Lynne town board teams up with Minocqua on Willow Road issue
Town submitted a request for a jurisdictional transfer of the road from the town to Oneida County
The Oneida County board’s highway committee is waiting to hear more from the towns of Lynne and Minocqua regarding the Lynne town board’s jurisdictional transfer request submitted to the highway committee.
Nomm manages to stay on LUHS board
Late Presque Isle ward vote reporting changes totals in April 7 election
In the immediate aftermath of the April 7 election, it appeared Lisa Nomm, running for re-election to the Lakeland Union High School (LUHS) board of education, lost her seat.
Blue Lake Road/Hwy. 51 intersection work to begin
As crews with Chippewa Concrete Services work on U.S. Highway 51 between Front Street south to the bridge over Lake Minocqua, Minocqua-area road project – to improve the intersection of Hwy. 51 and Blue Lake Road – will also be getting underway.
Preliminary hearing date set for Elliott in Iron County
Illinois man charged with homicide in snowmobile crash that resulted in father’s death
The preliminary hearing for an Illinois man involved in a Jan. 16 Iron County snowmobile crash that resulted in the death of his father has been set for May 28 by Iron County judge Anthony J. Stella. Colton Elliott, 20, Coal City, is charged with one count of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle, a Class D felony, and remains free on a $10,000 bond.
Local spring 2026 election is a wrap
Gary Smith back on the LdF school board, close results for LUHS school board
There weren’t many contested races in the April 7 election for county boards, town boards and school boards The Lakeland Times regularly covers but there were some interesting outcomes.
‘I always wanted to be a pilot’
MHLT student’s project about Wisconsin native and World War Two ace Richard Bong gets noticed
It was in the northern Wisconsin village of Poplar in Douglas County that Richard Ira “Dick” Bong was born on Sept. 24, 1920. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in May of 1941 and eventually was sent to the Pacific theater of operations.
Former Minocqua town chairman Don Gauger dies
Former Minocqua town board member Don Gauger died at the age of 93 on March 17. Originally from southern Wisconsin Gauger, after years of public service in the village of Grafton that included his election as village president in 1971 and membership on the Grafton fire department and its rescue squad, first moved his family to Minocqua in 1975.
Hazelhurst man involved in March 23 UTV accident dies
A Hazelhurst man involved in an accident involving a utility task vehicle (UTV) on March 23 has died of injuries sustained at the time. Paul Vedder, 58, was found trapped under the UTV he had been operating in near the edge of Lake Kaubashine in Hazelhurst.
Minocqua considers joining Lynne in push to shift road costs
County benefits from forestry revenue as heavy logging traffic and lack of county routes leave Minocqua carrying an unfair load
A jurisdictional transfer request submitted to the Oneida County board’s highway committee by the town of Lynne was on the committee’s April 2 meeting agenda. The request centers around Willow Road being transferred from the town’s road inventory to the county highway system.
Questions delay airport land decision until April 29
Officials seek clarity on who must approve deal and how commission would pay its share
Another special meeting of the town boards for the four towns — Minocqua, Woodruff, Lac du Flambeau and Arbor Vitae — that own the Lakeland Airport in Arbor Vitae has been scheduled for April 29.
The search for Melissa Beson continues
Last seen on March 17, 2025
More than a year has passed, and Lac du Flambeau resident Melissa Beson is still nowhere to be found.
Oneida County’s next highway commissioner
Ben Rich could succeed Alex Hegeman
The Oneida County board’s public works and highway committee has made a recommendation to the county board regarding the next county highway commissioner. The committee at its April 2 meeting forwarded to the county board a resolution electing Ben Rich as the next Oneida County highway commissioner.
LdF school board OKs new press box bid
The Lac du Flambeau school board is moving forward with replacement of the press box at the district’s football field.
Lakeland local election preview
April 7 is election day and though not many, there are contested races to watch
Tuesday is election day and locally, there aren’t many contested races for seats on the Vilas and Oneida county boards or for town boards and school boards but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some interesting matchups.
Contractors to begin two DOT projects April 6
One project is in Minocqua, both are to be largely complete before Memorial Day
Two projects on U.S. Highway 51 that will effect the Lakeland area in one way or another are scheduled to start on Monday, April 6. One project in Minocqua is intended to improve portions of U.S. Highway 51 from the bridge over Lake Minocqua north to Front Street.
Vilas County rushes through salary increases after improper posting stalls vote
Sheriff’s salary to increase by more than 25 percent over 4-year period
A resolution setting the salaries of the Vilas County sheriff and the county’s clerk of court for the four-year period of 2027 through 2030 was approved during a brief special meeting of the county board on March 31.
Nokomis storage shed destroyed in fire
Fire destroyed a metal storage building on Siemering Drive in Nokomis Monday afternoon. The building is owned by the Patrick Gillette Living Trust and the Doris Gillette Living Trust.
Local fire and police departments conduct joint training
‘Stop The Bleed’ part of a new initiative to be better prepared
More than 40 people, most of them with Woodruff and Minocqua fire and police departments, attended a joint training exercise named “Stop The Bleed” at the Michael K. Timmons Community Center on March 30.
Vilas County Sheriff’s Office gets the green light for a community app
The goal is to provide better connectivity between the public and the sheriff’s office
The Vilas County board, at its March 24 meeting, unanimously voted to approve a resolution authorizing a little more than $30,300 annually for the next three years to purchase and develop an app, dubbed “SheriffApp,” for the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office.
Eagle River student recognized for top conservation speech and poster
Poster advances to the 2027 national finals in Las Vegas
Delaney Darton of Eagle River delivered her award-winning speech, “Sustaining the Sacred Seed,” during the March 24 meeting of the Vilas County board. Cathy Higley, lake conservation specialist with the Vilas County Land & Water Conservation department, told the county board one of the things she and others in the department is “work with students and teachers to help teach about what it means to conserve our local natural resources.”
Lakeland Airport Commission moves closer to land purchase
At least one more owner’s meeting may be required to approve acquisition
The Lakeland Airport Commission (LAC) met in closed session for more than an hour on March 25 with Karl Kemper of Wausau-based engineering and consulting firm Becher Hoppe.
Lakeland Sanitary District makes facility upgrade payment
Meeting briefly on March 24, two members of the three-member Lakeland Sanitary District (LSD) board of directors approved the latest payment of a little more than $1.5 million to the primary contractor, MIRON Construction, for the district’s facility upgrade project which began nearly a year ago.
Trapps plan lawsuit against Vilas County over property dispute
Owners say ‘gravel pit’ narrative devalued land, derailed buyers
The father and son who owned parcels of land along U.S. Highway 51 near the intersection of Snyder Road in Arbor Vitae — property that became the center of controversy in 2025 — now say they intend to file a lawsuit against Vilas County, alleging that statements made by county zoning officials suggesting that the site would become a gravel pit damaged the property’s value and cost them prospective buyers.
Hazelhurst man in critical condition following UTV mishap
A Hazelhurst man was found trapped under the utility task vehicle (UTV) he was operating in Hazelhurst late Monday afternoon. According to a press release from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, dispatchers were notified of a UTV on the edge of Lower Kaubashine Lake in Hazelhurst still running but with no signs of the operator.
Vilas County board chair gets heat from constituents
Burkett not present to hear what was said
Vilas County board chairman Jerry Burkett came under fire during the March 24 Vilas County board meeting. He wasn’t there to hear it but two people, Kathryn Craffey of Eagle River and Patricia Gibbs of St. Germain, made the 17 county board members who were in attendance know where they stood during the public comment portion of the meeting.
DOT holds public information meeting for Hwy. 51 project in Minocqua
Approximately 10 people, residents as well as business owners in downtown Minocqua, attended a March 23 public information meeting conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT).
Weight limits for area county, town roads in place
Estimated lifting of restrictions very late April at the earliest in some cases
It’s that time of year, the time of weight restrictions on state highways, town roads and county highways. The weight restrictions on state highways in Vilas and Oneida counties from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) took effect on March 9.
Arbor Vitae rejects insurer’s attempt to play doctor
Board balks at bid to dictate return‑to‑work rules
A proposed “transitional work policy” from an insurance company that submitted a bid to the town of Arbor Vitae for insurance coverage was rejected by the town board at its March 18 meeting. EMC Insurance had provided the town with a two-page document that included possible light-duty tasks such as cleaning trucks, doing a shop inventory, organizing town records and weeding gardens and lawns for employees recovering from something like a serious injury or surgery.
Lac du Flambeau pushes to reopen soaring ambulance contract
Hartman: ‘We’re always willing to talk to them’
The Lac du Flambeau town board and the Oneida County board’s public safety committee may soon meet and discuss the ambulance contract the town has with Oneida County. Lac du Flambeau town supervisor Dennis Pearson asked for that during the March 18 town board meeting.
Woodruff town board gives new buoy approval on Mid Lake
Lake district request now goes to the DNR
The Woodruff town board at its March 10 meeting approved a request from the Mid Lake Protection and Management District (MLPMD) for installation of a new buoy. The district’s Joe Pilarski told the town board it had received authorization at its annual meeting to seek approval for installation of a buoy in Mid Lake “if we could and to have it say ‘Shallow lake.’’’
Plum Lake electors vote to appoint town clerk and treasurer
Voters in the town of Plum Lake have spoken. The town conducted a special meeting of electors prior to the March 10 meeting of the town board to determine whether the positions of town clerk and town treasurer should be elected or appointed.
Checking for carbon monoxide hazards
Minocqua’s assistant fire chief recommends regular checks of monitors and alarms
Minocqua police and fire department personnel responded late Tuesday morning to a 911 call from a business along U.S. Highway 51 near the Boardwalk shops of a carbon monoxide alarm (CO) going off. Eric Carlson, the assistant chief of the Minocqua fire department, said the initial page was to Stamp, Paper, Scissors and there was an interior CO reading of “approximately 49 percent per million of CO.”
Lakeland Area General Election Candidate Profiles
There aren’t many contested local races in the April 7 general election for seats on Lakeland area town boards, school boards and county boards The Lakeland Times covers regularly but that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be a few to watch.
Circle K aims to cash in on former bank site in Woodruff
Town board moves application forward despite lake-setback concerns
If everything goes the way Circle K Stores would like it to, the Canadian-based corporation will have another convenience store along U.S. Highway 51 in Woodruff.
Newbold requests residential parking revision in Oneida County ordinance
The Newbold town board has forwarded its recommendation to the Oneida County planning and zoning department regarding a revision to the county zoning ordinance’s residential parking regulations. During the town board’s March 12 meeting, town chairman Dan Hess said the county wanted input.
Airport owners want more information for possible land purchase
Lakeland Airport commission approached to buy nearly eight acres
The town boards of the four towns that own the Lakeland Airport — Arbor Vitae, Woodruff, Lac du Flambeau and Minocqua — met in special session on March 11 at the Arbor Vitae community center and they will meet again soon to decide on a potential land purchase for the airport.
AV-W superintendent will stay
Dr. Jocelyn Hardy had submitted her resignation but an outpouring of support prompts her to change her mind
The Arbor Vitae-Woodruff (AV-W) school district’s superintendent, Dr. Jocelyn Hardy, has decided to remain with the district. Her resignation was on the agenda of the March 9 school board meeting as a closed session item.
Minocqua fire and rescue conducts training at closed Boat House
The Boat House restaurant and bar, closed for several months as it undergoes a major renovation, was the site Monday evening for a training exercise conducted by the Minocqua fire and rescue department.
Lac du Flambeau and election integrity
Town board discusses questions about the absence of Native pollworkers in the February primary
Concerns regarding the process in how elections in the town of Lac du Flambeau are done was a topic of discussion at the March 4 meeting of the town board. The agenda item was “Election Integrity and Voter Eligibility” and town chairman Matt Gaulke began the discussion by saying there had been “a lot of questions and people questioning here” how the Feb. 17 primary election was handled.
LdF school board approves 2026-27 pay increases or teachers, support staff
The board of education for the Lac du Flambeau school district last week approved teacher and support staff pay increases for the 2026-27 school year. Before the pay approval at the March 4 meeting, district superintendent Josh Ernst, in giving a brief overview of staffing for the 2026-27 school year, said the staffing, especially in “the core classes” for 2026-27, will, for the most part, remain the same.
LdF town board helps Hornshoe Snowmobile Club
Agrees to co-buyer status that gets the club a municipal discount toward new tractor purchase
Lac du Flambeau’s Northern Hornshoe Snowmobile Club will get some assistance from the town of Lac du Flambeau in the process to purchase a new tractor for trail grooming. The assistance, though, won’t be monetary in nature.
Plum Lake electors take to the polls Tuesday
Voters in the town of Plum Lake will have the opportunity this Tuesday, March 10 during a special meeting of the electors to decide whether the positions of town clerk and town treasurer remain elected by the citizenry during normal election cycles or instead are appointed by the town board.
Lake Tomahawk vintage snowmobile show a success
Krueger: ‘It was a good day’
Snowmobile enthusiasts spent a good part of the final day of February, 2026, in Lake Tomahawk for the 16th Annual Vintage Snowmobile Show and Ride in downtown Lake Tomahawk. Officially, there were 135 vintage snowmobiles registered for the event and Sno Fleas president Kevin Krueger said there were probably closer to 180 snowmobiles if the unregistered machines were included in the count.
Lac du Flambeau man charged with child sexual exploitation
A cash bond of $25,000 has been set by Vilas County circuit court judge Daniel Overbey for a 29-year-old Lac du Flambeau man charged with one count of filming sexual exploitation of a child.
Rhinelander man injured in Lake Tomahawk snowmobile crash
A 56 year-old Rhinelander man was injured in a snowmobile crash in Lake Tomahawk on Feb. 25. In a press release from Terri Hook, chief deputy of the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, she said the sheriff’s office was notified of a snowmobile accident on a trail off of Lyannas Road and it was reported a snowmobile operated by Kenneth Jolin struck a tree and he “was not breathing.”
Minocqua weighs bike/pedestrian trail plan as motorized clubs pack the room
Expected construction, along with replacement of the Hwy. 70 bridge west of Minocqua, in 2030 or 2031
When the Minocqua town board convenes into regular session today, there may just be a number of people in the audience, many of them members of area snowmobile and all terrain vehicle (ATV) and utility task vehicle (UTV) clubs.
Lac du Flambeau town board delays new fire station turnover
A couple items still need to be addressed before the town formally takes ownership
The town of Lac du Flambeau has been using its new, multi-million dollar fire station on State Highway 47 for several months but there have been a few nagging items that have prevented town board members from signing off on the project to formally have the town take ownership.
Island City Acoustics is ready to play
‘It just sort of happened’
For 31 years, Frank Coffen was well-known in the Lakeland area for his carpentry work. A couple of years ago, however, Coffen and his wife, Sylvia, made a trip to Sheboygan to get a replacement back door for his van “because I smashed it up.”
Tribe says $600K won’t be returned despite court win
Lac du Flambeau town board presses for repayment while congressional hearing escalates rhetoric
Despite a federal judge’s ruling in the town of Lac du Flambeau’s favor on Aug. 6, 2025 that ended a lawsuit the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) had filed against the town regarding an easement dispute between the town and the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, tribal president John Johnson, Sr. said the tribe doesn’t intend to pay back the town of Lac du Flambeau $600,000.
Controversial property in Arbor Vitae sold to the LdF tribe’s BDC
Allen: ‘Right now, we don’t have a plan for the property’
Parcels of land along U.S. Highway 51 near the intersection of Snyder Road in Arbor Vitae that were the center of controversy last year have been sold. The nearly 40 acres, which had been owned by Rick Trapp and his son Nick and under the name R&N Holdings LLC, were sold to the Lac du Flambeau Business Development Corporation (BDC), a subsidiary of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.
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