It was a cold day in Manitowoc Friday. Wind chills were in the teens, and the Salvation Army is bearing those conditions so that they can provide law enforcement and anyone else who needs it a warm drink.
They were up early this morning preparing hot chocolate and coffee to bring to the courthouse. They plan to be out all day and will replenish supplies as needed. They say they're not here to support the protesters on either side, they're here specifically for law enforcement, but of course, won't turn anyone away.
Some we spoke with in the city say the "Making a Murderer" Netflix docuseries casts the city in an unflattering light, but it's really a friendly place.
“We're here to support the community. We have a wonderful community here and we're going to show that to all the people. We're here to support the law enforcement and do what we can do on our part. That's what the Salvation Army is about,” Salvation Army Lieutenant Terri Olson said.
The Courthouse Pub, which is just across the street from the courthouse, here in Manitowoc, also plans to hand out free coffee today to anybody who needs it. They posted about that on Facebook. We also spoke to several other businesses in town who say they're planning for a possible influx of people and they've got additional staff on hand to handle any extra crowds.
The visitor’s bureau in Manitowoc tells us there is still plenty of room in area hotels, they say they’re no busier than usual.
