MINOCQUA - People who need wireless internet service around Minocqua should have a definite provider in place for some time starting next week.
The town board's Broadband and Business Development Committee agreed to send a lease proposal to the town board for SonicNet last night.
SonicNet has unofficially provided wifi to people on the outskirts of town for about three years now. That's when the town built three wireless towers at a cost of $15,000 each.
This lease would lock the provider in with the town of Minocqua.
It would also likely extend the agreement that the company pay the town one dollar per customer per month.
That brings just in a couple thousand dollars a year. But Board President Mark Hartzheim says they never expected to regain the full $45,000 invested.
The town board will vote on the lease at next Tuesday night's meeting.
RHINELANDER - You’ll jump, twist, twirl, and for an entire hour you won't stop dancing.
“Once the music starts we all come alive and we just keep going until it ends again,” says instructor Val Foley.
Welcome to Val Foleys Zumba Class at the Northwoods YMCA. Where the energy is high, and the sweat keeps dripping.
“Definitely like the first couple of songs it’s just dripping off so its good, you don’t even really feel like you’re exercising which is good,” says class member Angela Kirkham.
Since the 90’s Zumba has evolved from a Latin dance into an exercise class.
“It just gets you going gets your blood pumping and you just we’re hooting and hollering and just kind of being ourselves,” says class member Veronika Baron.
It’s a good time, and it’s also a great workout.
“Just knowing that I’m doing something good for myself burning calories and keeping healthy,”says Baron.
If you’re interested in taking Val’s Zumba class you can stop by the YMCA of the Northwoods Friday mornings at 6 a.m.
MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill that would restrict public access to a potential iron mine site in northern Wisconsin.
Gogebic Taconite is looking to dig a 4{-mile long open-pit mine in the Penokee Hills east of Mellen. About 3,500 acres around the site in the Penokee Hills east of Mellen is open to the public through the state's managed forest program. The company fears protesters are taking advantage of that access to harass mine workers as they conduct mineral sampling and other tests.
The Republican bill creates 600-foot restricted zones around mining equipment and roads at the site.
Walker's office released a statement Thursday saying the governor had signed the measure. The statement said the bill focuses on the health and safety of site visitors and mine workers.
RHINELANDER - People don't want their pipes to freeze this time of year. That's why the city of Rhinelander will start their water credit program on Monday.
The program allows about 400 businesses and homes to run their water 24 hours a day. That prevents pipes and sewers from freezing. The city gives them a credit on their water bill.
“If it freezes up with either have the water utility coming out here and thawing it out again,” says Joe Brauer, Rhinelander Airport Director. “It's very inconvenient it's the traveling public that uses Rhinelander flying service such like that too again we had to put porta-potties out there the first winter we went through like that and was very, very inconvenient for our customers.”
Places like the Rhinelander airport have dealt with pipes freezing in the past. Right now the frost level is 2 feet underground. This means if your pipes are buried less than 2 feet underground they could be at risk for freezing.
“When you turn the water on to keep a steady flow of water that's going through your sewer pipes and such like that so they don't freeze up, because if you don't do that what will end up happening is the frost drives down and such like that or it will freeze it up so it's very important just to have a trickle of water to have a constant flow of water going through your sewer system,” says Brauer.
The water credit program can cost the city between 50 to 100 thousand dollars.
PELICAN - Pelican Elementary school will close Friday because of sickness at the school.
The school made the announcement Thursday.
Kerri Schmidt, School Nurse for the School District of Rhinelander, says she's mostly seen vomiting, nausea and headaches.
But some of those affected are showing other flu like symptoms like high fever.
"It's been cold out, kids haven't been able to get out for recess and we had concerts here." Schmidt said. "So anytime you get a large number of people getting together and the right transmission takes place, you certainly can have the breeding grounds for illness."
The school started seeing lots of kids sick Wednesday. They decided to cancel school Friday because even more kids were getting sick Thursday. All co-curricular activities are canceled in conjunction with this school closure.
The decision was ultimately a joint decision between the School District of Rhinelander and the Oneida County Health Department.
"We try to keep the healthy kids at school and send the sick children home," Schmidt said. "But when your whole day becomes continue more sick kids going home, you know the transmission is still taking place."
The school hopes the three day weekend will help stop the spread of the sickness. About 30 percent of the school's 295 students are sick.
Parents should keep their kids home at least 48 hours after showing the first signs of symptoms.
This is the first time since 2002 that a Rhinelander school has shut down because of sickness.
To stop the spread of illness people should: • Drink plenty of liquid (juice, water) • Keep the sick person as comfortable as possible. Rest is important • For fever, sore throat and muscle aches, use ibuprofen (Motrin) or Acetaminophen (Tylenol). Do not use Aspirin with children or teenagers; it can cause Reye’s syndrome, a life-threatening illness. • Be sure everyone in your home washes their hands frequently. • Keep the people who are sick away from the people who are not sick.
For more information, call your healthcare provider or contact the Oneida County Health Department at 715-369-6111.
RHINELANDER - Many veterans are not eligible for full dental coverage.
But a new VA healthcare program is changing that.
Veterans who don’t have dental insurance can now join a new program that will give them coverage.
The VA partnered with insurance companies MetLife and Delta Dental.
Brad Nelson is the public information officer for the VA in Iron Mountain.
"About 90 percent of our veterans who are enrolled in VA healthcare, are not eligible for VA dental care directly, like we mentioned," said Nelson. "So that's why this insurance program would be a very good option for them if they don't already have dental insurance."
The new program allow veterans can work directly with the two insurance companies for the best coverage plans.
The closest full-care VA hospital is in Iron Mountain.
The program will cut down on travel time for veterans by helping them find a dentist who will accept their new insurance plan closer to home.
"Taking control of your healthcare is actually one of the messages that the VA wants to come across to our veterans, including dental care," said Nelson. "Again, we want recognize at the VA that oral health can impact a person's overall health."
The program will get vets a reduced monthly cost for the insurance.
Coverage goes into effect January 1st.
For additional information, visit the VA Healthcare website.
MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker has signed into law a bill that creates a new open crossbow season to run concurrently with the archery deer season.
Crossbow hunting had been allowed only for those over age 65 and those with physical disabilities. Under the new law, hunters of all legal ages and physical abilities can use crossbows to hunt deer and other smaller animals including rabbits and coyotes.
The crossbow season will be the same as the archery deer season, which runs from mid-September until the end of November or beginning of December, depending on the year.
Creating the new crossbow season ran into some opposition from traditional bow-and-arrow hunters who worried that allowing a crossbow would taint archery hunting. Walker signed the bill on Tuesday.
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