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Author: Steve Dillon

Lincoln County EDC Announces New Event Focused on Regional Economic Trends

Steve Dillon

MERRILL — Population shifts, workforce needs and the factors that influence where people choose to live and work will be the focus of a new economic development event coming to Merrill next month. The Lincoln County Economic Development Corporation will host its inaugural Economic Insights 2026: Population on the Move program from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, November 5, at the Merrill Expo Center, 303 North Sales Street. The free event will feature Matt Kures, a community economic development specialist with the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension. His presentation…

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Lincoln County Closes $900,000 Budget Gap in 2027 Spending Plan

Steve Dillon

Lincoln County officials have eliminated a projected $900,000 budget deficit as work continues on the county’s 2027 spending plan. Finance Director Korey Bloch presented supervisors with an updated budget draft during Tuesday’s County Board meeting. The proposal includes a property tax levy of approximately $13.6 million, an increase of about $300,000 from the previous year. Despite the higher levy, the county’s average mill rate is projected to decline. The draft attributes that outlook to a 6.9% increase in equalized property values and a 1.3% increase in net new construction. The…

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MERRILL POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORT: REPORTED HOMICIDE FOUND TO BE SWATTING INCIDENT

Steve Dillon

The Merrill Police Department responded to 14 incidents during the week ending October 18th. Officers conducted approximately 11 traffic stops and 73 security checks. A reported homicide on Saturday turned out to be a swatting incident. Officers responding to the call discovered a teenager had broke up with her online boyfriend and he and a friend were harassing and threatening her. Investigation into the incident is ongoing. Other activity included two hit and run reports, three instances of property damage, an arrest for a probation violation, a juvenile referred to…

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In-Person Absentee Voting Underway in Wisconsin

Steve Dillon

In-person absentee voting is now underway across Wisconsin, giving voters another option ahead of the November third general election. Municipal clerks began offering early voting Tuesday, exactly two weeks before Election Day. Voters can request and complete an absentee ballot in one visit, although locations and hours vary by municipality. An acceptable photo ID is required. State figures show more than 173,000 mail-in absentee ballots have been returned, while more than 191,000 requested ballots remain outstanding. Locally, Lincoln County has received about 650 of the nearly 1,300 absentee ballots requested.…

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Wausau Committee Recommends Shutting Down Flock License-Plate Cameras

Steve Dillon

Wausau is moving closer to ending its use of automated license-plate-reading cameras after a city committee voted unanimously Monday to recommend shutting down the system. The Public Health and Safety Committee voted to recommend immediately stopping use of all 20 cameras operated by Flock Safety and ending future payments under the city’s contract with the company. The committee also wants the Finance Committee to remove funding for the service from Wausau’s 2027 and 2028 budgets. The recommendations represent a significant development in the city’s ongoing debate over surveillance technology, privacy…

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MERRILL FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT: DOWNED POWER LINE, TRASH FIRE

Steve Dillon

The Merrill Fire Department responded to 45 calls last week, bringing the total for 2026 to 1,890 calls. EMS Services were required for 40 of those calls. The Department responded to the report of a downed electrical line on Superior Street in the City of Merrill on Tuesday, and an outdoor trash fire on North Nast Street in the City of Merrill on Wednesday.

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LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF’S REPORT: TOMAHAWK MAN FACING MUTLIPLE ALLEGATIONS

Steve Dillon

Last Week, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies conducted 23 traffic stops and 21 security checks. There were thirteen reports of cars hitting deer, and one where a car struck a coyote. A Tomahawk man faces multiple allegations after Lincoln County deputies responded to the same residence twice in a matter of days. According to published reports, deputies first went to a residence in the Town of Bradley Friday for a disturbance involving alleged threats and the use of household items as weapons. Deputies returned early Monday morning after another reported disturbance.…

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One Dead, Two Seriously Injured in Marathon County Crash

Steve Dillon

An 80-year-old Wausau man died and two other people were seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash Sunday morning in the village of Maine, north of Wausau. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called to the intersection of County Highway L and North 60th Avenue at approximately 9:03 a.m. October 18. According to the initial report, the man’s southbound vehicle collided with an eastbound vehicle driven by a 64-year-old woman. The woman and her 68-year-old male passenger were transported to a hospital with serious injuries. The intersection was closed…

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35th Assembly District Candidate Elizabeth McCrank Hosting Merrill Open House

Steve Dillon

Voters will have an opportunity to meet with Wisconsin’s 35th Assembly District candidate Elizabeth McCrank during a public forum and open house Thursday, October 22, in Merrill. The event is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. at the Agra Pavilion, 401 South Park Street. McCrank says she wants to hear directly from residents, answer their questions and discuss concerns affecting the district. Topics may include school funding, rural road conditions, rural health care and transportation. McCrank also plans to discuss potential ways to fund solutions to those challenges. The event…

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Merrill Honors Former Mayor Patsy Woller With Honorary Street Sign

Steve Dillon

Merrill has recognized one of its pioneering public servants, dedicating an honorary street sign Saturday to Patricia “Patsy” Woller, the city’s first woman mayor. The October 17 ceremony took place at the intersection of Division and Wright Streets, in front of the Grand Stand ice cream shop. The dedication is the first of three honorary street signs planned by the City of Merrill and its Historic Preservation Committee. Woller’s path to local leadership began after she moved to Merrill in 1962. Following years spent raising her children, she returned to…

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