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Tomahawk Students Benefit from Partnership with CASE Construction Equipment Published on 01/14/2022 under News

Tomahawk students continue to benefit from a partnership the district has established with CASE Construction Equipment over the past five years.

At the Tomahawk School Board meeting this week, High School Principal Ryan Huseby highlighted the continued collaboration of the company and the district's technology education department.

To promote their field, an annual field trip has been coordinated at the CASE Proving Grounds in Tomahawk. In a typical year, between 10-12 high school students in the district's Building Trades Class take part.

Huseby says, "This experience has been beneficial for THS and has supported seven students entering the Heavy Equipment Operation profession since the start of this partnership with CASE."

Huseby also shared that the CASE charitable foundation awarded the district a $25,000 grant. The funds will be utilized to replace the district's computer controlled router in their tech ed lab. The current machine is approaching 20 years old.

Huseby says the purchase is still being finalized and they would share the information once the equipment arrives.

In Other News

Hatchet Girls Basketball Team Loses to Wausau East

Published on 01/28/2026 under Sports The Hatchet girls' basketball struggles would continue in Wausau East Tuesday night as they would lose to the Lumberjacks, 68-49. Tomahawk got productive outings from two of their starters, but were unable to prevent Wausau East from hitting 11 three-pointers. Anita Ziert led the Hatchets in scoring with 19 points. Freya Alberg was second on the team in scoring with 17 points. The loss drops Tomahawk to 9-8 on the season and 3-5 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets resume GNC play Friday night in Eagle River against Northland Pines. Alex Koch and Matt Theiler will have the broadcast on Northwoods 92.5 WJJQ. The Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Pregame Show begins at 6:50 and tip-off is at 7:15 PM.

Published on 01/28/2026 under News This week is dedicated to smarter use of road salts. In addition to the environmental impacts, salting also has an impact on city budgets. This week is Salt Awareness Week. Coincidentally, the City of Tomahawk salt and sand budget was a conversation at Tuesday's Finance and Board of Public Works meetings. With a few bills outstanding, Street Lead Nick Rosenmeier anticipated the city will exceed their 2025 salt/sand budget. He also noted that they are already halfway through their 2026 budget and we're only a few weeks into the year. When budgeting for road salt, it is a guessing game at the whim of Mother Nature. The City of Tomahawk uses a 20 year average to provide the best recent estimate. After a couple of mild winters, this winter has been a challenge. In addition to needing more salt, the cost has also been on the rise, doubling over the past decade. Rosenemeier says salt prices are currently $127 a ton. The city gets their supply from the county. The local crews do take steps to more effectively use road salts. Rosenmeier says they have been scraping a lot more to remove the layers of snow and ice, which reduces the amount of salt needed. During this cold stretch they have primarily used sand, which is not only cheaper, but works better. That is because salt loses its melting effectiveness the further temperatures drop below freezing. The sand, however, could have some additional costs come spring, as the crews will likely have to do more street sweeping to remove.

Published on 01/28/2026 under News Women seeking mammograms at Aspirus Tomahawk Hospital have a newer option. As of December, the local hospital now offers 3d mammography providing improved imaging and potentially better outcomes. Radiology technologist Courtney Oberg performs these scans, and she stopped by the WJJQ studios to talk about 3d mammography. While the traditional 2d mammography was comprised of two images, Oberg says the 3d mammogram provides 20 to 50 images. She likened it to a loaf of sliced bread, allowing the radiologist to review each cross-section. The additional imagery allows the medical team an opportunity to catch cancers early, when the masses are smaller. Oberg noted early detection can result in better treatment outcomes. The 3d imagery also provides a more accurate reading, not only in detecting small masses, but also in avoiding callbacks for false detection particularly for women with dense breast tissue. Oberg said some patients have traveled to Aspirus facilities in Wausau or Rhinelander. Bringing this option to Tomahawk will allow patients to get the screening closer to home. As for what patients can expect, Oberg said it is almost identical to the 2d mammogram. She noted there will still be a little discomfort from compression, but this is necessary to hold the breast in place. On her end, after two months, Oberg called it has been a wonderful and beneficial experience. Coupled with self-exams, Oberg encouraged regular screenings. She says, "It's going to be a half an hour of your day, but the whole idea is to catch these things earlier when they're easier to treat."

Published on 01/28/2026 under News Following another successful report on Lincoln Hills from a court appointed monitor, Governor Evers plans to request a federal court end the consent decree. The decision comes after a second consecutive report in which the monitor found they have met all 50 requirements governing the operations at the youth correctional facility . That would require a judges ruling. Governor Evers said in a Wednesday news release, "This has been a goal a decade in the making, and it's tremendous to be able to celebrate the completion of reforms at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake schools today. Ending the consent decree marks a step in the right direction, and it is a testament to those who got us to this point today, but our work is not done." This comes as the state has been working towards building new, smaller facilities around the state in an effort to house youth offenders closer to their homes and support networks. Once complete, Lincoln Hills would be converted into an adult facility.

Published on 01/28/2026 under News One person is dead following a crash in Vilas County Tuesday morning. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, responders were called to Highway 51 near Trapp Road in Arbor Vitae for a head-on collision. The call came in at around 10:30am Tuesday morning. Based on their preliminary investigation, they said the southbound pick-up truck likely lost control and crossed over the center-line where it struck an on-coming dumptruck. The driver of the pick-up truck, a 34 year old Three Lakes man was pronounced dead at the scene. The report indicates he was not wearing a seat-belt at the time of the crash. His name is being withheld pending notification of family. The driver of the dump truck was not injured in the crash. Crews were on the scene for more than 5 hours. The crash remains under investigation.

Published on 01/28/2026 under News To kick off the New Year, more than two dozen state properties hosted First Day Hikes. Despite a bitterly cold day, it was well-attended. The DNR provided some of the participation numbers. Overall, there were 32 First Day Hikes across 28 properties. There were more than 2,161 total participants, who hiked a combined 3,543 miles. Partner organizations and Friends Groups organized, led and supported many of these hikes and provided hot drinks, warming fires and even baked goods to those braving the conditions. First Day Hikes are part of a national effort organized by the National Association of State Park Directors. Across the country, there were 1,399 First Day Hikes nationwide. More than 73,000 people showed up, tracking more than 150,000 miles.

Published on 01/27/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's male swimmers would go 2-0 in their double dual at Medford Monday night. The Hatchets began the night with a 69-57 victory over the host Medford. Tomahawk would then defeat Lakeland to cap off their night, 81-20. The Hatchets had six first-place finishes in the double dual. Dane Dekiep would place first in the 100 backstroke and 200 IM. Bruce Peetz took the top spot in the 200 Freestyle and the 50 Freestyle. This concludes the Hatchet Boys' Swim regular season. Tomahawk finishes with a 5-7 dual record. The postseason for Tomahawk begins February 6th at the Great Northern Conference Invite in Lakeland.

Published on 01/27/2026 under Sports The Hatchet basketball squads were swept in their doubleheader at Rhinelander Monday night. Tomahawk's boys lost their seventh straight game and their seventh Great Northern Conference game, losing to the Hodags, 90-25. As for the girls, they would surrender 38 second-half points, losing to the Hodags, 72-33. Freya Alberg led the way in scoring for the Hatchets with 16 points. The Hatchet boys now sit at 2-13 on the season and 0-7 in Great Northern Conference play. Tomahawk's girls fall to 9-7 on the season and 3-5 in GNC play. The Hatchet boys are back in action Friday against Northland Pines. Tomahawk's girls are back on the court Tuesday in Wausau East. Tip is at 7:15.

Published on 01/27/2026 under News The Town of Boulder Junction is turning 100 next year, and the community is planning to celebrate. To recognize this milestone anniversary of their founding, the town established a Boulder Junction Centennial Committee plan festivities. In the works are a town-wide birthday party, a historical theater performance, a special Musky Jamboree parade, an art installation, a commemorative plaque, and a history publication. They're also looking for the community to help by providing memories. On Monday, the Committee put out a call for people to share photos and stories of their times in Boulder Junction that will be used throughout the celebration. They even provided a list of potential story topics like favorite places, first memories, falling in love (with the town or another person), funny stories, or even animal encounters. The committee did remind people to make sure the stories are true and kept PG-13. They've already got a Facebook page and a website at BoulderJunctionHistory.org with updates, information, and contacts.

Published on 01/27/2026 under News The City of Tomahawk is encouraging residents to be mindful of what they're flushing down toilets and dumping in drains. The warning comes from the Waste Water Department after several issues at the treatment facility due to improper items being placed into the system. Among items of concern are grease, paper toweling, sanitary products, and even flushable wipes. Crews note that these items do not easily break down and can cause major clogs in pipes, pumps and other equipment. That results in overtime calls, emergency repairs, and even home backups. These items should instead be placed into the garbage.

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