News

Vilas County Fair Runs Thursday Through Sunday

By Ken Krall • Aug 9, 2017

The Vilas County Fair gets underway Thursday8/10) and the event begins it's second century.

The 101st Fair is held at the fairgrounds on Highway 70 in Eagle River.

No Injuries As Plane Flips On Langlade Co. Lake

By Ken Krall • Aug 8, 2017

No one was injured Monday evening when a float plane flipped on Otter Lake near Elcho.

The Langlade County Sheriff's Department reported the pilot is thought to have made an error with the landing gear as the plane was about to set down on the water The pilot was the lone occupant and got out of the crash without injury.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Appeals Court Upholds Bey Conviction

By Wheeler News-Learfield Data • Aug 8, 2017

A state appeals court has upheld the conviction of a Northwoods man for a brutal beating in March of 2014.

Twenty-four-year-old Justin Bey of Wabeno was given a chance to challenge his case, after his attorneys said there was no merit for an appeal. Bey did not do so, and the Third District Appellate Court in Wausau Tuesday upheld Bey's 18 year prison sentence as one of four people found guilty of helping attack Steven Roberts.

Investigators say he was tortured at a house in Wabeno, beaten on a frozen trail, and left for wolves to maul him.

Final Push Set For Conover-Phelps Bike-Walk Trail

By Ken Krall • Aug 8, 2017

https://ghtrails.org/

The annual meeting for the Great Headwaters Trails is next week in Phelps and the group's leader says much progress has been made but a final push is needed. A fundraiser is also set for Saturday to help fund the completion of the trail work.

President Jeff Currie talked with Ken Krall...

Jeff Currie of the Great Headwaters Trail group. More information is on their website ghtrails.org

Alzheimer's Association Seeking Volunteers To Reach Communities

By Ken Krall • Aug 8, 2017

The Alzheimer's Association-Greater Wisconsin Chapter is looking for volunteers to help bring the latest details of the disease to the public.

Spokesperson Kathy Davies says a community educator is a volunteer trained by the Alzheimer's Association to present topics related to dementias, including prevention, detection and caregiver resources.

She says each community has people who could be tapped....

Health Official Says Time For Student Immunizations

By Ken Krall • Aug 8, 2017

Outbreaks of pertussis in Northwoods schools last term highlights a reminder from health professionals to get children vaccinated prior to the coming school year.

Nurse Jennifer Bates from the Oneida County Health Department says with the hub-bub of activity getting kids ready for school, it's easy to forget immunizations

. She says pertussis was a problem in the Northwoods.....

The Broken Prop Award

By Susan Knight • Aug 8, 2017

In this month’s Field Notes, Susan Knight of Trout Lake Station tells us what happens when things go wrong in the field.

You hear Field Notes on the second Tuesday of every month, exclusively on WXPR.

A Biologist Who Hates Dissecting Animals?

By The Masked Biologist • Aug 4, 2017

Can you be a biologist if you hate dissecting animals? In this week's episode of Wildlife Matters, the Masked Biologist shares some of his own struggles overcoming his disdain for dissection to get into the field of wildlife biology.

Minocqua to Gain Dollar General Store

By Dean S. Acheson • Aug 4, 2017

Minocqua is on track to get another business, this one variety retailer Dollar General, which plans to locate on U.S. Hwy. 51, south of the Island of Minocqua.

Tuesday, the Minocqua Town Board forwarded for approval a conditional use permit for DGI-Minocqua to build a 7,500-foot-store that will be leased to Dollar General.

Supervisor Billy Fried says he’s glad the store is being built, but has concerns about Dollar General’s corporate office’s insistence that the building’s appearance stay as proposed:

Northland Pines Solar Project

By Ken Anderson • Aug 4, 2017

The Northland Pines school board approved a large solar project Monday that will produce 420 kilowatt hours (kw) from 1,200 solar panels with no up-front cost to the district.

The contract was awarded to Eagle Point Solar of Dubuque, Iowa for $663,000. The cost will be covered by a grant plus third party investors taking advantage of energy tax credits.

Additional Cases of CWD Found in Captive Three Lakes Deer Herd

By Andrew Padgett • Aug 3, 2017

Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, is an incurable disease in deer that has been found once again on a game farm in Three Lakes. This disease, if not monitored and prevented, threatens the entire deer population. The DNR will again be doing an area-wide herd sampling this year to search for cases of it in the wild. Jeremy Holtz, a wildlife biologist with the DNR, says despite additional cases of the disease being identified in the captive Three Lakes herd, he’s hopeful of the results this year given last year’s findings.

Ron Kind Secures Opioid Program Funding

By Zach Hagenbucher - WSAU News • Jul 28, 2017

Rep. Ron Kind has helped to secure $55 million towards funding programs in the Jason Simcacoski PROMISE Act during spending bill negotiations in Washington.

Kind is confident the initiatives in the PROMISE Act will begin to clean up the VA health system and beyond.

I'm hopeful that if we do this right, that the Tomah VA could become a model of care of proper pain management for our veterans that we can apply throughout the nation, including throughout the entire healthcare system.

UW Trout Lake Station to Host Open House

By Andrew Padgett • Jul 27, 2017

University of Wisconsin Center for Limnology

The UW Trout Lake Station in Boulder Junction will be holding its 6th Annual Open House on Friday, August 4th from 1-5. The open house showcases much of the research done at the station as well as events for all ages, as interim station director Susan Knight describes.

Vilas County Interviews Firms for Courthouse Security

By Ken Anderson • Jul 27, 2017

Two firms were interviewed by the Vilas County Public Property Committee with a view to providing courthouse security beginning in 2018.

While no decision has been made on the level of security for courthouse visitors, a secure entrance has been designed into the new $11 million addition. Individual courthouse office security issues have also been discussed with no plans.

Interviewed were Per Mar Security Services of Schofield who indicated they currently provide unarmed security at three Wisconsin counties . . . Outagamie, Trempealeau, and Monroe.

Quickly Passing Summer

By The Masked Biologist • Jul 27, 2017

Summer seems to pass so quickly. In this episode of Wildlife Matters, the Masked Biologist talks about taking time with his boys to enjoy all that summer has to offer while reflecting on his own summertime fun when he was a kid.

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