LATEST NEWS
Rice Lake man appears in court on burglary charge
A Rice Lake man accused of burglary after police say he and a Menomonie woman broke into a storage unit and stole items appeared on Wednesday in Barron County Circuit Court. Michael R. Melendez, 27, was charged on Feb. 14, 2023, with felony burglary and two misdemeanors of theft of movable property and criminal damage to property, all as parties to a crime. An arrest warrant had been issued the...
Man sentenced for area burglaries
During an April 16, 2024, hearing in Sawyer County Circuit Court, a Turtle Lake man was sentenced to four years probation and assessed restitution for cabin break-ins in the towns of Meteor, Weirgor and Winter during early 2021. Kevin Gregory Johnson, 49, who is currently incarcerated in the Stanley Correctional Institution, had been sentenced earlier to prison in Barron, Rusk and Washburn counties. Johnson was charged with a string of...
Eagle Scout creates ‘lure libraries’ for Wisconsin lakes
HAYWARD, Wis. (Northern News Now) - Hayward is known for attracting anglers for its great fishing. Now any angler in the area can add to their lure collection thanks to a young Eagle Scout. Ethan Constantine’s There are two Lure Libraries in the Hayward area and a third at White...
Town of Hayward appoints chairman
Meeting in special open session Wednesday May 1, the Town of Hayward Board of Supervisors appointed Benjamin Kurtzweil as interim town chairperson. Kurtzweil fills the vacancy created by the resignation of interim town chairperson Gary Gedart, which was effective on May 1. Kurtzweil will serve for one year, until the April 2025 election. Besides Ben Kurtzweil, the board received applications from five other candidates for the town chair position: John...
Police Logs: Caller hears gun fire, explosion
The police dispatch center receives several hundred calls weekly. The small sampling below shows their diversity. Monday, April 229:57 a.m. Officer says he was flagged down by a male subject stating he nicked two of his fingers with a table saw. He still has both fingers. Officer will be driving the individual to MMC ER. Augusta St., Rice Lake. 2:40 p.m. Caller says female subject stole her cactus plant and...
Rice Lake Municipal Court
Aguilar, Alfredo, 23, Eleva, Speeding on Expressway (1-10 mph), $124. Braun, Brandon L., 27, Peoria, Ill., Possess Open Intoxicants in MV-Passenger, $124. Davis, Randy S., 63, Rice Lake, Operating While Under the Influence, $1,011. Davis, Randy S., 63, Rice Lake, Illegible License Plates, $67.30. ...
Louie's wins multiple awards for meat
CUMBERLAND — Louie’s Finer Meats in Cumberland won 20 awards from the 2024 Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors Wisconsin Specialty Meat Championships on April 13 in Middleton. The following are the awards by placing: Grand Champion Summer Stix Natural-Casing Wieners ...
Staff of local engineering firm recognized for Excellence in Construction
HAYWARD — Northern Wisconsin Based Engineers, Inc. (NWBE) of Hayward would like to recognize and congratulate several of its employees who were award recipients for managing the construction of two area Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) construction projects. Every year, the ACPA (American Concrete Pavers Association) awards a concrete paving project with the “National Award for Excellence in Concrete Pavement.” The Wisconsin Concrete Pavers Association (WCPA) nominated the Highway 63, Greenwood Avenue to Poplar Street project in downtown Spooner, in the category of Municipal Streets...
Rice Lake to install new dock near Hospital Bay
The Rice Lake Parks and Recreation Department will be installing a new dock off Lakeshore Drive across from Heritage Lakeside just north of Indian Mound Park this month. The dock is anticipated to be put in before fishing opener around the same time the other public docks on Rice Lake are installed. It will be open for public use and will feature enhanced stability and a solid railing system for wheelchair users. It will also have a ramp to allow for wheelchairs to safely board...
Daughter's epilepsy diagnosis tests Rice Lake family's faith, endurance
How quickly life can change. That is what comes to mind as Nick and Jen Helstad of Rice Lake take turns commuting back and forth from Rice Lake to UW-Health American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, where their 8-year-old daughter Blaire, sister to 14-year-old Bjorn and 2-year-old Brita, has been since her first seizure on March 11. Jen recalled the day before Blaire's sudden onset of seizures upended their world. The family had attended church, played basketball in the driveway, cooked maple syrup, made plans...
Rice Lake Area Men's Club donates $1K to Hunt Hill
Every year the Rice Lake Area Men's Club donates more than 95% of the funds it raises to Barron County organizations whose mission is aligned with the club's values, which are to support youth activities, services and education. Yearly, the club makes more than 20 awards; this year it is celebrating 40 years of supporting community youth. On April 30, the Men's Club donated $1,000 to Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary. The funds will be used to sponsor youth who will attend a variety of nature...
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