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Snowmobile Riders Waiting for Snow, Trails Published on 01/11/2021 under News

The waiting game continues for most snowmobile trails in the Northwoods.

After initially announcing that the Oneida County snowmobile trails would open this past weekend, the snowmobile council reversed course and the trails remain closed. That announcement came late Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the trails were set to open. In the announcement, they apologized for the inconvenience, but noted they believe it is the right decision to make.

The Council wrote that the trail openings will be determined at a later date.

The Northwoods has received less than 10 inches of snow this winter with just a thin cover remaining on the ground. Many areas along the trails are already bare.

The trails in Vilas County remain open, but were listed in "fair to poor" condition.

In Other News

Friday Ribbon Cutting for New Rhinelander Splash Pad

Published on 05/22/2026 under News Kids in Rhinelander will soon have a new way to beat the summer heat. After several years of fundraising and construction, The Kiwanis Club of Rhinelander and the City of Rhinelander are set to host the grand opening of the new Vancos Family Splash Pad at Hodag Park. The project was made possible through donations, volunteers and community partnerships. Kiwanis Club President Kerry Brekke says "This project represents what can happen when a community comes together to invest in its families and future." Brekke added the splash pad is an investment in local families and a space designed to create lasting memories for years to come. To kick off the summer season, they're inviting the community to a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday afternoon at 1pm where they'll celebrate the new play area.

Published on 05/22/2026 under News As many prepare for cookouts and the unofficial start of summer, communities across the Northwoods are also preparing to honor the true meaning of Memorial Day remembering the men and women who gave their lives in military service. Among the area observances drawing growing attention is the annual Saturday ceremony at Union Grove Cemetery in Harshaw. What began years ago as a small gathering has grown into a well-attended tradition, bringing hundreds to the rural cemetery each Memorial Day weekend. Organizers have once again been preparing the grounds ahead of this year's ceremony, which continues to feature the popular Einar Ingman motorcycle procession traveling from Tomahawk to Union Grove which has become a meaningful part of the annual observance in memory of the Medal of Honor recipient. A number of Memorial Day ceremonies are planned throughout the Northwoods this weekend, with more information available on the WJJQ Community Calendar.

Published on 05/22/2026 under News Travelers heading to and from the Northwoods have another flight option this summer. United Airlines has brought back its seasonal summer service between Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport and Chicago O'Hare Airport, with the first flights taking off Thursday. Airport officials expressed excitement about the return of the United Express flights, noting that it provides passengers with more choices in both destinations and carriers by expanding beyond the year-round Delta flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul. Flights to O'Hare will operate Friday through Monday, with one flight scheduled each day. The seasonal service will be operated by SkyWest Airlines.

Published on 05/21/2026 under Sports Dickens Delivers On Senior Day, Hatchet Baseball Edges Pines The Hatchet baseball squad ended Great Northern Conference play and Senior Night in exciting fashion, upsetting Northland Pines at Tyler Kahle Memorial Field Thursday night, 6-4. After the Hatchets took a 4-1 lead heading into the fourth, the Eagles would score three runs in the fourth and fifth innings, tying the game at 4-4. With two outs and two on in the bottom of the sixth, Senior Jonah Dickens ripped a two-run double to left-center field to put the Hatchets ahead for good. The two-run double by Dickens was his only hit of the day. Tomahawk would muster five hits total and reached base by way of five hit batsmen. Logan Norman picked up the victory, allowing just two runs on three hits in three innings of work. The win puts Tomahawk at 9-10 on the season and wraps up their GNC Season with a 6-8 record. The Hatchets will wrap up the regular season Tuesday back at TK Field against Assumption. First pitch is at 6:00. After the regular season, Tomahawk will host the WIAA Division 3 Regional Quarterfinal at TK Field as the #8 seed. The Hatchets will play against #9 seed Crandon. Three-Game Winning Streak Into Postseason for Hatchet Softball Tomahawk softball wrapped up their regular season Thursday with a resounding victory over Rib Lake, 13-1. The Hatchets ripped away at the ball with 16 hits and scored at least three runs in three innings. Averi Petta finished a triple away from the cycle, going three for three with a single, a double, and a home run with three RBIs. Sophie Olsen finished three for four with two doubles and two RBIs. Autumn Merrigan also had three hits, including a double and three RBIs. Camryn Kraklow picked up another victory, allowing just one run on two hits. The Hatchets wrap up the 2026 season with a 12-11 record and a 6-8 Great Northern Conference record. Tomahawk begins postseason play in the WIAA Division 3 Regional Semifinal Tuesday as the #6 Seed. The Hatchets will play #3 Seed Prescott at Biggs Frey Memorial Field. Alex Koch and Matt Theiler will have the broadcast on Sports Talk 810 AM/97.7 FM WJJQ with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Pregame Show at 4:35 and First pitch at 5:00. Tomahawk Girls Track Take Top Spot at Dale Peterson Invite At the Dale Peterson Invite in Antigo Thursday, both the Hatchet boys and girls track and field squads finished in the top four as a team. Tomahawk's girls won the invite with 129.5 team points, 17.5 ahead of Laona-Wabeno. The Hatchets had three athletes place first across multiple events. Freshman Lauren Reibe took the meet medalist in the 300 meter hurdles and the Pole Vault. Freshman Abbigail Doleshal took the top spot in the discus throw with a heave of 89'9". Sophomore Madilynn Tobias placed first in the triple jump with a leap of 31'. The Hatchet boys would place fourth in the invite with 84 points, just one point behind Rhinelander and three points ahead of Lakeland. Tomahawk's boys had two first-place finishes in the invite. Senior Beau Stromberg took the top spot in the 400 meter run. Sophomore Luke Morrison took the top spot in the triple jump with a jump of 40'1". The WIAA Division 2 Regional Track & Field Meet starts on Tuesday at Medford. Events begin at 4:00.

Published on 05/21/2026 under Sports On Wednesday, select Hatchet Athletes signed Letters of Intent to play at select colleges and were honored with select Coaches' Awards. Siennah Calkins, who was gifted the Bill Fischer Outstanding Female Athlete and the WIAA Female Scholar Athlete Awards, will be continuing her volleyball career at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Don Dorski Female Scholar Athlete Award Winner Freya Alberg will continue her basketball career at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. Rex Reilly, who took home the Gary Kuntz Outstanding Male Athlete and WIAA Scholar Athlete Award, is one of the three Hatchet football players that will be continuing his athletic career. Reilly will be attending the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Awarded the Don Dorski Male Scholar Athlete and the Bill Stiff Sportsmanship Award was Michael Samundsen. Ethan Gibeault and Wally Horabik will be football teammates at the University of Wisconsin-Stout next fall. Lydia Shaney will continue her athletic career as a Cross Country and Track & Field athlete at Lawrence University in Appleton. Also continuing her Track & Field Career is Faith Derleth, who will be attending St. Cloud State in Minnesota next year, as well as Alicia Voermans at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Finally, Hatchet swimmer Bruce Peetz will continue his athletic career at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. The final Hatchet Award winner was the Jim Taylor Sophomore Only Scholar Athlete awarded to Jett Reilly.

Published on 05/21/2026 under News One of the driving forces behind a popular car show in Tomahawk will be riding in spirit this weekend. Organizers of the Main Street Memories Car Show announced this year, the 32nd overall, will be dedicated to Swede Jorgensen. Swede was one of the original founders of the longtime Tomahawk tradition, who passed away in November. Main Street Director Jennifer Turkiewicz explained Jorgensen was part of the original Northwoods Cruisers Car Club that launched the car show back in 1995. As the event grew, the Club handed over the planning to Tomahawk Main Street, but continued to play a key role in volunteering and participation. This year, Turkiewicz says they plan to prominently feature Jorgensen's image in promotional materials and are working with family to have his beloved classic Chevy Bel-Air on display during Sunday's event. Jorgensen was widely known for his passion for the '55 Chevy specifically and even created a personal museum dedicated to the iconic car. As for the Car Show, it's coming up on Sunday. It typically brings around 300 vehicles to downtown Tomahawk, filling Main Street with classic cars, hot rods, and car enthusiasts from across the region. We'll have a bit more on those festivities during our Friday morning preview.

Published on 05/21/2026 under News More than half of the deer ticks tested in a local research project carried the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The findings come from the Tick Inventory via Citizen Science (TICS) project, an ongoing study by the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute now entering a third year. Their goal is to map tick populations and the pathogens they carry. Over the first two years, they said people collected and submitted more than 12,000 ticks for evaluation. When researchers analyzed 707 non-engorged adult female deer ticks submitted during the first year of the study, they found 51% tested positive for the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. That data came with caution. They said the study doesn't indicate that there is a 50% chance of acquiring Lyme disease from a deer tick bite. Other factors may also impact transmission such as the length of time the tick is embedded as well as follow up treatments. Dr. Jennifer Meece says, "We don't want to scare people off from being outdoors...We just encourage people to take proactive steps to protect themselves from ticks and be observant if they do find themselves with a tick bite." According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, reported cases of Lyme disease have quadrupled over the past 20 years. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. The TICS study is ongoing and people can continue to submit samples.

Published on 05/21/2026 under News Memorial Day weekend typically serves as the unofficial start to summer; officials are expecting near record travel. As we previously shared, Triple A forecasts around 750,000 Wisconsinites will hit the road this weekend. Here in the Northwoods, the busiest stretch is along the Hwy 51/I39 corridor. While some travelers will look to get a jump start on travel this evening, northbound traffic is expected to peak on Friday afternoon and evening. Monday afternoon it's the return traffic heading south. To accommodate the increased travel, the DoT says most of their road construction projects will be paused, though motorists are encouraged to 'know before you go' and check your route. They're also encouraging motorists to drive safely not only this weekend, but throughout the summer travel season. WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman says, "Safety on our roads is something we all create together." She added, "Every choice – slowing down, putting the phone away, watching for workers and other drivers – adds up to safer travel for everyone. As we told you earlier this week, the annual Click It or Ticket campaign is ongoing which brings an increased law enforcement effort to seat belt use. And coming up tomorrow the State Patrol will be conducting an aerial enforcement on Highway 51 in Oneida County.

Published on 05/21/2026 under News Lincoln County Board of Supervisors is hoping to turn opioid settlement dollars into even more funding opportunities. Board members on Tuesday approved a resolution allocating $10,000 in opioid settlement funds to hire grant writers to assist with competitive grant applications tied to opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts. They said that larger grants could help support future, long-term programs such as a family treatment court, prevention initiatives, and long-term sustainability for the jail's medication-assisted treatment program. The resolution notes that while the county's Opioid Settlement Task Force is responsible for developing plans for the settlement dollars, outside grant-writing expertise could improve the county's chances of securing additional state and federal funding opportunities which were described as highly competitive by settlement coordinator Erin Ray. Officials say the move is intended to help stretch settlement dollars further while expanding local resources aimed at combating the opioid epidemic.

Published on 05/21/2026 under News Camping and cabin season kicks off with the Memorial Day weekend, and officials are reminding people that hauling firewood from home could lead to the spread emerald ash borer, oakwilt and other destructive pests and diseases. Officials note that to the human eye, a quick examination won't spot pests or disease that can be hidden below the bark or burrowed deep inside the wood. Over the years, state partners have coined the phrase "buy it where you burn it." In other words, rather than bring firewood with you when you travel; gather it on site or purchase it locally. All staffed state parks and forests with campgrounds offer local firewood for sale. Many businesses also sell certified firewood that has been treated for pests and approved by the state. A handy tool is firewoodscout.org which allows you to find dealers by zip code. Both state parks and national forests have restrictions on the radius that firewood may be brought in. Many private campgrounds have similar or even more stringent restrictions.

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