Researched by Michael J. Caylor, Jr.
11-10-71
In proposals for their new budgets, Fire Chief Ray Priebe told the Council to prepare for a central fire station. Priebe said the move to one location is obvious in his mind to cut costs and to deal with the planned reduction in the workweek for firemen. Priebe acknowledged that the Sixth Ward Fire Station was only built in the last decade, calling it a good building, but “it’s just in the wrong place.” Priebe told of how the old number two station, which sat next to Franklin School, was deemed uninhabitable; at the time, the Fire Insurance Rating Bureau insisted Merrill needed two fire stations because of its length. Priebe said rules have relaxed now, and a central fire station would not jeopardize the insurance ratings and could save, citing as an example the $2,000 the department pays annually for phones, a cost that could be cut in half with one station. (Priebe would not live to see the new central station that was dedicated 33 years later.) Chief Gerald Plautz also told the Council of his need for another officer, citing additional holiday and vacation benefits added in recent years. Plautz also announced this week that Allison English and Donald G. Trantow have been appointed sergeants. Officer John Odegard succeeds English as the Department’s traffic officer. Six men recently applied to the Department, and the Police and Fire Commission certified four of them in case of vacancies.
After a series of bizarre events, a 29-year-old man from Whitelaw, Wis., is back in the Lincoln County Jail after making an escape Saturday night. Charles Wilda was stopped and arrested Friday by a trooper from the Wisconsin State Patrol, after he identified him as being responsible for the toppling of two communication towers – a radio tower in Harrison and the tower that broadcasts the TV station in Rhinelander. Wilda allegedly removed anchoring bolts from both towers, causing them to collapse. Held in the Lincoln County Jail on a $6,000 cash bond for the damage he caused in Harrison, Wilda plugged the toilet in his second floor cell Saturday night, which caused water to run down into the first floor. Deputy LeRoy Degner, the sole jailer on duty, went to investigate, and Wilda struck him numerous times with the handle of a broom. Degner drew his .32 caliber pistol and fired two rounds at Wilda before the gun was taken away. As Wilda fled from the building, he shot the radio in the control twice with the pistol before discarding it. Merrill Police Officers were already responding to the Jail to find out why Degner was not answering the phone when he was able to sound the alarm about the escape. Off duty deputies from Lincoln, Marathon, and Oneida counties all joined Sheriff Al Giese in the search after learning one of their own had been injured. Law enforcement initially thought Wilda was hiding under the porch of the jail and fired tear gas canisters under the structure in an attempt to chase him out. As a blood covered and dazed Degner was taken to the hospital for what would eventually be twenty-two stitches to close his wounds, law enforcement fanned out in search of Wilda. Sgt. Don Trantow and Patrolmen Darryl Richard spotted a car, that had been reported stolen by Thomas (Skipper) Walters from in front of his Skipper’s restaurant, and stopped it at Blaine and 1st Street about 9:25 p.m. There the officers found the escapee and took him into custody. Wilda now faces numerous additional charges related to the escape and assault on Degner. Dr. Erling Ravn Jr. has been appointed by Judge Donald E. Schnabel to examine Wilda for competence. (Found not competent to stand trial, Wilda returned to Whitelaw and his parents’ home. He killed them both 10 years later with shotgun blasts after arguing about money.)
A second Merrill High School (MHS) teacher has died of injuries sustained last week after a traffic crash in Green Bay. Charles Jaglinski Jr. will be buried Friday at St. Cecilia Cemetery in Butternut. He was one of three teachers in a vehicle that was struck by a semi in the shadows of Lambeau Field last week. Jaglinski had been an agriculture teacher at MHS since 1967. Michael Hartman, an industrial arts teacher, was buried last week in Medford. Both men leave behind young widows.
11-11-81
Mary Smith has opened a tavern on Merrill’s west side and is hoping to capture some of the history of the building to entice customers. Mary’s Robber’s Roost may not have much for western history; however, Smith is hoping to use the skills she learned cooking at the Merrill Golf Course to change the menu to that theme. Former owner Pearl Lemmer tells the story that the building at 500 W. Main St. (last known as Humphreys) was a bar from the start when it was opened in 1895. The floor in the building was thanks to the workers who built the now former Badger Hotel, with the story being they were so happy with the hospitality offered to them after a long day, they used leftover materials to install it. Smith has turned the former living quarters behind the bar into a modern kitchen with the aid of her contractor, Larry Waldburger.
The Merrill Girls Volleyball Team has brought home the State Championship after a round robin tournament in Oshkosh over the weekend. The Jays, who were champions of the Wisconsin Valley Conference, captured the tournament after finishing 6-1. Coach Jan Ruetz noted the trophy was nice, but seeing the fans and team members working together to cheer on a victory was a much greater reward.
11-13-91
Sister Peggy Jackelen was one of many honored this past weekend by the Merrill Chamber during their annual community awards. Jackelen heads the Community Food Pantry at St. Stephens Church, which has seen nearly 8,000 requests for service this year. Others honored at the annual banquet include Jim McMenamin and also Bill Sorenson, who received the Mayor’s Award after saving a drowning swimmer in the Wisconsin River this spring. Nancy Kwiesielewicz was given the Past Presidents Award, the Merrill Rangers Baseball team received the Ambassadors Award, the Silver M Club was awarded the Organization Award, and Dieter Nickel received the Hall of Fame Award.