4/09/2026

VILAS COUNTY - A St. Germain man is scheduled for trial in Vilas County in early 2027 for the fatal stabbing of his 61-year-old sister, Kelly Johnson, in the Town of Cloverland on March 21st of last year. 57-year-old James Johnson is charged with first-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, necessitating a dual legal process regarding the facts and his mental state. A judge set the trial to begin on February 9, 2027, with a pre-trial conference on December 15th of this year.

4/09/2026

MERCER – In the only contested race in Iron County in Tuesday’s election was for two Mercer Board of Supervisors seats.  Results from that 4-way race were released yesterday.  In voting the winners of those 2 board seats are Kevin Towne with 307 votes and Roxanne Lutgen with 297 votes.  James Schmidt had 233 votes and David McNutt with 219 votes.  Christan Brandt did not seeking re-election.

4/09/2026

UPPER MICHIGAN - Permits are now available for collecting fuelwood for personal use on select state forest land in Michigan's Upper and northern Lower peninsulas. A permit costs $20 per household (limit one per year) and allows the collection of up to five standard cords . In the 12 northern Lower Peninsula counties affected by the March 2025 ice storm, the limit is 10 cords. All wood must be dead and downed, collected within 200 feet of a road. Permits can be purchased online at mdnr-elicense.com, in person at DNR customer service centers or select forestry field offices, or by mail. Permits are valid for 90 days from issue and all expire December 31st. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/Fuelwood.