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IN OTHER NEWS Getting Your Wiggles And Stress Out Through Kid Yoga Submitted: 09/25/2020 -->

HAZELHURST - Songs and games are not what typically pop into your mind when you think about a yoga class.

"We sing, we dance, stuff to really get them into it," Elisa Hesch, Certified K Kids Yoga instructor said.

Teaching kids yoga has become a speciality for Hesch.

"I just felt like kids were very stressed out and they needed a way to kinda calm down," Hesch said.

Hesch transformed her living room into a temporary yoga studio to teach kids virtually all across the northwoods during the pandemic. For the past seven years Hesch has homeschooled her three children. She said she understands the importance of getting the wiggles out.

"Right now they need those breaks," Hesch said. "So it's not just words on a screen, let's learn all day. It's just a little bit of let's breath, let's calm down, lets dance."

Hesch's classes differ from the typical adult yoga class. Instead of focusing on building flexibility and strength skills, her class focuses on using games to help children build coping mechanisms against stress.

"When you give them a regular yoga class it seems like they have a hard time. It's just more stuff to grasp," Hesch said. "So i thought kidding around yoga full on for kids was a really fun modality to bring up here, Hesch said.

During COVID-19, children may be experiencing more stress and confusion. Hesch says that yoga can be a healthy outlet for them. Both in getting them active and moving, as well as helping them slow down their brain.

"My youngest who was four will tell me all the time. I was feeling really stressed," Hesch said. "So I went up to my room and peace began with me."

In the future, Hesch hopes to be able to offer in-person classes and give kids a few tools to have in their tool box to help them handle stressful situations.







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In search of the missing Hodag statue

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RHINELANDER - You can find Hodag statues all over Rhinelander. But the one found behind Rhinelander Cafe and Pub has been missing since Saturday night.



Mark Gutteter, owner of Rhinelander Cafe and Pub, says this isn't the first time this has happened. He's owned the pub for 14 years.



"Unfortunately we had one in front of the building disappear about a year ago, and that Hodag was found abandoned and returned to us," said Gutteter.



This time, it's been six days...and still no sign of the missing Hodag.



"Unfortunately they're just the size that someone can pick one up and put it under their arm and walk off with it if that's the kind of person they choose to be," said Gutteter.



For Gutteter, the statue is more than just a photo-opp for visitors. It represents his support for downtown Rhinelander.

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Wisconsin voters struggling with witness rules in early voting

MADISON, WI / RALEIGH, NC - As the pandemic prompts a surge in voting by mail, voters in a handful of states, including the presidential battlegrounds of North Carolina and Wisconsin, are facing a requirement that already is tripping up thousands - the need to have a witness sign their ballot envelope.



"People are confused by this whole witness requirement," said Barbara Beckert, an advocate for Disability Rights Wisconsin, which was part of a lawsuit that unsuccessfully challenged the witness mandate. "Voting absentee is complicated. To get it right, you have to follow a lot of very specific rules."

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Teen charged in Kenosha shootings fights extradition

WAUKEGAN, IL - The 17-year-old charged in the shooting deaths of two protesters in Wisconsin is fighting his extradition from Illinois, but his attorneys didn't outline their strategy during a brief hearing on Friday and legal experts say there isn't much the teen can do to stop it.



Kyle Rittenhouse surrendered to police in his hometown of Antioch, Illinois, a day after prosecutors say he shot and killed two protesters and wounded a third on the streets of Kenosha on Aug. 25. If convicted of one of the most serious charges he faces, he would be sentenced to life in prison.

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One year later, the roundabout proves its worth

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RHINELANDER - The roundabout at the intersection of Highway 8 W and Highway 47 was pretty controversial a year ago; a lot of people didn't like it.



Oneida County Highway Commissioner Bruce Stefonek says the change caused controversy in the city.



"We had numerous meetings with the public and it was somewhat divided," said Stefonek.



Except now Stefonek says people have come around to accept the city's first and only roundabout.



"A number of people that were against it before now like it," said Stefonek.



Although the stoplight and 8 & 47 was familiar to people, it was also dangerous.



"There were a lot of accidents, it almost felt like they were weekly," said Stefonek.



He saw cars speeding through the intersection in order to beat other traffic.



"It was almost like a racetrack coming through the intersection," said Stefonek.



The roundabout was installed in August of 2019. Since then, there have been very few accidents.

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Park Falls Police Are Investigating Suspicious Activity Between Man and Children

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- Park Falls Police Department is investigating two incidents when a man approached middle school boys earlier this month. It's an incident that the City of Park Falls Chief Jerome Ernst says he has not experienced in the last 30 years.



"This type of report is very rare for us, but you see these types of things happen. You now all over the place, Park Falls is not exempt.," Ernst said.



Ernst says back on September 8th, a middle school cross country runner was approached by a man after his practice near Chequamegon High School in Park Falls. The man told the boy that he was from 'Up North', and was asking for help to find the hospital. The second incident occurred on September 16th, when a man matching a similar description was seen on Saunders Avenue in Park Falls near Hines Park. When he approached two boys who were also in Middle School.



"The person only stated 'Do you want to race', and the kid just kinda ignored him, because he is a stranger, and he wasn't comfortable about it," Ernst said. "The other child however, tells us that the person said, 'Do you want to race me to my house. If you win I'll give you some prize or treats', Something like that," Ernst said.

Then last Friday a man matching a similar description was also seen in Wausau. According to a Facebook post and video posted online, he was accused of watching a group of girls.

"The description of the individual, looks a little bit like the person in the video. Although it's hard to tell because the videos are a little bit shaded and dark. The vehicle is definitely not the same like it is in Park Falls," Ernst said.

However, Park Falls and Wausau Police Department are partnering up to see if the incidents may be connected.

Even if the cases are not connected, Ernst says it's a good reminder of stranger danger.

"If you are going out to play or do things or walk over to the park, stay in groups with your trusted friends or family. Talk to them about stranger danger. Not to immediately trust, a new person or strange person," Ernst said.



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