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Hatchet Girls Basketball Team Loses Playoff Game Published on 03/01/2025 under Sports

The Hatchet girls' basketball squad had their season come to an end at Menominee Nation High School in Keshena Friday, losing in the WIAA Division 3 Regional Semifinal, 59-26.

In her final game, Claire Albert finished with 10 points. Freya Alberg had 15 points. Unfortunately, Alberg, Albert, and Anita Ziert were the only three Hatchets to find the scoreboard.

Tomahawk finishes the 2024-25 season with a 12-13 record and a 4-8 Great Northern Conference record. The Hatchets graduate three seniors, who are Albert, Lydia Ziert, and Gracie Long.

The 12 wins by the Lady Hatchets is the most wins by a Hatchets squad since the 2002-03 season and the seventh most wins in a season in school history.

In Other News

Hatchet Track & Field Teams Compete in Northland Pines Indoor Invite

Published on 04/04/2025 under Sports Tomahawk's track & field squads came away with a good showing at the Northland Pines Indoor Invite Thursday. The Hatchet girls placed second and the boys placed fourth. On the girls' side, Tomahawk got seven first-place finishes. The Hatchets placed first in both the 4x800 and 4x200 relays. Other top place finishers were Abbie Rosenmeier in the 200 meter hurdles, Elise Gibeault in the 200 meter dash, Kaylynn Sandry in the High Jump, Alicia Voermans in the Pole Vault, and Siennah Caulkins in the triple jump. For the boys, Tomahawk got three second-place finishes. Jonah Dickens placed second in the 200 meter dash. Nathan Rosenmeier placed second in the high jump. Hudson Seymour was second in the shot put. Tomahawk is right back in action tonight for the Distance Carnival at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The meet begins at 5:30.

Published on 04/04/2025 under News Wisconsin Public Service is thanking customers for their patience and encouragement during this week's massive storm restoration. A snow, ice and wind storm last weekend knocked out power to more than 193,000 customers. On Thursday, crews largely wrapped up their restoration efforts to repair snapped utility poles, downed power lines and damaged electric equipment. Their outage company Friday morning indicated fewer than 10 isolated outages which many require some additional work from the property owner. In their update, WPS said, "Over the past few days, customers and communities have been thanking field crews for their hard work. From a honked horn or a wave, to a positive social media comment, countless customers took time to show their appreciation." They said, "Those kind gestures did not go unnoticed and helped keep WPS crews going through 16-hour shifts and day after day of difficult work." WPS says this is one of the largest restoration efforts in company history.

Published on 04/04/2025 under News The Rhinelander School District provided an update on the Hodag Dome, and their efforts to repair the facility. The air-filled Dome sustained damage during the weekend storm, after power loss and back-up generator failure caused it to partially deflate and sustained some tears. According to an update provided Thursday, the district says they are working with both their insurance company and the Dome's manufacturer. Both will be on site in the coming days to inspect the facility and schedule repair work. While a definitive timeline is not yet available, they anticipate having a clearer understanding of the repair schedule once the process is underway. They'll continue to provide updates. Events scheduled for the dome over the next few weeks will be cancelled or rescheduled if possible. The district also says they are looking into the cause of the generator failure. They plan to implement protocols and procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Published on 04/04/2025 under News A Tomahawk committee resumed their efforts to review city-owned properties, though the process is being slowed as the committee waits for outside parties including attorneys, title companies, and surveyors. Last year, the City of Tomahawk Finance Committee took up the task of taking inventory of all parcels owned by the city, to determine if they would be better off in the private sector. The goal was to get properties back on the tax role and spur some growth and development. Parcels on last night's agenda included properties along the Wisconsin River donated to the city by the Bradley Company more than a century ago. The Committee is looking to establish a new, land use permitting system, but they await guidance from an attorney on drafting that ordinance.They also reviewed the former Fuzzy's Auto property on South Tomahawk Avenue. While they have indicated a sale is likely, the city will likely correct some of the property boundaries first. And a property at the end of Pine Avenue has left city at a dead end. They've been unable to properly identify the rightful owner. An unrelated court ruling previously determined city ownership; a title search turned up a Corporation with no additional information or taxes being paid. The committee will seek direction from the attorney, but aren't planning any immediate action. They Committee did move on the former Lincoln Industries on Kaphaem Road. Ahead of the sale, the building and immediately surrounding property have been subdivided from the larger parcel. At last night's meeting they voted to post requests for proposal. They'll review RFP's from potential purchasers at their meeting April 29.That information is expected to be posted to the City's website shortly. During general discussion, the Committee also briefly addressed a handful of other properties including lots on Deer Park Avenue, land adjacent to the CESA 9 building, and the former bookstore on Main Street. Because these items weren't specifically on the agenda, conversations were minimal and no action taken.

Published on 04/04/2025 under News Tuesday was the Wisconsin spring general election;and turnout was higher than average here in Lincoln County. There were two high-profile state races atop the ballot including state supreme court justice and state superintendent, but just a handful of competitive races at the local level. According to the preliminary vote totals, turnout was higher than past comparable elections. There were a little more than 11,000 votes in Lincoln County. Looking back at the 2023 spring election, Lincoln County had just over 8,600 votes. That election was also headlined by a high-profile State Supreme Court seat. While up significantly compared to similar elections, voter turnout this spring fell well short of recent presidential elections. Last November, more than 17,300 Lincoln County voters cast a ballot.

Published on 04/04/2025 under News The Lakeland Union School District has a new district administrator. At their most recent meeting, their school board unanimously approved the hiring of Jamie Koepp. He comes from the Watertown School District, and previously spent time in Milwaukee Public Schools as well. He has more than 20 years of educational experience overall, including as a classroom teacher, counselor and administrator. Koepp was excited to relocate to the Northwoods, and about joining Lakeland. He says, "The size of the district is a perfect fit for providing a comprehensive education for students. I am excited to collaborate with the strong leadership team already in place and to work alongside the dedicated staff and faculty." Koepp looks forward to fostering relationships with all stakeholders, including staff, families, community members, business leaders, and, most importantly, the students. He'll officially begin his new role on July 1.

Published on 04/04/2025 under News The Lac du Flambeau Tribal Police put out a renewed call for information on a woman missing for more than two weeks. Family members reported 37 year old Melissa Beson missing in late March. She has not been seen since March 17, when she was observed walking on Indian Village Road in Lac du Flambeau. In yesterday's update, tribal police said they have and continue to conduct ground and water searches, while also utilizing drones and k9s. They've also looked for clues in surveillance footage from the area and followed up on tips. Beson is described as a Native American female, 5'7", with a medium build, brown hair, and brown eyes. She also has numerous tattoos. Anyone with information is asked to contact LDF Tribal Police.

Published on 04/03/2025 under News Tick season is right around the corner, and scientists at the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute will once again be collecting and studying ticks with the help of the public. The research is focused on the distribution of tick species in the area, including any new, invasive ticks that may be moving into Wisconsin. They will also identify the microbes carried by each tick, and any disease-causing pathogens. To establish their 'Tick Inventory,' researchers put out a call for the public to participate by submitting ticks. In year one, they received more than 6,000 ticks stretching from Ashland to Kenosha. They were primarily wood ticks, with deer ticks the second most common. But they also received some less-common-to-Wisconsin species. Jennifer Meece is the executive director of the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute. She says, "We had overwhelming support from people (who) are curious and invested in helping better identify the health threats associated with ticks." They're asking for submissions again this spring and summer. This year the kits will also include an new, optional survey. Questions previous tick-borne disease diagnosis, tick precautions, and potential follow-up studies. Tick submissions from all over Wisconsin is encouraged, regardless of if the person is a Marshfield Clinic patient. The submission kits will be available at most Marshfield Clinic locations or requested. To request a pre-paid collection kit be sent to you, contact tics@marshfieldclinic.org or 1-715-389-7796 (extension 16462). They've also invited park and nature centers around the state to have kits available. Learn more

Published on 04/03/2025 under News The Tomahawk School Board will have two new members. There were three seats for Tomahawk School Board on Tuesday's ballot. Ann Swenty was the only incumbent seeking re-election, and she ran unopposed. She'll be joined by newcomer Steve Heinrich, who was the lone candidate for an open seat. There were no candidates on the ballot for the third seat, representing the city of Tomahawk, leaving the winner to a write-in. And while it took a little extra time, Jennifer Black was the clear winner with more than 250 votes. Ahead of the election, she announced a write-in campaign. In all more than 40 people received votes including some fictional characters like Boba Fett and Mickey Mouse; former teachers; and some current and former board members. Outside of Black, no other write-in candidate received more than 4 votes, according to the preliminary results.

Published on 04/03/2025 under News Utility crews continue to make progress with power restoration efforts in the Northwoods. Today marks the fifth day since a winter storm crossed Northern Wisconsin, leaving more than 100,000 people without power in the WPS footprint. As we start the day Thursday, there are approximately 3,500 outages remaining. These are in the areas hardest hit by the storm, primarily Forest, Marinette, and Oconto Counties. In our immediate area, there are fewer than 30 outages in Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties. WPS has brought in workers from neighboring utilities to assist in their efforts, which continue around the clock. They hope to have a majority of power restored by the end of the day today.

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