Local

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.

MIDDLETON–Despite opposition from some residents, the License & Ordinance Committee (L&O) last week granted final approval for fireworks and alcohol sales permits for a July 23 “Rock the Ramp” event at the Middleton Municipal Airport-Morey Field.

Those opposed to the current level of noise from low-flying airplanes, and lead emissions from fuel they burn, said the approximate additional 80 aircraft attending the event will only worsen conditions.

“The proposed Rock the Ramp special event poses unnecessary health and safety risks to people living the vicinity of Morey airport, particularly the elderly and young children who are susceptible to lead poisoning and exposure to any lead level,” said Dr. David Bryce, a Town of Middleton Board Supervisor.

Ald. Kathy Olson interrupted to ask Bryce to address the fireworks request and not lead emissions.

MIDDLETON–Despite opposition from some residents, the License & Ordinance Committee (L&O) last week granted final approval for fireworks and alcohol sales permits for a July 23 “Rock the Ramp” event at the Middleton Municipal Airport-Morey Field.

Those opposed to the current level of noise from low-flying airplanes, and lead emissions from fuel they burn, said the approximate additional 80 aircraft attending the event will only worsen conditions.

“The proposed Rock the Ramp special event poses unnecessary health and safety risks to people living the vicinity of Morey airport, particularly the elderly and young children who are susceptible to lead poisoning and exposure to any lead level,” said Dr. David Bryce, a Town of Middleton Board Supervisor.

Ald. Kathy Olson interrupted to ask Bryce to address the fireworks request and not lead emissions.

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–Town of Middleton Board Supervisors last week contracted a firm to estimate lead concentrations in the town from leaded fuel exhaust produced by airplanes using the Middleton Municipal Airport-Morey Field.

The board has become more concerned about lead emissions from aircraft operations as a longer runway and expanding other airport facilities is being considered in an Airport Master Plan which is being completed.

Some neighborhoods and two schools are located under the flight path of the airport’s main runway where airplanes take off and practice “touch and go” landings. Those operations along with idling and pre-flight engine checks, produce the most aviation lead emissions, according to the firm the Board hired, Trinity Consultants, of Phoenix, AZ.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council reviewed revisions to the municipal energy plan which lays out a timeline for measures the city will need to implement to reach its goal of using 100 percent renewable community-wide by the year 2050. 

Middleton Sustainability Coordinator Kelly Hilyard said the revised municipal energy plan was created on behalf of Dane County, Fitchburg, Marshall, Middleton, Monona, Stoughton, Sun Prairie and Waunakee with the help of energy consultant Slipstream.

MIDDLETON–Hidden Cave Cidery has launched craft hard cider production and a tasting room in Middleton at 2500 N Pleasant View Rd. The tasting room is still under construction, but patrons can visit by appointment on Friday and Saturday nights and sit outside at picnic tables. The indoor tasting room is planned to open in September. 

Walker Fanning, 26, started making hard cider after graduating from UW-Madison with a degree in Agronomy. Early in 2018 Fanning began producing cider in partnership with Old Sugar Distillery in Madison. 

Fanning said his business has been growing since it opened and he was ready to open his own location. He signed a lease in January in the Middleton business park. 

His goal is to produce a fruit-forward herbal cider. Currently on tap are lemongrass lavender, rose hip rosemary, hibiscus juniper, and chocolate hazelnut.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Police Department is investigating a fatal crash that took place Thursday morning on eastbound USH 12.

Police responded to a call of a single vehicle accident near the Greenway Boulevard eastbound off ramp at 5:54 a.m. on June 24. They discovered the driver and sole passenger in the car deceased on arrival. The name of the driver has not been released pending notification of family.

The crash remains under investigation by the Middleton Police Department, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office. Middleton Fire, Middleton EMS, and Dane County Public Highways assisted at the scene.

The exit was closed for nearly four hours and reopened at 10 a.m.

MIDDLETON–Bornier Wholegrain Dijon Mustard has won the Grand Champion award at the 2021 World-Wide Mustard Competition. This is the third Grand Champion award for Bornier. It also captured top honors for its classic smooth Dijon in 2014 and in 2020. Bornier is produced by Européenne de Condiments in Couchey, France.

Nearly 300 mustards from around the world entered this year’s competition, held under the direction of Barry Levenson, curator and founder of the National Mustard Museum in Middleton. Judges tasted mustards from as far away as India, Japan, and Sweden.

MIDDLETON–After decades running a beer tent at the Good Neighbor Festival (GNF), the Middleton “Sonny” Simon VFW Post 8216 announced it would withdraw from the festival last week.

Citing concerns over safety and inclement weather, the VFW, who is a founding member of GNF in 1964 sent an email to the Times-Tribune outlining why they wanted to back out.

The organization is worried that the “open campus,” which would allowing alcohol on the entire grounds of the festival, will lend itself to underage drinking.

In an email signed “VFW Post 8216” the group said this idea has come up in previous years but stalled out, “The idea of allowing beer consumption across the Fest grounds (open campus) has come up in years past, prior to the current GNF Executive Committee (GNF) being seated. It was never implemented because of clearly identified increased risks and liabilities and the inability to adequately address those risks and liabilities.”