Local Rhinelander Headlines

MEDFORD - The case against an 18-year-old who prosecutors say made a school bomb threat will move forward after he entered a not guilty plea Thursday in Taylor County court.

Jacob Gouza waived his preliminary hearing, but he could spend more than three years in prison if he gets convicted.

Police think Gouza was responsible for threatening to bomb Medford High School in October.

Full story: WJFW

ONEIDA COUNTY, BOONE COUNTY, IND. - Updated March 12, 4:30 p.m. by Lauren Stephenson

We learned new details on Thursday about what 17-year-old Ashlee Martinson may have done on the day she's accused of killing her mother and stepfather.

Jennifer Ayers, 40, and Thomas Ayers, 37, were found dead in their home east of Rhinelander on Sunday.

A funeral will be held for Thomas Ayers on March 27th in Colorado.

Full story: WJFW

RHINELANDER - Some community groups in Oneida County want people to think about the young survivors of a double homicide in the Town of Piehl last weekend.

Three girls, all children of the victims and ages two to nine, are now in the care of Oneida County Social Services.

Records show they were in the home during the murders.

Full story: WJFW

FERGUSON, MO - Police have converged on a home in Ferguson, Missouri, and taken people in for questioning following the shootings of two police officers.

The two officers were shot during a protest outside Ferguson police headquarters early this morning.

Both officers were released from the hospital today. St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar says neither man is expected to suffer any long-term damage, though one officer was shot in the face, just below his right eye, with the bullet lodging behind his ear.

Full story: WJFW

PORT WASHINGTON - The sister-in-law of a former Wisconsin man killed in a helicopter crash says he was a proud Marine and a wonderful father.

Kerry Kemp's family was notified overnight of his death in a training exercise along the Florida Panhandle that killed 11 Marines and soldiers in all.

Kemp's sister-in-law Lora Waraksa says Kemp was Dad to a daughter not quite one year old. She says Kemp loved golf, the ocean, and playing and wrestling with five nephews.

Full story: WJFW

RHINELANDER - You won't see any more high school hockey until next winter, but that doesn't mean you can't watch championship hockey in the Northwoods.

The Rhinelander Hodag Squirt A Hockey team will play for the state title in Minocqua this weekend.

"We've been battling a lot of games," says Squirt player Leo Losch. "It's been a hard season and an easy season, so it's kind of been in the middle."

Full story: WJFW

RHINELANDER - When tragedy happens in a community, it's often hard to make sense of what's happened. The Tri-County Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in Rhinelander will host a vigil tonight to bring the community together. It's after a teenager allegedly killed her mother and stepfather last weekend at a home east of Rhinelander.

Thursday's candlelight vigil will be at 7pm in front of the Oneida County Courthouse. It should help people in the community grieve.

"We want to host this for the community," said Tri-County Council Advocate Braden Bayne-Allison. "We want to encourage anyone in our community who might be affected by this, who might be thinking about this, who might not realize that because of the incidents that have happened, they're being affected."

Full story: WJFW

RHINELANDER - Many people think of St. Patrick's Day as one of the first springtime events. With the warmer weather, it feels like spring is just around the corner.

The fourth annual St. Patrick's Day parade will take place in downtown Rhinelander on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 1:30 p.m.

The parade will feature leprechauns, gold coins, and plenty of floats and celebrations. Organizers hope people come out to enjoy the nice weather.

Full story: WJFW

ONEIDA COUNTY - Last weekend's killings shocked the northern Wisconsin community. Some of those who might have been most disturbed by the homicides are classmates of suspect Ashlee Martinson.

The 17-year-old was a junior at Rhinelander High School. The district's superintendent told us earlier this week she thought Martinson had been in class all of last week. She also said she didn't think the high school ever had any disciplinary issues with Martinson. School district leaders wouldn't agree to an interview but did say there are always counselors on staff available to speak with students.

There are also steps people can take to help those struggling to make sense of the tragedy.

Full story: WJFW

MADISON - A northern Wisconsin lawmaker wants the state to buy more lumber and wood products from inside state boundaries.

A new bill, which is currently in the drafting stages, would direct the state to show preference for Wisconsin forest products in state purchasing and contracts.

Rep. Nick Milroy, D-South Range, calls forest products the second most important industry in the state.

Full story: WJFW

CRANDON - The quick warm-up could cause some sanitation issues for some people who drink from private wells. The melting snow will keep plenty of water running through the ground, which could bring unclean runoff into your well.

"The frost may have impacted a well, and then you're opening the ground back up," said Northern Lake Service President R.T. Krueger. "If you're on a lake where there's not a steep grade right off the shoreline, you're going to have relatively direct influence with the lake water itself."

The Northern Lake service lab technicians say that well depth is plays a big role when dealing with runoff as well. They say you need to monitor that water closely for changes in color, odor, and taste. Krueger suggests testing shallow wells for nitrates and bacteria.

Full story: WJFW

MADISON - About 1,000 people have protested the shooting of an unarmed biracial man by a white police officer by linking arms and blocking traffic.

Traffic was blocked for nearly an hour Wednesday, but the protest was otherwise peaceful, honoring the wishes of the dead man's family.

The marchers began at the state Department of Corrections headquarters to protest black incarceration rates and ended at the governor's mansion where they posted demands for Gov. Scott Walker.

Full story: WJFW

MADISON - Assembly Republicans are again delaying action on a bill imposing sanctions on failing public schools.

The bill could lead to converting public schools into charter schools and firing teachers. It was scheduled for a committee vote Thursday with the full Assembly taking it up next week.

But Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke said Wednesday that the vote is being delayed in the hopes that a deal can be reached with the Senate, which has not endorsed sanctions. Republican Gov. Scott Walker has also not supported sanctions.

Full story: WJFW

IRONWOOD - Many people love to snowmobile. But can you imagine riding more than 300 miles every winter day for six years?

One Minnesota man uses his passion for snowmobiling to raise money for cancer research. He rides in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Nick Keller wakes up at 6 a.m., unloads his snowmobile, and rides more than 300 miles over the next 12 hours. A friend says driving a snowmobile that far for that long is like driving from here to Texas, but more physically demanding. Keller does it--Every. Single. Day.

Full story: WJFW