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Northern National Art Competition Gallery Opens on Nicolet Campus

Published on 09/21/2017 under News This past weekend Nicolet College held a reception opening one of the premier art exhibits in the region. Over the next month, the Nicolet Gallery will host the Northern National Art Competition exhibit, now in its 30th year. Katy Ralph, the gallery director said, "Every year the exhibit features an amazing collection of pieces and this year, again, meets that high standard." As for the competition, they were judged by Gary Freeburg, a professor of art at James Madison University. He was tasked with reviewing 448 entries and selecting just 90 pieces for the exhibit. The artists in that initial pool represented 24 different states and shared in more than $8,000 in prize money. After last weekend's reception, the gallery is now open to the public, with free admission. It's open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm. It will remain through October 20.

Published on 09/21/2017 under News The Department of Transportation is planning a road project on Highway 45 in Langlade County starting next week. They'll have an informational meeting on the project today. As for the project, crews will be resurfacing the Highway south of Antigo. Other improvements include: culvert replacements, rumble strips and new beam guards. American Asphalt was selected as the contractor for the $1.1 million dollar project. It is being funded by federal and state dollars on an 80/20 split. The Highway will remain open throughout construction with some temporary lane closures and flagging. Work is scheduled for completion by November. The DoT will be hold an informational meeting this morning in Antigo. The contractor will be available to answer questions regarding the activities and traffic management. It'll be held at Antigo City Hall from 9:30 to 10:30.

Published on 09/21/2017 under News While out in the field, hunters may observe a collared or ear-tagged deer. The DNR is reminding hunters to treat these animals like any other when pursuing game. Many of the animals, particularly in Southwestern portions of the state, were tagged as part of an study into deer mortality. Dan Storm, a DNR ungulate research ecologist says, "The most important thing for hunters to know is that collared and tagged deer and coyotes should be treated just like the rest of the animals in the area. He says "Collared and tagged deer are absolutely fine to harvest, so if you would otherwise harvest that deer, go ahead and take it. If you would normally let it pass by, do so," While the study is geared towards chronic wasting, Storm noted the animals were randomly collared and it does not indicate anything about any particular animal's health. Normal licensing and harvest regulations apply, however hunters harvesting a collared deer should also call the number listed on the collar, so DNR staff can retrieve each collar.

Published on 09/21/2017 under News The father of a Rhinelander toddler who died last spring is now facing charges. Trung Tran made his initial appearance in Oneida County Court yesterday. According to court records he is being charged with two felonies, child neglect resulting in death and failure to prevent bodily harm to a child. The charges are the result of an investigation into the death of Tran's 20 month old child. The investigation has previously resulted in reckless homicide charges against his wife Ellen, also the child's stepmother. The child died of blunt force trauma to the head back in April, while under Ellen Tran's care. At yesterday's hearing, Trung Tran was held on a $10,000 bond. A preliminary hearing has been set for October 24.

Published on 09/21/2017 under News As we have been covering over the past few weeks, September is Preparedness Month here in the state of Wisconsin and local officials are partnering with state agencies in making sure residents are prepared. The theme for this year is 'disasters don't plan ahead, but you can.' In the event of a disaster, Ready Wisconsin says that a plan is important and that includes communication. Depending on the type of emergency, communication can become difficult with wide spread power outages. Ready Wisconsin notes that phone service may also be overwhelmed or simply unavailable. They note that text messages use less bandwidth and may be a more reliable way to communicate. The agency also says that calling outside the area may be better than a local call. They recommend designating a friend or family member from outside of the area to be an "out of town' contact. During an emergency situation that person can more easily serve as a check-in and relay any messages.

Published on 09/21/2017 under News Here in Tomahawk, we've already seen the generosity of the Northwoods in collecting for Hurricane relief. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Tomahawk natives and current Texas residents Nick and Amanda Glaeser lead a local drive that resulted in several truckloads of supplies being collected for the Houston area. Over in Rhinelander, the First United Methodist Church is hoping to do the same. This week, they've announced a collection effort held in partnership with a larger effort lead by Midwest Mission Distribution Center. They noted that the items will benefit the victims of both Harvey and Irma. According to the announcement, the 'critical need' items include: liquid laundry detergent, liquid household cleaner, liquid dish soap, deodorant and insect repellant. The church has a full list of need items on their website. We'll include a link in the online version of this story. http://rhinelanderumc.org/hurricane-relief-list/ The Church has a drop off location on their grounds on Arbutus Street. The collection effort got underway on Monday and will run through Sunday October 6.

Published on 09/20/2017 under News With the passage of a vehicle registration fee last night, the Lincoln County Board hopes to close a shortfall in their upcoming budget. The vehicle registration fee is commonly referred to as a wheel tax. After lengthy discussions during a nearly 3 hour meeting, the board ultimately voted 11-7 to approve a $20 fee for one year, revisiting the topic again next year if they choose to continue. According to the literature accompanying the ordinance, numerous municipalities and counties have turned to wheel taxes ranging from $10 to $30. Our neighbors to the south in Marathon County currently have a $25 vehicle registration fee. With 27,045 registered vehicles in Lincoln County, a $20 fee would provide $536,000. The money would cover the shortfall while freeing up additional dollars for capitol improvement and road funding. Prior to its approval, 2 amendments raising the fee to $25 and $23 respectively were defeated, as was a motion to lay over the topic to next meeting. The proposal was supported by Finance Director Dan Leydet, as well as County Administrator Randy Scholz. During the discussion several supervisors noted their reluctant support, not wanting to raise costs, but also wanting to preserve the services provided by the county.

Published on 09/20/2017 under News Prior to a vote creating a vehicle registration fee, the Lincoln County Board spent several hours discussing the upcoming budget. One of the first items on the agenda at last night's meeting was the longest as finance director Dan Leydet walked the board through a half hour presentation, followed by more than an hour of discussion. That initial discussion include a history of levy limits and the desire to avoid pushing shortfall's down the road. The item at hand was the shortfall in the preliminary budget. Leydet explained that the initial proposals from department heads came in $800,000 high. Through various cuts and adjustments the figure was reduced to $231,000. As the discussion continued supervisors weighed in as did department heads including the Sheriff and Highway Commissioner on how further cuts would affect their departments. Several supervisor spoke in metaphor, noting that the fat has already been cut, and future actions would be to the meat. During that conversation, Supervisor Loretta Baughan made a motion to require a 4.2% cut from all departments receiving levy dollars. That was defeated handily after discussions noting that task is not as simple as it seems due to the way various departments are revenue producers (the forestry department) or grant/service dependent (land services) Ultimately the decision came down to deeper cuts into county services or alternative revenue sources which came in the form of that wheel tax later in the meeting.

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Published on 09/20/2017 under News With nearly all of the meeting time devoted to the budget and vehicle registration fee, the remainder of last night's Lincoln County Board meeting went fairly quickly. As always the board recognized service to the county: 10 years-Daniel Kainz-Highway Department; 15 years-Christine Turner-Sheriff's Office; 20 years-Michelle Sczygelski-Lincoln Industries; and 25 years- Brian Kinglsey-Sheriff's Office. The board approved a request for work on a storm water retention system to alleviate flooding of the Social Service building. That flooding was the result of an old storm sewer that was not marked on any plans. It was discovered during the Pinecrest project. The board approved an update to the Land Services software system. Administrator Matt Bremer noted that that previous system is more than 20 years old and has served them well, but it is time to modernize the system to the 21st century. A pair of land transfers were approved with minimal discussion. The first was a 100 foot swath of land along the property owners lot line. It was previously held by the county for the potential development of a road which is no longer likely. The second request would allow the completion of a Town of Merrill property being annexed by the City of Merrill. Finally, there were two re-zoning requests, one was withdrawn prior to the meeting, the other was approved with minimal discussion. A motion to waive the fee was voted down.

Published on 09/20/2017 under News At a presentation yesterday afternoon, the Tomahawk Chamber of Commerce received a grant from the State Tourism Department to continue implementing results from a market research campaign. The $35,000 is part of the Joint Effort Marketing or JEM grant program. In a news release, the Chamber noted that it is in process of implementing its new brand strategy using data gathered from research completed in 2016. Chamber Director Jessica Witte said, "It has been exciting to do research about the travel patterns and expectations of those visiting Tomahawk. It has helped us shape our message and we are so excited for the next phase of this project that will introduce our new brand to the world." Looking towards 2018, the chamber will begin that process with a new website, as well as an increased social media presence, the use of seasonal photography and an enhanced visitor's guide. Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett was on hand for the presentation. She said, "The best marketing efforts are based on solid research, and this grant will help the Tomahawk Chamber take the next step in their plans to attract more travelers to the area." Last year the Department funded 57 JEM projects totaling more than $1.1 million.

Published on 09/20/2017 under News Not only have our youth returned to the class room this fall, so too have many northwoods retirees. It's part of Nicolet College's Learning in Retirement. The program will feature more than 30 different offering this year as way for participants to not only explore new ideas, but also meet new people and stay engaged in their community. Program Coordinator Brenda Peltier said, "The subjects covered are as diverse as the backgrounds of the members." Some of the courses include historic boathouses of Eagle River, drones, social media courses, and bike trips. The courses are held at a variety of locations across the Nicolet Footprint. Some are held weekly while others are single sessions. Some of the courses actually got underway last week. The offerings run through the semester.

Published on 09/19/2017 under News The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office has released additional details in a fatal crash Friday near Merrill. That accident happened at shortly after 3pm, at the intersection of County Road Q and Joe Snow Road. The preliminary investigation showed that a pickup truck failed to stop at the intersection, colliding with a southbound SUV. The driver of that SUV died as a result. She has now been identified as 57 year old Joan Lehman of Wausau. A passenger in that vehicle, an 11 year was taken to Marshfield Medical Center for further treatment. The operator of the truck a 16 year old male was also treated at a local hospital. The Sheriff's Office says they continue to investigate.

Published on 09/19/2017 under News After a complaint about an underage drinking party, three individuals were cited. A 25 year old male, cited for providing alcohol to underage individuals; and a 19 year old Irma woman and a 17 year old Brantwood girl cited for underage alcohol consumption. An officer stopped an ATV at just after midnight Saturday. As a result, the 25 year old driver was arrested for operating while intoxicated. Officers responded to a Tomahawk tavern for an altercation at just after midnight Saturday. Following the investigation, a 29 year old male was taken into custody for disorderly conduct. Officers stopped a motorcycle for speeding Saturday evening. As a result, a 44 year old Merrill man was arrested for a first offense of operating while intoxicated. A 21 year old Tomahawk man was cited for open intoxicants in a vehicle following a traffic stop Saturday. Two additional individuals were arrested for operating while intoxicated following traffic stops over the weekend including a 21 year old Tomahawk male and a 43 year old Green Bay woman. As expected, the Tomahawk Police Department was kept busy throughout Fall Ride weekend, with a number of medical assists, noise complaints and traffic citations, as well.

Published on 09/19/2017 under News Plates have been cleaned, votes cast, and Tomahawk has once again chosen its 'Best Burger in Paradise.' The contest is an annual friendly, fundraising competition between Tomahawk area restaurants. They teamed together to raise money for the STAR Foundation. Hungary participants are able to purchase a card to get a burger at each of the restaurants over the summer, plus a vote. When those votes were tallied, it was the Road Lake Pub and Grill who claimed bragging rights. The real winner, however, was the STAR Foundation. The organization serves as a central group that provides charitable donations to a variety of Tomahawk organizations. Through the Best Burger in Paradise contest, organizers were able to raise over $5,000.

Published on 09/19/2017 under News Earlier this month we told you about Landyn Zoellick, a young boy with Tomahawk ties who is battling multiple tumors along his spine and brain. The five year old had his first surgery last month. While Landyn lives in Watertown, he is the grandson of Tomahawk's Jeff and Tina Frick. They came on our morning forum earlier this month to talk a bit more about their grandson and his story. (That conversation is available as a podcast in our Audio Center) That conversation led up to the LandynStrong benefit. The family teamed with Billy Bob's to host that fundraiser. And no surprise, the Tomahawk community came through with tremendous generosity. We got an update from Tina, who said that the benefit raised $7,000. She noted that Landyn still has at least 3 months of additional treatment and as he continues to stay at American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, WI .

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