August 2020

Sun
16
Aug
admin's picture

Death of a Firefly

Late last night, sitting by the side of a snapping fire in a clearing in the black woods, my daughter hopped out of my lap, ran across the damp grass, and caught a firefly in her hands. She trotted back, tenderly opening her dirt-encased fingertips, just a little, to reveal the strange creature inside.

“Look, dad, a firefly!” she said. 

We gazed at it for a moment. We had no vented jar in which to put this being, so I urged her to let it go. She opened her hands completely, like ten pink drawbridges easing down from a fleshy castle, and the bug ascended and hovered in front of our faces in the night for a moment. 

“Hadley,” I said. “Because he was trapped, and then you let him go, this will be the greatest day of his life…”

As I finished my sentence, the firefly took off and plunged directly into the leaping flames of the fire around which we sat. 

“…Oh!” I said. “Never mind.”

Sun
16
Aug
admin's picture

Weep Not for the Memories

I sat silent in the chair Monday night after reading a message from one of our friends in Cedar Rapids that the home Matt and I owned had been destroyed. 

“Destroyed?” I replied. 

“Yes, the big tree fell on it,” she said.

The tree she was referring to was a 100-plus-year-old white pine and the biggest tree in our old neighborhood. It was felled by the massive storm, called a derecho, basically an inland hurricane, that appeared to make its way downtown and through the city proper. Tens of thousands of people were without power in both Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, but Cedar Rapids took a lot of wind damage. 

The Internet was reported as spotty, but a handful of friends posted pics on social media, including downtown. Many of the buildings were missing part of their façade, roof or both. No photos of our old house, though. There were cars overturned and huge grain silos crumpled like a piece of aluminum foil.

Sun
16
Aug
admin's picture

Girl Recants Attempted Abduction Story

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Police Department responded to the report of an attempted abduction just before noon on July 30, but through investigation discovered that the girl actually knew the person with whom she left.

A 12-year-old girl from an apartment complex in the 5300 block of Century Avenue said she was outside her apartment playing with her one-year-old sister when she was approached by an adult male. The girl described the man as wearing a black t-shirt and baseball hat and a full ski-type mask. She said he led her and her sister away from the property on foot, but they were eventually able to get from this person several blocks away from their home. 

“Our detectives continued to do a bunch of work and looked at videos from the area, Middleton Police Captain Jeremy Geiszler said. “Eventually  the juvenile admitted there was no abduction. We have to take it seriously though.”

Sat
15
Aug
MTT News's picture

WIAA approves second fall sports season

More anything?

More everything!

The great Jerry Seinfeld once uttered that famous line while flying first class and sitting next to a super model. Nearly three decades later, that mantra was still applicable to high school sports in Wisconsin.

On Friday, the WIAA Board of Control approved several details for fall sports to also be played in the spring for the 2020-21 calendar year only.

Middleton High School — which elected not to play sports this fall due to fears surrounding COVID-19 — will now be able to play fall sports in the spring. Middleton offers football, girls golf, girls swimming and diving, girls tennis, boys soccer, boys and girls volleyball and boys and girls cross country as fall sports.

Thu
13
Aug
Tue
11
Aug
MTT News's picture

Metro Lynx dump highly successful McKersie

Mike McKersie led Middleton’s co-op girls hockey team to its most successful season ever last winter.

Middleton’s co-op, also known as the Madison Metro Lynx, reached the WIAA state championship game for the first time in school history. The Lynx tied for the Badger Conference championship, went 21-3 overall and won the prestigious Culver Cup.

What was McKersie’s reward for such a memorable year? A pink slip.

Kathryn Anderson, an assistant coach since 2014, was recently named the Lynx’s new head coach. McKersie, on the other hand, was left somewhat befuddled.

“I was surprised, but then again, not all that surprised,” said McKersie, who coached the Lynx the last two years. “After all the success we had, you’d think there would be a lot to celebrate and a lot to be happy about. 

“But this can be a nasty business. I’m not the first coach — and I won’t be the last — to have a great year and get fired.”

Sun
09
Aug
admin's picture

Shots Fired in Middleton

MIDDLETON–Middleton Police Department received several calls concerning gunshots on Saturday night.

On Aug. 8, at approximately 11:34 p.m., Middleton Police Dispatch received several 911 calls regarding gunshots in the 3000 block of Northbrook Drive in the City of Middleton.

As officers investigated, they found multiple shell casings at the scene.  No one was injured.

Based on evidence found during the initial investigation, as well as witness statements, this is believed to be a targeted act.

Middleton PD continues to investigate this incident. If anyone has information regarding this incident or has video, such as home surveillance video of the incident, they are encouraged to contact the Middleton Police Department at 608-824-7300.

Fri
07
Aug
admin's picture

Motorcyclist Killed in Town of Springfield

TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD-The Dane County Sheriff’s Office and Middleton Police Department responded to a call concerning a motorcycle and car crash in the Town of Springfield Thursday night.

At approximately 9:23 p.m. on Aug. 6, the law enforcement agencies responded to the intersection of CTH K at US HWY 12 westbound for a traffic accident involving a passenger vehicle and motorcycle. 

The preliminary investigation shows the motorcyclist was stopped at the intersection when it was struck from behind by a 2012 Buick sedan who had been traveling westbound on Highway 12. The operator of the motorcycle was transported to UW hospital and declared deceased upon arrival. 

The accident is currently under investigation by the Dane County Sheriff’s Department, and names have not been released at this time. Alcohol does appear to be a factor in the cause of the crash. The motorcyclyist was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

Thu
06
Aug
admin's picture

City Council Approve $3.2 million TIF for Trotta Building, Resolution for Rapid Transit

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council approved a TIF agreement with developer Impact Seven to assist with extraordinary construction costs and subsidizing workforce housing units in a four story apartment building at 3001 Parmenter St. titled Trotta.

The Trotta building will include 124 one, two and three-bedroom units, 163 parking stalls with 98 of those underground. The finished project is anticipated to generate $15,604,400 in property value.

The $3,236,922 developer-financed TIF agreement covers $429,800 in extraordinary costs for demolition, soil stabilization and infrastructure, $318,922 in interest costs and $2,488,200 for rental opportunity cost measured as the capitalized value of the difference between workforce housing rents to be charged and market rents.

Thu
06
Aug
admin's picture

Town Approves Certified Survey Map After Threat of Litigation

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–After threat of litigation, the Town of Middleton Board Monday approved a Certified Survey Map (CSM) for an electrical contractor who wants to relocate from the City of Middleton to former farmland here.

For the past few months, the town board has made changes to accommodate Kyle Walser’s request to join two unplatted lots at 4622 Rocky Dell Rd. and build a 10,000-square foot office/warehouse on one and a residence on the other.

Neighbors in the Rocky Dells Estates objected to having a business locate across the road from their subdivision. Despite those objections, the board amended the town’s Comprehensive Plan in May and rezoned 0.7 acres of the former Vosen Farm for Walser Electric’s office/warehouse.

Pages