The Richland County Sheriff’s Department reports that the body of a missing Orion Township woman has been located.

Gail Stone, age 79 of rural Muscoda, has been the subject of a missing persons search since early Friday afternoon.  The incident began Friday when a vehicle registered to Stone was located in a wooded area off Harry’s Lane in Orion Township.  The caretaker of the property located the vehicle and notified authorities.  After identifying the owner of the vehicle, a deputy traveled to the owners address but didn’t locate anyone there.  More efforts to locate the owner were not successful.

On Saturday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Department was notified that the owner of the vehicle suffered from Alzheimer’s and had not been seen since Tuesday afternoon.  Sheriff’s Deputies initiated a search of the area but the search was suspended due to darkness.  This morning (Sunday) a larger scale search was organized involving Sheriff’s Deputies, members of several local fire departments including Muscoda, Lone Rock, Richland Center and Blue River, Richland County Emergency Management and a member of the Wisconsin Drone Coalition.  Additional help was provided by the property owners and caretaker.  Within 45 minutes of starting the search, Gail Stone was located in a ravine in the southern part of the property.  A Richland County Coroner pronounced her dead at the scene.

In all approximately 35 people were involved in the search.

Richland County Sheriff James J. Bindl wishes to thank all the emergency responders who participated in the search and also thanks the land owners & neighbors for the assistance they provided.

At 6:01 PM Saturday (10-19-2019) the Richland Co Dispatch Center received calls of an explosion being heard and felt by residents in the city and north.  Reports indicated houses from the Allison Park area through the Hub City area shook from the blast.

Sheriff’s Deputies responded to try and locate the incident.  Within minutes, a deputy traveling just north of the city of Richland Center reported a large plume of smoke north and west of his location, possibly between County Hwy A and State Hwy 56.  It was then Richland Center Fire was paged and asked to respond.  As emergency crews traveled north, the smoke dissipated and made it harder to locate.

Several more calls from citizens trying to help pin point the blast poured into the dispatch center.  Deputies from the Sheriff’s Department, a WI State Patrol Trooper, an Officer from the Richland Center Police Dept. and Richland Center Fire units combed the area north and west of the city for almost an hour.

At around 6:50pm, a citizen met with authorities and directed them to the source of the blast, which was located at the address of 22855 Cty DD, in a wooded area on top of the ridge.  Law Enforcement Officials drove up the ridge and made contact with a subject identified as Jacob A. Busser, 22 of Lodi. The property is owned by his father, and was the location of a field party.   After speaking with Busser, it was learned that approximately 10 lbs of tannerite, which is a highly explosive material used commonly in shooting targets, had been set up and shot at with a firearm.  That action detonated the entire 10lbs of material at once, causing the enormous blast.  The blast was reported from a large area of the county, as calls reporting or inquiring about the incident were logged from Sextonville to Gillingham to Snow Valley as well as the City of Richland Center.

No injuries were reported.  Richland County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Chad Kanable stated he was relieved no one was injured or killed from the blast and thanks the many citizens and emergency personnel who assisted with the incident.  He stated it is legal to possess tannerite and like anything it can be safe when used properly and used for intended purposes.  Last evenings actions exceeded those purposes.

The incident is being forwarded to the Richland County District Attorney’s Office for possible charges and remains under investigation.

Richland County Sheriff James J. Bindl reports:

On 9-24-2019 Deputies from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department searched a home in the Village of Gotham after receiving information it may contain several stolen items from recent burglaries from Richland and Sauk Counties.

Sheriff’s Deputies traveled to an address of 28875 McNurlin St in the village of Gotham and spoke with the occupant there, who subsequently gave permission for a search to be done of his property.  Sheriff’s Deputies recovered several items that have been reported stolen in recent weeks during the search, including chainsaws, power tools, battery operated tools and other items.  While a deputy was still at the residence, another male subject pulled up in a vehicle.  The male exited the vehicle and approached the residence, but tried to flee on foot after seeing the deputy. The male, identified as Bryce G. Mathews was quickly captured and detained.  After a search, Mathews was found to have a drugs, drug paraphernalia and a handgun in his possession.  Matthews, who is a convicted felon, was taken into custody and transported to the Richland County Jail on charges of resisting an officer, felon in possession of a handgun, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The occupant of the residence, 60 year old William C. Giddings, is charged with possession of stolen property and felony bail jumping.

Authorities continued their investigation and as a result have arrested a third individual, 24 year old Dakota L. Lins of Lone Rock.  Lins is charged with theft, receiving stolen property and four counts of felony bail jumping. Both Giddings and Lins were booked into the Richland County Jail.  All charges have been referred to the Richland County District Attorney’s Office.  The recovered items are being processed as evidence.

Sheriff Bindl stated the arrests made and items recovered could potentially close seven cases of theft and burglary in Richland County.  Sheriff Bindl reminds all area residents to lock their doors and secure their belongings at all times to deter criminal activity.

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On 9-24-2019 at 1:42pm, Richland Co Dispatch received a 911 call of a logging accident at 26553 Section Hollow Ln. off County Highway I in Rockbridge Township. Sheriff’s Deputies responded as did Richland County EMS and Richland Center Fire. A Richland Co Sheriff’s Deputy arrived first on scene and discovered that 83 year old Lester W. Mick was cutting trees on his property, on a hillside. His son, Robert “Wayne” Mick was also on the property using a log splitter. Wayne heard a bunch of limbs breaking in the woods behind him and went to check on his dad. It was discovered the tree being cut by Lester Mick had fallen on top of him, pinning him underneath. Lester Mick was pronounced dead at the scene by a Deputy Richland County Coroner. No other injuries were reported. Funeral services for Lester W. Mick are pending with the Pratt Memorial Chapel in Richland Center.

On 9/16/19 at 07:22am, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department received a report of a 4 to 5 vehicle crash on Hwy 80N at McDougal Ln.  Reports indicated a school bus, a semi and several cars were involved. It was extremely foggy at the time of the crash.

Sheriff’s Deputies, Richland Center Fire & Richland County EMS responded.  According to the investigation by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, 3 vehicles were stopped in the Northbound lane of Hwy 80 at McDougal Ln for a school bus in the process of picking up student’s that had its red lights flashing.  A semi tanker truck, operated by 32 year old Gary W. Olson of Sparta, was Northbound on Hwy 80 when he stated he did not see the flashing reds lights on the bus or the vehicles stopped in the roadway due to the dense fog.

As Olson approached the area, he applied the brakes and attempted to steer the semi into the gravel on the right side of the roadway.  This caused the semi trailer to slide sideways to the left. The semi trailer collided with the rear of a 2018 Jeep Compass operated by 81 year old Everett A Crine of Cazenovia.  The impact pushed the Crine vehicle forward where it struck the rear of a 2014 Chrysler minivan operated by Barbara J. Olson, age 48 of Richland Center.  The Crine vehicle continued forward, striking a third vehicle, a 2012 Chevrolet Impala operated by Kristin Kauffman of Richland Center.  The Olson and Crine vehicles suffered extensive damage and were towed from the scene.  Everett Crine was injured and transported to the Richland Hospital by Richland County EMS.  He was later transferred to a La Crosse hospital.  His condition is not known at this time.  The school bus, owned by Kubbussen Bus Service was not directly involved in the crash and none of the students on board were injured.

Gary Olson was cited for driving too fast for conditions and for failure to wear a seatbelt.

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AUTHORITY:  Chief Deputy Chad Kanable

On Tuesday 7/30/2019, Grant County authorities announced the completion of an investigation into the death of a Richland County Inmate.  Grant County officials with assistance from the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office have ruled the death of 25 year old Kevin L. Flint as an accidental death.  On 6/19/19, Flint was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by Richland County Deputies.  During the stop, illegal drugs were located in the vehicle.  Flint along with the vehicle operator were arrested for possession of illegal drugs and transported to the Richland County Jail.  As the investigation continued, a search warrant was obtained to conduct a body cavity search on Flint at the Richland Hospital by trained medical personnel.  Flint was transported to the hospital where the warrant was executed.  He was then returned to the jail with full medical clearance.

Shortly after returning to the jail, Flint fell ill and lost consciousness during the booking process.  EMS was immediately paged and CPR was started by Deputies prior to EMS arrival.  Flint was transported to the Richland Hospital ER where he died a short time later.

Richland County authorities requested the assistance of the Grant County Sheriff’s Dept. to conduct an independent investigation of the incident.  The Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the death as accidental with a cause of acute cocaine intoxication.

Sheriff James J. Bindl wants to thank the Grant County Sheriff’s Dept. for their time and work in this investigation.

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