Lincoln County Sheriff's reports

A one vehicle crash last Monday morning on US Hwy 51 slowed traffic for over an hour. Deputies along with Merrill EMS and Pine River Fire Department and First Responders all responded to US Hwy 51 south of Center Rd after a box truck towing a trailer owned by Calkins Amusement jackknifed blocking most of the southbound side. The driver of the vehicle, 38 year old Richelle L. Meyers of East Troy, WI told the investigating deputy that the brakes froze up on the vehicle causing the crash. Richelle Meyers was transported to Aspirus with minor injuries. Deputies and Pine River Firefighters shut down the slow lane of the highway for over an hour until the vehicles could be removed and the highway re-opened. The Merrill Police Department also assisted with traffic control after motorists north of the crash tried to back off of the highway to avoid the delay.

Deputies along with Merrill EMS and the Town of Pine River Fire Department and First Responders responded to a two-vehicle crash last Monday afternoon at State Rd 17 and County Rd G. According to the deputies' report a vehicle being driven by 69 year old John W. Bentz of Weston was traveling south on State Rd 17 when he struck an east bound vehicle being driven by 80 year old Mary J. Leder of Gleason. Leder was stopped at the stop sign but had pulled out in front of Bentz. Mary Leder was transported to Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center for non-life threatening injuries. She was later cited for failing to yield the right of way. Neither Bentz nor his passenger claimed any injury in the crash.

Merrill Firefighters along with a deputy responded to Joe Snow Rd in the Town of Scott Tuesday afternoon after a lawnmower caught fire. A cell 911 call reported the fire in the 7000 block of Joe Snow Rd at 1:30 p.m. According to the deputy's report the homeowner had just finished mowing the lawn when he went back inside of the house, heard a loud bang and then saw the fire. The lawn mower was a total loss.

Tomahawk Firefighters along with a deputy responded to an establishment in the Town of Bradley Tuesday afternoon after a report of a possible structure fire was called in to 911 just after 3 p.m. The bartender at Cockatiel's, N10730 County Rd A, called 911 after finding the back room of the building filling with smoke. When firefighters arrived they found a fire on the outside of the building into the wall that they quickly extinguished. The suspected cause could be improper disposal of smoking materials. There was no major damage; Tomahawk Firefighters were on the scene for less than an hour.

A 25 year old Gleason woman is in the Lincoln County Jail facing felony charges after a deputy and Merrill Police Officer recovered drugs after a traffic stop early Saturday morning. Law enforcement was searching for a vehicle being driven by Stephanie Stamper after a report was received that she was acting irrationally and was possibly impaired. A deputy spotted the vehicle Stamper was supposed to be operating as it left the city on East Main Street and stopped it on State Rd 64 in the Town of Pine River at just before 2 a.m. While speaking with the passenger, a 26 year old Wausau woman, marijuana was recovered, and during a search of Stamper methamphetamine and non-prescribed prescription pills were located. Stamper was brought to the Lincoln County Jail where she was booked on felony charges of possession of meth, illegal possession of a prescription drug and felony bail jumping. Stamper was arrested in May of this year and charged with misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and felony charges of maintaining a drug trafficking place, and manufacture/deliver marijuana. At that time she was released on a signature bond. She will have another bond hearing on Monday on the new charges.

A 41 year old Merrill woman was arrested Saturday evening after deputies responded to a disturbance in the Town of Merrill. A 911 call brought deputies to a home on Duginski Rd just after 5:30 p.m. Karla K. Dudek was brought to the Lincoln County Jail where she was charged with disorderly conduct. She was later released after posting bond.

A 30 year old Merrill man is in the Lincoln County Jail facing a felony charge after a deputy was almost struck while on patrol Saturday night. The deputy was traveling north on Pier Street at 9:23 p.m. when he observed a pickup traveling west on North Star Rd at a high rate of speed. When the deputy realized the truck was not going to stop at the stop sign he slammed on his brakes and watched as the truck went through the stop sign. The deputy stopped Jeffrey S. Stricklin and detected the odor of an intoxicant. Striklin was asked to perform field sobriety tests and as a result was arrested on a fourth offense of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. The fourth offense is a felony as Stricklin's last conviction was in 2009. He was booked into the Lincoln County Jail and had a bond hearing on Monday in Lincoln County Court.

A 47 year old Appleton man is in the Lincoln County Jail after a check on suspicious persons resulted in a felony OWI arrest. The Rec. Deputy was checking on some people fishing on Underdown Lake Sunday night around 8 p.m. noted they three were acting suspicious. A check showed the two males did not have driver's licenses and the female had a license but was not allowed to drive if she had been drinking due to a pending OWI case. The Rec. Deputy warned the group not to drive unless they had a sober driver. A short time later while on Horn Lake Rd near Heinemann Rd in the Town of Schley the trio passed the deputy. The Rec. Deputy followed their vehicle for a short distance before the driver Jonathan David Harris stopped the vehicle on Heinemann Rd. Harris was placed through field sobriety tests before he was taken into custody on the fifth offense charge. Harris will also be cited for driving on a revoked license without a valid license and driving a vehicle without an ignition interlock device. He will have a bond hearing Monday in Lincoln County Court.