In Brief

The Middleton Sustainability Committee, with assistance from local businesses, is challenging residents to join the 2013 Water Conservation Challenge and compete with their neighbors to reduce 2013 water usage by the highest percentage.

Those who enter will be eligible to win monthly prizes just for signing up. Three grand prize winners will be selected based on the highest percentage of water saved. Grand prizes include: a dual-flush toilet ($300 value), a Death’s Door Spirits gift pack, and green housecleaning session. A $50 gift card to Willy Street Co-Op will be awarded to the participant who submits the most innovative method of water use reduction (to be judged by three water experts).

TRAFFIC ALERT from Captain Charles Foulke of the Middleton Police Department:

Due to recent reports of traffic congestion on Parmenter Street near the roundabout in the morning, the city is trying something new for the next 10 days. 

Starting on Wednesday 12/12 and going through Friday 12/21, there will be NO LEFT TURNS onto Lee Street for southbound Parmenter Street traffic on weekdays from 7:45-8:15 a.m. A suggested alternate route would be to go one block further south before turning left. There will be electronic message boards and cones set up during this time. 

Please take note of this temporary change and share with morning commuters, especially local high school students. Feel free to share your ideas and suggestions here or contact Captain Foulke at 824-7300 or email cfoulke@ci.middleton.wi.us. 

Public Information Officer Jill Tutaj said last week that, for the past couple months, the Middleton Police Department has seen an increase in daytime residential burglaries throughout the city.  

According to the Investigative Services Bureau, a number of homes were entered and valuable items were taken and some of these burglaries could have been easily prevented. Reports indicate that in some of these cases the victims left their residence unsecured for a number of hours allowing the perpetrator to enter the residence with ease to remove valuable items.

Elise Schaffer, Public Information and Education Officer for the Dane County Sheriff's Office, announced Tuesday that the department is now Twitter. 

At approximately 3:58 p.m. Tuesday, Dane County Sheriff’s deputies, along with the Middleton Fire Department and EMS, responded to an SUV versus motorcycle crash at the intersection of Mineral Point and Pioneer roads in the Town of Middleton. The operator of the motorcycle received significant injuries and was transported to UW Hospital by Med Flight.

According to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, the SUV, a 2008 Chevy Equinox, was southbound on Pioneer Road and came to a stop at the intersection of Pioneer and Mineral Point.  The driver, Devon A. VanEss, age 16, proceeded through the intersection and did not see the 2005 Honda motorcycle traveling eastbound on Mineral Point Road.  The SUV and the motorcycle collided causing Allen C. Gresock, age 35, to be ejected from the cycle.

Gresock received severe, but non-life threatening injuries and was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

On Friday night at 7:50 p.m., officers responded to numerous 911 calls of a traffic crash at University Avenue and Park Street.