Local

Uncompetitive State Senate Race Draws Near Record Campaign Funds: Hesselbein First Woman to Represent District 27

By Peter Cameron, The Badger Project

WISCONSIN–The race for the 27th State Senate District saw more than $217,000 in campaign funds raised, the second-highest total in history.

State Rep. Dianne Hesselbein, a Democrat from Middleton, brought in more than $124,000 compared to the $93,000 by her Republican challenger, Robert Relph of Cross Plains, according to Follow the Money, an organization which tracks campaign contributions.

And for the first time in history, the district will have a woman representing it in the state Senate.

Hesselbein easily defeated Relph, earning about 68 percent of the more than 96,000 votes cast in the left-leaning district.

MIDDLETON–On Jan. 10, just before 2 a.m., a Middleton police officer on patrol discovered a vehicle crash near the intersection of University Avenue and Mendota Avenue. The officer also witnessed a subject running nearby, northbound on Branch Street. Another responding officer located the person and identified him as the driver of the crashed vehicle. He was later identified as 21-year-old Isaiah P. Goplin of New Glarus.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton contends it properly acquired all the right-of-way formerly in the Town of Middleton needed to widen Pleasant View Road and asks a Dane County judge to dismiss the town’s suit challenging that portion of the project.

The Cities of Middleton and Madison are planning to widen Pleasant View Road to four lanes south from USH 14 to Blackhawk Road, with construction scheduled to begin in earnest next spring.

The town sued the city in October alleging that the city couldn’t widen the road near the north end of the project, because it hadn’t acquired sufficient right-of-way. Specifically, property that fronts Pleasant View Road owned by Northwestern Stone, LLC. The company operates a rock quarry at 4373 N. Pleasant View Rd., which has been in the town.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton contends it properly acquired all the right-of-way formerly in the Town of Middleton needed to widen Pleasant View Road and asks a Dane County judge to dismiss the town’s suit challenging that portion of the project.

The Cities of Middleton and Madison are planning to widen Pleasant View Road to four lanes south from USH 14 to Blackhawk Road, with construction scheduled to begin in earnest next spring.

The town sued the city in October alleging that the city couldn’t widen the road near the north end of the project, because it hadn’t acquired sufficient right-of-way. Specifically, property that fronts Pleasant View Road owned by Northwestern Stone, LLC. The company operates a rock quarry at 4373 N. Pleasant View Rd., which has been in the town.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton contends it properly acquired all the right-of-way formerly in the Town of Middleton needed to widen Pleasant View Road and asks a Dane County judge to dismiss the town’s suit challenging that portion of the project.

The Cities of Middleton and Madison are planning to widen Pleasant View Road to four lanes south from USH 14 to Blackhawk Road, with construction scheduled to begin in earnest next spring.

The town sued the city in October alleging that the city couldn’t widen the road near the north end of the project, because it hadn’t acquired sufficient right-of-way. Specifically, property that fronts Pleasant View Road owned by Northwestern Stone, LLC. The company operates a rock quarry at 4373 N. Pleasant View Rd., which has been in the town.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council reviewed a presentation from Elevate Energy and Sustain Dane, the nonprofit organizations that will manage the city’s first residential energy efficiency navigator program. The program aims to assist landlords in making efficiency upgrades to existing properties to lower energy costs for tenants in areas of the city where the average income is 50 percent or less than the area median income.

Senior program manager of Elevate John Viner explained the mission of the organization, which is based in Chicago but has developed a robust team working with several Wisconsin communities.

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–Low levels of lead were found in two wells and other contaminates were found in surface water near the Middleton Municipal Airport-Morey Field, according to a recently released federal study.

The Town of Middleton commissioned the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to sample soil and water for contaminates associated with aviation fuel and a July 2021 fireworks show at the airport.

Twelve private wells were tested in May or June of this year, and low levels of lead were found at a well in the High Wood Circle subdivision north of the airport, and in a well in a rural setting northwest of the airport.

The USGS kept the sample sites anonymous to the public but will share them with the homeowners soon. Others concerned about the quality of their well water were urged to contact the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission reviewed the latest updates and progress on the city’s comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan recently underwent a major overhaul which was approved in March 2021. Planning staff recommend a formal review and amendment to the plan in 2023.

Director of Planning and Community Development Abby Attoun presented the report and explained that the comprehensive plan should be responsive to continuous change in the community and its usefulness should be monitored to ensure that it is a consistent statement of city policy. Attoun said the plan should be considered a living document.

Attoun said the comprehensive plan is a 20-year plan with short, medium, and long term goals. 

It also includes an implementation plan that prioritizes action steps.

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–A proposed expansion of Bob Suter’s Capitol Ice Arena received a lukewarm reception at a town board meeting this week.

The property on Pleasant View Road, north of Evergreen Road, is owned by the town of Middleton but is within the city of Middleton, according to Town Chair Cynthia Richson.

The arena owners want to add a third indoor rink onto the existing 62,000-square-foot facility saying there’s not enough ice available for youth hockey programs.

“There’s a need in the Madison area as the (Alliant Energy Center) and the (University of Wisconsin) Shell will not be selling ice time in the future,” Don Goodweiler, treasurer of the Capitol Ice Arena.

Suter’s Capitol Ice Arena already hosts 53 hockey teams, its 1,043 skaters, of which nearly 32 percent are from the town, and 13 youth hockey programs, Goodweiler said.

MIDWEST–A major winter storm has been predicted and is expected to slow travel ahead of the Christmas holiday.

“Our winter storm criteria is typically six-inches of snow falling in a 12 hour period,” explained Tim Halbach, National Weather Service Milwaukee Warning Coordination Meteorologist.

Halbach added that a winter storm can be marked by smaller amounts of snow with high winds, causing a low visabilities.

Although it is hard to predict exactly how much snow will fall, the current prediction between the night of Dec. 21 and Dec. 23 is 8-12 inches. Winds are expected to kick up on late Thursday into Friday, with gusts up to 50 mph.