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13 Year Sentence in Fatal 2022 Hit and Run Crash in Langlade County Published on 07/01/2024 under News

A Langlade County man involved a fatal hit and run crash that killed a moped operator two summers ago will serve 13 years in prison.

Cory Hansen was back in court this past week for a sentencing hearing. The 32 year old was arrested in connection with a fatal crash in eastern Langlade County on June 29, 2022. Investigators say Hansen was intoxicated when he crossed over the center-line and struck an oncoming moped, killing the operator.

Initially facing five charges, in March, Hansen pleaded no contest to homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and hit and run involving death. In exchange three other charges were dismissed.

The sentencing took place Thursday. According to court records, Hansen was ordered to serve 13 years of prison, followed by 10 years of extended supervision. Jailed since the time of his arrest, Hansen was credited with 730 days of time served. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim's family and the township.

In Other News

Pending Pine Crest Sale Falls Apart; Buyer Ends Purchase Agreement

Published on 07/03/2024 under News A potential sale of Pine Crest nursing home has unraveled, and it's back to the drawing board for Lincoln County. There have been plenty of twists and turns over the past two years as Lincoln County has explored the future of Pine Crest, a county-owned, skilled nursing facility in Merrill. In March, the County Board approved a potential sale, and the past few months have been spent finalizing that agreement. But on Friday, the county received communication from representatives of the buyer looking to end the potential deal. The letter referenced a pending lawsuit against the county by Don Dunphy regarding the sale. It states that because of that litigation, the buyer is ending the purchase agreement. The Lincoln County Administrative and Legislative Committee addressed the latest development at their meeting on Tuesday afternoon. County Board Chair Jesse Boyd, in introducing the topic said of the buyer, "he has decided to pull his offer. At this point and time there is no offer on the table, a counter offer or anything of such. At this point and time, this is where it's at." Administrative Coordinator Renee Krueger offered a few additional details including a timeline. She says, "At this time (the purchase agreement) has expired, and the relationship between Lincoln County and the purchaser, Senior Management, for the sale of Pine Crest is severed." Both Boyd and Krueger noted that they were completely caught off guard by last week's letter. Just two weeks ago, the supervisors voted to extend the sale deadline as they negotiated some final details. Krueger added that those negotiations had been in good faith. There were limited discussions during the meeting, though Julie DePasse, who also serves as chair of the Finance Committee noted that this year's budget was approved prior to the potential sale and included funding of the facility for the entire year. It is expected to have ramifications as they are currently crafting next year's budget. As for what's next, the A&L Committee has decided to take a few weeks to process the future steps, and will likely pick up the conversation at their meeting in August.

Published on 07/03/2024 under News Fireworks and the Fourth go hand and hand, but officials are reminding people of the dangers. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, there were more than 125 ER visits in Wisconsin due to fireworks-related injuries last year. A quarter of those visits were children under 18. And it's not just the fireworks that go boom...Dr. Eric Maki is an emergency physician at Aspirus. He says the most common fireworks injuries they treat are burns, and that sparklers are one of the main culprits. Maki acknowledged that sparklers are fun and everyone including kids enjoys them, but he noted that they also burn at an extremely high temperature. And after a sparkler has burned out, the the stick remains hot and a burn risk. Ready Wisconsin teamed with local emergency management to offer up their annual fireworks safety tips. •First and foremost, obey local laws and permitting requirements •Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks •Find a smooth, flat surface; have readily available water; and make sure onlookers are a safe distance •Light fireworks one at a time; don't attempt to reignite a dud; and properly discard cooled fireworks after a soak in some water The safest advice, however, is to simply leave the fireworks to the professionals and attend a community show.

Published on 07/03/2024 under News Trauma affects everyone differently, and a new program is coming to Tomahawk to help individuals rebound. It's known as Reboot Recovery, and a new local course is starting next week. Reboot Recovery is actually a national program based out of Nashville. Yesterday we were joined by two of the men helping bring it to Tomahawk by partnering with the VFW. Russ Cabak says the overall goal "is to bring hope back after what the individual has been through." That's through conversations, with peers, in a group setting. The groups meet on a weekly basis for 12 weeks. The evening typically begins with a meal and some small talk, before moving into the group discussion. Among the groups that may experience trauma at a higher level are military and first responders. Cabak got involved through his own personal trauma. During his visit, he brought along Paul Bishop who has participated in Reboot Recovery ,as well. He says the program helps participants realize what some of their PTSD triggers are and how to cope with those situation. For those looking to learn more, the national Reboot Recovery has a website. Locally, the new Reboot Combat/First Responder Recovery class at Tomahawk VFW Post 2687 will be held Wednesday July 10. Meal at 6:00 pm and class from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. For information please call Russ Cabak at 608-797-2277

Published on 07/03/2024 under News A project is underway on the Rhinelander School campus is underway and it includes upgrades to their tech ed space. The district was selected to receive a state grant to help fund a high-tech piece of equipment. On Tuesday, the Department of Workforce Development announced the latest recipients of their Fast Forward program. The grants reimburse schools for the purchase of modern manufacturing equipment. These are items such as robotics, welding, 3d printing, and drones. It allows students to learn about and train on tools that they'll be able to use in careers in manufacturing. Among the recipients is the Rhinelander School District which will receive $46,050. That will cover the cost of a new laser engraver. According to the announcement, the equipment will expand rapid prototyping and students' exploration of digital manufacturing. Gov. Evers was part of the announcement and says, "By investing in technical education in school districts across the state, we are connecting the dots and expanding career opportunities for thousands of students while positioning our manufacturers for success." Overall, seventeen school districts will share in nearly a half a million dollars through the Fast Forward grants.

Published on 07/03/2024 under News The Wisconsin River will be the place to be this evening as the Tomahawk community kicks off the Powwow Days celebrations. It's Wednesday and that means Music on the River is back in Memorial Park. It also marks the return of a fan favorite in Copper Box. Led by a husband/wife duo, the Oshkosh foursome plays a mountain of instruments and a variety of styles inspired by blues, jazz, rock, polka, and more. Music on the River will begin a half an hour early, at 5:30pm. That's to accommodate the annual July 3rd Kwahamot Water Ski Show, which begins at 8pm just across the river in Kwahamot Bay. With both events sharing opposite sides of the river, people enjoying by boat are encouraged to be courteous of both activities.

Published on 07/03/2024 under News The Tomahawk City Council held their regular July meeting last night. Outside of routine business, there were just a pair of action items on the agenda. The first, a special event application for National Night Out on August 6. The Tomahawk Chamber is sponsoring the event. The second action item was recognizing a change in the barging unit for the Tomahawk Professional Police Association. Both were approved with minimal discussion. The Council also heard several reports including the Tomahawk Library and Tomahawk Main Street; as well as a few quick clarifications for the Dream Park project. City officials have received concerns about the surface of the play area, believing it to be asphalt. Mayor Taskay clarified that what people are seeing is base comprised of shredded black rubber. They also offered up a reminder that the playground remains closed as they finish that project, as well as the splash pad.

Published on 07/02/2024 under News The countdown to Tomahawk's Powwow Days celebration is on. While the Tomahawk Lion's Club coordinates the day of festivities, the community offers plenty of support. On Monday, Tomahawk Lions Kevin Wickstrom and Kevin Koth stopped by the WJJQ studios to preview this year's events and also talked a bit about the year-round planning that goes into it. Wickstrom notes that the event costs approximately $25,000 with the parade and the fireworks carrying the largest price tag. Over the past two months, Wickstrom and the Lion's fundraising team have been reaching out to local businesses and other generous donors to support the events. He says that each year the community comes through and this year was no different. He noted that they are actually ahead of last year's pace despite the difficult winter for many businesses. Meanwhile, Koth highlighted a behind-the-scenes change to the fireworks, that should help with set up going forward. Last year, the show was postponed due to potential weather that eventually held off. Koth says that this year, the Fire Department will use a new, custom-built, mobile firework rig. Two local business owners, Gregg Schoone and Steve Daigle teamed up with Tomahawk Fire Chief Paul Winter to design and build it. Koth explained that it typically takes around of 7 hours to set up all the fireworks. So when severe weather is in the forecast, they have to make any postponement decisions well in advance. Now with the mobile rig, the fireworks can be set up early and transported to the launch site. Not only is it more efficient, it should also be easier and safer for the set up going forward. This year's fireworks are scheduled Thursday at dusk.

Published on 07/02/2024 under News Folks passing through Tomahawk this week will see some new banners through the business corridor. There are several different banners going up on light poles. There was a brief update provided at the City's Board of Public Works meeting this past week. The first project was partnership between the City and the community's Veterans groups. The North 4th Street Bridge is known as Veteran's Memorial Bridge, and the new banners reflect that name. Each pole along the bridge now features a different banner highlighting the US military branches or related groups and organizations. The opposite side features a stylized American flag banner. For the rest of the district, there are new welcome banners. Clerk Amanda Bartz noted at the meeting that the old green banners were becoming faded and tattered after being exposed to the elements over the years. Fortunately, the city was able to partner with approximately 50 businesses around the community to sponsor the new banners, which are navy blue and feature 'Welcome to Tomahawk;' the city logo; and the banner sponsor.

Published on 07/02/2024 under News Smokey Bear will be showcased in a traveling art exhibit here in the Northwoods this week. The US Forest Service and the Pioneer Park Historical Complex in Rhinelander will partner to host a series of historic images of iconic bear. The exhibit features 19 portraits of Smokey created by artist Rudy Wedelin between 1977 and 1995. Wendelin is credited with creating Smokey's signature look of a ranger hat and blue jeans. The art tour is in celebration of Smokey's year-long 80th birthday celebration. It's also National Forest Week and they'll use it to highlight fire safety over the Independence Day holiday. To celebrate the exhibit opening, they'll be hosting a family-friendly celebration this evening from 5pm to 7pm with games, children's activities and even a dessert contest. For those hoping to check it out, they'll be set up at the Pioneer Park Historical Complex through Sunday during their regular hours.

Published on 07/02/2024 under News Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation are asking Fourth of July holiday travelers to buckle up, stay alert, and expect slower traffic in work zones and along major travel corridors. According to AAA, Wisconsinites will travel in record numbers this holiday weekend. Peak travel times are expected afternoon and evenings the next two days, and on Sunday afternoon. Here in the Northwoods, the I-39/Hwy 51 corridor typically sees the heaviest traffic with motorists heading North ahead of the holiday, and returning back south this weekend. While most road construction work is paused for the holiday weekend, motorists may still encounter some segments with reduced lanes of traffic or temporary traffic signals. WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson says, "Wisconsinites are expected to travel in record numbers for the Fourth of July weekend, so we urge drivers to keep their eyes up and speeds down. Together, we can make a difference on our roads with safe driving behaviors. Buckle up, drive sober and be courteous to other motorists. These simple steps can help save lives and prevent crashes on Wisconsin roads."

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