Local

BARABOO–A Cross Plains man recently has been charged with three counts of First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child in a case that was reopened 27 years after the alleged offenses have been said to have occurred.

According to published accounts:

Michael J. Hill, 63, was a science teacher at River Valley High School and had adopted a girl from Columbia. The girl told Spring Green police in 1995 that Hill had allegedly made sexual contact with her. Hill reportedly told an investigator that he had sexual contact with the girl on one occasion. At the time, the investigation didn’t result in any prosecution against Hill.

The alleged assaults would have occurred in 1992 when the girl was 11 and Hill was 34, according to the Sauk County Department of Human Services records.

MIDDLETON–Lengthening the main runway received increased support last week at the final Airport Master Plan Advisory Committee meeting.

Prior polls showed scant interest in increasing the current 4,000-foot east-west runway, and on Thursday, a no-build option was still preferred by six members. However, five members, including all the representatives of the business community, preferred lengthening the runway by 200 or 400 feet.

Airport Manager and Morey Airplane Co. President Richard Morey initially saw no real benefit in lengthening the runway to the west but on Thursday said that it could be done “for very little additional money.”

CROSS PLAINS–Plans for the Cross Plains Chamber Annual Chicken BBQ have been cancelled, but Memorial Day activities are still taking place in the village. 

The Cross Plains-Middleton American Legion Post 245 Memorial Day will hold a  parade from Park Street at Park Elementary School to American Legaion Park beginning at 11:00 a.m. Parade on Park Street from Park Elementary School to American Legion. The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile will be in the staging area before the parade handing out whistles. A Memorial Day program to follow the parade by American Legion Post 245.

The Cross Plains Lions Club Brat Stand will be serving food from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (or until food runs out). They will pause sales for the Memorial ceremony.

MADISON–The state is working to provide greater access to COVID-19 vaccinations, including working to form pop-up clinics and worksite clinics around the state. State run clinics are also offering walk-in service. In addition, Pfizer is expected to authorize vaccines for 12 to 15 year-olds by early next week.

Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk, Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Dr. Ryan Westergaard, Chief Medical Officer, Wisconsin Department of Health Services Bureau of Communicable Diseases told reporters at a press briefing Tuesday that the measures will help push the number of vaccinated individuals higher. The state currently has 43 percent of eligible residents vaccinated, which has slowed demand a bit.

Willems Van Dijk began the conference by first delivering the bad news. “I have some grim news, today we have reached 600,000 cases in the state.” She went on to say 6,850 had died from the virus in Wisconsin.

MIDDLETON–Middleton Police were called to a downtown Middleton bar early Sunday morning after reports of gunshots. 

Around 1 a.m. on May 2, the Middleton Police Department received a call of shots fired at the Hody Bar & Grill at 1914 Aurora St. Officers found evidence of gunfire outside the building, but all involved parties had left the scene. A short time later, an adult male arrived at UW Hospital’s emergency room with gunshot wounds, which were tied to this incident. He is currently in stable condition and his injuries are believed to be non-life threatening.

A preliminary investigation indicates that the incident began as a dispute between two males inside the bar. There is no risk to the general public at this time. Middleton Detectives are continuing to follow up on this case. 

MADISON–The Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin (WDBSCW), in partnership with the WorkSmart Network, Wisconsin Job Service and the county economic development departments, will host Drive Thru Job Fairs in six Wisconsin counties, including Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette and Sauk, to connect job seekers to local hiring

opportunities.

On May 5 from 3-7 p.m., job seekers who attend the fairs can receive job postings and employer information without leaving their car. Volunteers wearing the appropriate PPE will provide attendees with a bag containing information from participating employers. Job fair locations include:

Madison College Portage Campus (330 West Collins St., Portage)

Madison College Truax Campus – Goodman Sport Complex (3201 Anderson St.,

Madison)

Dodge County Fairgrounds (WI-33, Beaver Dam)

Jefferson County Fair Park (503 North Jackson Ave., Jefferson)

MIDDLETON–In partnership with Fitchburg Family Pharmacy, MOM (Middleton Outreach Ministry) will host a pop-up vaccine clinic using the two-part, Pfizer vaccine.

Dose 1 will be distributed on May 5 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at MOM, 3502 Parmenter St., Middleton, WI.

The second clinic will be held on May 26 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at MOM. Dose 2 will be administered, or participants may get their first dose (and get their second dose directly through Fitchburg Family Pharmacy). No appointment is necessary, anyone 16 and older is welcome, but 16 and 17 year-olds must be accompanied by an adult if they are not pre-registered.

To pre-register for the clinic, go to momhelps.org. Paper copies will be available on-site.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit: https://momhelps.org/.../covid-19-vaccination-clinic-at-mom/

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Plan Commission approved various items related to two new businesses planned to open soon in Middleton. With the approvals Hidden Cave Cidery and Poké Bar are a few steps closer to opening up shop.

Hidden Cave Cidery, a craft hard cider producer, which bottles its cider at its facility inside the Old Sugar Distillery on Main Street in Downtown Madison is moving its operation and opening a tasting room at 2500 Pleasant View Rd. in Middleton. The new location is expected to open in May.

Hidden Cave Cidery was founded by UW-Madison Alumni Walker Fanning. Fanning majored in Agronomy and worked as the Director of Urban Agriculture for FH King Students for Sustainable Agriculture while attending UW.

Fanning now also works as an orchard manager at Eplegaarden in Fitchburg and sources the locally grown apples to make his ciders.

CROSS PLAINS–After a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, Trout Days in Cross Plains will see an abbreviated version of the annual fishing competition and festival from April 29-May 1. 

The Lions Club will have two brat and burger stands located in the village this year. Signs will be posted directing visitors to the stands. Proceeds will benefit the Zander Park Pavilion Project.

Raffle ticket sales will also take place, but they will be sold throughout the summer. The drawing will take place in the fall at the organization’s fish fry.

MADISON–Sitting at the double-decked keyboard of a 72-year-old pipe organ that he and a crew spent 8,000 hours restoring, Bruce Case reminisced about how he developed a lifelong passion for the instrument.

“I started playing organ in church when I was 14. I really loved the organ and one day the organ tuners were there and left a door open and that gave me a look at all this (organ components) and I became really intrigued,” Case said.

Intrigued enough that Case would put his enthusiasm for the pipe organ and a mechanical engineering degree to work on organ building and restoration for 47 years, many of them working out of a shop in the Town of Middleton’s Cherrywood neighborhood.

While in college, Case worked for a Sauk City organ builder and upon earning his degree, headed to England to restore organs that are twice as old as those in the US.