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Vintage Derby Returns to Eagle River for 25th Championship

Published on 01/09/2026 under News Over the next two weekends, Eagle River will once again be crowning some of the fastest snowmobiles in the world, both modern machines and vintage classics. While the big draw, the World Championship Derby starts next week, the upcoming weekend has been set aside for some souped up sleds of yesteryear. While originally part of the main Derby weekend, vintage sleds go their own dedicated race weekend in 2002, making this the milestone 25th edition. The popularity of the event has continued to grow. With winter recreation slowed due to mild conditions the last two years, it's also a welcome boost to the local hospitality businesses, drawing in racers, their teams, and racing fans. Track efforts at the Derby Complex are ongoing throughout the year, but those crews have been working overtime in recent days to get the frozen oval ready for racing. Registration and practice sessions got underway Thursday with racing through the weekend in various classes and divisions. The Vintage World Championship race is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

Published on 01/09/2026 under News A local couple are doing their part to help with cancer research at the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, while tying in their love of classic cars. Last month, Dan and Linda Neve met with more than 100 researchers, physicians and scientists at Marshfield Clinic Research Institute to present a $175,750 check to fund cancer research. That's just the tip of the ice berg. Over the years, they've raised more around $1.5 million for cancer research. Their story actually started in 2010 when Linda was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Dan decided to use passion for cars to fight back, and he launched Cruise for a Cause. Traveling the country in his Mustang Shelby GT 500, they attend car shows, auto races and other events. Chief Research Officer Dr. Jennifer Meece says, "The fight against cancer is taking place in our backyard and Marshfield Clinic Research Institute is a key component." She added,"The latest treatment options for cancer, research studies and clinical trials are being worked on by our physicians and scientists in Marshfield, Weston, Minocqua, Eau Claire, and other communities." In addressing the staff before making this year's donation. Dan said, "It's all of the researchers and scientists who make me and everyone else believe and have hope. Keep doing what you do and one day we'll all be able to say, 'we won'."

Published on 01/09/2026 under News A unique ice skating trail in the Northwoods continues to receive accolades. Last year Boulder Junction introduced the Glide to their growing Winter Park. The approximately mile-long frozen trail weaves through the trees of the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest providing ice skaters a scenic setting. This week, the skating ribbon was featured in Midwest Living's list of 22 Magical Places to Ice-Skate This Winter alongside popular locations in larger cities such as Millennium Park in Chicago. They highlight the scenery along the lighted path. It's one of two spots in Wisconsin, along with Tenney Park down in Madison. _____ Speaking of Winter Park, the Friends of Boulder Junction Parks are actually planning a winter festival Saturday known as Illuminations Night. This event is offering an evening of family-friendly winter recreation under the lights including the skating trail. They'll also be brushing off a previously trendy sport with some pick-up broomball games on the hockey rink. According to the announcement, Illuminations Night is designed to celebrate winter, community, and outdoor recreation in true Northwoods fashion. It is free, though donations will be gladly accepted to support ongoing park improvements and programming. It runs from 5pm to 7pm on Saturday. You can visit Boulder at Play on Facebook for more information.

Published on 01/09/2026 under News Earlier this week high school students from around the Northwoods flexed their financial know-how in a quiz bowl. Nicolet College hosted the 14th annual Northwoods Regional for the Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl. It's part of a statewide competition aimed at increasing and testing the financial literacy of high school students. Teams of four answer questions on topics like taxes, real estate, savings, and investment. The teams are typically coached by personal finance or economics teachers who help students study and prepare, either as part of classroom curriculum or an after-school club. Around two dozen teams competed. In the end, two GNC schools Rhinelander and Northland Pines reached the finals. The Hodags finished on top, though both teams qualified for the state competition down in Madison in May.

Published on 01/09/2026 under News The DNR is updating their Beaver Management Plan, and the public has an opportunity to provide feedback. The plan offers a guide to practices and priorities for management of the state's beaver population. The current plan was adopted in 2015, and is updated every 10 years. Among the goals was beaver populations, habitat management, damage mitigation, along with education and data collection. The Beaver Management Plan Committee, comprised of various stakeholders began meeting last year. This month they are accepting public feedback. An online public input form and supporting information are available on the DNR's Beaver Management Plan webpage for those interested in submitting comments. Later this month, the Committee will host two in-person public hearings, though neither is in our listening area. There is also a virtual hearing that will be held online on January 26. The deadline for comments is January 31.

Published on 01/09/2026 under News Lake Nokomis will be filled with hundreds of anglers for a fun-filled tournament this weekend. Coming up tomorrow AMVETS Post 724 and the NCO club will host it's annual Lake Nokomis Ice Fishing Tourney. Now in it's seventeenth year, the event has continued to grow and they have plenty of family activities in addition to the fishing, with door prizes, raffles, and food. All proceeds go to benefit Northwoods veterans organizations and programs, and they have been quite successful in that mission, typically exceeding $20,000 raised. With an event dedicated to Military members, the organizers continue to cater to veterans. As they traditionally do, they'll provided a heated ice shack, drilled holes and equipment for any participating purple heart recipient. They'll be set up at the Highway N boat landing with same-day registration starting at 6am with fishing from 8am to 2pm.

Published on 01/08/2026 under News For the first time in a decade, Tomahawk will have a new mayor come spring. Tuesday was the deadline for candidates to submit their nomination papers to appear on the ballot for the upcoming elections. Current Tomahawk Mayor Steve Taskay is not seeking re-election after ten years in the office. Taskay was first elected in 2016, emerging from a four-candidate field. He would go on to win four additional elections, three times running unopposed. As for Taskay's successor, two political newcomers to city office will vie for mayor; Michael Habeck and Jeffery Koth both submitted paperwork to run. As for Tomahawk City Council, there are actually five seats up for election, but only three names will appear on the ballot. Starting with the on-cycle, three-year terms... in District 1, Pat Haskin will seek reelection and is running unopposed. In District 2, current alderman Dale Ernst filed non-candidacy papers. Former Councilor Don Nelson submitted paperwork to get back on and will run unopposed. In District 3, Steve Bartz did not submit papers, but may still run as a write-in. There are also two partial terms following a pair of mid-term resignations. In District 1, Bob Soward was appointed this past year, but did not file paperwork. Clerk Amanda Bartz said Soward indicated he would register as a write-in candidate. The other partial-term is an unfilled seat in District 3 following Tadd Wegener's resignation. In a twist, Wegener filed paperwork to run for his old seat and will run unopposed. These races will appear on the April ballot.

Published on 01/08/2026 under News School referendums have become a common occurrence, but the mechanism can also be used by municipalities. Another Northwoods community is exploring the idea. At a special meeting Wednesday, the City of Tomahawk Finance Committee discussed asking voters for a levy increase. The idea has been brought up briefly at past meetings, and comes after several consecutive years of difficult budget decisions. The state restricts the ability of municipalities to increase their tax levy without voter approval. The levy allowance is calculated by a formula largely given by net new construction. Repeatedly brought up during last night's discussion was that costs have outpaced the levy on everything from health insurance to road salt. (Clerk Amanda Bartz noted over the past decade, the allowable increase in levy was 12% while inflation was 35%.) The referendum, if approved by voters, would increase the base-level of the levy moving forward. The Committee discussed five different amounts ranging from 5% to 25%. After discussion, they focused on 20%. That equates to a $276,000. It would result in an increase of $75 for a $100,000 property. Over the past decade, the city has pursued numerous mechanisms to increase the levy. Voters approved a Premier Resort Area Tax or PRAT, however it was never implemented, as it requires approval from the Wisconsin state legislature. They also explored, but never went forward with a transportation utility fee. And over the past year, the Finance Committee has been reviewing and selling property to raise funds. Finance Chair Mickey Loka noted the referendum was always going to be their last option. The City can look north to Minocqua where voters approved a levy referendum in 2024 for $750,000. As they brainstormed, the committee highlighted the importance of communication. If the referendum is officially placed on the ballot, they plan to schedule public informational meetings and other outreach. The meeting packet included an example of a handout that could be distributed to the public outlining the reasons for the request. The Council will take up the resolution at a meeting next week.

Published on 01/08/2026 under News Travelers continue to take advantage of flying here in Northern Wisconsin. The Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport shared their passenger data for 2025. They reported 30,686 passengers flew out of Rhinelander this past year. According to the announcement, this is an 18 year high. In the announcement, they said, "With this momentum, we're ready to fly even higher in 2026. Thanks for being part of the journey." Currently, the Rhinelander-Oneida County airport offers daily service to Minneapolis/St. Paul through Delta. They also offer seasonal flights to Chicago O'Hare on United, expanding their capacity and connection opportunities during the summer months.

Published on 01/08/2026 under News Expect to see plenty of little Henrys and Charlottes running around the Northwoods in the coming years. Those are among the top names selected for babies born at Aspirus in 2025. Over the past year, there were just over 3,200 babies born at Aspirus hospitals. That's up slightly from 2024. As for the names, Henry was the most named boy for a second consecutive year and third time in five. Oliver shared the top spot with Henry; and Theodore rounded out the top three. As for the girl names, Charlotte moved up one spot on the list to claim number 1. That was followed by Eleanor and Nora. Beyond the most popular choices, Aspirus says families also embraced individuality when naming their children. Parents selected 745 different boy names and 864 different girl names, which they said underscores the diversity of families and traditions served by Aspirus hospitals.

Published on 01/08/2026 under News One week after widespread snowmobile trail openings, mild weather is already causing some trail closures. On Wednesday, the Lincoln County Forestry, Land, and Parks Department announced that trails in zones 2, 3, and 4 would close effective immediately. This is due to the rapidly deteriorating conditions, and in an effort to preserve the base until winter weather returns. As of Thursday morning, Lincoln County trails in Zone 1 will remain open. Marathon and Langlade Counties made a similar closure decisions for their trails this week. After a snowy and cold first week of January, this week has had multiple days of rain and daytime temperatures above freezing. There is some hope coming this weekend, with snow in the forecast.

Published on 01/07/2026 under News Tuesday was the deadline for candidates to appear on the spring ballot. Voters will decide on local races such as county boards, town boards, city councils, and school boards. In the coming days we'll be previewing some of the local ballots. ____ Starting with the Tomahawk School Board, at least one seat will be decided by write-in vote. The district confirmed just two candidates submitted paperwork for the three seats on the ballot. The board is currently in a reapportionment transition that aimed to balance the nine member board with three districts on a three year cycle. As a result, the expiring seats don't match those that will appear on the ballot this spring. Rather than two seats for Bradley, Birch, Skanawan, Rock Falls and the town of Tomahawk on this cycle, there will be just one. Board President Ron Zimmerman is seeking re-election, while the longest-serving board member, Kay Kissenger-Wolf, will not seek re-election. A seat representing the City of Tomahawk is being moved into this election cycle as a result of the reapportionment. That is where the write-in will happen, as no candidate filed. Lastly, Dave Long will run unopposed for his set representing King, Harrison, Nokomis, Wilson, and Little Rice. Those races will all appear on the April ballot.

Published on 01/07/2026 under News Three competitive races, an open seat, and a pair of former supervisors seeking re-election highlight this year's Lincoln County Board ballot. Tuesday was the deadline for candidates to appear on the spring ballot. Voters will decide on local races such as county boards, town boards, city councils, and school boards. Of the 22-member Lincoln County Board, 17 supervisors filed their candidacy paperwork and will run unopposed. Two new candidates will run unopposed after current supervisors chose not to seek re-election. This includes: District 4, Derek Woellner did not file paperwork, newcomer Scott Pergolski did. *Because Woellner did not file non-candidacy paperwork, the deadline has been extended to Friday. In the 9th district, Christine Vorpagel is not seeking reelection. The man she defeated two years ago, Don Friske is looking to take back the seat. In District 18, Ken Wickham did not seek re-election, and Andy Tomaszewski filed for the seat. Among competitive races, in District 2, current supervisor Lori Anderson-Malm filed non-candidacy. Newcomers Mark Bares and Scott Doerr will compete for the seat. In the 10th district, current Board Chair Jesse Boyd will face Joshua Oxborrow; in the 17th district, former supervisor Don Nelson is looking to get back on the board, challenging current board member James Meunier. And finally, in the 13th district, Alan Bishop chose not to seek re-election, and no candidate filed meaning the race will come down to a write-in. DistrictCandidateCandidateNote1Bill Bialecki (incumbent) 2Mark BaresScott DoerrIncumbent Lori Anderson Malm not running3Elizabeth McCrank (inc) 4Scott Pergolski Incumbent Derek Woellner not running; Nomination period extended5Andrew Zelinski (inc) 6Norbert Ashbeck (inc) 7Don Dunphy (inc) 8Laurie Thiel (inc) 9Don Fiske Incumbent Christine Vorpagel not running10Jesse Boyd (inc)Joshua Oxborrow 11Randy Detert (inc) 12Julie Depasse (inc) 13Write-In Incumbent Alan Bishop not running, no candidates filed14Marguerite Lyskawa (inc) 15Marty Lemke(inc) 16Dana Miller(inc) 17James Meunier(inc)Don Nelson 18Andrew Tomaszewski Incumbent Ken Wickham not running19Joseph Dorava(inc) 20Angela Cummings(inc) 21Eugene Simon(inc) 22Greg Hartwig(inc)

Published on 01/07/2026 under News The City of Tomahawk has been exploring a PFAs treatment facility. As part of the planning process, the city, working with MSA Professional Services, solicited bids for geo-technical exploration and engineering work. Last week, the Board of Public Works recommend a service contract; last night the City Council approved the contract with American Engineering Testing Inc. The City received two bids which were just $5 apart. At $7,280, AET was the low bid. The city has worked with the Wausau-area firm previously. The Council approved the bid with minimal discussion. The contract includes four borings of varying depths; an assessment of existing conditions and recommendations for utility construction, foundation design, and best practices. Back in the fall of 2023, routing testing for PFAs in the Tomahawk water system came back elevated. The proposed treatment facility would filter out these forever chemicals. The price tag is approximately $6.2 million, and the city is pursing funding through the state Clean Drinking Water program. _____ A few other quick notes from a relatively short meeting...Following Committee updates and a presentation from the Lincoln County Economic Development director Sara Guild, there were just two other action items on the agenda. The Council approved the transfer of two liquor licenses due to ownership changes. The Council approved the special event application for the annual Friends of Lake Mohawksin Fire and Ice Bonfire.

Published on 01/07/2026 under News First responders and road crews were kept busy throughout the day Tuesday. A winter rain fell, quickly freezing on the cold pavement leaving roads to resemble skating rinks. This led to numerous traffic incidents starting in central Wisconsin during the morning hours and gradually shifting in the afternoon hours including Tomahawk. During a mid-day update, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office noted calls for vehicle slide-offs and collisions were coming in faster than they could respond. At one point, they said they responded to more than two dozen traffic incidents during a two hour period. They did not provide any details on specific crashes. As for the Highway Departments, they were regularly out salting, sanding and scraping primary roads. Here in Tomahawk, city crews actually had to deal with flooding areas. The Public Works Department spent the afternoon clearing out catch basins to drain the excess water. Fortunately, those crews will have a chance to recover with few driving difficulties reported during the Wednesday morning commute.

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