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PHILLIPS - A Northwoods basketball team will look to take its first Marawood North conference title since 1996.
The Phillips Loggers are 17-2, but they'll need to beat their conference rival Chequamegon Friday to do so.
"We're going to work hard until the last day," says senior forward/guard Alex Olson. "This is a great team. I love playing with them."
STEVENS POINT - Health workers in Portage County want to know if they're dealing with the measles. In a release Thursday, the Portage County Health Officer Gary Garske says they're investigating two possible cases.
These would be the first cases in Wisconsin if they get confirmed.
The measles is a viral disease. It starts with a fever (as high as 105°F) and cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis (pink eye). A characteristic rash usually appears about 7-21 days after a person is exposed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
RHINELANDER - The Rhinelander Police Department arrested a second person Thursday in connection to a 2003 homicide.
The department says it arrested 40-year-old Shannon Wolf for his role in Kenneth Wells' death.
Police found Wells' body in the Wisconsin River near Rhinelander more than 10 years ago.
NORTHWOODS - Cheaper gasoline means people can spend money on other things they badly need. Cash-strapped county governments and school districts can do the same thing
"We're purchasing fuel all the time," said Langlade County Highway Commissioner Tim Rusch.
He likely buys more fuel per year than you will in a lifetime.
WAUSAU - A Rib Mountain suspect may not be competent to stand trial in the stabbing case of three former coworkers.
A Marathon County judge allowed a competency exam for Doan Nguyen on Thursday.
Nguyen is accused of attacking three people at a Rib Mountain nail salon last Monday.
WAUSAU - Corey Yolitz may have sexually assaulted a woman last October, while he was a member of the Rothschild Police force.
The two felony charges against him will move forward after a hearing in Marathon County Court on Thursday.
A 21-year-old woman told police Yolitz sexually assaulted her in Schofield.
WISCONSIN - Your property could play host to protected birds and that's why the DNR and many bird conservation groups want your help. State land is regularly groomed for birds, but private land isn't. That's why the DNR and Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative want to teach you how to make your land livable for birds.
"A lot of times, bird species aren't using just public land, they're using private land as well," said DNR Wildlife Biologist Shelby Hiestand. So it's really a good way by reaching out to private landowners to reach out to areas that we normally would be able to do conservation on regularly."
The 2015 Wisconsin Bird Education Conference will be in Chippewa Falls March 19th through the 21st. Wildlife biologists from around the state will help you turn your land into a livable bird habitat. The meeting will focus on the golden-winged warbler and American woodcock among several others.
RHINELANDER - Many couples probably already made plans for Valentine's Day weekend, but there are things people can do if they don't have a significant other.
Dubl Digits owner Danielle Miller on Davenport Street in Rhinelander caters to women who want to pamper themselves. Miller offers manicures, pedicures, facials and treatments.
She won't have a specific special geared towards single women Saturday, but she does have a few suggestions for this weekend.
GREEN BAY - Head coach Mike McCarthy won't call plays for the Packers next season.
Green Bay led the NFL in scoring in 2014.
McCarthy will hand off play-calling responsibility to Tom Clements.
MARSHFIELD - Many cities in Northcentral Wisconsin struggle to get young people to stay in the area, and many businesses need young workers.
That's why Marshfield is working on a solution to get more young people to move there.
The city is working on owning its own subdivision.
ONEIDA COUNTY - About 230 property owners could get fined by Oneida County this year. The county will issue citations to people who don't get their home's septic tank inspected once every three years.
The county has issued more citations this year than in the past. Almost 500 people were fined over the past two-year period.
County leaders say the reason for the increase is a change in state regulations. The state now requires all septic tanks to be inspected. Before, only the ones put in after July 1980 needed inspection.
MADISON - Last week, Gov. Scott Walker proudly reminded listeners how he cut property taxes by more than $100 for average homeowners in Wisconsin.
A northern Wisconsin Democratic lawmaker says that cut "doesn't make a difference."
"Largely because of our reforms and the flexibility we gave to local governments, property taxes on a typical home in Wisconsin are $131 less than they were in 2010," Walker proclaimed in his budget address last Tuesday.
EAGLE RIVER - Many high school students choose to participate in winter sports. But some students at Northland Pines High School chose a more artistic way to get through the colder months: this year's musical, Cinderella.
The cast of Cinderella feels their involvement in the production has been a great experience, even though it can be nerve wracking.
"When it gets to be about the first 15 minutes before, right before I'm about to go on stage, that's when it really gets that shock of 'Oh, I'm about to go out in front of all these hundreds of people," said Luke Simons, who plays the prince.
ASHLAND - Nearly 14,000 acres of forestland in Iron County will be protected for public use and timber production after the Department of Natural Resources purchased the land for $4.5 million.
Most recently it's been owned by the Conservation Fund, a non-profit group.
The DNR says the Twin Lakes Legacy Forest has six small lakes and three miles of frontage on two trout streams.
MADISON - A 63-year-old Ironwood woman will spend more than a year in federal prison for embezzling from a Minocqua company that operates Trig's.
Rebecca Hoff had been a bookkeeper and officer manager for T.A. Solberg Company Inc. The company runs five Trig's grocery stores in northern Wisconsin, according to the Trig's website.
The Department of Justice says she was convicted Wednesday for embezzling $1.1 million from the company between January 2004 and December 2010.
PITTSVILLE - A 62-year-old Wood County man could face charges for ramming into a cop car.
Gary Schwenn was arrested just before noon Wednesday, according to the Wood County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies believed he was going to hurt himself sometime Tuesday. Police tried to pull him over near Pittsville. The sheriff's office says that's when he rammed his car into the squad car.
RHINELANDER - People in 44 states, Washington DC, and two U.S. territories hoped Wednesday would be their lucky day. They headed to gas stations and grocery stores to buy Powerball tickets. Wednesday's drawing had many people dreaming about what they'd do if they won the $500 million jackpot.
"Everybody wants to get in on it," said Rhinelander's Westside Shell Manager Valerie Bishop.
Bishop saw more people than usual come through the store's doors on Wednesday.
PHILLIPS - The Phillips/Chequamegon boys hockey team takes the ice with one girl centering a line.
If a Wisconsin high school doesn't have a girl's hockey team, then girls are allowed to play for the boy's team.
Senior Jill Schneider has been playing on a boy's hockey team since she was six years old.
RHINELANDER - Gov. Scott Walker's budget calls for drug testing to receive certain welfare assistance. Walker says the project only targets healthy adults without children.
Walker said in his budget address on Feb 3rd that people would need to pass a drug test to get a welfare check. Groups like the Human Service Center in Rhinelander could end up performing much of the testing.
"To ensure that we can look at the levels and see if they are using a kind of substance and then assist them in any kind of treatment," Behavioral Health Administrator Donna Shimeck said.
RHINELANDER - We'll see some chilly temperatures this weekend, but that probably won't stop fishermen from heading out on the ice.
The Rhinelander Lions Club will host its 39th annual Fisherree and Winter Festival this weekend. Event Co-Chairman Harry Helwig doesn't think single digit temperatures will scare people off.
"Up here in Northern Wisconsin we dress properly. Everybody wears boots, or whatever; snowmobile parkas or snowmobile suites and so on," Helwig said. "They're very wind protective. This isn't going to be their first time fishing in most cases either. They have been out parts of this winter."
MINOCQUA - Three Northwoods libraries will host discussions for a University of Wisconsin-Madison online course on climate change in the Great Lakes Region.
The course is part of a program called Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, through which universities offer classes for anyone to take.
But UW-Madison is starting a new discussion program that partners with Wisconsin Library Services and various libraries throughout the state. Mincoqua, Mercer and Crandon Public Libraries are among 21 Wisconsin libraries chosen to offer in-person discussions about the course, each offered at the respective libraries.
IRMA - People travel from all over to compete in the Beargrease sled dog race in Minnesota.
This year, a Northwoods woman won the race, but for her, the race is more than just winning.
"I loved dogs from the time I've been a little girl," says sled dog racer Martha Schouweiler.
WAUPACA - The Waupaca County sheriff says he's optimistic that investigators will solve two murder cases from 1992 and 1978 in the next year.
Sheriff Brad Hardel tells Post-Crescent Media (http://post.cr/199rfRD) that investigators have made progress on both cold cases.
In 1992, 23-year-old Tanna Togstad and her boyfriend, 35-year-old Timothy Mumbrue, were found stabbed to death in her Royalton farmhouse. Authorities said in February 2013 that a man who was convicted of rape in Wisconsin and killing a man in Oklahoma was a person of interest in the 1992 double homicide. Officials said DNA testing tied him to the case.
MINNEAPOLIS - Police officers from Minnesota and Wisconsin are being recognized with the Public Safety Medal of Valor - the highest national award for officers who show exceptional courage to protect human life.
Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder will present the awards Wednesday.
Duluth Police Sgt. Bradley Alan Wick is being honored for heroic actions while chasing a man and woman in 2011. The pair entered a home and shot a woman inside. Wick was ambushed by gunfire, but Wick returned fire and killed the man.
Minority Democrats in the state Assembly have unveiled an agenda for the upcoming session that includes raising the minimum wage and bolstering tax credits and grants.
Minority Leader Peter Barca, a Kenosha Democrat, says the plan is designed to jumpstart personal income growth in the state.
The agenda includes bills that would raise the minimum wage to $10.10; create grants for businesses with paid internships; expand broadband access in rural areas;
RHINELANDER - Less snow this year means less money for local snow removers. Rhinelander got about than 9 inches of snow in January, the January average is a little less than 16 inches. One local snow plow driver has seen big financial differences so far this month compared to February 2014.
"I'd say it's probably a 15 to 1 ratio, maybe 10 to 1," says Local Snow Fighter Matt Wocelka. "I mean so far in February we've had one snowfall, like I said last year we had seven, so obviously there's a big difference in numbers right off the bat. I do know from last February to this one, you're going from maybe eating a steak dinner to ramen noodles tonight."
Rhinelander picked up fewer than two inches from the latest storm as of late Wednesday, this adds up to about two inches of snowfall so far this month. Early winter weather last year might help keep snow plow owners in the black.
MADISON - Likely 2016 presidential candidate Scott Walker is refusing to say whether he believes in the theory of evolution, dodging a question posed after a speech in London.
Wisconsin's Republican governor said Wednesday he was going to ``punt'' on the question. He says he doesn't believe politicians should be involved in that issue ``one way or the other.''
Walker was asked about evolution following his speech at the London think tank Chatham House. He is on a four-day trade mission to the United Kingdom.
MERRILL - Merrill High School will soon join area schools in trap shooting.
This comes after a year and a half of trying to start a team.
Interest in a team started when agriculture teacher Brigid Reimann took kids trap shooting for fun last year.
MEDFORD - Medford's boy's hockey goalie makes 56 saves a game on average.
He has been shot at nearly 1400 times this season by opponents in 22 games!
Carter Jamieson has been playing goalie in Medford since he was seven.
RHINELANDER - Interest rates continue to decrease across the Northwoods.
They are at historic lows rate across the country.
When interest rates are low, people are more likely to make big purchases, like homes.
