3/31/2025

MARENISCO TOWNSHIP - A Marenisco Township man faces multiple felonies in relation to a Wednesday night crash that killed one person.  57-year-old Brian Austin Berquist, was arraigned in Gogebic County District Court Friday, according to Gogebic County Prosecutor Nic Jacobs.  Berquist is charged with three felonies: two counts of operating under the influence causing death and one count of manslaughter. The OWI charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000. The manslaughter charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of $7,500.  He was arrested Wednesday night after the Michigan State Police and Gogebic County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash on M-64.  As of Friday, Berquist was still being held in Gogebic County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond.

3/31/2025

ONTONAGON – Just after Mid-night Saturday the Ontonagon County Fire department was paged out for a fully involved barn fire with tractor and equipment inside. Fire dept arrived on scene to find a 30x30 barn fully involved with the front portion of the barn collapsing, approximately 7,000 gallons of water and 20 gallons of foam were used to put the fire out and wet surrounding areas. Crews were on scene for almost 3 hours. There were no injuries to firefighters or the homeowners. 6 chickens died in the fire. Everything in the barn is a total loss.  12 firefighters helped fight that fire.

3/31/2025

BAYFIELD - The Bayfield County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with a telemedicine company to provide mental health and crisis intervention services. The program is the first of its kind in the state of Wisconsin, with law enforcement using a program created by the Avel company. Law enforcement responding to a mental health crisis can put a tablet computer in the hands of the person they’re helping, giving them almost instant access to a mental health professional wherever they are, reducing the need to detain or transport someone, and allowing them communication with someone who can help them form an action plan on the spot. According to the company, 80% of the time, this leads to no hospitalization or incarceration. Deputies are already seeing positive results with the program. Bayfield has signed a three-year agreement with Avel, at a cost of $28,000 a year. The first year of the program has already been paid for with grant funding and those with the county say the program costs less per year than just one intervention call.