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Local News

A different way to get a college degree Submitted: 12/05/2013

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WAUSAU - Getting a college degree takes a lot of time and effort in the classroom.

But when students graduate, they're not in the classroom.

That's why the University of Wisconsin system created a different way to get a degree online.

The UW flexible degree allows students to prove that they are competent in different skills.

Those skills count toward credits to graduate.


"The degree is broken up into competencies and sets of competencies rather than courses that students are generally used to taking. So it's not actually taught by faculty. They set up the courses and the competencies and you have to go out there and get the information necessary to pass the course," said Keith Montgomery, the Dean at UW-Marathon County.

A flex degree is the same degree you would get if you went to a traditional school.

It's just a different way of getting that degree.

If you already have college credits they can transfer towards the flexible degree.

"It's important to understand that this degree is really aimed at self-motivated, non-traditional students. So students that are returning to school. It's really not aimed at students coming straight out of high school because it's self-paced and you have to go out and basically earn the degree yourself," said Montgomery.

UW offers degrees in IT, communications, and others.

They plan on adding more degrees.



Story By: Kaitlyn Howe

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Local authors write novels - all in one month Submitted: 12/05/2013

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RHINELANDER - Most people wouldn't dream of writing a novel in their lifetime.

But what about writing a novel in a month?

Nearly a dozen people in the Northwoods tried just that.

Their goal was to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November.

It's part of an event called National Novel Writing Month

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Town of Pelican passes ice drag racing ordinance Submitted: 12/05/2013

TOWN OF PELICAN - Winter activities like ice drag racing can attract a lot of people to lakes.

Northwoods towns are now looking to protect their residents by regulating those events.

The town of Crescent in Oneida County just passed a rule that forces event planners to notify residents, restricts hours of events, and makes organizers clean up afterward.

Now, the Town of Pelican is joining in.

Pelican passed the same ordinance as Crescent.

The two towns worked together to get the ordinance passed.

They share a lake and wanted to make sure the laws were the same.

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Gogebic Taconite submits Wis. storm water permit Submitted: 12/05/2013

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MADISON - A company looking to dig a huge iron mine near Lake Superior has submitted a storm water permit application to state regulators.

Gogebic Taconite wants to build a 4{-mile long open pit mine in the Penokee Hills. The company is waiting for the Department of Natural Resources' permission to excavate mineral samples in the area.

The sampling activity requires a storm water permit. Applicants for such permits must detail how they would control erosion created by storm water runoff resulting from their projects.

Gogebic Taconite filed its storm water permit application Monday. DNR officials posted the materials online Thursday.

The 361-page application includes plans for silt fences, berms, seeding, mulching, covering soil stockpiles with tarps and stabilizing ditches with riprap.

DNR officials say they've just begun reviewing the application.

A link to the a the application is below.

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Two charged for dealing prescription drugs Submitted: 12/05/2013

LAC DU FLAMBEAU - Two Lac Du Flambeau men face 20 years in prison.

That's because they've been charged with dealing the prescription painkiller Oxycodone.

37-year-old Brandon Vetterneck is charged with two counts of distributing oxycodone.

He is accused of dealing the drug on April 10th and April 17th of this year.

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Northwoods Living Legend? Submitted: 12/05/2013

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RHINELANDER - He's known around the Northwoods as "Iron Man Joe."

But his real name is Joe Pettorini.

The YMCA of the Northwoods nominated “Iron Man Joe” for the title of Stormy Kromer Living Legend.

But it's not his almost daily visits to the YMCA that got him the nomination.

The contest allows family or friends to nominate someone they admire, someone they consider a hero.

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Rape case dismissed, district attorney reacts Submitted: 12/05/2013

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RHINELANDER - At least two women accused Jerome LaBarge, Jr. of raping them.

In September, the Oneida County District Attorney charged the Lac du Flambeau man with a felony for raping a woman in Minocqua back in 2006.

But a judge dismissed the charge Tuesday.

That's because the statute of limitations expired.

That means the crime happened too long ago.

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Group targets land for off-road park, offering charter memberships Submitted: 12/05/2013

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FOREST COUNTY - Forest Count and Wisconsin Off-Road Vehicle Park Inc. (WORVPI) have found a 10,000 acre plot of land they would like to buy for an off-road park, according to WORVPI President John Schnorr.

Schnorr wouldn't discuss the exact location in Forest County, but said they would hope to buy the parcels by June 2014. Right now they’re contracting an engineering firm to evaluate the land.

"That's so environmental concerns can be met," Schnorr said. "We'll look at that as well as a pleasurable experience for an off-road visitor who is going to come up and spend hopefully a weeks vacation in Forest County."

Forest County leaders believe an off-road park could help bring more tourists to the area, and with that more money. The county has the fifth worst unemployment rate, 7.9 percent, in Wisconsin.

WORVPI used Ripon College to perform a feasibility study on the off-road park. It says the average off-roader will travel 300 miles to visit an off-road park. It also projected an off-road park could bring in nearly $28 million per year for Forest County businesses.

"It will take us some time to operate and open it up and develop the trails, the camp sites, the amenities inside," Schnorr said. "Realistically we could see an opening date of Memorial Day of 2015."

The park would host ATVs, motorcycles and other vehicles on off-road trails.

People can help fund the park by purchasing $150 charter membership passes. More than 30 have already been purchased. Schnorr says only 100 will be available.

"The pass will entitle the holder to a park pass, an annual park pass, for the first year when the park opens," Schnorr said. "It will give us some capital up front and afford them a discounted price down the road."

Even with the progress, Schnorr says the project is still in the early stages.

"If you are an optimist, you think a huge amount of progress has been made," Schnorr said. "But if you are a pessimist, not enough progress has been made."

A link to charter membership passes is below.









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