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DoT Announces Highway 51 Project North of Tomahawk

Published on 02/17/2026 under News It won't be long before road construction season returns to the Northwoods. A Highway 51 project near Tomahawk this spring will require a temporary detour. The WisDoT announced that US 51 between US Highway 8 and Oneida County L will be closed and detoured this spring. The official detour route will use US 8 and WIS 47. Construction is scheduled to begin in April, and they plan to re-open this segment prior to Memorial Day weekend. The work will continue after that date, but Highway 51 will be open with some lane closures. All lanes will be open for weekend traffic during this second phase. This project involves repairing concrete pavement, resurfacing the asphalt and bridge repairs. More information will be available closer to the start of construction in April. Project information website. They note this project is not associated with the proposed roundabout at US 51 and County K/Swamp Lake Road in Oneida County planned in 2027.

Published on 02/17/2026 under News Those heading out onto the ice at this time of year should use caution. A rescue was performed in Lincoln County. According to the Merrill Fire Department, responders were paged to Council Grounds on the Wisconsin River just below the Alexander Hydro Dam. The call came in at shortly before 11am Monday morning. The caller indicated a man had fallen through the ice, he was able to get out but was stranded on a nearby island. Firefighters used a Rapid Deployment Craft (RDC) to reach the man and bring him back to shore safely. His sled & ice shanty were also recovered. Members of the Merrill PD & Lincoln County Sheriff also assisted on scene. With above average temperatures over the past week, ice conditions on many Northwoods waterways have been changing. Caution is advised, and remember that no ice is 100% safe.

Published on 02/17/2026 under News With a stretch of mild weather, snowmobile trail closures are expanding. Here in Lincoln County, the Forestry, Land and Parks Department announced that trails in zones 2, 3, and 4 are closed as of yesterday. At this time, the trails in zone 1 and the Hiawatha will remain open. For those trails, they warned that riders can expect rough segments, icy stretches, and potential bare spots due to the warm weather and sun. In the announcement, Recreation Forester Nick Behrens says, "We kindly ask riders to follow all "TRAIL CLOSED" signs, stay on marked routes, and respect private property. He added, "Our trail system exists thanks to the generosity of local landowners, and your cooperation helps keep these trails open for everyone to enjoy."

Published on 02/17/2026 under News It's Fat Tuesday, and while some communities are celebrating Mardi Gras festivities, others here in the Northwoods are enjoying a Polish-style pastry also popular at this time of year. Today is celebrated as Paczki Day. The name of these doughnut-style desserts may confuse some. It's spelled p-a-c-z-k-i, but it's pronounced POONCH-kee. And that's plural...if you can limit yourself to just one, you've got a paczek or POON-check. Pazcki were brought to the United States by Polish immigrants. With large populations in the Midwest, the treats are quite popular in Wisconsin, including here in the Northwoods where they are found at many bakeries and grocery stores at this time of year. The Fat Tuesday connection is because Pazcki were a popular way to use up ingredients like milk, eggs, sugar and fruits ahead of Lent. And while the traditional filling is a prune jam, more modern takes include apricot, lemon, blueberry, cherry and chocolate.

Published on 02/17/2026 under News The Oneida County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about the reappearance of a 'missed jury duty' scam. Over the past few days, the Sheriff's Office has received multiple reports from residents who have been contacted by these scammers. The caller identifies as Deputy Campbell, and claims the person missed jury duty. The Sheriff's Office says they do not have a Deputy Campbell in their employment. They said they would not call a resident about to missing jury duty, nor would they request payment or gift cards in exchange for missing jury duty. In the warning, the Sheriff's Office reminds residents to be vigilant, never share personal or financial information. If you are suspicious of an unsolicited phone call, hang up and call back using a known number. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office issued a similar jury duty scam warning earlier this year.

Published on 02/17/2026 under News Aspirus Wausau Hospital has been recognized on the Forbes Top Hospitals 2026 list, earning national distinction for performance across quality, safety, and patient care measures. More than 2,600 hospitals around the country were assessed across multiple performance domains, including mortality, complications, re-admissions, patient experience, and value of care. Hospitals included on the list demonstrated strong overall performance across these measures. Jeff Wicklander, Aspirus SVP says, "This recognition reflects the daily work of our caregivers and care teams who are focused on delivering safe, high-quality care to our patients and our community." He added, "Our priority is always to improve outcomes, support families, and make sure patients can trust the care they receive close to home."

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Sports Headlines

Hatchet Boys Swimming Team Sending Individuals to State

Published on 02/16/2026 under Sports The Hatchet boys' swimmers will be sending multiple athletes to the WIAA Division 2 State Meet in Waukesha for the second consecutive season. At the Sectional Meet in Rice Lake, Junior Dane Dekiep qualified for the state meet in the 100 yard backstroke. Dekiep would finish fourth in the event with a time 56.41 seconds. Senior Bruce Peetz would break the school record and qualify for the state meet in the 500 yard freestyle. Peetz's time was 5:07.13, good for third overall and was the top GNC finisher. Dekiep and Peetz will be competing in the WIAA Division 2 State Boys Swim Meet. Events will be at the Waukesha South Natatorium Friday at 5:30.

Published on 02/16/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's male wrestlers would finish ninth as a team in the WIAA Division 2 Sectional Meet in Antigo Saturday. The Hatchets finished with 98.5 points, four behind Sturgeon Bay/Sevastopol. Tomahawk had two wrestlers finish third in their weight classes. Zander Zehner would fail to qualify for state at 157 pounds after losing to Murphy Beyer of Freedom in the championship match and Joseph Stimac of Antigo in the second-place match. At 215 pounds, Nathan Norman would win his third-place match over Sturgeon Bay/Sevastopol's Anthony Estevez. This concludes the Hatchet male wrestling season.

Published on 02/14/2026 under Sports In the WIAA Girls Wrestling Regional Meet in Merrill Friday night, the Hatchets had a strong showing as they would send eight girls to the Sectional round. Tomahawk had three regional champions in the meet, who were Kylie Peissig at 107 pounds, Aubrey Tollefson at 114 pounds, and Kami Gabrich at 185 pounds. Other sectional qualifiers were Victoria Towle at 100 pounds, Lillian Taves at 126 pounds, Kaylee Roberts at 145 pounds, Elena Cerkes at 152 pounds, and Abigail Doleshal at 235 pounds. Towle, Taves, and Cerkes all won their wrestlebacks to cap off the night. The WIAA Girls Wrestling Sectional Meet is next Friday at DC Everest. Events begin at 5:00.

Published on 02/14/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's girls basketball squad would suffer one of their worst losses of the season to Lakeland in Minocqua Friday night, losing 62-33. The Hatchets were unable to stop Ava Evenhouse and the Thunderbird offense from putting up 38 points in the first half. Freya Alberg led the way in scoring for the Hatchets with 16 points. The loss drops Tomahawk to 12-11 on the season and 5-6 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets will wrap up their season next Friday with Senior Night against Mosinee. Tip is at 6:00.

Published on 02/14/2026 under Sports The Hatchet boys' basketball squad's offensive woes would continue Friday, losing to Lakeland at home, 77-36. The loss drops Tomahawk's record to 2-19 on the season and 0-11 in Great Northern Conference play. The loss by the Hatchets is also their 13th straight. Tomahawk is back on the court Tuesday in Antigo. Tip is at 5:45 PM.

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