Snowy roads caused issues in the county on Monday. Deputies went to several slide offs during the evening commute and at least one crash with injury. At 5:20 p.m. cell 911 callers reported a crash on US Hwy 8 just east of US Hwy 51 in the Town of Bradley. According to the report a vehicle being driven by Jacqueline Jarvis age 31 of Tomahawk slid out as she was traveling west. Her vehicle entered the ditch and rolled over. Initial reports were Jarvis was trapped in her vehicle but she was able to free herself before Tomahawk EMS and Fire Department arrived on the scene. Jarvis was transported to Ministry Sacred Heart Hospital where she was treated and released. Another crash just before 6 p.m. on US Hwy 51 north of County Rd A was thought to involve injury but when Tomahawk Firefighters arrived on the scene they found the occupants of the pickup truck that rolled over were not injured. Five minutes later a one vehicle crash on US Hwy 51 at County Rd J reported a man was trapped in his vehicle. Merrill EMS was already sitting in Irma providing back up to Tomahawk EMS when the call was received. The man was freed from his vehicle and refused medical transport. The Town of Russell Fire Department was also dispatched to that crash.
The on-ramp to US Hwy 51 at US Hwy 8 was closed for over two hours on Wednesday after a semi-truck lost part of its load. The flatbed trailer truck was being operated by Spooner man when it turned to go south onto US Hwy 51 at US Hwy 8 at 12:34 p.m. As the truck started up the ramp it lost several steel industrial sized I-beams onto the shoulder and into the ditch. A crane was brought in to retrieve and replace the beams onto the trailer at 2:30 p.m. and the ramp was re-opened at 5:20 p.m. The Lincoln County Highway Department provided signage and a Trooper from the Wisconsin State Patrol assisted a Deputy with traffic.
A 23 year old Kenosha County man is in the Lincoln County Jail after a deputy investigated a vehicle in the ditch in the Town of King on Thursday morning. Just before 7 a.m. a passerby reported a vehicle in the ditch on County Rd A near Extrom Farm Rd. When the deputy arrived he found Casey R. Degroot behind the wheel of the vehicle. Degroot explained he got lost and went into the ditch sometime overnight. After smelling the odor of an intoxicant Degroot was placed through field sobriety tests and later taken into custody on a first offense charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. When a check was done on the dealer plate attached to Degroot’s vehicle it was discovered the plate was stolen during a burglary at a business in Silver Lake. WI. Degroot was booked into the Lincoln County Jail on a charge of possession of stolen property along with probation violation. Kenosha County authorities were notified about the recovered property.
The Town of Russell Fire Department was called out on Thursday night after a chimney fire was reported in the Town of Birch. At 10:33 p.m. a 911 caller reported a fire in the chimney at a residence in the 6000 block of County Rd H. When deputies arrived on the scene a short time later they found sparks but no fire coming from the chimney top. Russell Firefighters were on the scene for about an hour. They advised the fire was confined to the chimney and there was no structural damage.
A 26 year old Merrill man was arrested Friday evening on a criminal traffic charge after a deputy stopped to check on a suspicious person in the City of Merrill. The deputy was driving on Grand Avenue near Prospect Street when he observed Dylan B. Winter standing alongside of the roadway urinating. Winter was standing next to a vehicle registered to him but he denied driving it and told the deputy a friend named “Michelob” was driving the vehicle. Based on the fresh tire tracks in the new fallen snow and the only set of footprints in the snow were leading from the driver’s seat to where Winter was standing, Winter was asked to perform field sobriety tests but he refused and had to be physically restrained. Winter was taken into custody on a second offense charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. He was brought to the Lincoln County Jail where he was also cited for driving after revocation before being released to a responsible party.
A 20 year old Tomahawk man was taken into custody and cited after a stop on the ice of Lake Somo Saturday afternoon. The Rec. Deputy was working with the DNR when they observed an ATV operating in a reckless manner and speeding near pedestrians and shanties. Andrew W. Wickland was asked to perform field sobriety tests and as a result of those tests he was taken into custody for operating an ATV while intoxicated. Wickland will also cited for underage drinking as a repeat offender. He was later released to a responsible party.
A 51 year old Merrill man is in the Lincoln County Jail after deputies investigated a child abuse case in the Town of Pine River Saturday afternoon. Just after 3 p.m. a caller reported that a nine year old boy was physically abused by his step-father the night before. When a deputy checked on the child he found that he had bruising on his back, buttocks and face. When he was interviewed about the child’s injuries the suspect admitted striking the boy stating he was punishing him for stealing food. Deputies also located marijuana in the suspect’s possession during the investigation. The suspect was brought to the Lincoln County Jail where he was booked on a felony count of a physical abuse of a child and a felony count of possession of marijuana as a repeat offender. He had a bond hearing Monday in Lincoln County Court.