Waukesha – The jury in the murder-for-hire trial will begin deliberations tomorrow as defense attorneys for suspects Darren M. Wold and Jack E. Johnson rested their case.

Wold, 43, of Lubbock, Texas, and Johnson, 67, of Mexico, are accused of hiring Justin P. Welch, 28, of California to murder Kimberly Smith, 39, of Oconomowoc on Oct. 1, 2009. Welch has pleaded guilty to first-degree homocide for stabbing Smith to death. Wold and Johnson are also accused of first-degree homocide for conspiring to kill Smith.

Wold’s attorney Anthony Rosario this morning decided not to call any further witnesses after calling four witnesses to the stand Monday afternoon. Rosario had filed a witness list with 29 names on it, including Wold’s father, Robert. Attorney Mark Rosen, who represents Johnson, did not call any witnesses.

Closing arguments will be held Wednesday morning.

On Monday, the former husband of Kimberly Smith, Greg Smith, testified Monday that he saw angry and hateful emails from Wold.

Greg Smith was called as a witness for the defense, but his testimony seemingly aided prosecutors. Greg Smith testified that he and Kimberly Smith started dating in high school and would marry about 10 years later in October 1997. They would divorce about five years later, he said.

Smith said in about 2001 his wife had an affair with Wold and she moved out of their house for about a year, but then they reconciled in 2003.

Under cross examination by Waukesha County Assistant District Attorney Andrea Will, Smith said at the time of reconciliation Wold was "very irrational" and would repeatedly call his wife "over and over" and as much as 30 times in a day. Wold would leave messages and call his wife derogatory names, Smith testified.

Will asked what kind of names.

"Pretty much any name he would use it," Smith said. Smith also said Wold sent emails in which Wold threatened to "slap her" and "beat her."

After they divorced Smith said he continued to talk with Kimberly Smith and after Kimberly Smith broke up with Wold in 2007 and Kimberly Smith sent Wold’s emails to him. Asked the tone of the emails, Smith said they were "vulgar, very angry and very immature."

Smith said he told Kimberly Smith that he had concerns about Wold.

"I told her this ain’t right. Something’s not right," he said.

Preparations are underway for the 2011 Giraffe Awards Celebration. This year the event will be held at the Aurora Summit Medical Center, Draper Hall conference room, onThursday, Nov. 10^th starting at 5:30 p.m. 

The Award celebration includes a program where the Giraffe Award nominees and recipients will be thanked for “sticking their necks” out for others.  “It’s such a positive evening where we can thank individuals for their generous gift of time and talent,” saidTerry Donahue, President of Prudential ABSOLUTE REALTORS. 

Donahue and Jon Spheeris, owners of Prudential, created the award in 1996. 

 If you think you see a flashing blue light in the village, you're not imagining things.

The village Police Department received a grant to purchase two blue light emergency towers that allow passersby to contact police in an emergency. The towers were installed by Public Works Supervisor Thomas Brandemuehl last week. One is on Holtz Parkway across from the canoe launch; the other is at Indianhead Beach.

For the rest of the story, and more information about the towers, check out tomorrow's Mukwonago Chief. 

 Representative David Craig (R-Town of Vernon) announces a new website for the 83^rd Assembly District.

“I invite my constituents to visit my new website, http://craig.assembly.wi.gov, to take advantage of the constituent resources there and to connect with their state government,” said Representative Craig.  “It is my hope that the website will serve as a tool for constituents to contact me to share their concerns and to stay updated on and involved with what is happening in Madison.”

Village of Eagle Police Chief Russ Ehlers walks more than 60 residents through the concealed-carry law tonight as he attempts to highlight points from the 56-page document provided by the Department of Justice at http://www.doj.state.wi.us .

According to Ehlers, 83,000 Carrying Concealed Weapons (CCW) applications have been downloaded from the DOJ website today as the law goes into effect in Wisconsin. Ehlers urged residents to download the document and refer to the DOJ website for information about the transportation of weapons.

"The Department of Justice website is really going to be your bible for CCW," said Ehlers.

What is better than a good book and a soft stuffed animal to share it with? Mukwonago High School students Kirsti Martinez and Brooke Malsch are holding a "Books and Bears" collection through Nov. 16.

People can drop off a new book and stuffed animal at the Mukwonago Community Library, Citizens Bank of Mukwonago, or the Hidden Cafe. Sets of a book and stuffed animal will then be wrapped and distributed at the Mukwonago Food Pantry with Thanksgiving packages to share the love of reading with those who are less fortunate.

City of Delafield - A spokeswoman for an attorney for the Hartland Sportsman Club  said she is "hopeful but not sure" documents can be filed on behalf of the gun club in time for a public hearing to be held later this month on whether the city should allow the gun club to reopen.

The documents must be filed with the City Clerk by the end of business today in order for a hearing to be scheduled at the next Plan Commission meeting which is November 30. The deadline is necessary in order to give the clerk adequate time to review and distribute the documents to city officials and post required legal notices prior to the hearing, according to City Clerk Gina Gresch.

An assistant to Milwaukee attorney Brian Randall said he was working on the documents but she was not sure if he could complete the work by the deadline. She said he intended to talk with city officials later today.

Gresch said  this afternoon she had not been contacted by Randall although she sent him emails on Monday and Tuesday reminding him of the deadline.

If the documents are not filed on time, another hearing could not be schedule until January because there is no Plan Commission meeting scheduled for December.

In its application for a new permit, the gun club has promised to make improvements in safety measures at the firing ranges.

The city revoked the gun club's previous permit in 2010 after neighbors presented evidence indicating the club was failing to meet safety standards required in the permit. A woman was slightly wounded while sitting in a nearby restuarant by a stray pistol bullet that escaped a gun club firing range located on Maple Avenue on the southeast corner of the city.

Town of Mukwonago clerk Kathleen Karalewitz has announced she will be running for Waukesha County Clerk in 2012. Karalewitz, republican, has over 30 years of experience in county and municipal government.  She was appointed Deputy County Clerk by former Waukesha County Clerk Patricia E. Madden in 1990. In 1998, Karalewitz was hired as Director of Clerk Services for the Village of Menomonee Falls. She was appointed in December, 2010 as Deputy Treasurer for the Town of Mukwonago, and Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer in April, 2011. She is currently a Certified Municipal Clerk and a member of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association.

“I am running for this position to restore the trust and integrity of the election process in Waukesha

County," Karalewitz said. "With over 21 years of clerk experience, I understand the broad range of duties required as County Clerk such as, Clerk for the County Board, statutory record keeping, marriage license laws, passport and dog licensing and elections."

City of Delafield - For the second time in two months, a lawyer for the Hartland Sportsman Club has failed to meet a city deadline and a public hearing on whether the city should allow the gun club to re-open will be postponed until next year.

Brian Randall told city officials, in a letter to City Clerk Gina Greasch, "We still intend to file the supplemental information as a complete package so that all materials can be considered together and we continue to need additional time."

Documents necessary for the public hearing were supposed to have been filed by close of business on Wednesday, November 2, in order to be considered for a hearing scheduled by the Plan Commission on November 30.

The November 30 hearing was tentatively scheduled after the gun club missed a similar deadline for filing documents for a hearing that had been scheduled for September.

No Plan Commission meeting is scheduled for December.

The city revoked the gun clubs permit in 2010 after residents living near the club presented city officials will information indicating the club was failing to meet safety standards required in the permit. A woman was wounded slightly by a piston round that escaped one of the firing ranges and struck her while she was sitting on the outdoor patio of a nearby resturant.

 The Mukwonago High School Key Club, along with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the National Honor Society and the Mukwonago Rotary Club, have been working with Simple Hope, a nonprofit organization, to hold a community packathon from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 5, at Mukwonago High School.

Simple Hope sponsors a leper colony, orphanage and nomadic tribe in Tanzania, which, along with other east African countries, is suffering from the worst famine in decades.

Packathon participants will mix food and seal the food into plastic bags that will be sent to Tanzania.

Participants will then walk through the "village experience" by seeing the size of Tanzanian homes, carrying buckets on their heads and experiencing other aspects of Tanzanian life.

Each participant must raise $25 to pay for the food and its transportation. Volunteer time is estimated at about one hour.

For more information, visit www.simple-hope.org/packathon.  Sign up for a time slot online or just show up and register at the door. The $25 donation can be paid through website or upon arrival at MHS. Donations are tax deductible.

Those who wish to participate may also register the day of the event. 

Harold Koeffler (center), former owner of Koeffler Chevrolet in Mukwonago, receives birthday greetings from Clown Alley Vice President Cookie Martinson (left) and President Dan "JD Hug" Ransom during a 100th birthday celebration at Horter Chevrolet. Well-wishers packed Horter's showroom to wish Koeffler happy birthday today. Koeffler spent many years clowning as part of Clown Alley in Delevan.

Children’s imaginations are as elastic as rubber bands – nothing is really a stretch!

A monster that sings like Elvis and a dragon that sings opera, a superbear that flies to Venus and a princess with smelly feet. You just never know what silly stories kids will come up with. As Art Linkletter would tell you: Kids say the darndest things.

You’ll be able to enjoy some of these fantastic stories during “The Really Good and Funny Show,” presented by the Childs Play touring Theatre,  at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday at the Arrowhead High School North Campus Theater, 700 North Ave.  

“The Really Good and Funny Show” features favorite songs, plays and dances gleaned from the many stories and poems written by children over the past 20 years. The audience participation show will fly by.

The show marks the opening of the 29^th season of Lake Country Children’s Theater. Season tickets are $12 for this show and two other shows, Jan. 7 and Feb. 25. Tickets at the door are $6.

For more information or to order tickets, call (262) 966-7012 or visit www.lakecountrychildrenstheater.org.

It seems that everyone planning holiday events wants to sneak theirs in as soon as the calendar reads “December.”  What that means is that the first weekend is loaded with an avalanche of holiday events – craft fairs, cookie walks, concerts, city and village tree lightings and breakfasts with Santa fill church halls and community centers with festive sounds and sights.

If you only have time for one event, you might want to make it Hartland’s Holiday Lights from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday with its sackful of fun and festive activities for the whole family.

The evening starts at 4:30 p.m. with caroling and tree lighting at the Village Center at North Avenue and East Capitol Drive plus the Festival of Trees Raffle.

Throughout the evening downtown Hartland shops will be offering pictures with Santa, Secret Santa shopping for kids, ornament making, cookie decorating and caroling. Visitors will also be able to make greeting cards for charity and hop on the free trolley rides throughout downtown. Barbecued food, hot dogs, baked goods and hot chocolate will be available for purchase.

But Hartland Lights saves the best for last. At around 9:30 p.m., the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train, a holiday spectacle with its hundreds of twinkling lights, chugs into Hartland at the tracks at 301 Pawling Ave. (Cottonwood and Pawling). The train is making only 130 stops through the United States so this is truly a special event. A half-hour of musical entertainment will be presented from the box car. If you bring a food donation for the food pantry you’ll get free popcorn. Don’t forget your food and/or monetary donation as the goal is to collect $12,000 and thousands of pounds of food.

Hartland Lights is a great way to make your season bright

With the holidays comes lots and lots of eating. Want to make a change this season and take better care of your health? Read how one Pewaukee couple lost weight and kept it off in this week's Living Lake Country Sunday.

 The Mukwonago High School Drama Department production of "Titanic" opens today at the MHS auditorium at 7 p.m. Get a sneak peek of the show at Living Lake Country Recent Lake Country Videos.

The historical dramatization will also be presented on Nov. 5, 11, and 12 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. Cost of tickets at the door is $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors. Advanced ticket prices are $7 and $5 respectively and can be purchased at Espresso Love Coffee and Miller Pharmacy in Mukwonago.

Pewaukee's varsity football team had its impressive nine-game winning streak come to a shocking end Friday night as visiting Wisconsin Lutheran rolled over the Pirates in a Level 3 WIAA Division 3 playoff game, 36-0.

The loss ended the PHS season at 9-3.

The Vikings scored touchdowns on their first four possessions of the night and led at halftime, 29-0. Wisconsin Lutheran improved to 10-2.

Pewaukee was outgained at halftime, 338 yards to 49 yards. PHS had just two first downs in the half, both of which came on their first five plays of the game.

Wisco junior running back Adihia Bell scored all five of his team's touchdowns. He scored on runs of 68, 4, 2, 9 and 25 yards.

 Governor Walker will join Generac CEO Aaron Jagdfeld for a major job announcement this morning at 10 a.m. at Generac’s Whitewater facility.  

Generac owns several locations in the state, including a Genesee facility. The company manufactures power generators. 

No further details are available as of yet. 

Keep watching Living Lake Country for more information as it becomes available. 

Justin Patrick Welch, who confessed to stabbing 39-year-old Kimberly Smith to death in her Oconomowoc home in 2009 as part of a murder-for-hire scheme, has had his sentencing date moved  up to Thursday, Nov. 10.

In exchange for his testimony against Darren Wold, the father of Smith's child, and Jack Johnson, Wold's lifelong friend, the state agreed to recommend that Welch, 28, be eligible for parole at the age of 60. The Judge is not obligated to follow that recommendation.

Welch was originally set to be sentenced on Dec. 2.

 Generac announced today that it will be creating between 300 and 400 jobs over the next year at their  Waukesha, Whitewater, and Eagle locations. 

Due to increased demand, Generac’s sales numbers continue to grow. In fact, third-quarter total net sales increased by 49% when compared to last year.

In response to increased demand, many of these jobs need to be filled in the next ninety days.

Generac is looking for qualified applicants and will hold an Engineering Job Fair on Wednesday, November 9 at its Waukesha headquarters, located at S45 W29290 Highway 59 in Genesee from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. (CST).

The job fair will be an opportunity for prospective employees to talk with engineers and hiring managers about Generac’s exciting career opportunities. Positions range from entry level to management and include engineers, designers, technicians and more. All positions include a comprehensive benefits program.

Attendees should bring an updated resume and are encouraged to visit http://www.Generac.com for additional information. Generac Power Systems is an equal opportunity employer. 

For more information and updates on this story, check the Kettle Moraine Index this Thursday. 

 It took almost four years to find the answer to a question posed by the priest at their son's funeral. The answer came in a way the family never would have guessed, but as Mukwonago High School senior Caitlyn Persinger strolls through the MHS halls while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL, the answer resonates with every step she takes.

Find the answer in this week's Mukwonago Chief.

In an effort to fill hundreds of jobs, Generac Power Systems will be holding a Job Fair tomorrow night from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the company's headquarters, S45 W29290 Highway 59 in Genesee. 

The company will be hiring qualified workers for a range of positions including technical and engineering jobs, as well as shop floor jobs, and more.

For more information on Generac, visit www.generac.com. 

Want to help fund cancer research while having some fun?

The World's Largest Game of Bananagrams will be held Nov. 12 at Arrowhead High School. Hosted by the I Back Jack Foundation, the game will help fund a new "Late Effects" trial at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in partnership with the MACC fund.

The winning team will earn a pizza party - and individuals who fundraise for the event are also eligible to win great prizes.

Doors will open at 8 a.m. with entertainment and food and beverages, followed by the family fair and KidZone with face-painting, Minute-to-Win-It games, hair feathers, stuffed animals and more at 9 a.m.

Setting the World Record is scheduled from 9:30 to 10 a.m., followed by more game play and ongoing entertainment from 10 a.m. until noon.

For more information on the event, or on the I Back Jack Foundation, visit ibackjack.org.

 The Oconomowoc Public Library is hosting a free Illustrators’ Workshop.   It will feature Oconomowoc illustrator Jeremy Provost who will share how he creates his children’s book illustrations.

 The event is for students in 4K- fourth grade, but open to anyone interested in how illustrators create their art.

The workshop will be held at 2:30 p.m. on  Saturday, Nov. 12,  at the Oconomowoc Public Library, 200 W. South St. in Oconomowoc. 

Registration is required. To register, visit http://illustratorworkshop.eventbrite.com or call (262) 569-2193, ext. 210.

 Veterans Day 2011 is this Friday, and the Mukwonago Chief is helping to honor America's veterans. 

Tomorrow's Chief features the story of a Vietnam veteran who, after years of dealing with the emotions of war, found forgiveness and peace after returning to the country. It is a heartwarming story that is sure to remind readers of the sacrifices our soldiers make, and encourage them to reach out and say "thank you" to a veteran this Friday. 

 November is National Adoption Month, and Bethany Christian Services will be celebrating with a luncheon, fashion show, and silent auction from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Country Springs Hotel, 2810 Golf Road, Waukesha. 

Silent auction items include four round-trip tickets from Milwaukee to Chicago on Amtrak with a free weekend rental car.

To attend, contact Bethany Christian Services at (262) 547-6557.

Check your favorite Lake Country Publication this month for stories highlighting adoption. 

If you or someone you know has been touched by adoption and would like to share your story, please contact Andrea Budde at (262) 368-2973 or abudde@jcpgroup.com.

Jefferson – A judge this morning sentenced James T. Richardson to life in prison without the chance for parole for slaying Beau Butschke July 14.

Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Randy Koschnick said Richardson killed Butschke "in cold blood."

Richardson shot at Butschke about a dozen times and hitting Butschke three times, twice in the head.

"This was a methodical murder. A methodical crime," Koschnick said. "It was not a crime in the heat of the moment. It was well thought out."

Richardson and Butschke, who lived in side-by-side duplexes, had been arguing, frequently about lawn care, according to the criminal complaint.

On July 14, Richardson was shooting a rifle he had stolen from Butschke’s residence along with James H. Richards, 19, whom he had recently befriended. Richards told police they were shooting the rifle by a river when Butschke came walking down and asked what they were doing.

"Richardson jumped out from behind a tree and just started shooting," Richards told police, the complaint said.

Richardson was also charged with hiding a corpse with the intent to conceal a crime and Koschnick sentenced Richardson to five years in prison. Richardson and Richards took Butschke’s body and hid it in a storage unit in Ixonia. Then, using Butschke’s keys went to Butschke’s residence and ate his food and drank his beer, according to the complaint. Butschke’s body was discovered July 26.

Richards yesterday entered guilty pleas to theft and hiding a corpse with the intent to conceal a crime. Richards will be sentenced Dec. 7.

 Melody Butt, the 26-year-old mother of 11-month-old twins who drowned in their East Troy home's bathtub on Sept. 22, has been charged with two felony counts of child neglect resulting in death and two misdemeanor counts of child neglect. 

She has been bound over for trial, and is free on $10,000 bond.

 Amato Ford held the first of several Community Bingo Nights to benefit the Mukwonago Food Pantry on Nov. 4. With the next Bingo Night coming up on Friday, Nov. 18, take a look at the action under Recent Lake Country Videos.

Mukwonago High School will present "Titanic: Tragedy and Trial by Pat Cook," based upon the known facts of the RMS Titanic on Nov. 11 and 12 at Mukwonago High School, 605 W School Rd.  

Shows begin at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors, and are available at Mukwonago High School, Miller Pharmacy and Espresso Love, all in Mukwonago. Tickets purchased at the door are $8 and $6.

The characters who are identified in the show actually existed and, in some cases, tell their story in their own words. The MHS play has a large and talented cast and crew. Come to the show and revisit the history of the unsinkable ocean liner, Titanic.

For more information, contact Nancy Reese at reesena@mukwonago.k12.wi.us .

Quad/Graphics, Pewaukee, has partnered with Penguin Group USA Inc. for short-run and print-on-demand production. Read more here from JSOnline.

Kettle Moraine and Arrowhead will host Level 4 WIAA high school football playoff games this Friday and Saturday.

KM will host one of the Division 3 semifinal games on Friday at 7 p.m. when Wisconsin Lutheran (10-2) meets Madison Edgewood (10-2). The winner will play in the finals the following week at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.

Arrowhead will host a Division 1 semifinal game on Saturday at 1 p.m. when two undefeated teams, Verona and Kenosha Bradford, both 12-0, clash in arguably the most interesting matchup in all of the state's divisions. That winner will also advance to the state finals on Friday, Nov. 18.

Mukwonago business owners are being encouraged to put their seasonal spirit on display for the Mukwonago Chamber’s first annual holiday storefront decorating competition in conjunction with Midnight Magic.

Bring out the Clark Griswold in Mukwonago by adorning the outside of your business with festive decorations.  A team of secret elves will be scoping the area on the evening of November 30^th for the best-dressed storefront in the area. 

There is no registration form to fill out and no money to pay, but the chamber asks to be alerted of participation by contacting assistant@mukwonagochamber.org or calling at 363-7758.  

Prizes will be awarded to the winners. 

This time of year, when the weather turns cold and blustery, everyone craves comfort food – something warm, tasty and filling.

There is no shortage of good eating in Lake Country this week. There are three events that feature food will fill you up … and you’ll be contributing to worthwhile organizations.

All three are on Sunday, and it’s probably no coincidence that the Packers are not playing that day. They will meet the Viking at home on Monday night.

At St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 495 St. Augustine Road, Colgate, chili is on the menu. Besides homemade chili, the dinner includes homemade desserts, and beverages. Hearty ham buns are also available as well as a homemade candy sale.  Serving times are 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Sunday.  Cost is $6.50 for adults and $4 for children. Call (262) 628-2319 for more information.

Wales is having its municipal chili cookoff from 2 to 4 p.m.  Sunday at Kettle Moraine High School, 349 N. Oak Crest Drive, Wales. Bring two or more nonperishable food items and sample as many of the entries as you like. Call (262) 968-3968 for more information.

The Derby Days parade committee is having a spaghetti dinner fundraiser from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Bark River Yacht Club, Main Street in Dousman. Besides spaghetti, the dinner includes a salad and garlic bread. Cost is $7.50. For more information call (262) 965-2500.

Bon appétit!

Dave Saxe of Mukwonago, a longtime teaching tennis professional at Chenequa Country Club and the Lake Country Racquet and Athletic Club in Hartland,  passed away in his sleep early Thursday.

Saxe, 68, was the tennis pro at Chenequa for 39 years before retiring in 2009. He gave tennis lessons to thousands of kids from the Lake Country area in that span of years.

He taught tennis at the The Brook Club in Brookfield before taking on the job at the Lake Country Racquet Club.

Today Representative David Craig (R-Town of Vernon) introduced legislation, co-authored by Representative Chad Weininger (R-Green Bay), which would allow the taking of rough fish with a crossbow.  Senator Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn) is introducing a companion bill in the Senate.  Current law allows a person to take a rough fish with a bow and arrow and rod and reel but does not allow fishing with a crossbow.  Rep. Craig’s bill would allow all sportsmen, including disabled sportsmen—who are otherwise unable to utilize a bow and arrow—to fish for rough fish with a crossbow.

“This bill is a win-win-win bill for taxpayers, disabled sportsmen and women and Wisconsin’s environment,” said Representative Craig.

The bill also defines Asian Carp as rough fish.  Current law allows sportsmen to kill only one Asian Carp, which must be then taken to the DNR.  Defining Asian Carp as rough fish will generally allow the harvesting of Asian Carp by Wisconsin sportsmen in an unlimited number and by a variety of methods not currently allowed.  Rough fish harm local waterway ecosystems, disturb the native fish populations and, in the case of Asian Carp, can be dangerous to people who partake in recreational activities in infected waters.

“My bill expands fishing options for disabled sportsmen and women and others by allowing the harvesting of rough fish with crossbow,” said Representative Craig.  “By defining Asian Carp as rough fish, the bill also includes our sportsmen in the fight to rid our waters of Asian Carp.”

Arrowhead's varsity girls swim team came up two points short of winning its fourth straight WIAA Division 1 state championship Saturday.

The three-time defending state champion Warhawks won five events and scored 291 points but lost to Classic 8 Conference rival Waukesha South/Mukwonago, who had 293 points.

Going into Saturday's meet at the UW Natatorium,  Arrowhead had won eight of the last nine state crowns.

The meet came down to the final race of the the day, the 400-yard freestyle relay. South/Mukwonago won that race with a time of 3:28.61 to earn 40 points. Muskego took second at 3:29.67  (34 points) and the Warhawks swam third (32 points) at 3:30.27.  Had AHS finished second, the two teams would have tied for the state championship.

Haley Pietila of the Warhawks won the 200 individual medley and the 100 freestyle and Mary Warren took first in the  50 freestyle.

Arrowhead also won the 200 freestyle relay with Maddie Barta, Pietila, Katie Duranso and Warren and also won the 200 medley relay with the group of Kate Jones, Lindsay Adamski, Miranda Helbig and Warren.

 A 24 foot straight truck carrying a load of frozen chicken found its way into the ditch around 5:30 this morning on Highway 67 near Highway ZZ in the Town of Ottawa. 

North Prairie Fire Department responded to the scene, which is still under investigation. North Priaire Fire Chief Brian Taylor reports that the trucks two occupants were uninjured in the event. 

Highway 67 was closed from around 5:30 a.m. until around 8 a.m. 

 Meet passengers on the Titanic at a Captain's Dinner held at St. John's Lutheran School, Mukwonago on Nov. 8 by visiting Staff Photo Galleries at Living Lake Country. Students portrayed actual passengers on the ill-fated ship during the culminating activity on a unit of study of study on the Titanic.

Pewaukee senior Dan Brown, 6-foot-2, 222 pounds, was the only Lake Country area player named to the 2011 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association's All-State first team. Brown was one of the top players in the Woodland Confernece this past season. The team was released on Monday.

Five other local players earned honorable mention. Making that list were Arrowhead senior Trevor Schell at offensive line, Arrowhead senior Ryan Saeger at quarterback, Pewaukee senior Jordan Edgerson at defensive end, Kettle Moraine senior Jake Rademacher at linebacker and Arrowhead junior Jackson Abresch at defensive back.

Zach Poker of Oconomowoc earned honorable mention at tight end.

 The Mukwonago Fire Department will have a new chief after nearly a year without one. Jeff Stien of Illinois will be sworn in as Chief on Monday, Nov. 28. 

He will replace Jeff Rolfe, who retired in January.

For more information on Stien, read tomorrow's Mukwonago Chief. 

Police are looking for a man who hit a jogger, breaking her leg, today around 4:19 p.m. in the Town of Mukwonago. The woman was hit while running on Highway EE just south of Sugden Road. The truck, driven by a white man described in his 20's with dark, shorter hair, fled the scene. The woman was transported to Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital. 

Police are asking that anyone with information call the Town of Mukwonago Police Department at (262) 363-5188. 

 Around 20 residents stood in the cold for almost an hour  this morning as the Oconomowoc Fire Department attendted to a one alarm fire in an eight family apartment building located at 1085 Lowell Dr. in Oconomowoc. 

Deputy Fire Chief Glenn Leidel explained that a light ballast in a basement hallway caught fire, causing a cloud of black smoke to fill a downstairs hallway. The fire was contained to the light fixture and the smoke to the hallway, and residents were removed as a precaution. The residents waited outside while the department put out the fire, reset the fire alarm, and ventalted the smoke from the building. 

A newborn baby and family waited inside a fire truck to escape the cold during the incident. 

No injuries occurred and residents were allowed to return inside.

 During a Town of Mukwonago board meeting this evening, board members approved allowing supervisor Tom Stefanowski to talk with the county to learn more about one more solution to the flooding problems in Country Bliss. While details of that potential plan were not presented during the meeting, Stefanowski stated it had to do with the use of trees in the area. 

Town chairman Dave Dubey expressed his concern that the county is anxious to hear the town's decision for the money as they have other areas of the county that could use the state grant money to address flooding issues. 

The town board made a motion to table the agenda item to decide what should be done with the grant money until the December plan commission meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 7. 

Check next week's Mukwonago Chief for more information. 

Dakota, the owl who has suffered from much trauma since being taken from his cage at the Wildlife In Need Center (WINC) this past weekend, is taking his time coming down from a tree around Hunters Lake.

Staff at the center are trying to lure him down before hunting season starts next week. Lisa Rowe with WINC said that it is not safe for handlers to be walking around during hunting season, and that the center doesn't want to infringe on hunters' rights. 

However, everyone involved is hoping Dakota works up the courage to fly down to his familiar handlers who have been able to get his attention off and on by calling his name. He is checked on several times a day, but so far seems too afraid to move. Pre-killed mice are being used as bait to help coerce him down. 

“This all has been very scary for him,” Rowe said. 

If WINC is able to see that Dakota is indeed flying around, they may decide to use a live trap to capture him. 

There are a few classic stories that are unmistakably connected with Christmas.

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” leaps to mind as does Clement Moore’s beloved poem “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

Right up there is “The Nutcracker,” based on the story "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" written by E.T.A. Hoffman.  It is the story of a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.

Anyone who has seen “The Nutcracker Ballet” will never forget the wonderfully festive party scene, the fast, ferocious fight scene, the enchanting journey through the Land of Snow, and all the charming dances, The Arabian Dance, The Russian Dance, The Chinese Dance and The Waltz of Flowers.

Why not start your holiday season with Lake Country Dance Theatre’s version of “The Nutcracker” at 7 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday, Nov. 18 and 19, at Arrowhead High School. 

Tickets for the show are $12 for adults and $10 for children under and seniors over 60. Tickets are available through today at Hartland Music and Fox Brothers Piggly Wiggly.    

A free Sugar Plum Festival will be held from 10:45 to 11:30 a.m. before the noon Saturday show that includes pictures with the Sugar Plum Fairy and other characters, games and crafts.  Nutcracker goodies and gifts will be available for a small fee.  

Village of Sussex - Sussex has been named "The Best Place in Wisconsin to Raise Your  Kids"  in 2012 by Bloomberg Businessweek.com.

The Bloomberg website reviewed 4,169 communities with a population between 1,000 and 50,000, a crime index less than 10 percent above the national average, and median family incomes within  20 percent of the state median in which the community was located.

Excellent schools, combined with affordable costs of living, low crime rates, and  plentiful amenities were the factors considered in choosing the best place to raise kids in each of the 50 states. An emphasis was placed on school performances, expenditures, and family incomes, according to the website.

According to Bloomberg, the average math score in the Hamilton School District is more than 14 points above the state average and the average reading score is ten points above the state average.

The median income in the village is $77,114.

"A rural suburb of Milwaukee, the Village of Sussex benefits from the proximity to the larger city without losing its close sense of community. The town supports events that are fun for kids such as Christmas Tree lighting, Christmas caroling and the hunt for a liminated picture of a turkey (the winner gets a gift basket," according to the website Bloomgberg Businessweek.com.

In 2010, the village was ranked third by Milwaukee Magazine among the 50 most preferable Milwaukee suburbs.

Blacksburg, Virgina, an upscale college town near Roanoke with a population of about 40,000 and the home of Virginia Tech University,  was named "The Best Place to Raise Your Kids in the U.S."

If you're interested in joining in the Black Friday  experience, but don't want to add your children to the frenzy of holilday shopping, the Oconomowoc Public Library has a alternative for you.

On Friday, Nov. 25, from 8 a.m.-noon, parents can shop for the holidays while the children’s librarian and local teens provide games, snacks, and fun for the kids!

Pre-registration is required. Email   childrens@cooney.lib.wi.us or call     (262) 569-2193, ext. 210. Please provide   your name, children’s names and ages,  and your phone number.    All children who attend must be  potty-trained. There is a suggested donation of $5 per hour, per  child, payable at the event. All proceeds   support the renovation of the  Oconomowoc Public Library’s Teen  Section.

Get a sneak peek at the expanded Mukwonago Public Library in Wednesday's Mukwonago Chief. 

The library will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony after the Mukwonago Area Chamber of Commerce Midnight Magic parade on Dec. 3 with the building open for viewing until 7 p.m.

The library will be closed from Dec. 10 through 13 during the move back to the building and will reopen on Dec. 14.

Town of Oconomowoc – A 61-year-old Town of Oconomowoc man who was accidentally shot by a member of his deer hunting party yesterday suffered only a minor wound.

Curtis Weide was hunting in the area of Pennsylvania Street and Highway CW late Monday morning and during a deer drive with about five other hunters Weide was hit by a 12 gauge slug shot by another member of the hunting party.

Kyle Drake of the state Department of Natural Resources said as the men moved through a marsh area a couple of deer were stirred and one of the hunters shot at a running deer. The slug apparently ricocheted off something and hit Weide in the left chest area. Drake said he believes the slug ricocheted off something because it only penetrated the hunter’s skin by about a half inch.

"He pulled the slug out himself," Drake said.

Weide was treated and released from a hospital and returned to the accident scene before authorities had left.

"The good news is the guy is OK," said Drake.

 Highway 83 will once again be open to through traffic after being closed since March for construction. 

The Highway 83 construction is scheduled to be completed at noon Nov. 23, weather permitting.

To celebrate the reopening, Mukwonago and Genesee businesses and communities will host ribbon-cutting events that day.

In Mukwonago, the ribbon-cutting will be at the entrance of Black Bear Boulevard near Waukesha State Bank at noon, followed by announcements from the Department of Transportation (DOT) and local officials at Culver's, 1090 N. Rochester St. Culver's will offer special promotions to celebrate the reopening.

In Genesee, business owners, town officials and others will participate in the ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m. near the Citgo gas station at Highways 59 and 83.

Highway 83 has been closed to through traffic from Black Bear Road to Highway 59 since mid-March. Project components included grading, structures, storm sewer and culverts, curb and gutter, concrete pavement and asphalt pavement. One of the more noticeable improvements is the straightening of curves between Mukwonago and Genesee, and the smoothing of hills.

The project also included creating four lanes between Highways NN and X, two-lane curb and gutter from Walnut/Seville to Old Village Road, and widening the shoulders and improvement of signals from Old Village Road to Highway 59.

The project has included the installation of three roundabouts at Highway 83 and Highways I, X and 59.

According to the DOT, other than minor weather issues, which delayed the start date of the project by about a week, the project has gone quite smoothly.

State officials must still look at the numbers to know whether the project will come in on, over, or under budget. According to the DOT website, the project is estimated to cost $19.7 million.