Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office reports: Aug. 4-16, 2026

Aug. 4, 2026
Deputies were sent to the area of CTH Q and Joe Snow Rd. in the town of Scott for a two-vehicle crash involving an unmarked Wisconsin State Patrol car. Deputies learned the State Patrol unit had been traveling north on CTH Q approaching the intersection of Joe Snow Rd. A second vehicle had been traveling east on Joe Snow Rd. and was stopped at the stop sign at CTH Q. The driver said she waited for a passing car and then proceeded through the intersection without seeing the patrol car. The second vehicle struck the State Patrol unit broadside in the driver’s door, pushing the patrol car into the ditch. Neither driver reported injuries.
Deputies were sent to an address on Ainsworth Ave. in the town of Birch for a disturbance in progress after a report that a woman who had been drinking was throwing things and yelling. Deputies made contact with the suspect, Melissa Gronholm of Irma. It was determined Gronholm had been drinking in violation of the terms of her probation. She was arrested and transported to the Lincoln County Jail for a probation violation and turned over to jail staff.
Deputies were sent to the USH 51 truck stop in the town of Scott for a customer who was being disorderly. An employee reported that a customer bought alcoholic beverages, went outside and drank them, then came back in to buy more and was denied service. Deputies spoke with witnesses before making contact with the suspect, identified as David Beson of West Allis. Beson was arrested for disorderly conduct and transported to the Lincoln County Jail, where he was turned over to jail staff.

Aug. 8, 2026

Deputies were sent to the trail shelter at CTH B and Ski Hill Rd. in the town of Harrison to meet a group of riders bringing in a person injured in an ATV crash. An investigation found a group of ATVs had been traveling together toward a trail head. When two riders in the group did not arrive, the others turned around to look for them and found that one of the ATVs had crashed and rolled, injuring the rider. The group brought the injured driver out to meet an ambulance, which transported the injured party to Aspirus Merrill Hospital.
Deputies were sent to an address on 1st Ave. in the town of Russell for a disturbance in progress after a report that a woman was screaming at and hitting her dog. The reporting party said he believed the woman was under the influence of something. According to the report, the suspect, Devyn Garner of Gleason, was outside with her dog listening to music when the dog ran into the reporting party’s yard while chasing a rabbit. The reporting party told Garner to get her dog or he would shoot the animal, which he suspected of killing some of his chickens. Garner then began screaming at and hitting the dog and threatened the reporting party. Deputies learned Garner was on probation with a no-drinking rule and arrested her for a probation violation. She was transported to the Lincoln County Jail and turned over to jail staff. Deputies also learned the reporting party, Logan Linky, was on probation, and charges will be forwarded to the district attorney’s office against him for a probation violation.

Aug. 9, 2026
Deputies were sent to an address on Joe Snow Rd. in the town of Scott for a disturbance involving a subject who threatened another party with a knife. The reporting party said the suspect, Cayson Kendall of Merrill, was at the address and threatened him with a knife, pointing it at him and later threatening to shoot him. Another person at the residence, Joshua Kendall, also of Merrill, was under a court order to have no contact with the reporting party. Deputies reviewed video the reporting party had recorded showing Cayson Kendall throwing items and in possession of the knife. Cayson Kendall was arrested for domestic disorderly conduct and recklessly endangering safety. Joshua Kendall was arrested for bail jumping for having contact with the reporting party. Both were transported to the Lincoln County Jail and turned over to jail staff.

Aug. 10, 2026

A deputy on patrol observed a motorcycle traveling 91 mph in a 55 mph zone on CTH Q and CTH K in the town of Scott. The deputy conducted a traffic stop, and after stopping, the driver, a 52-year-old man from Wausau, pulled a handgun from a holster. The deputy ordered the man to put the gun down and step away, and he complied. The man later said he had previously been told that if stopped by police he should disarm himself. He was advised that if stopped in the future, he should not touch the gun and should instead notify the officer of the weapon’s presence for safety. He was cited for traffic violations and released.

Aug. 14, 2026
A deputy on patrol stopped a vehicle for traveling 82 mph in a 45 mph zone on Joe Snow Rd. near Mill Rd. in the town of Scott. When the deputy made contact with the driver, Isabelle Latzig of Merrill, signs of impairment were noticed. Latzig agreed to perform sobriety tests, and as a result, she was arrested on a first-offense OWI charge. She was later released to a responsible party.

Aug. 16, 2026
Deputies were sent to the area of CTH K and Lake Pesobic Rd. in the town of Merrill for a report of a man lying in the road with possible injuries who was not moving. As deputies responded, the caller reported the man had begun to move and had a bleeding head injury. Deputies spoke with the caller and the victim and determined that while walking along the west side of CTH K, the victim was struck by a vehicle traveling south on CTH K. The victim was unable to provide details about the suspect vehicle and had little recollection of the incident. Deputies located evidence at the scene they will use to try to identify the suspect. The victim was taken by Merrill Fire Department ambulance to Aspirus Wausau Hospital with serious, unknown injuries.

A Flock camera in the area might have captured the suspect vehicle, but it had previously been vandalized and was not working. The sheriff’s office is asking the public for help locating the suspect vehicle, described as possibly a truck with a damaged exterior rearview mirror, possibly on the passenger side. Anyone with knowledge of the crash, or who was driving through the area between 2 and 3 a.m., is asked to call the sheriff’s office.
While deputies investigated the crash, a second man was found in a nearby ditch line. He was determined not to be involved in the crash; the matter was treated separately as an unrelated intoxicated pedestrian.

For the week of Aug. 3-9, deputies conducted 56 traffic stops and 22 security checks, and responded to seven car-versus-deer crashes.
For the week of Aug. 10-16, deputies conducted 29 traffic stops and 35 security checks, and responded to six car-versus-deer crashes.