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REAL ID-compliant cards will have of one of the following markings on the upper top portion of the card. If the card does not have one of these markings, it is not REAL ID-compliant and won’t be accepted as proof of identity in order to board commercial aircraft.

REAL ID required for air travel in May 2025

Airline travelers will face new identification requirements to board their flights for air travel starting May 7, 2025, when enforcement of the REAL ID Act begins. Regular Wisconsin driver licenses …

New child care platform from Lincoln County native set to launch this summer

On April 9, 2025, Lincoln County native and former candidate for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District announced the upcoming launch of a new child care platform in the Badger State. Elsa …

MERRILL AREA BIRTHS

MARCH 27, 2025 Girl, Aurora Grace Maddix, born to Carissa Howe and Dyllon Maddix of Merrill. APRIL 1, 2025 Girl, Ruby Louise, born to Morgan Nofsinger and Myles Nofsinger of Weston. APRIL …

Area Events & Entertainment Community Calendar

Apr. 18 - Paddygrass at Sawmill Brewing Company Apr. 18 - Brewers Bus Trip/Party Night at Bubba’s Pub Apr. 18 - Yummy Thai at Sawmill Brewing Company Apr. 19 - Blacklight Bingo at Bubba’s …
Elsa Duranceau

New child care platform from Lincoln County native set to launch this summer

A Lincoln County native and former candidate for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District this week announced the upcoming launch of a new child care platform in the Badger State.
Sports
Paul Hornung is one of 33 halfbacks drafted by the Packers, and one of just two No. 1 overall selections. New York Times photo

Forerunner: Lambeau gets jump start on Draft process

GREEN BAY – “In the early 1930s there was no Draft system. It was pretty much a free-for-all, as far as free agency goes,” said Packers Hall of Fame Curator Brent Hensel. Hensel …
Marcus Brock dominated at State, bringing home a State Championship from the WWF Kids Folkstyle State Tournament.

Merrill youth wrestlers shine at State Tournament

Seven young Bluejay wrestlers represented Merrill at the WWF Youth Folkstyle State Championship Tournament held March 28-30, 2025, with three bringing home State medals after qualifying at the …
High school Junior Chris Holz takes his turn at shooting.

Merrill Bluejay Trap Team kicks off 2025 season

The Merrill Bluejay Trap Team kicked off their 2025 season on Tuesday evening, March 25, 2025, competing against the Tomahawk Claybusters. Trap is somewhat different from other sports in that, during …
Merrill Historical Society & Culture Center on Third St. in Merrill.

Local baseball history to be celebrated at Merrill Museum

Merrill Museum & Historical Society will celebrate local baseball history with a new exhibit, “Chatter from Left Field.” Opening Saturday, April 12, 2025, the exhibit will spotlight …
Merrill's Remington Skic took second place in his weight class.

Merrill wrestlers shine at Dominate the Dells Tournament

The Merrill Wrestling team delivered a strong performance at the Dominate the Dells Tournament in Wisconsin Dells on March 8-9, 2025, with multiple wrestlers securing top finishes in their respective …

Green Bay’s Golden Girl: An early start

Mary Jane Van Duyse Sorgel started her dance career at the Dorothy Leyse La Plant School of Dancing at the age of six. Three years later, she began to twirling baton and started wowing the crowds at regional festivals with her acrobatics and baton twirling skills.

Part I in a series GREEN BAY/STURGEON BAY – “She was a very gregarious person. Everyone knew Mary Jane, and Mary Jane knew everyone else, especially in the Green Bay area,” …

Packer drafts by the numbers

Sterling Sharpe is the latest Packer headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is one of fourteen inductees who were drafted by Green Bay.

GREEN BAY – “With the twenty-third pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers select….” The individual whose name gets called in that spot from the stage in Green …

Lumberjack Band: Sidelined

The Lumberjack Band on the field at City Stadium in an undated photo.

Continued from last week “Before the 1963 season, the Packers’ famous Lumberjack Band changed its name to the Green Bay Packer Band and members abandoned their old outfits for green …

Obituaries
Donald "Don" Scheu
Donald "Don" Scheu
Donald “Don” Scheu passed away peacefully on Friday, April 4, 2025, at the home of his daughter Debra in Branson, Missouri, where he had resided for the past eleven years. Born on …
Shirley “Jean” (Hoffman) Mootz
Shirley “Jean” (Hoffman) Mootz, 83 of Merrill, passed away on Sunday April 6, 2025, at Aspirus Merrill Hospital in comfort care. She was born on November 18, 1941 to Herman and Ivy …
Leanne K. Andzeyewski (Graap)
Leanne K. Andzeyewski (Graap), age 69, of Merrill, passed away on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.  She was born on April 23, 1955 to Rinehardt and Shirley (Schneck) Graap, in Merrill.  Leanne is …
Michael J. ‘Mickey’ Dietzler
Michael J. ‘Mickey’ Dietzler, 83, of Merrill, passed away Friday, April 11, 2025, at his home. Mike was born October 17, 1941, in Rhinelander, son of Alexander and Virginia (Haenel) …
James Bloechl
James Bloechl
On April 4, 2025, we said goodbye to James Bloechl — a devoted husband, beloved father and grandfather, proud veteran, and true son of Merrill. He was 89 years old when he passed away …
Business
Sarah Brooks.

Brooks joins Merrill Chamber as new Member Engagement & Office Manager

The Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Sarah Brooks as the new Member Engagement & Office Manager. Brooks, who moved to Merrill 10 years ago when her husband completed his …

Aspirus Merrill Hospital confirms renovation and expansion is moving forward

A March 31, 2025, press release from Aspirus Health confirmed their plans for a $40 million renovation and expansion at Aspirus Merrill Hospital is on track to start construction this coming summer. …

All Aboard Soup Fundraiser

The “All Aboard” Bar recently held a Soup Cook Off fundraiser to benefit Kate Goodrich Elementary School. “We had 12 different soups provided by 11 people,” said owner Seth …

Lass and Kozy Corner Kitchen bring new life to historic Merrill building

Merrill native Robert “Bob” Lass has made it his mission to restore a local landmark, bringing back a community gathering spot while preserving a hidden architectural feature. Lass, a …
Schools
Piper Pullium dances for her classmates the way she dances at pow wows.

Native American culture comes alive at Washington School

A unique cultural experience brought Wisconsin history to life at Washington School on March 14, 2025, when third-grader Piper Pullium and her father, Mathew, shared their Native American heritage …

Merrill Theatre Jays present Catch Me If You Can

The Merrill Theatre Jays will showcase Catch Me If You Can, the Musical , as their spring high school musical production, with three shows this Friday and Saturday. Evening performances will begin at …

Highland Community Church purchases Jefferson School

Highland Community Church in Merrill purchased the former Jefferson School property from Merrill Area Public Schools (MAPS) for $750,000. The sale closed just days prior to Christmas in Dec. 2025. …

April 1 Spring Election - MAPS Board of Education race

On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, residents in the Merrill Area Public Schools (MAPS) District will go to the polls to elect three individuals to the MAPS Board of Education. Four candidates are in the …
Health

Help us investigate end-of-life care solutions in Wisconsin 

Death: It’s an unavoidable part of life we often avoid talking about. So folks who are seriously ill may not know how to navigate their final years or months.  Many have turned to …

Marshfield Clinic Research Institute seeking ticks for second year of study

The Marshfield Clinic Research Institute is once again asking Wisconsin residents to send in ticks they find this year. In 2024, the Research Institute launched the Tick Inventory via Citizen Science …

Lincoln County Health Department measles update

The Lincoln County Health Department (LCHD) issued a press release on April 1, 2025, to provide the community with a measles update in light of a recent increase in cases throughout the U.S. …

Lincoln County to sue Dunphy for interfering in Pine Crest sale

On Monday, Mar. 10, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. in a special meeting of the Lincoln County Administrative & Legislative (A&L) Committee that lasted approximately two hours, most of which was held in …
Special Sections
Pine Crest Nursing Home in Merrill.
Pine Crest Nursing Home in Merrill.
Pine Crest Nursing Home in Merrill.
Pine Crest Nursing Home in Merrill.
Courts
Bobby Dabbs, age 27, of Trenton, Tenn., made his initial appearance in Lincoln County Court on Monday, March 31, 2025, via Zoom video from the Lincoln County Jail. Dabbs is charged with multiple …
According to a press release from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LISO), on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at approximately 6:06 p.m., the Lincoln County 911 Dispatch Center received a call …
A court appearance has been scheduled for a Tomahawk woman charged with stabbing and killing her husband earlier this year. Court records show that Michelle Marie Sanderson, 43, is set to appear in …
Opinion and Editorial
We welcome letters to the Editor, a chance for members of the community to comment on issues of concern to them. All letters must be original, not duplications of letters addressed to public …
We’ve gotten a few landmark sports films over the last 50 or so years. Each decade has had at least one top-tier sports film, but usually more. The 2011 biographical sports drama "Moneyball" might be the genre’s peak in the 2010s.
We welcome letters to the Editor, a chance for members of the community to comment on issues of concern to them. All letters must be original, not duplications of letters addressed to public …
Community & Human Interest
Numerous area veterans are slated to take next week’s Never Forgotten Honor Flight (NFHF) to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials that honor their service. The flight, which will take place …
As warmer weather approaches, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reminding the public that wild animals and their young will be on the move across Wisconsin. Knowing what to do …
Peter Tesch, owner of Blue Sky Photography, was tipped off about a bear hibernating in a local area north of Merrill and brought his camera to get some nice shots of the bear as it was sleeping and then awakening in a thicket.