RHINELANDER - You may think of Wisconsin as the beer drinking state.
But one Northwoods group put a spin on beer making today.
The third annual "Boom Lake Brew Out" took place in Rhinelander.
It's held by the Brewing Innovators and Enthusiasts of Rhinelander.
They say today's snow might have even added an extra special touch to the different brews.
"We have pretty good variety. We have a couple stouts being brewed today, we have a barley wine being brewed today, and we have a Belgium Triple. We're representing some American Styles some British styles, some Belgium styles. We kinda have a worldwide approach to it," said beer maker John Rugotzke. The club believes brewing on the ice is something that represents their Northwoods spirit.
They say the brewing gets better each year.
"You know it's just a great day out with some friends, brewing some beer. I think we all kinda love and have a passion for it. And like I said, it's just a great Northwoods thing of being out on the lake and brewing it in the snow. I mean, I know there's a lot of clubs that get together and do events but I don't imagine there's a ton of them that get together on a lake and brew it with the snow falling like this," said Rugotzke.
RHINELANDER - Oneida County needs more foster care homes. Right now, there are nine licensed foster homes in the area, most of which are full according to the county's social services department.
Foster Care Coordinator Rachel Nelson says that in Oneida County there are 24 children currently living in foster homes. The department participated in a statewide foster care recruitment project last fall, and discovered just how great the need is.
MOSINEE - From here on out, Mosinee's Kevin Osterbrink will plow snow with a Stormy Kromer hat on his head--and a Stormy Kromer pattern on his plow.
Osterbrink entered his wife, Kayla Cisler-Osterbrink, in a prize drawing from Stormy Kromer and BOSS Snowplow. Her entry won, and BOSS delivered the red plaid patterned snowplow on Friday in Mosinee.
"I was tapping maple trees, and my wife showed up and said I had some homework to do because she won the plow," Osterbrink said, remembering how he found out they won.
"The first thing I told her was, 'That's the last thing I need, more work to do.' She said, 'Well, I think you want to do this, because you just won the Stormy Kromer plow," Osterbrink said.
RHINELANDER - A snow storm caught Hanson's Garden Village in Rhinelander off guard last weekend and collapsed a greenhouse. Now that spring weather is here, Hanson's is ready to move forward by making some adjustments. "We got by for 25 years doing what we were doing," said Hanson's Garden Village Co-owner Brent Hanson. Last weekend's spring snow storm set back Hanson's. "We thought we were ahead of schedule having that greenhouse nice and filled," said Hanson's Manager Beth Hanson.
"One bad storm and there you go. Things happen," said Brent. The storm collapsed a greenhouse holding thousands of plants. "For years we've gotten by with these lighter cheaper green houses," said Brent. "We'll be down a greenhouse for a little bit here," said Beth. Now Hanson's will only use sturdier and solid greenhouses so that collapses don't become a pattern.
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