Weston to close its TIF | Weekly Wausonian
Wausau news for the week of April 16, 2026
Wausonian subscribers already read this week about Weston’s closure of its first TIF District this week.
While no one exclusively said it, the TIF would likely help cover the costs of hiring new firefighters at the SAFER Fire District. Rib Mountain already approved its share last year.
With Weston’s referendum failing, and the district being closed less than a week later (the resolution to close the district had to be approved by April 15), the timing makes sense.
Yesterday we dove deeper into the issue:
And, with the election over The Wausonian is catching up on its Full Court Press feature, looking at the most notable civil cases of the month:
Plus, The Wausonian’s story about a county supervisor’s second arrest sparked debate about county board members’ conduct:
What else in Wausau?
DA declines to file charges in Diny “ballot” box case: An outside, bi-partisan panel declined to press charges against Mayor Doug Diny at the end of an investigation that stemmed from Diny removing a ballot box from the steps of city hall, an incident The Wausonian first reported. The main reason? Because, the panel ruled, the box in question was a drop box, meant for ballots, bill payments and other city matters, and not exclusively for ballots, which meant the law didn’t apply. The Wausonian dove into the final report in more detail on the Diny Ballot Box controversy’s conclusion.
West side siren fails before Monday storm: Wausau Police Officials say a siren on the city’s west side failed during a test Monday. The failure came right before a wind and hail storm hit the city, with tornadoes spotted in the central Wisconsin area. The siren, located at 72nd Avenue and Stettin Drive, has since been repaired, officials say.
Bus facility feasibility, tracking app approved: The city council, in its last session before new representatives take over, approved a study to see if the city should build a new transit facility. The study will evaluate whether or not the new bus types and potential future expansion could be accommodated by the current facility or whether a new one would be needed. The council also approved a new system that would allow users to track a bus’s location, giving riders an idea of when the bus is coming, or if they’ve already missed it. The feasibility study is expected to cost $47,200 and the tracking system is completely grant-funded.
Police bust suspected Milwaukee drug trafficker: Police arrested a man suspected of trafficking various drugs between Milwaukee and Wausau. Police arrested 52-year-old Larry Campbell of Milwaukee at 5:30 pm Monday following a traffic stop in the 1100 block of Cleveland Avenue. Wausau K9 officer Kaedo indicated drugs in his car, and police say they found meth, fentanyl and marijuana in his car. Police then searched his home and found more drugs. Campbell faces three felony counts of drug possession, plus two misdemeanor charges.
Around the metro
Winter ends, construction season begins on Highway 29/51: Work began April 9 on Highway 51/29 between Fox Glove Road and Bridge Street, according to an update from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Crews will be working on the concrete pavement, curb and gutter, inlets, guardrail, asphalt shoulders, pavement markings and select bridges, the update says, while “reconstructing curb ramps that do not meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.” The work is expected to take until Oct. 31.
American Asphalt to build expanded facility in Mosinee: American Asphalt is slated to begin work on a 4,800-square-foot addition to its office building in Mosinee, city officials say. The office is located in Mosinee’s business park and the business is the first to have taken up residence there.
Kowalski Road closed after storm: Flooding from Monday night’s storm caused the village of Kronenwetter to close Kowalski Road from Kronenwetter Drive to Tower Road. Water is covering parts of the road, making travel perilous. The road will remain closed until further notice, village officials say.
Firefighters battle blaze at Crystal Finishing, Weston Power Plant: Crews responded to a fire at Crystal Finishing Systems in Mosinee on Friday, WAOW reports. The first was put out in a few hours without significant external damage. Fire crews later that night responded to a fire at the Weston Power Plant, the TV station also reports.
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Entertainment
We usually hear about rock bands going unplugged — but in this case, a string quartet is going plugged. The Dallas String Quartet goes electric, The Q&Z hosts a hard rock set with Sierra Pilot, a business expo, a princess tea party and more this weekend.
Looking for kids/family events? Check out the full listing from The Wausonian’s partner Wausau Mama, who puts together a weekly listing of children/family activities.
Sports
Baseball: The season hasn’t gotten off to a great start for Wausau area teams — mostly because their first games were postponed. Wausau East lost its first two conference games Monday and Tuesday, and both of Wausau West’s and Everest’s games this week were postponed. So far, Marshfield leads the Wisconsin Valley Conference with a 2-0 record.
Softball: The good news is that all Wausau area teams got their games in Tuesday — the bad news is they all lost. D.C. Everest, Wausau West and Wausau East all lost their opening games Tuesday, with the other three teams starting with a 1-0 record.
Girls soccer: D.C. Everest, typically a powerhouse in soccer, lost its opening match to SPASH 4-1 Tuesday, and Wausau East got blanked 6-0 against SPASH. Wausau West’s game was postponed Tuesday.
Boys tennis: Opening matches in the Wisconsin Valley Conference kick off today (Thursday).
Lacrosse: The Wolfpack boys lost 9-8 Thursday, dropping the team to 0-2 in the Bay Valley Conference. On the girls side, the Wolfpack are still 1-0 and haven’t had a game since last week. They’ll host De Pere today.
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