The Town of Delafield Plan Commission meeting scheduled to tonight at 7 p.m. at Town Hall has been canceled due to the snowstorm.

The snow has begun with more on its way and some have already made plans to close for Wednesday. Check out the links below to get the latest information on weather, travel, flight and school closings.

• Closings: Schools, businesses, churches, civic, social and more.
• Local weather including maps, forecasts, current conditions and more.
• Travel times and winter road conditions by region and highways.
• Mitchell International flights: Arrivals and Departures.

Arrowhead High School announced that it has cancelled all afternoon activities as a result of the winter storm moving through the area.

The cancellation means the hoops showdown between Waukesha West and Arrowhead will have to be postponed.

Stay tuned to Lake Watch for all the latest closings and weather-related information.

Arrowhead athletics director Kevin Flegner announced Tuesday  morning the cancellation of all of its sporting events for Tuesday (Feb. 1) night.

The varsity boys basketball game between visiting Waukesha West and Arrowhead will be played on Wednesday. Feb. 9 at the same time.

The girls varsity basketball game between AHS and host West will also be played on Feb,. 9 at the same times.

The boys swim meet against Brookfield East will not be rescheduled.

The boys basketball game against  visiting Milwaukee Marquette set for Feb. 8 has been moved to Feb. 22.

The boys hockey game  against visiting Brookfield will be reset for Feb. 9. The jayvee game will start at 6:30 p.m. and the varsity game at 8:30 p;m.

The girls  gymnastics meet will be rescheduled for Feb. 7 at Kenosha at 6 p.m.

Delivery of the Wednesday Mukwonago Chief and Sussex Sun may be delayed because of the weather conditions. With some roads expected to be nearly impassable, the papers might not be delivered until as late as Thursday. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

The Waukesha County Technical College will be closed tomorrow due to the blizzard-like conditions sweeping through the area.

The college also announced that it would join several other area schools and close early today at 3 p.m.

 I-43 southbound at Big Bend was closed for about an hour due to a crash that occurred at 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, according to a Wisconsin Department of Transportation release.

The left lane is now open to traffic while the right lane will remain closed for about another hour.

Attorney Sam Hall of Crivello Carlson said the Feb. 2 injunction hearing on the Mukwonago logo change was cancelled and a status conference has been scheduled for May 2.

The Attorney General and attorneys handling the lawsuit challenging the DPI decision to force the Mukwonago School District to change its logo requested the delay due to legislative action in Madison on a repeal law, according to Hall.

Hall said since going to court is a last resource; they did not want to waste court resources if the logo law is repealed. If the law is not repealed, then the lawsuit would move forward after the May 2 conference.

Village of Pewaukee – The Pewaukee Village Board meeting slated for tonight at 7 p.m. was cancelled. The board was scheduled to discuss the potential merger with the City of Pewaukee

The dominoes are starting to fall.

The entire Arrowhead School District will be closed tomorrow due to deteriorating weather conditions.

That means that the high school and all of its feeder K-8 schools, including Stone Bank, Merton, Richmond, North Lake, Hartland-Lakeside, Lake Country and Swallow will all be off tomorrow.

The Hamilton School District will be closed on Wednesday, along with the Oconomowoc and Mukwonago School Districts.

Both Lake Country Lutheran High School, University Lake School and St. Charles Catholic School in the Village of Hartland will also be closed tomorrow.

The Pewaukee School District joins almost every other school district in the area announcing that it, too, will be closed on Wednesday.

Snow day in Lake Country.

At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night , traffic was at a standstill in many areas of the Lake Country because of the heavy snow and high winds.

In the Village of Hartland on Capitol Drive, only four cars were seen at the intersection of Maple Avnue in a 15-minute span.

On Highway 16 at the North Avenue Bridge, just 10 cars were counted going westbound in a 10-minute span.

In the Village of Pewaukee, visibilty was less than 60 yards at 7 p.m. with the high winds blowing snow across the lake onto the beach area.

Police from various agencies are cautioning people to stay home. While roads are becoming passable, the high winds are continuing to create drifting problems. Many vehicles have been left abandoned in drifts, which are causing problems for snowplows to properly clear the roads.

Detective Steve Pederson of the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department said while there is traffic moving on I-94 the problem is getting off the freeway as exits are drifted over or not plowed.

Detective Steve Pederson with the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department  reports that the weather conditions continue to cause travel issues throughout Waukesha County.  

The Waukesha County Highway Department is out in full force. During the overnight hours, vehicles that became stuck were abandoned along the road ways, some in traffic. Tow operators were called to remove vehicles, but their efforts are hampered due to the snow and poor visability.  Abandoned vehicles create problems for plows to effectively move snow and open roadways. 

"For obvious reasons, travel is not recommended. Sheriff's deputies have been assisting drivers from their vehicles and taking them to shelter," said Pederson in a news release. "There have been reports of 7-foot drifts in various areas of the county."

Many subdivision roads in the Town of Mukwonago remain impassable and cars sit stranded in driveways with 2- to 3-foot drifts blocking roads. Winds continue to create drifts across roads. Highway EE between Mukwonago and North Prairie is down to one lane. Other main roads are clear in spots but  remain buried in drifts in other places.

Kevin Schmidt with the Village of Mukwonago Police Department said police responded to about 15 reports of vehicles in the ditch between Tuesday night at 8 p.m. and Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. During the night, the local tow companies suspended operations for the safety of their drivers. About six people waited out the storm at the Village Police Department until they could get a ride.

"Thankfully, many people heard the warnings and stayed off the streets," said Schmidt.

With mounds of snow to play it's still sometimes too cold for kids to enjoy it for long. So how do kids burn off some of that excess energy in winter?

The Pabst Farms YMCA in Oconomowoc has a great way for kids to enjoy lots energy-burning activities from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday night. Part of the Live Y'ers event, the evening is themed "Army of One" and it's for kids in grades 1-4 and 6-year-old kindergartners.

For those that want to dive into some fun, the pool will be open for swimming. For the landlubbers, there'll be rock wall climbing and lots of gym activities. And for a cool down, kids can participate in crafts.

There'll be snacks throughout the evening. Chilcren can also be dropped off early at 5 p.m. for Dine and Play befroe Live Y'ers begins at 6:30 p.m.

Cost for the event iss $10 for members and $12 for community participants.

For more information, call (262) 567-7251 or visit www.ymcaatpabstfarms.org. The Pabst Farms YMCA is located at 1750 E. Valley Road in Oconomowoc. F

Village of Mukwonago public works employees haul truckfuls of snow away in the aftermath of the blizzard earlier this week.

Arrowhead's varsity girls basketball team stole the state headlines Friday  night by upsetting No. 1 ranked and previously undefeated Milwaukee Pius at Arrowhead, 66-61.

Pius came into the game as the defending WIAA Division 1 state champions and sported a perfect  14-0 record.

The win was the seventh straight for the Warhawks, who improved to 9-5 on the season and 6-3 in Classic 8 Conference play.

Jenny Smith led the Warhawks with a season-high 25 points, all of which came in the final three quarters.

Senior Andie Zeman had a season-best 16 points, 12 of which came in the first half. Jessica Goetz added 14 points for the Warhawks. Amanda Bauer had 7.

AHS trailed 50-47 with 7:52 to play and then went on a 13-2 run in the  next six minutes to put the game away.

The No. 6 ranked Arrowhead varsity boys basketball team remained one of the hottest teams in southeastern Wisconsin Friday night by stopping host Milwaukee Pius in a Classic 8 Conference game, 66-53.

The Warhawks improved to 14-2 on the season and 9-0 in league play.

AHS trailed 19-15 after the first period but took the lead for good at halftime, 33-31.

Charles Rushman fired in 15 points to lead the Warhawks. Charlie Fischer and Blake Mattson added 13 and 11 points for the winners.

Kettle Moraine's varsity boys basketball team lost to visiting Waukesha South Friday night in a Classic 8 Conference game, 56-27.

The loss dropped the Lasers to 2-13 overall and 1-8 in league play.

The Blackshirts grabbed a 33-10 lead at halftime and were never challenged.

Jaylen McCoy led the Lasers with 9 points and Kyle Kita chipped in with 8.

Sam Domach had 16 points to lead Waukesha South.

The Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service will host a forum to gather community input on economic security at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, in the private dining room at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. Results of this and similar forums throughout the state will be discussed at a statewide event in Spring 2011 and at a nationwide event at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

The event is free and open to the public. RSVP is appreciated to ashley.marschall@uwc.edu.

Village of Hartland – Police are investigating a strong armed robbery Feb. 4 in which a Merton man was attacked by two others.

According to Deputy Chief Mike Bagin, an 18-year-old Village of Merton man was at an apartment building in the 300 block of E. Capitol Drive at about 2:30 p.m. when he said two males attacked him over a personal matter. The Merton man said he was hit and at one point he briefly lost consciousness, Bagin said. The man’s cell phone and a pack of cigarettes were stolen, Bagin said.

A multi-car accident took place Tuesday morning around 11:15 a.m. on Highway 16 eastbound just one-quarter mile east of Jungbluth  Road near Hartland.  Three cars were  in the ditch but there appeared to be no  personal injruies.

Trafffic was backed up  for about one-half mile. Traffic was moving very slowly at that time. Two squad cars and one tow truck were on the scene.

Arrowhead's varsity girls basketball team, ranked 15th in the state in this week's AP state Division 1 poll, won its eighth straight game Tuesday night by smashing host Germantown in a nonconference game, 62-28.

The win moved the AHS record to 10-5 on the season. The Warhawks will play Wednesday at Waukesha West and Friday at Kettle Moraine.

AHS led 13-4 after the first period and never looked back.

Andrea Hirschfeld had her best varsity game ever for the Warhawks. The senior center scored a team-high 12 points and also grabbed 10 rebounds. Both were career highs.

Jenny Smith added 10 points for the winners.

Pewaukee's varsity boys basketball team lost a Woodland Conference game to No. 9 ranked (AP Division 2 state poll) New Berlin West Tuesday night at Pewaukee, 47-42.

West moved to 15-4 on the season and Pewaukee fell to 10-7. In league play West is 14-1 and the Pirates are 8-5.

PHS led 25-18 at halftime and still led 36-34 with 5:28 remaining in the game. West took the lead for good at 39-38 with 3:54 left in the game.

John Czerwinski led the Pirates with 10 points and Kray Bradley had 9 tallies.

Pewaukee's varsity girls basketball team, ranked No. 4 in the state in this week's state AP Division 2 poll, defeated host New Berlin West Tuesday night in a Woodland Conference game, 66-48.

PHS improved to 15-1 on the season and 13-1 in league play. They lead Cudahy by two games in the Blue Division standings.

Jordyn Swan made 9 of 15 shots for the night and scored 27 points for the winners. She was 5 of 7 from the 3-point line.

Natalie Wood added 15 points and eight rebounds for the winners. Amanda Baalke chipped in with 11 points.

Darnell Wilts of Fort Worth, Texas, has been named the new varsity football coach at Kettle Moraine High School. Wilts will take over for the upcoming 2011 season.

Wilts coached last year at Eastern Hills High School in Fort Worth. He previously coached at Brewer High School in Fort Worth.

Wilts also was a graduate assistant coach at TCU several seasons ago.

KM athletics director Mike Fink made the announcement late Wednesday afternoon.

Arrowhead's  varsity boys basketball team, ranked No. 6 in the state, rallied in the  second half Wednesday night in a Classic 8 Conference game to defeat visiting Waukesha West, 73-57.

AHS trailed 14-10 after the first period and 34-32 at halftime before outscoring the Wolverines in the second half, 41-23.

Senior Charlie Fischer scored a game-high 27 points for the Warhawks, a new career-high. Charles Rushman and Ryan May had 12 points each.

Dylan Chmura led West with 18 points.

Arrowhead's varsity girls basketball team won its ninth straight game Wednesday night by defeating host Waukesha West in a Classic 8 Conference game, 53-52.

AHS improved to 11-5 on the season.

The Warhawks were led by Jessica Goetz with 18 points. Jenny Smith added 16 points and Leah Anderson had 8.

The Alice Baker Memorial Library will be hosting an online book discussion of the murder mystery novel "Old World Murder;" the first in a series by local author Kathleen Ernst.  The library hosted the author this past Wednesday for a presentation on her years working at Old World Wisconsin and her books.  The online discussion is being held on www.goodreads.com, and can be found under the group name "Alice Baker Library Book Club".  Enrollment is required, but free of charge. 

It may seem like we’re several months away from enjoying all the goodies at farmers markets, but smack dab in the middle of the cold and snow springs the Oconomowoc Winter Farmers Market. The market is held once a month at Oconomowoc Landscape Supply and Garden Center, N68 W37850 County Trunk K.

This Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the season’s fourth market will be filled with special treats for Valentine’s Day among the products of the 24 market vendors from Southeastern Wisconsin.

If you haven’t already gotten something for your special someone, check out the artisan-made natural toffee, gourmet truffles, organic handmade caramels and fresh everlasting flower arrangements.

And if you’re just looking for some extra special taste treats, you’ll find a wide variety of pickled products including mushrooms, pickles and relish, as well as gourmet mustard, 12 varieties of grilled brats, such as mushroom and Swiss beef brat, buffalo steaks and meat sticks.

Other items at the market include artisan breads, toffee, honey, butter, eggs, cheese, beef, lamb, elk, dips, dressings, sauces, fresh vegetables, crackers, granola, fudge sauce, gourmet enchiladas, salsa and locally roasted coffee.

The February market also features a cooking demonstration by Brent Russell, chef at Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital’s Bistro 791, starting at 11 a.m. Russell will be making cheddar ale soup made with artisan cheese and locally grown onions and garlic. Samples of the soup will be available.

The Oconomowoc Winter Farmers Market is a pilot program managed by a joint committee of volunteers from the Oconomowoc Chamber of Commerce and Greener Oconomowoc Inc.

For more Information about the market, visit www.oconomowoc.org.

A sweet treat for parents is being planned by the Oconomowoc Public Library. 

The library will hold a Valentine's Day night out for parents on Monday, Feb. 14 from 5-8 p.m. where chidlren's librarian Betsey Bromley, along with local teens, will provide games, activities, snacks and fun. 

Registration is required and space is limited. To register, visit Bromley's office, or call (262) 569-2193, ext. 210, or email childrens@cooney.lib.wi.us.

All participating children must be potty-trained and a suggested donation of $5/hour per child will go toward renovating the library's young adult section

Come out to Olympia Resort and Spa in Oconomowoc Saturday night and sample from over 100 beers, or sip the wines, gin, vodka and hand crafted sodas that will be available for the tasting.

The evening runs from 6 to 9 p.m.; tiickets are $40 and include Mexican and Italian food stations as well as a chocolate fountain. Opportunities for great raffle prizes including Y membership, jewelry and more will also be available.

Proceeds from the event will to local charities and to the organization's mission to eradicate polio. To buy tickets online, or to learn more about the event visit  www.oconomowocrotary.org/Brewfest2011.cfm

Junior Mandy Prom bobbed and weaved into the lane on Friday, creating opportunities for herself and teammates.

The end result was a 47-26 Wisconsin Little Ten Conference victory for the Oconomowoc Raccoons varsity girls basketball team over the Hartford Orioles.

Prom scored a three-point basket on an assist from Carly Hall which gave the Raccoons a 16-0 lead early in the contest. Prom finished with 17 points for the Raccoons (14-2 overall and 9-1 in the WLT).

Senior Kendra Brooks had 9 points and eight rebounds. Junior Abby Thelen had eight points and eight rebounds and Junior Taylor Vande Zande chipped in with 5 points and eight rebounds.

Arrowhead's varsity girls basketball team got off to a great start Friday night and defeated host Kettle Moraine in a Classic 8 Conference game, 45-29.

The loss dropped KM out of  a first place tie with Pius for the conference lead. KM is now 9-2 in league play and 13-5 overall.

AHS won its 10th straight game, thanks to a fast start that saw them take a 17-3 lead late in the first half. AHS is now 8-3 in league games and 12-5 overall.

Jenny Smith fired in 16 points to lead the Warhawks and Andie Zeman had 12, all of which came in the first half.

Courtney Leister led the Lasers with 11 points.

Pewaukee's varsity boys basketball team played one of its best second halves of the season Friday night and defeated visiting Brown Deer in a Woodland Conference game, 69-61.

PHS improved to 11-7 on the season and 9-5 in league play.

After falling behind 32-21 at halftime, the Pirates outscored  the Falcons in the second half, 48-29.

John Czerwinski fired in a season-best 21 points to lead Pewaukee. Kray Bradley added 13 points and Jordy Edgerson and David Reese had 10 points apiece.

Arrowhead's varsity boys basketball team, ranked sixth in the state, defeated a pesky Kettle Moraine team Friday night in a Classic 8 Conference game at AHS, 55-49.

AHS improved to 11-0 in league play and 16-2 overall. KM fell to 2-9 in conference games and 3-15 on the season.

KM led 12-10 after the first period but watched as Arrowhead took the lead for good at halftime, 25-22.

The Lasers closed to five points at 50-45 with 0:54 to play but never got closer.

Jonny Fischer fired in 16 points for the winners. Charlie Fischer had 11 and Blake Mattson had 9.

KM was led by freshman  Mitchell Oleson with a season-high 16 points. Kyla Kita had 13 points and Matt Hoppe had 8.

Pewaukee's varsity girls basketball team, ranked fourth in the state in Division 2, had a big third quarter Friday night and whipped host Brown Deer in a Woodland Conference game, 64-41.

PHS outscored  the Falcons 25-6 in the third period. Pewaukee led at halftime, 30-27.

The win moved the Pewaukee record to 16-1 overall and 14-1 in league play.

Jordyn Swan fired in 23 points to lead the Pirates. Emily Wirth had 13 points for the winners and Brittany Groer added 12.

On Friday, Feb. 18, Homes for Our Troops will hold its Build Brigade ceremony to begin weekend long construction on a new home for Cpl. Jeremy Stengel. 

Construction will be from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, Saturday Feb. 19, and Sunday Feb. 20 and will be held at 637 Augusta Dr., Mukwonago.Those wishing to volunteer may show up during those times.

Stengel was injured during a mission in Iraq in 2007, resulting in the loss of his left leg  and severe muscle and nerve damage to his right leg.  This new home will provide Stengel with a wheelchair accessible home. 

Food and drink donations for volunteers would be appreciated and accepted as well.

Look for a complete story on Stengel and the construction of his home in the Feb. 23 Mukwonago Chief.

The Oconomowoc Raccoons varsity boys basketball team defeated the Slinger Owls in overtime on Tuesday, 44-40 at Slinger.

TJ Schlundt helped the Raccoons stay hot, helping force overtime with clutch shots, in regulation, and then made two free throws with less than seven seconds remaining in overtime to lift the guests to victory.

"It was a real defensive battle and we're happy to get a win like this against a very solid team," Kurt Melton, the Oconomowoc head boys basketball coach said.

Town of Delafield – Incumbent supervisors Clare Dundon and Larry Krause advanced to the April 5 election along with newcomers Joel Blumenschein and Sean Sander in Tuesday’s primary.

Peg Perry, wife of former supervisor Jack Perry, was eliminated in the race.

Krause received votes, 431, Sander 305, Dundon 294, and Blumenschein 293. Perry received 137 votes. The top four vote getters will square off for two seats in the April election.

Members of the Mukwonago Fire Department crowded into the Village of Mukwonago Board meeting on Tuesday night upset over a Protective Services agenda item to discuss possibly contracting for paramedic services.

More than a dozen people spoke out against privatizing paramedic services saying it would lessen the quality of care for Mukwonago residents and fire departments like East Troy who rely on Mukwonago for mutual aid.

MFD paramedic Christopher Hahn questioned why this item had not been on any open meeting agendas prior to a letter being sent to bidders inquiring about proposals for delivery of ambulance service for the joint department.

The Village Board did not discuss the issue since the item has not been discussed at the committee level. The issue will remain in committee to be placed as an agenda item on the Feb. 22 Protective Services Committee meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Mukwonago Town Hall.

As the state legislature readies itself to vote on Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget repair bill, local schools are hurrying to ratify their 2009-11 contracts.

Despite looming arbitration hearings between teachers unions and school districts, negotiators are pushing to ratify new contracts in advance of the likely passage of Gov. Walker's controversial budget repair bill - a bill that would strip teachers and other public employees of their collective bargaining rights.

The Arrowhead, Lake Country and Stone Bank School Districts all planned to take action on approving their 2009-2011 collective bargaining agreements with teachers on Wednesday night, while the North Lake School District scheduled a special school board meeting at 7 a.m. Thursday morning to settle its contract.

Arrowhead also planned to ratify a new contract for its support staff.

One $20,000 Power Play winning ticket was sold at Hartland Village Mart, 301 E. Capitol Drive. Three $10,000 winning tickets were sold at PDQ, 1065 Racine Road Menasha; Open Pantry, 15551 Cleveland Ave., New Berlin; Copp's food Center, 1850 Plover Road, Plover.

Winning numbers were 09, 13, 21, 23 and 48 with a Powerball of 24. The Power Play prize multiplier was 02.

The player who purchased the Hartland winning ticket also purchased the Power Play multiplier, turning a $10,000 winning ticket into a $20,000 winner.

The Powerball jackpot grows to an estimated $126 million for Saturday, Feb. 19 after no one matched all six winning numbers in the Wednesday, Feb. 16 drawing.

Ticket holders have 180 days from the drawing to claim their prizes by mail, or at the lottery's Madison or Milwaukee offices.

Although schools across the Lake Country area are not reporting spikes in absences by staff, other areas of the state are reporting closures apparently in response to Gov. Walker's proprosal to limit collective baragining with state employees.

The following schools across the state were closed today:

Alma Center
Bangor
Beaver Dam
Blair-Taylor
Cochrane-Fountain City
Columbus
De Soto
DeForest
Edgerton
Gale-Ettrick-Trempeleau
Glendale-River Hills
Holmen
Independence
Juda
La Crosse
Lodi
Madison
Marshall
McFarland
Middleton-Cross Plains
Mineral Point
Monona Grove
Mosinee
Mount Horeb
Oregon
Prairie Farm
Racine Unified School District
Reedsburg
River Valley
Riverdale
Sauk Prairie
Stoughton
Sun Prairie
Verona
Watertown
Waunakee
West Salem
Westby Area

Teacher attendance in the Mukwonago Area School District was good today as teachers across the state called in sick as they reacted to Governor Scott Walker's budget repair bill announced earlier this week. 

"Teachers have made it very clear that they don't want the students caught in the middle of this," said MASD Superintendent Paul Strobel.

Since staff members have been conscientious about their reactions to the action in Madison, Strobel said staff will be allowed to leave at noon today instead of attending planned in-service activities for the afternoon. Strobel said he wanted to give them a chance for their voices to be heard on the issue.

Feb. 17 was a scheduled early dismissal day to provide a work day for teachers. This work day will instead be made up on March 9, which was scheduled as an optional teacher work day.

Strobel said he plans to address the district staff tomorrow morning regarding the issue during a day-long teacher in-service.

Only three out of 290 teachers or 1 percent of the staff in the Kettle Moraine School District called in sick today, following the uproar over Governor Scott Walker's budget repair bill, according to Superintendent Pat Deklotz.

"I am extremely proud of the professionalism our teachers are showing," said Deklotz.

District administration is watching the situation very closely, Deklotz said. Union representatives have taken a leadership role, collaborating with administration on the situation. Teachers are expected to be in the classroom and focused on students and student learning.

Meanwhile district administration searches for the best way to respect and support teachers as events unfold in Madison and also the best way to report information to the community.

The Guaranty Bank located in the Plank Road Pick 'n Save, 36903 E. Wisconsin Ave., in the Village of Oconomowoc Lake, was robbed this afternoon at 1:25 p.m., by a man believed to be in his late 30s who made off with an undisclosed amount of cash. Three employees were in the bank at the time of the incident and no injuries were reported.

Police say the suspect is white, about 5-feet, 8-inches, approximately 200 pounds. He left the store traveling east on the frontage road in an older 1980s red station wagon wth a dirty rear license plate. A witness saw the suspect get into the vehicle and observed a red puff explode inside the car, which authorities believe to be the red dye pack given with the money.

According to law enforcement officials, the man did not display a firearm. The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department and the FBI are assisting in the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Village of Oconomowoc Lake Police Dept. at (414) 881-9725.

Several Arrowhead area School Districts settled their 2009-11 contracts with their respective teachers unions on Thursday, pre-empting any action at the state level regarding collective bargaining rights.

The state legislature is expected to adopt a bill that would strip teachers and other public employees of their collective bargaining rights, and as a result, the North Lake, Hartland-Lakeside and Lake Country school districts all put the finishing touches on their 2009-11 contract agreements on Wednesday. Officials in the Arrowhead and Stone Bank School Districts also expected to announce agreements soon.

Hartland-Lakeside's contract was set to go to an arbitration hearing, but the Arrowhead United Teacher's Organization (AUTO) and the District agreed on a new deal that will slash retirement benefits by 50 percent for teachers that retire this school year. The new contract also gives teachers a  2 percent wage increase for 2010-11, but a wage freeze for 2009-10.

Teahers at Lake Country School agreed on a one percent pay increase in both the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years, while also agreeing to freeze health care benefits for retirees.

In North Lake, AUTO and the School District agreed on a similar compensation package that also included a one percent pay raise in each year of the contract.

"We wanted to make sure before any changes were implemented that we took care of the business that we'd been working on for a year-and-a-half," said North Lake Superintendent Pete Hirt when asked if the two sides settled their contract because of the developing situation at the state level.

"It was mutually beneficial for both parties," he added.

Meanwhile the Stone Bank School and Arrowhead School Districts await decisions from AUTO on their proposed contracts. Stone Bank, Arrowhead and Lake Country were all in mediation for their contracts prior to the week's events.

Officials close to the negotiations at the Arrowhead and Stone Bank School Districts said they were confident that AUTO and the districts would strike deals.

Despite widespread reports of 'sick-ins' in school districts across the state, school officials in the Lake Country area reported no such instances.

Most Arrowhead-area schools reported no staff absensences other than what administrators termed as "legitimate absences".

At the Hamilton School District, seven teachers missed work on Thursday, but a School District spokeswoman said that all of their absences were for health reasons and not related to the ongoing protests at the State Capitol.

The spokeswoman said that having seven absences was actually below average for this time of year.