Lincoln County Highway Commissioner John Hanz advises that paving on County Highway JJ, north of Lincoln Drive, to County Highway J will begin today (Tuesday, August 6) and end Wednesday, August 14. Please use alternate routes.

Celebrate Smokey Bear’s 75th Birthday Friday, Aug. 9, at 10 a.m. at the Tomahawk Public Library. The program will start with a short fire safety talk by a local forest ranger from the Wisconsin DNR Neil H. LeMay Forestry Center in Tomahawk. After the talk, Smokey will arrive for birthday hugs, and then participants will go outside to look at firefighting equipment. The party will wrap up inside with birthday cake!

Deirdre Marie Capone, the niece of Al Capone, will be speaking for the first time ever in North Central Wisconsin at 6 p.m. at the Merrill Senior High Auditorium Tuesday, Aug. 13.  Capone will provide historical events from the Capone family point of view. Capone, author of Uncle Al Capone, is speaking for the T.B. Scott Free Library Words Worth Hearing series.

All are welcome to attend the Tomahawk Historical Society’s August luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at Pine Tree Supper Club in Tomahawk on Thursday, Aug. 15. Following lunch, society member Kay Kissinger Wolf will speak about her and her husband’s 50-day cruise around the world. To make reservations, call 715-453-2056.

Kinship of Tomahawk is in need of help collecting new school supplies for Kinskids (kids in the Kinship program) for the upcoming school year. Tags listing needed supplies and school fees can be found at Trig’s or Tomahawk Pharmacy. Purchased supplies and school fees may be dropped off at the Tomahawk Leader office, Tomahawk Pharmacy or the Kinship House (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.) by Friday, Aug. 16. Monetary donations are also accepted. For more information, call Kinship of Tomahawk at 715-453-1910.

Tomahawk Public Library will host a children’s Moving to Music program Mondays from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The program, combining music and movement to help young children learn to control their bodies, encourages caregivers and kids together to have fun clapping, marching and moving to music.

Prince of Peace Church, 1328 County Road A, Tomahawk, invites the public to attend free and confidential Community Healing Rooms to receive prayer for healing. The rooms are open Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. Contact Paula Thomas at 715-453-4119 with questions.

Open Arms Community Soup Kitchen is open Tuesdays, welcoming any hungry souls as well as those who want to socialize between 5 and 6:30 p.m. at the Corpus Christi Center adjacent to St. Mary’s Church. All are welcome to enjoy the free dinner. Anyone who would like to support this volunteer effort may send donations to P.O. Box 1, Tomahawk, WI 54487.