January 2025

When new Middleton Police Chief Steven Thompson begins his job in January, his 2025 salary of $140,000 will make him among the top paid officials in the City of Middleton after the Middleton Common Council approved 2.5% cost of living adjustments for all non-represented employees.

OAK CREEK — Rashard Griffith was befuddled.

Middleton’s girls basketball coach had watched his team play a terrific final 9 minutes in their game at Oak Creek last Saturday. The problem is the Cardinals did very little right the first 27 minutes.

The result was a 52-38 setback that left Griffith wondering how he could get his team to play with the consistency they showed down the stretch.

“I’m trying to figure that out,” Griffith said afterwards. “I just talked to them about it. It’s not like they can’t do it. It’s not that they aren't a good team. But we came out slow, we came out sluggish. I told ‘em it’s like you’re all still at home in your bed asleep. .

“Because we came out slow and dug a hole for ourselves, that’s what happened. And we couldn’t get out of it.”

Middleton fell to 4-9 overall and is 3-5 in the Big Eight Conference. Oak Creek improved to 4-5.

Middleton’s girls gymnastics team had a long wait for their first meet of the season. That wait finally ended last Saturday, and the Cardinals gave an impressive performance.

Middleton finished in second place of the seven-team Red Division of the Mount Horeb Invitational.

Verona won the meet with a 143.0750 score. Middleton was second at 130.500 and Monona Grove was third (130.3250).

“For our first invite of the season, I am so incredibly proud of how my girls did,” Middleton coach Alexis Cairo said. “Of the six girls that competed, four of my girls competed in all four events … and we had eight PRs at this competition.”

Middleton sophomore Aspen Goth was fourth in the all-around competition with a 34.425, while junior Abby Arnold was eighth (32.60). Junior Ana Bollig was 15^th (31.225) and senior Anja Schmidt Voils was 23^rd (28.125).