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Tomahawk Fire Department 2020 Awards Published on 04/13/2021 under News

The Tomahawk Fire Department recently recognized several volunteers with their 2020 department awards.

In year's past, they would have been presented over a celebratory meal. Due to Covid precautions, the awards were instead held in-house during their monthly meetings.

It was Melissa Nieman awarded the 2020 Firefighter of the Year. We heard from Melissa this morning. She said, "Our entire department deserved an award in my eyes! It's been a long year."

Two members were also recognized for their service time with Taylor Randall 10 years and Lance Powers 35 years with the department.

In Other News

Hatchet Girls Wrestling Sending Eight on to Sectionals

Published on 02/14/2026 under Sports In the WIAA Girls Wrestling Regional Meet in Merrill Friday night, the Hatchets had a strong showing as they would send eight girls to the Sectional round. Tomahawk had three regional champions in the meet, who were Kylie Peissig at 107 pounds, Aubrey Tollefson at 114 pounds, and Kami Gabrich at 185 pounds. Other sectional qualifiers were Victoria Towle at 100 pounds, Lillian Taves at 126 pounds, Kaylee Roberts at 145 pounds, Elena Cerkes at 152 pounds, and Abigail Doleshal at 235 pounds. Towle, Taves, and Cerkes all won their wrestlebacks to cap off the night. The WIAA Girls Wrestling Sectional Meet is next Friday at DC Everest. Events begin at 5:00.

Published on 02/14/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's girls basketball squad would suffer one of their worst losses of the season to Lakeland in Minocqua Friday night, losing 62-33. The Hatchets were unable to stop Ava Evenhouse and the Thunderbird offense from putting up 38 points in the first half. Freya Alberg led the way in scoring for the Hatchets with 16 points. The loss drops Tomahawk to 12-11 on the season and 5-6 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets will wrap up their season next Friday with Senior Night against Mosinee. Tip is at 6:00.

Published on 02/14/2026 under Sports The Hatchet boys' basketball squad's offensive woes would continue Friday, losing to Lakeland at home, 77-36. The loss drops Tomahawk's record to 2-19 on the season and 0-11 in Great Northern Conference play. The loss by the Hatchets is also their 13th straight. Tomahawk is back on the court Tuesday in Antigo. Tip is at 5:45 PM.

Published on 02/13/2026 under News The Lincoln County Economic Development Corporation is looking to bring together local business owners. And the organization is launching a new free monthly meet-up known as LinC & Learn Business Connections series. According to Executive Director Sara Guild, the LinC & Learn is designed to bring together small-to-medium size business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, and local business leaders for practical learning, peer-to-peer problem solving, and meaningful networking in a welcoming, informal environment. The first opportunity is coming up next Thursday at Johnson's of Merrill. Then in March, they'll head north to Tomahawk at the Buedingen Center at PCA. That also leads up to the annual Lincoln County Economic Summit which will take place in April. And while the LinC & Learn is free, Guild encouraged registration so they know how many people will be attending. Those interested can visit the Lincoln County Economic Development Corporation website.

Published on 02/13/2026 under News We have updates on a pair of snowmobile crashes in the Northwoods over the weekend including a fatal accident in Langlade County. One person died several days after a snowmobile crash near Antigo. According to the DNR, that initial crash happened on Saturday. The operator, a 59 year old man, was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Officials say he died on Monday. His name was not immediately released. Based on the preliminary investigation, the operator was traveling on a public trail when he failed to negotiate a curve resulting in a rollover. This is the 10th fatal snowmobile crash in Wisconsin this year, and the twelfth this riding season.

Published on 02/13/2026 under News Meanwhile up in Vilas County, a snowmobile crash earlier this week required an air medical transport. According to the Eagle River Fire Department that call came in on Tuesday evening at just after 8pm. Crews were dispatched to Trail 7 in the Town of Cloverland, west of Eagle River. Responders used their UTV to reach the victim on the trail. Due to the nature and severity of the injuries, a medical evacuation helicopter was requested. They temporarily closed Highway 70 for around 15 minutes to allow the helicopter to land. The patient was transported to Wausau for further treatment. No update on their condition was provided. No other information on the crash was provided.

Published on 02/13/2026 under News While love may be in the air for Valentine's, a local energy provider is reminding people to keep holiday balloons out of the skies. With heart-shaped Mylar balloons a go-to Valentine's gift, Wisconsin Public Service offered their annual word of caution. That's because a released balloon could leave thousands in the dark. They explained via news release when a Mylar balloons comes into contact with power lines, it acts as a conductor, and may create a short circuit. Last year, balloons caused more than 500 outages across the WPS footprint. In addition to power outages, a short circuit can also be dangerous if the power line falls to the ground. If you're planning on gifting a balloon for Valentine's, or any special occasion, make sure it is tied securely to a weight. If you received a balloon, electric companies are asking you properly deflate and dispose it rather than letting them go outdoors.

Published on 02/13/2026 under News During American Heart Month, Aspirus is helping patients better understand how common heart medications protect long term health, even when symptoms are not present. Conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol often go unnoticed because they typically do not cause immediate symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, many without knowing it. That silent risk is why regular monitoring coupled with medications play such an important role in prevention. Aspirus Pharmacy resident Tyler Thao says, "People can feel perfectly fine and still have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. You would not necessarily know unless you get it checked. You may feel fine, but inside, you may not be." Medications for blood pressure and cholesterol help lower that hidden risk by reducing strain on the heart and blood vessels over time. Because these medications are often taken long term, pharmacists play an important role in helping patients understand why they are prescribed, how to take them safely, and what to watch for along the way. Thao says, "Taking medications as prescribed and checking in with your doctor can truly save a life."

Published on 02/13/2026 under News Love is in the air, and so too are the birds... Bird-lovers can join in a global citizen-science effort. Today marks the start of the four-day, Great Backyard Bird Count. This is the 29th year for the survey, a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada. By participating in your own backyard here in the Northwoods, you can join the more than 800,000 people who participated last year in nearly every country on the planet. Ben Haywood, Audubon's director of community science says. "The more the merrier as we celebrate the joy of birds all over the world and join the global effort to protect them and the places they need." Combined with other bird counts, GBBC results help create a clearer picture of how birds are faring—whether individual species are declining, increasing, or holding steady in the face of habitat loss, climate change, and other threats. To take part, each participant counts birds for 15 minutes or more and uses the Merlin Bird ID app or eBird app to enter the birds identified birds by sight or sound at birdcount.org. That can be your backyard, or a park, a wilderness area, apartment balcony, or neighborhood street. First time participants are encouraged the GBBC website. The survey runs through Monday.

Published on 02/13/2026 under News Last fall, the Major League Fishing Tour made a stop in the Northwoods. Now a new TV audience will get a chance to check out fishing in the area. Back in September, Minocqua hosted the second stop on the Major League Fishing-Fishing Clash Team Series tour. Over the course of a week, twenty four anglers, in twelve teams of two, fished local lakes and rivers. It was seen as a great success for the region as an immediate economic driver, but also highlighted the area as a fishing destination for those following along online. At the time, organizers promised that produced episodes of the tournament would be aired on TV. That begins this weekend. MLF partners with the Outdoor Channel to air that tournament coverage over the course of six weekly episodes. The first will air on Saturday, February 14 at 1pm. Airings will continue on the Outdoor Channel each Saturday through March 21. Check your provider for which channel. Episodes will also be available on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app after.

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