In a tradition that has spanned 30 years, safety and crime prevention came together Aug. 5 at National Night Out in Gillett.

William “Bill” Edward Volk passed away on July 26, 2014. He was born in Oconto Falls on Dec. 20, 1943, and was the only child of Hazel (Larsen) Volk and Clair “Red” Volk. Raised on his grandparents’ farm in the Oconto Falls area, Bill attended Elm Lawn Grade School until his family moved to Milwaukee. During his teenage years he went to several schools in the Milwaukee area. Inducted into the U.S.

Oconto County will reopen the Machickanee Forest Shooting Range for several days to give hunters time to sight in their guns before the deer hunting season. The Forest, Parks and Recreation Committee on Wednesday decided to reopen the range on a limited basis and continue its efforts to secure up to $150,000 in grant funding to reorient the range to make it safer and quieter. The dates and times of the temporary reopening will be decided Sept.

Sparse use of Nicolet Trail Campground is motivating Gillett officials to pursue tent camping at the campground that opened a year ago for self-contained campers. As of Aug. 8, four campsites have been used this summer, and four more sites are reserved for later this year. Nanette Mohr, of the Gillett Community Development Authority, said the CDA on Aug. 26 will discuss the potential for tenting.

A 14-unit assisted living complex is scheduled to open in December at 146 N.

Aug.

Proceedings from Aug 8 A sentencing hearing was held for Travis R. Pecha, 27, Oconto, on a misdemeanor charge and two felony charges of strangulation and suffocation, domestic abuse, which occurred April 12 in Pensaukee. The misdemeanor charge and one felony charge were dismissed.

Sparsity aid was recently awarded for the 2014-15 school year to 133 school districts, including three from Oconto County, to help address the needs of rural schools. Local recipients are Gillett, $142,633; Suring, $101,071; and Lena, $98,946. Sparsity aid, originally created as part of the 2007-09 budget, was a recommendation of the state superintendent’s Rural Schools Advisory Council.

Oconto County will sell and move as many of the 14 homes north of the courthouse as possible to make way for a law enforcement center and will partner with Habitat for Humanity and the Oconto County Highway Department to clear the area. That was the consensus Aug.