May 2019

MADISON–A former Middleton High School employee alleged in a racial discrimination lawsuit filed against the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District that she was told she had “no chance” for a vacant position because “we need some big, black men working here.”

According to suit filed May 21 in federal court:

Ruth M. Herbin had worked as an assistant to a high school Dean for most of the 10 years she was employed by the school district. However, when the district was hiring to fill other similar positions, Herbin was told she wouldn’t be considered because the district needed more diversity. And, after filing a discrimination complaint Herbin, a Caucasian, was fired for alleged insubordination.

In August 2017, the district was restructuring Herbin’s and another assistant’s positions due to lack of clerical work for them at the high school. Instead, the student support positions were being enlarged to include three counselors and social worker.

MIDDLETON–On May 23 at approximately 4 a.m. an unknown male forced entry into Diny's Jewelers and took an undisclosed amount of display jewelry. The suspect left on foot towards University Ave. A black sport utility vehicle was in the area at the time of the incident. The suspect was wearing dark clothing including a jacket with a hood up and face covered. He also had white or light-colored gloves and tan boots. 

If anyone has information on this crime, please contact the Middleton Police Department at 608-824-7300 or the confidential tip line at 608-824-7304.

In the past couple of weeks, I have been thinking about the foster care program in the United States.

It really began while working on a story about Luke’s Closet at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. (See story page 5) Luke’s Closet offers free clothes to foster families, and I know firsthand that many children come into foster care with nothing but the clothes on their back because my family was a foster family.

VERONA — Fill the bus.

That was message Middleton boys track and field coach Joe Line delivered to his Cardinals all season long.

Line’s Cardinals then went and did just what their coach had asked.

Middleton won the WIAA Division 1 Verona Sectional with 86 points last Thursday, edging host Verona. More importantly, though, the Cardinals advanced six individuals and two relay teams to the state meet, which will be held Friday and Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in La Crosse.

“Our motto this year was try to fill the bus,” Line said. “Fill the bus to state with as many people as we can. We were trying to get as many guys to state as we could.”

The Cardinals did an awfully good job of that.