On Thursday, January 27, 2022, at approximately 10:42 p.m., a 911 call was received regarding a snowmobile crash on Trail 77 between Gile and Hurley. It was reported the male operator of the snowmobile was unresponsive. Emergency services immediately responded, according to Sheriff Paul Samardich.
Although the crash was unwitnessed, it appeared that the driver of the snowmobile failed to negotiate a curve, left the trail, and struck a tree. Speed also appears to be a factor in the crash.
The man, who was 55 years old and from the La Crosse area, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Iron County coroner, Diane Simonich.
On January 24, 2022 at 5:22 a.m., the Sawyer County Sheriff's Office received a report of a two vehicle semi vs. car traffic crash on STH 70 one mile west of the intersection of CTH EE in the Town of Draper. Sawyer County Deputies, Sawyer County EMS, and Wisconsin State Patrol, along with Draper, Winter, and Radisson Fire Departments, responded.
A preliminary investigation indicates a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze, operated by William J. Bohn, 35, from Rib Lake, was traveling westbound on STH 70. The Chevrolet Cruze crossed the center line and collided head-on with an eastbound semi-tractor/trailer operated by Marvin R. Zacharias, 62, from Hayward. Mr. Bohn received fatal injuries from the crash and was the only occupant in the vehicle. Mr. Zacharias received very minor injuries.
This traffic crash remains under investigation by the Sawyer County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Sawyer County Coroner's Office.
Moments ago, The Supreme Court, in a split decision, has decided that private businesses cannot be made to enforce the federal vaccine mandate on their employees. They have kept the stay on that; the vaccine mandate cannot be controlled by OSHA. However, those that are federally-funded, such as health care facilities, must implement the mandate.
On January 8, 2022 at 8:00 p.m., Sawyer County deputies assisted by the LCO Tribal Police Department, the City of Hayward Police Department and the United States Forest Service arrested Quill Running Buffalo Hawk, 40, of Green Bay at the a casino in the Town of Hayward. Hawk was initially taken into custody on a warrant through the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
During the course of the investigation, deputies located four large bundles of US currency of various denominations on Hawk’s person in excess of $4,000. Hawk’s vehicle was located in the casino parking lot where US Forest Service Agent Seehase and his K9 partner Axel conducted a sniff of the vehicle. K9 Axel alerted to the presence of drugs and a search of the vehicle was conducted. Deputies located 31.8 grams of methamphetamine, 7.89 grams of heroin, drug packaging materials and drug paraphernalia.
Hawk was additionally arrested for Possession with intent to Deliver Schedule I & II Narcotics > 3 < 10 grams, Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine >10<50 grams and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Hawk is currently being held in the Sawyer County Jail on a $7,500.00 cash bond. His initial appearance is scheduled for January 18, 2022.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Recognizing the current elevated health risks to drivers 60 and over, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is extending renewal deadlines for this age group.
Licensed drivers who are 60 and over and who have a license scheduled to expire in January, February or March 2022, will now have until March 31, 2022 to visit a DMV to renew with no late fee.
Driver records are automatically updated, and the new expiration date will be visible to law enforcement. Customers can check the status of the license, including the adjusted expiration date, at wisconsindmv.gov/status.
Appointments for a driver license renewal can be scheduled online (wisconsindmv.gov/DLGuide). Applications can also be completed online and submitted electronically. Questions are quickly answered by email or phone.
To make in-person customer visits safer, and reduce the time in the DMV lobby, DMV Customer Services Centers are using safety protocols that include cleaning throughout the day and arranging space to provide safe social distancing.
In-person visits at DMV Customer Services Centers are only available for driver license renewals and original products, ID to vote, and new residents to obtain identification.
Drivers ages 18 to 64, who are U.S. citizens with an unrestricted driver license, and who have not had a change in medical conditions, and who do not need an original REAL ID, may renew their driver license online (wisconsindmv.gov/renewDL).
Traditionally, DMV customers only needed to visit a DMV once every eight years to take a new photo and renew their driver license. Now, online driver license renewal is available through a pilot program which began in May 2020 which allows 16 years to pass between visits.
Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) today announced that municipalities across the state received more than $132 million in the first quarterly payments for 2022 for General Transportation, Connecting Highway, and Expressway Policing Aids.
For calendar year 2022, local governments will receive more than $505 million in general transportation aids (GTA) financial assistance to support transportation related projects, a 2% increase over calendar year 2021 allocations. GTA and other WisDOT Local Programs combined make up almost one third of the state transportation budget.
"The work we do with local governments is essential to an efficient and resilient transportation network that delivers from the first to the last mile," WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said. "Thank you to all the local government officials who work together with us to make good investments that improve safety, economic opportunity, and quality of life."
The first quarter payments, made on January 3, totaled $132,266,966.99 and included:
General Transportation Aids - $128,955,117.60 to local units of government
Connecting Highway Aids - $3,015,874.39 in CHA to 116 eligible municipalities
Expressway Policing Aids - $255,975.00 to Milwaukee County
General Transportation Aids help cover the costs of constructing, maintaining, and operating roads and streets under local jurisdiction. Connecting Highway Aids reimburse municipalities for maintenance and traffic control of certain state highways within municipalities.
Quarterly payments for cities, villages, and towns are sent the first Monday in January, April, July, and October. County payments are made in three installments, with 25 percent of the total annual payment on the first Monday in January; 50 percent on the first Monday in July; and 25 percent on the first Monday in October.
A snowmobile crashed into a tree near Big Crooked Lake and Wolf Lake in Boulder Junction on Sunday, January 9, 2022.
The 911 call came in just before 10 a.m. The man, whose age has not been disclosed at this time, was unresponsive. A medical helicopter was paged from a hospital in Minocqua.
There is no further information yet on the condition of the injured man.
Bob Saget, well-known for his role as Danny Tanner on "Full House" and "Fuller House," the host of "America's Funniest Home Videos" from 1989 to 1997, the narrator of "How I Met Your Mother," and comedian, passed away on Sunday, January 9, 2022 at the age of 65.
According to a sheriff's statement, "Earlier today, deputies were called to the Ritz-Carlton, Grande Lakes for a call about an unresponsive man in a hotel room. The man was identified as Robert Saget and pronounced deceased on scene Detectives found no signs of foul play or drug use in this case." The cause of death will be determined by a medical examiner.
The hotel sent a security officer to his room when family members were unable to get in touch with the actor and they contacted the hotel. When the officer entered, the lights were off. Bob Saget was on the bed, cold to the touch, yellow, and clammy, according to a report. He was lying face up, one arm was across his chest and the other was resting on the bed.
Bob Saget was presently on a comedy tour in Florida. He performed on Saturday night and Tweeted that he loved the show in Jacksonville that had an appreciative audience. He stated he enjoyed it so much he didn't realize he did a two hour set. He shared he was happily addicted to stand-up comedy once again.
FEBRUARY 9, 2022 UPDATE
Bob Saget's cause of death has been deemed "head trauma." According to his family, he accidentally hit the back of his head on something but was not concerned by it. He went to sleep and never woke up. Neither drugs nor alcohol were involved.
UPDATE: The county board voted on December 14, 2021 to consider the sale of the fairgrounds with certain contingencies. Anyone interested in possibly purchasing or leasing the fairgrounds has until January 7, 2022 to contact Nick Trimner, Price County Administrator, with their interest. His number is 715-339-5138.
Date Published: September 22, 2021
The Price County fairgrounds has been in the spotlight recently as Price County decides if they should sell the property to a private party and the fate of the historic barn.
While the fairgrounds has not been sold yet, Price County Administrator Nick Trimner stated, "Price County has been approached by the Baratka family. They would like the county to consider selling the property so they could invest in the facilities in order to hold larger and more events. We are currently having a title search done and looking at the county’s options. The county has not looked at the terms of any potential sale of the property."
If the county did decide to sell the fairgrounds, there would be a long-term lease allowing the Price County Fair Association, http://www.PriceCountyFair.com, to operate the fair on that property. The lease would also allow the Price County Antiques Association to remain established at the fairgrounds. The Boy Scout building, 4-H building, and the schoolhouse would also remain at the fairgrounds. According to Nick Trimner, "There may be more to that long-term lease that has not been identified at this time. If there is a sale to a private party and they were to ever consider selling, or go out of business, the county would have a first right of refusal to get the property back."
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Some residents believe the county should own the fairgrounds, perform needed maintenance, and hold more events there. The county, however, is hoping that if a private party owns the property they would invest more into the property than Price County can with its current budget. More people would likely be drawn to the area if more community events were held at the fairgrounds.
One building that does need maintenance is the historic barn, which had one damaged wing removed and was closed to the public at the 2021 Price County Fair. "Taking into consideration that the building has been deemed unsafe for use, the county has considered asking for quotes to remove the building," Nick admitted. "However, the potential buyers would like us to wait until a decision to sell or keep the property has been made." The Buildings and Grounds Committee is currently overseeing this topic.
There have been a number of county meetings regarding the fairgrounds and there will be more meetings before a final decision is made. Nick advised, "The public is welcome to [come to] those meetings and speak during public comment or contact their [county] board representative."
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Over the last several weeks, the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperative investigations with the LCO Police Department and the Town of Hayward Police Department, arrested several individuals in connection with multiple burglaries and thefts that recently occurred in the Hayward area.
As a result of the investigations, three adult males were taken into custody.
Michael J. Denasha, 31, of Hayward, was arrested on two Sawyer County warrants and a Department of Corrections warrant.
Cody J. Potack, 25, of Hayward, was arrested for burglary to a building or dwelling and resisting or obstructing an officer.
Chad C. Headley, 32, of Hayward, was arrested for receiving stolen property and felony bail jumping.
The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the burglaries and is anticipating additional criminal charges and arrests of other suspects involved in the thefts and burglaries.
The Sawyer County Sheriff's Office advises that a charge is merely an accusation and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
UPDATE: 1/11/2022
On January 7, 2022 at 7:20 p.m., Sawyer County deputies arrested a fourth person involved in the burglaries and thefts that occurred in the Hayward area over the last several months. Deputies arrested Trevor James Wilson, 31, of Hayward, during a traffic stop. Wilson was arrested for Resisting or Obstructing an Officer and is currently being held in the Sawyer County Jail on a Department of Corrections Warrant. Wilson is believed to have committed or is a party to several of the burglaries.
The four men currently arrested for the burglaries face multiple felony charges of Burglary to Building or Dwelling and Receiving Stolen Property. The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the burglaries anticipating additional arrests and charges in the near future.
