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Tomahawk High School Hosts Drama/Forensics Awards Published on 05/20/2025 under News

Following the conclusion of the annual spring children's play last week, the Tomahawk High School Forensics and Drama Departments hosted their year-end awards. Quickly recognizing those students for their work both this school year, and throughout their high school careers.

Starting with Forensics...

Outstanding Senior Speaker went to two-time state gold medalist Cedar Hoffman. Outstanding Junior Speaker-Sadie Ruder; Outstanding Sophomore-Maddie Long; and Outstanding Freshman Finn Colburn. Three students, Cedar Hoffman, Sarah Kallerud and Julia McGovern, were also presented with the GM Sheldon Award for Excellence.

The Drama Department put on three productions during the year, a one-act play, a musical, and a children's play.

Outstanding performance in Ten Actors in Search of Cell Phone(fall): Sadie Ruder and Madeline Long. Outstanding Lead in Legally Blonde(winter): Ella Hilgendorf and Madeline Long and Supporting: Faith Derleth, Julia Fries and Mya Kromm; and Outstanding Performance for Magic Golden Apples(spring): Jayden Dellinger and Sadie Ruder.

For the year-long awards: Outstanding Performers- Ella Hilgendorf and Madeline Long; Directors Award-Julia McGovern; Outstanding crew- Caroline Klesmith; Outstanding Senior-Cedar Hoffman; Junior-Sadie Ruder; Sophomore-Caroline Klesmith; and Freshman-Eveyln Brennan. Most improved Urijah Malchiodi.

In Other News

Tomahawk Kinship Receives Generous Grant in New Home Fundraiser

Published on 05/20/2025 under News Tomahawk Kinship recently received a significant contribution to boost their fundraising efforts to help purchase a new building to call home. The local youth mentorship program announced they have been awarded a $150,000 grant from Our Way Inc. Foundation. They said in last week's announcement, "With this generous gift and the incredible support from our community so far, we've reached 57% of our Phase One goal of $300,000." As we shared last month, Tomahawk Kinship reached a preliminary agreement to purchase the historic Bradley Bank building on Main Street. That purchase sales agreement with the current owner Associated Bank, is contingent on reaching that initial fundraising goal by early July. In addition to the purchase price, the building will need some interior renovations to better suit the needs of Kinship. They noted in the announcement, "This is a huge step forward—but we're not there yet. Let's keep the momentum going!" For those interested in donating to the cause, you can reach out to Tomahawk Kinship. They've also created a GoFundMe.

Published on 05/20/2025 under News Today is a celebration of one the most iconic and important insects on the planet. It's World Bee Day. It's actually an initiative brought together by the United Nations to bring awareness to declining bee populations around the world. Wisconsin is home to a number of bee species from the iconic bumble bee and honey bee to lesser known, but equally important leafcutter and mason bees. Bees are among our most prolific pollinators. Living up to the phrase 'busy as a bee', the average honey bee will visit 7,000 flowers in a single day. People are encouraged to take some simple steps around their home to become a little more bee friendly. Most of the focus is on bee habitat. 'No Mow May' is becoming more popular, or simply leaving a natural area in your yard all year long. Aim to plant native wildflowers and plants, and consider a bee oasis by leaving out a dish of water with some small rocks or sticks for bees to land. Many of these activities will help other pollinator species as well. For those that would like to get more involved, there are a number of citizen science programs in the state focused on bees such as the Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade.

Published on 05/20/2025 under News Progress is being made on repairs to the Hodag Dome, and it could be re-opened by the end of the month. The facility in Rhinelander was damaged in late March after an ice storm and power outage caused the air-filled dome to partially deflate. Repair efforts have been ongoing, and the Rhinelander School District provided another update on those efforts Monday. The district says the Dome has been successfully reinflated which has allowed repair crews to begin working on the interior. Their work has been focused on the lighting, as well as some tears in the dome fabric. According to the update, they anticipate completing this work by the end of next week. Once finished, they'll re-open the dome to the public for most activities. Exceptions include the track and tennis courts which will need some additional time. The district is taking some additional steps with the generator system to prevent future issues. They're installing a new communication system to alert staff of a power failure. They'll also have district maintenance personnel on call during potential power outages. The district also shared that their insurance company has approved necessary repairs to get the Dome back to full operation.

Published on 05/20/2025 under News Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner, and experts are anticipating near-record travel. This past week, Triple A offered up their annual Memorial Day travel forecast. According to their estimates, nearly 840,000 Wisconsinites are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the holiday weekend. That is up slightly form last year, and would be the highest post-pandemic total. Most of that travel, approximately 750,000 people, will be on the road. Debbie Haas, VP of Travel for Triple A notes that Memorial Day weekend is typically the start of a very busy summer travel season. Here in the Northwoods, there is typically a steady influx of people returning to summer homes or cabins. Those looking to avoid traffic may want to plan early departures. Northbound traffic should be heaviest Friday evening, while southbound traffic typically peaks Memorial Day Monday in the afternoon. As for the price at the pump, Triple A says Wisconsin's average gas price is tracking below prices from Memorial Day weekend last year. Most gas in the Northwoods is right around $3 a gallon.

Published on 05/20/2025 under News A motorcyclist avoided serious injury after a crash on Highway 51 north of Tomahawk over the weekend. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Report, that crash happened as the operator traveled on Highway 51 near Highway 8 in the Town of Bradley. The 21 year old Merrill man reported that his motorcycle began to wobble and he was unable to regain control. This caused him to be ejected from the bike and ending up in the median. Deputies also spoke to witness who confirmed the driver's story and they indicated they thought the wobble might have been caused by a strong gust of wind. Fortunately, the man did not sustain notable injuries and turned down medical treatment. It was an otherwise quiet Lincoln County Sheriff's Report... There were two unrelated single vehicle crashes that led to the respective driver's being transported to local hospitals. Deputies responded to a vehicle in the road with the driver slumped behind the wheel. The 54 year old was taken in for second offense OWI along with charges including a concealed carry violation. And the number of vehicle/deer collisions was up slightly with 11 reported this past week on Lincoln County roadways.

Published on 05/20/2025 under Sports The Hatchet golf squad finished the 2025 season on a high note, placing second at the Black River Course in Medford Monday. Tomahawk finished with a 331, placing just two strokes behind first-place Northland Pines. The Hatchets had three finishers in the top ten. Oliver Childers placed second overall with a score of 78. Jake Albert placed fifth overall with an 80. Sawyer Hanna wrapped up the top ten with an 83, good for eighth. With the second place finish, Tomahawk finished up the season fourth in Great Northern Conference play. Albert, Childers, and Hanna finished with all-conference honorable mention. This concludes the 2025 Hatchet golf regular season. The WIAA Division 2 Golf Regionals are next Tuesday at Northwestern.

Published on 05/20/2025 under Sports Tomahawk's baseball squad notched their fourth straight win, triumphing over Antigo at Tyler Kahle Memorial Field, 12-2. The Hatchets scored in five of the six innings played, including three in the first, third, and fourth innings. Wally Horabik went three for four with two doubles and four RBIs. Brody Hilgendorf went two for three with two RBIs. Drew Tollefson also went two for three with three RBIs. Brody Rigney picked up his third win on the mound, giving up two runs on five hits in five innings. The win puts Tomahawk at 8-10 on the season and 5-6 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are right back in action Tuesday for their final road and non-conference game the season at Chequamegon. First pitch is at 4:45.

Published on 05/20/2025 under Sports Tomahawk's softball squad was no-hit in Auburndale Monday, shut out by the Eagles, 9-0. The Hatchets gave up eight runs and committed five errors, all in the first inning. The only Hatchet runner to reach was Averi Petta with a walk. The loss drops Tomahawk to 7-13 on the season. The Hatchets have their final Great Northern Conference game of the season Tuesday in Eagle River against Northland Pines. First pitch is at 5:00.

Published on 05/19/2025 under News While small in size, a tick can have a big impact on our health. Local healthcare providers are reminding people about the importance of tick checks and prevention. The Aspirus Tick-Borne Illness Center in Woodruff opened in 2019 to provide advanced care to diagnose, control and treat tick-borne illnesses. We were joined by Dr. James Thatcher who specializes in ticks and disease. He noted that the recent stretch of mild winters has been good for tick reproduction and extend the tick season. They saw their first tick bites of the season in early March, and have been busy through the first half of spring. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. The pathogen that causes Lyme disease is carried by the deer tick, one of the two most common species in the state. Thatcher noted that some new ticks have been moving into the area as well. Beyond Lyme, ticks carry a number of other disease that can be treated at the Center. When it comes to ticks, prevention is key. Thatcher encourages wearing long sleeves and long pants. Try pulling your socks up over the pants legs, and consider light colors which make the tiny ticks easier to spot. In addition to the common chemical sprays that contain Deet, Thatcher also explores more natural tinctures and barriers. After spending time outdoors, tick checks are important. Ticks often move to warmer areas of the body which may be harder to spot. And ticks also have some natural tricks to avoid detection. Thatcher noted a tick's bite will numb the area, contains an anti-coagulate to prevent bleeding, and an antihistamine to avoid itching. While the red, bullseye rash is a tell-tale indicator of an Lyme infection it doesn't always appear, and tick borne illness can be slow to develop. They can be treated at the Tick Borne Illness Center. Thatcher says they have been quite busy, but always try to keep walk-in space as well. They do have a website with additional information. You can hear that entire conversation in the WJJQ audio center.

Published on 05/19/2025 under News Northwoods law enforcement agencies are joining partners around the state in encouraging motorists to buckle up when hitting the road. This week marks the return of the annual Click-It or Ticket campaign an effort to increase the use of seatbelts. Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan says, "Wearing a seat belt is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce injuries and save lives during a crash." According to the DoT, a survey showed the number of motorists who buckled up actually dropped slightly last year. This led to Carnahan to add, "Let's work together to make buckling up a habit—every trip, every time." Violators may be cited, but the goal of the campaign is to encourage a long-term change in driver and passenger behavior. In addition to increased enforcement during Click It or Ticket, the DoT will also increase public messaging including through traditional and social media as well as electronic road signs. The annual campaign coincides with Memorial Day weekend, which traditionally kicks off the summer travel season. As more vehicles are out on the roads during this holiday and throughout the summer, law enforcement officials are asking all drivers to buckle up, slow down, and remove any distractions behind the wheel.

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