You are here

Month: November 2026

Groundbreaking Ceremony held Monday for New Merrill Goodwill Location

Steve Dillon

Goodwill North Central Wisconsin has officially broken ground on its new Merrill store. The groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday at the former Church Mutual Insurance building at 3500 East Main Street. The building will undergo interior and exterior renovations by MJI Building Services, with the new store expected to open in spring 2027. Goodwill says revenue from its stores helps support job training and employment programs for people facing barriers to work.

Read More

Aspirus Merrill Hospital marks 100 years with $40 million renovation

Steve Dillon

As Aspirus Merrill Hospital approaches its 100th anniversary, a $40 million renovation and expansion project is bringing major upgrades to the facility. The hospital opened in November 1926 and has served Merrill-area residents for a century. The current project is expected to be completed in early 2027. Improvements include a new Emergency Department triage room, an expanded Imaging Department with new equipment, and a redesigned Laboratory Department. The inpatient unit is also being renovated and expanded, with 10 additional patient rooms. Other project features include a new inpatient physical therapy…

Read More

Former Lincoln Hills inmate sentenced in correctional officer’s death case

Steve Dillon

An 18-year-old former Lincoln Hills inmate has been sentenced to three years in prison followed by three years of extended supervision in connection with the 2024 death of correctional officer Corey Proulx. Javarius Hurd was convicted of battery by a prisoner following a jury trial in Lincoln County. Jurors found him not guilty of first-degree reckless homicide and one of two battery-by-prisoner counts, but guilty of the remaining battery charge. Hurd was sentenced Friday, October 30, to three years of initial confinement followed by three years of extended supervision. The…

Read More

LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF’S REPORT: VEHICLE IN DITCH IN TOWN OF SCOTT ENDS WITH OWI ARREST

Steve Dillon

Last Week, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies conducted 10 traffic stops and 24 security checks. There were 15 reports of cars hitting deer, and 1 where a car struck a bear. A Merrill man was arrested Saturday following the report of a vehicle in the ditch in the Town of Scott. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were sent to the area of County Highway K and Creek Avenue where Derek Meringdol drove into the ditch while attempting a U-Turn. Deputies noticed signs of impairment while speaking with Meringdol,…

Read More

Wausau woman sentenced to prison in fentanyl case involving near-fatal overdose

Steve Dillon

A Wausau woman will spend a year in prison for delivering fentanyl in a case involving a near-fatal overdose. Marathon County Circuit Court Judge Suzanne O’Neill sentenced 33-year-old Dalice Brand Thursday to one year of confinement, followed by three years of extended supervision. The case stems from an April overdose at a state Department of Corrections transitional housing facility in Wausau. A staff member found a man unresponsive, and firefighters revived him with Narcan. Brand was convicted of delivering fentanyl as a repeat offender. A separate charge of first-degree recklessly…

Read More

Wrong-way driver on Highway 51 crashes into sheriff’s squad, injuring two

Steve Dillon

An 80-year-old Grafton man is facing multiple charges after allegedly driving the wrong way on Highway 51 in Lincoln County and crashing into an occupied sheriff’s squad car and another vehicle. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says its 911 dispatch center received multiple calls reporting a wrong-way driver traveling south in the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 51. A deputy located the vehicle near mile marker 225 in the Town of Skanawan and attempted to stop it. According to the sheriff’s office, the driver continued southbound despite the deputy’s emergency…

Read More