January 2023

Mon
30
Jan
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Sims set to find Middleton's next football coach

Middleton athletic director Jamie Sims believes the football coaching job at MHS is one of the best in Wisconsin.

“I’m probably biased,” Sims said. “But I think it’s one of the two or three best jobs in the state.”

We’ll soon find out if coaches feel the same way.

Former Middleton coach Jason Pertzborn resigned on Jan. 26 in the midst of a bullying incident inside his program. There’s an ongoing investigation into that incident by the Middleton Police Department and the Middleton Cross Plains School District.

Suddenly, Sims needs to find a new coach — and is optimistic he’ll draw a bevy of high-level candidates.

Sims said on Monday that the job will be posted by Feb. 3. Sims expects the job will stay posted for two weeks, then he expects to begin interviews in mid- to late-February.

Fri
27
Jan
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Disturbance Closes Town Hall but Doesn't Warrant Injunction

MADISON–A Dane County judge Friday refused to grant the Town of Middleton an injunction against a resident who caused town hall to close for two days after he harassed staff about snow plowing.

Town hall closed on Jan. 18 and 19, after Samuel A. Roessler, 42, yelled profanities at Town Treasurer Megan Hughes and Town Clerk Barbara Roesslein about damage made to his lawn by a snowplow driver.

“He repeatedly told (Hughes) that he was tired of the f-ing snowplow plowing snow into his year and f-ing destroying his yard,” Town Attorney Eileen Brownlee wrote in a petition for an injunction.

Hughes testified Friday that Roessler was “swearing every other word,” during their encounter. She also said that Roessler refused her requests to “calm down,” and continued to “pace and swear…I was intimidated by this.”

When Roessler also refused Hughes request to leave, she went downstairs to the Dane County Sheriff’s West Precinct office to summon help.

Fri
27
Jan
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MHS Theatre Presents ‘Much Ado About Nothing’

MIDDLETON-Middleton High School (MHS) Theatre is will present William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” as part of the 2022-2023 season.

Directed by Tim Gittings, with set designs by Zane Enloe, “Much Ado About Nothing” is widely considered one of Shakespeare’s best comedies and has been challenging actors and delighting audiences with its wit and warmth for over four centuries.

Fri
27
Jan
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CP Police Busier Than Ever

CROSS PLAINS–The Cross Plains Police Department continues to set new records for service calls, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Police Chief Tony Ruesga Jr. told the village board Monday.

For instance, checking on property while the owner is on vacation, jumped from 328 in 2019 to 585 last year; checking on business properties also increased from 59 to 109 in the same time period, according to department statistics.

“A lot of it has to do with our proactive law enforcement,” and more effective community policing, said Ruesga, who became the village’s police chief in 2020.

Other increases are due to a change in enforcement emphasis. In 2019, only two cases of open or unlocked doors were recorded and that has since increased to 77.

“That’s just a matter of not checking,” he said.

Requests for information also leaped from 14 in 2019 to 185 last year, another sign that the department is providing more service in general.

Fri
27
Jan
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Town Will Continue to Meet Virtually

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–Despite the threat of being infected with the COVID-19 virus falling to the low stage in Dane County, all town meetings will continue to be held via Zoom until at least the April 4 spring election, the Town of Middleton Board decided last week.

Continuing to hold virtual meetings is prudent, said Board Supervisor David Bryce.

“If we can have these meetings without risk of being exposed, I’ll agree with that,” he said, but the country is entering the season when COVID-19 cases have been most numerous.

In urging that meetings remain virtual; Town Chair Cynthia Richson said the newest virus strain is the most antibody resistant to date.

The Park Commission expressed interest in resuming in-person meetings again, said Town Clerk Barbara Roesslein, who added that the latest vaccines aren’t as effective against the new coronavirus variant.

Fri
27
Jan
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Mail Issues Resolved for Middleton Hills Residents

MIDDLETON–Complaints that Middleton Hills residents had in September about the United States Postal Service (USPS) ending package delivery to their homes have been resolved to their satisfaction, residents report.

Middleton Hills neighbors always had to pick up letters at a rented mailroom adjacent to the Prairie Café but, they enjoyed home delivery of packages.

That changed last year amid staffing shortages and the volume of packages growing due to the popularity of online shopping.

In September, residents of the 430-home subdivision met and said they had enough. Boxes overwhelmed the shortage capacity of the mailroom shelving resulting in packages piled on the floor in an unsorted fashion.

They noted that UPS and FedEx still made home delivery of packages.

Don Knorr, of the MHNA (Middleton Hills Neighborhood Association), proposed meeting with postal officials to expand the rented mailroom’s package capacity 

Fri
27
Jan
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MHS Training ‘Future Teachers’

MIDDLETON–Looking to lessen the teacher shortage situation, the Middleton Cross Plains Areas School District (MCPASD) has begun the Future Teachers Program, an introduction for students to the teaching profession.

“It’s giving everyone an opportunity to see what the field is like, take courses, and perhaps expedite a pathway to an education career,” said Keith Schneider, director of secondary education.

Ten Middleton High School (MHS) students are currently enrolled in Intro to Teaching and Education where they not only learn teaching methods but see them in action. 

Students spend 50 hours in elementary classrooms watching teachers teach. So far, they’ve observed at Elm Lawn, Sauk Trail and Northside elementaries.

Next year, Education in Pluralistic Society will be offered.

Fri
27
Jan
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City Council Approves Energy Efficiency Program Agreement, Defers Petition for Airport Improvements

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council approved an agreement with Elevate Energy for an energy efficiency navigator program and deferred a resolution petitioning the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for funding airport improvements.

The agreement with Elevate Energy authorizes the nonprofit organization to 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.

Fri
27
Jan
Fri
27
Jan
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Middleton football coach Jason Pertzborn resigns

Middleton High School football coach Jason Pertzborn resigned Thursday citing personal reasons. Pertzborn, who was also a Business Education teacher at MHS, resigned from that position, as well.

The Middleton-Cross Plains School Board unanimously approved both resignations.

Pertzborn had been placed on administrative leave last week following an incident of alleged harassment within the school’s football program. That incident of misconduct — which took place more than two weeks ago — is being investigated by the Middleton Police Department and the school district.

No arrests have been made at this time.

“We are investigating allegations regarding student-to-student conduct within our football program,” said Shannon Valladolid, district director of information and public relations.

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