WJJQ Radio

Story Details

Milkweed Named 'Plant of the Year' for DNR Rare Plant Monitoring Program Published on 05/15/2025 under News

Milkweed play a critical role in the lifecycle of monarch butterflies, and a new campaign highlights it's importance.

The DNR announced milkweed as the Rare Plant Monitoring Program's 2025 Plant of the Year and encourages planting milkweed to help monarchs. Of the 13 native milkweed in Wisconsin, five are listed as endangered, threatened or special concern.

DNR Insect ecologist Jay Watson says, "Monarch butterflies face several major threats, including habitat loss, pesticides and climate change." He added, "Planting milkweed can help create habitat for monarchs, other butterflies and bumble bees."

Monarchs breed in Wisconsin throughout the spring and summer, and they need milkweed to survive. It's the only plant that monarch caterpillars eat. Once a monarch reaches adulthood, they may still use milkweed for nectar, but a variety of native plants that bloom from spring to fall are also important. In late fall, monarchs migrate south to Mexico, where they overwinter in tight clusters.

The Rare Plant Monitoring Program is a group of trained volunteers who work with the DNR to locate, record and update the presence of rare plants throughout the state. The plant of the year becomes a focus for volunteers who can request rare milkweed surveys and contribute to a statewide status update on these species.

In Other News

Storms Cross Northern Wisconsin Thursday Evening

Published on 05/16/2025 under News Severe weather Thursday didn't last long, but it packed a punch. A strong line of storms crossed almost the entire state of Wisconsin Thursday night. Here in the Northwoods, the system brought significant rainfall-an inch an hour in some locations; along with hail-reports of up to golf ball sized in Marathon County; wind gusts of more than 50 miles per hour; and unconfirmed reports of tornadoes to our south. Teams from the National Weather Service will be out surveying storm damage and analyzing reports to verify those touchdowns. Around the state, several tornadoes have already been confirmed near New Richmond, Juneau, and Mayville. Locally we received reports of downed trees and some property damage. The Merrill Fire Department highlighted the metal roof was torn off the old Semco building along the River Bend trail. There were scattered power outages across the WPS network, but just 300 remained as of Friday morning, mostly in Vilas and Oneida Counties. We'll continue to pass along information as it is confirmed.

Published on 05/16/2025 under News The popularity of food trucks has exploded in recent years with these mobile restaurants now present in most Northwoods communities. Many are heading to Merrill this weekend for the the second annual 'Food Truck-a-Palooza.' Last year the city put out a call for food trucks to park at the Merrill Festival Grounds for a day-long smorgasbord of selections. This year they've doubled in size with 25 food trucks set to serve tomorrow. Many of the Lincoln County-based trucks will be in attendance, while other chefs will be putting on the miles, coming from Rhinelander, Wausau, Marshfield and Winneconne. They'll have truck serving up Mexican, Asian, Italian Cuisine along with BBQ, burgers, wraps, and sandwiches. Others focus on drinks, sweets, and desserts. Between bites, attendees can burn off a few calories by walking through the Merrill Festival Grounds for a craft and vendor show, live entertainment, a carnival, and other fun activities. The 2nd Annual Food Truck-a-Palooza runs from 11am to 7pm.

Published on 05/16/2025 under News With the summer ATV/UTV season upon us, the DNR is encouraging operators to take a safety course. They note that simple steps can prevent tragedies. Lt. Jacob Holsclaw, Wisconsin DNR off-highway vehicle administrator says, "The primary focus of our safety education course is preventing crashes that lead to injuries and fatalities." The course is required for any operator born in or after 1988, but the DNR encourages all operators of all ages to brush up on their skills and knowledge. In fact, there have been twelve fatal ATV crashes in Wisconsin this year, and the average age of the victim is 69 years old. The DNR also encourage those who ride a few times a year on a friend or family members machine to take the course. They note that inexperience is a top contributing factor in many serious crashes. Holscaw says, "We want folks to create positive memories and have a great experience on our trails, and that only happens if everyone returns home safely at the end of the trip." As part of this effort, the DNR will also be making grants available to organizations that recruit and train all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and utility terrain vehicle (UTV) safety instructors and volunteer trail ambassadors.

Published on 05/16/2025 under News Rhinelander and the Hodag are synonymous. This week has been set aside to celebrate the mythical beast. The Rhinelander Chamber and their many community partners have been busy preparing for the 5th annual Hodag Heritage Festival. The event continues to grow, Rachel Boehlen, Chamber Director of Events and Strategic Initiatives says, "We've doubled our number of exhibitors since last year and added a new and exciting Hodag Quest, among other things," She added, "There's something for everyone, and we invite the entire community to come celebrate our Hodag!" They've actually had some week-long activities such as community-wide scavenger hunt, and this evening they'll welcome director Bill Rebane for a screening of the film Attack of the Hodag. It all leads into Saturday's celebration that will feature the music, entertiainment, Hodag Historical City Bus Tours and even a hodag calling contest. In the past, Governor Evers has declared the third Saturday in May as Hodag Day. A full schedule of Saturday's events is available on the Chamber website, and they've also created a Hodag Heritage Festival Facebook page.

Published on 05/16/2025 under News The Rhinelander School District has been making it easier for students to become teachers including their Educators Rising Club. With their graduation just a few weeks away, nearly a dozen Rhinelander students announced next step in that journey. The district hosted their first-ever Senior Signing Day for Future Educators, a ceremony where eleven graduating seniors announced their college plans in the field of education. Superintendent Eric Burke shared,"Education is the foundation of a strong and thriving society. Our future depends on the individuals who step up to teach, guide, and shape the next generation—and today, we celebrate 11 students who are answering that call." As part of the Signing Day ceremony, the participants selected an impactful educator who has inspired their journey. The educators, in turn, shared information about each students. Michele Cornelius, Director of Human Resources, encouraged these students to consider coming home to Rhinelander to make an impact upon college graduation. As part of this Rhinelander School District program, the district guarantees a job interview once they complete their degrees and earn teaching certifications.

Published on 05/16/2025 under News There is a growing program here in the Northwoods that encourages young girls to run while also building life skills. 'Girls on the Run' is a nationwide program, with a chapter located here in Northern Wisconsin. It started in Minocqua around 20 years ago, but they've grown to feature around a dozen communities stretching from Manitowish Waters to Mosinee. It's a 10-week, after-school running program for elementary and middle school students. In addition to the physical health benefits, they also help build confidence, social, and emotional skills. The course wraps up with a 5k run. The local chapter will hold two this weekend. The first, Saturday, is at Minocqua Winter Park. Then on Sunday, they'll shift south to Merrill and the River Bend Trail. People can also support these programs by serving as coaches, ambassadors or fundraiser, or even establishing a program in a new community. You can visit their website for more information.

Published on 05/15/2025 under News People who utilize wells for their drinking water are encouraged to test their water annually for contaminates. A program in Lincoln County aimed at increasing access to testing has been extended. Last summer, the Lincoln County Health Department launched a new program offering low-income families a chance to get a free well testing kit. The program was then expanded to include households that may have a resident with a weakened immune system. The Health Department shared that a limited number of the free testing kits are still available. The Health Department has an eligibility survey on their website. Residents on well water who don't qualify for the free kit are still encouraged to test water on an annual basis for contaminants including nitrates and bacteria. You can contact their office or visit their website for additional information.

Published on 05/15/2025 under News A iconic independent filmmaker will return to the Northwoods this weekend to discuss one of his lesser known films. During the 70's and 80's Bill Rebane set up a filming studio known as the Shooting Ranch in the Irma where he made more than a dozen films. While the most famous is The Giant Spider Invasion, another is Attack of the Hodag. As part of the Hodag Heritage Festival in Rhinelander this weekend, organizers have invited Rebane to take part in a special Friday night screening of the film. Rebane, will give a brief history and introduction, then following the screening, he'll stick around for a Q&A with the audience. The event will be held at the Hilgermann Center for Community in downtown Rhinelander tomorrow evening. As of Thursday morning, a limited number of tickets were available. We'll include the link for online reservations. As for the rest of the Hodag Heritage Festival activities, most will be taking place on Saturday. The Rhinelander Chamber has a full schedule on their website and social media. We'll have a preview on Friday as well.

Published on 05/15/2025 under News A Minocqua man is facing facing federal wire fraud and money laundering charges from an investment scheme. According to the US Attorney's Office from the Western District of Wisconsin, a jury returned an indictment against Cory Kromray. The 39 year old is facing 10 charges in all, including eight counts of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. The indictment alleges that, during a seven year period ending last month, Kromray accepted money from investors for trading stocks, mutual funds, cryptocurrency, and foreign currency exchange market. However, the indictment alleges that Kromray failed to invest the money as promised and he used the majority of the money for his own purposes. The charges against him are the result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If convicted, Kromray faces up to 30 years in prison.

Published on 05/15/2025 under News A state agency will once again be trapping for spongy moths this summer in the western half of the state. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced they will be setting more than 8,000 spongy moth traps across 36 counties including Lincoln, Vilas, Oneida, Price and Taylor Counties. Program coordinator Amanda Miller says they use the traps to monitor both existing populations and identify previously unknown populations in new areas. She says the data will also help them safely and efficiently limit the spread before infestations become large enough to cause damage to trees. The traps are small green boxes tied to tree branches. The traps contain the scent of a female spongy moth. They are undetectable to other insects, but highly attractive to the male spongy moth. The agency will monitor the traps through August, that's when the male moths typically stop flying for the season. At this point the traps are removed. Those monitoring the traps will wear fluorescent vests and carry identification cards. Each trap is labeled with a phone number and a QR code that property owners can call if they have questions.

+ Read More