WJJQ Radio

Story Details

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.

In Other News

DoT Unveils New Dual Language Signs for Lac du Flambeau Reservation

Published on 07/24/2025 under News Motorists passing through the Lac du Flambeau Reservation will notice some special new road signs. State officials, including Governor Evers, were in the Northwoods Wednesday, joining tribal leaders to unveil the latest dual-language highway signs. It's part of a larger state-wide program launched in 2021 with a goal of celebrating and preserving Native heritage, and language, in particular. The new Tribal boundary signs feature the Lac du Flambeau Tribal seal and the traditional Reservation name, "Waaswaaganing." Beneath the indigenous language is the English translation. Similar signs are being planned for four area lakes as well. Tribal President John Johnson Sr. called it a good day for their people. He says, "Any chance we get to incorporate Ojibwe Language to our daily lives, and something we see each day, helps our people relearn the language and adds to our sovereignty," He added, "I wish some of our elders who walked on, were here to see this effort. They would be proud of this day." The Lac du Flambeau Band are the seventh Tribe in Wisconsin to install dual-language signs. -Photo from Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Published on 07/24/2025 under News The Hodag Dome is regularly filled for sports. Today, they're hoping for plenty of people looking to save lives. The Community Blood Center will be in the Northwoods for an annual blood drive that's undergone a bit of a makeover. For years, the CBC hosted MASH-themed blood drives during the summer months. This year they changed up the name and look, but note the collection still has the same life saving goal. The blood drive is now known as the Summer Tour of All Types or STAT, highlighting the need for donations, no matter the blood type. There are eight stops on this year's STAT tour, and they are currently on the northern leg. After today's visit to the Hodag Dome, they'll make their way to Merrill and Wausau in the coming weeks. And it comes at a critical time according to John Hagins, president and CEO of the Community Blood Center. That's because busy schedules and summer vacation typically leads to fewer donations, while the demand doesn't slow down. As usual, they'll have some donor incentives including an exclusive STAT t-shirt and a meal. First time donors will also receive a gift card. They'll be set up at the Hodag Dome Thursday until 2pm.

Published on 07/24/2025 under News The Northwoods is home to plenty of talented artists, and coming up this weekend some of them are opening up their studios and workshops to the public. The Northwoods Art Tour is returning for a 25th year. The weekend event allows guests to experience participating artists in their work space and connect with the creators. Whether painting, pottery, woodwork and sculpture, the artists represent many different mediums. This year they have more than 30 stops across Vilas, Oneida, Iron, and Lincoln Counties. That includes four in the Tomahawk/Irma area at the southern end. Organizers note the tour is self-guided, so participants are able to design their own experience, selecting locations and artists of most interest. The Northwoods Art Tour begins Friday and runs through Sunday from 10am to 5pm. A digital brochure is available at northwoodsarttour.com with maps, locations, and artist descriptions.

Published on 07/24/2025 under News The scheduled sale of Pine Crest nursing home is quickly approaching, and the Lincoln County Board continues to work towards that agreement. The supervisors held a special meeting Wednesday evening. All three resolutions on the agenda were aimed at facilitating the sale. Each was eventually approved after discussion. The goal of one resolution was to 'bridge any potential gap' between when the sale would take place and the purchaser, Merrill Health Holdings and Jack Pines Healthcare, are granted a state license to operate the facility. The resolution states that application is pending and DHS has indicated preliminary approval. The action would establish an interim management agreement between the two parties to ensure continued care. The other two resolutions addressed a sewer easement on the property and allowing change of ownership documents to be filed with Medicare and Medicaid Services. Back in June, the Lincoln County Board approved a purchase agreement for the skilled nursing facility in Merrill. The $9.5 million sale is scheduled to be completed by August 1.

Published on 07/24/2025 under News It was another successful spring turkey season with a top five harvest all-time. The DNR released harvest data from the recently completed spring seasons. During the six, week-long periods, hunters registered just over 50,000 turkeys. That similar to last year's total, and approximately 14 percent above the five year average. The DNR also highlighted participation in the two-day youth hunt for those 16 and under. The youth hunters registered just shy of 4,000 turkeys, up a few birds from last year. As for participation, tags sales have been trending up based on past DNR data. This spring, just over 228,000 tags were issued, for an approximately 22% success rate for tag holders. Those are also near last year's numbers. The DNR says in their announcement, "The robust participation and harvest numbers demonstrate ample opportunities across the state." In addition to the spring season, Wisconsin also offers a fall season, though typically fewer hunters participate.

Published on 07/23/2025 under News "Do a swab, be a hero." It's a simple message with a life-changing outcome for one local woman. Steve and Bobbi Busam have been summer residents on Lake Nokomis for decades, but their story stretches halfway around the globe. We were recently joined by the couple for an emotional discussion about the importance of National Marrow Donor Program, something they now know first hand. Back in 2012, Bobbi went through treatment for breast cancer. Just a few years later, that was followed by a new diagnosis of leukemia. Among her treatment options was a stem cell bone marrow transplant. Meanwhile, over in Germany, a man named Sebastian Spreer was making a decision that would change a complete stranger's life. As a firefighter, Spreer was already in the life-saving profession. Hoping to match a child in a neighboring town, the then-32-year-old signed up for the donor registry. While he didn't match the boy, he was a match for Bobbi. Sebastian went through the donation process, and Bobbi underwent successful treatment. To complete the story, earlier this year and nine years after their initial connection, the Busams were able to fly to Germany and finally meet with Sebastian and his family. They shared a video of that first encounter; embraced in a hug and fighting back tears, Sebastian says, "You look so good." Bobbi replying, "Thanks to you." Given a new lease on life, it's also led to a new mission for the Busams... promoting the importance of registering for the National Marrow Donor Program. Steve says people may be familiar with the former name of the program, 'Be the Match.' He says all it takes is a home swab and a short questionnaire to get on the list. And now Bobbi is shining example of how that decision can save lives. For those that would like to hear more, we've now got that conversation available in the WJJQ Audio Center. Photos provided by the Steven and Bobbi Busam: Sebastian and Bobbi meet in Germany after life-saving marrow donation The Busam and Spreer families meet after life-saving marrow donation

Published on 07/23/2025 under News Earlier this month, we told you about the return of a Wisconsin Public Service safe digging campaign featuring a customer dog selected by public vote. Several local pups in are the finalists. The winning pup will be featured in a social media campaign promoting safe digging and the use of Digger's Hotline. The campaign began last year, featuring Arlo, an Aussie-doodle from Tomahawk. Arlo's term is winding down, and WPS is looking for his successor. WPS customers were encouraged to submit a photo of their dog, preferably digging in his or her favorite place. Among the finalists are several local dogs: Bella and Copper both live in Rhinelander, while Ruby is a dog from the Tomahawk area. People have until next Monday, July 28, to check out the dogs and cast a vote. The winner will be announced ahead of August 11, or 8-11 which is also the Digger's Hotline phone number.

Published on 07/23/2025 under News A local law enforcement agency is warning residents about recent cases of check washing. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office explained that check washing is where a criminal steals a check that has already been written out and uses techniques to 'erase' or 'wash' the hand-written information. This allows them to re-write the check and steal the funds from the unsuspecting victim's bank account. Here in Lincoln County, investigators have been looking into two cases. They wanted to inform and educate the public without compromising their ongoing investigation. They were able to share a few details. Both reported checks were mailed out for credit card payments to Discover. They did pass through the Tomahawk and Merrill Post Offices respectively. This led to the conclusion that the checks weren't taken from local mailboxes or postal facilities. The Sheriff's Office says they are working with the US Postal Service on this investigation. The Facebook warning has a few tips to avoid a check washing scheme… • Consider using online payments. • While these particular cases involved Discover payments, they noted it could be a check for another type of payment in the future. • The Sheriff's Office says gel ink is more resistant to check washing than ink from a traditional ball point pen. • And as always be vigilant, routinely checking financial accounts for unusual activity.

Published on 07/23/2025 under News Tomahawk's summer concert series is winding down, but there are still two more weeks left to enjoy the show. Coming up this evening a fan favorite returns. While the Tomahawk Music on the River line-up changes each summer, the Jerry Schmitt Band has become a main stay in recent years, including each of the last four years. They're back once again this evening. The Central Wisconsin band describes their music as a blend of modern and traditional country with a rockabilly influence. They've release several albums, received numerous awards and play not only Wisconsin, but other country hotbeds like Nashville. Tonight's show was initially the season finale, however some stormy weather last Wednesday forced a postponement of the Cougar's set. They'll be back in Tomahawk on August 6 for a make-up show. But first, it's the Jerry Schmitt Band playing at 6pm tonight. As of 10am, they are still on for Memorial Park, but with the threat of rain this afternoon, stay tuned to WJJQ for any weather-related changes.

Published on 07/23/2025 under News With temperatures climbing over the next few days, officials are reminding people about some laws to protect utility customers. We regularly discuss the winter disconnection moratorium which prevents utilities from disconnecting service during the winter heating months. But the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin also notes that similar rules go into effect while a heat advisory, heat warning, or heat emergency is issued by the National Weather Service. Some area of southern Wisconsin are already under advisories, and temperatures are expected to spike in the Northwoods this weekend. In addition to the disconnection moratorium, the PSC notes that utilities must also make a reasonable attempt to restore service if there is a potential threat to health due to a combination of heat and loss of service. According to the announcement, once the heat advisory, heat warning, or heat emergency expires, service may be disconnected again if a payment arrangement hasn't been established.

+ Read More