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Wisconsin Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week Published on 04/07/2025 under News

As we well know, Wisconsin's weather can be unpredictable and this week is dedicated to some of the extreme weather emergencies we see in the Badger state.

The state is observing Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness week. Over the next few days, we'll share what you need to know about Wisconsin's weather concerns and how to make sure you and your family are safe.

As we saw in Northern Wisconsin just last week with a major ice storm, severe weather can quickly cross the area and leave a lasting impact. In addition to winter weather, Wisconsin had more than 40 tornadoes touch down last year. Other common weather concerns include lightning, flooding, and wildfires.

Greg Engle, Wisconsin Emergency Management administrator says,"It is essential people take time during this important week to ensure each Wisconsinite knows what to do when a tornado warning or severe storm is in their area."

We'll have a bit more throughout the week. It all leads up to the annual statewide tornado drill scheduled for Thursday.

In Other News

Lincoln County Native Starting Child Care Non-Profit Pilot Program

Published on 04/16/2025 under News The Northwoods has often been described as a child care desert. A new pilot program launched by a local woman is looking to provided assistance and resources for area providers. Lincoln County native Elsa Duranceau is leading The Child Care Coalition of Wisconsin. It's a non profit looking to tackle the childcare industry crisis by supporting child care professionals through innovate programs and partnerships. This past week, Duranceau announced summer plans for a pilot program in Lincoln, Langlade, and St. Croix Counties. Duranceau says, "Wisconsin child care providers are facing the potential end of the Child Care Counts program with no safety net." She added, "Our goal is to provide some support to providers and more financial predictability while offering employers a practical solution to a major workforce issue." The platform will initially be available to area employers as members, with plans to open access to families as the system expands. But Duranceau has a vision beyond the pilot counties. She says, "This is just the beginning of what we believe will be a game-changer for the child care industry in Wisconsin." That includes expansion plans early next year into the entire St. Croix Valley, Marathon and Oneida Counties, and eventually a statewide roll-out. They've got a website at 3cwi.org where people can learn more.

Published on 04/16/2025 under News In an effort to build relationships with Nicolet College alumni, the Nicolet College Foundation has brought back their third annual Alumni Giving Week. Heather Shallock is executive director of the Foundation. She says,"Our alumni know that education is an investment in the future of our communities." She added, "They've seen first-hand the impact of their education on their careers, their earnings, and their families." Through the Nicolet College Foundation, students receive academic and financial resources, like scholarships, they need to make the most of their education. Valerie Leighton is a 2016 Nicolet nursing graduate and Foundation Scholarship recipient. She noted that financial assistance helped her balance her school, work, and family in order to continue her edcuation. In the announcement, they also highlighted the important role Nicolet plays locally for the students and the workforce. Since its founding in 1967, more than 12,000 individuals have graduated from Nicolet College. Many alumni live and work in the region. The Nicolet Foundation has created a webpage dedicated to Alumni Giving Week and they'll also be posting information on their social media accounts.

Published on 04/16/2025 under News The Lincoln County Board is hoping a pay increase for staffers at the jail will help stabilize the facility's finances. At their meeting Tuesday, supervisors approved a resolution setting a $4 an hour wage increase for current and future corrections staff. The goal is to improve staff retention and recruitment. According to the resolution, the correctional division in Lincoln County has consistently seen a 20 percent rate of unfilled positions. They currently have 6 vacancies among their 23 approved positions. This is believed to have impacted the County's ability to accept out-of-county inmates at the jail. As part of those agreements with other counties or the state, Lincoln County receives funding to house those individuals. Since the pandemic, this outside revenue for the jail has dropped, and in turn, the operating levy for the Sheriff's Office has been on the rise. That has led the supervisors, working with the Sheriff's Office, to look at various ways to offset these losses. That includes increasing jail revenue. During Tuesday's conversation, several supervisors acknowledged increasing wages would be a risk without a guaranteed return on investment. After a lengthy discussion, the supervisors approved the recommended wage increase by voice vote. They also clarified that the increase for current staffers would begin with the next payroll period.

Published on 04/16/2025 under News Tomahawk will once again be sending a contingent of students to the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America or FCCLA National Leadership Conference later this summer. More than 700 Wisconsin High School Students participated at the Wisconsin FCCLA state conference at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. In addition to educational sessions and networking opportunities, students also present their projects. The Tomahawk School District announced that five students were awarded gold medal scores and also an invitation to the National Conference: Siennah Calkins in Leadership, Riah Petta and Caylie Swan in Interpersonal Communications; Morgan Kretzschmar in Career Investigation; and Emma Hoff in Chapter in Review. Two other THS students participated with Camryn Kraklow placing 3rd in Sports Nutrition and Aubrey Seubert placed 4th in Career Investigation. As for the National Conference, it will be held in Orlando this summer. According to the organization, more than 7,000 students attended last year's conference.

Published on 04/16/2025 under News The Tomahawk City Council held their first regular meeting post-election. To start the meeting, three individuals re-elected this spring were sworn in. There were no changes as aldermen Jeff Kahle, Mickey Loka, and Tadd Wegener all ran unopposed. After the oaths of office, the council members unanimously re-elected Kahle as council president. He was the lone nomination. It was an otherwise routine meeting. The Council heard committee reports before quickly moving through action items. This included a trio of special event applications included the circus in July; as well as Tomahawk Main Street's Customer Appreciation and Oktoberfest celebrations. The Council also approved a three resolutions/policies updates related to a planned application for a community block development grant. Clerk Amanda Bartz explained these are criteria that must be in place in order to qualify for the federal funding. The city is hoping to receive around $500,000 in a partial match for a water main relay project on Nelson Lane.

Published on 04/16/2025 under News After a weekend dedicated to youth hunters, the state turkey hunting season opens today. Ahead of the opener, the DNR reminded hunters and outdoor recreationists to keep safety in mind. The 2025 spring turkey season includes six, week-long periods that will continue through May 27. Success for hunters has been on the rise. Last year, more than 50,000 birds were registered during the spring season, which was fourth highest on record. Officials are encouraging hunters to be certain of their target and their surroundings, noting the importance of positively identifying a turkey and ensuring it's a safe shot. As always, hunters should follow firearm and hunter safety guidelines. Clothing color is also key. While camouflage is common, hunter may want to consider wearing some blaze orange, the same goes for non-hunters who may be sharing public lands. As for colors to avoid, small glimpses of reds, blues, and whites, may replicate the look of a turkey's head.

Published on 04/16/2025 under News Wednesday is the deadline for people to participate in the Wisconsin Conservation Spring Hearings survey. This is an opportunity for the public to offer input on a wide variety to topics related to the outdoors. On Monday, the DNR and the WCC hosted meetings across all 72 counties. They also launched a three-day online survey. As we noted in the preview, there are more than 70 yes/no, advisory questions that cover a wide variety of topics related to hunting, fishing, environmental protections, and other topics related to Wisconsin's natural resources. The survey period runs through 6pm Wednesday evening. Link

Published on 04/15/2025 under News Earlier this year, Associated Bank closed their branch in Downtown Tomahawk. A local non-profit could soon call that vacant building home. The Tomahawk Kinship program announced that, "Pending grant funding and community support (they) have an accepted offer to purchase the historic Bradley bank building from Associated Bank." They were able to share that news with the community over the weekend during our WJJQ Home Sport and Travel Show. Tomahawk Kinship launched as a mentorship program for local youth nearly 30 years ago. In the years that have followed, they've expanded to other outreach including an after school tutoring program and KinsClub which offers various after-school activities and outings in a group setting. Patti Hilgendorf says, "This building will let us grow and expand our services mentoring our youth and their families." While there is still work to be done, they were excited share this announcement with the community and also grateful for the opportunity to move into the iconic building in the Main Street District. Of course, we'll share any developments and ways to support the project as they are announced.

Published on 04/15/2025 under News Several area communities will be receiving state grants to help small businesses. On Monday Governor Evers and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation announced 19 recipients of Small Business Development Grants. In all the 19 groups will share in $3.2 million. The SBDG Program provides grants to local communities and organizations to directly invest in small businesses, bolstering Main Streets, supporting youth entrepreneurship, improving infrastructure, and providing technical assistance. Among the recipients is the Eagle River Revitalization Program which received $250,000 They'll use the funds for the Eagle River Impact Grant, which will resolve vacancies, blight, and underused property and encourage entrepreneurship. Grants can be used for façade improvements, building and infrastructure rehabilitation, building transformations, or new commercial space development. Meanwhile the City of Medford and the Village of Gilman teamed up on their application, receiving $120,000 to support their FIX-IT Grant, which will support business improvements for façade, interior, exterior, inclusiveness, and teardown. Gov. Evers said in announcing the recipients, "Wisconsin's small businesses are the hearts of our communities and are important and powerful drivers of our state's economy." He added, "Now more than ever, it is critical that we do all we can to support the success of our state's small businesses across our state.

Published on 04/15/2025 under News A pair of Tomahawk students showed off their professional skills in a statewide competition, and were recognized for their efforts. Earlier this month, more than 1,700 students were in Madison for the 52nd edition of Skills USA. This included middle and high school, as well as college. The participants qualified through regional competitions for one of more than 75 events based on career-ready skills. They were judged by experts and professionals in the respective fields. Tomahawk High School sent a small group of students to compete, including Alli Palmer. Alli earned a bronze medal in the culinary arts competition. Meanwhile, Rachael Reilly is a THS alumnus now attending Nicolet College. She also earned a bronze medal while competing in the cosmetology category. And it's not her first medal at Skills USA. Rachael also competed last year, while in high school, where she also earned bronze. Her instructor at Nicolet Rebecca Kegler had nothing but praise, saying, "Rachael's strengths are her professionalism and creativity. She's going to have a great career." And one other result to pass along, as the gold medalists in select categories earn a spot at the national competition. We do have one local team heading to Atlanta in June. The Northland Pines Entrepreneurship Team of Elizabeth Chicka, Anna Westfall, and Madison Wielhouwer finished in the top spot to advance.

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