Archive for November, 2009
Amateur ball team may go to Mequon
Posted by: | CommentsIt seems there’s an interest in hosting a Northwoods amateur baseball team elsewhere in the metro Milwaukee area – Mequon.
A proposal by an owner and potential partners to bring a Northwoods League team to Waukesha’s Frame Park and build a stadium at the ball diamond there came to a halt early this year when financing fell through.
It seems the same deal is being offered to Concordia College in Mequon as was offered to Waukesha for the controversial use of frame Park.
Here’s a report from Journal Sentinel on the newest baseball proposal in which Northwoods is mentioned.
A LaCasa Thanksgiving
Posted by: | CommentsPatrick Ryan snapped these photos of La Casa de Esperanza’s annual Thanksgiving Day celebration for its youngsters in the La Escueita early childhood development program.
It captures what the holiday is all about.
Welcome from La Casa director Anselmo Villarreal
Good cheer from program director Brenda Rios
Waukesha firm gets 10.7M federal award
Posted by: | CommentsThis from Journal Sentinel’s Thomas Content:
Waukesha Electric Systems on Tuesday was awarded $10.7 million from the federal stimulus package for a “smart grid” demonstration grant.
The U.S. Department of Energy grant will fund a project in Irvine, Calif., that will create a superconducting transformer designed to improve the stability and reliability of the power grid.
Waukesha Electric was the only Wisconsin company awarded funding by the Energy Department. The agency announced 32 demonstration projects will receive a total of $620 million in funding.
The Waukesha Electric transformer is envisioned to be 50% smaller and weigh 50% less than a conventional transformer, and lead to lower power consumption, the agency said.
Waukesha Electric will contribute $10.8 million to the project, bringing the total project value to $21.55 million.
“These demonstration projects will further our knowledge and understanding of what works best and delivers the best results for the smart grid, setting the course for a modern grid that is critical to achieving our energy goals,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.
“This funding will be used to show how smart grid technologies can be applied to whole systems to promote energy savings for consumers, increase energy efficiency, and foster the growth of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power,” Chu said.
An analysis by the Electric Power Research Institute projects that implementing smart grid technologies could reduce electricity use by more than 4% by 2030, providing a savings of $20.4 billion for businesses and consumers nationwide, the agency said.
The federal agency’s decision to award one project to a Wisconsin company meant that Milwaukee-based We Energies was rejected in its application for $4 million in smart grid funding.
The We Energies project seeks to use advanced meters and distribution automation in a 9-square-mile area encompassing Shorewood and parts of Glendale and Milwaukee – including the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus.
The goal: to test technologies of what the industry has termed a “self-healing grid,” and the Milwaukee utility’s project would have deployed technologies to isolate faults and minimize the number of customers that would be affected when a power problem occurs.
We Energies, which would have contributed $4 million to the project, will not pursue the project without the government funding.
“It’s a very good project and it’s one that we felt met the criteria,” utility spokesman Brian Manthey said.
Tom Welch, a spokesman for the Department of Energy, said the 32 projects were selected from a pool of 135 applications for funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
In a separate announcement last month, the federal government announced grants of $3.4 billion nationwide, including $21.5 million for three Wisconsin Power companies – American Transmission Co., Wisconsin Power & Light Co. and Madison Gas & Electric Co.
Green Bay-based Wisconsin Public Service Corp. was shut out in that round of funding.
New chief of staff for Waukesha County
Posted by: | CommentsWaukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas announced the appointment of Ellen Nowak as his chief-of-staff .
Nowak replaces Allison Bussler who was recently appointed the Waukesha County Director of Public Works.
“Ellen will be an outstanding addition to the Waukesha County team,” Vrakas said. “Her policy experience and knowledge of the issues facing the state of Wisconsin and Waukesha County will make her a very successful chief-of-staff.”
Nowak has nearly ten years of experience working with the state legislature. She served as chief-of-staff and legal counsel to State Representative and Speaker of the Assembly John Gard.
Prior to her tenure in Madison, Nowak practiced law in the private sector in Milwaukee. Most recently, Nowak served as director of government affairs for School Choice Wisconsin, a non-profit group advocating in favor of vouchers for low-income Milwaukee students to attend the school of their choice.
“I am very excited to be part of the Waukesha County team,” Nowak said. “I look forward to serving the residents of Waukesha County and continuing to encourage and promote Waukesha County as a leader in Wisconsin.”
Good Sam ripped off
Posted by: | CommentsThis in from Waukesha Police Sgt.Sgt. Jerry Habanek:
On Sept. 9, a Good Samaritan was filling up with gas at the Citgo Station, 1700 Pewaukee Road.
She was approached by another woman who asked if she had $5 because she did not have money to pay for gas. While this woman was speaking to the Good Samaritan, one of her partners took a credit card from the Good Samaritan’s purse.
The Good Samaritan gave the ladies the $5 for gas. The Good Samaritan did not realize that she was also going to treat them to a $250 shopping spree. Her credit card was used at stores in West Allis and Greendale.
Police report they have a good video and pictures of the two suspects and their vehicle.
Help police identify the two suspects. For further information contact, 262-524-3766.
3 hurt in multiple vehicle pile up
Posted by: | CommentsWaukesha police are investigating the cause of a late Monday multiple vehicle crash that injured three people.
According to Waukesha Police Sgt. Gerald F. Habanek:
On Monday at approximately 5:20 p.m., a grey Nissan traveling westbound on E. Moreland Blvd. drifted southbound and crossed the median at Parklawn Dr.
The vehicle continued traveling in a westbound direction in the eastbound lanes and struck a delivery truck that was traveling eastbound.
When this crash occurred, a minivan swerved to avoid the two vehicles and crashed on the side of the road. Four other vehicles crashed trying to stop and avoid the Nissan and the delivery truck.
Three people were transported to area hospitals. A 27 year old male was transported to Froedtert Hospital. A 56 year old female and a 34 year old male were transported to Waukesha Memorial Hospital.
Woman arrested in Farm & Fleet robbery
Posted by: | CommentsPolice have arrested a 57-year-old woman in connection with an earlier robbery and car theft related to the east-side store.
Police Capt. Mark Stigler said the woman was a long-time store employee. Her financial troubles likely motivated her to rob a manager and a bookkeeper of the store’s daily receipts just outside of the building a few weekends ago. The robber fled in the manager’s truck
The woman, who has no criminal history, is accused of fleeing in the managers truck. Earlier reports say the robber was masked and carrying a gun.
Stigler provided little additional information on the suspect other than she had been arrested in another county for a different incident. Through that arrest, Waukesha police then obtained a lead that makes her a suspect in the Farm & Fleet robbery, he said.
The stolen truck was recovered, Stigler siad.
Police alerted to fight outside Waukesha bar by downtown cameras
Posted by: | CommentsWaukesha Police Capt. Mark Stigler reports that police dispatchers were watching live feeds just after midnight from downtown Opti Cop cameras when they saw a fight unfolding with a large group of individuals in the parking lot near the Salty Toad, 921 Friedman Dr.
Dispatchers rushed officers to the scene, Stigler said.
“There was not dispute as to what the dispatchers were seeing,” Stigler said.
Police used electronic Tasers on two subjects, one of which was a woman, according to the police blotter.
The Sheriff’s Department assisted in bringing the situation under control.
No more H1N1 vaccines for Waukesha County for now
Posted by: | CommentsWaukesha County is reporting it used up all of its swine flu vaccines yesterday, causing it to cancel the next scheduled clinic.
Here’s the press release:
Waukesha County Public Health Division has administered all H1N1 vaccine available over the course of two clinics held on Tuesday and Thursday. Clinics will be cancelled indefinitely until additional shipments of vaccine are received.
The Division of Public Health expects additional shipments of the intranasal vaccine, as well as the injectable vaccine to be available in the coming weeks and will announce clinics to administer the vaccine once the shipment has arrived.
For more information, and to learn more about the H1N1 virus and upcoming clinics please visit www.waukeshacounty.gov/pandemicflu or dial 2-1-1. This service will provide information on prevention and community resources. Your call to 2-1-1 is free and confidential, and is available throughout Wisconsin. 2-1-1 service is available 24 hours 7 days per week. If your cellular provider does not allow calls to 2-1-1, please call (877) 947-2211 or (262) 547-3388.
