Minocqua man struck by vehicle on State Highway 70
A Minocqua man was taken by air ambulance to a hospital after he was hit by a vehicle on Feb. 14 near the intersection of State Highway 70 and Koolish Road on Minocqua’s west side. A press release from Minocqua police chief Glenn Janzer stated officers responded at around 7 p.m. Saturday to the report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle and found Stanley Yorks, 65, “with injuries.”
Lac du Flambeau town board, school board primary results
Voter turnout less than 40 percent
Incumbents fared well in the only primary election in the Lakeland area on Feb. 17. There were two primaries in Lac du Flambeau, one for town board and the other for board of education of the Lac du Flambeau school district; the top vote-getters will now face off in the April 7 general election.
Woodruff businesses evacuated because of natural gas leak
Chief Gee: ‘It was a definite explosion hazard’
Firefighters with the Woodruff and Minocqua fire departments were dispatched to downtown Woodruff late in the late afternoon of Feb. 14 for the report of a natural gas leak. For the most part, they assisted police officers with traffic control in the area around the first block of buildings south of the U.S. Highway 51 and State Highway 47 intersection in Woodruff as open businesses in those buildings, including the Hunan Chinese Restaurant and Fritz’s Bar, were evacuated because of the leak.
Minocqua looks to replace aging plow fleet
Pertile: ‘The lead times for new trucks are very substantial’
Facing an aging fleet of patrol trucks used for snowplowing, the Minocqua town board on Feb. 17 took its first step toward updating the equipment over the next few years. The town board authorized public works director Mark Pertile to sell the town’s “Truck 4,” a 2000 International that he said is “inoperable at this time” because both the frame and the box are rusted through.
Woodruff keeps stricter TRH rules as county opens door to one‑night stays
Nelson: ‘We don’t have to do anything’
The town of Woodruff won’t be changing anything with its tourist rooming house (TRH) ordinance. That was the decision the town board reached following a brief discussion during its Feb. 10 meeting.
No injuries in Woodruff Road collision
No one was injured in a two-vehicle collision on Feb. 12 in Woodruff. According to the state accident report filed by the Woodruff police department, Paula Marquardt, 67, Woodruff, was southbound in a 2024 Honda CR-V and swerved to miss a 2014 Dodge Caravan owned by Woodruff Appliance and driven by Rafael Castillo, 45, St. Germain.
Vilas County LWC hosts regional speaking, poster competion
“Essentially, all life depends upon the soil ... there can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together.”
Lenny Drewsen, long-time Woodruff police chief remembered for his community presence, dies after fall
A well-known Woodruff community member has died. Wednesday morning, former Woodruff police chief Lenny Drewsen was found dead at his home. Minocqua police lieutenant Ben Burrows said Drewsen’s death was the result of injuries he sustained in a fall.
AV-W school board hears feedback on district administrator
Sheriff’s deputy attends at principal’s request
The small meeting room the Arbor Vitae-Woodruff (AV-W) board of education usually meets in was full as the board met for its meeting on Feb. 9. Among those in attendance was a deputy with the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office, standing in the back of the room.
Trash talk: LVG membership learns about its landfill
Jennrich: ‘There may be some issues that need to be addressed’
Better communication regarding the County G Landfill in the town of Cloverland was one of the items representatives of the 13 Vilas County towns that make up the Landfill Venture Group (LVG) discussed at a meeting Feb. 7 in the St. Germain community center.
AV-W hires a new principal
MHLT’s dean of students will succeed Fortier
The Arbor Vitae-Woodruff (AV-W) school district has a new principal. The board of education at its Feb. 9 meeting approved a two-year contract for Sid Hunter, currently the dean of students at the Minocqua Hazelhurst Lake Tomahawk (MHLT) school district.
LdF town to LdF tribe: remove the blocks, chains — and return the $600K
With easement issue concluded, a majority vote looks to get related items cleared up with the tribe
The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians will receive letters from the Lac du Flambeau town board regarding matters related to the recently concluded road easement issue between the town and the tribe.
Minocqua holds the line on short‑term rentals
Fricke: ‘It just seems like another case of Oneida County giving us the finger’
The town of Minocqua will not, for now, make changes to its tourist rooming house (TRH) ordinance that would reflect recent Oneida County board action on the issue. That was the result of a nearly 15 minute-long discussion at the town board’s Feb. 3 meeting regarding a 12-5 vote by the Oneida County board at its Jan. 20 meeting to amend the county’s TRH ordinance that will allow shorter rentals than a week — such as weekend rentals — in residential zones.
Infrastructure needs a focus at Lac du Flambeau school board meeting
The school board for the Lac du Flambeau school district approved bids for blacktopping, concrete work and two new water heaters during its Feb. 4 meeting.
No injuries from Hwy. 47 rollover in Lake Tomahawk
A Rhinelander man escaped serious injury on Feb. 3 in rollover of the pickup truck he was driving at the intersection of Fawn Lake Road and State Highway 47 in Lake Tomahawk, near the unincorporated town of McNaughton.
Mid-season snowmobile safety reminder
Bartelt: ‘Have fun and more importantly, stay safe’
Snowmobile accidents and crashes over the weekend in the Lakeland area are prompting law enforcement and officials with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to remind snowmobilers about safety while riding the trails. While none of the incidents resulted in fatalities there were injuries.
Minocqua board moves to codify new protest restrictions
In light of recent protests held in Minocqua over the course of the past several months, the town board on Tuesday, Feb. 3, advanced to a second reading an amendment to its “Disorderly conduct prohibited” ordinance.
Vilas County forestry discusses next steps for Riverside Park
The Vilas County board at its Jan. 27 meeting voted down a resolution to fund infrastructure for and then sell nearly 1,000 feet of county-owned riverfront property in Eagle River known as Riverside Park.
Federal appeals court grants DOJ motion to dismiss appeal in LdF road issue
A federal appeals court has granted a motion by the United States Department of Justice to dismiss its own appeal in a long-running Lac du Flambeau dispute about access to roads crossing tribal lands. The Department of Justice (DOJ) had filed the appeal in November, challenging an August 2025 ruling by U.S. district judge William Conley that favored the town of Lac du Flambeau. In that ruling, Conley said homeowners had an “implied easement” to use and access four roads previously barricaded by the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.
The future for the LVG and its County G Landfill
To be a topic of discussion at upcoming Wisconsin Towns Association meeting in St. Germain
On Saturday, Feb. 7, the Vilas County unit of the Wisconsin Towns Association (WTA) is scheduled to meet at the St. Germain community center. In addition to the usual “housekeeping” type items, a primary topic of discussion will be the Landfill Venture Group (LVG) and the County G Landfill in the town of Cloverland owned by the consortium of 13 towns and the city of Eagle River.
OVTC to advertise for surveyor quotes again
Oneida County and the Oneida Vilas Transit Commission (OVTC) are seeking a survey of a 4‑acre parcel in the town of Pelican as part of efforts to establish a new home for Northwoods Transit Connections. The parcel is part of 37.5 acres of land the county has and has offered to the OVTC for a new administration, shop and bus storage facility.
Vilas County board votes no on Riverside Park sale
Marshall: ‘This is how government is supposed to work’
The Vilas County board during its Jan. 27 meeting voted against selling nearly 1,000 feet of county-owned river frontage known as Riverside Park on Division Street in Eagle River. The issue has its roots in a May 28, 2024 meeting of the Vilas County board during which county board chairman Jerry Burkett, also a member of the Eagle River city council, brought up the possibility of selling the entire county-owned fairground complex, totaling around seven acres.
Three Lakes man dies in Arbor Vitae crash
A Three Lakes man died Jan. 27 in a two-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 51 near the intersection with Trapp Road in Arbor Vitae. The Vilas County dispatch center received a 911 call at around 10:30 a.m. reporting the crash.
From referendum to reality: Minocqua’s PRAT emerges after years in legislative limbo
Nearly seven years after voters OK’d it, town prepares to begin collecting on July 1
A premier resort area tax (PRAT) for the town of Minocqua took another step toward becoming reality during the Jan. 20 meeting of the town board. With the understanding the ultimate “final say” regarding establishment of a PRAT for Minocqua would come from the Wisconsin state legislature, voters in Minocqua approved the PRAT on an advisory basis during a referendum in November of 2018.
No injuries in downtown Minocqua collision
There were no injuries in the Jan. 22 collision of two vehicles in the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 51 in downtown Minocqua at the intersection of Front Street. According to the state accident report filed by the Minocqua police department, the driver of a 2025 Honda Ridgeline, Corey Brand, 50, Caledonia, told police he had turned on his left turn signal with the intention of turning into the parking lot of Los Portales Mexican Restaurant.
Arbor Vitae town board authorizes letter of support for ATV/UTV trail
Emphasis is shifting the traffic off the road and into the woods
A project to get a stretch of all terrain vehicle (ATV) and utility task vehicle (UTV) trail established between Arbor Vitae and Boulder Junction has received formal support from the Arbor Vitae town board. During its Jan. 21 meeting, the town board unanimously authorized sending a letter of support to Joe Fieweger, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) forest recreation superintendent for the Northern Highland – American Legion State Forest.
Lac du Flambeau town board scheduled meeting of electors
Vote will decide sale of former fire station
The sale of the former fire station on Wild Rice Avenue in downtown Lac du Flambeau appears to be moving along. During its meeting on Jan. 21, the Lac du Flambeau town board set Feb. 13 as the date for a special town meeting of the electors to decide whether or not the town should accept an offer to sell the what is commonly referred to as the “Wild Rice station.”
Lakeland Airport commission moves further into marketing
Marketing the Lakeland Airport in Arbor Vitae took center stage at the Jan. 22 meeting of the four‑member Lakeland Airport Commission, which ultimately authorized airport administrator Jesse Birginal to move forward with a strategic revenue and community partnership plan.
Sex offender Dustin Mitchell released with no notification
Tribal member blasts LdF leadership over years of missed alerts, unenforced sex‑offender laws
It’s customary for media outlets to get notification from law enforcement agencies when a registered sex offender has been released from prison and in what town or city that person will be living. A Lac du Flambeau man, Dustin Mitchell, 38, was convicted in 2018 in Dane County court for one count of repeated sexual assault of a child under 10 years old.
Major sex offender gets 36 years in prison
Hartman: ‘Worst case I’ve ever seen’
A 31 year-old Gleason man was sentenced to a total of 36 years in prison in Oneida County court on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Caleb Meyer had pled guilty on Oct. 10 to two counts of possession of child pornography, class D felonies, and one count of incest with a child, a class C felony.
Sheboygan Falls man is Oneida County’s first snowmobile fatality for 2025-26
Accident occurred Jan. 3 on Minocqua’s west side
A 76-year old Sheboygan Falls man injured as the result of a collision between his snowmobile and a sport utility vehicle (SUV) on State Highway 70 at the intersection of Morgan Road on Jan. 3 has died. Minocqua police chief Glenn Janzer said in a Jan. 20 press release the department was notified by the Oneida County medical examiner’s office “that the operator of the snowmobile has succumbed to his injures and has passed away.”
Two injured in collision on State Highway 47 near Rhinelander
Two people were injured on Jan. 19 in a two-vehicle collision on State Highway 47 near the intersection of County Highway K in Crescent.
Overflow parking project at Woodruff’s Stack’s Bay boat landing begins
Expansion will add 12 vehicle/trailer stalls; intent is to relieve parking on Brunswick Road
A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) project to provide overflow parking at the Stack’s Bay boat landing on Brunswick Road in the town of Woodruff began on Jan. 5. Lynn Wright, a DNR park manager and water/recreation manager for the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest, told The Lakeland Times a crew with Janke General Contractors in Athens cleared trees to make space for what will be 12 parking stalls to accommodate vehicles with boat trailers.
Lake Tomahawk town board approves HVAC bid for community center
In what was possibly the shortest meeting in the history of Lake Tomahawk — it clocked in at four minutes — on Jan. 14 the town board approved a bid from Dahlquist Heating and Cooling of Rhinelander to install a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system in the town’s Raymond F. Sloan Community Center.
Cassian town board forwards sawmill operation CUP application to Oneida County
The Cassian town board during its Jan. 12 meeting voted to forward a conditional use permit (CUP) application from Twin Forest Products. If ultimately approved by the Oneida County board’s planning and development committee, the firm, based in Marathon, would build another sawmill operation in Cassian along U.S. Highway 51.
Chimney check on Northridge Way in Woodruff
Woodruff firefighters on Jan. 13 responded to the report of smoke in a house on Northridge Way. Woodruff fire chief Victor Gee, involved in finding the cause of the smoke, told The Lakeland Times there was no fire.
Filing deadline extension yields a Vilas County board candidate
Two vacancies remain
At least one vacancy on the Vilas County board going into the April 7 election has been avoided. The filing deadline for candidates in this spring’s election was 5 p.m. on Jan. 6.
Area spring election picture rundown
Two primaries in Lac du Flambeau
The spring election in the Lakeland area for seats on towns, school boards and the Vilas and Oneida county boards in The Lakeland Times coverage area looks to be, with an exception or two, relatively uneventful.
After nearly three years of blockades and legal crossfire, Lac du Flambeau road dispute enters mediation
Nearly three years after it began, the road easement issue between the town of Lac du Flambeau, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) will go to mediation.
Lac du Flambeau taps Redman Realty to list decommissioned fire station
Sale will require voter approval once a buyer is found
The Lac du Flambeau town board at its Jan. 8 meeting selected Redman Realty to handle the marketing and listing for prospective buyers of the town’s former downtown fire station known as the “Wild Rice station” on Wild Rice Avenue.
Three Lakes false alarm
Authorities respond to a report of a homicide that wasn’t
The report of a possible homicide in Three Lakes on Jan. 8 brought officers with the Three Lakes police department and deputies and the special response team with the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office as well as deputies with the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office to a residence a press release from the police department said was “in the area of Military Road and Sheltered Valley Road.”
Indiana woman injured in Minocqua snowmobile accident
A Lake Village, Ind., woman escaped serious injury on Jan. 3 in a late afternoon snowmobile accident on a trail near Minocqua’s Squirrel Lake boat landing on Kobart Road.
One injured in SUV/snowmobile collision
A 76-year old Sheboygan Falls man received minor injuries as the result of a collision between his snowmobile and a sport utility vehicle (SUV) on State Highway 70 at the intersection of Morgan Road on Jan. 3.
No injuries in Arbor Vitae rollover on New Year’s Day
The occupants of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) escaped serious injury as the result of a rollover on New Year’s Day in Arbor Vitae.
Vilas County forestry committee forwards Riverside Park resolution
Second phase of Vilas County effort to sell Eagle River property now goes to county finance committee
The Vilas County board’s forestry, recreation and land committee at its Jan. 6 meeting forwarded a resolution to the county board’s finance and budget committee that, if approved there and then ultimately approved by the full county board at its Jan. 27 meeting, would authorize the use of county funds for phase two of what is known as the Riverside Park development on Division Street in Eagle River.
One person seriously injured in Hwy. 51 collision
Crash attributed to slippery road conditions
One person was flown to Aspirus Wausau Hospital following a two-vehicle collision on U.S. Highway 51 south of the intersection of County Highway K and Swamp Lake Road on Tuesday, Dec. 30.
Eagle River man pleads not guilty to sex crimes
The attorney for a 38 year-old Eagle River man on Dec. 29 entered a plea of not guilty “due to mental disease/defect” in Oneida County court for one count of attempted second degree sexual assault and one count of use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime.
Four lanes, zero excuses: Drivers must stop for school buses
Cameras catch daily violations
As people transit roads in the Lakeland area during the school year, a question has surfaced regarding Wisconsin state law as it relates to stopping for school buses on four lane highways. More specifically, the concern centers on U.S. Highway 51 from south of Minocqua through Arbor Vitae, and on State Highway 70 on Minocqua’s west side, extending to just west of its intersection with Morgan Road.
No injuries in Hwy. 47 accident involving Oneida County plow truck
A slippery road surface was determined to be the cause of a three-vehicle, non-injury accident on State Highway 47 near at the intersection of Bay View Road in Woodruff just before 6 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 26.
Generations joins YMCA effort in Woodruff
In October, community leaders announced an effort to establish a Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) facility in the Lakeland area, based at Lakeland Fitness and Golf in Woodruff. Mike Heppe, president of the Lakeland Retirement Foundation (LRF) and Generations, told The Lakeland Times the foundation has now joined that YMCA initiative.
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