Red Robin eyes Houlihan's site at Brookfield Square

8:30 p.m. | Red Robin plans to build a new restaurant on the former site of Houlihan's at Brookfield Square, but Plan Commissioners on Monday tabled any action on the proposal and asked the gourmet burger chain to come back with a more distinctive architectural design.

Red Robin would raze the Houlihan's building, which sits north of Barnes and Noble on the mall's east side, and build a new 5,700-square-foot structure.

Houlihan's closed late last month.

Red Robin, which has nine locations in Wisconsin, would have a capacity of just more than 200 people, and would be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The restaurant also plans to have a full-service bar.

Central athletic director resigns

1:56 p.m. | Dan Anderson, athletics and activities director at Brookfield Central High School, is resigning his position effective June 30.

Anderson, age 51, is in his third year in the position. He said he is leaving to pursue other ambitions, likely in educational leadership.

The School Board is expected to approve Anderson's resignation at its meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 9 at the district's central offices, 13780 Hope St., Brookfield.

Teen injured when WWII rifle goes off

1:34 p.m. | A Brookfield Central student was cut above his eye and suffered gunpowder burns to his forehead when a World War II rifle that had been on display as art fired as he looked at it Friday.

According to Wauwatosa police:

A year ago, the boy and his mother moved into her boyfriend's home in the 100 block of North 121st Street in Wauwatosa. During that time, he has expressed interest in the vintage bolt-action wood rifle that hung over the fireplace. The Japanese World War II rifle was given to the boyfriend by his father more than 20 years ago, and he believed it was not loaded and would not fire even if it had ammunition.

About 5 p.m. Friday, the teen asked his mother if he could look at it and she agreed. He heard a rattling sound coming from inside the barrel, so he pointed it toward the floor and a bullet fell out. He put the bullet back in, and it immediately fired, hitting him in the forehead just above his right eye.

His mother and sisters heard him scream and ran into the room to find him bleeding. His eyebrow was peeled back. The Wauwatosa Fire Department took him to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, where he was treated for a cut above his swollen eye and gunpowder burns to his forehead. His sight was not affected.

Brookfield woman dies in Minnesota crash

11:30 a.m. | A 34-year-old Brookfield woman died in a crash on Saturday in Winona County, Minn., after her car was struck by a truck, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

Jessica Lin was westbound on Interstate 90 near Winona when she rolled over through the median and her vehicle came to rest in the eastbound lanes of the interstate about 5 a.m. Saturday, the state patrol said. Her Honda Accord then was struck by an eastbound tractor-trailer truck.

Lin was not wearing a seat belt, the Minnesota State Patrol said.

The truck driver, Max C. Sharp, 54, of Preston, Idaho, was not injured.

Road conditions were dry at the time, the Minnesota State Patrol said.

Police Department connecting with residents on Facebook

Feb. 05, 2010 3:41 p.m. |

Residents can now follow the Elm Grove Police Department on Facebook, by going to the social media site and searching for "Elm Grove Wisconsin Police Department." People without Facebook accounts can go to elmgrovewi.org and click on the "Facebook" link.

Police Chief Jim Gage anticipates using the page to keep residents informed about upcoming events, such as the citizens police academy, and crimes in the village.

Teacher contract talks head to mediation

Feb. 05, 2010 11:04 a.m. | The Elmbrook teachers union and School Board are expected to begin mediation next month after contract talks stalled over salary and benefits.

Both sides announced today in a joint news release that they have agreed to file for mediation in order to achieve a voluntary settlement for teacher compensation for the 2009-11 contract.

Negotiations began in September, when bargaining teams for the board and the union, the Elmbrook Education Association, agreed to use a collaborative, Interest-based bargaining method with a facilitator.

The teams have tentatively agreed on some issues, including the 2010-11 school calendar and a prescription drug benefit change expected to save the district $190,000.

Brookfield Central boys basketball photos now online

Feb. 05, 2010 10:49 a.m. | We've just posted NOW photojournalist Peter Zuzga's photo gallery from Brookfield Central's 64-51 victory over host Hamilton last night in a Greater Metro Conference boys basketball game.

Central's Alex Diciaula had a career-high 30 points while Nevan Lewis came off the bench to score 13 and Seth Mortag added 10 points. Central improved to 9-9 overall and 5-6 in the GMC. Hamilton fell to 11-7, 7-4.

See the photo gallery.

Spartans to donate 50/50 money to Tosa West coach

Feb. 05, 2010 9:52 a.m. | The Brookfield East basketball program has found a small way to reach out and help Wauwatosa West coach Mike Landisch, who is battling kidney cancer.

The Spartans will have their usual 50/50 raffle tonight when first-place Menomonee Falls comes to East for a 7:30 p.m. game.

Fans purchased raffle tickets for three quarters and then the winner is announced. The winner keeps half the money and the program keeps the other half. Brookfield East will donate its half to Landisch and there is a hope that the winner will do the same.

"It is something we wanted to do for Mike and his family," East coach Andy Farley said. "We wish him best of luck."

Lancers upset Hamilton; Diciaula scores 30

Feb. 04, 2010 9:34 p.m. | Brookfield Central defeated Sussex Hamilton, 64-51, at Sussex Thursday night behind senior guard Alex Diciaula's career high 30 points.

The Lancers led 26-19 at half-time, as Diciaula had 11 first-half points, including nine in the second quarter. Central then expanded its lead to 43-32 after three quarters, as Diciaula scored 11 of his team's 17 points in the quarter. He then closed out the game with an eight-point final period. He hit 10-fo-13 shots from the field.

Nevan Lewis came off the bench and hit 6-of-7 shots and scored 13 points and Seth Mortag, who was starting his second straight game, added 10 points. Point guard Alex Olson didn't score a point, but played outstanding defense and was praised by Central coach Mark Adams afterward.

Brian Krohn had 18 points for the Chargers, but the Lancers held Brett Meinecke to nine points, as no other Hamilton player reached double figures.

Hamilton dropped to 7-4, 11-7 overall and Central improved to 5-6 and 9-9 overall.

Rotary Club buying ShelterBoxes for Haiti

Feb. 02, 2010 4:32 p.m. |

The Elmbrook Rotary Club has raised $6,205 to be used to send ShelterBoxes to earthquake victims in Haiti.

Each ShelterBox contains a tent and lifesaving equipment that can be used by up to 10 people while they are displaced or homeless. Each box costs $1,000, so the amount raised locally can help sustain just more than 60 people in Haiti.

ShelterBoxes are part of the largest Rotary project in the world.

Donations for ShelterBoxes can be made by sending donations to The Elmbrook Rotary Foundation, Elmbrook Rotary Club, P.O. Box 1014, Brookfield, WI 53008-1014. Donations can also be made at the ShelterBox Web site, shelterboxusa.org.

Early returns show support for municipal water lagging

Feb. 02, 2010 4:30 p.m. |

As of Monday, Elm Grove had received 270 responses from property owners queried about their interest in hooking up to and paying a special assessment for municipal water if it is brought to the village, Village Manager Dave De Angelis said.

Of the residential equivalent units represented by those letters, 67 were positive commitments to hook up to the system, 135 negative.

There are 875 REUs in all.

New Elmbrook financials show smaller deficit

Feb. 02, 2010 9:56 a.m. | An updated set of financial projections show that the Elmbrook School District's budget crunch is not quite as bad as previously thought.

The final version of the district's annual financial projection, prepared by PMA Financial Management, decreases Elmbrook's five-year deficit to $15.64 million. The gap shrank $2.56 million from the $18.2 million deficit estimated in a rough draft of the projection released in December.

The new projections show a smaller deficit because several of the assumptions used in the calculations have been made more accurate, said Keith Brightman, district assistant superintendent for finance and operations.

"We obviously have to check the projections and check the results and make sure everything makes sense in it," he said.

When reviewing the calculations used to create the projection draft, Brightman said he noticed that estimates for the cost of the district's staff salaries and benefits were too high. The draft also lowballed a revenue limit exemption the district receives to help pay for special education students.

We're blogging live from Elmbrook candidates forum

Feb. 02, 2010 6:48 a.m. | We're just minutes away from the start of an Elmbrook School Board candidates forum and NOW reporter Isral DeBruin has started blogging live from the event.

The forum, sponsored by the Elmbrook Parent Leadership Council, will feature all six candidates running for both open at-large seats in the Feb. 16 primary election: incumbent Bob Ziegler, Warren Groff, Beth Horneffer, Genevieve Schmidt, Sandra Schultz and Kathryn Wilson.

You can follow as-it-happens coverage of the forum at www.brookfieldnow.com/news.

Of the at-large candidates, the top vote-getter in the April 6 race will be elected to a three-year term, filling the seat currently held by Ziegler. The candidate with the second-highest number of votes will be elected to a one-year term, serving the remainder of the term recently vacated by Brookfield mayoral candidate David Marcello.

Another candidate forum will be held March 16 for the two candidates running for the board's Area II seat - incumbent Glen Allgaier and Ilse Frayer - and the four at-large candidates chosen to progress from the primary to the general election, to be held April 6.

DSHA whips Brookfield Central, turns GMC into a 3-horse race

Jan. 29, 2010 10:31 p.m. | Divine Savior Holy Angels whipped Brookfield Central handily Friday night at Central, 41-35, and turned the Greater Metro Conference into a 3-horse race.

The Dashers defense kept the Lady Lancers at bay all night, while Central struggled trying to run its offense. DSHA led 9-5 after one period and 19-13 at half-time and used that advantage the rest of the way as the teams played to a 22-22 tie in the second half. It took until the fourth period for either team's offense to really explode, as Central had an 18-17 advantage.

DSHA shut down Jesse Thomas (7), who had 15 points in their first meeting, for most of the game and Maggie Mattiacci took only two shots the entire game. Erin Lueder scored 10 points and Valerie Rose Agnello managed eight points, six in the fourth quarter.

Christina Kurcz had 12 points, nine coming on three 3-pointers, as she led all scorers. Erin Levenhagen (9), Elizabeth Linnemanstons (8) and Kelly Brandenburg (7) also played key roles for the Dashers.

Central and DSHA are now tied for first at 7-1 and West Allis Central is 7-2 with the second half of the season to play.

Elmbrook teacher charged with possessing child porn

Jan. 29, 2010 12:54 p.m. | Brookfield - An Elmbrook School District middle school teacher has been charged in federal court with possessing child pornography, according to court documents.

Jared J. Heckenkamp, 34, teaches applied technology and engineering and coaches wrestling at Pilgrim Park Middle School. He has been employed by the School District for seven years and has been placed on leave while the district investigates whether any criminal activity involved his school computer or schoolchildren, district officials said.

According to a criminal complaint filed Thursday, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Heckenkamp's Milwaukee home Wednesday, where they found child pornography on two computers and a flash drive. Agents also found a plastic bag of what is believed to be marijuana and a pipe inside a drawer.

A source who is not named in the complaint told the FBI that Heckenkamp was using an encrypted IP address to access child pornography. The FBI began tracing Heckenkamp's Internet usage and found that he had visited several child pornography Web sites, the complaint says.

Heckenkamp told FBI agents that he began using the Internet to view adult pornography about 10 years ago, according to the complaint. He said he began searching for child pornography about a year ago after paying for the encrypted IP address, the complaint says.