Local Rhinelander Headlines

Northwoods communities set to honor veterans this weekend

NORTHWOODS - Here is a list of Memorial Day events across the Northwoods.

Rhinelander

Rhinelander will have several different services this Memorial Day in honor of fallen military heroes on May 25.

At 10:30 a.m. there will be a short ceremony at the Trig's River Walk parking lot. This will be followed up with a march/walk up to the Oneida County Courthouse lawn where the final Memorial Day ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. The guest speaker this year is Mayor Dick Johns, a Korean War veteran. Guests who want to attend should bring their own lawn chairs.

Full story: WJFW

Budget panel to vote on raising Medicaid premiums for some

MADISON - Low-income adults without children on Wisconsin's Medicaid program known as BadgerCare Plus may have to pay higher premiums if they engage in undisclosed behaviors that could put their health at risk.

The Legislature's budget-writing Joint Finance Committee planned to vote Thursday on Gov. Scott Walker's proposal that would lead to the change.

Walker is requesting federal approval to charge premiums to the roughly 157,000 childless adults on the program. Higher charges could be assessed to people who engage in unspecified risky behaviors like smoking or being obese.

Full story: WJFW

Witnesses testify to Jones' involvement in Forest County attempted murder trial

CRANDON - Prosecutors want to show that Ray Jones took specific steps to kill Steven Roberts in Forest County last March. Witnesses who testified in Jones' jury trial in Crandon on Wednesday may have helped the prosecution's case.

Prosecutors called nine witnesses, including a sheriff's captain, medical professionals and eyewitnesses to the alleged crimes.

ATV riders found Roberts battered and freezing, but alive, in the woods east of Crandon last March.

Full story: WJFW

Lawmakers hope to expedite 20-week abortion ban bill

MADISON - Republican state lawmakers say they hope to pass a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks of gestation before the budget is debated in June.

Sen. Mary Lazich and Rep. Jesse Kremer told public affairs network WisconsinEye they introduced the measure Wednesday with more than 30 co-sponsors. The Republicans say they plan to hold a joint public hearing on the measure and pass it in both the Senate and Assembly before budget debate.

Under the bill, doctors who perform an abortion after 20 weeks in non-emergency situations could be charged with a felony and subject to up to a $10,000 in fines or 3 ½ years in prison.

Full story: WJFW

ATV/UTV routes open in some Vilas County communities

VILAS COUNTY - Before Wednesday, public ATV and UTV routes in three communities in eastern Vilas County didn't exist. However, that changed at 8 a.m. Wednesday, just in time for the unofficial kickoff to summer this weekend. Businesses hope it will draw more customers, but not everybody's sold.

"A lot of ups and downs but we finally got her done," Landover ATV Club president Roger Flaherty said of trying to get ATV and UTV routes up and running in the City of Eagle River, Town of Conover, and Town of Lincoln. The new routes connect to routes in Phelps and Forest County.

The Landover ATV Club has been working to try to bring ATV and UTV routes to certain parts of Vilas County for the past 14 years. Members finally reached their goal Wednesday, after putting in 100 volunteer hours to mark all the routes.

Full story: WJFW

City holds water tower inspection

ANTIGO - The Antigo Water Department took work to new heights Wednesday. They sent engineers up their 155-foot water tower to perform inspections. More than 100,000 gallons of water were drained from the tower so the inspections could take place.

"It's required through the DNR," said Antigo City Administrator Mark Desotell. "A fully-drained inspection is done every ten years now on our towers and our clear well tanks. We actually had to drain off about 100,000 to 125,000 gallons into our storm water system. "

This is the first fully-drained inspection of it's kind that the water department has done. Tower climbers looked for paint, support, and water issues inside the tank. Antigo managers will need inspection for their industrial park water tower too, which is planned for next month.

Full story: WJFW

Former sheriff's deputy charged with having sex with a 15-year-old girl was in court on Wednesday

WAUSAU - A former Lincoln County Sheriff's Deputy facing charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenager was in court Wednesday.

34-year-old Zachary Dorr is charged with three felonies for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old girl.

He's accused of having sex with the girl at his home in Wausau.

Full story: WJFW

State troopers: drivers, motorcyclists need to work together to prevent accidents

WISCONSIN - About 100 motorcyclists die every year on Wisconsin roads, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Wisconsin troopers think many motorcycle crashes happen because people in cars don't see the bikers.

"Be aware [that] the other motorists out there may not see [motorcyclists]," says Wisconsin State Patrol Sergeant Travis Wamless. "They're smaller in dimension and often times can be misjudged by their speed and distance from other vehicles, when they're making turns [or] changing lanes."

Both drivers and motorcyclists can do things to prevent accidents from happening.

Full story: WJFW

Protest for $15 an hour planned ahead of McDonald's meeting

OAK BROOK, IL - Labor organizers and workers are expected to protest outside McDonald's headquarters Wednesday to drive home their demand for pay of $15 an hour and a union for fast-food workers.

The start of the two-day demonstration in Oak Brook, Illinois, comes ahead of the company's annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.

The campaign for pay of $15 an hour and a union began in late 2012 and has involved a range of tactics, including ongoing demonstrations in cities around the country. Earlier this year, McDonald's said it would raise its starting pay for workers to $1 above the local minimum wage. But labor organizers said the move falls short because it only applies to company-owned stores.

Full story: WJFW

Nebraska poised to abolish the death penalty

LINCOLN, NE - Nebraska lawmakers gave final approval to a bill abolishing the death penalty with enough votes to override a promised veto from Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts.

 The 32-15 vote on Wednesday was bolstered by conservative senators who oppose capital punishment for fiscal, religious and pragmatic reasons.

If that vote holds in a veto override, Nebraska would become the first conservative state to repeal the death penalty since 1973.

Full story: WJFW

Governor signs bill to keep Badger Exam off school reports

MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker has signed a Republican-authored bill that would ensure scores on the statewide Badger Exam public school children are taking this spring aren't used against teachers or put on report cards measuring school performance.

The Badger Exam was best with a host of problems that generated widespread criticism from parents, school districts, state policymakers and the governor.

Since the test is tied to the more rigorous Common Core academic standards, scores were expected to be lower than they had been in the past. The test also has been beset with implementation problems.

Full story: WJFW

Gov. Walker signs 70 mph speed limit bill

MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill that allows state transportation officials to raise the speed limit to 70 mph on some Wisconsin roads

Walker signed the measure Wednesday. It passed the Senate and Assembly on voice votes earlier this year.

Under the law, the Department of Transportation can raise the speed limit to 70 mph only on four-lane roads that have entrance and exit ramps. They can't raise the limit on roads with at-grade access.

Full story: WJFW

Efforts to repeal prevailing wage law fall short

MADISON - Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says he doesn't have the votes to repeal the state's prevailing wage law, but he hopes to reform the statutes through the state budget.

The Juneau Republican said Wednesday that members of his caucus feel a full repeal would disrupt the construction industry.

Under current law, crews on state or local public projects and highway projects must be paid wages equivalent to what they would earn working on other projects in the area.

Full story: WJFW

Highlights of education proposals in Wisconsin budget

MADISON - The Wisconsin Legislature's budget-writing committee on Tuesday unveiled its long-anticipated funding plan related to education issues in the state for the next two years.

The entire state spending plan is expected to pass the Joint Finance Committee next week, and then head to the Senate and Assembly for votes.

The education proposals unveiled Tuesday would...

Full story: WJFW

Witnesses describe mangled victim on opening day of Forest County attempted murder trial

CRANDON - Fourteen months ago, ATV riders found Steven Roberts in the Forest County woods. He had been severely beaten, and had seemingly been left to die as temperatures dipped into the single digits. Roberts was suffering from a broken jaw, broken ribs, a broken nose, a broken eye socket, and frostbite.

Roberts managed to survive. But a Forest County jury will decide whether Ray Jones, 46, is guilty of trying to kill him. Jones' attempted murder trial started Tuesday in Crandon.

"His face was all beat up. His nose was all bloody. You just couldn't tell who he was," a witness said of Roberts. The witness had been one of two ATV riders who found Roberts. The witness' identity is being protected as requested by lawyers.

Full story: WJFW

Forget grades: Wisconsin report cards may have stars

MADISON - Forget grades.

If Republicans on the Legislature's budget-writing committee get their way, Wisconsin schools would be rated on a five-star system. Gov. Scott Walker had wanted to assign letter grades. Currently, schools are described as failing, meeting or exceeding expectations.

The Joint Finance Committee was scheduled to vote Tuesday on going to a star system for the report card.

Full story: WJFW

Proposal opens public school sports to private students

MADISON - Home-schooled students and those attending private, virtual or charter schools would have to be allowed to play sports and participate in extracurricular activities at their local public school under a proposal backed by Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature.

The proposal was set to be added to the state budget by the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday.

A student attending a charter school or a private school could only participate in a sport not offered at their private or charter school.

Full story: WJFW

Budget committee approves more spending for prison beds

MADISON - The Legislature's budget committee has approved spending an additional $5 million above previous estimates to pay for housing inmates in the state prison system.

The committee's action Tuesday was needed because the prison population growth estimates in Gov. Scott Walker's budget released in February are already outdated for both the state's female and male prison populations.

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau says the state will have to house about 150 more female prisoners and about 800 more male prisoners over the two-year budget than Walker forecast.

Full story: WJFW

Drug screening for public beneficiaries approved

MADISON - The Legislature's budget committee has approved requiring drug screenings for recipients of public aid programs like food stamps and unemployment benefits.

Gov. Scott Walker had proposed the testing. The Assembly last week passed a pair of bills to do that, and the Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday approved it 11-4 with some revisions.

Under the proposal, applicants for state job training programs such as Wisconsin Works, people on the FoodShare program and most of those seeking unemployment benefits would have to take a questionnaire that may subject them to drug tests later.

Full story: WJFW

Caretakers busy preparing homes for summer tourism

LAND O' LAKES - Memorial Day Weekend brings the first wave of summer tourists to the Northwoods. In Vilas County, the population can as much as quintuple during the peaks of the summer season. In Oneida County, the population can quadruple. Many of the visitors stay at their seasonal or rental homes. Right now is a busy time for property caretakers who need the get those homes ready for the season.

Alan Pepin is one of them. Pepin and his wife made a business out of looking after seasonal properties. They call it Northern Knights Services.

"We offer a variety services from home security checks," Alan Pepin said. "Trees down on roofs, those types of things."

Full story: WJFW

Tomahawk man's love for the 1955 Chevy turns into a museum

TOMAHAWK - Since he was 12-years-old, Tomahawk's Swede Jorgensen loved the 1955 Chevrolet, and it's all thanks to his grandma.

"She bought a 1955 Chevrolet four door," said Chevrolet Wonderland Owner Swede Jorgensen. "Seafoam green, nothing special, but she gave me a ride in that car, and from that day forward, I just thought the 55's were so cool."

After two years of preparation, he's ready to show off his love for the car. He opened Chevrolet Wonderland, which Jorgensen thinks may be the only museum in the world solely dedicated to the '55 Chevy.

Full story: WJFW

Humane Society receives huge donation from Petco

RHINELANDER - The Oneida County Humane Society just got a huge donation from Petco. That's after Petco recently bought Doctors Foster and Smith.

"Foster and Smith had previously been a big supporter of the humane society," says Oneida County Humane Society Board Vice President Maggie Hogan.

Petco bought Doctors Foster and Smith in February. The Oneida County Humane Society got a $100,000 donation from Petco on Saturday.

Full story: WJFW

Some county clerks unsure of cause in boost of local marriage rates

WISCONSIN - More people in Wisconsin got married in 2014. The number of marriages in the state is the highest its been since 2007, according to a state marriage report. Gay marriage could be one of the reasons for the boost.

Gay marriage became legal in Wisconsin in 2014. More than 500 same-sex couples got married in the first month it was legal.

However, some local county clerks don't expect gay marriage to make a difference in the number of marriages in the Northwoods. Before gay marriage was legal, gay couples were only allowed to get a domestic partnership. Very few of those were issued in the Northwoods.

Full story: WJFW

Dan's Minocqua Fudge draws chocolate-lovers to the Northwoods

MINOCQUA - Dan's Minocqua Fudge came to the Northwoods in 1967. In the past 48 years, the store has become a true destination for people who can't live without chocolate.

"Fudgemaking is basically very simple," said manager Michael Johnson. "Here at Dan's, we make all of our own fudge batches from scratch."

"There's no other way to learn it other than hands-on experience," said Candymaker Brandon Federighi.

Full story: WJFW

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