Local

Sustainable U in Middleton

RICHMOND, VA–Middleton High School graduate Derek Hoot (’13) began his wheelchair career in Wisconsin, and now plays Men’s Division II basketball for SportAble in Richmond, VA.

Hoot’s latest endeavor is a podcast called “PUSH: Wheelchair Basketball,” which has quickly grown in popularity. 

“I wanted to provide a platform for wheelchair basketball players and coaches to share their accomplishments and stories. During my time playing at the University of Illinois, as well as Jordan and Germany, I met so many talented athletes with stories of overcoming adversity and thought, ‘why isn’t there any sports media dedicated exclusively to these kinds of stories?’ At that time, I had been listening to lots of NBA Podcasts like All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, or Pull Up Podcast with CJ McCollum, so I already had an intimate player-to-player interview format to model after,” he explained.

MIDDLETON–The Airport Commission is looking to Congress for $300,000 to add a tank for unleaded aviation fuel and acquire the existing fuel facilities at the Middleton Municipal Airport Morey Field.

Last month, the commission recommended that the Middleton Common Council “hold tight” on going ahead with plans to offer unleaded fuel at the airport but instead they allocated $30,000 for engineering fees associated with the project.

Since then, the commission received a $16,070 proposal from a Milwaukee-area engineering firm for installation of a 12,000-gallon double-walled tank. At their Dec. 3 meeting the commission conditionally recommended that the common council approve it.

“Owning the fuel farm is required for the city to do modifications necessary to add unleaded aviation fuel,” Davis wrote last week.

The insurance cost that would accompany the city’s ownership of the fuel farm would be about $4,000 annually, Davis wrote.

MADISON–A Jan. 6 preliminary hearing was set this week for the man accused of killing three teens in a Middleton car crash in October.

The Dane County District Attorney will present evidence it believes shows there is probable cause for Eric Mehring, 30, of Madison, to be tried on homicide and endangering safety charges.

A trial date is expected to be set then.

Mehring posted $75,000 cash bail and has been released on supervision.

He was charged with three counts each of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and second-degree reckless homicide, as well as two counts second-degree recklessly endangering safety. If convicted, he faces a lengthy prison term.

According to authorities, On Oct. 2, Mehring, drove his 2016 Jaguar into the back of Chevrolet Cruze that the three teens were in. Two Middleton High School students, John “Jack” Miller and Evan Kratochwill, along with a Madison West High School student Simon Bilessi, died in the crash.

MIDDLETON–The Dane County Medical Examiner’s office has released the name of a woman who was killed in an alleged vehicular homicide in Middleton last week. The incident happened in the 7700 Block of Terrace Avenue on the afternoon of Dec. 2.

Susan Wilke, 77, of Middleton died after she fell to the ground and suffered injuries after being hit with the door of a car driven by 27-year-old Thomas J. Wilke. Police have not released Thomas Wilke’s relationship to Susan Wilke.

The medical examiner’s office completed an autopsy on Dec. 4 but has not yet released a cause of death pending further investigation and testing.

Emergency personnel received reports of the incident and that Susan Wilke had an injury to the head. By the time authorities arrived, she was unresponsive and efforts to save her were unsuccessful. 

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission approved a zoning change for the Tribeca Village development to create a regional stormwater pond, serving the lands north of 3440 Tribeca Dr.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Mark Opitz said the city is collaborating with the developer of Tribeca Village to create the regional stormwater pond.

Brad Hutter from MIG Commercial Real Estate said the plan covers 50 acres of regional stormwater runoff coming from the Town of Middleton area west of the Beltline. Hutter said in the original Tribeca Village development plan the land was to be detained in a Department of Transportation right-of-way but that is no longer the case.

Plan commission member Randy Bruce asked how the general plan has changed in an area which previously consisted of high-density office buildings and an associated parking lot.

DANE COUNTY–Even Christmas tree farms, which have a supply chain that largely stretches only from the back 40 to the sales counter in a converted garage, report having a few supply issues.

“Garland, about the only thing we don’t make here, beside tree stands, twine and netting, is in short supply,” said Lance Jensen, of Jensen Trees on Valley View Road.

That impacts the decorative wreaths they sell but otherwise Jensen, ordered supplies far enough in advance to have on hand in time for the business’ 55th holiday season.

The supply of certain-sized trees has been affected by a three-year drought that began in 2012 and today contributes to an overall tree shortage in the area, he said.

On average, Christmas trees in the state take about six or seven years to mature to market size. The 2012-15 drought created a shortage of trees that will affect the industry for years to come, Jensen said.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Police Department, Fire Department and EMS responded to the 7700 Block of Terrace Avenue just after 4 p.m. on Thursday after receiving a call about an elderly woman who fell and hit her head.

While in route to the scene, emergency personnel received further information that the woman, described only as a 77-year-old female, was not breathing and didn’t have a pulse. Responders performed life saving measures on the women but were unable to revive her and she died at the scene.

Upon further investigation, police learned there had been a disturbance between the victim and 27-year-old Thomas J. Wilke, of Middleton. The fatal injuries were a result of the victim being struck by the door of Wilke’s vehicle, knocking her to the pavement as he backed up. Wilke was subsequently arrested and transported to the Dane County Jail on a charge of Homicide by Negligent Operation of a Vehicle.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council approved the city’s 2022 budget and moved forward with several development projects including a 44-acre subdivision and a four-story multifamily building on Lake Street. The Council also approved a request for proposals for a project with 30 or more affordable housing units on Century Avenue.

The 2022 budget approved by the council increases the assessed value mill rate on the city’s portion of the tax bill by 1.4 percent to $6.25 per $1,000 of property value.

The total tax levy for the general fund is $14,042,426, a 5.1 percent increase, and the city’s 

debt service property tax levy increased by four percent to $5,250,000.

Finance Director Bills Burns noted the change in city tax for an average home valued at $403,450 will be a $34 increase. 

TOWN OF CROSS PLAINS–Dismayed that construction of a power line from Dubuque to the Town of Middleton would begin while it’s being challenged in court, long timeline opponents wanted the public to know Sunday that they were still in the fight.

Opposition to the most contested power line proposal ever in the state didn’t end when the Public Service Commission (PSC) approved construction of the Cardinal-Hickory Creek (CHC) line in August 2019. Environmental groups that opposed it then, continued their opposition in state and federal lawsuits that have recently turned promising for the line’s opponents.

“I’m really glad that a federal judge and a state judge have both indicated that our cases would likely succeed,” Dena Kurt, of Grant County, said Sunday.

Kurt joined a few dozen other power line opponents who gathered at Festge County Park and caravanned to the Cardinal Substation on USH 14.