June 11, 2009 9:02 a.m. | New Berlin - Expecting parents in three New Berlin neighborhoods will be invited to be part of a nationwide study to improve child health, Chris Cronk of the Medical College of Wisconsin told the New Berlin Common Council on Tuesday.
The effort is part of the National Children's Study that will follow 100,000 children across the country from birth through age 21. The study will look at the effects of the environment - air, water, dust, social and parental interaction, media exposure, chemical exposures and diet - on their health and development. The study is termed by organizers as unprecedented.
Waukesha County was one of 100 counties chosen at random to participate in the study. A total of 17 neighborhoods within the county were chosen from Big Bend, Brookfield, Dousman, Hartland, Menomonee Falls, Oconomowoc, Pewaukee, Sussex and Waukesha in addition to New Berlin.
Study organizers are looking for mothers-to-be in their first trimester of pregnancy, Cronk said, but later they will look for women planning to become pregnant so that environmental factors in preconception can be evaluated.
In mid-July, a door-to-door effort will begin to recruit volunteers, Cronk said. The study will cost families nothing. New Berlin Mayor Jack Chiovatero said he has study contact information in his office, (262) 797-2441.
Feb. 04, 2010 2:48 p.m. | Follow us on Twitter and you could win a pair of Bucks tickets to Tuesday night's game against the Detroit Pistons.
All you have do is visit twitter.com/MyCommunityNOW, click the "follow" button, and then post your own tweet mentioning @mycommunitynow and the words "Tweet this for a chance to win Bucks tickets." The deadline to win the tickets is 5 p.m. Friday.
If you're already following us on Twitter, just send us the Tweet - this contest is open to new and existing followers.
At 5 p.m. Friday, we'll randomly select two people from everyone who tweeted "Bucks Tickets" - and they'll each will win a pair to tickets to Tuesday's game.
If you're not already following us on Twitter, do so today. Not only will you get a chance to head to the game, but you'll also be able to stay on top of the latest news, sports, photos and more from the MyCommunityNOW.com Web sites.
Feb. 03, 2010 10:58 a.m. | A grand jury in Milwaukee has indicted a New Berlin physician on 16 counts of dispensing powerful painkillers without a legitimate medical purpose in violation of federal law, according to court documents.
Roger A. Pellmann, 55, who owns the Center for Medical Imaging and Vein and Laser Skin Care Clinics in Germantown, faces 16 counts of illegally dispensing fentanyl and morphine between July and November of last year, according to the indictment.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine on each of 10 counts and four years and a $250,000 fine on each of the remaining six counts.
Pellmann's attorney, Adam Essling, did not immediately return a call for comment.
Pellmann appeared before a federal magistrate judge last month and is free on a signature bond. He cannot prescribe Schedule II narcotics while his case is pending, according to documents.
Feb. 03, 2010 10:18 a.m. | The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will hold a public information meeting on the proposed reconstruction of the Interstate-43 bridges over state highway 164 and the rehabilitation of the I-43 bridges over Martin Road.
The meeting will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at New Berlin City Hall, 3805 S. Casper Drive. The purpose of the meeting will be to highlight the proposed improvements and to answer questions about the project. The meeting will be conducted in an open house format with project exhibits on display for review. Personnel from WisDOT and the design team will be available to provide information and answer questions. Participants will be able to provide written or verbal comments to the project staff during the meeting.
Those unable to attend, or who would like more information may contact Philip Bain, project manager at (262) 548-8809. Written comments regarding the project can be mailed to Philip Bain, WisDOT, 141 NW Barstow Street, Waukesha, WI 53187.
Feb. 02, 2010 10:50 a.m. | A proposed grinding operation ran into a bit of a grinder at last night's public hearingbefore the New Berlin Plan Commission.
A new company wants to rent part of the Johnson Sand and Gravel quarry, 20685 W. National Ave., to grind stumps, branches and scrap wood from construction projects into wood chips. The chips, which are used as a fuel component, would be trucked down National Avenue to the Port of Milwaukee for shipment overseas.
But residents raised a number of objections.
They worried about tree diseases, such as the destructive emerald ash borer, being brought into the area from outside. Some also worried that poisons might be released into the air from the grinding of construction lumber treated with preparations, including arsenic and other chemicals.
Company officials said visual inspections at the site would avoid both those concerns. They also said they would work only with contractors that have high standards.
Feb. 02, 2010 6:36 a.m. | New Berlin — A proposal to open a Sendik's Food Market at the New Berlin Plaza, 3600 S. Moorland Road, is on its way to the Common Council for final approval Tuesday.
Both the New Berlin Plan Commission and Architectural Review Committee on Monday approved plans to remodel the building that has held a Lang Company store and Goodwill store. The Lang store is now closed and Goodwill will move to an addition to be built onto the north end of the building. Three homes along Coffee Road will be razed to make room for the addition.
The 44,000-square-foot Sendik's store is expected to open Nov. 1, said developer Greg Devorkin, of Devo Management of Mequon. The store will be about the average size for a Sendik's, he said. The upscale grocery store will include have a liquor department.
Remodeling will start in late February or early March. The exterior will tie into the existing façade, Devorkin said.
Sendik's has a store and corporate headquarters in Whitefish Bay, and stores in Elm Grove, Germantown, Franklin, Greenfield, Grafton, Mequon and Wauwatosa.
Feb. 01, 2010 12:06 p.m. | Saying that he wants to concentrate on his physical rehabilitation, 5th District Alderman Joseph Poshepny today withdrew as a candidate for re-election in the spring election.
He will continue filling the duties of alderman until his term expires in April, he wrote in his letter of withdrawal.
It is too late, however, to remove his name from the Feb. 16 primary election ballot. Poshepny had been one of three candidates running for the 5th District seat. Also running are Jake Krueger and Deena Liska.
Poshepny is recovering from a serious illness that kept him from attending Common Council and other city meetings from mid-May until fall. Because of his illness, he resigned and then withdrew his resignation. The council reinstated him in January.
Jan. 25, 2010 4:14 p.m. | New Berlin will extend municipal sewer service this year to New Berlin West Middle and High Schools, under a plan adopted Monday by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's commission.
The commission approved New Berlin's request to add 56 acres to the city's sewer service area to include the schools at 18695 W. Cleveland Ave. Connecting the campus to a city sewer will cost the school district an estimated $800,000.
A 50-year-old sand filter wastewater treatment plant at the schools has failed and is in violation of its state discharge permit, a school district consultant said in explaining the need for the sewer hook-up. The sand filter system discharges to an unnamed tributary of Poplar Creek.
New Berlin municipal wastewater is conveyed to MMSD facilities for treatment.
Jan. 22, 2010 2:16 p.m. | Extensive work that would have closed a major ramp in the Zoo Interchange this weekend has been canceled because of the near-certain forecast for rain moving into the area late Saturday afternoon, officials announced Friday.
With the cancellation, the ramp from I-894/Highway 45 northbound to I-94 westbound will remain open through the weekend.
Ryan Luck, project director for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, said rain would have created unfavorable conditions for the scheduled work, moving roughly 38,000 tons of fill material to build up approaches to a new bridge being built in the interchange. That bridge, serving as the northbound to westbound ramp, is one of three being replaced under a $15.3 million emergency contract.
Luck said the dirt moving will be rescheduled for next weekend and the delay won't affect the overall project schedule. The replacement bridges are projected to open at the end of May.
Jan. 22, 2010 10:36 a.m. | Driving US 45/895 will be tougher this weekend because of closures due to bridge rehabilitation work taking place at the Zoo interchange.
Starting 9 p.m. Friday, drivers headed north on US 45/895 into the interchange will not be able to turn west onto Interstate 94. Drivers headed south will be constricted from two lanes to one. The closures will last all weekend until 5 a.m. Monday, Jan. 25.
To assist the northbound drivers wanting to go west on I-94, a detour will be established to take them onto eastbound I-94 instead. The detour will then take them off the freeway at 84th Street and then direct them back on going west.
Jan. 15, 2010 10:05 p.m. | The New Berlin Eisenhower boys basketball team took another step closer to its fifth straight Woodland Conference championship Friday.
Eisenhower senior Zach Tranchita held Whitnall's William Pelkofer, the NOW area's leading scorer, to 10 points below his average and led the Lions with 14 points of his own in a 51-41 home win.
Eisenhower improved to 13-0 overall, 10-0 conference. Whitnall had its six-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 8-3 and 7-3, tied for second with Wauwatosa West in the league's Black Division, but three games behind the front-running Lions.
Pelkofer, who came into the game averaging 24.8 points but managed just 14 with Tranchita hounding him all evening. The senior guard made just five of 17 shots and three of eight free throws. Eight of his points came in the Falcons' 10-point fourth quarter.
Pelkofer was also dealing with possible concussion-related symptoms for much of the game, according to Whitnall coach Kent Kroupa.
Jan. 14, 2010 2:36 p.m. | As part of a statewide effort to reduce the number of preventable traffic deaths to "Zero In Wisconsin," the New Berlin Police Department has intensified its safety belt enforcement efforts. That effort will continue until Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7.
"Our intensified safety belt enforcement during this period and throughout the year will help save lives and reduce serious injuries from traffic crashes. Any preventable traffic death or injury is one too many," Chief Joseph Rieder wrote in a news release. "Our goal is not to write more tickets, but to increase voluntary compliance with the mandatory safety belt law. That's why we want all drivers and passengers to buckle up voluntarily. But if they don't wear a safety belt, we're always ready to stop their vehicle and give them a ticket."
The "Zero In Wisconsin" traffic safety campaign is sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Jan. 13, 2010 1:12 p.m. | New Berlin - Former Ald. Joseph Poshepny was reappointed on Tuesday night to the District 5 seat he says he unknowingly resigned from in August.
The unanimous vote by the Common Council to fill the District 5 seat with Poshepny resolves a lawsuit Poshepny filed against the city.
Poshepny filed a lawsuit in November, saying he never intended to resign.
The city received a letter from Poshepny dated Aug. 13 that stated "physical limitations have made it impossible for me to serve in the manner to which I would be most proud of."
But he attempted to rescind the resignation in a letter dated Aug. 26, telling the Common Council that the resignation letter had been written with the help of his daughter when he was having medical issues and he did not understand what he was signing.
Jan. 12, 2010 5:44 p.m. | Waukesha - In addition to this Thursday's previously announced swine flu clinic, Waukesha County's Public Health Division will hold additional clinics for the general public on Jan. 21 and Jan. 28.
All the clinics are from 2 to 6 p.m., or until the vaccine runs out, at the Waukesha County Expo Center, 1000 Northview Road.
The H1N1 vaccine will be provided free in both the intranasal and injectable forms. Early clinics were targeted to certain groups who were at high risk of illness from the H1N1 flu, but these clinics are now open to the general public.
Information about the clinics and medical forms that must be completed are available in advance at the county's Web site - www.waukeshacounty.gov/pandemicflu. Information is also available by calling 211.
Jan. 11, 2010 4:18 p.m. | Waukesha - William Domina, a former assistant corporation counsel in Waukesha County who moved to Milwaukee County to become that county's chief legal counsel in 2003, has been appointed a Waukesha County circuit judge by Gov. Jim Doyle.
He will fill the vacancy created with the December retirement of Judge Robert Mawdsley, Doyle's office announced Monday. Domina will start in February after he moves back to the county. His term will end July 31, 2011, requiring him to stand for election in April 2011.
Domina ran unsuccessfully for Waukesha County judge in 1996 and again in 1999 and was a finalist for the Waukesha-based District 2 Court of Appeals in 2008. Previously, he'd been elected four times to the Waukesha School Board.
As Waukesha County's senior assistant corporation counsel, he was perhaps best known for his work in the "cocaine mom" case, in which he forced a pregnant, cocaine-abusing Waukesha mother into treatment when she was eight months pregnant and continuing to abuse drugs.
Domina's actions, although upheld by trial and appeals judges, were ruled illegal by a 4-3 vote of the state Supreme Court, which said state child protection laws did not extend to fetuses.
New blog provides health advice, tips for families
The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-New Berlin blog offers health and safety guidelines, as well as tips on injury prevention, seasonal health, parenting and resources for families.
Marquette University and NewBerlinNOW.com are proud to salute the outstanding students who have made the honor rolls at our local schools. Click on a student's name for a printable honor roll certificate. Go to the honor rolls page.
LOCAL ELECTION COVERAGE
New Berlin 5th District
Be sure to check out NewBerlinNOW's coverage of this key local race.
The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-New Berlin blog offers health and safety guidelines, as well as tips on injury prevention, seasonal health, parenting and resources for families. 
