Dec. 4, 2025
VIROQUA, Wis. — A Vernon County inmate already jailed on an arson charge is facing additional felony accusations after authorities say he spit in the face of a correctional officer earlier this week.
Sheriff Roy Torgerson said the incident happened Tuesday night at the Vernon County Jail while the officer was assisting the inmate, identified as Ora H. Wallace, 67. The officer was treated at Vernon Health in Viroqua after being exposed to bodily fluids.
Prosecutors plan to seek charges under Wisconsin law for Prisoner Throwing or Expelling Bodily Fluids, Torgerson said. The statute carries potential prison time for inmates who assault staff with bodily substances.
Wallace has been in custody since his Nov. 27 arrest on an arson charge and is being held on a $50,000 cash bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 8 at 1 p.m.
Torgerson praised correctional staff for their work under hazardous conditions and said the investigation is ongoing. “I will not tolerate criminal activity, especially within our four walls,” he said.
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Vernon County man accused of setting neighbors mobile home ablaze
Nov. 28, 2025
VIROQUA, Wis. — A rural Vernon County man was arrested Thursday after authorities say he intentionally set a mobile home on fire along County Road SS in the Town of Liberty.
The blaze broke out around 3:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, according to Sheriff Roy Torgerson. Fire crews from Viola, Viroqua and Readstown responded, along with the Kickapoo Valley Rescue Squad, Viroqua Police Department and the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office. By the time firefighters arrived, the mobile home was fully engulfed. The family who lived there was in the process of moving out and was not home at the time. No injuries were reported, but the structure was a total loss.
Investigators quickly determined the fire had been set intentionally. Deputies arrested Ora H. Wallace, 67, who lives across the road from the burned home. Wallace was booked into the Vernon County Detention Center on suspicion of arson. A probable cause affidavit has been submitted to Circuit Judge Timothy J. Gaskell, and Wallace is expected to appear in court Monday. Formal charges will be sought through District Attorney Angela Palmer-Fisher. Authorities emphasized that a charge is only an accusation and Wallace is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The scene was cleared by 6 p.m., but the investigation continues. The Sheriff’s Office and Viola Fire Department are working with the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s state fire marshal.
“I am extremely grateful that no one was hurt,” Torgerson said in a statement. “Although this should never have happened, I want to thank everyone who responded. Many of our emergency services are staffed entirely by volunteers, and on a holiday when you should have been with your families, you answered the call without hesitation.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Vernon County Crime Stoppers at 608-637-TIPS (8477) or submit tips online at www.p3tips.com.
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