Suspect may be linked to seven North Shore home burglaries

Aug. 31, 2010 10:24 a.m. | Whitefish Bay police have arrested a Milwaukee man they believe is responsible for as many as seven burglaries in the village and neighboring Shorewood.

Police received a call of a prowler in the 1500 block of East Cumberland Boulevard about 1:30 a.m. Monday, according to police.

Responding officers located a suspect who matched the description provided by the caller and arrested him. The facts of this incident closely resemble recent entries to residences in both Whitefish Bay and Shorewood in which homes were entered by cutting first floor window screens at night while residents slept.

Police Chief Robert Jacobs said there were four incidents in Whitefish Bay and three in Shorewood in recent weeks.

The suspect remains in custody, and charges are being sought through the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.

Special football preview section now online

Aug. 26, 2010 12:18 p.m. | We're just hours away from the first official games of the 2010 high school football season and there is no better way to find out the latest news on your favorite team then to check out NOW's comprehensive football preview page.

The page is packed with videos on area teams, a roundtable discussion from our sportswriters previewing the top teams to watch, position by position breakdowns, an interactive poll, photo gallery and more.

Go to NOW's 2010 football preview section.

Police arrest man they say stabbed co-worker

Aug. 14, 2010 11:58 a.m. | A man who police say stabbed his co-worker in Mequon late Friday night and then fled the scene was located this morning in Milwaukee, according to the Mequon Police Department.

Milwaukee police helped Mequon officers locate the 21-year-old man on N. 39th St., according to a news release from the Mequon Police Department. The suspect is being held at the Ozaukee County Justice Center.

According to police, the suspect stabbed his co-worker on a private bus in the 9600 block of N. Riebs Lane at 11:16 p.m. Friday in Mequon. A charge of attempted homicide will be referred to the Ozaukee County District Attorney's Office early next week.

The victim, also a 21-year-old male, was taken to Columbia St. Mary's-Ozaukee Friday night and treated for a stab wound to the abdomen.

Last chance to win State Fair tickets on Facebook

Aug. 12, 2010 8:04 a.m. | With just a few days left of the Wisconsin State Fair, you still have time to score free tickets from NOW Newspapers.

All you have to do is "like" NOW Newspapers on Facebook and respond to our last status update and tell us your favorite story from our papers this week.

A random drawing will be held at 8 a.m. Friday and announced on Facebook.

Winners will receive a four-pack of tickets to the fair, which begins runs to Sunday. Winners will have to pick up the tickets in our Waukesha office, 1741 Dolphin Drive, Suite A, 53186.

Thiensville seeks to declare TIF district as 'distressed'

Aug. 12, 2010 7:00 a.m. | Thiensville's Village Board is considering a proposal to take three to four additional years to pay off a debt tied to the community's only tax incremental financing district.

A Sept. 20 public hearing has been scheduled to consider the proposal. It would declare the tax district as "distressed."

Under a new state law, a distressed tax district may take up to 40 years to pay off its debt. State law typically limits the payback period to 27 years.

With a TIF district, a community usually borrows money for public improvements - such as roads and sewer lines - that are tied to new development. The property taxes from the new development pays off that debt. Once the debt is gone, the property taxes go to the community, its school district and other local governments, such as the county and area technical college district.

However, some Wisconsin tax districts have run into trouble because the recession has reduced property values, so it's taking longer to pay their debts. Some of the deepest holes are in smaller communities, such as Warrens and Necedah.

Residents voice frustration over flooding

Aug. 05, 2010 10:30 p.m. | A standing-room only crowd of more than 100 people packed a meeting room at the Shorewood Library Thursday night and peppered officials with questions and complaints about the severe flooding that hit the community last month.

Some residents at the meeting, the first of four town hall sessions on the flooding in the village, held signs that read "Sewerwood" or branded biohazard symbols. Complaints also were heard over the lack of seating as residents lined the wall of the room.

Frustrated residents like Mary Jo Kukoda said the village didn't do enough during the floods that caused at least $1.5 million in damage and affected hundreds of homes.

"Shame on the village of Shorewood, shame on you," Kukoda said.

Other residents asked about potential health issues associated with sewer water in basements and wondered why the village didn't answer phone calls on the Monday following flooding.

Firm picked to oversee streetscaping work

July 30, 2010 10:02 a.m. | Crispell-Snyder will oversee the upcoming work to complete the streetscaping and sidewalk work on North Cedarburg Road from Mequon Road to the city limit with Thiensville.

The council balked at a contract estimate of $40,000 to oversee the $483,378 construction contract awarded to Quasius Construction earlier this month. The council wanted city staff to do more oversight, but with its summer work well under way and its staff down by one person, the public works and engineering departments did not think it could handle the assignment.

City Administrator Lee Szymborski said staff worked to revise the estimate to $34,000, but the council this morning decided to limit the contract to an amount not to exceed the $25,000. Should more money be needed, the council will consider an amendment to the contract.

Work is expected to begin within the next two weeks.

Voting for our All-Suburban Baseball team ends this weekend; vote now and you could win Brewers tickets

July 30, 2010 9:52 a.m. | There's still time to help us select the best players and coach in the area for our 2010 NOW All-Suburban Baseball Team, but you need to get your votes in before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.

Check out our nominees and their stats, and then vote for the players and coaches you think are most deserving. You can vote once a day, and everyone who votes will be entered in a random drawing for a pair of box seats to a Milwaukee Brewers game.

Vote now

Flood severely damages Jewish Community Pantry

July 26, 2010 4:22 p.m. | The Jewish Community Pantry building was severely damaged by more than four feet of water as a result of last week's storm and is closed for an undetermined period of time. The Pantry is located at 3033 W. Burleigh St., Milwaukee, one of the lowest lying streets in the area.

All contents of the pantry were lost and all services have ceased at this time. The pantry is actively searching for an alternative site in the 53210 zip code or surrounding area. The pantry serves over 1,500 people every month.

The Jewish Community Pantry is part of the Emergency Pantry Network of the Hunger Task Force and co-sponsored by the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center and Women's Division of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. The Pantry has been serving the needs of the community since 1976.

Individuals in need are advised to call "211" (IMPACT) for alternative sites and services.

Donations and inquiries including alternative business site for the Pantry should be directed to:

10 municipalities plus MMSD report sewer overflows

July 23, 2010 4:18 p.m. | Ten municipalities in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Ozaukee counties, in addition to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, have reported separate sanitary sewer overflows of untreated wastewater to local waterways after Thursday's intense rains, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

The Milwaukee County communities reporting overflows Thursday include Brown Deer, Fox Point, Milwaukee, Shorewood and Whitefish Bay. Mequon was the only community in Ozaukee County to report an overflow as of Friday.

Waukesha County communities with overflow problems Thursday include Menomonee Falls, Muskego, Brookfield and the Lake Pewaukee Sanitary District, the DNR said in a water systems report Friday.

The metropolitan sewerage district's deep tunnels remained nearly full Friday afternoon so any of the district's regional sanitary sewers with high flows were continuing to spill untreated wastewater into local creeks, rivers and Lake Michigan for a second consecutive evening, district officials said. Combined sanitary and storm sewers in central Milwaukee and eastern Shorewood also were continuing to spill some of their volume as flows remained high Friday.

The mix of sewage and wastewater in the tunnels was being pumped out as quickly as possible and the district's two sewage treatment plants were operating at capacity Friday afternoon, MMSD Executive Director Kevin Shafer said Friday.

Flood kits, tetanus shots available for North Shore residents

July 23, 2010 1:02 p.m. | Flood clean-up kits and tetanus shots will be available for all Brown Deer, Glendale, River Hills, Fox Point and Bayside residents from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow at Brown Deer Village Hall, 4800 W. Green Brook Drive.

Help us select our All-Suburban Baseball Team and you could win Brewers tickets

July 23, 2010 8:23 a.m. | Voting has just begun for this season's NOW All-Suburban Baseball team, now in its 21st season, and we're asking fans to help us select the area's most outstanding baseball players, including the player and coach of the year.

One lucky fan who votes for this season's team will win a pair of Brewers tickets. Go online and check out our nominees and their stats, and then vote for the players you think are most deserving. You can vote once a day, and everyone who votes will be entered in a random drawing for a pair of box seats to a Milwaukee Brewers game.

Vote now

See last season's team

Willowbrook Place to offer resident assistance

July 20, 2010 10:40 a.m. | Willowbrook Place will add personal assistance services for residents, following a public hearing on the request last night.

The apartment complex will convert two large existing apartments into four smaller units for a total of 67 units, enlarge its kitchen, and become licensed as a residential care apartment complex in coming months.

Some residents support the change, which will allow certified nursing assistants to help residents who qualify for RCAC care with dressing, grooming and possibly bathing. They would also monitor and dispense medications for those residents. In addition, supportive care, such as housekeeping and laundry services and meals would be provided for those residents.

Other residents living in apartments in the building can also elect to have the supportive care. Housekeeping services are already offered at the complex.

Residents who supported the change said they do not currently need the services but recognize that the time may come when they might. Having the services will allows them to continue to stay in their apartment homes, they said.

Ninja suspect to stand trial in August for alleged assault

July 15, 2010 3:50 p.m. | River Hills — What happened in April in the woods behind Nicolet High School that led to the assault of a 14-year-old Bayside boy may finally come to light in a trial set for Aug. 6 in Milwaukee County Children's Court.

A 16-year-old River Hills boy, who allegedly dressed like a ninja and struck the victim over the right eye with a machete, has entered a not guilty plea to the charge.

The Bayside boy, along with three friends, entered the woods after school on April 27. The boys were looking for a person dressed like a ninja after hearing that two high school girls had been confronted by a boy the previous day. The Bayside boy, who was separated briefly from his companions, was assaulted by the River Hills boy, police say.

Because the case is in juvenile court, police reports and witness statements have not been made public, and what little is known about the has come out in pretrial hearings, mainly from statements made by the father of the suspect. The father said his son had a job clearing brush on a neighbor's property and was working there when the incident took place.

River Hills police recovered a machete, a bow and sword from the suspect's home at the time of his arrest.

8 communities plus MMSD report sewer overflows

July 15, 2010 1:26 p.m. | Milwaukee, Mequon, Wauwatosa, Cudahy, Shorewood, Brown Deer, Fox Point and Elm Grove - in addition to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District - reported sanitary sewer overflows to local waterways Thursday morning after overnight thunderstorms poured up to 5 inches of rain on the metropolitan area, a state environmental official said.

Sanitary sewer overflows generally prevent sewage backups into basements and reduce property damage, MMSD officials said.

Even so, overflows of separate sanitary sewers are prohibited by the federal Clean Water Act, said James Fratrick, watershed specialist with the Department of Natural Resources in Milwaukee.

But the DNR is not likely to take enforcement actions against MMSD and the eight municipalities, Fratrick said. The primary reason is that MMSD is under a court-ordered stipulation to complete an estimated $1 billion in sewer and treatment plant improvements by the end of this year, he said. The goal of making those improvements is to reduce the incidents of sanitary sewer overflows.

Communities served by the district are under a separate court order to decrease leaks of storm water into their sanitary sewers.