Oneida County public works committee adds a permit requirement
The Oneida County board’s public works committee last week added to the county highway fee schedule.
Minocqua business sustains major damage in fire
Carani: ‘Tires don’t burn like paper’
A Minocqua automotive repair business on Frank Drive was heavily damaged Tuesday as the result of a fire that started with an unattended fire.
Minocqua referendum fails, North Lakeland’s succeeds
Losses for incumbents on the St. Germain town board, Oneida County board, LUHS, AV-W school boards
Tuesday was the day for spring elections in the Lakeland area and while there weren’t a lot of contested seats on the ballot for town boards, county boards and school boards The Lakeland Times regularly covers, there were a few as well as a couple of key issues at the local level, one of those being a referendum in the town of Minocqua.
Winchester town chairman addresses wake ordinance enforcement question
Discianno: ‘I believe most people want to do the right thing’
In March, the Winchester town board approved a hazardous wake ordinance that essentially prohibits any type of activity on town lakes that would generate a hazardous wake or enhanced wake and sent the ordinance back to the planning commission to have an exemption from the ordinance removed.
Vilas County board OKs social services changeover to human services
Anderson: ‘This is a seismic deal’
The Vilas County board, on a 14-1 vote last week approved a resolution that officially paves the way for the reorganization of the county’s social services department into a human services department.
Evers, Baldwin urge mediation on road issue, LdF tribe balks
Swearingen: ‘It’s a federal issue’
The president of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians has sent a response to a letter from Wisconsin governor Tony Evers and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin regarding the ongoing road dispute between the tribe and the town of Lac du Flambeau.
OVTC votes to add another Headwaters route
The Oneida Vilas Transit Commission (OVTC), which oversees Northwoods Transit Connections (NTC), has agreed to take on a fourth route for Headwaters, Incorporated in Rhinelander, a workshop for adults with disabilities.
Minocqua town board holds final referendum information meeting
Hartzheim: ‘We’re all taxpayers up here’
The Minocqua town board Tuesday conducted a third and final public information meeting regarding its referendum questions that will be on the ballots of town voters when they go to the polls on April 2.
Lakeland area hit with early spring snow
Schalinske: ‘It’s a great day in the north woods’
An early spring weather system dumped at least eight inches of snow in the Lakeland area Sunday night and into Monday morning.
Local Spring Election Candidate Profiles
It’s general election time once again for local government and public school boards The Lakeland Times provides regular coverage of.
Winchester planning commission sends revised hazardous wake ordinance to the town board
Open meetings law question arises
The town of Winchester is moving ahead with development of a hazardous wake ordinance.
Fire destroys Ye Olde Shillelagh in Manitowish Waters
Cause of early morning blaze under investigation
A fire in the early morning hours of Friday, March 22, destroyed a Manitowish Waters business.
New Lac du Flambeau fire station construction on schedule
After one month shut down in early winter, contractor still aiming for September completion
As was requested at a previous meeting of the Lac du Flambeau town board, representatives from Nasi Construction, the primary contractor for the construction of the town’s new, multi-million dollar fire station on State Highway 47, provided a construction update for the town board as well as residents at the March 20 town board meeting.
Lakeland airport commission sends resolution to town boards
Next step in aid request for funding of projects from the state of Wisconsin
The Lakeland Airport commission last week forwarded to the four towns that own the airport a resolution petitioning Craig Thompson, Wisconsin’s secretary of transportation, for state aid to assist in runway improvements and hangar construction at the airport.
Minocqua town board votes to replace ice damaged dock
One Schoolhouse Bay dock to be replaced by a floating structure
The Minocqua town board, on the heels of approving at its March 19 meeting an amended watercraft launching fee ordinance, later in the meeting approved a bid to replace one of the docks at the town’s Schoolhouse Bay boat ramp.
Minocqua town board to host one more public information meeting
April 2 referendum asking for $950,000 tax levy increase draws questions
The Minocqua town board will host one more informational meeting regarding its referendum on April 2.
DOT gearing up for Minocqua project on U.S. Highway 51
Reconstruction of Hwy. 51 from Manitou Park to the Minocqua bridge set to begin
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) will host a public information meeting on Monday, March 25 at The Waters.
Very minor damage, no injuries in downtown Woodruff fire call
There were no injuries and damage was very minimal during the course of a fire call made by Woodruff firefighters early Tuesday evening.
Lake Tomahawk town board recommends CUP denial to Oneida County
Jennrich: ‘This one’s gonna be interesting’
The Lake Tomahawk town board at its March 13 meeting followed the recommendation of its planning commission by recommending to the Oneida County board’s planning and development committee the denial of a conditional use permit (CUP) application for construction of a large home on Lark Road.
MHLT superintendent meets with educators from other counties on labor, housing issues
Ellis: ‘We have to continue to think outside the box’
As time goes on, the labor availability news for the Lakeland area remains, on the whole, not very good.
Lake Tomahawk town board moves forward with wake ordinance
Based on Newbold’s draft ordinance, it’s to be drafted for Lake Tomahawk and sent to the DNR for review
The Lake Tomahawk town board last week voted to move forward with its enhanced wake ordinance process, using a draft ordinance from the town of Newbold.
Woodruff town board mulls Brandy Park loan
If approved by voters, the loan would be handled jointly with the town of Arbor Vitae
Electors in the towns of Woodruff and Arbor Vitae may be asked at each town’s April annual meeting for authorization to take out a loan for upgrades at Brandy Park.
Oneida County committees approve resolution for Human Services department
Department would replace social services as of Jan. 1, 2025
The effort several people in local law enforcement and social services in Vilas, Oneida and Forest counties see as a needed restructuring of an important component of county government for many residents in those counties got a boost on March 14.
A dam good plan: New bridge on the horizon for Manitowish Waters
Current dam/bridge structure on County Highway W to be replaced in 2027
A little more than a year after it was chosen to put together initial plans and estimates to replace the Rest Lake bridge on County Highway W in Manitowish Waters, the Vilas County highway committee Monday approved participation in a contract with De Pere engineering firm Mead and Hunt for the next phase of design.
Vilas County highway committee OKs bids for projects on Hwy. M and N
Roadwork on 2.1 miles of Vilas County Highway M from Little Ridge Lane on the north side of Boulder Junction to Dairymen’s Road, also in the town of Boulder Junction, will be completed this year.
Minocqua town board conducts information meeting for April 2 referendum
Residents will be asked to authorize $950,000 more in annual property tax levy
The Minocqua town board on March 5 conducted the first of two informational meetings regarding an April 2 referendum question that will have the town asking voters for authorization to raise the tax levy ceiling for the town by an additional $950,000 each year.
Two ice fishermen rescued from the Willow Flowage
Two men who were ice fishing on the Willow Flowage on March 7 had to be rescued after they broke through the ice.
Baseball association’s proposed facility to be voted on in April
Minocqua electors to decide whether to authorize construction of the building on town property
Minocqua residents who attend the town’s annual meeting on April 18 will be asked to authorize construction of a 7,000 square foot indoor baseball training facility at the Minocqua Park Complex on Minocqua’s west side.
Minocqua town board sends CUP applications to Oneida County
The Minocqua town board, during a busy 180-minute regular session on March 5, sent four conditional use permit (CUP) applications to the Oneida County planning and development committee for its consideration.
Concession stand at Torpy Park pavilion to have a new tenant in 2024
Concession stand last occupied during the summer of 2021
The concession stand in the lower level of the original Torpy Park pavilion will have a new tenant for 2024.
LdF town board OKs employee handbook revisions
Included is a longevity pay policy which the town hasn’t had
The Lac du Flambeau town board last week approved updates to the employee handbook which includes a formal policy for employee longevity pay.
Winchester town board OKs hazardous wake ordinance draft
If ultimately adopted, there would be no wake surfing in Winchester
The Winchester town board Monday passed a draft of its hazardous wake ordinance and then sent the draft ordinance back to the town’s planning commission to remove a portion of the draft ordinance that amounts to an exemption of two town lakes.
Magistrate judge orders LdF road appraisals unsealed
A total of $79,000 for the four roads
A magistrate judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin ruled last week that 50-year easement appraisals for the four roads involved in a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit against the town of Lac du Flambeau be unsealed.
Minocqua plan commission sends gravel pit CUP application to the town board
The Minocqua plan commission last week forwarded to the town board for its consideration a conditional use permit (CUP) application from Ed Rynders with Tri-County Sand and Gravel.
One dead in Iron County UTV accident
Vehicle went through ice on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage
One person is dead as the result last week of an incident involving the utility task vehicle (UTV) he was in on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage in Mercer.
Boulder Junction 2023 room tax revenue up
Despite the unusual winter, overall report for the town is good
With the winter of 2023-24 not conducive at all for traditional winter activities in the Northwoods such as snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing, that’s translated to hard times for several area businesses.
North Lakeland school referendum highlighted
Brent Jelinski makes a presentation to the Boulder Junction town board
On April 2, voters in the North Lakeland School District’s service area, 277 square miles that includes the towns of Boulder Junction, Manitowish Waters, Winchester and Presque Isle, will be asked two referendum questions when they go to the polls.
Vehicle Extrication Training is the Key
Area volunteer fire department personnel train on vehicle extrication
In what’s becoming a sort of firefighting and rescue training area across the road from the town hall in Arbor Vitae Saturday, firefighters and rescue personnel from six different area volunteer departments trained for four hours on extrication from vehicles of crash victims.
Winchester looking at room tax
Planning commission, Vilas County zoning administrator discuss zoning issues
The town of Winchester is taking steps to establish a room tax. The planning commission Monday, following several minutes of discussion about language outlining what a room tax in Winchester would look like, approved a draft and forwarded it to the town board for consideration at its next regular meeting on March 4.
Plum Lake town board goes with two regular meetings per month
Postuchow: ‘I think it would look more professional’
The Plum Lake town board Monday, during a special afternoon meeting, decided to conduct two regular meetings each month.
DNR approval of Howard Brothers septage application reversed
Company’s attorney looking at options moving forward
The attorney for Howard Brothers of Arbor Vitae said he’s begun looking at legal options that could be taken as a next step following a ruling from an administrative law judge that didn’t find in his client’s favor.
MHLT school board raises pay for substitute paraprofessionals
Administrative staff to explore possible teacher contract non-renewals for 2024-25
The Minocqua Hazelhurst Lake Tomahawk (MHLT) school board last week, after a closed session at the start of its meeting, approved a $3 increase in pay to $20 an hour for the district’s substitute paraprofessionals.
Lac du Flambeau town board authorizes employee bonuses for 2023
Longevity pay policy for town employees being formulated
The Lac du Flambeau town board last week approved paying four town employees a total of $2,500 in bonus pay for 2023.
Space needs analysis on the way for the OVTC
Newman: ‘We’re hoping to get moving on this’
The Oneida Vilas Transit Commission (OVTC), which oversees Northwoods Transit Connections (NTC), will more than likely review proposals for a space needs analysis sometime in April.
Arbor Vitae town board gets pickleball fundraising update
Fink: ‘We need help’
The Arbor Vitae town board heard an update on the fundraising effort to get pickleball courts installed at Brandy Lake Park during its Feb. 21 meeting.
Informational meetings scheduled for Minocqua residents
Voters will be asked in April 2 referendum if the town can increase the annual town tax levy by $950,000
Minocqua voters will be asked in a referendum on April 2 if the town of Minocqua will be able increase by $950,000 the town’s annual property tax levy.
GLITC CUP application decision postponed
Francoeur: ‘We have certain things we’d want attached’
A decision by the Oneida County board’s planning and development committee regarding a conditional use permit (CUP) application submitted by the Great Lakes Intertribal Council (GLITC) to construct an adolescent recovery and wellness center (ARWC) in the Town of Cassian has been postponed.
Road weight limits in place for Minocqua
Pertile: ‘We can’t wait much longer’
After a couple weeks of letting contractors know most of their hauling should be done in the morning hours, Minocqua public works director Mark Pertile put the word out on Wednesday that road weight limits will be put in place tomorrow, Feb. 24, at noon.
LUHS, LdF school board primaries held Tuesday
Schaub, Seidel advance to general election for LUHS at-large seat
On April 2, there will be contested races on town boards, the Oneida County board and three of the five school districts The Lakeland Times covers regularly.
Vilas County board OKs Tri-County HSC agreement amendments
Burkett: ‘I’m prepared to do anything I have to’
The Vilas County board, meeting in special session on Feb. 13, approved an amended version of the county’s 1984 joint human services agreement with Oneida and Forest counties.