The world awaits Rhinelander High School Class of 2026
The atmosphere inside the Hodag Dome was buoyant with pomp and pride on Sunday. Cheered on by families and friends carpeting the indoor field, Rhinelander High School’s Class of 2026 received their diplomas, wise advice and best wishes for the years to come in the Commencement Exercises.
Teens alleged in high-speed chase, firing shots in Hodag Park formally charged
Court proceedings will continue June 9
A trio of teens alleged to have shot a firearm in Hodag Park and led a chase of up to 100 mph with area law enforcement May 22 have now been formally charged. On May 29, criminal complaints were filed against Isaiah E.M. Hammer, 18, of Crandon, Stewie J. Daniels, 18, of Rhinelander and Darius A. Polar, 17, of Crandon.
Newbold agrees to adopt-a-road program, turns down fitness court
There’s something new in the works for Newbold. At its regular meeting May 28, the town board welcomed Carey Bongard of the Two Sisters Lake Association.
City council moves toward action on amending zoning, UTV ordinance
In a step toward the possibility of a major housing project in the city, the Rhinelander common council at its regular meeting May 26 approved the first reading of an ordinance to amend the official zoning map of the city of Rhinelander.
New RPD sergeant Rezny celebrated in city hall ceremony
A family affair, from daughters Adeline and Reagan removing his old badge, to father George pinning on the new one, Ryan Rezny’s ceremonial promotion to Rhinelander Police Department sergeant delighted more than two dozen well-wishers on hand last Wednesday morning, May 27, at Rhinelander City Hall.
Public Works leaders front and center in community forum
Rhinelander’s public works leaders introduced themselves to the public and shared insights on current projects at the “Your Department of Public Works Leaders” community forum May 21 at city hall.
Memorial service completes Ginzl’s long journey home
A circle spanning some 86 years was brought to an awe-inspiring close last Sunday. Corporal John James “Jack” Ginzl, a Rhinelander High School basketball and tennis star who became the first Rhinelander paper mill employee to enlist to fight in World War II, and who was killed after 1,006 days in captivity as a prisoner of war and was buried in a mass grave in then-Formosa before being recovered by U.S. forces, was at last identified decades later (see “John Ginzl Comes Home,” May 22 Northwoods River News).
A joyful gift for the community
Kiwanis team with Vancos, other community supporters to christen splash pad at Hodag Park
It was a scene of giddy glee at Hodag Park on May 22, children scampering through water cascading from colorful apparatuses, and adults watching with wistful satisfaction — deeply pleased at the grand opening of this fun new asset for the community, and wistful that they couldn’t hop right in, right now, and have some of that fun too!
Stella town board hears PFAS update, begins move to another bank
With PFAS contamination in dozens of wells in the town of Stella, a report from the town’s PFAS committee found an attentive audience at the Stella town board meeting May 11 at Stella Town Hall.
Rhinelander Housing Authority bids Fralick farewell, welcomes Showalter
The Rhinelander Housing Authority board of commissioners saw off commissioner Melanie Fralick at their regular bimonthly meeting May 19 at Evergreen Manor. “She chose to resign. She's on several committees in town,” RHA executive director Janell Schroeder told the Northwoods River News.
TID 13, amendment to TID 10 receive final OKs from Joint Review Board
Rhinelander’s lucky 13th Tax Incremental District (TID) is a go. After having been adopted by the Rhinelander Common Council at its regular meeting on May 11, a resolution creating TID 13, a mixed-use district of 25 contiguous parcels in the North Stevens Street area, with new residential development along with light industrial and commercial, received final approval by the Joint Review Board in a 10-minute meeting May 18 at Rhinelander City Hall.
John Ginzl comes home
WWII airman returns to Rhinelander after 86 years
His boyhood home at 1318 Eagle Street still stands strong. Brown Street still rolls through a portion of town, site of Rhinelander’s first annual nighttime bicycle race in 1934, won by the crazy-legged teen aboard his bike Flying Gingerbread.
Important choices made at SDR school board meeting
An eventful meeting of the School District of Rhinelander board of education ended on an unexpected note Monday, May 18. Emerging from closed session, the board accepted several resignations including that of Kyle Barber, principal of Northwoods Community Elementary School. Effective June 5, the resignation concludes a single year for Barber in that position.
Crescent board green-lights new businesses, will start work on utility permit and policy
New business is a boon for any town, and three of Crescent’s newest found an appreciative welcome at the Crescent town board meeting May 13. The first, Aaron Panke, was invited to introduce his concept as the board considered his conditional use permit application.
Roster of 2026 road projects chosen by Newbold town board
Supervisors also reappoint fire chief and eye Fitness Court
With bids in hand for their wishlist of road construction projects, and a budget that meant there were choices to make, the Newbold town board selected a carefully weighed assortment of 2026 road projects at their meeting May 14 at the Newbold Community Center.
City Council approves TID 13 and amendment to TID 10, hears city infrastructure updates
Rhinelander is now just one Joint Review Board vote away from having a 13th Tax Incremental District (TID). TID 13, a mixed-use district of 25 contiguous parcels in the North Stevens Street area, with new residential development along with light industrial and commercial, received the approval of the Rhinelander Common Council at its regular meeting last Monday, May 11. Rhinelander’s Joint Review Board is expected to meet May 18 to make it official.
Newbold town board hears update on skyrocketing property values
Newbold is slated for revaluation next year — and its town board heard eye-opening news relating to it in Jef Muelver’s monthly town assessor report at its May 14 meeting. Muelver began by recapping the number of residential and commercial sales in the township in 2025: a total of 47.
Nine-year sentence for Eagle River senior citizen said to use fentanyl ‘like cash’
Co-defendants have June court dates
A 75-year-old Eagle River woman has been sentenced to nine years in the Wisconsin prison system after having been found guilty of one count of possession with intent to deliver more than 50 grams of fentanyl as a party to a crime.
Possibility of UTVs on Lincoln Street explored further by City Council
The question of whether to allow utility task vehicles (UTVs) on Lincoln Street, tabled at the April 27 meeting to gather more information, topped the agenda at the nearly two-hour meeting of the Rhinelander Common Council on Monday, May 11.
Third graders from SDR, Nativity and Zion take part in annual event
On a day made for recreation, with a bright blue sky and a hint of summer warmth in the air, some 200 Rhinelander area third-graders took to the grounds of the YMCA of the Northwoods for the 8th annual Recreation Rodeo on May 8.
Rezny elevated to Rhinelander police sergeant
After a morning of interviewing candidates in closed session Tuesday, May 12, the Rhinelander Police & Fire Commission has selected Ryan Rezny for promotion to the position of police sergeant.
No surprises in SDR school board’s reorganization
A swift six minutes in length, the School District of Rhinelander school board’s reorganizational meeting May 11, held at Rhinelander High School’s Professional Development Center, was a solid endorsement for keeping on keepin’ on.
Progress continues in Newbold plan commission’s review of town ordinance
The Newbold plan commission is in the midst of the painstaking process of reviewing, discussing and proposing revisions to town ordinance Chapter 13 subdivision and platting. The process continued at the commission’s meeting May 7.
New businesses welcomed by Crescent plan commission
The May 6 meeting of the Crescent plan commission saw applications from two new businesses approved. Aaron Panke and family’s application proposes growing and selling pumpkins and flowers, while Britteny Zettler’s permit application is to operate a massage studio and retail service business. Both will be recommended to the Crescent town board.
Tomahawk man charged with striking girlfriend with pickup truck
A cash bond of $100,000 has been set for a Tomahawk man alleged to have struck his girlfriend with a pickup truck. Robert Richard Cookson, 59, was arrested April 21 in the town of Little Rice.
Crash between pickups, one at highway speed and one stopped for school bus, closes Highway 17
In a crash that closed both lanes of U.S. Highway 17 for 40 minutes, a Ford F150 heading northbound at close to 55 mph rear-ended another vehicle stopped for a school bus dropping off children near Royalwood Lane at 3:52 p.m. on April 21.
Pelican board makes enhanced wake boat ordinance official, opens road project bids
A round of applause from a near-roomful of residents rewarded the Pelican town board at its meeting on May 4. There, the board completed what it had begun at its Feb. 9 meeting, when it had agreed to take the first step toward enacting an ordinance to prevent enhanced wake boating on the town’s 59-acre Buck Lake, 71-acre Fish Lake, 58-acre Hixon Lake, 443-acre Lake George and 401-acre Lake Thompson by submitting a draft ordinance and condition report to local government recreation administrator-conservation warden Robert Kneeland.
Town utility policy ordinance formally enacted at Newbold town meeting
It was smooth sailing for town ordinance Chapter 19 Town Utility Permit Policy at the public hearing and regular meeting of the Newbold town board on April 30. With attendees making no comments at the public hearing, held at the Newbold Community Center, Chapter 19 was formally enacted by the board at the regular meeting that immediately followed.
The goodest boy in Rhinelander gets a well-earned retirement
Two days after sniffing out a drug find in an area school system, his last of some 350 deployments in eight years of service, K-9 Odin and his partner, Rhinelander Police Captain Chad Brown, came to Rhinelander City Hall Friday morning, May 1.
Convicted sex offender released to Rhinelander
A sex offender convicted of possession of child pornography was released from prison last Tuesday, May 5, and will reside in Rhinelander, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office announced that day.
Tinderbox conditions prompt city and county suspensions of all outdoor burning
An ongoing lack of rainfall, coupled with dry vegetation and persistent gusty winds, prompted the city of Rhinelander on May 4 to announce the suspension of all outdoor burning within the city until further notice.
Charges mount for Florence woman, now facing fines up to $110,500 if convicted on drug, other charges
A preliminary hearing date of May 14 has been set at the Oneida County Courthouse for a Florence woman charged with multiple drug-related felonies from October 2025 to March of this year, as well as bail-jumping and shoplifting charges.
Possibility of allowing UTVs on Lincoln Street a hot topic for city council
An agenda item for discussion and action to allow utility task vehicles (UTVs) on Lincoln Street made for some definite differences of opinion in Monday’s meeting of the Rhinelander Common Council.
Crescent town board updates residents, awards projects in dual meetings
Last Tuesday, April 21, nine Crescent residents attended the town’s annual meeting to hear the town board’s overview of the past year and ask questions, and then saw the board in decision-making mode in the special meeting that followed.
Pine Lake holds annual meeting with small but engaged audience
Only two of Pine Lake’s residents took the opportunity to participate at the town’s annual meeting April 21. They joined three Rhinelander residents, all town employees, in the audience for the recap of 2025 and update on 2026 delivered by the Pine Lake town board. Town supervisor Ron Lueneburg was absent.
Newbold board delivers details on past year at annual town meeting
“The less people show up, the more people are happy.” That’s how Newbold town chair Dan Hess said he sees attendance at the town’s annual meeting — and this year, two residents attended.
Man cited in Woodboro crash earlier this month at large from authorities
Freezing rain that coated Oneida County the morning of April 2 made for treacherous road conditions — and in the case of one crash that day — the alleged perpetrator has also proven slippery.
JWMS ribbon-cutting highlights a day to cherish for SDR
With the afternoon’s grand unveiling of improvements at James Williams Middle School (JWMS) dovetailing with a school board meeting at which grateful high schoolers shared profound experiences from recent school trips abroad, Monday, April 20, was a day tough to top for the School District of Rhinelander (SDR).
Mayor Hanus sworn in for second term, Mikalauski remains Rhinelander city council president
With one new face among its eight alderpersons, the Rhinelander Common Council held its reorganizational meeting on Tuesday, April 21. Gerald Anderson attended virtually, and Thomas Barnett was absent.
Water and sewer extension plan progresses at Pine Lake board meeting
A proposal by the city of Rhinelander to extend utilities to the site of a potential development south of Shepard Lake Road, impacting that town road’s right of way, moved forward at the Pine Lake town board meeting on Wednesday, April 15.
Pelican board revisits 2025, gives brief bridge update in annual town meeting
With Dr. Walter and Donna Gager on hand to represent the electorate, the annual meeting of the town of Pelican was held last Tuesday, April 14 at Pelican Town Hall. Chairman Nick Scholtes, town supervisors James Cates and Walter Dahlquist Jr., and clerk Mike Ring fielded questions from the Gagers as they proceeded through the agenda.
Nearly three dozen area firefighters band to battle Pelican brushfire
A homeowner burning brush from the day before is believed to have caused a slow-moving brush fire in the town of Pelican on Thursday, April 16. The Pelican Fire Department was dispatched at 4:48 p.m. to the 2170 Easy Drive home of Frank Pyrchalla, with automatic aid from the Pine Lake Fire Department, and assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and Oneida County medics.
State fund distribution to fuel big boost for SDR’s libraries
In a school library, young imaginations soar. Last Friday in Crescent Elementary School’s library, those imaginations got a huge boost of rocket fuel when Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski came by to announce the School District of Rhinelander’s $207,766 share of this year’s record $73.5 million Common School Fund annual Library Aid distribution — funds specifically for the state’s public school libraries.
Holt bids farewell at City Council meeting
Council greenlights Baby Box and Iron Hodag statue
Eight years as District 6 alderperson drew to a close for David Holt at Monday’s meeting of the Rhinelander Common Council, April 13 at Rhinelander City Hall. His message from the podium during public comment was one of the session’s highlights. After a congratulatory handshake with Linnaea Newman, who ran unopposed for the District 6 seat in last week’s spring election, Holt reminisced.
McKenzie and White sworn in, law changes explained by Muelver at Newbold town board meeting
Held two days after the spring election, the April 9 regular meeting of the Newbold town board saw the swearing in of returning town supervisors Mike McKenzie and Brad White for their newest terms by clerk Kim Gauthier. The board was alerted to two recent law changes in town assessor Jef Muelver’s monthly report.
Stella town board reviews East Stella Lake Road project plans at special meeting
With the expected June start of construction nearing for the town of Stella’s East Stella Lake Road project, town supervisors heard the latest update on engineer MSA Profesional Services’ plans from Phil Kriesel of MSA at a special town board meeting last Wednesday, April 8.
Crescent town board opens road and roof project bids
Deferring some decisions until its next meeting made for a relatively short gathering for the Crescent town board Wednesday, April 8. The highlight was the opening of bids for the town’s seven prospective road projects for 2026, which involve Fire Tower Road, Hat Rapids Road, Range Line Road, North Rifle Road, Sterling Road, Long Lake Road and Beyer Road.
Newbold town board tackles a variety of topics in marathon session
The Newbold town board gathered at the Newbold Community Center for its regular meeting on Thursday, March 26 — a meeting that turned out to be not-so-regular in length, topping two and a half hours. One of the discussions contributing to its length was a concern brought to the board by chairman Dan Hess in search of guidance.
Pelican to go forward with Haymeadow Road Bridge project
The Pelican town board has been in a pickle … but at its special meeting March 30, there was hope of a way out. A $133,043 difference between its estimate and total cost to remove and replace the 109-year-old Haymeadow Road Bridge — an overage of more than 20% — has had the board in a difficult place.
Convicted sex offender arrested after failing to update information
A convicted sex offender released to the Rhinelander area in 2022 is in the Oneida County jail after allegedly failing to report a change of address. Timothy S. Henk, 64, was convicted in 2001 of kidnapping/seize or confine without consent and second degree sexual assault/use of force.
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