News

Though a new Department of Tourism ad doesn't feature much of northern Wisconsin, a Northwoods tourism leader says it will do good things for this region and the state.

The ad revealed this week, shows a remake of the former "Airplane" movie scene with Robert Hays and Kareen Abdul-Jabbar in a cockpit touring the state by air.

Wisconsin's publicly registered snowmobile total is approaching a quarter-million and Northwoods registrations have increased by 163 percent since 2002.

The state last week released data on the number of registrations in Wisconsin. Oneida and Vilas are among the top five counties registering snowmobiles.

The DNR's Cathy Burrow says this region has seen a large growth in snowmobile registrations...

The state Senate has approved a 504-million state tax cut package..

After about three hours of debate, the Senate passed the amended version of Governor Scott Walker's tax cut plan, on a 17-15 vote, with Republican Senator Dale Schultz joining Democrats on the vote.

Last week in Rhinelander, Walker told reporters he thinks everyone would get some tax benefits...

"....property taxes on a medium-value home in this state would go down by over $100. They would be lower than December of 2010...."

Anna Pidgeon is an avian ecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a guest at this week’s Science on Tap discussion.  

WXPR’s Natalie Jablonski spoke with Pidgeon about her research on how habitat loss and climate events may influence the range of some songbirds.

Though winter is holding on with a vice-like grip, the DNR is reminding those with ice shacks that it's not long until they need to be removed from lakes and rivers.

DNR Conservation Warden Tom Van Haren says the middle of March is a key time to remember....

"....for most waters, there's a north-south line in the state...Highway 64 is the dividing line. If you're north of the Highway 64 line then you have to have your permanent shelters removed beginning the first Sunday afte March 12 each year.....

A third of Wisconsin residents age 16 and over are birders.  That’s according to a new survey from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which ranks Wisconsin’s percentage of birders second highest in the nation, tied with West Virginia. 

The report defined birders as those who traveled at least one mile to watch birds, or reported paying close attention to the birds around their house. 

Ryan Brady, research scientist with the Wisconsin DNR in Ashland, says he’s not surprised by the high number. 

The new Executive Director for the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce had his first day on the job Monday.  Rhinelander native Dana DeMet says he’s busy getting up to speed on upcoming events like the Hodag Home Show. 

He says one of his goals as chamber director is to help make membership a measurable benefit. 

“I’m really looking forward to expanding on not only just the events that we have, but putting together some measurable results or goals.  I really want to foster the true value for the chamber’s members.” 

Vilas county officials are investigating the death of a 49 year old St. Germain man.

Sheriff Joe Fath says Wade Willey was found Saturday evening dead and frozen to the ground. Fath says Willey was last seen about 1:00 a.m. Saturday. Fath says they think Willey succumbed to the extremely cold weather. Fath says alcohol may have been a factor in the death.

The Vilas County Coroner and the Sheriff's office continue to investigate. 

Deer aren’t the only wildlife having a hard time finding food this winter.  

Wildlife rehabilitator Marge Gibson of the Raptor Education Group says she’s worried about many of the region’s birds.  She says the rehab center near Antigo is seeing birds like red-tailed hawks, chickadees and even robins.    

“What is unusual is the way that they’re coming in.  People are finding them really not moving very much – they’re kind of in a hypothermic state.  Their breathing is slowed, their heartrate is slowed, and they go into almost a torpor state.” 

The state's budget surplus is likely to be used to help reduce local property taxes by more fully funding Wisconsin's Technical College system.

During a stop Friday in Rhinelander, Governor Scott Walker says the plan would give direct property tax relief by picking up the majority of technical college costs from the local levy. Walker says the action would not affect local governance....