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WJFW News

Spirit 2 Goes 24/7 Submitted: 07/20/2012
RHINELANDER - Medical coverage and care in the Northwoods can be challenging. Couple that with the expansive area, getting to a hospital is tough.

Time is a critical factor when it comes to saving lives. That's why the Ministry Spirit 2 helicopter expanded its coverage to 24-hours a day.

Ministry Spirit Medical Transportation added the second helicopter to its fleet about a year ago.

Originally, the helicopter only flew 12-hours a day, from 9am to 9pm. If a call came in after those hours Spirit Air 1, based in Marshfield would have to pick up the patient.

But now with Spirit 2 available 24-7, reponse times in the north will dramatically improve. "Time is critical when we are dealing with stroke patients, cardiac patients, and even trauma patients." Ministry Spirit Northern Region Manager Charlie Kotke says, "There is specialty care they need and we can't provide that care at every hospital. So therefore being able to fly those patients and being able to cut that time to the specialty care centers makes it benefit the patient."

The expanded time coverage led to the creation of 6 more jobs, including paramedics, flight nurses, and pilots.


Story By: Ryan Michaels

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Kids make sculptures from soil Submitted: 06/19/2013

THREE LAKES - When you were a child, you probably liked to play in the dirt.

Wednesday, some kids did just that.

Only this time, it was for educational purposes.

Jessica Hepker works at Trees for Tomorrow.

Wednesday at the Three Lakes Library, she taught kids about different types of soil.

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Newman High Schools received new solar panels Submitted: 06/19/2013

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New solar panels will sit on top of the roof.

It will save Newman High School approximately $400 a year.

The W-P-S foundation donated the system as part of the SolarWise for school program.

It's an educational experience for the kids as well.

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Forest Co. man gets jail for firing gun in house, pointing it at wife Submitted: 06/19/2013

CRANDON - The Forest County man who pointed a gun at his wife and fired a shot in their home will serve conditional jail time.

Forrest Schaller was originally charged with attempted first degree intentional homicide.

But today he agreed to a deal with the State. He pleaded guilty to recklessly endangering safety and felon possession of a firearm.

In exchange, the Court dropped the attempted homicide charge.

Schaller will serve one year in Forest County jail with work-release privileges. He'll be on probation for eight years.

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Woman with Alzheimer's found safe Submitted: 06/19/2013

WOOD COUNTY - A barking dog led searchers to a Wood County woman with Alzheimer's disease.

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The woman was enrolled in the "Project Lifesaver" program, and was wearing a transmitter.

However, the battery had apparently gone dead, so searchers could not find her that way.

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Budget likely just days away from passge Submitted: 06/19/2013

MADISON - Wisconsin Republicans want to expand private school vouchers, put forth a huge income tax cut, and reject a federal Medicaid expansion.

Those ideas could be just days away from becoming law in Wisconsin.

The state Assembly passed the biennial state budget on a 55-42 vote Wednesday.

Those proposals are just some of hundreds in the $70 billion budget.

Democrats decided not to offer any of the 211 amendments they had ready.

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Mapping and controlling Yellow Iris in wetlands Submitted: 06/19/2013

MINOCQUA - These plants may look pretty but they're taking over our rivers and lakes. Michele Sadauskas is Oneida County's Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator. She is working to map and control the yellow iris, the plant you see here. She and two other conservation workers spent the day weeding Stacks Bay.

"They invade our wetlands. They're a really robust, aggressive plant. What they do is they crowd out our native species and make actually the wetland a lot less diverse," says Michele Sadauskas, Oneida County AIS Coordinator.

Removing yellow iris is a slow process. It takes three hours of work just to properly map and control 20 feet of shoreline.

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Merrill City Council plans to at Tomahawk to Municipal Court cases Submitted: 06/19/2013

MERRILL - We want our city officials to save money and resources where they can.

In Merrill, the city council is trying to do that with their municipal court.

The new plan means if you get a speeding ticket or citation for disorderly conduct in tomahawk, you'd have to go to court in Merrill.

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The discussion came up when Merrill's city staff members decided they need to make a decision whether to continue funding the court.

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