UPDATE: Wisconsin Rapids Police find missing 21-year-old man
WISCONSIN RAPIDS - Police in Wisconsin Rapids have found a 21-year-old man that had been missing.
Friends and family of Patrick E. Howard hadn't seen him since Tuesday afternoon.
Local Rhinelander Headlines
Madison police question benefits of body cameras
MADISON - As a growing number of police departments nationwide equip officers with body-worn cameras, Madison police are issuing a report that questions some benefits of the devices.
Police plan to present the report to the Madison City Council on Tuesday.
The report notes that studies have shown departments that use the cameras have seen fewer citizen complaints. But it also says more research is needed to see if the cameras actually bolster trust in officers.
People Across the Northwoods are thankful for many things
NORTHWOODS - Aspects of your life that you are thankful for always seem to standout on Thanksgiving.
It did not take long to find people in Eagle River who were thankful for something's.
"I'm thankful I've got a house, I have a roof over my head I can eat every day, I have a job," said Eagle River's Brad Pagels. "There really isn't much I want for or lack for anything."
Lead found in City of Wausau drinking water
WAUSAU - Wausau Water Works recently found elevated levels of lead in drinking water.
Now they're asking homeowners to be cautious when using that water.
The city stopped installing lead service lines in 1965.
Friendship House provides free Thanksgiving meal for the community
RHINELANDER - Many local businesses want to pay it forward this Thanksgiving. That includes Friendship House in Rhinelander.
Thanksgiving is all about tradition. For many people that means turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and spending time with family.
You could do that all today for free at the Friendship House. The chef said he likes having people enjoy on Thanksgiving.
Local churches deliver Thanksgiving meals
RHINELANDER - Members of two local churches came together this Thanksgiving to serve the community.
Grace Foursquare Church and North Country Vineyard Church in Rhinelander prepared and delivered meals to people in the area.
The churches had more than 300 requests for Thanksgiving Dinner. The meals included turkey, mashed potatoes, and pie.
Eve of Thanksgiving one of the busiest days of year for grocery stores
EAGLE RIVER - The average Thanksgiving dinner for ten people will cost a little more than $49 this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
On Wednesday, people spent the last of those dollars on meal preparations.
Store managers at Trig's in Rhinelander and Pick 'n Save in Eagle River expected a rush of customers to pick up certain last-minute items on Wednesday.
Intriguing projects needed
ONEIDA COUNTY - Your organization can get some free help solving a challenge or working on a project.
Sixteen members of the Leadership Oneida County program are spending nine months getting to know the services and organizations in the county.
One of their requirements for graduation is to complete a community project by this coming May.
Northwoods woman accused of having sex with son's underage friend reaches plea deal
VILAS COUNTY - The former Northwoods teaching assistant accused of having sex with an underage teen reached a plea deal in Vilas County Court on Wednesday.
41-year-old Jody Shepherd pled no contest to a felony charge of second degree sexual assault of a child under 16.
A second count was dismissed as part of the deal.
Eagle River native releases album with her band
EAGLE RIVER - A Northland Pines graduate keeps finding success as a musician.
Autumn Skibinski started a Kickstarter campaign back in June for her band "Only on Tuesdays."
It's helped finance her band's extended play album.
Wetland restoration plan broadens options for DNR, permit seekers
WISCONSIN - The Wisconsin DNR puts an emphasis on keeping the state's wetland system healthy.
People and organizations now have a new option for addressing wetland damage because of construction.
When people or businesses fill in wetlands, they have to get a permit.
Milwaukee students protest Ferguson shooting case
MILWAUKEE - The family of a black man fatally shot by a white police officer in Milwaukee is showing solidarity with the family of Michael Brown.
More than 100 protesters gathered in Red Arrow Park in downtown Milwaukee and then marched through the streets Tuesday demanding justice for both Brown and for Dontre Hamilton, a Milwaukee man killed by Officer Christopher Manney earlier this year.
Balanced plate could be best option for Thanksgiving meal
Americans will eat more than 40 million turkeys Thursday, and that won't be the only delicious food on the table.
Thanksgiving can start weight gain for many people across the country. Dieticians like Jennifer Mikulich with Aspirus say this is the time of year when some patients avoid their dieticians. She believes the key to a healthy day is a balanced plate.
"You know have a balance between those foods that have some carbohydrates and those foods that don't," Mikulich said. "If you're somebody that is a really big sweet eater and you know there is pecan pie and pumpkin pie, well maybe you won't have the dinner roll and the mashed potatoes."
Cranberry growers get some support
MADISON - Cranberry growers will be getting some help.
There's an oversupply of cranberries from record harvests in Wisconsin and Canada.
That pushes down prices.
Small Business Saturday: why stores want you to shop local
RHINELANDER - Following Thanksgiving Day shopping and after Black Friday, Northwoods businesses hope you'll stick around for one more shopping day- Small Business Saturday.
The day encourages shoppers to stay local and help businesses in the community.
Small Business Saturday first began in 2010.
Last year consumers spent about $5.7 billion at independent stores.
Bakeries in the Northwoods prepare for Thanksgiving
ST. GERMAIN - Not many "made from scratch" bakeries exist in the Northwoods.
But, the ones that do are busy preparing treats for Thanksgiving tomorrow.
"We make plenty of holiday favorites. Pies, and rolls, and things like that. We make a bread bowl assortment of rolls. All the rolls are edible and the bowl is edible as well. We make cranberry walnut bread and cranberry walnut artisan bread," said David Weber from the St. Germain Bake Shoppe.
Lawsuit filed claiming magazine subscription scam
MADISON - The state Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against two Oregon-based publishing groups alleging they ran a subscription scam targeting the elderly.
The DOJ filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Madison.
It alleges Liberty Publishers Service and Orbital Publishing Group sent invoices to nursing home residents and the elderly warning them to renew their subscriptions to periodicals such as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel but charged far more than the actual cost.
Representative Bill Kramer sentenced for sexual assault
MADISON - Representative Bill Kramer will spend five months in jail.
Kramer was sentenced to sexual assault charges yesterday.
The former Assembly majority leader agreed to a plea deal earlier this year.
Torgerson pleads not guilty for murder & disappearance of Stephanie Low; more information about informants
WAUSAU - The case against a Wausau man facing murder charges will move forward. Thirty-five-year-old Kristopher Torgerson pled not guilty in court during his preliminary hearing Tuesday.
Torgerson didn't admit to the murder in September, but he led police to Stephanie Low's burial site in the woods of Forest County. She had been missing for nearly four years.
Torgerson faces charges of intentional homicide, armed robbery, and hiding a body related to Low's disappearance and death.
Ice skaters dedicate their lives to become talented skaters
MINOCQUA - It takes a lot of perseverance to become a talented ice skater.
Between long practices and competing, ice skaters might not have much free time.
Danielle Wolosek has been skating since she was four.
Man sues Wisconsin police over Facebook arrest
MADISON - A man who was arrested after he posted Facebook comments calling a southern Wisconsin police department racist has filed a federal lawsuit alleging one of the agency's officers violated his constitutional rights.
Police arrested Thomas Smith in 2012 after he posted profanity-laced comments on Facebook calling police officers in Arena racists.
He was convicted of disorderly conduct and illegal use of computer communications. A state appeals court tossed out his convictions this past July, ruling Smith's remarks were protected speech under the U.S. Constitution.
Students donate 2,000 pounds of food, get to dye teachers' hair
RHINELANDER - Teachers at one Northwoods school wanted to encourage their students to give back to the community in time for Thanksgiving. They did that by offering up their hair.
Students at Zion Lutheran School in Rhinelander got to see two of their teachers dye their hair some of the colors of the rainbow on Monday. That's because students donated 2,000 pounds of food to a local food pantry.
Phillips man gets two years in prison for failing to register as sex offender
MADISON - A Phillips man will spend the next two years in federal prison, according to a U.S. Department of Justice release.
Mark Harder, 51, didn't register as a sex offender. It was required after he was originally convicted of indecent behavior with a juvenile back in 1998. That was in Louisiana.
After Ferguson, focus on body cameras for officers; many departments in Northwoods already use them
TOMAHAWK - On Monday, a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri refused to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.
After that decision, Brown's family urged all police departments in America to start using body cameras to document situations.
A camera recording in the Michael Brown shooting could have given us a better sense of what happened.
Holiday Shopping- Why some stores open on Thanksgiving
WAUSAU - Thousands of holiday shoppers will head to stores and businesses this week.
This Friday is Black Friday and lots of people want to get to stores early for the best holiday deals.
But some businesses are opening a little earlier.
Officers credit two informants for opening up disappearance and death case
WAUSAU - A Wausau man didn't admit Tuesday to killing a 22-year-old woman.
She had been missing for nearly four years. That was until Kristopher Torgerson led officers to her burial site in the woods of Forest County.
The 35-year-old faces three charges for Stephanie Low's disappearance and death.
Sheriff: Officer involved in fatal Wisconsin crash
ASHLAND - Authorities say a squad car from a tribal police department in northern Wisconsin has crashed head on with another vehicle and killed a passenger.
WDIO-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1tgfCLL ) the Ashland County Sheriff's Office said the crash Monday happened on Highway 2 between Ashland and Odanah (oh-DAH'-nah). It's unclear if the officer from the Chippewa's Bad River Band was on duty.
Bill Cosby appearance canceled in Green Bay
GREEN BAY - A performing arts center in Green Bay becomes the latest to cancel an appearance by comedian Bill Cosby.
He's been accused of sexual assault by a growing number of women.
Any tickets bought with a credit card will be refunded by December 10th. The show will not be rescheduled.
State police boost patrols around Thanksgiving
LANSING, MI - Michigan State Police troopers are boosting patrols as part of an effort to keep roads safe for Thanksgiving travelers.
Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort, known as Operation CARE, runs Wednesday through Sunday.
Troopers across the state will conduct high-visibility enforcement focusing on impaired driving, seat belt use, careless driving and speeding. The extra patrols are paid for with federal traffic safety funds coordinated by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.
Snow plow catches on fire
RHINELANDER - Firefighters needed to respond to the Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport Tuesday morning. A snow plow caught fire just before 11.
Firefighters on the scene said the plow caught fire because it was worked too hard.
