Brian Jopek
Recent Stories
Tribal road department building lost in blaze
Fire destroyed a large garage at the road department for the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians the morning of Oct. 15. No one was hurt in the blaze, which required activation by Lac du Flambeau fire chief Mike Zimmerman activation of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS).
Opposition yields no U-turn on Hwy. 51/County Hwy. K roundabout Plan
Staff with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) have made the determination to move forward with construction of a single-lane roundabout at the intersection of U.S. Highway 51 and Swamp Lake Road and County Highway K in Harshaw.
Ambulance costs leave Lac du Flambeau budget on life support
Facing mounting financial pressures, the Lac du Flambeau town board has begun taking aggressive steps to rein in spending ahead of its 2026 budget cycle. Among the items under scrutiny are the operating costs of the town’s transfer station and a sharply rising ambulance contract with Oneida County — an agreement that jumped from roughly $60,000 annually to more than $300,000 in just two years.
Begrudgingly, an aye: Arbor Vitae OKs attorney’s disputed bill
The Arbor Vitae town board at its Oct. 15 meeting settled up with town attorney Steve Garbowicz regarding a $570 invoice he’d sent the town regarding the recent Lakeland Disposal/Towanda Lake Association conditional use permit (CUP) issue.
AV-W school board to continue principal search
The Arbor Vitae-Woodruff (AV-W) school board and administration will continue the search for principal Rich Fortier’s replacement. Fortier, a 15 year-veteran of service as principal at AV-W, had his letter of retirement, effective June 30, 2026, accepted by the school board at its September meeting.
Driver cited in Arbor Vitae rollover crash
An 18-year old Lac du Flambeau man was cited for operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license as the result of an Oct. 6 rollover crash on Lemma Creek Road.
Winchester officially endorses NEMSD 2026 budget
The Winchester town board Monday officially gave its stamp of approval to the 2026 budget for the Northwoods Emergency Medical Services District (NEMSD). The budget approved by the NEMSD board is $2,106,522 which Winchester town chairman Joe Discianno said is the “Steve and Phil number,” a reference to NEMSD board members Phil Harris and Steve Herzberg.
OVTC moves closer to possible land acquisition for new headquarters
The effort by the Oneida Vilas Transit Commission (OVTC), which oversees Northwoods Transit Connections (NTC) to procure land for a new administration, shop and bus storage facility for the NTC got another boost Tuesday from the Oneida County board’s land records committee.
