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MARATHON COUNTY - Almost 5,000 people in the Wausau area lost power Saturday night.
Wisconsin Public Service says they lost power between 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. They believe it was due to a equipment failure.
ANTIGO - Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson argues that a more secure U.S. border will help prevent attacks like we've seen in Europe recently.
France and Europe have been dealing with terror threats and plots in the last few weeks. That's after a dozen people were murdered at a French magazine office.
Johnson doesn't see that happening here, but he believes issues like Ebola and Islamic terrorism could be handled better with stronger boarder control.
WAUSAU - Kids in Wausau wanted to get an early start honoring Martin Luther King Day Saturday.
AmeriCorps, along with the Wausau School District and the Central Wisconsin Literacy Council hosted the event at the Marathon County Public Library.
They have been in the area for 18 years. AmeriCorps' focus is literacy and education. Acceptance is one of the key topics they want to teach children.
MARATHON COUNTY - Firefighters in Marathon County contained a house fire Saturday.
It happened just before 6 Saturday morning on Lone Pine Lane in Knowlton. That's near Mosinee.
Marathon County Sheriff's Deputies, the Mosinee Fire Department, Stratford Fire Department, Rothschild Fire Department, Kronenwetter Fire Department, Township of Dewey (Portage County)Fire Department, and Township of Rudolph (Wood County) Fire Department helped at the scene.
EAGLE RIVER - People from all over the world came to the Eagle River Derbytrack this weekend, but many people also came from across the state, including Governor Scott Walker.
It's a tradition for Wisconsin governors to visit Eagle River during the AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby. The Governor is no stranger to it.
"Not as cold as last year, a lot more snow than two years ago, so it's just kind of the perfect weather, perfect event," Walker said.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee police department is investigating a hit-and-run that killed a 59-year-old man.
Police say the Milwaukee man was hit by a vehicle in a north side alley at about 6:20 a.m. Saturday and dragged into the street where he died.
LANCASTER - A woman who shot her two sons and herself in the head in Montfort had been released a day earlier from a state mental health facility.
Grant County Sheriff Nate Dreckman says the deaths of 27-year-old Morgan Slaight and her 8-year-old son, Jaxon, were ruled a murder-suicide. Dreckman says her 6-year-old son Joseph remains in critical condition but is showing signs of improvement.
Slaight had been released Jan. 1 from a state mental health facility. She was taken there for an emergency commitment Dec. 22 after making suicidal threats.
MADISON - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is warning winter sports enthusiasts to watch out for unstable ice with warmer weather heading in to some parts.
April Dombrowski, the safety section chief with the DNR's Bureau of Law Enforcement, says it's best to call a local fishing club, snowmobilers group or bait shop before going out on the ice.
Temperatures this weekend are expected to hit the 30-degree range in some areas, which might affect ice thickness.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Wolf attacks in Michigan's Upper Peninsula killed at least 26 cattle and 17 hunting dogs last year.
The numbers come from the Department of Natural Resources, through Dec. 22. The number of attacks, 35, was higher than the 20 reported in 2013.
DNR spokesman Debbie Munson Badini says it's hard to draw many conclusions. She says wolves may have turned more to cattle and dogs because harsh winters have cut the number of deer. The dogs were killed while hunting or being trained.
HUDSON - A prominent western Wisconsin businessman has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for allegedly sexually assaulting boys.
Daniel Barber was accused of offering to baby-sit for many of the boys who were younger than 9 and sometimes used Craigslist and Facebook to connect with parents.
The 46-year-old pleaded no contest to first-degree child sexual abuse, possession of child pornography and child enticement. He was sentenced Thursday to 45 years in prison, followed by 25 years of extended supervision.
MADISON - One of the nine Republican debates for the 2016 presidential candidates will be held in Wisconsin.
The debate will be in November but the Republican National Committee didn't immediately announce a location.
Gov. Scott Walker is thinking about entering the race. Congressman Paul Ryan, from Janesville who was the 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee, has said he would not run. RNC chairman Reince Priebus grew up in Kenosha.
BELOIT - Beloit police say they've arrested a 22-year-old man for stealing a vehicle with a baby inside.
The Beloit Daily News reports the vehicle was reported stolen from a Beloit gas station at about 5:50 p.m. Friday.
Police say an 8-year-old child was able to escape the vehicle at the time of the theft, but a 10-month-old infant was still inside.
LANCASTER - The shooting of a mother and her two young sons in Grant County has been ruled a murder-suicide.
Twenty-seven-year-old Morgan Slaight died of her injuries Tuesday. Her 6-year-old son, Jaxon, died after being shot in Montfort Jan. 2. Her 8-year-old son, Joseph, remains at UW Hospital in Madison in critical condition.
Sheriff Nate Dreckman says all three were shot in the head with a .22 caliber pistol. Sheriff's officials said Friday there's evidence the mother handled the gun, which was recovered at the scene.
BROKAW - A report released this week gave leaders in a Marathon County village two recommendations for dealing with its financial issues. Consultants advised officials from Brokaw and surrounding communities that Brokaw should either dissolve as a village, or sell its water utility to Wausau and try to consolidate with the city. Both options pose challenges for the area.
Brokaw has struggled financially since the Wausau Paper Mill in the town closed in 2012. The report shows the village faces projected annual losses of $100,000 at its water utility facility.
That's since Brokaw lost its largest water customer, the paper mill, in 2012. Since then, the town has sold 95 percent less water, according to the report. That means the town can't afford to run its water and sewage system.
WAUKESHA - Waukesha police say officers have arrested a man who they think is responsible for shooting and killing a gas station clerk.
In a statement Friday, Waukesha police Chief Russell Jack says West Allis police arrested the 19-year-old less than 10 hours after 65-year-old Saeed Sharwani was killed at a Citgo station late Tuesday. The suspect is a convicted felon.
Jack says they believe the man and others were involved in at least six robberies. Those include a robbery Jan. 10 when shots were fired, but no one was struck, three robberies in West Allis dating back to September and a Milwaukee bank robbery.
RHINELANDER - Police arrested five people in a meth investigation in Rhinelander on Wednesday. They made their first appearance in court Friday.
Twenty-eight-year-old Ronald Ross Jr. of Woodruff, 26-year-old Andi Hansen of Lac du Flambeau , 24-year-old Jute Handrick of Woodruff and 48-year-old Richard Nitschke of Rhinelander face charges for buying pseudoephedrine with the intent to use it for making meth.
Special Prosecutor Jodie Bednar-Clemens thinks Nitschke and 47-year-old Andrea Healy of Rhinelander led the operation. She thinks they cooked the meth in a home on Margaret Street in Rhinelander. Bednar also accused Healy of putting a child in danger.
WISCONSIN - Wisconsin school districts could lose local control of their schools if a proposed bill passes.
The Wisconsin Assembly is working on a school accountability bill that would grade public schools. If a school failed for four consecutive years, it would turn into a charter school.
Scott Foster is the principal at Land O' Lakes Elementary. He doesn't want to see local control taken away from school districts. "I definitely do not feel that fear is a great way to motivate teachers," Foster said.
CRANDON - Forest County knows its economic strength lies with its small businesses.
Healthy small businesses lead to a healthier economic environment.
The Forest County Economic Development Partnership has made those types of businesses its priority.
ANTIGO - Antigo Middle School wants to prepare students for life after school, which is why the school hosted its first mock financial planning fair on Friday.
About 130 eighth graders participated in the event, called the Antigo Middle School Reality Fair. It was the final assignment for their financial literacy class.
"So if we can start at a younger age talking about being financially responsible, I think it's a plus," said Leigh Brown, the financial literacy teacher at Antigo Middle School.
WOODRUFF - Many of us enjoy ice fishing or snowmobiling, but we need to be careful when choosing a place to do those activities. The ice may not be as thick as it seems.
The Department of Natural Resources wants to remind people to be safe around ice, especially near dams and rivers.
"We always say there is no such thing as safe ice," said David Walz, Conservation Warden Supervisor for the Wisconsin DNR. "You know you go out at your own risk, so you just want to use some caution and precautions there."
WISCONSIN - Langlade County could see an increase in crop production when comparing data from 2014 to data from 2013.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the 2014 Wisconsin crop production estimates this week. They estimate that potato production has increased by four percent from 2013.
"It was a good year for potatoes," said Langlade Co. UW Agriculture Agent Stephanie Plaster. "I mean our harvest was up and our acreage was up. Because of the cool and wet year, we had more disease spread kind of down south that luckily didn't reach us up in Langlade County with the late blight. It did spread a little bit down south, but it was manageable this year."
ESCANABA, MI - Authorities say a 66-year-old Upper Peninsula fisherman has died after falling through the ice on a bay off the shore of Escanaba.
Delta County sheriff's officials say David Breault was found Friday in Lake Michigan's Little Bay de Noc. Another fisherman had spotted a collapsed ice shack and vehicle that had broken through the ice. He was pulled from the water and taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.
ANTIGO - You might remember Harry.
We told you about the Antigo dog earlier this week.
He has two broken legs and needs an expensive surgery to get them fixed.
TOMAHAWK - Tomahawk Main has started work on a retail business incubator in Tomahawk's downtown. The Main Street program came up with the idea after hearing about one in Rhinelander.
The costs of starting a business in the Northwoods can be very high. Some people have a business idea, but don't have all of the resources to get it started.
"This is something that various business owners have been interested in in the Tomahawk area for quite some time," said Art Lersch of the Lincoln County UW Extension. "The whole idea is to create more foot traffic in the downtown area for the retail businesses."
ST. PAUL, MN - The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has filed for bankruptcy, saying it's is the best way to fairly get as many resources as possible to victims of alleged clergy sexual abuse.
Attorneys for the archdiocese filed their petition Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Church officials have said bankruptcy was an option as the archdiocese faces lawsuits from victims of past sexual abuse. Roughly two dozen lawsuits have been filed, and the archdiocese has received more than 100 notices of potential claims.
MADISON - People interested in Wisconsin's deer herd will get a chance to say what they think.
Wildlife officials are looking for the public's thoughts on permanent rules.
The rules would put into place changes recommended by a deer expert hired by Governor Scott Walker.
MADISON - State lawmakers move closer to outlawing `upskirting' in Wisconsin.
An Assembly committee unanimously voted Thursday to make the act a crime. Upskirting is photographing or videotaping a person's genitals, buttocks or breasts without his or her consent.
It would be a Class I felony under the bill.
PARK FALLS - Sex offenders will need to work with new rules in Park Falls. They won't get to live near certain areas starting next week after the Park Falls Common Council passed a restriction Monday.
The new rules stop sex offenders from living within about a quarter-mile of a restricted zone, according to the Park Falls Police Department press release.
Those zones include public parks, pools, schools and other areas around the city, but offenders already living inside the zones can stay.
WAUSAU - Your child may not be safe if you're following one Wisconsin car seat law. The law requires parents to keep their kids in rear-facing car seats until the age of one. But some child safety experts think 12 months isn't long enough.
The American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines in 2011. Safety experts say kids should be in rear-facing car seats until they're two. But Wisconsin law lets parents turn car seats forward when their kids turn one.
"Wisconsin law says that kids have to stay rear-facing until the age of 12 months and 20 pounds. They have to hit both of those marks. That is the law," says Michelle Armstrong, the coordinator of Safe Kids Wausau Area. "We say that's on the minimum end. It's the bottom end to start with."
TOWN OF GREEN VALLEY - Crews have recovered a body from the ruins of a house fire in northeastern Wisconsin.
The Shawano County sheriff's office says the fire was reported just after 6 a.m. Thursday in the Town of Green Valley.
Firefighters arrived to find the house engulfed in flames. The owner and only person living in the home was unaccounted for and believed to be still in the house.
