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Lincoln County Board Approves 2027 Budget; Levy Up, Mill Rate Down

Published on 11/11/2026 under News As expected, the Lincoln County Board unanimously approved its 2027 budget during Tuesday's monthly meeting. Supervisors received the balanced proposal last month, giving them several weeks to review the spending plan prior to the final vote. The approved property tax levy comes in at 13.6 million dollars, up approximately 300,000 dollars from last year. However, driven by a nearly seven-percent increase in equalized property values and a 1.3-percent boost in net new construction, the average mill rate is projected to drop by 2.6 percent for townships and just over two percent for cities. Notable spending updates include increased funding for emergency medical services following a new joint E-M-S agreement with the City of Merrill. Overall budget numbers were bolstered by steady growth in county sales tax revenue, continuing a multi-year upward trend attributed in part to local investments in recreation and tourism promotion. Board Chair Don Friske praised the Finance Committee for the time and effort spent crafting this year's budget, noting the process was completed during a leadership transition as Korey Bloch stepped into the Finance Director role. With the final spending plan largely unchanged from the October draft, supervisors passed the budget with minimal discussion.

Published on 11/11/2026 under News Following strong local reviews at its September premiere, area residents will have another chance to see Tomahawk: City in the Pines on the big screen. A second free screening of the 90-minute historical documentary is scheduled for this coming Monday, November 16th. Co-created by Tomahawk native Clay Schmit and Oscar-winning director John Newcombe, the film captures over 140 years of local history—from early Indigenous lands and the timber era to present day. The two friends spent nearly two years on the project connecting with community members, local organizations, and historians. Schmit says they will be partnering with the Northwoods Vineyard Church to air a second screening coming up on Monday at 7pm.For those unable to attend in person, the documentary is also available to stream online through Kinema for four dollars and ninety-nine cents.

Published on 11/11/2026 under News A popular outdoor recreation destination in the Northwoods is getting a major financial boost for facility upgrades. The Minocqua Area Visitors Bureau has announced a 33,000-dollar Community Investment Fund grant to Minocqua Winter Park to support improvements at its chalet. The project focuses on five key areas: upgrading the kitchen, modernizing restrooms and changing areas, adding electrical outlets, installing a facility-wide sound system, and expanding Wi-Fi coverage across the grounds. The award is part of the Bureau's 50,000-dollar program designed to strengthen local tourism infrastructure. Bureau President and CEO Krystal Westfahl highlighted that reinvesting room tax dollars into local facilities helps keep the region competitive while enhancing amenities for both visitors and residents. Westfahl noted, "Minocqua Winter Park is an incredible asset to our destination, and these improvements will help ensure that it continues to meet the expectations of today's travelers." In addition to the financial grant, the Bureau will provide ongoing promotional support for the park.

Published on 11/11/2026 under News Health officials are urging local residents to stay alert after the Taylor County Health Department confirmed the county's first case of mumps this season. Department staff are working directly with the patient and medical providers to ensure proper treatment and isolation. Mumps is a contagious viral infection spread through direct contact or airborne droplets when an infected person talks, coughs, sneezes, or shares cups and utensils. Early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and loss of appetite, followed by painful swelling of the salivary glands under the jaw and ears. Officials note that infected individuals can spread the virus up to five days after symptoms begin, and some people may spread it without showing symptoms at all. This case comes as state health officials report a sharp rise in measles cases across Wisconsin. Health officials emphasize that while both viral infections are highly contagious, the MMR vaccine offers strong protection against both mumps and measles. However, the vaccine cannot be used as a post-exposure treatment.

Published on 11/11/2026 under News As hunters gear up for the start of the gun deer season next week, the Wisconsin D-N-R is looking for community members to help shape future deer management decisions. Applications are now open for all Citizen Deer Advisory Council seats across the state. These local councils meet annually to review harvest data, gather community feedback, and recommend management strategies for their specific deer management units. D-N-R Deer and Elk Specialist Steve Burns calls public involvement through these councils the "backbone" of managing local deer populations, noting that the councils bring forward a variety of community perspectives on how white-tailed deer should be managed. Selected members will serve a three-year term representing one of seven stakeholder categories, including hunting, agriculture, forestry, tourism, and local government. The application deadline is November 30th. To apply or learn more, search "C-D-A-C" on the Wisconsin D-N-R website.

Published on 11/10/2026 under News It's been one week since voters headed to the polls, and looking back at local numbers, participation in Lincoln County was steady with turnout down slightly compared to recent years. Based on preliminary results from Tuesday, there were 13,154 votes cast in Lincoln County, down about 500 votes from each of the last two comparable elections in 2018 and 2022. These are non-presidential years, which typically drive voter turnout. Local voter participation is typically higher than both state and national averages. Despite the slight drop, voter turnout remained approximately 74% of eligible voters. Even the partisan breakdown was similar as Lincoln County has turned reliably red in recent years. Despite his home territory, Republican Gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany didn't receive much of a bump. He received approximately 60% of the voter share, nearly identical to 2022 GOP candidate Tim Michels. Meanwhile looking at the 2024 presidential election, more than 17,300 ballots were cast which is around 31%.

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Sports Headlines

Hatchet Girls Swim Season Ends at Rice Lake

Published on 11/09/2026 under Sports The Hatchet girls' swim season would end at the WIAA Division 2 Sectional Meet in Rice Lake Saturday afternoon. As a team, the Hatchets would finish 10th out 12 teams, ahead of Mosinee and Colby/Abbotsford. The top finisher for the Hatchets in the meet was Kaylee Roberts, placing seventh in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 1:11.83. Aubrey Tollefson placed tenth in the 100 yard breaststroke, clocking in at 1:21.62. Tollefson, Roberts, Kortney Busterud, and Sloane Eisenman would finish ninth in the 200 medley relay with a time of 2:21.31. This concludes the Hatchet girls' swim season.

Published on 11/02/2026 under Sports At the WIAA Division 2 State Cross Country Meet in Wisconsin Rapids, The two Tomahawk female qualifiers placed in the top 100. Senior Elise Gibeault ended her high school cross country career placing 40th. Gibeault finished with a time of 20:12. As for Sophomore Charlee Lund, she placed 95th in her second straight state appearance. Lund clocked in with a time of 21:14. This concludes the Tomahawk Cross Country Season.

Published on 10/24/2026 under Sports Gibeault, Lund Head to State Cross Country Halloween Afternoon Two Hatchet Cross Country athletes will be making their trip to the Ridges in the Wisconsin Rapids for the WIAA Division 2 State Cross Country Meet next week. At the Sectional Meet in Rhinelander, Senior runner Elise Gibeault and Sophomore athlete Charlee Lund would each finish in the top ten time-wise, making the Hatchet athletes automatic qualifiers. Gibeaults placed fifth with a time of 20:17. Lund was right behind Gibeault, placing sixth with a time of 20:22. As a team, the Hatchets would finish just outside of the top two, placing third behind Lakeland and Wittenberg-Birnamwood. Tomahawk's boys would place eighth overall in the Sectional Meet. Jordyn Carew finished as the boys' fastest runner with a time of 18:24. Gibeault and Lund will compete in the WIAA Division 2 State Cross Country Meet at the Ridges in Wisconsin Rapids Halloween. The Division 2 Race begins at 12:40. Tomahawk Football Stymied in Second Half at Brillion, Ending Season The Hatchet Football Season would end in the WIAA Division 5 First Round of the Playoffs as they would fall to #3 Brillion Friday night, 27-7. Tomahawk led 7-0 with less than 30 seconds remaining on a 20-yard touchdown run by Hudson Evans. However, the Lions scored 13 points in the final seconds of the first half, including a pick-six as it came to end. After the interception, the Hatchets failed to re-establish any momentum in the second half. Tomahawk was limited to less than 50 total yards and failed to cross the Brillion 50 in the second half. Max Larson finished with 47 rushing yards, leading the way on the ground for Tomahawk. The Hatchet Football squad would finish 4-6 on the season and 4-3 in Great Northern Conference play. 11-Player Football Playoff Scores: ,#5 D2 Marshfield 44, #4 D2 Wausau East 14 #2 D3 Medford 42, #7 D3 Green Bay West 0 #3 D3 Fox Valley Lutheran 54, #6 D3 Rhinelander 14 #4 D3 Luxemburg-Casco 42, #5 D3 Merrill 14 #3 D7 Hilbert 46, #6 D7 Abbotsford 7 8-Player Football Playoff Scores: #6 Athens 48, #2 Hurley 42 #1 Laona-Wabeno 42, #4 Northwood/Solon Springs 0 Hatchet Girls Swimmers Place Ninth in GNC Meet at Lakeland At the Great Northern Conference Girls Swimming Meet in Lakeland Friday, the Hatchet girls as a team would place ninth to wrap up their regular season. The Hatchets as a team would have a couple of ninth-place finishes in relay events. Kami Gabrich, Kortney Busterud, Aubrey Tollefson, and Kaylee Roberts placed ninth in the 400 yard freestyle with a time of 4:33.61. Tomahawk also had Roberts, Busterud, Gabrich, and Sloane Eisenman place ninth in the 200 yard freestyle, clocking in at 2:04.95. Tollefson placed tenth in the 100 breastroke with a time of 1:22.14. The WIAA Division 2 Sectional Meet for the Hatchet Girls Swimmers will take place November 7th at Rice Lake.

Published on 10/21/2026 under Sports The Hatchet Volleyball season came to a quick end in the WIAA Division 3 Regional Quarterfinal Tuesday night as they would get swept at Weyauwega-Fremont, 25-14, 25-12, 25-8. The Hatchets were unable to overcome hot starts by the Warhawks and allowed 13 aces in the match. In her final high school volleyball match, Senior Outside Hitter Averi Petta led the Hatchets with eight kills. Lexi Palmer had 12 assists on the night. Tomahawk finishes the 2026 season with a 6-29 overall record and a 1-9 Great Northern Conference record. The lone Hatchet Senior to graduate is Averi Petta.

Published on 10/17/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's Cross Country squads provided some encouraging finishes in the Great Northern Conference meet Saturday at Hatchet Field, each placing third. For the girls, three Hatchets placed in the top 15. Charlee Lund placed fifth with a time of 19:34. Right behind Lund was Elise Gibeault, placing sixth and clocking in at 19:43. Ellie Micke placed 14th with a time of 21:51. On the boys' side, three athletes placed in the top 20. Jordyn Carew placed 12th, clocking in at 17:39. Connor Zorn finished 15th with a time of 17:58. Dawson Jones went 16th with a time of 18:11. The WIAA Division 2 Cross Country Sectional Meet for Tomahawk is Friday at Rhinelander. Team Finishes: Girls: 1st – Lakeland 2nd – Rhinelander 3rd – Tomahawk 4th – Merrill 5th – Mosinee 6th – Antigo 7th – Medford Boys: 1st – Lakeland 2nd – Rhinelander 3rd - Tomahawk 4th – Mosinee 5th – Northland Pines 6th – Medford 7th – Antigo

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