County

CROSS PLAINS–Cross Plains police will staff the school crossing on Church Street for the next few weeks but after that Police Chief Tony Ruesga asked the village board Monday to find other help.

Efforts to hire a crossing guard last year weren’t successful and a police officer filled in, but Ruesga said that’s not feasible given the department’s staffing constraints.

“Emergency calls can take us away from the street crossing…Parents depend on someone being there…but the police can’t handle it anymore,” Ruesga said.

The Middleton Cross Plains Area School District has posted the position and it’s been publicized on social media but no takers yet for the job that pays $12 an hour.

“I don’t think it’s about the money…even at $20 an hour,” said Village President Jay Lengfeld. 

The job requires a half hour’s work in the morning and again in the afternoon, five days a week.

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–Roadside brush chipping, a popular service offered by the Town of Middleton has again grown to where it needs to be trimmed back, town staff requested Monday.

“It’s an ongoing battle. It was getting better...but we’re asking for a new policy,” Scott Ballweg, crew leader told the town board.

The town’s chipping service is not geared for residents who want their land cleared or entire trees removed. Instead, it’s aimed at brush piles that can be chipped in 15 minutes. 

Ballweg sees the burden growing as the town grows, however, the town’s crew remains at four full-time and two part-time employees.

“A lot of people are getting mad,” he said. “There’s confusion about what they can bring out (to the road) and what they can’t. Some people insist that since they have more acres, they should be able to pile up more stuff,” Ballweg said.

MADISON–A Cross Plains man who viewed child pornography on the Internet for several years, was sentenced last week in federal court to seven years in prison to be followed by 12 years of supervised release for sharing it.

Jake Blankenheim, 48, had pled guilty to distributing child pornography in April.

According to court documents:

Blankenheim used the Gigatribe computer software, more commonly used in Eastern Europe, to share photos and videos, including child pornography, with others.

He began communicating with a Swiss undercover agent who “rebuked” Blankenheim in August 2019 for looking for child pornography but not sharing any.

Soon, Blankenheim sent six images that the Swiss undercover agent transmitted to the FBI alleging that were child pornography.

CROSS PLAINS–The Cross Plains Village Board of Trustees voted to move forward with the option to purchase property at 1601 Bourbon Rd. with the purpose of placing the police department next the Cross Plains-Berry Fire Department. 

The purchase price of the property is $390,000 and a recent appraisal came back at $395,000. The real estate was also subject to two studies, an environmental phase I study and a wetland delineation study. Both came back favorable contributing to the board’s decision to approve the purchase option. 

When asked his opinion on the property, Cross Plains Police chief Tony Ruesga said, “Do I think it’s a good spot? Yes.” He added that many towns have their emergency services located next to one another. 

Trustees shared that they had received positive feedback about the move when they are in public. Letters of support have also been received. 

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–Why did the golfer cross the street with his motorized cart?

For some, it will be to get to their next drink while golfing at the new Pioneer Pointe Golf Course.

The 13-hole course that replaced Tumble Down Trails has been open about six weeks according to Jeff Haen, who developed the Pioneer Pointe residential subdivision which surrounds the new course.

The course has six public street crossings, and when Matthew Stebbins applied for a liquor license for the entire golf course property, he ran smack into the state law that prohibits an open alcohol container in a motorized vehicle on public streets.

“That’s the sticking point. There’s no way around it,” Town Attorney Eileen Brownlee said the Town Board on July 5.

Stebbins, of Four Putt, LLC, the liquor license applicant, knew he had a tough road ahead but needed to be able to serve alcohol to golfers just like his competitors at other courses.

Stebbins offered to:

MADISON–With excessive heat in the forecast, Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) is reminding pet families to take the extra steps necessary to keep your pets cool and safe. 

“Even healthy pets can suffer from dehydration and heat stroke if exposed to extreme high temperatures and humidity,” says Lisa Bernard, DCHS Public Relations Coordinator. “Make sure your pets stay safe by keeping them in a cool location, giving them plenty of water, and never leaving your pet alone inside a vehicle.”

To keep your pet safe and healthy during the heat:

• Watch out for heatstroke: Symptoms include excessive panting, drooling, lethargy, fever, vomiting, seizures, and collapse. Call your veterinarian right away If you think your dog or cat may be suffering from heatstroke. Breeds with flatter faces (such as Pugs, Shih Tzus, Pekingese, Bulldogs, Boxers, and Persian cats) and very young and senior dogs are especially vulnerable.  

MIDDLETON–The upcoming weather forecast for the next two days reveals temperatures above 90º Fahrenheit. Additionally, a number of Middleton residents are still without power from the storm which the area experienced yesterday afternoon. Per the City of Middleton’s Emergency Plan the City will establish Cooling Centers when the following conditions are met:

• Projected prolonged heat or heat index equivalent at or above 90 degrees

Fahrenheit; and/or

• State or Federal emergency advisories concerning heat or heat index; and/or

• Local, State or Federal emergencies that displace citizens from their residences

in Middleton during high heat or heat index times; and/or

• Power outages of longer than 12 hours during times of high heat or heat index

experience.

• Other times at the discretion of the City’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

DANE COUNTY–Temperatures are predicted to be dangerously hot with heat indices approaching 105° Tuesday. The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory from 11 a.m. Tuesday through 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Extremely high or unusually hot temperatures coupled with high humidity can have some serious effects on your health such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Over 1,000 deaths from extreme heat events occur each year in the United States. People most at risk from getting sick from the heat are older adults, those who work or exercise outdoors, infants and children, people without housing, and people with a chronic medical condition.

Here are some important precautions you should take to avoid serious health consequences related to this extreme heat.

Stay cool

DANE COUNTY–The Dane County Board of Supervisors made their committee assignments which were recently announced. The standing committees of the Dane County Board of Supervisors met last week and elected the leadership for the 2022-2024 term.

The election results are as follows:

Personnel and Finance Committee

Chair-Elizabeth Doyle (District 1)

Vice-Chair-Chuck Erickson (District 23)

Public Protection and Judiciary Committee

Chair-Richelle Andrae (District 11)

Vice Chair-Anthony Gray (District 14)

Public Works and Transportation Committee

Chair-Dave Ripp (District 29)

Vice Chair-Andrew Schauer (District 21)

Zoning and Land Regulation

Chair-Tim Kiefer (District 25)

Vice Chair-Jerry Bollig (District 31)

Health and Human Needs Committee

Chair-Heidi Wegleitner (District 2)