This is your WCQM Daily News Roundup for 98Q Country 98.3 FM and Trail Mix 103.1 FM and 980 AM WPFD in Dark Falls.
Stayed in local news with news director Austin Brumei on 98Q Country.
Local news is brought to you by Minakwa Chevrolet, your hometown Chevy dealer now 100% locally owned.
Built on trust, dependable service and real community values, visit them on highway 51 South or at MinakwaCars.com.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation would like you to be aware of a scam going around.
Text and email scams are circulating once again with the recent wave of scams warning of unpaid vehicle fees
and including a fraudulent link to try and get individuals to pay for the fake violation.
Remember the Wisconsin DNV will never text or email you saying you owe money.
If you receive one of these messages, do not click any links or provide personal information
and report and delete the message.
You can find more tips at WisconsinDOT.gov.
Monday, February 2, from 3.45 to 5pm, there's a chess club over at the Philips Public Library.
This is your chance to either learn how to play chess or just learn to sharpen your skills.
This is open to all ages and experience levels and takes place the first Monday of every month.
Once again, this is taking place, Monday, February 2, from 3.45 to 5pm, over at the Philips Public Library.
Each February, cross-country skiers from all over the world traveled to Hayward to compete and was become
the largest cross-country skierace in North America. Here's Mattie Schaefer with more.
A clear-based author Jerome Polling, a longtime journalist and skier,
chronicles 50 years of the American Bergerbiner in his new book, American Bergerbiner,
the nation's greatest ski marathon.
When I knew the 50th anniversary was coming up, I thought, well, what a great time to make chronicle 50 years of Berky history.
Conducting over 60 interviews with past race officials, skiers, and volunteers,
Polling says his book traces the Berky from its early days in the 1970s to what it has become today,
showing how the race has grown and changed over the years.
He explores what Berky Week is like for both the town and the skiers,
tells the story of race founder Tony Wise, and explains the idea of Berky Fever,
why people keep coming back year after year. He also talks with participants from the very first race
and traces the history of the trails, how they've evolved, and what makes them challenging.
I felt it was important to chronicle all of that history,
but also to kind of celebrate what the Berky is and put it into a book because it is an iconic,
not only Wisconsin, but national and worldwide event.
So it deserves a recounting of its history and a chronicling of its history,
because it is such an important event in the Nordic ski world.
Illustrated with more than 150 photographs, the book gives readers a full look at the race,
the communities that support it, and why it has become one of the world's largest cross-country ski marathons.
Polling says he hopes the book reaches both longtime Berky skiers and newcomers,
giving readers a deeper understanding of the race's history,
and why it's such a big deal for the Hayward area.
The book is available online at the Wisconsin Historical Society Press
and the American Berkabiner ski foundation.
A small portion of royalties from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press
goes back to the Berky Foundation.
On Saturday, January 24th, at 8.22 in the morning,
the Ashen Fire Department was dispatched to 8.20 water street for a fire coming from a house.
The fire department responded immediately with seven personnel,
an engine to arrive down scene at 8.27 and found a two-story residential structure
with flames coming from the first floor.
Within two minutes, firefighters knocked down the flames and aggressively transitioned
in through the front door.
The home was searched and no people were found.
Firefighting was slowed until electrical service was stopped to the home.
Once power was cut to the home,
firefighters knocked down the remaining fire and overhauled the structure for an hour and a half
and negative 20 degree temperatures.
Two pets were found deceased,
CPR was performed by a firefighter with no success.
The resident was not home at the time of the fire.
Mutual aid was received from Washburn Fire Department and Mason Fire Department
in total 22 firefighters were on scene and no injuries were reported.
Ashen Police and Wisconsin State Patrol assisted at the scene
and all communications were handled by Ashen Bayfield County ECC.
Ashen Fire Investigators are actively investigating the cause of this fire,
however no foul play is suspected.
The Ashen Fire Department would like to thank all responding agencies for their assistance
and would like to send out a reminder that you should have a working smoke detector
on every floor of your home and in every bedroom.
Wednesday, February 25th, from 12.30 to 1.30pm,
it's a bring your own book club over at the Phil's Public Library.
Have you read something you're excited to tell others about?
Or do you enjoy here and others review your books they've read?
Maybe you're always looking for new ideas for what to read?
Well, you can join this book club that doesn't require you to read certain titles.
You can read anything you want.
If you aren't currently reading a specific title,
you can share a favorite book you've read or just listen and get ideas for your to-be-read list.
Once again, this is taking place Wednesday, February 25th,
over at the Phil's Public Library, from 12.30 to 1.30pm.
A Wisconsin Senator is calling for Christie Nome's resignation.
Joanne Krule's reports.
Senator Tammy Baldwin called for Department of Homeland Security Secretary,
Christie Nome, to resign in light of lawless immigration
and customs enforcement agents,
the killing of two U.S. citizens on her watch,
and her subsequent lies in response to the Americans' deaths
in a virtual press conference held Tuesday.
We need some accountability at the Department of Homeland Security,
and that starts with Christie Nome.
Christie Nome has overseen the killing of two Americans in Minneapolis.
That's two out of the three homicides in the city this year.
She has blatantly lied to the American people,
telling them not to believe their own eyes.
She is overseeing total and utter chaos in our country,
putting more American lives at risk every day,
and that is why she has to go.
She needs to be fired or she should resign.
ICE is simply out of control, and this chaos has to stop,
and the president needs to pull these armed masked agents out of Minnesota
before someone else gets hurt.
Senator Baldwin also called for an independent investigation
into ICE officers' killing of Alex Prattie and Renee Good.
To make matters worse, Christie Nome and ICE
are blocking the local police from even conducting a real independent investigation.
After the killing of Alex Prattie,
Senator Baldwin announced over the weekend
that she would not support any additional funding for DHS
without increased transparency, accountability,
and stronger guardrails to reign in ICE.
During the conference, she was asked if she would risk another potential government shutdown
to put controls on ICE.
The question is, are my Republican colleagues going to just look the other way?
Or are they going to join us in adding accountability measures
that reign in ICE?
It's as simple as that.
We have two choices.
We can either move forward and add accountability, strong accountability measures
to the Homeland Security Bill,
or they can opt to not do so,
and thwart the will of the American people.
The U.S. Senate will consider a package of funding bills for fiscal year 2026 this week,
including funding for the Departments of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.
I'm Austin Berman, this has been Local News right here on 98Q Country.
From our news is at 98Q Country.com or civicmedia.us.
With Wisconsin Basketball tonight,
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with Sports, Wisconsin Badgers,
at home against the Minnesota Goafers,
Wisconsin with a record of 14 and 6,
the Goafers at 500 with an overall record of 10 and 10,
that with a victory 86 to 62 over the Creighton Blue Jays,
perhaps the best performance of the year so far for the Golden Eagles,
at Coach Shaka Smart.
We caught the pick and roll well, we rotated well,
obviously it helped to shoot 69% from the field in the first half,
but I thought that there was a connection between our guys' aggressiveness.
NBA, the Bucks losing to the 76ers,
139 to 122, Kyle Kuzma, limping off the court fourth quarter,
but said it was just a leg cramp.
NFL Packers quarterback coach Sean Menon,
to interview with the Eagles for their offensive coordinator job in Pittsburgh,
Mike McCarthy introduced as the new head coach of the Steelers.
Do you want Aaron Rodgers back as your quarterback next year?
I mean, definitely. I mean, obviously while you're winning.
At Steelers Head Coach, Mike McCarthy with Sports on Mike Clemens.
Mostly sunny today with a high right around five above here this afternoon,
the wind northwest to five to 15 will keep that windshield factor
in the teams below zero here most of the day.
Tonight down to 12 below tomorrow's sunshine,
with a high once again near five above.
I'm meteorologist Sean Cable.