The fight continues: slimy water, dam disagreements, and politics on Dead Pike Lake
Dead Pike Lake, a sparsely-populated lake in Vilas County, has been the source of contention for years. Now, it has gotten political.
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Local Features by WXPR
Local features from the Northwoods of Wisconsin. As reported by WXPR 91.7. Catch the entire archive in addition to daily news stories at
Episodes
20 episodes1894 train robbery turned tragic accident in the Northwoods
Railroad accidents were common in the late nineteenth century. Because safety was an issue, some train robbers in the Northwoods thought the...
Log Jam at Grandfather Falls
The Wisconsin River is a tamed river, but in the past, before the dams, the river ran wild, and loggers found Grandfather Falls near Merrill...
From Seed to Soup: What it's Like to Harvest Wild Rice
Tribal members from the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe are getting ready to harvest wild rice from the lakes of Northern Wisconsin. But this year, t...
P.O.W. from Rhinelander in Japanese Occupied Hong Kong
Matthew Stapleton was head of one of Rhinelander’s oldest and most distinguished families. Stapleton settled in Rhinelander in 1883 and work...
It’s ‘raining PFAS,’ even in remote areas of the Upper Peninsula
Atmospheric PFAS is falling as rain even far away from industrial sites. Plus, a nonprofit has identified 42,000 places in the U.S. as possi...
National Forest Withdraws Maintenance, Closes Some Campgrounds, Frustrating Longtime Visitors
Ambling down a path through the forest to a serene lake, Greg Krueger explains why he likes this area.
The Mill Strike of 1892 and the Origins of Organized Labor in Rhinelander
Organized labor’s campaign for a ten-hour workday gained momentum in the 1870s and 1880s. The often-violent response to union demands in pla...
Powell Marsh Viewing Blind Memorializes Late Outdoors Enthusiast
A point of land, sitting on the north side of the Vista Flowage, was Zeke Jonas’ favorite spot.
Ole Catfish and Baby Face Nelson
Ole Catfish and his family led quiet, unassuming lives in their home at Lac du Flambeau. They were not remarkable in any way and not the typ...
Lake Surveys Often Reveal Changes in Air Quality. Could Wildfire Smoke Have an Impact?
On a pleasant morning last week, Sara Sommer and Chris Ester paddled to the deepest point of Luna Lake, a 64-acre lake in northern Forest Co...
"What's a Wigwam? This is a Wigwam."
Wayne Valliere is an artist and award-winning birchbark canoe builder with the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe.
The Truth About Apples
In this month’s Field Notes, Susan Knight of Trout Lake Station tells us about the genetics of apples and the real story behind Johnny Apple...
Following 2019 Northwoods Windstorm, Forest Service Clears Thousands of Flattened Acres
On Monday, John Lampereur guided his white U.S. Forest Service pickup truck over bumpy dirt roads in northern Oconto County near Lakewood.
A Unique Northwoods Camp for Deaf Children
Thousands of children come to the Northwoods each year to participate in organized summer camps. While many camps are storied with long hist...
Health Benefits of Wood
Many of us have wood interiors in our homes. It is the norm rather than the exception. My home has wood doors, wood floors, wood cabinets, a...
Walleye in 2100: Predicting the Future and Finding the Cause of Declining Walleye Populations
Steph Shaw starts the outboard motor of the small, flatbottomed boat, and takes off toward the middle of Katherine Lake in Hazelhurst.
A Bicycle Adventure to the Northwoods
On a steamy summer day in early August of 1960, two teenage boys living in Warrensville, Illinois, John Hudetz, age 15, and Peter Jonssen, a...
Wildlife Matters: A Common Bird In an Unexpected Place
A chance encounter with a common bird in an unexpected place inspired the topic for this week’s Wildlife Matters with the Masked Biologist.
Scientific Team Creates Underground Map to Address Rhinelander PFAS Problems
Last week, ground-penetrating radar sensors glided across the grass near Rhinelander wells 7 and 8, attached to a customized four-wheeled ca...