Oneida County board adopts budget with 4-percent tax levy cut
Tax rate to tumble by 20 cents per $1,000 equalized value
With two minor adjustments, the Oneida County Board of Supervisors at its November meeting approved the county’s 2025 budget and tax levy, adopting a property tax levy of $18.3 million to be collected next year, a decrease of 4 percent from last year’s levy of $19.1 million.
Progressives threaten the heart of the REINS Act
2017 law gave legislature active oversight of bureaucracy
In 2017, conservatives across the state cheered the passage of the so-called REINS Act (Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny), a law that made administrative rule-making much harder and gave the legislature active oversight of executive branch rule promulgation.
County, DNR still don’t agree on boathouse stairways
County likely to stick with allowing them
It could boil down to a matter of agreeing to disagree, as the state Department of Natural Resources and Oneida County still don’t see eye-to-eye on having external stairways to access a boathouse rooftop deck — the county allows them; the DNR says they are illegal — but the county’s outside counsel said last week that the county is on solid legal ground.
DNR approves Line 5 permits for reroute
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has approved permits for relocating a proposed oil pipeline through part of northern Wisconsin. The permits would allow Enbridge Energy to circumvent the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians’ land. The tribe has vigorously opposed the pipeline.
Marquette researchers break down Wisconsin election results
A shift to the right, but not as much as in other states
Wisconsin truly split its ticket once again. That’s what John Johnson, a research fellow with the Marquette Law School Lubar Center for Public Policy Research, found in the wake of the Nov. 5 election — and of Donald Trump’s surprising sweep of seven battleground states, including Wisconsin.
Study: Autism more prevalent than thought
New inquiry will explore role of environmental toxins in ASD
According to recent numbers from the Centers for Disease Control, autism is astonishingly prevalent in America’s young children, impacting one in every 36 kids, and now a new study says the number is likely even higher than that.
Trump seizes strong victory, wins electoral college and popular vote
Tiffany, Felzkowski, Swearingen roll; Baldwin survives with late surge
Former President and now President-elect Donald Trump will become the first president since Grover Cleveland in 1892 to serve non-consecutive terms, as the Republican nominee on Tuesday seized an advantage in early returns over Vice-President Kamala Harris and then secured the win with a triumph in Wisconsin.
Oneida County proposed budget would reduce property taxes
Oneida County kicked off its budget hearings last month facing an estimated operating deficit of nearly $1.3 million, but in October the county’s executive committee went quickly to work, cutting expenditures and modifying revenue measures to the tune of about $1.5 million, and in the end produced for taxpayers both a lower levy and a lower tax rate, if it is enacted as is.
It’s down to the wire in the Badger state
Young women, independents drive Harris; rural voters boost Trump
It’s all over but the last of the voting and as election day in the United States arrives, it’s safe to say nobody has a clue how it will turn out.
Proposed constitutional amendment would restrict Wisconsin voting to citizens
Progressives say it’s not needed; supporters see a loophole
On Tuesday voters across Wisconsin will cast ballots on a constitutional amendment that would restrict voting in the state to U.S. citizens, with supporters and opponents lining up on both sides of the question.
Kilbourn takes on Tiffany in seventh congressional district
Challenger calls for fresh leadership, new commitment to northern Wisconsin
Kyle Kilbourn, who is the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin’ seventh congressional district, acknowledges that he is not a native of northern Wisconsin but that’s not to say his arrival here was random, or without familial connections or passion for the area.
Tiffany seeks new term to keep fighting old problems
Deficit, energy, immigration still top concerns for northern Wisconsin
The times may always change but that doesn’t mean the nation doesn’t face age-old problems, and that’s the case this year as Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany seeks another term representing northern Wisconsin in Congress.
Felzkowski says she will continue to be a strong voice for northern Wisconsin
Less regulation, more personal freedom are other priorities
State Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk), the incumbent running for re-election in Senate district 12, says she has spent her time in the legislature standing up for northern Wisconsin and she’ll continue to do that if she is re-elected next Tuesday.
Rich challenges Felzkowski in 12th district race
Candidate would not interview with the Times
Editor’s note: Andi Rich, the Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican state Sen. Mary Felzkowski in the 12th Senate district, turned down an invitation for a personal interview at The Times, saying she was too busy. She did say she would answer submitted questions in writing, which The Times does not do.
Bangstad arrested, charged with criminal defamation
MBC owner defies gag order; dares judge to ‘come and get me’
Kirk Bangstad, who recently settled the largest defamation case in Wisconsin history by agreeing to a payout of more than half-a-million dollars, was arrested Tuesday October 15 and charged with two counts of criminal defamation in yet another incident.
Nitzel challenges Swearingen
Democratic challenger failed to interview
Editor’s note: The Lakeland Times invited Dennis Nitzel, who is the Democratic nominee for the 34th Assembly district, to be interviewed, but the candidate never responded to the invitation. Information below is taken from his website and represents almost all the information presented on that website.
Swearingen says there’s more work to be done
Republican representative will focus on broadband, tourism, education
State Rep. Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander) says he doesn’t know what the definition of a career politician really is, and, after 12 years in the state legislature, some people might say that that’s too long, but he disagrees. Swearingen says there’s plenty more to accomplish and he believes he still is the best candidate to get the job done.
Federal judge strikes down Biden’s race-based infrastructure program
Good intentions don’t justify unconstitutional programs, judge rules
A federal judge has ruled against the Biden-Harris administration’s “disadvantaged business enterprise” program, agreeing with the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty that the program discriminates against businesses based on race and gender by prioritizing contracts to small businesses owned by women and certain preferred minority groups.
Judge: Fluoride in water poses unreasonable risk
Fluoride exposure linked to lower IQs in children
In what could become a landmark decision, a federal judge has ruled that, by a preponderance of the evidence, the fluoridation of drinking water at levels typical in the United States poses an unreasonable risk of injury to public health.
Resolution calling for highway department renovations goes down in flames
The issue was the resolution, not the need for renovations
A resolution calling for the county to undertake extensive renovations of the Oneida County highway department’s Rhinelander facility was soundly defeated at Tuesday’s county board of supervisors meeting.
It’s back: Food inflation moves in for the winter
The weather’s getting colder, but inflation is still running hotter
Like a relative who shows up unexpectedly and just won’t leave, food inflation is back at the doorstep of steep rises, and, overall, inflation came in hotter than expected in September, according to new numbers released by the government late last week.
Food costs up but grocery profit margins down
Your local grocer is not to blame for high food prices
The recent leveling in the nation’s cost of living index has yet to make its way fully to the price tags on supermarket shelves, as food prices continue to rock even the most hardened shoppers, and that has put a big target on the back of the nation’s grocers, with the likes of Vice President Kamala Harris vowing to stop price gouging and the Biden Federal Trade Commission launching an investigation into grocer profits and prices.
County facing deficit as budget hearings begin
Oneida County kicked off its budget hearings this week facing an estimated operating deficit of nearly $1.3 million, but good news from the sheriff’s department quickly pared that number by about a third, and county finance director Tina Smigielski also observed that the budget hearings could produce substantial changes to a final proposed budget.
Bangstad settles defamation suit for $580,000
MBC owner acknowledges Walker ended up ‘winning the lawsuit’
The owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company, Kirk Bangstad, has settled his defamation suit with Lakeland Times and River News publisher Gregg Walker, agreeing to pay Walker $580,000 of a $759,428 judgment against Bangstad.
In a horse race, it’s (somebody) by a nose
Nate Silver: Closest election in his 16 years of analysis
Polling guru Nate Silver says this is the closest presidential election in his 16 years of analysis, and a spate of recent polls bear him out, with Vice President Kamala Harris clinging to a tiny but stable lead in most of them but also well within the margin of error in those same polls.
Schimel: Current Supreme Court majority is dangerous
Former AG: No check on justices if they decide to ignore the law
In announcing his intention to seek a seat on the state Supreme Court earlier this year, Waukesha County circuit judge and former state attorney general Brad Schimel said his mission was to restore objectivity and integrity to the high court, something he said was lacking with the current majority.
Solbergs unveil new foundation to benefit community
Trig and Tula Solberg, whose philanthropic commitment to the community has helped so many over multiple decades, have announced yet another endeavor, a mutual creation they see as the culmination of a lifelong dedication to meaningful causes — a new community foundation to support the needs of the area’s population and to build a thriving future for the Northwoods.
Oneida zoning orders Bangstad to cease outdoor activities
The Oneida County zoning department on Monday ordered Kirk Bangstad to cease all business activities associated with a conditional use permit that the county revoked earlier this year, a directive that effectively shuts down all outdoor activities at Bangstad’s Minocqua Brewing Company.
National constitutional carry legislation introduced
Tiffany is original co-sponsor of bill to protect Second Amendment rights
Saying that multiple states and local governments have enacted gun control laws that are inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) recently introduced a national constitutional carry bill to protect the right of citizens to carry firearms publicly throughout the country.
Teamsters say they won’t endorse in presidential race
Internal member surveys show Trump far ahead of Harris
After reviewing internal polling of its members that showed overwhelming support for Republican presidential nominee and former president Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, the executive board of the Teamsters International union has announced it will make no formal endorsement in the race.
Rideout appointed as new Oneida County Human Services director
Board also approves funding for new jail access system
As of January 1, 2025, Oneida County will have a brand new Department of Human Services, and on that same day that department will have a brand new director: Mary Rideout, the current director of the county’s Department of Social Services. Rideout was the unanimous choice of everybody—the county social services committee, the county’s executive committee, and, this week, by a 17-0 vote, by the county board of supervisors.
Walker seeks lien, potential sale of MBC
Court action sought to ensure payment of judgment
Lakeland Times and River News publisher Gregg Walker has filed a motion for a charging order with circuit judge Leon Stenz that would place a lien on Kirk Bangstad’s interest in the Minocqua Brewing Company to ensure the payment of defamation judgements against Bangstad and the company and that would force the sale of the company if the judgment is not paid in a reasonable time period.
Appeals court denies Bangstad bid to delay paying debt
A state court of appeals has denied a bid by Kirk Bangstad and Minocqua Brewing Company to delay payment of two money judgments against them for defamation — a judgment of $759,428 against Bangstad and a joint and severable judgment against Minocqua Brewing Company for $329,428.
Schimel promises transparency if elected to high court
But as attorney general his office defended DOJ secrecy
When he was state attorney general, Waukesha County circuit judge Brad Schimel touted his record on open government — among other things he created the Office of Open Government within the Department of Justice (DOJ) — and, now that he is a candidate for the state Supreme Court, he says he will take that same commitment to transparency to the state’s highest tribunal.
Case contesting Minocqua’s regulation of riparian rights moves slowly
Trial date still not set, after more than a year-and-a-half
A long-running dispute between riparian property owners and the town of Minocqua has now become a long-running lawsuit between the parties, with no trial date yet set more than a year-and-a-half after the complaint was filed in February 2023.
Kennedy sues to get off Wisconsin ballot
Former candidate says WEC misreads law, violates First Amendment
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who has suspended his presidential campaign and is asking his supporters in all 50 states to vote for Donald Trump for president, has sued to remove his name from the November ballot in Wisconsin.
In long run for high court, Schimel wants to restore objectivity
Former attorney general blasts justices who prejudge cases
Since last spring, in a long-haul effort designed to build grassroots support, former Wisconsin attorney general and current Waukesha County circuit judge Brad Schimel has been running for the state Supreme Court, for a seat now held by retiring justice Ann Walsh Bradley.
Dems fail to remove Green Party candidate from ballot
Kennedy can’t get his name off the ballot
One presidential candidate in Wisconsin wanted to stay on the ballot and one candidate didn’t. One candidate got her way last week and one didn’t.
The Ghost of Richard Nixon: Harris’s price control plan spurs debate
1971 price controls caused shortages, then sent prices skyrocketing
News analysis The last time a president tried price controls in the United States was 1971, when President Richard Nixon imposed a multi-phased wage-and-price control scheme to tamp down runaway inflation, which had then climbed to 5.8 percent.
Highway department facing $9.5M three-year shortfall
If Oneida County sticks with its current approach to funding its highways, the county’s highway department will face a funding shortfall of about $9.5 million for its capital renewal and replacement needs over the next three years.
Zuckerberg: Biden administration pressured Meta to censor
Won’t do it again, Facebook chief promises
In an August 26 letter to U.S. House judiciary committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chief of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, alleged that the Biden administration pressured Meta and its companies, including Facebook, to censor its users, especially during the pandemic.
County board creates deputy position to help lead new department
On the first day of its existence, the newly formed Oneida County Human Services Department will become Oneida County’s largest government agency — a huge department employing more than 100 people —and this past week the county board of supervisors created a new deputy director position to help the agency’s director hold down the fort.
Oneida County board shoots down mining resolution
But both yes and no votes preserved the status quo
It was a politician’s dream on Tuesday when the Oneida County Board of Supervisors took a vote that didn’t matter how supervisors voted — voting yes yielded the same result as voting no.
Harris unveils plan to fight inflation: Price controls
Democrat to push laws, regs to end ‘gouging’
The Harris for President campaign took aim at lingering inflation this past week, with the campaign announcing that the presumptive Democratic nominee, if elected, would propose the “first-ever federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries.”
Voters defeat both constitutional amendments in another win for Democrats
Wisconsin continued to gallop back toward its historic standing as part of the Democratic Party’s midwestern Blue firewall as Democrats celebrated the defeat by wide margins Tuesday of two major constitutional amendments the party had opposed.
Latest Marquette poll: Harris surges to lead
Harris opens wide 8-point lead among likely voters, with other candidates included
The latest Marquette Law School Poll national survey shows Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris leading the presidential race nationally, with 52 percent of support among of registered voters to 48 percent for former President Donald Trump.
On the ballot Tuesday: Two constitutional amendments
Control of federal monies and appropriations take center stage
One thing Gov. Tony Evers can’t veto is the will of the voters, and that’s why the Republican-controlled state legislature has put two proposed constitutional amendments on next Tuesday’s ballot.
Judge approves historic $1.5 billion payday loan settlement involving LdF tribe
Decision, if made permanent, would bring relief for nearly 1 million borrowers
A judge has given preliminary approval to a proposed settlement of a gigantic payday loan lawsuit that, if approved permanently, would forgive $1.4 billion in outstanding loans to nearly a million payday loan borrowers who took loans from the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (LDF) tribal corporation and its subsidiaries.
Survey says: Wisconsin’s economy among the worst in nation
WalletHub analysis runs against the grain of Evers’s claims
The administration of Gov. Tony Evers likes to tout what he calls a robust Wisconsin economy, featuring lower-than-national-average unemployment and higher-than-national-average labor force participation rates, but a new study from the personal finance company WalletHub actually puts the state’s economy near the bottom of the pile.
Biden-Harris Title IX transgender rules blocked in 21 states
But rules took effect this week in Wisconsin
A federal court last week blocked the Biden-Harris administration’s new Title IX transgender regulations in six more states, bringing the total to 21 which have won reprieve from the rules.
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