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Tomahawk Elementary Celebrates 40th Annual Red White and Blue Day Published on 05/25/2023 under News

An tradition returns to the Tomahawk School District today with the annual Red, White, and Blue assembly.

Each Spring, the district has offered the patriotic program often working with local veterans groups. This marks a special anniversary, the 40th edition of Red, White and Blue Day. As the name implies, the students are encouraged to wear the colors of the flag today.

Organizers have called an excellent experience and a great opportunity for the students to get to interact with our area veterans.

This afternoon's presentation will feature numerous performances and music from elementary age students. This year's theme is Together:Lessons from the Garden inspired by the book If You Plant a Seed.

The program will be held at 1:30 in the school Fieldhouse and the public is welcome to attend.

In Other News

THS Seniors Set to Receive Diplomas; Friday Graduation

Published on 05/26/2023 under News Another group of Tomahawk High School students will reach a milestone as they officially graduate this evening. For the class of 2023, the district lists 86 seniors expected to cross the stage to receive their diplomas. It's been a busy few weeks for Tomahawk Senior with a class trip, senior awards night, and their community service day. It's all led up to their final school day and tonight's graduation. The students selected "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen as their class song, and their class motto is a quote from Winston Churchill "Success is not final, and failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts." Four students will share the valedictorian honors. The recipients: Drew Albert, Kyle Norman, Gavyn Palmer, and Joanna Phillips are all expected to address their fellow graduates during the ceremony. Rounding out the Top 10, those students graduating with honors include: Serena Lee Reinke, Zachary David Hanse, Brynnen Elisabeth Stefan, Joseph Walter Jones, Kiona Mae Smedbron, and Catalina Rayne Dieter . While this year won't feature a live, online stream of the ceremony as they have in years past, they do plan on posting a video of the commencement on the district's YouTube Channel following the ceremony.

Published on 05/26/2023 under News THS Seniors Take Graduate Celebration Walk thru Campus Before the Tomahawk High School Class of 2023 receive their diploma's this evening, they'll get to take a literal walk down memory lane. As part of the graduation celebration, the Tomahawk School District is introducing a Graduate Celebration Walk. For most THS students, they spend their educational years on one campus, under one shared roof, K-12. This morning those soon-to-be graduates, in cap and gown, will take part in a mini-parade through the entire school to be greeted by staff and students in the elementary and middle schools. Principal Ryan Huseby explained earlier this month that it's a way to promote the camaraderie and progress these students have made throughout their education. He added that this will allow the seniors an opportunity to be celebrated by their fellow students at all grade levels and reconnect with staff members that have contributed to their education. THS Students Receive $150,000 in Local Scholarships A bit earlier this week, the THS Class of 23 received one last give from the community ahead of graduation. The district held their annual scholarship night Wednesday. Thirty nine students were selected to receive scholarships to help them further their education. The students shared in more than $150,000 through local scholarships alone. They come from clubs, organizations, businesses, and families. Nearly all of the scholarships awarded this week were from the Tomahawk area and do not include some of the scholarships from colleges, universities and tech schools that the students will be attending.

Published on 05/26/2023 under News Here in Tomahawk, Memorial Day weekend brings the return of the Main Street Memories Car Show. Over the years, the event has undergone some changes, but one thing keeps bringing people back, a love for classic vehicles. Now more than 25 years later, the Main Street Memories is still a showcase event in downtown Tomahawk each spring. In the beginning the show featured just a handful of vehicles from local collectors and clubs. In the year's since, the show has grown to regularly feature around 250 to 300 entries. There is usually a mix between vintage classics and souped up modern vehicles. Coming up Sunday those cars will line Main Street. The entrants take great care of their vehicles and participation will increase in nice weather. Main Street Director Jennifer Turkiewicz notes that the weather is supposed to cooperate on Sunday. We spoke with her to preview this year's event, the entrants, and their passion for their vehicles. Turkiewicz joked that the car show is definitely a 'look, but don't touch, type event. But the owners have plenty of stories they're excited to share about their vehicles. In addition to the classics, there are also some unique custom vehicles. Turkiewicz highlighted a Jurassic Park-themed entry that drew some of the longest lines and the most interest. And if cars aren't your thing, Turkiewicz says there are plenty of other family-friendly activities downtown with a children's area, as well as craft and food vendors. The Main Street Memories Car Show runs through 3pm Sunday when awards will be handed out.

Published on 05/26/2023 under News This week has been set aside to recognize those in the emergency medical services field. In addition to recognizing their current providers, Aspirus is also looking back at those who have influenced EMS over the years right here in Northern Wisconsin. In a news release, Aspirus notes that the state of Wisconsin, and the Northwoods in particular, has a proud history in the evolution of EMS. They specifically highlighted Dr. JD "Deke" Farrington, a former physician at Lakeland Memorial Hospital and Howard Young Medical Center. He has been referred to as "The Father of Modern EMS" due to the integral role he played in the development of emergency medical services dating back to the 1950's. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Farrington coordinated the first nationally recognized EMT course. It was held in Wausau in 1969. He is also credited with inventing the spine board and promoted the use of extrication and part of board that established industry standards. He even took part of the development of the 'Star of Life' as auniversally-recognized EMS symbol. Dr. Michael Clark currently serves as an emergency medicine physician and EMS medical director at Asprius. He says, "The Northwoods is proud to have such a rich history in the development of these techniques and trainings that continue to save countless lives today." He added that, "Dr. Farrington understood the importance of emergency medical care and had the foresight to see how he could improve it." Today Aspirus MedEvac has a team of more than 250, operating two air units and 35 ground ambulances at 13 base locations in northern Wisconsin and Michigan's UP.

Published on 05/26/2023 under News Earlier this month, the U.S. Marshals Task Force arrested more than a dozen fugitives in Northern Wisconsin as part of a cooperative effort referred to as "Operation Capture Hodag." The effort was led by the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force and included local law enforcement, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and the Division of Criminal Investigation. During the first week of may, the team apprehended 14 fugitives in Vilas, Oneida and Marathon Counties. Those taken into custody were wanted on a variety of warrants including sex offender and probation violations, drug offenses, and obstructing. According to the announcement, the operation closed 26 felony warrant cases throughout three counties. They said that all of the arrests were made without incident.

Published on 05/26/2023 under News While the Memorial Day weekend is seen as the start of the summer season, its real meaning is to reflect on those who gave their lives while serving. While a majority of the Memorial Day ceremonies will be held Monday, a select few are scheduled for tomorrow. Organizers are busy preparing for a growing ceremony Saturday at the Union Grove Cemetery in Harshaw. The observance began with just a handful of people more than 20 years ago. Since that time, the ceremony has grown to often include several hundred attendees. One of the activities that has spurred the growth was the establishment of the Einar Ingman motorcycle procession, named in honor of the late Einar Ingman, a long-time Tomahawk resident and Medal of Honor recipient. The procession will leave from the Tomahawk American Legion Post at 9:15am. The ceremony itself gets underway at 11:30 tomorrow at the Union Grove Cemetery on Lakewood Drive in Harshaw. Check out our community calendar for a full run down of local Memorial Day events.

Published on 05/25/2023 under News Spending time outdoors in the Northwoods means you're likely to encounter ticks. Unfortunately, these parasitic bugs can carry a number of diseases including Lyme disease. Up in Woodruff, Aspirus offers a Tick-Borne Illness Center which focuses on ticks, their diseases, and even educating the public. We were joined on our Wednesday morning conversation by nurse practitioner Ashley Johnson. She says their Tick-Borne Illness Center was established in 2019 thanks to the Howard Young Hospital Foundation. Wisconsin has three tick species, the wood tick, the deer tick, and the less-common lone star tick. Johnson says that recent mild winters have likely resulted in an increase in the local tick populations. When the snow melts, the ticks become active, and they've treated tick bites from March all the way to November.Lyme Disease Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness. It's carried by the smaller, brown and burnt orange-colored, deer tick. Johnson notes that Northern Wisconsin is considered a Lyme endemic region, an area where the disease is most prevalent. Johnson explained that Lyme can be difficult disease to diagnose. The symptoms vary and can show up anywhere from a few days to a month or more after a bite. A bullseye rash is a common sign, but Johnson says it doesn't appear every time. She says prompt and thorough treatment can help avoid chronic Lyme disease.Tick Prevention Prevention is the best, and Johnson says people should take some simple steps to enjoy the Northwoods while avoiding ticks. They often attach to people from the ground, so tall boots and tucking your pant legs into your socks can help. So too does using a bug spray with Deet. Once home, change out of your clothes and toss them in a hot dryer. Perhaps the most important tip to remember is a full-body check when you get home. A through check is important as Johnson notes ticks are adept at finding hiding spots like behind knees, arm pits, and other hard to reach locations.Tick Removal Removing a tick can be challenging and there are several options to extract them. Tweezers are effective and it's important that you don't squeeze the body of the tick. Place the tweezers at the head of the tick perpendicular to its body and pull straight up until it releases from the skin. You can hear that entire conversation in the WJJQ audio center. May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Published on 05/25/2023 under News As summer approaches, more people are heading out onto Wisconsin waterways. Officials are encouraging boaters to always wear a life jacket. As part of National Safe Boating Week, the DNR offered up a reminder that safety is an important part of water recreation fun. State law requires that all vessels must have at least one wearable life jacket for each person on board. That includes boats like kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards. Rather than simply carrying life vests aboard the boat, officials recommend wearing them when on the water. Lt. Darren Kuhn, DNR Boating Law Administrator, "When something goes wrong, it's too late to put a life jacket on if you aren't already wearing it." Last year the DNR investigated 20 fatal boating incidents. In nearly every case, the victim was not wearing a life jacket at the time. Today's life jackets are much more comfortable, and they even make activity specific life preservers such as kayak life jackets that are cut higher for more mobility. In addition to life jacket safety, the DNR recommends a general boat check before you launch. Make sure lights are functional, registration is current, and other safety features are in place. Just like drivers on the road, the DNR says boat operators should remain sober and slow down. It's also a good idea to monitor the weather and let someone know where you're going.

Published on 05/25/2023 under News A special motorcycle rolled into Tomahawk on Wednesday afternoon, and later this year one lucky person will get to take it home. As we told you last week, the Tomahawk Chamber and WaWui are partnering to bring back the annual Northwoods Fall Ride Motorcycle raffle. The prize grand prize is a new 2023 Anniversary Edition Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Cruiser. At a small ceremony by the Chamber in Washington Park, organizers unveiled the dark red bike. Throughout the summer, the motorcycle will be showcased at local events as well as around the state. Proceeds from the raffle will go towards WaWui, the non-profit entity which runs the facilities and operations at SARA Park. Tickets will go on sale at a number of locations starting over Memorial Day weekend including the Tomahawk and Merrill Chambers of Commerce. The winner will be announced at the Fall Ride this September.

Published on 05/25/2023 under News By the nature of the job, educators are frequently giving back to the community. That doesn't end with retirement. A former Tomahawk teacher was recently recognized for her volunteer efforts over the past year and throughout her time. The Lincoln County Retired Educators' Association announced Terry Derleth as the group's Volunteer of the Year. After retiring from Tomahawk Elementary Derleth has continued to support the community through her volunteerism. Just a few of the many programs she is involved with: the Back Pack Program and the Salvation Army Bell Ringing campaign. Derleth is not alone. The Lincoln County REA announced that this past year, their members contributed 2,626 hours serving more than 24 organizations here in Lincoln County.

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