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Cancellations & Closings Due to Covid-19 Published on 04/05/2020 under News

Covid-19 has caused cancellations in the Northwoods area. Stay up-to-date with our listings:

Tomahawk Schools and St. Mary's School are now closed until further notice.

The Tomahawk Public Library will be suspending all operations and cancelling all programs and events.

T.B. SCOTT Free Library in Merrill is closed until further notice.

The Rhinelander District Library will be closed until further notice.

The Demmer Library in Three Lakes will closed until further notice.

The WIAA announces all school spring sports activities are postponed until further notice.

Tomahawk City Hall will be closed to the public until further notice.

Merrill City Hall will be closed to public walk-ins.

Tomahawk Senior Center will be closed to non-essential public gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus among our most vulnerable population. This closure is until further notice.

The YMCA of the Northwoods will temporarily suspend all operations outside of licensed child care.

The Oneida County Sheriff's Office lobby will not be open to the public and there will no longer be video visitation in the front lobby vestibule.

The Tomahawk Police Department is closing their lobby to walk-ins until further notice. They are also temporarily discontinuing drug take backs and syringe disposal.

The Merrill / Tomahawk Municipal Court Clerk's Office is closed to walk-in business until further notice.

The Town of Bradley town hall is closed to the public until further notice.

The Town of King Recycling Site is closed until further notice.

The Kinship House in Tomahawk is closed until further notice.

The Tomahawk Chamber of Commerce will closed until further notice. They will be checking email and voicemail.

All public Masses are cancelled at St. Mary - Tomahawk, St. Augustine - Harrison and St. Francis - Pier Willow. Please refer to St. Mary's website to read the most recent letter from the Bishop.

Grace Lutheran Church has cancelled all services, soup meals and events until further notice. Their worship services can be streamed on Sunday at 9:00 am. The link is at www.gracelutherantomahawk.org

The Tomahawk and Spirit United Methodist Churches are cancelling services until further notice.

St. Paul Lutheran Church in downtown Tomahawk is cancelling all regular scheduled services, activities and events until further notice.

Redeemer Ev. Lutheran Church has cancelled all services until further notice.

Northland Bible Church has cancelled all worship services until further notice. Visit the church's website for further information.

Northwoods Vineyard Church has cancelled all worship services until further notices. Services are available on their website.

All masses at Holy Family Catholic Church in Woodruff are cancelled until further notice.

Eagle Summit Healing Rooms are temporarily closed and the Thursday evening prayer sessions will continue as soon as possible.

The Wednesday Night Cribbage at VFW Post is Tomahawk is cancelled until Fall.

St. Mary's Thrift Cellar of Tomahawk is now closed until further notice. No donations will be accepted.

The Tomahawk Community Thrift Shop will not be accepting donations and will be closed until further notice.

The Merrill-Go-Round has suspended transit services until further notice.

All dance classes at the Terry Bucaro Dance Studio are cancelled until further notice.

All StrongBodies Classes in Tomahawk and Merrill are cancelled until further notice.

The Monday evening Yoga Class held at the Corpus Christi Center in Tomahawk are cancelled until further notice.

The Open Arms Community Soup Kitchen at the Corpus Christi Center on Tuesdays is cancelled until further notice.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Sites Service Suspended Until Further Notice in Marathon, Lincoln, Portage, Wood, Taylor and Langlade counties.

Effective immediately, the Oneida County Veterans Service Office is suspending service on the Oneida County DAV van that takes veterans to medical appointments at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain, MI until further notice.

All events that were scheduled in April at the Rock Garden Tavern and FoFS Studio at the Wisconsin Concrete Park have been cancelled.

The City of Merrill Park and Recreation Department has cancelled their Easter Egg Hunt that was scheduled for April 11.

The annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Nokomis Fire Department has been cancelled.

St. Paul Lutheran Church has cancelled the free Community Easter Dinner that was scheduled for Sunday, April 12 at Rodeway Inn & Suites in Tomahawk.

The Tomahawk Cornhole League Meeting that was scheduled for April 16 at Lisa's Pub & Grub has been postponed.

The Tomahawk Area Interfaith Volunteers Spring Event, "Magical Night of Comedy for a Cause" that was scheduled for April 18 has been cancelled.

The Tomahawk Food Pantry Meeting scheduled for April 27 has been cancelled.

The Knight Owls snowmobile club fundraiser originally scheduled for May 2 at Inshalla Country Club has been rescheduled to November 7.

The Journeys Half Marathon in Eagle River on May 9 has been cancelled.

The Tomahawk Chamber of Commerce has postponed the Taste of Tomahawk to Saturday, May 16.

The Red, White and Blue Day program that was scheduled for May 21 at the Tomahawk School District Fieldhouse has been cancelled.

In Other News

Hatchet Senior Day Ends With Bittersweet Loss

Published on 05/07/2026 under Sports It was a bittersweet final Great Northern Conference home game for the Hatchet Seniors at Hatchet Field Thursday afternoon as they would fall to the Lakeland T-Birds, 3-2. Tomahawk jumped out to a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Aubrey Seubert in the first inning. The Hatchets held the lead until the top of the fourth inning when Lakeland's Addison Trapp hit a single, then had two runners score on an error by Averi Petta. The Hatchets would tie it in the bottom of the fourth on a run-scoring base hit from Autumn Merrigan. However, Tomahawk would surrender the lead in the top of the sixth when Britta Kemnitz singled in the go-ahead run. Lakeland pitchers would retire the final 11 batters of the game to seal the win. The Hatchets would muster just two runs on three hits, while committing four errors. Tomahawk drops to 8-9 on the season and 5-7 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are back on the diamond Saturday when they travel to Gilman for an invite. Tomahawk's first game will be against Marathon at 10:00 AM. Game Two will be against Mondovi at 2:00 PM.

Published on 05/07/2026 under News With new fawns and extended daylight, deer activity is picking up. That means drivers need to be on the lookout. While vehicle/deer crashes are typically highest in fall, those numbers also spike in the months of May and June. According to the Department of Transportation, drivers reported nearly 18,000 collisions with deer last year. That resulted in more than 700 injuries and 6 deaths. Recent averages in both Lincoln and Oneida County show more than 200 vehicle/deer collisions annually. Numbers are even higher in Southern Wisconsin; Waukesha County topped the state with more than 1,000 vehicle/deer collisions. Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan says, "Motorists should be alert and prepared to respond at all times." He notes, "Deer are unpredictable, often changing directions and freezing as they cross the road." The DoT provided a few additional reminders. • Deer are most active at dawn and dusk. • If you see one crossing, anticipate more may follow. • If the collision is unavoidable, brake firmly and stay in your lane. Avoid swerving, which can lead to a more serious crash. • If you strike a deer, pull over to the side of the road and call law enforcement. • And as always, slowdown, eliminate distractions and wear your seatbelt.

Published on 05/07/2026 under News As Northwoods residents head outside for spring cleanup and garden preparations, health experts are reminding people to take steps to avoid common neck and back injuries. According to Aspirus Health, tasks like lifting branches, digging, and repetitive bending can put extra strain on the spine, especially after a less active winter season. Preparation and proper technique can help avoid a trip to the hospital. Dr. Sean MacKenzie says light stretching and simple posture adjustments can make a big difference. Keeping the spine aligned, lifting with the legs, and working from a seated or kneeling position when tasks require bending forward all help. It's also a good idea to listen to your body. MacKenzie notes that many injuries occur when people push through discomfort or rush through tasks. He emphasizes that pain during activity is a signal to pause, rest, or adjust technique. And long-term, Mackenzie says building core strength through simple exercises like planks and leg lifts can help reduce the risk of injury.

Published on 05/07/2026 under News While it was a bit chilly, it was at least sunny, allowing area students to show off their renewable energy skills. Wisconsin Public Service held their 30th annual Solar Olympics on the UW-Oshkosh campus. Nearly 150 students participated from thirteen high schools within the WPS footprint. Northern Wisconsin was represented by Three Lakes, Elcho, Marathon, and Wausau West High Schools. WPS created the Solar Olympics in 1997 for districts participating in the Solarwise for Schools program, which provides renewable energy lesson plans, projects, and teacher training. The friendly competition, hosted each spring, allows these students to showcase their knowledge of solar energy through team and individual competitions. This year's Solar Olympics had 13 events like solar water heater; solar art; and solar jeopardy. According to WPS, Valders High School won this year's competition, claiming gold for a second consecutive year.-Photos provided by Wisconsin Public Service

Published on 05/07/2026 under News Warmer weather will soon draw more people to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, visitors may notice survey crews stationed throughout the forest this spring and summer. The U.S. Forest Service says public surveys are now underway as part of the National Visitor Use Monitoring program. The surveys, conducted every five years, are designed to measure how many people use national forests, what activities they take part in, and how satisfied they are with their visits. Some visitors may also be asked questions about travel spending to help measure the economic impact forest recreation has on local communities. Surveyors, from the University of New Hampshire, will be wearing bright orange vests near signs reading "Traffic Survey Ahead." They'll be stationed at recreation sites and Forest Service roads. Officials say the surveys are voluntary, confidential, and typically take about 10 minutes to complete. They will continue through Sept. 30.

Published on 05/07/2026 under News Today is the National Day of Prayer and several Northwoods groups are among those hosting events today. The formal observance of a National Day of Prayer came from President Harry Truman in 1952. It's now held annually on the first Thursday in May. The goal is to allow participants, regardless of faith or denomination to bring unity to their community and share a common focus while praying for all. National organizers estimate some 30,000 observances around the country will be held. That includes right here in Tomahawk, where the Associated Clergy of Tomahawk will once again team up to hold a ceremony in Veteran's Memorial Park. It's scheduled to begin at 10:30am; attendees are encouraged to bring along a chair. Rhinelander is holding a similar event outside the Oneida County Courthouse getting underway at noon.

Published on 05/07/2026 under News WaWui Bingo in Tomahawk kicked off their summer session by giving away more than $4,000 in prizes. Wednesday was opening night for WaWui Summer Bingo, marking a 38th season. Players filled SARA Park with their eyes on the progressive prize. And two lucky women shared an impressive payout. The final game of the evening features a jackpot that builds each week it's not claimed. Without a winner over the last two months of last season, the prize grew to $3,962 by blacking out the card in the set number. And the odds were in the favor of Phyllis Levake and Janis Beyer. Both players filled their card on the same number. And while they'll have to share the prize, the two still went home with $1,981 each. Proceeds from WaWui Bingo help fund operations and improvements at SARA Park in Tomahawk. They'll be back again next Wednesday. The progressive prize will reset.

Published on 05/07/2026 under News The Wisconsin DNR is monitoring a manure spill near Athens earlier this week. The DNR says it was notified on Tuesday that manure from a waste storage structure at Deercreek Holsteins had discharged into a tributary of Black Creek. Officials say the spill was caused by a failed valve on a waste transfer system. As of yesterday's update, they were working to determine the amount of manure released. DNR staff are working with Marathon County. According to the agency, containment measures have been put in place and the farm is actively working to clean up the discharge. The DNR says more information on prevention and response is available on the agency's manure spills webpage.

Published on 05/06/2026 under News A traditional youth fishing event in Tomahawk is set to return next month after a several year absence, and organizers have now received approval from the city. Tomahawk VFW Post 2687 is working to revive the Kids Fishing Contest. The event was previously organized by Tomahawk Fishing Unlimited, but went away as the group disbanded. At their meeting Tuesday, the Tomahawk City Council approved the special event application to host the event at their old location in Memorial Park. It will take place on June 6, coinciding with the DNR's Free Fishing Weekend. This was by design to allow adults helping the youth anglers to do so without purchasing a license. Earlier this year, the VFW put out a call for fishing equipment donations to help support the return. The Kid's Fishing Contest was one of four special event applications approved by the Council. The others are annual events with minimal changes: the Rodd Timm Memorial Softball Tournament, the Lion's Club Thrilla on the Grilla, and Tomahawk Hometown Christmas. Each was approved unanimously and with minimal discussion. Council Recap: It was an other routine Council meeting, coming just two weeks after a delayed April meeting to account for the election. Relatedly, they approved two resolutions recognizing outgoing Mayor Steve Taskay and Alderman Dale Ernst. Neither sought re-election. The Council approved an ordinance increase court costs for the Municipal Court by $10. This was in accordance with a change to state statute. The Council approved a state/municipal financial agreement for design work on South Tomahawk Avenue from Somo Avenue to the Wisconsin River Bridge. It's on the state docket for 2032. They also approved a professional service agreement with MSA for the wastewater facilities plan.

Published on 05/06/2026 under News It's National Travel and Tourism Week, and Governor Evers was on the move in Northern Wisconsin Tuesday. The Governor was joined by Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers during yesterday's visits to Athens and Cable. He was there to highlight three consecutive years of both record breaking tourism and outdoor recreation. The visit to Athens included gravel-biking, a hybrid sport that takes from both road and mountain bikes. The Governor, Sayers and some guides from Ride Wisconsin Gravel took to the Athens Graventure Trail. Ongoing efforts of the Wisconsin Gravel Roads Project aims to establish North Central Wisconsin as a premier destination for gravel bike riding utilizing existing granite- gravel dairy roads. The stop in Cable was set to include a visit to the Cable Natural History Museum and a visit to Wayside Wanderings Natural Play Area. Evers said, "Every year during Travel and Tourism Week, I'm jazzed to be able to travel across the state, showcasing all we have to offer, the success of Wisconsin's tourism industry, and all the hardworking folks who keep it humming. I encourage all Wisconsinites to join us in celebrating the amazing industry that bolsters our economies, creates jobs, and helps make our state the great place it is to live, work, and, of course, visit." The 2025 economic impact report for Wisconsin's tourism industry will be released in June.

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