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RHINELANDER - Some members of the Rhinelander boy swim team will compete at state.
It's the first time in six years any members of the team have qualified.
That's a long stretch for a historically good program.
WISCONSIN RAPIDS - As a private investigator, Scott Brehm uses all kinds of high tech equipment, like bug detectors, hidden camera sensors, and decibel readers.
The Wisconsin Rapids man sees his job as a way to protect victims.
But if a proposed state law passes, he might lose one tool that he values.
RHINELANDER - Some people living in Rhinelander will soon get the chance to spend personal time with police officers. The Rhinelander Citizen's Police Academy is gearing up for its eighth year.
The academy gives people the chance to see how officers keep the community safe. Rhinelander Police Chief Mike Steffes believes more people would be interested in law enforcement because of the shooting of Dontre Hamilton in Milwaukee.
"I think people want to know the rest of the story. They want to know the truth and we want to be able to share that with them," said Steffes. "We want to be able to explain with them why we do what we do, how we do things and give them a better understanding of how police officers think and the partnerships that we want to be able to establish with the community."
LINCOLN COUNTY - People in Lincoln County can now check if their favorite restaurant has health code violations before they go eat there. The county health department will now post inspection reports on its website.
Health experts think the online records will give people easier access to information they should know. They want people to know what's happening in parts of the restaurant they can't see.
"If you're going out to eat, it's important that where you're eating is safe and they do follow the food safety standards," says Environmental Health Specialist Meghan Williams.
EAGLE RIVER - One Northwoods school district can test a new program that's been in demand for years. It's all thanks to a rural schools grant.
"One of the biggest things parents have talked about is, 'Do you have after school programs for the kids?'" said Eagle River Elementary and Northland Pines Middle School Principal Tony Duffek.
For all the years Duffek has worked for the Northland Pines School District, his answer was, "Nothing on a consistent weekly basis."
MINOCQUA - Voters in Minocqua used Tuesday to decide who makes it on the town's April election ballot. The primary election will narrow down which candidates will run for spots on the school board and the town chairman.
Two candidates for the Minocqua Town Board Chairperson position and four school board candidates will move forward after the primary.
Minocqua Town Clerk Roben Haggart says those positions could have boosted voter turnout and interest.
ANTIGO - What exactly does your dog do when you go to work all day? Recent videos show that dogs don't do much. Some pet experts think that's not a good thing.
"It's so crucial to get a dog tired. A tired dog is a good dog," says Jenny Kressin, owner of Jenny's House of Dogs. "One that's bored is not a good thing because they get into mischief. It can cause a lot of issues. They can chew up something they shouldn't, eat something they shouldn't, destroy your house."
Jenny Kressin opened up the first doggy day care in Antigo to give dogs something fun to do.
MINOCQUA - People with diabetes who also smoke might run the risk of needing an amputation.
Some physicians like Dr. Barbara Mroz from Marshfield Clinic hope to increase awareness about the possibility of amputation for diabetic smokers.
RHINELANDER - Gerald Anderson has had many different jobs in his lifetime. He started off in the Air Force and then he became an engineer, then a lawyer, and then a Lutheran minister.
He's since retired but he says he still wants to give back to his community.
"People ask me how you could go from being a lawyer to being a minister," says Anderson. "And my answer is, I went into law to help people, I went into ministry to help people.
MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker wants the treasurer of his new political committee to serve on the board that oversees the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics even though Democrats say the appointment is inappropriate.
The Senate Health Committee is scheduled to vote Wednesday on Andrew Hitt's appointment to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority Board. He previously served on the board for about a year before leaving in December.
Hitt is treasurer for Our American Revival, a tax-exempt committee Walker created last month that can raise unlimited amounts of money as he considers a run for president.
MADISON - Looks like Secretary of State Doug La Follette's invitation to lawmakers to come see his office got lost in the email.
None showed up Tuesday after La Follette threw his doors open in what he said was a bid to show people the important work done by his staff.
Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget would cut two of the three full-time employees and one part-time employee in La Follette's office.
ST. GERMAIN - "It was a way for people in Poland to use up the lard and eggs and sugar and fruit that may otherwise spoiled in the 40 days of lent," said David Weber from St. Germain Bake Shoppe.
That's how paczkis got their start. The Polish pastry is a staple on Fat Tuesday.
"It's got a high sugar content, which every pastry should have. When it fries, it kind of fluffs up and gets spongey," said Weber.
MADISON - Governor Scott Walker says he won't change his mind about approving a Kenosha casino, rejecting a new offer from the Menominee Nation to help pay for construction of a new Milwaukee Bucks arena.
Walker on Monday sent the tribe a letter rejecting its offer to pay $220 million for the arena, replacing money from the state.
Walker says that idea was never brought forward during 18 months of negotiations related to the proposed $800 million casino and entertainment complex.
PORTAGE COUNTY - Test results show one of the two Portage County children suspected of having measles doesn't have the viral disease.
Two children under age five had been isolated since last week. Both showed early signs of the infection.
"They both presented as a typical case of measles would present," said Portage County Health Nursing Supervisor Melanie Baehr. "Both had fever. Both had runny nose. One had cough. One did not. Both had rash."
ANTIGO - Performing in public can often be scary for people, but Langlade County 4-H wants to give kids a chance to face those fears.
The club will hold its annual Talent Explosion event on Saturday, March 28 at 9 a.m.
The event offers 4-H kids the opportunity to perform for the public.
CRANDON - People traveling through Crandon often notice one of the city's oldest landmarks.
Hotel Crandon is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year.
This Saturday, the Crandon Public Library invites the community to experience the 1930s-era Hotel Crandon at an event called "Take a Step Back in Time: The Hotel Crandon's 85th Anniversary".
RHINELANDER - Rhinelander city and business leaders held a meeting Monday night to focus on a proposed ballot question impacting a possible Premier Resort Area Tax. The tax would increase sales tax from 5.5% to 6.0% at a number of tourism related businesses in the city.
According to Rhinelander City Administrator Blaine Oborn, about half of Rhinelander's businesses would have to collect for the increased tax rate. Under state law, department stores, retail bakeries, hotels, liquor stores and other types of businesses would be impacted by the Premier Resort Area Tax.
Oborn says the city relies heavily on property taxes, and an increase to the sales tax could balance its dependence on the former.
Voters will decide in April whether to pursue a Premier Resort Area Tax. If passed, by voters and the legislature, the city would be required to use that money for infrastructure and road projects.
EAGLE RIVER - Many young kids love to build with Legos. Some school teachers even use the blocks to help kids develop their hand-eye coordination or their understanding of spatial relationships. But a teacher at Eagle River Elementary uses Legos for a different purpose entirely. Library Director Jone Davis uses the blocks to help her students build their creative writing skills.
Davis reads them a prompt, and then they have to depict the story with Legos. On Monday, the prompt described a volcano erupting in a garden.
CONOVER - You'll likely be able to walk or bike part of the Conover-Phelps Trail by next fall.
Conover will consider bids for construction of the first part of the trail on March 11.
In 2010, the town accepted more than $690,000 in federal funding to help build the first portion of the trail.
RHINELANDER - Ann Munninghoff Eshelman has deep roots in Rhinelander.
She grew up in the town and went to its schools. For 30 years she worked as a public defender, and she was the first woman attorney to have a practice in Rhinelander.
Now Munninghoff Eshelman is an adjunct philosophy professor at Nicolet Area Technical College. She volunteers at the Rhinelander Food Pantry and just returned from volunteering in Zimbabwe.
RHINELANDER - Voters in Rhinelander will decide in April whether the city should ask the legislature to raise its sales tax. The increases would impact tourism-related businesses.
City workers say the tax increase would help pay for improvements to the city's infrastructure.
A business meeting tonight in Rhinelander will focus on the tax.
CRANDON - People traveling through Crandon often notice one of the city's oldest symbols.
Hotel Crandon is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year.
During Prohibition, legend has it that the hotel's basement served as a place to store and transport illegal alcohol.
MADISON - An attorney for one of two girls accused of repeatedly stabbing a classmate to please the fictional character Slender Man says he will prove his client does not belong in adult court.
A preliminary hearing for the two girls got underway Monday in a packed courtroom in Waukesha County. Prosecutors charged the girls as adults with first-degree attempted homicide in the attack at a Waukesha park last May. The defendants and victim were all 12 at the time.
COLBY - Everyone got out safely during a fire in Marathon County this morning.
The fire broke out at about 8 o'clock on Highway N near Colby.
WAUSAU - Drivers will need to slow down when traveling through the Wausau area on Highway 51 this week.
Crews will shut down one lane of traffic and reduce the speed limit to 55 miles per hour on two northbound segments and one southbound segment of the highway.
ANTIGO - Performing in public can often be scary for people. Public speaking is one of the most common fears people have. Langlade County 4-H wants to change that.
It will hold its annual Talent Explosion event. The event offers 4-H kids the opportunity to perform for the public.
They can sing, play an instrument, or perform in skits and plays.
WAUTOMA - Members of the Menominee Indian Tribe are about halfway through their journey from Keshena to Madison where they hope to meet with Gov. Scott Walker this week and change his mind about their plans for a casino in Kenosha.
About a dozen tribal members left Keshena Friday on foot in the bitter cold. The number of marchers has dropped and risen depending on the day. Menominee Chairman Gary Besaw says the walkers left Wautoma early Monday headed for Portage.
MADISON - Democratic lawmakers say they hope Gov. Scott Walker will change his mind and accept federal dollars for Medicaid.
Rep. Daniel Riemer of Milwaukee and Sen. Jon Erpenbach of Middleton proposed a plan to expand Wisconsin's BadgerCare coverage. They say it would save the state $240 million over the next two years.
But the bill faces opposition as it enters the Republican-controlled Assembly and Senate chambers. And Walker has said he won't accept federal funds for the program.
ONALASKA - Guests at a hotel in Onalaska were evacuated when a fire broke out in a laundry room.
Authorities say an employee at Baymont Inn & Suites tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher, fainted and was treated at an area hospital for smoke inhalation Sunday.
ANTIGO - Some veterans need to travel long distances to get to VA clinics and hospitals, and some need to wait a long time before they can even get an appointment.
A Marshfield woman says the Tomah VA medical center didn't do enough to help her father.
Her father died in January.
