Local Rhinelander Headlines

Wisconsin lawmakers advance ride-hailing regulation bill

MADISON - A bill requiring statewide regulations for ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft is headed to a vote before the Wisconsin state Assembly.

An Assembly committee on Wednesday passed the measure on a bipartisan 10-2 vote. It is scheduled to be debated by the full Assembly on Tuesday.

Regulating companies like Uber and Lyft has become a hot topic as they've increased in popularity and competed with traditional taxi services and limo companies.

Full story: WJFW

Federal approvals come through for the sale of Wisconsin Public Service's parent company

MILWAUKEE - All needed federal approvals are in place for the sale of Wisconsin Public Service's parent company.

Wisconsin Energy Corporation wants to buy Chicago-based Integrys Energy Group for 9.1 billion dollars.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave its approval Tuesday.

Full story: WJFW

Bradley says victory shows voters want nonpartisan court

MADISON - Justice Ann Walsh Bradley says her re-election victory shows that voters want the Wisconsin Supreme Court to be nonpartisan.

Bradley easily defeated challenger Rock County Circuit Judge James Daley on Tuesday.

While the race is officially nonpartisan, Daley had openly courted conservatives and accepted donations from the Republican Party.

Full story: WJFW

Governor's office considered giving mine lobbyist DNR job

MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker's staff considered making a lobbyist for a company seeking to dig an iron mine in Wisconsin the state Department of Natural Resources' deputy secretary.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1Dgi79y ) obtained records showing Gogebic Taconite lobbyist Bob Seitz was considered to replace outgoing DNR Deputy Secretary Matt Maroney earlier this year.

A Walker spokeswoman said in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday the administration was looking at Seitz for several positions.

Full story: WJFW

Northwoods jail adjusts to new law requiring DNA samples

ONEIDA COUNTY - A new Wisconsin law means a lot more people will have to submit to giving DNA samples. In some cases, they'll do so even if they're never convicted of a crime.

Correctional officers at the Oneida County Jail now must collect a DNA sample from certain people they're booking.

"We'll be taking all assaultive felonies, and we'll be taking them on their arrival," said Oneida County Correctional Officer Taft Williams.

Full story: WJFW

Kids get chance to plant seedlings, meet mayor

EAGLE RIVER - We may have seen snow recently, but students in Eagle River are thinking about spring.

Kindergarten through fourth graders learned about planting seedlings on Tuesday as part of an event put on by the district's Farm to School program. They even got to get their hands in the dirt.

"The plants will go in the school gardens at St. Germain, Land O' Lakes, Eagle River Elementary, as well as this high school garden here. And then also, the teachers have the opportunity to buy them and the parents have the opportunity to buy them in the spring. And then the remainder is always donated to the Vilas County Food Pantry," said Northland Pines Farm to School Nutrition Educator Jasmyn Schmidt.

Full story: WJFW

Synthetic drugs could become more of a problem in the Northwoods

LAC DU FLAMBEAU - A spike in synthetic drug use in the Lac du Flambeau area in recent years caused police to take action.

The Lac du Flambeau Tribal Police Department saw there was a problem with synthetic drugs starting back in 2010, but it was in 2012 when police say an epidemic started.

Police say they see mostly synthetic marijuana, but also synthetic LSD. People who overdose can pass out, have severe seizures, and essentially have their bodies shut down.

Full story: WJFW

School libraries get more funding, buy new tools for students

RHINELANDER - The libraries in the School District of Rhinelander will get a lot of new tools soon.

The district got $100,222 in library funding this year. That's far more than previous years.

The money was split among the different libraries within the district. Rhinelander High School's library got $12,000 more than its gotten before.

Full story: WJFW

Bo Ryan speaks out about how he likes to run his program

INDIANAPOLIS - Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan likes to run his program a certain way and he made that clear last night after the tough loss.

"Every player that's played through the program, okay, we don't do a rent-a-player, you know what I mean, try to take a 5th year guy whatever, that's okay, if other people like to do that, that's great. I like trying to build from within. That's just the way I am," said Ryan.

That comment started plenty of conversation online today about the one and done players who leave for the NBA after one year of college. Ryan also brought to light teams that take players who are eligible to transfer because they graduated. It's called the graduate exception.

Full story: WJFW

Reserve Bank focusing on reservations' economy

MINNEAPOLIS - The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is focusing on improving economic development on American Indian reservations.

The bank is establishing a national Center for Indian Country Development with a leadership council of 10 to 12 experts. Bank president Narayana Kockerlakota says economic development has lagged on most reservations, making them pockets of extreme rural poverty and underdevelopment.

The bank's region, from northern Wisconsin to Montana, includes several large reservations.

Full story: WJFW

Duke holds off Wisconsin to win national title

INDIANAPOLIS - The package deal has delivered Duke another national championship.

Tyus Jones scored 23 points, his good buddy and freshman teammate Jahlil Okafor added a couple of key baskets in the closing minutes, and the Blue Devils beat Wisconsin 68-63 on Monday night to give coach Mike Krzyzewski his fifth national championship.

The Blue Devils took the lead for the first time since it was 29-28 on a 3-pointer by Grayson Allen, who came off the bench to score 16 points. After the Badgers regained the lead on back-to-back baskets by Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, the Blue Devils stormed away.

Full story: WJFW

Augie's Collectables selling out of Badgers gear

TOMAHAWK - The Badgers may be getting ready for the game Monday, but so are fans across the state. Stores selling Badger merchandise are selling out left and right.

Augie's Collectables in Tomahawk opened its doors 29 years ago. Business has been booming since the Badger's big win against Kentucky on Saturday. It already sold out of all Final Four gear.

"We'll be getting in Championship stuff hopefully on Thursday if they win tonight, or I should say when they win tonight," said Augie's Collectables owner Robert Augustine.

Full story: WJFW

Fitness journey leads Price County man to world-wide success in weight lifting

PHILLIPS - Not many people can deadlift more than 200 pounds. But one Fifield man proves it's never too late to try.

Before 2010, Mike Atkinson never lifted weights. Now, the 69-year-old is a world record setting power lifter.

"I deadlift now 240 [pounds], 245 maybe," says Mike Atkinson. "I want to get that to 300 [pounds]."

Full story: WJFW

Results from L.E.A.P. study could mean some major changes in preventative treatment for peanut allergies

WISCONSIN - Right now, most experts want young children to avoid peanuts, but that might change soon.

The United Kingdom study called Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (L.E.A.P.) had a total of 640 infants with eczema, egg allergy or both. The infants were then fed peanuts (or Bamba, a peanut s snack food), or they avoided peanuts.

The results showed that introducing peanuts into a child's diet at an early age significantly reduced the frequency of peanut allergies among children at high risk for the allergy.

Full story: WJFW

Republican calls for removal of policy items from budget

MADISON - Republican state Sen. Rob Cowles says he wants all 49 policy provisions included in Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal removed before the two-year spending plan is debated by the Legislature.

Cowles on Monday released a memo he requested from the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau listing all the proposals in Walker's budget that primarily relate to policy and not the state's finances.

Cowles says all of the issues should be introduced as separate legislation. Including policy items in the budget has been a longstanding practice by both Republican and Democratic governors as a way to ease passage of sometimes controversial ideas.

Full story: WJFW

Protesters seek United Nations probe of Wisconsin shooting

MADISON - Protesters are calling for the United Nations to investigate a Wisconsin police shooting because they feel the United States government can't be trusted.

Members of Young, Gifted and Black and members of 19-year-old Tony Robinson's family held a news conference at Madison's courthouse on Monday to say they don't believe the Wisconsin Department of Justice's probe into Robinson's death is fair since the agency is staffed by former police officers. They say they don't have faith in any U.S. government agency to look into the matter because it's all part of one system.

They called for the United Nations Human Rights Council to step in.

Full story: WJFW

It's barbecue against cheese in NCAA men's championship game

RALEIGH, N.C. - The waist-expanding wager has been placed for the NCAA men's basketball championship as the governors of North Carolina and Wisconsin, and two of their congressmen, are putting their faith - and their food - behind their respective schools.

Gov. Pat McCrory says that if top-seeded Wisconsin downs top-seeded Duke in the title game in Indianapolis Monday night, he'll send Gov. Scott Walker a package of barbecue, coleslaw, hushpuppies and Cheerwine, a cherry-flavored soft drink. Walker is set to send cheese, root beer and sausage if the Blue Devils win their fifth national title under coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Full story: WJFW

Police: Madison crowds celebrating Wisconsin win obeyed law

MADISON - Madison police say crowds celebrating Wisconsin's win over Kentucky in the Final Four were jubilant but obeyed the law.

WISC-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1Fv6cEq ) there were no arrests or significant incidents when thousands of Badgers fans flooded State Street Saturday night.

According to a news release, there were no reports of property damage and there was only one report of an accidental minor injury.

Full story: WJFW

Brewers Start Season Monday

MILWAUKEE - The Brewers will start their season Monday.

They will face the Colorado Rockies this afternoon.

"This is a team that came in here; you can't really point at holes on this team," Brewers Manager Ron Roenicke said. "I think it's solid you know I hope everyone stays healthy and performs the way that we think they can. I don't think they need to have super years either. I think if they perform the way the guys should, I think it's a pretty good ball club."

Full story: WJFW

Duke is ready to have the edge Monday night

INDIANAPOLIS - Now the Badgers will be playing in their second National Championship game ever.

But the first in one in quite a while as the last and only championship game appearance and win came in 1941.

The Duke Blue Devils under Coach Mike Krzyzewski have had it a bit different.
Under Coach Krzyzewsk the Blue Devils have made it to the National Championship game nine times.

Full story: WJFW

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