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St. Mary's School in Tomahawk Closed Today; Gas Odor Published on 10/17/2024 under News

Students at St. Marys in Tomahawk will have the day off Thursday after a gas smell was detected on the campus prior to the start of the school day.

We heard from principal Juanita Skubal earlier this morning. She says they are erring on the side of caution and student safety by canceling classes for the day while they check the building and make any necessary repairs.

Skubal anticipated that the campus would re-open on Friday as usual, and we'll share any updates as we receive them.

In Other News

New Wanderin' Fall ATV/UTV Rally in Tomahawk

Published on 10/17/2024 under News Just over a month ago, the Tomahawk Community was filled with motorcycles for the annual Fall Ride. A new event is being planned in the area this weekend that will focus on four wheels instead of two. It's known as the Wanderin' Fall Ride ATV/UTV rally. The name is inspired by one of the organizers, known on social media as Wander In Wisconsin, Tina DuPlayee, along with Keith Troutman from Bubba's Campground. Among the goals of the Wanderin' Fall Ride is to highlight the Tomahawk community and showcase the growing ATV/UTV trail system, while also celebrating the local riding clubs and business partners who make them all possible. Like the Thunder Parade has become an attraction of motorcycle version of Fall Ride, the Wanderin' event will also feature an ATV/UTV parade. It'll be Halloween themed, with prizes, held on Friday evening at 6pm. Riders will leave from the North end of town at the Qualheim's parking lot and continue through the North 4th business district. They've also teamed up with more than more than 30 establishments throughout the community to serve as stops on a pair of poker runs. Festivities get underway Thursday and will continue through the weekend. They've created a Facebook page with event details.

Published on 10/17/2024 under News Lincoln County continues to battle invasive species both on land and water. At their meeting Tuesday, the Lincoln County Board approved a three resolutions related to grant funding to help address these harmful invaders. The resolutions highlight Lincoln County's abundant water resources, home to more than 700 lakes and 650 miles of rivers and streams. Conservation Program Manager Tom Boisvert gave brief overviews of each resolution. The first two companion resolutions were for the DNR Clean Boats, Clean Waters program, applying for the grant and funding the match requirement. The additional dollars would be available to expand programs such as inspection, education, and outreach efforts at area boat landings. The grant requires a 75:25 match, and local stakeholders will cover the cost on behalf of the county. The Lake Nokomis Lake District pledged $2,000 while the Friends of Lake Mohawksin and the Spirit Reservoir Association have pledged to donate $1,000 each. A similar arrangement was made last year. A third resolution is an application for a Lake Monitoring and Protection Network Grant, which Boisvert noted is available to all 72 counties. Each of the three resolutions was approved by a unanimous voice vote.

Published on 10/17/2024 under News We've had some fall-like weather recently, but Trig's spent Wednesday making it a bit brighter with some free flowers for random people. The Northwoods grocer, through their Floral Department, brought back their annual "Petal It Forward". Throughout the day, their associates hit the streets handing out bouquets of flowers to unsuspecting strangers. Not only did the recipients get a bouquet to keep for themselves, they received a second bouquet to "Petal It Forward" and give to another person. The Tomahawk team made a number of stops in the business districts, the same took place throughout other Northwoods communities that Trig's serves. This local effort is part of a larger nationwide movement started by the Society of American Florists to reduce stress and make people happy through the power of flowers. This is the eighth year Trig's participated.

Published on 10/17/2024 under News The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office will be getting upgraded cameras for squads and staff members thanks to a generous donation. At their meeting Tuesday, the Lincoln County Board unanimously approved a resolution accepting a grant from the Biermann Foundation to replace the aging recorders. The resolution was drafted by Sheriff Ken Schneider. He says that the cameras in their patrol vehicles are nearing the end of their life cycle, noting many no longer record audio. He also highlighted the body cameras used by corrections officers. The tech, including the cameras and data storage carry a hefty price tag... more than a half million dollars. Schneider wrote that they presented an application to the Beirmann Foundation, which generously approved their request and will fund the entire project at $533,000. The County Board unanimously approved accepting the donation and expressed their gratitude.

Published on 10/17/2024 under News A Taylor County man found guilty of a gas station robbery will serve 8 years in prison. Tommy Lee Wilkes was back in Taylor County Court on Wednesday. The 25 year old was arrested following an armed robbery of the Cenex gas station located in the Village of Gilman on Christmas Eve 2022. Wilkes was initially facing multiple charges, but this summer pleaded no contest to a single felony count of armed robbery. Another charge was dismissed, but considered during yesterday's sentencing. According to court records, at yesterday's hearing, Judge Ann Knox-Bauer ordered Wilkes serve 8 years of initial confinement, followed by 10 years of extended supervision following his release. Jailed since the time of his arrest, Wilkes was credited with 660 days of time served. He was also ordered to may nearly $2,500 in restitution, along with some additional court costs.

Published on 10/17/2024 under News School districts around the state can begin finalizing their budgets after the state finalized general aid funding. Each September, when the Tomahawk School District preliminary budget is approved, it is with the caveat that they have to use estimates and placeholders for some of the figures like general aid. In July, the Department of Public Instruction releases estimates, then certify them in mid-October. Those certified numbers were released this week, without any major changes locally. Like the preliminary estimate, the Tomahawk School District is expected to receive just over $2 million. That's up approximately 11% from last year. It's also a second year with a bump, after a decade of declining general aid from the state. Another placeholder recently confirmed, the district's enrollment on the third Friday of the school year. For Tomahawk this year, it was 1,133 up 9 students from last year. As these number are all confirmed, the School Board will typically approve the final budget at a special meeting in the coming weeks.

Published on 10/16/2024 under News It's spooky season and an attraction in the Northwoods continues to scare visitors while raising money for local families and children. The Haunted Sawmill in Merrill is back for a 14th years of fright. We spoke with Jerry Hersil, one of the many volunteers behind the haunted house and the non-profit, 'Friends of Vincent.' Hersil explained 'Vincent' is a ghost lumberjack of the sawmill and the main character of their ever-evolving story. While the Halloween season is typically reserved for October, the Haunted Sawmill has become a year-round undertaking with a growing team. Hersil says they have 70-80 volunteers helping pull off the attraction on any given night. Many of the actors are actually local students. Hersil adding it's an opportunity for the teens to connect with others while showcasing their creativity in establishing their own characters. All of the hard work pays off. As Halloween approaches, they'll have upwards of 1,000 people on any given night taking in the 30-40 minute stroll through the building along with the surrounding experiences. But it's not all about the scares, as a nonprofit, Haunted Sawmill proceeds support children and families in the Northwoods. This includes a little cross-holiday support of the Lincoln County-Christmas Spirit program. They also have scholarships and offer some general assistance grants to families-in-need. There are five more nights of fright this season, each of the next two Fridays and Saturdays, as well as a special Halloween opening on Thursday the 31. And Hersil says they've got a kid-friendly children's matinee on October 26. You can hear that conversation in the WJJQ audio center. And we'll include a link to the Haunted Sawmill website for more information.

Published on 10/16/2024 under News After months of work, the Lincoln County Board has a balanced budget to consider at their next meeting. On Tuesday, the supervisors were presented with the 2025 spending plan. Finance Chair Julie DePasse gave a brief overview. The bottom line first, the tax levy is proposed at $16.7 million. That's a $1.1 million increase over the current year, or 6.8%. She did caution that doesn't mean everyone's taxes will go up by that amount due to factors such as equalized value, as well as the outcome of other taxing entities like schools and municipalities. DePasse also highlighted some of the challenges their committee encountered while creating next year's budget. This included the unexpected inclusion of funding for Pine Crest, after a sale of the nursing facility over the summer fell through. Other budget impacts include an increase in health insurance, capital investment in the landfill, and a drop in revenue from housing out-of-county inmates in the Lincoln County jail. They were able to fill some of the budget gap by utilizing around $700,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act. That won't be an option in the future, all remaining funds have been assigned ahead of the year-end deadline. The supervisors will have a few more weeks to review the spending plan. It is set to be approved at their November meeting. Board Chair Jesse Boyd reminded supervisors that any amendments to the spending plan must maintain a balanced budget.

Published on 10/16/2024 under News Northwoods utility crews have been busy down in Florida, and their hard work and relief efforts are much appreciated by the locals. It's been a week since around two dozen Wisconsin Public Service crew members left the Badger state to assist in power restoration following the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. Overall, tens of thousands of utility teams from around the country are providing this aid. WPS shared a quick update from the team currently based northwest of Tampa. As expected, they have found substantial damage including toppled trees, flooding, and broken electric equipment, while also contending with hot temperatures and some unfamiliar wildlife like snakes. Among those on loan, Jon Joanis, an operations manager. He says, ""Our crews are able to make good decisions, able to work safely, able to work efficiently and try to get through what they are giving us." He added, "The local line worker we're paired with has been very impressed with the guys' work ethic, our coordination and speed of restoration." Residents have been quick to share their thanks, offer crews something to eat or drink, or express their appreciation for coming all the way from Wisconsin to help. One Floridian they spoke with is hoping to visit Wisconsin because of the 'great supper clubs.' Joanis noted the man 'actually threw some names out there (they) knew.' He says the crew were very appreciative of that and also thought it was quite funny. As for a timeline, the crews don't know how long they'll remain in Florida, but said they are committed to helping as long as they are needed.-Photo contributed by Wisconsin Public Service

Published on 10/16/2024 under News Lincoln County Board Votes to Open Segment of 107 to ATV/UTV Traffic A segment of Highway 107 in Lincoln County could soon be open to ATV's and UTV's. The final item on a crowded agenda Tuesday, the supervisors made several changes to the county's ATV/UTV ordinance. The most notable proposal was to open a stretch of Highway 107 between Faufau Avenue and County E to the off-road machines. While a state road, Supervisor Ken Wickham noted they have received permission from the DoT to work with municipalities to open the route. It followed previous attempts to establish an off-road trail. Those efforts stalled, as they have been unable to reach agreements with all of the landowners needed. Despite passage last night, the segment doesn't immediately open. Wickham noted that they will have to submit all the paperwork to the DoT for final allowance. The other amendments were less notable and included adopting some of the routes that are already being used, with Wickham joking, "It keeps people from being criminals because they are already riding them." All of the changes were approved with a single unanimous voice vote. Lincoln County Board Debates Closed Session Meeting RulesBy it's very nature, a closed session meeting limits the number of people who can attend. The Lincoln County County Board spent around an hour of Tuesday's meeting debating what that means when it comes to the supervisors themselves. This was actually a continuation of an ordinance proposal made at last month's meeting, and there were two different parts of the ordinance under consideration, and in the end the supervisors addressed them separately. The first change relates to remote or online attendance at meetings and the supervisors largely in agreement. The proposal would prohibit those who attend a meeting virtually from participating in closed session portions. The second topic was much more divisive and related to committee meetings specifically, and whether supervisors who aren't part of that specific committee can attend closed session. The supervisors voted on a number of amendments and motions including postponing the decision, excluding only supervisors who may have a conflict of interest, and making it a decision among the committee members in each instance. Despite several tie votes, none reached majority. In the end, the supervisors took the unusual step of splitting the two items for separate votes. The remote meeting change was approved, while the non-committee member topic will revert to Robert's Rules of Order that most bodies rely upon for meeting rules.

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