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TOMAHAWK - Wisconsin Public Service workers burned off gas on Tuesday in Tomahawk.
A three foot flame came out of a pipe near the gas main. It may seem dangerous, but this is fairly common.
They were installing a larger gas main for the Tomahawk area.
WISCONSIN - Higher meat prices seem to be the biggest reason for more expensive grocery trips in Wisconsin.
Grocery prices have risen about 4% since this spring alone.
That's mainly due to more expensive meats.
NORTHWOODS - When we think of unemployed people in Wisconsin, we often think of young adults searching for a job after high school or college, or perhaps a worker got laid off in the middle of a career.
An organization with openings in many Northwoods counties instead hopes to help a different demographic.
Experience Works serves unemployed seniors who struggle financially.
RHINELANDER - Nicolet College nursing students can complete their degrees more quickly thanks to a federal grant.
The college in Rhinelander just got a $460,000 grant from the US Department of Labor.
The school will use the grant to create competency exams.
OCONTO - A man and a woman have been sentenced to jail terms for having sex in a squad car after they were pulled over for drunken driving in northeastern Wisconsin.
The Oconto County Reporter reports (http://gbpg.net/1uyycCB ) that 33-year-old Travis Husnik, of Luxemburg, and 29-year-old Heather Basten, of New Franken, were being taken to the Oconto County Jail on Aug. 3 when they started having sex. The deputy stopped them. They were charged with lewd and lascivious behavior and disorderly conduct.
MADISON - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources biologists confirm two cougar sightings this year.
Trail cameras captured images of a cougar in Lincoln and Marinette counties. DNR wildlife biologist David MacFarland says the sightings, about 90 miles apart, could be the same cougar.
TOMAHAWK - On Monday, the people of Tomahawk celebrated a very special member of the community. Army Sgt. Einar Ingman, Jr. turned 85. The celebration wasn't about the long life he's lived, but rather about how he's lived it. Sgt. Ingman is the only living Korean War Medal of Honor recipient from Wisconsin. And Monday, he received another special honor.
"Tomahawk isn't that very big of a community and you never can tell where heroes are going to come from. And he's ours," said celebration attendee Chuck Grigg.
LAC DU FLAMBEAU - Tribal voters in Lac du Flambeau will pick a new president today.
Current president Tom Maulson didn't get enough votes in the primary to be on the ballot for today's tribal elections.
Henry "Butch" St. Germaine Senior will face Joseph Wildcat senior for president.
ANTIGO - Halloween puts kids in dangerous traffic situations. Kids are four times likely to get killed in a crash that night compared to a typical night. That's why a local organization wanted to help their community about staying safe.
Plenty of kids will be wearing dark clothing on Halloween. Many parents worry about spiked food or abduction on Halloween, but experts say traffic is one of the biggest dangers. Langlade County UW Extension 4H Youth Group Development Educator Krista Otto says a reflector can save lives.
MADISON - The University of Wisconsin System finished fiscal year 2013-14 with more than $973 million on hand.
The system released new data Monday showing campuses and system administration had a total of $973.3 million left over on June 30.
HUDSON - St. Croix County authorities have identified two 22-year-old Hudson men who died after their car went off the road and crashed in Hudson.
The sheriff's office named them Monday as Dylan J. Dreher and Kenneth L. Bjerkeng. It says they were driving on U.S. Highway 12 early Sunday when they went into a ditch and hit a traffic sign and electric pole. Authorities say the car broke the pole in half and came to rest in the parking lot of an office building.
MADISON - A federal appeals court has ruled that Wisconsin's requirement for voters to show photo identification at the polls is constitutional.
The ruling Monday from a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is not surprising given that the court last month lifted an injunction blocking enforcement of the law hours after hearing arguments in the case.
RHINELANDER - Julie Steinmetz and Karie Wix met 16 years ago.
They've lived together in Oneida County for the last 13 years.
On Monday, they became the first same-sex couple to get a marriage license in Oneida County.
MINOCQUA - An art exhibit in Minocqua features local artists.
The Wisconsin Regional Art Program has come to the Northwoods. Artists ages 14 and up from across the Northwoods submitted works of art. Those pieces are all on display at the Minocqua Public Library.
The exhibit opened Monday and will be there until November 7th.
RHINELANDER - Something as simple as falling trees can put a big strain on the City of Rhinelander.
When trees fall from private land onto public right-of-way like streets, the city needs to clean it up.
That can get expensive, especially on weekends and holidays.
ARBOR VITAE - A traveling film festival will come to the Northwoods hoping to inspire women.
Girls on the Run of the Northwoods is bringing Lunafest to Arbor Vitae.
Lunafest is a national film festival for and about women and their accomplishments through documentaries.
SCHOFIELD - A Rothschild Police officer faces two felony charges for what police think he did over the weekend.
A 21-year-old woman told police Corey Yolitz sexually assaulted her early Friday morning in Schofield. Everest Metro Police arrested him on Saturday.
VILAS COUNTY - Vilas County could be getting a second judge soon.
Current judge Neal Nielsen made that request this summer. He said the heavy caseload sometimes makes him feel rushed in the courtroom.
The Vilas County Board approved Nielsen's request for a second judge. Now, the director of state courts expects the legislature to act.
PRICE COUNTY - Storms hit Northern Wisconsin hard in early September.
Some Northwoods counties are still feeling the effects of the storms.
Price County has as much as $600,000 worth of damage.
ABOVE THE NORTHWOODS - Astronomers can show you the wonder that hovers in the heavens above at dark but now that we have more nighttime hours, there's some things you'll want to check out for yourself, and you won't even need the telescope.
"You can't miss Orion because of the three prominent stars that form the constellation's belt. How appropriate we are entering the hunting season and here we have, in our sky, the great hunter rising," said Frank Kovac, owner and operator of Kovac Planetarium.
RHINELANDER - A sex offender from Rhinelander will soon be released back to Oneida County.
32 year old Albert Chagnon was originally convicted of possession of child pornography in 2002.
In 2010 he was in violation of his probation for photographing a minor without her parent's permission.
WASHINGTON - Democrats are pumping more money into competitive House races to protect four incumbents in Minnesota, Illinois and New York.
The party is increasing its spending on two Republican-held seats in Nebraska and Iowa that represent some of the Democrats' best chances to win on GOP turf.
The national party is cutting back on spending in California, Pennsylvania and Michigan as opportunities for gains have diminished four weeks to midterm elections.
MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker says the fight over gay marriage in Wisconsin is over.
And his Democratic opponent Mary Burke says Walker was on the wrong side of history for supporting the ban.
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected appeals from five states seeking to prohibit same-sex marriages, paving the way for marriages to start in Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia.
RIVER FALLS - A northwestern Wisconsin playground site is being dedicated to honor three sisters who were killed by their father in 2012.
KSTP-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1rd5h17 ) the dedication ceremony is set for Monday for the Tri-Angels Playground in River Falls. The playground will be built in memory of the three Schaffhausen sisters _ 11-year-old Amara, 8-year-old Sophie and 5-year-old Cecilia.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - County clerks and other public officials in Wisconsin are scrambling to figure out how to respond the U.S. Supreme Court's rejection of the state's appeal in its gay marriage case.
The Supreme Court on Monday did not comment in rejecting appeals from Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.
The action paves the way for same-sex marriages to begin in those states and elsewhere,
EAGLE RIVER - Low temperatures couldn't keep people away from the 35th annual Cranberry Fest this weekend. More than 40,000 people came to Eagle River for the festival.
Organizers want to get crowds this big because it boosts the economy when the tourism season is slowing down. The festival draws the largest crowd to the Northwoods in between the busy summer and winter months.
TOWN OF MAINE - People got into the fall spirit and got to learn about harvesting in Marathon County Sunday.
Willow Spring Garden welcomed people to explore their harvest festival. This is the sixth year they've held it in the town of Maine. Kids had the chance to pet animals, enjoy the pumpkin patch, and learn about America's harvesting history.
RIB MOUNTAIN - The fall colors can create a beautiful scene here in North Central Wisconsin, but the view won't last for long. That's why many people are trying to soak in as much of the fall as they can Sunday. Some are doing it in a unique way.
"Stand on the footprints," said ski lift operator.
That's what you're normally told to do when you're about to ski with snow on the ground.
RHINELANDER - People who use the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry will need to go to a new location to get food. The pantry opened it's new building on Coon Street on Saturday.
Many people came to the pantry's first food distribution at the new space.
MERRILL - First responders need to be prepared and knowledgeable when they get to an emergency. It's important to know what to do when there's not a lot of time to waste. That's why firefighters from across the state came to Merrill to perfect their skills.
NTC Fire and EMS University invited fire departments from around the state to receive hands on training. The two day event consisted of car extrication, special rescue and advanced airways.
