What is new for Northwoods Drifter in 2026
Kirk Bangstad, who runs Minocqua Brewing Company, is facing harassment charges after what he called a political demonstration at a local newspaper publisher’s office in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. The brewery owner was arrested Friday and charged with several offenses, including disorderly conduct and harassment.
This is just the latest twist in Bangstad’s long-running battles with local officials in Minocqua and Oneida County. His business leans hard into progressive politics and Democratic messaging.
After losing its conditional use authorization earlier this year, the brewery’s been operating without the right permits. That’s led to a stack of municipal violations since May.
The legal saga between Kirk Bangstad and Gregg Walker has drawn plenty of attention in Oneida County and honestly, far beyond. Walker runs the Lakeland Times newspaper, and his office sits right across from the brewery in Minocqua.
This feud really kicked off during Bangstad’s 2020 Democratic run for state Assembly. Walker’s paper went after him with some tough editorials, and being neighbors didn’t exactly cool things off.
Walker’s office has a front-row seat to whatever’s happening at the brewery, which probably doesn’t help matters.
Walker’s defamation suit against Bangstad reached a turning point in 2023. A jury found Bangstad had made false online statements about Walker, especially about a hunting accident involving Walker’s brother.
The $750,000 judgment was, according to some legal folks, the biggest defamation penalty Wisconsin’s ever seen.
Bangstad didn’t have to pay the whole thing out of pocket though:
| Payment Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bangstad’s personal funds | $50,000 |
| Insurance companies | $530,000 |
| Total Settlement | $580,000 |
Then in October, Bangstad got hit with criminal defamation charges for more online posts about Walker. This happened even after the civil judgment, so clearly, the fight wasn’t over.
The Minocqua Police Department and Oneida County Sheriff’s Department got pulled into things during a Friday evening beer tasting event. Bangstad says he was giving what he called a political speech when Walker left his office building across the street.
The Oneida County Sheriff ended up processing several arrests that night. Bangstad spent about 24 hours in the Oneida County Jail.
He called the experience physically and mentally rough—claustrophobia, heart palpitations, the works. Not exactly a fun time by any measure.
Right now, Bangstad faces charges of harassment and disorderly conduct. State records back up both allegations.
There’s also a separate privacy invasion lawsuit Walker filed back in February. That one’s still working its way through the courts, just to complicate things further.
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Mike has been coming up or living in the Northwoods since his childhood. He is also an avid outdoorsman, writer and supper club aficionado.
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