BOULDER JUNCTION - People in Boulder Junction dusted off their cook books to battle the lingering winter. But they didn't just get together to fight the winter blues. The event benefited the Community Food Pantry.
The Lion's Club and Jim Tait Realty held first ever "Soup's On" cook-off at the community center. The turnout far exceeded organizer's expectations.
"We had 22 different types of soup. Everywhere from squash, to chicken noodle, to a gumbo, to a stroganoff. It was all wonderful," says Jim Tait, from Jim Tait Real Estate, and board member of the Boulder Junction Lion's Club.
Around a hundred people came out to find out who the "Master Souper" of the Northwoods was.
Donations for the food pantry were accepted at the door.
"By serving others and serving each other, as a lot of people were doing today, it really brings a community together. It strengthens not only the community, but the area, the county and the state," says John Ader, Boulder Junction Lion's Club President.
The event collected nearly $800 and two crates of food for the food pantry.
LAC DU FLAMBEAU - On a busy stretch of Highway 47 near Lac du Flambeau -- where hundreds of wheels spin at 55 miles-per-hour each day -- just one tire drags at a slower pace, pulled by one man: the Tire Man.
"I guess I'm the only one nutty enough to do it, I suppose," Frank Tarantino said with a laugh.
Tarantino lives in Mercer, but trains for marathons in Lac du Flambeau. He started pulling a tire on a chain a few years ago after reading about it in a fitness magazine. People often stop to take his picture.
"Little by little you run a little further, a little further," Tarantino said.
BOULDER JUNCTION - Most people look at a piece of wood and that's all they see, but Dan Haack envisions something different.
"I like to take a piece of wood and look at it and carve on it and all the sudden I have a little man's face inside of it," said Haack, who's from Rhinelander.
Haack is one of the 11 instructors at the 21st Musky Area Woodcarvers Workshop in Boulder Junction. "I teach caricature carvings," Haack said.
More than 100 people came to the workshop to learn different ways to carve, paint, and burn wood. "For most of the folks in here it's a hobby," said Phil Strand.
RHINELANDER - Cancer survivors and supporters gathered at Ministry St. Mary's Hospital for the 10th annual Celebration of Life Thursday. The event honors those battling cancer or survivors of cancer and shows people what kinds of services the James Beck Cancer Center offers.
The center's namesake lost his life to cancer, but now others will be able to benefit from his gift to the hospital.
"With his vision and his dollars we were able to put this cancer center here in Rhinelander so patients don't have to travel to larger cities," said Director of Cancer Services Kimberly Hetland.
This year's speaker was Mike Regole, a survivor of tonsil cancer. He spoke about his experience at the center, how family and support affected his journey, and how he ran a business while having cancer.
SAYNER - A needle and thread means more to Pat Andersen than just sewing.
"I started quilting when I was 19 so it's been a passion of mine for a long time," said Pat.
Quilting gives her a community of ladies in the Northwoods.
"Sayner needs something like this, it needs something for the women to do," said Pat.
After moving to Sayner with her husband Don last spring, the two decided to buy the building that now houses Plum Lake Quilts. Pat needed somewhere to put her long arm machine and that eventually turned into a little retail business.
"I mean little and then it grew a little bit and it grew a little bit more," said Don Andersen.
MADISON - A $3 billion tax break bill for Taiwan-based electronics giant Foxconn Technology Group is poised to pass the Wisconsin Assembly on a bipartisan vote.
Democratic state Rep. Cory Mason said during debate Thursday that he intends to vote for the bill. He is the first Democrat to publicly say he will back the measure that is being championed by Gov. Scott Walker and fellow Republicans.
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