Brian Jopek

Recent Stories

Woman arrested for cemetery vandalism

A 20-year-old Lac du Flambeau woman was formally charged June 4 with criminal damage to a cemetery or mortuary, a Class I felony, in Vilas County court in connection to vandalism and damage at Lac du Flambeau’s Memorial Cemetery.

AV-W school board hires a new EL coach

Nearly a month after committing the Arbor Vitae-Woodruff (AV-W) school district to a $44,450 contract with Expeditionary Learning (EL) for the 2026-27 school year, the school board Monday approved the contract for the district’s next EL coach.

Winchester town board to appoint third member June 22

With Nicholas Newton presiding over his first Winchester town board meeting as town chairman Monday, he and town supervisor Robert Silvis made the decision to appoint a new town supervisor during a special meeting on June 22.

Winchester, Presque Isle to explore sharing a town administrator

Winchester’s town clerk will serve on a joint shared services committee made up of people from the towns of Winchester and Presque Isle. That was the result of a discussion during the Winchester town board’s June 8 meeting at which town chairman Nicholas Newton, who opened the discussion by saying he’d talked to Presque Isle town chairman Al Eschenbauch and that the Presque Isle town board had “addressed a similar topic” at a recent meeting there.

Vilas County public property committee forwards housing resolution

The Vilas County board’s public property committee Tuesday forwarded a resolution to buy a tri-plex in Eagle River not far from the county courthouse for $650,000. Committee chairman Joe Muelbach said the funding, if ultimately approved by the county board, to purchase the structure with two double bedroom units and a single one bedroom unit would come from the county’s general fund.

Woodruff’s Dr. Kate Museum begins its 38th year

The Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb Museum in Woodruff opened its 38th year with an open house on Tuesday, June 2. For three hours, visitors were welcome to tour the museum’s exhibits, which this year includes a special exhibit intended to mark and celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States.

MHLT school board commits to an operational referendum

The possibility of the need to go to financial referendum of some sort to help fund operations at the Minocqua Hazelhurst Lake Tomahawk (MHLT) school district had been hinted at over the course of the past few years by Dr. Jim Ellis, former district superintendent.

Fireworks at Lakeland Airport Commission

Meetings of the Lakeland Airport Commission (LAC) have recently been a bit longer than usual as the commission goes about piecing things together in the wake of the sudden resignation last month of airport administrator Jesse Birginal.

Vilas County recreation supervisor resigns suddenly

Vilas County’s park and recreation supervisor Todd Bierman has resigned. “This letter is to inform you that I am resigning from my position as Vilas County Park and Recreation Supervisor starting immediately,” he wrote in a May 27 letter to Vilas County forest administrator Chad Keranen. “It has been a privilege and honor to serve the residents and visitors to Vilas County and to be a part of the upkeep and development of the recreational opportunities here in Vilas County.”

Newton succeeds Discianno as Winchester town chair

The Winchester town board has a new chairman. Town supervisor Nicholas Newton was appointed during a special meeting Tuesday morning after he and town supervisor Robert Silvis accepted the resignation of Joe Discianno, who announced last month his intent to resign.