The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources encourages all enjoying outdoor fun this season to be extra careful on all of Wisconsin’s waterbodies and remember that no ice is safe ice.

Those eager to take advantage of winter’s snow need to keep safety at the forefront of their preparations. This includes staying alert to the rapidly changing ice conditions commonly found in the early parts of winter.

Bonduel rolled out the red carpet for Sam Rikkers, deputy secretary for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, as he came to town Dec. 4 to see how the village is progressing with growth in both the business and residential sectors.

A proposal to shorten the Shawano Speedway was approved by one county committee Dec. 4 and forwarded to a second committee for consideration.

Members of the ag and extension committee agreed to the plan and will forward it to the public property committee for further review.

“This request has been vetted properly,” said Supervisor Joe Miller, chairman of the ag and extension committee.

The courts at the Shawano County Courthouse are a busy place — and the holidays have nothing to do with it.

Ethan Schmidt, clerk of courts, said the number of criminal felony cases in the first 11 months of 2025 has already surpassed all of 2024.

Shawano County Coroner Brian Westfahl has ordered a dozen autopsies so far this year, with most of the them conducted as far away as Fond du Lac or Madison.

Starting in 2026, he will have the opportunity to use a new site much closer — the Marathon County Forensic Science Center.

Mandi Dornfield, the UW-Extension area director for Shawano, Menominee, Oconto and Marinette counties, is leaving her post for what she called her “dream job.”

Cornfield told the Shawano County Ag and Extension Committee on Dec. 4 she was not looking for a new job when the executive director role at Youth Go presented itself.