Local news briefs News-Chronicle Green Bay Fire at plant causes $100,000 damage A fire at American Custom Converting, 2441 Larsen Road, caused $100,000 in damage Thursday morning. The fire, reported at 8:42 a.m., was apparently caused by sparks from a welding operation, fire officials said. Three of the 14 units responding to the fire were still on hand after 5 p.m. checking for hot spots in the building. There were no injuries. Local $100,000 winner in Powerball A ticket purchased in Brown County won $100,000 in Wednesday's Powerball drawing. The ticket matched five numbers but not the Powerball number. The ticket was sold at Festival Foods, 2250 W. Mason St. Fire stations hold open houses As part of Fire Prevention Week, Green Bay Fire Dept. stations will hold open houses Oct. 5-11. Tours will be available and fire prevention information offered. Hours are 6-8 p.m. except where noted. Dates are Monday, Station No. 4, 2650 West Point Road; Tuesday, Station No. 3, 885 Shawano Ave.; Wednesday, Station No. 7, 3489 Humboldt Road, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Thursday, Station No. 6, 1701 W. Mason St.; Oct. 10, Station No. 1, 501 S. Washington St.; and Oct. 11, Station No. 2, 929 University Ave., 1-4 p.m. Ashwaubenon Open houses set at renovated schools. Open houses at two renovated elementary schools in the Ashwaubenon School District will be held next week. Pioneer Elementary, 1360 Ponderosa Ave., will be open Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. while Valley View Elementary, 2200 True Lane, will be open Thursday during the same hours. Both will feature musical performances and self-guided tours. The $9.7 million in work was approved in a 2001 referendum. Brown County Compost bin sale next week The Brown County Port and Solid Waste Department will hold a home compost bin sale as part of Household Hazardous Waste Awareness week. The sale runs Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the county Hazardous Waste Facility, 2561 S. Broadway, Ashwaubenon. Bins are $35 and include a composting guide. Madison Date-certain permitting bill passes Assembly A bill aimed at speeding state permitting processes for businesses passed the state Assembly 67-32 on Thursday. The bill, authored by Rep. Phil Montgomery, R-Ashwaubenon, would require 16 state agencies to establish and meet deadlines for granting or denying permits and licenses. Agencies failing to meet deadlines would have to either grant the permit or refund the fees. A similar bill passed the state Senate last week. The two bills go to the Joint Finance Committee. Massachusetts Ship that visited here sinks in Canada A replica of an 18th-century schooner built in Massachusetts sank in Halifax harbor, Nova Scotia, Sunday night when a retired naval warship broke free from its mooring during Hurricane Juan and slammed into it. The Larinda was part of the Tall Ship Tours festival in downtown Green Bay earlier this year. Capt. Larry Mahan was on board but escaped without injury.