Local

MIDDLETON–District 5 alder-elect Jeffrey Jackson made history on April 4 when he became the first African American elected to the Middleton City Council.

Jackson, who ran unopposed said he was very proud and excited about the win. “Emily Kuhn (mayor elect) wanted me to run a few years ago, but I wasn’t ready,” Jackson said. 

It still took some convincing for Jackson, who has worked as an activist throughout his life. 

“I’m usually the one yelling at the politicians,” he laughed. 

During the campaign he had the support of both Kuhn and District 5 Alder Luke Fuszard. “It is important to me to not just talk about diversity, but also act upon it,” said Fuszard. “When I met Jeff, started talking to him and watched him interact with his children, I knew he would be a great fit.”

Jackson, who works as General Manager at Chili’s West Madison, said the campaigning wasn’t without strife. 

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission held public hearings for a rezoning request and conditional use permit related to a proposed seven story building at 6140 Century Ave. The seven-story proposal requires a conditional use permit to exceed the city’s five story limit. The plan commission deferred action on both the rezoning and conditional use permit until more information could be provided by the developer and planning staff.

The rezoning ordinance would rezone the 8.8-acre parcel from R-3 residential to Planned Development District (PDD) to subdivide the property into three lots and pursue a two-phase redevelopment. The first phase would replace the existing two-story building with 20 units with a seven-story multifamily building with 110 units and structured parking.

MIDDLETON–Emily Kuhn beat out Kathy Olson in the race for Middleton Mayor on April 4, winning 55.1 percent to 44.3 percent. Kuhn will succeed Gurdip Brar as mayor.

Both Kuhn and Olson served as alders on the Middleton common Council before running for the office of mayor.

In the District 1 Middleton Common Council race, John Shafer easily beat Cornell Ellerby with 57.6 percent of residents casting their vote for Shaffer and 31.6 percent for Ellerby. The seat was previously held by Kathy Olson.

In an election night interview, Kuhn said, “I am just so honored. Everybody worked so hard to make this happen. I really appreciate Alder Olson for running such a great race. And all the people that ran for office–that’s democracy in action. I want to thank all my volunteers.

“I am just so happy! I’m really grateful to the whole community” she said. 

MADISON–Pleasant View Road will be closed from Timber Wolf Trail to 800 ft. south of Blackhawk Road starting at 7 a.m. April 10 and continuing until afternoon, April 14.

The road closure is made necessary to install a deep storm sewer line across Pleasant View Road. 

Northbound traffic will be detoured onto Old Sauk Road, then right on Hidden Cave Road, right on Swallowtail Drive to right on Blackhawk Road and back onto Pleasant View Road.

Southbound traffic will be routed a right on Blackhawk Road, left on Swallowtail Drive, left on Hidden Cave Road, left on Old Sauk Road and back onto Pleasant View Road. The detour will be marked.

WISCONSIN–With so much attention being focused on the race for Supreme Court Justice, you may be surprised, when you step into the voting booth on April 4, to find three referendum questions on your ballot.  

The first two questions propose an amendment to the Wisconsin State Constitution regarding the setting of bail. A referendum to amend the constitution must first receive a majority vote in two consecutive years in both houses of the legislature before being placed on the ballot. This type of referendum is called a binding referendum because the legislature is bound by the will of the voters. 

MIDDLETON–Mayor Gurdip Brar gave his final state of the city address, as he will not seek reelection, to the City of Middleton Common Council at its March 21 meeting. The address highlighted the progress the city has made over Brar’s tenure and the work that the next mayor will have to take up. 

Brar said the single most important service the city provides is public safety.

In 2022, the police department responded to 18,489 calls for service. There was a three percent decrease in violent crimes in 2022 compared to 2021 and Brar noted the department maintains the State of Wisconsin WILEAG accreditation.

In 2022, the city adopted a new strategic plan that outlines the direction of the city for the next 10 to 20 years and passed an operational referendum with 62 percent voter support. 

Brar said the city continues to be strong financially.

MIDDLETON–Martha Jackson, 77, of Middleton was sitting in her apartment on March 14 when and intruder entered through a partial open patio door after climbing up Jackson’s balcony.

A suspect in the case, Clarissa R. Herrera, of Madison, was arrested on the scene after Jackson used a medical alert button to contact 911 according to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court on March 20. 

In the complaint, Middleton Police officer Todd Dart said he responded to the call of a disturbance at the 6200 block of Maywood Ave. at 11;11 p.m. Herrera, the report alleges, was standing in the balcony door “waving her arms and yelling.” She was yelling that she had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted, then jumped four feet off the balcony after Dart told her not to. It was then he heard Jackson’s voice coming from inside the apartment. She was in a recliner asking repeatedly for help. 

MIDDLETON–A hometown boy has finally found his way home after nearly 80 years.

Pfc. William l. “Sonny” Simon returned to Middleton on March 24 after his remains were identified by the US Army. Sonny, who was drafted in 1943, left for Europe following his high school graduation the same year. His siblings Eileen Tesch, 96, and Jim ‘Jumbo” Simon, 94, said they remember the day he left with sadness, and Eileen recalled crying much of the day that he left his home on Hubbard Avenue. At the time Eileen was 15 and Jumbo was 13.

The sadness of him leaving was nothing compared to the despair the family felt when they learned in 1944 first that he was missing in action and six months later when the military came to inform their parents, George and Margaret Simon, that he had been declared killed in action. Sonny was just 20 years old at the time he was declared missing.

“Mother always had hopes that he would walk through the door,” recalled Eileen.

MADISON–Bail was set Wednesday at $1 million for the woman accused of fatally shooting an employee of a Middleton used car dealer on Monday.

Jakira T. Anderson, 23, of Fitchburg, remains in custody after being charged in Dane County Circuit Court with First Degree Intentional Homicide for allegedly shooting Kawsu Samba, 34, an employee of MSI Auto Sales.

According to court documents:

A second MSI employee, Fabian Miranda, told Middleton police detective Jill Tutja that Samba had been dealing with an angry customer for a couple of hours. Miranda told Tutja that shortly before he heard a gunshot, he heard Samba telling the customer to leave.

Miranda saw Samba run outside of MSI’s office with the angry customer behind him. Miranda went outside to MSI’s Parmenter Street parking lot to help Samba and found him on the ground.

The customer, identified from MSI’s paperwork as Anderson, left in a gray BMW.

 MIDDLETON–The William L. "Sonny" Simon Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #8216 would like to invite the entire community to celebrate the return of Army Pfc. William L. "Sonny" Simon, who was killed in action during World War II. 

     After almost 80 years, Simon's remains will be flown from Offutt Air Force Base (AFB), Nebraska., to Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee on March 24. The time of his arrival has not been released at press time.

     When the convoy escorted by the Middleton Police Department turns onto University Avenue from the Beltline, it will be greeted by vehicles from the Middleton Fire District flying the American flag. 

     The convoy will then turn right onto Park Street and then right onto Hubbard Avenue. Simon's childhood home is located at 7119 Hubbard Ave.

     Residents are encouraged to line these streets to welcome Simon home.

The procession is expected to arrive in Middleton at approximately 8:30 p.m.