As if area communities aren’t already drenched with rain and worried about flooding, more severe weather is in the forecast.

The National Weather Service predicts a chance for severe thunderstorms and locally heavy rainfall south of a line from Wisconsin Rapids to Sturgeon Bay late this afternoon and evening (April 14). Large hail and strong winds will be the primary threats. Isolated tornadoes are also possible south of Highway 10.

A popular business that caters to locals and visitors to the Lakewood area has new owners.

Although Darin Thompson and Jonathan Anita are new to the area, they already feel at home after purchasing Waubee Lake Lodge from Russ and Mary Kralovetz.

They officially closed on the business April 1.

What started out as a way to teach Scouts the fine art of making maple syrup now draws hundreds of people each year to an out-of-the-way place in Oconto County.

Hundreds of people from babies in strollers to senior citizens headed to Bear Paw Scout Camp east of Mountain April 11 for the Bear Paw Maple Syrup Days Open House.

More than two dozen ash trees will be removed from the Shawano County Fairgrounds this spring.

The Shawano County Agriculture and Extension Committee approved paying Kopitzke Logging $20,500 to cut down the 27 trees, grind the stumps and remove all of the debris.

A new effort to develop the next generation of leaders in Shawano County is gaining momentum.

In March, Leadership Shawano County, a program under the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce, hosted informational meetings to introduce the proposed Youth Leadership Shawano County program.

Wisconsin had 2.4 days suitable for fieldwork statewide for the week ending April 12, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Manure and fertilizer were applied as conditions allowed, but field work was limited by precipitation and muddy field conditions.

As warmer weather approaches, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is reminding the public that wild animals and their young will be on the move across Wisconsin.

Screen unwanted views, buffer traffic and other noise, create privacy and add year-round beauty to the landscape with evergreens. Combine them with deciduous trees and shrubs, perennials and annuals for multiple seasons of beauty. Plus, enjoy the seasonal changes as well as visiting pollinators and songbirds.