News

Northwoods legislators are holding listening sessions beginning today across the 12th State Senate District.
Senator Tom Tiffany will join  Assembly Representatives over the next several days.

Tiffany will join Republican Mary Czaja this afternoon at the Tomahawk public library at 2:45 p.m., with a stop at 5:00 p.m. at Merrill city hall. January 24th they will be at Antigo city hall.

Tiffany will join Representative Rob Swearingen January 23 in Eagle River, Minocqua and Rhinelander that day and with Representative Jeff Mursau in Crandon on January 26.

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson says there appears to be an emerging consensus in the nation's capitol that cyber security should be a priority.

The Republican from Oshkosh chairs the Senate Committee on Homeland Security. He says the level of cyber attacks on the U.S. is alarming..

".....the hacking of SONY, the hacking of the Central Command's Twitter site, those are just a couple of examples of the cyber attacks the private sector and government websites are incurring, literally millions of times a week. Cyber security will be a top priority...."

A group of people are planning a snowshoe hike through the Penokee Range this weekend that crosses land closed to the public because of mining-related activity. 

The hike meets Sunday at the site of the Harvest Camp, or HELP Village on Moorepark Road in the town of Anderson in Iron County. 

Village spokesperson Paul DeMain says the area should be open to the public despite a company’s plans for an iron mine there. 

The names of the five suspects arrested this week in Rhinelander as part of a drug bust have been released.

The Oneida County Sheriff's Department reports the bust took place at 718 Margaret Street. Arrested were Andrea Healy, Jute Handrick, Andi Hansen, Ronald Ross, Jr. and Richard Nitschke.

No other details about the suspects were released. They made court appearances Friday  in Oneida County Circuit Court.

The White Lake school board is hoping the third time is a charm, as they voted Thursday night to ask voters in April to exceed state-mandated revenue limits.

Referendums asking for $250,000 for three years were twice narrowly defeated last year. District Administrator Bill Fisher says the board Thursday night unanimously approved asking voters this time for $300,000 per year for five years.

Fisher says after the latest referendum was defeated, they cut several programs, but a further rejection could lead to an end point...

The months after high school graduation are a big adjustment for any 18-year old. WXPR’s Emily Bright has the story of one local girl who used the time to launch a singer/songwriter career.

Seven months after graduating from Northland Pines High School Madeline Consoer was back in her old auditorium, playing piano and singing a two-hour concert Friday that included her original songs. It’s been a busy few months, says Madeline.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing new protections for the northern long-eared bat that would give more freedom to the logging industry.

The federal agency wanted to list the bat as endangered after white nose syndrome decimated populations in some areas.  But it’s been getting a lot of feedback from the public in favor of a less-restrictive threatened listing. 

The League of Women Voters of the Northwoods has given it's support to an agency under legislative review.

The Government Accountability Board was created as a non-partisan administrator of elections. They have been criticized for uneven performance. GAB officials this week defended their actions, saying they are understaffed and have had to deal with numerous recall elections, among other increasing duties. 

Representative Dean Knudson of Hudson would like to overhaul the board enabling some partisan members.

The name of the St. Germain woman killed Sunday afternoon from a traffic crash in  St. Germain has been released.

The Vilas County Sheriff's Department reports 72 year old Peggy A. Sorensen of St. Germain died.

Reports indicate the vehicle was traveling east on STH 70 and drove through the intersection of State Highways 70 and  155 prior to entering Saint Germain Boulevard. The vehicle then left the roadway and collided with a tree. Sorensen was the only occupant of the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.
No other details were released.

Only a small percentage of teenagers in the Northwoods have received the vaccination that could prevent them from getting a sexually-transmitted cancer.

The human papillomavirus can cause cervical, anal and oral cancers. It affects both boys and girls. A vaccine can prevent the virus from turning into cancer in teens. Only 3 in 10 girls and one in 10 boys ages 13 -17 in the Northwoods has had the full three doses of the HPV vaccine.