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WJFW News

State, County Help Landowners Restore Shoreline Submitted: 10/29/2012

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ONEIDA COUNTY - Oneida County wants to take care of all of its 1,100 lakes.

That’s why it’s using state grant money to help landowners improve their shorelines.

“People have got less money in their pockets and everything’s been tight, we just want to get the word out that we have some funding,” said Jean Hansen, Oneida County’s conservation specialist.

The county has gotten about $60,000 every year since 2001 to help landowners with their shoreline.

The county put between $15,000 to 18,000 into one Lake Minocqua property to help prevent soil erosion and improve the water quality.

But the landowner has to match that, a requirement to get the grant money.

“We work with the people that want to work with their shoreline and help it out. We’re not regulatory, we don’t make people restore their shorelines. It’s only if they want that shoreline to be protected and have less sediment into the lake,” Hansen said.

Hansen hopes more people take advantage of the grant.

“You have to think back to, if you like butterflies, if you like hearing frogs, if you like to fish, all that is all intertwined into good shoreline management,” she said.

If you’re not quite ready to get out the checkbook just yet, you can still talk to the county about setting up a plan for the future.

Oneida County Land and Water Conservation Department, 715-365-2750.

Story By: Lex Gray

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Fire Levels Garage in Merrill Submitted: 05/25/2013

MERRILL - A Saturday afternoon fire burned a garage to the ground. It happened on Anna Road in Merrill.

At two o'clock fire crews from Merrill, Russell, Pine River and the DNR were called to a home.

The homeowner said he and his wife started a fire in a burn barrel behind the garage hours before.

The garage was totally destroyed along with everything inside. The fire is still being investigated.

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Woodruff Celebrates 125th Birthday Submitted: 05/25/2013

WOODRUFF - Woodruff also had another big event to celebrate today.

It's the towns 125th anniversary.

The town kicked off the celebration with a 5-k run, car show and of course participating in the parade.

Woodruff has officially been part of the Northwoods since 1888.

Board chairman Mike Timmons says it's a privilege to be a part of this town.

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Verdict in Raw Milk Trial Submitted: 05/25/2013

BARABOO - A Wisconsin dairy farmer has been acquitted on three of four counts in a trial related to the sale of raw milk.

Dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger was found guilty on one charge of violating a holding order placed on products at his farm. This was after a 2010 raid.

Hershberger could get up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine.

They found the 41-year-old not guilty of charges that he sold retail food, produced milk and operated a dairy plant without proper state licenses.

His supporters have said he was targeted because he sold raw milk through a private buying club with several hundred members.

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Fire Burns Rhinelander Apartment Building Submitted: 05/24/2013

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RHINELANDER - People jumped from a second story window to escape an early morning fire in Rhinelander.

Just after two this morning, the Rhinelander fire department rushed to 254 Westhill Road.

Half of a four unit apartment building was already in flames when they got there.

Five people living in the building had already gotten out.

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Eight Years Prison Time for Sexually Assaulting a Child Submitted: 05/24/2013

RHINELANDER - A man from Rhinelander will spend the next eight years in prison for sexually assaulting a very young child.

The details of the case are so graphic and so disturbing, we can't put them on television.

What we can show you is edited to protect the victim's identity.

Forty five-year-old Jack Kaufman faced up to 40 years in prison. He insisted to the very end, that what he did was an accident, not sexual assault.

Prosecutors said today Kaufman gave so many versions of the story, they couldn't keep track of them all. One version was that the child walked in on him while masturbating. Then he said he accidentally ejaculated on the child. Although in some interviews, he said it was on purpose.

But the child described a full sexual assault to police, and said it happened, "lots of times".

"Mr. Kaufman provided many versions of his assault of (the victim). When confronted with the overwhelming discrepancies he said (the victim) was telling the truth. But at no time did he say he was sorry. He did say he wished his family wouldn't have reported," says Scott Moller, Oneida County Assistant District Attorney.

Kaufman told investigators he had no interest in sexual activity with anyone, child or adult. Judge Michael Bloom didn't accept that.

"That did not stop him from taking advantage of the presence of a warm, living, breathing person who happened to be nearby when he was engaged in this activity," says Judge Bloom.

Judge Bloom sentenced Kaufman to 14 years prison. He'll spend the first eight behind bars, and the remaining six on extended supervision.

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Help a Northwoods Girl Beat Juvenile Diabetes Submitted: 05/24/2013

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ANTIGO - Despite having to poke her fingers, and inject insulin throughout the day, 7 year old Meredith smiles all the time. Now YOU can make her smile even brighter.

This is the race car Meredith Meidl designed for Ford's "Real Heroes Contest" benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund. Meredith knows a lot about diabetes. She's had the disease since she was 2.

"I just (clicks) and then I push it on my finger and I squeeze my finger and then I put my blood into the strip and it reads my blood," said Meredith demonstrating how she tests her blood sugar.

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Possible End to One Walleye Fight Submitted: 05/24/2013

LAC DU FLAMBEAU - The back-and-forth between state lawmakers and the Lac du Flambeau tribe might be over.

Dean Kaufert is a Republican representing Neenah. He wanted to strip a quarter-million dollars of funding from the tribe. That money would have gone to fund a new cultural center.

His original move was a protest against the Chippewa lowering walleye bag limits. That happened on many lakes in the ceded territory this spring.

"I was kind of having some difficulty with some of my colleagues in the Legislature with convincing them that we needed to play hardball by holding this project back," says Rep. Kaufert.

Walleye spearing season by Chippewa fishermen is almost over. They only took about half as many as they expected. So, the DNR raised limits on 423 lakes in the ceded territory.

Kaufert now will not stand in the way of the cultural center money.

"The Governor asked me if I would consider releasing that project due to their ongoing discussions about trying to create a better environment up north for fish stocking and number of walleyes in our lakes," says Rep. Kaufert.

This week, Governor Scott Walker also proposed a state project to put more walleye in Wisconsin's lakes.

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