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Hatchet Squirt A Hockey Team Wins State Championship Published on 03/09/2020 under Sports

The Tomahawk Hatchet Squirt A Hockey Team wins the 4A State Championship over the weekend.

Tomahawk was at Manitowoc for the tournament, and the Hatchets defeated Burnett 8-0 in the first round. In the semi-finals, Tomahawk defeated Viroqua 7-2 and in the championship game Tomahawk defeated Manitowoc 4-1.

In Other News

Taylor County Health Department Confirms Mumps Case

Published on 11/11/2026 under News Health officials are urging local residents to stay alert after the Taylor County Health Department confirmed the county's first case of mumps this season. Department staff are working directly with the patient and medical providers to ensure proper treatment and isolation. Mumps is a contagious viral infection spread through direct contact or airborne droplets when an infected person talks, coughs, sneezes, or shares cups and utensils. Early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and loss of appetite, followed by painful swelling of the salivary glands under the jaw and ears. Officials note that infected individuals can spread the virus up to five days after symptoms begin, and some people may spread it without showing symptoms at all. This case comes as state health officials report a sharp rise in measles cases across Wisconsin. Health officials emphasize that while both viral infections are highly contagious, the MMR vaccine offers strong protection against both mumps and measles. However, the vaccine cannot be used as a post-exposure treatment.

Published on 11/11/2026 under News As hunters gear up for the start of the gun deer season next week, the Wisconsin D-N-R is looking for community members to help shape future deer management decisions. Applications are now open for all Citizen Deer Advisory Council seats across the state. These local councils meet annually to review harvest data, gather community feedback, and recommend management strategies for their specific deer management units. D-N-R Deer and Elk Specialist Steve Burns calls public involvement through these councils the "backbone" of managing local deer populations, noting that the councils bring forward a variety of community perspectives on how white-tailed deer should be managed. Selected members will serve a three-year term representing one of seven stakeholder categories, including hunting, agriculture, forestry, tourism, and local government. The application deadline is November 30th. To apply or learn more, search "C-D-A-C" on the Wisconsin D-N-R website.

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.

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