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Hatchet Volleyball Team Wraps Up Regular Season With Road Win Published on 10/16/2024 under Sports

The Hatchets wrapped up the 2024 season completing the season sweep of Rhinelander at the Miazga Gym, defeating the Hodags in four sets, 23-25, 25-10, 25-19, 25-20.

It was a milestone night for Senior Hitter Claire Albert achieved 1,000 career digs during Game 1. What Albert does best though, is hit, as she got 11 kills on the night. Shelby Borowski tied a career and season-high with 37 assists. Siennah Caulkins led the team in kills with 12.

Tomahawk finishes the 2024 season with a 12-18 record and a 4-8 record in Great Northern Conference Play.

Tomahawk begins postseason play next week as the #6 seed in the WIAA Division 3 Playoffs against #11 seed Sturgeon Bay. Tune in for the broadcast on Northwoods 92.5 WJJQ with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Prematch Show at 6:35 and First Serve at 7:00 with Matt Theiler and Alex Koch in the broadcast booth.

In Other News

Efforts Underway for Better Use of Winter Road Salts

Published on 01/28/2025 under News Communities across the state of Wisconsin are working to more efficiently use salt during the winter months. This week is dedicated to that cause. The last week of January means the return of Winter Salt Week, which is a joint effort of stakeholders to reduce the amount of salt being used to remove ice from roadways. Among the reasons for the campaign, excess salt can wind up in our fresh waterways or along the side of the road altering ecosystems. It can also prematurely age roads and bridges causing billions of dollars in infrastructure damage, while also damaging vehicles. Saltwise is the partner in this campaign. Throughout the week they're hosting educational videos on their YouTube channel with experts in the field. They note that every teaspoon of salt can impact 5 gallons of water, as well as the plants and creatures that call those water ways home. At a local level, street crews and highway departments look to follow smart salting practices for a number of reasons such as safety and cost. Efforts include equipment calibration, educating operators, and strategic application. According to the DoT, the practice of pre-wetting salt keeps 30% more salt on the road where it is intended, while also helping it work more quickly. And if you notice a lack of salt trucks during extreme cold, they may be waiting because salt loses effectiveness as temperatures drop. While road crews carry a larger impact, residents can make a difference right at home, by using salt more effectively on driveways and sidewalks. You can visit wisaltwise.com to learn more, and we'll have a bit more on salt usage throughout the week as well.

Published on 01/28/2025 under News Downtown Rhinelander will be playing the role of Willy Wonka with the return of their popular chocolate bar promotion. Monday marks the start of Downtown Rhinelander's annual Taste of Chocolate fundraiser. The Fun Factory Sweet Shoppe produced 1,200 bars of chocolate in 12 specialty flavors for the promotion. Just a few examples include chocolate waffle cone, sea salt caramel, and dark chocolate amaretto. They're being sold at more than two dozen downtown businesses. And just like the Willy Wonka books and movies, some of the chocolate bars have golden tickets. Twelve lucky people will be entered into a a grand prize drawings for $500 in Downtown Rhinelander Bucks, the district's promotional currency. Other bars include coupons, discounts, and other prizes for participating businesses. Even if you don't receive a prize, the consolation is still a tasty bar of chocolate. Bob Lueder, DRI president, noted that Taste of Chocolate is one of their larger fundraising events. Plus it also get people out into the community and perhaps explore some stores in the district that they may not otherwise visit. While the contest runs through February 14th, it is while supplies last. With just 1,200 bars, they'll like go quickly. Additional information including participating businesses are found on the Downtown Rhinelander Facebook.

Published on 01/28/2025 under News Nicolet College continues to take steps to help those interested in aviation potentially pursue careers in the field. That includes their upcoming private pilot ground school course, which is supported through an Aviation Career Pathways Grant, a competitive grant awarded to Nicolet College by the Wisconsin Technical College System. The ten-week course covers flight, what it takes to become a pilot, and the many other aviation-related careers. According to the school, more than 200 companies have ties to Wisconsin's aerospace sector. Nicolet College is building collaborative relationships in these industries while introducing local students to these opportunities. Through the Aviation Career Pathways Grant, Nicolet will be able to acquire an FAA-approved flight simulator and several drones, allowing students hands-on learning. The flight simulator will give student pilots basic flight experience before moving on to actual flight training. Drones will feature in a new program for FAA Drone Certification. In addition to this Nicolet program, they are also partnering with Fox Valley Technical College, UW-Oshkosh, and Purdue Global for transfer opportunities. The course is scheduled from March 11 to May 13. Nicolet has additional information on their website.

Published on 01/28/2025 under News The Tomahawk-area Cub Scouts got to show off their designs skills for both cars and cakes during a pair of competitions over the weekend. First up, it was the classic Pinewood Derby. This year they had 31 scouts craft their small, wooden cars which were judged on both design and racing. The top three finishers for racing were Nathan Schultz (1st), Theo Heier (2nd), and Owen Heier (3rd). The participants were also judged on their car designs. Hayden Barney won the best-in-show for his tank car. Winners received a challenge coin from the local VFW. Other winners include: Solomon Alberg (Best Paint Job), Jax Noeske (Most Original), Nathan Schultz (Most Patriotic), and Hayden Barney (Best Scout Theme). In addition to the races, seventeen scouts also hit the kitchen with mentors to bake and decorate cakes. Ben Schultz, and his giant s'more cake, won Best-in-Show. Kid-voted cake awards were presented to: William Wendorf (Best Scout Theme), Max Heier (Most Original), Jax Noeske (Tallest), Gabe Lobermeier and Gideon Lobermeier (Most Patriotic), and Nathan Schultz (Most Colorful). The competitions offered a fun opportunity for the students to show off their skills. Organizers wanted to thank all involved for making it a special day for the scouts and their families.

Published on 01/28/2025 under News The DNR has provided additional information on a fatal snowmobile crash in Vilas County, along with information on another fatal crash in Iron County this past week. The crash in Vilas County occurred in the Town of Plum Lake Saturday evening. According to the DNR summary, the victim was riding in a group of four sleds across the lake. The 58 year old woman passed several of sleds in the group to take the lead. She then missed the boat landing exit and struck a tree on shore. She died of her injuries. Meanwhile, an 83 year old man died in an unrelated snowmobile crash in Iron County last Wednesday. According to the DNR, the man was traveling at a high rate of speed along road in Mercer running adjacent to the snowmobile trail. It appears the man struck a snow berm at the end of the road, and sustained fatal injuries. Both incidents remain under investigation. These are the second and third snowmobile deaths in the state this year.

Published on 01/28/2025 under News A speeding vehicle led to a repeat offense for OWI in Lincoln County. According to the Lincoln County Sheriffs' Report, the deputy initially stopped the vehicle for a speeding violation on Highway 51 Thursday. The deputy noted signs of impairment and requested field sobriety tests. As a result, the 66 year old Conover man was arrested for 4th offense OWI, along with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was then brought to the Lincoln county Jail. This was one of three OWI arrests in the Sheriff's Report...a 52 year old Osseo woman and a 47 year old Merrill man were each arrested for first offense OWI. A physical altercation between two men at a home in the Town of Scott led to the arrest of a 19 year old Tomahawk man for battery, disorderly conduct, and possession of marijuana. The other man sustained minor injuries, but refused medical assistance. And the number of vehicle vs deer crashes on Lincoln County roadways was down this past week with five reported.

Published on 01/28/2025 under Sports Tomahawk's girls' basketball team won their third straight game with a dominating 41-14 win over Cheqaumegon in Park Falls Monday night. The Hatchets got balanced scoring from all around. Freya Alberg had double-digits with 11 points, leading the way for Tomahawk. Tomahawk also got six points from Lizzy Long, Claire Albert, Anita Ziert, and Lydia Ziert. The Hatchets' record now stands at 8-7 on the season and 4-4 in Great Northern Conference play. Tomahawk is back in action tonight for another road non-conference showdown at Phillips. Tip is at 5:45.

Published on 01/27/2025 under News In a little more than three weeks, the Tomahawk School District will head to referendum. In the coming weeks, their representatives will be reaching out to the public. Communication is often key when it comes to the success of a referendum. That includes explaining to voters why the district is seeking additional funding. As we previously covered, the district is seeking to extend their expiring referendum, at $3.25 million annually, for another four years. The district has under-levied several times during the current referendum. That means they have not taxed the maximum amount allowed. The district is utilizing their blueprint from their last successful effort with a multi-prong approach to community outreach. That includes three public information meetings, the first coming up this evening. It'll be held in the school auditorium at 6pm. The other two public informational meetings will be Wednesday (January 29) at 6pm and Thursday, February 13 at 5:30pm. District representatives have also been attending town board meetings. And they've created a referendum website to provide additional information and answer frequently asked questions. Ultimately it will come down to the voters on February 18. Tomahawk isn't the only Northwoods school on the ballot next month. Northland Pines is also seeking additional funding. Then come April there are 88 school referendum questions on the ballot around the state, including Wausau, Rhinelander, Crandon, and Three Lakes.

Published on 01/27/2025 under News One person has died following a snowmobile crash in Vilas County over the weekend. According to the Vilas County Sheriff's Office, that fatal snowmobile crash happened Saturday evening in the Town of Plum Lake. At shortly after 7pm, dispatch received call that a snowmobile operator was injured after striking a tree. This happened on the shores of Star Lake near Rearing Pond Road. The victim was brought to a staging location for potential transport by medical helicopter. Life saving efforts were attempted, however the individual was pronounced dead at the scene. The name of the victim is currently being withheld pending notification of their family. No other information on the crash was provided and the DNR is leading the investigation. According to the DNR, this is the second fatal snowmobile crash in Wisconsin this year. Vilas County snowmobile trails have been open for a little more than a week.

Published on 01/27/2025 under News Snowmobile riders in Oneida County will have to wait a bit longer to hit the trails. The Oneida County Snowmobile Council and the Oneida County Forestry Department issued a joint statement ahead of the weekend announcing that the snowmobile trail system in Oneida County will remained closed at this time. While the area has received several minor accumulations of snow in recent weeks, snow cover is below average. They wrote, "The decision to legally open snowmobile trails each year is often a difficult one and not taken lightly. As members of the communities we serve, we are well aware of how critical snowmobile season is to the Northwoods and how trail closures can adversely affect businesses and tourism dollars." But they also noted that they also have to consider rider safety as well as impacts to the lands, both public and private, over which the trails pass. Riding those the trails with current snow conditions could potentially damage the ground. And until the trails are officially open, they're once again asking riders to stay off. They added that a failure to do so could result in citations or penalties from local law enforcement.

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