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WJFW News

Tips To Keep Your Kids Safe Around Water Submitted: 07/09/2012

RHINELANDER - This weekend there was a scary reminder for parents with young children.

A two-year old Minnesota boy drowned in a Land O' Lakes pool Friday night.

It only takes a few inches of water for a small child to drown.

It can happen in just a short lapse of parental supervision.

In this case, Vilas County Police say the two-year old was left unattended.

It's an unfortunate reminder for parents about swimming and water safety.

Melissa Nieman is the aquatics director at YMCA of the Northwoods.

She works with young children on a daily basis and says it's important to always stay close to your child around the water.

"Anytime you have a child, non-swimmer, never ever leave them unattended," Nieman says. "It's the golden rule, number one in a swimming pool, never leave a child unattended. Especially under four, because they will drown silently."

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4.

But they are definitely preventable.

Nieman says pool alarms are a good way to help prevent drownings.

"Anytime something goes into the water, an alarm goes off," Nieman says. "Usually they have them where your kids wear a necklace and if they fall into the pool near the laser, the alarm will sound. Even gates, latches, fences, covers, anything to protect around a swimming pool."

The alarm will go off anytime something goes in the water.

Related Weblinks:
Pool and Water Safety Tips

Story By: Matt Doyle

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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 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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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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Minocqua Farmers Market Opens for the Season Submitted: 05/24/2013

MINOCQUA - Many of us have been waiting for home-grown fruits and vegetables.

Now they're here at a Northwoods summer market.

It's opening day for the Minocqua Farmers Market.

15 vendors filled the Minocqua Park Complex on Highway 70.

They have vegetable plants, flowers, baked goods and MORE available for purchase.

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