Will It Pass?
THREE LAKES - Educating our children costs money.
But like many of us in this economy, school districts are struggling financially.
Add to that an aging population, declining enrollment, and less money from the state.
Full Story: WJFW
Local Rhinelander Headlines
Forest County Potawatomi invests $25,000 in FCEDP
CRANDON - People looking to start up a business will get a big boost from a Northwoods tribe.
The Forest County Potawatomi Foundation invested in a $25,000 dollar grant through the Forest County Economic Development Partnership.
Full Story: WJFW
Tomahawk School District Gets New Technology
TOMAHAWK - When you help your children with homework, you probably grab a pen and a piece of paper.
One local district is using a different method to teach their students.
Students at Tomahawk Middle and High School already have some experience with new technology.
Full Story: WJFW
Huge, Divinely-Inspired Bible Camp Struck Down
WOODBORO - God told the Jaros family to build a huge Bible camp on Squash Lake west of Rhinelander.
That's what the family told a federal court.
But the court is now telling the family they'll need to look somewhere else.
The Jaros family claimed divine calling when they decided to build a Bible camp fit for hundreds of people on the lake.
Full Story: WJFW
Northwoods Fire Departments Gets Donation
When you think of the fire fighters, you probably think of them helping you.
But a group of gracious women did exactly the opposite for a couple of local fire departments.
The General Federation of Womens Club donated Pediatric Jump Kits Bags for different fire departments.
Full Story: WJFW
Forest County man arrested for attempted first-degree homicide
ARMSTRONG CREEK - An Armstong Creek woman and child got out safely Sunday night after her husband fired a gun in their home.
Forrest Schaller is being held for attempted first degree homicide in the Crandon jail.
Police say he pointed a gun at his wife and later fired a shot in their home near Armstrong Creek.
Full Story: WJFW
Athletic Oversight Committee Proposed at Northland Pines
EAGLE RIVER - A Northwoods school district could get student athletes and their parents more involved in the decision making process.
Northland Pine's school board discussed an Athletic Oversight Committee last week. The idea was pitched by a parent whose son was cut from the varsity hockey team last fall.
Full Story: WJFW
Making Schools Safer
MOSINEE - When you think back to Sandy Hook, you probably think of the name Adam Lanza.
He’s the man who gunned down 20 children and six adults at the elementary school in December.
That tragedy has led to a tense gun control debate…and talks about how to deal with mental illness.
Full Story: WJFW
Metal and rust makes welding art at Nicolet
RHINELANDER - Hundreds of pounds of metal and rust will make for a unique display of Nicolet College's new logo.
Welding students at the school made this display of the new oak-leaf logo.
It will soon hang in the University Transfer Center.
Full Story: WJFW
Fire Destroys Resort Cottage
ST. GERMAIN - Fire destroyed a cottage in St. Germain on Monday -- and winter plumbing problems may be to blame.
St. Germain Fire Chief Tim Clark said a plumber might have started the fire while thawing out the building's pipes. His crew rushed to Deer Run Resort around 12:20 yesterday afternoon.
"While in route, that there was flames coming out the building. That's when we called for some more mutual aid. When I got here fire was already going through the windows."
Full Story: WJFW
Northwoods School Checks Security System
MINOCQUA - The Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut made plenty of parents uneasy sending their children to school, but even before the tragedy, one Northwoods high school has improved their security system.
Lakeland Union High School has had a security system since the late 1990's.
They changed their system after the Columbine Shooting.
Full Story: WJFW
Hundreds participate in the St. Germain Radar Run
ST. GERMAIN - Imagine flying down a stretch of ice at 170 miles per hour.
Add a little snow and hundreds of sleds and you’ve got the St. Germain Radar Run.
“We’ve got a beautiful snow track for people to come in off the trails to just try it for themselves and see what it’s all about,” said Mark Hiller, director of the race.
Full Story: WJFW
Representatives hold local swearing in ceremony
MERRILL - They were sworn in officially on January 7th, but today two local legislators brought that same ceremony closer to home.
State Senator Tom Tiffany and Representative Mary Czaja held an in-district swearing-in ceremony in Merrill today.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Pat Roggensack gave them the oath of office.
Both officals were proud to bring the ceremony to their districts.
Full Story: WJFW
Small bussiness scam hits Northwoods shops
EAGLE RIVER - Small businesses face plenty of unique challenges. Now, they need to be aware of an official-looking scam.
Yesterday, the Department of Financial Institutions issued a warning not to submit any information to groups requesting an Annual Meeting Minutes form.
Letters from Corporate Records Service set-off the warning signals.
Full Story: WJFW
Man accused of stabbing wife outside Hodag statue headed to trial
The man accused of stabbing his wife near the Rhinelander Hodag statue will go to trial.
Shannon Wolf is accused of chasing his wife down outside the chamber of commerce one year ago today.
Police say he leaned into the car she was riding in, choked and stabbed her.
Full Story: WJFW
Young Student Does the Right Thing
TOMAHAWK - Parents preach to their kids, honesty is the best policy. One fourth grader at Tomahawk Elementary listened. Nine year old Payton Bonce spoke up in a Math competition when he thought the score was wrong.
"She was announcing the fifth grade and I told her that my scores were wrong. So they went back and checked it and I came in fourth place, not third," said Payton Bonce.
Full Story: WJFW
Business Fraud: An Issue in the Northwoods
EAGLE RIVER - Small businesses face plenty of unique challenges. Now, they need to be aware of an official-looking scam.
Yesterday, the Department of Financial Institutions issued a warning not to submit any information to groups requesting an Annual Meeting Minutes form.
Letters from Corporate Records Service set-off the warning signals.
Full Story: WJFW
Wisconsin Supreme Court Asked to Review Use of American Indian Nicknames by Schools
MADISON - Should Wisconsin schools be able to use American Indian nicknames and logos?
The state's highest court has been asked to take on the issue of Native American mascotts.
The state schools superintendent ordered the Mukwonago Area School District in southeastern Wisconsin to drop its "indians" nickname and logo.
Full Story: WJFW
Peoples State Bank Challenges Community
RHINELANDER - Local food pantries got a thirteen thousand dollar boost from a month long challenge last December.
The Northwoods community and Peoples State Bank joined forces to help out local food pantries.
This is the fourth year the bank challenged the community to raise food and money.
Full Story: WJFW
Printpack Will Hire Twice as Many People as Projected
RHINELANDER - Printpack will hire twice as many people as it originally thought.
Up to 30 new people will have jobs at the new manufacturing facility this year.
The company announced the expansion back in May.
Full Story: WJFW
Library Building Committee Takes More Time to Save Money
BOULDER JUNCTION - The Boulder Junction building committee hoped to have plans for a new community center finalized today. But its decided to take an extra two weeks to make more cost saving changes to the plans.
Last fall the town voted "yes" to the 14,000 square foot plan. Since then an architect has come up with a design the committee thinks will please everyone.
Full Story: WJFW
Rhinelander Students Build Robots
RHINELANDER - You may think building robots is impossible. But high school students accomplished just that. The First Tech Challenge Club of Rhinelander High has finished 2 robots.
One of the two robots is programmed to run a straight path. Then, it enters a series of spins. The robots and their builders are headed off to U-W Milwaukee Friday morning.
Full Story: WJFW
Grants Offered From Shopko
RHINELANDER - In 2012, the Shopko Foundation gave just under a million dollars to non-profit organizations.
A handful of those grants were awarded to the Northwoods. Amanda Brown is a supervisior at Rhinelander's Shopko. She'd like to see more applications from non-profits.
Full Story: WJFW
Car Crash near Highway 8 and Lake Road
MONICO - A crash sent two people to the hospital this afternoon. It happened around 3 p.m. near Highway 8 and Lake Road in Monico.
Full Story: WJFW
New Trial Denied in Notorious Wisconsin Murder
MADISON - A state appeals court has rejected a new trial for a man convicted in one of Wisconsin's most notorious murders.
Brendan Dassey was sentenced to life with no parole eligibility for 41 years in a Manitowoc County murder.
He was convicted in 2007 of first-degree murder, second-degree sexual assault, and mutilation of a corpse in the killing of Teresa Halbach.
Full Story: WJFW
Energy Saving Challenge
RHINELANDER - Going "green" seems like a popular phrase these days.
For some of us, that's as easy as reusing grocery bags and turning down the heat.
But for bigger organizations, it can be a bigger and more expensive transition.
That's why Wisconsin Public Service decided to make going green a competition.
Full Story: WJFW
Monico Vacation Home Vandalism Update
MONICO - Piece by piece and memory by memory, a family with a vacation home in Monico is recovering. Their home was viciously destroyed by burglars. We showed you their vandalized home last week.
The Oneida County Sheriff's Office arrested all three suspects in this incredible act of vandalism. But the Wierzbicki's will need a lot more than that to pick up the pieces.
This week they struggled to figure out where to even begin.
Full Story: WJFW
Hot grease causes home and garage fire near Merrill
MERRILL - On a chilly, wet day, hot grease seems to be the culprit for burning a house down in Lincoln County Tuesday.
Lincoln County crews responded to a fire on Pope Road just north of Merrill around 2 p.m. A garage and adjacent home were both on fire.
Full Story: WJFW
Appleton man killed in Forest County snowmobile crash
CRANDON - An Appleton man died while snowmobiling in Forest County Monday afternoon.
The Forest County Sheriff's Office and the DNR responded to the crash near the the town of Blackwell at 4:15 p.m.
Full Story: WJFW
Man Pleads Not Contest in Bath Salt Case
RHINELANDER - The Rhinelander man accused of walking in the freezing cold with his infant son while high on bath salts wil face day jail time.
Patrick Dalka pleaded no contest to intentionally abusing a hazardous substance today.
Dalka's bond was reduced because he completed alcohol treatment.
Full Story: WJFW
