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City of Merrill Unveils Street Dedication for Bill Johnston Published on 08/04/2025 under News

Another longtime member of Merrill is being honored for his contributions to the city during his life.

Over the weekend, the intersection of East 9th Street and North Sales Street in Merrill was dedicated as William C. Johnston Way. It's part of an ongoing effort of the city Historic Preservation Committee to dedicate street segments for tor those who've left an indelible mark.

According to the biography, Johnston graduated Merrill High in 1963. He went on to become president of Merrill based Park City Credit Union, a position he held for nearly 25 years. He used that position to regularly give back to the Merrill community, both through the credit union and on his own. They noted this was often done with little fanfare as he wanted.

Johnston was also active in the community and served regularly on city committees and commissions.

He becomes the third community member this year recognized through the Merrill Historical Street program. A small ceremony was held over the weekend to unveil the new marker.

In Other News

Nicolet College Board Welcomes Three New Trustees, One Returning for New Term

Published on 08/04/2025 under News The Nicolet College Board recently welcomed three new trustees, along with one current board member appointed. Starting with the returning member, Abbey Dall. She currently serves as the executive director at the Northwoods Alliance for Temporary Housing or NATH in Rhinelander. Dall is actually a Nicolet graduate. The three newcomers to the board include: Jim Mulleady of Eagle River, an employee of Shorewest Realtors, will serve as an employee member. Tony Pharo of Eagle River, executive director of Oneida County Economic Development Corporation, will serve as an at-large member. Scott Sievert of Rhinelander, general manager at Trident Maritime Systems, will serve as an interim employer member. Nicolet President Kate Ferrel welcomed the new board members, adding, "They each bring deep expertise combined with enthusiasm for community service. Their guidance will help ensure College continues to be an asset to the people of our district." The Board also elected their officers for the upcoming school year, with Dall selected as the Chair.

Published on 08/04/2025 under News It was another warm summer weekend here in the Northwoods, but there was a little extra heat in downtown Tomahawk with an annual rib cook-off. The Tomahawk Lion's Club hosted their anniversary 15th edition of Thrilla on the Grilla Saturday. Ten teams grilled up their best, turning out hundreds of racks of mouthwatering ribs, along with tasty sides like Mexican street corn and kraut, potato salads and desserts. And in the end, LP Building Solutions had a clean sweep, claiming all first place in all four categories. This included the judge's pick and the fan vote for both their ribs and their side dish. The victory is nothing new for the team as they entered the competition as the defending rib champion. As for the runner's up, five other teams shared those honors across the five categories, though no one went away hungry with plenty of good food served up throughout the day. Of course the event doubles as a fundraiser for the Tomahawk Lion's Club, and they thanked all the teams who participated, all of the volunteers who lend a hand, and everyone who came out to enjoy the food and the event. Their already looking forward to next year.

Published on 08/04/2025 under News The Tomahawk Community Theater is busy planning their fall production. They've now put out a call for potential actors. The TCT board has been laying the groundwork for their next production set to debut later this year. This time around, they've selected an iconic 'who-done-it' with Agatha Christie's murder mystery Murder on the Orient Express. With some of the behind the scenes work finalized, they're beginning the process of auditions. Past performers have highlighted the inclusiveness, no matter their experience. It's typically a blend of newcomers and veterans from previous plays who have made up the cast and crew. The process will be through informal readings during a pair of open house opportunities at the Fine Arts Studio at 200 West Mohawk Drive in the coming days. The first is scheduled Monday evening from 5pm to 8pm; the second on Thursday evening. This will be the fourth production for the Tomahawk Community Theater, which was launched in the summer of 2022. The first three performances resulted in a run of sold out shows. In between, they've also hosted a variety show and children's summer theater workshops to continue their mission of providing opportunities for those interested in the fine arts here in the Tomahawk community.

Published on 08/04/2025 under News Lincoln County Featured in New Discover Wisconsin Video, Summer Recreation Focus Over the last year or so, Lincoln County partners have teamed up with Discover Wisconsin and Uniquely Wisconsin to produce a series of video segments on the county. Discover Wisconsin released another video short focused on Lincoln County over the weekend. The five minute video is titled 'What's behind the trees.' It features some additional footage from previous shots. Among the highlights of the latest video is an extended look at a hidden gem, even for many locals in the scenic Ice Age Trail. They also highlight several local businesses, the Tomahawk Fall Ride and Merrill's unique Three Arch Bridge. That video is available for viewing on the Discover Wisconsin YouTube Channel.

Published on 08/04/2025 under News The Tomahawk Community Theater is busy planning their fall production. They've now put out a call for potential actors. The TCT board has been laying the groundwork for their next production set to debut later this year. This time around, they've selected an iconic 'who-done-it' with Agatha Christie's murder mystery Murder on the Orient Express. With some of the behind the scenes work finalized, they're beginning the process of auditions. Past performers have highlighted the inclusiveness no matter their experience. Its typically a blend of newcomers and veterans from previous plays. The process will be through informal readings during a pair of open house opportunities at the Fine Arts Studio at 200 West Mohawk Drive in the coming days. The first is scheduled Monday evening from 5pm to 8pm; the second on Thursday evening. This will be the fourth production for the Tomahawk Community Theater, which was launched in the summer of 2022. The first three performances resulted in a run of sold out shows. In between, they've also hosted a variety show and children's summer theater workshops to continue their mission of providing opportunities for those interested in the fine arts here in the Tomahawk community.

Published on 08/04/2025 under News It was another warm summer weekend here in the Northwoods, but there was a little extra heat in downtown Tomahawk with an annual rib cook-off. The Tomahawk Lion's Club hosted their anniversary 15th edition of Thrilla on the Grilla Saturday. Ten teams grilled up their best, turning out hundreds of racks of mouthwatering ribs, along with tasty sides like mexican street corn, stuffed strawberries and peach cobbler. And in the end, LP Building Solutions had a clean sweep, claiming all first place in all four categories. This included the judge's pick and the fan vote for both their ribs and their side dish. The victory is nothing new for the team as they entered the competition as the defending rib champion. As for the runner's up, five other teams shared those honors across the five categories, though no one went away hungry with plenty of good food served up throughout the day. Of course the event doubles as a fundraiser for the Tomahawk Lion's Club, and they thanked all the teams who participated, all of the volunteers who lend a hand, and everyone who came out to enjoy the food and the event. Their already looking forward to next year.

Published on 08/02/2025 under News Another longtime member of Merrill is being honored for his contributions to the city during his life. Over the weekend, the intersection of East 9th Street and North Sales Street in Merrill was dedicated as William C. Johnston Way. It's part of an ongoing effort of the city Historic Preservation Committee to dedicate street segments for tor those who've left an indelible mark. According to the biography, Johnston graduated Merrill High in 1963. He went on to become president of Merrill based Park City Credit Union, a position he held for nearly 25 years. He used that position to regularly give back to the Merrill community, both through the credit union and on his own. They noted this was often done with little fanfare as he wanted. Johnston was also active in the community and served regularly on city committees and commissions. He becomes the third community member this year recognized through the Merrill Historical Street program. A small ceremony was held over the weekend to unveil the new marker.

Published on 07/29/2025 under News Tragedy struck Kerville, Texas earlier this month. Now a Northwoods veterans group is hoping to help the flood ravaged community. American Legion Auxiliary Post 93 in Tomahawk recently launched a campaign to raise money for the small Texas community. Three members of Legion Auxiliary, Roseann Baldosky, Janet Ericksen and Carol Mueller stopped by the WJJQ studios, while George McHorse Jr, from American Legion Post 208 in Texas, joined by phone. McHorse explained that the aftermath of the flooding is still present in the community with search and recovery teams and clean-up efforts still present. With a population of around 25,000, almost every resident was affected or knows someone who was. Their goal is to get back to as close to normal as possible and begin the healing process. McHorse says that the outpouring of support from around the country has been amazing. And they're getting some help from the Northwoods of Wisconsin as well, thanks to the local Legion Auxiliary. Erickson credited Baldosky for planting the seeds for this fundraiser. They reached out to Crossbridge Community Bank in Tomahawk, where they've now set up an account for donations. They'll have a small photo display at the bank in August as well. The funds they collect will be sent to the Legion Post down in Texas, where McHorse and his brethren will be able to assess and invest where most needed.

Published on 07/29/2025 under News Nokomis is serving up a new sport opportunity, with some brand new pickleball courts now ready for play. The township recently installed two new courts at Nokomis Park. Parks staff and a small group of volunteers worked together to convert an underutilized basketball court into a pair of pickleball offerings. In just a few short weeks they were able to reseal the surface, put down lines and install nets, and now the courts are now open. The new courts in Nokomis will be a drop-in style, that friends and family can utilize when they have free time. The project was part of an effort to increase use of Nokomis Park which features a number of amenities and activities including baseball/softball fields, an 18 hole disc golf course, a volleyball court, walking path, and playground. Pickleball Continues to Grow in Tomahawk As for Pickleball, the sport has surged in popularity. The racquet sport with the funny name first took hold in the Tomahawk Community less than ten years ago. Now the Tomahawk Area Pickleball club has more than one hundred members. They have sessions nearly everyday of the week at SARA Park. And like Nokomis, the Town of Bradley has outdoor courts at Kahle Park.

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