Local Antigo Headlines

Antigo Fire Department needs help with beefed-up extinguisher training

A new Antigo Fire Department initiative will add a high-tech flair to extinguisher training.

The department is raising funds to purchase a Bullex BullsEye Laser-Driven Fire Extinguisher Training System, a device that can be used throughout the community at local businesses, manufacturing plats, schools, health care facilities and public education events.

The campaign recently received a boost with a $250 check from Malliette Bus Company.

Full story: Antigo Daily Journal

Man Reports Harassment From Neighbors To Antigo Police Department

On Tuesday the Antigo Police Department received a report from a man saying his son was harassing him after he asked him for the money he owes him. Police went and talked to the son who had the exact opposite story, saying his father kept hounding him via text message to pay him. Both parties were warned not to contact each other. The father also complained the son had stolen valor, when he speaks of his time in Iraq.

On Wednesday morning a man reported that someone had broken into his locked car overnight as it was parked outside of his home on Aurora Street.

Read more: WACD

Antigo School Board Sends Letter To Legislature About Their Fiscal Challenges

The Antigo School Board approved a letter be sent to local state representatives Mary Cjaza and State Senator Tom Tiffany. Here is that letter in its entirety:

The Board of Education of the Unified School District of Antigo has viewed with alarm the continuing de-funding of public education represented in the governor 's recent biennial budget proposal.

Over the past ten years, our district has cut $9,000,000 and reduced over 63 staff positions to accommodate the continuing decline in revenues.

Read more: WACD

Local students tapping trees

One of spring’s greatest northwoods rituals got underway at Crestwood Elementary School on Monday.

With some help from longtime volunteer Clarence “Butch” Duchac, youngsters from Sandy Gallagher’s third grade class began tapping sugar maple trees on the school grounds, hanging bags, and hoping to soon enjoy some homemade maple syrup and pancakes.

Duchac and Gallagher took a few minutes in the classroom first, explaining the intricacies of drilling the holes, placing the taps, and assembling and hanging the bags to the youngsters. Then the boots went on and the students trudged through snowbanks to the trees.

Full story: Antigo Daily Journal

Beautification, safety issues at city meeting Wednesday

City of Antigo programs designed to beautify the downtown core and improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety will receive a boost Wednesday when the Antigo Common Council convenes for its regular March session.

Aldermen will meet at 6 p.m. in the chambers at City Hall.

The council is expected to accept a donation of $26,600 from Langlade Hospital for signal lights at designated bike route crossings at Seventh Avenue and Superior Street and at Highway 64 and Charlotte Street.

Full story: Antigo Daily Journal

Warm Weather Expected To Stick Around In Wisconsin

You can thank a high pressure system with mild southwest winds for the sudden warmth throughout Wisconsin. The mercury will get above 60-degrees today in parts of the Badger State. That's well above the normal highs for this date of 40 in southern Wisconsin, and the mid-30's in the north. Yesterday's highs ranged from 44 in Burlington to 58 in Waupaca. Much of the state never dropped below freezing overnight, as areas of dense fog moved into far southern Wisconsin. Tonight, forecasters say a weak Canadian cold front will move through. Overnight lows will be in the 20's in most areas, with somewhat cooler highs tomorrow in the mid-40's near Lake Superior to the low-50's elsewhere.

Read more: WACD

17 Year Old Officially Charged With Murder In Oneida County Double Homicide

Oneida County prosecutors filed criminal charges this morning against a 17-year-old girl accused of killing her mother and step-father, and then locking her three young sisters in a bedroom before escaping with her boyfriend. Officials first said they would file charges against Ashlee Martinson after she's extradited from Indiana, where she was arrested. But the D-A's office went ahead and processed the complaint, ahead of an extradition hearing that's now set for 2:30 this afternoon in Boone County, near Indianapolis. Martinson faces two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and three counts of false imprisonment, in the deaths of Thomas and Jennifer Ayres on Sunday at their home south of Three Lakes. Prosecutors quoted the woman's nine-year-old daughter as saying she heard gunshots from upstairs, just before her mother ran up there and got into a fight with Ashlee. Officials have not said how the couple died -- and a motive was not disclosed, either.

Read more: WACD

Langlade County Snowmobile Trails Close Ahead Of Warm Weather

Due to deteriorating trail conditions and warm temperatures expected, the entire Langlade County snowmobile trail system will be officially closed for the season effective at 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 10, 2015.
The Langlade County Snowmobile Ordinance prohibits snowmobilers and all-terrain vehicles from operating on the above trails.

Read more: WACD

Girl, 17, boyfriend, 22, held in Indiana on Oneida murder counts

A teenager wanted for questioning in a double murder south of Three Lakes in Oneida County during the weekend was stopped and held in Boone County, Indiana Sunday.

A Boone County sheriff’s deputy spotted the car driving south on Interstate 65 near Lebanon, located north of Indianapolis, that matched the description included in an alert from Oneida County.

Authorities were looking for a 17-year-old female for questioning after two adults, one male and one female, were found dead inside a Three Lakes area home on Sunday.

Full story: Antigo Daily Journal

Elcho's Northern Steel poised for growth

Northern Steel Manufacturing, a custom metal fabrication and machining house. was founded in September, 2010 by Darrell Lake, Mike Scott, and Bob Van Schyndel. Collectively, the three had well over 60 years of metal fabrication and machining experience, and a thick file of customer contacts.

They initially began leasing 9,000 square feet of a larger facility in Elcho. By the end of the first year they grew to the point of taking on the full facility at 36,000 square feet. Since the company’s founding and subsequent changes, present ownership is made up of Darrell Lake, Mike Scott, Lydell Kluck, and Denise Stevens. The company has a current rate of growth averaging about 35 percent per year.

Full story: Antigo Daily Journal

Antigo Man Returns Home To Find Home Burglarized

Over the weekend, an Antigo man residing on 10th Avenue, called the Antigo Police Department and said that his house had been burglarized. The man had been gone for a week, and his neighbor checks the house and gets the mail. On Wednesday the man noticed the back door was open. When the man arrived on Friday, he saw marks on the doorknob and several items inside the house had been taken...

Read more: WACD

Rhinelander Murder Suspects Apprehended In Indiana

On Sunday morning the Oneida County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call from a home in the town of Piehl.

When Deputies arrived on the scene, they found the bodies of one man and one woman, both dead of an apparent homicide.

The Sheriff's office sent out word to the public that they were looking for the suspects, 17-year-old Ashlee Anne Rose Martinson and 22-year-old Ryan Daniel Sisco who was traveling with her.

Read more: WACD

Luncheonette offers a new experience

A new dining option in downtown Antigo promises “healthy food fast,” and it boasts an exceptional atmosphere to boot.

Jenni and Matt Hayek opened The Luncheonette inside their Natural Living store in the 700 block of Superior Street earlier this year as a nod to a clamor from customers to feature alternatives to traditional fast food outlets.

“It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a while,” Jenni Hayek said. “We already specialize in offering natural, local food that is affordable and this is just another extension.”

Full story: Antigo Daily Journal

Nation ready to spring ahead on Sunday, great time for home checks

Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday as the nation “spring forwards” and sets clocks ahead one hour.

Daylight Saving Time is also a great time to check the things that keep the nation safe and ready for emergencies. ReadyWisconsin urges residents to check these items:

—Smoke Detectors: Nearly 2,700 people die and more than 15,000 are injured each year because of fires that started in their homes. Now is the time to check and replace batteries if needed and make sure the devices around your house are working properly. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates that about 16 million homes in the country have smoke alarms that do not work. In most cases, the batteries are dead or missing. This is a great time to put fresh batteries in your smoke detector. You should also replace the entire smoke alarm unit every 8 to 10 years.

Full story: Antigo Daily Journal

Wisconsin Becomes A Right To Work State After Assembly Vote

Governor Scott Walker says he looks forward to signing the right-to-work bill into law on Monday. The Assembly gave final legislative approval to the measure this morning on a 62-to-35 party-line vote. That was after majority Republicans gave Democrats their say during about 19 hours of debate which lasted all night. In a statement, Walker called the bill "freedom to work" legislation. He said it would give workers the "freedom to choose whether or not they want to join a union." The Republican governor also said it would give employers what he called "another compelling reason to consider expanding or moving their business to Wisconsin." The new law prohibits employers from making the payment of union dues a condition of employment in new labor contracts. Democrats and union leaders said it will eventually result in lower wages and benefits, as the result of lower union dues' revenues from those who choose not to pay them. Milwaukee Assembly Democrat Fred Kessler said it would destroy labor peace, pitting workers and against their bosses.

Read more: WACD

Popular Ice Caves Back Open

The ice-caves re-opened this morning on Lake Superior west of Bayfield. Snow and high winds forced the popular attraction to close Tuesday night and yesterday. But the winds subsided to the 15-mile-an-hour range today, and officials said it made the two-mile ice walk safe once again from Meyers Beach to the majestic ice formations in the Apostle Islands' sea-caves. The walk is still very slippery, and officials of the Islands' National Lakeshore urge folks to wear ice-cleats and use ski poles to prevent slipping. According to the Lakeshore's Facebook page, the winds should stay fairly low for the next few days -- and the caves should remain open at least through this weekend. Temperatures could get into the 40's next week, causing a melting of the soft majestic ice on the cliffs -- however, warmer temperatures alone are not generally not enough to close the attraction.

Read more: WACD

Motorists fined for traffic violations

Citations carried some expensive fines for a number of individuals who made appearances this week in Langlade County Circuit Court.

The tickets were issued by either the Antigo Police Department, the Langlade County Sheriff’s Department or the Wisconsin State Patrol.

Operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated carries a fine of $887.50 and a six to nine month revocation of an individual’s driver’s license. Depending on the blood alcohol level, first-time offenders may also be ordered to equip their vehicle with an ignition interlock device.

Full story: Antigo Daily Journal

Another fire destroys Helms home

Tragedy struck a rural Antigo family, again, Wednesday afternoon.

The Helms family was outside of their home at W7976 Highway F, just east of the Orchard Road and Highway F intersection, and when they tried to enter just before 4 p.m., they discovered it was burning with ferocity that prevented setting even a foot inside.

While it is always a tragedy when a family home is lost to fire, this is the second time in just over a year for the Helms. In 2014 their home at the same site was lost to fire, too. That occurred on Feb. 24.

Full story: Antigo Daily Journal

Appraiser Will Inspect Homes In Langalde County

Yesterday the Wisconsin Department of Revenue contacted the Langlade County Sheriffs Office to notify them that an appraiser will be reviewing real estate sales in the county. In some cases, this will include taking photographs and contacting property owners, but she will not enter a property without their permission. If you are concerned it might be a scam, ask for the persons identification.

Read more: WACD

Fire Displaces Family Of Four In Langlade County; Officials Deem It Suspicious

Just before 4PM Wednesday afternoon, the Langlade County Sheriffs Office was called about a residence on County Road F that was full of smoke. No one was inside the building but the owners said there were animals. When officials arrived the entire structure was engulfed in flames. A family of four resides at the home. The fire seems to have started in the chimney area. Officials have deemed it suspicious as there was a previous house fire over a year ago...

Read more: WACD

City Plan Commission stalls apartment project

A potential $5 million apartment complex on Antigo’s south side will require some re-siting, following action by the City Plan Commission Tuesday.

On a unanimous 6-0 vote, the commission, chaired by Mayor Bill Brandt, determined that a location along Forrest Avenue was not the best location for the potential 64-unit complex and denied the necessary rezoning.

“This is a quality development, but the commission feels that is just not the ideal location,” City Administrator Mark Desotell said. “The city will continue to work with the developer to find the suitable site.”

Full story: Antigo Daily Journal

Ice Caves

A weekend photograph shows a man with a camera among the spectacular ice formations that mark the winter near the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. After a busy weekend with more than 12,000 visitors, the caves were shut down Tuesday night and today due to high winds. Those winds could cause the ice to crack and break away from the shore creating a challenging situation for the visitors. It is hoped the facility can be opened Thursday but teh length of the season depends on the weather.

Full story: Antigo Daily Journal

2015 Relay For Life Of Langlade County Campaign Gets Underway

The 2015 Relay For Life of Langlade County will be held on June 5th and 6th at Listle Field in Antigo. A kick-off event was held Tuesday evening at Langlade Hospital.

There are some changes to the event this year. Including the desire by the organization for you to sign up for the "Hope Club". You become a Hope Club member by raising at least $100 of fundraising, either individually or average per person as a team. Becoming a member means you get a shirt. A shirt is not guarunteed if you don't join.

Read more: WACD

Prosecutors Push For Lengthy Prison Term In Attempted Murder Of Forest County Man

Prosecutors want a Wabeno man to go to prison for at least 30 years. Justin Bey pleaded guilty on Wednesday to trying to kill a man in Forest County last March.

Bey was accused of working with other suspects to beat the victim and leave him in the woods so wolves could attack him. Bey pled guilty to three felonies on Wednesday. Forest County District Attorney Chuck Simono told us he will ask for at least a 30-year prison sentence.

He could ask for more, depending on the results of a Pre-Sentence Investigation Report by the state Department of Corrections. That hearing will be in August.

Read more: WACD

Citizens Have Opportunity To Give Opinions on Menominee Public Transit

A public meeting will be held Wednesday night about Menominee Public Transit, who operates Red Robin Routes in Antigo.

The meeting is for anyone who has concerns or questions regarding the company's routes and services, as well as to relay positive or negative experiences you have had with them. You'll hear from Menominee Tribal Administration, the Transit Director & Transit Department Heads, and there will be a listening session to hear from Tribal Members

Read more: WACD

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