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Fatal Snowmobile Crash in Iron County Published on 02/23/2021 under News

One person is dead following a snowmobile crash in Iron County over the weekend.

According to a news release from the Iron County Sheriff's Office, the crash happened Saturday night at shortly after 11pm on a road in the Town of Knight. The initial report was for a snowmobiler that left the roadway and struck a tree.

Responders found the operator unresponsive and life-saving measures were unsuccessful. The victim, a 51 year old male, died at the scene. His name was not immediately released.

According to the DNR, this marks the 10th fatal snowmobile crash in Wisconsin this riding season. Four have occurred in Iron County. Eight of the ten crashes have involved the operator leaving their route and striking tree.

In Other News

Tomahawk Public Library-By the Numbers

Published on 07/08/2025 under News Often described as a hidden gem in the Northwoods, the Tomahawk Public Library continues to be a popular destination. The numbers bear that out. At the July meeting, the Tomahawk City Council heard a brief report from Library Director Heidi O'Hare, which included some additional data. According to O'Hare, they had more than 28,000 visits last year. The report came at the start of summer and the Fourth/Powwow Days holiday, and O'Hare noted that they had been especially busy with both locals and out-of-town guests in recent weeks. Circulation includes around 55,000 items. Books make up a majority of library items, but they continue to add other resources like audio and visual materials and a section for games, puzzles and activity kits to be checked out by patrons. They added more than 2,500 new items last year alone. Their WiFi service has also been especially popular, with around 9,000 patrons taking advantage including nearly 2,000 using the computers. Speaking of digital, they've also got nearly 19,000 e-books, e-serials, and e-audio. And the summer schedule is a good example of the more than 300 programs they offer throughout the year such as Tinker Tuesdays, story time, wildlife programs, and reading challenges. They often take advantage of the scenic setting along the shores of Lake Mohawksin to host these activities. Last year more than 5,500 people attended. You can visit their website or Facebook for a schedule._____ And there's a chance to support the library on Wednesday, July 9. The Friends of the Tomahawk Library are hosting their second of three planned summer book sales tomorrow. It's from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm in the library basement.

Published on 07/08/2025 under News The Tomahawk Area Interfaith Volunteers provide a valuable service for those in need, and they are looking to grow their pool of volunteers. Known as TAIV, the organization serves seniors and those with disabilities in the community. We were recently joined by new TAIV director Gloria Quinn and assistant Bob Schmidtbauer to talk about the non-profit. Most of their outreach is through transportation services. It's essentially a volunteer Uber, providing rides to appointments. This includes not only local rides in the Tomahawk area, but to appointments in nearby communities like Wausau, Merrill, Rhinelander, and Minocqua. And they stay busy, Schmidtbauer noted they average from 6 to 8 rides a day. The month of May included 148 trips, where the volunteer drivers put on more than 3,000 miles. And while those receiving rides benefits, it can also rewarding for the volunteers through the conversations and connection. Quinn noted that they do have two transport vans, or in some cases, drivers can use their own vehicles. It's not a big commitment, and they are flexible with their hours. Some voluteers pledge one day a month, while others drive a few times a week. Those interested can contact TAIV, they've got an office in the Senior Center; call 715-453-8200; or email: taivdirector@gmail.com

Published on 07/08/2025 under News A campaign is returning in Marathon County encouraging kids to wear helmets this summer when riding bikes, scooters, and skateboards. The Helmet Hero' program is a partnership of Aspirus Health, Safe Kids Marathon County, and several local law enforcement agencies. To help encourage safe riding, groups will work with the Wausau and Metro Bay Police Departments to keep an eye out for kids properly wearing their helmets in the community. When a kid is 'caught' wearing a helmet, the officer may hand out a ticket for a free ice cream at Briq's Soft Serve. If they find a child in need of a helmet, they also have some vouchers that can be exchanged for a free helmet. Amanda Tabin coordinates the program for Aspirus. She notes that nearly half of children hospitalized for bike-related injuries are diagnosed with a head injury, yet less than half of children wear helmets. And while the program is designed for children, they're hoping it creates life-long habits. Wausau Police Lt. Nathan Pauls noted that bike crashes can happened to riders of all ages and skill levels.

Published on 07/08/2025 under News A Lincoln County man was injured after a crash while being towed on an ATV. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Report, that incident happened last Wednesday in the Town of Pine River. Responders were called to an area near Highway 64 and County X for the accident. Deputies learned the man was tending to a farm task when his ATV ran out of gas. A family member was helping pull the the ATV home with the man on the machine when it rolled. According to the report, the man was brought to an area hospital and later airlifted for further treatment of a head injury. No further update on his condition was provided. A few other quick notes from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Report… Deputies were kept busy over the holiday weekend with multiple OWI arrests:A 22 year old Tomahawk man was taken in for 2nd offense OWI following an investigation into a motorcycle operating in a reckless manner.A 26 year old Wausau woman was arrested for first offense OWI and disorderly conduct after deputies investigated a suspicious vehicle complaint.A traffic stop for speeding led to a second offense OWI arrest for a 26 year old Merrill man.And a 17 year old from Merrill was arrested for first offense OWI after a traffic stop for driving behavior.The number of vehicle vs. deer crashes was up slightly with 11 being reported this past week on Lincoln County roadways.

Published on 07/08/2025 under News It's good news for pheasant and ruffed grouse populations in Wisconsin. The DNR released information from the annual spring surveys of the two popular game birds. Pheasant observations were above the five-year average for the second consecutive year. And while the results of the ruffed grouse survey showed a slight decrease from 2024, but numbers were still significantly up from the five-year average. Alaina Roth is a DNR ruffed grouse specialist. She noted that while the spring drumming activity for grouse exceeded expectations despite being down slightly from 2024. That's because last year's survey saw a large an unexpected increase. The grouse survey is conducted using a roadside drumming survey. Here in the Northern priority area, multiple survey routes were conducted in each county. The region showed strongest numbers. These numbers come on the heels of a DNR announcement that they will hold a sharp-tailed grouse hunting season this fall for the first time in 7 years. Full reports are listed on the DNR wildlife survey website.

Published on 07/07/2025 under News Trees and powerlines don't always get along, especially during severe weather. Utility crews across northern Wisconsin are working on a tree trimming project to keep the lights on when severe weather strikes. According to Wisconsin Public Service, the largest cause of power outages is trees and branches falling onto their electric equipment. This year WPS is increasing tree trimming efforts to significantly reduce the risk of trees knocking out power. WPS is on track to clear more than 2,600 miles of power lines this year by trimming or removing nearly 4,000 "danger trees." These are dying or dead trees that could easily fall onto electric equipment and cause power outages. Danger trees also include trees that have rapidly grown too close to WPS equipment. Brian Friedrich is a WPS forester. He explained, "If a tree has directional lean toward the power line, if it's a threat to the line, those are the trees that we are trying to target." They're focusing on trees within the 30 foot right-of-way, but may also address high risk trees outside of that zone. The project is being completed with additional funding approved by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Other past efforts included a large-scale project to convert thousands of miles of lines from overhead to underground.

Published on 07/07/2025 under News Another successful Powwow Days celebration in Tomahawk is in the books. Passing along a few notes from event organizers to put a bow on the Fourth festivities. Starting with the parade, while there are always a number of fantastic entries, a few stood out to the judge's panel. In all, there were 7 winners across three categories, many of which are frequent guests right here on WJJQ. In the 'organizations' category, Tomahawk Kinship took the top spot. We've been following their efforts to move into a new location on Main Street. They were followed by the Kwahamots Waterski Club and the Somo Fish and Game Club. For the Merchants, it was Foley's Tree Service followed by Tomahawk Trailer and Wild Rivers Group. For the Youth category, the local Cub Scouts placed first. Before the parade, the first events of the day were the Powwow Days races. Organizer Connor Ahrens said they had a record setting 707 runners sign up this year. In addition to the race winners, they also provided awards for Most Patriotic race attire. Jada Deviller took first, John Deviller-second, and Tony Turax-third. (photo provided by Connor Ahrens and Bridgette Reilly) And on behalf of WJJQ, a special thank you goes out to all of the organizers, businesses, volunteers, and everyone who came to Tomahawk over the weekend.

Published on 07/07/2025 under News In addition to the Fourth of July festivities of the weekend, the Town of Boulder Junction had another reason to celebrate...their recent efforts to improve their outdoor recreational opportunities. The community hosted their first annual Parks and Recreation Celebration on Saturday. The goal was to celebrate a few of the new projects in their parks over the past few years. That included a special ribbon cutting of their new outdoor basketball court. Other recent improvements have included a new playground, the Glide ice skating ribbon, and the Tall Pines Disc Golf course, which is currently under construction. In addition to celebrating these accomplishments, it was also an opportunity to recognize the many people who contributed. Their work was actually recognized by the state this past week... the Parks Board received the 1st annual Governor's Outdoor Industry-Ascent Award for Innovation. It was awarded for the Glide, a unique ice skating trail at the park. While presented to the Board, they noted, "This award belongs to every volunteer, board member, and community partner who believed in the vision and helped bring it to life." You can follow along on the boulderatplay Facebook page or website for updates on current or future projects.

Published on 07/07/2025 under News The Rhinelander Public Library recently received a generous contribution in their ongoing capital campaign, and the donor is hoping to inspire others to chip in. The Rhinelander District Library Foundation announced an anonymous donor has pledged to match up to $120,000 in donations to the renovation and expansion project. Every donation made from now through September 1, 2025, will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $120,000. Last summer, the library launched the campaign to raise $7 million to restore and expand the more than 120 year old building. Library Director Virginia Roberts says, "This project isn't just about a building, it's about improving a space regarded as the community's living room – where every member, lifelong residents and visitors, can find connection, opportunity, and inspiration." In announcing the donation match, the library also provided an update on their fundraising efforts. They've currently raised more than $1.2 million for the project.

Published on 07/07/2025 under News Council Grounds park-users are encouraged to snap a few pictures and enter their annual summer photo contest. The annual, friendly competition has been around for a decade now. It is organized by the Friends of Council Grounds group. Rules are similar to past years, they'll once again select winners in four different categories: plants, wildlife, landscapes, and people using the park. Trying to keep the entries relatively new, they'll accept photos from 2024 and 2025. Once the contest closes, judges will narrow each category down to three finalists. From those nominees, the public will get to select the winners later this summer. The entry period opened on July 1 and runs through July 31. Contest rules and a few tips are available on the Friends of Council Grounds website.

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