Local Rhinelander Headlines

State grant to help Merrill demolish blighted Page Milk facility

MERRILL - An old, vacant facility in Merrill should come down sometime soon thanks to a state grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

The city will demolish the former Page Milk facility on the city's east side using money from the grant.

Mayor Bill Bialecki says the building will get torn down by the end of the year.

Full story: WJFW

Dozens in Tomahawk shave their heads for children's cancer research fundraiser

TOMAHAWK - Fourteen-year-old Katie Lee and 12-year-old Jimmy Lee work together to fight childhood cancer.

The brother and sister are part of a team that raises money for St. Baldrick's Organization.

Every three minutes a child gets diagnosed with cancer. The Lees want to do everything they can to change that statistic.

Full story: WJFW

The Luncheonette offers healthy and fast food

ANTIGO - While you may want to use a drive thru for lunch when you're in a hurry, you might want to think twice. One restaurant in Antigo guarantees faster food that's healthy too.

The Luncheonette inside The Natural Living food store started up in January. They provide gluten-free and organic sandwiches, baked goods, and coffee to give a new dining option to the area.

"We wanted to be able to offer our customers local natural foods that were affordably priced," Natural Living store owner Jennifer Hayek said. "They could come in and pick up just like any other restaurant, but the ingredients are natural, mostly non-GMO, almost all organic, and locally sourced."

Full story: WJFW

Squash Lake hosts fundraiser to guess when loon will fall through ice

RHINELANDER - You may have noticed the large loon figure sitting on Squash Lake. That's because the Squash Lake Association wants you to guess when the ice will melt. They'll know when the loon floats on the water instead of the ice.

The association will use the money it raises for divers to manually pull out the Eurasian Water Milfoil weeds, an invasive species, instead of using chemicals to destroy it.

Go to the Squash Lake Association website, link below, and you will see a link for a form to submit a guess and donation.

Full story: WJFW

Tomahawk Library Receives First Payment from Natural Resources Education Fund

TOMAHAWK - The Tomahawk Public Library will soon expand its natural resources programming for kids. The library will get its first payment from the Tomahawk Public Library Natural Resources Education Fund.

The money will help the library get natural resources books for kids, as well as other educational materials, to encourage learning about the outdoors. The library already hosts some natural resources programming, namely inviting environmentalists to speak at events and reading to kids along the Wisconsin River each August.

Full story: WJFW

Everest Metro Police searching for man wanted on felony charges

EVEREST - The Everest Metro Police Department wants to find Shawn Donovan.

Donovan is wanted on several felony charges after an incident in Weston Tuesday. He also has a felony probation warrant for his arrest.

Donovan is 40-years-old, 6 foot 1, 200 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He has a violent history and should not be approached.

Full story: WJFW

Chief: 2 children likely dead before standoff began

SPRINGFIELD, MO - Police say two children found dead along with their father after a 23-hour standoff at a Missouri apartment likely died before officers arrived.

Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams said during a news conference Tuesday that the children were fatally shot by their father, William Williams.

Police say the father was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound when police entered the apartment in Springfield after the standoff, which began late Sunday and ended around 9 p.m. Monday.

Full story: WJFW

Rhinelander High School shows its focus on the health of its athletes and head injuries

RHINELANDER - Former Badger and 49ers Chris Borland surprised the NFL Monday by retiring.

Experts thought the NFC week 11 defensive player of the week would be a strong part of the San Francisco 49ers' line backing core next year.

But Borland was too worried about the long term impact of repetitive head traumas from hits.

Full story: WJFW

'Frantic' pace helps Bessemer Speedboys live up to name on basketball court

BESSEMER - "I don't think we've ever hit a hundred," says Jess Mazzon, one of the senior leaders of the Bessemer boys basketball team.

But watching the team play, it's no surprise the team has come close to scoring one hundred points in a game.

During a home game in the gym called the "House of Noise" in early March, Bessemer was on pace for one hundred after one quarter against Ewen-Trout Creek.

Full story: WJFW

Northwoods Republican lawmaker opposed to Gov. Walker's stewardship freeze proposal

CRANDON - Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget would freeze state spending on conservation lands through 2028.

The state has been buying easements and lands through the DNR's Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund since 1989. The easements ensure the land remains mostly unchanged. They also guarantee public access to the lands.

But not all Republicans agree with Walker's proposal.

Full story: WJFW

Wisconsin Assembly votes to increase speed limit to 70 mph

MADISON - Wisconsin lawmakers have hit the gas pedal on a bill that would increase the maximum speed limit on some state highways and freeways.

The state Assembly approved the bill on a 76-22 vote Tuesday. The bill allows the Department of Transportation to increase speed limits to 70 mph in approved areas, up from the current 65 mph limit.

Opponents said increasing speed limits is too dangerous. Rep. Dana Wachs, an Eau Claire Democrat, said he would not support the bill because it could increase deaths on Wisconsin roadways.

Full story: WJFW

Senate passes bill to delay reporting of test scores

MADISON - There would be no school report cards with results of tests taken by students this spring under a bill that has passed the Wisconsin state Senate.

There is broad support for the proposal passed Tuesday because of concerns related to the troubled implementation of the test and fears that students could fare poorly on it.

This year's test, known as the Badger Exam, is tied to the Common Core academic standards.

Full story: WJFW

Donkey ball game goes on despite protest

EDGAR - The threat of a lawsuit didn't stop the Edgar Future Farmers of America club from holding a donkey ball game at the local high school.

The Global Conservation Group collected thousands of petition signatures online to stop Monday night's fundraising event. The group threatened legal action if the Edgar School District didn't cancel the game. Opponents were concerned the games could physically harm the donkeys because players ride atop the animals while trying to play basketball.

Full story: WJFW

Oneida County Homicides: friends describe accused as 'outgoing,' 'caring'

RHINELANDER - Fewer than two weeks ago, 17-year-old Ashlee Martinson worked at a Rhinelander retail store and was a student at Rhinelander High School. She now she sits in an Indiana jail, charged with two counts of first degree intentional homicide.

Investigators believe she shot and killed her 37-year-old stepfather, Thomas Ayers, and stabbed her 40-year-old mother, Jennifer Ayers, to death two weekends ago at their home east of Rhinelander. Her friends remain shocked.

"She was happy, you know, it was her birthday, she was having a good day, the last I knew," said Martinson's friend Ceara Clarke.

Full story: WJFW

Walker says he hopes to ride Harley across New Hampshire

MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker says he's looking forward to riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle across the early presidential voting state of New Hampshire.

Walker made the comment after speaking at a tourism conference, noting that New Hampshire is just 65 miles wide.

Walker spent the weekend in New Hampshire for his first visit since 2012. Walker is taking steps toward a likely presidential run, but has not yet officially declared his intentions. He qualified his comments about the New Hampshire Harley ride, saying he wants to do it ``If we get in.''

Full story: WJFW

Walker budget would raise taxes and fees by $48 million

MADISON - An analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau finds that Gov. Scott Walker's budget would raise taxes and fees by $48 million.

The report released Monday also determines that Walker proposals to bolster tax collection would bring in nearly $125 million in additional revenue over the next two years.

The bulk of the tax increase, $22 million, is Walker's proposal to delay implementation of a law that expanded when retailers could claim certain sales tax reductions for bad debt.

Full story: WJFW

Oneida County homicides UPDATE: paperwork done to force Martinson back to Wisconsin; investigators find more clues

The Oneida County District Attorney's office finished its work to try to force Ashlee Martinson back to Wisconsin to face prosecution. It completed what's called a Governor's Warrant packet on Monday afternoon.

Martinson has challenged Wisconsin's attempt to extradite her back to Oneida County.

She was arrested in Boone County, Indiana, under suspicion that she killed her mother and step-father in Oneida County during the weekend of March 7 and 8.

Full story: WJFW

Construction begins for expanding Crandon gas line to Potawatomi Community

CRANDON - Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) and North State Utility Contractors began rebuilding a natural gas line in the Crandon area on Monday, the first step for expanding the line to the Potawatomi Community.

Utility workers will cover about 5.3 miles of gas line. On Monday, the workers started working on the gas line just north of Crandon. The rebuild is for improving pressure in the line to move gas up to the Potawatomi Community buildings on Highway 8.

Construction will continue throughout the summer. Officials say they expect to be finished in August. Crandon residents should receive notice about construction in the mail.

Full story: WJFW

Warmer weather could lead to early wildfire season

LAKELAND AREA - Warmer weather could mean an earlier start to wildfires. As the snow melts, the Department of Natural Resources wants people to be careful starting fires.

The DNR says wildfire season will start a little earlier than last year. They already suspended burning permits in 22 southern and northwestern counties.

"Once the sun gets out and the fields get a chance to dry out, as people are going outside to clean up their yards, they're sometimes burning yard debris," Woodruff DNR Forester Ranger Jake Bonack said. "That can quickly get away from them if the winds pick up."

Full story: WJFW

Budget proposal could mean entire grade sharing between school districts

RHINELANDER - A proposal in Gov. Scott Walker's two-year state budget could give schools the opportunity to share entire grades. Experts like Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance Executive Director Jerry Fiene says it won't mean consolidation, but it could give districts more flexibility.

The proposal would keep school districts intact. For example, two districts could share a building to teach all of their middle school students at one chosen district. Then, they could just keep their two elementary systems in place and separate.

"This is an option that would be available to a select number of school districts that happen to be located in close proximity to each other, where they could actually work together to make available more opportunities for their students," Fiene said.

Full story: WJFW

Two suspects in crime spree arrested after high speed chase

ANTIGO - Two suspects accused of multiple crimes this past weekend in Langlade County could face charges. Langlade County Sheriff Bill Greening believes Lisa Patten, 37, and Colton Hancock, 21 stole two cars, a snowmobile, and burglarized a home.

Sheriff Greening says Police first found out about the pair after an employee at McDonald's called 911 on Saturday to report people trying to pay with a counterfeit $20 bill. The suspects left the scene driving a black Ford pick-up truck.

A police officer found the car on 2nd Avenue in Antigo and pulled it over. Police say that's when the car took off. Police followed the car in a high speed chase for a while.

Full story: WJFW

Man pleads not guilty in nail salon attack

WAUSAU - The case of a Marathon County man accused of stabbing three people at a Rib Mountain nail salon will go to trial.

A judge ruled Monday that Doan Nguyen is competent to stand trail.

Nguyen is charged with first degree intentional homicide, two counts of first degree recklessly endangering safety, and two felony counts of battery. Nguyen pled not guilty in court Monday.

Full story: WJFW

Pages