Local Rhinelander Headlines

Driver's condition unknown in one-vehicle rollover near Rhinelander

RHINELANDER - A one-car rollover slowed down traffic for about an hour in Rhinelander on Thursday.

Police received a call around 3:30 Thursday afternoon. No other cars were involved.

"We had a one-vehicle rollover--went off the road and rolled over, I'm not sure how many times," said Pine Lake Fire Chief Brian Gehrig. "There was only one occupant in the vehicle and they were transported to St. Mary's hospital for observation."

Full story: WJFW

Wausau teen pleads not guilty in fatal stabbing

WAUSAU - A Wausau teen accused of stabbing a middle school boy will be tried in adult court. Dylan Yang, 15, pleaded not guilty in Marathon County Court Thursday.

Prosecutors think Yang stabbed and killed 13-year-old killed Isaiah Powell in February.

Yang's defense lawyer wanted the case moved to juvenile court. There, his sentence would be less severe if he's found guilty of first-degree reckless homicide charge.

Full story: WJFW

Police suggest ways help dogs locked in hot cars

NORTHWOODS - Police in Rhinelander get many calls about dogs locked in hot cars every summer. Many of the calls come from people who find the car and don't know how to help the animal.

Police say the best strategy is to read the situation. Sometimes even if the windows are rolled up, the air conditioner inside the car may be on.

"We just had a lady do that [Wednesday]," said Sgt. Michael Allard of the Rhinelander Police Department. "Using her car starter, she left the car running with the air conditioner on and the windows down just to make sure the dogs were okay."

Full story: WJFW

Snowshoe Park gets ready for Fourth of July snowshoe baseball game

LAKE TOMAHAWK - People from all over will come to the Northwoods for the 4th of July holiday, but in Lake Tomahawk, they'll come for another tradition besides fireworks: the annual Independence Day snowshoe baseball game.

People will start setting up seats at Snowshoe Park hours in advance to see the game, and this year, the competition will be bigger and better.

"Competition is really good," says Snowshoe Baseball Manager Jeff Smith. "We have a team coming up from Chicago. They're called the Chicago All-Stars. It's a team that's comprised of a lot of ballplayers that have played in that outseam league before."

Full story: WJFW

Number of firework-related injuries increases around 4th of July

RHINELANDER - The number of fireworks-related injuries increases in the 30 days surrounding the Fourth of July.

A study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission says more than 200 people nationwide go to emergency rooms every day with these injuries around this time of year.

To prevent injuries, it's important to follow guidelines set up by the state of Wisconsin.

Full story: WJFW

Date revealed for Scott Walker to enter presidential race

MADISON - Aides to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker say he is entering the crowded Republican race for president.

They say Walker's plans to launch his long-expected run by filing the necessary paperwork Thursday. Walker's official kickoff is expected July 13 in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to publicly discuss the launch ahead of the filing.

Full story: WJFW

Obama hits Republican policies in La Crosse

LA CROSSE - President Barack Obama has applauded Wisconsin Democrats and derided GOP policies in his address in La Crosse.

In a speech focused on "Middle-Class Economics," Obama mentioned Sen. Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Rep. Ron Kind as two lawmakers who worked to protect the middle class "before it was cool."

He repeatedly mentioned the Democrats and said they'd helped him in Washington.

Full story: WJFW

Federal government to step up bird flu monitoring this fall

MINNEAPOLIS - The federal government has announced plans to step up monitoring of wild birds for signs of avian influenza this fall. By doing so, the government hopes to provide an early warning of any resurgence for a disease that devastated poultry farms in the upper Midwest.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued plans Thursday aimed at minimizing the impacts on domestic poultry flocks if any bird flu viruses return or mutate in migrating waterfowl and other wild birds.

Federal and state biologists will collect approximately 41,000 samples from apparently healthy wild birds in targeted areas across the country, mostly from ducks shot by hunters.

Full story: WJFW

Wisconsin legislators planning extraordinary session

MADISON - Republicans who control the Legislature are looking to call an extraordinary session to deal with the state budget and bills that would repeal the state's prevailing wage for construction workers and prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Also on the agenda is a new contract for state troopers that would give them a 6 percent raise, a new two-year compensation plan for state employees that includes no general wage increases and a bill that would fund a new Milwaukee Bucks arena.

The session could begin as early as Friday. The Assembly plans to take up the budget and the prevailing wage repeal on Tuesday. Other floor session dates haven't been set yet.

Full story: WJFW

Beaver dam explosions benefit Northwoods trout stream habitats

VILAS COUNTY - Paul Rosenow's fishing line swishes as it whips back and forth, then into the waters of a Vilas County trout stream.

He's been fishing trout since he was eight years old. It's a lifelong hobby made easier thanks to the work of USDA Wildlife Services.

"These guys are doing a fantastic job in taking care of these beaver dams," Rosenow says.

Full story: WJFW

Governor OKs bill ending SAGE program

MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill to end Wisconsin's classroom SAGE program.

The Student Achievement Guarantee Program provides aid to schools that maintain an 18-to-1 or 30-to-2 teacher-student ratio for poor students in kindergarten through third grade. Schools enter into five-year contracts under the program.

The bill prohibits new SAGE contracts or renewals beyond one-year extensions for deals expiring at the end of this school year.

Full story: WJFW

Wisconsin married couples to benefit under tax package

MADISON - Married couples would benefit the most under a Republican-authored tax plan that's to be added to the state budget on Thursday.

Republican Rep. Dale Kooyenga said Wednesday he will be proposing a tax package that cuts and raises taxes about $40 million over the next two years.

It would increase the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly by $550 and bring the state's alternative minimum tax in line with the federal tax code. No one earning below $78,750 for married couples filing jointly would be subject to the alternative minimum.

Full story: WJFW

Community fireworks growing in popularity, vendors are still hopeful

NORTHWOODS - Our nation celebrates its independence in three days. People in the Northwoods are planning how they want to view fireworks. Will they buy their own, or will they see a community show?

Peter Anderson has been a fireworks organizer for the city of Eagle River for several years.

"We've been doing it for a long time," he said. "We hire a fireworks company to come in and do it every year for us. It's just kind of a tradition to celebrate the 4th of July."

Full story: WJFW

Bucks arena & prevailing wage out of state budget

MADISON - Republican lawmakers announced Wednesday that a new Milwaukee Bucks arena and prevailing wage proposal would be removed from the state budget.

In a morning meeting in the Senate parlor, Republican leaders told reporters that the goal of the move was to get the budget out the state's Joint Finance Committee.

The state Assembly plans on voting on a state budget and a standalone prevailing wage proposal next week.

Full story: WJFW

Lincoln County Tavern League will lose funding for SafeRide Home Program; will hold Merrill Lobsterfest to raise money for rides

MERRILL - You can get a free cab ride when you've had too much to drink at many Northwoods bars.

It's part of the SafeRide Home Program, funded mainly by the tavern league.

About 150 people use the SafeRide Home program every month in Lincoln County.

Full story: WJFW

Wausau dog death shows dangers of leaving dogs inside of hot cars

NORTHWOODS - A dog in Wausau died Tuesday after being locked in a car for two hours. Police say the dog had a heat stroke.

Veterinarians say dogs can overheat even if the windows are rolled down. That's because dogs are naturally warmer than humans and different breeds have hair or fur that might make the dog even hotter.

"They can only [release] heat through their paws or through panting," says Dr. Stephanie Sosniak, a veterinarian at Northern Paws Animal Hospital in Rhinelander. "They can't sweat like people can to cool down faster. They heat up a lot quicker than we do."

Full story: WJFW

More than half of schools to see less general aid

MADISON - More than half of Wisconsin schools will see a decline in general aid in the next school year, according to estimates from the state Department of Public Instruction.

The state budget not yet finalized would keep general school aid flat at almost $4.5 billion. But DPI says diversions of money to the Milwaukee voucher program and charter schools drop that closer to $4.3 billion.

The agency says other factors such as property values and enrollment also play a role in how much aid rises or falls.

Full story: WJFW

Transit drivers walk off the job in Milwaukee County

MILWAUKEE - Tens of thousands of people who use the Milwaukee County Transit System to reach their destinations will have to make alternative plans.

Some 750 union bus drivers, plus mechanics, are on strike after failing to reach a labor contract agreement with transit officials. The county buses deliver 150,000 passenger rides each day.

Bus service ended at 3 a.m. Wednesday when drivers and mechanics stopped working and began picketing. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 leaders say the strike will last until Saturday.

Full story: WJFW

Baseball camps help players get ready for future

MINOCQUA - You don't see a lot of baseball this time of year in the Northwoods, but LUHS baseball Head Coach Mike Wilhelm hopes to change that.

"Really get our hands on our youth, and work with those young kids, and hopefully move us forward so that, when they get to high school, they have a really good grasp of what we're teaching," says Wilhelm.

The Lakeland baseball coach worked with the athletic director to set up the school's first-ever camp.

Full story: WJFW

Republicans plan vote on state budget next week

MADISON - Republicans who control the state Assembly plan to vote on the state budget next week along with a bill that would repeal prevailing wage requirements for local governments.

Republicans who control the Assembly and Senate announced Wednesday they've reached a road funding plan that will allow the Legislature's finance committee to sign off on the spending plan and set up floor votes.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says his chamber will vote on the budget first next week on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Full story: WJFW

Fire destroys garage of a home in Lincoln County

LINCOLN COUNTY - A mother and her son will need to look for a temporary home.

A fire destroyed part of their home early Wednesday morning near Heafford Junction in Lincoln County. They weren't hurt.

"I was in bed sleeping when my Ma heard the alarm. She thought it was my alarm to get up and go to work today. She saw some smoke come into the house. She rushed to my room and said, 'Scott, get up, get up. There's a fire.' We high-tailed it out of the house really quick," said Scott Andersen who was in the home at the time of the fire.

Full story: WJFW

Rhinelander Fire Department trains new firefighters to extricate motorists from car wrecks

RHINELANDER - The newest members of the Rhinelander Fire Department will spend part of the next few weeks training, practicing some of their most important safety techniques.

Tuesday, that practice included tearing open a Chevy Prizm.

"It is very important," Rhinelander Fire Department Deputy Chief Dan Bauer said of the training. "Like I said, the quicker we can get the patient out of there, the quicker medical staff can take care of them and get them to the hospital, and get them to the appropriate facility. The quicker they can, the better chance of survival."

Full story: WJFW

Fire department focuses on extricate training with newest members

RHINELANDER - The newest members of the Rhinelander Fire Department will spend part of the next few weeks training.

Department leaders are having them practice some of the most important safety techniques.
Tuesday, that meant tearing open up a Chevy Prizm.

"It is very important," Rhinelander Fire Department Deputy Chief Dan Bauer said. "Like I said, the quicker we can get the patient out of there, the quicker medical staff can take care of them and get them to the hospital, and get them to the appropriate facility. The quicker they can the better chance of survival."

Full story: WJFW

Bucks arena, prevailing wage may come in special session

MADISON - The Legislature may vote on a financing deal for a Milwaukee Bucks arena and changes to the prevailing wage law in a special session.

That's what the co-chair of the Legislature's budget committee said Tuesday.

Sen. Alberta Darling tells The Associated Press that neither contentious issue will be put into the state budget when the Joint Finance Committee meets Thursday to complete its work. Republicans in the Senate and Assembly have been unable to reach agreement on either issue, leading to a monthlong delay in completing the budget.

Full story: WJFW

Obama's Wisconsin visit comes as Walker prepares campaign

MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker will greet President Barack Obama when he comes to La Crosse on Thursday to talk about the economy.

Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said Tuesday that Walker would meet the president.

The visit comes at an awkward time for Walker, as he prepares to launch an expected run for the White House in a couple weeks.

Full story: WJFW

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