Local

MIDDLETON–When Danielle Jefko and Jahna Cook learned about young, Afghan women from Ascend: Leadership Through Athletics being stuck in Afghanistan after the fall of the government to the Taliban on Aug. 15, the women decided they wanted to do something to help. 

Ascend is an organization that empowers women through mountaineering and encourages them to be leaders and activists in their communities, which makes them, their families and the organization’s facilitators targets of the Taliban.

MIDDLETON–Many City of Middleton employees are unhappy with a proposed overhaul of the compensation plan that would drop longevity pay, the Common Council heard last week.

After holding two meetings at which some of the 69 city employees attending aired their views, Ald. Susan West told the Council it was clear that “we have an incredibility upset city staff.

“The biggest things that is making staff angry is taking away a benefit that was promised when they were hired, which is longevity pay,” she said.

When a promised benefit is taken away, “it’s demoralizing,” and the city needs to recognize its loyal employees and retain longevity pay, West said.

Longevity pay has been a perceived practice, but it was never promised in a contract, said Brian Wolhaupter, City of Middleton Human Resources Manager. Although the city continued to make contributions to employee benefits after passage of Act 10 in 2011 which no longer required it, Wolhaupter noted.

MIDDLETON–On Aug. 3, the Middleton Common Council voted to put COVID-19 restrictions in place due to increasing cases of the Delta variant, which has sent infection numbers back to where they were before a vaccine was developed.

The council voted to return to Zoom for all municipal meetings including city council, committees and commissions. Masks will also be required inside for city employees, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, but those entering buildings are not required to mask up. 

MIDDLETON–Middleton police were called to an accident involving an ambulance at the corner of University Avenue and Parmenter Street on Thursday night, with reports that it had crashed into a building

On Aug. 5, 2021, at 11:14 p.m., the Middleton Police Department responded to the two-vehicle crash involving a Lodi ambulance that was transporting a patient to a Madison hospital with paramedics from Waunakee EMS. The vehicles struck a traffic light pole at the intersection and the ambulance struck the BMO Bank building at 7447 University Ave. causing damage to the structure.  

Two occupants of the other involved vehicle were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. There were no injuries reported by the occupants of the ambulance. The patient inside the ambulance was transported to a local hospital. Traffic at the intersection was closed in all directions for approximately 45 minutes. 

The crash remains under investigation.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission approved the finalized building plan for a proposed four-story, multi-family building at 2644 Branch St. which would redevelop the site of the former Common Ground Cafe. The proposal will go before the Common Council for final approval before building permits can be issued. 

The proposal calls for a four story, 36-unit, multi-family building at the southwest corner of Century Avenue and Branch Street. The building would consist of 24 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units with 30 underground parking stalls.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Mark Optiz pointed out the plan includes 35 off-street parking stalls in total which is a less than one to one ratio.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council reviewed potential equity initiatives the city can pursue through the American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA passed by the 117th congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11. The council also approved funding for a survey to gauge community support for the Middleton Municipal Airport as neighboring residents continue pushing for restrictions on aircraft that burn leaded fuel. 

City Administrator Mike Davis explained to the council that through ARPA the city is receiving an allocation of nearly $2.1 million. Half of the funds were received June 25 and the other half will be received in 2022. ARPA will deliver $350 billion to eligible state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MIDDLETON–In 2020, the Times-Tribune suspended its school supply drive, asking donors to make monetary contributions to MOM (Middleton Outreach Ministry) for the purchase of supplies. This year with loosened COVID-19 restrictions, school supplies will once again be collected for MOM’s Back to School program. 

“We are very happy that we can begin collecting school supply donations for MOM once again. The Back to School program is important for providing supplies those who need help completing the required list,” said Times-Tribune editor, Michelle Phillips. 

MIDDLETON–Battle of the Badges, an annual charity fundraiser to help a family battling childhood disease and hosted by the Middleton Police Department and Middleton Fire District, will return after a year hiatus due to COVID-19.

This year the organizations will honor Ella Wayman a five-year-old who in August of 2019 was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a rare type of cancer that forms in soft tissue; specifically skeletal muscle tissue or sometimes hollow organs such as the bladder or uterus.  RMS can occur at any age, but it most often affects children.

In September of the same year, Ella had a tumor removed from her abdomen and began 67 weeks of chemotherapy. Every week, the chemotherapy is different, sometimes the treatment occurs daily, with trips back and forth to the treatment facility, and other times it is in-patient. 

MIDDLETON–At approximately 11 p.m. on July 16, Middleton police were called to Century Avenue at Nightingale Lane for reports of loud fireworks or gunshots. At the time officers walked the area on foot but could find no evidence of shots fired

On Saturday morning, in the light of day, officers returned to the area and found shell casing at the 6900 block of Century Avenue. No injuries or property damage have been reported. The police department is asking residents in the area to check their home surveillance systems in that area that may have captured the incident around 11 p.m. Friday night.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the Middleton Police Department at 608-824-7300, Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or on the web at p3tips.com.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission approved a rezoning request from The Bruce Company to build a new retail and headquarters building as well as multiple apartments buildings and hotel at the company’s current location at 2830 Parmenter St. on July 13.

If approved by the Middleton Common Council multiple parcels would be rezoned from B3 to a planned development district to construct a two-story retail and office building, up to 800 apartment units and 700 hotel rooms. The move would shift The Bruce Company’s field operations to its Verona wholesale location.

The two-story building would have a retail store on the ground floor and The Bruce Company’s offices above with underground parking for employees. The retail store would have spaces for plants, outdoor furniture, grills and other products. A new greenhouse and outdoor living space would also be constructed.