No lawyer yet for woman charged with reckless homicide
The state public defender’s office is still looking for an attorney to represent a 37-year-old Rhinelander woman charged with first-degree reckless homicide in connection with the death of her four-month-old child in April 2020.
‘He was the fire department’
Colleagues, community mourn assistant chief
The Rhinelander Fire Department is mourning the sudden loss of a veteran firefighter/paramedic described by his colleagues as the “the heartbeat” of the crew.
Mayor, residents react to cancellation of shared ride program
Public hearing scheduled for Nov. 25
The public comment portion of the Oct. 28 meeting of the Rhinelander Common Council was focused primarily on the panel’s recent decision to discontinue its shared ride taxi program, Rhinelander Public Transit, in 2025. The vote, which took place during the council’s Oct. 14 meeting, came after the alderpersons were advised that the city’s share to fund the program in 2025 would be approximately $75,000 rather than the estimated $25,000.
School board approves property tax levy
With an operational referendum on the horizon, the board of education met Monday, Oct. 28 to formally approve the School District of Rhinelander’s budget and tax levy for 2024-2025. The vote came during a special meeting convened immediately after the annual meeting of the electors.
Council directs administration to explore golf course recommendations
Advisory committee suggests in-house management
The clock is ticking for the members of the Rhinelander Common Council to make decisions regarding the future of the city-owned Northwood Golf Club. The city’s contract with Oliphant Golf Management, the firm that has been operating the course for the city, is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2024 and an ad hoc advisory committee, formed a year ago after the club experienced a significant loss of membership, is recommending the council return the course to its former designation as a city department and run it without the assistance of an outside management company.
City clerk reports high turnout for early and absentee voting
City of Rhinelander residents have taken advantage of the opportunity to vote early and avoid the expected large crowds on Election Day, city clerk Austyn Zarda reported during the Oct. 28 meeting of the Rhinelander Common Council.
One year later, civil lawsuit against school district still pending
Nearly seven months after attorneys for the School District of Rhinelander filed a motion to dismiss the case, a federal lawsuit filed last fall related to the district’s treatment of a non-binary student remains pending.
School board votes to move forward with spring operational referendum
The board of education has chosen a date for the School District of Rhinelander’s next operational referendum. The board voted 8-1 Monday to place a referendum question on the April 1, 2025 ballot. The request will be to exceed the revenue limit by $3 million per year in 2025-26 and 2026-27 and then $7 million in 2027-28 and 2028-29 when the current $4 million referendum expires, according to the motion.
$50,000 donation boosts city’s Urban Forestry program
For many Northwoods residents, trees are much more than a source of shade or an element in a landscaping plan. Often, those who choose to live in this part of the state do so because they’re drawn to its natural beauty. They tend to cherish the trees that stand sentinel in their yards as the years go by.
Mother charged with reckless homicide
More than four years after the death of her 4-month-old baby, a Rhinelander woman was charged last week with first-degree reckless homicide. Geana L. Terry, 37, made her initial appearance in Oneida County Circuit Court Thursday afternoon before Judge Mary Sowinski.
OCEDC officials ask city to reconsider budget cut
Officials with the Oneida County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC) attended the Oct. 16 city budget hearing to express their disappointment with what was described as a major decrease in the funding the organization receives from the city.
Sowinski invested as circuit court judge
Mary M. Sowinski was formally invested Friday as the first women elected to serve as a circuit court judge in Oneida County. While the milestone was certainly noteworthy, Sowinski stressed that her judicial investiture ceremony was a celebration of the community that nurtured her.
Council crafts compromise on Messer project design
The Rhinelander Common Council resolved the debate over the design for the upcoming Messer Street road and utility improvement project with a unanimous vote Monday for what was described as a compromise between the present and the future that will allow for necessary improvements while preserving the character of the neighborhood as much as possible.
Plaza officially dedicated to Rouman family
The City of Rhinelander has settled the question of how to memorialize the Rouman family following the loss of beloved local businessman George Rouman earlier this year. The common council voted unanimously Monday to rename the city-owned plaza at the corner of Rives and N. Brown streets Rouman Family Memorial Plaza.
The Reve rises: Owner announces plan to add outdoor seating area
Coffee shop was damaged by fire in March 2023
Eighteen months after a fire destroyed a neighboring business, and seriously damaged his coffee shop, the owner of The Reve (232 Thayer Street) is hoping something positive will come out of the ashes.
Convicted sex offender charged with child trafficking
Oneida County district attorney Jillian Pfeifer has filed a new criminal complaint against convicted sex offender Albert Chagnon. On Tuesday, the district attorney’s office charged the 42-year-old with nine new counts of possession of child pornography and a single count of child trafficking. All of the counts also include a modifier indicating the state intends to ask for Chagnon to be placed on lifetime sex offender supervision if convicted.
‘It really comes down to the state’s not doing their part’
School officials explain district’s budget conundrum
With the School District of Rhinelander board of education once again pondering the question of whether and when to pursue another operational referendum, school officials want the community to understand the reason the district is facing a budget deficit is similar to what residents across the community are struggling with as they put together their own household budgets — the cost of just about everything has gone up.
City council hears funding options for municipal building
Seven months after authorizing the engineering firm Vierbicher to investigate and evaluate potential options for funding the construction of a new municipal building to house the city’s police and fire departments, the Rhinelander Common Council heard a report from the company’s planning and community development manager Andy Kurtz.
Ahlstrom: Rhinelander paper mill ‘performing well’
Company stresses sustainability efforts
While the parties wait for a federal judge to decide whether a group of Town of Stella property owners will be allowed to amend for a second time their lawsuit alleging that the spread of PFAS-contaminated sludge from the Rhinelander paper mill on local farmlands contaminated their drinking water, the mill’s owner, Ahlstrom-Munksjo, has issued a statement reiterating that it has not used PFOA or PFOS (types of PFAS) in its manufacturing process since purchasing the mill in 2018.
Tri-County Council faces massive decrease in funding
A local non-profit organization devoted to helping victims of domestic and sexual violence is in peril due to what executive director Angie Fanning called a “devastating” 70% reduction in Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding.
Plaintiffs in PFAS lawsuit seek to file amended complaint
Just over a year after a group of Town of Stella property owners filed a federal lawsuit against the current and former owners of the Rhinelander paper mill and chemical giant 3M related to alleged drinking water contamination the plaintiffs have asked the presiding judge to allow them to amend their complaint for a second time.
Council expected to decide on Messer project Oct. 14
The Rhinelander Common Council has given itself a deadline to make a decision on the proposed $10 million road and utility improvement project in the Hodag Park/Boom Lake neighborhood. After hearing proposals from an organized group of concerned property owners, as well as the engineering firm that oversees road projects for the city, the council voted unanimously Monday to table a decision until the group’s next regular meeting on Oct. 14.
School board looking at possible operational referendum
No decisions have been made but the School District of Rhinelander’s board of education has begun discussing whether and when to pursue another operational referendum. The discussion, which took place during the Sept. 16 school board meeting, comes less than two years after district voters approved a four-year $16 million operational referendum in November 2022.
17-year-old sentenced to probation in vandalism, burglary cases
The Rhinelander 17-year-old who confessed to vandalizing a local golf course in late May was sentenced Thursday to four years probation and community service. Landon M. Oldham-Schulte will also have to complete the terms of a deferred entry of judgment (DEJ) agreement with respect to a felony burglary count associated with a break-in at a local smoke shop.
Golf advisory committee hears midseason report on Northwood
With the City of Rhinelander’s 2025 budget meetings scheduled to begin this week, the time for the common council to make decisions about next year’s allocation for Northwood Golf Club is drawing near.
‘Plaza’ mystery solved but no decision yet on Rouman memorial
Plan commission vacancy filled
The Rhinelander Common Council has decided to finalize a naming policy for the city before determining which city-owned space should be renamed to honor the Rouman family following the sudden death of George Rouman earlier this summer.
Messer project concept plan to be unveiled Sept. 23
The Sept. 23 meeting of the Rhinelander Common Council is slated to feature a discussion on the “concept plan” for the city’s proposed $10 million road and utility improvement project in the Hodag Park/Boom Lake neighborhood.
Convicted sex offender charged with possession of child pornography
Convicted sex offender Albert Chagnon is facing new possession of child pornography charges following a Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) analysis of a tablet computer seized during the execution of a search warrant at his residence.
City to apply for grant on behalf of Dinky Diner
On March 28, 2023 the Dinky Diner, a popular eatery housed in a 100-year-old building at 230 Thayer Street, was destroyed by fire. It was a gut-wrenching loss for the neighborhood long known as the Hollow.
Flagpole to be installed at Hodag Park
Soil testing planned at site of proposed skate park
During its Aug. 26 meeting, the Rhinelander Common Council signed off on two projects related to future additions to Hodag Park. The group voted unanimously to approve the purchase and installation of a flagpole, to be located near the new amphitheater, at a cost of $4,500. The other resolution involving Hodag Park was to authorize geotechnical testing at the site of the proposed skate park at a cost of $5,225.
Council lets mayoral veto stand for now
The Rhinelander Common Council took no action Monday on Mayor Kris Hanus’s Aug. 16 veto of a previously approved settlement agreement with Lincoln Plaza Inc. regarding the property tax assessment for the Walmart building at 2121 Lincoln Street.
Downtown plaza emerges as potential site for Rouman memorial
A final decision has not been made but the Rhinelander Common Council moved closer Monday to answering the question of which city-owned space should be renamed to honor the Rouman family following the tragic loss of George Rouman in a car accident in June and his father Mike Rouman’s passing last summer.
Federal appeals court upholds conviction in trafficking case
Request for rehearing filed
A federal appeals court has affirmed the conviction of a 38-year-old Rhinelander man serving a 25-year sentence for trafficking a child. In an 11-page opinion filed Aug. 1, the judges of the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago found that Oneida County Det. Sgt. Chad Wanta “acted recklessly” when he failed to correct inaccurate information included in an affidavit he filed in connection with a request for a search warrant to place a GPS tracker on Paul Osterman’s vehicle.
$25,000 cash bond set in case involving convicted sex offender
A 40-year-old Rhinelander man convicted of sexually assaulting a child in a local park more than 20 years ago is being held in the Oneida County jail on charges of attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child and using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, both Class C felonies.
Mayor vetoes council’s decision on Walmart tax assessment dispute
Rhinelander Mayor Kris Hanus has vetoed a decision made by the common council on Aug. 12 approving a proposed settlement with Walmart/Lincoln Plaza regarding the tax assessment for the Walmart building at 2121 Lincoln Street.
City officials, residents talk sidewalks and trees in Messer project meeting
Residents of the City of Rhinelander’s Hodag Park neighborhood filled the common council chambers last Wednesday evening to learn more about a proposed $10 million road and utility improvement project that could result in the addition of sidewalks some residents don’t want.
School district to launch target-based grading system
With the first day of the new school year right around the corner, the School District of Rhinelander is preparing to implement a new target-based grading system.
Residents petition city to omit sidewalks from Messer project
The public comment portion of the Rhinelander Common Council’s Aug. 12 meeting began with over a dozen residents of the city’s Hodag Park neighborhood literally standing behind a spokesperson, Matt Campbell, as he addressed the topic of the 2025 Messer Street Area and Utility Improvement Project.
City looking at establishing designated truck route
An increase in commercial truck traffic on Davenport Street has prompted the City of Rhinelander to consider establishing an official route for heavy trucks.
Plan commission schedules public forum on tourist house ordinance
City administrator suggests ad hoc committee
The City of Rhinelander plan commission is seeking input from the public regarding a potential update to the municipality’s tourist house ordinance.
Logs from CAVOC processed for use in the classroom
Rhinelander children grow up surrounded by forest in a community born of a lumber boom. With this history, perhaps its fitting that trees from the 160-acre jewel that is the Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom (CAVOC) find their way into the hands of students enrolled in wood technology courses.
Inattentive driving citation issued in connection with fatal crash on Highway 51
A citation for inattentive driving has been issued to the driver of a truck that struck a Toyota Camry while it was stopped in the lane of traffic on U.S. Highway 51 on July 12 waiting to turn into a private drive.
Convicted sex offender pleads not guilty to encouraging probation violation
Chagnon accused of helping another sex offender acquire a phone
A convicted sex offender entered not guilty pleas in Oneida County Circuit Court Thursday to encouraging a probation violation and felony bail jumping.
Messer project moves forward
The Rhinelander Common Council held a 10-minute special meeting Tuesday evening to authorize Mayor Kris Hanus to sign the necessary paperwork to apply for a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development not to exceed $5.2 million, and a grant not to exceed $1.3 million, to fund the 2025 Messer Street Area and Utility Improvement Project.
Golf advisory committee preparing recommendations for council
As it nears its one-year anniversary, the City of Rhinelander’s ad hoc golf course advisory committee is preparing recommendations to share with the city’s common council.
Community comes together at Hodag Park event
Long one of Rhinelander’s most well-loved structures, the Beach House at Hodag Park has been transformed into a sanctuary for those seeking connection.
Appeals court affirms conviction tied to DOJ backlog project
The third district court of appeals in Wausau has rejected an appeal filed by a 32-year-old man who was convicted of first-degree child sexual assault (sexual contact with a child under age 13) after the Department of Justice undertook a campaign to clear a backlog of sexual assault examination kits at the state crime lab.
Not guilty pleas entered in country club vandalism case
The Rhinelander 17-year-old charged in connection with a vandalism spree at the Rhinelander Country Club in late May has entered not guilty pleas to all charges.
City ethics committee takes no action on ‘complaint’
The City of Rhinelander ethics committee met in closed session July 8 to consider a complaint.
Council declines to consider allowing ATVs on Lincoln Street
The last item on the agenda for the July 15 meeting of the Rhinelander Common Council was a discussion regarding the possibility of allowing all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on Lincoln Street.