Voters in both Price and Lincoln Counties will see an advisory referendum question on the November 8, 2022 ballot.
The question, "Should the State of Wisconsin prohibit election officials from soliciting or using private funds, technology or services from special interest groups, people, or other private entities for the purpose of administering elections and referendums?," was brought up due to the 2020 Presidential Election.
During that election, The Center for Tech and Civic Life gave over ten million dollars to cities across Wisconsin, with the five largest cities receiving the bulk of the funds. This became the focus of many lawsuits.
Republicans in the state felt private grant money should not be used to help run elections, realizing that influence could occur. A bill was passed in Wisconsin making the practice illegal, but Governor Tony Evers vetoed it. In June 2022, a judge decided it was legal to use such funds.
However, this advisory referendum now appears on the ballot in the upcoming election to let lawmakers know how voters feel. Votes are for advisement only and no direct legislative action will result from the vote.
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The students representing all the schools in Price County gave their best at the Cross Country Sectionals Meet on Saturday, October 22, 2022. Various Phillips boys and girls, Chequamegon girls, and one Prentice girl are all headed to the WIAA State Cross Country Meet next weekend!
Photo Credit: Kim Merten
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The First Presbyterian Church of Phillips, https://www.PhillipsPresbyterianChurch.com, extends their appreciation for Pastor Matthew Arneson in October, during Pastor Appreciation Month, and every month of every year.
When a football team hasn’t won a conference championship for 54 years, people take notice and rally behind the team. This year, the Phillips community came together to show their school spirit, support of the team, and community pride, hoping the Phillips Loggers could bring home a win and a title.
The week started off with various festivities for Homecoming 2022. Halls were decorated and various dress-up days took place, such as Neon Day, Camo/Blaze Orange Day, Senior Citizen Day, TV/Cartoon Character Day, and Logger Pride Day. Various fun, competitive games were played by the Flashy Freshman, Swaggy Sophomores, Jacked-up Juniors, and Squealing Seniors. Most importantly, a pep rally was held to get the entire school district ready for the big game.
Photo submitted by Sarah Pisca
Twelve students vied for the title of king and queen. Cole Abraham and Kendall Weik won the titles and were crowned as the Homecoming king and queen for 2022.
Students and parents showed their school spirit with a number of floats at the parade. Each class entered a float as did the school’s cooks, football parents, and the band capped off the parade.
Photos submitted by Lynne Bohn
Photo submitted by Sarah Pisca
Photo submitted by Jodi Podmolik
During the Homecoming game on Friday night, Logger Field was filled with energy from the crowd. They all knew that a conference championship title had not been won by the Loggers since 1968, 54 long years ago. It didn’t take this season’s Loggers long to prove they could clinch the title. With a score of 72 to 8, the Phillips Loggers beat the Washburn Castleguards and took home the conference championship title.
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES - SHOP PRICE COUNTY FIRST: 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.
At the September Common Council meeting in Phillips, a request was made for the re-positioning of the playground and volleyball court in Elk Lake Park.
Kristen Harper and Jordan Spacek were in attendance requesting the council consider switching the location of the playground equipment and the volleyball courts. Kristen stated that if they were switched, positive results would be it would keep the sand out of the splash pad, there would be more visibility for parents who are attending events in the park to see their children on the playground equipment, plus the playground equipment would be a little further away from the water which would be safer for the kids. She added that a con could be that the playground equipment would potentially block the view of the stage if someone was sitting in the pavilion.
Department of Public Works Director Jeff Williams did not see any issues with making the switch, but the council would have to consider the lift station and the electrical that is already in place.
The general consensus of the council was that they felt switching the location of the volleyball court and playground was a good idea. No action was taken at the meeting in regard to a final decision.
Two people made their comments on the My Price County Classifieds & Discussion Facebook group. One said that moving the playground equipment may be difficult, because there is a lot of scrap metal under the current playground. Another person suggested relocating the volleyball court to the north of the stage and then new playground equipment could be put where the volleyball court had been. This would save time and money by not moving the original playground equipment.
TURNER STREET
On Monday, October 17, 2022, Turner Street, which is currently a one-way street in front of the former elementary school, will return to two-way traffic use. The former elementary school is now being used as offices by the school district and a one-way street is no longer needed. Signage and road markings will be removed to reflect this change.
YOU HAVE AN INDEPENDENT WRITE-IN OPTION FOR PRICE COUNTY SHERIFF: Visit John Brylski's website to learn about John, his philosophies on law enforcement, his endorsements, and more. Follow John's Facebook page to receive updates and more information about his candidacy.
T.B. Scott Free Library, the Tomahawk Public Library, the League of Women Voters and the UW-Madison Extension-Lincoln County will co-host a Lincoln County Sheriff Candidate Forum to be held on Monday, October 24th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Merrill Enrichment Center. Doors will open at 5:30 pm.
The candidates for the office of Sherriff of Lincoln County are Garrett Dinges, Ken Schneider, and Marlyn Woodward. Refreshments will be served.
The Candidate Forum will provide the public with an opportunity to see the candidates, listen to their ideas for the future of the Lincoln County Sherriff’s Department, and hear the candidate’s responses to citizen concerns.
Questions for the candidates can be submitted in advance either through the T.B Scott Library website or the Tomahawk Public Library website. Citizens may also submit questions in writing at either of the two libraries Also, beginning at 5:30 pm on the day of the event, those who attend in person can submit their questions for the candidates by filling out a card and placing it into a box. Questions will be collected and sorted by topic in order to ensure a wide range of issues are covered. All three candidates will provide opening and closing statements as part of the Forum.
The fall election will be held on Tuesday, November 8th, with the polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Source: Elizabeth McCrank, Community Development Educator, UW-Madison Extension – Lincoln County
John Brylski, a former Marine, cold case investigator, and 28-year sworn law enforcement patrolman, police school liaison officer, criminal & arson investigator/evidence tech, who is running as a write-in candidate for Price County Sheriff, will be holding a presentation and meet & greet.
John will explain how law enforcement officers respond while making traffic stops and to all types of tragedies; how officers conduct interviews and interrogations; how a citizen should respond as a victim, witness, or suspect when an officer arrives; the truth about use of force and deadly force and when officers decide to use them and how; what a citizen's rights are and how to properly and safely respond during difficult, stressful times when an officer pulls over, questions, or arrests a citizen. John will answer, to the best of his ability, any question about law enforcement, his outlook on life, and the future of Price County. John also welcomes any questions about why he will be a great Price County sheriff should he be elected in November's election.
Come out and meet the independent write-in option for Price County Sheriff on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. at the Frank & Michael Baran VFW Post 5778 at 306 South Lake Avenue in Phillips.
On Friday, September 30, 2022 Aspirus Pleasant View, the only nursing Home in Phillips, announced it will be closing its doors as a skilled nursing home facility.
While the facility is working with the Wisconsin Department of Health services to assist residents with finding nearby facilities, the tentative closing date is December 31, 2022. However, the facility stated it will make sure residents have viable options before moving them. When asked what distance away is considered reasonable for a resident to have to be relocated to a new facility, Thomas Kaster, Interim Vice President of Post Acute Care with Aspirus at Home and Aspirus Phillips Campus, stated, "That depends on the specific resident and family." He added, "Our care team and community resources are working hard to safely and compassionately transition our residents."
As for the staff, Aspirus is working directly with employees to find them positions in the Aspirus System as Aspirus does not want to eliminate any staff members. When asked how far away from Price County employees may be placed, Kaster shared, "Aspirus has positions available for all employees. Whenever possible, we will try to maintain employment in Price County, and remote work options exist."
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There were a number of factors why Aspirus chose to close the facility. "The ability to fully staff the facility to safely care for a larger number of residents is certainly a key issue. Because of the rural nature of our community, there is not a large enough population base to maintain higher levels of staffing. This is compounded by the national labor shortage. Another driver is governmental funding. The main payor at Aspirus Pleasant View is the Wisconsin State Medicaid Program, representing 85% to 90% of our skilled nursing residents. The reimbursement from Medicaid is far less than the average daily cost to care for a skilled nursing resident," Kaster explained.
Aspirus Pleasant View states closing this facility "was a difficult decision, but it will help Aspirus continue to provide vital community services in outpatient, acute, and home health care."
As of right now, Aspirus is not putting the building up for sale.
Aspirus is, however, changing its focus in Phillips, "focusing resources and future development on its assisted living and adult housing services."
YOU HAVE A QUALIFIED, INDEPENDENT WRITE-IN OPTION FOR PRICE COUNTY SHERIFF: Visit John Brylski's website to learn about John, his philosophies on law enforcement, his endorsements, and more. Follow John's Facebook page to receive updates and more information about his candidacy. (Paid for by John Brylski.)
Reports received by the police departments in Price County for the month have been condensed and summarized.
(Article continues after promotional message) YOU HAVE AN INDEPENDENT WRITE-IN OPTION FOR PRICE COUNTY SHERIFF: Visit John Brylski's website to learn about John, his philosophies on law enforcement, his endorsements, and more. Follow John's Facebook page to receive updates and more information about his candidacy. (Paid for by John Brylski.)
9/2/22 - A man reported a woman hit a tree while driving a UTV in the Township of Flambeau. She did not have obvious injuries but appeared disoriented.
9/5/22 - A driver of a vehicle struck another vehicle from behind near the intersection of White Rock Road and Hwy. 13. There were no injuries.
9/5/22 - A woman called reporting her son attempted to avoid hitting a vehicle that pulled out in front of him, but a crash occurred. The driver of the other vehicle stated he would take full responsibility for the accident.
9/6/22 - A man came to the sheriff's office to report that the IRS told him his taxes had already been filed.
9/6/22 - A woman reported that she and her neighbors witnessed a man trying to flag people down as they drove past him on Riley Road. The white man was about 5'10" and 160 to 170 pounds with dark hair. He was thought to be in his late 30s to early 40s.
9/7/22 - A male reported that while riding his bike in the Township of Worcester, a man in a vehicle almost hit him. The bicyclist stopped at the residence to confront the man, and the man became angry and made threats toward him with a gun. A deputy responded to the residence.
9/8/22 - A male reported that his truck was taken from his father's residence in the Township of Kennan. He checked with anyone who could have taken it, and none of them had it, so he wanted to report the truck as stolen.
9/8/22 - A man reported he hit a pick-up truck in the Township of Worcester. The driver of the truck got out, started yelling and swearing, and then got in his truck and headed toward Phillips. Deputies responded and found the truck at a gas station.
9/8/22 - A woman reported a man, near her residence in the Township of Worcester, was running in the road screaming he was going to kill himself. It appeared there was a passenger in the vehicle he had been in.
9/9/22 - A man reported that he gave $200 to a person on Facebook to purchase several items. The seller's husband asked for another $100 given the items were so expensive. The man then went to the address listed, but the actual property owner was not aware their address was being used and had nothing for sale. The payments were made through PayPal.
9/13/22 - Wisconsin State Patrol advised a two vehicle accident had been located in the Township of Fifield. One person was injured and there was road blockage.
9/15/22 - A woman called to report finding a tracking device, which did not belong to her, in her backpack.
9/15/22 - Rusk County Sheriff's Office called to request a deputy respond to Hwy. 8 where a female was reportedly running down the road yelling, "I need a phone."
9/16/22 - An abandoned 911 call was received. A baby was crying in the background. Dispatch called the number back and spoke with a woman who was crying. She reported the man she was with had a loaded gun and threatened to shoot her. The man had pulled over during the call, and dispatch asked him to exit the vehicle and leave the gun in the vehicle. The man agreed, and he also agreed to put his hands over his head when deputies arrived. The man was detained.
9/18/22 - An anonymous citizen reported a dog had been shot and killed while restrained in a portable kennel.
9/20/22 - A woman reported an overturned motorcycle in the Township of Eisenstein. The man was not injured and left the area.
9/20/22 - A man called 911 asking if dispatch could call his wife so she could blow a horn so he knew how to get home. He was tracking a deer and got lost in the woods. Dispatch also gave the man additional information to help find his way home.
9/20/22 - A woman reported someone was shining deer and shooting from the road onto her property.
9/21/22 - A woman came onto private property. When the property owner asked what she was doing there, she stated she was going to pick mushrooms, and she did have a plastic bag in her hand. The property owner explained it was private property and she could not pick mushrooms, but the woman started to argue with him. He left so as not to have a greater confrontation.
9/21/22 - A pastor at a church in Park Falls stated a large man was walking around the church, talking gibberish, and she wanted him removed as he refused to leave.
9/22/22 - A Prentice woman reported that her grandson was going crazy, smashing car lights and windows with a hammer, and making threats to harm his grandparents.
9/22/22 - A Prentice man reported that a scammer said he was on video in a compromising sexual situation and the scammer was threatening to share it with all his friends on Facebook if he did not give the scammer money.
9/23/22 - A Phillips woman called to report a blonde woman hanging out a truck, screaming while the driver was backing up.
9/25/22 - A man reported his truck was on fire near the intersection of County Road YY and Lost Avenue. Prentice Ambulance Service and Fire Department responded.
9/26/22 - A caller stated her female friend was being held against her will by a male in Fifield. She said her friend did not appear to be injured or restrained from their online correspondence.
9/26/22 - A man reported that a woman stopped by a cemetery in the Township of Elk and asked if she could hide her vehicle in the woods so her boyfriend could not see the car.
9/26/22 - A man reported his shed was stolen in Ogema.
9/26/22 - A woman reported a theft of $10,000 when someone obtained her Social Security Number.
9/28/22 - A missing black and tan hog ran up to a deputy. The owner was located.
9/30/22 - A man called 911. He was not making sense, and then he said he was testing his phone. Numerous times he claimed to be the King of England. He also stated he was running for governor and used a lot of profanity. Dispatch asked if he needed an ambulance or the fire department, and he asked his mother, who replied, "no." The man sounded intoxicated.
9/30/22 - A man stated he received a call from a friend asking him to do a welfare check at their cabin as he had not heard from the person who was supposed to be there since Monday or Tuesday. The man went to the cabin and discovered the man deceased inside the cabin.
9/30/22 - A woman was walking on Springs Drive and a white Poodle-looking dog came up to her aggressively. She moved to the other side of the road and yelled at the dog, but it continued to come after her and bit her. Someone was yelling at the dog from a nearby house, but the dog did not obey its commands. The woman went to the residence later to ask if the dog had its rabies shot, and the owner stated it did but would not say which vet gave the shot.
9/30/22 - A woman reported someone shooting from a vehicle on the road in the Township of Eisenstein.
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PHILLIPS POLICE DEPARTMENT
9/3/22 - A man believed someone put white powder on his window, but an officer observed it was actually insect larvae.
9/4/22 - An adult woman driving a vehicle had an accident with a male juvenile on a bicycle on Maple Street. The juvenile had minor injuries and his parent was contacted.
9/4/22 - An adult woman was experiencing delusional thoughts and was a threat to others, so she was taken into protective placement and transported to a mental health facility.
9/5/22 - A disc golf basket was reported as broken, likely damaged on purpose, in Elk Lake Park.
9/8/22 - A railroad worker reported that a railroad crossing signal was broken off of a pole. Since it was high up, the damage was likely caused by a semi.
9/8/22 - The Price County Sheriff's Office needed assistance with finding a vehicle involved in a hit and run. Later, a Price County deputy was able to find the offending vehicle at a gas station.
9/8/22 - It was reported that a male was outside of a vehicle next to the caller's home threatening to kill himself. However, officers could not find the man or the vehicle upon arrival.
9/9/22 - A complaint was received of a picnic table overturned and partially in the water, along with a mountain bike, at the end of the walking trail in Elk Lake Park. The Department of Public Works put the picnic table back in place and an officer viewed video footage from the park.
9/9/22 - A deer was found skinned and discarded by the Phillips Campground.
9/9/22 - There was a report of a vehicle that struck a building in the City of Phillips. An officer talked with a bar owner, who stated the man was inside. The man received field sobriety tests and was taken to the medical center for a legal blood draw and then brought to the jail for booking.
9/13/22 - A report was received of an adult male and female arguing while walking on South Avon Avenue. An officer was able to locate the male subject who was intoxicated and currently on numerous bonds. The male subject would not say who he was arguing with and indicated he was involved in an argument. The officer arrested the adult male for misdemeanor bail jumping, felony bail jumping, and disorderly conduct. The man was taken to the jail.
9/21/22 - Police assisted the Price County Human Services Department with the living conditions inside a city residence. An officer was let into the residence by the owner and performed a walk through. The officer told the home owner that his residence was unfit for human habitation because of the condition inside the home, and it would be listed as "condemned." An officer explained to the male and female tenants what would have to be done to live in the residence.
9/22/22 - A mother reported her child came home with several counterfeit $100 bills.
9/26/22 - A hit and run accident occurred, but the reporting party was able to identify the person involved in the hit and run. The individual received a citation.
9/26/22 - A mother reported her juvenile daughter had possibly been sexually assaulted.
9/27/22 - A woman reported missing money from a retirement savings. The matter is under investigation.
9/28/22 - A man was reported as urinating in the downtown area. A citation for disorderly conduct was given.
9/30/22 - A complaint was received from a woman who reported some issues with two coaches of a club sport. An officer conducted interviews.
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PARK FALLS POLICE DEPARTMENT
9/1/22 - An accident occurred in the parking lot of the high school. Both drivers were juveniles.
9/5/22 - An officer responded to a two vehicle crash south of Fifield.
9/6/22 - It was reported that a male was loading a firearm in his vehicle in the parking lot of a grocery store. No contact was made with the male as he departed before police arrived.
9/12/22 - Police received a phone call that a female was recorded going through other people's laundry at a laundromat.
9/15/22 - Police responded to a business due to a suspicious package, which ended up being garbage, and it is unknown who sent it.
9/22/22 - An adult male turned himself into the police station due to an outstanding warrant in Ashland County. The man was transported to Price County Jail.
9/24/22 - Two vehicles crashed in the parking lot of a hardware store.
9/24/22 - A possible battery occurred at a bar. The investigation is ongoing.
9/26/22 - A man sent a letter denying doing any stalking behavior related to a case. He stated he would punish the FBI before he leaves this world.
9/27/22 - A hit and run accident was reported.
9/29/22 - A hitchhiker requested assistance with lodging or transportation. Ashland County Sheriff's Office also dealt with the same individual multiple times over the previous few days. The individual agreed he would get a ride on the bus in the morning.
9/30/22 - Police were asked to assist a man with calling internationally to Mexico as his wife was there on a business trip and he had not checked in with her husband as expected.
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES - SHOP PRICE COUNTY FIRST: Ken's Carpet & The Consignment Store sells all flooring types (carpet, vinyl, wood, & ceramic), bedding / mattresses, appliances, solar systems, and consignment sales of furniture, automobiles, farming & logging equipment, ATVs, UTVs, trailers, and campers. Call 715-339-4838 for product inquiries, and follow Ken's Carpet & The Consignment Store's Facebook page.
UPDATE 10/2/22: Kryssy King has been found and is safe. Trevor Blackburn was later taken into custody. The Amber Alert has been cancelled, and the photos of Kryssy and Trevor have been removed from this article for that reason.
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10/1/2022:
The Chippewa County Sheriff's Office has issued a statewide Amber Alert.
Kryssy King, a white female, age 15, was discovered missing from her residence on the morning of October 1, 2022 and is believed to be in the company of Trevor Blackburn, a white male, age 22, who is not a resident of Wisconsin.
Trevor Blackburn has a tattoo of a name on his chest and a heart tattoo on his inner forearm.
Kryssy is about 5 feet 3 inches tall and 150 pounds with blond or strawberry hair and hazel eyes. She has a small scar on her nose by her eye and a 1 1/2 inch long scar on her left shoulder.
It is unknown which vehicle they could be driving.
They are believed to be in the Chippewa County, Wisconsin area. Kryssy is a missing juvenile and believed to be in serious danger.
If you have information on the whereabouts of Kryssy or Trevor, please call 911 or call the Chippewa County Sheriff's Office at 715-726-7700, Option 1.
