Local

Like many Black Earth residents, Megan Hufton enjoys sharing her life on Facebook. The regular updates give Hufton’s friends and neighbors a glimpse into the single mom’s life with her now-teenage sons, AJ and Asher, who are both diagnosed with non-speaking level 3 autism. Now, Hufton is sharing her family’s story in a whole new way: a published memoir, titled “The Joy We Built: Raising two non-speaking autistic sons and finding joy in a different kind of life”. 

CROSS PLAINS – The Village Board last week (JULY 13) pumped the brakes on replacing sewer and water mains in Park Street in order to assess the impact on residents of the combined costs of other pending infrastructure improvements.

The Wisconsin Heights School Board heard reports from the business office, school principals and special education staff during a relatively short meeting. No public comment was heard during the July 13 meeting. 

The Mazomanie Village Board discussed a number of community and financial initiatives during its July 14 meeting, including a report of the Village’s 2025 audit and upcoming housing study. 

With eyes on the November 3 election, the school board for the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District considered options for an operational referendum and referred to responses from a community survey concluded in May. Also on the agenda for the July 13 meeting were updates on sustainability efforts, the substitute fill rates, school resource officers contract, enrollment projections, new hires, and a report from Clark Street Community School. 

The City of Middleton received —and accepted — a $200,000 grant from the state for its Parisi Park Shelter, thanks to action taken July 7 at the Middleton Common Council meeting.

The joint purchase of the vacant lot neighboring District One EMS in Mazomanie is finalized, Village Trustee Mitch Hodson reported during the Black Earth Village Board meeting on July 6. 

Thermo Fisher Scientific, which employs about 2,000 people in Middleton, said it is eliminating about 70 employee positions in Middleton. The bioanalytical laboratory giant said the decision will consolidate operations into its facility in Richmond, Virginia. The move is expected to lay off 69 employees and close the company’s facility at 3230 Deming Way in Middleton over the many months. 

MIDDLETON - The Middleton Common Council on July 7 referred the creation of a public comment policy for city board, committee and commission agendas to its License & Ordinance Committee.