hit during practice in Green Bay, Wis., Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010. King lost his left leg while in middle school.

Friday Night Football, Week 3

A few of Friday's good ones...

Ashwaubenon High School quarterback Austin Kassner (14) is sacked by Green Bay Southwest High School's Matt Freeman (4) in the third quarter of a game in Green Bay, Wis., Friday evening, Sept. 10, 2010.

Ashwaubenon High School's Trevor Campbell (24) and Gavin Marquart (23) bring down Green Bay Southwest High School's Jake Gorzek (28) in the first quarter.

Ashwaubenon High School's B.J. Schoonover (5) is tackled around the neck by Green Bay Southwest's Matt Freeman (4) in the first quarter.

Green Bay Southwest High School's Sam Duval (24) breaks up a pass intended for Ashwaubenon High School's Drew Taylor (2) in the first quarter.

Ashwaubenon High School quarterback Austin Kassner (4) throws while being hit by Green Bay Southwest High School's Tyler Aerts (33) in the second quarter.

Ashwaubenon High School's Ben Semenak (71) strips the ball from Green Bay Southwest High School's Tyler Brown (30) in the third quarter. Ashwaubenon recovered the fumble.

Barn cats and garden cats: It's the life

This was an assigned feature that turned out to be a lot of fun to work on. Who would have thought that all of our local greenhouses keep cats? From our story by Kendra Meinert:

"Their job description goes something like this: Must be able to look adorable, greet customers, find secret napping spots and resist the urge to eat the petunias. Mousing experience preferred. Beautiful working environment and excellent benefits.

Cats on the payroll at area greenhouses and gardens have actual duties — it just might not look like it when they're sprawled out mid-aisle in a splotch of morning sun somewhere between the coneflowers and catnip or covertly dozing beneath the shady cover of giant hosta leaves."

Chloe, a cat at Stone Silo Prairie Gardens, prowls through nearby wildflowers in Ledgeview, Wis., Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010.

Maggie finds shade on a hot Thursday afternoon up in a rafter in the barn at Stone Silo Prairie Gardens.

Jan Woz, owner of Mayflower Greenhouse in Hobart, Wis., lets Felix, the greenhouse's cat, out to roam the business, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010.

Felix solicits attention from friends Anna Hunt, 6, of Hobart, left, and Ellie Jung, 6, of Green Bay.

Felix takes a cat nap in the container room.

Felix strikes a pose.

Tearing It Down

From our story by John Styf: "On Wednesday, the nearly 100-year-old former Bishop's House on Catholic Diocese of Green Bay property at 1910 S. Webster Ave. was torn down. And it was done without public warning, with the for sale sign still posted in the front yard...Some [onlookers] pointed out where they used to work. Some took photos. Others cried or shook their heads."

The Chancery was built in 1911.

A crowd of people gathered to watch crews begin razing the old Chancery building on the campus of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay in Allouez, Wis., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010.

Red bricks tumble as a crew began razing the old Chancery building.

Diocesan workers Gladys Powell, left, and Karen Bass, right, react to a large section of the top floor of the old Chancery building falling onto a pile of rubble. The two, and some others watching the demolition, said they once had offices in the building.

Lunch with the Packers

The Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Welcome Packers luncheon lets local businesspeople and members of the public buy a seat at the lunch table with a Packers player. It's a crap shoot. You might get starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers at your table, or you might get the rookie who'll be lucky to make the practice squad. It's a fun affair. This year, things looked decidedly western... for a reason...

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is escorted into the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Welcome Packers luncheon by chamber ambassador Sue May at the Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay, Wis., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010. Rodgers supplied cowboy hats to several teammates, according to those seated at his table. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy remarked in his address, "I see a number of players are already dressed for Dallas, Texas." Dallas is the location for Super Bowl XLV in February 2011.

Green Bay Packers tackle Breno Giocomini sits with a table at the luncheon.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver gives a hug to Lance Andrew, 12, of Madison, Wis., after signing an autograph at the luncheon at the Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay, Wis., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010. Andrew said his mother, Deana Andrew (an avid Donald Driver and Packers fan) passed away when he was 6 years old. "This is probably the best day of my life," he said.

Back to School preparations

Megan Heller, a first year teacher, sets up her kindergarten classroom at Green Bay Area Public School District's Early Learning Center in Green Bay, Wis., Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 17, 2010. Heller expects to have an English as a Second Language (Spanish) class of between 15 and 18 students.

Childrens books wait to be put in their places in Heller's classroom.

Domestic partner benefits

Dave Fowles, a Green Bay Public Works Department employee, spreads mulch at his home in Green Bay, Wis., Friday afternoon, Aug. 27, 2010. Because his domestic partner lacks health insurance, Fowles is asking City Hall for domestic partner benefits.

Green Bay Packers beat the Indianapolis Colts, 59-24

Covered the Packers last home preseason game at Lambeau Field last night. It was great to be back on the sidelines. The offense is doing admirably. The defense... it's anybody's guess at this point. Here are some of my best captures from the evening...

Green Bay Packers Morgan Burnett (42) breaks up a pass intended for Indianapolis Colts Pierre Garcon (85) in the first quarter of a preseason game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010.

Green Bay Packers Mike Neal (96) gets a hand on Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (18) in the first quarter.

Green Bay Packers John Kuhn (30) gets tackled from all angles by Indianapolis Colts defenders in the first quarter.

Indianapolis Colts Joseph Addai (29 evades Green Bay Packers defenders Morgan Burnett (42) and Brady Poppinga (51) in the second quarter.

Green Bay Packers Nick Collins (36) and Morgan Burnett (42) celebrate Burnett's second quarter interception.

Green Bay Packers Jason Chery (13) breaks loose for a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Chery (13) does a "Lambeau Leap" after the touchdown.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (18) shake hands after the Packers defeated the Colts, 59-24.

And just for fun... if you look closely you can see a wet patch of his bodysuit over this guy's mouth where he's been drinking his beer through it... too funny...

A Green Bay Packers fan finds his seat before a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010.

Green Bay-area mosque

As national debate grows over a proposed mosque in New York, similar grumblings have taken place recently in Green Bay as a nearby Islamic society sought zoning approval for a new location for their place of worship in an empty building within the city limits. Myself and reporter Scott Williams spent the afternoon at the current Ashwaubenon location: a small, nondescript strip-mall suite.

As lots of attention had being given to opponents, our goal for the piece was to take people into a mosque, put a face to Islam in our community, and give them a voice of explanation through the video below.

Spilling out into the hallway, Muslim men listen to Imam Mohamed Zakarya give a sermon during prayer at Islamic Society of Wisconsin's Green Bay area mosque on Packerland Drive in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Friday afternoon, Aug. 20, 2010. The group looks forward to their new larger mosque on Velp Avenue in Green Bay as their current room cannot hold all those who come to pray.

Khadar Gedi and his son Amir, 2, of Green Bay listen to the Imam's sermon.

Muslim men chat outside after prayer.

Business portrait

FulfillNet president/CEO Kate Burgess poses for a portrait in her company's Ashwaubenon, Wis., distribution center with Under Armour point of purchase materials, Friday morning, Aug. 20, 2010.

Arrest

Surprisingly, this spot news shot's been held for a while to be used with a story on arrests... it's a "blast from the past" from late June...

Green Bay Police and medics look at dog-bite wounds on Calvin Bester, 25, of Green Bay, after he was arrested near the 100 blocks of South Quincy and Jackson Streets, after a chase in Green Bay, Wis., early Thursday evening, June 24, 2010. According to Police Capt. Bill Galvin, officers pursued Bester on foot through the neighborhood, as he pulled a screen from a window and entered a residence. He was apprehended a short time later by officers with the help of a police dog, Neo. Bester was charged with criminal trespassing and obstructing an officer.

Jamboree Blog Posts

Because they don't all fit on the landing page, here's a list of posts to check out so you don't miss a day of my two-week embed with local Boy Scouts traveling to the 2010 National Scout Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Bowling Green, Va.

2010 National Scout Jamboree: Departure
2010 National Scout Jamboree: On the Road
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Kent State
2010 National Scout Jamboree: To Gettysburg
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Washington, D.C.
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Arlington National Cemetery
2010 National Scout Jamboree: A Day For A Parade
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Day 1
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Day 2
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Day 3 - Opening Arena Show
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Day 4
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Day 5
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Day 6 - Evening Arena Show
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Day 7
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Day 10
2010 National Scout Jamboree: Home

2010 National Scout Jamboree: Home

Boy Scout Nicholas Schommer, 12, of De Pere is welcomed home from the 2010 National Scout Jamboree (held at Fort AP Hill in Bowling Green, Va.) by his father Bob, mother Chris, and brother Nathan, 9, at St. John Lutheran Church in De Pere, Wis., Thursday evening, Aug. 5, 2010. This year's Jamboree celebrated 100 years of Scouting.

2010 National Scout Jamboree: Day 10

Boy Scouts take refuge under a commissary tent in Subcamp 14 in the early morning hours before their departure from the 2010 National Scout Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Bowling Green, Va., Wednesday morning, Aug. 4, 2010. Steady rain soaked many of the Scouts on a night they slept under the stars.

2010 National Scout Jamboree: Day 7

The Rev. Stephen B. Salvador, National Catholic Committee on Scouting National Chaplain, welcomes thousands of Scouts to an outdoor Catholic Mass at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Bowling Green, Va., Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010.

Knights of Columbus assemble at the arena before Catholic Mass.

Brig. Gen. Robert Nolan addresses Boy Scouts from Bay-Lakes Council during a special visit to their subcamp at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Bowling Green, Va., Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010. Nolan is the commander of the Joint Task Force of the National Scout Jamboree.

Brig. Gen. Nolan, with LCDR Erik Thors, center, asks Frank J. Befay IV of Bay-Lakes Council's Jamboree Troop 1422 to sign a picture taken of he and Jonathan Odekirk laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery.

Brig. Gen. Nolan poses for a group picture with Boy Scouts from Bay-Lakes Council.

Brig. Gen. Nolan visits with Boy Scouts from the Bay-Lakes Council during a special visit to their subcamp.

Selected Hometown News Reporters (Boy Scout special correspondents) receive a safety briefing before taking a ride in New Jersey National Guard Black Hawk helicopters over the 2010 National Scout Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Bowling Green, Va., Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010.

Hometown News Reporter Michael Roberts, 14, of Appleton, Wis., and Jamboree Troop 1425, right, looks out of a New Jersey National Guard Black Hawk helicopter with Army public affairs officer Lt. Col. Kim Moros over the 2010 National Scout Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Bowling Green, Va.

Pepito Estrada, 13, of Bentonville, Ark., and Jamboree Troop 2143 is all smiles as he and other Hometown News Reporters ride in New Jersey National Guard Black Hawk helicopters over the 2010 National Scout Jamboree.

A New Jersey National Guard Black Hawk helicopter carrying Hometown News Reporters flies over the 2010 National Scout Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Bowling Green, Va., Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010.