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WAUSAU - Marathon County leaders want to raise money to clean up the Bluegill Bay Pond in Wausau. The pond regularly gets overrun with algae and weeds, which can make fishing difficult. The leaders believe that runoff from farms and a slow current through the pond create the growth.
"Bluegill Bay is a jewel of Marathon County," explains Marathon County Administrator Brad Karger.
FIFIELD - Clean up crews are working in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest to clean up storm damage.
US Forest Service, fire, timber and other specialist crews are working hard to clean up the fallen timber.
There is a lot that goes into the cleanup but trails will be open soon.
WASHINGTON D.C. - President Barack Obama hopes to increase pressure against Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria. After Wednesday's speech, he'll push Congress to approve more airstrikes and action against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Obama says the goal is to "dismantle and ultimately destroy" the extremist group. ISIS has beheaded two American journalists in the past few weeks.
RHINELANDER - Many people remember exactly where they were 13 years ago on September 11th. But that's difficult to do for current high school students. That's because they were toddlers at the time.
Now, it's up to teachers to explain to students what happened on 9/11.
MILWAUKEE - Gov. Scott Walker, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele along with dozens of others are marking the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at a ceremony along Milwaukee's lakefront.
EAGLE RIVER - Klondike Days brings in many tourists to Eagle River.
The event happens in March. This upcoming March will be the 25th and final year of the festival.
The festival draws in anywhere from 6,000-12,000 people.
WISCONSIN - No one within two hours of Rhinelander got sick from West Nile Virus this summer, but just because they didn't get sick doesn't mean they didn't get the virus.
Two birds found in Marathon County had the virus. The disease was also found in animals in Langlade, Portage, and Adams Counties.
LANSING, MI - Officials with Michigan's Natural Resources Commission have confirmed there won't be a gray wolf hunt this year.
Commissioner John Matonich said Thursday at a meeting in Lansing that the commission lacks the authority to set another hunt.
TOMAHAWK - When you hear the word 'racing' you may think of cars, boats or horses.
Well, in Northern Wisconsin, you can add pigeon racing to that list.
These talented birds are in the middle of their fall race season.
The North Central Wisconsin Pigeon Racing Club holds races every Sunday.
WAUKESHA - Waukesha County prosecutors are asking that next week's preliminary hearing be postponed for one of the two 12-year-old girls accused of stabbing and nearly killing a classmate to please the fictional horror character Slender Man.
Assistant prosecutor Ted Szczupakiewicz (zuh-PAK'-uh-witz) filed the request Wednesday. He wants to first discuss whether the girl is mentally fit for trial.
RHINELANDER - Two cars crashed in Rhinelander this afternoon.
It happened just after 3 o'clock at the intersection of Stevens and Davenport Streets.
MARATHON COUNTY - A Marathon County farmer faces felony charges for animal mistreatment.
68-year-old Terrence Seubert of Dorchester allegedly killed eight puppies with a sledgehammer.
Court documents show Seubert told investigators the price to sterilize the dogs' mother was ``too high''. He told police he did not want any more puppies running around on the farm.
MILWAUKEE - Thousands of more documents collected during the first John Doe investigation into former aides and associates of Governor Scott Walker when he was Milwaukee County executive have been released.
The 7 gigabytes of documents were released Thursday by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele.
MADISON - Wisconsin officials have set up a new process to help people get state identification cards without paying for a birth certificate.
The announcement Wednesday comes after the state Supreme Court last month upheld a law requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls. The court said, however, that the state can't require someone seeking ID to vote to pay fees for supporting documents.
MERRILL - You might not be familiar with Enterovirus D-68.
It hasn't hurt people in northern Wisconsin yet, but is spreading in our part of the country.
It's a serious respiratory illness leaving hundreds of children in the United States hospitalized.
ANTIGO - Merrill and Wausau East High Schools want to get out of the Wisconsin Valley Conference for sports, saying they can't compete with the rest of the schools in the WVC.
Both want to join the Great Northern Conference for all sports.
ASHLAND AND IRON COUNTIES - Gogebic Taconite might need to redesign their site plan after finding more wetlands than initially expected according company spokesperson Bob Seitz.
The Florida-based company wants to dig a four mile open pit mine in Ashland and Iron Counties. They've been taking an inventory of the proposed mine area this spring and summer. Seitz says scientists found more wetlands than originally expected.
RHINELANDER - 4-H gives kids the chance to learn life skills through fun projects. But they can't do those projects without the help of volunteers.
4-H in Oneida County needs more volunteers to teach new programs. People who have any special skills can sign up to help. But those who can teach drama and wood-working are specifically needed. That's because there are a lot of kids that want to work on projects in these subjects.
WOODRUFF - Construction on Highway 51 in Woodruff could be delayed because of the recent rain. Storms and flooding have been making it difficult for construction workers to get their work done.
Rain has filled up a lot of the trenches. Crews spend hours pumping the water out to get the worksite dry.
MARATHON COUNTY - The man facing three felonies for a shooting outside of a bar in Rothschild will go to trial.
27 year old Alex Hammoc is charged with recklessly endangering safety, battery, and having a gun as a felon.
He's also charged with a misdemeanor for pointing a gun at someone.
MARATHON COUNTY - Police arrested four people for having drugs after pulling over a car in Marathon County.
The Marathon County Sheriff's Department was investigating crack cocaine trafficking happening in the Village of Weston.
DEER PARK, MI - The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society says it has discovered the wreckage of a schooner that sank in Lake Superior in 1899, killing nine people, including the captain's wife and infant child.
MLive.com (http://bit.ly/1rGT31z ) reports that searchers found the gravesite of the Nelson last month in more than 200 feet of water off Deer Park.
BESSEMER, MI - A Bessemer man sits in jail after a standoff in the Western Upper Peninsula.
Police were called to the man's home at 10:40 Tuesday night with a report of gunshots.
MADISON - A group of scientists are warning federal wildlife officials that the state Department of Natural Resources' wolf population estimates are faulty.
The researchers sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last month saying the DNR under-reported the 2012-2013 wolf mortality rate and hasn't factored in how hunting wolves with hounds will affect the overall population.
CHICAGO - Wisconsin prosecutors made their arguments yesterday on why they should be allowed to continue their investigation of Governor Scott Walker's recall election campaign.
Prosecutors have said Walker isn't a target.
Walker and Republicans have dismissed the investigation as a partisan witch hunt against conservative groups.
RHINELANDER - A new UW-Extension Oneida County survey might persuade leaders in Oneida County to move their monthly meeting to the evening.
Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed believed the county should hold their meetings in the evening.
Nearly one in four said they would consider running for office if they could meet in the evening.
MADISON - Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a ruling that the state's gay marriage ban is unconstitutional.
Van Hollen, a Republican, filed the request Tuesday. It's unclear when the high court might respond.
MADISON - Fifteen insurance companies want to sell coverage to Wisconsin residents shopping for plans on the federally run online marketplace, up from 13 currently on the exchange.
The state insurance commissioner's office released the list on Tuesday. If all are approved, they could be selling plans starting Nov. 15.
MILWAUKEE - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke is accusing Republican Gov. Scott Walker of being fiscally irresponsible after new estimates projected a $1.8 billion shortfall in the state budget by mid-2017.
Burke said Tuesday during a news conference in Milwaukee that she has experience balancing budgets and if elected, she would make cuts that would put Wisconsin in the black.
EAGLE RIVER - If you look on the water in Eagle River this week, you just might see history floating by. The Upper Mississippi Steamboat Group is visiting Eagle River.
"So this has been done for hundreds of years like this," steamboat owner Tim Reichel said as he opened the door to the ash pit in his boat.
