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Hodag Music Festival Draws Big Names, Crowds to Rhinelander Published on 07/11/2024 under News

The Rhinelander community is going a little bit country this weekend for one of the largest music festivals in the area.

Now entering year 46, the Hodag Country Music Festival in Rhinelander continues to draw some of the most popular country performers to the Northwoods. This year's lineup includes: Ashley McBride; Bailey Zimmerman; Walker Hayes; and Chris Young.

With big names comes big crowds, as people travel from across the Midwest, many camping right on site for the four day party. More than 30,000 people attend the festival each year. The Wisconsin Department of Tourism estimates the event has more than a $10 million economic impact on the Rhinelander area.

Many of those visitors were on hand last night for the modified 'chair line.' While some would argue there are no bad seats on the festival grounds, the Wednesday night tradition allows participants to place their chairs based on a random draw.

As for the music, it gets underway this afternoon and will continue through Sunday evening.

In Other News

Partisan Primary Narrows Ballot for Voters

Published on 08/13/2024 under News Wisconsin voters will head to the polls today for the Fall Primary. While the ballot may seem lengthy at first, local elections officials are reminding voters that it is a partisan primary. That means that when casting a ballot, voters will first select which party they'll vote for, and then cannot cross-over for other races down ballot. Those voting on paper ballots may find a party selection circle at the top. Those digital voting may be prompted to choose a party at the start screen, and the machine will narrow the ballot to the selected party. The races on a specific ballot will differ based on location and party selection. It may include US Senate or House; Wisconsin Senate or Assembly and event some county-level offices. All ballots include two statewide referendum questions. Voters can go to myvote.wi.gov and enter their address to view their specific ballot and their polling location. Here in city of Tomahawk, all voters go to SARA Park. The winners of today's primaries will appear in the November general election.

Published on 08/13/2024 under News An armed stand-off in Lincoln County last week ended without incident. That incident happened on last Tuesday, August 6, at a home on a Herb Mitchell Road in the Town of Bradley. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Report, deputies initially responded to a report of a domestic disturbance involving a 64 year old Irma man and his fiance, a 69 year old Oshkosh woman. As deputies arrive on the scene, the woman was able to safely evacuate the home, however the man barricaded himself inside. He was allegedly armed with a shot gun. As a result, the Lincoln County Special Response Team was activated. According to the report, they spoke with the man via telephone, and after several hours convinced him to surrender without incident. The man, whose name was not immediately released, was booked for domestic disorderly conduct and battery. The Sheriff's Office says additional charges are pending.

Published on 08/13/2024 under News It's just a few weeks until students head back to school. Parents are reminded to get an appropriate backpack to help their young learners stay healthy and happy. When selecting a backpack decisions often come down to fashion versus function. We recently heard from Megan Stankowski, a physical therapist and athletic trainer at Aspirus. She notes, "Improper backpack usage among children can lead to neck pain, headaches, back pain and hip pain." She offered up a few tips for parents purchasing a new bookbag for their students this fall. First look for a backpack versus a messenger style bag. It should have two broad, padded shoulder straps, along with a waist or chest strap. Make sure to adjust the straps for a snug fit. Once you've got your backpack, Stankowski notes it's important not to overload it. The general guidance is 15 percent of a child's body weight. A useful tip is to carry heavier items like a laptop rather than using an already full backpack. She recommends using compartments to distribute the weight evenly, and it's also a good idea to routinely check the bag for unneeded items and remove them. Lastly, Stankowski says it's a good idea to talk with your child about their backpack as well.

Published on 08/13/2024 under News Throughout the summer, the Tomahawk Historical Society has been collecting shoes and put out a final call. The shoes won't be part of any future exhibit, but actually serve as a fundraiser for the local museum. 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 for collecting shoes. It's all part of their campaign to raise money for an expansion project. The new building will house upcoming exhibits on antique printing equipment as well as a display on the Tomahawk Boat Manufacturing Company. All summer long, their volunteers have been appearing at community events to collect shoes. They've also partnered with local businesses to serve as drop-off locations. They ask that anyone still planning on donating shoes to do so by Monday. Drop-off locations include Trig's, Crossbridge Community Bank, Milo's, Qualheim's, Park City Credit Union, Tomahawk Pharmacy, Tomahawk Main Street Office, Harley Davidson-Somo Plant, and WJJQ.

Published on 08/13/2024 under News A group of vintage motorcycle enthusiasts will be traveling through Northern Wisconsin this week. The Antique Motorcycle Club of America selected Eagle River to host one of their five National Road Run events this year. The AMCA was founded in 1954 by antique motorcycle enthusiasts on the east coast. They've grown to feature 85 chapters around the country including the Wisconsin-based Badger Heritage Chapter. The group said the National Road Runs provide a great opportunity to use these classic machines for their intended purpose—riding on back roads in some of the most scenic parts of the country. The members own, restore, preserve and ride their motorcycles which are all more than 35 years old. They described the Road Run events as a "rolling museum" which offers the public a chance to view the bikes and talk with the riders of these historic machines. There will be an opportunity this evening in Eagle River. They'll be set up from 4pm to 7pm on Wall Street. Organizers said they expect more than 200 motorcycles to be on display. The organization is celebrating the 40th anniversary of their first National Road Run with five events this year from coast to coast.

Published on 08/13/2024 under News The Underdown Trail in Lincoln County sees plenty of use throughout the year. This weekend, the trails will play host to a series of races by foot or bicycle. Organizers are busy preparing for the Underdown Trail Races on Saturday. Its an event that emerged from separate race weekends. Chris Schotz is the race director. He says, "Bike or run, the challenge of the terrain brings out the camaraderie in athletes." In recent years, they've brought trail running into the weekend. Both the cycling and running offer races of different lengths up to a 60k ultra marathon or a 110 mile bike race. While challenging, the course also offers some scenic or picturesque views. The 37 mile route covers numerous hills and boardwalks, skirting several small lakes. Runner and past participant DeDe Gibbs says, "The winding trails, the fresh country air, the beautiful forest, and the wonderful wildlife are truly unique." Following the race, they've got live music, food, a campfire and other fun activities for the participants as they recover. Schotz says they'll accept registration up to race day. You can visit their website or Facebook for more information. Proceeds from the event go back to the trails, with funds being used last year to build a new trail, Heinemania.

Published on 08/12/2024 under News The school year is right around the corner and after this weekend some Tomahawk students are set with supplies. The Tomahawk Kinship program once again hosted their Back to School Backpack Supply distribution in Veterans Memorial Park. Each year the Kinship program provides grade appropriate supplies in new backpacks prior to the start of the school year. This year they had plenty of help, working with area churches and local businesses to not only fill the backpacks, but also hand them out to the 60 plus Kinskids and other local students in need. The now annual event is seen as a way to get the students off to a good start for the upcoming school year by making sure they have all the learning tools they'll need during the year. In addition to the classroom materials, they also had hygiene bags, water bottles, and even some ear buds and headphones that are useful for computer-based learning. They also had a little fun at the event with a lunch and children's activities including a bounce house.

Published on 08/12/2024 under News Tuesday is election day in Wisconsin, the fall primary. Minocqua voters will also decide whether to give the township additional dollars for their budget. School referendums have become a common occurrence, but the mechanism can also be used by municipalities and counties. The state restricts the amount that local government can raise the tax levy without permission from the voters. As costs have outpaced levy growth, a small number of communities have asked their residents to supplement the budget. Up in Minocqua, the town board is looking to raise their levy by $750,000. That was result in an increase of approximately $39 per $100,000 in assessed value. The Town has created a website with information. They will use the funds in order to retain levels of service for police, fire, public works and library, and maintain public infrastructure, equipment and facilities. This is actually the second attempt at a referendum for the township this year. Back in April, they asked voters to approve a larger, $950,000 referendum. It failed by just 12 votes.

Published on 08/12/2024 under News Air travelers to the Northwoods will experience smoother take offs and landings by fall. That's because the primary runway at the Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport is getting a bit of a makeover. A new project is underway to repair and update the concrete and seal cracks while improving the lighting, signage and pavement markers. That current runway has seen plenty of traffic over the yeas, as it actually precedes the airport itself; it was constructed all the way back in 1977. As the project progresses, they will temporarily switch to their secondary runway to avoid disruptions. That'll take place for a few weeks in September. The work carries a $12 million price tag, but 95% comes from a federal grant from the FAA. The remaining costs will be covered via existing airport user fees. If all goes according to plan, they'll have the project completed by the end of October.

Published on 08/12/2024 under News The Rhinelander School District is taking advantage of its location in the Northwoods to utilize a renewable resource to supply their building trades classes. The district's Tech Ed Department recently partnered with Ponsse USA and Wood-Mizer to process downed or defective trees into saw lumber. The trees were taken from the Cedric A Vig Outdoor Classroom on the school property. The district says, "This is a program that has been utilized since the early 2000's, supplying wood for furniture building, cutting boards and a variety of other projects" It was started by former Tech. Ed. teacher Bob Lefebvre." According to the district, Ponsse crews utilized a forwarder to move logs to a landing at CAVOC. That's where Rob Grefe volunteered his time and expertise to operate his Wood-Mizer saw mill to convert the logs to lumber. The company even donated saw blades for the project. Once processed the wood was stacked and stickered and will be utilized by students in the high school's wood technology courses for the upcoming year.

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