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Northwoods Communities Observe Memorial Day Monday

Published on 05/25/2026 under News It is Memorial Day and local groups and communities will honor those who gave their lives in service to the country. While many are enjoying camping and cookouts today, local veteran groups want people to also remember the reason for Memorial Day. That's honor, mourn, and pay tribute the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The origins of the holiday date back to the 1860's and began with states observing those fallen during the Civil War. The current designation of Memorial Day on the last Monday of May was established in 1971. Here in the Northwoods, the practice of marking the graves of veterans has been completed. Tomahawk Main Street continued their tradition of hanging Honor Banners on downtown light poles. It all leads up to the observance ceremonies around the area. We've got other programs listed in the WJJQ Community Calendar. Here in Tomahawk, the community program will be held at Veteran's Memorial Park with a Time of Reflection at 9am and the program at 9:30am. Merrill and Rhinelander programs both get underway at 10:30. The Merrill program at the City Cemetery Veterans Memorial; Rhinelander's at the High School Performing Arts Center. And Northwoods National Cemetery in Harshaw will host a ceremony at 2:30pm.

Published on 05/25/2026 under News The Tomahawk High School Class of 2026 received their diplomas Friday evening. But first, they took a literal walk down memory lane. As part of the annual graduation festivities, the Tomahawk School District continued the Graduate Celebration Walk. For most THS students, their educational years are spent on the same campus and under one shared roof, K-12. On their final day of class, the soon-to-be graduates, in cap and gown, took part in a mini-parade through the entire campus where they were celebrated by staff and students in the elementary, middle and high schools. Students who attended St. Marys made their way across town to visit that school. The Walk was established a few years ago as a way to promote the camaraderie and progress these students have made, while, allowing them an opportunity to inspire younger students and even reconnect with past teachers and staff members who have contributed to their educational journey. Speaking of Friday night's THS graduation, that ceremony was recorded and is now available for viewing on the Tomahawk School District YouTube channel.

Published on 05/25/2026 under News Four people were taken into custody following a high speed chase in Rhinelander after officers responded to gun shots. According to the Rhinelander Police Department, officers were called to Hodag Park Friday afternoon at shortly before 2pm for reports of several males firing a gun over Boom Lake. Police say the suspects fled the scene in a vehicle, leading officers on multiple pursuits through the city and surrounding highways. Authorities say officers temporarily ended the chase several times in the interest of public safety as the vehicle traveled through downtown Rhinelander and other populated areas. During the pursuit, police report shots were fired from the suspect vehicle at law enforcement officers. The chase continued east on Highway 8, where officers eventually used a PIT maneuver near Beaver Creek Road to stop the vehicle. Four suspects were taken into custody without incident. Their names were not immediately released. The investigation remains ongoing.

Published on 05/25/2026 under News An investigation is underway into an officer-involved shooting death in Forest County. According to the Wisconsin DOJ- Division of Criminal Investigation, officers from the Crandon Police Department, the Forest County Sheriff's Office, and DNR responded Saturday afternoon to reports of an active shooter at a housing complex on Indian Settlement Road in the Town of Nashville, located on the tribal lands of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community. Investigators say the suspect fired a weapon toward nearby homes and responding officers. During the encounter, two Crandon police officers and a DNR conservation warden returned fire, striking the suspect. Life-saving measures were attempted, but the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers or members of the public were injured. Officials say there were officer body cams and squad dash cams. A rifle was later recovered at the scene. The officers involved have been placed on standard administrative leave. The DOJ-DCI is handling the investigation.

Published on 05/25/2026 under News After crowded roads Friday evening, officials are anticipating another busy travel day Monday following the long holiday weekend. While the Northwoods traffic may be better spaced Monday than the late Friday rush, southbound traffic is still expected to be heavy at times. Drivers are encouraged to slow down, buckle up, and avoid distractions. It may also save motorists some time by checking out alternative routes or traveling at non-peak hours. To accommodate the holiday traffic, the Department of Transportation has paused most of their road construction projects for the long weekend. That includes temporarily reopening many of the work zones that have been closed in recent weeks. This includes Highway 51 north of Tomahawk and in Minocqua. Those projects are expected to resume on Tuesday morning.

Published on 05/25/2026 under News As ATV and UTV riders hit the trails for Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is reminding riders to put safety first. The DNR says Wisconsin has already seen 14 ATV and UTV fatalities this year, including nine on public roadways. Officials say many serious crashes involve riders not wearing helmets or seatbelts. The DNR is also reminding riders about new ATV and UTV regulations taking effect June 1, including a requirement that all UTV operators and passengers wear seatbelts. DNR Off-Highway Vehicle Administrator Lt. Jacob Holsclaw says helmets and seatbelts have been proven to reduce serious injuries and save lives, especially when used together. Officials also warn that speed, alcohol, and careless driving continue to be leading causes of crashes. Two thirds of fatal crashes have occurred on public roads. Riders are also encouraged to check that trails and road routes are open before heading out and to follow all posted traffic laws and safety regulations. • When traveling on routes, operate in single file on the extreme right side of the traffic lane. • Keep headlights on at all times. • Follow speed limits and regulatory signs. • Use directionals or hand signals.

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Sports Headlines

Hatchet Spring Sports Recap 5/21/26

Published on 05/21/2026 under Sports Dickens Delivers On Senior Day, Hatchet Baseball Edges Pines The Hatchet baseball squad ended Great Northern Conference play and Senior Night in exciting fashion, upsetting Northland Pines at Tyler Kahle Memorial Field Thursday night, 6-4. After the Hatchets took a 4-1 lead heading into the fourth, the Eagles would score three runs in the fourth and fifth innings, tying the game at 4-4. With two outs and two on in the bottom of the sixth, Senior Jonah Dickens ripped a two-run double to left-center field to put the Hatchets ahead for good. The two-run double by Dickens was his only hit of the day. Tomahawk would muster five hits total and reached base by way of five hit batsmen. Logan Norman picked up the victory, allowing just two runs on three hits in three innings of work. The win puts Tomahawk at 9-10 on the season and wraps up their GNC Season with a 6-8 record. The Hatchets will wrap up the regular season Tuesday back at TK Field against Assumption. First pitch is at 6:00. After the regular season, Tomahawk will host the WIAA Division 3 Regional Quarterfinal at TK Field as the #8 seed. The Hatchets will play against #9 seed Crandon. Three-Game Winning Streak Into Postseason for Hatchet Softball Tomahawk softball wrapped up their regular season Thursday with a resounding victory over Rib Lake, 13-1. The Hatchets ripped away at the ball with 16 hits and scored at least three runs in three innings. Averi Petta finished a triple away from the cycle, going three for three with a single, a double, and a home run with three RBIs. Sophie Olsen finished three for four with two doubles and two RBIs. Autumn Merrigan also had three hits, including a double and three RBIs. Camryn Kraklow picked up another victory, allowing just one run on two hits. The Hatchets wrap up the 2026 season with a 12-11 record and a 6-8 Great Northern Conference record. Tomahawk begins postseason play in the WIAA Division 3 Regional Semifinal Tuesday as the #6 Seed. The Hatchets will play #3 Seed Prescott at Biggs Frey Memorial Field. Alex Koch and Matt Theiler will have the broadcast on Sports Talk 810 AM/97.7 FM WJJQ with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Pregame Show at 4:35 and First pitch at 5:00. Tomahawk Girls Track Take Top Spot at Dale Peterson Invite At the Dale Peterson Invite in Antigo Thursday, both the Hatchet boys and girls track and field squads finished in the top four as a team. Tomahawk's girls won the invite with 129.5 team points, 17.5 ahead of Laona-Wabeno. The Hatchets had three athletes place first across multiple events. Freshman Lauren Reibe took the meet medalist in the 300 meter hurdles and the Pole Vault. Freshman Abbigail Doleshal took the top spot in the discus throw with a heave of 89'9". Sophomore Madilynn Tobias placed first in the triple jump with a leap of 31'. The Hatchet boys would place fourth in the invite with 84 points, just one point behind Rhinelander and three points ahead of Lakeland. Tomahawk's boys had two first-place finishes in the invite. Senior Beau Stromberg took the top spot in the 400 meter run. Sophomore Luke Morrison took the top spot in the triple jump with a jump of 40'1". The WIAA Division 2 Regional Track & Field Meet starts on Tuesday at Medford. Events begin at 4:00.

Published on 05/21/2026 under Sports On Wednesday, select Hatchet Athletes signed Letters of Intent to play at select colleges and were honored with select Coaches' Awards. Siennah Calkins, who was gifted the Bill Fischer Outstanding Female Athlete and the WIAA Female Scholar Athlete Awards, will be continuing her volleyball career at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Don Dorski Female Scholar Athlete Award Winner Freya Alberg will continue her basketball career at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. Rex Reilly, who took home the Gary Kuntz Outstanding Male Athlete and WIAA Scholar Athlete Award, is one of the three Hatchet football players that will be continuing his athletic career. Reilly will be attending the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Awarded the Don Dorski Male Scholar Athlete and the Bill Stiff Sportsmanship Award was Michael Samundsen. Ethan Gibeault and Wally Horabik will be football teammates at the University of Wisconsin-Stout next fall. Lydia Shaney will continue her athletic career as a Cross Country and Track & Field athlete at Lawrence University in Appleton. Also continuing her Track & Field Career is Faith Derleth, who will be attending St. Cloud State in Minnesota next year, as well as Alicia Voermans at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Finally, Hatchet swimmer Bruce Peetz will continue his athletic career at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. The final Hatchet Award winner was the Jim Taylor Sophomore Only Scholar Athlete awarded to Jett Reilly.

Published on 05/19/2026 under Sports Gibeault, Calkins Fill Up Hatchet GNC Titles in Rhinelander At the Great Northern Conference Track & Field Meet at Mike Webster Stadium in Rhinelander Tuesday, the Hatchets had a total of six Great Northern Conference Champions. All of the Hatchet GNC Champs came from the girls. Elise Gibeault took the conference title in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, and 400 meter dash. Ellie Micke took the conference title in the High jump with a leap of 4'10". Siennah Calkins took the top spot in the Triple Jump with a leap of 33'8.75". The 4x100 meter relay squad of Calkins, Micke, Aliyah Nelson, and Alicia Voermans won the GNC title with a time of 52.54 seconds. Overall, the Hatchet girls placed second in the GNC Meet as a team, finishing behind only Rhinelander. The Hatchet boys placed sixth as a team in the Great Northern Conference meet. The top finisher in the meet was Beau Stromberg in the High Jump with a leap of 5'8". Tomahawk's final meet of the 2026 regular season is Thursday at the Dale Peterson Invite in Antigo. Events begin is at 4:00. Big Sixth Inning Propels Tomahawk Softball Over St. Croix Central The Hatchet Softball squad used a big sixth inning out in St. Croix to defeat the St. Croix Central Saints on the road Tuesday, 12-4. Tomahawk trailed 4-1 heading into the fifth before rolling off 11 straight runs, including seven in the sixth inning. Camryn Kraklow pitched a complete game and got the victory, allowing just one earned run on seven hits while striking out seven. Kraklow also went two for three on the day. However, it was the combo of Averi Petta and Aubrey Seubert that spearheaded the way for Tomahawk offensively. Petta went four for five with three runs scored. Catcher Aubrey Seubert had a carrer-high five hits on the day. She had four singles, a double, and three RBIs. Tomahawk also got an RBI double from Autumn Merrigan and an RBI Triple from Ella Peissig. Tomahawk's record improves to 11-11 on the season and 5-7 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets added one last game to their schedule, which will be Thursday against Rib Lake. First pitch is at 5:00. Hatchet Baseball Shut Out and Shut Down to Stratford Tomahawk baseball was shut down by #6 in Division 3 Stratford at Tyler Kahle Memorial Field Tuesday night, losing, 2-0. The Hatchet bats mustered five hits on the day. However, Tomahawk was unable to take advantage of having six baserunners throughout the day. Jonah Dickens allowed just one run on one hit in three innings of work on the mound. Logan Norman pitched three shutout innings and allowed just three hits. Cash Olsen and Colin Black each finished with two singles on the day. The loss drops Tomahawk to 8-10 on the season and 6-7 in Great Northern Conference play. The final Great Northern Conference game of the Regular Season for Tomahawk is Thursday back at TK Field against Northland Pines. Alex Koch and Keith Hanse will be in the broadcast booth with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Pregame Show at 4:35 and first pitch at 5:00 on Sports Talk 810 AM/97.7 FM WJJQ.

Published on 05/18/2026 under Sports Hatchet Baseball Survives in 7th, Sweep Antigo The Hatchet baseball squad overcame five errors to edge out Great Northern Conference foe Antigo on the road Monday night, winning, 4-3. The win by Tomahawk is their third straight overall and second straight Great Northern Conference victory. Wally Horabik went two for four with two triples. Horabik also picked up the win on the mound, allowing just one run over three innings of relief. Horabik would also score the go-ahead run on an error off a ground ball by Brody Hilgendorf. Nick Arndt also went two for four on the day. Jonah Dickens went four for four with a double and a run scored. Starting pitcher Cash Olsen gave up two runs in four innings of work. The win puts Tomahawk at 8-9 on the season and 6-7 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are back in action against #6 in Division 3 Stratford at Tyler Kahle Memorial Field today. First pitch is at 5:00. Tomahawk Golf Places Third in Mosinee To Wrap Up Regular Season The Hatchet golfers would wrap up their regular season placing third in their final Great Northern Conference meet at Indianhead Golf Course in Mosinee Monday. The Hatchets finished with a team score of 349, tied with Merrill and two strokes ahead of Rhinelander. The top Hatchet golfer was Jake Albert, who placed sixth overall and finished with an 81. Rocco Carew and Brayden Lamer tied for second on the team and 15th overall with an 89. Rounding out the top five were Jaxon Kaiser with a 90 and Oliver Childers with a 96. This concludes the 2026 Hatchet Golf Regular Season. The WIAA Division 2 Golf Meet is next Tuesday at Turtleback Golf Course in Rice Lake. Tee-off is at 9:00.

Published on 05/16/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's field throwers competed at the Thunder Throw in the Woods Invite in Minocqua Saturday morning. For the Hatchet boys, two athletes finished in the top ten in shot put. Michael Samundsen finished with a 42'7.5" throw. Ethan Gibeault had a 38'10" toss. The two seniors joined Elliot O'Connor in the top ten in discus. Samundsen was the top Hatchet with a throw of 114'4". In the female shot put, it was two freshmen that placed in the top ten. Abbigail Doleshal had a throw of 26'8". Lillian Rigby had a throw of 21'4". In the discus, both Doleshal and Rigby placed in the top five. Doleshal had a throw of 94'1". The Great Northern Conference Track & Field Meet is Tuesday at Mike Webster Stadium in Rhinelander.

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