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Increased Wild Fire Danger; Caution Encouraged Published on 10/01/2024 under News

A prolonged dry stretch and changing weather have led to elevated wildfire risks in northern Wisconsin this week.

The DNR is encouraging the public to monitor conditions and be mindful of outdoor burning activities. This week's forecast includes lower humidity and gusty winds coupled with an increase in drought in the Northwoods.

The state generally has two wildfire seasons including the autumn when leaves fall from trees and plants and grasses begin to go dormant ahead of winter.

The main cause of wildfires at this time of year is burning brush and leaf piles. Other concern comes from campfires, ash from wood stoves and fireplaces, and burn barrels. The DNR notes it is important to properly extinguish any smoldering embers and ash.

With this elevated risk, coupled with the start of the typical fall fire season, the DNR says they have been staffing some of their fire response equipment in the northern half of the state.

In Other News

Hatchet Track & Field Team Finish Second at Lakeland Invite

Published on 05/06/2026 under Sports The Hatchet track and field squads would each finish second in the T-Bird Outdoor Invite at Lakeland Tuesday night. Each of Tomahawk's boys' and girls' squads came away with a second-place individual finish. For the girls, Alicia Voermans would finish second in the Pole Vault with a leap of 9'6". On the boys' side, it was Lukas Morrison who placed second in the long jump with a leap of 17'9.25". The next invite for Tomahawk is Friday in Merrill. The Otto Bacher Invite begins at 4:00.

Published on 05/06/2026 under Sports The Hatchet golfers would place fifth in their Great Northern Conference Invite at Bass Lake Country Club in Antigo Tuesday afternoon. Tomahawk finished with a team score of 359, six strokes behind fourth-place Rhinelander. The Hatchets' top golfer was Jaxon Kaiser, who placed 13th overall. Tomahawk's next Great Northern Conference meet is Friday afternoon at Eagle River Golf Course, hosted by Northland Pines. Tee-off is at 3:00.

Published on 05/06/2026 under Sports The Hatchet baseball squad would settle for a split against Mosinee, getting dominated at Tyler Kahle Memorial Field Tuesday, 15-1. Tomahawk gave up nine hits total in the game and allowed eight runs to score in the second. The Hatchets mustered just one hit all game, a first-inning RBI single from Brody Hilgendorf, scoring Wally Horabik. Logan Norman absorbed the loss, allowing 11 runs in two innings of work. The loss drops Tomahawk to 5-7 on the season and 4-5 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets try to get back in the win column Friday night in Minocqua against Lakeland. First pitch is at 5:00.

Published on 05/06/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's softball squad suffered their third shutout loss of the season Tuesday, falling to Mosinee, 10-0. The Hatchets mustered just two hits on the day, singles from Averi Petta and Siennah Calkins. Tomahawk committed six errors on the day, allowing five unearned runs to score off of Hatchet pitcher Camryn Kraklow. The loss drops Tomahawk to 8-8 on the season and 5-6 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are back on the field Thursday evening at Hatchet Field for a Great Northern Conference showdown with Lakeland. Alex Koch and Matt Theiler will have the broadcast on Sports Talk 810 AM.97.7 FM WJJQ. The Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Pregame Show begins at 4:35 and first pitch is at 5:00.

Published on 05/05/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's Golf squad took a meet championship for the first time this season, placing first in the Marathon Invite Monday. The Hatchets as a team finished with a 340, five strokes ahead of the host. Oliver Childers took the individual meet title, finishing with a 78. Rounding out the top five overall were Jaxon Kaiser and Jake Albert, each with an 83. The Hatchets hit the course again Tuesday for a Great Northern Conference Meet at Bass Lake Country Club in Antigo. Tee-off is at 3:00.

Published on 05/05/2026 under Sports Tomahawk Baseball broke their three-game losing streak with a dominating non-conference victory at Tyler Kahle Memorial Field Monday, defeating Prentice, 12-6. The Hatchets scored in every inning and took advantage of eight Buccaneer errors to claim the victory. Despite not registering any hits, Wally Horabik and Cash Olsen combined for five RBIs. Jonah Dickens picked up the win on the mound, allowing just three runs on three hits while striking out eight in six innings of work. The win puts Tomahawk at 5-7 on the season and 4-5 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are back at TK Field Tuesday for a GNC showdown with Mosinee. Tune in for the broadcast on Sports Talk 810 AM/97.7 FM WJJQ. Alex Koch and Keith Hanse will be in the broadcast booth with the Fehrman Orthodontics Radio Pregame Show at 4:35 and first pitch at 5:00.

Published on 05/05/2026 under Sports The Hatchet softball squad held on for a non-conference victory down in Wausau Monday evening, defeat Wausau East, 6-5, in eight innings. Despite committing four errors, the Hatchets were able to come up with key hits in the eighth inning to pull out their seventh victory of the season. Anita Ziert went two for four with two runs scored. The winning run was a sacrifice fly from Averi Petta, scoring Anita Ziert. The win puts Tomahawk at 7-7 on the season and 4-5 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are back on the diamond Tuesday afternoon at Mosinee. First pitch is at 5:00.

Published on 05/05/2026 under News One person is dead following a UTV crash in Oneida County over the weekend. According to the Sheriff's Office, that crash happened Saturday at around 5:30 on a trail in the Town of Enterprise. Responders were pages to a segment near Bowman Road. The preliminary investigation showed the UTV left the trail and struck a tree while negotiating a turn. The operator sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. He has been identified as 70 year old David R. McMillen of Salem, Wis. A passenger was treated for minor injuries on the scene. The DNR is completing the accident report. This is the 13th fatal ATV/UTV crash in Wisconsin this year, the second in Oneida County.

Published on 05/05/2026 under News Trout fishing on the Prairie River in Lincoln County may fly under the radar, but a new video short highlights the premier trout stream and a local fly fisherman. As part of Lincoln County's ongoing partnership with Discover Wisconsin, they have released a series of videos highlighting the people, places and events that make Lincoln County special. The latest episode, a 4.5 minute mini, focuses on local trout fishing along the scenic blue ribbon waters on the Prairie River. Like many of these videos, it showcases a place through the story of the people. This video is narrated by Joe Krznarich, a Merrill flyfisherman. The second part of the video even enters his home workshop where he ties his own flies by hand, proving it's as much art as it is sport. Over the years, video segments featuring Lincoln County have been produced on a number of topics including local trails, unique events, and even dog-sledding, the latter of which earned a regional Emmy Award last fall. The video is available on the Discover Wisconsin YouTube Channel. We'll include a link in the online version of the story.

Published on 05/05/2026 under News If you're a frequent flyer, you're bound to run into a travel delay at some point. Unfortunately for the 55th edition of the Never Forgotten Honor Flight, the veterans had to wait an extra day to visit Washington, DC. The local chapter of the Honor Flight network was set to make their first mission of the new year on Monday. But after a lengthy delay, the yesterday's flight was eventually postponed. According to the announcement, they were worked to reschedule the flight for Tuesday with local accommodations for the veterans and guardians. The mission featured an expected 91 veterans including 86 Vietnam era veterans and 4 vets from Korea and a 100 year old WWII vet. The local chapter was founded back in 2010. Following today's flight, the 55th overall, the Northern Wisconsin Chapter of the Honor Flight will have transported more than 5,300 veterans to the Nation's capital.

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