Data center moratorium | The Weekly Wausonian
Wausau news for the week of Aug. 6, 2026
A Marathon County committee this week is recommending a moratorium on building any new data centers in areas under county jurisdiction — at least until a resolution outlining county regulations on data centers can be finalized.
The moratorium would apply to the 18 townships under county jurisdiction. The moratorium would remain in place for 12 months, would not apply to existing data centers and would not apply to data center total outlays of less than 5,000 square feet.
New conditional use permits, zoning changes and zoning permits would be blocked under the moratorium language.
Residents speaking at the meeting shared concerns about water usage and water pollution. Marathon County leaders said they wanted to make sure protections for water were included in the final ordinance regulating the centers. (Some modern data centers recycle their own water via closed-loop systems to reduce costs and water impacts, but others demand a tremendous amount of water from local systems.)
The committee also amended a proposed battery storage system ordinance to require a 300-feet setback from any existing building not belonging to the system’s owner.
The Marathon County Board would still need to pass the ordinance.
This week The Wausonian spoke to Brian Reisinger about AI and its impacts on farming; but what is more surprising is the technology available. This is launching a Part II, where we’ll speak to farmers to learn more about what they’re doing with the technology:
Could AI help small farms in Marathon County compete?
A recent podcast I listened to caught my attention for two reasons.
And we found some incredibly surprising court cases this week in our Full Court Press feature, which paid subscribers have access to:
Worker allegedly injured at Landmark project sues contractor | Full Court Press
Once per month, The Wausonian digs through the civil court filings in Marathon County to find the most interesting cases. It’s one of those Wausonian features that you only get here. Become a paid subscriber to see the whole post.
What else in Wausau?
Woman arrested on 6th OWI charge: A 56-year-old Wausau woman is facing her sixth charge of operating while intoxicated. Michelle K. Halsted was arrested by deputies Monday on suspicion of her sixth offense of operating while intoxicated. Halsted is currently being held on a $2,000 cash bond, court records show. She’s scheduled for a pre-trial conference Aug. 27.
Man sentenced in throat cutting case: A Wausau man accused of cutting another man in the throat over an apparent drug dispute was found guilty of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and delivery of meth last week. Lee Xiong was sentenced to five and a half years in prison, and another eight and a half years on extended supervision. Xiong was initially charged with attempted homicide but the charge was amended as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, which also wrapped in the delivery of meth charge. According to the criminal complaint filed in 2023, Xiong had been driving around with the victim while high and awake for three days, and cut the victim’s throat in a driveway.
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Around the metro
New fire chief appointed in Mosinee: The Mosinee Fire District has a new fire chief. The city’s Police and Fire Commission appointed Cody Wiesman as the district’s next chief. Wiesman is a lifelong Mosinee resident, served in the district for 15 years and also serves as a battalion chief for the Wausau Fire Department. Wiesman succeeds former chief Adam Grahn, who previously had been placed on administrative leave last summer pending an investigation as the fire commission investigated employment matters. Mosinee Administrator Jeff Gates told The Wausonian that Grahn resigned in September 2025.
United Airlines’ return to CWA hits a snag: The return of United Airlines service to Central Wisconsin Airport has hit a snag. United Airlines in October said it would be returning to service, but according to a post on CWA’s website, that return is now delayed into late 2027. The announcement comes as the FAA has extended capacity restrictions at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, which will now be in effect until October 2027. Service was originally to resume in May.
Work on Mosinee dam becomes more complicated: Efforts to repair a compromised structure beneath the Mosinee Flowage have hit a setback after crews were unable to install sheet pile as planned. Ahlstrom, the paper company that operates the dam, is now working with its contractor and engineers on a redesigned temporary dam. Because the new design differs from what regulators previously approved, it will require another round of state and federal review that could take 90 days or longer, the company says. That means no firm timeline yet for restoring water levels to the flowage.
Rib Mountain development featured in The Wausonian for sale: A property that a pair of local developers planned to develop an old, dilapidated house on Rib Mountain Drive into a mixed-use building is listed for sale — and has been for some time. The property, which sold for $92,500, is listed at $425,000. The house has been torn down and the property is listed as having an approved development plan for it. The Wausonian featured the story last year because the developers planned to tear down the house on Rib Mountain Drive, which they did. Developer Tyler Tate said rising construction costs and the size of the proposed building made the project too expensive for his partner, Dr. Stephen Lewellis, to rent. They’re seeking either a tenant or a buyer, and Tate said the project will remain on hold until then.
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Business
Hot Wok appears permanently closed: Hot Wok in Schofield appears permanently closed after months of inactivity. The restaurant put signs on its windows saying it was temporarily closed, as The Wausonian reported in April. But now signs from Holster Management Company advertising the building for rent have been added to several windows. All that despite a representative of the restaurant answering a Google review question a month ago that they would be reopening soon. From the looks of it, that seems unlikely, at least at its currently listed location.
Entertainment
There’s something fun and exciting and yet nostalgic about fair week. Amid all the lights and sounds and tasty fair food, you can’t help but feel like you’re part of a tradition going back to the 19th century. But besides that, we’ve got glam rock coming to Tiki Beach, Celtic music at Stoney Acres, a couple of history lessons and a concert in the clouds this week in Your Wausome Weekend Guide.
It's Wisconsin Valley Fair Week | Your Wausome Weekend Guide
There’s something fun and exciting and yet nostalgic about fair week. Amid all the lights and sounds and tasty fair food, you can’t help but feel like you’re part of a tradition going back to the 19th century. But besides that, we’ve got glam rock coming to Tiki Beach, Celtic music at Stoney Acres, a …
Sports
College softball: The Wausau Ignite made the playoffs for the first time in the team’s history, but that run came to an end Wednesday night. The Ignite lost both games to the Madison Night Mares, 3-1 Monday at Athletic Park and 7-1 at home. The playoff berth came after the Ignite clawed its way from last place into second by the end of the season.
College baseball: The Wausau Woodchucks snapped a five-game winning streak with a 6-5 loss to the Green Bay Rockers at home Tuesday and an 8-3 road loss to the Kenosha Kingfish Wednesday. But the Chucks still hold a 3-game lead over the Rockers, and are only 1.5 games behind the Lakeshore Chinooks as the regular season wraps this weekend. And further bolstering the Chucks, they have one of the best records in the Northwoods League as the season comes to a close.
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I found this article especially relevant to the discussion about data centers. It addresses several common myths and compares them with the realities of how these facilities operate:
https://www.fwpcoa.org/content.aspx?page_id=5&club_id=859275&item_id=130961
I hope the committee conducts honest, thorough research instead of simply relying on the latest talking points.
I recently drove past the data center in Port Washington. It is massive, but that community appears to be light-years ahead of most others in Wisconsin when it comes to this type of development.
Paper mills also use enormous amounts of water, and much of that water becomes contaminated during the manufacturing process. In comparison, water used by data centers is primarily intended to cool servers, equipment, or individual computer chips.
Unfortunately, my prediction is that a data center will never be approved in this county. Along with it, we would lose the jobs, economic development, and tax revenue our community sorely needs.
I sincerely hope my prediction is wrong.