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Hurricane Helene landfall prep; Wisconsin volunteers headed south

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Hurricane Helene landfall prep; Wisconsin volunteers headed south


Hurricane Helene made landfall on Thursday evening, Sept. 26, but the impact will be felt for weeks, if not longer.

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Some areas have been under a tropical storm warning and tornado warnings because of Helene. Some Wisconsinites are already headed south to help.

Hurricanes are a bit more personal now for Michael Hoffmann.

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“You just see pictures and videos, but you don’t understand what actually happens,” Hoffman said.

The Waukesha native and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee grad is now a teacher in Ocala, Fla. The city is outside Helene’s direct path, but that’s still bracing for bands of thunderstorms.

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“Right now, we just got a bunch of flashlights ready,” Hoffman said. “We have coolers ready to go for food from the fridge if we need to, if we lose power.”

Ryan Cedergren, who happens to be studying meteorology at Florida State University, said his campus is essentially shut down. The hurricane is headed right for Tallahassee Thursday night.

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“We noticed earlier today, it’s like a kind of eerie calm before the storm,” he said.

Students there have either evacuated or are staying in designated shelters on-campus.

“We were in this building for Idalia, and it did pretty well,” Cedergren said. “Our only concern is Tallahassee is very hilly, so we might deal with some flooding. It doesn’t drain super well. And then, we’ll probably lose power pretty quickly.”

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It helps explain why more than a dozen volunteers from the American Red Cross of Wisconsin are already headed south.

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“The volunteers that are there right now have helped to set up shelters in northern Florida,” American Red Cross of Wisconsin Regional Communications Director Jennifer Warren said. “We also have volunteers that have driven ERVs, which are emergency response vehicles, down to Florida.”

Leaving their homes behind to help Floridians make it back to theirs, too.

“They provide comfort, care,” Warren said. “They help with handing out food, water.”

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The Red Cross is accepting monetary donations to help recovery efforts there.

The nonprofit also recommends blood donations as Helene put a halt to that in several southern states.

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For more information, visit the Red Cross website.



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Wisconsin native and American Idol contestant waiting to see if she advances

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Wisconsin native and American Idol contestant waiting to see if she advances


GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Wisconsin native and American Idol contestant Genevieve Heyward is anxiously waiting to see if she makes it to the top 14.

Two Mondays ago, she sang “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan, and the judges had nothing but good things to say.

We spoke with Genevieve about exceeding her own expectations as she waits for the results.

“I just think going into any of these, specifically American Idol, you kind of have to just go in, and you got to be grounded through it. But that’s the other thing I’ve learned. You just got to stay grounded and don’t have any expectations for what you think is going to happen. You almost have to ride the wave,” said Heyward.

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Viewers will find out if she advances to the next round on Monday, March 30th, right here on WBAY-TV 2.



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Construction is underway on Pizza Ranch restaurant in Wisconsin Rapids

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Construction is underway on Pizza Ranch restaurant in Wisconsin Rapids



Crews are starting to work on the new Pizza Ranch in Wisconsin Rapids. We have an updated timeline for the restaurant.

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Crews are starting to work on building the new Pizza Ranch in Wisconsin Rapids.

Angie and Gary Hall from Kellner will be the owners and operators of Pizza Ranch when the restaurant with FunZone opens near Home Depot in Wisconsin Rapids.

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Angie Hall told a Daily Tribune reporter March 24 crews started preparing and clearing the land Tuesday morning in advance of putting in the building footings next week.

Pizza Ranch also became members of the Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Tuesday morning and will host a groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m. April 6 on the property, Hall said.

Construction is estimated to take about six months to complete, and Hall said they’re expecting to host a grand opening in September.

Hall said she and her husband can’t wait for this chapter to start, and they strive to live Pizza Ranch’s vision, “to glorify God by positively impacting the world,” Hall said.

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Pizza Ranch is not just a restaurant and FunZone, Hall said, but will be here for the community, giving back to the community in any and every way possible, she said.

After years of rumors Pizza Ranch would open a Wisconsin Rapids location, plans have been in the works since city leaders approved initial parking plans for the site, naming the 8,137-square-foot restaurant in October.

Hall told a Daily Tribune reporter in January she and her husband would be the owners and operators of the new location. Gary Hall is currently the general manager of the Stevens Point area location, and Angie Hall is a district manager for multiple locations throughout the state.

For more information, visit pizzaranch.com.

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Contact Caitlin at cshuda@usatodayco.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.





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Wisconsin Lutheran’s Zens is Gatorade state player of the year

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Wisconsin Lutheran’s Zens is Gatorade state player of the year


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  • Zavier Zens was named the 2025-26 Gatorade Wisconsin boys basketball player of the year.
  • The Wisconsin Lutheran senior also won the Mr. Basketball award and a third straight state title.
  • Zens averaged 23.4 points per game and led his team to an undefeated 30-0 season.
  • He was also recognized for his community service, youth coaching, and a 3.38 GPA.

Wisconsin Lutheran senior Zavier Zens rounded out a week that already saw him named to the Naismith High School All-American list, receive the Mr. Basketball Award from the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and win a third consecutive WIAA state title with his Vikings teammates by being named the 2025-26 Gatorade Wisconsin boys basketball player of the year.

In a release from March 20, Gatorade announced Zens as Wisconsin Lutheran’s second Gatorade player of the year in the past three seasons, joining his first cousin, Kon Knueppel. The 6-foot-7 Northern Iowa commit averaged 23.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and shot 61.8% from the field, leading Wisconsin Lutheran’s second 30-0 season in the past three years.

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In addition to his on-court impact, the Gatorade press release highlighted Zens’ community impact as a youth basketball coach, participation in community service through his church and a 3.38 weighted GPA in the classroom among the factors leading to his selection.

“Zavier is incredible,” Greendale coach Ryan Johnson said in the Gatorade release. “He has had an incredible season as the leader of not only the top-ranked team in the state, but one of the best teams in the country. He scores at all three levels, defends at a high level and is a true leader.”

Zens scored 21 points in a 68-61 WIAA Division 1 state semifinal win over Appleton North on March 20, before adding another team-best 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting to lead a 57-37 win in the D1 state title game over Madison Memorial on March 21.

He finishes his career as the No. 3 career scorer in school history (1,611 points), No. 7 in career rebounds (463), No. 2 in career threes (154) and single-season points (703), while holding the school record for converted field goals in a season (282).

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Gatorade player of the year recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in 12 sports, including: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross-country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, as well as boys and girls track and field. In total, 610 high school athletes are recognized each year. From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports by a committee that leverages coaches, scouts, media and other sources to determine each sport’s winner.



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