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Wisconsin Paper Council Awards Sen. Tiffany with 'Legislator of the Year' Published on 07/05/2019 under News

The paper industry plays a crucial role in the Northwoods economy, and a local legislator was recently recognized for his advocacy.

At their annual meeting late last month, the Wisconsin Paper Council named Senator Tom Tiffany as their Legislator of the year. He shared the award with Democratic Representative Katrina Shankland of Stevens Point.

They highlighted Tiffany's push for increased funding for the paper science program at UWSP, as well as legislation promoting sound forestry management practice, reasonable vehicle weight limit laws for raw timber and paper products, and rail service for paper mills.

He also serves as the Chair person of the newly formed bi-partisan Wisconsin Paper Caucus.

Adam Webster serves on Council's Board of Directors and manages PCA mill in Tomahawk. He said, "Tom is incredibly knowledgeable on our issues and is a strong ally that we can always depend on to fight for our industry."

The meeting had 125 attendees and was held at Lambeau Field.

(Photo provided by Wisconsin Paper Council: WPC President Scott Suder presents Sen. Tom Tiffany with 'Legislator of the Year Award.)

In Other News

Lincoln County Featured in Latest “Uniquely Wisconsin” Promotional Shows

Published on 08/30/2024 under News Last fall, Lincoln County agreed to participate in an award winning marketing campaign that showcases the county through it's people and places. The first episode premiered this week. That campaign is known as Uniquely Wisconsin, part of the more well-known Discover Wisconsin series. They utilize video, social media, and podcasts to highlight the stories of the people, culture and history of a location. It's all in an effort to help promote economic development and tourism. Season 3 will focus on Lincoln, Ashland, Calumet, Jefferson and Oconto Counties. Episode 1 was released on the Discover Wisconsin YouTube channel this week and features five segments, one of local interest titled, A Wisconsin Musher and The Love for their Dogs: Beauty Behind Dog Sledding. It highlights Melissa Omernick and her family who raise sled dogs in the Gleason area. Other segments in this episode feature an Olympic biathlon training center in Brillion and off-road racing in Oconto Falls. Additional episodes featuring the five counties will be released through the remainder of the year. You can subscribe to the Discover Wisconsin YouTube for alerts. The Lincoln County Board signed on with Uniquely Wisconsin last November using $60,000 in ARPA funds. It's part of a larger investment in pursuit of growing the visitor base and tourism here in Lincoln County. They've all set aside funding for park, trail, campground, and boat landing improvements, while making grants available for similar projects in the towns and cities within Lincoln County.

Published on 08/30/2024 under News Apparently the Tomahawk community had a lot of shoes laying around...now they're benefiting a good cause. Earlier this summer, the Tomahawk Historical Society began collecting footwear. The shoe drive is being extended. The shoes won't be part of any future exhibit, but actually serve as a fundraiser for the local museum and their expansion project. They've partnered with an international organization that distributes shoes to those in developing countries. In exchange, the Historical Society will receive a financial donation. Kathy Tobin provided the latest update on those efforts. She says, "The community's support has been overwhelming and greatly appreciated!" That's a bit of an understatement as they've collected more than 4,300 pairs of shoes, more than one per person in the city. It was enough to require two shipments. The first pickup was made on Thursday, and the transport will be back in a few weeks for the rest. That extra time will allow the Historical Society to continue adding to their total. All drop-offs can now be made at Trig's during this extended collection period.-Photo provided by the Tomahawk Area Historical Society-

Published on 08/30/2024 under News And right next to the Historical Society...The wait is nearly over for a major park makeover in Washington Square in Tomahawk. That, of course, is the Tomahawk Dream Park project. We've covered the progress since the idea was announced all the way back in 2021.It includes both an all-inclusive playground and a splash pad. It's been a joint effort of the city of Tomahawk and the non-profit community organization known as Tomahawk Together. After finally breaking ground last fall, the crews spent the summer transforming Washington Square. The next step may be the most rewarding, as they'll gather next Saturday, September 7th to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony. We'll have more on the Dream Park and the ribbon cutting coming up next week.

Published on 08/30/2024 under News Whether hitting the water or the trails this holiday weekend, the DNR is encouraging people keep safety in mind. Officials offered advice to ensure people have an enjoyable, but safe time on boats and ATVs/UTVS. They offered similar messages including sober operation and the proper of safety gear. Lt. Darren Kuhn shared the safe boating message. He encourages the use of a life preserver when out on the water, while also leaving alcohol on the dock. He notes that environmental factors like sun, waves, and wind, can impact the effect of intoxicants. A few other quick tips offered by Kuhn: Keep an eye on the weather, slow down, and when the sun sets use navigation lights. Off-highway vehicle administrator Jacob Holsclaw also talked safety gear, for ATVs and UTVs that means a helmet and a seat belt which he notes can be 'the difference between walking away from an accident or not.' Holsclaw also reminders riders to operate at a safe speed for conditions and make sure to follow designated routes.

Published on 08/30/2024 under News The early goose season opens on Sunday and the DNR offered a preview. The two-week long early goose season has an increased daily bag limit of five Canada geese and is uniformly regulated across the state. The early season targets Wisconsin's resident goose population before the fall migration passes through the state. The 2024 population estimate for Wisconsin-breeding Canada geese is nearly 155,000, over 40% higher than the long-term average. The DNR reminds goose hunters that they must carry either an electronic or physical copy of their harvest permit and license, either a paper copy, a DNR approved PDF on a mobile device or a Go Wild Conservation Card. More information on goose hunting in Wisconsin, including how to find places to hunt and regulations, can be found on the DNR's waterfowl hunting webpage.

Published on 08/30/2024 under News Students and teachers alike are putting the final touches on back to school preparation...one other group is making sure children arrive safely on the first day of school. In the lead up to each new school year, the Wisconsin DoT Division of State Patrol inspects school buses across the state. That's no small feat, with approximately 10,000 buses on the road. The experts closely examine brakes, steering, lights, electrical systems, and other required safety equipment during each inspection. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, buses remain the safest method to transport children to school.

Published on 08/29/2024 under News Officials are expecting a busy holiday travel weekend and are encouraging motorists to follow the rules of the road. Labor Day weekend traditionally marks the final travel weekend of the summer. Traffic is expected to be heavy at times as many people return to the Northwoods, either to enjoy the long weekend or begin to close up their cabins for the season. DoT Secretary Craig Thompson says, "While the summer travel season is almost in the rear view mirror, drivers must focus on the road ahead." Thompson added, "Let's continue to work together to make our roads safer and avoid bad driving habits. Our actions behind the wheel can make a big difference – follow posted speed limits, buckle up, and put your phone down." Those looking to avoid busy roads, heading out early is your best bet. In our area, Northbound traffic on I39/Hwy 51 is typically heaviest on late Friday afternoon and into the early evening. Southbound traffic will peak on Monday, though it's typically steady throughout the day. The DoT is pausing most of their construction work over the next few days to open as many lanes as possible. And one last bit of good news at the pump. We're actually seeing our lowest gas prices of the summer. The state average was at $3.23 a gallon.

Published on 08/29/2024 under News A pair of Nicolet students are now published authors, turning their passion for storytelling into a reality. Both Jessica Eernisse and Drew Schulta were enrolled in Advanced Creative Writing course at Nicolet. It's an independent study class taught by Allie Johnson. She explained, "By the end of the course, (students) need to have a full manuscript... publishing that manuscript is optional, but both Jessica and Drew jumped at the chance to see their work in a physical way." Eernisse's novel is called Mind Games, described as a thriller set in the remote Smokey Mountains. On seeing her first shipment of books, she says, "It was extremely emotional for me. To see the book in its final form after so many months of hard work was so satisfying." Schulta wrote a novella, 'Grief Comes in Waves.' It follows a character dealing with a life altering car accident. He was grateful for the course adding, "After every class, I walked out feeling refreshed and inspired to continue undertaking this huge project." For those interested in checking out the student's work, Mind Games is expected to be available on Amazon shortly and Grief Comes in Waves will be available later this year. As for what's next, Eernisse has one more semester at Nicolet and expects to graduate in December. Schulta completed his Nicolet coursework this spring and will attend UW-Stevens Point this fall.

Published on 08/29/2024 under News As expected, the death of a staff member at Lincoln Hills factored heavily into the latest quarterly report at the state's juvenile correctional facility in Lincoln County. The court-appointed monitor submitted her report this week, the 20th overall. It was based on a July 11th site visit featuring dozens of interviews with staff and youth, along with reviews of campus videos and data review. The reporting period covered March through June. It was in June that counselor Corey Proulx died from injuries sustained while intervening in an altercation involving a teen at the facility. The monitor wrote, "The loss of Mr. Proulx has had a profound impact on staff and youth, which was evident during the July site visit." That was described as a sense of 'increased tension and fear for safety.' The monitor noted, "While most staff were more cautious toward youth and seemed to maintain more distance, they were also trying to ensure for a safe and engaging atmosphere, attempting to keep youth meaningfully engaged in various activities." Additional effects are expected in future reports. There were some positives as well. The DoC is in substantial compliance with 44 of 50 provisions ordered by the court. That's one more than the previous report. The Lincoln Hills/ Copper Lake population fluctuates, typically a census in the 50's.

Published on 08/29/2024 under News While it's not quite fall, some hunters will actually be heading out for the first time this weekend. As the calendar flips to September on Sunday, several hunting seasons are set to open. According to the DNR that includes early Canada goose, Early teal as well as mourning dove, snipe and rail. Then the bear season opens in the middle of next week, and the deer archery season is just two weeks away. The DNR is reminding hunters to begin their pre-season check including season dates, required licenses and stamps before heading out. That also includes a review of safe hunting practices. The DNR has a number of resources and tools on their website covering season forecasts, public lands availability, daily hunting hours, and hunting regulations. September Opening Dates: September 1 •Common gallinule •Early Canada goose •Early teal •Mourning dove •Rail •Snipe September 4 •Bear September 14 •Cottontail rabbit (Northern Zone) •Deer (Archery and Crossbow) •Ruffed grouse (Zone A) •Squirrels •Turkey •Youth waterfowl September 16 •Regular goose September 21 •Duck (Northern Zone) •Woodcock September 28 •Duck (Southern Zone)

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