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Tomahawk Salvation Army Preparing for Return of Bell Ringing

Published on 11/20/2024 under News As the seasons shift, the familiar sound of the Salvation Army Bell Ringers will soon fill the Northwoods once more. Here in Tomahawk, the local Salvation Army chapter will kickoff their holiday bell ringing efforts this week. Ahead of the launch we spoke with organizers Tom Kelly and Terry Derleth. The bell ringing effort is their main source of funding, and 86 cents for every dollar donated stays in the community it's collected. Each year they aim for around $50,000 during the holiday ringing campaign. Kelly noted those funds are split between their temporary emergency voucher program and the Happy Kids Backpack program. That provides supplemental for local students experiencing food insecurity after school and on weekends. As for the kettle campaign, they're always looking for new ringers. Kelly says they've been fortunate to have a groups and businesses volunteer to ring as a team. That includes local banks, realty offices, and churches. Derleth added that ringing can be a rewarding way to spend a few hours ahead of the holidays. This year's Honorary Chair is Pastor Julie from Grace Lutheran Church. They'll be back at their two traditional locations, Trig's and downtown post office. For those interested call 630-667-3250 or email win.semmler@gmail.com

Published on 11/20/2024 under News With Thanksgiving right around the corner, experts anticipate record holiday travel numbers once again. Triple A recently released their annual Thanksgiving travel forecast which overlaps with the state deer hunting season. They expect more than 1.6 million Wisconsinites will travel 50 miles or more next week. That would be the highest on record. Most will be by road, as auto travel in Wisconsin is expected to top 1.4 million over the Thanksgiving holiday. Some good news for those travelers, as gas prices are down slightly from last year with the state average just under $3. As for those planning their travel to avoid traffic, the busiest times are expected next Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, as well as the Sunday afternoon following Thanksgiving. According to their report, the best time for quiet roads is actually on Thanksgiving Day. For this year's forecast, Triple A included two additional days to better reflect recent holiday travel trends. It now includes Tuesday through the following Monday.

Published on 11/20/2024 under News With the gun deer hunt just four days away, the DNR is reminding hunters to dress for safety by wearing the appropriate gear for visibility. A state law requiring the use of blaze orange is one of a number of factors attributed to a drop in hunting related incidents. In addition to the more traditional blaze orange, a 2016 Wisconsin law allows the use of fluorescent pink, as well. According to the DNR, state law requires at least 50% coverage of orange or pink from the waist up. They note that includes any hats or hoods. Even if you're not hunting, the DNR encourages other outdoor recreationists to sport blaze orange or pink to ensure safety for everyone enjoying Wisconsin's natural resources. And it's also a good idea for any pets to have a high visibility vest as well to avoid any accidents.

Published on 11/20/2024 under News From a vehicle slide-off to a dead battery, many Wisconsin motorists will become stranded at some point. That's why it's important to carry a winter emergency kit in your vehicle. It's Winter Weather Awareness Week, and today we're looking about some useful items you should keep in your vehicle during the winter months to remain safe and comfortable until you're back on the road. The cold can put a strain on your battery, so its a good idea to keep a set of jumper cables in the car. Portable jumping units are also handy, but make sure to regularly check that it's fully charged. Ready Wisconsin also recommends a tow rope, a small shovel, and either sand or kitty litter to provide traction if you become stuck. But sometimes you may simply have to wait for help. That's when items like an extra set of winter clothing, blankets, snacks, a cell charger, and flashlights are handy. Lincoln County Emergency Management has a full list of items to consider on their website.

Published on 11/20/2024 under News With Thanksgiving right around the corner, experts anticipate record holiday travel numbers once again. Triple A recently released their annual Thanksgiving travel forecast which overlaps with the state deer hunting season. They expect more than 1.6 million Wisconsinites will travel 50 miles or more next week. That would be the highest on record. Most will be by road, as auto travel in Wisconsin is expected to top 1.4 million over the Thanksgiving holiday. Some good news for those travelers, as gas prices are down slightly from last year with the state average just under $3. For this year's forecast, Triple A included two additional days to better reflect recent holiday travel trends. It now includes Tuesday through the following Monday. As for those planning their travel to avoid traffic, the busiest times are expected next Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, as well as the Sunday afternoon following Thanksgiving. According to their report, the best time for quiet roads is actually on Thanksgiving Day.

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Sports Headlines

Hatchet Cross Country Team Holds 2024 Awards

Published on 11/20/2024 under Sports Rookies Of The Year: (Boys) Joe Zastrow (Girls) Ellie Micke Most Improved: (Boys) Elliot O'Connor & Jeremiah Johnson (Girls) Jennie Fredrickson & Reese Molitor Coaches Awards: (Boys) Dawson Jones (Girls) Norah Mann Scholar Athletes: (Boys) Dawson Jones, Luke Morrison (All 4.000's Progress Term 1) (Girls) Norah Mann, Ellie Micke, Joa Reilly Captains Awards: (Boys) Sam Zastrow (Girls) Alli Palmer Punchy Reich Memorial: Sam Zastrow & Alli Palmer (as picked by his/her teammates) GNC All-Conference: (Boys) Sam Zastrow (1st Team), Dominic Boos (1st Team), Joe Zastrow (HM), Jeremiah Johnson (HM), Beau Stromberg (HM) GNC All-Conference: (Girls) Alli Palmer (1st Team), Lydia Shaney (2nd Team), Ellie Micke (2nd Team),, Abbie Rosenmeier (2nd Team),, Elise Gibeault (2nd Team) Most Valuable: (Boys) Sam Zastrow (Girls) Alli Palmer State Qualifier Awards: Alli Palmer, Lydia Shaney, Norah Mann, Ellie Micke, Abbie Rosenmeier, Elise Gibeault, Faith Derleth, Joa Reilly (alt), Reese Molitor (alt) Service Award: Shannon & Dawn Boneck

Published on 11/04/2024 under Sports On Saturday, the Tomahawk Hatchet varsity girls team headed south to Wisconsin Rapids to compete at the WIAA Division II State Cross Country Meet. This being the 50th year of WIAA girls cross country. Since 1975 the Tomahawk girls have competed, as a team, at the state meet 25 times (6th most state qualifications of any Wisconsin school). This particular state meet was a cold, but sunny, day that saw a total of the 16 best Division II teams in the state compete against the Hatchets for the WIAA State Championship. The Division II race included two of the fastest runners in the entire state, including Divisions I & III, as Emmerson Drobac of Deerfield/Cambridge ran the course in 17:38 and Ciara Hartman of Bloomer covered the course in 17:43. The Division II race kicked off at 12:40 PM. The primary objective of the girls team was to get out early in the race and push themselves while also experiencing the course for the first time. The girls did just that and in the first mile of the highly competitive race they were in 13th place. After the mile however the girls dropped placement and remained in 15th for the rest of the race. The lady Hatchets scored 315 points finishing ahead of Prescott. Leading the team with an exceptional time on the challenging course was senior Alli Palmer taking 66th in a time of 20:42 in her final high school cross country race of her career. Unfortunately for the girls there was a sizable gap between Alli and the rest of the team which led to the lower placement, but nonetheless the girls banned together and finished with a good pack running effort. The pack included sophomore Elise Gibeault with a seasonal best time of 21:39 for 103rd, sophomore Abbie Rosenmeier with a time of 21:42 for 108th, freshman Ellie Micke in a time of 21:45 for 111th, and junior Lydia Shaney in a time of 21:53 for 115th. Rounding out the girls' great effort was sophomore Norah Mann in a time of 23:04 for 137th and junior Faith Derleth with a time of 23:57 in 146th. There were 151 runners in the girls race with finishing team results as follows: University School of Milwaukee-60, Bloomer-80, Mount Horeb-108, Lancaster-138, New Berlin Eisenhower-158, Little Chute-163, Kiel-212, Saint Croix Central-223, Shorewood-237, Watertown Luther Prep-237, WestSalem-275, Berline-290, Shawano Community-294, New Berlin West-300, Tomahawk-317, and Prescott-349. Other Great Northern Conference performances included the Rhinelander boys taking 14th in the boys Division II race. Antigo's Lillian L'Esperance took 53rd in a time of 20:26. Medford's Lindsay Kahn took 69th in a time of 20:43. Lakeland sent two individuals with Stella Meza taking 77th (20:54) and Ashton Bremer taking 34th (16:57).

Published on 10/28/2024 under Sports On Friday, Tomahawk headed west to Colby High School to compete at the WIAA Division II Sectional Cross Country Meet. It was a chilly, but sunny, fall evening that saw a total of 15 teams face the Hatchets for the right to advance to Wisconsin Rapids next weekend for the WIAA State Championships. The first division II race of the day were the girls at 4:15 PM. Coming off of the heart crushing finish of last year the girls were determined to advance. Despite never once appearing in the state rankings of the top Division II teams in Wisconsin the Hatchets proceeded to climb their way to the top throughout the race. The end result was a Sectional Championship by one point defeating last year's winning team, Shawano. The lady Hatchets scored 67 points and were led by senior Alli Palmer who finished the race taking 3rd place with a new career best of 20:03. Junior Lydia Shaney followed, nearly cracking the top ten with an 11th place finish in 21:06. The ever improving sophomore Abbie Rosenmeier finished next in 15th place with, yet again, a new personal record of 21:22. Directly behind her was the impressive freshman Ellie Micke taking 16th with a new personal record of 21:23. Rounding out the scoring five was sophomore Elise Gibeault, continuing her return after her six month long injury, with a 22nd place finish in a season best time of 21:54. Rounding out the girls impressive race was sophomore Norah Mann and junior Faith Derleth. Norah finished the race in 35th place in a time of 22:34 with Faith finishing in 43rd in 23:26. There were 79 runners in the girls race with finishing team results as follows: Tomahawk-67, Shawano-68, Oconto Falls-104, Medford-116, Lakeland-141, Rhinelander-143, Clintonville-160, New London-183, Antigo-253, Seymour-256, Northland Pines-267, Mosinee-293, Merrill-DNS, and Menominee Nation-DNS. The boys Division II race began at 5:00 PM. The boys continue to make progress, despite finishing in a lower place than last year they were much closer to the other top teams points wise. New London claimed the Championship title with Rhinelander stunning Lakeland to advance. The Hatchets scored 136 points to tie Seymour and were led by senior Dominic Boos taking 9th place in a new personal record of 17:47. Closely finishing behind him was the dependable senior Sam Zastrow taking 13th in a time of 17:53. Though neither boy advanced individually to the state meet, they were both close and finished their cross country careers in the upper echelon of the boys Sectional. Eclipsing yet another personal record taking 21st with a time of 18:18 was freshman Joe Zastrow. Having a repeat time from the Great Northern Conference Meet was junior Jeremiah Johnson with a 43rd place finish in 18:59. The determined junior Beau Stromberg rounded out the scoring five with a 50th place finish in 19:06. Tomahawk's 6 and 7 runners, sophomore Drew Voermans and freshman Jordyn Carew, took 56th in 19:20 and 71st in 19:52. There were 95 runners in the boys race with finishing team results as follows: New London-76, Rhinelander-86, Lakeland-101, Menominee Nation-129, Seymour-132, Oconto Falls-136, Tomahawk-136, Shawano-150, Northland Pines-247, Medford-249, Colby/Abbotsford-275, Merrill-316, Mosinee-344, Clintonville-DNS, and Antigo-DNS.

Published on 10/23/2024 under Sports The 6th-seeded Hatchets opened Postseason play Tuesday with an impressive sweep of the 11th-seeded Sturgeon Bay Clippers, winning 25-10, 25-20, 25-19. The Hatchets controlled the match from the opening serve, dominating the Clippers on the serving and serve receiving. Tomahawk got eight aces on the night. Claire Albert led Tomahawk with 10 kills, Averi Petta had eight and Siennah Calkins added seven. Albert also added four aces. Shelby Borowski had 23 assists and three aces in the win. The WIAA Division 3 Regional Semifinal for Tomahawk is Thursday night at Wrightstown. Tune in for the broadcast with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Prematch Show at 6:35 and first serve at 7:00. Alex Koch and Matt Theiler will be in the broadcast booth.

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