Reports received by the police departments in Price County for the month have been condensed and summarized.
PRICE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
1/1/22: Two separate people called 911 due to a couple fighting. The female caller said the female spit on the male and the male hit her. The male caller stated the female was sitting in the snow in a skirt and crying. He was worried about the female's safety so he decided to stay and requested a deputy.
1/4/22: A man called stating that he lives with his mother, and while he was out of town, a woman came to their door stating she needed to get some of the man's paperwork. The mother let the woman into the home. However, the man reported he did not send anyone to the house to pick up paperwork. He made an informational report in case something turned up missing.
1/4/22: A man reported he flipped his truck due to icy road conditions.
1/5/22: A female reported she was at her grandpa's apartment and someone had broken in and was still there. She locked herself in the bathroom until deputies arrived, and they were able to convince her to come out of the bathroom.
1/7/22: A man found five kittens on the side of the road and delivered them to the sheriff's office.
1/7/22: A vehicle rolled over with a person trapped inside. Emergency services were deployed. Meanwhile, a caller stated he was taking the man to the hospital. He was alert and speaking but he would need help getting the man out of the vehicle. The ambulance was advised and returned to the hospital to assist.
1/8/22: A woman called stating that her babysitter had a phone the woman had purchased that the babysitter could use if the babysitter needed to contact the woman. When the woman decided to use other babysitting services, she asked for the phone back. The babysitter returned the phone but then made posts on social media that the woman considered threatening.
1/8/22: A man reported receiving phone calls from an unknown woman who made statements about things the man did during the day and inquired where he lives.
1/10/22: A woman called to report a solid object falling from the sky and possibly on fire. She stated it appeared to be a distance off and she could not see a plane but she felt fairly confident it was a solid object. She indicated it also could have been the sun setting. The location was west of Hwy. 13 near County Road A, south of Phillips and off in the distance.
1/10/22: A house fire was reported in Ogema.
1/11/22: A caller reported an older black horse that appeared to be in distress.
1/11/22: A woman called to report she left a pot of water on the gas range burning and she was out of town. A deputy advised he was at the residence earlier and the range was not on.
1/11/22: A woman reported that her adult daughter was kidnapped from Lake Hallie by a man she met on the Internet a few years ago. She stated the police there told her to contact Price County. The woman was concerned about a four year old child, that may be the man's, being taken with her daughter. She also mentioned her daughter had her vehicle which was abandoned at a gas station. The police report notes the woman described this situation as being nearly fourth hand information of a possible kidnapping. The woman told the police about text messages with her daughter. The daughter had not returned a phone call from her child's teacher. The police let the woman know they could perform a welfare check but that adult children may cut ties if they so choose.
1/12/22: A man reported that he was working in his home office when he heard his doorbell ring, and his dog started to bark and would not quit. The man went to the door a couple minutes later, and two men, about age 30-something and 60-something, were standing in his foyer. He thought they were holding boxes of games or puzzles. They told him they may be in the wrong house and they left in a gray van. The caller wanted this information on file.
1/14/22: A man reported that another man broke into his home while he and his wife were sleeping. He stated the man has been stalking his wife. He said the man turned on the bedroom light and stole his dog. The man was yelling into the phone and at his wife, so dispatch had difficulty understanding the situation. Officers responded on scene.
1/15/22: The same woman who had called earlier in the week reporting her adult daughter as being kidnapped called again about a kidnapping. Since the residence where the woman thought her daughter was had been checked, the police had no information that she was in Price County and told this to the woman. The woman said, "You guys are in on it," and dispatch advised they were not. The woman stated, "You better hope not," and hung up.
1/16/22: A called reported he did not have contact with his brother for over a month and was concerned about his brother's cat and wanted a welfare check on the cat. An officer advised there was no cause to enter the residence to check on the cat at that point. Dispatch attempted to call the cat's owner. The brother who called then said the person who had contacted him concerned about the cat did see it in the window that day.
1/17/22: A deputy served paperwork and conducted a warrant apprehension on a man who became combative. The deputy requested assistance.
1/18/22: A man reported a roll-over accident on Hwy. 8. The driver was out of the vehicle but had a serious laceration to his right hand and a head injury. The patient was currently in another man's truck and they were applying pressure to the wound.
1/20/22: A woman reported frozen fish on and in her mailbox.
1/21/22: A woman arrived at a church in Park Falls stating she had seen demons. The woman was frantic.
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SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES - SHOP PRICE COUNTY FIRST: From burgers for grilling to bacon-wrapped tenderloins, Deer Creek Angus has a large selection of Black Angus beef 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
1/1/22: A female reported foot tracks leading up to a window of her residence. She wanted to report this in case other people had similar reports.
1/2/22: A man reported his aunt took his belongings that she picked up from the police department and would not give them back. The woman told police she took them to the thrift store because the items were not of any value.
1/4/22: Officers responded to a report of a domestic situation. Officers separated the parties and realized a mental health evaluation was needed for an adult female.
1/4/22: The police were notified by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections that an offender will be released from a state prison facility and will be residing in the City of Phillips.
1/7/22: A local retail business reported an adult female was seen shoplifting, and they did not want to pursue criminal charges but wanted the woman to know she was no longer allowed in the store.
1/8/22: A juvenile reported being chased on a snowmobile by another snowmobile, causing him to crash while trying to get away.
1/9/22: A man was served a criminal complaint and summons in Elk Lake Park.
1/9/22: A male was assisted by police by letting him sit in the squad car to warm up as the man had been standing in Elk Lake Park for approximately two hours. The man asked the officer to call his father to pick him up, and the father did pick him up.
1/13/22: An officer observed a man, who he was aware had a bench warrant for failure to appear, walking on Flambeau Avenue. The man was taken into custody for the warrant and transported to the Price County Jail.
1/15/22: A man reported having wild animals inside his residence. The responding officer arrived and realized the man was experiencing hallucinations. While there was no evidence of an illicit substance in the apartment, the officer suspected the man had ingested an illicit substance. The man was taken to the medical center.
1/15/22: A man called to report people breaking into his residence. An officer advised the male individual he was having hallucinations stemming from the prior incident.
1/16/22: A man reported his neighbor above him was pounding and yelling all night. An officer responded and found the doors of the apartment were open and the apartment was destroyed. An officer placed the man into protective custody and transported him to the medical center for further treatment.
1/16/22: A female reported a neighbor was outside without shoes and digging in snowbanks. An officer responded and found the man was yelling at imaginary people inside of an apartment. An officer arrested the man for disorderly conduct.
1/17/22: Police assisted the ambulance service with an adult female who had not eaten in three days and was dehydrated. An officer assisted with loading the female onto a cot and into the ambulance.
1/20/22: Police assisted the ambulance service with a man who was involved in a snowmobile accident and had some bruising to his head.
1/22/22: On January 22nd, the Phillips Police Department, Price County Human Services, and the Price County Sheriff's Department met with a Phillips School District representative. Information was brought forward of a possible crime that had taken place. An officer and a Price County Sheriff's deputy interviewed a juvenile male in regard to information learned.
1/25/22: There was a complaint of prescription fraud at a local pharmacy. Statements were collected and interviews were conducted.
1/28/22: A report was received of a male suspect who bought a female's prescription drugs without her consent. An officer spoke with the female individual about the prescriptions and followed up with the Park Falls Police Department about the incident. The investigation is ongoing.
1/30/22: A male individual was reportedly disrupting business at a local gas station in the City of Phillips. An officer was asked by the employee to warn the individual. An officer spoke with the individual and advised him if his actions continued he would be banned from the store.
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SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES - SHOP PRICE COUNTY FIRST: 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.
PARK FALLS POLICE DEPARTMENT
1/7/22: Two motor vehicles became stuck when trying to drive the roadway and snowmobile trail between 5th Street North and 3rd Avenue North, which is the athletic field access road. Both vehicles had to be towed from the area.
1/8/22: A person had a first offense OWI slide-off and threatened that he would kill two police officers.
1/8/22: A traffic stop occurred when a vehicle was traveling 70 MPH in a 30 MPH zone. The driver received numerous traffic citations.
1/17/22: A possible sexual assault between two juveniles was reported.
1/17/22: A vehicle struck a legally parked vehicle in the ambulance garage parking area causing property damage.
1/17/22: A fire was reported possibly at a house and a garage. The fire was located in the detached garage. Officers used fire extinguishers to control the fire until the fire department arrived to take over.
1/20/22: A commercial burglary alarm sounded at a local store. One balloon was removed from in front of the motion detector. Another balloon was caught in a light and unable to be reached.
1/21/22: An officer responded to a female having a mental health episode at a church. The woman threatened to kill the officer, resisted arrest, and assaulted the officer. The suspect was transported to the hospital for evaluation and was committed.
1/22/22: A two vehicle crash occurred at the intersection of Wisconsin Street and Avery Avenue. A vehicle failed to yield for traffic and was struck by the other vehicle.
1/23/22: A tenant stated a renter changed the locks on her residence without her knowledge.
1/26/22: A domestic abuse incident was reported. Officers checked numerous locations in the city and outskirts but were unable to find the man. Upon investigation, information was found leading to the arrest of an adult male the next day.
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES - SHOP PRICE COUNTY FIRST: Fred Mueller Ford, Phillips, sells a full line of automobiles and offers quality mechanic services performed by factory-trained technicians. Visit Fred Mueller Ford's website., follow their Facebook page, call 715-339-3045, or view their inventory at 175 North Avon Avenue in Phillips.
By: Davette Lynne Hrabak, CPA, CFE, CBM, ATA, ATP, ABA, ECS, CGMA, https://www.DavetteLynneHrabak.com
“When it comes to taxes, save the lion’s share; enter between the lions to get this special care.”
As you have heard about and may have received during 2020 and/or 2021, there were multiple economic impact payments. It is a credit that is issued as an advanced refund to eligible individuals.
Taxpayers will need to reconcile their economic impact payments that they received with their Allowable Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 income tax return. The amount of the allowable credit will be reduced, but not below zero, by the economic impact payment received.
There have been some changes and modifications to this for 2021. However, one of the changes that people may be interested in is that an individual who was not an eligible individual for 2019 or 2020 may become an eligible individual for 2021. One situation that causes this to occur is where an individual was a dependent for 2019 or 2020 but is not for 2021. The IRS will not and has not sent out advance rebates to these individuals because advance rebates are based on information on the 2019 or 2020 returns. Therefore, an individual falling into this category will be able to claim the credit when filing a 2021 return if they meet all the other criteria.
Remember, if you have already filed but realize that you could have had a credit or deduction that you missed, it is not too late; you can always amend your return. If you need more information or believe you could qualify for them, I would be happy to give you a free quote on the preparation of your return.
When the right tax and financial advice is essential, talk to someone with an unmatched level of knowledge, experience, and education. A CPA understands the business of taxes and finance and can provide trusted advice and services during the tax season and throughout the calendar year.
For a free, no obligation quote, call Davette at 715-339-6638. Her office is located between the lion statues at 164 South Lake Avenue in Phillips.
The Spring 2022 Primary will be held on February 15, 2022. The Phillips School District Area 2 and Butternut School District races will be on the ballot.
Wisconsin driver's licenses or IDs are the most common form of identification used for voting purposes. Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) encourages voters to check and be sure that they have the proper identification needed to vote in the spring primary. A federally-compliant REAL ID card is not required for voting purposes. Anyone who doesn't have an ID to vote in the spring primary should start the process now.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission notes other forms of identification, such as military or student ID cards, are valid for voting purposes. To see if a card meets the requirements, visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission website.
Voters looking to get their first Wisconsin ID can turn to DMV for help. To obtain an official ID card, there are documentation requirements such as a birth certificate. If all documentation is not readily available, the ID Petition Process can be used to obtain a receipt valid for voting while the remaining documents or verifications are obtained. The DMV offers this service and ID cards for voting purposes free of charge. The DMV's toll-free Voter ID hotline, (844) 588-1069, is available for questions on obtaining an ID to vote.
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES - SHOP PRICE COUNTY FIRST: Fred Mueller Ford, Phillips, sells a full line of automobiles and offers quality mechanic services performed by factory-trained technicians. Visit Fred Mueller Ford's website., follow their Facebook page, call 715-339-3045, or view their inventory at 175 North Avon Avenue in Phillips.
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The following are a few police reports from Lincoln County.
End of January 2022:
No injuries were reported following a car vs school bus crash on Monday, January 24. The crash occurred on State Rd 17 at State Rd 64 in the Town of Pine River.
A 16 year Tomahawk girl was stopped and cited for travelling 88mph on USH 8 near County Rd Y in the Town of Bradley Monday evening, January 24.
A 42 year old Sun Prairie WI man was arrested on charges of Possession of drug paraphernalia (Methamphetamine), Possession of an illegally obtained prescription, Possession of Cocaine, and Possession of Methamphetamine following a traffic stop Wednesday morning, January 26, on USH 8 near USH 51 in the Town of Bradley.
Deputies and the Merrill FD responded to a fully engulfed semi-tractor Thursday afternoon, January 27, on County Rd G in the Town of Merrill. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire does not appear to be suspicious.
A 29 year old Merrill man was arrested Friday afternoon, January 28, on charges of disorderly conduct, multiple bail jumping violations and a probation violation following a disturbance at an establishment in the Town of Pine River.
A 22 year old Portage, WI man was stopped and cited for travelling 99 mph on USH 51 near County Rd H in the Town of Birch Saturday evening, January 29.
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WeCOPE is a free, interactive program designed to help adults cope with life stress. WeCOPE has been shown to reduce stress and depression, increase positive emotions, and improve health.
It’s important to note that the WeCOPE program sessions are not therapy or counseling sessions, but rather skill-building sessions where we’ll share 11 skills that may help you reduce stress and increase positive emotions. You’ll probably find that some of the skills are familiar, some come more naturally than others, and that you like some more than others. That’s OK. The idea is to give you a full toolbox of skills.
The WeCOPE program will be offered virtually via Zoom from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. every other Thursday beginning on February 24th. To allow us to mail program materials to participants, we ask that people register by Monday, February 14th at bit.ly/WeCOPEReg. The program will be taught by Terri Kolb, Extension Educator in Forest and Oneida Counties and Debbie Moellendorf, Extension Educator in Lincoln County.
WeCOPE is offered free through the Wisconsin Rural Opioid and Stimulant Engagement (WiROSE) funded by SAMHSA and is a project of Extension Health and Well-Being Institute.
On Thursday, January 27, 2022, at approximately 10:42 p.m., a 911 call was received regarding a snowmobile crash on Trail 77 between Gile and Hurley. It was reported the male operator of the snowmobile was unresponsive. Emergency services immediately responded, according to Sheriff Paul Samardich.
Although the crash was unwitnessed, it appeared that the driver of the snowmobile failed to negotiate a curve, left the trail, and struck a tree. Speed also appears to be a factor in the crash.
The man, who was 55 years old and from the La Crosse area, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Iron County coroner, Diane Simonich.
On January 24, 2022 at 5:22 a.m., the Sawyer County Sheriff's Office received a report of a two vehicle semi vs. car traffic crash on STH 70 one mile west of the intersection of CTH EE in the Town of Draper. Sawyer County Deputies, Sawyer County EMS, and Wisconsin State Patrol, along with Draper, Winter, and Radisson Fire Departments, responded.
A preliminary investigation indicates a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze, operated by William J. Bohn, 35, from Rib Lake, was traveling westbound on STH 70. The Chevrolet Cruze crossed the center line and collided head-on with an eastbound semi-tractor/trailer operated by Marvin R. Zacharias, 62, from Hayward. Mr. Bohn received fatal injuries from the crash and was the only occupant in the vehicle. Mr. Zacharias received very minor injuries.
This traffic crash remains under investigation by the Sawyer County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Sawyer County Coroner's Office.
Moments ago, The Supreme Court, in a split decision, has decided that private businesses cannot be made to enforce the federal vaccine mandate on their employees. They have kept the stay on that; the vaccine mandate cannot be controlled by OSHA. However, those that are federally-funded, such as health care facilities, must implement the mandate.
On January 8, 2022 at 8:00 p.m., Sawyer County deputies assisted by the LCO Tribal Police Department, the City of Hayward Police Department and the United States Forest Service arrested Quill Running Buffalo Hawk, 40, of Green Bay at the a casino in the Town of Hayward. Hawk was initially taken into custody on a warrant through the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
During the course of the investigation, deputies located four large bundles of US currency of various denominations on Hawk’s person in excess of $4,000. Hawk’s vehicle was located in the casino parking lot where US Forest Service Agent Seehase and his K9 partner Axel conducted a sniff of the vehicle. K9 Axel alerted to the presence of drugs and a search of the vehicle was conducted. Deputies located 31.8 grams of methamphetamine, 7.89 grams of heroin, drug packaging materials and drug paraphernalia.
Hawk was additionally arrested for Possession with intent to Deliver Schedule I & II Narcotics > 3 < 10 grams, Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine >10<50 grams and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Hawk is currently being held in the Sawyer County Jail on a $7,500.00 cash bond. His initial appearance is scheduled for January 18, 2022.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Recognizing the current elevated health risks to drivers 60 and over, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is extending renewal deadlines for this age group.
Licensed drivers who are 60 and over and who have a license scheduled to expire in January, February or March 2022, will now have until March 31, 2022 to visit a DMV to renew with no late fee.
Driver records are automatically updated, and the new expiration date will be visible to law enforcement. Customers can check the status of the license, including the adjusted expiration date, at wisconsindmv.gov/status.
Appointments for a driver license renewal can be scheduled online (wisconsindmv.gov/DLGuide). Applications can also be completed online and submitted electronically. Questions are quickly answered by email or phone.
To make in-person customer visits safer, and reduce the time in the DMV lobby, DMV Customer Services Centers are using safety protocols that include cleaning throughout the day and arranging space to provide safe social distancing.
In-person visits at DMV Customer Services Centers are only available for driver license renewals and original products, ID to vote, and new residents to obtain identification.
Drivers ages 18 to 64, who are U.S. citizens with an unrestricted driver license, and who have not had a change in medical conditions, and who do not need an original REAL ID, may renew their driver license online (wisconsindmv.gov/renewDL).
Traditionally, DMV customers only needed to visit a DMV once every eight years to take a new photo and renew their driver license. Now, online driver license renewal is available through a pilot program which began in May 2020 which allows 16 years to pass between visits.
