Sign in Join now, it's FREE! Ont. development company is proposing to add seven new apartments to the ground floor of an illustrious former Sault Ste Marie doesn't allow dwelling units on the ground floor of legally existing buildings so Isnize Living asked the city's committee of adjustment this week for a minor variance allowing it to squeeze in the new apartments The city's planning staff suggested the request be granted "The proposed property is in a predominately residential neighbourhood and consists of a second floor with multiple units as of right," said a planning report "The addition of dwelling units supports the city's goal towards increasing the housing supply." Staff recommended two conditions be placed on the approval: "This land is designated residential in the official plan and is supported should the ground floor be designed with esthetics that are sympathetic to the surrounding area," the report said with proper design on the main floor in particular the intention of the zoning bylaw would be upheld by ensuring that commercial spaces are properly renovated to suit a residential purpose." The request for seven new apartments was deferred to a future meeting after a neighbour asked for more time to get information about the number of people living on the second and third floors is controlled by Suping Zou of Markham The young forward and the defender have both signed a new one-year contract with the Dragons Gerd Zenhäusern, team manager: “Kevin Nicolet has reached a new level this season. After starting the season with Thurgau, he seized the opportunity to join the first-team squad. With his attitude and commitment, he embodies the path HC Fribourg-Gottéron wants to follow We are also convinced that Simon Seiler can play an important role well-liked player who brings a physical dimension to the rearguard Simon is perfectly suited to the missions entrusted to him.” This season, Nicolet scored two goals and collected four assists in 32 games with HC Fribourg-Gottéron while Seiler has yet to register a point in 24 outings He said such forests aren’t typically linked to wildfire threats.“It was an area that was impacted in part by the 2019 blow down on national forest and other lands There was a lot of salvage timber operations that also reduced heavy fuels that could have been dangerous if they hadn’t been removed,” Strong said “But it didn’t affect that entire area.”He added that the forests are made up of trees like maples and basswood that aren’t associated with insect or disease problems to his knowledge most if not all areas are dominated by northern hardwood forests He said there’s demand for high quality timber from the industry Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board David Gruber's "one call that's all" slogan has dominated the Milwaukee legal advertising market but newcomer Russell Nicolet's "fear the beard" is challenging that reign is making inroads into southeastern Wisconsin — where it's trying to stand out among several rival firms Founder Russell Nicolet is known for his prominent beard — featured in the firm's ads Meanwhile, Gruber Law Office has stepped up advertising in northern Wisconsin In some stretches along the highway - both in Milwaukee and across the state - billboards for the competing firms are found side by side Nicolet and Gruber are far from being Wisconsin's biggest law firms. Long-established firms with corporate clients and hundreds of lawyers, such as Foley & Lardner But personal injury firms typically have higher profiles because of their need to rely upon advertising and marketing to attract clients Another tactic: growing the firm's potential client base geographically firm started in 2007Russell Nicolet was born in western Wisconsin and spent his formative years in the Sheboygan and Green Bay areas He earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Nicolet started Nicolet Law Firm in 2007 after graduating from William Mitchell College of Law His first case was through Judicare Legal Aid which provides free civil legal services to low-income people “A nice young lady needed a divorce in Wisconsin and she didn’t have money,” Nicolet told the Journal Sentinel Nicolet gained experience in the public defender's office in Wausau and a small law firm in Hudson He found the idea of being a lawyer in a small community both satisfying and challenging I would say probably within a month of being a lawyer "I actually used to wake up in the morning and I’d eat breakfast and then go throw up .. opens new office in Third WardHaving spent years in northern Wisconsin Nicolet decided to move into larger markets and Milwaukee seemed like a good fit “I always felt like Milwaukee is this big city "I just always enjoyed that about Milwaukee and so I thought this would be a good opportunity to get down there.”  Nicolet opened an office in the Bay View neighborhood around 2019 It later relocated to the Historic Third Ward Nicolet announced a move to a bigger Third Ward office at 207 N The firm has about 20 lawyers and is planning to add more image key parts of his advertisingNicolet's billboards television and radio ads often lean into his appearance and "up north" image His recent Milwaukee market TV ads have a more urban feel including a shot of Nicolet on the roof of a Third Ward building and the city skyline in the background People refer to me as ‘the beard,’” Nicolet said It’s certainly an unconventional look for an attorney one Nicolet hopes people latch onto because they may know someone with a similar appearance “This is the time that that image is catching fire,” said Scott Rex marketing instructor at Marquette University Creating public awareness is a major strategy behind to running this kind of law firm I’ve got a very small chance of selling to you,” Rex said “You want to be top of mind to as many people as possible.”  Nicolet and Gruber are not the only Milwaukee-area personal injury law firms trying to catch the attention of potential clients Veteran actor William Shatner has been in Hupy and Abraham commercials for years. Top Dog Law radio commercials on stations like V100.7 (WKKV-FM) are made with a specific audience in mind And other firms such as Habush, Habush and Rottier, as well as Cannon and Dunphy But Gruber and Nicolet ads seem to focus on broader audiences More: Daniel Rottier, president of law firm Habush Habush & Rottier, dies at 73 Personal injury firms need to continually attract clients certainly an ad budget to deal with,” Rex said “They want to get a lot of clients in the door quickly.”  Nicolet said one of the reasons he’s been able to attract clients is because he’s in the courtroom with them I don’t know the last time he’s ever at a case or been in the courtroom,” Nicolet said so I’m kind of in the trenches all the time.”   has attracted lawyers and “we’ve had lawyers that have left Gruber and are at our law office.”  Gruber Law Office has been around for roughly 40 yearsThere are significant challenges for Nicolet in coming to the Milwaukee market “With a dominant brand like Gruber it’s really You have to outspend your competitor like 10 to 1 to keep that name recognition up,” Rex said “I’m not sure how long it’s sustainable.”  Gruber Law Office, with nearly 30 lawyers, is arguably the most well-known Milwaukee law firm — especially with its slogan: “One call...that’s all.”   Gruber has long sought clients in southeastern Wisconsin with a brand promoted through TV commercials The firm also made news in November with plans to move its longtime 100 East office tower headquarters to the 411 East Wisconsin Center MU gamesDavid Gruber is often seated courtside at Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette University Golden Eagles basketball games He also makes himself available for community causes in November were at the Capuchin Community Services House of Peace passing out turkeys and boxes filled with side dishes to 150 households who needed a meal ahead of Thanksgiving That’s part of how Gruber has established its brand The firm does its best to be in as many places as possible director of community and corporate partnerships for Gruber Law Office “Some of that can be attributed to marketing but in total we’ve served tens of thousands of injured Wisconsinites throughout the last 35 plus years,” Terry said “Marketing has changed across the country .. And David has been on TV for 35 plus years.”  But advertising can only take a firm so far It has to be able to deliver good results to its clients our clients and our community,” Terry said “While we’re certainly aware of other law firms in the area coming in .. our focus has to be on our firm and continues to be on providing the best service to our clients and giving back to our community," she said that's all," is a "brilliant slogan,” Rex said “The message is really ‘All you have to do is contact us and we’ll take care of the everything else.’ And I think that’s the secret sauce to what Gruber has figured out is that’s what people are looking for," Rex said Clients "want an easy process that has a high probability of money at the end,” Rex said “And if you can convince me that you’re a firm for that and I can remember your name I’ve got a good chance of calling you up," he said It’s a message Gruber has taken up to northern Wisconsin So it’s just a matter of that brand being in different locations,” Terry said Piper Sandler analyst Nathan Race has adjusted the price target for Nicolet Bankshares (NIC, Financial) reducing it slightly from $120 to $118 while maintaining a Neutral rating Nicolet Bankshares demonstrated a robust performance in the first quarter with pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) exceeding expectations by 5% This was largely driven by higher net interest income supported by high single-digit loan growth and effective management of operating expenses The analyst expressed a positive outlook on the bank especially after the recent decline in its share price Piper Sandler remains confident that long-term investors will benefit from owning shares in Nicolet Bankshares which they regard as a leading institution the bank's strong financial results and strategic management are seen as indicators of continued success and reliability for shareholders Based on the consensus recommendation from 5 brokerage firms, Nicolet Bankshares Inc's (NIC, Financial) average brokerage recommendation is currently 2.6 Three Nicolet High School students have a cash prize to split and recognition for their work in a national documentary contest but we never thought it would get that far especially being the only team from Wisconsin to be named," Schmelzling said Social studies teacher Katherine Romanesko advised the team who credited her with answering their questions helping with research and wording interview questions in a nonbiased manner "She was a huge help in taking a look at those questions and making sure that the information and the requests of that information were coming off as clearly as possible," Schmelzling said "Research skills definitely were improved through this because we had to find reputable sources so I guess there was a lot that was learned through this," Reindl said Both Schmelzling and Weiss said they learned how to conduct a formal interview "That formal interview process and formally asking what could be difficult questions and making sure your questions are non-biased from a journalistic perspective was something I feel like I gleaned," Schmelzling said Among the people the students interviewed for their project was Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson Schmelzling said they didn't expect to get the interview; Johnson's office initially said he wouldn't be available until after the contest submission deadline telling the mayor's office the students would still appreciate his voice and pressing to get the interview earlier because of the deadline Johnson's office responded by offering an interview the next day "That was probably one of the coolest things we've done," Schmelzling said C-SPAN's annual contest focuses on encouraging students in grades six through 12 to use critical thinking about issues affecting their communities and the nation. This year, the channel asked students to create a five- to six-minute documentary video on the theme "Your Message to the President." The most popular topics among entries were climate, environment and land use; K-12 education policies and the cost of college; health care and mental health; gun violence, school safety and firearm policies; and inflation, taxes, government spending and the economy, according to a news release The three Nicolet students were among 32 third-prize winners that C-SPAN selected nationwide 16 second prizes and 97 honorable mention prizes The winner of the grand prize and $5,000 was Dermott Foley a 10th-grader from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring Social Media and the Fentanyl Overdose Crisis." The contest was divided into middle and high school categories High school students competed regionally in three divisions while middle school students competed nationally C-SPAN chose the grand prize winner among both the high school and middle school levels nationally which provides access in Glendale to C-SPAN is also a local partner for the StudentCam contest To view the prize-winning videos, visit www.studentcam.org/studentcam-2025-prize-winners/ (This story was updated to add new information.) Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12 You may not be able to find the page you were after because of: You might find one of the following links useful: Gain insights on a modern flash point test method that enhances safety and reduces sample volume requirements AFM can provide new insights into 2D materials to better understand their potential applications Kyocera's Fine Ceramics enable next-gen renewable energy solutions offering exceptional stability and performance in hydrogen and nuclear fusion applications Micro-XRF is the key method used for the highly sensitive and non-destructive elemental analysis of a number of samples including in-homogenous and irregular samples Optimize compounding and masterbatch processes to boost efficiency while maintaining top material quality AirBreather is the solution the gas monitoring challenges across applications The global semiconductor market has entered an exciting period Demand for chip technology is both driving the industry as well as hindering it with current chip shortages predicted to last for some time Current trends will likely shape the future of the industry The primary distinction between graphene-based batteries and solid-state batteries lies in the composition of either electrode carbon allotropes can also be employed in fabricating anodes the IoT is rapidly being introduced into almost all sectors but it has particular importance in the EV industry you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from AZoNetwork.com please log into your AZoProfile account first Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content A few things you need to know before we start Read the full Terms & Conditions The City of Rhinelander and Nicolet College continue to discuss the possibility of a well site on the campus Nicolet College gave permission to the City to drill test well sites on College property in order to determine the feasibility of a potential well site RHINELANDER (WJFW) — The City of Rhinelander and Nicolet College continue to discuss the possibility of a well site on the campus The City of Rhinelander has made aware that they are one downwell away from not having enough water for the city Have a story? Reach out to me at mskurzewski@wjfw.com Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Editor's note: A previous version of this story ran in the Oct This story adds a Q&A from Diane Nicolet and campaign finance information filed on Tuesday In the only Washoe County School Board race on November's ballot incumbent Diane Nicolet faces a tough race against newcomer Perry Rosenstein Rosenstein out-fundraised Nicolet by $100,000 according to the most recent filings with the Nevada Secretary of State Of the four Washoe County School Board races three were decided in June’s primary because the winners received more than half the vote In the primary Rosenstein received about 35% of the vote to Nicolet's 18% Washoe County School Board’s at-large District G covers the western portion of Washoe County and Incline Village and includes 48 schools from McQueen High School to Incline Elementary School See school district maps at washoecounty.gov/voters/reporting_and_data/precinct-districtmaps.php Who is Perry Rosenstein running for Washoe County School Board District G?3 issues to focus on if elected: Supporting and empowering teachers; focusing on smart cost-effective technology policies and adoption; and prioritizing learning over testing including in physical education and career and technical educationAge: 39Education: Double major in symbolic systems (computer science etc.) and economics from Stanford UniversityOccupation: Business leader/entrepreneur educatorPolitical experience: First-time candidatePolitical affiliation: DemocratFamily: Married with two boys and a baby girl due in October.Total raised to date: $124,912What can a WCSD trustee do about safety in schools  Nicolet: We can make sure we understand the resources and the budget We can identify areas that aren’t being effective and take those things away  One thing we have done is to increase our police force We have done so many things to work on this “There are people that walk the streets to see if there is something we can do to help It sounds trite to say you do everything you can do to recognize every student I know our police officers not only have to deal with our students but with our family members and that has its challenges.” and we need to increase that and do better there making sure that as we rebuild infrastructure we are making them physically safe as well “Making sure schools are supporting teachers when behavioral challenges emerge Making sure that it done consistently and in accordance with the rules that have been established by the district.” Nicolet: “We need to make sure that students are having fun and we are filling their minds and souls The first step is to make sure students are there (in school.)  We want children to come and learn We can help students enjoy learning because it is a life-long endeavor “We need more resources and highly trained teachers We know it involves everyone from our educators to our custodians Rosenstein:  “What is the goal of the school system and what I support is things like career and technical education We need to make sure that all kids can meet the needs of the demands of the future and get jobs when they get graduate One of the biggest leverage points I’ve seen is literacy If you aren’t reading at level by ninth grade I tutor kids in the foster system and some of them are years behind We have to absolutely make sure that kids in the early ages of elementary schools are reading at grade level.” What keeps Nevada at the bottom of education rankings Nicolet: “I always get a little guarded because research is all over the place I think a challenge is it's public school and our doors are open to every child  “We have to look at that information carefully So often our kiddos are victims of their environment “I see and I know we are doing a wonderful job If we could get our per-pupil funding to even the middle of the road -- the middle of what it is in the U.S Rosenstein: “I will say I am running for Washoe County School District I don’t want to bundle Washoe into that completely a big part of my job is building relationships with state legislatures with the upcoming session to ensure we continue to increase funding Our schools are only as good as our teachers and se need to support them in many ways but obviously compensation to attract and keep the best ones There are also obviously other policies and things we can do to help.” This story will be updated as election results come in incumbent DIane Nicolet is now ahead in the Washoe County School Board race This includes results from early and in-person voting As of Wednesday morning Nicolet has 44,593 votes to Rosenstein's 43,346 the Washoe County School Board race between Diane Nicolet and Perry Rosenstein is close With Rosenstein up by just 315 votes over Nicolet In the only Washoe County School Board race on Tuesday's ballot incumbent Diane Nicolet is facing a tough comeback from primary results against newcomer Perry Rosenstein Nicolet and Rosenstein are vying for an at-large seat in District G an area that includes the western portion of Washoe County and Incline Village from McQueen High School to Incline Elementary School a longtime educator was out fundraised by $100,000 and received 18% of the vote in the primary to Rosenstein's 35% is a tech businessman who also substitute teaches for the district Nicolet said she would focus on making sure students felt safe, ready, willing and excited to learn; parent/family involvement in their child's education and class-size reductions if she were reelected Rosenstein said his focus if elected would be supporting and empowering teachers; focusing on smart, cost-effective technology policies and adoption; and prioritizing learning over testing including in physical education, the arts, and career and technical education Nicolet Technical College will be hosting a Fire and EMS Teen Academy Phillip Puestow says this program is meant to help high schoolers get an idea of the public safety industry “If we can spark interest when they’re young they may take that with them for wherever they go,” Puestow said “Hopefully it’s going to open their eyes to something different that they might not have looked at or approached in the past.” is a student who didn’t expect to find a passion in firefighting “I joined this program because it looked good on resumes,” Sandery said I like being a part of the community and knowing I’m doing something good for the community.” Through a partnership between Tomahawk High School and Nicolet Sandery was able to join a hands-on firefighting class “We learn about so many different things,” Sandery said We learn about parking when you get to a fire scene.” Sandery will be attending UW-Stout for digital forensic investigations but still has plans to volunteer at local fire departments “I will probably stick with firefighting because I know I’m helping serve my community,” Sandery said students will learn firefighting techniques participate in emergency first aid and meet with public safety professionals The Fire and EMS Teen Academy begins on June 24 until June 26 and is free for all those who attend Students can register on Nicolet college’s website Keefe Bruyette has increased its price target for Nicolet Bankshares (NIC, Financial) to $118 The adjustment follows an impressive first-quarter performance from the bank that surpassed market expectations The financial services firm continues to maintain a Market Perform rating on Nicolet Bankshares The upgrade in the price target reflects a positive outlook following the company's robust operating earnings report An 18-month construction project to create additional space and revamp existing areas in Nicolet Union High School school is nearly complete and has transformed the building which was designed by modernist Frtiz Von Grossmann in the early 1950s Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories in that station's most popular podcast.  « Back Diane Nicolet’s stubbornness didn’t cost her a win it didn't cost her nearly as much as it did everyone else Even as her opponent for a seat on Washoe County School Board was raising big bucks and fellow trustees told her she had to start raising money like they were Trustee Nicolet began her term in January 2021 representing District G an at-large area comprised of the western portion of Washoe County and Incline Village the longest-serving and only trustee with a Ph.D is back for another four year term She was sworn in earlier this month for another four years She bucked the trend of having to raise big money more than the job even pays to serve on the school board Nicolet said she didn’t want to raise more money to spend on flyers and signs that people throw away even as she faced a new opponent who seemed poised to win beating her in the primary with a solid lead “I’m tired of the trash and so is everyone else,” she said of the barrage of flyers even as the two went head to head in the general election Nicolet also wanted to win the old fashioned way spending less than three of her colleagues also running to retain seats on the school board She was also the only trustee who had to continue campaigning beyond the primary The three other trustees up for reelection won their races in June while Nicolet had to campaign until election day in November Trustee Jeff Church who also was running for reelection lost in the primary to Christine Hull who pulled out a win against newcomer to politics Perry Rosenstein Rosenstein out-fundraised Diane Nicolet raising more than $133,500 to her $25,000 Rosenstein also got the endorsements of Washoe Education Association Final finance reports were due to the state on Jan Rosenstein took in donations from the Washoe Education Association and the Nevada State Education Association totaling $12,000 He also raised more $5,000 from the Grand Sierra Resort and the Atlantis Casino Resort She said Rosenstein graciously reached out after she won She hopes he stays involved in the school district and we need all the good people we can get,” she said Nicolet Elementary School no longer exists after a unanimous Green Bay School Board vote Monday students will attend Nicolet Elementary Community School a name change meant to indicate work being done to connect the school with the larger community "The community school model is something that should be incredibly valuable to this district," board member Bryan Milz said Nicolet has been on its way toward becoming a community school since 2021 It’s the second community school in Green Bay Area Public Schools following Howe Elementary Community School in 2018 The district works with an “anchor partner,” Brown County United Way which invests in the community school program and connects the schools with other partners More: 'Nonsensical': Green Bay schools cut inclusion in job descriptions with federal funding threat The district defines a community school as a “neighborhood hub” that provides access to community supports, according to Howe’s website this support has come through things like literacy initiatives and neighborhood partnership grants Why Nicolet?Nicolet was chosen because of its academic needs and community data showing additional resources would likely benefit the area Brown County United Way also already works with Nicolet’s surrounding neighborhoods the district hired a resource coordinator for Nicolet’s community schools program Brown County United Way announced a second $150,000 investment What’s changing?The biggest change will be the name which will be changed on school signs through Brown County United Way funding The district hired a community school resource coordinator and received its first investment from Brown County United Way last year a cooking club and morning martial arts lessons and has held cultural events like a Hispanic Heritage celebration Contact Green Bay education reporter Nadia Scharf at nscharf@gannett.com or on X at @nadiaascharf The legal world’s Russell Nicolet became “part of the pop culture of the Midwest.” Now strangers tattoo his face on their nipples and invite him to their wedding At the annual Country Jam USA in Eau Claire the songs sound sweeter and the beer runs colder Concertgoers encountered Nicolet’s cartoony avatar — wavy beard mirrored sunglasses — on billboards all over town His mug watched over the festival’s entrance gate and hovered above the stage Few are the lawyers whose faces grace tattoos the actual Russell Nicolet (pronounced nik-oh-lay) seemed humbled by the popularity of the tats — and perhaps a bit chagrined He hadn’t anticipated the risk of releasing his face into the alcohol-soaked crush: uninhibited fans who flashed skin and asked Nicolet to guess where they’d hidden the tat wakeboarding father of five sees enough of his face It’s propagated on hundreds of billboards across Wisconsin rivaling the wide-armed reach of Twin Cities real estate agent Kris Lindahl In Nicolet’s many billboards and promotional videos Especially in a profession that’s steeped in status shrouded in complexity and stereotyped for its sharks and shysters “We’re Midwest folks who happen to be legal professionals,” Nicolet often says Many founders who serve as their company’s “face” go through life as the loudest voice in a room (pillow pitchman Mike Lindell and auto dealer Denny Hecker among them) But Nicolet’s ego comes off as more tempered Consider Nicolet Law’s recent Super Bowl commercial in which two workers are installing a cartoon-head billboard when the man himself busts through the vinyl and compliments one guy’s appearance: “Nice beard!” The public may not quite know what to make of Nicolet — “Guy is either a genius or an absolute madman Maybe both?” one Reddit commenter wrote — but his abundant cheesier-than-Wisconsin promotions have arguably made him more recognizable to Minnesotans than Tony Evers or Jordan Love (Wisconsin’s governor and the Packers starting QB In the three years since Nicolet’s billboards saturated Midwest roadways Burma-Shave style he’s grown his firm from a handful of employees to roughly 70 with more than 20 offices across four states His approachable brand has led strangers to request a life-size Nicolet cutout to prop behind their home bar and even invite him to their wedding “It’s become part of the pop culture of the Midwest,” Nicolet said Nicolet’s ads would have been banned in many states because of the American Bar Association’s 1908 declaration that advertising legal services was unprofessional After the Supreme Court struck down the prohibition suit-clad personal-injury lawyers became a fixture of the media landscape For many lawyers specializing in vehicle accidents ads are an integral part of the business model so they have an incentive to review a large volume of leads and consider the odds that they can quickly settle out of court or win at trial Such lawsuits pay out roughly $50 billion worth of verdicts and settlements nationwide each year And the country’s largest personal-injury firm reportedly puts $200 million toward ads each year to claim its piece of that pie (Nicolet Law doesn’t share how much it spends.) Most personal-injury lawyers take a serious Billboards for the dominant Twin Cities-based firms display the partners’ names in a gold frame But some in the industry are known for a more garish hard-sell with tough-guy nicknames (“Strong Arm” “The Hammer”) and cash-grab imagery (money bags Nicolet presents himself as the lawyer-next-door — the son of a nurse and a UPS driver raised in what was once a rural community outside Green Bay because all the Packers move out there and build houses,” Nicolet explained.) optimistic and extroverted since back when the neighborhood sandlot crew built its own field of dreams Nicolet says he wasn’t especially studious (“Sometimes you just kind of rebel against everything and I got a little wild.”) Uncertain about his path to adulthood But his mom asked him to apply to one college That decision eventually led Nicolet to graduate from what was then William Mitchell law school in St Nicolet rented a one-room office in downtown Hudson a paralegal who assisted him with consumer legal work The first lawyer Nicolet hired was his younger brother Adam (Nicolet now also employs his youngest brother When bankruptcy work dried up during COVID Nicolet determined that he’d prefer to specialize in personal-injury law But narrowing the firm’s focus meant Nicolet needed a plan to bring in more clients we’re going to make this law firm grow a lot,” he recalled It featured a photograph of him in the ornate James J and listed all the areas of law he practiced (“Way too busy.”) But it did get the greenhorn attorney a lot of attention from judges and lawyers “I think some of them thought that I was kind of getting too big for my britches,” Nicolet said The assumption within the legal community was that “real lawyers” got their cases from doing good work and then getting referrals from past clients “I think there was a little bit of a stigma ‘Who’s this guy and is he going to cheapen the law practice?’ ” But word-of-mouth only brings in so many cases and Nicolet felt he could keep the phone ringing by differentiating himself through advertising While lawyers who present themselves as tough or elite could appeal to those mulling lawsuits Nicolet understood that potential clients were often in a vulnerable place was to worry that their attorney might confuse or judge them he and a marketing staffer decided that a cartoon-style rendering of Nicolet’s face would communicate the lawyer “you’d want to have a beer or coffee with,” he explained He showed the cartoon head to his brother Ben Nicolet ordered a bunch of billboards and then showed the cartoon to his brother Adam “I thought it was silly.” The sentiment Nicolet recalls was: “That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen!”) Despite the skepticism, Nicolet bought more billboards. And more billboards. (He won’t share how many because he’s running a TikTok contest, with $1,000 prize, to guess the total number.) He also started making sketch-comedy-style promotional videos. In one, Nicolet raps (rather stiffly). In another, he cheerfully works every job at Kiwk Trip the La Crosse-based gas station chain that no white-shoe lawyer has probably ever set foot in Though one viral Nicolet Law commercial casts Wisconsin-bred comedian Charlie Berens as a billboard-design consultant, Nicolet creates his campaigns in-house, often with the help of marketing manager Cassandra Laabs (who, in one ad, accompanies Nicolet on drums as he struts the stage to heavy metal riffs) A roomful of lawyers could endlessly debate whether Nicolet runs afoul of the American Bar Association’s current guidelines, which state that “undignified advertising can detract from the public’s confidence in the legal profession and respect for the justice system.” And there’s still a stigma around advertising among legal practitioners, says Bill White, who oversaw coverage of the profession as publisher of Minnesota Law & Politics and Super Lawyers magazines and now runs the marketing firm ReelLawers. “Even after it was legal, it was very slow to catch on,” he said. “Even today, there are a lot of lawyers who look down on any overt marketing.” White, who has not met or worked with Nicolet, noted that very few lawyers step back from the all-consuming daily work of writing briefs and making court appearances and think about their legal practice as a business in the way Nicolet has. He cautions that potential clients realize Nicolet has to delegate. (“You’re not going to get the Beard, that’s the reality, but he’s built a firm that’s infused with his values.”) White called Nicolet’s broad, edgy campaign highly effective: “He’s attracted massive eyeballs,” he said. “And he’s gotten people’s attention.” The internet, of course has thoughts on Nicolet’s promotions — which his 10-year-old niece has described as “cringe.” “Looking forward to the inevitable Nicolet vs. Lindahl rap battle to secure the last remaining billboard space in Minnesota,” someone wrote on Reddit. Other commenters were harsher. “This guy looks like he’d sue his own grandma because her cake was a little dry.” “If you lined up 10 lawyers and he was one of them, he would be the absolute last lawyer I would choose.” And yet, even the haters have to concede: They all know Nicolet’s name. “I promise when someone has an injury happen, this guy is going to come to mind,” one commenter admitted. Out at the dusty Country Jam festival grounds, Nicolet was on a lot of people’s minds — in a good way. The swag tent crew helped a couple guys apply Russell-head tattoos to their nipples. A woman taking a selfie with Nicolet said the billboards added a bit of fun to her daily commute. (“When I get injured, I’m calling him,” she volunteered.) By late afternoon, micro-influencer Seth Hatherly stopped by the tent to give Nicolet a bro hug. The two met through the North Carolina native’s vlogs about the culture shock he experienced when he came to Wisconsin for a job with the Packers. After Hatherly posted about Nicolet’s billboards (including documenting every one he spotted on a road trip from Minneapolis to Green Bay), the law firm welcomed Hatherly to the state with a surprise gift: a billboard advertising Hatherly’s social handles. “Moving to Wisconsin I didn’t think I’d become best friends with a law firm,” Hatherly said. When reflecting on how the billboards have changed his life, Nicolet said he continues to enjoy working legal cases, helping clients and growing the business as it expands into Iowa. The only downside to his celebrity is getting stopped when he’s out in public with all his kids (an experience he likens to “herding cats.”) Nicolet shared a story of how he recently encountered a teenager who asked him to sign his jersey. At first, Nicolet hesitated. “I’m not a pro athlete — I’m not a rock star,” he said. “I was feeling bad, like, my signature’s just Russell Nicolet.” But the kid insisted, even asking “Sign it real big, too, man!” Despite such rock-star treatment, on the Country Jam grounds, at least, the guy whose face was everywhere appeared not to have let it go to his head. He may have been one of the Midwest’s unlikeliest celebrities, but he seemed most at home among the crowd. When a band Nicolet wanted to see took to the stage his firm had sponsored, he headed toward it, alone. Then he wended his way through the crowd like anybody else, swallowed up by the Midwest folk. Rachel Hutton writes lifestyle and human-interest stories for the Minnesota Star Tribune. Music She was as alluringly confessional as Joni Mitchell but not as musically intriguing Sally Wingert is by turns gentle and caustic in a show that shows God is the ultimate entertainer Gioachino Rossini’s comic opera plays at the Ordway Music Theater in St Nicolet Bankshares Inc (NIC, Financial) released its 8-K filing on April 15 announcing its financial results for the first quarter of 2025 The company reported a net income of $33 million a slight decrease from the previous quarter's $34 million but an increase from $28 million in the first quarter of 2024 Earnings per diluted common share were $2.08 Nicolet Bankshares Inc is a United States-based bank holding company whose principal business is banking It provides a range of services including lending and ancillary banking-related products to businesses and individuals in the communities it serves The company focuses on small and medium-sized businesses The first quarter of 2025 saw Nicolet Bankshares Inc achieving solid loan growth of $119 million the company faced challenges with a slight decline in net interest income to $71 million primarily due to higher interest expenses from deposit growth The net interest margin decreased slightly to 3.58% from 3.61% in the previous quarter largely due to seasonally lower net mortgage income and reduced swap fees These challenges highlight the importance of managing interest expenses and diversifying income streams to maintain profitability Nicolet Bankshares Inc's financial achievements in the first quarter are significant for the banking industry The company's ability to grow its loan portfolio and core deposits demonstrates its strength in attracting and retaining customers The increase in stock buyback authorization by $60 million reflects confidence in the company's financial health and commitment to enhancing shareholder value Nicolet Bankshares Inc reported total assets of $9.0 billion an increase of $178 million from December 31 with commercial and industrial loans contributing significantly to this growth The company's total deposits reached $7.6 billion with a notable increase in brokered deposits The allowance for credit losses was $67 million maintaining a ratio of 1.00% of total loans These metrics are crucial for assessing the company's financial health and risk management capabilities Nicolet Bankshares Inc's performance in the first quarter of 2025 reflects its resilience and strategic focus on growth The company's ability to exceed earnings estimates and maintain strong asset quality positions it well in the competitive banking sector the slight decline in net interest income and noninterest income highlights the need for continued focus on cost management and revenue diversification Nicolet Bankshares Inc's financial results demonstrate its commitment to delivering value to shareholders while navigating the challenges of a dynamic market environment including stock repurchases and disciplined growth are likely to support its long-term success Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Nicolet Bankshares Inc for further details I'm your neighborhood reporter dedicated to Green Bay GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Nicolet Elementary will be changed to include the word "Community" the district said will be make a big difference for the school and the surrounding neighborhood (The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story) "We've been preparing pretty much for the last three Preparation to serve the community in bigger way and under a new name now we're just adding a lot of new things that we can help our families with," MacArthur said Nicolet Elementary School is now Nicolet Elementary Community School after a unanimous vote from the district's Board of Education on Monday School leaders said the change is part of a nationwide initiativeto implement more community-focused programming in neighborhoods that have a need for it "We're just a stepping stone for that in having all those things in place," MacArthur said MacArthur said having the "Community School" label will bring more funding for family-focused resources we were able to have Shopko Optical here and then we were able to get 90 students glasses," MacArthur said "They got glasses for school and glasses for home." Nicolet is now the second community school in the district after Howe Elementary was renamed in 2018 District staff said the name change and additional programming won't cost taxpayers a dime "Community Schools is really a way to lift up the community so that students are coming to school more available to learn," Amy Fish GBAPS community partnerships & grants associate director Fish said majority of funding is provided through Brown County United Way, a nonprofit organization In January, the organization announcedit's dedicating $150,000 to the community school initiative for the 2024-25 school year "When kids are coming to school and their basic needs aren't met or perhaps parents need a little more support at home this is a strategy to remove some of those barriers," Fish said In a memo sent to the school board Fish and MacArthur added that the community will serve as a hub for students the goal is to have our students want to be here and letting families know that they're a part of what we do," MacArthur said School staff said they plan to add more before and after school programming for students and designate a room for community engagement events District staff said it's already assessing whether to add more community schools in the future We cover stories making an impact in Green Bay. 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Click here and tell us what we should be covering in your neighborhood and ready for students to take their learning experience to new levels Nicolet's Performing Arts Center is being compared to the highest industry standards in theater The center features a 1,700-square-foot band room Students now have access to these elevated opportunities while pursuing a rewarding performing arts curriculum Watch: Behind the Scenes of Nicolet High School's Performing Arts Center "It would be the same experience that they would have in a professional setting set design— all that would be industry-standard experiences for students," said Greg Kabara Nicolet Union High School District superintendent real-world experience that prepares them for future careers in the arts Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more. Report a typo or error Report a typo