Local Rhinelander Headlines

Deputies: Wrong way driver too drunk for breath test

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County sheriff's deputies say a man driving the wrong way on a major highway was too drunk to take an alcohol breath test.

Authorities say the driver swerved around one squad car Sunday and then pulled over after a police officer positioned his squad to stop him. Authorities say the 33-year-old Milwaukee man was too intoxicated to ``maintain consciousness'' for the breath test.

Full story: WJFW

Fire out at metal coating company in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE - A fire fueled by exploding propane tanks is out at a Milwaukee industrial company.

Deputy Fire Chief Terry Lintonen says everyone is OK at Acme Galvanizing on the city's south side where a two-alarm fire burned earlier Monday morning.

Billowing black smoke could be seen for miles as the fire burned and destroyed a secondary building on the property. Firefighters were able to keep the blaze from igniting the main building.

Full story: WJFW

County Deer Advisory Councils looking for public opinion for recommendation on Antlerless tags for 2015 season

ANTIGO - Hunters will soon get to voice their opinions on antlerless deer tags for the 2015 deer season.

Every northern county will focus on increasing its deer population until 2017.
The County Deer Advisory Councils will meet this and next month to hear from the public.

The meetings will help leaders set preliminary antlerless quota recommendations for each county.

Full story: WJFW

"Bowl For Music" helped raise funds for the Rhinelander High School Music Department

RHINELANDER - You could bowl for a good cause at Hodag Lanes in Rhinelander Sunday.

The fundraiser "Bowling for Music" raises money for the Rhinelander High School Music department. It's the fourth year they've had the fundraiser.

It only cost $10 to bowl and help raise money for the music department.

Full story: WJFW

Former lab worker at Madison Veterans Hospital accused of using stolen records to get credit cards

MADISON - A former lab worker at the Veterans Hospital in Madison is accused of using information stolen from VA records to obtain credit cards.

23-year-old Elizabeth Feng of Madison also is accused of stealing mail from her neighbors and using the information to access other people's checking accounts.

Feng was charged Thursday with identity theft, misdemeanor theft and unauthorized opening of mail.

Full story: WJFW

Local tattoo artist hopes his business can help people enjoy the sometimes misunderstood art

RHINELANDER - Whether you're getting a tattoo or just looking at one, Jake's Tattooing and Body Piercing in Rhinelander wants people to simply have fun with the art.

"It's like getting jewelry that you're not going to lose, ever," said Morrison.

Jake Morrison used to be a tattoo artist in Boston. He says there aren't a lot of differences between tattooing in the Northwoods versus the east coast.

Full story: WJFW

A local father and daughter teamed up to give the Northwoods a unique gallery experience

RHINELANDER - Joe and Ingrid Bodensteiner put a lot of work into the exhibit.

You can find more than 10 years worth of photos from Joe's world travels. His daughter Ingrid has a variety of pottery pieces on display.

"I think it's been very positive feedback so far," said Joe. "Some people have been kind of amazed so far at how good it is."

Full story: WJFW

15-year-old charged in stabbing death of 13-year-old boy will stay at adult jail

WAUSAU - A 15-year-old charged as an adult in the stabbing death of a 13-year-old boy in central Wisconsin is being housed at an adult facility.

But it wasn't an easy decision for Marathon County officials because of his age.

Dylan Yang was ordered Thursday to stand trial in the adult court system in the death of 13-year-old Isaiah Powell on Feb. 27.

Full story: WJFW

26-year-old man dies after being shot by Kenosha police officer

KENOSHA - A 26-year-old man has died after being shot by a Kenosha police officer.

According to a police department news release, the shooting happened around 9:30 a.m. Saturday when officers attempted to arrest the man for a felony warrant.

Police say when an officer confronted him, the suspected armed himself with a weapon. The officer then fired his handgun, killing the suspect.

Full story: WJFW

Fisherman missing since November found in river in La Crosse

LA CROSSE - Police say a body recovered from the Mississippi River in downtown La Crosse is that of a fisherman who had been missing since November.

A passer-by spotted the body in the river about 8 a.m. Friday. Authorities later determined the body was 27-year-old Joshua Xiong, of Onalaska, who went missing Nov. 9 while fishing alone near Lock and Dam 7 near Dresbach, Minnesota.

A life jacket and gas tank were found near the dam and his boat was found about one mile downstream. The boat had suffered significant damage.

Full story: WJFW

Oneida County Homicides UPDATE: Suspect, mother had ties to Kansas community; victims' autopsies compete

ONEIDA COUNTY, BOONE COUNTY, IND. - Updated March 13, 2015 5:02 p.m.

We still don't know much about the suspect and victims in the Oneida County homicide case.

But we got a slightly clearer idea of who they are on Friday, by way of information from Kansas.

Seventeen-year-old Ashlee Martinson is accused of killing her mother, Jennifer Ayers, and her stepfather, Thomas Ayers, last weekend at a home east of Rhinelander.

Full story: WJFW

Historic St. Germain retreat to become housing development; developer shares plans

ST. GERMAIN - A historic St. Germain retreat will become a new lakefront housing development on Lake Content and Big St. Germain Lake.

This winter, Wausau Homes bought the historic Awassa Lodge and nearly 200 acres surrounding it from Integrys, the parent company of Wisconsin Public Service, for $3.1 million. The property was used as a retreat for Wisconsin Public Service and Integrys employees and their families for nearly 60 years.

"We're looking for the person that wants to come up and build a legacy for their family," said Wausau Homes Minocqua owner Greg Schoone.

Full story: WJFW

Probation for man who threatened to blow up Lincoln County Courthouse

MERRILL - A 47-year-old convicted sex offender won't go to jail or prison for making threats to a least two judges and Lincoln County's District Attorney.

Jack Martinsen, of Merrill, wrote that "days are numbered" for a least two judges and Lincoln County's District Attorney in letters from 2011.

Records show Martinsen said he created a hit list of public officials and threatened to blow up the Lincoln County Courthouse in 2011 and 2012.

Full story: WJFW

A Wisconsin fish farmer hopes to be a model for the future of the small family farm

MENOMONIE - You can't find a lot of fish farms in Wisconsin. In fact, there are only 88 of them. Founder of The Bullfrog Fish Farm, Herby Radmann, used to live in St. Paul, but 27 years ago he realized he was missing what he says is the rural lifestyle.

He bought some land in the Chippewa Valley, and spent seven years getting his fish farm ready. How he did that was an interesting process.

"In the early days I was a crazy guy building a fish farm in the desert," said Radmann. "I discovered water hiding below the surface here, and then it just turned into visions of fish, and the fish farm eventually was born."

Full story: WJFW

Lower Winter Severity Index could mean healthier deer population in Northern Wisconsin

RHINELANDER - DNR biologists think this winter's milder weather will lead to a larger and healthier deer population than we saw in northern Wisconsin last year.

The DNR measures the severity of winter weather in Northern Wisconsin on a scale called the Winter Severity Index.

To calculate the Winter Severity Index, the DNR adds the number of days with below-zero temperatures to the number of days with at least 18 inches of snow on the ground.

Full story: WJFW

Rhinelander Area Food Pantry's Weekend Food for Kids program doubles enrollment, helps Northwoods families

RHINELANDER - Some students depend on school lunches for food during the school week. Now, the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry makes sure students and their families don't go hungry on the weekend.

At Pelican Elementary School, the weekend food program has doubled in size. More than 80 families get backpacks filled with food every weekend.

Every student who qualifies for free school lunches can enroll in the weekend food program.

Full story: WJFW

Wrestling can be an attractive sport for students in high school

MOSINEE - Wrestling can be an attractive sport to some high school students.

"I love it, I think it's the greatest sport ever," said Junior Josh Ehster.
Ehster and Riley Ivaska both wrestle for Mosinee High School. Ehster finished second at state and Ivaska took fourth. They both believe that wrestling has taught them valuable life skills.

"Oh I feel like wrestling is the best sport you can do as a teenager," Ivaska said. " It teaches you dedication. Responsibility, being at the right place at the right time, if you have to be somewhere at a time, be there."

Full story: WJFW

Adult trial for Wisconsin girls in Slender Man stabbing

WAUKESHA, WIS - A judge has ordered a trial in adult court for two Wisconsin girls accused of stabbing their classmate to please the fantasy horror character Slender Man.

Both girls face a count of attempted first-degree attempted homicide. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren made the decision Friday after spending nearly a month weighing testimony from the girls' preliminary hearing.

The girls' attorneys had argued that the girls believed they had to kill their friend to protect their families from Slender Man, a mitigating factor that warranted a charge of second-degree attempted homicide, which would have to be prosecuted in juvenile court.

Full story: WJFW

Warm weather could increase river flow

WAUSAU - As it gets warmer in north central Wisconsin, melting snow will cause more runoff water. This could mean an increased flow on rivers. Wisconsin Public Service wants people to be aware.

"With the spring runoff, that flows are going to be picking up," said WPS Regional Generation Supervisor Brad Menning. "Wisconsin Public Service operates eight hydros in north central Wisconsin. And as the weather starts to get better and fishermen want to get out and other recreational people want to start enjoying the waters, we want to remind people to stay at a safe distance."

Increased river flow could mean rivers become more dangerous this time of year. WPS workers say people need to be careful around dams.

Full story: WJFW

McCaskill: Shootings highlight a `disconnect'

FERGUSON, MO - Attorney General Eric Holder calls the gunman who shot two police officers in Ferguson, Missouri this week a ``punk.'' But U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill tells NBC's ``Today'' show that the shooting highlights ``a disconnect between some communities in this country and law enforcement.'' She said, ``We've got to go back to the drawing board.''

Dozens of people gathered for a candlelight vigil last night, praying for peace and expressing sympathy for the officers, who've now been released from the hospital. A larger crowd of about 200 gathered outside the police department. Many called for the resignation of Ferguson's mayor, or the disbanding of the police department.

Others were there to remember 18-year-old Michael Brown, whose shooting death by a Ferguson police officer in August made the city a national focal point.

Full story: WJFW

External review: Baldwin did not sit on Tomah VA report

MADISON - A report commissioned by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin's office blames her constituent services team for mishandling a report on overmedication problems at a Tomah Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, but also acknowledges that senior staff members made mistakes.

The review, done by Perkins Coie, a Seattle-based law firm, found that Baldwin's office ineffectively communicated constituent concerns about the Tomah hospital, but did not intentionally sit on the report. Baldwin's office released the findings Friday.

Full story: WJFW

You can learn more about Victorian undergarments in Merrill

MERRILL - We don't normally talk about our undergarments. But, the Merrill Historical Society has an event that will have you chatting about it.

The society will host an event called Victorians' Secrets: The Revealing History of Women's Underwear on Saturday March 14, 2015 at 2pm.

Women couldn't stand up in government because of the restricting dresses they wore.

Full story: WJFW

Oneida County homicides: community members turn out for vigil after double homicide

RHINELANDER - Community members in Rhinelander gathered at a candle light vigil Thursday to grieve after a double homicide in the Town of Piehl over the weekend.

17-year-old Ashlee Martinson faces two homicide charges for the death of 40-year-old Jennifer Ayers and 37-year-old Thomas Ayers. Both were found dead Sunday in their home in the Town of Piehl south of Three Lakes.

Martinson is currently in jail in Boone County, Indiana, where she was arrested on Sunday.

Full story: WJFW

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