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Rhinelander Eyes Vruwink for City Administrator Vacancy Published on 03/03/2021 under News

The City of Rhinelander has narrowed their search for a new city administrator which could be approved as at a special meeting this evening.

Yesterday, the city issued a statement saying they have successfully negotiated an employment contract with their top candidate, Zach Vruwink. Following the dismissal of former administrator Daniel Guild last year, Vruwink was brought in to serve as assistant to the mayor. That temporary role ended last month.

Vruwink, himself, formerly served as mayor in Wisconsin Rapids for four terms (2012-2020).

According to the release, Vruwink was one of three candidates interviewed and evaluated for the city administrator position. A conditional agreement was reached Monday. A special City Council meeting has been scheduled Wednesday to finalize the offer.

Mayor Chris Frederickson said in the news release that he is anxious to get back to his role as mayor and refocusing on serving as an innovator and policy maker, leaving the day-to-day duties of administrator to Vruwink.

In Other News

60th Annual Venison Feed Returns to Tomahawk, Kicking Off Deer Season with Free Burgers

Published on 11/21/2025 under News Here in Tomahawk, you don't have to bag a buck to get a taste of venison. That's because the Tomahawk Chamber will once again offer free burgers to kick off the gun-deer season. Hunting, in general, is full of tradition. No better example is the Tomahawk Chamber Venison Feed. In fact this year is the 60th anniversary of the annual event. Chamber director Charis Lau noted they'll even have some special displays set up today to take a look back at past years. The festivities take place on the Friday before the opener of the gun deer season. Lau described it like a family reunion. Locals gather with out-of-towners at the west end of Main Street to share stories and camaraderie, all while enjoying a free venison burger. Many are hunters, but some just stop down for the food and the spectacle. If there is a dress code, it's orange-heavy. It's not fast food, but the food goes fast. They typically go through the approximately 1,500 burgers in an hour. The venison is donated to the Chamber, processed at Geiss Meats and volunteers grill up the burgers. Many add their own twist with special seasonings, toppings, and condiments. Our WJJQ staff will have a grill. In recent years, other community groups have been invited to participate with fundraising opportunities. For those that'd like to stop by, they'll be set up in front of the Post Office on Main Street starting at 11:30am.

Published on 11/21/2025 under News In less than 24 hours, hundreds of thousands hunters will head to their deer stands in hopes of bagging a buck. The year-long wait is finally over...the Wisconsin gun deer season opens on Saturday morning. According to DNR data, last year hunters registered just shy of 190,000 deer. The season began with a slow opening weekend. By the end it rebounded, with the total about 1.2% above the five year average. As for what to expect this year, DNR biologist Derek Johnson provided the Northwoods season forecast. He says a second consecutive mild winter should continue to benefit the herd. He added, "We should have two good age groups of deer in the woods this fall." While there isn't any tracking snow on the ground, hunters may be more comfortable spending time in their stands with a mild weekend weather forecast. The timing of the season may have the opposite effect. This year's hunt falls relatively late on the calendar, which has traditionally led to lower harvest totals. Hunters in the Northern Forest Zone are also reminded to review the newly drawn deer management units in effect this season. The 9-day gun deer season opens Saturday morning and will run through the following Sunday.

Published on 11/21/2025 under News As we close out Winter Weather Awareness Week, officials are reminding motorists to take it easy on the roads once the snow arrives. Based on past Department of Transportation data, there will be around 18,000 crashes caused by poor winter driving conditions. Most of those can be attributed to driving too fast for conditions. Following a snow event, one of the first steps to ensure you reach destination safely is to give yourself plenty of time, while leaving plenty of space between your vehicle and the one in front. A few other quick tips...Be gentle on the accelerator and the brake, and don't be overconfident with your 4-wheel drive, it won't help you stop any faster. Use your headlights, but skip the cruise control. Before leaving home on a snowy day, check road conditions, make sure your cell phone is charged and keep at least a half tank of gas. It's also a good time put your winter emergency kit in the car. Of course stay tuned to WJJQ for local updates and cancellations during the winter months.

Published on 11/21/2025 under News A newly re-branded grocery store in Wausau made quite the impression the first impression, selling a multi-million dollar MegaBucks ticket in its first week. According to the Wisconsin lottery, the $7.1 million dollar winning ticket from Wednesday's drawing was purchased at the Hy-Vee grocery store in Wausau. Formerly County Market, the store was purchased by HyVee over the summer, closing briefly this month for the re-brand, and only this week re-opened. Store Director, Jake Dryer said, "We are brand new to the community. It's really exciting to sell a big winner on our third day open as Hy-Vee." At $7.1 million, this was the fourth largest MegaBucks jackpot since 2017. The odds for the Wisconsin-based game, around 1 in 7 million. The winner has 180 days to claim their prize.

Published on 11/21/2025 under News Throughout this week we've gone over a number of tips to keep hunters safe in the field. But officials are also reminding hunters about safety once you're back in your hunting cabin as well. The culprit... carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas is caused by improper burning or venting of fuel. Wisconsin Public Service is encouraging hunters inspect the heating system in their hunting shack, especially if it hasn't been used in a while. The most important step is to ensure you have a carbon monoxide detector, and that it's working properly. It's also a good idea to check heating vents, flues, and chimneys, and remove any debris or animal nests. Inspect any fuel-burning appliances and remember not to use a portable generator indoors. WPS also provided a quick rundown of carbon monoxide poisoning which can include: dizziness, headaches, or sleepiness; red lips and unusually pale complexion; nausea and vomiting; and a fluttering heartbeat. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should be moved to fresh air immediately and contact 911.

Published on 11/21/2025 under News A Northwoods art gallery debuted it's latest exhibit on Thursday. ArtStart hosted an opening reception to celebrate their Winter Exhibitions. It highlight two artists who explore the beauty and complexity of the natural world through distinctly different mediums. M. Rene Iannarelli is a textile artist with more than four decades of experience, her art form: manipulating fabric. Her latest exhibit is With Age Comes Lines. It celebrates Iannarelli's deep connection to the changing seasons, with a special emphasis on the expressive power of lines. The other half of the exhibit is photographer David Barnhill whose photos are described as challenging viewers to see the natural world in new and unexpected ways-revealing both its serenity and its wild imagination. Following yesterday's opening reception, people can visit during regular gallery hours: Thursday through Saturdays 11am to 4pmthrough January 17.

Published on 11/21/2025 under Sports Tomahawk's girls' basketball squad opened up their season with an impressive second-half performance in Butternut Thursday night, defeating the Midgets, 56-42. After leading by just two at the half, the Hatchets switched to a zone defense to cause turnovers and turn into easy transition points. Freya Alberg finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and six blocks. Sophomore Anita Ziert finished with 18 points in her first start of the season. The Hatchets start their season off with a win for a second consecutive season. Tomahawk will begin Great Northern Conference play December 2nd at home against Medford.

Published on 11/20/2025 under News Last winter, Boulder Junction Winter Park introduced the award-winning ice skating trail known as The Glide. The town not only plans to bring back the skating ribbon, but they also have been working on some improvements. Laura Bertch is Chair of the Boulder Junction Park Board. She says, "We're thrilled with the progress made this summer. Winter Park has quickly become a signature destination for residents and visitors alike, and these upgrades will make the experience even more enjoyable for everyone." The Glide was an approximately one mile ice skating trail that looped through a scenic wooded area. It was converted from a under-utilized cross-country ski trail and formerly a railroad. Over the summer the project won a Wisconsin Governor's Outdoor Industry – First Ascent Award for Innovation. For year number two, they are hoping to highlight the charm and hospitality of the Boulder Junction community with new gates and a welcoming entry. The team also worked on smoothing and leveling the skating areas to produce smoother and more consistent ice conditions, while expanding and improving the parking areas. A new woodshed will keep wood dry for the fire pit area. And they are planning to have more community gatherings and events at the park. The Park Board led the effort, but they were quick to pass along praise to the community volunteers and local businesses for their support. And while it's ultimately up to Mother Nature, they hope to open for the season December 20.

Published on 11/20/2025 under News With Thanksgiving a week away, experts anticipate record holiday travel numbers once again. Triple A recently released their annual Thanksgiving travel forecast which overlaps with Wisconsin's deer hunting season. They expect more than 1.7 million Wisconsinites will travel 50 miles or more next week. That would be the highest on record. Most will be by road, as auto travel in Wisconsin is expected to approach 1.5 million over the Thanksgiving holiday. Some good news for those travelers, as gas prices are down slightly from last year with the state average just under $2.85. The Thanksgiving travel window runs from Tuesday through the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend to better reflect recent holiday travel trends. As for those planning their travel to avoid traffic, the busiest times are expected next Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, as well as the Sunday afternoon following Thanksgiving. Often times, the best day for less crowded roads may actually be on Thanksgiving Day.

Published on 11/20/2025 under News When it comes to winter safety, it's important to stay informed. That also means understanding watches, warnings and other weather terminology. As part of Winter Awareness Week, the National Weather Service provided a few words to know. They offered a reminder of a change in weather terminology last year that eliminated the use of windchill watches and warnings. While the dangers of windchill still exist, the classifications are now part of extreme cold watches and warnings instead. Speaking of watches, warnings and advisories, they said generally a watch means to prepare, which may be followed by a warning or advisory which means take action. Another weather term we frequently here in the Northwoods is lake effect snow. According to the NWS, Lake effect snow is created when cold air is moved across a relatively warm, large body of water. Those airs mix creating clouds which result in a narrow band of heavy snow downwind from the lake. In our case, the Canadian air travels across Lake Superior charging the conditions for heavy snows across Northern Wisconsin and the UP. This also occurs along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan. And while we may use a blizzard for any event with a lot of snow, the NWS defines a blizzard as a large amounts of snow (either from the sky or blown from the ground) coupled with winds of at least 35mph and visibility of less than a quarter mile for at least three hours.

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