Jeremy Ratliff
Reporter

Monday morning, a Merrill man accused of a June 2015 battery of two Merrill police officers was sentenced to three years in state prison and four years of extended supervision, by Lincoln County Circuit Court judge Robert Russell.
Kristopher B. Wilmot, 28, appeared in court Monday morning. As part of a plea agreement, Wilmot pled guilty to Felony charges of Battery to a Law Enforcement Officer and Resisting an Officer Causing Great Bodily Harm.
In exchange, additional Felony charges of Battery to a Law Enforcement Officer, Resisting an Officer causing Great Bodily Harm and Misdemeanor charges of Resisting an Officer, Disorderly Conduct and Bail Jumping were dismissed.
In addition to his prison sentence, Wilmot was ordered to pay $9,105.95 in restitution to Patrol Lieutenant Greg Hartwig, one of the Merrill officers involved in the incident.
The Pre-Sentence investigation recommended three years of extended supervision, but Russell added another year based on Wilmot’s violent criminal history.
The charges stem from an incident occurring in the early morning hours of June 7, 2015, when Merrill officer Josh McCaskill and Hartwig responded to a reported domestic disturbance in progress at Wilmot’s address on Pine Street.
According to information released by the Merrill Police Department, McCaskill was the first to arrive and immediately detected the sounds of an active disturbance inside the residence.
McCaskill reportedly announced his presence as a police officer and after receiving no response from the people inside, McCaskill forced entry into the residence and observed Wilmot retreat to a back room of the residence.
Hartwig then arrived at the residence to assist, while McCaskill located Wilmot in another room and attempted to gain compliance from him at gunpoint. In what was reported as pitch dark lighting conditions, Wilmot reportedly attacked McCaskill, striking him in the face.
Hartwig reportedly assisted McCaskill with gaining control of Wilmot, during which Hartwig was struck in the head. Despite sustaining injuries, both officers deployed Electronic Control Devices (ECD) and were able to take Wilmot into custody, with the assistance of arriving deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and officers of the Merrill Police Department.
Hartwig sustained debilitating upper body injuries during the incident and McCaskill sustained facial injuries. Both were later transported to Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center for medical treatment.
Due to injuries sustained during the incident, Hartwig underwent prolonged medical treatment leaving him unable to return to duty until December of last year.
“It was a consensus agreement for Mr. Wilmot to go to prison for the safety of the public,” Hartwig stated following Monday’s sentencing.
“District Attorney Dunphy, Judge Russell, the pre-sentence investigator and even Mr. Wilmot’s family were in agreement.”
McCaskill declined comment.
Following sentencing, Wilmot will be placed in a correctional institution as deemed by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
Danielle Squires, 25, who had been in the residence at the time and was uncooperative with officers during their search for Wilmot, pled no-contest to a Misdemeanor charge of Resisting an Officer in June. As part of a plea agreement, Squires was sentenced to 10 days in the Lincoln County Jail with Huber privileges.

By Nick Beversdorf
Reporter

Although an improvement over last year’s 50-20 loss, the Merrill Bluejays again lost to the Superior Spartans 38-14 in this year’s opening non-conference football game at Superior. An almost non-existent passing game forced the Bluejays to rely mainly on rushing to achieve any yards.

At almost three minutes in, Superior got their first six points with Corey Sanders scoring a touchdown on a 28-yard run. Sam Kline’s kick for the extra point was good for a total of seven. With only 4:47 left in the first quarter, Superior got another six points from Zach Tharges’s 85-yard touchdown reception from Gunner Johnson. Kline got another point to bring the score to 14-0 for the quarter.

Three minutes into the second quarter, Sr. Jake Collinsowrth scored Merrill’s first touchdown. Collinsworth from from the 31-yard line, off left tackle (Gruetzmacher) set up first score from two yards. Sr. Trey Seubert kicked for the extra point, good to bring Merrill up to seven.

With 1:52 left in the first half, Superior came back with an 11-yard run, courtesy of Gunner Gronski, good for their third touchdown. Kline got the extra point to keep Superior ahead with a score of 21-7.

In the third quarter with 7:42 left, Merrill pulled out another two-yard run, this time courtesy of Jr. Braedon Dorn. Another PAT from Seubert was good for the extra point.

With 3:05 left in the third, Superior broke up the routine with Kline’s 31-yard field goal. Superior then scored another touchdown with 1:02 left in the third from an 18-yard run from Gunner Johnson.

Superior would score their last touchdown with 9:44 left in the fourth with Gunner Gronski’s 14-yard run. Kline closed the scoring with the extra point.

Merrill had 15 first downs with 45 passing yards and 214 rushing yards for a total of 259 yards gained. Seubert was two for two on PATs but 0-1 on field goals. Ty Belfiori had four kickoff returns totaling 102 yards and Ben Tabor had one kickoff return good for 18 yards.

The defense had their work cut out for them. They totaled 35 tackles, five assists, two for losses, a sack, and a pass batted down.

The Bluejay offense was plagued by eight penalties throughout this evening’s contest, including an early ‘illegal motion’ penalty in the first quarter on 3rd and Goal, leading to a missed field goal. On the flip side, the powerhouse Merrill backfield proved ever-formidable as Seniors Jake Collinsworth and Juniors Nevada Laabs and Braeden Dorn enjoyed a solid night on the ground.

“Superior has been a good team for anumber of years and we knew that it was going to be a tough fight,” comments head coach Nick Sturm. “We have a new, younger team that, while it will be good down the road, will have these issues to work out.

“We did a lot of good things but at the same time we made a lot of mistakes. We had way too many penalties and a critical pick at the wrong time that cost us points. At that our defense didn’t tackle that well either.”

“Basically, it comes down to general focus. We will be facing another very good team on Friday and this is something we need to work on. We need to be focused and not let penalties and critical mistakes do us in.”
This Friday’s game will be against River Falls at the new field at Jay Stadium, 7:00 p.m.

SPR: 14 7  10  7-38
MRL: 0  7  7    0-14
Passing: Mootz (7/11, 45 yds, 1INT).
Rushing: Dorn (14 TCB, 58 yds, 1TD); Mootz (13 TCB, 56 yds); Collinsworth (8 TCB, 54 yds, 1TD); Laabs (8 TCB, 42 yds).
Receiving: Olhoff (3 rec, 26 yds); Hintze (2 rec, 10 yds); Laehn (1 rec, 4 yds); Tabor (1 rec, 5 yds).
Punting: Nohr (4, 148 yds, 37 avg).

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Sophomore Defensive End Kole Meyer, joined by Nate Grefe (#18/Middle) and Jacob Burbach (#66/Right) pursues Superior Running Back Corey Sanders during Friday night's contest at Superior's NBC Sports Complex

By Nick Beversdorf
Reporter

Despite an amazing second half rally, the Tomahawk Hatchets lost to the Pittsville Panthers with a final score 32-30 Friday night.

The Hatchets were not able to put anything together in the first half; some missed blocking assignments and mental miscues would keep them from scoring. Defensively, they were sloppy in technique, they couldn’t tackle and were not as aggressive as they needed to be.

Pittsville made a two-yard run plus two point conversion to bring the score to 8-0 in the first quarter. Second quarter saw two more Panther touchdowns: one from a 60-yard run plus another two-point conversion, and another from a 16-yard pass and failed PAT to even out the second quarter at 14 points for a halftime total of 22.

By the time the Hatchets would get their offensive chance in the second half, Pittsville would increase their lead to 29-0 with a three-yard pass and extra point. Unfazed, the Hatchets would start with an Easton Phalin to Eli Wurl 76-yard TD pass that ultimately got the Hatchets rolling. A smart two-point conversion courtesy of Phalin brought it up to eight.

A Phalin to Wurl TD pass with a failed extra point, a Phalin 56-yard run with two point conversion, also courtesy of a Phalin run, and a 12-yard run with a two-point conversion pass to Kole Woodball brought the Hatchets up to 30 points in the fourth quarter.

A more aggressive and physical Hatchet defense along with better technique up front allowed the Hatchet linebackers to make plays and tackle effectively. Pittsville was only able to make a 30-yard field goal in the fourth.
Unfortunately, that field goal with about four minutse left in the game was enough to tip the scales in Pittsville’s favor, allowing them to win.

“Tough loss for the Hatchets on the road,” comments head coach John Larson. “It was a game of two very different halves. The first half we struggled for consistency. There were some bright spots. We took the opening kickoff and marched down inside the red zone but came away empty. That drive was highlighted by a Hatchet fake punt for a big first down by Wyatt Wenninger to keep the drive alive but we ended up turning the ball over on downs.”

Tomahawk had 10 first downs, two by passing and eight by rushing. Out of 21 pass attempts, nine were completed, all thrown by Phalin, totaling 138 yards and resulting in two touchdowns. They rushed for 173 yards gained and 30 yards lost, good for 143 net yards gained. They had one fumble and seven penalties, resulting in 47 yards lost.

“We held a team that rushed for 170 yards in the first half to just 58 in the second,” adds Larson. “Special teams was just as good in the second half as it was in the first. In the end the Panthers would make one more big play than we did kicking a 30-yard FG with about four minutes left on the clock which proved to be the game winner.”

“It was definitely a great second half. The guys proved they have no quit in them and found out what playing with a little emotion can do. Great effort, great comeback, proud of the way we battled.”

PTS: 8 14 7 3-38
TMK: 0 0 16 14-30
Passing: Easton Phalin (9/21, 138 yds, 2TD, 1INT).
Rushing: Phalin (11 TCB, 77 yds, 2TD); Kole Woodall (9 TCB, 13 yds); Wyatt Wenninger (2 TCB, 41 yds).
Receiving: Eli Wurl (5 rec, 119 yds, 2TD); Jackson List (1 rec, 9 yds); Woodall (2 rec, 5 yds); Jake Ruid (1 rec, 5 yds)
Interceptions: Wurl (1, 46 yds); List (1, 0 yds).
Punting: Wenninger (4, 152 yards, 38 avg).

Crime Stoppers of Lincoln County needs your help.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of fuel from a piece of heavy equipment parked on Bear Trail Road approximately four miles from Pickerel Lake Road. The theft caused significant damage to the equipment.

If you have information about this crime call Crime Stoppers at 715-536-3726. Callers can remain anonymous and may qualify for a reward. You can also find Crime Stoppers on Facebook.

Due to some weather cancellations, Merrill Street Superintendent Dustin Bonack reports that the city chip sealing project that was scheduled for tomorrow has been pushed back to this Friday, Aug. 26.

The Merrill Street Department will be chip sealing the following streets:
•Thielman St. from Gem to Pine Ridge Ave.
•Johnson St. from Highway G to E. 6th St.
•E. 2nd from N. Van Rensselaer St. to N. Sales St.
•N. Prospect St. from Grand Ave. to W. 10th St.
•Liberty St. from Grand Ave. to W. 7th St.
•W. Taylor St. from Grand Ave. to Champagne St.

Work will begin at 7 a.m. and should be complete by 5 p.m. During this time, motorist can expect single lane or complete street closures and no parking allowed on either side of the street. In addition, there will be some loose gravel on these

By Nick Beversdorf
Reporter

Merrill Cross Country had their first invitational yesterday at Minocqua Winter Park, facing not only the other teams but the heat, humid weather, mosquitoes, large looming hills, washed out lanes and the athletes themselves who, in the words of head coach Graig Hoffman, “wondered why they didn’t run just a little more over the summer.”

Merrill faced off against Lakeland, Mercer, Mosinee, Phelps, Rhinelander and Wisconsin Rapids-Lincoln. Lakeland took first for both boys and girls with 23 and 35 team points, respectively. The Merrill girls placed fourth out of five finishing teams with a team score of 89 (Mercer did not have enough finishers to score) and the boys finished fifth out of five teams with a team score of 104 (Mercer and Phelps did not have enough finishers to score).

Despite the scores, there were many bright spots in the individual times. Sophomore Dalie Thomas placed ninth out of the 71 female runners with a time of 24:55.9. Senior Deanta Saunders wasn’t far behind, placing 13th with a time of 25:38.6.

“Our girls proved that we can compete with some of the best runners from the North,” comments Hoffman. “Medal winner Sophomore Dalie Thomas did an outstanding job of keeping focused and trained on finishing within the top 10. Not far behind was Senior Deanta Saunders, who shows great promise this year. Hunter Zecca, a real spark in our running program, finished third for the BlueJays (26:48.7) and was being chased by Junior Lily Reimann (27:24.7) and Sophomore Sophie Priebe (27:48.6). Additionally, our sixth runner is a new runner to the program, Freshman Anne Herdt (28:31.2) who ran a really nice solid run who was nearly caught by our ‘sprinter specialist,’ Autumn Schenzel (28:40.6).”

For the boys, Senior Nathan Koch placed 15th overall and first on the Merrill team with a time of 21:05.8. Right behind him was Senior Andrei Heisinger with a time of 21:11.4.

“Our boys ran first and proved that they can compete with veteran and newcomer runners,” adds Hoffman. “Nathan Koch literally ran the race of his life, collapsing at the finish line. Close behind was Andrei Heisinger, who may have held back too much during most of the race.

“Sophomore Stephen Koch (22:13.3) ran a solid race with newcomer Sophomore Ethan Halfman (22:30.5) showing great potential. Our fifth runner, Sophomore Ethan Bares (23:24.3) closed in at the end to finish our top five for scoring. Right behind him were some fresh, new faces of Ethan Cordova and Jacob Novitch and Alik Berreth. We know we’re young with some scattered veterans, so ‘pack running’ will be an essential part of our program to keep all of our athletes within close proximity to help each other out.

“The race was more than just a race, it was an extreme workout for boy and girls and it is the most challenging 5K run for our team when looking at our fall schedule.  It’s a good ‘eye-opening experience’ for our runners,” stated Hoffman, “and I couldn’t be more proud of their efforts.”

The next invitational for varsity cross country will be on Thursday, Aug. 25, 10 a.m. at Rhinelander High School. They will be running against Rhinelander, Wausasu East and West, Antigo, DC Everest, Goodman-Pembine, Northland Pines, Phelps, Three Lakes, Laona-Wabeno and Crandon.

Mark J. Detjens, age 59, died on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield, WI.  Mark was born on March 10, 1957 to the late David and Mary (Jones) Detjens in Merrill, WI.  He attended and graduated from Merrill High School, and went on to attend college for 1 year.

Mark had a passion for cooking for friends and family, along with cooking for folks in restaurants.  He loved making people smile and laugh.  Mark had a huge heart and was a gentle soul.  He was always willing to help others and was happy to do so.  Mark was a member of the Merrill Jaycee’s and the Westside Business Association.  He also served 1 term as a  Lincoln county board member.

Mark is survived by his brothers:  William, Daniel (Veronica) and Claude (Lynette) Detjens, sister:  Kate (Scott Schiffer) Detjens, 8 nieces & nephews and 11 great nieces & nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents:  David and Mary (Jones) Detjens and his sister-in-law: Carol Detjens.

A Memorial Service will be held for Mark on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at 10am at Waid Funeral Home. Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at 9am, and continue until the time of the service, also at the funeral home.  The Rev. Allen Worlin will officiate.  Inurnment will take place at a later date.

Waid Funeral Home of Merrill is assisting the family with arrangements.  Online condolences may be made at www.waidfuneral.com.

By Nick Beversdorf
Reporter

Merrill varsity volleyball faced off against Marshfield, Newman Catholic and Hudson in a quad yesterday at Marshfield. The Bluejay spikers and setters held their own, but some games proved too much for the new varsity team.

The first match against Newman Catholic did not go the Bluejays’ way, losing the first two games, 25-19 and 15-25 respectively, and thus losing the match. The second match against Marshfield went better, with the Bluejays losing the first game 25-17 but then edging out the second game with a 25-23 victory. Merrill ended up losing the tie breaker 15-12. The third match against Hudson was much more of a success, with Merrill winning the first two games 25-11 and 25-10 to secure a match victory.

Kate Zelinski was the chief hitter with 44 attacks, 19 kills, eight errors and and a hit percentage of 0.25. Other top hitters include Morgan Wardall 47 attacks, 15 kills, 8 errors and a hit percentage of 0.149. Maddix Bonnell had 23 attacks, six kills, 4 errors and a hit percentage of 0.087.

Morgan and Maddix were also serving up some fire, with Morgan generating 34 attacks, seven aces 3 and an in percentage of 91.2. Maddix sent 29 over with six aces, one error and an in percentage of 96.6. Lindsey Casper also served, sending 19 over with two aces, two errors and a hit percentage of 89.5. She also had 18 hitting attacks, five kills, four errors and a hitting percentage of 0.056.

“We have positions that are not set yet and it was still not clear as to who belongs where with the play tonight. We have a lot of work to do and we have to get better defensively.”

Bluejay varsity volleyball has their work cut out for them this weekend as they head down to UW-Whitewater for their yearly invitational, starting Friday at 3 p.m.

For full stats, click here.

6th Grade Parent Meeting & Open House
On Wednesday, Aug. 31, 6th grade students and parents are requested to attend a parent meeting during the open house at Prairie River Middle School at 1 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium. This session is also for all new families to PRMS. All students should enter and exit Door #14 & #26 (Prairie River morning entrances).
During this parent meeting, which will last about the first 30 minutes, you will have the opportunity to:
•Meet school counselors, administration, school nurse, SRO, etc.
•Learn about PRMS: teams, core classes, morning meetings, schedules, applied academics, etc.
•Gather knowledge of school culture, student expectations and parental involvement.
After the parent meeting, feel free to meet teachers and help your child with any additional locker needs.
7th & 8th Grade Schedule Pick-Up & Open House
On Wednesday, Aug. 31, 7th and 8th grade students are invited to Prairie River Middle School at: 1-2:30 p.m. or 5:30-7 p.m.
•Pick up 2016-2017 schedule.
•Meet staff
•Bring school supplies and organize lockers.
•Try out lock combination
•Receive information from morning meeting teacher.
This process should only take about 15 minutes. There is not a scheduled parent meeting for returning students. All students should enter and exit Door #14 or #26 (Prairie River morning entrances). Students will find a posting of homerooms and teams in the following locations:
Grade 7 – Second floor right of LMC
Grade 8 – Second floor left of LMC
All students will be receiving important forms – which includes the Middle School iPad Deployment information/forms. Complete these forms as soon as possible and return them with your student on the first day of school, Thursday, Sept. 1.

The Merrill City Band is leading the charge in a fund drive to raise a little over a half million dollars for the band and to develop Normal Park. Generous anonymous donors have issued a challenge to the Merrill area community. They will match contributions up to $25,000 through Labor Day. Donate by Labor Day and your contribution is effectively doubled.
Plans for Normal Park include a building that will house restrooms, concession stand and small picnic shelter, warming house, and storage. A new lawn with irrigation, new lighting, additional trees, benches, walkways and picnic tables are also in the renovation plans and the Optimists are raising money to add a small playground. All areas of the park will be ADA compliant.
The City Band has an account set up through the Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Credit cards are accepted and all donations are tax-deductible. Checks should be made payable to the Friends of the City Band. You can elect to have your contribution go to the band, to the park, or wherever it is needed most. Call 715-536-9474 or send donations to: Friends of the City Band, Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 705 N. Center Ave. Merrlll, WI 54452. You can also log on to the new websites of the Chamber of Commerce (merrillchamber.org) or the Merrill City Band (merrillcityband.org) to print a donation form.
The band is appreciative of all contributions made to date and would like to thank in advance all those who plan to donate in the future.

Press Release

Tomahawk opened their Cross Country season on Thursday at the 14-team Ashland Invitational, held at the Chequamegon Bay Golf Course on the West side of Ashland. The boys placed four scorers in the top 16, with a sub-30 second split, but with their fifth and sixth nearly a minute back they were unable to defend their title from last year. Chequamegon and Ashland placed 1-2 to take the boys title. The girls placed fourth, behind Chequamegon, Superior and Hayward.

Senior Alex Johnson was the lone medalist for Tomahawk as he finished 10th in 19:20 over the hilly and challenging course. He was followed closely by: Evan Ploeckelman (14th-19:29), Mason Webster (15th-19:36), Cayton Scholz (16th-19:44), Lucas Tjugum (30th-20:31), Justin Jarvensivu (33rd-20:34) and Erik Zedler (36th-20:44). Others finishing for the boys included: Josh Wick (42nd), Keegan Karlen (43rd), Matt Johnson (45th), Luke Olson (58th), Brett Gerber (65th), Parker Johnson (70th), Sam VonSchrader (75th), Keaton Jed (76th), Anthony Ierulli (79th), Carl Theiler (103rd), Reed Zedler (109th), Jerett Flynn (112th), Grant Alvey (120th), and Jared Leverance (123rd) in the 132 runner field.

Boys Team Scores: Chequamegon-60, Ashland-76, Tomahawk-83, Wakefield-95, Superior-113, Solon Springs-162, Ironwood-172, Drummond-214, Hayward-251, Hurley-261, Barron-282, South Shore-Inc, Mellen-Inc, Washburn-Inc.

Freshman Haley-Voermans-Dean led the Hatchet women with her fifth place medalist effort in a time of 23:06 over the 5000 meter course. Teammates Rylie Swan (18th-25:02), Lauren Bauman (19th-25:03), Maggee Renn (23rd-25:30), Olivia Weber (29th-26:00), Meagan Berg (36th-27:13), and Kate Krueger (40th-27:44) were top finishers for the fourth place Hatchets.

Other Lady Hatchet finisher: Natalia Robinson (43rd), Morgan Waye (47th), Tehya Street (55th), Jackie Wick (56th), Corinn Genelin (58th), Arianna Schreiner (60th), Rylie Flohr (61st ), Brittany Jashinsky (83rd), Jenny Zheng (89th) in the 105 runner field.

Girls Team Scores: Chequamegon-44, Superior-60, Hayward-83, Tomahawk-88, Ashland-103, Hurley-173, Barron-188, Washburn-219, South Shore-Inc, Solon Springs-Inc, Ironwood-Inc, Drummond-Inc, Mellen-Inc, Wakefield-Inc.

Next week the Hatchets travel to the Marathon Invitational on Thursday for a 4:30 outing at 9-mile forest.

Quotes: “Humidity and windy conditions greeted the athletes and added to the already present challenges that the course had to offer. The athletes that went out a bit more conservatively and kept something in the tank for the last half of the course were the ones that improved their position throughout the race. We had some cramping effect a couple of our scorers, which definitely hurt us. As much as we had prepared for the heat and humidity, coupled with the hills it was tough for a lot of the athletes.”

“Alex and the top four boys had solid early season performances and will continue to improve. Haley, for a freshman competed like a veteran as she established her position early and did a nice job to maintain her pacing for the entire race. For our Co-Eds our other scorers are basically veterans and experience will show as the season progresses. Our camp at Bond Falls was a bit more physically challenging than previous years and we may have still been feeling the effects of it along with the early season high mileage. We told the athletes that if we can be this competitive tired, imagine what we can do when we are fresh and rested.”

AOW: Girls-Haley Voermans-Dean… “her experience in our middle level program really showed and her transition to high school was seamless… she knows how to run in the lead pack and works hard to maintain her pacing… This race helped her gain confidence in her racing ability as a high schooler and with that she will continue to improve. To earn medalist honors in your first multi-team high school invitational is quite an accomplishment for any freshman.”

Boys-Alex Johnson… “Alex is very ‘team-oriented’ and worked hard through-out the race to keep our pack together. It wasn’t until the last 400 meters that he created separation from his teammates and finished strong passing a couple of opposing athletes to earn a medal. His leadership has been instrumental in many of our early season workouts and activities.”

For full results, click here.

A temporary fishery closure is being proposed to help protect fish populations in the Grandmother Flowage during a drawdown of water levels until repairs are completed later this fall.

Dave Seibel, a fisheries biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said citizens will have a chance to learn more and comment on the temporary closure at a public meeting scheduled for Aug. 29 at 5 p.m. at the Tomahawk Public Library, 300 W. Lincoln Ave. in Tomahawk.

The Grandmother Flowage is a 208-acre reservoir on the Wisconsin River in central Lincoln County. It runs for about seven miles downstream from the Pride Dam (which forms Lake Mohawksin) to the Grandmother Dam.

Seibel said the flowage has an excellent fishery for walleye, muskellunge, northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, crappie and bluegill. It also contains healthy populations of forage species such as suckers, redhorse and minnows.

“A 14-foot drawdown is needed to permit maintenance by the dam’s owner, Packaging Corp. of America,” Seibel said. “The pool is expected to be refilled by early December but in the meantime, the department is seeking public input on a temporary closure of the fishery to prevent overharvest while the fish are concentrated in a smaller area. With a closure, we would anticipate minimal long-term impact to fish populations.”

Stakeholders with questions or comments who are unable to attend the public meeting may contact Seibel at 715-623-4190, ext. 3112, or David.Seibel@wisconsin.gov. To learn more about the fishery, visit DNR.wi.gov and search “Grandmother Flowage.”

Park City Credit Union and Church Mutual Insurance Company have partnered to open a branch office for Church Mutual’s employees.

The branch, which will provide financial services beginning this fall, will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. three days a week at the company’s home office on Schuster Lane.

“We are very excited to partner with a company that shares the same dedication to community as we do,” said Val Mindak, President/CEO of Park City Credit Union. “This will be a full-service branch at the main corporate office, and we also will provide ATMs at both Church Mutual facilities in Merrill.”
Church Mutual employs more than 800 people at the company’s home office and CM2 office at the Pine Ridge Center at the intersection of highways 64 and 51.

Church Mutual’s leaders say opening a credit union branch is one way they can help employees simplify their lives.

“We recognize that our employees are stretched for time and we think a branch at home office will be a great convenience for them,” said Angela Bailey, Vice President Human Resources. “This service fits in well with Church Mutual’s desire to help attract and retain talent in central Wisconsin. And it is a great addition to our Total Rewards benefit package we offer our employees.”

Researched by Michael J. Caylor Jr
8-25-76
It appears the Lincoln County Court House will soon be growing. The County Board yesterday approved a measure that would hire an architecture firm to build a two story addition to the original building in order to house the four extension offices, a jury room, two large conference rooms and meeting rooms, social services, the county nurse, and the US Department of Agriculture. The board also authorized a building committee to plan and implement the addition to the court house. (Don’t hold your breath waiting for this to happen anytime soon.)

Three Appleton residents are dead after a two vehicle crash Sunday evening in the Town of Pine River. The incident occurred at State Rd. 64 and County Rd. W when a vehicle being driven by a Merrill man collided with an auto occupied by the Appleton family. The deaths bring the number of fatal accident victims to eight for the year.

The local championship for the Merrill Golf Club has been decided but did the winner have an unfair advantage from a higher power? The Rev. Stephen Koenig was obviously blessed as he bested the group playing for the championship this past week beating out George Johanson for the title after 36 holes. In the class A competition Mike Zwirchitz topped Tom Zentner, in class C it was Don Iattoni over Larry Holl, and in class D Ira Rebella repeated his championship over Don Taylor. The class B championship will be played at a later date between Bill VanDeHey and Jerry Voigt. On the ladies side, Pat Fochs was the overall champion, Ruby Whitburn took class A, Lydia Bauman class B, and Judy Loesel class C. On the diamonds, Bud and Dee’s Round Up was crowned the Lincoln County Slow Pitch Champions after defeating Paul’s Pub on Thursday night 5-4. In the Lincoln County Baseball League the Merrill Giants, Beacon Bar, and Henrichs Club will all advance to tournament action at the Wisconsin Baseball Association Tournament at Abbotsford this weekend.

When a man is hungry he has to eat. So said Hung Le and Vern Heinlein of Flying Machines Inc. of Wausau. The pair landed their helicopter in the parking lot of South of the Border Restaurant this past Monday when they felt the urge for lunch. A picture of the copter in front of the building is on page 17.
8-27-86
Shoppers on Merrill’s west side will soon have a new choice in grocery shopping as Drew’s West opens its doors tomorrow at 9 a.m. The Drew family promises the new store will have prices that match their east side store. Owner Steve Drew is pictured with manager Ron Prey as they ready the store for the grand opening. The store will be open until 10 p.m. daily except Sunday when they will close at 6 p.m. A nice ad welcomes Drew’s to the westside from its business association; members of that include: Dan Rajek DDS, Double Bogie’s Bar, Eddie’s Bake Shop, Ed Drygalski – Prudential Insurance, Electrical Wiring and Supply, Estelle’s House of Fashion, Granny’s Bargain Bin, Hull’s Ben Franklin, Irv & Dar’s Hour Place, Johnson Pharmacy, Kozy Korner, Lincoln County Bank, Maty’s Hair Club, Merrill Monument, Midwest Sports, Miller Home Furnishing, Quality Furnace, Radio Shack, Reindl Printing, S&S Bar. (Four are left on the west side out of 24 listed)

Meanwhile, the Merrill Chamber welcomed the Hapke Family as the new owners of the IGA in Merrill’s Sixth ward.

Labor Day is early this year as it falls on Monday the 1st. The annual parade will wind its way through the city starting at 10 a.m. from the west side. On Friday the coronation of the Labor Day queen will take place at Les & Jim’s, and the young ladies vying for queen this year are Tammy Graap, Michelle Olsen, Tia Raddatz, and Michelle Woller. After the parade two bands will be performing at the armory. Ron Kautz and the Merrill Central Labor Council head up the parade.

There are lots of new faces at Merrill Area Public Schools this year. In the annual introductory photo the following professional staff are pictured: Jim Blair, Senior High Library; Tim Gould, special education and vocational instruction; Bruce English, dropout program; Terry Manning, drop out program; Greg Eichelkaraut, Junior High Science; Erik Larson, assistant principal at Senior High; Dennis Enquist, elementary at Lincoln and Franklin; Tony Crabb, vocational at Senior High; Joe Mertens, psychologist; Elayne Ollmann, elementary at Lincoln; and Lynn Rochon, elementary at Pine River.

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Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson has removed Lincoln County District Attorney Jim Blask from office and appointed Madison Attorney John Schellpfeffer to take his place. Schellpfeffer was sworn in on Friday afternoon by Lincoln County Judge J. Michael Nolan in front of family, friends, the media, and staff members of the judicial system. Blask had made an emergency appeal to the governor for reinstatement to office but that appeal was denied. Blask has been at the center of controversy for months with the most high profile event of his tenure being an altercation with a referee after a basketball game at the Merrill Senior High School, a confrontation in which Blask admitted shoving the ref. Schellpfeffer has been a special prosecutor in the past, and he also announced he will seek the office of DA in November. As Blask and attorney Mike Graveley are the only candidates on the actual ballot, Schellpfeffer will have to run as a write-in candidate.

Merrill is once again on the move, it has established itself on the world wide web. If you want to see what is happening around town you just need to dial into the internet and look up www.dwave.net/~merrill/merrill.html (for real). Merrill is one of the first communities in north central Wisconsin to be live on the web.

Construction season is still here in Wisconsin and a couple of projects are hoping to finish up soon. The Center Avenue bridge remains closed as concrete work takes place. The re-constructed bridge is hoped to be open by Oct. 15. Flagmen still assist with traffic on South Center Avenue at Riverside Avenue as paving takes place on both ends of the new viaduct. On US Hwy. 51 the concrete highway between Merrill and Tomahawk will not be open in time for Labor Day meaning traffic is expected to be backed up for miles as a stop light currently helps control the flow at the end of the four lane just north of town. The Wisconsin DOT has issued a state wide alert for motorists to take the scenic route north on Labor Day weekend to avoid the expected back up at Merrill. Downtown Minocqua is not any better and the ride home is expected to involve some long waits. Also, due to the bridge being out the Labor Day parade will start at Weinbrenner’s this year. South State Street is now congested with the detour traffic, prohibiting its use.

By Nick Beversdorf
Reporter

The happiness and excitement was palpable at Main Street Daycare and Family Resource Center today as members of the Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce, Center Director Susan Elbe, friends and children gathered around for the ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Located across Main Street from Kwik Trip (sharing a building with Salon 64), the new day care facility boasts many features and accommodations not just for children, but for special needs children as well. One of the main focuses of the day care is implementing a teaching curriculum that is accessible and beneficial to all children, as Susan Elbe explains:

“One of our big pushes is to use technology, specifically that such as smart boards and iPads. While all children can benefit from this technology, special needs kids can really benefit from it. It makes what we teach them more engaging and interactive.”

The curriculum is based around “social-emotional learning (SEL),” pioneered at Vanderbilt University, which is “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”

Coupled with a “scaffolding” learning approach, children learn and get engaged in multiple subjects through a certain theme.

“An example of this approach would be, say, growing pumpkins like we are currently doing outside,” says Susan. “We can watch and measure the pumpkins grow day by day, which is a science component; we can cut up a pumpkin into slices, which is a math component, we can load up information on an iPad and read about pumpkins, a reading component; and then draw or make paper mache pumpkins, which is an arts & craft component.”

The new day care facility boasts an open play area, kitchen with appliances, laundry facilities and a handicap accessible bathroom. Outside is a fenced in area with plants, including pumpkins, tomatoes and sunflowers along with a sandbox, bird feeder, bird bath, wind chimes and leveled tree stumps to jump on.

“We strive to have everything here be interactive and stimulating,” Elbe said. “We want the children to be able to pick and use, or at least touch everything, as part of our curriculum. If not at least seeing and hearing things, like the wind chimes we have in back. It re-enforces a learning environment for all children.”

Another big part of the center is the family resources services provided to parents and families of the children. Although available to all parents, the family resources focus on those with special needs kids. These include things like healthcare providers/professionals in the area, your rights as a parent, information on the school district programs, homeopathic medicine, and benefits of a gluten-free diet, just to name a few.

“We want to help not just the kids, but the parents as well,” adds Susan. “For instance, we will be having a person from CESA-9 (Cooperative Educational Service Agencies) come and talk about the programs and options available to their children.”

Susan admits that her vision would not have been possible without the help of a few key people.

“All of this would not have been possible without Dave and Sara Wendorf, who not only helped with the construction but also own the building. They turned what was just studs into what it is today.”

Clint Ferguson, husband to Rachel Ferguson (Wendorf), who also helped with the construction, agrees.

“Every time we talked about the project, his [Dave’s] face would light up.” says Clint. “He was really excited about the project from day one.”

Even when other offers presented themselves for the building, Wendorf passed on them and waited until Susan had everything ready so the construction could move forward.

Susan also sends out a thank you to the community that has “been nothing but supportive and helpful during the whole process” and St. Vincent de Paul for donating books to the center.

The center, located at 2308 E. Main St., accepts children from the ages of two and a half to 10, with or without special needs.

Director Susan Elbe is licensed by Lincoln County through the Department of Children and Families to operate this child care center. She has a degree in English from UW-Eau Claire, completed masters coursework in education, is a certified nursing assistant, is CPR and First-Aid certified and is also certified in Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention.

For more information call 715-722-1020. The center will host open house events for the public on Wednesday, Sept. 7 from 5-8 p.m. and on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 9 a.m.-noon.

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Members of the Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce, Director Susan Elbe and friends and children of the Main Street Daycare and Family Resource Center cut the ceremonial ribbon.

Merrill Sheet Metal Works Inc. has teamed up with Bryant to celebrate every day heroes in our community. The Bryant Community Heroes Program honors ordinary people doing extraordinary things in their community. A Bryant Community Hero could be your neighbor, co-worker, friend, or anyone you see making a positive impact in your community.

Nominating someone is easy. Simply click the Bryant Community Heroes link at merrillsheetmetal.com, or go directly to bryantcommunityheroes.com and fill out the form. The nominator must be at least 13 years old and the nominee at least 18 years old. The nominator may only nominate one hero. Nominees must have a natural gas or propane furnace currently installed in their home and they must live within 50 miles of Merrill Sheet Metal Works. All nominations must be submitted online and you have until Nov. 1 to complete the nomination.

Last year, Sue Kunkel of Merrill was nominated and selected to receive a new Bryant furnace installed by Merrill Sheet Metal Works.

The Fourth Annual Fill the Gazebo Food Drive is in the books! All statistics point to a success surpassing each of its previous collections. Held on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 13, the drive gathered donations from the community to benefit Merrill’s three food pantries and the Food for Kids Program.

The number of pounds of items collected totaled 6,257; the event’s previous high was 4,600 pounds. Monetary donations totaled $3,895, also surpassing amounts garnered in the past. Thirty-one churches, organizations and businesses as well as 56 individuals made contributions, each playing a part in the enormous success of the 2016 drive.

Sierra-Pacific Windows awarded a grant of $2,000 to the drive, along with 1,000 pounds of items. The Fill the Gazebo Committee is grateful for the generosity of this local business.

Fill the Gazebo Number Five will be held in August of 2017. If your business, organization or church would like to become a participant, or if you are interested in joining the planning committee, please contact Pr. Jess Wakefield at jdseed@charter.net.

Today the Lincoln County Health Department announced the third annual environmental health award winners for the 2015 licensing year (July 1, 2015- June 30, 2016). The award program recognizes the special effort of high and moderate complexity restaurants that serve food to the public. Of the 90 establishments eligible for the awards, two were chosen for this year’s awards. These establishments should be congratulated for their efforts:

Culvers of Merrill, received a Special Recognition Award-High Complexity. “Exceptional attention to food safety and food handling, no violations and effort to exceed minimum requirements.”
Ma’s Place, Gleason, received a Special Recognition Award- Moderate Complexity. “Excellent food handling practices and knowledgeable staff with no violations during the annual inspection.”

Other establishments meeting special criteria and therefore should be recognized for their special efforts include: AmericInn Lodge & Suites, Badger Hotel, Besse’s on Clear Lake, Bottoms Up Bar and Grill, Checkered Churn, Dog N’ Suds, Ed & Sharron’s, Edgewater Country Club, End Zone, Happy Snapper, Harrison Oasis, Holly’s, Hugo’s Pizza, Inshalla Country Club, Merrill Area Community Enrichment Center, Oak’s Pub, Road Lake Pub & Grill, Shorthorn Bar & Grill, Silver Birch Supper Club, Somo Beach Resort, Surewood Forest Bar & Grill, Tom & Bev’s Bar, Tomahawk Dairy Queen, and Tomahawk Lodge Bar and Grill.

To meet Special Recognition Award criteria, an establishment must have: Received a routine inspection during the calendar year; no substantiated complaints; no unaddressed incidents of any risk type (CDC Risk Factors or Good Manufacturing Practices); no re-inspections were necessary; demonstrated initiative in exceeding minimal code requirements; confirmation of eligibility by the Lincoln County Health Department.

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Joe Williams and Joe and Lori Wakefield (Merrill Culvers) accepting Special Recognition Award from Environmental Health Specialist Meghan Williams (Lincoln County Health Department).

The Health Department conducts annual inspections and all food establishments’ reports are available online at http://healthspace.com/Clients/VDH/VDH/web.nsf/home.xsp.

Robert S. Breunig, 25 of Merrill– was charged August 23 with Felony-Failure to Comply with Officer’s Attempt to take Person into Custody and Misdemeanor charges of Intentionally Pointing a Firearm at a Person and Disorderly Conduct.
According to court records, Breunig was involved in an August 18 incident in the town of Corning, during which he reportedly made threatening statements and barricaded himself in bedroom, while claiming he was armed.
Upon arrival of Lincoln County deputies, Breunig reportedly refused to exit the bedroom and indicated he was pointing a firearm at deputies through a wall of the bedroom.
According to further details indicated in the court report, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Response Team (aka SWAT) was activated to assist with the situation as well as the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office’s ‘Bearcat’ armored vehicle.

Following nearly an hour and a half of negotiation and the arrival of the ‘Bearcat,’ Breunig surrendered without further incident incident. Breunig was reportedly ’empty handed’ when he surrendered and denied ever being armed. A subsequent search of the home reportedly did not yield any evidence of firearm(s) ever being present during the incident.

Breunig appeared in Lincoln County Circuit Court on Wednesday August 24 and was released on $1,500 signature bond by judge Robert Russell, with a provision Breunig refrain from possessing any firearms.

The UW Department of Horticulture and the Marathon County UW-Extension office invite you to attend an interactive field day on organic vegetable variety trials and production. Kat Becker and Tony Schultz of Stoney Acres Farm CSA and Tenzin and Stacey Botsford of Red Door Family Farm CSA, will lead tours of the trials on their farms.

Dr. Julie Dawson, University of Wisconsin-Madison Horticulture Professor, will discuss the variety trials.
These trials are part of a collaboration with the University of Wisconsin, plant breeders, farmers and chefs to focus on developing vegetables that have fresh-market quality, flavor and agronomic performance on smaller-scale diversified farms.
The tour will take place on Thursday, Sept. 1, starting at 4 p.m. at Stoney Acres Farm CSA, 7002 Rangeline Rd., Athens. The tour will then travel to Red Door Family Farm CSA, 6961 Hwy. 97, Athens, at approximately at 5 p.m.
On Friday, Sept. 2, the UW Department of Horticulture will hold a vegetable taste testing and evaluation event at Stoney Acres Farm during their Pizza on the Farm night. After sampling, be sure to stay awhile to purchase and enjoy one of the pizzas made fresh with ingredients from Stoney Acres Farm.
Both of these events are free and RSVPs for the farm tours are not required but appreciated. For more information contact Dan Marzu, UW-Extension Agricultural Development Educator, at 715-261-1240 in Wausau or 715-539-1078 in Merrill.