Nicolet girls have no trouble with South Milwaukee

March 13, 2010 6:36 p.m. | It was no contest Saturday evening as the Nicolet girls basketball team defeated South Milwaukee, 56-22, in a Division 1 regional final game at Nicolet. Nicolet had three players in double figures, led by Ashley Green, who finished with 19. Alex Cohen scored 14 for the Knights, while Brittney Fair finished with 10 points. Nicolet will now take on Oak Creek in a sectional semifinal game on Friday at Whitefish Bay. Saturday's win was the 100th career victory for Nicolet coach Corey Wolf.

Nicolet boys basketball photos now online

March 12, 2010 9:19 a.m. | We've just posted a photo gallery from last night's sectional semifinal contest between Nicolet and Milwaukee King at the Al McGuire center in Milwaukee.

Nicolet fell behind early and nearly eliminated a 17-point deficit in the third quarter before King pulled away for a 52-46 victory.

See NOW photojournalist Peter Zuzga's photo gallery.

Nicolet's season ends with loss to King

March 12, 2010 6:54 a.m. | Despite a strong third quarter that culminated in a 12-0 run, the Nicolet boys basketball team was unable to get past Milwaukee King Thursday night.

The Knights' season ended in a 52-46 WIAA sectional at the McGuire Center on the Marquette University campus.

Nicolet had fallen prey to the Generals' trapping, pressing defense and trailed 38-21 with 3:09 remaining in the third. But from that point forward, the Knights took control of the Al forcing several turnovers out of King and going on a 13-0 run that was only ended when the horn sounded with Nicolet having closed the gap to 38-34.

But the team couldn't continue that momentum in the four quarter.

King (17-6) advanced to a sectional final for the right to go to the state tournament back at the McGuire Center on Saturday while the Knights ended their season at 17-8.

Dates set for speaker on drug abuse

March 11, 2010 4:30 p.m. | Dates and times have been set for three public appearances by Milton Creagh, a nationally known motivational speaker who is being brought to the Milwaukee area for the second time in six weeks to talk about drug abuse.

The sessions are sponsored by Bay United, a parents group that formed after the prescription drug overdose death last year of 15-year-old Madison Kiefer of Whitefish Bay.

The public appearances, each at 7 p.m., are Tuesday at Whitefish Bay High School; and Wednesday and Thursday at Nicolet High School.

Creagh also is speaking to students at schools in Whitefish Bay, Glendale, Bayside and Fox Point from Tuesday through Friday.

A Journal Sentinel investigation of Kiefer's death, and of the pervasiveness of prescription drugs in overdose deaths throughout the area, is available at www.JSOnline.com/prescription.

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

Nicolet moves on on state tourney on buzzer beater

March 07, 2010 7:40 a.m. | Senior guard Tre Kinlow hit a basket at the final buzzer to give the Nicolet boys basketball team a 46-44 victory over Milwaukee South Saturday in a WIAA Division 2 regional final.

The Knights will take on top-seeded Milwaukee King at 6 p.m. Thursday in the sectional semifinal at the Al McGuire Center. King beat Bradley Tech, 55-54, on Saturday.

North Shore Library exploring expansion

March 04, 2010 2:40 p.m. | North Shore Library, which serves Glendale, Fox Point, Bayside and River Hills, is seeking approval from the four communities to acquire more space to expand.

The library will make a presentation Monday to the Glendale Common Council, Tuesday to the Fox Point Village Board and March 17 to the River Hills Village Board, library Director Dick Nelson said Thursday. No date has been set for the Bayside Village Board, he said.

The library is seeking to acquire more space in the BVK office building, 6800 N. Port Washington Road in Glendale, its current location.

According to a history of the library, the library moved into its 20,000-square-feet of space in the building in 1986.

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.

Nicolet tops Pius in Round 1

March 02, 2010 11:02 p.m. | Style points don't count for anything at this time of year in basketball.

So that's why Nicolet boys coach Paul Hepp will just breath a sigh of relief and happily walk away with a somewhat-less-than-perfect 53-47 WIAA Division 1 regional semifinal win over Pius XI Tuesday night.

"We'll take the win, but we've got to play better and smarter," he said. "We had too many reach-in fouls and allowed a couple too many easy baskets late . . . but we kept our composure and made just enough plays down the stretch."

The victory advanced the Knights (16-7) to a WIAA regional final on Saturday at Milwaukee South (TBA). The regional champion advances to sectional play on March 11.

Nicolet took the lead on the Popes (8-15) for good with a 9-0 run late in the first quarter, as guard Myles Henry (13 points) had an old-fashioned 3-point play at the heart of the run.

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.

Swing into the 2010 Golf Show with free tickets

March 01, 2010 1:50 p.m. | The 2010 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Golf Show starts Friday, and you could win a pair of free tickets by entering our Twitter and Facebook contests.

On Twitter, simply follow MyCommunityNOW and tweet "I want to win free tickets to the #MKE Golf Show from @MyCommunityNOW. RT to win. Details: http://bit.ly/cPficZ"

A random drawing will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday for the three sets of free tickets, with each winner receiving four tickets. Winners must pick tickets up at NOW's Waukesha offices. Winners will be contacted through Twitter before noon on Thursday.

On Facebook, become a fan of the MyCommunityNOW fan page and respond or write on the wall about a story, photo or some other staff work you saw in one of our papers or on one of our Web sites and tell us what you liked or didn't like about that work. Two winners will be picked during a random drawing at 10 a.m. Thursday with each receiving four free tickets. Winners will be contacted through Facebook and must pick tickets up at NOW's Waukesha offices. Winners will be contacted through Twitter before noon on Thursday.

For more information on the golf show, visit the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Golf Show Web site.

Group formed after Kiefer death sponsoring motivational speaker

March 01, 2010 12:08 p.m. | Bay United, a parents group formed after the overdose death of Madison Kiefer, is bringing back a nationally known motivational speaker to meet with area students and parents.

Kiefer, 15, was a freshman at Whitefish Bay High School when she died from two prescription drugs one year ago today.

June Rubner, one of Bay United's founders, said Monday that Milton Creagh will speak to Whitefish Bay high school and middle school students March 16 and to students at Maple Dale, Bayside and Glen Hills middle schools in the North Shore on March 18.

Creagh will also speak on the evening of March 18 at Nicolet High School to parents of the Maple Dale, Bayside and Glen Hills students.

And he is available to speak to other area schools or groups on March 15, 17 and 19, Rubner said.

Arrowhead gymnastics sectional photo gallery now online

March 01, 2010 8:53 a.m. | We've just posted a photo gallery featuring more than 20 images from Saturday's WIAA Division 1 Arrowhead gymnastics sectional.

The gallery features athletes from Brookfield Central/East, Germantown/Menomonee Falls, Homestead, Nicolet and West Allis Central/Hale.

The hosts won the event with 143.725 points and Homestead was second with 140.7. West Allis' Emily Fuchs won the all-around competition and Brookfield's Katelyn Malcore was second.

See NOW photojournalist Peter Zuzga's photo gallery.

State wrestling photos now online

Feb. 26, 2010 10:15 a.m. | We've just posted a photo gallery featuring more than 20 images from yesterday's opening round of the WIAA Division 1 individual state wrestling tournament.

Competitors from Brookfield, Franklin, Germantown, New Berlin, Nicolet, Muskego, Oak Creek, West Allis, Whitnall and Whitefish Bay are featured.

See NOW photojournalist Peter Zuzga's photo gallery.

Council awards contracts for Public Works building repairs

Feb. 23, 2010 11:42 a.m. | The Common Council on Monday awarded $1.23 million in contracts for repairs to the city's Public Works building. The 22-year-old building, built over a landfill, has structural problems. The floor in the offices and part of the Public Works floor is sagging. The city in 1995-1996 tried to correct the problem by mud jacking the floor, but that solution proved to be only temporary.

In order to fix the floor, interior walls and plumbing, heating and electrical systems will be removed. During the construction, the Inspection and Planning departments and the Public Works director will be relocated to temporary office space in City Hall. City Administrator Richard Maslowski said employees will move to City Hall during March and demolition and construction on the building will begin in April.