<![CDATA[My Northern Wisconsin - News: Phillips, Kennan, and Catawba]]>

<![CDATA[My Northern Wisconsin - News: Phillips, Kennan, and Catawba]]> https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news/ Fri, 29 May 2026 18:43:03 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[SIDEWALK REPAIRS SET TO BEGIN]]> https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news/thread-830.html Tue, 26 May 2026 09:49:01 +0000 My Northern Wisconsin]]> https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news/thread-830.html
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The Phillips downtown sidewalk project was completed in October 2025.

Cracking has taken place over the winter. The Department of Public Works marked the cracked areas with pink paint. The affected squares will be fixed under warranty by the company that installed the sidewalk. Work is expected to begin on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

Some residents have asked if the bottoms of the light poles are going to be made to look better. My Price County tried to get this answer, but the question was misunderstood via email, so My Price County will ask again and publish information if we receive it.

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Get your Phillips garage sale listed for free. Find out how by clicking this link.]]>
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Get your Phillips garage sale listed for free. Find out how by clicking this link.]]> <![CDATA[PHILLIPS COMMUNITY-WIDE GARAGE SALE TO BE HELD IN JUNE; GET YOUR SALE LISTED FOR FREE]]> https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news/thread-820.html Sun, 17 May 2026 01:27:26 +0000 My Northern Wisconsin]]> https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news/thread-820.html
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Phillips 2026 Garage Sale Display Ad.png (Size: 51.88 KB / Downloads: 417)

The 6th annual community-wide garage sale event will take place on June 11, 12, 13, and 14, 2026 for anyone with a Phillips address, both in the city limits and in the country.

"For anyone wanting to have a sale, the listing is free. My Price County promotes the event and the list of sales, so getting on the list should greatly increase traffic to each sale. We have had people remark that the community-wide garage sale weekend brings them the most shoppers they see all year at their sales," said Lynne Bohn, event organizer.

My Price County is offering free advertising to residents who would like to have a garage sale on that weekend. To participate, reserve your ad spot by submitting your first and last name, full address of your garage sale location, the days (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday) and the times you set for your garage sale, along with a short list (30 words or less) of some of the items that will be at your garage sale. Either message My Price County on Facebook or send an e-mail to Contact@MyPriceCounty.com with "Garage Sale" in the subject line. While getting the garage sales sent via email is preferred, you can call 715-339-6677 if you do not have access to Messenger or email. My Price County will confirm receipt of all messages and emails. The deadline for submitting your garage sale is 5 p.m. on Monday, June 8, 2026. Please note, you will need to place your own garage sales signs and do any additional advertising that you choose.

"The busiest days are Friday and Saturday," Lynne added, "but we will accept sales for Thursday and Sunday, as well, because some people like to run three- or four-day sales. Anyone who hosts a garage sale can choose their days and times; no one has to host a sale on all four days unless they want to."

The community-wide garage sale event is being held to help promote the community. Please help us make others aware of this event by sharing this article's link or the Facebook post. You can also follow and invite your friends to the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1484183433122293.
Sales will be posted by the morning of June 11, 2026 at https://www.mypricecounty.com/sales.html. Save that link but realize there are no current sales listed there yet, and the full list won't be published until June 11, 2026, if not a few days sooner.

The 3rd annual Price County Garage Sales Event will be held on August 6, 7, 8, and 9. More information will follow in July.

You can share this article on Facebook from our public Facebook page at this link.]]>
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Mayor Charles Peterson Talks with Spectrum News.jpg (Size: 28.03 KB / Downloads: 1747)

On Monday, March 30, 2026, Mayor Charles "Chuck" Peterson did a 4-minute interview with Spectrum News regarding the challenges of getting grants, the cost of living, tourism, and childcare in Phillips.

He mentioned that its difficult to get grants for a small area. Even though Phillips has a population of about 1,500, the outlying townships make the area larger than the city population itself.

He said the cost of living is less for buying groceries or buying a beer in the area.

Chuck mentioned that the amount of people in the area grows in the summer with all the tourism and the nice lakes that are available.

He stated childcare is a problem. He said there are not many childcare facilities in the area, and the city clerk/treasurer has to bring one of her children to work.

To see the full video interview, click the link: https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/madison/new...challenges]]>
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MARCH 2026 PHILLIPS SCHOOL UPDATES BY GAVIN ESTERHOLM.png (Size: 63.98 KB / Downloads: 1458)
Written by: Gavin Esterholm

TRACK AND FIELD

Track and field kicked off with its first practice last week, Monday, and, for the first time in a few years, they were actually outside because of the great weather. Their first meet was Thursday, March 19, at the Ashland High School indoor track. This year, there are a lot of familiar faces with a few new freshmen, but overall, a good number of athletes are competing.

BAND

The band went on the band trip and went to the Chazen Museum of Art in downtown Madison. Afterward, students went to the West Town Mall to shop and eat dinner. Next, the band members went to the Overture Center in Madison to watch Back to the Future, the musical. The performance was extravagant. I really enjoyed the sound and effects, as well as the pit band musicians, who did an amazing job. Students stayed the night in Mount Horeb to wake up early, then left at 8:30 to head over to Spring Green to see the world-renowned House on the Rock, where everyone walked in awe as the seemingly never-ending tour continued through some of the most chaotic and obscure exhibits. Students made a stop at Culver's in Spring Green to then head back to Phillips, a long haul home. There was a band concert on Tuesday, March 17, in the Performing Arts Center, and solo and ensemble is quick to follow, on Friday, March 27, all day at Phillips High School.

QUIZ BOWL

The quiz bowl team was in the CESA 12 conference competition on Tuesday, March 17, in Ashland, where they faced various teams from around northern Wisconsin.

STUDENT COUNCIL

The student council is organizing its second blood drive of the year, which will be on April 15, 2026, in the gym. They are looking for any willing donors to sign up. There will be information posted around the school with a QR code to sign up.

WRESTLING

Ayron DeLeasky and JJ Adomaitis were down at the Kohl Center in Madison, competing at the WIAA State Wrestling Meet. JJ Adomaitis was seeded at the 5th spot of the Division 3, 150-pound weight class, and Aryon was seeded 8th for the Division 3, 190-pound weight class, with JJ finishing in the top 10 and Ayron finishing in the top 8. Seniors include JJ Adomaitis, Ayron DeLeasky, and Sawyer Kucaba.

FBLA

FBLA is preparing for State, which is coming up in a few weeks, and they are also doing the annual butter braid fundraiser.

SOFTBALL

Softball practice started on Monday, March 16, and the next game is the weekend of March 28.

BASEBALL

Baseball started practice, and their first game is Tuesday, March 31, at Barron High School.

SOCCER

Soccer started practice, and their first game is a conference matchup against the Assumption Royals in Wisconsin Rapids on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

TEEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) OF THE PHILLIPS PUBLIC LIBRARY

The TAC will be hosting a scavenger hunt at the Phillips Public Library throughout the city limits, where groups and individuals can attempt a fun scavenger hunt to take them all around Phillips and have a good chance of winning some fun prizes. The TAC is also looking to start up a program to incentivize reading among high school and middle school students. This will be called the 100 books before graduation. This will offer prizes for the number of books read before graduation. There will be more information for this to come in the future, as it is still in the works, but it will likely debut in April.

OTHER NEWS

The junior class completed the ACT testing on Tuesday, March 10.]]>
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February 2026 Phillips School Updates by Gavin Esterholm.jpg (Size: 40.08 KB / Downloads: 2319)
Written by: Gavin Esterholm
February 16, 2026

Hockey

The hockey team finished the regular season with a record of 7-13. The last game was played against Rhinelander, they won 5-2, and had a nice comeback game against Spooner two weeks ago. The next game is in regionals, where they face Ashland, the #2 seed, as the #7 seed.

Student Council

Student Council planned Winterfest with dress-up days of pajama day, rhyme without reason, summer vs. winter, meme day, and neon day. The activity day was on Friday, and the Glo-Ball dance was on Saturday in the high school commons.

Band

The band has been preparing for their next concert on March 17, 2026. Along with that, they have also been eagerly waiting for their trip down to Madison where they will watch Back to the Future on Broadway and visit the House on the Rock.

Choir

Emily Lamy said, “We had our POPS Concert last week and were able to test out the new dancing risers, which were a success. Now we’re preparing for the Large Group Festival Concert and Solo and Ensemble.”

FBLA

Emmet Knudson shared, “FBLA had their regional leadership conference on Feb 7, 2026, where we had many people medal. We have our Bucks game trip at the end of the month where students will get to go to Milwaukee for
the day, listen to a business panel, and get a tour of Fiserv Forum, as well as watch the game that night.” McKenna Jones and Gabby Prostek advanced on to state, which will be held in Green Bay at the KI Convention Center in April.

Mock Trial

Mock trial has concluded their season after the regional at the Marathon County Courthouse where they had four trials facing off against some large schools. They finished 4th overall, missing state once again by just two places. The team will have twelve members returning next year, but that is with the loss of five seniors, including Gavin Esterholm, Joslyn Kleist, Pavithra Kumaravel, Suzanne Ludwig, and Leah Harper.

Spring Sports

Spring sports, such as baseball, track, softball, and soccer are making their way closer and closer with their start dates ranging from early to mid-March.

Trip to Appleton

A group of students went to Appleton to see Hamilton on Broadway. Addie Gabay shared, "The trip was very good; everyone had lots of fun at the Fox River Mall, and Hamilton was a very fun musical to watch live."]]>
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Submitted photo.

JJ Heikkinen, the son of Jeff and Heather Heikkinen, broke three school basketball records on Monday, February 23, 2026, at the Phillips Loggers basketball game against the Chequamegon Screaming Eagles in Park Falls.

Breaking his own three-point record, JJ made 12 three-point shots in a single game. His previous record was nine shots.

At halftime, JJ had already made 32 points. By the end of the game, he had a total of 59 points, which is a record amount of points to make in a single game. Austin Edwards previously held the record. Austin commented, "Special kid. Special player. Hard to put it any other way. Deserving of every record. Congratulations, JJ. You’re the GOAT."

Jacob Schlub held the record for most points in a single season, but JJ broke that record on Monday night.

On Thursday night, February 26, JJ will attempt to break the career scoring record that is held by Jacob Schlub. According to JJ's proud dad, Jeff, JJ needs eleven points to reach that milestone.

The Loggers won the game, 99 to 76.]]>
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NEW LAWSUIT FILED IN FATAL ACCIDENT AT HWY. 13 AND LITTLE CHICAGO ROAD.jpg (Size: 30.39 KB / Downloads: 5666)

On February 9, 2026, a personal injury/automobile civil lawsuit was filed in Dane County. Plaintiffs include Naomi and Luke Morrison of Phillips. Involuntary plaintiffs include two insurance companies and State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The defendants are Lance Walcisak of Kennan; United Price Dairy, LLC of Phillips; and an insurance company from Madison. This lawsuit stems from the August 2025 fatal vehicle accident at the intersection of Hwy. 13 and Hwy.111/Little Chicago Road.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs are from Pinkert Law Firm LLP in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, which is located in Door County. Zachary Buchta, Jennifer Hobart, and Daniel Nerenhausen are the attorneys for the plaintiffs.

My Price County reached out to Pinkert Law Firm, and two attorneys acknowledged receipt of our correspondence. Understandably, attorneys generally do not provide a lot of information in these cases, but if we receive a response, we will update this article.]]>
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On Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 12:46 a.m., Phillips Fire Department was dispatched to a house fire on County Road D.

Officers arrived on scene first and stated the house was fully engulfed.

According to Fire Chief David Lontcoski,"Phillips Fire responded with an engine, tender, brush truck and nine firefighters. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy fire coming from the roof of the house."

The Phillips fire chief requested a MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System). Park Falls Fire responded with a squad and four firefighters; Fifield Fire responded with an engine, tender and command vehicle, a chief, and seven firefighters; Kennan Fire responded with four firefighters and their trailer, which was used for warming; Prentice Fire responded with a tender, squad, chief, and six firefighters; and Catawba Fire responded with an engine, tender, chief, and five firefighters.

The chief added, "Temperatures were 38 degrees below zero, making firefighting very challenging. Frozen hoses and equipment, ice, and cold temperatures required firefighters to work in shifts."

Approximately 19,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the fire.

There were no reported injuries and everyone made it out of the house.

Phillips Fire was back at the station and in service at 9 a.m.

Phillips EMS, Phillips Police Department, Price County Sheriff's Office, Emergency Management, Xcel Energy, Phillips Water Department, and Price County Highway Department (who came with a sand truck) also assisted at the scene. The chief added, "Phillips Fire would like to thank all that assisted at the fire."]]>
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Charges were filed on January 16, 2026, against the man who drove the semi-truck in the accident that resulted in the death of Robert Morrison and his eight-year-old son, James, on August 28, 2025. Robert and Naomi's other young son was also in the accident and survived. The accident occurred at the intersection of State Highway 13 and State Highway 111/Little Chicago Road. (See related article.)

The charges filed against the semi driver, Lance Walcisak, include two counts of Second Degree Reckless Homicide (Felony D), Second Degree Reckless Injury (Felony F), and Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety (Felony G).

The initial appearance will take place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in the Price County Courthouse with Judge Mark Fuhr presiding, according to the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access record.

MY PRICE COUNTY / MY NORTHERN WISCONSIN REACHES OVER 15,000 HOUSEHOLDS; GET FREE NEWS IN YOUR INBOX

Want to see more free news stories, events, help wanted ads, and more? "Like" the My Price County Facebook page and the My Northern Wisconsin Facebook page. You can also register to see free news in Price County and beyond. To sign up to receive our FREE "News Highlights" e-mail, send your e-mail address with "Subscribe" in the subject line to contact@mypricecounty.com Your privacy is important to us. We never give away or sell your e-mail address.]]> <![CDATA[LYNDA LUDWIG TELLS COMMUNITY TO 'FORGIVE AND FORGET;' 1/14/26 PCUL MEETING SUMMARIZED]]> https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news/thread-771.html Fri, 16 Jan 2026 03:25:17 +0000 My Northern Wisconsin]]> https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news/thread-771.html
During the evening, about four to seven people joined the virtual meeting, including My Price County. Not including the PCUL board members; KSU presenters; David Holmes, who is a geologist who works with PCUL; or the TV station, there were about 15 people physically in attendance, according to an attendee. The intent of the meeting was to "update the community on the status of the Lionite Cleanup Grant and to provide clarification needed regarding the process."

A brownfield was presented as a property that is difficult to develop because it is contaminated or believed to be contaminated with things like hazardous substances, petroleum, asbestos, lead paint, mold, meth-lab contaminants, and mine-scarred lands. For the "Lionite" property, there is asbestos and possibly some lead paint or other hazardous substances, according to PCUL.

An almost 1.7-million-dollar US EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant was awarded to PCUL almost in May 2024. Those funds can be used for cleanup only (such as removing or treating contaminated soil, addressing petroleum or hazardous substances, asbestos or lead cleanup, or environmental monitoring and reporting) and not for redevelopment, buildings, or new construction.

PCUL gave a presentation in 2025 on the Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) and will likely have two more presentations, one for the soil removal and one for further hazardous material abatement in buildings that will either remain or be demolished.

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Roxanne Anderson points to the 9.2-acre area covered by the current EPA grant. Image from PCUL's online meeting.
Credit: Price County United Limited (PCUL), KSU TAB

Much more land than the 9.2 acres that the grant covers will need to be cleaned up as the property is 26.2 acres. Lynda "Lyn" Ludwig, PCUL's president, said the cleanup grant application was strategic; PCUL asked for funds to cover a small portion of the property as they cannot ask for funds again on the same area, so by not putting the entire area in the grant application, PCUL hopes to apply for more cleanup funds.

An audience member asked if these types of grants are still being awarded under the new administration in Washington, D.C., and Roxanne stated the last five years had a larger amount of grant money, and the future of additional grants is unknown.

PCUL is in the preparation stage of the cleanup. Asbestos inspections, sampling, and abatement have occurred. PCUL is evaluating which buildings will remain and which will be demolished. According to Roxanne, an architectural assessment needs to be done prior to demolishing any buildings, and PCUL must be in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act. PCUL must submit a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) to the state. The Remedial Design Sampling has not started.

After cleanup, Roxanne said that site is then ready for reuse planning, which may include needing additional funding, community visioning, and public or private investment. She said the EPA does not give brownfield grant money after a site is cleaned up, because it is no longer a brownfield, so funds would need to be sought through something like the Federal Economic Development Department or for infrastructure or something wastewater specific.

Roxanne stated a common question people ask is, "Why does it feel like nothing is happening?" She said a lot of behind the scenes work needs to happen, stating that a project of this size could take "two to ten to fifteen years....It is a long haul." When asked by an audience member what would be needed to get it done in two years, she said a lot of money was the answer. She stated the timeline changes because adjustments need to be made.

If costs become greater than expected for cleanup, adjustments can be made, but the grant will not give any more funding for that acreage. When asked if $1.7 million was enough to clean up the area, Roxanne stated PCUL got what they could get and will probably need more money. The cleanup will remove environmental and legal barriers for the future investment of the property.

Ann Patros, an audience member, stated she is part of the Friends of PCUL, along with others. (The article continues after the following promotional message. Keep reading.)

Looking for a job in Price County? Assembly electrician, production painter, supply chain buyer, electrical designer, and more jobs are listed. Visit the Help Wanted Section at this link.

A meeting attendee asked if the type of soil contamination was known yet, and Roxanne said "yes and no." There are still a lot of steps in the process.

When asked if other grants have been awarded, Lyn stated no others have been awarded, but PCUL is applying for another grant at the end of this month.

An audience member asked if the city was involved as it didn't seem like the council members were "too into it." Roxanne said, "Ask them," but she added that it depends on the capacity and ownership, so the city can only do so much, plus staffing is limited without a full-time city planner. She called it an "evolving relationship." County Administrator Nick Trimner and City Aldermen Mark Brzeskiewicz were in attendance, and one county board member, Jordan Spacek, was in attendance online for a short time at the start of the two-hour long meeting. An in-person meeting attendee reported that Alderman Richard "Dick" Heitkemper was also there, but we were unable to confirm that information at the time of publication. Roxanne and Scott did speak to the council regarding PCUL at the city meeting the night prior.

Lyn said that PCUL had to pay $375,000 in back taxes, and she would like that money to be used as matching funds for future grants for which PCUL applies. Lyn shared, "It's very hard, because never has this happened in Price County. There's never been this massive redevelopment, and that's one of the reasons why we hired KSU to help get that message to them to help them show other examples of smaller communities and what happens with that back tax, what happens with that grant that needs to be matched, what happens when I ask for $180,000 to help partner different community members. It's not about, you know, it gets confusing, and it gets offensive, and it's misunderstood, you know, all this communication, so when the community gets really up in arms so then I need assistance, and so helping get that information of this complexity of a development like this when you have equipment and 41 buildings, and you have to get them to the ground level in a certain amount of time with cleanup, inspections, and it's very complex, so KSU can collaborate, so we are looking for a lot of collaboration, and don't worry, there's missteps, forgive and forget, and keep moving on. Okay, we are all in a community, and we love each other, but you have to love each other in a certain way to keep moving this project forward."

Since Roxanne had asked both the people in attendance and online to write down questions at the start of the meeting and submit them so they could be answered in the meeting, and some audience members were getting their questions answered, My Price County stated on chat that the chat members questions were not being answered, so Scott (of KSU) took the lead on asking some of those questions to Roxanne. My Price County submitted, in chat, seven of the questions that were most related to brownfields; (all the questions, including those seven, can be read in this article). Scott asked Lyn one of the questions, which was, "Once the 'community involvement' requirement is met for the brownfield grant, will PCUL still be giving updates and asking for public input on the revitalization aspect or will that end when the grant requirement ends?" Lyn said it was an excellent question and that PCUL would continue to keep the public informed on the website, blog, through Friends of PCUL, and walk and talk tours, and added that they need community input.

On chat, Jake B. asked "What are the materials that need to be removed? How were they identified?" He also asked, "How could the city benefit from light manufacturing in one of the buildings, as an example, if its on private property (i.e. owned by PCUL)? His question was not answered.

Tracy S. asked "What are the contaminants present and how is the remainder of cleanup being paid for once grant funds are used up?" Tracy later stated and asked, "I have not seen any information how the full project will get paid for. Also, what studies have been done and where is data to support that the Phillips and surrounding areas can support such a project and additional residency? Where will all the intended residents be employed to make enough income to purchase or rent or afford what the project is proposing and planning? Yes, growth can be good, but I have never seen how all this will be paid for or long-term financially sustained." Tracy's questions were not answered, either.

Scott was typing, possibly a response, when the online session ended for a second time. My Price County tried to enter the meeting again, which was wrapping up, but no one started the online portion again. Therefore, the remainder of the chat questions did not get answered. We reached out to Scott to see if he was typing a reply and what it was, and he replied that Roxanne will provide answers in the coming days. We also asked who determined there is contamination given former employees have stated they do not feel there is contamination at the site. My Price County will update this article when a response is received.

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The former "Lionite" mill property cleanup application timeline was discussed at the meeting. Image from PCUL's online meeting.
Credit: Price County United Limited (PCUL), KSU TAB

A question that My Price County asked twice in chat is one we often get from community members, which is asking when PCUL purchased the Lionite property. The tax records show the transfer took place on April 1, 2024. However, at an April 1, 2024 city meeting, Lyn Ludwig asked the planning commission to correct the date of ownership of Lionite from November 11, 2023 to November 10, 2023, according to the meeting minutes. At the January 14, 2026 meeting, it was stated, and the timeline presented showed, that it was purchased on November 13, 2023. Numerous media sources have published an April 1, 2024 purchase date, which is also shown in the tax record for Price County. Community members feel this purchase date is important, because anyone receiving a brownfield grant is required to own the property when they apply for the grant. If PCUL applied in November of 2023 but did not own the property until April 1, 2024, grant funds could be revoked. If grant funds get revoked, community members are concerned what would happen to the property and project. Updated January 19, 2026: Regarding the date, the Price County Register of Deeds Office said, "The document is dated 'as of November 10, 2023' with the signature/notary acknowledgement of the prior owner dated March 21, 2024; both properties (Tax ID# 25783 & #25793) were recorded on the same Special Warranty Deed." The recording date is April 1, 2024.

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PCUL's proposed usage for the "Lionite" property. Image from PCUL's online meeting.
Credit: Price County United Limited (PCUL), KSU TAB

Another important question that community members want to know, though My Price County did not ask it at the meeting given it wasn't really a brownfields question, which was the topic of the meeting, is how tall the proposed residential buildings will be, because PCUL stated they wanted to demolish "Lionite" so community members could have a clear view of the lake, but if residences are then built there, the clear view of the lake will be gone once again. Also, as was asked but not answered at this meeting, where are all the people coming from that will live in the residential area and where will they work if there are already limited jobs in the area?

Finally, since "Lionite" is in a flood plain, a meeting attendee asked how that would be handled. It was stated that more soil could be brought in. The meeting attendee added that a lot of soil would be needed as the entire area was under water in the early 1990s and many people know the area to be wet, which is why it is a floodplain.

In the chat, My Price County asked PCUL to answer the questions we submitted on behalf of the community. If PCUL replies, we will publish those responses. My Price County wants good things to happen in Phillips, just like most residents also want, and we were hopeful about this project when it first came about in 2024. However, when PCUL does not answer community questions, it does not make the community feel comfortable with the project, which is what we continue to hear from people asking questions. We invite Lyn, Blake, and Cheryl, the three PCUL board members, to answer our questions, and we will write an article, publishing it to the 15,000 households that read our publication. Transparent, up-front answers will likely "clear the air" with many residents, which is what PCUL board members state they would like to happen.

[Image: phillipspubliclibrary.jpg]

Phillips Public Library, located at 286 Cherry Street in Phillips, has lots of activities and events planned for this month. Visit the library's website for more information.]]>
During the evening, about four to seven people joined the virtual meeting, including My Price County. Not including the PCUL board members; KSU presenters; David Holmes, who is a geologist who works with PCUL; or the TV station, there were about 15 people physically in attendance, according to an attendee. The intent of the meeting was to "update the community on the status of the Lionite Cleanup Grant and to provide clarification needed regarding the process."

A brownfield was presented as a property that is difficult to develop because it is contaminated or believed to be contaminated with things like hazardous substances, petroleum, asbestos, lead paint, mold, meth-lab contaminants, and mine-scarred lands. For the "Lionite" property, there is asbestos and possibly some lead paint or other hazardous substances, according to PCUL.

An almost 1.7-million-dollar US EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant was awarded to PCUL almost in May 2024. Those funds can be used for cleanup only (such as removing or treating contaminated soil, addressing petroleum or hazardous substances, asbestos or lead cleanup, or environmental monitoring and reporting) and not for redevelopment, buildings, or new construction.

PCUL gave a presentation in 2025 on the Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) and will likely have two more presentations, one for the soil removal and one for further hazardous material abatement in buildings that will either remain or be demolished.

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Phillips Public Library, located at 286 Cherry Street in Phillips, has lots of activities and events planned for this month. Visit the library's website for more information.]]> <![CDATA['LIONITE' CONTAMINATION INFORMATION AND FUTURE PLANS; QUESTIONS GO UNANSWERED]]> https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news/thread-769.html Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:27:46 +0000 My Northern Wisconsin]]> https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news/thread-769.html
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My Price County's November 2025 article about PCUL, which was answering a question that many residents were asking regarding if the grant funding was being used and what it was being used for, generated a lot of interest. (See related article.) On the My Price County / My Northern Wisconsin Facebook page, people mentioned that PCUL doesn't answer My Price County's questions and some felt they did not get answers when they had directly asked PCUL questions. This discussion likely prompted Cheryl Moore, PCUL board member, to contact My Price County as she seemed to be aware of the Facebook comments and the article on our website. Cheryl gave My Price County the contact email addresses for Lynda Ludwig and Blake Pluemer, which were some of the contact email addresses we had written to now and in the past, and she stated that is how we could get our questions answered. We submitted more community questions to all three board members in late December 2025, but we have not received answers to any of the questions, which are found below the following article. We will report those answers if we get them. Cheryl also stated she did not have a way to share the October 2025 video recorded meeting with My Price County given the file was so large, but she provided a transcript of the meeting. There were obvious errors in the transcript, as it was likely generated by AI, but we were able to get a lot of the 35-minute October 8, 2025 PCUL meeting captured in the following article. We tried to clean up repeated "um" noises, grammar, and repeated words that AI likely got wrong but otherwise left the quoted text as shown in the transcript.

October 2025 Meeting

At the October 2025 meeting, Lynda "Lyn" Ludwig began the meeting stating the agenda was "project updates and then we're going over the Community Involvement Plan, which is required by the EPA Community Grant. And also the ABCA, which is Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives for the initial cleanup activities."

Lyn stated she is the project director and PCUL works with Melanie Sorman, EPA Regional 5, and Sarah Gruza, an EPA Project Officer and the Brownfields Project Officer.

Lyn stated the cleanup grant will be used for "engineer analysis to determine which buildings are collapsed or have some structural integrity issues. The other thing that it funds is the demolition of buildings for safe removal of asbestos or other hazardous material." She stated it also pays for the safe removal of universal wastes, such as paint or hydraulic fluid that is in storage tanks and equipment. Petroleum and chemical storage tanks will also be remediated and removed. Floor slabs will be removed if hot spots exist. Contaminated areas will be backfilled and graded. Plus, the grant will be used for topsoil in needed areas.

Regarding contamination, Lyn said, "When we look back at the recent soil and groundwater sample results, none of the concentration detected in the groundwater exceeded a Wisconsin chapter NR 140 enforcement standard, and none of the concentrations detected in soil samples exceeded the NR 720 WAC direct contact residue, contamination levels for industrial land use. However, only limited testing was performed in the 9.2 acre project area where the facility buildings are located and where access of the sampling is limited because on this building that's pretty much concrete or asphalt all throughout that 9.2 acres. So it's been covering up areas since the 1880s. So remember there's 14 different mills and this is probably the 16th rendition of different mill sites."

She added, "There's asbestos located in the pipes in different areas. So we've identified in a 2023 survey that the boiler, there's this massive boiler that heated everything for the mill; it's part of the hardware, hardboard process. So there's a big building that has multiple boilers and that has asbestos. You know, it was built prior to 1950s. And then there's many pipes and duct insulation. There's roofing paint, building base sediment and there's penetration tar. And caulk like on the seams of the some of these buildings. So, we've also assumed that some of these asbestos containing materials that are identified include boiler components and electronic panel components."

David Holmes, an environmental consultant, said, "So, there has been quite a few testings done. You know, a lot of it was done by Georgia Pacific when they removed tanks or they spilled something. And it was cleaned up. Then there was testing done when the previous owner brought the property. So, that's where they went and they collected soil and groundwater samples from eight or ten locations around the site, and that's where there was some low level contaminants found, I think, yes, there's some metals and some poly nuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, which are just sort of like heavier. And less volatile petroleum components and then also some volatile organic compounds, but they didn't do, you know, really extensive testing, so. But what was found was, you know, again this is, this is a plant that you know mostly dealt with, you know, wood products and then the hazardous materials were paint. So it wasn't like a lot of factories where you necessarily are expecting to find a lot of contamination. Probably the biggest contamination is from the fires that were here. So, there was, there is, some contamination. So, you know, but so it hasn't been regarding like pesticides or herbicides. I don't believe there's been any testing for that. But there really hasn't been a reason to based on what we're doing so far. Again, we're sort of taking this from first we got to deal with getting the equipment in the buildings. Tanks and chemicals and then what the grant does then have the ability to start looking under the buildings and then doing actual soil or groundwater clean up if needed. But yeah, again, you know, there was testing before and there really wasn't anything there in the soil and groundwater that would appear to be a threat to public health or the environment."

David added, "We can't really do anything with the rest of the grant funds until the equipment was removed. And then that was further complicated by just realizing that there were 20 or 30 pieces of equipment where they had incorporated asbestos into it. Sometimes it was, you know, ovens for heating or the boiler or other times it's just in the old days they use to put a little bit of asbestos in everything."

There are required filings and required acknowledgement to the public which PCUL must do throughout the process. One example Lyn mentioned is that an assessment must be posted for 30 days so that citizens can view and understand the risks that will happen during the removal of contaminated items from the buildings. That 30-day time frame has now passed, and they have been allowed to remove equipment.

There are 41 buildings on the property with about 38 having equipment inside them. All the equipment was auctioned except for the 18,000 square foot building's equipment. The large smokestack that says "Lionite" on it will be coming down. Community members had previously asked if that could be saved for historical purposes. Lyn's comments from the meeting were that the people taking it down are from out of the area and don't realize the significance to residents, but residents would need to tell PCUL if they want it, or other elements, preserved.

As for what the future looks like, Lyn said that "August 1, 2024 is when our initial grant started ticking. So we have four years after that to complete our project....There's one large one like a football field building that potentially could be an event center or a YMCA with a track on the upper level, there's other buildings that could be like manufacturing possibly, you know, but we're really looking at the structural components to see if we can build out something and reuse parts of the property so that it's a dynamic process. Initially, we looked at the property; we want to flatten everything, you know, get everything off and take everything off. But with the EPA Cleanup Grant, you know, it's only, you know, 1.6 million. This is a huge property to clean up, so the amount of money we want to preserve and have some cash flow for the build out, so we do this very consciously of how we step forward so we're not destroying things that could be preserved and generating income or some historic value, but we did a historic preservation study prior to this, as well. There's lots of things we had to do as we step through the cleanup grant." Lyn said PCUL wants to address the need for housing, recreational opportunities, and reconnecting the community to Duroy Lake.

David Holmes suggested time-lapse photography as the project continues on and stated it is probably a "grant eligible expense." This would preserve the history of the mill through photos.

At the meeting, Lyn said the active involvement of local residents and institutions are required for the Community Involvement Plan (CIP) portion of the grant.

Questions for PCUL

We sent the following message and questions to all three board members, including the email address Cheryl told us to send the questions to, in late December 2025. My Price County has not received any responses.  If PCUL responds to the questions the community has sent to us, we will share those answers on My Price County / My Northern Wisconsin.

"Community members have asked the following questions; the newer questions are at the top and the older questions, from our previous emails to you, are at the bottom. Cheryl Moore told us to send the questions again so they can be answered. Providing answers will help the community feel more informed and comfortable with that is going on.  We still get those same older questions from community members, so please provide answers.  Since the EPA grant wants you to answer community questions, that is why we are asking all these questions.  Please respond:

Who is CAP Minnesota LLC (with attorneys Stephen D. Willett and Jon Neve)? Why are they suing PCUL, Lynda Ludwig, and Associated Auction & Liquidation Co as of 12-8-2025?

Why is Associated Auction & Liquidation Co and WSC, Inc. DBA Wausau Auctioneers suing PCUL and CAP Minnesota, LLC as of 12-10-2025?

Why hasn't PCUL paid the $205.50 that was due on 11-7-2024 to the City of Phillips for grass length exceeding 6 inches?

Who are the admins of the Facebook group, "Friends of Price County United Limited?" Are you associated with that group?

Where did the funds go from the October 2025 auction? Who profited?

Which grants have you been awarded and for how much and which properties?

We know some grants are no longer being honored. Have any grants been revoked?

Rather than tearing them down, are there uses for the structures on the property if they are left in place, such as business start-up locations?

Since "Lionite" is on a floodplain, how is that going to be addressed and handled if PCUL wants to build new buildings?

Since the EPA does not pay for demolition and revitalization with the brownfield grant, what are the 1.6 million dollars going toward? And where will the money come from to demolish and revitalize?

Once the "community involvement" requirement is met for the brownfield grant, will PCUL still be giving updates and asking for public input on the revitalization aspect or will that end when the grant requirement ends?

What is happening with the former Fred Mueller Ford, Express Mart, and Belan Realties properties. We were told a few people wanted to rent the Fred Mueller Ford building but were told they could only do so for a month or must share the space with another business. What are the plans for these vacant commercial properties?

Now that the Express Mart building has been demolished, what are the plans for that property?

What is the update on the Elk Lake Park parking lot lease with the City of Phillips?

You stated that PCUL is paying back taxes on the former Lionite property. However, what amount of taxes will PCUL pay in the future once the back taxes are paid? Does a non-profit get a tax break? If so, how much?

Many people have expressed that if the former Lionite building is torn down, people will be able to see much more of the lake, and many people hope that the area will be used as an additional park or recreation area. Some would like to see retail or service businesses there which would bring value to the community. Will people be able to see the lake if housing is built there? How tall will the housing be? Will there still be room for something else other than housing? Your EPA application states, "The residential developments envisioned for the Property will consist of (4) 16-unit apartments aligned around a public park; (14) 4-unit village homes along a lakefront trail, and (12) small homes adjacent to public small craft docks along the Lake." Is PCUL planning to put 132 residential units on the former Lionite site?

So much housing seems excessive when we need jobs here; without jobs, shopping, things to do, and better medical care, as expressed by community members at PCUL meetings, people will not come here, so why does Phillips need so many housing units right now?

Are any of the properties going to be used for migrant housing?

Lyn stated, in the meeting, that many people think you are in this for the money, and you would like that corrected in the community. To correct the rumors, please tell us why you want to make these changes in Phillips. Also, are any of the board members receiving any money from PCUL at this time? If so, how much and for what reasons? If and when these projects take place, especially if all the housing gets built, where will the income go? What is the projected amount of money the board members will make at that time? Please let us know anything you can about the money that may be generated now and in the future with these projects, using the My Price County / My Northern Wisconsin platform as an opportunity to get accurate information to a large amount of the community and beyond, as our news platform reaches over 15,000 households, and we realize your grant involves community input and questions being answered by PCUL so the community can be informed.

Where is the money coming from to buy the individual properties that PCUL and the other LLCs are buying? One community member asked if those purchases are being made from the cleanup grant.

When was the Lionite property purchased by PCUL? The tax records show the transfer took place on April 1, 2024. However, at the April 1, 2024 meeting, Lyn Ludwig asked the planning commission to correct the date of ownership of Lionite from November 11, 2023 to November 10, 2023. Why did you want the planning commission to show it was purchased on November 10, 2023 if the tax record shows it was purchased on April 1, 2024? When was this property purchased?

What is the timeline for accomplishing all that PCUL wants to accomplish?"]]>
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PCUL FACES THREE COURT ACTIONS; NO RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS.jpg (Size: 25.19 KB / Downloads: 1015)

In late December, My Price County / My Northern Wisconsin contacted all three PCUL board members with a list of community questions, which we will publish in full in an upcoming article. Our publication hoped we would get responses to these questions, because, in November 2025, one of the board members, Cheryl Moore, saw our article and reached out, telling My Price County the email address to send the questions so they could be answered. It was one of the email addresses where questions have been sent since 2024. As of the publication of this article, we have not received responses to the questions. Three of the questions included:

Who is CAP Minnesota LLC (with attorneys Stephen D. Willett and Jon Neve)? Why are they suing PCUL, Lynda Ludwig, and Associated Auction & Liquidation Co as of 12-8-2025?

Why is Associated Auction & Liquidation Co and WSC, Inc. DBA Wausau Auctioneers suing PCUL and CAP Minnesota, LLC as of 12-10-2025?

Why hasn't PCUL paid the $205.50 that was due on 11-7-2024 to the City of Phillips for grass length exceeding 6 inches?

If PCUL provides answers to any or all of our questions, we will publish the responses.

According to the court record, Sanjay Patel of Fargo, North Dakota, the former owner of the "Lionite" property, filed a lawsuit as CAP Minnesota LLC. The lawsuit alleges that PCUL failed to meet the obligations of its loan and security agreement and did not properly distribute the auction proceeds from the October 2025 auction. In past meetings, PCUL President Lynda "Lyn" Ludwig stated that the former owner, Sanjay Patel, was storing equipment in the buildings and was renting space for it. Lyn stated there was an agreement for when the equipment would be removed but did not definitively state, when asked by community members at the meeting, when the equipment removal deadline was or the terms of the contract. In 2025, it was announced by PCUL that an equipment auction would be held in October.

The suit also claims that PCUL has not properly addressed the obligations of environmental and hazardous materials and that auction documents were withheld.

The auction company filed on December 10, 2025 in an attempt to prevent CAP Minnesota LLC and PCUL from holding the auction company responsible.

PCUL's attorney is Shawn Govern.

Motion defenses, an answer, and affirmative defenses were filed on December 30, 2025 for the December 8, 2025 lawsuit.

An answer and affirmative defense was filed on January 2, 2026 for the December 10, 2025 court case.

The grass length violation that PCUL faced with the city has been concluded in court with a "guilty due to no contest plea," but the payment of $205.50, which was due November 7, 2024, has not yet been paid, according to court records.]]>
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Photo Credit: Town of Worcester

A Town of Worcester plow truck was in an accident on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

The driver "was plowing North Worcester Road when the blade caught and threw the truck across the road into the ditch on the far side," according to Town of Worcester Chairman Jim Michler.

The driver was not injured.

The truck was pulled out of the ditch and towed to the town hall by a towing company from Medford.

[Image: davettelynnehrabakcpa.jpg]

Davette Lynne Hrabak, CPA, located at 164 South Lake Avenue in Phillips, specializes in tax return preparation, business start-up services, consulting, bookkeeping, payroll, and all your accounting needs. Call 715-339-6638 or visit Davette's website. Follow her Facebook page.]]> <![CDATA[DECEMBER 2025 PHILLIPS SCHOOL UPDATES BY GAVIN ESTERHOLM]]> https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news/thread-755.html Mon, 29 Dec 2025 10:47:14 +0000 My Northern Wisconsin]]> https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news/thread-755.html
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DECEMBER 2025 PHILLIPS SCHOOL UPDATES BY GAVIN ESTERHOLM.jpg (Size: 22.39 KB / Downloads: 489)

Written by: Gavin Esterholm

Gavin Esterholm, the school board's student liaison for Phillips High School, reported updates regarding various sports, groups, and events at the high school as of December 14, 2025. Gavin interviewed students about their high school experience with these activities.

BAND

The band had their Christmas Concert in early December, featuring the 6th grade band, the 7th and 8th grade band, and the high school band. They each performed various pieces and there were extremely good comments from members of the audience following the concert. The ban also performed some Christmas songs in the commons and for the elementary school in the mornings before
school.

CHOIR

The choir members were working hard at perfecting the music since early fall and held their holiday concert earlier this month. Along with the band, choir members had their fruit sale fundraiser, which was a great success this year, practically filling the band room with fruit boxes.

FBLA

FBLA has been fundraising with their one dollar chocolate bar fundraiser, and it seems as if almost every student sells very well. Emmet Knudson said, "FBLA co-organized a food drive with the Sources of Strength. Together, they helped raise over 400 pounds of food for the Phillips Food Bank. They say thank you to everyone who helped and donated! FBLA had its members (who wished to compete) pick a competitive event. Those who were interested were registered. Some members will have the chance to present their work on February 7th at the Regional Leadership Conference in Loyal, and others may have the opportunity to take a test for their event before that date. All members are invited to this conference, and there will be more details as we get closer to it!”

HOCKEY

I was fortunate enough to make my way up to Park Falls for two of the hockey games this season, and I didn’t realize how exciting and fun hockey was to watch, with players competing on the co-op team with the Chequamegon and Butternut school districts. Players from Phillips include Senior Kalan Chuzles, Junior Audrey Hueckman, and Sophomores Nick Pesko and Finn McCardle. They are
on a three-game winning streak, putting them 3-3 on the year. Last Saturday, they played Green Bay United and won 6-0 with a notable goal by Finn McCardle, earning him the team's hard hat, which recognizes the team's pick of player of the game.

STUDENT COUNCIL

The student council planned and put on a the talent show.

MOCK TRIAL

Mock Trial has been meeting on Mondays and Wednesdays. They have been working through their direct and cross-examination questions in preparation for the first trial at the Price County Courthouse on Monday, December 29. They posted many posters around the school looking for fellow students to act as a “mock jury.”

TEEN COURT

The teen court is part of the deferred prosecution agreement, where kids who face consequences with the law at the age of 16 or younger get the decision to go to a group of their peers from the surrounding schools, including Chequamegon, Prentice, and Phillips, where the teen members question and determine the consequences of their actions. They have had a few cases this year. Last month, they had the chance to hear from Callie Podmolik, who gave a good rundown of what her role as the Juvenile Justice
Intake Worker is and what she does for the kids they don’t see as they end up her way, not at the Teen Court.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

The boys' basketball season is now in full swing, with three games thus far, playing Auburndale, Washburn, and Newman Catholic. During the first home game against Auburndale, Senior Jeffrey Heikkinen had a notable 39 points and tied the most completed 3-point shots by a Logger. Jeffrey said, "Everyone is very young, and it's a completely different team from last year, with
me being the only returning varsity starter. It will be a fun learning experience for everyone, but things will start working themselves out through the season. It's a very big change from last year.”

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

The girls' basketball team has played five games this season. Leah Harper said, “We have been adjusting well to the new coach and are improving every day. We have been enjoying doing some new team bonding experiences and are hoping to get a win soon. We think that the rest of the season will go well, and we will keep getting better.”]]>
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File photo from 2021.

The property of 235 North Lake Avenue has been some type of gas/service station for many years. Many locals remember it being owned by Steve Augustine and known as Augie's Shell. In July of 1988, George and Steven Thaler purchased the property, and the younger generations came to know it as Express Mart. It remained in the Thaler family until a few years ago when it closed. Plans to upgrade the gas station were discussed by the business owner and city at meetings in 2021, but those plans were abandoned. In August 2024, Next Stage Designs 2 LLC, (Lynda Ludwig), purchased the property for $220,000.

According to the "Friends of Price County United Limited," the property is expected to be leveled. The tentative schedule is that the canopy that was over the gas pumps will come down on Friday, December 26, 2025. The building will be demolished on Monday, December 29, 2025.

Some residents are wondering about the gas tanks and if there is contamination, which My Price County will be asking Lynda Ludwig, along with other questions posed by the community. As a partial answer, this gas station was mentioned in the "Phillips Lionite Property, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment" that was completed on November 9, 2023 before Price County United Limited (PCUL) purchased the "Lionite" property on April 1, 2024 for two million dollars. In the report, "Lionite" is referred to as the "subject property."

The document states, "Finding 7: An environmental records search was performed identifying sites within their respective ASTM E 1527-13 search radii of the Property that may represent RECs, HRECs, or de minimis conditions. Three historical/current gasoline stations were located adjacent to and west of the Subject Property. The first gasoline station formerly operated at 235 N. Lake Avenue and BRRTS Case No. 03-51-097044 was opened in 1996 when petroleum contamination was discovered onsite, including free product. Remedial activities occurred starting in 2000, and the case was closed in 2012 with residual soil and groundwater contamination onsite, offsite and in the rights of way. Detections in monitoring wells installed near the Subject Property boundary were below health-based standards as of 2011."

In reference to this gas station, the document continues, "Opinion 7: The former gasoline stations at 235 N. Lake Avenue and 125 S. Lake Avenue have been investigated and/or remediated and contamination appeared limited to the sites and adjoining rights-of-way. Therefore, historical releases of petroleum products at these two gasoline stations are not a REC, CREC, or HREC for the Subject Property."

Updated 12-27-25: The canopy and building got demolished on Friday, December 26, 2025. According to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, five gasoline tanks are considered "closed/removed," including two unleaded, two diesel, and one leaded. This was done by the previous owners, the Thalers.

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