RHINELANDER - You can help choose the best businesses in Rhinelander. The Chamber of Commerce wants your nominations for Business of the Year.
Every January the chamber holds its annual dinner. For the second year the Chamber is honoring outstanding local businesses.
"We award four different awards. We have three businesses of the year awards and one community volunteer award. There are three different categories for the businesses. It's either retail, tourism or professional business. Those are the different categories we have for the chamber members," says Executive Director Lara Reed.
Anyone in the community can make a nomination. The volunteer award does not have to go to a chamber member, they just have to be someone making a positive impact in the community.
The chamber is accepting nominations through Friday.
WAUSAU - Wisconsin State Patrol Wausau Post arrested a Reedsville man for his fifth OWI.
Fifty five-year-old Gerald J Bellin Jr. was stopped for speeding on Highway T and 22 in Waupaca.
It happened Saturday evening. Bellin Jr. was taken to Riverside Medical in Waupaca for a blood draw. Troopers then took him to the Waupaca county jail.
BOULDER JUNCTION - The New Auburn woman hospitalized from a crash earlier this week has died from her injuries.
It happened around 1 o'clock Tuesday on Hwy 51 at County Highway H in Manitowish Waters.
Fifty five-year-old Patty Hanson crashed her SUV into a gas tanker. The SUV flipped upside down in a marshy roadside ditch.
The semi truck driver was treated at the hospital and released shortly after. He told sheriff's deputies he was hauling 5-thousand gallons of gasoline. The Vilas County Sheriff's and Coroner's Offices and the State Patrol are still investigating.
RHINELANDER - Students around the Northwoods graduated today. One local graduate made history at Nicolet College.
"As a Nicolet Grad, not only will your education enhance you as an individual, but you will enhance the greater good of the Northwoods community as an educated citizen of our democracy," says Nicolet College President Elizabeth Burmaster.
Hundreds of Nicolet College students walked across the stage after accomplishing their goal… earning a college degree. But one student was challenged in a way no other Nicolet graduate has experienced. Jeff Hedberg is legally blind.
"Other people can follow in my foot steps and do exactly what I did. They just need to put one foot in front of the other and believe that there are people out there that will give them a chance and opportunity," says Hedberg.
Jeff's wife Sylvia Hedberg Thomas says it all started a couple of years ago when her husband decided to go back to school. The director of disability service reached out to him to help build a plan that would ensure Jeff reached his goals.
"When Bob told Jeff everything that he would be able to do, Jeff's like 'You really think I can do that?' And I was sitting there going, 'Well yea. Of course you can," says Hedberg Thomas.
Everybody either has or will have a disability to some extent within their lifetime. Technology can and will help most of them get through the challenge of their situation," says Hedberg.
Even though Jeff's tutor Charmaine Jacques helped him out, she says she learned from him as well.
"I learned a little bit of brail from Jeff and I learned a lot about his software that he uses," says Jacques.
This isn't the last stop for Jeff. He plans to get his masters at Stout University.
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