Grade 11: Nadean Danielewicz, Deverick Hartmann, Madison Holm, Chase Mabie, Emily Mason, Gavin Polansky, Will Rhody, Kate Schmidt, Rhiannan Swanson, Korbin Thums
Grade 12: Michael Bant, Ashlyn Englund, Jaxson Franz, Blake Griebel, Clint Hale, Rhys Harris, Aidan Hause, Justin Hoffman, Evan Lord, Travis Macholl, Grady May, Nicholas Nikkila, Jordan Przylski, Taylor Slattery
Pine Village in Prentice offers affordable, active living in a wooded setting for those 50+ and disabled persons. Rent is based on 30% Adjusted Gross Income. Small pets under 30 pounds are welcome. Contact Pine Village at 715-428-2300.
Perfect Attendance, Second Quarter, 2025-2026
4K: Arya Enders
Kindergarten: Claire Johnson, Quinn Johnson, Kira Lukes
Reports received by the police departments in Price County for the month have been condensed and summarized.
PRICE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
Reports have not yet been received for January 2026.
(The article continues after the ad. Keep reading.) Deer Creek Angus, LLC has a large selection of Black Angus burgers, steaks, roasts, and other beef products sold by individual packages and in quarters, halves, and whole. Contact Deer Creek Angus, LLC at 715-550-6156, find products & pricing on their website, and follow their Facebook page.
PHILLIPS POLICE DEPARTMENT
1-2-26: Received a report of a plane that appeared to be stuck in the snow at the Price County Airport. Officer responded and met with an adult male. Adult male advised that there was no injuries and that contact was made with the airport supervisor for assistance.
1-4-26: Responded to assist Central Price County Ambulance at a where a subject was located on the floor of their garage and was unresponsive. Officers and EMS arrived on scene and began CPR, affixed an AED, and the patient was transported via ambulance for further medical treatment.
1-4-26: Advised of a hit and run that occurred at a grocery store.
1-5-26: At approximately 3:00 p.m., the Phillips Police Department responded to an off-site classroom where a male juvenile was being uncontrollable and had torn a phone cable off the wall. The mother of the child was called to bring the child home. The child was referred to Price County Human Services for disorderly conduct and damage to property.
1-6-26: Responded to an uncontrollable juvenile who was being taught at an off site classroom at city hall. An officer stood by with the juvenile to make sure he would not damage the city property or harm himself or others. The response team from the Phillips Elementary School arrived to assist with the child. The child's mother arrived to take the child home for the day.
1-6-26: Contacted by the Phillips School District regarding the disorderly actions of a student that had occurred in December of 2025. A statement was taken from a member of the school faculty regarding the actions of the student.
1-6-26: Assisted the Price County Sheriff's Office with an execution of a search warrant. One adult female was arrested and held at the Price County Jail.
1-7-26: Observed a subject attempting to flag vehicles down/hitch hike on South Lake Avenue near Maple Street. An officer made contact with the subject and made arrangements with Price County Sheriff’s Department for a deputy to provide the subject transportation from the Price County Sheriffs Department to their residence in a neighboring township.
1-7-26: Advised by Price County dispatch that a subject who resides in the City of Phillips had an active commitment order through Price County Circuit Court. An officer made contact with the subject, confirmed the commitment order, and advised and placed the subject under arrest and transported the person to Price County Jail for the booking process.
1-8-26: Responded to a one-vehicle accident with no injuries on Sout Lake Avenue, where a vehicle had exited the roadway and struck a street light, snapping the street light at the base. Central Price County Ambulance Service and Phillips Fire Department responded. The operator was evaluated by EMS . The vehicle was removed from the scene by a tow service and the operator was advised they would be cited for operating too fast for conditions. The operator was released from the scene, and the Phillips Department of Public Works responded and removed the damaged street lamp.
1-8-26: Responded to an uncontrollable child. Child was returned to guardian. Officer was advised that an adult female was struck by the child. Officer will be referring the charge of battery to Price County Human Services.
1-13-26: Received a complaint from the Price County Health Department referencing mold in the bathroom of a city residence on Eyder Avenue.
1-15-26: Assisted the Central Price County Ambulance with an elderly male that slipped on the ice and hit his head and was experiencing changes in vision. The officer assisted with loading the patient.
1-16-26: Contacted by the School District of Phillips regarding a distraught student in the high school. An officer assisted with the student whom had been a victim of a phishing scam and possible sextortion scheme.
1-17-26: Responded to an address for an individual who kept losing consciousness. Officers arrived, administered oxygen to the patient, and assisted EMS upon their arrival.
1-18-26: Responded to a business where an employee reported a female was sleeping in her vehicle. An officer arrived on scene and made contact with the female, who stated she had dozed off looking at her phone. The officer did not observe the odor of an intoxicant coming from the vehicle and did not observe any signs of impairment.
1-21-26: Received information of a possible juvenile violation that occurred at the Phillips School District. More investigation required.
1-22-26: Assisted Central Price County Ambulance with a subject who reported they slipped on ice on a sidewalk and injured their leg/ankle. EMS arrived on scene, evaluated the subject, and transported the person for further medical treatment
1-22-26: Advised of a possible hit and run that occurred at the school parking lot. An officer made contact with the vehicle’s owner, who had removed the damaged vehicle from the scene prior to contacting law enforcement.
1-22-26: Responded to assist Central Price County Ambulance with a subject who felt weak and was seeking medical treatment. An officer responded and the subject was transported by EMS for further medical treatment.
1-23-26: Received a report that the main water line was leaking in ar residence from the city water meter. An officer contacted City of Phillips Water and Sewer, and the water was shut off to the residence.
1-23-26: Received a child abuse report in the City of Phillips. An officer interviewed the child and mother. An officer made contact with Price County Human Services and advised them of the situation.
1-24-26: Responded to a fire call in the City of Phillips. An officer arrived and spoke with the owner of the residence who believed a ceramic heater had caused the fire. Phillips Fire Department arrived on scene and started working on the fire. An officer contacted the homeowner’s family member to pick him up. Red Cross was also contacted to assist the home owner.
1-24-26: Observed a vehicle traveling on a one-way street in the wrong direction. An officer stopped the vehicle and explained the violation to the operator. The officer issued a city ordinance citation for operating a motor vehicle in the wrong direction on a one-way street.
1-26-26: There were five snow removal ordinance violations.
1-26-26: Conducted a background check for an adoption agency on two adult females.
1-26-26: Found an abandoned vehicle at a motel with no license plates. An officer was able to identify the owner by the VIN and called the registered owner of the vehicle. The owner stated that they did not own the car any more. The vehicle’s owner was not identified, and the motel was notified they could do what they want with the vehicle.
1-26-26: Received a report of school bus keys that were possibly stolen from a bus at the Phillips School District. An officer arrived on scene and was advised the keys had been located under a box of donuts. Officer cleared shortly after.
1-26-26: Assisted the Central Price County Ambulance Service with an elderly female who was passing out and not felling well. The elderly female was transported to the medical center.
1-27-26: Assisted the Central Price County Ambulance Service with a female adult who was weak and could not walk. An officer assisted with loading the patient onto the cot and into the ambulance.
1-27-26: Responded to assist Phillips Fire Department at an address in the City of Phillips, which had previously had a structure fire, and an insurance agent observed the fire had rekindled. An officer and Phillips Fire Department responded, and Phillips Fire Department managed the scene.
1-28-26: Contacted by a landlord who stated that his tenant told him that he was moving out of the residence he owned in the beginning of January. The landlord stated that he went to the residence today, and there was still a lot of the tenant’s belongings in the rental. The landlord stated that he wanted the property to be removed as the tenant had not paid for rent since July 2025 The officer made contact with the tenant who stated that he would be moved out at the end of this month and would contact the landlord.
1-28-26: Responded to a care facility to assist Central Price County Ambulance with a man who had fallen and struck his head. An officer and EMS responded, the person was evaluated, and he was not transported for further treatment. The officer and EMS assisted the man back into bed.
1-31-26: Responded to assist the Central Price County Ambulance Service with an adult male who had fallen and possibly broken his arm on Hilly Haven Circle. An officer arrived and identified the patient. The officer assisted with stabilizing the patient’s arm and loading of the patient, who was transported to the medical center.
1-31-26: Received a report of a two-vehicle minor accident at a local grocery store.
1-31-26: Assisted the Price County Sheriff's Department with a possible shooting outside the City of Phillips. Officers and Price County deputies arrived on scene and investigated the incident. It was determined no shooting had occurred. (The article continues after the ad. Keep reading.)
Phillips Public Library, located at 286 Cherry Street in Phillips, has lots of activities and events planned for this month. Visit the library's website for more information.
PARK FALLS POLICE DEPARTMENT
1-1-26: Dispatched to a rollover accident on Highway 13 near the bridge on the south end of Park Falls. An officer located a person walking down Hwy. 13 that he determined to be the suspect. The officer detained the subject and responded to the crash location to make sure there were no other victims. A deputy arrived on scene, and the officer assisted him with the OWI process of the driver.
1-2-26: There was a juvenile matter involving two females who were entered as runaways in Vilas County. Both females were located at separate addresses within the City of Park Falls and were taken into custody.
1-4-26: A criminal incident between a male and female occurred. The male suspect was arrested on criminal charges and a probation violation hold.
1-5-26: Assisted the Ashland County Sheriffs' Department with two head-on collision accidents at the intersection of Highway 13 and Hen Road.
1-7-26: There was a disturbance between neighbors regarding smoking in the building and knocking on each others' doors. Both parties were informed to not have contact with each other.
1-8-26: Snow/ice removal from sidewalk violation.
1-9-26: A female reported that she believed that there were people outside of her home and wished for the area to be checked for any criminal activity.
1-9-26: Dispatched to assist the county with a crash detection from an iPhone. No crash was located. Instead, the owner lost the iPhone off a truck, which caused the crash detection.
1-14-26: A welfare check was conducted. One male was located having a medical episode. An ambulance was called and a patient was transported.
1-16-26: There was a hit and run incident that occurred in a hardware store parking lot area the day prior. No injury; minimal damage.
1-18-26: A family member of a patient at the medical center was causing a disturbance. No enforcement action was needed by staff as the person voluntarily left the hospital on foot.
1-18-26: The sheriff's office requested assistance with a male who had two active warrants.
1-18-26: There was a report of a two-vehicle crash in a store's parking lot. Property damage only; no injury.
1-19-26: A vehicle and semi truck accident occurred. No injuries; reportable accident. A citation was to be issued to a driver for failure to yield right of way.
1-21-26: Dispatched to a location for a female who fell while walking home. Not wanting emergency services, the officer took her home.
1-23-26: A two-vehicle accident occurred at an intersection. No injuries; one citation was to be issued.
1-24-26: A person called about a broken pipe actively flooding an apartment.
1-24-26: Officers were informed by dispatch that a ATL was sent out for a vehicle involved in a disturbance at a casino. This vehicle belonged to someone who lived just outside of Park Falls. An officer located the vehicle at a gas station, and two officers made contact with the occupants. Information was gathered for the investigating officer, and the subjects were released.
1-27-26: A civil matter of snow being pushed onto a neighboring property occurred. The parties could not come to a resolution to have the snow moved.
1-28-26: A male reported that he suspected somebody had slashed a tire on his vehicle.
1-29-26: Officers were dispatched to for a juvenile male who was intoxicated and causing a disturbance at his residence. Officers arrived and investigated the incident. The male was arrested.
1-29-26: There was a report of a vehicle that had spun out and struck a mailbox. The mailbox post was broken, but the vehicle only had a minor paint scuff.
1-30-26: There was a report of suspicious foot tracks near the reporting party's home and bedroom window.
1-31-26: An officer provided an ambulance assist for an extremely intoxicated male who fell and sustained injury to his mouth area.
Forward Bank is a depositor-owned organization driven to move our communities forward. By offering free checking, great rates on loans & deposits, business services, leading edge digital services, and a Charitable Money Market Account, Forward Bank keeps our communities strong. For more information, visit Forward Bank's website.
On February 9, 2026, a personal injury/automobile civil lawsuit was filed in Dane County. Plaintiffs include Naomi and Luke Morrison of Phillips. Involuntary plaintiffs include two insurance companies and State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The defendants are Lance Walcisak of Kennan; United Price Dairy, LLC of Phillips; and an insurance company from Madison. This lawsuit stems from the August 2025 fatal vehicle accident at the intersection of Hwy. 13 and Hwy.111/Little Chicago Road.
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs are from Pinkert Law Firm LLP in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, which is located in Door County. Zachary Buchta, Jennifer Hobart, and Daniel Nerenhausen are the attorneys for the plaintiffs.
My Price County reached out to Pinkert Law Firm, and two attorneys acknowledged receipt of our correspondence. Understandably, attorneys generally do not provide a lot of information in these cases, but if we receive a response, we will update this article.
By: Davette Lynne Hrabak, CPA, CFE, CBM, ATA, ATP, ABA, ECS, CGMA
“When it comes to taxes, save the lion’s share; enter between the lions to get this special care.” https://www.DavetteLynneHrabak.com
What is referred to by many as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” (P. L. 119-21), which was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on July 4, 2025, has created many tax law changes, some that took effect immediately, and some that are being phased in on various dates. This law made sweeping changes to our tax code. The act is vast and touches on almost all of our tax code in some way.
While the popular understanding by many is that the act has made it so that there is “no tax on overtime, no tax on tips, and no tax on Social Security,” among a ton of other items, this understanding is only somewhat correct. It does, indeed, do that and much more for many people. But, of course, in the world of taxes, it is a bit more complex than that. There are requirements that have to be met and limits involved, some of which are discussed below.
When it comes to no tax on tips, there is a variety of criteria, and it is capped at $25,000. It has some safeguards within the law which describes which occupations are allowed to take the deduction; the occupations are divided into eight categories. If a person gets a tip and they do not fit those categories, then the tip is still taxable. Most normally-tipped occupations should fit into the categories described.
No tax on overtime, as well, has its set of criteria that need to be followed. What it amounts to is that for 2025 through 2028, individuals who have qualified overtime compensation can deduct the part of the pay that exceeds their regular pay rate. The maximum deduction, which can be taken annually, is $12,500 or $25,000 for joint filers, which phases out depending on a taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income.
The no tax on Social Security is really a deduction for seniors. It is a deduction of $6,000 being allowed for a qualified taxpayer who is 65 years or older and is subject to modified adjusted gross income limitations of $150,000 for married filing joint returns and $75,000 for all other tax-filing statuses. Once those thresholds are hit, it is reduced by six percent of the modified adjusted gross income in excess of those amounts.
You have probably heard that the act made most of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act tax cuts permanent, which was very important to our tax code. If that had not happened, many people, in all brackets, would have experienced a tax increase, but the bill did that and so much more.
The One Big Beautiful Bill has 870 to over 1,200 pages, depending on the font size of the file that you view it in and is bound to effect almost everyone’s tax return this year and in future years in some way.
In addition to the changes on taxability of tips, overtime, and special senior deduction, as discussed above, it also lowered individual tax rates, increased the standard deduction, increased the child tax credit, raised the estate tax exclusion, made bonus depreciation permanent for businesses, allowed farms that meet the criteria to defer the payment of tax on certain sales of farmland, extended rules for certain disaster-related personal casualty losses, made changes to 529 accounts to allow more qualified expenses, put criteria in place for excluding the gain from sale of qualified small business stock, put in a special deduction for deducting loan interest on qualified passenger vehicles, changed the way floor plan financing is handled, made changes to 1099-K and other information reporting, expanded exemptions from the use of percentage of completion methods for residential construction contracts, increased the amounts of various credits, set up some items to have inflation adjustments for years to come, and so much more.
Many of the changes were of great assistance to taxpayers; however, there were also some aspects of the act that did reduce credits/deductions for some taxpayers, plus repeal, modify, and/or limit various clean energy type credits.
An interesting aspect of the One Big Beautiful Bill is “Trump accounts.” It is one of the provisions of the act that starts for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025. These accounts are a new set of accounts that have tax advantages for people under the age of 18. Annual contribution limits are $5,000, which is indexed to inflation, and there are also some employer contribution options and rollover rules, but what they do is establish that the accounts can be distributed once a person reaches the age of 18. There is a special government-funded contribution pilot program that provided for a government contribution for children that are born in 2025 to 2028. These accounts, if used properly, even just by the starter amounts that the government is putting in, will use the magic of compounding and time value of money to make the people with these accounts have a very good investment for them in their future.
Many of the items discussed herein, and the ones not listed, as well, have a lot of criteria involved in them. This year and the next few years will have many changes. If you have any questions or concerns, please discuss your tax situation with your CPA so that you can obtain the best possible tax return, either via a nice refund or owing the least tax possible.
For a free, no obligation quote on tax and accounting services, call Davette at 715-339-6638. Her office is located between the lion statues at 164 South Lake Avenue in Phillips.
Davette Lynne Hrabak, CPA, located at 164 South Lake Avenue in Phillips, specializes in tax return preparation, business start-up services, consulting, bookkeeping, payroll, and all your accounting needs. Call 715-339-6638 or visit Davette's website. Follow her Facebook page.
On Monday, February 2, 2026, at 3:45 p.m., Phillips Fire & Rescue was dispatched to a structure fire on Deer Lake Lane in the Township of Worcester in Phillips. Dispatch reported that the house was nearly fully engulfed, and the occupants were evacuating. According to a family member of the home owners, all people and pets exited safely.
According to Fire Chief Dave Lontcoski, "Phillips Fire responded with an engine, tender, pumper/tanker, heavy rescue, two chiefs, and twelve firefighters.
"Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy fire coming from the roof of the three-story home. Firefighters made an interior attack but had to pull out and go defensive when parts of the roof started to collapse."
Command requested a MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) to the first alarm. Area fire departments responded. Park Falls Fire responded with a squad and five firefighters; Fifield Fire responded with an engine, tender, and command vehicle, a chief, and six firefighters; Prentice Fire responded with a tender, squad, chief, and firefighters; and Catawba Fire responded with an engine, tender, chief, and eight firefighters.
"Due to the size of the home and the lack of accessibility to the roof area, the alarm was upgraded requesting a ladder truck from Park Falls. Park Falls Fire responded with the ladder and four additional firefighters.
"Firefighters worked for several hours to bring the fire under control. Five tenders were used to haul water to the scene from hydrants in the city. Approximately 60,000 gallons of water was used to completely extinguish the fire.
"The fire is still under investigation, but it appears to have started around the chimney area and spread rapidly to the roof," the chief reported.
Phillips EMS, Phillips Police Department, Price County Sheriff's Office, Emergency Management, Price Electric, Phillips Water Department, and the Town of Worcester also assisted at the scene.
Phillips Fire & Rescue would like to thank all that assisted at the fire. "It's great how everyone can work together as a team," Dave said.
According to a family member of the fire victims, donations can be made to the “Ketterhagen VanGhem Donation Account” at any Forward Bank location. My Price County asked if any items are needed, and the family member felt that clothing may be needed. If we get information regarding the sizes or any other needs and where to drop off items, we will update this article. At the time of publication, this is all the information we have been provided.
"Will I have time to catch frogs after school?" "Will my parents let me get a puppy?" "Can I go fishing with Dad this weekend?" "Will Mom let me have my favorite cookie?" Those are the types of things that are generally the greatest concerns of seven-year-old boys. The parents of seven-year-old boys generally are concerned with making sure he washes his hands after catching those frogs, keeping the mud off the carpet after the boy and his dog are done playing outside, making sure there are enough snacks and warm clothes for the fishing trip, and making sure their son doesn't eat too many cookies. Sometimes, however, those concerns become very small when a greater concern becomes the focus.
For Brad and Stacy Meskill, the greater focus for their eldest son, Owen, is helping him recover from a brain mass that was discovered because Owen was having some concerning symptoms. After an MRI, Owen was diagnosed on Friday, January 16, 2026. Having the answer to what was causing Owen's symptoms, Brad and Stacy drove him to the American Family Children's Hospital in Madison during a snowstorm. Five days later, Owen had a lengthy surgery. Every parent can only imagine what it feels like waiting for your child to come out of brain surgery, each minute dragging on with wonder and worry.
Fortunately, Owen got through the surgery. He is recovering at a children's hospital and will likely be there for a number of weeks. The next portion of his treatment will depend on several factors, which will become clear as healing progresses. It is likely that Owen will miss the next couple months of school. Owen has a younger sibling, Rolan, who is looking forward to his big brother getting better, so, of course, this is a difficult time for him, too.
The Meskills have had many people reach out to them during this time, and they shared, "We are blessed with an incredible community, and we are so grateful." When asked what more the community can do, Owen's aunt, Valerie "Val" Anderson, said, "Both Brad and Stacy will need significant time off from their jobs. As we all know, this will be a great loss of income while accumulating notable expenses. Many have asked about where to send monetary gifts to ease their financial stress so they can continue to focus on their child’s health and recovery; because of this generous inquiry, there will be an account set up at Prevail Bank under the 'Owen Meskill Sunshine Fund.'" Those wishing to donate via Venmo can send directly to @Stacy-Franz-1.
When asked what the community could do to lift Owen's spirits, Val said he loves books and animals. My Price County asked if he might appreciate greeting cards, and Val figured that would be appreciated as he loves to read. She added, "He loves and appreciates every gift he receives, but his parents are hopeful to get a therapy/service dog for Owen to cuddle. They recently learned that he may be able to get a dog through a foundation. If not, they’ll use some monetary gifts toward Owen’s new pup." The dog is a plan for the near future, but If you would like to send words of encouragement to lift Owen's spirits now, you can send cards to Owen Meskill, 124 County Road F, Phillips, WI 54555.
A fundraiser, "Owen's Night," will also take place on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at the Phillips High School. Join the community for a boys' basketball game (Phillips vs. Abbotsford) and youth basketball night. For Owen, there will be a 50/50 raffle, bean bag toss, gift baskets, t-shirts, and more. All funds raised will go to the Meskill family.
While many of you know Brad and Stacy from their years working at Harbor View when it was owned by Duane and Bonny Grube, Val shared that Owen is private by nature. For that reason, the family wished to only release these details at this time, and they appreciate the community understanding their desire to keep much of the situation private.
NOTE: If you have a benefit, fundraiser, or donation need for you or a loved one, please contact us. We will write an article and/or post it on our community calendar to assist with spreading the word in hope of getting the help you or your loved ones need.
On Sunday, January 18, 2026, the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest was held at Chequamegon High School. That day, students competed in the Council Level.
Eight students advanced to the next round, the District Level, which will be held in late February.
Left to right: Bradley Brinegar, Jacob Hoffman, George Nicolaus, William Weiler, Kayden Zych, Harper Patterson, Hadley Bay, and Kate Ernst Submitted photo.
Forward Bank is a depositor-owned organization driven to move our communities forward. By offering free checking, great rates on loans & deposits, business services, leading edge digital services, and a Charitable Money Market Account, Forward Bank keeps our communities strong. For more information, visit Forward Bank's website.
On Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 12:46 a.m., Phillips Fire Department was dispatched to a house fire on County Road D.
Officers arrived on scene first and stated the house was fully engulfed.
According to Fire Chief David Lontcoski,"Phillips Fire responded with an engine, tender, brush truck and nine firefighters. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy fire coming from the roof of the house."
The Phillips fire chief requested a MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System). Park Falls Fire responded with a squad and four firefighters; Fifield Fire responded with an engine, tender and command vehicle, a chief, and seven firefighters; Kennan Fire responded with four firefighters and their trailer, which was used for warming; Prentice Fire responded with a tender, squad, chief, and six firefighters; and Catawba Fire responded with an engine, tender, chief, and five firefighters.
The chief added, "Temperatures were 38 degrees below zero, making firefighting very challenging. Frozen hoses and equipment, ice, and cold temperatures required firefighters to work in shifts."
Approximately 19,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the fire.
There were no reported injuries and everyone made it out of the house.
Phillips Fire was back at the station and in service at 9 a.m.
Phillips EMS, Phillips Police Department, Price County Sheriff's Office, Emergency Management, Xcel Energy, Phillips Water Department, and Price County Highway Department (who came with a sand truck) also assisted at the scene. The chief added, "Phillips Fire would like to thank all that assisted at the fire."
On Monday, November 24, 2025, Vicki Hirtreiter, a 61-year-old woman, was found deceased and partially burned in her front yard of the 1200 block of Saunders Avenue.
According to Park Falls Police Chief Marvin Nevelier, "Based on circumstances observed at the scene, the Park Falls Police Department requested assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to assist with the investigation. A search warrant was later obtained for the residence as part of the investigation. The investigation continued for several weeks as items of evidence were examined and potential witnesses were interviewed. An autopsy was later conducted on the victim at the Marathon County Medical Examiner's Office in Wausau.
"At the conclusion of a thorough investigation, the cause of death was due to severe burn injuries that were determined to be accidental.
"The Park Falls Police Department would like to thank the DCI, the Marathon County Medical Examiner's Office, and the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory for their assistance."
My Price County has asked the police chief for additional information, and if we receive the answers to those questions, they will be added to this article, and the article will be marked as "updated."
UPDATED 2/11/2026:
My Price County asked the police chief the following questions on January 23, 2026:
"One big question we would like to report the answer to is how did she receive these accidental burns that killed her? Was there a fire in her home that either she put out or the fire department put out? Or was she outside her home burning something? Was there a fire somewhere when help arrived? Can you give us more details?
"Who called in to report she was lying in her front yard? For how long was she lying in her front yard?
"Did she die from the burns to her body, or was there also smoke inhalation, or exposure to the outdoor elements?"
On January 30, 2026, Park Falls Chief of Police Marvin Nevelier responded, "Our department is still following up on some additional information so no other information will be released." When we asked if anything additional would be released at a later time, the chief stated, "I will not be releasing any further information regarding this incident."
Charges were filed on January 16, 2026, against the man who drove the semi-truck in the accident that resulted in the death of Robert Morrison and his eight-year-old son, James, on August 28, 2025. Robert and Naomi's other young son was also in the accident and survived. The accident occurred at the intersection of State Highway 13 and State Highway 111/Little Chicago Road. (See related article.)
The charges filed against the semi driver, Lance Walcisak, include two counts of Second Degree Reckless Homicide (Felony D), Second Degree Reckless Injury (Felony F), and Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety (Felony G).
The initial appearance will take place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in the Price County Courthouse with Judge Mark Fuhr presiding, according to the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access record.
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