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Hatchet Girls Basketball Team Defeats Tri-County; Boys Lose to Tri-County Published on 02/06/2024 under Sports

The Hatchet basketball teams came away with a split in a non-conference doubleheader Monday night in Plainfield against Tri-County.

Tomahawk's girls notched their sixth win of the season with a 50-33 win over the Penguins. The Hatchets got out to a hot start shooting the ball, notching 33 first-half points. It was also a balanced scoring attack for the Hatchets, as all starters got on the scoreboard. Claire Albert led the way for Tomahawk with 17 points. Khianna Vacho had 11 and Bryn Baalke had 10.

The win puts Tomahawk at 6-13 on the season and 0-9 in Great Northern Conference play.

Despite putting up a season-high in points, the Hatchet boys suffered their 14th consecutive loss Monday night, losing to Tri-County 76-65. Tomahawk's best offensive performance was overshadowed by a 30-3 run in the second half by the Penguins, which included them knocking down eight three-pointers. Tomahawk also ran into foul trouble early in the second half and ended up having three starters foul out of the game.

The Hatchets' balanced scoring attack was led by Colton Seslar off the bench with 14 points. Brody Rigney had 13 and Malachi Scheffler had 11.

The loss drops Tomahawk to 1-16 on the season and 0-9 in Great Northern Conference play.

Both teams will be back in action tonight with a Great Northern Conference battle against Lakeland. The boys will be at home and the girls will be on the road. The JV games will begin at 5:45 and varsity will tip off at 7:15.

For the boys, it will also be Parents' Night. The Parents will be recognized between the JV/JV2 and Varsity Games. All parents will be asked to wear Hatchet Basketball Apparel if they have it. All parents will also need to assemble on the west end of the fieldhouse in numerical order.

In Other News

Lights of the Northwoods Returns for 9th Season

Published on 12/01/2025 under News With the calendar turned to December, the holiday season is in full swing. That includes an impressive light display in Rhinelander that switches on this evening. Now entering year number nine, Lights of the Northwoods continues to grow each year. It now features more than a million lights and festive displays along a path through Hodag Park. Over the past few weeks, organizers have been putting the final touches on the festive Christmas light tour which begins Monday evening. Attendees have two options, a slow drive through the park, or if the weather allows, a walking tour. While entrance is free, organizers invite revelers to give back to the community and help area non-profits. Last year they collected thousands of dollars for local community organizations, and thousands of pounds of food were distributed to area food pantries. When Lights of the Northwoods began, nearly a decade ago, it was centered in and around the week of Christmas. Due to popularity, they now welcome visitors throughout the month of December. While the lights are nightly, organizers have special activities on weekends including bonfires, visits from Santa, and snacks and cold weather refreshments. Like year's past, they'll also wrap up Lights of the Northwoods with a January 1 fireworks display. The full calendar is available on the Lights of the Northwoods website.

Published on 12/01/2025 under News A storage building was destroyed in a fire in Lincoln County over the weekend. According to the Pine River Fire Department, crews were called to a structure fire on County G in the Town of Pine River on Saturday afternoon. The initial call reported a steel-framed outbuilding on fire. The report indicated there was an automobile in the building along with other fuel sources including diesel, oil, tires, and landscaping materials. Outside the building was a large propane tank. Mother Nature may have helped the firefighters...they indicated the strong winds pushed the fire away from the propane tank and a nearby home. In the end, the building was considered a total loss. No injuries were reported to humans or animals. Several neighboring agencies provided mutual aid and crew were on the scene for several hours. The fire is believed to have been caused by an improperly installed wood furnace.

Published on 12/01/2025 under News After Black Friday and Shop Small Saturday, today marks the third in a holiday shopping trio...Cyber Monday. Officials are reminding online consumers to shop safe and shop smart. Over the years, more and more consumers have shifted to online shopping for at least a portion of their holiday purchases. The experts says a little bit of extra research can held avoid these Grinches and their holiday scams. First make sure your browser and anti-virus software is up-to-date.Watch for misleading advertisements, lookalike websites, and untrustworthy sellers.Be wary of unsolicited offers and those that appear 'too good to be true.'Before clicking 'buy' double check shipping and return policies and read all fine print.Finally, keep a paper trail and monitor your bank and credit card statements throughout the holiday season.

Published on 12/01/2025 under News Across their 1.5 million acres, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest has no shortage of trees including some that would be perfect for Christmas. For those looking for their holiday centerpiece, forest officials have once again made their annual Christmas tree permits available for the public. It may be a little extra work, it can be a fun and festive family activity. While the trees in the forest are not professionally trimmed or groomed, many enjoy them for their natural appearance. Officials note that cutting a Christmas tree also improves forest health by helping thin densely populated stands of small-diameter trees. Removing these trees in designated areas helps other trees grow larger and can open areas that provide forage for wildlife. Some trees are off-limits such as those adjacent to campgrounds and trails. The permits are just $5, available on both the forest website. The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest also participates in the Every Kid Outdoors initiative which allows fourth grade students a free Christmas tree permit.-Photo provided by the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

Published on 12/01/2025 under News Patrons typically take items from their local library. But here in Tomahawk, they're asking people to leave something behind...a non perishable food item. The Tomahawk Public Library kicked off a food drive to help support local food pantries serving the Tomahawk community. Throughout the month of December, people can drop off non-perishable food items when they visit the library. The goal is to offer a helping hand to those in need. It comes at a time when more people are facing food insecurity, especially ahead of the holiday season. The Tomahawk Public Library food drive is currently scheduled to run through December 20.

Published on 12/01/2025 under News One person is dead following a house fire in Vilas County early Friday morning. That fire was reported at shortly before 6:30am on Crab Road in the Town of Presque Isle. Upon arrival, responders found the home was fully engulfed. According to the Vilas County Sheriff's Office, the homeowner was unable to evacuate the home and was found dead. The victim has been identified as 67 year old Dean Lea. The home is a complete loss, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Published on 12/01/2025 under News A family was displaced after a Thanksgiving morning fire in Oneida County. That call was reported on Lakeshore Drive near Rhinelander Thursday morning at just before daybreak. According to the Pine Lake Fire and Rescue, crews arrived to find the home fully ablaze. They encountered several small explosions while suppressing the fire. Crews were on the scene for approximately 4 hours. They said the owner of the home was able to evacuate, though he sustained minor burns. Two dogs also made it out safely. The home is a complete loss. The cause of fire was not immediately determined and remains under investigation.

Published on 12/01/2025 under Sports In their first games of the 2025-26 season, Tomahawk's hockey team went 2-0 at Amery over the weekend. The Hatchets started off the season with a 4-2 win over Amery in a rematch of the WIAA Division 2 State Championship from last season. The Hatchets scored the first goal of the game on an early power play from Jett Reilly; assisted by Brayden Lamer and Jake Albert. Amery would score two goals late in the first and led 2-1. The Hatchets scored the only goal in the second period, Jett Reilly on a breakaway assisted by Rex Reilly and the game was tied 2-2 after two. The third period would see the Hatchets score an early goal by Landyn Seymour on assists from Jett Reilly and Jonah Dickens. The Hatchets would add another power play in the middle of the third, when Jett Reilly completed his hat trick, assists went to Rex Reilly and Jake Albert. Hudson Seymour had 15 saves for Tomahawk as they outshot the Warriors 54-17. Then on Saturday Tomahawk faced the WSFLG Blizzard and Tomahawk wins 5-2. Neither team would light the lamp in the first period. The scoring opened for Tomahawk early in the second, when Jake Albert scored on assists from Beau Stromberg and Caiden Reichelt. Albert would add his second goal of the game four minutes later, when he scored from the point on an assist from Jett Reilly. The Blizzards would add two late goals and the game was tied 2-2 after two periods. Tomahawk blew the game open in the third, as Jonah Dickens scored two goals, the first assisted by Jett Reilly and the second by Caiden Reichelt and Brayden Lamer. Jett Reilly added the fifth Hatchet goal, assisted by Dickens and Breck Stromberg. Tomahawk outshot WSFLG 33-20, as Hudson Seymour had 18 saves for the Hatchets. Tomahawk begins Great Northern Conference play Tuesday night in Minocqua against Lakeland, the puck drops at 7:00 pm.

Published on 11/28/2025 under News With Thanksgiving now behind us, the Tomahawk Community is wasting little time in transitioning to Christmas. Coming up Saturday, the community is hosting the annual Kick Off to Christmas, the first of several weekends of festive activities over the holiday season. The events are organized by Tomahawk Hometown Christmas. The group of volunteers set out a few years ago to revitalize the holiday festivities of yesteryear. They noted that Hometown Christmas has become an event the entire community has embraced and looks forward to each year. Among the highlights on Saturday are visits with Santa, horse-drawn wagon rides, and the lighting of the Christmas tree at the end of Main Street at 5pm. They've also brought in some partners: the Historical Society will host a Vintage Christmas at the Museum and their will be evening activities at SARA Park including ice skating. The upcoming weekend is just an appetizer for the companion Hometown Christmas and Main Street Memories Christmas celebrations on December 12 which includes the parade, live window displays and caroling. You can visit the Hometown Christmas Facebook page for a full rundown of activities, locations, and times.

Published on 11/28/2025 under News While there are deals aplenty from big box stores today for Black Friday, a promotion focused on local businesses is in store for tomorrow. That campaign is known as Shop Small Saturday, which launched back in 2010 encouraging people to check out locally-owned businesses. In Tomahawk, shops throughout the North 4th and Main Street corridors will offer deals to get Christmas shopping underway. Earlier this week I spoke with Tomahawk Main Street Director Jennifer Turkiewicz. Turkiewicz notes that shopping local has many benefits. For the shopper, it offers more unique and personal selections. She says, "These business owners are taking the time to hand pick the items they carry... You're going to find some really neat gifts ideas that you may not have thought about available right here in Tomahawk." Of course, 'Shopping Small' offers a better chance of money staying in the community as well. Turkiewicz says an estimated $0.78 of every dollar spent at a locally-owned business stays local. Those dollars also multiply as local business owners spend locally as well. And while the focus is on local, Shop Small is a nationwide campaign. American Express has joined in the effort. Turkiewicz says the Amex Shop Small Grants Program will provide an initial $5 million to fund 250 grants of $20,000 each to eligible small business owners across the country. Every eligible purchase at a small business made on an Amex card tomorrow will add a dollar to the grant pool. Here in Tomahawk, businesses combine their shop local campaigns with this weekend's Kickoff to Christmas. Some of the shops will have expanded hours, sales and new merchandise to kick off the holiday shopping season.

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