Nickolaus won't run for re-election as Waukesha County clerk
Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus, widely criticized over the conduct of elections in her county, announced Saturday she has decided not to seek re-election in November.
But the embattled clerk said in a prepared statement that she would not relinquish "any authority or responsibility" for upcoming elections through the end of her term because "I am the Waukesha County constitutional officer charged with the responsibility of elections."
After problems in the election earlier this month, Nickolaus reportedly agreed under pressure from County Executive Dan Vrakas to cede election responsibilities to her deputy for the upcoming recall races.
Her campaign manager said Saturday she "never ever agreed to hand over the responsibility given to her constitutionally as clerk" to administer the elections. "Kathy is still in charge," said the manager, Dan Hunt, adding Nickolaus was unavailable for comment.
The deputy clerk will serve as liaison between municipal clerks and county clerks, oversee election result processes and make sure the results are reported to the Government Accountability Board, Hunt said.
» Read Full ArticleFalls' Festge cools hot-hitting Hale in GMC softball showdown, 4-0
Menomonee Falls' senior softball pitcher Nikki Festge is a patient woman.
She's been on varsity for three years, but has been used primarily in reserve situations and last year, she was behind NOW All-Suburban selection Nicole Zywiec.
But Festge is now making the most of her opportunity in the spotlight, as she gave up just three hits with seven strikeouts as she led the Indians to a 4-0 victory over previously unbeaten West Allis Hale Friday night in a showdown for first place in the Greater Metro Conference.
"I'm feeling good about things," she said, after the Indians improved to 6-1 overall. "I felt confident going into this season because I knew I would have a good team behind me. We're very good at communicating to one another and everyone does a nice job doing their part."
Her coach Wendy Wolff, a former top-flight collegiate pitcher herself, agreed that Festge is indeed ready to help the Indians defend their GMC title.
» Read Full ArticleWaukesha County holding prescription drug collection Saturday
Waukesha County will be holding a prescription drug collection from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 28. The collection, which is the fourth for the Waukesha County Drug Free Communities Coalition, is an effort to prevent prescription drug abuse and accidental poisonings in Waukesha County as well as help protect local waterways.
Prescription drugs are a gateway for more serious drug use, Capt. Chuck Wood, commander of the Waukesha County Metro Drug Unit, said.
"Everyone sees the danger in drugs like heroin; unfortunately many people do not recognize the danger that lies in unused prescriptions sitting in their medicine cabinets," Wood said. "Diverted pharmaceuticals, when misused, are a large contributor to the drug threat in Waukesha County."
Items that will be accepted include: Prescription medication, over the counter medication, ointments, sprays, inhalers, creams, vials, herbals and pet medications.
Items that will not be accepted include: biohazardous material (including sharps), mercury, household hazardous waste and personal hygiene products.
» Read Full ArticleBody found in Germantown pond is that of missing Cedarburg man
Germantown - The body recovered from a vehicle submerged in a private pond this week was that of Miles P. Leppla, 91, of Cedarburg, Germantown Police Chief Peter Hoell said Friday.
Leppla was reported missing by Cedarburg police on Oct. 4, 2011. He had last been seen at Cedar Springs Health and Rehabilitation Center, where he was visiting his wife.
On Wednesday, a vehicle was pulled out of a pond off Holy Hill Road, east of Division Road, after the Germantown Fire Department Dive Team discovered a body inside of it. A property caretaker had reported a vehicle in the pond on Wednesday.
Foul play is not suspected in Leppla's death, Hoell said. The incident is being investigated as a fatal traffic accident. Holy Hill Road dead ends east of Division Road.
Body, submerged vehicle found in Germantown pond
GERMANTOWN - Germantown Police say they have found a body inside a vehicle that was submerged in a private pond.
The discovery of the body happened at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at a property near Holy Hill Road, east of Division Road.
TODAY'S TMJ4's Nick Montes reports that a maintenance worker found the car on the property when the sun reflected off of it.
"He saw the sun glint off of something metal," neighbor Victoria Hren told Montes. "He took a closer look and thought it looked like a car.
Officials have not confirmed the identity of the body, though they believe they know who the person is.
» Read Full ArticleBlood drive scheduled in Menomonee Falls
The BloodCenter of Wisconsin is hosting blood drives throughout Waukesha County in the month of May.
The Menomonee Falls blood drive is scheduled from 1 to 6 p.m. May 3 at M&I BMO Financial Group, N82 W15415 Appleton Ave.
To sign up for the drive visit www.bcw.edu/micorp or call 1-(877) 232-4376. Donors should bring a photo ID. The entire donor process takes about an hour. All blood types are needed.
Donors must be at least 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds and be free of a major cold, flu or allergy symptoms. Donors also cannot have had hepatitis after the age of 11 or have any risk factors or behaviors associated with HIV or AIDS.
According to the BloodCenter, hospitals including Aurora Sinai Medical Center - Summit and Memorial Hospital in Waukesha County, have come to rely on BloodCenter of Wisconsin for a stead supply of blood to treat their patients. Nearly 800 donors are needed every day to help maintain the supply to the hospitals served by the BloodCenter.
Top-ranked Cedarburg outhustles GT kickers, 2-0, in NSC showdown
Both Cedarburg goals Tuesday night in the Bulldogs' 2-0 North Shore Conference girls soccer win over Germantown were nothing special, nothing pretty.
But they reflected a certain amount of effort. One befitting a Cedarburg team that is now 5-0 overall (3-0 in league play) and entered the week top-ranked in state coaches' polls.
Warhawk coach Paul Sikinger, whose team fell into a three-way tie for second in the NSC (with Homestead and Nicolet), wished his team could have matched the Bulldogs' energy.
"They were very scrappy goals," he said. '"We knew they were good in the air and on set pieces. We just should have been a little more ready."
With the loss, Germantown is now 2-1 in NSC play and 6-2 overall. The week will only get more intense for the Warhawks on Thursday, when they host number two ranked in state Brookfield Central at 7 p.m. in a nonconference game.
» Read Full ArticleGAB announces plan to speed Waukesha election reports
Waukesha - Vote results from throughout Waukesha County should be available online more quickly in the recall elections because municipal clerks will be entering unofficial results directly into a state vote canvass reporting system, rather than leaving it to the county clerk's staff.
Those results will simultaneously be available to the Waukesha County clerk's office, which is still responsible for posting results on election night.
In a statement Tuesday, Kevin Kennedy, director and general counsel for the Government Accountability Board, said the agency created Wisconsin's canvass reporting system using a federal grant in 2010 so county clerks could use it to report canvass results - the official totals that are checked several days after an election - to the state electronically.
However, the Web-based system was built with a tool for municipal clerks to enter unofficial results on election night. Kennedy said all Waukesha County municipal clerks will be asked to use that tool for the May 8 primaries and the June 5 recalls.
The process means that local clerks do not have to drive voting machine tapes into the county clerk's office in Waukesha after polls close, as they did April 3, so that she and her staff can enter the data.
» Read Full ArticleSchool Board talks budget before May vote
Although nothing will be finalized until May, the Menomonee Falls School District is anticipating no more than 5.5 full time employee layoffs at the end of the school year.
The announcement was made during the Menomonee Falls School Board meeting Monday night while Superintendent Patricia Greco lead the final discussion on the 2012-2013 preliminary budget. When the budget was first looked at months ago, the district was projecting between seven to 12 layoffs, however, as numbers become more finalized that number was reduced.
The board will vote on the preliminary budget May 14.
"We have a little bit of time before we have to declare final layoffs so we will continue to watch that," Greco said.
The district will have a balanced budget for the upcoming year and is anticipating a .5 percent mill levy reduction in fall, which equals a 5 cent reduction per $1,000 of property value in the mill rate.
Nominations now accepted for Falls Athletic Hall of Fame
Area residents have until May 4 to mail or e-mail nominations in for the 2012 class of the Falls Athletic Hall of Fame. They can send their nominations (including background information and credentials of the nominee) to Athletic Director Dave Petroff at either his e-mail address of petrdav@sdmf.k12.wi.us or through the mail to him at Menomonee Falls High School, W142 N8101 Merrimac Dr., Menomonee Falls, WI 53051.
Menomonee Falls firm ships energy storage units
ZBB Energy Corp. said its Menomonee Falls factory has shipped four energy storage systems to customers in China and the United States.
The company has been ramping up production in recent months after it hit a key product certification milestone.
The recent shipments include one to China and three to the United States, including two that high-tech firms will use for testing and demonstration of the ZBB EnerSystem.
These systems include energy storage and power control systems that can connect to the power grid and combine flow batteries with renewables such as solar or wind to deliver power.
These shipments are in addition to the components shipped to the company’s China joint venture beginning in mid-February, the company said.
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