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Hatchet Girls Wrestling Team Finished Second at Invite Published on 02/08/2025 under Sports

The Hatchet female wrestlers finished second in the Merrill Central Wisconsin Women's Wrestling League Finale Friday. Tomahawk finished with 249 points, only ten behind first-place Merrill and ten ahead third-place Wausau West.

The Hatchets got three first-place finishes in the meet. Kylie Peissig defeated Wausau We's Aaleeh Le at 107 pounds. Cadence Thompson won at 114 pounds over Wausau West's Lena Volmer. Gracie Long defeated Manawa's Alexis Ferg at heavyweight.

The Hatchet female wrestlers' season is officially wrapped up. Tomahawk begins their regional meet in Wausau West next Friday. Alex Koch and Tony Derleth will be in the broadcast booth with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Prematch Show at 4:40 and opening duals at 5:00.

In Other News

American Pond Hockey Founder Receives State Tourism Award

Published on 03/13/2025 under News While the American Pond Hockey Invitational on Lake Minocqua is just a few years old, one of the founders was recently recognized for his efforts. Earlier this week, six individuals and organizations were recognized for outstanding contributions to the travel hospitality industry at the Wisconsin Governor's Conference on Tourism. Among the recipients, Will Jeffrey, who received the Service Excellence award. According to the summary, Jeffrey launched the American Pond Hockey Invitational in 2023 to boost winter tourism in Minocqua and continues to expand. And outside of the tournament weekends, they also noted that the organization fosters community camaraderie through public skating opportunities and rec league hockey. They said, "Jeffrey's work with American Pond Hockey is"the best of Wisconsin hospitality and serves as a model for tourism leadership." Jeffrey wasn't the only local nominee from the area. The new Glide Ice Skating Ribbon in Boulder Junction fell just short in the 'Innovation' category, while the Land O'Lakes Zombie Crawl was a runner up in the 'Bright Idea' category. Other winners include, and you can learn more on their website: Legacy Award — Thomas M. DiehlArts, Culture and Heritage Award — Milwaukee Art MuseumBright IDEA Award — Access for All Initiative, Friends of the Apostle Islands National LakeshoreInnovation Award — Skelly's Farm MarketRising Star Award — Cory Bennett, Mineral Point Chamber of Commerce

Published on 03/13/2025 under News Over the past year the Northern Lights have provided some impressive shows in the night skies here in the Northwoods. There's another reason to look up tonight...a full lunar eclipse. Remembering back to science classes, a lunar eclipse happens when the earth comes directly between the sun and the moon. The experts at NASA provided a few facts and tips for viewing. While the moon won't disappear entirely, it will appear orange or red, a similar phenomenon to a sunset. NASA says this is because any sunlight that's not blocked by earth is filtered through the atmosphere on its way to the lunar surface. They describe it as if all of the sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the moon. They said you won't need any special equipment to observe a lunar eclipse, although binoculars or a telescope will enhance the view. Unlike a solar eclipse, there's no need for eclipse glasses, you can look directly at the moon. A dark environment away from bright lights makes for the best viewing conditions. During the eclipse, they noted that constellations may also be easier to spot with the moon's glow dimmed. As for the timing here in the Northwoods, the eclipse should begin around midnight, totality around 2am and ending a little before four pm. As we heard from meteorologist Tony Schumacher, we can expect partly cloudy skies for tonight.

Published on 03/13/2025 under News The City of Rhinelander and ArtStart have been collaborating with various stakeholders to build a new skate park for the community. As that project progresses, they've put out a call for artists or teams of artists to lend some creativity to the aesthetic of the park through murals that will be showcased throughout the completed park. It will be a three phase competitive process, from the first pool of applicants they'll select six semifinalists to create a rough sketch. From there, three finalists will be selected to finalize the murals in digital format. While not all artists are experienced in digital art, graphic design support will be provided to help artists They're hoping to keep it Northwoods local, prioritizing artists from Rhinelander and other neighboring counties in the Northwoods. Semifinalists and finalists will receive a stipend for their work. Additional information To kick off the process, they'll be hosting a mural information meeting on March 20 at 5pm.

Published on 03/13/2025 under News While water plays a key role in business and recreation in Wisconsin, high quality H20 is crucial to our drinking water supply. All week long interested partners including health departments and environmental agencies are celebrating National Groundwater Awareness Week. Statistics show more than 70% of Wisconsinites utilize ground water for drinking, with one in three utilizing a private well. We heard from both the Lincoln and Oneida County Health Departments who have been encouraging property owners make a plan to test their private wells. This is typically recommended on an annual basis, though also if residents notice an changes to the water. Both Health Departments do offer water lab testing for various contaminants including bacteria and nitrates. You can contact the Health Department to learn more. There is a small fee to cover testing costs through there are also assistance programs available for some parties.

Published on 03/13/2025 under News The Tomahawk High School hockey team has been received plenty of awards and accolades following their state championship victory on Saturday. The latest recognition comes from their hometown. Tomahawk Mayor Steve Taskay signed a Municipal Commendation this week. It recognizes the team, players and coaches; along with their families, the fans, and the Tomahawk High School for their individual and team efforts during their championship run. Back on Saturday, as the team bus arrived back into the city, they received an escort from local responders. And coming up on Monday, the community is invited to the Hatchet Hockey Championship Celebration at SARA Park at 4:15. They'll have a meet and greet with the team; posters, pictures, and autographs; some story-telling, and a chance to skate with the champs!

Published on 03/13/2025 under News Perhaps a statement of the obvious, but the Oneida County snowmobile trails will remain closed for the remainder of the season, regardless of any March snow we may still receive. Their previous closure announcement from Oneida County Forestry Land and Recreation used the word temporary. It's not unusual for a late March snowstorm in the Northwoods. But in yesterday's update, Oneida County confirmed trails wouldn't re-open. They also used the opportunity to thank all the snowmobile clubs and volunteers for their hard work and dedication this season.

Published on 03/12/2025 under News When it comes to art, there's often more than meets the eye. That's the case with the new Tomahawk Main Street logo. Tomahawk Main Street recently unveiled the new branding. On the surface, the logo is a simple stylized streetlight and workmark utilizing a colorful palette. But the design also has plenty of symbolism. Main Street Director Jennifer Turkiewicz shared some of the behind-the-scenes work on the design, which took nearly a year to complete. They teamed up with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation which provided a marketing and design specialist. Locally they worked with focus groups and business owners. The final logo was actually an entirely different concept from the first pitch. While Turkiewicz said they first idea wasn't bad, it also wasn't exactly what they were looking for. As for the components of the logo, it's noticeably missing trees, a common element in many logos here in the Northwoods. Turkiewicz said that was intentional, instead they utilized two different shades of green in the design which represents the trees and the Northwoods. In fact, all of the colors in the logo were done intentionally. The three separate shades of blue represent the convergence of the Somo, Tomahawk, and Wisconsin Rivers in the city. And the yellow is meant to evoke warmth and light. The branding was unveiled at the annual State of the Street annual meeting last month. They've already begun to roll out the new logo with their online presence, and will continue to integrate the new branding through the spring and summer. Tomahawk Main Street provided the symbolism behind the colors in their new logo.

Published on 03/12/2025 under News Disc golf is growing in popularity, and Northwoods players will soon have a new course to try out. Boulder Junction Parks and Recreation recently shared their plans for the new Tall Pines Disc Golf Course. The 18-hole course is planned for some town-owned land directly east of the Boulder Junction Community Building. Laura Bertch, Park Board Chair said in the announcement, "This new facility will enhance Boulder Junction's outdoor offerings, attract tourists, and provide a year-round, accessible activity for both residents and visitors." They hope the new course will be a natural draw for players seeking an excellent experience in Wisconsin's beautiful Northwoods. Like a majority of disc golf courses, Tall Pines will be free to play outside of occasional tournaments and special events. An advantage of disc golf is it's affordability. Newcomers can typically purchase a starter set for around $25. They've already designed the course, working with retired professional player Mike Kobach. The early arrival of spring should help, they hope to break ground next month. According to the announcement they're tentatively eyeing Memorial Day Weekend for their grand opening. This is the latest in a series of recreation improvements undertaken up in Boulder Junction including an all-abilities playground, a new basketball court, and recently the Ribbon, an ice skating trail looping through the woods. You can visit their website, BoulderatPlay.com to learn more about these project and receive updates. Proposed layout of Tall Pines Disc Golf Course in Boulder Junction on boulderatplay.com

Published on 03/12/2025 under News The spring election is just a few weeks away, and the Rhinelander School District continues their community outreach with a pending referendum question on the ballot. As we've seen time after time, communication is key, often through public information sessions and community presentations. The Rhinelander School District will be hosting a public info meeting, scheduled for 6:00 - 7:00 pm in the Rhinelander High School Commons. The district is seeking to increase their existing referendum ,while extending it. In the end, it would allow the district to exceed revenue limits by $7 million starting next school year and through the 28-29 school year. The district has created a website to provide further information. Rhinelander voters won't be the only ones considering school funding. There are more than 80 school referendum questions on the ballot. Locally, that includes Elcho, Prentice, Three Lakes, and Wausau. And last month, voters in Tomahawk and Northland Pines approved referendum requests.

Published on 03/12/2025 under News A Forest County woman is accused of stealing nearly $100,000 from her elderly father. According to a DoJ announcement, Heather Robinson of Laona is facing a single count of theft in a business setting, crime against an elder. According to the criminal complaint, Robinson was appointed guardian for her father, who lives in a private, long-term care nursing facility in Forest County including making payments from his bank accounts. An investigation uncovered Ms. Robinson stole more than $95,000 from her father's bank account between September 2023 and October 2024. The complaint further alleges that around two thirds of the funds taken were used for online gambling purposes. The Vilas County District Attorney has been assigned to prosecute the case. Robinson is scheduled to maker her initial appearance in court on April 15.

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