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Property Owners Can Help with Pollinator Habitats Published on 06/23/2023 under News

Pollinator week is wrapping up, but officials hope efforts continue throughout the year.

All week long, we've been highlighting the importance that pollinators play in our everyday lives. Property owners can do their part as well.

Caitlin Williamson is director of conservation programs for the Natural Resources Foundation. She notes, "The great thing about pollinators is that everyone can do something to help them, from individuals to schools to businesses to farmers." Adding, "Our small actions, combined together, can make a big difference."

Property owners can attract and provide habitat with little effort by simply leaving a portion of their yard natural. Uncut grass, brush, and woody debris will serve as homes to pollinators. Avoid using insecticides.

For those with a green thumb, a diverse selection of plants that bloom throughout the summer can be beneficial. When choosing those plants, try to focus on native species. The Natural Resources Foundation has a guide on how to plan a pollinator habitat.

Other opportunities include participating in citizen science efforts such as the Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade, or consider donating to organizations like the Wisconsin Pollinator Protection fund.

Williamson says, "I have hope that if we all work on this together, we'll all see more butterflies and other pollinators in our park properties and home yards in the future." She added, "Pollinator Week is a great time to get started."

In Other News

DNR Reminds Hunters to Complete Safety Course Before Fall Season

Published on 08/20/2025 under News Fall is right around the corner, and a number of hunting seasons in Wisconsin will open. The DNR is reminding those planning on heading out into the field to sign up for a hunter safety course. These courses, required for anyone born after 1973 to hunt in Wisconsin, are credited with greatly improving Wisconsin's safe hunting record. On average, more than 20,000 people complete a Wisconsin hunter education course each year. Over the year's the DNR has expanded the ways that a participant can obtain their certificate. This includes the traditional in-person classes under the guidance of a certified instructor. In recent years they've introduced a hybrid course that includes online classwork paired with an in-person field day. The final method, introduced during the pandemic, is an entirely online offering, which is currently available to adults only. Additional information and courses are available on the DNR website.

Published on 08/19/2025 under News Statistics show volunteer make up approximately 65% of all firefighters. For rural areas like Northern Wisconsin that ratio is even higher, and Monday was set aside to recognize these individuals. August 18 is Volunteer Firefighters Recognition Day. According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, many of these small-town and rural fire departments operate with limited budgets, making it difficult to meet the rising costs of the equipment and gear they need to best serve their community. To help out these helpers, the Council teamed up with State Farm to offer Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety grants to 150 agencies around the country including one right here in the Northwoods. Minocqua Volunteer Fire and Rescue was one of of eight Wisconsin agencies selected to receive a $10,000 grant. The Council described the grants as a life-line for local departments allowing them to obtain equipment that will increase safety, efficiency, and effectiveness. Funds have been used to purchase a wide variety of necessities including safety gear, rescue tools, and communication devices. This is the second year for this program.

Published on 08/19/2025 under News The City of Tomahawk Finance Committee continued their ongoing discussions related to city-owned properties. It's been a year-long, and relatively slow effort to determine if some of their properties would be better off sold or otherwise returned to the private sector. At last night's meeting, the committee discussed some of the properties that have proven challenging to determine a path forward for a variety of reasons. That includes a vacant parcel on Pine Avenue long-thought to belong to the city, and no taxes have been paid on the property. Further complicating the matter is former ownership from a corporation that no longer exists, a lawsuit related to a similar, adjacent property, as well as some neighborly disagreements related to maintenance of the property over the years. In the end, Committee Chair Mickey Loka noted that this particular property would remain status quo until the committee receives definitive information on ownership. Equally challenging are numerous river front properties deeded to the city through the Bradley Corporation more than a century ago. The committee has had ongoing discussions about whether the city can sell or lease the property based on the covenant as well as state statute. The city attorney sat in on last night's meeting to provide some clarifications, however the status of these lands remains up in the air. There were a couple of parcels that will be posted for bid in the coming days including on Highway 86 and Deer Park Road. Bids are due ahead of a special Finance meeting to be scheduled prior to September Council meeting.

Published on 08/19/2025 under News Bird migration is already underway for some species including the chimney swift. The DNR and the Wisconsin Chimney Swift Working Group are asking volunteers to county these unique birds as they cross the state on their way to South America. According to the agency, during migration, the chimney swift becomes communal, gathering in the hundreds or even thousands in the evening to roost in old chimneys. These flocks are seen in northern Wisconsin in mid-August. Unfortunately chimney swift numbers have been on the decline. The partners note that monitoring populations and identifying roosting sites can help protect the species. Rich Staffen, Wisconsin DNR conservation biologist says that you don't need to be a bird expert to participate in the survey, simply monitor chimneys at dusk and enter the count in their online tracker. There's an event in Wausau next Monday. In addition to the county, they are also hosting an informational discussion on chimney swifts as part of the Mighty Migration series. It's at 7pm Tuesday evening and will be held via Zoom.

Published on 08/19/2025 under News From sunsets to the Northern Lights, the Friends of Council Grounds had plenty of fantastic submissions for their annual photo contest. Now the public can help determine the best of the best. The photo competition is hosted by the park's Friends Group each summer. Earlier this year, they put out a call for pictures snapped at the park over the past two years. Like previous contests, park goers submitted a creative mix of snapshots including people using the park, landscapes, plants, and animals. The organizers were able to narrow down the field, choosing three photos in each category. Now they're turning the judging over to the public. Simply visit the Friends of Council Grounds Facebook page before the end of the month. Each category has it's own post (made August 15th so you may have to scroll back). Vote by 'liking' your favorite photo, and remember only one vote per category.

Published on 08/19/2025 under News One person was injured following a weekend crash east of Tomahawk. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Report, responders were called to Highway 17 near Braun Road in the Town of Harrison on Friday for a single vehicle crash. Deputies determined a northbound vehicle left the roadway and rolled. According to the report, speed was a likely factor. The driver, a 28 year old man from Rhinelander was transported to Aspirus Rhinelander hospital with a significant, but non-life-threatening injury. The crash is still under investigation. A few other quick notes from this week's Sheriff's Report… • A 51 year old Merrill man was taken in for disorderly conduct along with bail jumping and probation violations after several disturbance calls around Merrill including at Council Grounds and a restaurant. • A 51 year old Tomahawk woman was arrested for domestic battery following an argument that turned physical. • A 28 year old Merrill man was taken in for first offense OWI following a traffic stop for speeding. • The number of vehicle versus deer collisions was down this week with just 4 reported on Lincoln County roadways. There was another vehicle versus bear strike as well.

Published on 08/19/2025 under News It won't be long before the Tomahawk school campuses are buzzing. But with the buildings somewhat empty over summer, the building and grounds team has used the downtime to complete some summer projects. It's all part of routine maintenance work that can be completed with minimal interruptions to school activities. At the Tomahawk School Board meeting last Tuesday, administrator Wendell Quesinberry provided a quick summary while praising the Building and Grounds team. Among the projects he highlighted were a flooring replacement project in some of the high school hallways and classrooms as well as an overhaul of a middle school bathroom. That project specifically will be part of a larger effort to address accessibility in campus bathrooms. Quesinberry said they replaced some of the doors to improve security. And as we covered last month, the district worked with Wisconsin Public Service for some utility work including upgrading power lines to the school and relocating some transformers. These projects should all be wrapped up by the start of the school year.

Published on 08/18/2025 under News In recent years, the Tomahawk School District has expanded their offerings of both career & technical education certification and dual credit opportunities. Students continue to take advantage of these classes. Both CTE and dual credit classes prepare students for post graduation opportunities whether entering the workforce or attending college. At their meeting this past week, the Tomahawk School Board received data from the recent school year, which included a state grant based on student success. The Department of Workforce Development offers school districts an incentive grant aimed at offsetting some of the costs of offering CTE courses. The reimbursements are calculated by the number of certifications earned. According to the report, the graduating class in Tomahawk completed 57 qualifying certifications. As a result, the district was awarded an $18,735 reimbursement. As for dual-credit courses, the students receive both college and high school credits by completing the same class. This past year, 157 THS students enrolled in courses offered in collaboration with Nicolet college. Those students earned 485 college credits, which works out to a tuition savings of more than $75,000 in college credits. (The district has additional partnerships with schools including NTC, which were not included in this data)

Published on 08/18/2025 under News One person was injured, another arrested following a stabbing in Oneida County late last week. The initial altercation occurred on Thursday evening at around 11:15pm. Responders were paged to Rudolph Road and Woodridge Lane in the Town of Woodruff for an injured party who had been stabbed. According to the announcement, the victim was airlifted to an area hospital for treatment. No update on their condition was provided. The suspect, identified as 36 year old Scott Moxham, had left the scene prior to the arrival of law enforcement. The Woodruff Police Department initially asked the public for help in locating him, before later announcing he had been taken into custody Friday morning without further incident. The incident remains under investigation and no other information was provided.

Published on 08/18/2025 under News One person is dead following a rollover crash in Vilas County over the weekend. According to the Vilas County Sheriff's Office, responders were called to a single vehicle crash on County K at River Lane in Boulder Junction. The call came in at shortly before 11pm Friday night. The caller indicated there were three people in the vehicle at the time. Two people were transported to Howard Young in Woodruff. One of individuals was pronounced dead at the hospital. The names of those involved are being withheld pending notification of family. No other details were provided on what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway. The crash remains under investigation.

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