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Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Announces 2025 'Free Days' Published on 01/09/2025 under News

While their offices are closed Thursday, officials at the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest announced the five fee free days in 2025.

Throughout the year, National Forests offer various days when standard amenity fees and admission are waived. The first opportunity this year is later this month, January 20th in conjunction with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

There will be two opportunities in June, National Get Outdoors Day on June 14 and Juneteenth on June 19th. September 27th is National Public Lands Day and another free day. The final one planned for the year is on Veterans Day November 11.

As for today's office closure, that is for the remembrance of President Jimmy Carter's death. There is also no mail delivery.

In Other News

Lincoln County Woman Reaches Plea in Death of Young Daughter

Published on 10/12/2026 under News A plea agreement has been readched for a Lincoln County woman charged in the death of her 5 year-old daughter. At a hearing Friday in Lincoln County Court, 27 year old Katelyn Nardi pleaded guilty to a felony charge of child neglect resulting in death. In exchange, a charge of reckless homicide was dismissed, but will be considered during sentencing. Nardi was arrested following an investigation into the death of her 5 year old daughter last October. Investigators say the child was left unattended in a bathtub as Nardi was preparing the child for bed. The case had been scheduled to go to trial next June. Following the plea agreement, a sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 25.

Published on 10/12/2026 under News A Minnesota man was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison after traveling to Rhinelander to meet a minor for illicit sexual conduct. Creighton Mithaugen, 38, of Faribault, Minnesota, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 97 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Mithaugen had previously pleaded guilty to the charge on July 13, 2026. According to court records, Mithaugen engaged in online chats from April 2024 through February 2026 with someone he believed to be a 14- or 15-year-old girl. In reality, he was communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer. Mithaugen was arrested in February, after traveling to Rhinelander to meet with the minor. During sentencing, Judge Conley cited Mithaugen's past criminal history including past similar charges.

Published on 10/11/2026 under Sports At the Great Northern Conference Volleyball Tournament, Tomahawk went 1-2 in their matches Saturday. The Hatchets were swept by Mosinee and Medford in their first two matches. However, Tomahawk would steal a match against Rhinelander, winning in four sets. The Hatchets will finish the 2026 regular season with a 6-28 record and a 1-9 overall Great Northern Conference record. Seeding meetings across the state of Wisconsin will take place Monday. Stay tuned to find out who Tomahawk will play in the first round of the WIAA Division 3 Volleyball Postseason on Northwoods 92.5 WJJQ.

Published on 10/10/2026 under Sports Tomahawk's cross country squads finished in the top ten once again, this time at the 50th Annual Hatchet Invitational Saturday. Tomahawk's girls placed fourth overall, behind Prentice/Rib Lake, Rhinelander, and Meet Champion Lakeland. Senior Elise Gibeault would finish fifth with a time of 20:14. Placing second on the Hatchets and 20th overall was Abbie Rosenmeier with a time of 22:46. Tomahawk's boys would place eighth overall in the invite, ahead of Crandon and Antigo. The top finisher was Jordyn Carew, placing 24th with a time of 18:33. Dawson Jones placed 35th with a time of 19:25. The next meet for Tomahawk is the Great Northern Conference Meet, which the Hatchets will host next Saturday. Tune in for the Fehrman Orthodontics Premeet Show at 10:40 and opening events at 11:00. Alex Koch will have live updates on the WJJQ App, online at wjjq.com, and on Northwoods 92.5 WJJQ. Girls Team Results: Lakeland - 1st Rhinelander - 2nd Prentice/Rib Lake - 3rd Tomahawk - 4th Chequamegon - 5th Northland Pines - 6th Merrill - 7th Mosinee - 8th Medford - 9th Antigo - 10th Boys Team Results: Lakeland - 1st Rhinelander - 2nd Prentice/Rib Lake - 3rd Mosinee - 4th Medford - 5th Chequamegon - 6th Northland Pines - 7th Tomahawk - 8th Crandon - 9th Antigo - 10th

Published on 10/09/2026 under Sports On Senior Night, the Hatchet football squad fought valiantly but was edged out in the battle for Lincoln County Friday, losing to Merrill, 21-20. Tomahawk scored all of their points in the first half in three different ways. The scoring started with a fake field goal touchdown pass from Aidan Sigl to Hudson Evans. Evans would then run it in from five yards out to put the Hatchets up, 14-0. Tomahawk's final score would come on a fourth-down three-yard touchdown pass from Colin Black to Braxton Stromberg. However, the Hatchets would fail to find the end zone on three drives and allowed Merrill to score the only second-half touchdown of the night early in the fourth quarter. Colin Black went seven-for-13 throwing for 129 yards and a score. The Hatchets were held to just 76 yards on the ground and drop to 3-5 on the season and 3-3 in Great Northern Conference play. Tomahawk will wrap up their regular season at Mosinee next Friday. Tune in for the Fehrman Orthodontics Kickoff Cabin at 6:15 and kickoff at 7:00 on the WJJQ app, online at wjjq.com, and on Northwoods 92.5 WJJQ.11-Player Football: 11-Player Football: Lakeland 27, Antigo 6 Medford 35, Mosinee 0 Wausau East 25, Rhinelander 21 Northland Pines 17, Crandon 0 Abbotsford 26, Pittsville 6 8-Player Football: Wausaukee 32, Goodman-Pembine 27 Green Bay New Lutheran/Providence Academy 58, Chequamegon 12 Rib Lake 40, Phillips 34 Owen-Withee 36, Athens 6 Hurley 26, Three Lakes/Phelps 22

Published on 10/09/2026 under Sports Tomahawk Girls Swimmers Finish Regular Season Winless The Hatchet Girls Swimmers wrapped up the 2026 Regular season winless in GNC Duals after losing to Merrill at the Blue Jay Pool, 80-44. In the final GNC Dual, the Hatchets finished with one first-place finish. That top finish was in the 400 yard freestyle Relay to wrap up the night. The team of Kami Gabrich, Kortney Busterud, Aubrey Tollefson, and Kaylee Roberts finished with a time of 4:40.76. Tomahawk wraps up the season with a 0-11 Dual record. The Great Northern Conference Meet will be held in Lakeland October 23rd. Hatchet Volleyball Swept by Wittenberg-Birnamwood The Hatchet Volleyball squad's struggles transferred over to non-conference action as they would get swept by Wittenberg-Birnamwood on Senior Night at the Hatchet House, 25-20, 25-19, 25-10. The Hatchets dropped to 5-25 on the season and 0-7 in Great Northern Conference play. Tomahawk will compete in the Great Northern Conference Volleyball Tournament in Mosinee Saturday morning.

Published on 10/09/2026 under News A multi-county crime spree ended in a high-speed pursuit and crash yesterday afternoon in Merrill. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, 44-year-old Joshua D. Micke of Antigo led law enforcement on a cross-county chase involving multiple stolen vehicles. The incident began Thursday morning with pursuits in Shawano, Menominee, and Langlade counties. Authorities say Micke abandoned one stolen vehicle, and later allegedly stole roughly $1,000 in cash from a vehicle in Minocqua before stealing yet another car. Just before 12:30 p.m., a Flock Safety camera alerted Lincoln County deputies that the stolen vehicle had entered southbound US Highway 51. Deputies attempted a traffic stop near Irma, but another pursuit followed. Spike strips were deployed near Highway K, deflating two tires, however the chase continued into the city of Merrill. The vehicle chase eventually ended when a deputy used a PIT maneuver, however Micke briefly fled on foot before being taken into custody. During the incident, the Sheriff's Office says a deputy sustained a serious hand injury that will require surgery. A second person, not involved in the incident, sustained minor injuries after their vehicle was struck during the pursuit. Micke is being held on numerous charges including Fleeing an officer causing bodily harm, recklessly endangering safety and operating a vehicle without consent.

Published on 10/09/2026 under News Downtown Tomahawk is gearing up to raise a toast to local tradition as the fourth annual Oktoberfest returns this weekend. Hosted by Tomahawk Main Street, the fall celebration brings authentic Bavarian flair right to the heart of town. Executive Director Jennifer Turkiewicz says the event has quickly become a community favorite, tapping into the deep German heritage shared by so many Northwoods residents. The festivities officially kick off at 2:00 p.m. with the ceremonial tapping of the Golden Keg by this year's Fest Master. Attendees can sample 16 seasonal craft beers on tap, alongside traditional favorites like fresh pretzels with beer cheese, German potato salad, and sizzling brats. Festivalgoers can test their skills at classic games like Hammerschlagen and Roll Out the Barrel, all while enjoying live polka music. While costumes aren't required, lederhosen and dirndls are fully encouraged. Most importantly, organizers emphasize that the afternoon is all about bringing the community together and giving a boost to downtown small businesses. They'll take over the usual Farmers Market location on North 3rd Street. Registration opens at 1:00 p.m., with both beer-sampling and general admission ticket packages available on-site.

Published on 10/09/2026 under News The Tomahawk City Council has officially given its final stamp of approval to the city's updated Emergency Management ordinance. The measure was recommended by the Health and Safety Committee last month. Council members voted unanimously and without further discussion at their Tuesday meeting to adopt the measure, which modernizes local disaster response guidelines and cleans up the language in the municipal code. The updated ordinance establishes a clear chain of command during widespread emergencies, naming the Mayor as the city's Local Emergency Management Director. As Police Chief Al Elvins noted during earlier committee discussions, delegating overall direction to the mayor ensures police and fire chiefs can stay focused on hands-on operational duties when disaster strikes. The measure also better defines when and how a local state of emergency can be declared.

Published on 10/09/2026 under News Dry conditions and windy weather challenged firefighters during a response in Price County earlier this week. Firefighters from Prentice, Little Rice and the DNR responded to a Christmas tree farm off Richie Road in Brantwood for a fire on Wednesday. Gusty winds on the day likely led to the fire spreading quickly through the property. Firefighters were eventually able to get the blaze under control, but the fire ended up burning approximately 13 acres. According to the DNR wildfire tracker, the fire was likely started by burning debris. This was the largest of nine wildfires across the Northwoods this week. With ongoing drought conditions making things extra dry out there, fire danger remains elevated, and officials are once again reminding people to be mindful of any activities that could cause a spark.

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