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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

45th Edition of Tomahawk Fall Ride Comes to a Close

Published on 09/21/2026 under News A quiet calm has returned to Tomahawk after the community wrapped up another successful Fall Ride weekend. Just as quickly as they arrived last week, thousands of motorcyclists rolled out of town Sunday afternoon. An estimated 30-40,000 visitors travel to the greater Tomahawk area each year for the annual event, proving that more than four decades in, the tradition remains as popular as ever. As festivities wound down on Sunday, local organizers reflected on the weekend. The general consensus was that attendance was down slightly compared to the past few years. Weather likely played a key role, as cool temperatures and periodic rain kept some riders from making the trip or venturing out to explore. Despite the damp weather, organizers noted that those who did attend were as enthusiastic as ever. Marking the event's 45th anniversary, the community rolled out a stacked lineup of entertainment options for guests. While overall headcounts are hard to measure, one event provides an exact metric: the Friday night Thunder Parade. Parade organizer Roxanne Consolver shared that approximately 250 motorcycles participated this year. That's about a third of the turnout seen in recent years. With another milestone year in the books, organizers are taking a brief breather before shifting their focus to year 46. In the coming days, local leaders and committee members will meet to review this year's event and begin planning for next year.

Published on 09/21/2026 under News A motorcyclist was arrested for an eighth-offense OWI in Lincoln County over Fall Ride weekend. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, a trooper pulled over a motorcycle shortly after 1:00 p.m. Sunday for speeding on Highway 86, near County Highway T west of Tomahawk. During the traffic stop, the trooper noticed signs of impairment. Following an investigation, authorities determined the driver, 51-year-old Ryan Plisch of Wausau, was operating the motorcycle while under the influence. Plisch was arrested for eighth-offense OWI, along with operating with a revoked driver's license and misdemeanor bail jumping.

Published on 09/21/2026 under News Two people were injured in Oneida County following a crash involving two motorcycles and a pickup truck during Fall Ride weekend. The collision occurred shortly after 4:00 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Highway 51 and County Highway L, just north of Tomahawk. According to a preliminary investigation, the motorcycles were attempting to turn left onto Highway 51 when they collided with an oncoming pickup truck. Both motorcyclists were transported to the hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries; their current conditions have not been released. Traffic on Highway 51 was temporarily detoured while crews cleared the scene.

Published on 09/21/2026 under News Another group of Northwoods veterans are traveling to the nation's capital on Monday to visit the monuments built in their honor. The Never Forgotten Honor Flight is taking the third of four planned missions to Washington, D.C., this year. Organizers welcomed 93 veterans for the trip, including eight from the Korean War and 85 from the Vietnam era. Today's mission marks the 57th flight for the local hub since its founding in 2010, bringing the total number of local veterans served to nearly 5,400. The public is invited to give the veterans a warm welcome home at the end of their journey tonight. Honor Flight officials recommend arriving at Central Wisconsin Airport no later than 8:30 p.m. Organizers continue to encourage any veteran who served in any capacity prior to June 7, 1975, to sign up if they have not yet taken part. This includes a renewed campaign dispelling some of the reasons veterans give as to why they haven't participated.

Published on 09/21/2026 under News A new local initiative is stepping up to support teachers in the Unified School District of Antigo. Educator Elevator, a non-profit launched earlier this year, has officially begun its work to honor, empower, and retain district staff. Co-Chair Charlie Zanayed highlighted the group's central mission, noting that supporting educators is essential to a thriving community and that staff deserve to feel valued both inside and outside the classroom. The organization is building out several key programs including educator recognition, classroom innovation grants, staff welcome initiatives, and community connection opportunities. These efforts helped kick off the new school year with a Community Welcome Picnic for approximately 210 educators and staff, along with providing welcome baskets generously donated by local businesses and volunteers for new hires. Members of the public, local businesses, and organizations interested in supporting the initiative or donating can learn more at educatorelevator.org

Published on 09/21/2026 under News Educators and staff at Northcentral Technical College took a break from the classroom earlier this month, stepping out into the community to lend a helping hand. As part of NTC's annual Timberwolf Day of Service, employees chose their own ways to give back across the region. Projects ranged from environmental cleanups, like picking up litter along local trails to washing fire trucks at volunteer stations, and sewing quilts for families in need. Specialized departments put their skills directly to work. Veterinary Technician team members performed spay and neuter procedures for the Humane Society of Marathon County, while Culinary Arts students turned tomatoes grown at NTC's Agriculture Center into sauce for lasagna meal kits distributed to local pantries. Other staff members assembled care packages, created personal hygiene kits for area students, and spent time playing bingo and serving ice cream to nursing home residents. NTC employees logged hundreds of hours across dozens of projects, demonstrating a strong commitment to supporting the communities they serve. Photo provided by Northcentral Technical College: Employees at NTC's Center for Health Sciences create oral care packages for Wisconsin disaster relief programs.

Published on 09/19/2026 under Sports The 2026 Smiley Invite at 9-Mile Park Saturday saw Tomahawk's Cross Country squads each finish in the top 15. The Hatchet girls placed 14th out of 28 Division 2 and 3 squads. Tomahawk's Top runners finished in the Top 20 individually. Elise Gibeault placed 16th with a time of 20:46. Charlee Lund placed 19th with a time of 20:50. As for the Hatchet boys, they would place 13th overall among Division 2 and 3 schools. Connor Zorn finished as the Hatchets' top runner, placing 50th with a time of 18:30. Jordyn Carew placed 70th with a time of 18:51. The next invite for Tomahawk will be at Big Stone Golf Course, hosted by Three Lakes. Events begin at 4:00. Girls Team Finishers: Prentice/Rib Lake - 4th Tomahawk 14th Three Lakes/Phelps - 18th Chequamegon - 20th Northland Pines - 22nd Boys Team Finishers: Prentice/Rib Lake - 3rd Chequamegon - 12th Tomahawk - 13th Laona-Wabeno - 17th Northland Pines - 18th

Published on 09/18/2026 under News Action revs up for the 45th annual Tomahawk Fall Ride, highlighted by one of the weekend's most iconic traditions: the Friday night Thunder Parade. The Thunder Parade began in 1991. Like many Fall Ride traditions, the Thunder Parade started small in 1991 and has grown over the years. Now around 1,000 riders depart from the Tomahawk School Campus to take part in a scenic, 18-mile cruise through rural Tomahawk. The final stretch runs down business corridor along North Fourth Street, across Veterans Memorial Bridge, and right down Main Street which is closed off to regular traffic. Much like a traditional parade, spectators line the route to cheer on riders and feel the rumble of thunder as hundreds of engines passing by. Riders planning to participate can begin lining up at the school complex around 5:00 p.m, they leave at 6:00pm. The procession typically reaches the city around 6:30 p.m. While the Thunder Parade serves as Friday's main attraction, visitors can find live music, vendor displays, and events running all weekend at SARA Park, downtown Tomahawk, and area businesses throughout the region.

Published on 09/18/2026 under News An enhanced wake ban is coming to Lake Mohawksin and nearby stretches of the Wisconsin and Tomahawk Rivers. Following a vote by the Tomahawk City Council earlier this month, the Town of Bradley has approved a matching ordinance. Because both municipalities share shoreline jurisdiction, DNR rules required both to approve an identical ordinance. Under the joint rules, boaters cannot use ballast tanks, ballast bags, or wake-enhancing fins to create artificially large waves. Traditional watersports like skiing, tubing, and standard wakeboarding is allowed, as long as wake-enhancing gear is not used. The Kwahamot Water Ski Club also keeps its limited exemption. The main goals are protecting local shorelines from erosion, preventing lake bed disturbance, and keeping water recreationists safe. Groups like the Friends of Lake Mohawksin, made up largely of riparian landowners, heavily supported the effort. With both votes locked in, Tomahawk and Bradley join nearly 100 other Wisconsin communities with similar wake protections. The final steps include filing paperwork with the DNR and posting signs at public boat landings.

Published on 09/18/2026 under News While the Rhinelander community typically embraces Hodag green, the Hodag Dome will turn purple this weekend as residents gather to raise money and awareness for Alzheimer's disease. Organizers are putting the finishing touches on the local Walk to End Alzheimer's, scheduled for Saturday morning. The event is already off to a strong start, with nearly 350 people registered. More than 60 teams have raised $148,000, or 72% of the event's $206,000 fundraising goal. Proceeds benefit the Alzheimer's Association, supporting families affected by the disease while funding research toward treatments and prevention. Julie St. Pierre with the Alzheimer's Association called this a pivotal moment in the fight against Alzheimer's. "With new treatments and proven lifestyle habits that support brain health, there is real hope," St. Pierre said. "Together, we can build a brain-healthy future and help end this disease." One of the morning's key highlights is the Promise Garden Ceremony, where participants carry distinctively colored flowers to represent their personal connection to the cause—whether they are living with the disease, caring for a loved one, or honoring someone they lost. In addition to the Rhinelander event, another walk is taking place Saturday in Antigo, with Wausau hosting its walk next weekend.

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