Local Rhinelander Headlines

Neosho man rescues fisherman from water after fisherman falls through ice

MINOCQUA - Peter Damrow, 56, of Neosho, pulled Jay Taylor, 56, of Mercer, from the water after Taylor fell through the ice while fishing on Squirrel Lake in Minocqua Thursday afternoon, according to the Minocqua Police Department.

Damrow found an aluminum boat near where Taylor fell through the ice. Damrow pushed the boat out on the lake and pulled Taylor from the water but couldn't move the boat back to shore.

Emergency units rescued Taylor and Damrow and got them back to shore in the boat.

Full story: WJFW

Langlade County Sheriff's Office investigates burglary

LANGLADE COUNTY - The Langlade County Sheriff's Office needs your help in a burglary investigation.

It happened sometime in late March.

Deputies say at least five guns were stolen in southern Langlade County, including a pre-1964 Winchester Model 94 lever action, a SKS assault rifle with factory bayonet, Remington Model 7600, Remington 870 Wingmaster .20 gauge shotgun, and a Browning .308 caliber rifle.

Full story: WJFW

UPDATE: Sheriff's Office says Portage County man dead of natural causes, not foul play

TOWN OF ALMOND - Following an autopsy Thursday, the Portage County Sheriff's Office says the death of 92-year-old Sylvester Kawlewski was caused by a medical problem and not foul play. Authorities no longer consider his death a police matter.

One of Kawlewski's sons found him dead Wednesday in Portage County on County Highway BB, south of Plover in the Town of Almond.

Full story: WJFW

Brewers fall to Padres in spring training 6-5

PEORIA, ARIZONA - Ryan Braun went 2 for 3, hit his third home run of the spring and declared he's regained his swing as the Milwaukee Brewers lost to the San Diego Padres 6-5 on Thursday.

Braun doubled in the fourth and hit a solo home run off Jason Lane an inning later, leaving him at .361 this spring.

Braun returned from a 65-game drug suspension in 2013 to hit a career-low .266 last season as he played through a right thumb injury that he said didn't allow him to keep the top hand on the bat.

Full story: WJFW

UPDATE:Portage County death cause medically related, no long law enforcement matter

TOWN OF ALMOND - The Portage County Sheriff's Office now call the suspicious death of a 92-year-old medically related. It's also no longer a police matter unless things change.

One of 92-year-old Sylvester Kawlewski's sons found him dead Wednesday in Portage County.

It happened on County Highway BB, south of Plover in the Town of Almond.

Full story: WJFW

Minocqua police credit man for pulling fisherman out of water after falling through ice

MINOCQUA - The Minocqua Police Department says a 56-year-old Dodge County man was able to pull a 56-year-old Mercer man out of a lake after the ice broke under him Thursday.

The department says 56-year-old Jay Taylor, of Mercer, had fallen through the ice on Squirrel Lake in Minocqua at approximately 1:16 p.m. He was approximately 100 yards off shore.

Police say Peter Damrow, 56, of Neosho, found an aluminum boat near a home where Taylor fell through the ice. Damrow was able to push the boat out on the lake and pull Taylor from the water. They weren't able to move the boat back to shore.

Full story: WJFW

A petition to dissolve Rhinelander's Business Improvement District or BID will move forward

RHINELANDER - Dissolving the BID would cut Downtown Rhinelander Inc. funding in half.

Businesses in downtown Rhinelander pay taxes to the BID.

That money then helps Downtown Rhinelander Inc. or DRI promote the area. DRI will lose about half of its funding if the BID dissolves.

Full story: WJFW

Northern long-eared bat put on federal threatened species list; timber leaders worried about how regulations will affect logging industry

NORTHWOODS - The federal government put the northern long-eared bat on the threatened species list Wednesday.

That's because of a deadly fungal disease that's killed millions of bats.

White-nose syndrome was first found on bats in a New York Cave in 2006.

Full story: WJFW

Preventing baby sleeping deaths

RHINELANDER - Infants can sometimes die in their sleep. But there are things parents can do to make sure their child is safe.

Public health experts say parents should never sleep with their baby in the same bed. In Wisconsin, some babies have died after being accidentally crushed by their parents while sleeping. Infants are safest when they're sleeping alone, on their backs.

"You can always put them in a bassinet next to your bed. You can reach over and touch them. They can hear you breathing," says public health nurse Dawn Klink. "They know you're there, but you don't have the risks of having them in your bed."

Full story: WJFW

High speed chase leads to seven drug arrests in Wausau

WAUSAU - A high speed chase led to the arrest of seven people in Wausau on Wednesday.

Marathon County Sheriff's deputies tried to stop a car leaving a known drug trafficking place that was under surveillance.

The person in the car, Matthew Gesicki, led sheriff's deputies on a high speed chase. He eventually crashed the car on North First Avenue near Randolph Street in Wausau. Investigators say he then ran on foot and was caught not far from the crash.

Full story: WJFW

Red flag fire warning in Bayfield, Douglas counties

MADISON - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the danger of wildfires is extremely high in Bayfield and Douglas counties.

The DNR issued a red flag warning for the two counties Thursday.

Permit burning isn't allowed in barrels, debris piles and grass and wooded areas because of the conditions. Also campfires, fireworks and outdoor smoking aren't recommended.

Full story: WJFW

Boutique of the Week: Gaslight Antiques and Collectibles

MINOCQUA - Gaslight Antiques and Collectibles in Minocqua holds many unique treasures.

"We have very unusual items," said manager Diane Diederich. "Just come in and search for those treasures. You never know what you'll find here."

The store carries more than a half a million items packed in to more than 16,000 square feet of space. The selection so large that many customers walk out of the store carrying purchases they didn't know they wanted or needed when they walked in.

Full story: WJFW

Man falls through ice in Shawano County

SHAWANO COUNTY - The Shawano County Sheriff's Office responded to a call around 4:45 Wednesday afternoon about a man who had fallen through the ice on Washington Lake in the Town of Wescott.

Sheriff's deputies believe the man spent most of the day fishing there, before falling through the ice.

The Shawano County Ambulance service, diving team, and the fire department all responded to the scene. Several civilians also helped pull the man from the water.

Full story: WJFW

Five students hurt by falling tree at Wisconsin nature center

TWO RIVERS - Authorities say five students on a field trip were hurt when a tree fell on them at a Wisconsin nature center.

WBAY-TV reports the students were sitting on a bench at Woodland Dunes Nature Center in Two Rivers when a willow fell Wednesday afternoon. The tree was 20 to 30 feet tall.

The students were on a field trip with Bethany Lutheran School in Manitowoc. All five were taken to a hospital in Two Rivers. The principal of Bethany Lutheran says four students were released within hours and a fifth is being held for observation.

Full story: WJFW

UW-Stevens Point leaders lobby Legislature to reduce proposed budget cuts

STEVENS POINT - Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget would cut state funding to the UW System by 13 percent, or approximately $300 million.

The cut would help resolve a projected budget shortfall, but UW administrators worry about how the cuts would affect the universities.

UW-Stevens Point would lose 25 percent of its state aid, or more than $9 million, if the Legislature approves the cuts. That $9 million represents 3.5 percent of the school's budget. Three-plus percentage points may not sound like a huge amount, but university leaders say the cut is larger than it appears because the university doesn't actually control a large portion of that budget.

Full story: WJFW

Big plans for Phelps revitalization include lodge, grocery store, hardware store

PHELPS - Colin Snook looks across the street at what people in Phelps call "the big store."

"This store was awesome when I was a kid," Snook says. "You could buy anything from underwear to bullets."

Snook grew up in Phelps. He's now the Town Chairman. "The big store" hasn't been open for almost a decade.

Full story: WJFW

Rhinelander leaders push for city to pass sales tax increase for infrastructure improvements

RHINELANDER - Voters in Rhinelander will decide on April 7 if the city should raise its sales tax. The increase would be ½ of a cent for every dollar. The proposal is an advisory question, so if it passes, the city would still need help from the state legislature if it passes.

Rhinelander wants to increase its 5.5 percent sales tax to 6 percent using a Premier Resort Area Tax. That increase would only apply to items at what the Wisconsin Department of Revenue considers tourist related retailers. Those range from toy stores, to restaurants, to stores that sell sewing supplies.

By state statute, all of the money collected will go to infrastructure improvements.

Full story: WJFW

Police investigating possible kidnapping

WAUSAU - Police in Wausau want to talk to a man who might have tried to kidnap a child.

The child's father told police a man walked up to his seven-year-old and started talking. The man allegedly asked the child if the child was lost and grabbed the child's coat.

The child's father says he saw what was happening and started yelling at the man. The man then took off.

Full story: WJFW

Baseball begins for Merrill Blue Jays

MERRILL - The weather looks like it's starting to finally warm up, and that means baseball is back.

For the Merrill Blue Jays, the start of a new season means a fresh start.

"As a team I think we want to win, go farther in the playoffs than we have the last couple years," says senior pitcher Justin Pyan. "Last couple years you won a playoff game or two. I think we really want to go further than that this year. Hopefully [get] a chance at state, if we can get one."

Full story: WJFW

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