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Michigan woman missing after music festival near forest

MELLEN, Wis. (AP) — Authorities in Wisconsin are stepping up their search efforts for an Upper Peninsula woman who went missing after attending the “Mellen Jam” music festival last weekend.

Family members told police that Jody Lynn Newberry, 54, of Bergland, traveled to Mellen, Wis., with a male companion last Thursday, May 24, to attend the annual event.

She and her friend became separated at the festival, and she was last seen around noon on Saturday, May 26.

On Tuesday, Newberry’s family called Ashland County sheriff’s officials.

“Jody’s sister was concerned because the festival had ended and Jody had not returned home, nor had she contacted the family,” sheriff’s officials said.

She is described as a white female, 5’3″ tall, weighing 115 pounds, with long brown hair. She also has several missing teeth, a skin tag on her nose, and is usually wearing wire-rimmed glasses.

The 120 acres where Mellen Jam has its annual Memorial Day weekend event is just north of town, on Gilgen Road. Police describe the surrounding property as dense forest with extremely rugged terrain.

“An initial search of the property and adjacent area was performed by deputies of the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, followed by an expanded search by the Sawyer County Search and Rescue K-9 unit throughout the evening and night, with nothing found,” police said in an update released on Wednesday.

“At this time, there is no indication of Jody’s whereabouts. The investigation is ongoing and additional expanded searches are planned in conjunction (with) all other available options to locate her.”

Anyone with information about Jody Newberry’s whereabouts is asked to call the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office at (715) 682-7023.

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