Government

Lac du Flambeau celebrated the tribe’s purchase of the historic Strawberry Island Thursday.  The land was privately held for over a hundred years.

About a hundred people gathered on Sand Beach across from the island that gets its name from its strawberry-like shape.  It’s the site of an important battle between the Ojibwe and the Sioux peoples.  Lac du Flambeau Chairman Tom Maulson says it’s also spiritually important. 

       At a meeting Wednesday,  the trustees of the Walter E. Olson Memorial Library in Eagle River discussed the effort to transfer ownership of the library property to the town of Lincoln.  The City of Eagle River has owned the property since the library was built in 1980.  However, City officials want to transfer ownership of the property and end its service as fiscal agent by August 15th.

Vilas county authorities say no foul play is suspected in the death of Sandra Schinke of Plum Lake, whose body was found  almost 18 months after she disappeared.

Schinke was reported missing from her residence in Plum Lake on April 6, 2012. Her body was found near a snowmobile trail on September 20, 2013. Schinke's remains were found east of Sayner in the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest. At the time of death she was 55 years old.

Lincoln   has become the fifth county board in Wisconsin to ask voters about accepting federal funds for BadgerCare.

The advisory referendum will be on the November ballot.

The Walker administration and the legislature declined the money to help pay for Medicaid, known in Wisconsin as BadgerCare. The money was available through the Affordable Care Act.

A nation that is awash with oil will cause gas prices to plummet soon, even in the middle of the  tourist-busy summer season. That assessment from Patrick DeHaan, a Senior Petroleum Analyst for the website gasbuddy.com . He talked with Ken Krall about gas prices...
 

  Patrick DeHaan from the website gasbuddy.com

At the direction of the Oneida County Board, the Planning and Development committee wants the public to take an on-line survey concerning boathouses and piers.

Both issues have been debated at length over several years by the county. When some changes were proposed in the boathouse rules, the board decided to get more input before making a decision. While the state has rules governing piers, counties can have rules more strict than the state rules, as Oneida county does.

A Manawa man has been bound over for trial in Oneida county on charges of human trafficking, child enticement and a sex charge.

43 year old Michael W. Johnson waived a preliminary hearing before Judge Michael Bloom.

The criminal complaint alleges Johnson brought a  17 year old female he had met on the Internet to Rhinelander   in February and March to have sex, some of which was allegedly in exchange for money. The complaint alleges the underage teen had sex numerous times with the adults.

The Rhinelander city council approved a retroactive pay increase for a public employee union that had taken the city to court.

Local 1226, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees had filed suit against the city last December claiming the city backed out of an agreement reached in 2012. The matter languished in Oneida County Circuit Court until earlier this month when sources say an agreement to drop the suit was reached. At that point, both sides began negotiating, and came to an agreement.

The Rhinelander city council has accepted a grant that will continue the process to demolish and clean up the former Lindey Cleaners property in downtown Rhinelander.

On June 30, the city was notified by Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation they were awarded a Site Assessment Grant of just under $110,000.

Council member Mark Pelletier says the state said to get the grant, the city had to put up more matching money...

Wisconsin's Lieutenant Governor stopped in Rhinelander Monday with money to expand the reach of broadband in the Northwoods.

Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Broadband Director  Tithi  Chattopadhyay presented three Northwoods high speed internet providers with grants to expand broadband fiber and wirless coverage.