Local Rhinelander Headlines

MERRILL - A local stable finds a unique way to train their horses. In fact, it's so unique the Today Show featured the group in it's segment, "Fact or Fiction." "It's a blast. You've got a big horse kicking a big ole' ball around and it looks silly. It's a lot of fun. Anybody can get into it," says Equine Soccer player Marty Bever. Full Story: WJFW

CRANDON - The mother of a Crandon man charged with sexually assaulting children will also be charged, according to court documents released Thursday. Nancy Anderson faces charges of child neglect and failing to have a daycare license. Full Story: WJFW

MADISON - Republican State Rep. Mary Williams introduced a bill this week that would increase more information on Wisconsin's Sex Offender Registry. The bill addresses what Rep. Williams thinks are weaknesses in current law. Full Story: WJFW

ONEIDA COUNTY - Prosecutors believe Traci England took human body parts and used them to train her dog as a cadaver dog. England is the former Oneida and Forest County medical examiner. She has faced several felony charges for more than a year and a half. Her case will now drag out even longer. Full Story: WJFW

MADISON - A state Senate committee is set to hold a public hearing on Wisconsin's Common Core academic standards. Wisconsin was one of the first states to adopt the voluntary national standards. Full Story: WJFW

MERCER - Problems like sex trafficking seem far away from the Northwoods. But prosecutors say three Milwaukee women brought a 14-year-old girl to the Northwoods to sell her sex acts. Full Story: WJFW

RHINELANDER - A breathalyzer test can only monitor a person's drinking over a period of hours. But now, scientists can look at blood and fingernail samples to uncover a person's drinking history months into the past. Full Story: WJFW

MERRILL - As families travel to pumpkin patches this month, they may notice less pumpkins. Some farms have struggled to grow pumpkins this year. Others have thrived. Full Story: WJFW

RHINELANDER - Weeding sounds like a chore, but today 7th and 8th graders had fun weeding the woods. The science classes at Rhinelander's James Williams Middle School spent time removing Buckthorn. It's an invasive plant. Removing it is one step in building an educational trail through the woods between the middle and high school. Full Story: WJFW

LANGLADE, FOREST COUNTIES - The Northwoods got one step closer Wednesday to claiming the newest Scenic Byway in Wisconsin. State Highway 55 winds through Langlade and Forest Counties. Full Story: WJFW

PARK FALLS - The Park Falls man accused of killing his wife returns to court today. Police believe William Rambo stabbed his wife to death IN Park Falls in August. Police think Rambo threatened to do exactly that two weeks earlier. Full Story: WJFW

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A bitter budget fight has led to a U.S. government shutdown, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers without paychecks and shutting down federal services all over the country. Full Story: WJFW

MERRILL - For most of us, a banana peel or apple core looks like garbage. But some elementary schoolers in Merrill see those kinds of scraps a little differently. “We live in a throwaway society,” says Kristen Novitch, a teacher at Washington Elementary. She and other teachers at the school wanted to change that. So, eight years ago, they got students to start composting at lunch time. Full Story: WJFW

MADISON - The uninsured now have 10 weeks to sign up for health insurance or face a penalty. The new online marketplace, or exchange, where federally subsidized private insurance plans are offered went live on Tuesday. Full Story: WJFW