W A S H B U R N C O U N T Y
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INSIDE
Jan. 21, 2015
Wednesday, January 21, 2015 Vol. 126, No. 23 • Shell Lake, Wis.
We e ke nd w atch
“Shine!” @ Shell Lake • Wrestling Challenge @ Shell Lake • Free community breakfast @ Spooner • See calendar on page 6 for details
75¢
Future photographer
Arts center hosts production of “Peter Pan” Page 2
Waffles ... and basketball? Page 23
Wrestling match results
John Matthys is going to be a future photographer for the Washburn County Register. He was at his cousin Dominic Hopke’s wrestling match on Thursday, Jan. 15, to take photos and to cheer for the Lakers. — Photo by Larry Samson
Pages 12-13
BREAKERS
The law and the victims
Got an idea for a story? Email us @ news@wcregisternewsroom.com
STATEWIDE - Wisconsin’s employers reported fewer layoffs to the state last year than from the year before. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development received notice that employers with 100 or more workers laid off 4,238 people last year — a 40-percent drop from the year before. Regional economist Scott Hodek said the statewide economy is seeing improvement as consumer confidence has grown. He noted that low gas prices have been helping consumers save money. “Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of the total economy if you’re looking at it in terms of gross domestic product,” said Hodek. “So when spending is up, we have a pretty good economy, and the last couple of quarters have been really good.” Hodek said the state is seeing stable growth and expects the economy to continue to improve in 2015. - Danielle Kaeding | WPR News ••• STATEWIDE - Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are asking fishermen and other winter sports enthusiasts to check local conditions before heading out on the ice. Mostly because of the sheer number and differing sizes of Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers, DNR officials don’t monitor or give information on local conditions. April Dombrowski, the safety section chief with the DNR’s Bureau of Law Enforcement, said it’s best to call a local fishing club, snowmobilers group or bait shop before going out on the ice. “If they’re venturing into a community, just trying to touch base at that local connection, that’s going to be their most accurate information,” she said. - Patty Murray | WPR News
What you should know about sex offenders
Danielle H. Moe | Staff writer SPOONER — On Thursday, Jan. 15, Lakeland Family Resource Center in Spooner hosted a public informational meeting about sex of-
fenders. Amy Jain, Wisconsin Department of Corrections sex offender specialist, presented information and answered questions to about 20 community members concerning sex offenders, applicable state laws and statistics, and shared resources for individuals to do their own See Sex offenders, page 3
It’s a new match
Community center’s closure is no match against hockey association
Danielle H. Moe | Staff writer SPOONER — When people come together to overcome adversity great things become possible. The Spooner Area Youth Hockey Association is such a group of people.
“With the recent closing of the community center (the former Spooner Icehouse) the board of directors of Spooner Area Youth Hockey Association made a decision to see if it’s a viable option to build a facility that is sustainable and maintainable,” said Tim Salo, SAYHA president. The Spooner Civic Center has had its share of ups and downs since it was first built, but the facility’s most recent closure has been reported as
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See Hockey association, page 4
The SAYHA U8 is shown defending their goal while under attack from the Barron U8 team in a game held during the Spooner Jack Frost Fest on Saturday, Jan. 10. — Photo submitted