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Ribbon Cutting Opens Hodag Dome to Community Published on 02/02/2021 under News

The Rhinelander School District officially opened their new athletic facility for public use.

At a small ceremony yesterday morning, district officials and community leaders held a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the Hodag Dome. While yesterday's event highlighted the completion of the project and opening for community use, the impressive facility has already been in use for several months for Rhinelander student athletes.

At approximately 128,000 square feet,the Hodag Dome is the largest high school dome facility and one of the largest air supported domes overall in North America. Construction crews broke ground back in April, inflating the dome in October. They wrapped up most of the finishing work in recent weeks.

The facility will serve as a community beacon with no shortage of activities. Featuring numerous fields, courts, a track and other amenities, it's a athlete's paradise. They also hope to host non-athletic events at the facility such as conventions and even Rhinelander voting.

The facility calendar and annual memberships are available on the district website. The facility ID cards are just $15 per year for Rhinelander School District residents. Those outside of the district can purchase a membership for $40.

The public can use the facilities for "open dome," reservations of amenities, as well as organized classes and activities.

The Rhinelander Hodag Dome group has a video of the ceremony, as well as a drone tour of the facility on their Facebook Page.

Photo provided by the Rhinelander School District

In Other News

Tomahawk Area Non-Profits Share ~$48,000 in Grants from Tomahawk Community Thrift Shop

Published on 02/03/2025 under News Two times each year, the Tomahawk Community Thrift Shop returns their proceeds to community organizations. And over the years, they've gifted hundreds of thousands of dollars to local non-profits. Ahead of their ceremonial check presentation, two of their many volunteers Joe and Bonnie Trapp stopped by the WJJQ studios to talk a bit about the store while also announcing the latest grant recipients. The Tomahawk Community Thrift Shop opened back in 2019. The founders were inspired by a store in the Minocqua area and wanted to bring a similar operation to the Tomahawk Community. After taking care of their operational costs, the return approximately 75% of their profit to the community. And in just six short years, that's added up to approximately $200,000. Around $50,000 is being donated in the latest cycle. This includes:•The new American Legion Youth Girls Softball Team to cover start up costs (~$3,000) •The American Legion-to renovate their meeting space utilized by groups including the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts ($5,000) •The American Legion and the Boy Scouts to rehabilitate the cabin on Boy Scout Island ($5,000) •The Cub Scouts and the Samoset Council to host the Pinewood Derby Regional Racing ($500) •Music on the River to sponsor an extra week of their summer concert series ($3,000) •Tomahawk Public Library for additional materials including their early reader collection and youth programming ($5,000) •Tomahawk Middle School for their orientation and mentoring program known as W.E.B. ($1,500) •Tomahawk Community Theater to support an upcoming production ($2,500) •Tomahawk Historical Society to repair the roof of the garage behind their kindergarten building ($7,000) •Both the Tomahawk Food Pantry ($7,000) and Our Sisters House ($8,000) for operational costsBonnie Trapp says,"We can't thank the volunteers, shoppers, and donors enough for their support." Speaking of volunteers, they're always looking for more. Joe said of his volunteering, "It's such a good cause, its hard to say no." He says he particularly enjoys working the counter, where he gets to communicate with the people in the store. For non-profits, the next rounds of grants will be awarded in July. The application period opens May 1-June 30.

Published on 02/03/2025 under News Officials have released additional information into a fatal crash in Oneida County last month including the names of those involved. The Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation and provided an update over the weekend. That crash happened back on January 17 during a law enforcement pursuit. According to the release, the officer involved has been identified as Deputy Michael Bedish of the Oneida County Sheriff's Office. They said he has 4.5 years of law enforcement experience. He is on administrative duty as is standard procedure. The deceased individual has been identified as 28 year old Matthew Johnson. Investigators say Deputy Bedish attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Johnson, when he failed to stop. The chase continued along Highway 47, and ended when Johnson crossed into the opposite lane of traffic and struck an oncoming vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. In addition to Johnson, six people were injured in the other vehicle. The update did not provide any information on those individuals. The investigation is ongoing.

Published on 02/03/2025 under News With the calendar now turned to February, the Nicolet College Foundation has officially opened their scholarship application period. Foundation Executive Director Heather Schallock says they expect to award several hundred scholarships ranging in value from $250 to $10,000. She says, "Scholarships made available through the Nicolet College Foundation have supported countless students over the years. Our goal is to continue providing opportunities for current and future students to achieve their academic and personal dreams." These scholarships are available for both new and continuing, part-time and full-time students enrolling at the college for the upcoming Fall 2025 term, as well as the Spring and Summer terms of 2026. Nursing student Makayla Mahler is a current scholarship recipient. She says, "It really means a lot and the fact that people are just willing to help other people succeed and contribute to their society is just really inspiring, and I hope to be able to do it someday." The application period is open throughout the month of February and can be done online. We'll include a link in the online version of the story.

Published on 02/03/2025 under News For aging populations, social isolation or loneliness represent a growing concern. A partnership in Oneida County is looking to help people address those challenges. The Oneida County Health Department and the Social Connections Coalition recently introduced what they're calling 'Connection Care Kits.' They're described as a unique way to help seniors and people with disabilities build and nurture meaningful relationships. They said the kits are thoughtfully designed to bring joy, interaction and togetherness into people's lives. They include fun and engaging activities to spark conversation and connection; tools to encourage creativity, collaboration, and shared experiences; and resources to stay connected. They're hoping the kits help build a world where no one feels alone. At this time availability is limited, and people can complete an online questionnaire to reserve one. Click on the 'get connected' tab of the Social Connections Coalition website.

Published on 02/03/2025 under News The Tomahawk High School FBLA team participated in the regional leadership conference over the weekend, and one student qualified for the State competition. Six THS students traveled to Edgar, while two competed virtually. Advisor Conor Ahrens explained that they competed against fellow students in business categories including sports and entertainment management, sales presentation, and social media strategies. They were also able to participate in business workshops. In the end, Tomahawk's Mathian Vojcik qualified for the state conference in Green Bay after finishing second in computer problem solving. Other student participants from THS include: Freya Alberg, Galen Schmidt, Faith Derleth, Jennie Frederickson, Lydia Shaney, Alli Palmer and Abbie Rosenmeier. -Photo provided by Tomahawk FBLA-

Published on 02/02/2025 under Sports Tomahawk's hockey squad wrapped up the regular season with a 5-0 shutout win at Baldwin-Woodville Saturday. The Hatchets got goals from Jonah Dickens, Austin Lamer, Sawyer Hanna, and Jett Reilly. Six different Hatchets were put on the scoresheet, including two assists from Reilly. Trevor Seliskar came away with the shutout, stopping all 14 shots. On Friday night, the Hatchets played at Somerset in a non-conference match-up of the top ranked teams in Division 2. Tomahawk is ranked as the #1 team in Divsion Two, while the Spartans came into the game ranked #2. The Hatchets won 5-2. Tomahawk trailed early in the first period 1-0, with Jett Reilly scoring a shortie on a beautiful pass from Jonah Dickens. The scored was 1-1 after the first. Tomahawk turned it on in the second period, as Jonah Dickens and Jett Reilly scored and Tomahawk led 3-1 after two. Somerset started the scoring in the third and cut the lead to 3-2, with Reilly responding and finishes his hat trick. Dickens added the first Hatchet goal. Tomahawk finishes the regular season with a 17-3 record and a 7-0 Great Northern Conference record. The Hatchets begin the Great Northern Conference Tournament at SARA Park Tuesday against Rhinelander. Tune in for the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Pregame Show at 6:35 and Opening Faceoff at 7:00. Alex Koch and Zach Garner will be in the broadcast booth.

Published on 02/02/2025 under Sports The Hatchet boys' wrestlers wrapped up their season placing sixth in the Elcho Scramble Saturday. Tomahawk finished with 75.5 points, three ahead of seventh-place Crandon. Tomahawk had two second-place finishes in the scramble. Harman Hoffman placed second at 126 pounds. Miles McGowan also placed second at 157 pounds. The Hatchets begin postseason play with the Great Northern Conference Meet up in Lakeland. Alex Koch and Tony Derleth will be in the broadcast booth all day long with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Prematch Show at 9:40 and opening matches begin at 10:00.

Published on 02/02/2025 under Sports Tomahawk's girls wrestlers finished third out of 28 teams at the Girls Husky Wrestling Challenge at Eau Claire North Saturday. The only two teams that finishing ahead of Tomahawk were Forest Lake and Apple Valley out of Minnesota. The Hatchets got two second-place finishes at the Challenge. Kylie Peissig finished second at 107 pounds and Elise Gibeault finished second 120 pounds. This concludes the Hatchet girls' wrestling regular season. Tomahawk will begin postseason play with the Regional Meet at Wausau West February 14th. Alex Koch and Tony Derleth will be in the broadcast booth with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Prematch Show at 4:40 and matches beginning at 5:00.

Published on 02/02/2025 under Sports Tomahawk's boys' basketball squad suffered the eighth straight defeat Saturday at Phillips, losing 77-34. The Hatchets' record drops to 4-13 on the season and 0-7 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets will try to break their losing streak Tuesday when they take on Merrill in the battle for Lincoln County. Tip is at 7:15 Tuesday night.

Published on 02/02/2025 under Sports On Friday night, the Hatchet Girls Basketball Team hosted Prentice at the Fieldhouse in non-conference action. Tomahawk defeated Prentice 56-39 to win their ninth game of the season. In Friday night's game, Senior Claire Albert had four assists and is now holds the record for most career assists at THS, breaking the record previously held by Jessie Harmon. Albert also added 25 points in the win. Freya Alberg added 14 points and 12 rebounds and Lizzy Long had 11 points. Tomahawk is 9-8 and will travel to Rib Lake on Monday, with the opening tip at 7:15 pm.

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