Brookfield man charged with sexual assault of Falls teen

6:22 p.m. | A 48-year-old Brookfield man has been charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl he met at a Menomonee Falls gas station.

According to a copy of a criminal complaint, Sunil K. Singh talked the Menomonee Falls girl her into getting into a car Saturday before getting her drunk, groping her and driving to an apartment building in the 11000 block of W. Meinecke Ave. in Wauwatosa.

According to the complaint, Singh threatened to kill the girl before dragging her by the wrist into the basement of the building, where he beat her and forced her into sex.

The girl managed to escape to a nearby apartment, where a resident called police.

Singh admitted to police that he provided the girl with alcohol, had sex with her and slapped her several times to keep her from crying.

Woman linked to 2 more drug overdose deaths

4:46 p.m. | Kimberly Sell, the 38-year-old Germantown woman charged in Ozaukee County court this week in the prescription drug overdose death of a Fredonia woman, is linked to at least two other drug overdose deaths in 2009, authorities said Wednesday.

Sell is a person of interest in the April death of her fiancé, Ted Olla, who lived with her, and the Christmas Day death of Ian Hegmegee of Menomonee Falls, Germantown Police Chief Peter Hoell said.

Sell allegedly sold methadone on Dec. 20 to Kati Lynn Hammen, 21, who was found dead the next day at her Fredonia residence, according to a criminal complaint. Sell was charged Tuesday with first-degree reckless homicide in Hammen's death.

On Wednesday, Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Sandy Williams set bail for Sell at $75,000. Sell remained in the Ozaukee County Jail on Wednesday afternoon.

A preliminary hearing to review the charges against Sell is scheduled for March 19. If convicted, Sell could be imprisoned for up to 40 years.

April election bumps Plan Commission meeting back

12:18 p.m. | Because of the spring election April 6, village officials have moved the monthly Plan Commission meeting to April 13.

Incumbent Michael McDonald will face challenger former Village President Jefferson Davis for Seat 4 on the Village Board. Trustees Jeffrey Steliga, Seat 5, and Steve Raymonds, Seat 6, also are seeking re-election. Those races are uncontested.

Four public hearings planned for the monthly meeting that will be held April 13.

Clearwire Legacy is in the process of building a nationwide fourth generation mobile Internet network, and is looking to place antennas on six existing towers throughout the village. Because of the proximity to residential properties, the commission will hold a public hearing on the request for antenna and cabinet installation on a tower located at Lakefront Communications, W7348 Shady Lane.

The commission will hold two public hearings on requests by Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church to move its operations to a site along County Line Road, west of Maple Road. The first request would reclassify a portion of the site from low-density residential and an area of agricultural lands both to institutional in the village's comprehensive plan. The church's other request asks for a permit to operate a church, school day care, preschool, activity center, pavilion/storage garage and sports field.

Brookfield man arrested in suspected assault of teen

March 08, 2010 5:44 p.m. | Wauwatosa police have arrested a 48-year-old Brookfield man suspected of abducting and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl Saturday, a police spokesman said Monday.

Police expect to refer the case to the Milwaukee County district attorney's office Tuesday, Lt. Dominic Leone said. The man is in custody at the Milwaukee County Jail, Leone said.

The girl, a resident of Menomonee Falls, told police the man abducted her and then sexually assaulted her in an apartment near N. 111th St. and W. Meinecke Ave., police said.

The girl was able to get out of the apartment and call police.

The man was arrested Saturday night while he was driving near the apartment, police said.

Falls, GT to put sectional basketball tickets on sale

March 08, 2010 9:55 a.m. | Tickets for the WIAA sectional boys basketball showdown between Menomonee Falls and Germantown will go on sale shortly at the respective high schools.

The game is slated for the Al McGuire Center on the Marquette University campus in downtown Milwaukee at 8 p.m. Friday.

Tickets will go on sale at Germantown High School at 11 a.m. Monday in the school bookstore, while at Falls, they will go on sale at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday outside the athletic office.

The tickets for the two-game Friday semifinal session are $7 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets for the Saturday, 7:30 p.m. sectional final, also back at the Al, are $6 and $4, respectively.

Both schools will sell the tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis and people are advised to buy early as demand for this border rivalry game is expected to be great. 

Narrow win over Mukwonago sets up rematch with Germantown

March 07, 2010 7:35 a.m. | Mukwonago nearly rallied to score an upset, but in the end, the Menomonee Falls boys basketball team walked away with a 76-75 victory in a WIAA regional final Saturday.

J.P. Tokoto scored 20 points and 17 rebounds in the win.

The Greater Metro Conference champions will play Germantown in an 8 p.m. sectional semifinal on Friday night. The Indians overpowered the Warhawks, 88-67, in December.

Falls and Germantown met in the sectional final last season, with the Warhawks outlasting the game Indians to advance to their second straight state tournament.

Falls is riding a 14-game winning streak while Germantown has won 14 of its last 16.

Vote for the All-Suburban Basketball Team and you could win Bucks tickets

March 04, 2010 7:43 a.m. | Want to weigh in on who you think are the best boys basketball players in the suburban area?

Now's your chance, as we're asking high school hoops fans to help us select the annual NOW Newspapers All-Suburban Boys Basketball Team, and the Player of the Year.

We've nominated 14 players to fill 10 spots on the honors team and we're asking you to pick the player that you think is the top basketball player in the NOW Newspapers coverage area.

When the fan voting is over, your votes - along with the votes of our sport staff - will determine the makeup of our All-Suburban Team. And one lucky person will win a pair of lower-level tickets to a Milwaukee Bucks game just for voting!

Vote here.

Heavy trucks banned from Falls until roads thaw

March 03, 2010 4:38 p.m. | The village will place 6-ton load limit signs along roadways restricting heavy vehicles, starting Friday.

The village places weight restrictions on local roadways in spring to limit damage to the pavement that can occur when frost and moisture are leaving the roadway subgrade.

During the period of posted load limit restrictions, all nonessential vehicles in excess of 6 tons will be prohibited from traveling on posted roadways. These vehicles include construction material delivery trucks, concrete trucks, landscaping trucks and Dumpster transport trucks.

These restrictions will be enforced by the Police Department beginning Monday. Posted load limit restrictions will be removed after the village determines the roadways have thawed and dried sufficiently to support these heavy vehicle loads, about 30 days.

Municipal, utility company, fuel delivery, garbage and recycling, and parcel/appliance delivery vehicles are exempt from these restrictions.

Two Main Street businesses burglarized

March 03, 2010 12:44 p.m. | Unknown suspects used force to enter two businesses in the W16400 block of Main Street sometime between 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

According to a news release issued by the Menomonee Falls Police Department, it is unknown if this was a one-time incident, or if the suspects may commit other burglaries in the uptown business area.

Police are asking people to be watchful and report any suspicious vehicles, people or incidents.

Call (262) 532-8700 with information or questions.

Communications company wants equipment placed in village

March 03, 2010 11:02 a.m. | Clearwire Legacy is in the process of building a nationwide fourth generation mobile Internet network providing advanced high-speed Internet services, and is looking to place antennas on six existing towers throughout the village.

The Plan Commission on Tuesday recommended the Village Board approve antenna and cabinet installation at towers located at W13330 Leon Road; on the village water tower, N9390 Water Tower Place; Lambert Wisconsin Management, W14810 Shawn Circle; and Waste Management, at the corner of County Line Road and 124th Street.

Because of the proximity to residential properties, the commission will hold a public hearing on the request for antenna and cabinet installation on a tower located at Lakefront Communications, W7348 Shady Lane.

The commission tabled a request for equipment to be added to the tower at Village Hall, N8480 Pilgrim Road, because of concerns about the structural integrity of the tower, particularly with additional equipment. The commission will consider the request after Clearwire submits a study. If the village approves the request, Clearwire and village officials would work out a lease agreement. Clearwire and village officials also would work out a lease agreement for the use of the village water tower.

Clearwire partners include Time Warner Cable, Google, Sprint and Intel Capital.

Church's planned move requires two public hearings

March 03, 2010 10:56 a.m. | The Plan Commission will hold two public hearings next month on requests by Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church to move its operations to a site along County Line Road, west of Maple Road.

The first request would reclassify a portion of the site from low-density residential and an area of agricultural lands both to institutional in the village's comprehensive plan.

Church officials on Tuesday suggested withdrawing the application because of the inaccurate perception that the organization is making a rezoning request, which it isn't. The church and school are allowed on lands zoned residential and on agricultural lands with a permit. However, village staffers said the change is necessary because of federal Smart Growth legislation.

Trustee Michael McDonald suggested village staff obtain an opinion from the village's attorney.

Previous plans called for the church, school and day care to operate on the eastern part of the 77-acre parcel. The village adopted its comprehensive plan based on that concept, states a village report.

Bar asks for outside operations to accommodate smokers

March 03, 2010 10:44 a.m. | The Plan Commission will hold a public hearing next month on a request for an outdoor seating area at Doreen's Bar, W18474 Lisbon Road.

Tavern owners are asking for a change to their permit so customers can use the patio area for eating, drinking alcoholic beverages and smoking due to the statewide smoking ban that takes effect this summer.

In 2008, village officials became aware that the tavern was operating an outdoor beer garden with a canopy over the patio area. Because the tavern's permit doesn't allow the serving of alcohol outdoors, the village notified the owners to remove the structure and cease outdoor operations.

Tavern owners are planning a 52.5-by-24-foot concrete slab with five rectangular tables and two high-top bar tables with umbrellas. The area would be enclosed by the building, 6-foot fences on the south and east and a 4-foot fence on the north. No canopy is planned.

The patio would be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 2 to 10 p.m. Monday.

Food pantry organizers seek help finding new home

March 02, 2010 10:10 a.m. | One of the casualties of the school district's move to Village Hall later this year is the Menomonee Falls Food Pantry.

The district plans to close the building that houses its central offices, and other programs, including the pantry, in late summer or early fall.

While several village and school officials are trying to help find a new location for the pantry, which had 4,032 visits last year, organizers pleaded with the Village Board Monday to help them find new space.

Bob Wodushek told trustees the pantry is run by volunteers and has a shoestring budget of about $50,000 to $70,000, which goes to purchase food. Organizers are unable to buy or lease a space, he said, and is hoping for some sort of public facility by this fall at the latest.

Trustee and Waukesha County Supervisor Jim Jeskewitz and Trustee Dennis Farrell after the meeting said they plan to look into their county connections for a possible solution.

Swing into the 2010 Golf Show with free tickets

March 01, 2010 1:50 p.m. | The 2010 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Golf Show starts Friday, and you could win a pair of free tickets by entering our Twitter and Facebook contests.

On Twitter, simply follow MyCommunityNOW and tweet "I want to win free tickets to the #MKE Golf Show from @MyCommunityNOW. RT to win. Details: http://bit.ly/cPficZ"

A random drawing will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday for the three sets of free tickets, with each winner receiving four tickets. Winners must pick tickets up at NOW's Waukesha offices. Winners will be contacted through Twitter before noon on Thursday.

On Facebook, become a fan of the MyCommunityNOW fan page and respond or write on the wall about a story, photo or some other staff work you saw in one of our papers or on one of our Web sites and tell us what you liked or didn't like about that work. Two winners will be picked during a random drawing at 10 a.m. Thursday with each receiving four free tickets. Winners will be contacted through Facebook and must pick tickets up at NOW's Waukesha offices. Winners will be contacted through Twitter before noon on Thursday.

For more information on the golf show, visit the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Golf Show Web site.

Arrowhead gymnastics sectional photo gallery now online

March 01, 2010 8:53 a.m. | We've just posted a photo gallery featuring more than 20 images from Saturday's WIAA Division 1 Arrowhead gymnastics sectional.

The gallery features athletes from Brookfield Central/East, Germantown/Menomonee Falls, Homestead, Nicolet and West Allis Central/Hale.

The hosts won the event with 143.725 points and Homestead was second with 140.7. West Allis' Emily Fuchs won the all-around competition and Brookfield's Katelyn Malcore was second.

See NOW photojournalist Peter Zuzga's photo gallery.