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Sticking to Resolutions in the New Year Published on 01/01/2025 under News

From losing a few pounds to learning a new skill, many are starting off 2025 with New Year's resolutions. Next comes the challenging part, sticking to goals.

Around half of Americans will make a New Year's resolution. According to the National Institutes of Health, three quarters will keep that resolution for the first few weeks, but come July, that number drops to just 46 percent.

Local health officials offered a few tips for people to keep their resolutions, and it all starts with choosing an attainable and specific goal that you can keep track of.

Some of the most common goals are to get healthy or lose weight. But a better goal may be changes like establishing a gym routine, a regular walking scheduling, or drinking a set amount of water daily.

It's likely you'll slip up at times, but that doesn't mean you should give up. Simply turn the page and get back on your routine the next day.

And if you need a little support, don't be afraid to share your resolution with friends, family, or others sharing your same goals. The accountability may provide a little extra support or motivation.

In addition to fitness goals, other popular resolution ideas include: reading more, setting aside money, traveling more often, quitting smoking, and spending more time with friends and families.

In Other News

Tomahawk STAR Splash Returns Saturday

Published on 01/03/2025 under News In a little more than 24 hours, some brave individuals here in Tomahawk will be taking a quick dip into Lake Mohawskin, and it's all for a good cause. The countdown is on for the 2025 edition of the Tomahawk STAR Splash. Long-time organizers Jackie Leonard, Kathy Rankin and Chad Grube recently stopped by the WJJQ studios to offer up a quick history of the event and a preview of tomorrow's festivities. The STAR Splash supports the Tomahawk STAR Foundation which in turn supports a wide range of programs, projects and organizations in the community. Leonard and Rankin offered a few examples of the many projects they've supported over the past two decades including the Dream Park project, the River Walk Trail, and supplemental projects in Tomahawk schools through the Beyond Crayons and Chromebooks program. This year's Splash participants have been busy collecting pledges which will be split between the STAR Foundation and the non-profit of the jumper's choosing. They've raised some impressive numbers in recent years, eclipsing $25,000 each of the past two. Teams can register up until the event, and Rankin expected at least ten groups to participate. Grube has participated in these types of events even before he came to Tomahawk. When he owned the Happy Snapper, they served as host. That's a tradition that has continued under the new ownership at Castaways. Last year's mild winter meant the splashers actually had to wade into the water from shore, but that's not the case this year with plenty of ice and also chilly temperatures for tomorrow's jump. Leonard is a regular and shared a few tips she's learned over the years. She recommends skipping a large meal, and leave the alcohol until after you've jumped. Counter-intuitively, less clothing is better, as it allows for a quick change out of wet gear. And she also recommends an old pair of shoes or some other type of footwear. For those that would like to support the cause but prefer to stay dry, they'll have other entertainment and activities on land including raffles and drawings. Festivities get underway at noon, jumping at 2pm at Castaways.

Published on 01/03/2025 under News Two major Midwest health care providers have now become one. After announcing their discussions this summer, Marshfield Clinic and Sioux Falls-based Sanford Health announced Thursday that they have completed their merger to become one nonprofit, integrated health system. According to that announcement, the system will operate as Sanford Health, with a Marshfield Clinic region in their previous locations.The Marshfield brand will continue to be predominant within the Marshfield Clinic region. Marshfield-native Dr. Brian Hoerneman will become as the region president after previously serving as interim president/CEO of Marshfield Clinic. He says, "I am excited about the opportunities ahead as our teams learn from each other and combine our complementary strengths, cultures and missions. Together, we will build on our shared legacy, creating a future where every person, regardless of zip code, has access to the best possible care." According to the announcement, patients will continue to receive care from their same providers and locations with no immediate changes. They do anticipate the merger will bring more resources, expertise and innovation to patient care going forward. They said Sanford Health Plan and Security Health Plan will continue current operations under common management reporting and governance structures. Three Marshfield Clinic Health System Board members have now joined the Sanford Health Board of Trustees. The combined system will feature 56 hospitals and 4,500 providers across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Michigan's UP. It would include more than 56,000 employees.

Published on 01/03/2025 under News It's good news for a popular Northwoods winter attraction, as the Eagle River Ice Castle is set to return after a three year absence. The Eagle River Fire Department leads the build and has been busy monitoring ice conditions and announced plans to begin the project in the middle of next week if conditions hold. The Ice Castle is built almost entirely out of ice blocks harvested from Silver Lake, but they need the ice to be between 12 and 14 inches thick to create the approximately 2,000 frozen bricks. It's actually a five-day process, which could begin Wednesday if the conditions continue. And it takes a team of volunteers to remove the ice and transport it to the build site in town. They said their greatest need will be on Day Two, currently planned for next Thursday. They'll post more information on their Facebook page as they finalize the details. The Ice Castle a tradition that dates back to the 1930's however, it's been sporadic in recent years. The last build took place in 2022 and 2018 prior to that. In addition to the ice, floodlights, trees, and other decorations help make the Eagle River Ice Castle one of the most visited and photographed winter attractions in the Northwoods.

Published on 01/03/2025 under News Expect to see plenty of little Henrys and Evelyns running around the Northwoods in the coming years. Those are among the top names selected for babies born at Aspirus in 2024. Naming a newborn is a key step in welcoming the littlest and latest addition to the family. The area health care provider says, "The names reflect not only a love for classic and meaningful names but also the diversity and creativity of families throughout our region." Henry returns to the top spot by a wide margin, a spot the name also held in 2022. That was followed by Oliver and Hudson on the boy's side. On the girl's side the top three were all close with Evelyn edging out Charlotte and Violet. Oliver was the only repeat name from 2023. Over the past year, there were just over 2,900 babies born at Aspirus hospitals. That's up slightly from 2023.

Published on 01/03/2025 under News While many anglers are taking advantage of the winter to get in some ice fishing, another season is kicking off this weekend. The DNR announced that the early catch-and-release season for inland trout starts on Saturday. On designated waterways, anglers are able to target any of the state's four trout species between January 4 and May 2. Anglers are reminded to follow up on the rules including which waters are available. There are opportunities in the Northwoods including: •Langlade County-Wolf River•Lincoln County- Streams west of Highway 51 and the Prairie River downstream of County J•Oneida County-Streams west of Highway 51 and the Bearskin Creek•Vilas County-Mishonagon Creek Only artificial tackle be used, and the trout do need to be returned to the water immediately. The DNR encourages anglers to visit their catch-and-release website for tips to help ensure the fish survive. A valid fishing license and inland trout stamp are required. This particular opportunity actually occurs over the March 31 crossover and a new license and stamp will be needed on April 1.

Published on 01/03/2025 under News Just a quick reminder for anyone participating in the Tomahawk Shop Small Season Bingo. Those cards need to be returned by the weekend. The Tomahawk Chamber and Tomahawk Main Street teamed up to offer the promotion over the holiday shopping season in an effort to get people to buy from locally-owned businesses. To participate in the Shop Small Season bingo, people need to spend $10 a participating business on the card to earn a stamp. They'll have prize drawings for both traditional bingo and black out. To be entered, the cards need to be returned by Saturday. The drawing will be held at the January 15 Quitting Time.

Published on 01/03/2025 under Sports The #1 in Division 2 Hatchet Hockey team would suffer their second straight defeat in a rematch of the WIAA Division 2 State Semifinal Thursday night, losing to New Richmond, 5-4. Tomahawk trailed 5-2 before scoring two goals in the third period to close the deficit to one. Unfortunately, that is how close Tomahawk would get. Jonah Dickens scored twice for Tomahawk and Carson Childers and Austin Lamer had the other two golas. The loss drops Tomahawk to 9-3 on the season and 3-0 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are back in action Tuesday for another non-conference showdown against Pacelli at SARA Park.

Published on 01/02/2025 under News Earlier this week we told you about some of the innovative steps the Rhinelander School District is taking to facilitate current students interested in becoming future educators. The district recently shared a bit more on those efforts. Some of these opportunities allow these students to gain real-world experience by immersing them in the classroom with young learners and experienced educators. A new program the district is trying this year is an Education Internship which allows a deeper dive into the teaching profession. They are currently piloting the program with two high school seniors. The interns work four hours daily in elementary or middle schools, collaborate with teachers, attend staff meetings, and even teach lessons. And coming up next year they plan to launch Hodag Academies which the district says will 'take its education programming to new heights.' Among the six career pathways will be the Education & Training Academy. It will include specialized tracks in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, and Educational Counseling. This pathway will integrate coursework, mentorship, and partnerships with institutions like UW-Stevens Point and Nicolet College. The district also offers dual-credit courses like Child Development and Introduction to Teaching where students can earn college credit while still in school.

Published on 01/02/2025 under News It won't be long before peregrine falcons return to their nests around the state for breeding season. That includes the Wisconsin Public Service and We Energies Power Plants, which have played a key role in the bird's recovery over the years. They recently published their 2024 nesting report prepared by peregrine falcon manager Greg Septon. Since the program began in 1992, there have been 431 peregrine falcon chicks hatched at the WPS and We Energy facilities. This year there were four active nesting sites which hatched a combined 9 chicks. As we covered this spring, their names were inspired by the Olympics and Olympians with ties to Wisconsin. The Northern-most, the Weston Power Plant near Wausau produced a single chick, along with an unhatched egg. This nest has been active since 2006 with 45 young birds, a little more than two per year. Septon wrote that most peregrines end up nesting within 200 miles of where they were hatched. The chicks are banded before leaving the nest, though sightings are rare. According to the report, in addition to their home state, Wisconsin-born birds were also spotted this past year in Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. And then there's Pete... Born at the power plant in Port Washington in 2023, Pete showed up at a bird recuse in Nicaragua last winter. Fortunately, she was eventually released back into the wild. That entire report is available on the WPS and WE Energies Websites.

Published on 01/02/2025 under News Awards season is right around the corner, and that includes some recognition for outdoor enthusiasts in the state of Wisconsin. The DNR is currently accepting nominations for several awards the agency hands out each year. The Wisconsin Ethical Hunter Award is presented to a hunter who showed outstanding character in the field. This particular award is for a singular action rather than life-time achievement. Examples of past winners include helping track a harvest, returning lost gear, or advising non-hunters about an ongoing hunting season on public property. While most nominations come from the gun/deer season, nominees can represent any hunting season over the past year. The deadline for nominations is at the end of the month. Meanwhile, the nomination period is also open for the Invasive Species Action Awards. These are presented to individuals, groups, and professionals that have made significant contributions to preventing, controlling or eradicating invasive species in the state of Wisconsin. This deadline for these nominations is Feb 16. The DNR has additional information on both award nominations on their website. (Ethical Hunter) (Invasive Species Action)

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