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Deer Archery Season Opens Saturday Published on 09/13/2024 under News

Opportunities to bag a buck kick off this weekend with the opening of the fall crossbow/archery white-tail deer season.

The DNR provided their annual overview a bit earlier this week. Last archery season, hunters registered nearly 36,000 deer. Another 55,000 deer were harvested by crossbow.

After a harsh winter in 22-23, last winter was one of the mildest on record. They anticipate better fawn recruitment and winter survival. They did caution that it will be a delayed effect, as hunters will see more young deer this season. Other factors that may impact the Northwoods herd, last year's 'generational acorn crop' and an increase in timber harvesting.

Opening day, the second Saturday of September, falls on the first possible day.

Of course, the DNR also noted that those heading out this weekend and throughout the season should remember safe hunting practices. That includes tree stand and firearm safety. They also continue to encourage hunters have their deer sampled for chronic wasting disease.

The archery/crossbow season opens Saturday and runs through early January. The fall turkey season also kicks off, and the state is offering the Youth Waterfowl Hunt on Saturday and Sunday.

In Other News

Fall Ride: Thunder Parade Continues Tradition

Published on 09/13/2024 under News Action revs up Friday for the 43rd edition of the Tomahawk Fall Ride. Perhaps the most iconic of all the weekend events is the Friday night Thunder Parade. The Thunder Parade started back in 1991. Like many of the Fall Ride events, its a tradition that started small, and has continued to grow. A bit later this evening, around 1,000 participants will leave from the Tomahawk School Complex on a scenic 18 mile cruise through rural Tomahawk. The end of the route takes riders through the Tomahawk businesses corridors of North Fourth Street, across Veterans Memorial Bridge and right down Main Street. As the Thunder Parade has grown, so too has community interest. Like a parade, people line the route to welcome the bikers back into the city. In addition to watching the motorcycles, spectators can feel the rumble of thunder as they pass by. For riders looking to participate, they'll begin lining up at the school at around 5pm, leaving at 6pm. The escort and lead bikes typically make their way through the city at around 6:30pm. While the Thunder Parade is the highlight of the day, there's no shortage of activities at SARA Park, Downtown Tomahawk, and businesses and establishments throughout the greater Tomahawk area. We've got many of those events in our WJJQ Community Calendar. Stay tuned to WJJQ throughout the weekend for all your Fall Ride coverage.

Published on 09/13/2024 under News One person is dead following an overnight motorcycle crash near Tomahawk. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, the 911 call came in at shortly before 1:30am Friday morning. Responders were dispatched to Spring Creek Drive in the Town of King for a report of a crash involving a single motorcycle. The initial report indicated the 71 year old operator was unresponsive. He was later pronounced dead. The name of the driver is being withheld pending notification of family. The victim was the only rider on the motorcycle. Their preliminary investigation suggests the man was traveling east at the time of the crash. While negotiating a curve the bike went off the shoulder of the road causing the operator to lose control. The crash remains under investigation. The release did not indicate whether the victim was in the area for the ongoing Fall Ride motorcycle event in the Tomahawk area.

Published on 09/13/2024 under News With an influx of visitors in the Northwoods for the Fall Ride, officials are asking everyone to safely share the road whether traveling on two wheels or four. According to Aspirus, their trauma team treated eleven patients injured in motorcycles crashes during last year's Fall Ride. Emergency Department Manage Stephanie Dulak noted that was down from past years, however she noted that it was poor weather last year which may have kept some visitors away. Summer-like weather this weekend likely means more visitors again. To keep the roads safe, officials are encouraging all motorists and motorcycles slow down, eliminate distractions, be aware of surroundings and remain sober. Remember that due to their smaller profile, it may be easy to misjudge the speed and distance of an approaching motorcycle. That's why they encourage drivers look twice at intersections and when changing lanes. Motorcyclists are also encouraged to remember the rules of the road, and always wear a helmet and motorcycle gear when riding. Pay attention to pedestrians, especially around event areas. And be aware of temporary traffic changes to accommodate motorcycles, for example Main Street in Tomahawk has temporary stop signs in place at additional intersections.

Published on 09/13/2024 under News The Tomahawk School District continues the budget process, presenting the preliminary spending plan at the district's annual meeting on Tuesday. Administrator Wendell Quesinberry provided a brief overview. The presented budget is preliminary and includes some placeholders numbers such as enrollment and state aid. In the coming weeks, those numbers, as well as the budget, will be finalized. Revisiting the preliminary budget, the overall levy came in at $14.5 million. That's up approximately 3.6% from last year. The levy rate, however, would be lower at $5.87 per $1,000 of valuation compared to $6.12 per $1,000 for the last school year. The annual meeting allows the public to approve the necessary tax levy which those in attendance did. The board typically receives and approves the final budget in October. A few other highlights from the the 20 page informational report... •The district's equalized tax rate has remained below the state average for the better part of 30 years, and is at the lowest rate in that time period. •After more than a decade of dropping general aid from the state, the district saw an increase each of the past two years. •Quesinberry also noted Tomahawk is one of just a handful of school districts in the entire state that has no current debt.

Published on 09/13/2024 under News Some of the top bass anglers in the state will be in the Northwoods this weekend to wrap up their tournament season. The Minocqua Area is set to host the WISCO BASS Anglers Single Series Tournament on the Minocqua Chain of lakes. Around 70 boats will launch from Torpy Park bright and early Sunday morning for the one-day event. On the line, more than $18,000 in cash and prizes. This is the fifth and final round of the summer series which has brought the competitors to various waterways around the state. Event organizer Brent Te Kulve says they were excited to have the event to Minocqua this year, and hope to bring it back next year. While a competition, Te Kulve noted a lot of the anglers use the season finale as a late summer getaway bringing along their families as well. That was good news for Sherry Hulett with the Let's Minocqua Visitors Bureau. She says, "They also bring in new visitors to explore the area who will enjoy our lodging properties, restaurants, shops and attractions. It really does make a huge impact for our local businesses!"

Published on 09/13/2024 under News A local bingo player is more than $4,000 richer after winning the jackpot at WaWui Bingo in Tomahawk this week. Linda Schlinsog claimed the progressive prize in Wednesday's game by blacking out her bingo card in the required 56 numbers. They haven't had a winner for several months, so the progressive prize had grown to just over $4,500. As always, proceeds from WaWui bingo go to support SARA Park facilities. The summer session will continue on Wednesday nights through early October. The prize will reset for next week's game.

Published on 09/13/2024 under Sports The Tomahawk Hatchet Volleyball Team won their second straight non-conference match on Thursday night, sweeping Ashland at the Fieldhouse. Game scores were: 25-15, 25-18 and 25-16. Averi Petta led Tomahawk with seven kills and Freya Alberg had five. Claire Albert had three aces and nine digs and Shelby Borowski had 14 assists in the win. Tomahawk will open Great Northern Conference action on Tuesday night at Antigo. The best of five match is at 7:00 pm, with the Fehrman Orthodontics Prematch Show at 6:40 pm on Northwoods 92-5, WJJQ.

Published on 09/12/2024 under News Fall Ride, Colorama, Harley Weekend...the ongoing festivities in Tomahawk go by a number names. No matter what you call it, the theme of motorcycles and the Northwoods remains the same. While a majority of visitors come by bike, others simply come for the entertainment. Along with the motorcycles, a steady stream of campers, food trucks, vendors and musicians have also pulled into town. Fall Ride is better described as an umbrella title for the many separately-organized weekend events at various locations in Tomahawk and beyond. SARA Park and Tomahawk Main Street serve as major hubs of activity. While events come and go, the most popular tend to stick around. Everyone has their favorite, but some of the most popular include Friday night Thunder Parade, Harley Davidson Plant Tours, and even a motorcycle raffle. Several prominent motorcycle manufacturers also have their demo fleets. You can check out the WJJQ Community Calendar for a quick rundown of events. The unofficial start of the Fall Ride Festivities, the Tomahawk Chamber Bon Fire and Brat Fry kicking off at 6pm Thursday.

Published on 09/12/2024 under News A familiar rumble is back in the air as tens of thousands of motorcycles descend upon the Tomahawk area this weekend. Now in it's 43rd year, the Tomahawk Fall Ride actually has quite humble beginnings. What we see today is quite different from how it all began. That story starts in the early 1980's when a small group of local motorcycle riders planned an October outing, a chance to view the fall colors followed by a cookout. A few years later it shifted to mid-September due to Wisconsin's unpredictable autumn weather. The familiar community-wide celebration of motorcycles and the Northwoods also began to take shape. The event continued to grow, with participants counted in the hundreds, and eventually the thousands. With events scattered across the Northwoods, it's hard to get an accurate count on just how many people now visit, but estimates have put tens of thousands of bikes in the area. Fastforward to the present, and the Fall Ride plays a crucial role in the local economy, bringing a boost to area businesses and new visitors to the Northwoods. That has recently been amplified by local tourism entities who have used targeted advertising to attract new visitors to the Northwoods, joining those who've been part of the tradition since the very beginning.

Published on 09/12/2024 under News Referendums have become a common part of school funding. In fact, more than 100 school districts send budget requests to voters this fall. The Tomahawk School District is currently in the final year of a three year referendum. While the district won't place a question on the November ballot, February appears likely. The Tomahawk School Board previously established a referendum committee to explore the possibility, and we recently heard an update. Administrator Wendell Quesinberry says, "After all the budget projections, and we looked out four years, we feel comfortable that we can keep the referendum amount the same." That is $3.25 million, though last year the district was able to under-levy. That means they didn't seek the full amount allowable. That's part of the district's effort to be responsible to the tax players. The school board still needs to finalize the language and approve the question that would appear on the ballot. As is the case in most successful referendums, the board expects to provide plenty of public information and outreach during the process.

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