July 2013

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Town Board Unloads On EMS Director

Members of the Middleton Town Board called City of Middleton EMS Director Steven Wunsch on the carpet Monday for an alleged lack of communication.

“The meeting tonight is about you. The staff is among the finest in the country but there’s a level of arrogance from you is how I see it,” said board supervisor Tim Roehl.

Town chairman Milo Breunig recalled being “shocked” when he said without notice the city doubled the town’s EMS bill by $90,000 in 2009 when a new ambulance and crew were added.

Roehl called it “unacceptable.”

“Please accept my sincere apology…I’m pledging to you to better communicate with you,” Wunsch said.

The town board began considering ending its decades-long relationship with the Middleton EMS when Ryan Bros. Ambulance Service recently opened a facility in Middleton. 

The board heard from Patrick Ryan last month and Wunsch, who’s been EMS director since 1994, appeared before the board Monday for the first time.

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With some municipalities opting to begin blanket redactions, the City of Middleton attempts to preserve public access

New confusion about an old federal law is forcing local governments to choose between the right to privacy and the public’s right to information. Further muddying the waters is the fact that cities, villages and towns know they run the risk of getting sued either way.

Many government agencies in Wisconsin have begun blacking out names and addresses from what had previously been public police reports in response to a new interpretation of the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA).

Government decision-makers essentially have two choices. They can continue releasing names to the public and risk lawsuits from individuals who claim their right to privacy has been violated, or they can redact the information and face lawsuits from newspapers and other government watchdog groups that believe the information must be turned over under state open records law.

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Three Middleton golfers honored

 

It was a transition year, of sorts, for Middleton’s boys golf team.

Several standouts were lost to graduation. There were more holes to fill than usual.

In the end, though, the Cardinals had several players step up and eventually earn postseason awards.

Middleton senior Mike Wiebe was named first-team all-Big Eight Conference. Junior Josh Haunty was named second-team all-league and freshman Emmett Herb was named honorable-mention all-conference.

Madison Memorial’s Peter Webb was named the conference’s player of the year. Verona’s Tyler Reinecke and Caleb Baltes, along with Madison Memorial’s John Springer were also named first-team all-league.

All-conference teams were determined by totaling a players’ top three conference scores, three at-large scores and the Big Eight Conference meet.

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Middleton's HTL team tied for league lead

ASHTON – Josh Hinson has earned a reputation as an elite power hitter during his Home Talent League career.

But the Middleton outfielder — who annually ranks among the league’s home run leaders — knows when taking a tip from a teammate can come in handy, too.

Hinson blasted his sixth home run of the season to help stake Middleton to a quick three-run lead en route to a 21-5 rout of Ashton in a Northern Section East Division game on Fan Appreciation Day on Sunday.

The victory moved Middleton (11-4) into a tie for first place with Black Earth (11-4), which lost to Cross Plains, 7-6. Ashton dropped into third place a half-game back at 10-4.

“I don’t want to say he was struggling, but Josh had been hitting some weak fly balls to right field,” Middleton manager Brandon Hellenbrand said. “So I asked Kevin Dubler to have a talk with him before the game. Kevin is the one player on the team who everybody will listen to because he’s been playing so well.”

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Middleton wins All-Big Eight Sports Award

 

It happens three times every year.

After the fall, winter and spring sports seasons end, several coaches at Middleton High School gather. Then they try to do the math and figure out where they stand in the race for the All-Big Eight Conference Sports Award.

“I know for many of the MHS coaches it means a lot,” Middleton football coach Tim Simon said. “It is something many of the coaches talk about often.”

More often than not, those are extremely happy talks. And this year was no different.

Middleton continued to set the gold standard in the Big Eight and won the All-Sports Award for the 17th time in its 19 years in the league. The Cardinals were second the other two times.

Schools are given one point if they finish first in a sport, two for second, etc., meaning low scores are desired.

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Middleton's HTL team wins twice

 

Must win games in the Home Talent League are still a couple of weeks away when the playoffs begin.

But that’s not how Middleton manager Brandon Hellenbrand approached Sunday’s game with Waunakee.

“I really felt that this was a must win game for us,” Hellenbrand said.

Fortunately for Hellenbrand and his team, they delivered.

Middleton scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth and rallied past Waunakee, 4-3.

Middleton also hammered Richland Center, 14-4, last Friday and improved to 10-4 in the Northern Section’s East Division. Black Earth lost to Ashton Sunday, but the Bombers still lead the division at 10-3.

“I was happy with the way we swung the bat,” Hellenbrand said. “Some days you just have to keep battling and sticking with it and the big hit will happen.”

Middleton’s big hits came in the ninth.

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Former Senator Turns Sights To Africa

One sweltering summer day in 1982, a young Middleton resident picked up a clipboard, walked out his front door and embarked on a political career.

He climbed into his Chevy Nova, the busted trunk of which was secured by a swath of tape, and drove out to Black Earth. There he went door-to-door, telling people why he wanted to serve in the state legislature.

Thirty-one years later, Russ Feingold – sitting in his backyard on another hot summer day – is preparing to set out again. This time, however, he’s embarking on his new job – one with the State Department. Feingold has been appointed and confirmed as special representative for the Great Lakes region of Africa. His goal is to bring peace to the war-torn region commonly associated with the terror of Idi Amin, Rwandan genocide and bloodshed in eastern Congo.

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