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Rep. Felzkowski Joins Lincoln County Board for Conversation Published on 10/16/2019 under News
Representative Mary Felzkowski met with the Lincoln County Board to discuss a wide range of topics at their meeting last night.

As part of an effort to create dialogue between elected officials at the state and county levels, the Lincoln County Board had sent out an informal, open-ended invitation for officials in Madison to come and participate at a board meeting. Rep. Felzkowski took the board up on that offer last evening.

After she gave a brief rundown of the additional funds made available to the county through the state budget, the floor was opened up to questions from the supervisors. During that hour long conversation, they spoke on more than a half dozen topics that affect residents of Lincoln County.

Most of the time was dedicated to redistricting and medical marijuana, two issues that have been addressed through advisory referendums in Lincoln County. While Felzkowski did not support the push for changes to the redistricting, she anticipated a medical marijuana bill she authored will be taken up this fall in the assembly.

They also touched on medicaid expansion, solar energy, broadband, and partisanship in general.

While they may have disagreed on some of the topics, the supervisors were appreciative that the conversations took place. They invited Felzkowski back for similar discussions and hoped that State Senator Tom Tiffany and Governor Tony Evers' offices would follow suit.

In Other News

Voter Turnout Down Slightly in Lincoln County

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%.

Published on 11/10/2026 under News One person is dead following a single vehicle crash in Oneida County Monday evening. According to the Sheriff's Office, that crash happened at shortly before 10pm on South River Road in the Town of Crescent. Based on the preliminary investigation, a northbound truck lost control while navigating a sharp corner, left the roadway and struck a tree. The driver, an 18 year old male was ejected from the vehicle. Life saving efforts were unsuccessful and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The operator was the lone occupant of the vehicle. Their name was not immediately released. According to the Sheriff's Report, speed is believed to be a factor. The crash remains under investigation.

Published on 11/10/2026 under News A man charged in connection with a fatal rollover crash last fall has been sentenced following a plea agreement in Taylor County court. During a hearing this past week, 50-year-old Stephen Kaplon pleaded guilty to a felony count of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. A second felony charge, homicide by vehicle through the use of a controlled substance, was dismissed. The court ordered a withheld sentence, placing Kaplon on five years of probation with nine months in county jail. In addition, Kaplon's driver's license was revoked for one year, and he is required to maintain absolute sobriety as a condition of his probation. The charges stemmed from a single-vehicle crash in October of last year. According to investigators, Kaplon was traveling on County C in the Town of Rib Lake at a high rate of speed when he left the roadway and struck several trees. His passenger, 49-year-old Sharon Kaplon of Ogema, sustained fatal injuries in the crash.

Published on 11/10/2026 under News Fall and winter mark respiratory illness season across the Northwoods, but the Oneida County Health Department is hoping to make it easier to identify common bugs with a quick symptom guide. As cold weather drives more people indoors and holiday gatherings bring people closer together, exposure to viruses like the common cold, flu, RSV, and COVID-19 naturally increases. While many of these illnesses share overlapping symptoms, others are more distinct. For example, a cold typically brings a runny nose and sore throat, while body aches, fatigue, and fever point more toward the flu. Wheezing, meanwhile, is most commonly associated with RSV. Health officials note that while individual symptoms can vary, the department's visual checklist can help residents determine if a doctor's visit is needed. Officials also emphasize preventive steps like staying up to date on immunizations, washing hands frequently, covering coughs, and staying home when feeling sick to prevent spreading bugs to others.

Published on 11/10/2026 under News Local public lands are getting a boost thanks to sports enthusiasts across the state, as the Cherish Wisconsin Outdoors Fund awards more than $129,000 to five conservation projects. That includes a nearly $20,000 grant focused directly on a multi-county effort here in Northwoods. In Oneida and Vilas counties, the funds will create vital open wildlife habitat within our heavily forested region. Work teams will remove woody vegetation to build wildlife openings and plant them with diverse pollinator seed mixes. The restoration efforts are slated for the Woodboro Lakes Wildlife Area, Stag and Roe State Wildlife Habitat Area, and the Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area in Oneida County... along with the Northern Highlands-Legion State Forest in Vilas County. Other grant dollars will fund prairie, stream, and oak savanna work across Southern and Eastern Wisconsin. The public-private partnership between the DNR and the Natural Resources Foundation relies on voluntary contributions made when outdoorsmen buy licenses through the state's "Go Wild" system. The Cherish Fund is a partnership between the DNR and the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, built largely through voluntary donations added when outdoorsmen purchase hunting and fishing licenses on the state's "Go Wild" portal.

Published on 11/10/2026 under News Travelers passing through the Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport can enjoy some new Northwoods-themed paintings from a local artist. Through a partnership with ArtStart, the airport features a rotating gallery, with the latest exhibit showcasing work from Northwoods artist Lena Carlson of Rhinelander. Carlson paints scenes of rural American life and the critters who live there, too. Her work plays with Midwestern symbols, skewed perspectives, and the humor in everyday moments. The featured exhibit is titled The Rainbow Ends North of Hwy 8. The paintings are on display in the airport terminal through January 6. The gallery is free to view for passengers and the general public.

Published on 11/09/2026 under News From the opening break to the final pocketed ball, Tomahawk's 3rd Annual Veterans Day Pool Tournament was a tremendous success, raising over $20,000 to send local veterans to Washington, D.C to visit the Memorials built in their honor. Much like a clean table run, a local pool tournament in Tomahawk over the weekend was a resounding success, raising over $20,000 for the Never Forgotten Honor Flight. The 3rd Annual Veterans Day Pool Tournament brought together nearly 100 players, some of whom traveled more than two hours to participate. Around a dozen local establishments hosted matches, while organizers assembled over 80 raffle baskets thanks to generous community donations. Lead organizer Misty Bergsrud, a veteran herself, expressed deep gratitude for everyone involved. She shared, "It takes an army to run an event of this size...I'll never be able to repay everyone who helped." With several tournament winners even donating their prize money back towards the cause, this year's event officially became the most successful in its three-year history. It costs roughly $500 per veteran to participate in the Never Forgotten Honor Flight. This weekend's effort will fully cover the trip for more than 40 local heroes on upcoming flights to the nation's capital. With Veterans Day just around the corner, the event's overwhelming success serves as a powerful reminder of the Northwoods' dedication to honoring its military service members.

Published on 11/09/2026 under News Volunteers gathered in Taylor County last month for a five-day trail effort, completing a major milestone along the Ice Age Trail. Dubbed the "Buzz Bash," the event honored the late Gerald "Buzz" Meyer, a longtime Ice Age Trail Alliance volunteer from Medford. Over four days of field work, dedicated volunteer crews painted more than 4,000 fresh yellow blazes across 60 miles of trail throughout Taylor County. The final blaze was symbolically painted by Meyer's siblings, Ann and David. Organizers credited months of advance preparation by Alliance signage specialists for laying the groundwork, allowing crews to reblaze nearly the entire Taylor County segment to official standards in record time—ensuring a clear path for hikers for years to come. The project capped off a busy season for the Ice Age Trail in northern Wisconsin. Across several summer volunteer efforts, crews worked on trail maintenance, corridor clearing and infrastructure upgrades in Lincoln and Langlade Counties. The Ice Age Trail spans more than 1,200 miles across Wisconsin, crossing 30 counties.

Published on 11/09/2026 under News High-speed internet is expanding across the Northwoods following a major state funding announcement last week. Governor Tony Evers and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin awarded nearly $58 million through the State Broadband Expansion Grant Program, aiming to connect more than 18,000 unserved homes and businesses statewide. Locally, more than $3 million will go toward multiple broadband projects spanning Iron, Vilas, and Price Counties. Partnering with providers including Brightspeed, GogebicRangeNet, and Norvado, the buildout is expected to bring high-speed connections to more than 900 locations in the region. Governor Evers emphasized that internet access is a necessity, not a luxury. Since 2019, state administration grants have helped deliver new or improved service to over 428,000 Wisconsin locations. The applications requests continue to exceed available funding. Officials noted this could be the final round of grants, unless state lawmakers authorize additional resources to the program.

Published on 11/09/2026 under News Classroom learning and local industry are coming together in Rhinelander following a major community investment. The School District of Rhinelander has announced a growing partnership with AirPro Fan & Blower Company, highlighted by a $10,000 donation to the district's Technical Education Department. School representatives recently met with the AirPro team to develop ways to expand hands-on technical learning, career exploration, and real-world skills designed to prepare students directly for the regional workforce. Superintendent Eric Burke says, "This is exactly the type of partnership that benefits our students, our local businesses, and our entire Northwoods community." He added, "Working alongside businesses like AirPro allows us to connect what students are learning in the classroom with the opportunities and needs of our regional workforce." In recognition of the gift, AirPro's support will be honored on the Dr. Lee Swank Wall of Honor located inside the new Technical Education wing at Rhinelander High School. The wall recognizes community partners whose contributions create lasting opportunities for Hodag students.

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