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Merrill Educator, Student Receive Awards for Women in Technology Published on 08/22/2019 under News

Both a Merrill student and teacher won state awards for women in technology.

The National Center for Women and Informational Technology recognized 102 recipients in Wisconsin. According to the Merrill School District, that includes student Skylar Herdt who received an award for Aspirations in Computing and teacher Olivia Dachel who received an Educator Award.

Keshia Mashak, MAPS Director of Technology Integration says, "Both Skylar and Olivia have proven to go above and beyond in the classroom and serve as great leaders at MAPS. Without the support of Mrs. Dachel, these unique opportunities would not be made possible to MAPS students, and we wish Skylar nothing but the best as she continues her pursuits in computer programming."

The awards are part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology. They are based on outstanding aptitude and interest in information technology and computing, solid leadership ability, and academic knowledge.

In Other News

Lincoln County Opioid Task Force Releases Report

Published on 09/16/2025 under News The Lincoln County Opioid Task Force has released a new report that analyzes substance use in the county while outlining some steps to address the issue. Over the past year, the Lincoln County Opioid Task Force has studied substance use trends, gathered community feedback, and reviewed available resources and where help is needed. The assessment highlighted five takeaways: access and availability; community norms; family disruption; mental health; and stigma. The report will also help guide the county in spending national opioid settlement funds to help improve health and safety. Erin Ray is Opioid Grant Coordinator for the Lincoln County Health Department. She says, "In order to invest opioid funds in impactful ways, it was important to combine community perspectives with the data collected to tell the whole story." She added, "The final assessment does that and provides a nice road map going forward." The next steps for the task force will be in recommendations to invest the settlement funds to support prevention programs and expand peer support services for people in recovery. They noted ongoing community involvement will remain a top priority as plans move forward. There is actually a resolution on tonight's Lincoln County Board agenda authorizing a mini-grant program utilizing opioid settlement dollars. That full report is available on the Lincoln County website.

Published on 09/16/2025 under News The Tomahawk Fall Ride has come and gone… the influx of motorcycles kept Lincoln County Deputies busy. They highlighted several of these incidents in this week's Lincoln County Sheriff's Report. A crash involving multiple motorcycles sent several people to the hospital. That crash was reported on Friday along County Road A, just north of Tomahawk. Based on the initial investigation, a group of 15 motorcycles were traveling north when the lead motorcycle slowed down for traffic ahead. This caused a chain reaction crash of following motorcycles. The report indicates one driver lost control and clipped another bike causing that driver to be thrown from his motorcycle. Three other trailing motorcycles were also involved. Several parties were transported to Aspirus Tomahawk Hospital by either ambulance and private auto for treatment of undisclosed injuries. A Tomahawk man was arrested following a crash involving a vehicle and a motorcycle. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Report, that crash happened Saturday on County S near Road Lake Road in the Town of Bradley. Preliminary investigation revealed that two motorcycles were traveling together on CTH S when an oncoming vehicle crossed over the center-line. Both motorcycles took evasive action, however one bike entered the ditch and crashed The operator was transported to a local hospital. Following the investigation, the driver of the vehicle was arrested for 2nd offense OWI causing injury. A Stevens Point man was injured following a motorcycle crash on County Road S in the Town of Skanawan. The driver was unable to recall what happened, but the investigation indicated he failed to negotiate a curve and laid the bike down. The man was wearing a helmet at the time. A motorcycle crash Saturday led to an investigation into a stolen motorcycle. Deputies initially responded that crash on County CC. Deputies found the operator, an Appleton man left the roadway on a curve and struck a culvert. He sustained minor injuries. The man was cited for operating without a license and without a motorcycle endorsement. The deputy also learned the motorcycle had been reported as stolen from Waupaca County in 2021. The man said he had purchased the bike. The deputy is continuing to investigate.

Published on 09/16/2025 under News A motorcyclist was arrested after a following an abandoned chase at nearly double the speed limit. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Report, a patrol deputy initially observed the rider on Highway 51 traveling at nearly 100 miles per hour. The deputy radioed to another unit who reported the motorcycle had increased speeds to 117 miles per hour. The deputy briefly pursued, before ending the chase for safety reasons. A short time later, another deputy was able to locate a bike matching the description and conduct a traffic stop. The operator, a Mount Pleasant man, was arrested for 2nd degree recklessly endangering safety, resisting, and fleeing an officer along with several traffic violations.

Published on 09/16/2025 under News The Rhinelander District Library Foundation is in the middle of a fundraising campaign to renovate their 128 year old building. The Foundation recently announced they've extended and expanded a match campaign. The project will add more than 7,500 square feet of new space at the library, while modernizing the facility, improving accessibility and efficiency. Back in June, an anonymous donor pledged $120,000 in a match gift that essentially doubles all other donations. And so far, the community has contributed more than $89,000 to that total. The Foundation recently announced the anonymous donor has now increased their pledge to $128,000. That mirrors that the library is 128 years old. They've also extended the match time-frame to run through Giving Tuesday, December 2. As for the overall Capital Campaign, they've raised approximately $1.3 million of their $7 million goal.

Published on 09/16/2025 under News There is an approximately 70,000 acre block of protected lands east of Rhinelander known as the Pelican River Project. That's the topic of a special presentation coming up Wednesday morning as part of Nicolet College's popular Ced Vig Nature Series. The Pelican River Project is comprised of forests, wetlands, and waterways protected forever from development and subdivision, safeguarding what was the largest privately-owned, unprotected block of forest remaining in the state. As part of tomorrow's program, speakers will cover a number of topics related to the Pelican River Project including: varied ecosystems, the iconic species of flora and fauna, and how this conservation project succeeded because of the skills and efforts of many working together. The presentation is free and open to the public at Nicolet College's Lakeside Center Theatre on Wednesday, September 17 at 10 a.m. (additional information)

Published on 09/16/2025 under News A Northwoods man will once again have his artwork featured on a DNR bird stamp next season. Each summer, the agency holds an art competition with the three winning designs featured on the wild turkey, pheasant and waterfowl stamps in the following year. Sales of stamps also bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to help fund habitat restoration and enhancement, along with education and research projects. This past week, the DNR announced this year's winners. That includes Caleb Metrich of Lake Tomahawk who claimed first place in the pheasant category. Metrich is a repeat winner, on several occasions in past years. As for the wild turkey and waterfowl contests, Sam Timm of Wautoma was a double winner. Judging took place last month at the Wisconsin Waterfowl Expo in Oshkosh.

Published on 09/15/2025 under News There is a calm in the air here in Tomahawk, as the community wrapped up another Fall Ride weekend. As quickly as they arrived last week, tens of thousands of motorcycles were back on the road and heading out of town on Sunday. More than 4 decades in, the Fall Ride tradition remains as popular as ever. It's been estimated at 40,000 and 50,000 people attend each year. Because of the de-centralized nature of Fall Ride, it's hard to get an exact count on just how many people attend each year. On Sunday afternoon, as events were wrapping up, we heard from several of the local organizers. The general consensus was that the number of visitors was up when compared to last year. Weather likely played a role...it was sunny and summer-like for most of the weekend. That likely drew in some additional riders who came over for a day, while also encouraging those visiting to get out and explore events and activities. One event that does get an actual head count is the Friday night Thunder Parade. We heard from parade organizer, Roxanne Consolver, who shared that they had approximately 650 bikes take part this year. That's up from last year's count. And with another year in the books, event organizers will take a few days to recover themselves before shifting focus to next year. In the coming days, they'll meet to review this year's Fall Ride and begin planning for next year.

Published on 09/15/2025 under News September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month in Wisconsin, and several local organizations are teaming up to address this challenge of aging. According to the Wisconsin Institute of Healthy Aging, falls are a leading cause of injury-related emergency department visits and EMS medical response calls. Several local providers including the ADRC, Lincoln County Health Department, and Aspirus will host an Improve Your Balance: Prevent Falls Resource Fair in Merrill Tuesday morning. Jennifer Clark with the ADRC says, "There are proven steps individuals can take to help prevent falls and community resources that can help." Amanda Tabin, injury prevention coordinator for Aspirus says, "Our goal is that event attendees will increase awareness of their fall risk factors and turn that awareness into action," Tomorrow's resource fair will feature a fall risk screening, along with an informational booths with topics like balance and strengthening exercises, home safety, and assistive devices. It'll be a walk-in style event from 9:30am to noon on Tuesday at the Merrill Enrichment Center.

Published on 09/15/2025 under News Some of the top anglers in the country are right here in Northern Wisconsin for a week-long fishing tournament. Mincoqua was selected to host the second stop on the Major League Fishing-Fishing Clash Team Series tour. The Knighten Industries Heritage Cup kicked off Sunday. It features twenty four anglers, in twelve teams of two. In a unique twist, they fish on a different body of water each day. The lake or river is revealed to the anglers each morning. Sherry Hulett, Sports & Group Travel Director at the Minocqua Area Visitors Bureau says they were thrilled to be selected. She says, "Hosting this professional team-based event not only highlights our beautiful fisheries but also will also bring significant economic impact to our local businesses." Hulett added, "It's a tremendous opportunity to showcase Minocqua as a premier destination for competitive fishing and outdoor recreation." The tournament runs throughout this week. Those interested can follow along at Major League Fishing dot com. Produced episodes will also air on the Outdoor Channel early next year.

Published on 09/15/2025 under News With archery season kicking off this weekend, the DNR is encouraging hunters to know their target. While white-tailed deer are far more prevalent, Wisconsin is home to a growing elk population as well. The DNR recently brought back a campaign to remind hunters of the differences. While the state has two main elk herds, the DNR notes that elk may stray outside these areas, particularly during fall mating season. They highlighted three key indicators to differentiate deer and elk: size, color/appearance, and antlers. First, a typical adult elk is 1-2 feet taller than a white-tailed deer. An elk will also be darker brown, with black legs and a mane. Deer on the other hand are lighter tan, their legs match their bodies, and their namesake white tail. As for the antlers, a bull elk's sweep backwards, a white-tailed buck's curve forward. And in Wisconsin, accessories make a difference. Most elk either have an ear tag or GPS collar. According to the DNR, an elk taken without a tag may result in a fine and a revocation of hunting privileges. Archery season in Wisconsin begins Saturday and runs through early January.

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