Actions of a homeowner and a deputy kept a fire from spreading last Monday morning. Just after 1 a.m., a resident on Frontage Road in the Town of Bradley called 911 to report a semi-tractor that was parked near a home had caught on fire. The deputy arrived on the scene within five minutes of the call and found the owner had backed the truck up away from the home. The deputy then used his fire extinguisher and shoveled snow onto the fire until Tomahawk Firefighters arrived. Firefighters extinguished the hot spots before clearing the scene. No injuries were reported.
Snow that started falling early Tuesday morning caused problems on the roadways. Deputies responded to 20 reports of vehicles sliding in the ditch but did not investigate any that involved injury or property damage. Most of the incidents took place before noon, but some problems did occur on the evening commute. Throughout the rest of the week problems continued as black ice and occasional snowfall kept roadways slippery. A dozen crashes were investigated starting on Wednesday through the weekend and 25 additional vehicles in the ditch were checked on.
Tomahawk Firefighters and a deputy responded to a shed fire on Thursday morning in the Town of Wilson. At 10 a.m., a cell 911 caller reported that a chicken coop that was being used to store rabbits had caught fire. When a deputy arrived, he found the shed engulfed in flames. Tomahawk Firefighters extinguished the fire but the building was a total loss.
An 18-year-old Merrill man was arrested Thursday night after a deputy investigated a vehicle in the ditch. The deputy came across the vehicle in the ditch on US Hwy. 51 at Center Road just after 9 p.m. and found the driver and a friend working to free it. As he spoke to the driver, the deputy could smell the odor of burnt marijuana and questioned the driver who admitted having the drug. A search turned up a baggie of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The suspect was brought to the Lincoln County Jail where he was able to post bond and be released.
A 46-year-old Baraboo man was taken into custody early Sunday morning after a one vehicle crash on US Hwy. 8. The man called 911 to report he had rolled his vehicle over west of County Rd. Y. When a deputy arrived, the driver explained how he has missed his turn to go north on County Rd. Y but when he applied his brakes he lost control and rolled the vehicle off the road. The deputy detected the odor of an intoxicant and asked the man to perform field sobriety tests. As a result of those tests, he was taken into custody on a first offense charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Unable to find a sober driver, the man was brought to the Lincoln County Jail where he was held until later Sunday morning when he was released.
No injuries were reported after a one vehicle rollover Sunday afternoon in the Town of Pine River. A vehicle being driven by a 47-year-old Antigo man lost control as it traveled east on State Rd. 64 at County Rd. X. The vehicle appeared to have rolled at least one time leaving the driver trapped but the four passengers were able to climb out of the vehicle. A deputy and Pine River First Responder helped the driver out of the vehicle. None of the occupants reported any injuries and refused medical transport. The Pine River Fire Department assisted at the scene and no citations were issued.
A 46-year-old Tomahawk man was arrested late Sunday night on a misdemeanor traffic charge after a deputy investigated a vehicle in the ditch. At 6:30 p.m., a deputy came across a vehicle in the ditch on County Rd. L north of US Hwy. 8 in the Town of Bradley north of Tomahawk. The vehicle was unoccupied but the deputy found the owner walking up the road. The driver was asked to perform field sobriety tests and as a result he was taken into custody on a fourth offense charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. After chemical testing the man was brought to the Lincoln County Jail where he will be held for a bond hearing on Monday.
Five people reported striking deer this past week.