Menominee County warns residents to avoid Spirit Island Road incident area

Menominee County law enforcement told residents to avoid Spirit Island Road and County Highway VV near Keshena while officers responded to an active incident. The warning affects drivers moving through the area, nearby households, and anyone heading toward services or events in the Keshena area.

The alert went out through the Menominee County 911 Center, the county’s public warning channel when officials need people to stay clear of a fast-moving scene. Menominee County’s official website lists the 9-1-1 Center as a county department and posts an Emergency Info Hotline at 715-799-7000 for residents seeking updates.

Officials did not release further details about what prompted the response, how many agencies were on scene, or whether anyone was hurt. They said another update would follow when the area was clear. For people traveling near Keshena, the instruction was simple: do not drive into the area and do not interfere with the response.

The warning is especially important in Menominee County, where narrow roads, wooded stretches, and residential land use can make a police scene difficult to approach safely. Keshena, the seat of government for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, depends on quick communication when emergencies unfold across county and tribal roads. The tribe says it uses the Nixle system to send geographically targeted emergency notifications and community advisories to residents and business owners from Menominee Public Safety agencies, including police, fire, EMS, and public health.

A recent law-enforcement operation near the same road network shows why even a brief alert can point to a serious response. On May 20, 2025, WBAY reported that a 60-year-old Keshena man was in custody after about a 10-hour standoff near Spirit Island Road and Highway VV that began when deputies executing a search warrant came under gunfire. WBAY said Brown County SWAT, Green Bay SWAT, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations backed the operation.

WFRV later reported that the Spirit Island and Highway VV area was secure and that residents could return. FOX 11 also reported an arrest after a law-enforcement incident near Blacksmith Lake tied to Spirit Lake, Spirit Island Road, and Highway VV. Together, those incidents show why county and tribal warning systems treat the corridor around Keshena as a place where fast public notice can matter immediately.