Local

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–Voters in the Town of Middleton waited in long lines, sometimes nearing three hours, when casting their ballots last week.

Those that waited said that people in line were patient, courteous and friendly to one another during the wait, but they also want to know how this happened, and what measures can be taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Steve Kurr who has lived in the Town of Middleton since 2005 timed his wait with his son, which clocked in at two hours and 55 minutes. “I have never waited more than 10 minutes,” he said of previous voting experiences in the town.

Kurr said he was surprised by the wait but added that it was worth it.

“We feel it is important to vote and vote every time,” he said.

He said he didn’t witness anyone leave, but he said people were good about saving spots for others when they left the line and allowing elderly and disabled voters to go ahead of them in line.

MADISON - A Madison man who killed two Middleton High School and a Madison High School student when he drove into their car was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years in prison and 12 years extended supervision.

Eric N. Mehring, 31, was driving 60 miles an hour on Mineral Point Road last October when his car rear ended a car in which John “Jack” Miller, 17, and Evan Kratochwill, 18, of Middleton and Simon Bilessi, 17, a Madison West High School student.

Mehring had a blood-alcohol concentration of .214 percent after the crash, well above the prohibited level of .08 percent.

Mehring was driving east bound on Mineral Point Road after drinking at two bars in Pine Bluff.

He pleaded guilty in July to three counts of homicide by intoxicated use a vehicle.

At sentencing, family members of the teens gave emotional statements about the loss of their loved ones.

MIDDLETON–On Nov. 15 at approximately 1:49 p.m., Middleton Police Officers responded to a crash at Le Nails Salon, 6771 University Ave. Calls to 911 reported that a vehicle had just crashed into the building.

Upon investigating the crash, officers learned that a driver was parking in front of the business when her boot became stuck between the gas and brake pedals while parking. The vehicle then crashed through the glass-panel wall, where it came to a stop.

One employee inside the nail salon was injured and transported by Middleton EMS to a local Emergency Room. The driver was uninjured.

The Middleton Fire Department assisted in securing the building after the car was removed.

TOWN OF MIDDLEON–A 16-year-old Middleton High School Student from the Town of Middleton was robbed at gunpoint and carjacked on Monday night in the lower parking lot at Pope Farm Conservancy.

According to the father of the teen who spoke to the Times-Tribune on the condition of anonymity, the crime occurred around dusk at 5 p.m. when the young man was leaving the park after a hike.

He told his father that after he got in the vehicle two young men, estimated to be between the ages of 16-20, a Black male and the other whose race is unknown, approached the car and one held the driver’s side door shut while the second got into the back seat behind the driver’s seat.

“My son then heard the distinct sound of a slide being racked on a semi-automatic handgun (to chamber a round), and then the offender immediately demanded my son’s keys, wallet, smartphone, credit card, etc. My son was then instructed to leave the vehicle and walk away,” the father wrote in an email.

WISCONSIN–Record turnout in Dane County and around the country caused long wait times, sometimes hours long, at polling place around the country, including the Town of Middleton and City of Middleton, voters will wait a bit longer for a winner in the US Senate race between Democrat Mandela Barnes and Republican Ron Johnson (I). At press time Wednesday morning, the race had still not been called as only 31,203 votes separated the candidates with 98 percent of precincts in the state reporting.

In the US House of Representatives District 2 seat, Democrat Mark Pocan (I) easily defeated Republican Erik Olson and Independent Douglas Alexander bringing in 71 percent of votes to Olson 26.9 percent and Alexander’s two percent.

Close races were seen in state offices as well, including the governor’s race in which Democrat Tony Evers (I) held on to the state’s highest office over Republican Tim Michels, 51.1 percent to 47.9 percent.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission reviewed two concept proposals for multifamily and mixed use developments in Greenway Station. The plan commission also set a public hearing for a proposed residential community development at Acker Farm with up to 893 dwelling units.

The plan commission set a public hearing on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. for rezoning to planned development district (PDD) and general implementation plan (GIP) for a major residential development at Acker Farm.

High Road Development Company is proposing a residential community with up to 893 dwelling units featuring a variety of housing types, parkland, and limited commercial uses on 128 acres located between High Road and Pheasant Branch Road. The project requires annexation and rezoning from county agriculture zoning.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council reviewed the annual report from the city-school district partnership program the Middleton Youth Center, which serves students in fifth to eighth grade. Youth center director Gabrielle Hinahara presented the report to the council giving insight to the latest programming changes at the center.

Hinahara said over the last year there’s been a return of several programs that were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic including the mentoring program.

“We were able to partner up 22 of our students with adult youth center staff members who met with them weekly during their school day during study hall or lunch hours working on a lot of different social-emotional, mental health and academic skills,” Hinahara said. 

The youth center administered a survey at the end of the school year last year for students who participated in the mentoring program, Hinahara said.

MIDDLETON–The Downtown Middleton Business Association will be bringing back the Downtown Middleton Spooky Stroll, an annual trick or treating event that was on hiatus for three years due to the pandemic.

The event will be held October 28 from 1-3 p.m. Costumes are encouraged for adults as well as children. Share your photos on social media and tag #DowntownMiddleton #SpookyStroll for a chance at a prize. Gift certificate prizes will be awarded for Best Overall Costume, Best Kid Costume, Best Homemade Costume and Best Family/Duo/Group Costume.

More than 20 businesses will participate in the event, and locations include:

Barriques

Cloth & Metal Boutique

DG Salon

DINYs Jewelers

Hubbard Avenue Diner

Isthmus Eye Care

John/Christine Design

Journeyman Co

Little Pop Color Shop

Longtable Beer Cafe

Mane Hair Company

MB Opera House

Middleton Historical Society

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Public Library will offer a day of Halloween fun for all ages on Oct. 29. Costumes are encouraged.

The day will kick off with a Halloween storytime beginning at 10 a.m. and will include Halloween stories, songs, a short picture book movie and a take home craft project! All ages welcome.

Pumpkin decorating will be available from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. The library will supply small craft pumpkins and all sorts of paints, pens, embellishments and googly eyes, and you provide the inspiration and artistic flair. Decorating will be held in the main level programming room.

At 12 p.m., teens can make their own Halloween themed slime. Participants will meet in the Archer Room, and registration is required for the event and can be completed on the events page at midlibrary.org.

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–The town board will present a proposed 2023 budget to residents next month that significantly reduces borrowing and slashes to road construction and maintenance expenses in response to declining government aid. 

The proposed budget is funded by $4.795 million in total revenue, a sharp drop from the current budget’s revenue total of $6.432 million. Loan proceeds from borrowing is included in revenue totals, which in 2022, was budgeted at $1.176 million but next year’s proposed budget borrows $810,455 for construction projects.

Revenue from property taxes is projected to climb from $3.188 million this year to a projected $3.277 million next year. State transportation aid would increase slightly to $319, 000 but other local government grants, which totaled $498,00 this year, will disappear entirely next year.