Term limits among issues discussed at school forum

12:08 p.m. | Two of the six candidates running for the West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board said they would like to see term limits imposed on board members.

Incumbent George Sotiros and challenger Len Kopet said during a candidate forum Thursday they appreciate the insight and experience long-serving board members bring to the school district, but there is a greater need for turnover and fresh ideas.

Sotiros said he would serve for no more than 10 years, while Kopet said he favored a limit of four terms, or 12 years.

"People are less willing to step up to the plate, to be a candidate, because someone else has been there for such a long time," Kopet said. "(Term limits) give the other citizens of our community an opportunity to be a candidate for this board."

But other candidates said the experience some School Board members have is key to a successful board.

West Allis woman dies at shopping center parking lot

8:46 a.m. | Authorities are trying to determine why a West Allis woman died Thursday in a parked vehicle at a St. Francis shopping center.

Emergency responders arrived at the Whitnall Square shopping center, 4698 S. Whitnall Ave., to help the 48-year-old woman just after 11 p.m. Thursday, St. Francis Police Chief Brian Kaebisch said.

The woman had complained to a woman she was with at the shopping center that she wasn't feeling well, the chief said.

Forums provide glimpse of School Board candidates

March 11, 2010 3:20 p.m. | The first of two public forums focusing on West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board candidates is tonight.

The WA-WM Parent-Teacher Association's forum begins at 7 p.m. in the school administration building, 9333 W. Lincoln Ave. Candidates in that race are Annette Frymark, George Sotiros, Sue Stalewski, Jane Edgar, Jake Dreske and Len Kopet

Also, the West Allis Youth Commission will sponsor a School Board candidates forum at 7 p.m. March 25 in the Common Council chambers of City Hall, 7525 W. Greenfield Ave. Candidates will respond to questions from the Youth Commission at the forum, which will also be broadcast on cable channels 14 and 25.

Help us choose the All-Suburban teams and you could win Bucks tickets

March 11, 2010 7:21 a.m. | Want to weigh in on who you think are the best boys and girls basketball players in the suburban area?

Now's your chance, as we're asking high school hoops fans to help us select the annual NOW Newspapers All-Suburban boys and girls basketball teams, and the Players of the Year.

We've nominated the top players in the area to fill 10 spots on each honors team and we're asking you to pick the players that you think are the best in the NOW Newspapers coverage area.

When the fan voting is over, your votes - along with the votes of our sports staff - will determine the makeup of our All-Suburban Teams. And one lucky person will win a pair of lower-level tickets to a Milwaukee Bucks game just for voting!

Vote for the boys team

Man charged in burglary at Mitchell School

March 10, 2010 8:46 p.m. | A 42-year-old man been charged with felony burglary after he admitted to police he broke into Mitchell Elementary School last week.

Carlos Lopez faces up to 12 years, six months in prison and a $25,000 fine, if convicted. A preliminary hearing is set for March 19.

According to a criminal complaint:

Lopez told police he entered the school, 10125 W. Montana Ave., through the loading dock area intending to take computers, but decided to steal tools instead.

He was captured on school surveillance video moving through the school and breaking the glass of a door leading to a locked computer room. He fled after officers announced their presence but left his Toyota Camry at the scene.

West Allis officials going bald for charity

March 10, 2010 12:26 p.m. | West Allis - This man, Police Chief Mike Jungbluth and a number of other city employees will get their heads shaved to raise money for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, a California organization that funds childhood cancer research.

The event is set for 3:30 p.m. March 17 at City Hall.

Donations can be made online at www.stbaldricks.org/events/westallis.

Doing the shearing will be Ald. Vincent Vitale, a retired barber.

Mayor and police chief ready for bald move

March 10, 2010 12:04 p.m. | Mayor Dan Devine and Police Chief Michael Jungbluth probably spend enough time pulling their hair out, but that's not the reason they'll be sporting a decisively bald look next week.

Devine and Jungbluth, along with some West Allis firefighters, engineers and the city's information-technology manager, will get their heads shaved to raise money for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which funds childhood cancer research.

The group will participate in a St. Baldrick's Day event at 3:30 p.m. March 17 at City Hall. Alderman Vince Vitale, a retired barber, will have the haircutting honors.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation funded more than $12 million in cancer research grants in 2009.

To donate to the West Allis team, visit www.stbaldricks.org/events/westallis.

Mitchell Elementary burglary suspect arrested

March 05, 2010 5:16 p.m. | A 42-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested Thursday afternoon in connection with a burglary at Mitchell Elementary School earlier that morning.

According to a news release:

Officers responded to an alarm at the school, 10125 W. Montana Ave., about 1:35 a.m. Thursday and detected movement inside the building within moments of arriving.

Police then established a perimeter around the school, but the man was able to escape out a south door before the perimeter was completely set up. He was found and arrested in Milwaukee about 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police are still investigating. The district attorney's office is expected to review the case for a decision on possible charges Monday.

West Allis passes measure opposing unfunded mandates

March 04, 2010 10:14 a.m. | West Allis - The Common Council is calling on the Legislature not to adopt any unfunded mandates that the city has to pay for, such as expansion of employee health insurance benefits.

The Legislature approved new health insurance benefits for state and local government employees, which took effect Jan. 1, without providing any money to local governments to pay for them, Ald. Michael Czaplewski said.

In turn, Czaplewski proposed the resolution approved Tuesday in an effort to stop unfunded state mandates of all types.

The resolution also says that if the state passes any more mandates regarding pay or benefits for government employees, that it also give local governments the power to pass on the costs to employees.

The new health insurance benefits include required coverage of dependents up to age 27, if they are not married or employed and covered by employer health insurance; coverage of autism treatment; and 100% coverage, up from 80%, of hearing aids and cochlear implants for deaf children.

Vote for the All-Suburban Basketball Team and you could win Bucks tickets

March 04, 2010 7:43 a.m. | Want to weigh in on who you think are the best boys basketball players in the suburban area?

Now's your chance, as we're asking high school hoops fans to help us select the annual NOW Newspapers All-Suburban Boys Basketball Team, and the Player of the Year.

We've nominated 14 players to fill 10 spots on the honors team and we're asking you to pick the player that you think is the top basketball player in the NOW Newspapers coverage area.

When the fan voting is over, your votes - along with the votes of our sport staff - will determine the makeup of our All-Suburban Team. And one lucky person will win a pair of lower-level tickets to a Milwaukee Bucks game just for voting!

Vote here.

Driver faces homicide charge in passenger's death

March 03, 2010 10:28 a.m. | A driver has been charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle after his female passenger was killed in a traffic crash in West Allis early Saturday morning.

Police say Joshua J. Lechmaier, 21, caused the death of Jennifer A. Sztukowski, 34, who was riding in his car when it crashed in the 11800 block of West Oklahoma Avenue about 2 a.m. Feb. 27.

According to a criminal complaint:

Lechmaier was recklessly driving his sports-utility vehicle westbound on Oklahoma Avenue, swerving across all three lanes at an estimated 90 miles per hour.

A witness driving behind Lechmaier told police the vehicle began to lose control in the 11600 block, just west of Root River Parkway, before going airborne and flipping over.

Investment bank sues school districts back

March 02, 2010 5:50 p.m. | An investment bank sued by five Wisconsin school districts that allege they were misled into making risky investments has filed its own claim in the case, saying the districts should pay the bank back any winnings they might receive from bank in the lawsuit.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc., filed its counterclaims Monday against the trustees for trusts run by the five districts -- Kenosha, Kimberly, Waukesha, West Allis-West Milwaukee and Whitefish Bay -- as part of its response to a new complaint in the case. The districts sued Stifel and Royal Bank of Canada in Milwaukee County Circuit Court in 2008, alleging that the banks had misled them into making $200 million of risky investments that now are nearly worthless.

Proceeds from the investments, which were funded mostly by money borrowed from DEPFA Bank, were intended to help pay for district employees' retirement benefits.

The St. Louis-based bank's counterclaims assert that school district officials, acting in their capacity as trustees for district-run trusts, signed letters and other documents that indemnifed the bank against "any and all losses, claims, damages, or liabilities claims that arise out of or are based upon any action, suit, or proceeding" from the transactions.

"I think this establishes that Stifel believes that the districts and the trustees bear the financial responsibility for these trusts, as stated in these letters and agreements," said Dan Callahan, a spokesman for Stifel.

West Allis alderman targets unfunded benefits mandate

March 02, 2010 2:14 p.m. | West Allis — The Legislature has approved an expansion of health insurance benefits for state and local government employees without providing any money to local governments to pay for them, Ald. Michael Czaplewski says.

"You have a Cadillac plan and now make it a Mercedes plan and have the people driving a 10-year-old Chevy pay for it," he said Tuesday.

In an effort to stop what he says is another unfunded state mandate and a burden on taxpayers, Czaplewski is presenting a resolution tonight to the Common Council.

The resolution says that if the state passes any more mandates regarding pay or benefits for government employees, that it also give local governments the power to pass on the costs to employees.

As it is now, Czaplewski said, local governments must provide the benefits mandated by the state but can't pass along costs because they are bound by employee contracts.

Greenfield Avenue ramps to close this week

March 02, 2010 12:20 p.m. | The Greenfield Avenue eastbound and westbound ramps to northbound U.S. Highway 45 will be closed from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. today and Thursday.

The closures are part of the state's emergency bridge replacement project for the Zoo Interchange. Closures are subject to change due to weather.

Additional law enforcement will be patrolling the detour routes.

UWM to unveil County Grounds campus plans tonight

March 02, 2010 10:06 a.m. | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee officials will introduce plans tonight for its proposed Innovation Park, which will include an engineering and applied sciences campus, on the County Grounds off Watertown Plank Road in Wauwatosa.

The plans will be presented to the Wauwatosa Common Council during a Committee of the Whole meeting at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 7725 W. North Ave. The public is welcome to attend the meeting to learn about the proposed project, but there will be no opportunity for comments or questions during the meeting.

Residents who would like to speak to UWM officials can arrive at 6 p.m. and ask questions prior to the meeting.

The next opportunity for public input will occur during the Plan Commission meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall.