WJJQ Radio

Story Details

Several Local Nominees in “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin” Competition Published on 09/19/2023 under News

From mahogany boats to robotic lawn mowers there are a lot of interesting things made in the state. The Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce is again trying to identify the coolest and there are a few local products in the running.

Over the past few weeks, the WMC has taken nominations for the appropriately-named 'Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin' contest. After unveiling the competitors, they've turned the contest over to public vote.

Right here in Tomahawk, Samuel Pressure Group is among the nominees for their large custom-built pressure tanks.

Elsewhere in the Northwoods, there are more than a half dozen other products in the running, some are quite familiar, others less so. St. Croix fishing rods are some of the best in the business and are made in Park Falls. Minocqua Popcorn and Puffs makes tasty snacks here in the Northwoods and 7Fifteen Motorworks in Three Lakes makes custom and vintage race cars.

Rhinelander's got a pair of nominees, with Air Pro Fans and Kapp Structures' rigid mountain bikes. Merrill's got a pair of nominees as well, Thorogood's work boots as well as Merrill Tool and Water Jet's power rake.

The local nominees will face off against some well-known Wisconsin brands including 3m, Generac, Ariens, John Deere, and Carmex.

Last year more than 200,000 people voted, and in the end it was the electric fire trucks from Pierce Manufacturing that came out on top.

The 2023 voting begins this week. You can visit madeinwis.com to view the nominees and cast a ballot.

In Other News

Trig’s Contributes to Lakeland Pantry

Published on 11/25/2025 under News Earlier this month, the Lakeland Pantry held a series of food and fundraising drives. They recently received a boost from a local grocer. The Lakeland Pantry announced that Trig's in Minocqua donated $3,000 in gift cards which they said will directly benefit pantry customers and help local families facing food insecurity. Lorna Springate Lakeland Pantry Director says, "The generosity of Trig's and our other partners truly help us fulfill our mission. We're deeply appreciative of everyone who contributes to making a positive impact." The gift cards will provide families with the flexibility to purchase fresh food and other necessities. They said the support is especially meaningful as the holidays approach, a time when the need for assistance is often even greater.

Published on 11/24/2025 under News The City of Merrill continues to recognize citizens who left an indelible mark on the community. Today they'll honor a resident who became an advocate for the elderly, while also planting the seeds for what became the Merrill-Go-Round bus service and local Meals on Wheels program. Three years ago, the Merrill Historic Preservation Committee began a Memorial Street Sign program. Each year they select a small number of citizens by dedicating a street segment in their honor. At a ceremony this morning they'll unveil a sign honoring Dolores Kelly. The Committee offered some of her accomplishments. In 1970, Kelly joined the city's Committee on Aging where they focused on housing, nutrition, legal services and most importantly transportation for the senior community. That led to the Dial-A-Bus program in 1973, the predecessor to the Merrill-Go-Round. That led to Kelly's recognition as the 1975 Merrill 'Woman of the Year.' The street segment being marked today is outside former Merrill City Hall at the corner of 2nd and Cleveland. The family chose this location, as it was where the first Dial-A-Bus ride launched. The sign unveiling will take place at 11am with members of the Kelly family, city officials and a Merrill-Go-Round bus. This is the fourth of five signs being dedicated this year.

Published on 11/24/2025 under News The Tomahawk High School Drama Department sent their one-act play to the State Festival, and they didn't come home empty handed. This year's production was Epic Adventures in a Rinky-Dink Art Museum. The cast and crew performed on Friday afternoon. The judges presented the Hatchets with All-State honors along with an ensemble award. In addition to the group awards, some individuals were also recognized. Alena Cerkas and Exxie Walbeck each earned outstanding acting awards. Michele Balda, Corey Colburn, and Katie Pritzl were honored with an outstanding directing award. This year's state festival was held at UW Stevens Point. It marked the 10th consecutive year THS has sent the one-act play to the state festival.

Published on 11/24/2025 under News One person died in a single vehicle rollover in Vilas County over the weekend. According to the Vilas County Sheriff's Office, responders were called to a crash on Highway 45 near Abalan Lane in the Town of Conover Saturday evening at shortly before 11pm. The initial call reported a semi cab on its roof. Upon arrival, they located the driver who was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver's name is being withheld pending notification of family. According to the news release, Preliminary reports indicate that the driver likely lost control of the vehicle due to icy road conditions at the time. The crash remains under investigation.

Published on 11/24/2025 under News Whether you bagged a buck opening weekend or are hoping for better luck in the second half of the season, successful hunters can help out the Wisconsin Lions Club by donating the hide. Local Lions Club chapters are working with the state organization to collect the deer hides as a fundraiser for their Lions Camp in Rosholt. The Lions Camp youth program provides week-long, summer excursions for around 1,300 youth with special needs each year. The Lion's sell the donated hides to a processor where they're used to produce leather goods. The Lions typically raise around $80,000 through the hide collection. There are nearly 200 deer hide drop-off locations around the state and the Lion's have an interactive map for those that would like to donate. Locally, the Tomahawk drop-off is at the Hometown Feed Mill. As we've previously covered, the DNR has a venison donation program to help those with food insecurity. Animal rescue facilities like Wild Instincts also accept deer hearts and unprocessed trimmings to help feed the animals in their care.

Published on 11/24/2025 under News A new survey shows most Wisconsinites are buckling up. November 14 with National Seat Belt Day. The Department of Transportation and Wisconsin State Patrol celebrated record-high seat belt use at 94%. Throughout the year, the DoT and Wisconsin State Patrol partner with UW-Whitewater to conduct an observational survey across 160 observation sites around the state. At 94%, it is the highest percentage of seat belt use reported since WisDOT began doing the survey 25 years ago. Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan says, "Wearing a seat belt is one of the simplest things a vehicle occupant can do to protect themselves on the road." Carnahan added, "The results of this survey are encouraging, but they also show there's more work to do." For the other six percent, he says, "We'll continue to do our part to educate drivers about the importance of buckling up, but we hope drivers will do their part and make it click." Results from the survey are reported annually, and are used to inform and evaluate WisDOT's traffic safety campaigns like Click It or Ticket and Buckle Up Phone Down.

Published on 11/21/2025 under News Here in Tomahawk, you don't have to bag a buck to get a taste of venison. That's because the Tomahawk Chamber will once again offer free burgers to kick off the gun-deer season. Hunting, in general, is full of tradition. No better example is the Tomahawk Chamber Venison Feed. In fact this year is the 60th anniversary of the annual event. Chamber director Charis Lau noted they'll even have some special displays set up today to take a look back at past years. The festivities take place on the Friday before the opener of the gun deer season. Lau described it like a family reunion. Locals gather with out-of-towners at the west end of Main Street to share stories and camaraderie, all while enjoying a free venison burger. Many are hunters, but some just stop down for the food and the spectacle. If there is a dress code, it's orange-heavy. It's not fast food, but the food goes fast. They typically go through the approximately 1,500 burgers in an hour. The venison is donated to the Chamber, processed at Geiss Meats and volunteers grill up the burgers. Many add their own twist with special seasonings, toppings, and condiments. Our WJJQ staff will have a grill. In recent years, other community groups have been invited to participate with fundraising opportunities. For those that'd like to stop by, they'll be set up in front of the Post Office on Main Street starting at 11:30am.

Published on 11/21/2025 under News In less than 24 hours, hundreds of thousands hunters will head to their deer stands in hopes of bagging a buck. The year-long wait is finally over...the Wisconsin gun deer season opens on Saturday morning. According to DNR data, last year hunters registered just shy of 190,000 deer. The season began with a slow opening weekend. By the end it rebounded, with the total about 1.2% above the five year average. As for what to expect this year, DNR biologist Derek Johnson provided the Northwoods season forecast. He says a second consecutive mild winter should continue to benefit the herd. He added, "We should have two good age groups of deer in the woods this fall." While there isn't any tracking snow on the ground, hunters may be more comfortable spending time in their stands with a mild weekend weather forecast. The timing of the season may have the opposite effect. This year's hunt falls relatively late on the calendar, which has traditionally led to lower harvest totals. Hunters in the Northern Forest Zone are also reminded to review the newly drawn deer management units in effect this season. The 9-day gun deer season opens Saturday morning and will run through the following Sunday.

Published on 11/21/2025 under News As we close out Winter Weather Awareness Week, officials are reminding motorists to take it easy on the roads once the snow arrives. Based on past Department of Transportation data, there will be around 18,000 crashes caused by poor winter driving conditions. Most of those can be attributed to driving too fast for conditions. Following a snow event, one of the first steps to ensure you reach destination safely is to give yourself plenty of time, while leaving plenty of space between your vehicle and the one in front. A few other quick tips...Be gentle on the accelerator and the brake, and don't be overconfident with your 4-wheel drive, it won't help you stop any faster. Use your headlights, but skip the cruise control. Before leaving home on a snowy day, check road conditions, make sure your cell phone is charged and keep at least a half tank of gas. It's also a good time put your winter emergency kit in the car. Of course stay tuned to WJJQ for local updates and cancellations during the winter months.

Published on 11/21/2025 under News A newly re-branded grocery store in Wausau made quite the impression the first impression, selling a multi-million dollar MegaBucks ticket in its first week. According to the Wisconsin lottery, the $7.1 million dollar winning ticket from Wednesday's drawing was purchased at the Hy-Vee grocery store in Wausau. Formerly County Market, the store was purchased by HyVee over the summer, closing briefly this month for the re-brand, and only this week re-opened. Store Director, Jake Dryer said, "We are brand new to the community. It's really exciting to sell a big winner on our third day open as Hy-Vee." At $7.1 million, this was the fourth largest MegaBucks jackpot since 2017. The odds for the Wisconsin-based game, around 1 in 7 million. The winner has 180 days to claim their prize.

+ Read More