On Monday, September 12, 2022, Lexi N. Mattson, a resident of the City of Ashland, was arrested by the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office.
The arrest was a drug interdiction arrest that occurred after an ongoing investigation into Mattson.
Lac Du Flambeau Tribal Police Department and Ashland County Sheriff’s Office worked collaboratively to gather information on Mattson’s drug activities in Northern Wisconsin communities.
At the time of the arrest, approximately 50 grams of fentanyl, 30 grams of methamphetamine, and $3,000 in cash were seized.
Mattson is being held in the Ashland County Jail. Charges, which are being referred to the Ashland County district attorney, are possession with intent to distribute and delivery of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Reports received by the police departments in Price County for the month have been condensed and summarized.
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PRICE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
8/1/22 - Received an anonymous report with concern for a cow that had an excessively large udder, possibly due to summer mastitis.
8/2/22 - A man reported his vehicle was on fire. Fire departments responded.
8/2/22 - Many trees and power lines were reported being down across the area.
8/3/22 - A woman reported hitting a tree that was across the road while traveling around a corner on Lake Shore Drive. When she stepped out of her vehicle, she noticed power lines were also down, so she got back in her vehicle and waited for police and the power company to arrive.
8/4/22 - An employee at a gas station in Prentice called to report two drunk individuals who appeared belligerent and were loudly arguing with their teenage children. The children took the keys and were waiting in the gas station. Another caller reported the same situation.
8/5/22 - A man called 911 to report his neighbor's house was on fire. He stated the neighbors kept going back into the house to find their cats, but he kept the people outside for their safety. Fire departments responded and additional manpower and a tanker were requested.
8/5/22 - A woman called 911 to request an ambulance for her brother who fell into the water in Fifield and hit his head on a propeller. He was bleeding and was semi-conscious. A medical helicopter was requested.
8/6/22 - A two vehicle accident occurred in the Town of Emery.
8/7/22 - A doctor called from a Medford emergency room to report a patient reported being raped in the City of Park Falls. Taylor County was contacted to assist with an interview.
8/8/22 - The Rusk County Sheriff's Office requested a welfare check on a female. Rusk County was contacted by Berlin Police Department in Green Lake County. Berlin had contact with a male who was reported to be at an address in the City of Park Falls with another male and two other people. The male reported that he and the other male were on their way to Rusk County to cause great bodily harm to the female. Rusk County attempted contact with the female at her residence, but she was not there and left her cell phone. Rusk County pinged the number one of the males called the Berlin Police Department from, and it pinged near a dead-end road in the Town of Eisenstein. Rusk County advised the subjects were believed to be armed and to use caution. Rusk County requested that if contact was made with the female to hold and check her welfare. Rusk County did not have charges for the male suspects.
8/8/22 - A man reported that a woman, who stated she was a private investigator, was trespassing on his property and was rude to him.
8/9/22 - An anonymous report of malnourished cattle was received.
8/9/22 - A woman was seen smashing the windows of a man's vehicle. An ambulance was paged to treat a cut on the woman's knee that was bleeding.
8/10/22 - A woman called to report a one vehicle roll-over accident on Hwy. 70 near Bobcat Road.
8/11/22 - A woman reported that she recently purchased a property, and $8,000 worth of items that were supposed to be left at the property with the sale were not there.
8/11/22 - A minivan with Minnesota plates and a boat trailer were parked at the Fifield wayside for two or three days. There was a trailer attached to the minivan but no boat, and the caller was concerned that someone went out fishing and had trouble on the water.
8/13/22 - A man reported that a gray battleship canoe, without passengers, was shooting off fireworks near his fishing boat. The canoe appeared to be controlled remotely, and the fireworks were being shot at him. He could see five people on the shoreline by the boat. The Town of Flambeau chairman was contacted, and he said he gave a family permission to set off a few fireworks from the boat. A deputy responded.
8/14/22 - A deputy was pursuing a vehicle traveling at 100 to 110 MPH from about 2:15 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. when the vehicle crossed the center line, crashed, and rolled over at Hwy. 70 and Lake Winter Road, hitting power lines. Sawyer County contacted fire and ambulance. There were two occupants in the vehicle. One male was instructed to get on the ground when he exited the vehicle and the other received medical attention.
8/14/22 - A man called 911 to report a two vehicle crash in front of his residence in Brantwood on US HWY 8. Another 911 call came in from another man who said two trucks were involved and one of them had smoke coming from it. A paramedic from Green Bay advised a helicopter need to be called as there was a person lying in the ditch, inverted, with a missing limb, but the bleeding was under control.
8/17/22 = A woman in Ogema, who sounded intoxicated on the call, reported that her brother pulled his pants down in front of her for no reason and she felt unsafe.
8/19/22 - A woman reported a one vehicle roll-over accident in the Township of Worcester. The driver told the woman's husband that he had been drinking and then fled on foot.
8/21/22 - A Phillips woman reported someone shooting a shot gut at a residence directly across from her residence, but she could not see any damage. The pellets were landing on the top of her house.
8/21/22 - A Catawba man reported that he received a notification that someone tried to change the PIN on a cash app and add a recovery telephone number on his e-mail address. The man believed the person doing this was his wife.
8/22/22 - A woman reported a vehicle crashed and rolled into her garden in the Township of Eisenstein. The driver was not injured.
8/23/22 - A woman reported she could see a man beating up a woman through a second story window from the street.
8/25/22 - A man reported his wife had an ATV accident. He felt she may have broken her arm and was in and out of consciousness.
8/26/22 - An assault occurred between two inmates.
8/26/22 - Two people reported a vehicle had collided with a tree in Fifield. One caller reported the vehicle was smoking.
8/27/22 - A woman reported she was in an altercation at a bar in the Town of Worcester and needed an ambulance. She didn't know who the offender was but stated the bartender knew.
8/28/22 - A woman called stating that her brother was in a bar fight in the Town of Worcester about half an hour prior. The other person involved was reportedly still at the bar.
8/29/22 - A woman stated a family member left her house in Catawba, possibly with a knife, having hallucination that people were hunting him down, and she was afraid he may hurt himself or others.
8/30/22 - A man reported he heard a woman screaming for help while he was out jogging. Dispatch identified the woman and a deputy responded.
8/31/22 - A vehicle accident was reported and the man said he could hear a woman screaming. The emergency room was contacted and told they would need to do a legal blood draw for the patient.
8/31/22 - A woman reported her dog bit a biker, causing the biker to seek medical treatment.
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PHILLIPS POLICE DEPARTMENT
8/1/22 - Received a report of the theft of items from a residence. An investigation is being conducted.
8/2/22 - A complaint was received from a local business in reference to someone destroying a plant that was outside the business the night prior.
8/3/22 - A courtesy violation notice was given for a washer, dryer, and other garbage sitting outside a property.
8/3/22 - A driver parked the wrong way on Beebe Street. The driver said he would turn around and park the correct way.
8/3/22 - A water leak was discovered in front of a residence on Avon Avenue. The Phillips Water Department was asked to determine where the leak was coming from.
8/4/22 - At the intersection of Lake Avenue and Maple Street, a driver failed to yield the right of way from a stop sign causing a vehicle crash.
8/4/22 - A parent found a make shift weapon and items used to make the weapon hidden in their yard. The parents confronted the child responsible for making the weapon and contacted law enforcement to speak with the child. It was determined the child did not want to harm himself or others. Health and Human Services was advised of the incident.
8/6/22 - A motor vehicle hit a pedestrian on South Worcester Road. An adult female was transported to the hospital via an ambulance. An adult male received numerous citations.
8/8/22 - A raze order was issued on a building on Avon Avenue.
8/9/22 - A woman was taken to jail, arrested for domestic abuse battery.
8/11/22 - A two vehicle accident was reported on Lake Avenue near Fayette Street. A juvenile female was issued an inattentive driving citation.
8/11/22 - A man was reported as being disorderly at a grocery store. An officer took statements from witnesses and was able to locate the man and give him a disorderly conduct citation.
8/13/22 - A phone message stated a resident had missing undergarments. After talking with the reporting party, it was determined the report was unfounded.
8/15/22 - A vehicle was parked on the wrong side of the street near Wyoming Street and Flambeau Avenue. The driver stated they would park the correct way.
8/15/22 - A courtesy violation was issued to remove a couch and mattress with box spring from the front of a residence.
8/16/22 - A report was received of an adult woman banging on the floor of an apartment. It was determined that the woman was cleaning the apartment and was hitting the hand-held vacuum on the floor to free debris inside the vacuum.
8/17/22 - A report of illegal dumping of trash in a trash container was received. It was determined that a family member was the person dumping the trash. No law enforcement action was needed.
8/20/22 - An adult female had fallen, and it was reported she had injuries. Officers could not access the home, so they had to break the door to enter. The adult female refused to be transported to the hospital.
8/23/22 - A courtesy violation was issued to remove a couch, mattress with box spring, and other junk from the front and back of a residence.
8/24/22 - Three females were hanging around an abandoned residence. They told an officer they were looking for a missing cat. They were advised they cannot walk on someone else's property and look into a residence. All three females left, and the home owner was notified.
8/24/22 - A male fell on a sidewalk near Avon Avenue and Walnut Street. He was bleeding from his head but was checked over and did not have serious injuries.
8/28/22 - A fight was in progress at a bar and resort on Solberg Lake Road. One male was arrested for battery.
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PARK FALLS POLICE DEPARTMENT
8/1/22 - An officer observed two juveniles at a convenience store. Warnings and citations were issued.
8/3/22 - A mother requested a report be filed due to a person giving her son a popsicle.
8/5/22 - A man received a call telling him to go to his bank, which he did. The bank informed him it was a scam call and to hang up the phone and report it to the police.
8/5/22 - A man was operating an ATV without headlights and was stopped by police. He was also found to be intoxicated and in possession of marijuana. The person was arrested for OWI and received numerous citations.
8/7/22 - A sexual assault was reported to the hospital, but the victim insisted she did not want law enforcement involved.
8/8/22 - An officer received information that a juvenile was almost getting hit by a vehicle and followed near a walking trail. The officer spoke with the possible driver. The driver denied almost striking a juvenile or following the juvenile with the vehicle. The driver showed video footage of him backing up and several seconds later the juvenile walking past his residence.
8/8/22 - The Price County Sheriff's Department advised of a vehicle crash on 1st Street North and Hwy. 13. An officer responded and investigated the crash.
8/8/22 - Officers assisted Rusk County in locating numerous suspects who were believed to be involved with a missing female subject. Officers ultimately located the suspects and interviewed them. The concern was that they may hurt or kill her. However, the female was not with them and was later located.
8/9/22 - There was a report of yelling and a loud argument occurring at an address on 3rd Avenue South. An officer arrived and spoke with the male party involved. Consent was given to search the apartment for the suspect. The suspect was located and arrested for probation hold and misdemeanor bail jumping.
8/17/22 - An officer responded to a store as the store manager reported finding a small bag with an unknown powder substance that was discovered by employees the prior night. The store manager wanted the bag removed from the store. An officer collected the bag from the store without issue.
8/17/22 - There was a theft complaint regarding a subject opening a locked safe and taking $30,000.
8/20/22 - An officer observed one male suspect in a vehicle with several occupants. The officer found out from dispatch that the male subject had a felony warrant out for his arrest. The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and arrested the suspect for the warrant and five counts of felony bail jumping.
8/23/22 - A female subject brought to the police department by a concerned motorist reported her roommate had beaten her.
8/24/22 - An officer met with a concerned citizen who wanted to report suspicious activity at the former Park Falls Pulp and Paper building. The concerned citizen reported bright lights, heavy machinery operating, and a strong chemical-type odor coming from the mill during the night, which starts at approximately 10:00 p.m.
8/26/22 - A vehicle crashed into a tree south of Fifield. One male occupant sustained minor injuries. Marijuana and paraphernalia were seized from the vehicle.
8/28/22 - An officer received a phone call from a bartender reporting a fight between a male and female subject. The female was outside the bar, yelling and swearing. The female was warned to remain off the premises the rest of the night.
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Price County Sheriff Brian Schmidt reports on September 1, 2022, at approximately 2:39 p.m., the Price County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a motorboat crashing into a dock on Smith Lake in the Township of Lake.
The investigation revealed the victim was a single occupant of the boat, had become separated from the boat, and was located in the water non-responsive. The victim was a 78-year-old male from Richland Center, Wisconsin, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of family.
Responding agencies included the Price County Sheriff’s Office, Park Falls Police Department, Park Falls Fire & Ambulance Service, Fifield Fire Department, Pike Lake Fire Department, Butternut Fire Department, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Price County Coroner’s Office, and the funeral home.
The matter remains under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Hwy. 47, from Woodruff to Lac du Flambeau, will be under construction from August 22 to mid-October, 2022.
According to WisDOT, "Crews will be modifying natural low areas to treat and store stormwater and installing an overflow pipe to discharge excess stormwater."
Built in 1922, many children, teachers, parents, and community members have walked the halls of St. Anthony's School in Park Falls, leaving their mark on the school and taking the memories with them.
Photo by: Jerry Weber
However, 100 years later, the school faces demolition.
Father Shaji admits this was a difficult decision. "The parish and finance council looked at three different possibilities for the school building - reopen, sell, or raze."
To determine if reopening was feasible, in December 2021, families were sent a survey. 115 families replied with 43 wanting the school to reopen, 55 not wanting it to reopen, and 17 were undecided. If a plan could be made to reopen the school, various people stated they would donate over a million dollars to the project. However, an additional two million dollars were needed for a fund to be able to keep the school running well rather than being back in the same financial position within two years. Along with the lack of funding, the limited number of children that would be attending the school did not allow for a viable plan.
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The cost of maintaining the building is also high, costing $40,000 to $45,000 per year for water, sewer, electricity, gas, insurance, and emergency repairs. Major repairs were not even considered in the annual cost of maintenance. Major repairs include the roof, a heating system, and the walls (which are structurally okay but need work due to water damage), just to name a few.
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As for selling, a number of people showed interest in buying the building to use as apartments, a community center, YMCA, and other uses. One company offered a purchase agreement of $150,000 or provide residence for the priest in order to purchase the school and the rectory to create apartments. However, this would mean the St. Anthony of Padua parish would be left with a church building and a parking lot. Looking to the future, there would not be land space left for any future plans.
Razing the building has a high cost. The lowest cost proposal was for $300,000. The parish will need to take out a loan to complete the demolition. However, this is the recommendation that was made by the parish and finance council. Father Shaji sent the recommendation to the Bishop, and St. Anthony Corporate Board approved it. This is a final decision, and as soon as the asbestos abatement company gives the date they will be removing the asbestos, the demolition company will be ready. Demolition will take about two months. "It was not an easy decision, but we pray and trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we made the best decision in a given situation," Father Shaji stated. He would appreciate any donations or offers of a loan from anyone willing to help.
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Father Shaji added that, since the school closed in 2017, the parishioners were informed of the options for its future. People had an opportunity to come up with a plan, but a feasible plan could not be found. The decision was not made lightly. He stated the future is bright given they will still have the land for future projects. For example, they may choose to build a new school at some point in the future or they may do something else favorable with the land. They have plenty of ideas but no solid plans yet.
During My Price County's Spotlight interview with Toni Brendel, https://www.mynorthernwisconsin.com/news...d-133.html, she reminisced about the fair from days gone by. "The Price County Fair was possibly the most exciting and interesting event of the year. And there were many more entries early on than there are today. The 4-H Clubs were very popular, and beautiful crops and flowers were on display at the fair. Many calves, lambs, goats, rabbits, and an assortment of chickens were brought in to be judged, by area farmers and their children. The Price County Homemakers were very active and they worked hard on their displays of vegetables, garments, handiwork, and other crafts that were then judged for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd prizes. In addition to the coveted ribbon prizes, there were small amounts of money given, as well. The Price County Fair Board hired a carnival with rides, not so daring as today, and hawkers shouted out the great deals they had in store for those who passed by. Little children could be seen hugging their prizes if they were lucky enough to win a stuffed animal, but most prizes were smaller and quite trite, but it was a token, anyway."
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Michelle Drobnik, Price County Fair Board president, and one of the five volunteer board members, remembers her younger years at the fair. "One of my favorite parts growing up was the connecting with people that you didn’t see all summer or the people you only saw at the fair. It brings a lot of youth together from the county that otherwise only see each other during school events. Showing our animals and playing the games and riding rides made the time sure go quick! It was the best way to send us back to school!"
While the fair has changed some over the years, the premise is the same, which is bringing the community together to enjoy entertainment, compete for various prizes, and showcase our area.
This year's fair will take place from Wednesday, August 24th through Sunday, August 28th. Admission is free on Wednesday, but there are no carnival rides that day. Wednesday is entry day and face-to-face judging.
Gate admission for the remaining days is $5 without rides or $15 with rides. Children two and under receive free admission. Carnival rides and the Phillips Children's Museum will be on site.
On Thursday, the opening ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. in the Old Log School. At 5 p.m., enjoy a karaoke contest at Center Stage and the 4-H Gymkana Show at the horse arena.
Friday through Sunday will feature Half Twisted Half Knot, a balloon act.
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On Friday, the 4-H show will take place in the horse arena and the ever-popular 4-H Market Animal Sale will be held under the tent (as the barn is still closed). Cap off the night with Tom Katalin and Highway 41 band at Center Stage at 8 p.m.
The Open Horse Show will be in the horse arena on Saturday at 10 a.m. In the Expo Building, there will be the NCCU Saw Dust Dig at 1 p.m. The Kiddie Tractor Pull will take place at 6 p.m., and the First Hand High Band will take Center Stage at 8 p.m.
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Road work will take place on US 8 near the Scott Creek and Little Somo River areas northwest of Tomahawk. Crews will replace culverts at the Little Somo River Bridge and Scott Creek. They will also pave the highway in work areas and replace guardrails. Work will begin on August 22, 2022 and continue through August 2023. Traffic will be reduced to single lanes in areas of the work zone.
The first location involves County P to USH 45 North in Monico. Crews will remove some of the existing asphalt and install new asphalt, replace culverts as needed, and update guardrails and thermoplastic snowmobile crossings now through November 15, 2022. Traffic will be reduced to single lanes in areas of the work zone.
The second location is the Scott Creek and Little Somo River areas northwest of Tomahawk. Crews will replace culverts at the Little Somo River Bridge and Scott Creek. They will also pave the highway in work sites and replace guardrails. Work will begin on August 22, 2022 and continue through August 2023. Traffic will be reduced to single lanes in areas of the work zone.
A new event, Phillips on Tap, will be held in Elk Lake Park starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 20, 2022.
Food, beer, and wine will be available starting at 4 p.m. Local vendors will be on site selling food and non-alcoholic drinks in the park. Alcoholic beverages will be available in the Taproom Tent. In the tent will be six breweries from across Wisconsin.
In order to purchase alcoholic beverages, an ID will be necessary. Once the ID is checked, each person will be issued a wristband.
There is limited seating at the event, so event goers are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets.
Music by Pacific Coast Highway will start at 5 p.m. on the stage.
In case of severe weather, the event will be moved to the Phillips Municipal Center.
