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Oneida County wants your opinion on boathouses and piersSubmitted: 07/24/2014

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ONEIDA COUNTY - Leaders in Oneida County want to know what you think of boathouses and piers on lakes in the county. The online survey they've put together could give them better information on the issues.

Planning and zoning workers say the two topics have been debated for years. Oneida County Planning & Zoning's Karl Jennrich says the county started allowing boathouses and regulating piers in 2000 when it rewrote its comprehensive plan.

The board looked at both topics a year ago, but didn't take any action to change current rules.


"When we brought the issue to the Oneida County Board of supervisors, there were supervisors that stated, we do not believe that you really had a sampling of all the citizens of Oneida County, so at that time they tabled it," Jennrich said.

Oneida County is one of the few counties in Wisconsin that regulates piers themselves rather than just following DNR guidelines. The county started regulating because of what they were seeing in other parts of Wisconsin.

"Reason being is they saw situations down in the southern part of the Wisconsin, on Lake Geneva in particular, where individuals were selling off boating spaces and you saw a proliferation of piers," Jennrich said.

Some believe a high number of boathouses damage the natural beauty of Northwoods lakes, but others think they add to the elements.

"Go on the Three Lakes chain, go on the Minocqua chain and you will see some magnificent boathouses, and some people love them," Jennrich said. "Other people just say it takes away from the natural aesthetic beauty of the Northwoods."

The county held a public hearing for both issues about a year and a half ago when the board was considering changes. Some supervisors didn't want to take action because they thought there wasn't enough feedback to accurately represent the community's beliefs.

That's why the planning & zoning department worked with their IT department and UW-Extension to put together a survey.

"They (supervisors) may not agree with some of the things that come forward, but I believe that not only my committee, but the Oneida County Board of Supervisors does listen to the constituents of Oneida County."

You can find the survey on the Oneida County website by clicking the announcement tab. We also have a link below. The survey closes on August 15th.


Related Weblinks:
Boathouses and Piers Survey

Story By: Adam Fox

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 LOCAL NEWS
Local children explore emergency fields at NTCSubmitted: 07/24/2014

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MERRILL - Instead of just dreaming of being a firefighter, some children in Merrill actually got to try it out.

The Boys and Girls Club of Wausau went to Northcentral Technical College's Public Safety Center of Excellence in Merrill on Wednesday to explore careers in emergency fields.

"They're going to do one scenario where they're actually going to get put up into fire gear. And they're going to hook up a hose line on a fire truck and they're going to put out a dumpster fire," says Bert Nitzke, the Executive Director of Northcentral Technical College's Public Safety Center of Excellence.

Student's putting out the fire's say it was more difficult than it looked.

"It's kinda hard cause like the hose is pushing back really hard," says Jordyn Schalow, one of the students that took part in the training.

Students also got to experience EMS and police scenarios.

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Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team to play in Northwoods this weekendSubmitted: 07/24/2014

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LAKE TOMAHAWK - Wounded warriors won't let their injuries stop them from playing softball this weekend.

The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team will travel to Lake Tomahawk to play the Lake Tomahawk Snowhawks this weekend.

The Lake Tomahawk Snowshoe Baseball Team needed to raise $40,000 to bring the team to Lake Tomahawk.

They also had to renovate the field.

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Program focuses on possible climate change in the Northwoods Submitted: 07/24/2014

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NORTHWOODS - A warming climate could challenge many of the plants and animals that live in the Northwoods.

People in Boulder Junction learned about some of those risks at the Community Center Thursday night.

The speaker says even though we've had harsh winters these past two years, the lack of ice in the long term could impact fish, evaporation rate and skiing.

"Winter's kind of the limiting factor of the Northwoods. So when you reduce winter, those species that are adapted to being here in this kind of winter, they're going to move further north and actually follow where the winter is because, it's hard to believe, but a lot of species can't live in warmer temperatures," said Naturalist John Bates.

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Vietnam Veterans receive recognition in Price County Submitted: 07/24/2014

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PRICE COUNTY - Vietnam War veterans didn't get the "welcome home" they deserved when coming home from the war. But now, more than 50 years after the conflict, in Price County they are receiving appreciation for their sacrifices.

The Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Trail was officially dedicated on July 17th at the VFW Post 8491 in Prentice. The idea came up at a Price County Commanders call, a meeting made up of all the post commanders and commissioners for Price County, and this monument is anything but 'little'.

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Possible threat to potatoesSubmitted: 07/24/2014

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LANGLADE COUNTY - Farmers in Central Wisconsin need to keep a close eye on their potatoes.

Agricultural leaders from UW-Extension received a report of late blight from a farm in Portage County. Late blight is a disease that can kill potato and tomato crops.

The blight was found last week near Stevens Point, and leaders are worried about it spreading into Langlade County. Late blight can spread out several miles though the wind and the water. Agriculture experts in Langlade say there are certain things that you can do to protect your crops.

"Go out and scout them, look at them, we would like you to also spray protectants," says UW-Extension Agriculture Agent Stephanie Plaster. "Home gardeners should be spraying a copper or chlorothalonil-based spray. There are also organic copper sprays available for folks that would like to remain organic."

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UPDATED: More details released in deadly Arbor Vitae crashSubmitted: 07/24/2014

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ARBOR VITAE - A 64-year-old woman from Minocqua died in car crash in Arbor Vitae Thursday.

A small tour bus carrying older people from the Beloit area was driving southbound on Highway 51. The Minocqua woman was driving a car north on Highway 51. Her car was rear ended by a car driven by a 47-year-old Woodruff woman. The Minocqua woman's car went into the southbound lane.

Wisconsin State Patrol is still investigating the crash. They don't know who's to blame for the crash.

Fourteen people were injured, but the Wisconsin State Patrol says none of the injuries are life threatening.

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Police: Man kills himself after shooting at police during car chase Submitted: 07/24/2014

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MARINETTE COUNTY - The Marinette County Sheriff's Office believes a 35-year-old man killed himself after shooting at deputies during a police chase Thursday in Marinette County.

A person called the sheriff's office just before 3 p.m. saying they were in their car, getting shot at by a person in a black Chevy Tahoe.

It was on U.S. 141 near Wausaukee in southern Marinette County.

Police caught up to the Tahoe before it started heading west on Highway 8.

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