JSOnline is reporting that 2-year-old boy was found unresponsive in a backyard pond in the Town of Lisbon. Read more on the story here.

A popular children’s offering is  coming back soon at the Oconomowoc Public Library. Storytime returns with a new session beginning Sept. 11 and no registration is required.

The free events offer stories, songs and a puppet show.

 Beginning on Sept. 11, Storytime for age 2 and under will be at 9:30 a.m. on  Tuesday  and Wednesday and 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday  for those ages 3 and up.

 The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department has identified Raymond Jordan, 54, of West Allis as the victim of the fatal motorcycle accident that occured in the Town of Vernon at about 4:52 p.m. last week Thursday on Highway 164 north of National Avenue.

Check for the full story in tomorrow's Mukwonago Chief. 

Three Waukesha County crows tested positive for West Nile Virus, the Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use announced in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

According to the statement, crows carrying the virus were found dead in August in the City of Pewaukee, the City of New Berlin, and the Town of Brookfield. The positive test results were the first confirmation of West Nile Virus in Waukesha County this year.

The virus, transmitted by infected mosquitoes, can cause severe illness in rare cases. Severe symptoms include a sudden onset of high fever, neck stiffness, extreme muscle weakness, tremors, convulsions, or disorientation. According to information provided by Waukesha County, roughly 80 percent of people infected with the virus never experience symptoms, while the remaining 20 percent experience only mild illness, with symptoms like fever, headache, muscle pains, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes and photobia. Less than one percent - approximately one in every 150 people, become seriously ill.

The Wisconsin Division of Public Health monitors dead birds for West Nile Virus as an early warning sign of the virus. The Division of Public Health notified the Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use - Division of Environmental Health of the positive tests.

"The positive results means that residents of Waukesha County need to be more vigilant in their personal protective measures to prevent mosquito bites," the department's statement urged.

The Division of Health said the best way to limit exposure is to protect against mosquito bites and eliminate breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Specifically, residents are encouraged to maintain window sceens and avoid outside activities during peak mosquito activity periods like dawn and dusk. The Division of Health also said wearing light-colored protective clothing, long pants, long sleeves, and mosquito repellant were effective countermeasures.

The disease is widespread in Africa, Southern Europe, the Middle East, and western Asia. The virus is spread to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes, who get the virus by feeding on infected birds.

Dead crows, blue jays, or ravens should be reported to the Dead Bird Reporting Hotline at 1-800-433-1610.

 The Eagle Lioness will be sponsoring a Blood Drive from 2 to 7 p.m. on September 24^th at Eagle Village Hall, 820 E. Main St. in Eagle. No reservations are required, but if you would like to make one, contact Lioness Barbara Schultz at 262-527-6885.

Kettle Moraine School District employees finally got an answer regarding a retirement plan transition for employees who no longer have retirement compensation, but for some, it wasn't quite what they hoped it would be. 

"It's a sad day," said KM High School social studies teacher Tammy Johnson after the meeting.

Board members struggled to come up with a figure that would help retain quality teachers at a price the district can afford in the face of looming deficits. Trying to provide fair compensation as a bridge to Medicare coverage to employees with more than 10 years of service in the district  without creating unfunded liability, board member Jay Crouse threw out a proposal that was eventually batted down as too meager an offering. 

Instead, the board decided to use a $380,000 budget excess from 2011-12, a $500,000 reduction in the district's fund balance and money from the 2012-13 operating budget to provide a total $2.6 million payout to 140 staff members. 

Watch for the complete story in the Kettle Moraine Index.

Old World Wisconsin will host the final in a series of 2012 before- and after-hours heirloom garden strolls. These exclusive events provide opportunities for visitors to learn about the different ethnic groups' gardening styles and traditions, see some of these settlers' favorite plants and learn how they were used, and enjoy refreshments featuring flavors from the homelands of the gardens visited. 

Each stroll will be led by the site's expert historical gardener, Marcia Carmichael. Reservations for each garden stroll include a single-use, half-price museum admission voucher, valid for the 2012 season. 

Reservations are required and available online or at (262) 594-6301. August strolls sold out in advance.

Sept. 6 - Evening Garden Stroll: Visit the Sanford and Benson gardens; 5:30 to 8 p.m.; $20 per person includes refreshments in the garden plus a cash bar.

Sept. 16 - Morning Garden Stroll: Visit the Ketola and Pedersen gardens; 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $15 per person. 

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) invites the community to attend a public information meeting on the future design of the I-43 and Highway 164 interchange from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the Vernon Fire Department, W233 S7475 Woodland Lane. 

Information will be presented in an open house format.

The project team recently re-evaluated interchange design options based on community input.  A signalized design with a look-ahead-left turn lanes is a new and viable alternative.  This design improves traffic operations, requires less real estate and reduces construction costs as compared with previous roundabout alternatives.

The signalized design is emerging as the recommended option to address safety, engineering standards and level of service.  The DOT seeks community concurrence at the open house style public meeting. The facility is wheelchair accessible. Citizens who are hearing-impaired and who require an interpreter may request one by contacting Mike Treazise (414) 750-7215 at least three working days prior to the meeting via the Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay System (dial 711).

 The 27th annual Arrowhead Cross Country Invite was another huge success Thursday afternoon for both AHS teams as the girls and boys teams won championships.

The girls overpowered the strong field by winning with just 24 points. Jackie Dubnicka won the 4,000-meter race  by almost 50 yards. She was followed in the scoring by Payton Wesley in fourth, Natalie Burant fifth, Lea Patek sixth and Maggie Dawes eighth. Dubnicka led the race from start to finish.

Arrowhead's boys team won with 69 points, easily defeating Shorewood who had 113. 

Jake Dubnicka led the Warhawks in fifth place. He was followed by Ben Bierman in seventh, Will Simons 12th, Josh Bodnar 19th and Dillon Reynolds 26th.

The Oconomowoc girls team placed fifth. OHS was led by Marlee Houston who was third overall.

The Cooney boys team was sixth. Joe Zack ran fourth and Noah Brown was sixth for the Raccoons.

There are a group of composers that even people who aren’t interested in classical music will surely recognize: Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin.

Frederic Francois Chopin is the subject of a 63-minute documentary film called “Remembering Frederic: The Genius of Chopin,” which will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Oconomowoc Arts Center’s Little Theater.

The film explores the life of Chopin, one of the most famous pianists of all time, and takes viewers on beautiful journeys through Chopin’s Polish homeland.

Chopin was born of French-Polish parents in the village of Zelazowa Wola in Warsaw. He studied music and composed many works in Poland before leaving the country in 1830 at the age of 20. He moved to Paris where he spent the last 19 years of life, dying at age 39 after suffering from poor health.

The film includes personal reflections and interviews that should enlighten audiences’ knowledge of the great composer.

Tickets for the Saturday screening of “Remembering Frederic: The Genius of Chopin” are $7.50.

For more information go to www.theoac.net or call (262) 560-8278.

The Mukwonago High School marching band, the Phantom Legion, will hold the 2nd Annual
Phantom Phest Marching Band Festival at 6 p.m. on Sept. 15 at the Mukwonago High
School stadium.

The festival will bring together several marching bands from Wisconsin and Illinois to
participate in field show competition.

This year’s Phantom Legion Show is called “Band On Fire” based on themes from the
blockbuster Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. “I can’t think of a better metaphor for
our band, and I can’t wait to turn heads all around Wisconsin,” said Tom Gard, director of the
Phantom Legion Marching Band. The Phantom Legion will perform “On Fire,” “Enter the
Arena,” and “Chorale and Shaker Dance.”

Admission to this exciting music and family friendly event is $7 for adults and $5 for students
and seniors. Children 6 and under are free. Concessions will also be available.

The Phantom Legion is an all-volunteer high school marching band ensemble that competes
during the Wisconsin School Music Association's fall marching season. Additionally, it
represents Mukwonago High School and the surrounding community in various parades
and other activities throughout the summer. It has performed in the Indianapolis 500 parade,
Milwaukee Holiday Parade, and most recently represented the State of Wisconsin in the 2011
National Independence Day parade in Washington, D.C.

For more information on Phantom Phest, please call Mr. Gard at 262-363-6200, x25802 or email
at gardth@masd.k12.wi.us

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today recognized 269 schools as 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools based on their overall academic excellence or for making progress in improving student academic achievement levels, according to a Kettle Moraine School District news release.

The Department will honor Kettle Moraine School District’s Magee Elementary along with approximately 218 public and 50 private schools at a recognition ceremony on Nov. 12-13 in Washington, D.C. Magee will be represented by Principal Dianna Kresovic, and Kim Woyahn, a second grade teacher with 26 years of service to Magee Elementary. 

“This is Magee Elementary’s second nomination and recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School and the Kettle Moraine School District’s seventh award,” stated Superintendent Pat Deklotz. “We are delighted to celebrate this recognition of educational excellence.”

The National Blue Ribbon Schools award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students’ levels of achievement. In its 30-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this coveted award on nearly 7,000 of America’s schools.

 Led by an explosive defense and a dominating defense, Arrowhead's varsity football team hammered visiting Waukesha Catholic Memorial Friday night in a Classic 8 Conference game, 50-7.

AHS (3-0)  led 27-7 at halftime. In the opening half, the Warhawks had piled up 334 yards of offense compared to just 73 yards by the Crusaders (2-1).

Scoring touchdowns for the Warhawks were Ricky Finco (2), Brady Kelliher (2), Brandon Kim, Kenny Finco and Steve Radeztsky.

Get ready to get down and get dirty. Sunday marks the first Charger Challenge mud run.

The event, which benefits the Hamilton Education Foundation, is a 4K mud run with 14 obstacles, and it kicks off at 9 a.m. on Sept. 16 at Lisbon Community Park. Buses begin running to the event at 8 a.m., and it runs all day until 3 p.m., with waves starting every 20 minutes. The last wave takes off at 2:40 p.m. Participants will run, crawl, and slide their way through the course's various obstacles and get plenty dirty in the process.

Touted as a replacement for the foundation's popular Dozer Days event, the mud run is aiming to replace the funding the foundation lost when Dozer Days was cancelled in 2010 as a result of government safety regulations.

Dozer Days brought in approximately $100,000 in annual funding for the Hamilton Education Foundation, and while it is unlikely the foundation will ever replace that funding with any single event, the Charger Challenge represents a step toward putting a dent in it.

Registration for the Charger Challenge is $20 for kids ages 6-10, while young adults ages 11-18 can register for $30. Adult registrations are $40.

Participating gives a big boost to the Hamilton Education Foundation, an organization that provides grant money for Hamilton teachers and students to enhance and enrich the student learning experience in the district.

For more information on the Charger Challenge and to register, visit www.hamiltoneducationfoundation.org or e-mail HEFchargerchallenge@yahoo.com .

 In its 10th year, the Palmyra-Eagle Scholarship Foundation will hold its Panthers in the Park fundraising event from 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at Palmyra Village Park, 100 W. Taft St. 

The event will feature a 4-mile walk/run and 2-mile family walk at 1 p.m., a poker run and a trap shooting tournament. Kids games will be offered from 1 to 5 p.m., along with a silent auction from 1 to 6 p.m. Volleyball, horseshoe and softball tournaments will start at 2 p.m. Call Kari Timm at (920) 723-7235 for information. A community band will play from 3 to 4 p.m., followed by the End Blues Band from 5 to 8 p.m.

Preregistration for the walk/run and poker run will take place at Knucklehead Pub and Grub, 100 South Road, Eagle from noon to 3 p.m. Sept. 22 and 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 28. The day of the event, registration takes place from 11 a.m. to noon at Knucklehead.

Cost for the poker run is $15 per rider or $20 the day of the event, which includes a sandwich and drink at Palmyra Park. Call Donna Nagy at (414) 708-6180 for more information. 

Cost for the walk/run is $25 in advance or $30 the day of the event. Shirts are included for registrations received by Sept. 19. Call Doris Parsons at (262) 470-1279 for more information.

Trap shooting will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Cost is $15 per person (bring your own gun), paid the day of the event at the park. Call Steve Greenquist at (262) 366-4442 for more information.

The foundation sponsors several fundraisers each year. Proceeds from these fundraisers are used to provide scholarship money for graduating Palmyra-Eagle High School seniors and for mini grants for teachers to introduce new and innovative classroom ideas.

 Town of Lisbon - The adoption of a joint agreement between the Town of Lisbon and the Village of Sussex that  would provide nearly a million dollars a year in future operating revenues for the Pauline Haass Library appears to be in jeopardy.

The Town Board tonight offered a counter proposal that provides a more favorable funding formula for the town rather than accepting a proposal drafted by a negotiating committee made up of representatives from the town, village and library board.

The Village Board was scheduled to consider during a Tuesday night meeting the proposal offered by the negotiating committee.

However, Village Trustee Tim Dietrich, who was a member of the negotiating committee, said tonight he will recommend the Village Board table the matter for further study.

"Tonight I am angry, by tommorrow I may be more rational," Dietrich said after being told of the Lisbon Town Board's action.

"Why should the village trustees approve something that is going to cost them $80,000 over the next two years and they get nothing in return for it," he added.

However, Lisbon Town Chairman Matt Gehrke, suggested if the village did not adopt the town's counter proposal, the library could lose more than $250,000 year in revenue from the town.

Gehrke said if the town and village did not reach an agreement "in the coming months" a proposal to terminate the existing agreement between the two communities would be placed on the town's February 2013 agenda.

However, Village officials say they have been preparing contigency plans to take over library operations after the existing agreement expires in 2014 if the two communities cannot agree on a new contract.

In both proposals, the town would annually contribute about $425,000 to the library while the village paid about $500,000 annually during the initial two years of the agreement, 2013 and 2014.

However, according to the town's counter proposal, the towns payments beginning 2015 would drop to about $250,000 a year.

The amount is equivalent to how much Waukesha County would collect annually in a county wide library tax from town residents.

Town residents presently do not pay the tax because Lisbon and Sussex share in the operating and capital costs of the library which is located in Sussex.

The town's contribution to the library would increase if the town was incorporated into a village, according to the counter proposal.

The negotiating committee plan would establish each community's annual share of the operating costs on a formula based on each community's library usage, population, and tax base.

Under the existing agreement, Lisbon pay abouts $450,000 while Sussex pays $480,000. The amount of the payments are based on the size of the communities tax bases.

 Prairie View Elementary School recognized Patriot Day with a moment of silence and an all-school pledge. Check out the photos here.

A Sullivan man was charged with a felony after sheriff’s deputies pulled him over on Sept. 8 for his sixth OWI offense.

Jeremy F. Schmidt, 39, was stopped while headed eastbound on I-94 near Springdale Road after a deputy observed him traveling in excess of 85 to 90 miles per hour. According to the criminal complaint filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court on Sept. 10, Schmidt’s vehicle swerved between lanes as well.

Once pulled over, Schmidt got out of his car smelling of intoxicants with bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. Asked if he had been drinking, Schmidt said he had consumed two beers about an hour before the 12:24 a.m. traffic stop.

After conducting field sobriety tests and administering a preliminary breath test, the deputy determined that Schmidt was under the influence. His blood alcohol content registered at .182, the complaint alleged.

The deputy transported him to Waukesha Memorial Hospital. On the way, he yelled, “God (explicative) it” and other profanities several times, the complaint stated.

He initially stated that he would not submit to a blood test. Later, after a deputy observed Schmidt to be staring at him, the deputy asked if Schmidt was trying to threaten him. Schmidt allegedly responded, “I’m not trying to threaten you, I’m just trying to make eye contact. I think you’re kinda cute,” the complaint stated.

Hospital staff completed a blood draw without incident, but Schmidt refused to answer any questions. Schmidt has five previous convictions for OWI stemming from violations in May 1997, two in December 1998, one in April 1999, and another in July 2004, according to the complaint.

If convicted of the felony charge, Schmidt faces a maximum of up to $10,000 in fines and up to six years in prison.

 

 The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) invites the community to attend a public information meeting on the future design of the I-43 and Highway 164 interchange from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the Vernon Fire Department, W233 S7475 Woodland Lane. 

Information will be presented in an open house format.

The project team recently re-evaluated interchange design options based on community input.  A signalized design with a look-ahead-left turn lanes is a new and viable alternative.  This design improves traffic operations, requires less real estate and reduces construction costs as compared with previous roundabout alternatives.

The signalized design is emerging as the recommended option to address safety, engineering standards and level of service.  The DOT seeks community concurrence at the open house style public meeting. The facility is wheelchair accessible. Citizens who are hearing-impaired and who require an interpreter may request one by contacting Mike Treazise (414) 750-7215 at least three working days prior to the meeting via the Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay System (dial 711).

A former secretary at an Oconomowoc-based building company was charged with seven felonies after she allegedly used the company's checking account to write herself almost $165,000 in checks over a 5 1/2 year period.

Julie A. Carey, 48, of Dousman, faces seven felony theft in a business setting charges, according to a criminal complaint filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court today.

Carey, a secretary with Bartelme Builders Inc. of Oconomowoc for 14 years, was entrusted with the company's checking account and had allegedly been converting money from the Bartelme account to the business that she owned with her husband - Quality Contracting.

According to the criminal complaint, the owner of the Barelme business called police on May 27 to report that one of his employees had been stealing from him. At the time, he was unsure of how much money was missing or the length of the period in which the thefts had occurred.

Carey originally denied taking any money, but subsequently confessed that she had taken money from the company.

Police contacted Carey two days later, who admitted that she had been writing checks out to her own company for the last five years, court documents showed.

She told police that she was only authorized to use the company's checking account to pay company bills and payroll. Carey allegedly used the money for her own personal use, according to the criminal complaint.

One of the company's owners would sign the blank checks that Carey presented, trusting that she was using them to pay bills.

Carey told police that she knew that her actions were illegal, but she claimed no one, including her husband, the co-owner of Quality Contracting, was aware of her actions.

She began writing herself the checks in 2006, stealing between $20,000 and $30,000 each year until Bartelme employees grew wise to the scheme in May 2012. In that period, she stole more than $164,530.

If convicted of all seven felony charges, Carey faces a maximum penalty of up to $175,000 in fines and 70 years in prison. She is scheduled to make her initial court appearance on Sept. 24 at 8:15 a.m.

 Village of Sussex - The Village Board tonight uanimously rejected a counter proposal offered by the Town of Lisbon as the two communities continue to negotiate on whether they will  share one million dollars in operating cost for the Pauline Haass Library.

Village President Greg Goetz expressed disappointment that the Town Board rejected during its Monday night meeting a contract proposal recommended by a negotiating committee comprised of town, village and library representatives.

The negotiating committee proposal would require the town to pay about $425,000 annually and the village pay about $500,000.. The formula in the proposal is based on each community's library usage, tax base and population.

The village would pay about $40,000 more than it presently pays for library operations and the town would pay abourt $40,000 less, according to village officials.

The town's counter proposal adopts the first two years of the negotiating committee pay scheduled but beginning in 2015, the town's annual contribution to the library would drop to $250,000.

Town Chairman Matt Gehrke said the $250,000 is equivalent to the amount of a tax levy town residents would pay if they were required to pay 24 cent per $100,000 county wide library tax. Town residents do not pay the tax because of the existing cost sharing agreement between the communities.

Gehrke said the village should contribute more money to the library than the town because village residents use the library more than town residents. Goetz said the town is trying to demand Sussex residents pay more than their fair share of the library costs.

Goetz said the village board will meet in a closed session later this month to determine whether and how to continue the negotiations.

 An open house fundraiser for Hailey Roser, 5, will be held at Kids Connection, Greenridge Center, Mukwonago during Mukwonago's Fall Fest on Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hailey was recently diagnosed Atypical teratoid rhaboid tumor (AT/RT), a rare and agressive brain cancer. 

Wristbands are being sold for Hailey as well for $5 each, either black and pink or all pink, to support Hailey and her family. The wristbands will be sold at Kids Connections and also at the Fall Fest Open house. 

The Helping Hailey Fundraiser will feature a bounce house, cotton candy, games, art projects and inflatable basketball hoop, and bake sale. All money will go to Hailey's family to assist with the cost of medical bills.

To learn more about how to help Hailey go here.

 The Kettle Moraine Community Education office is offering the classroom portion of Driver Education beginning Oct. 1. Students must be 15 years of age or older to be eligible for Driver Education classroom instruction. The cost of the class is $75.  

For further information or to make a reservation, please contact the Community Education Office at (262) 968-6273 ext. 5326.

Village of Sussex - The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer company is planning to construct a 200,000-square-foot retail, grocery store and pharmacy complex at Highways K (Lisbon Road) and 164, according to village officials.

Village Administrator Jeremy Smith said he anticipates the company will make its conceptual presentation for building plans and zoning approval at next week's village Plan Commission meeting. Representatives of the company met with village officials earlier this week to discuss those plans.

Smith said he anticipates about 60 percent of the store will be devoted to groceries, and the remainder of the store will be retail. According to its website, the company operates nearly 200 supercenters and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky . It recently announced plans to build three other stores in the Milwaukee metro area.

A 22-year-old Oconomowoc woman, out for a jog about 7:11 a.m., on Oconomowoc Parkway this morning, was struck by a pickup  truck as she was heading southbound, crossing the street in the crosswalk just east of Royal Ridge Drive.

Anne Lochner, 755 Worthington St, was transported to Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries including lower back pain, scrapes and abrasions.

The driver of the vehicle, 50-year-old Rhonda Leader, W273 Golden Lake Park Circle, Summit, was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Today is the deadline for reserving a place at the Mukwonago Education Foundation's annual dinner auction on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 3 p.m. at Broadlands Golf Cub, North Prairie.

Each year the Education Foundation holds a Dinner-Auction to raise funds to support the mini-grant program, special projects and endowment fund. In the last five years, the event has raised a total of over $120,000 for many worthy projects such as mass media equipment, books for literature cirlces, anti-bullying projects and many other educational projects.

Register by contacting Jean Cruikshank at (262) 349-9622. Go here to learn more about the Mukwonago Education Foundation.

The Get Laura Home fund is hosting a fundraiser this weekend to raise funds for an accessibility remodeling. The Family Fun Festival fundraiser will be on Sunday, Sept. 16 at Harnischfeger Park on Crawfish Rd. in Ixonia from 11-7 p.m. There will be live music, bouncing houses, family photos, park rentals, face painting, silent auctions and great food.

Funds are for Laura Dwyer who was critically injured after a tree branch, weighing 600 pounds, fell on her in May. Her spinal cord was completely severed and she broke several bones in her feet, arm and ribs. Through exhaustive therapy, she was able to leave the hospital but remains in a wheelchair.

Today, she lives with her parents because her old farm home in Oconomowoc is not ADA accessible. She looks forward to the remodels that will allow her to live and move freely in her own home, with her husband Christopher and two children, Thomas, 5, Crandon, 6, and her two stepchildren, Anya, 12, and Christopher Jr., 17.

You may email laurasbenefit2012@yahoo.com for more information, or if you would like to help.

Join Brooklife Church's Helping Hands ministry in changing the life of one Village of Mukwonago resident beginning at 8:30 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 15. 

Volunteers will be providing the single mom of four with a new bathroom sink and faucet, new hardwood floors in her living room, fresh paint inside and outside of her home and will help to spruce things up around her house. 

People of all abilities are invited to help out for as long as they are able. 

To volunteer or contribute supplies, contact Meiners at Johnm@davidgoliath.com or call (262) 470-8519.

 Join the Mukwonago Area Chamber of Commerce as they present the 12th annual Mukwonago Fall Fest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 15. 

Enjoy crafters and vendors, food and beer and a visit from Flight for Life and the Mukwonago Fire Department. 

Kids will enjoy pumpkin decorating, scarecrow building, a bounce house, obstacle course and, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a petting zoo and pony rides. 

Show off your culinary skills during the chili cook-off. Drop off is from 8 to 10 a.m. Tasting begins at 11 a.m. and the winners are announced at 3 p.m. 

For more information visit www.mukwonagochamber.org. 

Visitors to Mukwonago High School will notice a change during the school day this year. Access to the building will be limited to one entrance, the northwest entrance by the library, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

In a safety letter dated Aug. 27, Principal Shawn McNulty informed parents that the main entrances on the north, south and west sides of the building will be open from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. All doors except at the library entrance will be locked until school is over at 2:45 p.m. Posted signs direct visitors to the correct entrance.

McNulty said there were no serious incidents that prompted the security change; however the school did have one concern last year that could have been much more serious and pointed to the need to change. 

See the complete story in next week's Chief.

Fresh food tastes better.

The flavors are simply cleaner, crisper, natural, unlike the synthetic, artificial tastes of processed food. And, of course, fresh food is more nutritious. All the healthy ingredients have not been diminished through time and preservation.

Wouldn’t it be great if we knew all our meals were made fresh?

This Saturday, there is one meal that will not only be made with fresh ingredients, but will showcase the harvests of southeastern Wisconsin farmers, orchardists and graziers.

It’s the third annual Farm Fresh Atlas Local Food Fundraiser Dinner, starting at 6 p.m. Saturday at the historic Oconomowoc Lake Club.

Jack Kaestner, former executive chef at the club, Peter Sandroni of Milwaukee’s acclaimed La Merenda restaurant, and Bruce Evans, culinary arts instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College, are preparing the menu for the Chez Panisse-style dinner. Chez Panisse is California restaurant, credited as the inspiration for California cooking, a cuisine style that uses local, organic foods.

All the farmers and artisans who produce the food will be in attendance. They will offer hors d’oeuvres featuring their products and explain to diners their growing processes before joining them for the chefs’ entrees and desserts.

A silent auction, composed mostly of gift certificates to local restaurants and attractions as well as gift baskets of locally-grown farm produce or artisan foods, will also take place.

Cost for the dinner is $65, $40 for ages 6 to 12. Youth under 5 may sit on a lap and eat for free.

All proceeds from the event will go toward the printing of the Farm Fresh Atlas of Southeastern Wisconsin, the primary marketing tool for many Wisconsin CSA and niche, sustainable farms and farm businesses.

To order tickets call (262) 857-1948 or register online at http://www.farmfreshatlas.org/southeast/fundraiser.htm

The Farm Fresh Atlas of Southeastern Wisconsin is a joint effort of UW-Extension, Slow Food Wisconsin Southeast, Town and Country RC&D and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

 Jeff Seymour of Waukesha, a developer and artist, shares his vision for a new condo development in downtown Oconomowoc. For more, see this week's Living Lake Country Sunday.

 The Mukwonago Athletic Club, through a partnership with NX Level Pro Performance Center Waukesha, will offer small group sports performance training sessions for 11- to 18-year-old athletes on Tuesday and Thursday nights, starting in October. Registration will begin on Monday, Sept. 17.

 NX Level was founded in 2005 by former NFL player Joe Panos and renowned collegiate/professional strength and conditioning trainer Brad Arnett. The Mukwonago Athletic Club is creating this partnership with NX Level in order to help local student athletes in the Mukwonago area and surrounding communities.  

The program is designed for young athletes who are serious about improving their strength, agility, speed, and conditioning.  The program allows athletes to work out in smaller groups with varied training routines, experience the same training used by athletes in college and beyond, and push himself or herself by working out side-by-side with athletes from other sports and schools. NX Level programs are designed to work in conjunction with school programs and enhance each athlete’s skills and abilities in a smaller, more personalized environment.  

For more information please contact the Mukwonago Athletic Club at (262) 363-2212 or go here.  

 Oconomowoc's varsity football team defeated visiting Beaver Dam Friday night in a Wisconsin Little Ten Conferene game, 14-13.

The win vaulted OHS to 4-0 on the season, the best start in many years at the school.

The Raccoons, trailing 13-7, took the lead for good when quarterback Canton Larson hit end Tyler Enright on a 66-yard touchdown pass with 6:34 to play in the game. Casey Bednarski then kicked the game-winning extra point.

But the game was far from over. Beaver Dam moved to the Cooney 15-yard line for a first down with 1:04 to play before Oconomowoc senior  Zach Poker recovered a fumble at the 20-yard line with 49 seconds left.  From there they ran out the clock and grabbed the win.

On defense, OHS got big games from Poker, Aaron Cramer, Logan Ballering,  Nick Gomez and Lucas Monroe.

Cooney grabbed a 7-0 lead in the first period before allowing the visitors to score the next 13 points.

Town of Oconomowoc Police responded to a call regarding the possible death of a 10-week-old baby at 5:46 p.m. Sept. 15, according to a report from the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department.

The baby was pronounced dead at the scene, and the Sheriff's Department is assisting the Town of Oconomowoc with the investigation.

No further information is available at this time.

The Village of Hartland Fire Department evaluated the driver of a van yesterday morning, after he was reportedly struck by a Canadian Pacific Railroad train on Highway KE at Glacier Road in the Town of Delafield.  The Town of Delafield Fire Department also responded and assisted at the scene.

According to a report from the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department, the one-ton van was pulling a trailer and traveling north on Highway KE near Old North Shore Road. As the driver approached the functioning railroad crossing, he was unalbe to stop. The van left the rodaway and became disabled on top of the tracks. The driver safely exited the van before the train hit. The train reportedly pushed the van approximately half a mile to the east.

The Sheriff's Department is investigating. 

A 32-year-old Town of Oconomowoc woman  was taken into custody Sept. 15 for 1st degree intentional homicide for the death of her 10-week-old baby, according to a report from the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department.

The couple has two other children (ages 2 and 3) who have been temporarily placed with a family member.

The initial court appearances for both mother and father are expected to take place today.

No further information is available at this time.

In the wake of a ruling last week that struck down Act 10, local school districts plan to wait and see what the decision will mean for them. In the meantime, teachers unions gear up to restart negotiations to reinstate benefits lost since the implementation of Act 10.

Bargaining units representing teachers in the area plan to immediately begin their push to reinstate benefits lost since the implementation of Act 10.

Steven Cupery of Lakewood Uniserv Council, which represents teachers from the Oconomowoc and Kettle Moraine school districts, said he'll begin pushing school districts to the bargaining table as soon as this week.

"We'll certainly be making the demand and request to districts that they now sit down and negotiate a full range of contractual issues with their employees through their newly elected representatives, just as police and fire continue to have those same rights," he said. "We think teachers should have them as well. We'll be asking that they sit down and negotiate any changes in the agreement we had at the time Act 10 went into effect. They can expect to see us proposing our past agreements and then any changes to them, we would ask, be negotiated."

Cupery said Colas's decision reinforced what the unions have been saying all along: "…that the governor can't pick and choose who has collective-bargaining rights based upon whether or not they endorsed him for governor, which is essentially what Act 10 did."

The union leader said he was confident that the Dane County Circuit Court decision would be upheld because he believes it is not constitutional to allow other unions, such as those representing police and firefighters, to have rights, while other unions do not.

"We think that's a violation of the Constitution," Cupery remarked. "It's a terrible precedent and an abuse of power. You can't be punishing people and taking away their rights to collective negotiations simply because they didn't back you in the gubernatorial election or don't back your party in general."

Read the full story in tomorrow's Lake Country Reporter.

 Old World Wisconsin opened its gates to a team from Google today to collect street-view images for use in Google Maps.The Internet search firm will film the museum grounds at street level using a special tricycle with a camera mounted on top to access areas not open to vehicles.  When complete, images of the museum's roads and farmsteads will allow Google Maps users to take a virtual walk through the museum's grounds.

Old World Wisconsin's director Dan Freas enthusiastically signed on for the mapping, as another way for 21st-century visitors to access information about this museum dedicated to rural life at the turn of the last century.

Mukwonago High School students took a stand today against new federal regulations on portion sizes in school lunches. In a movement that started at Park View Middle School on Friday and resulted in a 46-percent reduction in the number of hot lunches sold, students brown-bagged lunches and avoid the smaller-portioned, higher-priced hot lunches provided by the district. 

While District Food Supervisor Pam Harris didn't have figures from today, she estimated about half the students brought brown bag lunches to protest the federal regulations, which are aimed at reducing childhood obesity.

According to MHS student Joey Bougneit, the boycott was brainstormed by the MHS football team whose athletes said it was “horrendous” going eight hours or more on the slimmed down portions.  

"Many kids had already brought their opinions to the school board and to the principal, but seeing as the school and even the state doesn't regulate this mandate, we needed something stronger," Bougneit said. "So devising this boycott was not intended to be an attack on the school. The main goal of this boycott was to attract media, faculty, student, and parent attention to the matter to try and inspire other schools nationwide to follow in our footsteps."

Harris sent a letter to parents explaining the changes and is meeting with students to explain the new federal regulations. Additionally, Harris developed a form for students to write out their complaints so the concerns can be shared with legislators and federal government officials.

MHS Principal Shawn McNulty said students are interested in other ways to make their voices heard and administration would discuss those options this week.

An explanation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids (HHFK) Act can be found here or visit www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/legislation/cnr_2010.htm

Read the complete story in Wednesday's Mukwonago Chief.

 Town of Lisbon - Six Waukesha County municipalities are considering hiring a single company to collect emergency medical call bills for all of the communities..

The communities include the Town of  Lisbon and the villages of Sussex, Menomonee Falls, Germantown, Richfield, and Lannon, according to Lisbon Fire Chief Doug Brahm.

Brahm told a Town Board budget workshop tonight that the communities hope to save money on bill collection services and also improve the bill collection process.

Brahm later explained that often one municipal fire department may respond to a medical emergency in another community. Having a single company collect bills in all the communities will make bill collection easier, he said.

Brahm explained the town fire department has decided to outsource its bill collection because of a combination of factors include a dramatic increase in emergency medical calls and the retirement of key bookkeeping personnel.

Brahm predicted the town fire department will have responded to about  808 emergency calls by the end of this year, most of them medical emergencies. That is an increase of about 150 more calls in 2011, he said.

Police were called to the scene of a head-on crash at  7 a.m.  on southbound  Highway 67 and Delafield Road.

According to information from the City of Oconomowoc Police Department, two vehicles, an SUV and a  passenger car collided and two females were transported to Aurora Medical Center in Summit.

 No further information is available at this time.

Authorities are investigating the cause of a two vehicle crash yesterday around 4 p.m. near the northbound I-43 onramp in the Village of Mukwonago. 

One patient was taken to the hospital and the other left the scene of their own accord. Despite heavy damage to the vehicles, both drivers suffered only minor injuries.

The Mukwonago Fire Department responded to the scene. 

 Join Pam's Fine Wines, 100 E. Main St. in Mukwonago as they host world renowned Australian musician Washuntara from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. this Sunday, Sept. 23. Doors will open at 4 p.m.

Tickets are $25 per person. RSPV by calling (262) 363-7166.

For more information on Pam's Fine Wines visit www.pamsfinewines.com

For more information on Washuntara visit www.washuntara.com 

A Waukesha County court commissioner ordered a $1 million cash bail this afternoon for the woman charged with killing her two-month-old baby last Saturday at their home in the Town of Oconomowoc. The commissioner set her husband's bail at $100,000, after he allegedly failed to report the death of the child.

Dana M. Hooper, 32, and her husband, Kevin J. Hooper, 33, both of the Town of Oconomowoc, made their initial appearances in court today, as they were both formally charged with felonies in the death of their daughter.

Shackled at the wrists and feet, Dana Hooper appeared in court wearing the county jail's green suicide vest, as she was formally charged with first-degree intentional homicide.

In addition to the $1 million cash bail, the court commissioner ordered that she have no contact with her husband or their other children.

Kevin Hooper, clad in an orange prison suit, was also barred from having contact with his children or his wife. He was charged with failure to report the death of a child, a class I felony punishable by a maximum of up to a $10,000 fine and 3 1/2 years in prison.

Dana Hooper has no prior criminal record besides speeding tickets in 2008 and 2010. Prosecutors suggested that she might have been suffering from a mental illness at the time of the murder.

"It's certainly going to take some examinations by experts and some more investigation into circumstances leading up to Saturday to have better certainty about what's going on, but this case clearly cries out with some very serious mental health issues," Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel said after today's hearing. "There is no rational explanation for what happened. All the explanations that make any sense whatsoever are completely irrational."

Schimel indicated that Hooper may have been suffering from postpartum depression in the month leading up to the incident.

She faces life in prison, if convicted.

Court Commissioner Laura Lau called the circumstances surrounding the murder "about the most frightening that I've ever read."

Kevin Hooper's attorney, who tried to persuade the court to grant his client access to his two remaining children, said Kevin Hooper posed no threat to his children and that while he exercised poor judgment in not immediately reporting the crime, his intent was to protect his children.

Lau questioned why Hooper never thought to call an ambulance or alert authorities.

"Bad decision making? That is the understatement of the year," she said.

The Hoopers have a 2-year-old and and a 3-year-old, who have been temporarily placed with a family member.

Dana Hooper's next court hearing is set for Oct. 3 at 1:15 p.m., while her husband will be in court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 18 at 8:15 a.m.

Check  LivingLakeCountry.com for updates.

The Waukesha County Court Commissioner ordered a $1 million cash bail this afternoon for the woman charged with stabbing her two-month-old baby to death last Saturday at their home in the Town of Oconomowoc. In a separate appearance, the court commissioner set her husband's bail at $100,000, after he allegedly failed to report the death of the child.

Dana M. Hooper, 32, and her husband, Kevin J. Hooper, 33, both of the Town of Oconomowoc, made their initial appearances in court today, as they were both formally charged with felonies in the death of their two-month-old daughter.

Shackled at the wrists and feet, Dana Hooper appeared in court wearing the county jail's green suicide vest, as she was formally charged with first degree intentional homicide for allegedly stabbing her baby multiple times with a kitchen knife.

In addition to the $1 million cash bail, the court commissioner ordered that she have no contact with her husband or their children.

Kevin Hooper, clad in an orange prison suit, was also barred from having contact with his children or his wife. He was charged with failure to report the death of a child, a class I felony punishable by a maximum of up to a $10,000 fine and 3 1/2 years in prison.

Dana Hooper has no prior criminal record besides speeding tickets in 2008 and 2010, but prosecutors suggested that she may have been suffering from a mental illness at the time of the murder.

"It's certainly going to take some examinations by experts and some more investigation into circumstances leading up to Saturday to have better certainty about what's going on, but this case clearly cries out with some very serious mental health issues," Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel said after today's hearing. "There is no rational explanation for what happened. All the explanations that make any sense whatsoever are completely irrational."

Schimel indicated that Hooper may have been suffering from postpartum depression in the month leading up to the incident.

She faces life in prison, if convicted.

Court Commissioner Laura Lau called the circumstances surrounding the murder, "about the most frightening that I've ever read."

According to the criminal complaint, a Town of Oconomowoc police officer responded to W353 N5950 Lisbon Rd. regarding a report of a two-month old baby that had allegedly been stabbed to death by her mother.

The officer arrived at the home at 5:50 p.m., where he was greeted by Kevin Hooper, who eventually informed him that his two-month old daughter was in a pack 'n play in the living room. The report proved true when the officer saw the lifeless baby, wrapped in a blanket inside a laundry basket, which was inside the pack 'n play.

Emergency medical personnel responded to the home and pronounced the baby dead at the scene, and a subsequent autopsy conducted by the Waukesha County Medical Examiner revealed that the baby had died as a result of a large number of stab wounds to the chest and torso area. Hooper later told police that she stabbed the baby approximately six or seven times.

The original call to first responders came from Rogers Memorial Hospital, where Dana Hooper had checked in earlier in the afternoon, based on a report that she was suicidal. After speaking with hospital staff, she allegedly revealed that she had killed her baby and that no one had yet alerted authorities, the complaint alleged.

Police responded to the hospital to speak with Dana Hooper, who allegedly stated things like, "psychotic", "no sleep in five days", postpartum in the past", and "new medication."

She allegedly told police that her new medication was Sertraline, and she made statements about hearing voices in her head that told her to kill her baby.

Dana Hooper said she started taking the medication four or five days before the incident.

According to the criminal complaint, at one point she stated, "I'm going to tell you the truth. I thought they were spiritual warfare at our house. Voices in my head, God's voice, told me to kill my baby because it was satanic."

Hooper later told detectives that she remembered voices telling her they were going to kill her, that she should kill herself, and that she should kill the baby.

She allegedly told hospital staff that the voices stopped as soon as she killed her two-month old daughter and that she could not believe what she had done. Hooper also stated that she felt she was going to go to hell, the complaint stated.

The mother of three stated that she did not feel like it was her stabbing the baby and thought that maybe she was possessed.

Neither her nor her husband called an ambulance after the baby's killing. Instead, they allegedly went to the hospital to check her in for psychiatric help.

In a statement, Kevin Hooper told police that he had been concerned about his wife over the last month. He said he had spent the morning painting and playing with the couple's other two children. At approximately 1 p.m., he brought the other two children inside for lunch and saw blood on his wife's hands. She allegedly admitted to him that she killed the baby approximately an hour before and that she left it upstairs in the couple's bedroom.

The complaint stated that he thought he should call an ambulance but that he knew the baby was already dead. Instead, he allegedly called the hospital to get his wife admitted. He never told hospital staff about the baby's murder.

The Hoopers' other two children accompanied them to the hospital while the baby lay dead at their home. Shortly after admitting his wife to the hospital, Kevin Hooper returned home with his children. At approximately 5:17 p.m., a woman from the hospital called and said that his wife told hospital staff that she had killed the baby. The woman wanted to know if anyone had called an ambulance. Kevin Hooper said he had not but that he would call police once his father-in-law arrived to help with the kids.

Police arrived a short time later.

In court, Kevin Hooper's attorney, who tried to persuade the court to grant his client access to his two remaining children, said Kevin Hooper posed no threat to his children and that while he exercised poor judgment in not immediately reporting the crime, his intent that day was to protect his children.

The court commissioner questioned why Hooper never thought to call an ambulance or alert authorities.

"Bad decision making? That is the understatement of the year," she said, adding that she believed that he still posed a threat to his children.

The Hoopers have a two-year-old and a three-year-old who have been temporarily placed with a family member.

Dana Hooper's next court hearing is set for Oct. 3 at 1:15 p.m., while her husband will be in court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 18 at 8:15 a.m. The district attorney said their two cases should be tried separately because there was a strong possibility of an insanity plea from Dana Hooper.

Village of Sussex - The Pauline Haass Library Board is scheduled to discuss on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the library the possible ramifications if the Town of Lisbon and Village of Sussex terminate their joint agreement to fund the library.

Library officials are asking Village Trustee Tim Dietrich and Town Supervisor Ryan Lippert to report on the proposals for a new agreement that they have been negotiating for the past 14 months. They tentatively reached an agreement on a new funding contract but it was rejected by the town board.

The library board also intends to discuss the possible disposition, if the municipal agreement is terminated, of about 60 acres of land located at the intersection of Hickory and Lake Fire Roads in the Town of Lisbon that was donated for library purposes to the town by the Haass estate. Town officials have argued in the past they have sole jurisdiction over the land.

Town Board Chairman Matt Gehrke has warned that if the two communities do not come up with a new funding agreement for the library "in the coming months" he may recommend in February that the town board terminate the existing agreement.

Village officials say they have developed a contigency plan that would enable the village to provide funds that would allow the library to continue to operate without funding from the town, if the agreement were terminated.

The village presently contributes about $480,000 a year to library operations while the town contributes about $450,000.

The negotiating committee's original proposal would have reduced the town's contribution to $425,000 and the village would provide $500,000.

The town board's counter proposal adopts the negotiating payment scheduled for the first two years of the plan and then beginning in 2015 drops the town's contribution to $250,00.

Gehrke has been insisting on a new funding formula because, according to library circulation figures, village residents use the library more than town residents.

Mukwonago High School juniors and seniors interested in attending the Wisconsin Education Fair (WEF) at Carthage College on Oct. 3 can pick up permission slips in the guidance office. Permission slips, along with a $5 fee, are due in the guidance office by Wednesday, Sept. 26. Space is limited.

The WEF is geared toward college-bound Wisconsin students. There will be representatives from all colleges in Wisconsin and many from Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and surrounding states, according to MHS guidance counselor Paige Patenaude. 

"Students are able to find out more about colleges they are interested in and may have their eyes opened to colleges/opportunities they may not have considered," said Patenaude. "There are several programs out there such as the Midwest Student Exchange where students can "study abroad" in the country at a different campus for a year while paying their in-state tuition and staying on course to graduate. Also, many colleges have added programs for the 2012-2013 school year that students may be unaware of such a criminology at UW-Stout and Radiography at UW-Platteville."

Questions can be directed to Patenaude at patenpa@masd.k12.wi.us

A man with one previous OWI conviction was charged last week with his second after he allegedly struck and injured a 13-year-old boy riding a scooter in Delafield on Sept. 15.

According to the criminal complaint, Leroy E. Blanchard, 65, of 1000 Nagawicka St., blew a .124 on his preliminary breath test.

The crash allegedly occurred near Main Street and Milwaukee Street in the City of Delafield, where the 13-year-old boy was riding a scooter. When police arrived, the boy had a scrape and a bruise on his left knee. His left foot was bandaged near the heel, and it had been bleeding. Emergency personnel also believed the boy had been struck in the head by something.

Police noted that Blanchard’s right rearview mirror was bent back toward the vehicle and that the mirror itself was shattered. Shattered and broken glass littered the driveway and roadway near the scene of the accident.

The complaint stated that Blanchard smelled of intoxicants and that he had an open food container containing ribs inside the vehicle. He allegedly told police, he was “just sitting here eating ribs.” The complaint indicated that Blanchard, who had glassy, watery eyes, seemed oblivious to the fact that he had just struck a child, and it did not appear that he had ever asked about the child’s condition.

After performing field sobriety tests, police determined that Blanchard was under the influence. He was placed under arrest and taken to Waukesha Memorial Hospital for a blood test.

Blanchard was convicted of a previous OWI in January 2002 for an incident in September 2001.

If convicted of the felony charge, Blanchard could serve a maximum of up to six years in prison and face a $10,000 fine.

 

The Oconomowoc Public Library is hosting a "Saturday Special" at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29.

This  monthly program for children in grades  in 4K-4th grade will feature " A Magic Tree House Party" this month.    Participants will play games and make crafts based on Jack and Annie and their Magic Tree House adventures.

Please register at: http://magictreehouse.eventbrite.com

Town of Mukwonago residents filled Town Hall tonight to voice complaints about barking dogs from a neighboring residence near Sugden and Section Roads.

Residents state that barking has been ongoing on the nearby resident for a number of years. One mother stood to inform the board that the barking is so bad that her 8th grade daughter lacks proper sleep to keep up with her studies.

The resident in question recently underwent legal action with the town and was found to be in violation of zoning code for having too many horses on her property.

Check next week's Mukwonago Chief for the complete story.