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Early Goose Season Highlights Hunting Openers Published on 09/01/2025 under News

With the calendar flipped to September, the fall hunting season is officially underway. That includes the early goose season which opens today.

According to the DNR, this two week-long season has an increased daily bag limit of five Canada geese. It targets Wisconsin's resident goose population before the fall migration crosses the state. The current population estimate for Wisconsin-breeding Canada geese is 131,567 birds. That is slightly lower than last year, but still 20% higher than the long-term average.

Following the two-week, early goose season is the regular goose season, opening September 16.

In addition to the early goose season, early teal and mourning dove seasons also open today.

And officials encourage safe hunting practices whenever heading out this fall.

In Other News

Back to School for Tomahawk Elementary; 6th and 9th Grade Students

Published on 09/02/2025 under News It's back-to-school day here in Tomahawk, at least for some students. For nearly a decade now, the Tomahawk School District has utilized a staggered start to the school year to accommodate a peer-mentoring program. The transition into both middle and high school can be intimidating for young learners. Back in 2018, the Tomahawk school district introduced the W.E.B. program in the Middle School and Link Crew in the High School. According to the Boomerang Project which oversees Link and WEB, more than 4,500 schools around the country now utilize their programming. They are specifically designed for 6th and 9th grade students (along with students new to the district). They offer specialized orientation and introductory activities which are revisited throughout the school year. It also allows participating students a chance to acclimate to their new building, get used to their lockers and changing classes. These students are attending school today while most of their upper-classmates get one last day of summer break. All Tomahawk elementary students are also back in class. Wednesday will be the first day with the entire student body back on campus. For Tomahawk students, just a reminder, your next summer break is only 172 school days away. Mark calendars for June 4 for the last scheduled day of class.

Published on 09/02/2025 under News Most Northwoods students will be heading back to school this week. Local law enforcement are reminding drivers to slow down, watch for buses and pedestrians, and obey traffic laws. The Wisconsin State Patrol and the Department of Transportation recently highlighted the importance of safety when it comes to school buses. State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan says, "Drivers need to be mindful of their surroundings and the rules of the road to keep children safe as they make their way to school and back home." According to the DoT, there are around 600 accidents in Wisconsin involving school buses each year. State law requires vehicles approaching a bus displaying red warning lights to stop at least 20 feet from the bus and remain there until the operator turns off the lights. Officials offered a few tips for motorists to remember. When you see children on their way to school slow down. Anticipate they may dart into the roadway and be prepared to stop quickly. Always yield to pedestrians, watch for special school zone speed limits, and, of course, eliminate distractions when driving. The State Patrol also encourages parents spend a few minutes going over bus stop safety with students. Those waiting for the bus should stay at least 5 giant steps away from the curb. Wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and the driver signals it's safe before approaching. If crossing the street, always do so in front of the school bus, making eye contact with the bus driver.

Published on 09/02/2025 under News One person was injured in a multi-vehicle crash including a tractor in Lincoln County. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, responders were sent a crash detection alert from AT&T indicating an incident on Highway 64 in the Town of Pine River. Upon arrival they found a crash involving two passenger vehicles and farm tractor. In their investigation, deputies learned the tractor was traveling north and stopped to turn into a field. The first vehicle stopped behind the tractor, however a second vehicle rear-ended the first, pushing it forward into the tractor. The driver of the third vehicle, a 19 year old Barron man, told the deputy he was not paying close attention at the time. One person reported injury and was brought to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Published on 09/02/2025 under News A wrong-way driving complaint led to an OWI arrest in Lincoln County over the holiday weekend. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Report, deputies responded to a report of a driver traveling in the wrong direction on Highway 51 near Lincoln Drive in the Town of Merrill. Deputies were able to locate the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. In making contact with the driver a 52 year old Tomahawk man, the deputy noticed signs of impairment. According to the report, the driver was asked to perform some sobriety tests but was unable to do so, stating he was too drunk. As a result, he was taken into custody for 3rd offense OWI, along with operating while revoked, tampering with an ignition interlock device, and driving the wrong way on a divided highway. _____ A few other quick notes from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Report...• A 32 year old Wausau man was arrested for 1st OWI after a traffic stop for failing to illuminate headlights. • A 34 year old Mosinee man was arrested for 1st OWI after a speeding stop. • A 31 year old Tomahawk man was arrested for 2nd OWI after a stop for a registration violation. The number of vehicle versus deer crashes jumped this past week with eleven reported on Lincoln County roadways.

Published on 09/02/2025 under News If you've got a bunch of pine cones, the DNR may have some cash. The agency is collecting red and white pine cones for it's reforestation program. Joseph Vande Hey is a reforestation team leader. He explained that state nurseries pay collectors to bring in these cones with a network of seed and cone buying stations scattered around the state. The timing is important to collect the pine cones before they release the seeds. He notes early September is the best time to collect mature red and white pine cones. It's when the color has just turned brown, but the scales have not yet opened. The state nurseries pay $125 per bushel of red pine cones and $60 per bushel of white pine cones. The bushel is about two five gallon buckets. Experienced collectors can pick a bushel of red pine cones in about 2-3 hours when the cone crop is good. White pine cones are larger, so picking a bushel takes about half the time. A few other quick tips: • All seeds must be of natural origin. Trees in your yard are not appropriate for seed harvest. And make sure the cones you collect are from red or white pines, and not related species. • Picking is easiest and safest for the collector and the tree when done from the ground using handheld landscaping shears. And wear gloves to avoid the sap. • Once picked, store the cones in breathable containers in a cool, dry place until they can be delivered to a drop-off site. That should be done as soon as possible. There are some specific guidelines that collectors must follow. The DNR has these, along with some tips on their website. We'll include the link in the online version of the story.

Published on 09/01/2025 under News One person is dead following a motorcycle crash in Vilas County. According to the Sheriff's Office, that call came in early Sunday morning, just a few minutes after midnight. Responders were paged to Gross Road and Milton Lane in the Town of Arbor Vitae. The reporting party came across the motorcycle, but didn't immediately locate the operator. Indicating the crash was relatively recent, they described the bike as still warm to the touch. The deputy quickly arrived on the scene, finding the unresponsive victim who was pronounced dead. The Sheriff's Office did say it was a 33 year old Arbor Vitae man. His name has not been released pending notification of family. The crash remains under investigation.

Published on 09/01/2025 under News Sunday was Opioid Awareness Day, and Aspirus took the opportunity to educate people on an important life-saving tool. Narcan, or naloxone, is becoming more readily available here in the Northwoods. According to Aspirus pharmacy resident Natalie Wilkin, naloxone reverses the effects of an overdose by neutralizing the opioid. It does so by binding to the same receptors in the body. An advantage of naloxone is that it doesn't impact a person that hasn't been using an opioid. Wilkin says it's important to know the warning signs of an opioid overdose which includes respiratory depression, or slowed breathing. Naloxone is considered safe, widely available, and easy to use. There are nasal spray or an injectable. Most first responders now carry doses of naloxone on calls. It's also available, over-the-counter in most pharmacies, and has even been introduced in other public spaces such as health vending machines. It is still advised to contact 911 after administering Narcan during an overdose.

Published on 09/01/2025 under News It's the first Monday in September, and that means Labor Day. Many workers have the day off and a long weekend. Labor Day became a federal holiday in the US in 1894 as a way to honor and recognize the American labor movement and celebrate the contributions of workers. While some celebrate with cookouts and cabins here in the Northwoods, Merrill recognizes Labor Day with a couple of annual community events. The festivities get underway this morning with the annual Labor Day Parade set to begin at 10am. After wrapping up near the courthouse, activities shift to the Merrill Festival Grounds for the rest of the day. That's where the Lions Club will host their 45th annual Labor Day Car Show. Organizers says the show typically draws between 200 and 250 entries. While vehicles from the 60's and 70's are most prevalent, they expect cars from the 1920's to modern classics.

Published on 09/01/2025 under News Officials are warning parents about sharing too much back-to-school information on social media. Over the next week or so, social media feeds will be filled with kids holding 'first day of school' signs or chalkboards. The photos provide a memorable look at a child throughout their school years. While it can be a fun way to celebrate and share these milestones with friends and families online, it can also provide private information to scammers and other unsavory characters. Officials say you should limit the amount of personal information shared on social media, especially when it comes to kids. That means leaving off information about their school, teacher, and address. That information can be used to gain a child's trust. It is also frequently used for security questions on banking and credit card accounts. Another tip they offered if you do want to share with friends and family...turn on the privacy settings to limit who can see posts.

Published on 09/01/2025 under Sports Tomahawk's volleyball squad went 4-3 in the Wisconsin Dells Invite over the weekend. The Hatchets started the day off with a loss to Royall. However, the Hatchets would respond with wins over Cambridge and the Milwaukee School of Languages. The 2-2 Day One Record would put Tomahawk in the silver bracket of the invite. The Hatchets would defeat Clintonville and Fall River on Day Two before losing in the bracket title match to Cambridge. After two invites, the Hatchets stand with a 6-5 record. Tomahawk begins Great Northern Conference play Thursday night against Rhinelander. First set is at 7:00.

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