Local Rhinelander Headlines

New gym facility to open soon in Crandon

CRANDON - Some people might feel guilty after eating a big meal on Thanksgiving Day. You can hit the gym to take care of that. In Crandon, there will be a brand new gym and karate class to work off that meal.

"The reason why I started this in the first place was so that I can impact many people's lives through fitness,"

Paul Lamon has been impacting people's lives with boot camps, but it never turned into a full fledge gym.

Full story: WJFW

Three suspects arrested in armed robbery

PORTAGE COUNTY - Three people sit in the Portage County jail after an armed robbery early Saturday morning.

The Portage County Sheriff's Office says suspects took cash from a bar at Wigwam Inn. It happened a little before 1 a.m. in the town of Alban.

Deputies found the suspects on State Highway 49. Their vehicle matched the description that was given to deputies. That's when the suspects ran on foot into a wooden area.

Full story: WJFW

Funds help rehabilitate homes in Price County

PRICE COUNTY - Lower income families in Price County can turn to a new group for home improvement. Nine counties in northwestern Wisconsin formed a regional housing group. Their goal is to share funds to rehabilitate homes.

Families can get no interest loans from the Northwest Regional Planning Commission. They can use the money to fix their homes.

The group has received more than $3 million to distribute for repairs.

Full story: WJFW

Deer hunt season comes to an end

WISCONSIN - The 2014 gun deer season in Wisconsin came to a close Sunday. The season had the lowest registered deer-kill in an opening weekend in recent history.

The shell Gas Station in Rhinelander is a deer registration station. They talked to numerous hunters a day.

"It started out kind of slow and the hunters would come in," said Assistant Manager at the Shell gas station in Rhinelander Mike Budreau. "They were kind of disappointed with the weather, with all the snow we had and the cold weather that came in."

Full story: WJFW

DNR reminds hunters of additional deer seasons

MADISON - Wisconsin's nine-day gun deer season is just about over, but that doesn't mean hunters who came up empty are out of luck yet.

The traditional gun season winds up Sunday, but the state Department of Natural Resources is offering a number of additional seasons between now and mid-January.

The 10-day muzzleloader season begins Monday. An antlerless hunt will run in the central forest and central farmland management zones from Dec. 11 through Dec. 14.

Full story: WJFW

People support locally owned businesses on Small Business Saturday

MINOCQUA - Some big box stores saw a lot of people for Black Friday, But locally owned small businesses might have seen just as much business Saturday. In the Northwoods, you could find a lot of people walking the streets of downtown Minocqua.

Shops boutiques and restaurants in Minocqua could thank events like Christmas in Minocqua for seeing so many people Saturday.

"We do have a lot of local customers come in today. We have a brand name for everyone," said Gliks manager Judy Wunar. "All the teenagers and not just for the teenagers, but for the parents, grandparents and for the whole family."

Full story: WJFW

Slippery roads might be blame for semi-truck rollover

BROKAW - Slippery roads and fog could have caused a semi-truck to rollover early Saturday morning on Highway 51.

The Marathon County Sheriff's Office say a little after 4 a.m. a semi-truck rolled over on County Highway WW in Brokaw. Both the semi-tractor and its loaded trailer ended up in a ditch on the ramp between U.S. 51 and the county road.

The driver of the truck was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Full story: WJFW

DNR: Manure plant spewing too many toxic chemicals

WAUNAKEE - A manure plant near Madison faces almost 90 alleged air pollution violations, adding to the list of environmental issues that have put the company in hot water.

The state Department of Natural Resources on Friday said Clear Horizons manure plant has released too much toxic formaldehyde and sulfur dioxide, among dozens of other violations. The DNR also said the plant hasn't sought necessary pollution permits or properly tested generator exhaust.

The violations come as Clear Horizons grapples with the fallout from 400,000 gallons of manure spills in the last year.

Full story: WJFW

Parents push for 'sober bus' rules in son's memory

HAYWARD - The parents of a Hayward man who froze to death last winter after being dropped off by a ``sober bus'' are pushing for new regulations to prevent similar deaths.

Matthew Raimer, a 24-year-old Marine, was on leave from Afghanistan on New Year's Eve when he boarded a sober bus for a ride home after a night at Hayward bars. Raimer was found dead outside a neighbor's home the following day with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.

Lesa and Dan Raimer says they want sober bus drivers to verify the right drop-off address and ensure passengers make it inside safely.

Full story: WJFW

Love for pizza making turns into a way to raise money for local charities for one NWs man

EAGLE RIVER - An Eagle River man gives back to his community using pizza. The pizza parties have raised more than $13,000 in donations for local charities and individuals since 2006.

Gary Anderson has lived in Eagle River for practically his entire life. He started out by making homemade pizzas for his family nearly 20 years ago.

"My mother used to make Chef Boyardee pizzas, and I thought my god, there has got to be a better way."

Full story: WJFW

Funeral set for 3 children who died in U.P. crash

DAGGETT, MI - A funeral has been scheduled for the three children killed in a weather-related crash in the Upper Peninsula.

TV station WBUP-WBKP reports (http://bit.ly/1vpSGy8 ) the funeral for Michael, Maxwell and Joelle McCue is set for Sunday at the Carney Free Church in the Menominee County community of Carney. The children ages 11 to 14 died Monday after their van smashed into a semi-truck on snowy U.S. 41 near Daggett.

The children's mother, Susan Meade, is recovering at a hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The 40-year-old is a volunteer emergency medical technician with Mid County Rescue Squad in Stephenson.

Full story: WJFW

National forest seeking committee members

RHINELANDER - Federal officials are looking for people to join two Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest advisory committees.

One committee serves the Chequamegon portion of the forest in northwestern Wisconsin. The other serves the Nicolet portion in northeastern Wisconsin. Both panels work to improve relationships between forest users and advise forestry officials on which projects to undertake and spending.

Full story: WJFW

Madison College to train police on use of drones

MADISON - Madison College is developing a program to train law enforcement officers on how to operate drones.

Several law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin are considering the use of drones, for situations such as search-and-rescue missions or tactical operations.

Madison College is coming up with training that will show police and firefighters how to fly the unmanned aerial devices, as well as how to use them ethically.

Full story: WJFW

Bundle Up program aims to keep families warm; how you can help

RHINELANDER - You can help families stay warm this winter by donating your extra winter clothing to the Big Bundle Up Campaign. Tourism groups across Wisconsin are looking for mittens, scarves, coats, and other winter gear.

"Those would be really helpful for a lot of people in the area," Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dana DeMet said. "And I think the biggest challenge in the Northwoods is that it's just not as visible, so it's a little harder sometimes to garner that support if you are not faced with it on the streets every day."

Full story: WJFW

Madison College to train police on use of drones

MADISON - Madison College is developing a program to train law enforcement officers on how to operate drones.

Several law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin are considering the use of drones, for situations such as search-and-rescue missions or tactical operations.

Madison College is coming up with training that will show police and firefighters how to fly the unmanned aerial devices, as well as how to use them ethically.

Full story: WJFW

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