Two Tomahawk women were taken into custody early last Monday morning after a traffic stop. Just after 2 a.m., a deputy observed a vehicle traveling south on County Rd. A north of Tomahawk and noted it had a defective tail lamp. As the deputy followed the vehicle, he noted it crossed the center and fog lines on the roadway. The driver showed signs of intoxication and was placed through field sobriety tests. As a result of those tests she was taken into custody for a first offense of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. As deputies were speaking to the passenger and checking the vehicle, they found numerous prescription pills which the woman admitted she did not have a prescription for. She was taken into custody and brought to the Lincoln County Jail where she was charged with possession of an illegally obtained prescription. At a bond hearing on Monday afternoon, she was released on a signature bond. The driver of the vehicle was released to a responsible party after testing.
On Thursday just before 1 p.m., an eagle was struck by a vehicle on US Hwy. 51 in the Town of Pine River. A Rhinelander man struck the bird which was feeding on a deer carcass alongside of the highway just south of State Rd. 64. The driver reported the bird appeared just as he reached the crest of a hill and it flew right into the front of his vehicle. The animal appeared to be seriously injured, causing deputies to enlist the help of the Lincoln County Humane Society. The bird was captured by a deputy and brought to the animal shelter until a volunteer from Raptor Education Group arrived to transport it to their Antigo facility.
The Town of Russell Fire Department was called out late Friday night after a fire alarm sounded at a Town of Harrison residence. At around 11:30 p.m., an alarm company notified the Sheriff’s Office of a fire alarm sounding at a residence on Long Beau Road. When a deputy arrived on the scene he found no fire, allowing the Russell units to return to their station after midnight.
A 16-year-old Wausau man was injured after a one vehicle crash on Saturday afternoon in the Town of Bradley. At 1:23 p.m., cell 911 callers reported a vehicle had left the roadway and struck a guardrail before rolling over several times on US Hwy. 51 at County Rd. S, south of Tomahawk. When a deputy arrived, he found the driver out of the vehicle suffering from injuries. He told the deputy he was driving south when he fell asleep. The man was transported by Tomahawk EMS to Ministry Sacred Heart Hospital where he was treated and later released. Tomahawk Firefighters assisted deputies as they shut down the southbound side of US Hwy. 51 for about 40 minutes and re-directed traffic back on the northbound entry ramp.
A 33-year-old Merrill man was arrested Saturday evening after he turned himself into the jail. The man arrived at the Lincoln County Jail at 5:30 p.m. and told the staff he was wanted. A check showed the man was wanted by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for violating terms of his probation. Additionally he had a warrant through the Lincoln County Court for failing to pay child support. The man was brought inside the jail and held.
A 55-year-old Merrill man was arrested late Saturday night after deputies responded to a report of an unruly patron at a Town of Merrill tavern. The man was asked to leave but he refused to do so, prompting the call to law enforcement. Deputies found the man walking on State Rd. 17 south of County Rd. C and made contact with him. They learned that the man was intoxicated but he had not broken any laws. When a deputy offered to give the man a ride back to Merrill, he explained he had to search the man’s bag for safety reasons before he give him the ride. As the deputy was searching, other deputies noted the man started making gestures that he was going to attack the deputy. When the other deputies went to control the suspect, he resisted their efforts. The man was booked into the Lincoln County Jail on a charge of resisting/obstructing. Unable to post bond, he will be held for an initial court appearance Monday in Lincoln County Court.
It is the time of year where residents celebrate the holiday by using fireworks. Fireworks that explode or leave the ground are illegal in the State of Wisconsin. Some residents are able to secure permits from their townships allowing them to shoot off the fireworks. If you plan on using fireworks that require a permit, you are asked to provide a copy of that permit to the Sheriff’s Office a few days prior to your event. The permits must be signed by the chairperson of the township in which you plan on shooting off the fireworks to be considered legal. Residents are also reminded that although a legal permit allows you to shoot off fireworks, you must do so in a reasonable manner keeping your neighbors in mind. Yearly, numerous complaints are received about fireworks being shot off late into the night and from farmers who become concerned when fireworks spook and injure their animals.
The number of car deer crashes keeps going up with 16 being reported this past week. Motorists encountered other animals as well. On Tuesday morning an Oconto man struck a turkey on County Rd. M in the Town of Corning causing damage to his windshield. On Tuesday evening a Merrill man struck a turkey on County Rd. Z at Mill Road in the Town of Scott. Late Thursday night someone struck a bear on southbound US Hwy. 51 south of US Hwy. 8. A deputy found the bear partly in the roadway and removed it. It was later claimed by an area resident.