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WJFW News

Three Lakes Survival Expert Missing in Alaska Submitted: 11/17/2012
ANCHORAGE - The search continues in Alaska for a missing survival expert from Three Lakes.

The Director of Teaching Drum Outdoor School Tamareck Song, said "I have complete confidence in him if he’s not injured, that’s the big question."

31-year-old Thomas Seibold was declared missing November 11th.

The German native teaches survival classes at Drum Teaching Outdoors School in Three Lakes.

Over the last few months he’s been hiking in a remote area in north western Alaska.


Beth Ipsen, a spokesperson for the Alaskan State Troopers, said "It’s an enormous area where we’re looking. We don’t know for sure where he is. There was bad weather and we have a small layer of snow which is potentially covering any tracks but it’s not enough snow where we can get out there on snow machines."

Seibold was staying with a woman who owns a cabin near the Artic National Park by the Ambler River.

He left a note saying he was hiking to the town of Kobuk which is about 25 miles from where he was staying.

As a skilled survivor instructor Seibold frequently takes long hikes alone.

“He learned how to read the signs, how to read the weather, how to read the sun, stars, moon. He learned here how to navigate without a map and compass," said Song.

Seibold left without any forms of communication, but when he missed his flight from Kobuk to Anchorage on November 11th, friends began to worry.

Ipsen said, "He’s actually very skilled as far as surviving off the land. He’s very self-efficient. He knows how to build shelters. We’re pretty confident that that if anyone is going to get out of this it would be him."

Seibold came to Three Lakes from Germany five years ago. After completing the yearlong emersion program, he interned with the school for two years before being hired.

Song says he was a star student.

“It’s heart rending and we’re all taking it differently. It’s my responsibility to maintain perspective. So I’m coordinating the search on this end with any information I can help with and provide," said Song.

With nearly two feet of snow on the ground in far northern Alaska and temperatures at night dipping to minus 40, hypothermia is a great concern.

Son said, "Send you hopes, wishes, and prayers Thomas’ way.”

Story By: Jenn Sullivan

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Meet with Your Local Representative Monday Submitted: 05/17/2013

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WOODRUFF - The capitol may be far away but one of our local legislators wants to bring it closer. Assemblyman Rob Swearingen is meeting with constituents around the 34th district.

He visited Woodruff and Eagle River today.

Swearingen is five months into his freshman term. He wants to make sure people can put a face to his name.

He also wants reach those who might be skeptical of him because of his political party.

"You get that, just because I have the "R" in the back of my name that you're automatically not going to be friendly to those issues. And we encourage you to reach out. I may respond and it may not be the response you want to hear, but if you're going to ask me an honest question I'm going to give you an honest answer," says Rep. Swearingen.

Swearingen says everyone's working hard on the budget in Madison. He's hearing a lot of concerns about school funding locally.

"I just really feel that people should be engaged with their own local legislators so the legislator knows them, and knows how they feel. And I showed him my tax bill and he got a real perspective for someone who's on a fixed income and how all the costs for education impact one of his constituents," says Shirley Kufeldt, from Conover.

"We're looking for more funding for the K-12 funding program. I think there's been a lot of heightened awareness in the capital on both sides of the isle and in the Governor's office. So I'm looking for hopefully some good results to help rural schools as the budget moves forward before the Governor signs it in the first part of July," says Rep. Swearingen.

Swearingen's first budget motion was to allow Nicolet College to be eligible for state aid based on enrollment. That motion passed unanimously.

He says his weekly drive to his office in Madison is a reality check.

"There's the state capitol and you realize that your office is inside that building. It's a really surreal feeling to walk into that building each morning. Every time I press that button, whether it's green or red, I am voting on behalf of over 50,000 people in the 34th Assembly District. And that is something you don't take lightly," says Rep. Swearingen.

Swearingen will continue district dialogues on Monday. He'll be in Florence, Rhinelander and Crandon.

Florence, May 20th 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Maxsells Restaurant Inn & Pub, 209 Central Ave, (US Highway 2)

Crandon, May 20th 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Forest County Courthouse, Board Room

Rhinelander, May20th 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Oneida County Courthouse, Committee Room 1

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Logging Work Started Massive Wildfire Submitted: 05/17/2013

MADISON - A logging operation triggered what became Wisconsin's biggest wildfire in 33 years.

Investigators say negligence was not involved in the blaze in Douglas and Bayfield counties.

A logger noticed smoke coming from equipment while harvesting timber Tuesday afternoon.

Efforts were made to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, while another member of the logging crew called 911.

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Weather Conditions Create High Fire Risk Across Northern Wisconsin Submitted: 05/17/2013

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ACROSS THE NORTHWOODS - A week with little to no rain pushed fire risks dangerously high across northern Wisconsin. A fire in Bayfield spanning 9-thousand acres destroyed 17 homes. Fire crews want everyone to be smart about burning this time of year.

A small burn got out of control on Loop Heights Road in Pine Lake today. Fire Chief, Brian Gehrig, says the weather conditions make it easy for fires to get out of control.

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Michigan Company Wins Walmart Bid Submitted: 05/17/2013

MERRILL - Micco Construction out of Pontiac, Michigan won the bid to build a new Super Walmart in Merrill.

Workers have surveyed and staked out the site to start working on the store.

Construction should start sometime after June 1.

The Highway 64-Pine Ridge Avenue intersection also has to be rebuilt.

That will start sometime after July 4th and finish up in the fall. Work on the store will go through winter.

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Filling Prescriptions Gets Easier Submitted: 05/17/2013

MERRILL - You won't find candy bars or chips in the new vending machine at Ministry Good Samaritan in Merrill. This machine dispenses prescription medication.

It won't replace the regular pharmacist. But it will help patients who visit the hospital late at night.

"It allows patients to receive full prescriptions after hours for the local pharmacies. So if you have babe in arms that's sick that needs a prescription, we can fill that full prescription and get you on your way within less than five minutes," says Pharmacy Manager Jim Mason.

The machine has anything you would need for infections or pain; the kind of things a person goes to the ER for.

It's the fifth machine in Ministry facilities. Pharmacy Manager Jim Mason says they have a track record of safety. Each prescription is triple checked before it's dispensed.

"There has never been an error from dispensing the InstyMeds. So it's extremely safe, and it's well over a million prescriptions through InstyMeds," says Mason.

So far the Good Samaritan machine has filled around a hundred prescriptions. Doctors and patients say it's worked out well.

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Wisconsin History on Display at Heritage Days Submitted: 05/17/2013

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PHILLIPS - Fourth graders read about Native American wigwams, pioneer blacksmiths, and ethnic folk music.

All those things form Wisconsin history.

On Friday, every fourth grader in Price County experienced them at Heritage Days.

They traded their textbooks for the chance to see, hear, and feel Wisconsin history.

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Price County Among 405 Agencies to Focus on Seatbelt Safety Submitted: 05/17/2013

PHILLIPS - More police and sheriff's departments than ever before will make sure your seatbelt is buckled on the roads.

Next week kicks of Wisconsin's Click It or Ticket enforcement push.

More than four hundred agencies will participate across the state.

That includes two police departments and the Sheriff in Price County.

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