A 45-year-old Tomahawk man was arrested Tuesday morning on a warrant charge and will be referred to the Lincoln County District Attorney on drug charges.
Firefighters from several departments responded to a wildland fire Saturday afternoon in the Town of Pine River. Just before noon cell callers reported seeing smoke near State Rd. 64 near and Hill View Road. When a deputy arrived on the scene he was able to locate a grass fire that was quickly spreading due to the high winds. Firefighters from the Pine River Fire Department Town of Russell, Town of Texas, Merrill Fire Department and the DNR were able to bring the fire under control. The DNR later reported 1.6 acres were consumed in the fire.
A 42-year-old Tomahawk man was arrested early Sunday morning on a felony traffic charge after a traffic stop in the Town of Tomahawk. A deputy stopped the vehicle the man was driving after being advised earlier that the driver may be impaired. The man was taken into custody for a felony fourth offense of driving while intoxicated, he was also held on a probation violation charge.
The Recreation Deputy along with DNR continues to investigate the fatal boating accident that occurred Saturday afternoon in the City of Tomahawk. The incident was reported to 911 at 2:30 p.m. A boat was traveling west on the Wisconsin River when the engine failed. As the disabled boat floated in the water it began drifting toward the north shore and the occupants feared it would impact a pier or the shoreline. Justin J.J. Kimmons, 23, of Irma, entered the water and prevented the boat from striking the dock. When the engine of the boat was started the victim was in the water and still on the back side of the boat. He was struck by the propeller causing fatal injuries. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene by the Lincoln County Coroner. Alcohol was not factor in the incident and the boat was properly equipped with all required safety equipment.
Severe weather moved through the area on Sunday. High winds caused damage in the Gleason area and the Town of Pine River. A farmer on Schielke Road reported the roof had been torn off his barn and feared his cattle were stuck inside. A second farm on Jane Spur Road had an outbuilding with cattle severely damaged. In Pine River winds brought down trees and several power lines. Deputies assisted the Lincoln County Highway Department and Wisconsin Public Service as they worked to clear roads and restore service.
A third round of storms that came through the county around 9 p.m. on Sunday caused considerable damage. Due to the heavy rains, several county roads are presently closed. County Rd. A north of County Rd. H, a culvert has washed out causing the Highway Department to close that section of roadway. A section of County Rd. H south of County Rd. A in the Town of King is also washed out and has formed a 10-foot drop. If you are traveling on secondary roads on Monday use caution as numerous trees were knocked down with the storms on Sunday and not all roads have been checked for stability in the wake of the heavy rains.
The number of car deer crashes remains very high with 30 being reported this past week. A 48-year-old Merrill man was injured after striking a deer while riding his motorcycle Saturday evening. The driver refused transport from Tomahawk EMS. In total On Thursday a bear was struck by a semi on US Hwy. 8 east of County Rd. CC north of Tomahawk.