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Author: Steve Dillon

MOCK TORNADO DRILLS SET TO TAKE PLACE ACROSS WISCONSIN THURSDAY

Steve Dillon

Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) and the National Weather Service (NWS) are conducting a Statewide Tornado Drill at 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Many local communities may test their warning sirens during the day as well. Wisconsin typically sees an average of 23 tornadoes annually, however in 2024 the National Weather Service reported 45 confirmed tornadoes across the state. Today’s Statewide Tornado Drill is a part of the annual Severe Weather Awareness Week Campaign, and is designed for businesses and families to review their readiness planes.

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CATASTROPHIC STORM GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR LAST WEEK’S URBAN STORM DAMAGE

Steve Dillon

Clean up efforts continue in many communities as a result of last week’s ice storms that blanketed Northern Wisconsin. The DNR has announced they will be providing Wisconsin Urban Forestry Catastrophic Storm Grants ranging from $4,000 to $50,000 with no recipient match required. Funding for the grants was made available as a result of the declaration of a state of emergency that was signed by Governor Evers and backed by local legislators. The grants are appropriated for tree repair, removal or replacement within urban areas in the declared region that experienced…

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MERRILL POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORT WEEK ENDING APRIL 6

Steve Dillon

MERRILL – The Merrill Police Department responded to 11 incidents last week. There were four reports of theft, one where a girlfriend stole and crashed her boyfriend’s car resulting in her arrest for OWI. There were two instances of possession of illegal substances, one where a male driver from Merrill had run a stop sign and the officer found multiple opened cans of beer resulting a citation for OWI. A citation for possession of marijuana was also issued. There were three arrests from open warrants and probation holds. Two calls…

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LONG TIME MERRILL FIRE DEPARTMENT BATTALION CHIEF RETIRES

Steve Dillon

MERRILL – On Sunday April 6th, Merrill Fire Department Battalion Chief Jon Leiskau officially embarked on his retirement journey. Leiskau joined the department as Firefighter/EMT and upgraded to Paramedic in 2006. He was promoted to one of three Operational Battalion Cheifs in 2019. Leiskau was the shift commander of C Crew and the lead coordinator of the department’s Apparatus, Facility, and Equipment Maintenance Division. Throughout his career Leiskau completed numerous training courses and obtained a wide variety of state certifications and licenses. While working with the department, He has also…

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LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE REPORT WEEK ENDING APRIL 6

Steve Dillon

LINCOLN COUNTY – Last Week, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies conducted 51 traffic stops, 31 security checks, and there were six calls involving cars hitting deer. There were nine reports of unsafe driving. On Wednesday, April 2nd, deputies were dispatched to the area of CTH CC near Wildwood Rd in the Town of Bradley regarding a one car crash with injuries. Upon questioning the 39-yr-old female driver from Tomahawk, deputies were told she was distracted by her two young passengers and her car veered off the road. The woman stated she…

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MERRILL FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WEEK ENDING APRIL 6

Steve Dillon

MERRILL – The Merrill Fire Department responded to 38 calls last week, bringing the total for 2025 to 630. There were 31 EMS calls. One call was received regarding a gas leak on East Main St in the City of Merrill on Monday, March 31. There was a motor vehicle accident resulting in injuries on STH 17 in the Town of Schley on Tuesday, April 1, and a second accident involving a motor vehicle and a pedestrian on N Prospect St in the City of Merrill on Thursday, April 3.

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MARATHON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE CONDUCTING MULTI-TEAM TRAINING EXERCISE TUESDAY

Steve Dillon

WAUSAU – The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office has announced that the County jurisdictional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and Crisis Negotiation Teams (CNT) will be conducting training exercises in the City of Wausau at 508 E Wausau Ave today. Included in the training is the use of tactical vehicles and explosive breaching techniques which will be performed specifically on a garage that is scheduled for demolition on April 10 by the Parks Department. The purpose of the planned, routine exercise is to practice critical response capabilities in a controlled and…

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LINCOLN COUNTY SPORTS CLUB PROMOTES DNR LEARN TO HUNT PROGRAM

Steve Dillon

LINCOLN COUNTY – The Lincoln County Sports Club announced that the Wisconsin DNR is offering residents an opportunity to hone their hunting skills through their “Learn to Hunt” program. The initiative is actually a part of a local food movement, teaching hunters to harvest their own grass fed, non-GMO, free range, organic, and antibiotic free upland game birds. The program also teaches hunters how to cook their newly harvested game. The first class is set to take place at the Cedric A Vig Outdoor Classroom on April 25 at 6…

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CITY OF MERRILL BOARD OF REVIEW TO MEET EARLY MAY

Steve Dillon

MERRILL – A meeting of the City of Merril Board of Review will take place on May 7 in the City Hall Council Chambers. This purpose of this statutory meeting is to hear appeals from the Assessment Roll of the City of Merrill. The Board will meet for minimum of 2 hours. Those who desire the opportunity to appear before the Board of Review can pick up an objection from at the City Hall Clerk’s office and must complete and return them by Friday May 2nd. An appointment will then…

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NORTHERN WISCONSIN UNDER STATE OF EMERGENCY FOLLOWING ICE STORMS

Steve Dillon

Residents across Northern Wisconsin are currently under a state of emergency following the weekend ice storm that left significant power outages and damage in its wake. The declaration from Gov Evers came through Tuesday following the urging of regional legislators Senate President Mary Felzkowski, Representative Rob Swearingen, Representative Jeff Mursau, and Representative Calvin Callahan. A state of emergency declaration allows state agencies, local partners, utilities, and emergency management officials to coordinate efforts and swiftly address the damage and impact of recent severe weather.

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