Good morning, Wausau.

Sylvan Hill tubing opened at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec.

19 on the north side near Tribute Golf Course with six runs on two slopes available for community tubing at $8 to $11 per session (riders must be 42 inches tall).

Several local organizations will host free Christmas Day meals across north central Wisconsin, offering community dinners, drive-up service, and pickup options.

In Wausau, St. Paul’s UCC will serve family-style dinner from noon to 2 p.m. while venues in Antigo, Merrill, Rhinelander, and Stevens Point provide festive meal options.

On Dec. 18, firefighters swiftly controlled a house fire in the 500 block of South 5th Avenue caused by a space heater placed too near flammable materials.

They used a thermal imaging camera to find the source, secured the water supply, and reported no injuries.

Firefighters from the Wausau Fire Department contained a room fire on the 500 block of S.

5th Ave around 7:45 p.m. Thursday with no injuries, and investigators found that a space heater placed too near combustible items was the likely cause.

Icy conditions delayed school buses in Wausau over Dec.

18-19 as several incidents occurred and a bus had a low-speed impact (a fender bender) with a car; no students were hurt and officials updated parents online.

The Amazon delivery station in Weston processed a record 31,500 packages today—its busiest day yet—with over 50 workers handling orders during the busy holiday season; customers can thank drivers using Alexa on the Amazon app.

Wausau city staff hold a community engagement session to gather opinions on non-industrial uses for a city-owned parcel at 1300 Cleveland Ave. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan.

29 at 6:30 p.m. at Wausau Waterworks Treatment Facility (430 Adrian St).

After the U.S. House approved the Pet and Livestock Protection Act to delist gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act, Wisconsin cattlemen expressed relief amid 70 verified livestock conflicts (April 2024 to April 2025) and noted that the bill still awaits Senate and presidential approval.

Dr. David Holz (Marshfield Clinic pediatrician) advises friends and family meeting between Christmas and New Year to check their health before gathering to protect babies from respiratory infections.

He urges handwashing and staying home when sick to reduce the spread of RSV and croup.

The Aspirus Health Foundation announced that the Festival of Trees raised a record $315K for hospice care and family lodging during Thanksgiving week at the Central Wisconsin Convention + EXPO Center in Rothschild; over 3,800 guests supported the event.

Marshfield Clinic partnered with AgriSafe to offer free suicide prevention training (aimed at helping trusted community members support individuals in crisis) while planning further sessions for early 2026.

On Friday before Christmas break, local basketball teams clashed as the Rapids girls won 54-42 over East and the Witt-Birn girls beat Amherst 83-13 while SPASH boys won 71-53 at Wausau West.

Rapids will face La Crosse Central on Monday and SPASH will play Fort Atkinson on Saturday.