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Hatchet Girls Basketball Wins Non-Conference Game Published on 02/07/2023 under Sports

The Tomahawk Hatchet Girls Basketball Team hosted Tri-County on Monday night in non-conference action at the Fieldhouse, and Tomahawk earned their fifth win of the season with a 58-24 win.

Claire Albert and Khianna Vacho led the way for Tomahawk, with 17 and 15 points respectively. Bryn Baalke added 10 points for Tomahawk.

The Hatchets are now 5-15 and will travel to Lakeland on Tuesday night.

In Other News

REGI Receives Grant for New Educational Van

Published on 10/31/2025 under News A local bird rescue facility has some new wheels thanks to a generous contribution. While known for their rehabilitation efforts, the Raptor Education Group Inc. or REGI also offers educational outreach as well. They recently shared that they were able to purchase a new van thanks to generous grants from the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin and the James Dutton Foundation to purchase a new van. The Community Foundation serves local non-profits while the James E Dutton Foundation donates to organizations that benefit wildlife, the environment, or that provide environmental education to the public. REGI said in the announcement, "Our old van had seen better days, especially during the harsh Wisconsin winters…" They called the new van a game-changer. They said, "It enables us to safely and efficiently reach even more communities across Wisconsin, ensuring that our dedicated staff and beloved education birds can continue to inspire and educate safely, all year round." This year the educational outreach at REGI has already surpassed their goal of reaching 10,000 people. They said, "...with this new van, we're thrilled to continue expanding our programs throughout 2025 and beyond."

Published on 10/31/2025 under News Throughout the month of October, we've been talking about Breast Cancer Awareness. That can be a comprehensive screening that includes both regular mammograms and self-exams at home. Hannah Grawey, APNP, a family medicine nurse practitioner with Aspirus Health. She says, "A lot of women catch their breast cancer before a mammogram does. Especially for women in their 30s who are not yet at the age threshold for regular mammograms, self-breast exam is going to be your best friend." Dr. Cecilia Stroede added that while most women are aware of feeling for a lump or pea sized abnormality, she says other breast cancers manifest as more of a textural difference rather than a defined mass. In addition to monthly self-checks at home, all women aged 40 and older are urged to get a yearly mammogram, which can detect abnormalities early. Stroede added, "There is a definite benefit in finding smaller things at an earlier point."

Published on 10/31/2025 under News With FoodShare benefits being delayed starting this weekend, local agencies are looking to assist those impacted. The lapse in FoodShare payments by the federal government during the shutdown is expected to affect around 700,000 people in Wisconsin. According to the Oneida County Health Department, these benefits assist approximately 3,300 Oneida County residents, more than a third of which are children. It's a similar number here in Lincoln County. Those local partners provided a little bit of guidance. For current people receiving assistance, any benefits still on the Quest Card can still be spent. They said that local food pantries are here to help, though starting in November, some food pantries may require registration verification. They also encourage people to consider helping their neighbors. This can include donating food, money, or time to your local pantry, or consider organizing food drives at your local school, business, community group or church. The Lakeland Pantry has already announced a community-wide food drive for next weekend where they will team up with their area fire departments to serve as drop off locations and recruiting students from Lakeland High School to lend a hand.

Published on 10/30/2025 under News The Wisconsin Department of Transportation brought back a campaign encouraging seat belt use and an end to distracted driving. That campaign is known as "Buckle Up, Phone Down." According to DoT data, distracted driving factored into more than 9,000 crashes around the state. One of the leading causes of distracted driving is cell phone use. DoT Secretary Kristina Boardman says, We know folks are busy and technology touches many aspects of our lives but behind the wheel is not the place to reply to a text or read an email." Boardman added,"The number of distracted driving crashes and crashes with unbelted drivers in our state is unacceptable. The DoT compares texting for five seconds at 55 miles per hour to driving the length of a football field blindfolded. Cell phone use behind the wheel actually involves three types of distracted driving: -Taking eyes off the road -Taking your hands off the wheel -Taking your mind off driving. The Buckle Up, Phones Down initiative is borrowed from a number of other states, the campaign first launched in Missouri in 2017.

Published on 10/30/2025 under News The Tomahawk School District will be hosting a seasonal and educational event this evening. The Community Education Program is hosting the second annual Halloween Luminary Trail in the school forest. They're teaming up with UW-Stevens Point's Treehaven. Families are encouraged to stop down and walk through a portion of the school forest trails, which will be lighted. To get into the spirit they said costumes are encouraged, but it isn't a haunted trail. They'll feature environmental education stations with kids activities like a nature touch table and hands-on spooky specimen identification. A non-perishable food item will serve as admission, the food donations will go to stock the Kinship pantry. Otherwise it's $2 per person or $5 for a family. There was a date change from the original announcement. To accommodate the Hatchet football game playoffs, the Luminary Trail was moved to Thursday evening. It's from 5-9pm, participants can park in the High School Parking Lot.

Published on 10/30/2025 under News Wednesday was World Stroke Day, and Aspirus encourages people to learn the symptoms. That's where the BE FAST checklist comes in. The letters stand for Balance, Eyes, Face, Arm Speech and Time. Symptoms will vary, but common signs include sudden changes in balance and movement; impaired vision; numbness or weakness in the face and other extremities like arms; and difficulty in communication. If someone is experiencing these symptoms it's Time to call 911. Fast treatment is essential, as the amount of time the brain is deprived of oxygen determines the extent of the damage. Aspirus says, "Stroke care begins the moment a patient arrives at the Emergency Department. Our teams are trained to act fast, perform imaging, and start treatment immediately." High blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking are the four major risk factors for stroke, though a stroke can impact anyone. According to the CDC, someone experiences a stroke in the United States every 40 seconds.

Published on 10/30/2025 under News It was an average bear harvest in 2025, with particularly strong numbers here in the Northwoods. The DNR announced the preliminary results of the season which ended earlier month. Hunters harvested just over of 3,700 bear this year, down from last year's highly productive season. This year's total was on par with the 5-year average, but slightly below what the agency anticipated. Natural food sources and weather may have played a role in season success. DNR large carnivore specialist Randy Johnson says an abundant acorn crop might have reduced the effectiveness of baiting. There were also stretches of both above and below average temperatures which can impact bear activity. There were approximately 13,000 tags issued for the season, and statewide, hunters saw a 28% success rate. Here in the Northwoods, much better numbers were reported. Highways 51 and 64 serve as boundary lines creating zones A and B, which had 69% and 52% success rate respectively. In the announcement, the DNR also reminds hunters of the Dec. 10 application deadline for next season. ZoneHarvest TargetPreliminary HarvestLicenses Issued Hunter SuccessA1,0751,1611,68069%B9008411,61052%C7506613,75018%D1,1009063,75025%E2001282,0006%F50275005%Statewide4,0753,72413,11028%

Published on 10/30/2025 under News A cult classic movie filmed here in the Northwoods is returning to a local theater this evening for a special screening. Rouman Cinema in Rhinelander will be hosting an evening centered around the 50th Anniversary of the Giant Spider Invasion by Bill Rebane. The 50th anniversary version has been digitally enhanced to 4K through the use of CGI. That will be followed by a showing of "The Wisconsin Movie Scrapbook", reflecting on the history of Rebane and his Shooting Ranch Film Studio. Back in the 1970's and 80's Rebane filmed dozens of movies in and around the Irma studio including Merrill, Tomahawk and Rhinelander. Also coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Giant Spider Invasion, Rebane announced earlier this year that he would be filming some additional scenes for the film.

Published on 10/30/2025 under News While the primary is still ten months away, the field for the 7th congressional seat continues to grow. Two more candidates have entered the race this week. With current US Rep. Tom Tiffany's decision to run for Governor next year, it'll be an open race to represent Northern Wisconsin in Washington. The two newest candidates are seeking the Republican nomination. They include Paul Wassgren, a conservative businessman and attorney from Ashland. Meanwhile Michael Alfonso has some family ties to this seat. He is the son-in-law of former congressman and current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Both candidates describe themselves as pro-Trump Republicans. There are now three Republicans joining Jessi Ebbens who previously announced. Two others considered potential candidates from the Northwoods are sitting out this race. State Senator Mary Felzkowski and Wisconsin Assemblyman Calvin Callahan both announced they wouldn't seek higher office. On the Democratic side, Chris Armstrong and Fred Clark, have declared. The primary will be held next August.

Published on 10/29/2025 under News The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office continues to search for a missing Fox Valley man whose vehicle was found in the area earlier this year. They're encouraging those participating in any fall recreation to report any clues that may help locate Mitchell Reif. Back in June, deputies investigated an abandoned vehicle in the Town of Somo belonging to Reif. He had been listed as missing in Winnebago County several days prior. During the initial investigation, a property owner near the abandoned car found a trail camera image of a man matching the Reif's description. In an update provided Tuesday, the Sheriff's Office said they have been actively continuing their search, including the use of trained and experienced K9 teams over the last several weeks. During these efforts, they said they were not able to uncover any new or relevant information. They also asked that anyone out hiking, hunting or riding off-road recreational vehicles this fall be on the lookout for and report any information that may lead to the whereabouts of Reif.

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