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Hatchet Track & Field Teams Compete at Otto Bacher Invite Published on 05/08/2023 under Sports

omahawk's track and field squads competed in the Otto Bacher Invite in Merrill Friday.

The Hatchet girls placed fifth and had three top three finishes. The best came from the 800 meter relay team of Halle Derleth, Marie Gorrell, Faith Derleth, and Alicia Voermans, placing first. Voermans also placed second in the 100 meter dash, while the 3200 meter relay team of Izzy Lee, Morgan Hansmann, Alli Palmer, and Robin Schmidt placed third.

The Hatchet boys placed eighth in the meet. The Hatchet boys got two third-place finishes from Joey Reiter in shot put and Zach Hanse in the 300 meter hurdles.

Tomahawk's next meet will be their home meet Tuesday.

Alex Koch will be at Hatchet Field to bring you live updates on Northwoods 92.5 WJJQ. Fehrman Orthodontics Premeet Show begins at 3:55 and the meet begins with field events at 4:15.

In Other News

Tomahawk Kinship Relocation Fundraiser Two-Thirds of the Way

Published on 05/30/2025 under News Earlier this year Tomahawk Kinship launched a fundraiser as they look to purchase a larger space to support their growing needs. They're making good progress, but there's still work to be done. Back in April, the Tomahawk Kinship program announced that they reached a tentative agreement to purchase the historic Bradley Bank Building on Tomahawk Main Street. Yesterday we caught up with Kinship director Patti Hilgendorf, who provided a positive update on their fundraising efforts. The purchase agreement with Associated Bank, the current property owner, was for $300,000. There is a July 7 deadline, giving the local mentorship program just a few months to reach their goal. Hilgendorf says they're more than 2/3rds of the way, recently surpassing $200,000. Hilgendorf says, "People recognize the benefits of the Kinship program and the support has been amazing." She likened it to another recent community fundraiser which resulted in the creation of the Tomahawk Dream Park and Splash Pad. Kinship building funds have come from grants, online donations and in-person contributions. During her visit, Hilgendorf share some fun donation stories such as when she was stopped at the local coffee shop and handed a $500 check. Kinship recently teamed up with the Tomahawk Farm and Flea Market. They're even organizing a carnival on June 14 to raise awareness and money. Fundraising efforts will continue in the coming weeks to get over the finish line. Once Kinship gets the keys, they'll move on to the next phase, retrofitting the bank into a kid-friendly space. For those interested in donating to the cause, you can reach out to Tomahawk Kinship. They've also created a GoFundMe.

Published on 05/30/2025 under News The Tomahawk Powwow Days celebration is right around the corner and planning is in full swing. Among the many popular traditions is the return of the annual North for the Fourth T-shirts. Each year a new design is created, making the limited-run shirts a popular collector's item. People eagerly await the unveiling, and Main Street Director Jennifer Turkiewicz gave us a sneak peak ahead of the official launch this weekend. Turkiewicz credited Dawn Genelin from Honeycomb LOFT with much of the design work. It features a classic Northwoods scene. It's a pair kayakers, in silhouette, paddling in front of a row of pine trees at sunset. With the blue waters and the red sky, make it a patriotic color palette. Turkiewicz says the shirts are a Tomahawk Main Street fundraiser with proceeds going towards enhancement of the downtown district, continuing to make it a vibrant and welcoming place for all. They will be sold, in gray, as t-shirts, sweatshirts, or tanks. They can be picked up at Honeycomb Loft or purchased through theTomahawk Main Street online store.

Published on 05/30/2025 under News Officials are investigating the potential early appearance of blue-green algae on an area lake. According to the Lincoln County Health Department, they received a report of dog who died after possibly being exposed over the Memorial Day weekend. The pup had been in the water on Muskellunge Lake near Tomahawk. The local health department is working with the DNR and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to investigate. They are conducting water tests, and have also put out a call for some help from the public. They're looking for any photos of common signs of blue-green algae on Muskellunge Lake over the holiday weekend. This may include water that appears green like pea soup, pond scum or floating blobs on the water surface or accumulating near the shore. (Send to:DNRHABS@wisconsin.gov and specify when and where on the lake the photos were taken) Blue-green algae is naturally occurring in Wisconsin waterways, but can be harmful to animals and humans in blooms. This typically happens in late summer with warmer, stagnant waters. All three investigating agencies have general information blue green algae safety on their websites.Lincoln County Health Department-Blue Green Algae Information DNR-Blue Green Algae Information DHS-Blue Green Algae Information

Published on 05/30/2025 under News People looking towards the skies might notice a familiar haze. In what has become a more frequent occurrence in recent years, areas of Wisconsin could have smokey conditions this afternoon. This is due to wildfire smoke flowing from the central plains of Canada. According to the National Weather Service the smoke is expected to push into the state from north to south ahead of cold front. An air quality alert has been issued. At this time it is currently for sensitive groups, which include those with respiratory illness, the elderly, and young children. Those individuals may want limit their time spent outdoors especially with any strenuous activity. Others will simply notice hazy skies and a slightly smokey smell at times. Air Quality is expected to improve by Saturday.

Published on 05/30/2025 under News The DNR is once again asking property owners to consider enrolling their land in the Deer Hunt for Hunters with Disabilities program. The programs links private land owners with disabled hunters, allowing them to take part in a special season in early October. The program started back in 1992 with just a handful of participants. It has certainly grown in the last thirty years with more than 400 hunters taking part each season. Last year, landowners provided around 65,000 acres across 49 counties. Brooke Van Handel coordinates the program for the DNR. She notes "This hunt is only possible through our landowner sponsors. Their willingness to partner with hunters and open their properties each year allows more individuals the opportunity to participate in Wisconsin's deer hunting tradition." There are some specific land requirements, additional information and applications are available on the DNR website. The land enrollment deadline is July 1, allowing time in late summer for landowners and hunters to connect.

Published on 05/30/2025 under Sports Tomahawk's Baseball Squad walked off #9 seed Chetek-Weyerhauser in a wild WIAA Division 3 Regional Quarterfinal Game at Tyler Kahle Memorial Field Thursday, winning, 11-10. The Hatchets jumped out to a 7-2 lead after two innings, but the Bulldogs jumped ahead. Chetek-Weyerhauser scored eight of the next nine runs, including a five-run sixth inning. The Hatchets trailed, 10-8 in the bottom of the sixth before tying the game with two more runs. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Junior Second Baseman Nick Arndt walked off the game with a fielder's choice, scoring Wally Horabik. Drew Tollefson went three for four with a double and an RBI. The Hatchets came away with 13 hits and took advantage of six Chetek-Weyerhauser errors. The win puts Tomahawk at 10-12 on the season. The Hatchets will play in the WIAA Division 3 Regional Semifinal at #1 Seed and #4 ranked in Division 3 Elk Mound Tuesday. The Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Pregame Show is at 4:35 and First pitch is at 5:00 from Elk Mound Village Park on Sports Talk 810 AM and 97.7 FM WJJQ. If Tomahawk wins, they will play at either #4 seed Fall Creek of #5 seed Boyceville Wednesday.

Published on 05/29/2025 under News Tomahawk's Fourth of July celebrations are just over a month away, but planning for the annual Powwow Days is already in full swing. While the Lions Club is at the forefront, pulling off this successful event year after year takes an entire community, and as always Tomahawk steps up. We were recently joined by Lion Kevin Wickstrom. He says the Powwow Days price tag is around $25,000 from parade to fireworks and everything in between. Some of the costs are picked up by various Lions fundraisers, but businesses and individual donors also play a key role. That's where Wickstrom, in charge of fundraising, steps up. Starting this week, he began his annual, month-long tour of the Tomahawk area to visit potential donors. He estimates he puts on around 800 miles, while making more than 220 stops. Involved with the Lions for 17 years, Wickstrom says the community support is tremendous, joking that many of the donors have already got the checks written out before he arrives. He surmises its the result of 'the pride in our city, our community, our Northwoods area.' And Wickstrom says he won't be slowed by a recent curveball, as he was selected for jury duty next month. For those who aren't on Wickstrom's list, but would like to donate, we'll include some contact information. Phone: 715-437-0548email: kd_wickstrom @ frontier.commail to: Tomahawk Lions Club PO Box 754, Tomahawk , WI, 54487

Published on 05/29/2025 under News From a century-old Model T to a brand new Corvette, cars of all makes and models lined downtown Tomahawk for a Memorial Day Weekend tradition. Another Main Street Memories Car Show is in the books, and the event continues to be a great success. We caught up with Main Street Director Jennifer Turkiewicz following the annual festivities. She says year 31 was actually record-setting. Mother Nature typically plays a big role in turnout each year, and the weather cooperated Sunday. In fact, they had an all-time high of 316 vehicle registered. There were a handful of other owners who showed off their vehicles without registering, and an area for those with vehicles that didn't fall into a contest category. That pushed the overall number of vehicles on display past 350. Highlighting just a few of the special award winners: Sir Blue's 1974 Dodge Bluesmobile was the Mayor's Choice; People's Choice went to Bill and Karen Pfaff with a 1957 Chevrolet BelAir, and the Best in Show was awarded to Mike Draxler with the 1957 Cadillac Hearse. The Summer Knights won the Club Participation Trophy. (A full list of winners is available on the Main Street Memories Facebook page.) In addition to the car owners, Turkiewicz says they had a great crowd. She noted, "Yes, they came for the car show, but it was really cool that many spent the weekend in the community spending time with us in the Northwoods." They also had entertainment, vendors, food stands, and children's activities. And planning for year 32 starts quickly. That will begin with their recap meeting, where they'll go over feedback to what works, what doesn't, and where they can continue to improve the event.

Published on 05/29/2025 under News Somo Avenue/Highway 86 in Tomahawk gets plenty of traffic; it's the main route from the city out to the school as well as to Highway 51. Those who've driven that stretch in recent years know it can be a rough ride. There's help on the horizon, but there will be a few more years to wait. Because the segment is part of the state highway system, construction and improvement projects are the responsibility of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. At their meeting Tuesday, the Tomahawk Board of Public Works briefly discussed some recent updates they've received. The latest timeline places work in the year 2030. While it's still five year out, planning is getting underway. Some preliminary surveying is expected this summer. The planning will also include input from the city and the public. This could influence plans such as bike paths, sidewalk, parking, and other features. At the meeting, the Board also discussed the infrastructure below the street surface. The city would responsible for any improvements or repairs for sewer and water lines within the work-zone. That work, if necessary and approved, would actually take place the year prior to the roadwork. The city will get the lines televised to gauge the current shape of the pipes.

Published on 05/29/2025 under News Folks will be going a bit batty in Rhinelander Friday morning. Yesterday, we talked about protecting turtles during nesting season. Tomorrow, the Oneida County land and water conservation team will be hosting a program on bat monitoring. This training is taught by Certified Wisconsin Bat Ambassador, Marcia Obukowicz. Bat monitoring uses acoustic sensors to record bat echolocation calls. The audio can be used to identify species and understand their activity patterns, aiding in conservation efforts. It's seen as a non-invasive way to study bat populations and their habitats. This information is crucial for understanding and addressing threats to bat populations, such as habitat loss and white-nose syndrome. The program is also a good way to learn more about the important role that bats play such as insect control and even pollination. That Bat Monitoring Training is scheduled Friday morning from 10am to noon at the Oneida County Courthouse, committee room 2.

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