Fire Department overtime is the tip of the iceberg | Weekly Wausonian

Wausau news for the week of July 9, 2026

The amount of overtime one member of the Wausau Fire Department received over the course of six years makes for a splashy headline: $252,694.62. The next two top earners took in $196,408.02 and $158,392.54. (The nearly $200,000 figure is even more stark because it only covers four years versus six like the others.)

But according to data obtained by The Wausonian, the Fire Department isn’t even the top department for overtime (though it is No. 2).

The top three departments in terms of overtime between 2020 and 2026 are: 1. Wausau Police Department at $2.8 million; 2. Fire Department at $2.66 million; and 3. Public Works at $1.34 million. Add in utilities and that number reaches close to $2 million.

The numbers were obtained through an open records request by a group called the Wausau Citizens for Accountability, which shared its raw data with The Wausonian. A member of the group says they aim to remain anonymous while investigating information and data about the city, and are contacting members of the city council with their findings.

The city’s Human Resources Committee will discuss police and fire overtime at its Monday meeting.

But The Wausonian plans to publish more overtime data in its next story. Stay tuned.

Nobody else calculated the total amount of outside spending on the last city council race. Until we did. And the amount will surprise you:

What else in Wausau?

Man arrested for assaulting nurse: Police arrested a 36-year-old Rothschild man after police say he assaulted a nurse. William Hrabik has been charged with battery to a health care provider after police say he kicked a traveling nurse who was attending to him, court records show. Hospital staff told police he also made vulgar comments to female employees at the hospital. The charge is a class H felony under Wisconsin law.

Fire damages Junion studio building: Wausau Fire Department responded to a fire in the 1400 block of North Third Street around 1 pm Sunday. Crews were able to contain the fire to just that building, and no firefighters or civilians were injured in the blaze. Fire officials say the blaze’s origin appears to be accidental, but did not specify how it started. The commercial building appeared to be the studio of longtime photographer Dave Junion. Junion posted on his Facebook page that his studio looks like a war zone but his cameras were saved, as was a painting sentimental to him.

Mountain bike group formalizes agreement with city: The Central Wisconsin Off-Road Cycling Coalition has long had an informal agreement with the city to maintain the bike trails it built at Sylvan Hill. But now that agreement is one step closer to being official after getting the OK from the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee Monday. The agreement allows CWOCC to perform maintenance on the downhill trails, while larger projects will need city approval. The agreement will still need city council approval.

City considering limiting Riverlife wharf slips: City leaders are considering installing fewer slips at the Riverlife wharf area after discussion around moving them at last year’s budget sessions. The slips cost nearly $9,000 to install, and haven’t been used as much as city leaders thought (though one resident speaking at public comment said he and other nearby residents do use them). City leaders are looking at the cost of installing fewer of them as department heads start preparing for the 2027 budget.

City halfway through replacing its ash trees: City foresters are halfway through their program of removing ash trees from along city streets. The removal program came about after emerald ash borer made its way to the city. The little beetle destroys ash trees, many of which line city streets. Street planners once used the same tree species for uniformity but today they mix them in case of a tree disease.

State crime lab could locate in Wausau: A company is aiming to submit a proposal to the state of Wisconsin to build a state crime lab in the Wausau Business Campus. The company, CD Smith Construction, already built a forensic science/crime lab in Wauwatosa in the southern part of the state and now aims to build one in Wausau. The city’s Economic Development Committee approved a planning option for the lab, which would generate tax revenue because it would be privately owned, a CD Smith representative says.

Around the metro

Could counties expand the crisis team?: Marathon County leaders last week discussed expanding CART, the Crisis Assessment Response Team. The group formed in 2018 as a partnership between law enforcement and North Central Health Care, pairing two crisis workers with two officers to address mental health crises. Members of the county’s Health and Human Services Committee expressed support for expanding CART to night and weekend hours, when mental health crises more often occur. No formal action was taken in the meeting but funding for CART expansion could come through the budget process.

Petition seeks bike trail in Kronenwetter: A seven-page petition presented to the village of Kronenwetter seeks a bike path along Highway X. The path would follow X from the YMCA in Weston to the intersection with Highway XX. A resident speaking before the village’s Community Life, Infrastructure and Public Property said children on scooters, adults on bicycles and dog walkers use the road, but that presents a danger with fast-moving traffic. Staff members were directed to look at costs, grant funding and other considerations to bring back to a future meeting.

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Business

Gaming Emporium moving to new location: Collectible card shop The Gaming Emporium appears to be eyeing a new location. A sign for the business now hangs above the entrance to what was once a Joann Fabric and Crafts location next to Barnes and Noble. The Gaming Emporium posted a photo of the sign on its social media, saying the grand opening is coming soon. The business reopened along Rib Mountain Drive a year ago after being located in the mall, and later on Stewart Avenue.

Demo begins on former Graebel Van Lines building: Work is currently underway on the former Graebel Van Lines building. Much of the building appears gutted as crews tear down the large building at the intersection of McClellan and Third streets. The location will become a 70-unit senior apartment complex and a 24-unit senior living facility.

Entertainment

It’s funny to think that 20 years ago when I attended the Balloon Rally and Rib Fest, the event was already a long-running tradition. That was in the Wausau Downtown Airport days; now it’s Taste N’ Glow and held out in the town of Stettin. But we also have an exciting musical from Wausau Community Theater, a unique musician doing two nights at Stoney Acres Farm, a rising Christian music star and so much more in Your Wausome Weekend Guide!

Sports

College softball: The Wausau Ignite lost to the Madison Night Mares Tuesday, dropping a 15-8 game at Athletic Park. But the Ignite have still managed to turn their season around, from last place to third, and only half a game out from the Grand Forks Spitfires. Madison dominates the league with a 10-game lead.

College baseball: The Wausau Woodchucks snapped a four-game win streak starting by dropping two road games to the Eau Claire Express (5-3 and 7-5) Monday and Tuesday. The Woodchucks are 5-3 to start the second half of the season, which remarkably is only good for third place behind the Lakeshore Chinooks (6-1) and Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (5-1).

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