MISSING PERSON REQUEST ON TUESDAY EVENING ENDS WITH ONE DEAD, SUSPECT TAKEN INTO CUSTODY

TOWN OF CORNING – A request for a missing person/welfare check in the Town of Corning on Tuesday evening ended with the discovery of a deceased person. 48-yr-old John Stevenson was found dead following individuals reaching out to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office stating he had not shown up to work and no one was aware of his whereabouts. The Sheriff’s Office has communicated that 25-yr-old Austin Stevenson has been taken into custody in connection with the death. He is scheduled to appear in court today on charges of 1st…

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DRIVING COMPLAINT LEADS TO ARREST FOR OWI 2ND OFFENSE

TOWN OF BRADLEY – On Saturday March 15th a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to the area of USH 51 and USH 8 in the Town of Bradley for a driving complaint. While en route, the deputy came upon a vehicle going 81 MPH in a 65 MPH zone in the S/B lanes of USH 51 so the deputy completed a traffic stop of The 27-yr-old male driver from Marshfield. The deputy, a specially trained drug recognition expert observed signs of impairment and requested that the driver perform sobriety…

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DUSTY AIR FROM SOUTHWEST STATES SHOWERS RESIDUE ACROSS THE NORTHWOODS

Last weekend’s rain showers across the Northwoods left some residents a bit puzzled. The rain left a residue on recently washed cars.  Per the National Weather Service, the probable cause was “dirty rain” due to strong southeast winds pulling soil and dust from Oklahoma and Texas up into the atmosphere late last week. The dusty air could actually be detected on satellite imagery. A strong weather system crossing the country carried the debris across the plains and deposited it into our region and eventually the moisture carried it out of…

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MERRILL FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WEEK ENDING MARCH 16

MERRILL – The Merrill Fire Department responded to 52 calls last week, bringing the total for 2025 to 497. There were 48 EMS calls, and there was one call regarding the presence of an odor of smoke on Monday March 10th on W 10th St in the City of Merrill. There was a motor vehicle accident with injuries on Sunday March 16th on N State St in the City of Merrill.  

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LIONS EYE BANK OF WISCONSIN ANNOUNCES CERTIFIED TRAINING PROGRAM FOR TRANSPORTERS

MERRILL – The Merrill Lions Club has communicated that a new certified training program for transporters for the 2024-25 Lions year is available through the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin. Transporters perform a critical function, ensuring safe, proper delivery of cornea tissue used for research, education and training as well as transplants. Transporting human tissue is subject to a set of strict rules and regulations. Five training sessions will take place on March 31 and Apr 3, and will be available virtually through Zoom. Each session is limited to 100…

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WILDFIRES IN 2025 OUTPACING PREVIOUS YEARS, CONCERNS FOR INCREASE IN FIRE DANGER LEVELS

NORTHWOODS – Spring is on the horizon, and Wisconsin residents are bracing for the increased risk of wildfires. As of Sunday March 16th, 207 wildfires have already come under investigation by the DNR across the state, which is about four times more than normal. Residents are urged to monitor fire danger prior to engaging in burning activities. The most recent reports coming from the US Drought Monitor show the majority of the Northwoods in either the abnormally dry or moderate drought categories. Fire response equipment is currently being staged in…

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NATIONAL GROUNDWATER AWARENESS WEEK BRINGS FOCUS TO TESTING OF PRIVATE WELLS

LINCOLN COUNTY – This week is National Groundwater Awareness Week. More than 70% of Wisconsin residents utilize ground water as their drinking water supply, with one-third relying on a private well. Officials from the Lincoln County Health Department have been encouraging residents with private wells to have them tested annually, more often if they notice changes in their water. Testing is offered for contaminants including bacteria and nitrates. Contact the Lincoln County Health Department for more information regarding costs and assistance programs that are available for some residents.

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WISCONSIN CONSERVATION CONGRESS AND DNR TO HOLD SPRING HEARING

Starting April 14th, the Wisconsin Conservation Congress and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will once again offer their springhearing and annual opportunity for the public to offer comment on a range of natural resource-related topics. In person opportunities willbegin at 6:00 PM in each county, or you can join online on the 14th at 7:00 PM through April 16th at 6:00 PM. More information on this year’s event including a preview of the questions from the Spring hearings can be found at dnr.wisconsin.gov.

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SUICIDE PREVENTION TRAINING TO TAKE PLACE APRIL 4 IN TOMAHAWK

TOMAHAWK – The Lincoln County Health Department is reminding residents that there are still openings for the April 4th Suicide Prevention QPR Trainings taking place at the Tomahawk Public Library. Those interested in attending this no cost event are required to register by Monday March 24th.  Space is limited to 20 participants per training. The training will begin at 9:00 AM, and breakfast will be provided. More information on the event and how to register can be found on the Lincoln County Health Department Facebook page.      

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MERRILL POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORT WEEK ENDING MARCH 9

MERRILL – The Merrill Police Department responded to 9 incidents last week. There was one instance of an outstanding arrest warrant where an individual voluntarily turned herself in, and one arrest for a probation violation. There were two instances of disorderly conduct, one of those where a juvenile son pushed his mother and began breaking items inside the home. There were three instances of possession of illegal drugs where those substances were discovered during traffic stops, in two cases involving the deployment of K9 Dasty. There was one arrest for…

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