Oneida county

Interests possibly from outside the area tried to influence the Oneida county board elections and a town of Crescent resident doesn't like it.

The family hoping to build the Eagle Cove Camp and Conference Center on Squash Lake west of Rhinelander has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the case. The Jaros family asked Oneida county and the town of Woodboro in 2004 to construct a religious based facility on family property. The request was rejected at the town, county and Board of Adjustment level. Appeals were rejected in U.S. District Court in Madison and most recently  by the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago. In each U.S.

The Oneida county courthouse opened at 8 a.m. Tuesday, after being evacuated Monday during a bomb scare.  

A black duffel bag was found outside the Social Services department on the buildings first floor.

According to a press release from the Oneida County Sheriff's Department the bag was found at approximately 10 a.m on Monday, and attempts to identify the owner were unsuccessful. 

The Oneida/Marathon County Bomb Team was called in to examine the bag, and the building was evacuated pending further investigation.  

The Oneida County Board in February will consider a new way to pay employees which...among many other points.... sets in place merit pay for extra achievers and caps pay increases.

A committee this week recommended a multi-faceted change in how compensation is handled. Separate wage schedules were established for salaried and non-salaried employees. The schedules establish a market value. For management and professional staff, it sets a wage point pay beyond that achieved by extraordinary effort.

Oneida county is going to take more time before deciding to implement a new compensation package for employees that has a component of pay for performance.

The county board contracted with Carlson-Dettman Consultants of Madison to compare Oneida county's employee compensation to other governments and the private sector.

Consultant Patrick Glinn said their study found a disparity between county compensation and the marketplace and proposes a change...

The mixed economic news reflects on figures given to the Oneida county board on delinquent taxes and foreclosures.

County Treasurer Kris Osterman said the number of tax delinquencies last year were down which usually shows people have enough money to pay their taxes. But other parts of her report showed tough times...

"....we had the same foreclosures this year as we had last year. We finished foreclosing on 24 properties which is a record ever since I've been here, we've never had that many properties...."

We’re heading into November, and that means deer hunting will soon be in full swing. 

It’s a cultural phenomenon in the state, with deeply rooted traditions that go back 100 years or more. While there has been much change in Wisconsin deer hunting over time, controversy and disagreement have never been far away.

In the first of a series we’re calling History Afield, WXPR Contributor Bob Willging has the story of one of the oddest deer hunting political battles of the last century.

With Halloween here, local governments are proving that some things can come back from the dead. 

"I thought this thing was dead and buried"....

A federal appeals court is hearing an Oneida county case involving a local government's ability to regulate private property designated for religious purposes.

After more than three years of sometimes heated debate, the Oneida county board has adopted a comprehensive land use plan. The vote was 20-1.

The plan is mandated by the state. The county adopted a plan having the 20 town plans and the city of Rhinelander compose the core, known as a "bottom up" approach. The plan gives local officials a blueprint to determine future land use.

Bill Liebert from Rhinelander and Newbold said planning could drive up local land prices beyond the ability to pay. He says Madison is an example...