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Lincoln County Board Recap Published on 02/20/2019 under News It was a relatively routine February County Board meeting.

As they do each month, the supervisor recognized employment milestones including: 10 years for Heather Marheine in the Highway Department and Timothy Kurtz in the Sheriff's Office. The Board also memorialized the passing of Former Sheriff and Supervisor Ron Krueger.

With January being the first month of the county's fiscal year, Finance Director Dan Leydet's monthly report was relatively short. He did caution oversight committees to watch budgets carefully, particularly with additional spending.

In his report, County Administrator Jason Hake briefly spoke about the operational deficit at Lincoln Industries over the past two years. He says they will work with North Central Healthcare to explore a more sustainable operation.

In resolutions, the board unanimously approved taking 12 tax delinquent properties. All were empty lots in the Harrison Hills area. They all came from the same owners which had previously been tied up in bankruptcy.

The board tabled a resolution on zoning amendments in the Town of Pine River. Rather than utilizing county zoning, the township handles the duty on their own. Bill Zeitz, whose district includes the township, questioned both the process the resolution came to the board and whether the resolution needed to come to the board at all. The supervisors had additional details for corporation counsel Nancy Bergstrom who was unable to attend the meeting. The Board voted 19-1 to table the resolution until those questions could be answered.

After a brief presentation from Highway Commissioner John Hanz, the board approved designating the week of April 8 as Work Zone Awareness week. This is part of a statewide awareness effort.

The final item on the agenda expanded two economic support specialist positions in Social Services from 36 hours per week to 40 hours. Director Renee Krueger noted that this was part of a long term plan and shouldn't affect this year's budget.

In Other News

Lincoln County Plans to Transition to .gov Domain

Published on 04/24/2024 under News The Lincoln County government could soon be getting a new website domain and email addresses that are simplified and more secure. The County currently uses the co.lincoln.wi.us. Under a resolution approved by the county board last week, they'll transition to lincolncountywi.gov. The '.gov' addresses are exclusive to US government agencies and organizations. Ahead of the vote, IT Director Travis Spoehr provided a brief overview. He noted the change is something they've talked about in the past. Now the application and registration of .gov domains have been waived for counties and local municipalities. According to the resolution, the Wisconsin Elections Commission will make .gov a requirement for electron elections communications. Some Northwoods counties have already made that transition including Oneida and Vilas Counties. As for the specific domain name, Spoehr noted that they needed to include the 'wi' because there are 36 other Lincoln Counties around the country. They'll continue to maintain the current domain at this time to make a staggered migration. A specific timeline wasn't provided.

Published on 04/24/2024 under News Utility bills in the Northwoods could be up slightly starting next year. Wisconsin Public Service shared that they have filed a request with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to set the electricity and natural gas rates for the next two years. According to the release, the proposal would result in an increase of $11-12 a month for a typical electric bill, while natural gas customers would see an increase of $3-4. Even with the potential increase, WPS noted that bills would remain below the national average. The release says a majority of the filing is to recover costs of new power plants the PSCW has already approved. They also continue to focus on three key priorities: reducing customer outages, building the infrastructure needed to support jobs plus economic growth in Wisconsin, and meeting new EPA environmental rules. An update to the filing with more specific information on the impact for each group of customers. The company says they will also provide this information to customers through a bill insert and on wisconsinpublicservice.com. The PSC will review the proposal later this year, and the new rates, if approved, would take effect in January.

Published on 04/24/2024 under News A plump pine warbler and a Rotund ruby-crowned kinglet are among feathered friends competing in a statewide contest to celebrate healthy birds and migration. The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin is celebrating their first-ever Fat Bird Week. The Foundation notes that 'a fat bird is a healthy bird' and it 'celebrates and spotlights the amazing journey our migratory birds make to get back to Wisconsin.' Eight bird photos were selected in the bracket style tournament decided by fan vote. The foundation was inspired by the organizers of the popular Fat Bear Week in Alaska which celebrates bears bulking up for winter hibernation. Conservation biologist Ryan Brady notes that some species of bird will actually double their weight ahead of their twice annual migration. He says, "Fat is fuel in the world of bird migration." They did clarify that while many people call birds "fat," they are often referring to is the fluffiness of the feathers. While the contest is all in good fun, it also serves as inspiration to create a more bird-friendly back yard. Brady says to think native plants which will provide nutrition via fruits, seeds, nectar, and even drawing in bugs. The 'Fat Bird Week' winner will be announced during next Tuesday's webinar "Four Ways to keep Wisconsin's Birds Fat and Healthy." For more information

Published on 04/24/2024 under News For years, Oneida County has offered a teen court program through the municipal court system which provides an alternative for first time youth offenders. The program is currently seeking high school age students to serve as panelists in the program. Panelists interview the offending juvenile and their parents. They assign sanctions designed to help the youth avoid making similar decisions, while allowing the offender to move forward without a juvenile record. Sharon Krause, works with the program through her role as Community Youth Development Educator with the Oneida County UW-Extension. She says serving can be beneficial to the student panelists as well, building communication and leadership skills. It also exposes them to careers in law, government policy, social work and counseling. She says "High school students who wish to become panelists need to have good listening skills, work well as part of a team, and be trustworthy with confidential information." Teen panelists should live in Oneida County (or Vilas County and attend Lakeland Union) The deadline is apply is May 1. For more information about Oneida County Teen Court and panelist application materials, please visit https://oneida.extension.wisc.edu/positive-youth-development/teencourt/ or contact Sharon Krause at sharon.krause@wisc.edu or (608) 381-2661.

Published on 04/24/2024 under News A team of Nicolet cosmetology students earned high marks at an industry event earlier this week. On Monday, Raven Carufel and Axle Jacobs, along with student model Isabella Hulsey attended America's Beauty Show in Chicago. The trio took part in the student team competition where they scored a third place finish in the cyberpunk fantasy category. The teams had an hour to craft an intricate hairstyle and makeup look demonstrating their creativity and technique. Instructor Marie Stott said, "Raven, Axle, and Isabella demonstrated their talent, dedication, and teamwork throughout this competition. Their success is a testament to their hard work and education at Nicolet College." The judging panel included industry professionals as well as social media influencers. For Jacobs specifically, it was a successful April. Earlier this month, we reported Jacobs competed and won the Wisconsin Skills USA barber competition and qualified for nationals. -Photo provided by Nicolet College

Published on 04/24/2024 under News Road Construction announcements are coming frequently. People can learn more about an upcoming project on Rhinelander's north side. The Department of Transportation announced a construction information meeting ahead of work on Highway 17 between Stevens Street and Pollyana Road. The contractor and project staff will share construction details, staging, schedule, traffic impacts and other information. That meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, April 30 at 1pm at Rhinelander City Hall.

Published on 04/24/2024 under Sports Tomahawk's softball squad notched a convincing Great Northern Conference win Tuesday with a 12-1, five-inning victory over Rhinelander at Hatchet Field. The Hatchets got on starting pitcher Kelsey Winter early, scoring eight runs in the first. Tomahawk got three shutout innings pitched from sophomore Sophie Olsen. The Hatchets also showed great pateince at the plate, issuing eight walks. The win improves Tomahawk to 7-6 on the season and 2-3 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets will have another GNC showdown Thursday at Mosinee. First pitch is at 5:00 that afternoon.

Published on 04/24/2024 under Sports Tomahawk's track and field squads competed at the Medford Invite Tuesday night. The Hatchet girls had the lone first-place finish of the night, coming from Lydia Shaney in the 3200 meter run. Right behind Shaney in the run was Robin Schmidt. Schmidt joined Alli Palmer, Elise Gibeault, and Rachael Reilly placing second in the 4x800 meter relay. The Hatchet boys' top finisher came from Beau Stromberg and Sam Zastrow. Stromberg placed fifth in the high jump, while Zastrow placed fifth in the 800 meter run. Tomahawk will head to another Great Northern Conference foe for their next meet Thursday at Northland Pines. Field Events begin at 4:00 PM.

Published on 04/24/2024 under Sports Tomahawk's golf squad finished their first Great Northern Conference meet of the season in fifth place out of seven teams at a cold, windy Inshalla Country Club. The Hatchets finished with a team score of 366. Austin Lamer finished as the top Hatchet of the meet with a score of 80, good for sixth overall. Sawyer Hanna and Caiden Reichelt finished with a 93. Tomahawk will be back in action Wednesday for another road invite at Barron. Tee-off is at 9:00 am.

Published on 04/24/2024 under Sports Tomahawk's baseball squad was shut out by another Great Northern Conference opponent Tuesday afternoon, losing to Lakeland in Minocqua, 10-0. The Hatchets were also no-hit in the game and committed five errors. Brayden Larson had the loss on the mound, giving up five runs in 2.1 innings pitched. The loss drops Tomahawk to 1-8 on the season and 1-4 in Great Northern Conference play. The two teams will go against each other for the second time Friday at TK Memorial Field. Tune in for the broadcast on Sports Talk 810 AM and 100.7 FM WJJQ with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Pregame Show at 4:35 and First pitch at 5:00. Alex Koch and Keith Hanse will be in the broadcast booth.

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