Aspirus fires vice president over assassination post
The escalating fallout from a Minocqua brewery owner’s social media post appearing to celebrate an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump has now cost a senior Aspirus Health executive his job and drawn sharp responses from local officials, tourism leaders, and federal law enforcement.
Bangstad assassination posts get FBI’s attention
The Milwaukee field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation acknowledged this week that it was aware of social media posts by Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad promising to celebrate the death of President Donald Trump, as Democrats and Republicans alike distanced themselves from the activist’s remarks this past week.
Oneida County board takes a leap to the left
By most traditional measures, conservatives maintained control of the Oneida County Board of Supervisors following this past month’s spring elections, with incumbent supervisor Scott Holewinski securing unanimous re-election as county board chairman and no apparent dramatic shift in ideological control of the board.
Holewinski wins unanimous re-election as Oneida County chairman
Oneida County board chairman Scott Holewinski won an emphatic vote of confidence from the full county board Tuesday as supervisors unanimously elected him to a third term as chairman of the board.
Bangstad found guilty after a no-contest plea in disorderly conduct case
A judge in Oneida County circuit court found Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad guilty Tuesday of disorderly conduct, after Bangstad entered a no-contest plea to the charge stemming from a June 27, 2025, incident outside his Front Street establishment.
Federal judge grants extension to Bangstad attorney in lawsuit
A federal judge last week granted yet another extension to the attorney representing Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad — this time citing “compassion” — even as the court made clear that repeated delays and admitted deficiencies had fallen short of the legal standard required for such relief.
Student Letters to the Editor
To the Editor: In many areas of Wisconsin including Vilas and Oneida counties, deer are a common sight, especially white-tailed deer, where the population is very high here in Wisconsin. Deer are an important part of all local ecosystems and habitats, but their activity near roadways causes serious safety problems. Statistics show that in 2024 alone, there were about 27,000 crashes involving deer, these crashes resulted in over 700 people injured.
Gruich fires attorney in judicial threat case
A Michigan man accused of threatening an Oneida County judge and a local newspaper publisher has dismissed his attorney and retained new legal counsel, prompting the court to postpone his upcoming jury trial and schedule a new trial date.
Lakeland Times: Our View
Most people in Oneida County don’t know it yet, but the county will soon make its biggest personnel decision in decades, a decision that will, in no small measure, impact our ability to make a decent living, to run a small business, to use our land reasonably, and to pay our taxes.
Walker rejects Melms’s $50,000 demand as extortion attempt
Lakeland Times publisher Gregg Walker this week rejected a demand for a $50,000 payment to attorney Frederick Melms (no association with Melms, Hogan & Francois law firm) and said he will not withdraw a professional misconduct complaint against the attorney or retract the newspaper’s reporting after Frederick Melms threatened a defamation lawsuit.
Misconduct complaint filed against Frederick Melms
Lakeland Times publisher Gregg Walker has filed an attorney-misconduct complaint with the state court system alleging that Frederick Melms (no association with Melms, Hogan & Francois law firm), an attorney for Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad, has violated multiple provisions of the Supreme Court Rules of Professional Conduct.
Lakeland Times: Our View
If you live in the Lakeland area and have been wondering what that smell is hanging in the winter air, well, first off, it’s not the folks at the Minocqua Brewing Company, as reasonable a thought as that might be. Not this time, anyway.
Minocqua Lions Club donates to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office
The Minocqua Lions donated $1,000 to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office in recognition of its response to social media threats aimed at disrupting the 2025 Fourth of July celebration in Minocqua, according to a press release. The threats were posted by Kirk Bangstad on his Minocqua Brewing Company social media pages.
Bangstad takes another loss in federal court
If he were a college football team, Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad might just be Wisconsin’s legal version of Northwestern University; a program whose historic talent for racking up losses gives it the most defeats in college football history.
Accuracy affirmed
To the Editor: I finally got around to read the recent The Lakeland Times. What drew my interest was Richard Moore’s news analysis article of the “Cap Times Report Questioned for Omissions” on DPI investigations of teacher improprieties and his follow-up “Our View” opinion piece that “Umland should sue Cap Times” which seemed to blur the lines of reporting and opinion. Please note that I am questioning journalist ethics.
Oneida County BOA overturns planning and development decision on Bangstad CUP
Nine months after the Oneida County board of adjustment (BOA) upheld a decision by the Oneida County board’s planning and development committee to revoke the first conditional use permit (CUP) issued to Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad, the BOA overruled the committee and approved a second CUP application from Bangstad.
Minocqua town board rejects Bangstad ARP
The Minocqua town board at its Oct. 21 meeting voted to reject an administrative review permit (ARP) application submitted by Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad. Town supervisor Brian Fricke’s motion also included the provision that the ARP “should be submitted as a CUP (conditional use permit) based on the outdoor seating that he’s called for in his own writing in the permit (application) and that no outdoor seating is allowed under ... no outdoor services, displays or storage allowed.”
Lakeland Times: Our View
For those of you who belong to the Boomer generation, or maybe just a little younger, you probably remember Robert Palmer and his great song, “Simply Irresistible.” One line from the chorus goes: “She’s so fine, there’s no tellin’ where the money went.”
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