Homecomings to take place at Carroll University, Waukesha North, South high schools this weekend

Sept. 28, 2012 2:45 p.m. | Are you in the Homecoming spirit, yet?

Well, there's plenty of opportunities with three homecomings at area schools this weekend.

Carroll University is one of them and there will be activities and gatherings for reunion classes all weekend.

As a result, Barstow Street will be closed from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. from just south of Schneider Stadium to just south of Cook Street.

The parade starts at 1 p.m. Saturday with the lineup beginning on Martin and South streets.

United Way of Waukesha County sets $5 million goal

Sept. 27, 2012 2:06 p.m. | United Way in Waukesha County has set a goal of raising a record $5 million annually by the end of its 2014 campaign, the charitable organization announced Thursday.

The group also wants to recruit 500 volunteers to serve as readers, tutors and mentors, labeling the dual targets "Strive for Five."

To date, the organization's fundraising high point was nearly $4.9 million in 2008, "so we are confident that we can set a higher standard for philanthropy in Waukesha County moving forward," Executive Director Jayne Thoma said in a news release.

United Way in Waukesha County hopes to raise $4.5 million by the end of its 2012 campaign, board President Paul Melnick said.

Spending falls in Waukesha County budget proposal

Sept. 26, 2012 1:22 p.m. | Waukesha - Spending on Waukesha County government services and construction projects would drop 3.8% to $273.7 million in 2013, under a budget proposed by County Executive Dan Vrakas.

The bottom line - an overall cut in county government spending of $10.9 million next year - was achieved by spending less on major capital construction projects than this year.

Financial challenges from rising vehicle fuel prices, increased spending on adult jail inmates and reductions in investment income were more than offset by reducing the capital budget by $12 million, according to budget documents.

Cutting county spending will lessen the property tax burden on home and business owners, Vrakas said.

"Last year, we were able to freeze taxes on a median valued home," he said in comments before the County Board.

Town's bid to become a village sent back to state

Sept. 25, 2012 8:02 a.m. | The town of Brookfield's request to incorporate as a village has been sent back to the Wisconsin Department of Administration after mediation failed between the town and neighboring municipalities.

City of Brookfield Attorney Karen Flaherty today confirmed the move. She said that Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge James Kieffer lifted the stay on the state's review of the incorporation Sept. 20.

Flaherty said she has not heard a timeline for the Department of Administration to review and decide any next steps in the matter.

The mediation was held between the town and nearby municipalities including the cities of Brookfield and Waukesha and the village of Sussex to iron out consolidation issues.

In order for the town to become a village, it needs a required minimum of four-square-miles of contiguous territory. The town, seeking to protect itself from annexation, has petitioned to annex 288 acres in the town of Waukesha.

Suspicious package triggers bomb squad investigation in Waukesha

Sept. 24, 2012 8:48 a.m. | Authorities cordoned off an area in Waukesha early Monday after finding a suspicious package at a motor sports store and requesting assistance from Milwaukee County's bomb squad.

The suspicious item turned out to be a homemade doorstop fashioned by the owner by Action Power Sports on Travis Lane near Highway 59.

According to a news release:

Police went to the store at about 11:20 p.m. after a burglar alarm was sounded. Officers found a broken window. The officers called for backup and the K9 unit. An entry team found the suspicious package on the ground just inside the broken window. The package was the size of a large phone book, with two smaller packages taped together. It was wrapped in duct tape. An armored car and the Waukesha County Regional Bear Cat, which is an armored vehicle, were deployed.

The key holder was reached as Milwaukee County bomb squad arrived on scene. The owner said the item was a doorstop. Nevertheless, Milwaukee's unit sent a robot up to the package. It confirmed that it was indeed a doorstop.

Waukesha BID board members resign en masse

Sept. 19, 2012 11:30 a.m. | Waukesha - First the staff quit, and now nearly the entire board of directors has resigned, too.

Eleven of 13 members of the downtown Waukesha Business Improvement District Board have quit - the majority at Tuesday night's Common Council meeting in emotional statements over the controversy that has pitted board member against board member, and board member against staff.

Former Executive Director Meghan Sprager resigned recently, issuing a scathing letter that accused some board members of creating unrelenting conflict and a hostile work environment. On the heels of those charges, board leaders survived a board vote of no-confidence, prompting two board members to quit in protest.

Tuesday night, with the Common Council set to take up a referral by council members Eric Payne and Kathleen Cummings seeking removal of the entire board, other board members used the public comment period to announce their departures.

Mayor Jeff Scrima on Wednesday declined to answer a question about when he would appoint new board members, or what process he would use to find replacements. Those who resigned, he said in an email, "are still committed to our vibrant downtown, and we look forward to the new opportunities this will bring."

Waukesha County restricts jail visitation hours

Sept. 17, 2012 12:00 p.m. | Waukesha - Waukesha County Sheriff Dan Trawicki has discontinued visitation at the county jail on Monday through Thursday nights, affecting attorneys visiting their clients and the general public seeking to visit a jailed family member or friend.

Sheriff's Inspector Eric Severson said the move was made as a cost-saving measure - one of several proposed for the 2013 budget that will help the department meet its tax levy target from the county executive. A three-month survey of visits shows that more than 50% of the time, there's one or fewer visitors during that period, Severson told the Criminal Justice Collaborating Council on Monday.

Jail Administrator Michael Giese said because a clerical position was vacant - the person who greets the public, makes certain they have proper credentials and links up the video visitation - the department decided to keep it vacant rather than lay a new employee off.

Visitation effective at the start of this month is from 7:30 to 11 a.m. and 12:30 to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, visitation continues from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

"It's going fine," Giese said, adding that there have been no complaints so far.

Failed conversion helps Mukwonago to huge win

Sept. 15, 2012 12:10 a.m. | After two heart-breaking losses earlier this season for the Mukwonago football team, the Indians looked destined for a third.

Waukesha Catholic Memorial drove down the field to score to pull within one point late in the fourth quarter. But Memorial’s fake extra-point attempt fell short as the Indians prevailed, 14-13, on Friday night at Carroll University.

“I told the guys we've got to break the glass,” said Mukwonago coach Clay Iverson. “We finally were able to break though tonight and get that win.”

After struggling to find any consistency on offense for close to 55 minutes, Memorial strung together a nine-play drive that packed as much excitement in one drive that many experience in a whole game. On fourth down needing four yards, quarterback Pat White dumped off a short pass to Matt Hubley that needed a measurement and required multiple officials to confirm the first down.

Common Council will discuss removing Waukesha's downtown BID Board

Sept. 14, 2012 4:52 p.m. | The Common Council is going to get involved.

At the request of Ald. Kathleen Cummings and Ald. Eric Payne, Waukesha's Common Council will discuss and recommend the removal of the 13-member downtown Business Improvement District Board at its Tuesday meeting.

Over the last month Council members have watched as downtown business owners, BID board members and its former executive director have aired their dirty laundry in public.

Board members have accused other board members of bullying and others voted no-confidence in the current leadership at a recent meeting.

While individuals on the Board and in downtown have said that these aren't new problems, everything erupted after Meghan Sprager resigned from her position as executive director and sent out a resignation letter that cited a hostile work environment.

Waukesha County to review options for sheltering troubled juveniles

Sept. 13, 2012 5:00 p.m. | Waukesha - A potential change in how Waukesha County provides shelter care for troubled boys and girls isn't going to be proposed in County Executive Dan Vrakas' 2013 budget, but a study of potential agencies that could provide the service is ongoing and could still come before the County Board next year.

Director of Administration Norman A. Cummings said that six viable proposals are under study after the county solicited requests for information from 195 agencies last month. Some of the responses came from agencies that already operate other residential facilities in Waukesha County under contract with the Department of Health and Human Services.

Waukesha County closed its locked unit for court-judged delinquent juvenile girls this year as a way to save money, paying Washington County to house them instead. Cummings said the county expects to continue to keep its locked wing for delinquent boys in operation for now. The Juvenile Court is not part of the search for alternatives.

In surveying other counties, Cummings said Kenosha County, for example, has 20% fewer juveniles in shelter care than Waukesha County yet spends less than half on the service, for which Kenosha County contracts.

"It tells us its worth looking at," he said.

Gov. Walker will unveil an "investment announcement" at GE in Waukesha

Sept. 12, 2012 11:40 a.m. | Gov. Scott Walker will be in Waukesha Wednesday to “unveil a significant local economic development” at the GE Energy Gas Engines Facility, 1101 W. St. Paul Ave.

The event begins at 3:30 p.m. and will celebrate job growth at the facility since early last year when GE acquired Waukesha Engines.

Waukesha Mayor Jeff Scrima, GE Energy’s Waukesha Gas Engines President Brian White and other local economic business leaders will be on hand for the event.

According to a news release by GE, Wednesday’s event will include both an “investment announcement” as well as information about local jobs added since GE took over.
 

Video: Sikh Temple incident dash-cam video released

Sept. 10, 2012 4:14 p.m. | Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards, officer Savan Lenda, Mayor Stephen Scaffidi and U.S. Attorney James Santell today released dash-cam video from the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin shootings that took place Aug. 5.

The video, taken from Lt. Brian Murphy's and Lenda's vehicles, shows Murphy's arrival, his immediate care of the victims - whose images are blurred - and his contact with gunman Wade Michael Page.

It shows that Murphy was able to fire a round at Page before he was taken down. The video then cuts to Lenda's vehicle as it enters the temple parking lot, stops and backs up.

"I've got a man in the parking lot with a gun," Lenda says in the video. Lenda's windshield is then hit by a bullet. Lenda returns six shots, and Page falls to the ground. One extra shot, believed by the FBI to be the fatal self-inflicted shot, is heard.

Santell confirmed that the FBI's investigation showed Lenda's headrest was hit by the bullet that struck his vehicle.

Pigskin Picks Week 2 winner revealed

Sept. 08, 2012 2:35 p.m. | Congratulations to Brian Karas of New Berlin, who is this week's winner in MyCommunityNOW's Pigskin Picks Football Contest.

Karas picked all five games correctly and came the closest to predicting the final score of the Marquette vs. West Alls Hale game. He wins a pair of tickets to Marcus Theatres and has a shot at being one of the three winners at the end of the regular season. Each of those winners will receive a gift card to Bartolotta restaurants worth $100, $50 or $25.

Next week's featured contests, which are now open for picking, are: Germantown vs. Cedarburg; Greendale vs. Pewaukee, New Berlin West vs. New Berlin Eisenhower, Mukwonago vs. Catholic Memorial and Marquette vs. Brookfield Central.

Need some help handicapping the games? Visit the Push for the Playoffs for a capsule look at area teams, statistics and more.

Join MyCommunityNOW's Pigskin Picks contest

Arrowhead smashes Catholic Memorial

Sept. 07, 2012 10:12 p.m. |

Visit Push for the Playoffs to follow your favorite high school team's postseason prospects

Sept. 05, 2012 3:30 p.m. | Want to know which high school football teams are headed toward a WIAA postseason bid and who might be among the also-rans?

Visit Push for the Playoffs each week at www.mycommunitynow.com/push as Lake Country Publications/NOW Newspapers sports director JR Radcliffe sizes up the playoff chances of all area teams. You will also find standings, area statistical leaders, a player of the week and more.

Go to Push for the Playoffs

Waukesha BID board leadership survives no-confidence vote

Sept. 04, 2012 3:52 p.m. | Waukesha - Leaders of the downtown Waukesha Business Improvement District disregarded calls for their resignation Tuesday, despite what some members described as failed leadership and a scathing tell-all letter about them released by departing executive director Meghan Sprager.

In the end, the board rejected, 9-3, a statement of no-confidence in Board President Norm Bruce and Vice President Lynn Gaffey.

However, the board also rejected Bruce's suggestion that he, Gaffey and other Executive Committee members oversee day-to-day operations of the BID office during transition to a new director. Instead, the board voted 11-1 to have Stephen Kassens, a board member who had been considered for president last year, oversee the transition along with Bruce and board treasurer Ron Lostetter.

"I don't think we've ever had in the history of the BID such a difficult situation as this," said board member and downtown developer and property owner William Huelsman.

He suggested Bruce and Gaffey resign their offices, but not their board membership, and that Sprager stay on for at least six months to continue managing the affairs of the district, which supports business retention and downtown improvements through a self-taxing arrangement.