Submitted by LCOCHC The Lac Courte Oreilles Community Health Center is pleased to announce the addition of three new healthcare providers to its medical team. Their arrival marks a continued commitment to expanding access to quality care for the community. Please join us in welcoming these new professionals to the LCO Health Center and the greater community. > Dr. Kevin Krugg, DDS, will join the dental team and shared some highlights from his life and career: Just like so man

By Jennifer Cadotte LCO PR Specialist Members of the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) community including representatives from the Tribal Governing Board, university staff and students, and the LCO Conservation Department visited the St. Croix Tribal Fish Hatchery and new Processing Facility on October 9 for an educational tour and shared cultural exchange.   The visit came just days before the St. Croix Band of Chippewa Indians was set to release 400 sturgeon into Clam Lake, the fi

Submitted by LCOCHC The Lac Courte Oreilles Community Health Center is excited to announce the hiring of a new Assistant Health Director. Mariah Austin (Bimosekwe) earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Care Systems Administration with a minor in Human Resources from Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. She went on to obtain a Master of Science in Administration with a concentration in Health Services from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. M

By Susie J. Taylor LCO Police Chief L-R) Kyle Tannehill, Jake Tritz, Austin Egge The Lac Courte Oreilles Police Department (LCO PD) is proud to announce the graduation of its cadets from the Law Enforcement Academy at Northwood Technical College. The ceremony was held on Friday, October 10.  LCO Chief of Police Susie J. Taylor praised the cadets for their hard work, discipline, and dedication to community service. The cadets completed an intensive 720-hour training program, w

By Joe Morey News Editor A bipartisan medical cannabis bill drew hours of testimony at the Wisconsin Capitol on Wednesday, Oct. 22, as senators weighed whether a tightly regulated program could clear both chambers this session. Thi Le, cannabis consultant to the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Tribe, said the proposal was introduced in the Senate Committee on Health and opened for public testimony that day.  “The authors stated that they understand it’s not perfect but it’s progres

By Joe Morey News Editor The Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) community is expanding cannabis education on two tracks this fall: a free public seminar series hosted by the LCO Cannabis Advisory Network and a for-credit science course at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (LCOOU). Together, they aim to build community literacy, workforce skills, and a factual understanding of the plant’s medical, legal, and economic dimensions. Monthly “Education on Cannabis Seminars” begin with f

By Joe Morey News Editor L-R) Thi Le, Vice Chair Bill Trepanier, TGB member Lorraine Gouge Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Vice Chairman Bill Trepanier, Councilwoman Lorraine Gouge, and LCO cannabis consultant Thi Le traveled to Cherokee, North Carolina, on October 7, 2025, for an inside look at the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ (EBCI) rapidly expanding cannabis enterprise. The visit followed an invitation for LCO leadership to attend EBCI’s Tribal Council inauguration on Octob

By Joe Morey News Editor At the Tribe’s General Membership meeting, LCO Chief Judge Elaine Smith reported that the Tribal Court continues to manage a heavy caseload while navigating funding challenges tied to federal budget uncertainties. According to Judge Smith, the court has, in recent years, maintained funds to pay for guardian ad litem (GAL) appointments in contested custody cases, adult guardianships, and child welfare matters when needed. If the federal government fail

By Joe Morey News Editor Despite tricky spring weather, tight budgets, and unusually low source-water levels, the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Fish Hatchery closed the 2025 production season “very successful,” according to a report delivered to tribal members by Paul Christel, LCO Fisheries Biologist and Hatchery Director, at the Oct. 18 General Membership meeting. “Weather made things tricky at times, budgeting was a concern, and low water levels became an issue,” Christel told

By Joe Morey News Editor LCO Secretary Treasurer Michelle Beaudin says the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Governing Board is still waiting for a comprehensive update on the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF), a pandemic-era program approved by the TGB in October 2021 to help LCO homeowners avoid foreclosure, utility shutoffs, and displacement. Beaudin said the board met in August with the Tribe’s ARPA/HAF team and requested detailed status reports on completed projects and homeowner

By Joe Morey News Editor Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers joined the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission to sign Executive Order #277 on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, advancing public education on Tribal Treaty Rights and creating a new Wild Rice Stewardship Council to protect manoomin across the state. The order was signed at the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute on the LCO reservation. “In celebration of Indigen

By Joe Morey News Editor At the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) General Membership meeting on October 18, WOJB General Manager Karl Habeck outlined how the station absorbed this year’s unprecedented public-media cuts, and why there’s a path forward.   “WOJB did receive unfortunate news in July of 2025 when the current administration chose to defund public media and claw back previous funding approved by Congress. That move cost the station over 40% of its operating budget,” Habeck

By Joe Morey News Editor At the Lac Courte Oreilles General Membership meeting on October 18, Landing Resort general manager Denny Reyes reported a banner season for the tribally owned property on the Chippewa Flowage and a confident outlook heading into winter. “The Landing Resort LCO had a record-breaking year and hopefully will continue through the 2025/2026 winter season with predicting heavy snowfall,” Reyes told members. The resort will pause operations for fall cleanin

By Joe Morey News Editor The Johnson-O’Malley (JOM) program has launched into the school year with a full schedule of cultural learning, educational travel, and hands-on experiences for LCO youth. At the October 18 General Membership Meeting, Johnson-O’Malley Coordinator Amanda Scheel shared a detailed report highlighting recent activities and upcoming plans. Scheel explained that JOM staff and the Parent Committee have already taken part in multiple major events this fall, i

By Joe Morey News Editor With the federal government still shut down as of Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, Wisconsin families face a critical change: November FoodShare (SNAP) benefits will not be issued unless Congress reopens the government. WIC benefits in Wisconsin, however, are still expected to be available for November based on current state guidance. On the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation, households considering a switch to the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

By Joe Morey News Editor The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has launched a program that is quietly transforming roadside signage across Tribal lands: bilingual road signs, in which Indigenous languages appear prominently alongside English. The initiative, formally known as the Dual Language Signing Program, was developed in collaboration with the Inter-Tribal Task Force and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, and reflects a growing commitment to language r

By Joe Morey News Editor The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has made a bold entry into the modern tech investment space, announcing a $400,000 investment in PortalSphere, a rapidly growing e-commerce software company specializing in wholesale and B2B automation for Shopify businesses. The investment, finalized in early July 2025, marks one of the first major technology ventures by the LCO Tribe and positions the Nation among the earliest investors in the c

By Joe Morey News Editor The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Government is undergoing a major restructuring effort aimed at improving efficiency, oversight, and service delivery to its membership. LCO Vice Chairman Bill Trepanier announced that the Tribe will be reorganizing its government into new Divisions, each led by a Division Director who will oversee multiple departments and programs. Three of the new Division Director positions have already been posted, marking the first p

By Joe Morey News Editor Sixteen volunteers turned out Saturday for a roadside cleanup along Sawyer County Highway B near the LCO baseball fields, filling more than 20 extra-large bags over a roughly 2.5-mile stretch, according to Joan Cervenka, treasurer for the Sawyer County/LCO Democratic Party. “It was a strong community turnout,” Cervenka said, noting crews worked both sides of the road and ensured “final collection of every bag before day’s end.” Cervenka said several v

By Joe Morey News Editor Lac Courte Oreilles Secretary Treasurer Michelle Beaudin returned from Washington, D.C., in September after a busy schedule of advocacy meetings and consultations on key issues affecting tribal governments nationwide. Beaudin said one of the main briefings she attended was hosted by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), where federal concerns impacting Indian Country were front and center. “We discussed OMB withholding CDFI funds, the dela