In a decision dated Sept. 29, Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Donald Hassin Jr. ruled in favor of the Mukwonago School District residents Craig Vertz and James Schoolcraft's June 1 summary judgement . According to Hassin, because Paul Sherman, a school administration consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, was not a fair and non-biased decision maker "the District was denied the right to pocedural due process." 

Read the complete story in the Oct. 5 Mukwonago Chief.

 The Friends of the Mukwonago River will be presenting the short film “Glacial Refuge: The Phenomenally Diverse Mukwonago River” followed by a discussion and tips on how you can help protect this amazing local treasure for future generations, at 6: p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at the Mukwonago Community Library, 1012 Main Street, Mukwonago. 

For more information call the Mukwonago Community Library at (262) 363-6411. 

Village of Mukwonago businesses may learn about proposed changes to the village sign ordinance during a business meeting being held tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. at Village Hall, 440 River Crest Court, Mukwonago. 

Businesses are encouraged to review the proposal, ask questions, and provide comments to the village in the days after the meeting. 

Please note that the meeting date was inadvertently published as Oct. 2 in the Mukwonago Chief. The correct date is tomorrow, Oct. 4.

 The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that the Highway 83 and Highway 59 intersection closure will be extended by one day, until Oct. 7. The extension was needed because of rain, wind, and weather conditions last week, according to DOT SE Freeways Communications Manager Emlynn Grisar. 

The intersection has been closed since Sept. 26 for crews to complete roundabout work. 

Detour routes still continue to be: 

From Highways 59 and E, head north on Highway E, which becomes Highway DE east. Continue east to Highways 59 and 164. Then go west/south on 59/164. At the intersection of 59/164 either go west on Highway 59 or south on Highway 164, depending on your destination.

The Lake Country area will be well represented at next week's WIAA state girls golf tournament at University Ridge in Madison.

The Arrowhead girls team earned a state berth by finishing second Tuesday at the Oshkosh sectional at Lakeshore golf course. Homestead won the meet with 316 strokes and AHS was second at 345. Only the top two teams from each sectional earn state berths.

Arrowhead was led by Peyton Gunnison with 83. Other Arrowhead scores were Izzy Villarreal with 85, Lauren Reeg 88, Lauren Lauterbach 89 and Christina Sorenson 90.

KM missed a state team berth by a single stroke at the Naga-Waukee sectional. Milton won the event with 339 and  Mukwonago had 342. KM was next with 343.

However, KM advanced two individuals to the state meet.  Junior Leighann Cabush tied for first place with a round of 2-over-par 73 and junior Ally Amadon grabbed the third and final individual spot with an 80. Cabush tied with Emily Joers of Waukesha for first place.

The top three golfers from each sectional on nonqualifying teams earn state berths.

Put you "John Hancock" on the concrete foundation at the construction site of the nearly completed Mukwonago Community Library from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 8. The library is located at 300 Washington Ave., Mukwonago.

Please enter on the northwest side of the grounds (just east of the basketball court) as the front enterance is currently under construction.

For more information call the library at (262) 363-6411.

Follow Lake Country Publications sports director JR Radcliffe on Twitter tonight for updates on Waukesha West and Arrowhead in the Classic 8 Conference football game of the year, with kickoff from AHS at 7 p.m. tonight.

You don't need a Twitter account to follow along. You can follow all area games using the #wisfb hashtag.

Support the Big Bend Crime Prevention Committee during their rummage sale being held tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 8 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Clark St. at Ramona Ave.

Items being sold include a tool box, a Schwinn bike, a camera, balls, 2002 Brewers All Star game lanyard and more. All proceeds will benefit the Big Bend Crime Prevention Committee. 

A two-vehicle accident took place on Highway 83 on Friday at the intersection of Beaver Lake Road and Highway K in Chenequa  around 3:15 p.m. A car with two females inside was struck by a dump truck that was traveling on Higway 83.

It's believed that one of the females in the car has died.

The roads around the crash site were closed until almost 7 p.m.

Kettle Moraine's varsity football team kept their 2011 WIAA playoff hopes alive Friday night by defeating visiting Milwaukee Pius in a Classic 8 Conference game, 34-16.

KM improved to 3-3 with the win. The Lasers must defeat host Waukesha Catholic Memorial this Friday night to make the playoff field. Memorial is 4-2 in league play.

Pius led 16-0 at halftime before exploding for 34 unanswered points in the second.

Turning in big games on defense for the Lasers were Luke Ferranti, Andy Keal, Dom Nabak and Jake Rademacher.

City of Delafield - City officials and unions representing police officers and public works employees have tentatively reached an "understanding" that will enable the city to balance its 2012 budget without laying off employees.

City Administrator Tim Schuenke praised the unions for "stepping up to the plate, understanding the situation, and working with us. They did not have to do what they did."

Subject to approval expected Tuesday night from the police union,  the 13 police officers and nine public works employees represented by the two unions have agreed to a salary freeze in 2012. The agreement will have no impact on the pension and health care benefits included in the two contracts that are schedule to expire in 2012.

City officials have said that because of state imposed limits on real estate tax increases, the city would have been forced  to lay off at least one employee in order to met union contract obligations and pay for other city operations.

The salary freeze tenatively agreed to by the unions will allow the city to balance its proposed $11.1 million budget, about $5.2 million of which covers day to day operating expenses, according to Schuenke

The city and the unions reached the "understanding" without requiring the reopening of the two labor contracts. Public works employees would have lost most of their collective bargaining powers if the contract had been formally reopened, according to the Budget Repair Act . The new law was proposed by Governor Scott Walker and approved by the legislature earlier this year.

Unions representing police officers are exempt from the law.

Arrowhead's varsity girls golf team shot a team score of 63-over-par on Monday morning at the WIAA Division 1 state high school girls tournament at University Ridge in Madison. The Warhawks are 28 strokes behind first-place Homestead after the first round. Play will continue on Tuesday.

Peyton Gunnison led the Warhawks with 84. Other AHS scores from the first round were Lauren Lauterbach with 87, Lauren Reeg 89, Izzy Villarreal 91 and Christina Sorenson 93.

Leighann Cabush of Kettle Moraine shot 79 and Ally Amadon of the Lasers fired 90. Those two qualified as individuals.

Village of Dousman - Trustees voted uanimously Monday night to abolish the village's police department and replace it with a $262,000 a year police service contract with the police department of the  neighboring Village of Summit.

A two year contract between the  communities guarantees Dousman residents that for 16 hours a day there will be at least one Summit police officer patroling the village. During the remaining 8 hours, an officer will be assigned to patrol both the Village of Dousman and a portion of the Village of Summit, according to Summit Police Chief Ken Race.

Dousman Village President Jack Nissen said the contract may save the village $35,000 to $40,000 annually while increasing the time devoted to police patrols and reducing the time spent on administrative duties. The Dousman department consisted of a full time chief who is retiring, two full time officers, and about a half dozen part time officers.

Because the department could not always rely on the availablity part time help, there were sometimes gaps in police coverage that the Village Board could not afford to fill, according to Nissen.

The village could not increase the police budget and fund other government operations because state imposed tax levy limits restricted the village's ability to raise new revenues, according to Nissen.

 A School Sister of Notre Dame, Sister Mary Benet, 86, has been identified as the victim in the fatal  accident that took place Oct. 7 at Highways K and 83 in the Village of Chenequa.

She was a passenger in the car driven by another nun, Sister Kieran Sawyer, 76, who was injured and taken Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The crash involved a dump truck driven by Frederick Kleppin, 56, of Hartford, who was not injured in the accident.

The  cause of the accident remains under investigation.

 North Prairie United Methodist Church, 107 North Main Street, will host a Covered Dish Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 4:30 to 7 p.m.,

The dinner includes casseroles, salads, desserts and a beverage served buffet style. Cost is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, children are $5 and children younger than 5 are free. 

For more information email npumc@wi.rr.com

Junior Leighann Cabush of Kettle Moraine's varsity girls golf team shot the round of the WIAA Division 1 state tournament on Tuesday by firing a round of 2-under-par 70- to rally for a tie for second place in the individual scoring.

Cabush opened with 79 before firing 70, the lowest round in this year's tournament. Waukesha junior Emily Joers won the Division 1 title with a 2-over-par score of 146. She had rounds of 73 both days. She also won the individual crown two years ago before finishing second last year

Cabush was eighth last year. KM teammate Ally Amadon shot 90-86 for a 176 total.

Arrowhead placed sixth in the team scoring at 121-over-par. Homestead won the Division 1 team crown at 81-over-par.  Madison Edgewood won the Division 1 title with a score of 70-over-par.

AHS scores were Peyton Gunnison with 84-85, Lauren Lauterbach 87-87, Lauren Reeg 89-88, Christina Sorenson 93-89 and Izzy Villarreal 91-108.

As expected, the Pewaukee Pirates clobbered Milwaukee Messmer in the opening round of the WIAA Division 2 playoffs 9-0,

Austin Klemm had the first goal, the game-winner for PHS. The Pirates host New Berlin Eisenhower on Thursday. The Lions defeated Wisconsin Lutheran 4-1 to earn the chance to upset PHS.

Kettle Moraine defeated Waukesha South 6-0 in the first round of the WIAA Division 1 Soccer playoffs, and Oconomowoc took care of Waterford 3-1.

Mac Wheeler got the shutout for Kettle Moraine after a long weather delay.

Trey Dowling scored twice for KM. The Lasers (14-6-1)  host Madison La Follette on Thursday.

In the match up between Oconomowoc and Waterford, the guests scored first at Arrowhead High School, but the higher seed, OHS came back, with the game-winner coming from Travis Nelson in the 39th minute.

Oconomowoc plays Sun Prairie at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Brandon Hagenow scored for Hamilton's varsity boys soccer team, but it wasn't enough as the Chargers lost at Wauwatosa East 3-1 in the opening round of the WIAA Division 1 Boys Soccer Tournament on Tuesday.

"We played hard, but 'Tosa put a few in on us, give them credit," HHS head soccer coach Adam Marshall said.

Village of Sussex - Village Engineer Eric Nitschke announced to the Village Board tonight that he is resigning to accept the position of Director of the Southeastern Region of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Nitschke, a 1999 civil engineering degree graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, was appointed Village Engineer/Public Works Director in October of 2007. He had served in both public and private sector engineering positions, with an emphasis on water resources and quality, before joining the village staff.

He said his resignation is effective October 28 and plans to assume his new position with DNR on October 31. Melissa Weiss, assistant Village Administrator, will serve as interim public works director until a new village engineer is hired, according to Village Administrator Jeremy Smith.

Nitschke said in an interview after the board meeting that he is aware of the challenges he is likely to face in the politically and environmental charged position as director of what has become one of the department's most controversial regions.

Veteran regional director Gloria McCutcheon was asked to resign by newly appointed DNR Director Cathy Stepp three weeks after newly elected Governor Scott Walker took office in January of 2010. Some poltiical observers and environmentalist believed her resignation was an initial signal of Walker's intentions to shake up the powerful state agency.

Stepp acknowledged in a newspaper interview that a top priority of Walker's administration was to make the environmental regulatory agency more business-friendly without compromising the environment.

During his campaign for governor, Walker was critical of the agency and promised "I will make sure the DNR treats Wisconsites likes customers, not criminals."

Nitschke said he was confident he could succeed, despite his lack of state government experience, because of his private and public sector experience and his ability to reach out and communicate with a wide range of interest groups.

He described the DNR staff as "a great group of professionals who have a lot of talent" and are skilled at working as partners with various constitutent groups.

Nischike said he has never held a politically appointed office, worked on a political campaign or contributed to a candidate but he acknowledged he "leans toward Republicans" when he votes.

Pewaukee's two varsity cross country teams took part in the Woodland Conference meet Friday at Hales Corners Park and the PHS girls finished second and the boys took fourth.

Shorewood won the girls title with 50 points and Pewaukee had 86. Shorewood also won the boys crown with 37 points and the Pirates had 150.

Lian Arzbecker led the Pirates in 11th place with a time of 16:05. She was followed by Courtney Stanczak in 12th at 16:15, Allie Beecher 20th at 16:30, Karen Young 21st at 16:37 and Ali Bacon 22nd at 16:39. Rounding out the lineup were Megan Murray in 24th at 16:44 and Molly Hilgart 28th at 16:56.

Scotty Wolter led the Pewaukee boys team  as he ran eighth at 17:18. Others figuring in the scoring were Austin Weyer in 21st at  17:51, Jon Grunwaldt 32nd at 18:11, Tyler Stanczak 33rd at 18:12 and Aaron Jakel 56th at 19:20. Scott Sutter was 60th and Carl Varin was 64th.

Arrowhead's two varsity cross country teams, highly ranked in the Division 1 State Coaches Poll, lived up to that lofty billing on Saturday by winning championships in the Classc 8 Conference meet at Naga-Waukee Park.

The girls team won with 21 points, the second-lowest total in the 15-year history of the conference. Waukesha West was second with 59 tallies. Kettle Moraine was fourth with 111 tallies.

AHS won the boys championship with 23 points, the third-lowest winning score in conference history. Waukesha South was second with 64 points and KM was fourth with 116 tallies.

Arrowhead's Taylor McDowell nipped teammate Natalie Burant for the individual championship with a time of 15:00.62. Burant was second at 15:00.65.

Other AHS runners were Jackie Dubnicka in fifth at 15:11, Lea Patek sixth at 15:18, Teagan Seneczko seventh at 15:43, Nicole Jett 13th at 16:32, Tayler McCormack 21st at 16:48 and Amanda Bauer 25th at 16:51.

Russ Sandvold of the Warhawks won the boys race with a time of 15:52.25. He missed setting the conference record by just under three seconds.

Other runners for the Warhawks were Will Conley in third at 16:24, Kyle Lewin fourth at 16:28, Ben Bierman fifth at 16:47, Jackie Dubnicka 10th at 17:10, Ryan Glynn 14th at 17:27, Ryan Adamski 16th at 17:29 and Dillon Reynolds 19th at 17:36.

Oconomowoc's varsity girls cross country team captured  the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference championship Saturday at West Bend High School by winning a tiebreaker with Beaver Dam.

Both teams finished with 58 points and OHS won the title when their No. 6 runner, senior Hannah Heidvogel, defeated the Beaver Dam sixth runner. Heidvogel finished 32nd overall and the sixth Beaver Dam runner placed 37th.

Olivia Radtke led Cooney by finishing fourth with a 4,000-meter time of 15:41. Other OHS runners were Mandy Prom in sixth at 15:46, Riley Frieler ninth at 15:50, Maddie Houston 15th at 16:08, Erin Vande Zande 24th at 16:20, Heidvogel 32nd at 16:35, Caitin Hartnett 33rd at 16:46 and Lauren McVey 36th at 16:57.

The OHS boys finished second with 71 points. Heavily favored Wisconsin Lutheran with 22 tallies.

Noah Brown led the Racoons in sixth place at 16:32. Joe Zack was seventh at 16:34. Other Oconomowoc runners were Paul Timm in 16th at 17:21, Brandon Buchholtz 19th at 17:32, Alex Kunz 23rd at 17:41, Matt Spheeris 40th at 18:18, Jake Ullrich 44th at 18:22 and Kenny Fenske 48th at 18:36.

The Village of Mukwonago Police would like to remind all citizens who street park overnight that the Winter Parking rules go into effect on November 1, 2011 and run through April 1, 2012. Any person wishing to park overnight on Village of Mukwonago streets between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. are required to purchase a parking permit at the Village Police Department.

A yearly permit costs $35 and monthly permits cost $8. As a reminder, vehicles are to be parked on the even side of the street on even dates prior to midnight and the odd side of the streets on odd dates prior to midnight. There is absolutely no overnight parking on through highways, namely Highway 83 (North and South Rochester Street) and Highway ES (Fox Street and Main Street). If you should have any questions, please call the Mukwonago Police Department at (262) 363-6434.

 

The Oconomowoc Parent Education Network invites you to a Parent Information Night  on Wednesday, November 16 and 30; 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Nature Hill Intermediate School, 850 Lake Dr., Oconomowoc. 

Parenting With Love and Logic is a two-night class to help parents have less stress and more fun. 

The presentation 

 Heroin in Eagle, really? People in small towns don’t associate heroin use with their quiet little suburbia life. That’s for the bigger cities. However, in the past 18 months three people in Eagle have died from heroin overdose, according to Village of Eagle Police Chief Russ Ehlers.

Learn about Eagle's S.A.P. (Seek-Apprehend-Prosecute) program to stomp out heroin use in small town Eagle in Wednesday's Mukwonago Chief.

The East Troy Bible Church, 2660 North Street, is accepting donations of kids and teen clothing anytime before Sunday, Oct. 30 for distribution on Tuesday, Nov. 1 from 3 to 8 p.m. during its Free Clothing Exchange.

Any size clothing is welcome, but fashions that a teenager would wear are preferred. Separare clothing by boys and girls if possible.

Check out the Free Clothing Exchange Facebook page for more details.

Mukwonago resident Paul Teply has lived alongside his giant cottonwood tree for the past 22 years, and has grown quite fond of it. But due to complaining neighbors, the tree's fate doesn't look so good. 

The Village of Mukwonago is beginning a law suit against Teply who refuses to remove the tree. 

Hear all sides of the story tomorrow in the Mukwonago Chief, or online under the "Mukwonago Chief" tab. 

Students at Mukwonago High School will join more than 2 million others across the country to cross social and racial boundaries on Tuesday, Oct. 18, as part of the 10th annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day, an event designed to foster respect and understanding in schools.

Mix It Up encourages students to sit with someone new in the cafeteria for just one day. Student organizers agree that Mix It Up at Lunch Day encourages students to cross group lines and meet new people. Mix It Up also fosters school spirit and unity, raises awareness about social boundaries and helps students meet different kinds of people. 

This is just one of the activities planned by the MHS SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) chapter to raise awareness during America’s Safe Schools Week. The group also sponsored a candlelight ceremony featuring 280 candles held by members, students, and community that  commemorated the lives lost to school-related violence in the past two decades.

Other activities during the week include lunch non-violence pledge sign-up, a purple and orange bead giveaway, and for National SAVE Day on Friday, a Rock-a-Thon. SAVE members and any interested students will collect pledges and team up to "rock" the night away in rocking chairs at MHS in room 124 from 8 p.m. to midnight. There will also be games, food, prizes, music, movies and more.

Proceeds from the rock-a-thon will go toward bringing Challenge Day to MHS in February.

Waukesha – When Kimberly Smith’s live-in boyfriend, Timothy McMickle found her lying dead in their City of Oconomowoc home Oct. 1, 2009, he immediately named Darren M. Wold as the one who murdered her.

"That (expletive) did it. She’s got an ex-boyfriend. We thought he was in Texas," McMickle told a 911 dispatcher yelling out Wold’s name.

The 911 call was the first evidence a panel of 16 jurors heard late Tuesday morning in the murder-for-hire case. Wold, 43, and his friend Jack E. Johnson, 67, both formerly of Waukesha, are both charged with first-degree homicide as they are accused of conspiring to kill Smith, 39. Justin Welch, 28, of California has pleaded guilty to stabbing Smith to death and is expected to testify and implicate Wold and Johnson. Welch is facing a life sentence in prison.

Prosecutors will attempt to prove Wold, a former boyfriend of Smith and the father of her son, arranged for her murder through Johnson, who in turn bought plane tickets for Justin Welch, 28, to fly from California to Wisconsin to kill Smith, 39, of Oconomowoc.

Prosecutors will be using emails, test messages, phone records, and money grams to link the three men.

Wold’s attorneys will attempt to show their client was not involved but that Johnson and Welch acted alone, while Johnson’s attorney will argue his client did not have a motive.

The trial is expected to last until Nov. 11.

The three high school football teams from the Lake Country area that qualified for the WIAA post-season tournament have announced dates and times they will play.

Pewaukee (7-2) will host Waukesha Catholic Memorial (6-3) on Friday at 7 p.m. in a Division 3 game.  The winner will play the winner of the Kewaskum (9-0)-Brown Deer (5-4)  game the following week. This is the second straight year that PHS and Memorial will play in the first round.

Arrowhead (7-1) will play against host Middleton (8-1) on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the first round in Division 1.  If Arrowhead wins, they will host Verona (9-0) or Watertown (6-3) the following week.

Lake Country Lutheran (6-3) will host Fall River (5-4)  on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Kettle Moraine High School in a Division 7 game. If Lake Country Lutheran wins, they will play next week against either Living Word Lutheran (8-1) or Johnson Creek (6-3).

Starting this month, the Eagle Recreation Department will be hosting a variety of classes that are open to the public.

Classes include:

Yoga

Tuesday and Thursday Evenings; 6 p.m.-7:15pm

Weeks of October 31st-December 5th

Resident $60 Non-Resident $70

Come and learn how stretching and holding postures promote fitness, relaxation, and peace of mind. The Yoga poses are slowly moved into and held for a moment before stretching into another. All movements can be adapted to accommodate people of all ages and limitations. A yoga mat, blanket, comfortable clothing, and water are all required.

A yoga strap and block are recommended.

Holiday Décor

Saturday, November 5th; 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Eagle Municipal Building

Resident $3 Non-Resident $13

Participants will be making a holiday decorated book sprayed with gold and black spray paint, tied with a red, green, and white bow, and topped with a holiday pick. Easy to make and beautiful to display.

Registration and payment for all programs can be mailed to the Eagle Recreation Department PO Box 575 Eagle WI, 53119 or dropped off at the Recreation Department Office, located in the Eagle Municipal Building. Registration forms must be turned in with payment and are available at the Recreation Department Office or on the web at www.townofeaglewi.us. Make checks payable to the Eagle Recreation Department. With questions on any of the programs please contact Heather, Recreation Director at 262-949-4232 or eaglerecreation@centurytel.net.

Look for a complete list of upcoming classes in a future edition of the Mukwonago Chief. 

The Mukwonago Village Players have announced the cast for their holiday production of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” 

Based on the timeless film, this heartwarming musical adaptation features 17 Irving Berlin songs, including the perennial favorite, White Christmas. Veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by Bob and Phil's former army commander. 

The cast includes Cole Heeren, Haley Vick, Grace Prochnow, Gabby Beilfuss, Trent Smith, Rayza Da Sihea, Vanessa Ganczer, Mellissa Leinen, Taylor Lemley, Bernie Fraser, Kevin Koehne, Dick Szopinski, Doris Gitzlaff, Erika Obst, Sheri Watkins, Keara Flaherty, Sadie Rose Grundman, Talia Obst, Kendall Behl, Samantha Behl, Stephanie Windau, Hailey Windau, Brittany Windau, Stephanie Linder, Kate Calvey, Brooke Behl, Jenna Watkins, and Madisyn Fairchild all from Mukwonago along with Jim Hansen, Pamela Gannon, Mike Cavill, Brittany Oberley and Gwendolyn Gannon from Eagle and Kaitlyn Fischer from North Prairie. We also have Brian Schalk from Mount Pleasant, Caitlin Dolan from Wauwatosa, Jordan Hunt from Waukesha, Casandra Mullen from West Bend, Emily Werth and Sarah Werth from East Troy and Sailor Ames from Brookfield. 

This production is being directed by Pat Hitt and will be performed Dec. 9, 10, 16, and 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 18 at 3:30 p.m. All performances will be at the Mukwonago High School Auditorium in Mukwonago. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for Seniors (60 and over), and $12 for Kids (12 and under). Tickets are available on-line at www.mukwonagovillageplayers.org. Tickets are also available through Miller Pharmacy or The Hidden Cafe or Espresso Love Coffee, all in Mukwonago. 

For more information, call (262) 470-4786 or email vpvicepresident@yahoo.com

Oconomowoc High School seniors took a trip to the ‘Reality Store’ recently, which brought them a mock experience in the adventures of personal finance.

 The students  were randomly assigned an occupation and salary along with a checkbook to record their purchases and expenses. They were tasked with making decisions on housing, transportation, insurance and food as well as dealing with unforseen circumstances that arise in life.

For more on this story, read tomorrow's edition of the Oconomowoc Focus. 

"Wisconsin is open for business," and manufacturing is one of the state's great strengths, state business representatives seem to agree. During a luncheon this afternoon at Country Springs Hotel in Pewaukee,  Wisconsin's Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and representatives from various economic groups spoke about Wisconsin's future.

Panel members spoke about where Wisconsin stands economically compared to the other 50 states using figures from a report released today by the U.S. Chamber's National Chamber Foundation and prepared by the Praxis Group. 

"Manufacturing is Wisconsin's ticket in the future," Kleefisch said. 

For more information on the U.S. Chamber's National Chamber Foundation report and what the panel had to say about Wisconsin business, check out next week's Lake Country Publication's newspaper. 

Waukesha – In emotional testimony this afternoon, Timothy McMickle recalled the harrowing moments when he found his girlfriend slain in his living room nearly two years ago.

McMickle’s live-in girlfriend, Kimberly Smith, was stabbed repeated in McMickle’s home at 334 S. State St, in the City of Oconomowoc. Smith’s former boyfriend and the father of her son, Darren Wold, 43, is standing trial for her death, along with Wold’s friend, Jack Johnson, 67. Prosecutors are attempting to prove Wold, through Johnson, hired Justin Welch, 28, of California, to kill Smith.

McMickle testified that Oct. 1, 2009, was a normal day when he got up for work and left the house at about 6 p.m. McMickle said he last saw Smith in the kitchen making coffee.

Later that morning he called Smith at her workplace, Waukesha County Health and Human Services, but learned she had not arrived at work and had not called in, McMickle said. McMickle, a delivery truck driver, then called her cellphone but there was no answer, he said.

McMickle’s deliveries were in Jefferson County so he drove to his house at about 9:30 a.m. to check on Smith and saw her car was still in the driveway, he said.

McMickle said he walked into the house and found her lying in the living room with dried blood on her mouth. He said he then called 911 and a dispatcher talked him through to conduct cardiopulmonary resuscitation and when he turned her over saw that she had been stabbed.

"There was cut across her neck. A cut across her chest and her arms were tied up," McMickle said sobbing. "She wasn’t breathing."

Welch has entered a guilty plea to a charge of first-degree homicide for killing Smith and is expected to testify next week. Wold, who lives in Texas at the time, and Johnson, who lived in Mexico, are facing conspiracy charges to commit first-degree homicide. In opening arguments, Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel said Welch was to be paid $7,000 for killing Smith.

Smith and Wold had been involved in a heated child custody battle.

The Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest is sponsoring an informational meeting concerning resource and recreational facility management within the state forest, according to a release from  Paul Sandgren, Forest Superintendent. The meeting will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011at the Eagle Municipal Building, 820 East Main Street, Eagle.

The purpose of the meeting is to inform the public about resources and ongoing activities within the forest. The meeting format will provide an opportunity for people to ask questions and provide input.

Some of the topics that will be discussed at the meeting include: native plant community management, including invasive species control and prescribed burning, restoration/relocation of the Scuppernong River, trout habitat improvement, ongoing and future timber harvests, reforestation efforts, trail and campground improvements, restoration of prairie in the Scuppernong River Habitat Preservation Area, deer chronic wasting disease in the Southern Unit, pheasant stocking and grassland management.

 Join Magician David Seebach during his "Wonders of Magic Show" being presented at the Big Bend Village Library at 6:45 p.m. on Oct. 26. 

The event is open to all ages.

To register, call (262) 662-3571.

While haunted houses are cropping up everyone, each one promising more screams per minute than the next, it's refreshing to see Halloween events that won't give young children nightmares.

Pewaukee has put together a weekend of fun, seasonal activities with younger children in mind. Called "Halloween Hullabaloo," the festivities begin tonight at Wagner Park, N31 W23320 Green Road, with the trick-or-treat path. Children, ages 1 to 10, will travel a path through the park and, rather than be frightened by ghouls and goblins, they will be greeted by storybook and Disney characters.

There will be three time slots starting at 6, 6:15 and 6:30 p.m. and the cost is $2 for residents and $12 for nonresidents. The event also incluldes treats and crafts for the kids. To register, contact the Park and Recreation Department at (262) 691-7275.

A children's and dogs' costume parade will meet at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the Beach House, 222 W. Wisconsin Ave. in Pewaukee. It will continue to Village Hall, 235 Hickory St., for a tour of police cars and fire engiines as well as trick-or-treating with downtown merchants until 2 p.m.

So if you're looking for a frightful Halloweeen, perhaps you should elsewhere than Pewaukee. But if you're looking for a delightful Halloween, then look no further!

As the demand to buy local, organic produce increases, so too does the need for farmers who grow the products.

Greg and Cathy Kosmeder of the Town of Erin are part of a trend that is reviving agriculture in Wisconsin and providing second careers for some Lake Country area residents. The pair converted a horse pasture into an organic garlic farm that sells its produce almost exclusively online.

For more on this story, read this Sunday's Living Lake Country Sunday.

Mukwonago High School announced it has relieved football coach Bill Schulte from its head position after six seasons at the helm.

"The district is thankful for Coach Schulte's years of service to the program," the release said. "The search for a new head football coach will begin immediately. ... MHS will strive to hire a great football coach who can help our program to return to elite status in both the Classic 8 Conference and at the state level."

The Indians won the WIAA Division 1 state championship with a perfect 13-0 record under coach Keith Hensler, followed by an 11-1 season and loss to eventual state champion Racine Park in Level 3. In the six years since, Mukwonago has gone 22-36, making the playoffs three times and winning a first-round game once. The Indians finished 4-5 this year and missed the playoffs.

The Classic 8 Conference, boasting some of the state's premier football programs in Arrowhead, Waukesha West and Catholic Memorial, will only get tougher next year when Southeast Conference squad Muskego joins the league. The Warriors lost only one game in the regular season, to undefeated Kenosha Bradford, this fall.

Waukesha – The man who killed Kimberly Smith on Oct. 1, 2009, is scheduled to take the stand Monday in the murder-for-hire case.

Justin Welch, 28, of California, has pleaded guilty first-degree homicide for stabbing Smith in her residence and faces a life sentence. However, under an agreement with prosecutors, the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office will recommend Welch be released on parole after serving 34 years in prison.

In his opening argument Tuesday, District Attorney Brad Schimel said Welch would testify he was to be paid $7,000 for killing Smith. Prosecutors are attempting to prove Smith’s former boyfriend, and the father of her child, Darren Wold, 43, of Lubbock, Texas, hired Welch through his good friend, Jack Johnson, 67, of Rosarito, Mexico. Wold and Johnson are also charged with first-degree homicide.

In testimony today, Oconomowoc Police Department Detective Andrew Rich testified he talked with Wold on Oct. 1, 2009 and informed him Smith had been murdered. The conversation was recorded. The jury heard Wold say "whoa" when Rich said Smith had been killed. Wold then asked how his son was doing.

Rich testified that Wold’s demeanor remained the same throughout the conversation. Outside of the exclamation, Wold sounded rather calm on the recording.

Also, Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department Detective Michael Mudlitz testified he interviewed Wold at his residence on Oct. 14, and Wold said he had been on vacation at the end of September and beginning of October. However, on Wednesday, a co-worker of Wold’s, Michael East, testified Wold had quit his job near the end of September and took all his personal tools. Wold said he was going to move to Rosarito, Mexico, East testified.

The trial is expected to last until Nov. 11.

Join the Rotary Club of Mukwonago for a spooky good time during its third annual Halloween Haunt from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Parkview Middle School.

The event is geared toward children ages 3-14, and will feature several booths decorated for Halloween by local businesses.

Parents will be able to vote for the best haunted booth. First place receives $100, and second place receives $50.

Entry is $3 per person.

All money raised during the event will be used by the Mukwonago Rotary Club to provide scholarships, support the Mukwonago High School's Building Trades Program and other projects. Last year more than $3,000 was raised for these programs.

The Pewaukee football team avenged a WIAA Division 3 playoff loss last year against Catholic Memorial, winning the rematch with a balanced and complete 42-32 victory. Read the full story here.

The two varsity cross country teams at Arrowhead both won WIAA sectional titles Saturday morning at Tendick Park in Saukville and will be returning this year to the WIAA state meet next week in Wisconsin Rapids.

AHS, the  No. 1 ranked and defending state champion boys team won the sectional crown with a school-record total of 19 points. Wauwatosa East took the second state spot with 79 tallies.

Their top five runners finished seventh or better. Russ Sandvold won the race at 15:47 and he was followed by Kyle Lewin in second (15:50), Will Conley fourth (16:18), Ben Bierman fifth (16:24) and Jake Dubnicka seventh (16:32). Rounding out the AHS lineup were Ryan Adamski in 23rd (17:22) and Ryan Glynn 29th (17:33).

The AHS girls won the team title with 23 points, it lowest sectional score in school history. West Bend West grabbed the second state spot with 71 tallies.

Jackie Dubnicka and Taylor McDowell ran first and second for the Warhawks. Dubnicka won with a time of 14:41 and McDowell was second at 14;44. Others scoring for Arrowhead were Natalie Burant in fourth (15:07), Lea Patek fifth (15:14) and Teagan Seneczko 11th (15:36). Rounding out the AHS lineup were Tayler McCormack in 19th (16:06) and Amanda Bauer 36th (16:49).

Kettle Moraine senior Taylor Vinhal capped off a very good season Saturday morning by finishing third at the West Allis Hale WIAA Division 1 cross country sectional and earned a state meet berth in the process.

The top five runners on nonqualifying teams earn state berths. Vinhal finished third overall and earned the second at-large berth with a 4,000-meter time of 14:53.

Vinhal will run at state next Saturday at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.

Sparked by Ricky Finco's  99-yard touchdown return of the game's opening kickoff, Arrowhead's varsity football team got off to a great start and never looked back, eventually scoring a wire-to-wire 37-14 victory over host Middleton Saturday in  the opening round of the WIAA Division 1 playoffs.

Senior quarterback Ryan Saeger scored on touchdown runs of 9, 9 and 15 yards and he also tossed a 11-yard TD pass to Dom Todarello later in the game. They also had a safety when senior tackle John Curtis tackled the Middleton quarterback in the end zone.

Saeger and senior running back Nick Abresch both rushed for over 100 yards in the game.

The win marked the seventh straight year the Warhawks won its opening round playoff game,

On defense, Arrowhead got big games from Kevin Brester and Jackson Groonwald, who both had two interceptions. Jackson Abresch, Billy Hirschfeld, Jesse Christofferson, Eric Rabas and Matt Gasper also had big nights on defense for the winners.

For the second straight year, both Pewaukee varsity cross country teams have qualified for next week's WIAA Division 2 state meet in Wisconsin Rapids.

Running in the Whitewater sectional on Saturday, the PHS girls won the team title and the Pewaukee boys team finished second. The top two teams at each sectional earn state meet berths.

The PHS girls won the team title with 45 points. Watertown Luther Prep was second with 90 tallies.

Lian Arzbecker led the Pirates in fifth place with a time of 15:45. She was followed by Allie Beecher in sixth at 15:51, Ali Bacon ninth at 15:56, Courtney Stanczak 12th at 16:03, Karen Young 13th at 16:12, Maggie Schauer 14th at 16:14 and Megan Murray 23rd at 16:28.

In the boys race, Pewaukee was led by senior Scotty Wolter in fifth place at 17:31. He was followed by Austin Weyer in 10th at 18:02, Jon Grunwaldt 14th at 18:14, Tyler Stanczak 27th at 18:49, Scott Sutter 42nd at 19:09, Clark Varin 57th at 19:36 and Aaron Jakel 58th at 19:36.

The Oconomowoc varsity girls  cross country team and junior Noah Brown of the OHS boys team all earned WIAA state berths last Saturday at the Oregon Division 1 WIAA sectional.

The top two teams at each sectional and the top five individuals on nonqualifying teams earn state berths.

The Cooney girls won the team title with 51 points. Verona Area was next with 69 points.

Olivia Radtke led the Raccoons in fourth place at 15:18. Running behind Radtke were Mandy Prom in fifth at 15:18, Hannah Heidvogel in 11th at 15:48, Riley Frieler 15th at 16:02, Maddie Houston 16th at 16:06, Katie Jaeger 23rd at 16:24 and Erin Vande Zande 31st at 16:32.

Brown finished ninth in the field of 84 runners and earned the third at-large berth with a 5,000-meter time of 16:32. This will be Brown's second straight state appearance.

Junior Joe Zack of the Raccoons missed grabbing the fifth individual spot nine seconds

Firefighters work on the two vehicles involved in a crash around 8:30 p.m. Saturday night that knocked down a traffic light in the Village of Mukwonago. The westbound lane on Highway NN west of the Highway 83 intersection was closed while firefighters and police were on scene. 

At least one person was transported by ambulance. No further information was available at this time.

The Friends of Vernon Marsh, Inc., will be holding its annual membership meeting on Thursday, Oct. 27 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Citizen's Bank of Mukwonago Waukesha office at 2109 Corporate Drive, Waukesha

The meeting will include an informal presentation by DNR officials and Friends of Vernon Marsh Board members.