(WJFW) – Grace Lodge here in Rhinelander held a pre-Mother’s Day Tea Party on Sunday afternoon that allowed Mothers daughters and nieces a chance to celebrate with an age-old tradition “This year is our first annual tea party to celebrate mothers…just to celebrate women in general – we are all caregivers by nature,” said Becky Kettler And the décor is all tea and flowers and the women love that.” And the event was not just limited to mothers and daughters Residents were able to invite close female family members or whoever else they chose to bring “We do have some grandchildren so any family members they want or a good friend.” who owns the Table of Grace cottage bakery in Rhinelander took care of her mother while she battled Alzheimer’s and said that her mother used to love attending baking classes Karl now teaches similar classes in her mother’s memory she made her signature mandarin orange scones for everyone She says days like today remind her of a few things “How important it is to be involved in the community and how important it is for the community to come here if they cannot get out,” Karl said “We often talk about things that…when we talk about cooking and baking I learn more from them and what they did than I could ever teach them.” Kettler added that one of her favorite parts of the day was hearing all of the old tea stories… “Their tea cups and the stories of how they would have tea with their mom or grandmother,” Kettler said “And how certain tea cups have been passed down from generation to generation Email notifications are only sent once a day We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen Have the latest local news delivered every afternoon so you don't miss out on updates Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: The Rhinelander Curling Club’s men’s and women’s teams will be competing in Las Vegas this fall They’ve curled with other clubs before Rhinelander started its own they had very low expectations going into the state competition It was okay with the lacrosse team as well won the playoff match against LaCrosse on Sunday taking the Wisconsin State Championship title also took the Wisconsin State Championship title in a three-game series against LaCrosse on Sunday The National Championship they’ll be competing in is for Arena Clubs these are ones that don’t have their own facilities and are often competing for ice time with hockey players and ice skaters They’ll be competing against 12 teams at Curl Vegas in October and some experience of it,” said Rice “We'll be able to hopefully add some information to provide future teams.” Five games at the National so my first goal is to win a game The Rhinelander Curling Club hopes to build up to a club team with its own but Claudil says they need to build up membership before they get there He encourages people to come try it out when its starts back up this fall that strategy of scoring and setting up your game,” said Chaldil and I've met some of the nicest people curling come on out on the ice and find out that it's not so easy,” said Claudil The Rhinelander Curling Club holds Learn to Curls every Sunday night and Monday mornings during their season They expect to start those up again in early November. You can learn more about the club through its Facebook page. The Hodag Dome was successfully re-inflated last week and the repair process continues to move forward RHINELANDER (WJFW) — The Hodag Dome was successfully re-inflated last week and the repair process continues to move forward According to a Rhinelander School District news release cables on the exterior of the Dome were adjusted and patching of exterior holes was completed late last week The maintenance team is now focused on patching remaining holes on the inside of the Dome and expects that work to continue through next week lighting repairs are underway inside the facility with more lighting to be installed on the tennis court side of the Dome to enhance visibility and safety Repairs to the tennis courts and track—both of which sustained damage—will need to occur at a later date but remain a high priority for completion as soon as possible A promising report from Arizon received Monday morning indicates that the Dome will be ready to host Rhinelander High School's graduation ceremony on June 1st A final decision on the location of graduation will be made by the end of next week Superintendent Eric Burke expressed his appreciation for the efforts that have brought the Dome closer to full functionality: “We are incredibly grateful to our School District of Rhinelander maintenance team and the City of Rhinelander for their hard work and continued support throughout this process," Burke said in the release The progress we’ve made is a testament to the power of collaboration and community.” Burke also extended his gratitude to the greater Rhinelander community for its ongoing patience and encouragement: “Thank you to our community for your support and understanding as we work through this challenge," Burke said "The Hodag Dome has become such an important resource to our school district and the broader community and we are committed to restoring it to full use as quickly and safely as possible.” Work is also ongoing to improve the Dome’s emergency power system The district maintenance team is actively coordinating with insurance company engineers as well as representatives from Trane and Wolter to enhance the reliability of backup power in the event of an outage The School District of Rhinelander will continue to provide updates as work progresses and will announce the final graduation venue decision by the end of next week Have a story? Reach out to me at mskurzewski@wjfw.com Rhinelander schools and local law enforcement teamed up for the 14th annual Careers on Wheels program Businesses from across the Northwoods came out to show elementary students what they do for a living behind the wheel The aim is to help guide students on what they may be interested in For anything from limo services to excavating students were able to get behind the wheel and given the opportunity to start thinking about what interests them "It's important to give kids the opportunity even at a young age to start think about 'what can I do?' 'what possibilities are out there?'" said Rhinelander chief of police "We try to get a variety of different things because some of these careers as kids get older they can make decisions that would take that career off the table for them." Officials wanted to gauge interest early on Rhinelander High School celebrated Senior Signing Day Thursday with a ceremony to celebrate the graduating class and the students' plans after high school RHINELANDER (WJFW) — Rhinelander High School celebrated Senior Signing Day Thursday with a ceremony to celebrate the graduating class and the students' plans after high school Aaron Kraemer says it’s important to highlight each student and their hard work “It was really exciting to see where everybody is planning to go whether it’s college or the military or into the workforce,” Kraemer said After her involvement with numerous RHS clubs and sports Luna Grage signed her commitment to UW-Madison’s political science program She celebrated the milestone with her peers made the moment more special “Some of us came earlier some of us came later but at the end of the day to be able to celebrate where we’re all going in our futures has been so electric and important to us.” Grage plans on attending law school after finishing her first four years at UW-Madison Grage plans to return to the place she calls home “I hope to come back to this community and give back in a way I can,” Grage said Truman Lamers was a three-sport athlete and involved with a number of clubs He was happy to see all his hard work pay off “It feels great obviously to have that celebration and know that all the work I’ve put in through the years,” Lamers said “And all the work my classmates have put in is finally coming together.” Lamers is headed to Florida Gulf Coast University to major in psychology While he is looking forward to the warmer Florida weather Lamers will always look forward to coming home “The people I’ve gotten to know and the coaches and players I’ve built bonds with are obviously going to be tough to be separated from,” Lamers said “But I know they’ll continue to be a part of my life.” it’s bittersweet seeing another class of students enter their next chapter and remember we’ll always be your biggest fans.” Nearly 150 elementary students from the School District of Rhinelander and Nativity School took part in the Careers on Wheels event Thursday morning Rhinelander Elementary School students were able to experience several different job opportunities RHINELANDER (WJFW) — Nearly 150 elementary students from the School District of Rhinelander and Nativity School took part in the Careers on Wheels event Thursday morning Rhinelander’s Chief of Police and chair of the event said this has become something he looks forward to every year “We got to sit in a bunch of things and just explore and get into a thought of what we want to be when we grow up,” said Cailin Karpf Chief Lloyd Gauthier was one of many professionals showing kids what adult life could look like so that’s how I got involved with the first one and have run every event since,” Gauthier said Gauthier said it's important to show kids that there are fun jobs to encourage them to stay out of trouble and to keep their options open “Some of the careers that we have here today for them to get into it they’re going to have to make really good decisions as teenagers and adults because poor decisions could eliminate that career field for them,” Gauthier said And the fourth and fifth graders enjoyed the interactive day “Today has been a really fun experience because you have a lot of options to choose from when you grow up and sometimes it sparks creation even if you don’t want to do it you can do something like it,” student Amelia Mcgee said One student said there were so many different jobs that it was a lot to think about it’s just a lot to handle,” student Lexi Towne said Towne said although she sees fashion designer in her future she really enjoyed the different careers on wheels that she got to experience but nothing topped her favorite because I could fit in the wheel and it was a really cool experience,” she said Chief Gauthier said it's okay if students choose a completely different path but you never know what could spark an interest.. “It’s really great for them and the employers cause someday maybe they’ll have some of these students come and work for them,” Gauthier said those who were clamoring for an A&W restaurant to return to Rhinelander can celebrate With the chain expanding in northcentral Wisconsin with recent openings in Colby and Merrill as well as the announcement of one coming to Weston now its been announced A&W will return to Rhinelander The restaurant announced on its A&W Restaurant Rhinelander page the return of the beloved root beer and burger joint A new A&W restaurant will be constructed at 1120 Lincoln Street at the old Wash Works building (WJFW) – Protestors gathered at Pioneer Park and Oneida Avenue in Rhinelander on Saturday to hold another "Hands Off" demonstration against the policies of the Trump administration The protest is the second of it's kind in Rhinelander in recent weeks with the first being held outside the Oneida County Courthouse on April 5 “Hands off the things that are being taken away from us," Pat O’Grady who organized the first Rhinelander gathering the buying of the state votes which almost happened here in Wisconsin Hundreds of "Hands Off" protests in all 50 states were planned for Saturday - with support of the grassroots "50501 Movement." It's the second Saturday in recent weeks that have seen these protests held across the United States Many within the movement say they plan to continue demonstrating against the policies of Donald Trump and Elon Musk Below are photos from the Rhinelander Protest The Rhinelander City Council is moving forward steps to renegotiate its contract with ArtStart as part of an effort by the non-profit to replace the building's failing boiler As WXPR previously reported ArtStart’s building in downtown Rhinelander is owned by the city has certain federal restrictions due to the historical significance of the building and all maintenance costs fall on ArtStart as per their lease agreement ArtStart went to Rhinelander city council earlier this month asking for help paying more than $175,000 for a new boiler ArtStart will consider vacating the building Several people spoke in support of keeping ArtStart downtown during public comment Nate Sheppard owns the Hilgermann Center for Community on Brown Street and is an artist himself “We recognize that the more that there is to do downtown the more that people will come to shop and spend their money downtown and the longer that they will stay in town,” Sheppard told city council “If the building that ArtStart currently occupies goes vacant or is inhabited by a non-arts and culture related entity I do believe it will have a negative impact on many of our businesses because ArtStart is a place that offers entertainment ArtStart needs the city to agree to pledge the building or the organization won’t be able to secure a loan ArtStart has already secured a $50,000 grant to cover the first year of the loan The plan presented to city council would be ArtStart and the City of Rhinelander splitting the cost for a new boiler which would come out to about $15,000 a year for four years for the city spoke in support of finding a solution that keeps ArtStart in the building “We don't have a plan for this building afterwards We don't know if other businesses will want it We don't know what the National Park Service will say but what we do know is that ArtStart cares about the community,” said Jopek City Administrator Patrick Reagan addressed the part about the National Park Service He told city council he spoke with someone from NPS who told him that the federal government wouldn’t take the building back this means if ArtStart were to vacate the building and the city wanted to sell it to some other business the city would have to pay the federal government the fair market appraisal of the building One for the city to pledge the building so ArtStart can secure a loan The other to direct city staff to renegotiate the contract with ArtStart which may be needed to help pay for the cost of the boiler Both are expected to go back to city council at its next meeting on May 12 If you have your sights set on spending some time out on the shooting range rifle and pistol range in Rhinelander is making some changes to offer more to its sportsmen members RHINELANDER (WJFW) — If you have your sights set on spending some time out on the shooting range Hodag Sports Club has been promoting outdoor activities since the late 1940s It operates two shooting ranges with the rifles and pistols location on Sports Club Road is getting some grades “Our old structures were getting kind of ratty,” said Don Mider 240-foot building that's handicap accessible Mider said with the rifle range open 365 days a year The new building will offer more versatility in the winter months “We’ll have it open for shooting while we're doing some of the later work — getting more benches in we’ll have electric at each of the benches so that in the wintertime the guys can bring an electrical heater and warm their hands while they’re shooting,” said Joe Priebe Priebe said you’d be surprised how much use the range gets year-round from folks all over Wisconsin and even folks from the U.P cowboy action shooting and 3-gun competitions there’s always something going on at the Shooting Range “We have ranges from seven yards to 400 yards we can pretty much encompass anybody,” said Mider A temporary range is open while construction is taking place which should be completed in just a few weeks Starting this week throughout the summer on Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m the range is hosting practice for the USPSA shooting competition “People are welcome to come and see what’s going on if they want to shoot they need to bring a holster that covers the trigger," Priebe said "They need to bring glasses and hearing protection Don or one of the other guys will take them through a short safety course so they know what their doing and can shoot along with us." The range will also be offering a new steel challenge on Tuesday nights To find a complete list of upcoming matches and events and membership details visit the Hodag Sports Club website or find them on Facebook. Upcoming Rhinelander Area Program on May 11th An official website of the United States government We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent anticompetitive View Enforcement Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law Browse legal resources View all Competition Matters Blog posts We work to advance government policies that protect consumers and promote competition View Policy View all Technology Blog posts Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business Visit militaryconsumer.gov Visit consumer.gov Visit Competition Counts Competition Guidance View News and Events View more Events Sign up for the latest news Learn about the FTC's notable video game cases and what our agency is doing to keep the public safe Explore refund statistics including where refunds were sent and the dollar amounts refunded with this visualization Our mission is protecting the public from deceptive or unfair business practices and from unfair methods of competition through law enforcement Learn more about the FTC Ferguson is Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson Looking for legal documents or records? Search the Legal Library instead The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $1 million in refunds to consumers who were allegedly harmed by Rhinelander Auto Center’s junk fees and discriminatory practices The FTC and State of Wisconsin took action against Rhinelander Auto and its general manager in 2023, alleging that they regularly charged many customers junk fees for “add-on” products or services without the customer’s consent The defendants also discriminated against American Indian customers in the cost of financing by adding more “markup” to their interest rates The FTC is sending checks to 7,531 consumers. Recipients should cash their checks within 90 days, as indicated on the check. Consumers who have questions about their payment should contact the refund administrator, Analytics, at 866-648-7161, or visit the FTC website to view frequently asked questions about the refund process The Commission never requires people to pay money or provide account information to get a refund The Commission’s interactive dashboards for refund data provide a state-by-state breakdown of refunds in FTC cases In 2023, FTC actions led to $330 million in refunds to consumers across the country (WJFW) – Donors and Sponsors of the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry were at the Pines Event Center on Saturday to celebrate and raise funds for the pantry’s 20th anniversary the proceeds of which will go toward helping the pantry “We’re just really excited that our community cares about each other they want to have a food pantry and make sure that we have a beautiful modern facility,” said the pantry’s Executive Director Smith noted that this celebration and the anniversary itself display just how much of an impact the food pantry has had on the Rhinelander area over the years “We’re actually sending folks home every two weeks with a cart-load of groceries,” Smith said “And we know that a household of two people can save a minimum of $400 a month – if not up to $600 a month by shopping at the pantry.” And while the pantry continues to push forward Smith said that recent cuts to USDA programs – like the Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance program – makes donations all the more impactful right now “Really important foods like fresh vegetables and frozen meats…things like that,” Smith said the food that we’re seeing reduced access to is some of the most expensive as well as the most nutritious food that we need But it hasn’t stopped the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry from being a central part of the community Which Smith says can be seen better through the relationships the pantry has built – rather than the amount of donations that come in “I’m more concerned about the number of people that showed up today rather than the dollar amount that they’re going to spend We know we’re building life-long relationships and partnerships with our community we just really love to eat a great meal and sit down and spend time with our friends and supporters.” United Airlines will resume flights between Rhinelander and Chicago this summer In 2021, United made roundtrip flights between Chicago O’Hare Airport and Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport for three months during the peak summer travel season Then the pilot shortage came along as a result of COVID,” said Matthew Leitner the Rhinelander Oneida County Airport Director but it kept the infrastructure in place with the intention to return Leitner says there’s still a pilot shortage but its eased enough to resume that flight and expand it United will be offering it from May through September for airports to secure new airline service because we're still kind of reeling from the pilot shortage It hasn't fully recovered yet,” said Leitner There will be a round trip flight per day between Chicago and Rhinelander for up to 50 passengers starting in May Mid-June United will add a second-round trip flight through Labor Day and then back to one round-trip per day Leitner says this flight to Chicago and Delta’s flights to Minneapolis opens the door to just about any destination for travelers We're seeing a lot of growth in small business a very capable hub with a lot of offerings it really eliminates the necessity to go to another airport,” said Leitner The United flights will run May 22 through September 28 Fares will be available on united.com in the coming days In April 2024, voters within the School District of Rhinelander approved a $26 million capital improvement referendum With those funds the district will improve art family and consumer science classrooms in the middle school as well as special education At the high school science classrooms and the technical education areas are getting major upgrades On a frigid Monday afternoon more than two dozen students and community members attended a ceremonial groundbreaking in front of the high school “We're a comprehensive school district and high school have not been a priority,” said Superintendent Eric Burke that we put some money into those areas and facilities and equipment so that we can do the best for our kids possible.” The currently tech ed facility was built in 1958 While majority of the costs are being covered by the referendum local businesses and community members have also contributed Bray Architects has spent the last year working with teachers and the district to plan out all the spaces and I had a couple of those moments where I wake up in the middle of night and it was like willing to make changes and helping us out,” said Schmidt The changes will also mean expanding some of the tech ed programs to sixth graders “I think it was a great move to include the middle school in this project just because that's where the excitement starts,” said Paul Oppman As WXPR reported in 2022, more Wisconsin students are choosing to go directly into the workforce following high school. The goal is to prepare students for whatever career path they choose after high school “It hits a lot of areas that are important for the future,” said Burke Construction is expected to wrap up by the end of summer 2026 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 The Rhinelander Oneida County Airport has long had multiple flights to and from Minneapolis every day but soon travelers will have another major hub to travel through The Rhinelander Oneida County Airport has been undergoing big changes this last year but that now that construction is finally complete airport director Matthew Leitner has some exciting news to announce “We’re very pleased and thrilled to announce that United Airlines will be coming to back to Rhinelander it will be seasonal going through September 28th They are going to begin with one round trip to and from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and will be adding a second-round trip on June 28th of 2025,” said Leitner Leitner said this was a culmination of a very comprehensive and long-lasting effort to get these flights back into the Rhinelander Airport In 2021 these flights to Chicago were available for about 3 months but due to pilot shortages “It was a resounding success that time around we filled the flights it’s imperative to have Chicago service as well Between Delta going to Minneapolis and United going to Chicago there’s really nowhere you can’t get on the planet with one stop in Rhinelander,” said Leitner The flight will be on a CRJ-200 which is a 50-seat regional Jet that has all the amenities that most people are used too It will be about an hour flight time to and from Chicago one way The loyalty program Mileage Plus for United will be in full effect for the Rhinelander Service “On behalf of the Rhinelander Oneida County Airport Commission were over the moon to get additional airline service is a difficult undertaking and as I often say we have to use it or were going to lose it I implore people please use this service because it gives us the leverage to secure more service Fairs and schedules are published as of today on United.com In addition to the new United flights announcement the next big plan is to expand the hold room which is the room that passengers are in after passing through security ArtStart has its galleries and runs many of its programs out of the old federal building on the corner of Stevens and Kings streets in downtown Rhinelander the City of Rhinelander voted to purchase the empty former post office from the federal government for $1 and leased it to ArtStart Part of that lease agreement meant ArtStart pays for maintenance and repairs which have added up to more than $340,000 dollars at this point The boiler was installed in 1919 and retrofitted in 1965 Despite recent emergency repairs the building dropped to about 46 degrees this winter “We have to continue to shut off the boiler so that we can regulate the heat back down to a manageable temperature and then Pray that it reignites again,” ArtStart Program and Operations Director Ashley McLaughlin told Rhinelander City Council at Monday’s meeting The repair company has told ArtStart it can no longer guarantee they can source parts for the old boiler That leaves replacing it at a cost of about $185,000 This might force us to no longer occupy the building,” said McLaughlin We will probably be okay through the summer but we are concerned about it and our future in the building.” McLaughlin asked the city council to share the costs ArtStart secured a grant from Focus on Energy for up to $50,000 which would cover for first year of the loan McLaughlin suggested the next four years of the loan could be split between ArtStart and City of Rhinelander with each paying about $15,000 ArtStart would need the city to sign on with the loan since they’re the owners of the building McLaughlin also talked about the city adjusting the lease agreement and future needs of expanding the building and I'm just asking you to think about all these things and maybe come and aid us in fixing this boiler,” she said City council couldn’t address the lease or future expansions as only the boiler was on the agenda City Administrator Patrick Reagan says while it may only be $15,000 a year the city has already had to make cuts to make the budget work “You had to cut a position to make this budget work because health care expenses are going up,” Reagan said and it's going to get tighter and tighter and tighter Whether it's something you guys want to hear or not Some city council members pointed out that the city might have to take on more of the costs for replacing the boilers if ArtStart leaves the building and they try to lease or sell it to someone else I think the fact they're willing to partner in that it makes it a whole lot easier to swallow than us having to replace a boiler or them having to replace a boiler,” said Alderperson Carrie Mikalauski Complicating matters is the status of the building and the timeline they’re working under needs to be approved by the National Park Service If the city ever wanted to sell the building and then pay the federal government that amount the boiler needs to be installed by the end of this year Waiting too long could possibly raise the cost of the new boiler told the council he expects its going to take eight to ten weeks to get through some of the logistics and state requirements for this kind of installation “That kind of puts our time crunch more into a faster approval process due to the engineering taking a couple weeks we're already pushing towards the end of the summer right now,” said Teunas who said new boiler should go in before it gets cold again “That's the biggest concerns I would have in regards to getting this thing pushed through because we don't want to go to September and have to fight this boiler again.” City Council was tied 3-3 to table the decision Mayor Kris Hanus broke the tie vote to table a decision until next meeting In November 2022, voters approved a $4 million per year for four years referendum for the School District of Rhinelander Superintendent Eric Burke says it was for less money than what was approve four years prior with the way inflation went and the needs in our school district especially in the areas of special education which makes up 75% of the district’s budget Transportation costs have gone up roughly 330-thousand dollars Costs for special education have gone up $2 million dollars since 2022 “Special education is something that we have to provide We have families that move into Rhinelander because we have a great special education program,” said Burke “We have closed our doors for open enrollment for special education but when families come here and they want our support The state reimburses roughly a third of special education costs in districts A 2019 report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum found that many districts turn to referendums or divert resources from other education to special education because of the lack of federal and state funding Approving a new operational referendum will allow for the School District of Rhinelander to maintain its current level of education and offerings “Sustained excellence is something that we would like to continue here in the school district and the referendum itself is very important for that to happen,” said Burke State aid has not kept pace with the costs to run the district It’s why dozens of districts in the state Burke says back in 2002 roughly 42% of the budget was made up of state aid The referendum question on the ballot asks voters if they approve an additional $3 million for two years through the 2026-2027 school year which is the last year of the previous referendum $7 million for each of the following two years to fund the district through the 2028-2029 school year It adds up $20 million total for the next four years This is how the question appears on the ballot: Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91 by $3,000,000 per year for the 2025-2026 school year and the 2026-2027 school year and by $7,000,000 per year for the 2027-2028 school year and the 2028-2029 school year Schools are just a huge part of what makes communities special,” said Burke property taxpayers would see an increase of about 50 cents per $1,000 dollars a property valued at $200,000 would see a roughly $100 increase Burke says the mill rate is projected to be lower than it is right now You can learn more about the referendum on the School District of Rhinelander website The referendum question is on the April 1st ballot The Rhinelander Police Department is hosting a drug take back event this weekend to help people offload unwanted medications RHINELANDER (WJFW) — The Rhinelander Police Department is hosting a drug take back event this weekend to help people offload unwanted medications unused or expired prescriptions or over-the-counter medications here at the police department,” said Brian Colombino The department can typically except medications in any form - pills or anything associated with bodily fluids such as sharps or syringes aren't accepted “If you have unused or expired medications some medications have a high potential for abuse so this provides the community with a safe way to dispose of them," Colmbino said "It also prevents our water system and landfills from being contaminated with unwanted medications.” Colombino said this is the safer alternative to keeping unnecessary medications around your house and out of the hands of people that shouldn’t have them “Aside from the event that we host on Saturday from 9-2 we also in our police department have a receptacle any time between the hours of 8-4:30 people can come in and drop those off," Colombino said "We offer that throughout the year and usually twice a year we host this event where someone is here in person collecting them." The annual 'Spring Yard Cleanup' dates have been announced with it kicking off next week RHINELANDER (WJFW) – The annual "Spring Yard Cleanup" dates have been announced with it kicking off next week The City of Rhinelander will be holding their annual “Spring Yard Cleanup” program beginning on April 21 and running through May 2 City residents who wish to have leaves and brush picked up must set out brush and leaf bags between 7 a.m according to a City of Rhinelander news release Residents are requested to set out items at curbside earlier than the dates listed as crews may collect yard waste before the designated clean-up day Residents missing this deadline will be required to haul the yard waste and brush to Oneida County Landfill at their expense Yard waste clean-up will be provided for city residents maintaining their yards The service is not intended for clean-up for residential tree removal contractors Clean-up services will observe the following rules and conditions observed with previous year services: • The city will not pick up dark colored or non-see-through bags or other debris and neatly piled with cut end of limbs facing the street Bags containing a mixture of yard waste and household rubbish • Residents are reminded that it is NOT permissible to rake leaves or yard waste into the curb line or street Violators may be billed for clean-up and/or issued a citation • Do not stack brush on leaf bags as each item is picked up separately Residential brush may also be delivered to the Public Works Garage at 644 Washington St Designated areas will be established for drop off points The same rules above apply to the materials that can be dropped off It is unlawful for anyone bringing items from outside the city and placing at curbside Please help Rhinelander slow the spread of invasive species by separating out Buckthorn, exotic Honeysuckle, and Japanese Knotweed. To schedule a pickup of invasive plants, call the City of Rhinelander Department of Public Works at 715-369-4727 and ask to be put on “The Buckthorn List”. For help identifying the above invasive species, please visit www.oclw.org or call 715-369-7835 for a site visit For more information on this program, please contact City Streets Foreman Justin Ernst at (715) 362-2728 or by email at: jernst@rhinelanderwi.us About 30 people walked back and forth in front of the Oneida County Courthouse Wednesday afternoon They held signs that said things like “Eject Musk” “No Project 2025” and “Country Over Party Democracy over Autocracy” It was the second protest of the day for Doug Schultz. He and his wife went to one in Wausau and then stopped at the one in Rhinelander I tell people I did not serve seven years in the military to at one point in my life be ruled by a dictator,” said Schultz While he’s concerned about a lot of policies coming out of the Trump Administration top of his mind has been the actions of Elon Musk In recent days the team he leads has gained access to the Treasury Department's payment systems A Treasury Department official says a tech executive working with DOGE will have “read-only access.” “It's so mind boggling the amount of information that now is possibly going to be in who knows whose hands Musk and the Treasury Department is also a major concern of Catherine Parker who says she has “intense alarm” about what’s going on in Washington “I think Congress needs to do its job and resume its power of the purse and the budget and adhere to the Constitution and work for the American people who sent them there,” said Parker “I'm talking about Republicans and Democrats I want them to stand up and protect our country.” Parker said while she has disagreed with the actions of past administrations “I've never thought I'd live to see my country falling apart like this,” said Parker Both Parker and Schultz have also been making calls to U.S Schultz says he and wife are calling Senators and members of Congress almost daily that is the one thing that that will bring democracy down keep the messaging out there,” said Schultz There were other protests Wednesday in capital cities across the U.S WPR reports the one in Madison drew hundreds people in a march down State Street Rhinelander residents could get a hazard tree removed one planted in its place through a grant funded project by the City of Rhinelander for every tree planted on private property Rhinelander City Forester Tom Jerow says they’ll be concentrating on planting trees that support pollinators and even oak which aren't pollinated by pollinators and that's a host plant for hundreds of moth species and so it's really important to pollinator species,” said Jerow “That's one of the benefits that trees provide the property owner will need to water it the first two years and are a responsible for maintaining it There are limited number of trees they’ll be able to remove Trees that are considered most hazardous will be prioritized and only those within the City of Rhinelander will be considered When it comes to planting the trees on public property Jerow says one of the priority areas will be where there’s been major street projects that required removing trees like on Oneida Avenue and on the current Messer Street Project many of the roots extend underneath the street and so when they dig down to replace the sewer and water so the best practice is just to cut them down at the beginning and then come back and replant.” Jerow says there’s a lot of planning when it comes to replanting after these street projects saying that trees are considered infrastructure no different than the road or concrete it just protects it from rain and sun and the harsh elements and the street will last longer,” said Jerow “It's important to avoid utilities overhead and that's part of all the planning and placing the right tree For more information about the Urban Forest Project, contact Tom Jerow, Rhinelander City Forester: cell 715-401-1578; email: forester@rhinelanderwi.us Jerow will also be at the Earth Day Fair at Nicolet College Lakeside Center on Tuesday giving a presentation on “Landscaping for Energy Savings.” He says saving on cooling costs is just one of many benefits of trees “Communities that have good urban forest have better health outcomes people with asthma have better air quality people have really strong health issues benefit from having trees,” said Jerow The goal is to plant 200 trees with the grant funding Some of the funding will also be used to plant an additional 20 to 30 fruit-bearing trees as part of an effort to establish a food forest along with some berries and things like that,” said Jerow so people will be able to come and pick their own fruit It's not going to be a huge orchard or anything like that but it's something to help build food security.” Jerow says there’s no location chosen for the food forest yet A time capsule was discovered behind the cornerstone of the former Saint Mary’s Hospital on Kabel Ave and Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital will unveil its contents on Monday The hospital is located at 2251 N Shore Drive and is a symbol of the hospital’s rich history The contents could offer a fascinating snapshot of life for the Rhinelander community showcasing not just health care artifacts but also items that reflect the culture and spirit of the time The event is open to the public and will take place in the Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital Galleria Whether you're a long-time Rhinelander resident or new to the community this event promises to be a memorable and engaging experience for all ages For more information about Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital, please visit aspirus.org Update: This story was updated 3/30/25 at 8:00 p.m People in Rhinelander will now be voting at James Williams Middle School on Tuesday This is a change of location due to damage to the Hodag Dome on Sunday The City of Rhinelander Common Council has approved the recommendation by City Clerk Austyn Zarda to relocate the City of Rhinelander Polling Location for the upcoming April 1st Spring Election to the gymnasium of James Williams Middle School Wisconsin State Statutes state that both the municipal clerk and a majority of the Common Council must convene This meeting and decision were made at a special meeting of the Rhinelander Common Council Sunday night after the School District of Rhinelander announced the Hodag Dome would not be able to hold any events this week Voters should use the parking lots south of Mike Webster Stadium and make their way to the rear entrances of James Williams Middle School This will take people directly to the gymnasium where they will be able to cast their ballots The City of Rhinelander said it is working closely with the School District of Rhinelander to ensure that this transition works as efficiently as possible There will be signage and markers to help guide voters to the correct polling place and will have staff stationed at the Hodag Dome to redirect voters to the new location The School District of Rhinelander announced Sunday morning that the Hodag Dome is temporarily closed following a power outage caused by severe weather this weekend The backup generator failed causing the dome to deflate The dome manufacturer will be on site Monday March 31 to assess damage and develop a repair plan The district is working to get the dome up and running as quickly as possible some events scheduled to take place in the Dome this week will be either relocated to other facilities or cancelled Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInRHINELANDER (WSAW) - One person is dead and another injured as a result of a crash on Hwy 8 near Rhinelander Tuesday morning on Hwy 8 near Spring Creek Rd in the town of Woodboro a pickup truck was traveling west on Hwy 8 when it crossed the center line and hit an eastbound car Hwy 8 westbound traffic is being rerouted to County Hwy K and Hwy 8 eastbound traffic is being rerouted to County Hwy N to Hwy K The Wisconsin State Patrol is conducting the accident investigation and reconstruction The State Patrol was assisted at the scene by personnel from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Lincoln County Highway Department and the Oneida County Medical Examiner FYI\r\n\r\nHighway 8 is currently CLOSED at Highway 51 and Highway 8 towards Rhinelander; rerouting to County K in Harshaw... (WJFW) – Members of the Rhinelander Fire Department were on Boom Lake today for a certification course on rescuing people who are stranded in the water from falling through ice Today’s course helped Rhinelander firefighters learn some of the key do’s (and do not’s) of ice rescues “Early ice or late ice like this are the highest chances where we have someone that’s going to go through because they’re assuming that the ice has been good all winter so they’re not thinking about it,” said Michael Bernard a trainer with Midwest Fire Tactics and Training Bernard visits fire departments across Wisconsin and the country to school first responders on all things ice rescue He says the first rule of ice rescues is to avoid going out onto the ice by yourself to save someone – and if you end up having to do so anyway “60% of would-be rescuers are going to turn into victims themselves without the proper training and awareness,” Bernard said “If you go out on the ice where it’s bad ice you can go ahead and fall through yourself and then become another victim for first responders arriving on-scene.” Whether you end up having to go out onto the ice or not Bernard says this is the reason why your first move should always be to call 9-1-1 “They could be conscious or unconscious,” Bernard said “There’s different rescue techniques for how we do things Whether it be a fisherman who’s in a float suit that’s been floating for 45 minutes or someone that just fell through two minutes ago yellow inflatable boat used in Friday's course – that’s called a Rapid Deployment Craft which allows the rescuer to not have to leave the craft Meaning that if the ice gives out under them they can quickly get back to safety before continuing their rescue effort pull them out of the ice without ever having to leave the craft.” Although it’s ill-advised to try and save someone from the ice on your own Bernard said to always call the authorities beforehand see if you can use a floating vessel to get to them we have no idea if the ice is uniform up to that person,” Bernard said solid ice like we have out here surprisingly this time of year it could still break easily under anybody’s weight.” (WJFW) - Due to the Hodag Domes temporary closure The Rhinelander City Government will hold a special meeting of the Rhinelander Common Council Sunday night at 6 p.m at the Rhinelander City Hall to discuss and approve a relocation of the city polling location for the Tuesday Spring Election The meeting is open to the public and anyone wanting to make a public comment may submit comments to the City Clerk or designated Council Representative prior to the start of the meeting Submit story ideas to akurisu@wjfw.com Baldwin helps fill an online order for a Rhinelander Area Food Pantry customer The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry has seen a 43% increase in customers over the past year funding is decreasing because of cuts by the Trump administration RHINELANDER (WJFW) — The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry has seen a 43% increase in customers over the past year Senator Tammy Baldwin toured the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry Wednesday to learn about the challenges they face Baldwin also helped fill an online order for a customer The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry belongs to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) through the USDA Cuts have led to the USDA pausing half the funding – $500 million – for TEFAP “We’re seeing those programs being cut right now which means we have limited access to really important foods like frozen meat and milk,” said Courtney Smith Executive Director of the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry Smith said they are stockpiling frozen food to prepare for more lost funding including recently buying 2,000 pounds of ground beef Wisconsin farmers and pantry partners are feeling the effects as well “We’re really going to see some issues around produce we're seeing and the cost of produce so we're not immune from those costs any different than our customers," Smith said "We'll see those same increases in cost or maybe limited availability." Baldwin has called on the Trump Administration to immediately reverse these cuts She’s particularly sympathetic to kids who rely on the food assistance “You’re ready to learn when you come with a full tummy," Baldwin said "But you’re really distracted when you’re hungry in school it really helps our young people get a good start in life and help them have all the opportunities we hope that our children will have." She's also been vocally opposed to what she calls “tariff chaos” by the Trump administration – arguing the uncertainty is going to affect regular people the most and increasing the need for food assistance stopping creates economic impacts of their own Someone was telling me uncertainty and chaos are tariffs on their own,” Baldwin said The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry plans to continue all of their services Submit story ideas to dhagen@wjfw.com The Little Bellas organizations teaches girls all across the country various mountain biking skills through riding trails and playing games on the bikes Val Foley is Little Bellas program lead for the Rhinelander area She says while they’re learning things like bike body separation on color powder day or improving their braking skills during a game of sharks and minnows Foley says it was with these goals and the one of getting more girls into a male-dominated sport that was the basis of the Little Bellas organization “We need to empower them through the use of mountain bikes We'll teach them skills through games and having fun They'll learn how to get along with other girls and they'll learn to ride and increase the female presence in the mountain bike community,” said Foley She says it’s been amazing watching the girl’s skills and confidence grow Some of them have even gone on to compete in the National Interscholastic Cycling Association “These girls have such good skills that they actually are riding and racing with NICA now We've done some good for the community,” said Foley Little Bellas offers a weekly program for girls ages 7 to 13 every Sunday starting May 11 through June 22 They’ll be held at either the Washburn Trails System or the Northwood Mountain Bike Park Little Bellas is offering week-long half day camp at WinMan Trails in July for 8 to 11-year-olds Foley says the idea came from the Little Bellas organization ‘This is an amazing set of trails.’ They've got the most beautiful trails ‘Why not do a camp up here and we'll see how it goes?’ So they decided to launch one this year,” said Foley While there is needed gear and a fee for both programs Foley says neither of those should prevent girls from participating Little Bellas will ship bikes to Rhinelander for girls to use during the duration of the program Foley is also collecting donations for her to purchase bikes specifically for the Rhinelander program “We have some great mentors that are very good with kids and some of these mentors have been with us this will be their fourth year as well,” said Foley “We've got returning kids that have been with us the whole time also so that speaks to the program and how well it's done.” Foley encourages getting girls registered for the programs sooner than later You can register at littlebellas.org. If you have questions about the program or want to make a donation you can contact Val Foley at 715-360-3874 or val@littlebellas.org