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Pending Pine Crest Sale Falls Apart; Buyer Ends Purchase Agreement

Published on 07/03/2024 under News A potential sale of Pine Crest nursing home has unraveled, and it's back to the drawing board for Lincoln County. There have been plenty of twists and turns over the past two years as Lincoln County has explored the future of Pine Crest, a county-owned, skilled nursing facility in Merrill. In March, the County Board approved a potential sale, and the past few months have been spent finalizing that agreement. But on Friday, the county received communication from representatives of the buyer looking to end the potential deal. The letter referenced a pending lawsuit against the county by Don Dunphy regarding the sale. It states that because of that litigation, the buyer is ending the purchase agreement. The Lincoln County Administrative and Legislative Committee addressed the latest development at their meeting on Tuesday afternoon. County Board Chair Jesse Boyd, in introducing the topic said of the buyer, "he has decided to pull his offer. At this point and time there is no offer on the table, a counter offer or anything of such. At this point and time, this is where it's at." Administrative Coordinator Renee Krueger offered a few additional details including a timeline. She says, "At this time (the purchase agreement) has expired, and the relationship between Lincoln County and the purchaser, Senior Management, for the sale of Pine Crest is severed." Both Boyd and Krueger noted that they were completely caught off guard by last week's letter. Just two weeks ago, the supervisors voted to extend the sale deadline as they negotiated some final details. Krueger added that those negotiations had been in good faith. There were limited discussions during the meeting, though Julie DePasse, who also serves as chair of the Finance Committee noted that this year's budget was approved prior to the potential sale and included funding of the facility for the entire year. It is expected to have ramifications as they are currently crafting next year's budget. As for what's next, the A&L Committee has decided to take a few weeks to process the future steps, and will likely pick up the conversation at their meeting in August.

Published on 07/03/2024 under News Fireworks and the Fourth go hand and hand, but officials are reminding people of the dangers. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, there were more than 125 ER visits in Wisconsin due to fireworks-related injuries last year. A quarter of those visits were children under 18. And it's not just the fireworks that go boom...Dr. Eric Maki is an emergency physician at Aspirus. He says the most common fireworks injuries they treat are burns, and that sparklers are one of the main culprits. Maki acknowledged that sparklers are fun and everyone including kids enjoys them, but he noted that they also burn at an extremely high temperature. And after a sparkler has burned out, the the stick remains hot and a burn risk. Ready Wisconsin teamed with local emergency management to offer up their annual fireworks safety tips. •First and foremost, obey local laws and permitting requirements •Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks •Find a smooth, flat surface; have readily available water; and make sure onlookers are a safe distance •Light fireworks one at a time; don't attempt to reignite a dud; and properly discard cooled fireworks after a soak in some water The safest advice, however, is to simply leave the fireworks to the professionals and attend a community show.

Published on 07/03/2024 under News Trauma affects everyone differently, and a new program is coming to Tomahawk to help individuals rebound. It's known as Reboot Recovery, and a new local course is starting next week. Reboot Recovery is actually a national program based out of Nashville. Yesterday we were joined by two of the men helping bring it to Tomahawk by partnering with the VFW. Russ Cabak says the overall goal "is to bring hope back after what the individual has been through." That's through conversations, with peers, in a group setting. The groups meet on a weekly basis for 12 weeks. The evening typically begins with a meal and some small talk, before moving into the group discussion. Among the groups that may experience trauma at a higher level are military and first responders. Cabak got involved through his own personal trauma. During his visit, he brought along Paul Bishop who has participated in Reboot Recovery ,as well. He says the program helps participants realize what some of their PTSD triggers are and how to cope with those situation. For those looking to learn more, the national Reboot Recovery has a website. Locally, the new Reboot Combat/First Responder Recovery class at Tomahawk VFW Post 2687 will be held Wednesday July 10. Meal at 6:00 pm and class from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. For information please call Russ Cabak at 608-797-2277

Published on 07/03/2024 under News A project is underway on the Rhinelander School campus is underway and it includes upgrades to their tech ed space. The district was selected to receive a state grant to help fund a high-tech piece of equipment. On Tuesday, the Department of Workforce Development announced the latest recipients of their Fast Forward program. The grants reimburse schools for the purchase of modern manufacturing equipment. These are items such as robotics, welding, 3d printing, and drones. It allows students to learn about and train on tools that they'll be able to use in careers in manufacturing. Among the recipients is the Rhinelander School District which will receive $46,050. That will cover the cost of a new laser engraver. According to the announcement, the equipment will expand rapid prototyping and students' exploration of digital manufacturing. Gov. Evers was part of the announcement and says, "By investing in technical education in school districts across the state, we are connecting the dots and expanding career opportunities for thousands of students while positioning our manufacturers for success." Overall, seventeen school districts will share in nearly a half a million dollars through the Fast Forward grants.

Published on 07/03/2024 under News The Wisconsin River will be the place to be this evening as the Tomahawk community kicks off the Powwow Days celebrations. It's Wednesday and that means Music on the River is back in Memorial Park. It also marks the return of a fan favorite in Copper Box. Led by a husband/wife duo, the Oshkosh foursome plays a mountain of instruments and a variety of styles inspired by blues, jazz, rock, polka, and more. Music on the River will begin a half an hour early, at 5:30pm. That's to accommodate the annual July 3rd Kwahamot Water Ski Show, which begins at 8pm just across the river in Kwahamot Bay. With both events sharing opposite sides of the river, people enjoying by boat are encouraged to be courteous of both activities.

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Sports Headlines

Tomahawk Golfers Receive Academic All-State Honors

Published on 06/11/2024 under Sports The Golf Coaches' Assocation of Wisconsin released their Academic All-State Awards list and Tomahawk was well-represented. The criteria to qualify for the Academic All-State team includes a GPA of 3.25 or higher, competed in 75% of the team's varsity meets, and must be at least a sophomore. Four Hatchet golfers were given Academic All-State honors, who are Sawyer Hanna, Carson Childers, Austin Lamer, and Caiden Reichelt. The four are among over 400 students from 137 high schools in Wisconsin.

Published on 06/03/2024 under Sports Alicia Voermans, Halle Derleth, Faith Derleth, and Elise Gibeault all competed at the WIAA Division 2 State Track and Field Meet at the Universtiy of Wisconsin-La Crosse over the weekend. The ladies made it all the way to the Finals, finishing eighth overall in the 4x200 meter relay. In the preliminaries, the ladies finished seventh and breaking the school record with a time of 1:46.05. In the finals, they finished with a time of 1:46.76. Gibeault also made it to the Finals in the 400 meter dash. Gibeault took ninth in the preliminaries and tenth overall.

Published on 05/24/2024 under Sports Tomahawk's track and field squads competed in the WIAA Division 2 Sectional Meet at Colby Thursday evening. The Hatchets will represent two events at the State Track Meet next weekend. The Hatchet girls' 4x200 meter relay team of Halle Derleth, Faith Derleth, Alicia Voermans, and Elise Gibeault placed first with a time of 1:46.45, a full second clear of Hayward. Gibeault also will represent Tomahawk in the 400 meter dash, placing third in her sectional with a time of 58.77 seconds. Even though Ayla McCormick didn't qualify, she broke her own school record for her throw in discus with 124'2". The Hatchet boys' top event came in the 4x400 meter relay. Tomahawk placed 11th with a time of 3:46.45. Gibeault, Voermans, and both Derleths will compete in the WIAA Division 2 State Meet at UW-La Crosse next weekend.

Published on 05/24/2024 under Sports Tomahawk's softball squad had their season end in the WIAA Division 3 Regional Final at Peshtigo Thursday afternoon, losing 9-1. After a 40-minute rain delay pushed the game back, the Hatchets mustered their only run on an RBI groundout by Scout Stromberg. Tomahawk's pitching was miles different from the dominant performance at Weyauwega-Fremont Wednesday. Three Hatchet pitchers surrendered 12 walks to Peshtigo batters, including six in a six-run fifth inning. Sammy Gebauer went two for three with two singles and a run scored. Tomahawk finishes 2024 with a 13-15 record and a 4-8 record in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets graduate nine seniors, who are Sammy Gebauer, Macy Jankiewicz, Scout Stromberg, Kayleigh Haring, Bella Marino, Khianna Vacho, Emerson Lange, Maddy Baumann, and Abby Kallerud.

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