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Hatchet Volleyball Team Wins Regional Championship Published on 10/24/2022 under Sports

The Tomahawk Hatchet Volleyball Team has advanced to the WIAA Sectional Semi-Finals, winning the Regional Championship on Saturday by defeating Shawano three games to one.

Tomahawk won game one, 25-19, with Shawano winning game two 19-25. The Hatchets then came back and won games three and four, 25-17 and 25-18 respectively.

Tomahawk will host Oconto Falls on Thursday night in the sectional semis. Oconto Falls advanced with a three games to none sweep of Mosinee, 26-24, 25-20, 25-22.

Thursday's WIAA Sectional Semi-Final match is at 7:00 pm from the Fieldhouse, with the broadcast on Northwoods 92-5, WJJQ at 6:40 pm with Alex Koch and the Fehrman Orthodontics Prematch Show.

In Other News

WPS Working on Tree Trimming to Reduce Power Outages

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 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.

Published on 07/04/2025 under News The Fourth of July in Tomahawk marks the return of a decades-long tradition known as Powwow Days. There's no shortage of activities throughout the day, and organizers have long said, "If you can't find something to do, you probably aren't looking very hard." The Tomahawk Lion's Club oversees the annual festivities. We were recently joined by Lion Kevin Koth to talk about everything that goes into organizing such a big event in a small town. While the Lion's do much of the planning and legwork, Koth was quick to thank the many businesses and individuals who provide donations and volunteer to make Powwow Days a success year after year. The ever-popular Lion's Chicken Luncheon is an excellent example. They aren't cooking on backyard grills. Instead they construct a temporary cooking pit each year. That build took place yesterday. It's typically 45 feet long, four feet wide, and just as high. This allows them to turnout hundreds of tasty birds for the event. The cook actually begins at daybreak to accommodate the lunch rush. As for other highlights of the day, there's the Powwow Days 5k, 10k, and fun run and children's games this morning. The annual Parade runs down Main Street at 1pm, of course WJJQ will have our play-by-play for those who can't make it downtown. And the Fire Department will follow with their water displays. The Kwahamots will offer a special holiday show. Once the sun goes down, the fireworks go up. We've got all those events in the WJJQ Community Calendar.

Published on 07/04/2025 under News Before the parades, cookouts, and fireworks, Tomahawk Fourth of July celebrations kicks off with the annual PowWow Days 5k, 10k and Fun Run. For nearly fifty years, these races have become an annual tradition for runners in the Northwoods. We heard from race organizer Connor Ahrens earlier this week. He says they already had more than 600 runners signed up during pre-registration. The 5k is the most popular, but they should have more than 100 runners in each category. While most are from the Northwoods, dozens of states will be represented from Alaska to Florida. And participants are anywhere from 2-3 years old for the youth races up to runners in their 80s.The race features a number of past champions, as well as current and former Hatchets runners. While some are seeking top times and personal bests, others are simply getting in a holiday workout while having plenty of fun. Stars and stripes; red, white and blue are the most common racing attire. Those races will take place out of Memorial Park this morning.

Published on 07/04/2025 under News Fireworks and the Fourth go hand and hand, but officials are reminding people of the dangers. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, on average more than 100 fireworks-related injuries result in ER visits each year. A quarter of those visits were children under 18. And it's not just the fireworks that go boom...Dr. Eric Maki is an emergency physician at Aspirus. He says the most common fireworks injuries they treat are burns, and that sparklers are one of the main culprits. He acknowledged that sparklers are fun and everyone including kids enjoys them, but he noted that they also burn at an extremely high temperature. And after a sparkler has burned out, the stick remains hot and a burn risk. Ready Wisconsin teamed with local emergency management to offer up their annual fireworks safety tips.First and foremost, obey local laws and permitting requirementsNever allow children to play with or ignite fireworksFind a smooth, flat surface; have readily available water; and make sure onlookers are a safe distanceLight fireworks one at a time; don't attempt to reignite a dud.Properly discard cooled fireworks after a soak in some waterThe safest advice, however, is to simply leave the fireworks to the professionals and attend a community show.

Published on 07/04/2025 under News While we may enjoy the fireworks, our four legged friends generally do not. Statistics show that more pets go missing on and around July 4th than any other time of the year. Many of these cases involve dogs that run off because they're frightened by fireworks. We heard from the Lincoln County Humane Society ahead of the holiday. They provided some tips to ensure your pet doesn't end up at their shelter over the next few days. First, before the action picks up, ensure your dog has a collar and an ID with up-to-date information. Vacationers or seasonal residents may want to pick up an extra collar and write down your Northwoods contact information. In the afternoon, they recommend a long walk to tire out your pup. Once fireworks start, your dog will be most comfortable at home in a safe and familiar environment. To make it more accommodating, they recommend closing windows and lowering blinds. A TV, radio, or background noise may provide some comfort. And make sure your pup has plenty of water and toys to keep them occupied.

Published on 07/04/2025 under News Law enforcement officials will be hitting waterways across the state over the extended holiday weekend to make sure that boaters are sober. Launched in 2009, Operation Dry Water is an enforcement and education event dedicated to increasing public awareness about sober boat operation. April Dombrowski, director of the DNR's Recreational Safety and Outdoor Skills Bureau says, "We want everyone to enjoy Wisconsin's beautiful waterways this holiday weekend, but safety must come first." DNR staff will team up with local law enforcement for increased water patrols. In addition to sober driving, they'll also educate operators on other boat safety including life jacket use. And as we told you earlier this week, there's a separate campaign focused on aquatic invasive species happening with the Clean Boats, Clean Waters volunteers at boat landing around around the state.

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