Community

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Police Department responded to the report of an attempted abduction of two girls just before noon on July 30.  

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. He led her and her sister away from the property on foot, but she and her sister were eventually able to get awy from the man several blocks away from their home. Both girls are now home safe. 

MADISON­–Gov. Tony Evers today declared a Public Health Emergency and issued an Emergency Order requiring individuals to wear face coverings when indoors and not in a private residence, with some exceptions as clarified and defined in the order. The order is effective at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 1, 2020, and will expire on September 28, 2020 or by a subsequent superseding order. Executive Order #82 declaring a public health emergency is available here and Emergency Order #1 requiring face coverings statewide is available at: https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/WIGOV/2020/07/30/file_attach....

DES MOINES, IA–In a move that a Cross Plains resident fighting against the Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line said was “expected,” the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) has denied an appeal for a rehearing that was one of the final roadblocks before work on the project begins. 

Chris Klopp had filed the petition earlier this year, arguing the line was initially approved using erroneous and missing information. 

On May 27, prior to Klopp’s appeal, the IUB issued an Order Granting Petition for Electric Franchises and Right of Eminent Domain. The board found “that the electric transmission lines as described in the revised petitions are necessary to serve a public use and represent a reasonable relationship to an overall plan of transmitting electricity in the public interest.”

MIDDLETON–About 25 protesters showed up throughout the morning of July 18 to protest Helbachs coffee house in Middleton, which has not been following the public health order requiring masks, which put in place by Public Health of Madison and Dane County (PHMDC).

Armed with signs that read “Masks Save Lives,” “Mask Up” and “Trust Science,” protesters gathered outside of the main entrance to the business beginning at 8 a.m. with the intent of remaining onsite until 2 p.m. when the business closed. The protest was called off at 11 a.m. due to heavy rain and lightning in the area. 

Organizer Tulin Waters said, “It was not surprising that 90 percent of people going in did not have masks, nor did any of the employees. I did get threatened by a man saying he had a gun, and there were two private citizens with guns out watching the door.”

MIDDLETON–Protesters plan to gather outside Helbachs coffee shop during the stores regular business hours to express their opposition to the business not observing the county mask order, which began on Monday.

Helbachs has refused to follow the order, and organizer Tulin Waters said, “To recklessly try to flaunt your personal beliefs during a pandemic in this industry, while numbers are surging is so dangerous, and I want to hand out as much informative flyers as possible to remind people the importance of wearing masks.”

She added that the group would also be protesting the homophobic and xenophobic posts that owners have allegedly made on social media.

The protest will be held for 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on July 18, and the group will be handing out a competitors coffee. There will also be spoken word artists and musicians at the event.

MIDDLETON–Hundreds of people turned out for the United We Stand Against Racism March in Middleton on July 12. The event, which was in support of Black Lives Matter, kicked off at Middleton High School (MHS) with speakers addressing the crowd gathering on the south lawn. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Everett Mitchell spoke to the group before they made their way down Bristol Street, ending at Stone Horse Green downtown.

Mitchell told the collection of educators, students, city officials, police officers and Middleton residents, “We don’t need more white allies, we need white co-conspirators.” He asked that white people band together with people of color to shake up systems that are oppressive.

Mitchell paraphrased Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. saying that he wants to see Black people, “judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin.” 

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–The Town of Springfield may have a bargaining chip to use against the potential expansion of Middleton Municipal Airport-Morey Field.

In a rare joint virtual meeting of the Town of Middleton and Town of Springfield boards last week, Springfield Town Board Supervisor Dan Dresen suggested that the city of Middleton needs to work with the town on airport issues if the city wants help with storm water runoff. 

“The city wants help with their undersized storm water systems but the only way we’ll work with them is if they work with us on the airport,” said Dresen.

Update:: On July 15, 2020 the Middleton Police Department began investigating a missing person complaint involving 71-year-old Sharon Wachholz of Middleton.  Several dozen first responders and volunteers searched the area, but unfortunately Sharon was found deceased in the Pheasant Branch Conservancy at 9:35 a.m. on the morning of July 16. There was nothing at the scene to indicate that the death was suspicious, and the affected conservancy trail has since re-opened.  

Update: Sharon Wachholz has been located. More details to follow as they become available

MIDDLETON–The United We Stand Against Racism March will be held in Middleton on July 12 at 6 p.m. The event is in support of Black Lives Matter, and is planned as a peaceful demonstration.

Participants will meet at the corner of Franklin and Bristol Streets. Parking is available at the Middleton Aquatic Center and Park Lawn Elementary. Marchers will proceed down Park Street, cross University, then proceed west on Hubbard Avenue. The march will end in downtown Middleton at Stone Horse Green (SHG). Judge Everett Mitchell and Percy Brown, who is the Diversity/Equity administrator for the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District will speak along with other Black community leaders and members of the Middleton High School Black Student Union.

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–The Town Board’s enthusiasm for a cross-country skiing facility proposed north of Pleasant View Golf Course, partly in the town of Middleton, has vanished like a snowball in July.

Three years ago, board supervisors welcomed the prospect of a regional training facility for athletes that could be also used by local skiers. But the Erdman Park Master Plan debated at the board’s virtual meeting Monday night, was viewed as putting the training facility on land annexed into the City of Middleton while leaving the town responsible for the road’s upkeep.

Basically, the city is proposing to put an $8 million recreation center just north of the golf course accessed by an extension of Schwartz Road, said Michael Lawton, an attorney for the town.

The city will annex undeveloped land for the trailhead area and the extension of Schwartz Road. Bollenbeck Acres will grant recreational easements for the ski trails to the west, Lawton said.