Forward Bank has opened the doors at its new building located at 110 County Road F in Phillips. The first day for customers to come to the new location was Monday, December 16, 2024.
According to Forward Bank, "The move into the new building will allow all our staff to work together in one state-of-the-art facility. Forward Bank, Insurance, and Investment staff can work together to add value to your relationship with us.
"We’ve added new technology to streamline your transactions and get you back to your busy day quicker. Say hello to E.V.A. when you visit our new location. This Enhanced Virtual Assistant connects you with live and local customer support representatives to help you with your transactions."
To welcome bank customers during the Christmas holiday season, Forward Bank had Robin's Custom Arrangements, LLC decorate the building.
The Christmas parade lit up Phillips on Lake Avenue on Friday, December 6, 2024. View the video at https://youtu.be/ul-LenTC65c.
Note: The song played live at the parade during the dance team performance needed to be erased on YouTube per copyright rules. All other songs were allowed.
Video by: MyPriceCounty.com
Robin's Custom Arrangements, LLC offers hand-crafted floral arrangements for special events or just because. Robin's floral arrangements are wonderful as holiday centerpieces and Christmas gifts! Call 715-820-1421 for all your floral needs. Also, follow Robin's Custom Arrangements, LLC on Facebook.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR) is reporting that there were slightly more deer hunters in Wisconsin in 2024 compared to 2023.
The WI DNR stated, "As of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, December 1, sales for deer hunting privileges, (which include gun, archery, crossbow, conservation patron, and sports licenses), reached 791,023, up from 788,697 for the same time period last year. Of those, 553,652 were for gun privileges only, up from 553,479 in 2023."
As for the harvest totals for the 9-day gun deer season, which ran from November 23 through December 1, 2024, it was up 5.2% for the entire state. The antlered harvest was up 3.6% and the antlerless harvest was up 6.6%.
In the counties covered by My Northern Wisconsin, the All-Seasons to Date Deer Harvest Totals from 2023 compared to 2024 are as follows.
Ashland
2023: 1,029
2024: 995
Iron
2023: 278
2024: 362
Lincoln
2023: 2,558
2024: 2,843
Oneida
2023: 2,256
2024: 2,484
Price
2023: 2,395
2024: 2,653
Rusk
2023: 3,145
2024: 3,419
Sawyer
2023: 1,994
2024: 2,055
Taylor
2023: 3,931
2024: 4,223
Vilas
2023: 1,642
2024: 1,705
View the 2024 all-season harvest totals, provided by the WI DNR:
DeerHarvestSeasonTotal.pdf (Size: 89.04 KB / Downloads: 958)
Northern Forest Zone, 9-Day Gun Deer and All Seasons to Date Totals Image by: Wisconsin DNR
By Zone, 9-Day Gun Deer Season 2024 Image by: Wisconsin DNR
View the 2024 gun deer season totals, provided by the WI DNR:
Preliminary9DayGun.pdf (Size: 89.59 KB / Downloads: 607)
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Bow and crossbow seasons have also shown an increase in harvest. Currently, there are 289,361 deer registered, which is up 8.7% from this time last year.
There was one non-fatal firearm-related hunting incident during the 2024 gun deer season. That incident occurred in Vernon County in Wheatland Township when a father and 14-year old son were sitting in an enclosed tower stand. Shortly after the father heard what sounded like a gunshot in the distance, his son felt pain in his feet. It was discovered the son was shot through both his feet. The 14-year old was transported to the hospital to receive medical treatment for his injuries. The shooter has been identified. An investigation is pending.
The WI DNR reminds hunters to always practice the primary rules of firearm safety, known as TAB-K, which are:
T - Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
A - Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
B - Be certain of your target, what's before it and what's beyond it.
K - Keep your finger outside your trigger guard until you are safe to shoot.
The WI DNR reminds the public it has a hotline for anyone with information regarding natural resource violations. To report a possible violation, call or text 1-800-TIP-WDNR or 1-800-847-9367. The hotline is confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Staff will relay any information to conservation wardens.
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Robin's Custom Arrangements, LLC offers hand-crafted floral arrangements for special events or just because. If you need flowers for an event, such as a wedding, funeral, prom, or a party, or if you need flowers delivered to a nursing home, hospital, business, home, or some other location, call 715-820-1421 for all your floral needs. Also, follow Robin's Custom Arrangements, LLC's Facebook page.
The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation State Fire Marshal’s Office, is actively investigating six suspected arson cases. The fires occurred in the Radisson, Exeland, and Birchwood areas of Sawyer County starting on November 18, 2024.
The Sawyer County Sheriff's Office stated, "In an effort to expedite this investigation and ensure the safety of our community, we are releasing surveillance footage of an individual seen near the area where one of these fires occurred. The video is being disseminated to the public with the hope that someone will recognize the individual or have information that could assist in this investigation." The video can be viewed at this link.
“We are committed to protecting our community and bringing those responsible for these dangerous acts to justice,” said Sheriff Doug Mrotek. “We urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward.”
People with information can contact the tip line established for this investigation, which is 844-267-0711.
The police stated, "Your assistance could be crucial in preventing further incidents and ensuring the safety of all residents. The Sheriff’s Office, along with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, appreciates the community’s cooperation and vigilance in helping resolve this matter. We want to assure the public that we are using all resources available to bring a swift resolution to this situation and continue to ensure the safety of our community."
Rebecca "Becky" Puhl, director of the Phillips Public Library, has received the WLA/WEMTA Intellectual Freedom Award.
This award can be given to two recipients each year. One recipient must be from a school setting and the other recipient must be from a public, academic, or special library. Becky received the award for doing work at the Phillips Public Library. She was nominated by staff members at Carleton A. Friday Memorial Library in New Richmond, which included Monica LaVold, director, and Jake Wyrzykowski, youth services librarian.
This award recognizes those Wisconsinites who, within the last five years, have made extraordinary contributions to the promotion and protection of intellectual freedom. It celebrates people who uphold the right to access information, challenge censorship, and offer a culture of open discussion.
According to the Laura Sauser, executive director of the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), "As director of the Phillips Public Library, Puhl has faced numerous book and materials challenges over the past two years. These challenges have not only been reported on locally but have also captured the attention of intellectual freedom advocates from around the country. Through it all, Puhl has not only upheld her commitment to intellectual freedom but shielded her staff from negative comments and actions coming from the community. As described in a recommendation letter for this award, she has consistently prioritized her patrons, her staff safety and well-being, and her belief in doing what is right over her own mental and emotional health. In selecting Puhl for this award, the WLA/WEMTA Intellectual Freedom Award Committee cited her steadfast courage in defending the principles of intellectual freedom while ensuring the Phillips Public Library was a safe, welcoming, and inclusive place for all members of the community."
Becky received the award at the Wisconsin Library Association awards banquet on Thursday, November 7, 2024. The banquet was part of the WLA annual conference and was held at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay. Becky said she is proud to receive the award recognizing the work she has done to "ensure that the Phillips Public Library is a place where all people feel welcome and where everyone is represented regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age. I look forward to continuing this work and helping ensure that all Phillips Public Library patrons receive the support and resources they need and deserve. Libraries have always been, and will always strive to be, places where people can find the most up-to-date, trusted information they need to make informed decisions about their lives and the lives of those around them."
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Three 911 calls, reporting fires, were received by the Sawyer County Communication Center between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Monday, November 18, 2024.
The fires were all located in the southern part of the county. Sawyer County deputies, assisted by the Radisson, Exeland, and Birchwood fire departments, responded to the locations.
First, at 4:02 a.m., a structure fire was reported on Weirgor Road in the Town of Radisson. According to police, "The residence was currently under new construction and was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The structure was deemed a total loss."
Next, at 4:10 a.m., a second fire was reported at a residence on Gueldners Lane in the Town of Meteor. According to police, "This residence was also unoccupied and a total loss."
A third fire, reported at 6:02 a.m., was at the Birchwood American Legion Post on County Highway F in the Town of Edgewater. The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire.
The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation, is currently investigating the cause of the fires. Information is being requested from the public. If you have any information regarding the fires, or if you observed any suspicious activity in those areas during the time of the fires, please contact the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office at 715-634-4858 or use the Tip Line on the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office website.
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The City of Park Falls has announced various elected positions that will be on the April 2025 ballot.
The mayor will be elected for a term of two years. This person will succeed Mayor Tara Tervort, whose term will expire on April 15, 2025.
There are four alderperson offices that will be elected for a term of two years given Alderperson Daniel Greenwood, Alderperson Terry Wilson, Alderperson Dixie Weidman, and Alderperson Michael Mader will have terms expiring on April 15, 2025.
Nomination papers may be filed from December 1, 2024 through 5:00 p.m. on January 7, 2025.
If a primary is necessary, it will be held on February 18, 2025.
SPONSOR OF FREE NEWS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS: Park Village offers affordable, active living in a park-like setting for those 55+ and disabled persons in Park Falls. Rent is based on 30% Adjusted Gross Income. Small pets under 30 pounds are welcome. Contact Park Village at 715-762-4747.
Recently, a former employee of the Phillips Public Library created a video and posted it to YouTube stating that a possibly controversial proposal was going to be presented at the library board meeting. This prompted some residents to attend the meeting in person and about a dozen people attended via Zoom, though many left the Zoom video call before the proposal was presented.
The proposal, made by Jenny Markle, president of the board, has to do with a proposed new library card system for children.
Jenny stated she thought of the idea and researched it to see if other libraries were using similar systems. She reached out to those libraries, two lawyers, and an ethics professor to get their feedback. After talking to them, she told the board, "It seems like a good idea to me."
The idea is a tiered library card system which would give parents the ability to select general criteria for what their underage children are checking out of the library. Jenny proposed that Level 1 would allow full access to check out materials in the children's collection only. Level 2 would allow full access to check out materials in the children's and young adult collections, with the possibility of also adding general non-fiction and DVDs that are not R-rated. Level 3 would allow full access to check out materials in the entire library. She added this would only apply to the physical materials in the Phillips Public Library and not the Libby (eBooks) and MORE system, which already have filters that can be put in place by the parents. She said parents would be allowed to decide when to upgrade the card to another level.
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Jenny mentioned that, in a case brought to the Supreme Court, the court "ruled that the due process clause of the 14th Amendment protects the fundamental rights of parents to direct the care, upbringing, and education of their children. This tiered system would be in support of that parental right and would not violate any kind of state laws or statutes we have in place in Wisconsin."
Becky Puhl, the library director, stated that she cannot tell parents what is on their child's library card once they are 16, so she questioned if the system may only be able to be implemented up to the age of 16. However, Jenny said a lawyer told her that this system could be implemented to the age of 18.
Feeling the idea had merit, Becky also added, "We will already do this for you. If you came into the library and said that you didn't want your minor child to be able to check out adult materials, we would put a note on their account, and we wouldn't let them check out adult materials." She felt that if the board voted in support of a tiered library card system, it could be implemented rather easily.
Jenny added, "This is a good faith gesture to parents and grandparents in our community. It's like we're saying, 'We heard your concerns, look what we're offering you; come back to the library and love it.'"
This proposal will be back on the agenda at the next meeting for discussion and action, if everyone is ready to take action at that time. Public input is welcome, and people can sign up to make public comments at the next meeting, which will be Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. at the Phillips Public Library.
SPONSOR OF FREE NEWS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS:Robin's Custom Arrangements, LLC offers custom Christmas wreaths for sale in downtown Phillips. Stop by Robin's Custom Arrangements, LLC at 161 North Lake Avenue in Phillips or call Robin at 715-820-1421 to get your custom wreath for Christmas. Don't forget to follow Robin's Custom Arrangements, LLC's Facebook page.
The CESA 12 Sportsmanship Summit was held in Superior, Wisconsin on November 14, 2024.
Five of Chequamegon School District's student athletes attended the summit.
According to Daren Patterson, Park Falls Elementary School counselor, "Chequamegon is going to be working on improving school culture and incorporating some new initiatives to improve the atmosphere at sporting events in which we demonstrate a positive environment and endorse sportsmanship at its best."
From left to right, students in attendance included Caedon Bottolfson, Jarrett Hekendorf, Matt Hirteiter, Madi Ernst, and Hailey Bodoh.
The Sawyer County Sheriff's Office is investigating several alleged credit card theft complaints reported on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
Reports of credit card fraud occurred at Price Rite for $1,600, Market Place for $1,800, and Hayward Bait and Tackle for $1,800.
According to police, it is believed the suspects also used the card in Ironwood, Michigan and Ashland, Wisconsin.
The woman's name is Destiny Johnson. The man's last name is Johnson.
The credit card does not hava a chip, so the cashiers have to manually enter the credit card number.
The Sawyer County Sheriff's Office is attempting to locate these individuals for possible felony charges. If anyone has information, Sawyer County Deputy Ryan Krummel should be contact at 715-634-4858.
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