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WJFW News

Minocqua Votes for More Parking, Raises for Chair & Clerk Submitted: 04/18/2013

MINOCQUA - Anyone who goes to Minocqua in the summer knows parking can be a hassle, especially during big events like Beef-a-rama and Crazy Days.

The town board wants to help alleviate that problem.

The board put in a $55,000 offer for a piece of property a block and a half from Oneida Street.

They want to put 20 parking spaces where a house and shed currently stand.

Development would put the total cost at $74,000.

Board chairman Mark Hartzheim thinks it will pay off.

"You don't want people to drive into your business district, not find a parking space, and decide it's not worth and go somewhere else," he said. "You want them to spend time in town."

The board asked the town to buy the property at tonight's annual financial meeting.

All five town members who attended voted yes, plus the 12 town officials who have to attend.

Also at that meeting, Tom Handrick asked his fellow Minocqua residents to increase the town chair and town clerk's salaries after their next election.

The positions aren't up for election until April 2015.

Whoever is elected will get a $2,500 raise.

That will put the clerk and chair's salaries at $44,500 each.

Handrick said the chair and clerk currently make less than the town's other 25 full-time employees.

"I believe the two positions I made a motion to raise are two of the most important positions in our town," Handrick said. "They deserve to be paid accordingly."

Politicians and public officials usually face public anger over raises.

But Handrick says the town had an opportunity to vote on this, but only five of its 5,000 year-round residents showed up.

"I'm very active in the community and always believed in the philosophy that if you don't vote, you shouldn't complain about anything," Handrick said.

Hartzheim has been the town chair for two years and hasn't had a raise before.

He does plan to run for re-election.

Story By: Lex Gray

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Walker signs technical college bills Submitted: 12/10/2013

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EAU CLAIRE - Gov. Scott Walker has signed into law a pair of bills designed to help students who are pursuing a technical college education.

One bill Walker signed provides incentive grants to school districts that promote career and technical education programs. The grants of up to $1,000 per school district will be available starting next school year.

The other bill Walker signed provides scholarships to full time students at technical colleges. Between one and six scholarships worth $2,250 will be available at each school.

Both measures passed the Legislature unanimously earlier this year. Walker signed the bills in Eau Claire.

State Superintendent Tony Evers had proposed the incentives last year and thanked Walker for signing the bills into law.

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Wisconsin Democrats push minimum wage hike Submitted: 12/10/2013

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MADISON - Democrats in the Wisconsin Legislature are calling on Republicans to hold a public hearing on a bill to increase the minimum wage.

Twenty six Democrats, including possible gubernatorial candidate Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, sent a letter Tuesday requesting the hearing.

The bill was introduced in January. It would increase the minimum wage from $7.25 to $7.60 an hour and then have it go up automatically based on inflation.

The request for a hearing comes as President Barack Obama and Democrats nationally have been calling for an increase in the minimum wage.

Republican Sen. Glenn Grothman says he doesn't support the bill, saying a higher minimum wage won't help his goal of finding more entry level jobs for teenagers. Grothman chairs the Judiciary and Labor Committee.

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Choosing the right mobile device Submitted: 12/10/2013

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RHINELANDER - Many older people in the Northwoods still love their paper-and-print books. The task of choosing between today's e-readers and tablets can seem daunting. But e-readers and tablets are creeping in as popular options too.

The Rhinelander Library held a class today to teach people about the different options for going mobile. Educating older people is especially helpful.

“If you're just interested in books people usually want to have an e-reader,” says Erica Brewster, Family Living Agent with Oneida County UW Extension. “If you're interested in doing a lot more maybe you want to watch Netflix movies or you want to be on the internet than you want to look at a tablet.”

Some of the popular tablets include the iPad and the Microsoft Surface. People interested in an e-reader might consider the Kindle or the Nook.

“We've gone from computers being something we have on a desk and we work with, to taking it for granted that we have a cell phone, we have a tablet, something that travels with us,” says Brewster. “So the mobile technology is the newest and greatest breaking trend really that we have is being able to carry our technology with us.”

E-readers are typically cheaper than tablets which can cost a few hundred dollars.

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Northwoods middle school starts fundraiser to help homeless shelter Submitted: 12/10/2013

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EAGLE RIVER - A Northwoods middle school started a fundraising competition Monday that will help raise money for the Frederick Place in Rhinelander.

Grades six through eight at Northland Pines Middle School in Eagle River will compete to raise the most money.

Students donate a dollar to buy a brick. The goal is to get the most bricks on the tape framed house on the wall in the school's cafeteria.

Eighth grader Zach Neddo helped put the project together.

"It feels better knowing that we're helping homeless people get a home so that we know exactly where its going," Neddo said. "Its not like your just mailing it off somewhere not knowing what it's being used for."

Other students like the Student Council President Sophie Spiess hope the competition encourages others to help with homelessness in the area.

"It really does make kids realize that homelessness is a part of our community, that we do need to take action and help people out," Spiess said.

Neddo says the donations have increased since the competition started Monday. He hopes more students begin to donate.

"It's going good right now, I just hope more kids get involved because if you look at all of the bricks with the names on them, a lot of names keep repeating, so I just hope more kids get involved and help support homeless people," Neddo said.

The competition runs through Friday. You can contact the Northland Pines Middle School to donate or help.


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Monico vandal to serve 9 months in county jail Submitted: 12/10/2013

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RHINELANDER - It’s been almost a year since 14 homes and businesses were vandalized in the town of Monico.

The damage three teenagers caused was roughly $100,000.

One of those teens learned his punishment today.

"I would like to say that I am sorry and I do want to change. Become a better part of society." said 18-year-old Anthony Briggs.

Briggs along with two other teenagers vandalized homes and businesses in Monico.

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Wis. dairy farmer talks about undercover video Submitted: 12/10/2013

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GREENLEAF - A Wisconsin dairy farm owner says he did not learn of abusive practices on his farm until a few weeks ago and he's still shaken up by it.

Mark Wiese and his brother own Wiese Brothers Farm in Greenleaf, Wis.

The animal rights group Mercy For Animals released video Tuesday showing workers hitting, kicking, stabbing and whipping sick and injured cows. The video was taken in October and November.

Wiese says he became aware of the abuse when he received an email in late November that included the video.

He says all the employees in the video were assigned to work with sick animals that had problems moving. Two were fired.

Wiese says a supervisor is now being called whenever an animal goes down to oversee its care.

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Disagreement over antler-less deer hunt Submitted: 12/10/2013

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RHINELANDER - The antler-less deer hunt season opens Thursday.

Local legislators wanted to cancel the four day hunting season, but the DNR says that can't happen.

It would take at least six months to get through the administrative process to cancel any hunting season.

The DNR wants hunters to have a chance to hunt game before the season ends.

Jeremy Holtz is a DNR wildlife biologist in Rhinelander.

"The December antler-less hunt would simply be giving hunters who didn't get to hunt the first weekend--because they had to work, or they were in another part of the state--to fill a tag they already have," said Holtz. "So the odds of it having a significantly negative impact on the herd from a population management standpoint, I would consider them pretty low."

Republicans Tom Tiffany, Rob Swearingen, and Mary Czaja disagree. They say last year's late winter and high number of predators hurt the deer.

Now, legislators believe this year's early winter weather will continue to hurt the herd.

"My office in Madison, Representative Mary Czaja from Tomahawk, and certainly Senator Tiffany, have been receiving a lot of comments from frustrated sportsman regarding the low harvest of the deer season this year," said Rob Swearingen, Wisconsin State Representative. "As well as with the natural predators out there, and the early on set of icy conditions, we're worried that all of this together is going to create the perfect storm and take it's toll on these deer."

In August, two deer management units over-issued about 350 antler-less deer permits.

The DNR says it got about 254 of those permits back.

Last year in Oneida County, 74 deer were shot during the antler-less deer season.

Antler-less deer hunting is open from December 12 through December 15.

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