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Construction Continues; Lincoln County W; Oneida County L Published on 07/21/2025 under News

A quick check on area road construction including a couple of local projects…

A new week-long project in Lincoln County begins Monday. They'll be replacing several culverts on County W in the Town of Pine River. As a result County W will be closed between County P and the Marathon County line. They hope to have this work wrapped up by Thursday afternoon.

And in Oneida County, the Bearskin Creek Bridge closure on County L in Nokomis continues. This is the bridge at the northern end of County L near the Highway 51 intersection. The rest of County L remains open on either side of the bridge. This phase of the project will likely continue into late-August or early-September.

In Other News

Tomahawk Main Street, Library Team Up to Offer Downtown ‘Story Walk’

Published on 07/21/2025 under News There's plenty to do in Downtown Tomahawk, and now families can enjoy a unique reading experience. The Tomahawk Public Library and Tomahawk Main Street recently teamed up to create a Story Walk in the district. We caught up with Main Street Director Jennifer Turkiewicz to discuss the new attraction. She says Miss Annette, children's librarian Annettee Miller, approached her with the idea of bringing the story walk onto Main Street. For those unfamiliar, a story walk divides up a children's book with each page posted along a route. Kids and families can walk the path reading the books as they go. While the library had previously offered a story walk on the library grounds, they had some vandalism issues that caused them to re-think the program. Turkiewicz says the businesses jumped on board and were excited to participate. And while participants can read the pages from the sidewalk, many stops have coloring pages and other resources inside. Bringing more foot traffic into the downtown district while supporting children reading, Turkiewicz called it a win-win and encouraged people to stop by and check it out. Currently, the pages of the children's book Pete the Cat are featured in business windows on the northside of Main Street, starting at Walker's General Store. The final page is at Diamond Rock Glass Studio and a recap page at Corner Pub. Then in August, they'll offer a new book, while also flipping to the southside of Main Street.

Published on 07/21/2025 under News If you noticed a little more airplane traffic across the Northwoods Sunday morning, you are not alone. While hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts will be in the Fox Valley this week for the EAA AirVenture, more than 100 pilots first participated in an air race around the Northwoods. It's all part of the AirVenture Cup, now in its 27th year. The race in the skies traditionally serves as a kick-off event for the week-long festivities in Oshkosh about all things aviation. The race is based out of the Wausau Airport and takes pilots on a route through Northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This year's approximately 400 mile circuit sent pilots out from Wausau to Manistique, after a couple more checkpoints in the UP, they return to the Northwoods with Land O Lakes, Tomahawk and Merrill serving as the final check points. That led to a steady line of airplanes flying overhead late Sunday morning as they wrapped up the course. Upon returning to the Wausau airport, pilots were greeted with a small luncheon. Most participants will make their way to Oshkosh where the EAA Air Venture officially kicks off this morning.

Published on 07/21/2025 under News The Kwahamots finished just short in their bid for a Wisconsin State Show Ski Championships over the weekend. Wisconsin Rapids once again played host to the 4-day competition on the shores of Lake Wazeecha. Two dozen teams participated across the three divisions. Our local Kwahamots skied Friday morning, and finished in second place in the tightly contested D-3 competition. They were edged out by the Bad Water Ski-Ters, who ski in Spread Eagle over in Florence County. The Kwahamots topped the standings in two judging categories, their ballet line and their barefoot act. After pausing their shows for the competition, they'll be back on their regular schedule this week. As for the other divisions, the Ski Sprites of Altoona topped D2 and the Mad-City skiers of Madison were the D1 Champs.

Published on 07/21/2025 under News Atrial fibrillation affects millions of Americans each year, yet often goes undetected and untreated. That can lead to serious health risks including stroke. The Aspirus Heart Care team will be offering up a free seminar on the topic here in the Northwoods Tuesday evening. The program in Minocqua will be led by cardio-thoracic surgeon John Johnkoski and electro-physiologist Andrew Mykytsey. They'll cover the relationship between AFib, stroke, and heart failure, as well as the innovative treatment options currently available. Recent research has show Afib on the rise among those under the age of 65. It can be attributed to a combination of factors including smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, hypertension or sleep apnea. Johnkoski says, "Atrial fibrillation not only disrupts normal heart rhythm but also significantly increases the risk of life-threatening complications. He notes that the risk of stroke can increase five fold in those with Afib. The seminar is scheduled for Tuesday evening at 6:30pm and will be held at The Pointe Hotel and Suites in Minocqua. It is free, but registration is required. Click or call 715.847.2380 or 800.847.4707

Published on 07/21/2025 under News Some bumpy weather crossed the region early Saturday morning leaving a narrow band of storm damage in North Central Wisconsin. The storm brought rain, gusty winds, and even some impressive hail. Some of the most intense activity was in a line between Merrill and Birnamwood. We received reports of winds gusts at more than an inch of rain, 50 miles per hour, and even some golf ball sized hail. That led to downed trees, blocking some roads and power outages. Among the areas hit by the storms was Council Grounds State Park in Merrill. Storm debris forced them to close access to many of the amenities. Crews spent the weekend clearing trees and branches and assessing damage. And while there were some power outages Saturday morning, most outages were restored by Saturday afternoon.

Published on 07/18/2025 under News Around two dozen of top water ski teams in Wisconsin are competing for state championships this weekend, with several local favorites in the mix. Wisconsin Rapids is once again hosting all three divisions of the Wisconsin State Show Ski Championships on Lake Wazeecha. The competition actually got underway Thursday with some individual events like freestyle jumping, swivel ski, and doubles. That all leads into the team competition which kicks off bright and early Friday morning. Each team gets an hour to put on a show. Competitors are judged in twelve categories such as showmanship, difficulty, boat driving, announcing, and overall performance. The Northwoods will be well represented throughout the weekend. While they're used to skiing in the evenings, the Tomahawk-based Kwahamots hit the water Friday morning. On Saturday, both the Plum Ski-ters and the Chain Skimmers of Conover compete. The teams continue into Sunday with division 1. That's followed by awards, and we'll share the results as we receive them.*Due to this weekend's competition, the Kwahamots will not be holding their regular Saturday show.

Published on 07/18/2025 under News A group of kids here in Tomahawk have been using their summer vacation to get a crash course in acting. While the Tomahawk Community Theater is best known for their traditional adult plays held in the fall, the organization has been busy in recent weeks with another Children's Summer Workshop. This will be their third youth production. The goal was to offer an opportunity for kids in the community to experience the fine arts at a young age. The two week camp is designed for upper elementary and middle school aged kids with more than a dozen in the cast and crew. They've also partnered with the Tomahawk High School Drama Department for student instructors. And in just two short weeks, the kids are already set for the stage with a public performance this evening. Superheroes dominate the box office, and the local kids will provide an alternative take on the genre. The one-act play Supervillians Anonymous offers a comedic look at the big bads of their fictional city as they form a support group. It's a limited run, one night only and coming up this evening at 6pm in the Tomahawk School auditorium.

Published on 07/18/2025 under News Over the next few weeks, drivers in the Nokomis area won't be able to reach Highway 51 from County L due to a bridge construction project. As of Friday, the Bearskin Creek Bridge is closed and a detour in place. The Bearskin Creek bridge is located at the far northern end of County L, near the Highway 51 intersection. It is a full bridge closure, so motorists will need to find an alternative route. The detour sends motorists onto Highway 51 and Highway 8. The rest of County L will remain open. Most properties and businesses are located south of the bridge. The goal is to finish this phase of the project by late August or early September. And later this fall, they'll resurface all of Oneida County L.

Published on 07/18/2025 under News A planned housing project is looking to tackle the issue of Veteran homelessness in the Northwoods. Coming up this weekend, they're partnering with a local business for a backyard BBQ fundraiser. The Northwoods Veterans Homestead is tiny house project being planned in the Rhinelander area. We were recently joined by Carla Ruskinen, who serves as the VP of the organization, along with Gail Youngs from the Butcher and the Baker. While previous reports estimate more than 300 unhoused veterans living in Wisconsin, Ruskinen says that number is likely higher. And many of the organizations and outreach to address the issue is based in larger cities. A lack of support in the area led to the Northwoods Veteran's Homestead. The goal is to build a small development with 16 tiny houses surrounding a community center. They would also offer resources and programs to help get the veterans back on their feet. Ruskinen says they've been in communication with a similar veterans tiny home community in the Racine area that has been successful. They've already purchased the land east of Rhinelander. Now they're fundraising to cover the estimated $3 million cost. That's where Youngs comes in. Her two sons and a daughter-in-law have served. That provided the veteran connection. She also admitted her own personal obsession with tiny houses in general. While not everyone can write out a large check, she noted they can purchase a plate of food and few raffle tickets. Gail and husband Mark will be utilizing their culinary skills to offer smoked brisket, pork and classic BBQ sides. In addition to the food, they'll also have live entertainment, family activities, and generous raffle baskets. That entire conversation is available in the WJJQ audio center, or simply stop by the Butcher and the Baker out in Brantwood on Saturday afternoon.

Published on 07/18/2025 under News A Tomahawk area church recently relocated to a long-vacant building, and coming up this weekend, they're inviting the community to check out the new space. It's been about a month since the Rock Church moved into the former Lincoln Industries building on Kaphaem Road. Before that, they had been renting the banquet hall at SARA Park for their services.We were recently joined by Pastor Barry Rudesill and Kristie Davis to discuss their upcoming open house. The church actually purchased the location from the City of Tomahawk. The Finance Committee put out a call for potential buyers to pitch their ideas for the building. At the April meeting, members of the Rock Church offered their vision, a faith-based community space. It was the lone offer and the city approved the sale. Davis gave credit to a higher power for answering their call. The building had been vacant for about seven years, and wasn't designed as a church. That left plenty of work, yet they put out an ambitious goal, hosting their first service over Father's Day weekend. That left the team with about six weeks. Pastor Barry called it an amazing experience watching everyone get involved, but he joked that he would never set that timeline again. The congregation pitched in, some with applicable experience, others simply a good heart and a willingness to work. Now that they've been settled in for a few weeks, They wanted to invite the community to see their new space. Davis noted their goal is for the building to become a seven-day-a-week facility focused on family and community. They'll be hosting an open house on Sunday from noon to 3pm including treats, activities, a chance to meet the people and check out the building including a transformation video they made from recordings made during the construction.

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