Rhinelander Fire Department Grieving Loss. Gas Prices Fell Last Week. Poll Monitoring and more local and state news.

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. (WFHR, WIRI) – The Rhinelander Fire Department is grieving after the sudden loss of one of their foundational members. Assistant Chief Dan Bauer died on Saturday after a massive heart attack. He was described as the heartbeat of the Rhinelander Fire Department and will be sorely missed. Dan Bauer leaves his wife Jenna and their four children as well as other family members. The Rhinelander Fire Department will release arrangements and a family benefit in the near future.

Weston Man Serves 3 Years for Firearm Possession

A Marathon County man will spend three years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. 50-year-old Shawn Hignite of Weston pleaded guilty to this charge on August 1st. The arrest happened in January after police responded to a domestic incident involving a gunshot. Hignite said there wasn’t any gunshot. Police searched the home after obtaining a search warrant. They found a loaded handgun inside the house and a spent shell casing in the backyard. Hignite later admitted the gun belonged to him and he fired it that night. During the sentencing, the judge pointed to Hignite’s dismal history of consuming alcohol and committing crimes. After 3 years in federal prison, Hignite will have three years of supervised release.

Ruby’s Pantry November 16th

The next Ruby’s Pantry in Wisconsin Rapids will be Saturday, November 16th. There may be a few online bundles still available if you would like to choose your pick up time. As always, there will be lots of cash pay bundles the day of. Plan to come early and line up in the parking lot at Pitsch Early Learning Center. They begin at 8 AM and go until 9:30 AM or until they run out of food. Bundles are $25-dollars, cash only and approximately 70 pounds of rood. There’s no limit to how many you can purchase as long as they fit in your vehicle. Online pre-pay bundles are guaranteed when you come within your 15 minute time frame. The online bundles go on sale for the next month the day after each Ruby’s Pantry. They normally sell out within the first couple of weeks. Click here for a map of the Cash-pay line. For the online-pay line, click here for the map.

No More Overnight Street Parking in Port

Overnight parking restrictions are now in effect in the Village of Port Edwards. As of November 1st, no on-street parking is allowed between midnight and 6AM. The park restrooms also closed on November 1st, and the last day for leaf pickup will be Friday, November 22nd.

Gas Prices Fell Again Last Week

Gas prices have fallen 2.8 cents per gallon over the last week. The average across the state is $2.84 today. This is over 16 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and 29 cents lower than this time last year. Officials at GasBuddy say no matter who wins the election, gas prices are likely to stay much lower than in previous years with the surge from COVID and Russia’s war on Ukraine. Prices in central Wisconsin today range from $2.59 to $2.75 on Monday.

Monitoring Polls in Wisconsin

The Justice Department will be monitoring compliance with federal voting rights laws in 27 states on Tuesday. Of the 86 jurisdictions they will monitor on November 5th, four of those locations will be in Wisconsin. These include the Town of Lawrence and Thornapple in Rusk County. These towns have had trouble providing voting machines accessible to people with disabilities. The City of Milwaukee, which has been the target of false voter fraud claims in the past. And finally, the City of Wausau. You might remember that the Mayor of Wausau met some controversy when he decided to remove a ballot box. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot.

Don’t Wear Candidate Garb to Polls

When you’re heading to the polls tomorrow, make sure you aren’t violating election laws with what you choose to wear. When people are passionate about their candidate, they tend to wear that passion via garb; a t-shirt, hat, and/or campaign buttons. Meagan Wolfe is the chief elections official for Wisconsin. She said you need to be aware that wearing political garb isn’t allowed at the polls. 

Meagan Wolfe states, “That is prohibited under Wisconsin law. So you should not be coming in wearing apparel or displays that advocate for a position or a candidate on the ballot.” 

Any display of support for a candidate or position on the ballot is considered electioneering and is not allowed at the polls. -By: Lisa Hale

Gov. Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz Visit Wisconsin

Wisconsin has been a popular place lately, especially for visiting politicians. Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz stopped in Wausau on Saturday to thank volunteers for their work to persuade and turn out voters in the final stretch of the campaign. She talked with around 40 people at the Harris-Walz coordinated campaign field office in Wausau saying, “It may sound a little cheesy, but this state is starting to feel like home. But everywhere I go, people are fed up with Donald Trump, and fired up for a New Way Forward.” This is Mrs. Walz’s eighth visit to Wisconsin since Governor Walz joined the ticket. Governor Tim Walz and Mrs. Gwen Walz will tour the state of Wisconsin again on Monday before heading to Michigan.

Data Doesn’t Back Up Claims of Terrorists Entering the US

President Donald Trump has claimed there’s been a huge increase in terrorists entering the United States in recent years. But is that true? Trisha Young with Wisconsin Watch has the facts. She states, “While speaking in Milwaukee Donald Trump claimed, quote: ‘We have had more terrorists come to the United States in the last three years than in the last 30 years.’ Unquote. No data supports this. Border agent encounters with individuals on the terrorist watch list have only been tracked since 2017. From 2021 to September 2024 there were 382 encounters compared to 11 from 2017 to 2020. However, these individuals were stopped from entering.” You can learn more at Wisconsin Watch.

Non-Citizens Aren’t Allowed to Vote

Facts are important and Wisconsin’s Chief Election official tried to clear up some of the misinformation that’s been spreading during this closely contested election. Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s Chief Elections official, told reporters in a virtual press call Friday that inaccurate information has been distributed about non-citizen voting in the state.

Meagan Wolfe said, “Let me be clear. Under no circumstances are non-citizens allowed to vote in the state of Wisconsin. Ever! In order to vote in Wisconsin, voters must certify on their voter registration form that they are a U.S. citizen.” 

She said that every Wisconsin voter has to show an ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, military ID, or naturalization documents, at the polls to prove legal status and vote. -By: Lisa Hale

Healthcare Open Enrollment

The enrollment period for Affordable Healthcare Coverage is open now. Wisconsinites statewide can sign up for health insurance now through January 15th. The open enrollment period began on November 1st and extends through January 15th, 2025. More than 250-thousand people in Wisconsin signed up for health insurance during the last open enrollment period. Signed into law in 2010, the Affordable Care Act ensures people can access health insurance without lifetime limits and protects the coverage of people who have pre-existing conditions. Another key provision of the ACA, authored by Senator Baldwin, allows young people to stay on their parent’s insurance until the age of 26.

Black Bear Den Surveying

We are entering the fourth year of DNR scientists surveying bear dens in the state. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources encourages people to report any black bear den locations to help with the ongoing study. The Black Bear Litter and Diet Survey helps researchers estimate black bear reproductive rates within each bear management zone. They’re specifically looking for more dens to survey in central and western Wisconsin. These are bear management zones C, D, and E. It’s important that you do not approach or disturb the dens while trying to report as much information as possible. Researchers are asking for GPS coordinates, photos of the den and surroundings from at least 30 yards away, a description of the site and surrounding area, and any information on bears and their activity near the site. You can report on the dnr website survey portal.