The Washington County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a report of an accident which involved a bike and vehicle. It happened on Thursday, September 3 at 4:13 p.m. on Division Road and Western Avenue in the Town of Jackson. Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies, the Jackson Police Department, and Jackson Fire and EMS were dispatched to the scene.

While responders were en route, witnesses reported that the striking vehicle had fled eastbound from the scene. The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office was notified and asked to watch for the suspect's vehicle. Upon arrival, first responders confirmed the vehicle had left the scene.

The bicyclist, a Germantown man in his mid-60s, sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported by Jackson EMS to a medical facility.

Based on witness statements and evidence collected at the scene, investigators identified a suspect's vehicle and driver. During the ongoing investigation, Washington County deputies located the suspect's vehicle in Ozaukee County. Deputies initiated a traffic stop; however, the driver failed to yield. A brief pursuit involving Washington and Ozaukee County law enforcement followed before the driver stopped and was taken into custody by the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office.

The driver, an out-of-state man in his early 30's who was in the area for work, is believed to have been impaired by alcohol at the time of the crash.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office intend to seek charges related to this incident.

This investigation remains ongoing.

Highways are expected to bottleneck during Labor Day weekend.

The final travel weekend of the summer will be busy, with peak travel time on Monday, September 7  from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wisconsinites can expect higher travel costs and heavier traffic.

Hotel costs have gone up, with domestic bookings rising 9% this year compared to last season.

Wisconsin's gas prices are averaging $3.80, at the time of this writing. AAA says prices could rise further, with the national average potentially exceeding $4 for the first time. Wisconsin may see record-high Labor Day gas costs.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident involving a Johnson School Bus driver after a 4-year-old child was left unattended on a school bus following the completion of the child’s route on Wednesday, September 2. 

At approximately 5:47 p.m., the Kewaskum Police Department received a call from the child’s mother, who resides in the Town of Kewaskum, after the child did not arrive home. A Kewaskum Police officer responded to the Johnson School Bus Service facility, located just outside the Village of Kewaskum, and located the unoccupied bus assigned to the child’s route in the facility’s outdoor parking lot.

While checking the facility grounds, the officer observed the four-way emergency flashers were activated on a different school bus parked outside. The officer investigated and located the child inside the closed bus at 6:18 p.m. The child was visibly hot and partially clothed.

Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene and determined that the original bus had been parked at 5:30 p.m. Of particular concern to investigators were the temperatures inside the buses. Due to the outdoor conditions and the buses being closed and unoccupied, internal temperatures inside the buses were in excess of 100 degrees. 

Deputies met with representatives of Johnson School Bus Service who fully cooperated with the investigation. The company has a standard safety protocol requiring buses to be checked at the completion of each route. Kewaskum School District leadership also responded to the scene to conduct an internal assessment of the incident.

As part of the investigation, deputies also learned that the bus driver had previously reported a malfunction involving the bus’s electronic child reminder alarm system. The Child Check-Mate System is designed to audibly alert the driver after the bus is turned off to remind the driver to check the bus for any remaining students on board. The system requires the driver to walk to the rear of the bus and manually disengage the system and provides an additional opportunity to check the entire bus for children. 

During the investigation, the driver admitted that he did not conduct a manual check of the bus after completing the route, despite the malfunctioning alarm system.

The investigation indicates that the child likely fell asleep during the bus route and was unintentionally left on the bus. Investigators have found no evidence that the driver intentionally left the child on the bus or acted with the intent to harm the child.

Due to the child’s age, the length of time the child remained unsupervised, the extreme temperatures inside the bus, and the circumstances surrounding the driver’s failure to check the bus with the known alarm issue, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office will refer a child neglect charge to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office for review.

The driver, a 69-year-old man with nearly five years of experience as a school bus driver with Johnson Bus Service, was not taken into custody.

The child was not injured, and the parents declined emergency medical services.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office will determine whether criminal charges will be pursued.

Strong thunderstorms certainly packed a punch during morning drive time and during the start of school on Thursday, September 3.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued until 8:51 a.m. by the National Weather Service for area counties, including Washington, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Milwaukee. This band of storms included strong rain, lightning and winds up to 50 miles per hour.

Village of Richfield Department of Public Works crews were busy on Thursday, September 3 clearing many trees that were knocked down across roadways, due to the storm.

The National Weather Service then issued a flood advisory around 9:30 a.m. for Washington County, Waukesha County, Ozaukee County and Milwaukee County until 12 p.m. 

We Energies reported over 21,000 customers without power in southeast Wisconsin, at the time of this writing. It included 4,479 in Washington County, 3,995 in Milwaukee and 1,544 in Waukesha.

Hartford’s Jack Russell Memorial Library has started adult programs, including Coffee and Community, and it takes place on the first Friday of every month.

As soon as the doors open at 9 a.m., hot coffee is available. They will present a speaker at 10 a.m.

Hartford's Library Director Vanessa Taylir told WTKM about the speaker for Friday, September 4 along with a few upcoming speakers.

"We have Mark from the Ice Age Trail, he will talk about their Mammoth Challenge that they are having. We will also have someone from the Hartford Community Service and the Hartford Food Pantry."                                          

It’s Coffee and Community at the Jack Russell Memorial Library, in Hartford.

An ongoing EHD outbreak has been confirmed in wild deer in Washington County and suspect cases are also being reported from northern Waukesha and Ozaukee counties. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources continues to catalogue all reports of potentially impacted deer. 
The DNR is tracking this outbreak through reported sightings of recently dead deer in the area.

Hemorrhagic disease is an acute, infectious, often fatal, viral disease that affects white-tailed deer and other hoofed animals. It is caused by either the bluetongue virus or the epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus. In areas where HD regularly occurs, death rates are lower, usually less than 25% of the population, in areas where the disease rarely occurs. In Wisconsin, death rates can be much higher and high-density deer herds may have higher mortality rates.

The disease was diagnosed for the first time in Wisconsin deer in the fall of 2002, when approximately 14 deer were found suddenly dead in Iowa County, according to the DNR. Between 2002 and 2011, blood samples from deer were collected and tested. The results did not find antibodies to the viruses that cause HD, which suggests that deer in Wisconsin are not routinely exposed to these viruses. Sporadic outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease occur in Wisconsin. 

The viruses that cause hemorrhagic disease do not infect humans.

It won’t be long until harvest time. What about corn and soybeans?

USDA’s National Ag Statistics service says corn development is ahead of schedule. 85 percent now in the doe stage.

Five percent of the corn is mature. And some corn silage harvesting has begun, with five percent already in the books.

96 percent of the soybeans are setting pods, that’s three percent more than the five-year average.

John Heinberg of Total Farm Marketing, in West Bend says there is concern about the soybeans. 

"A slip of two percent from last week on that soybean crop condition, we are now under the five-year average, which was sixty percent. We are seven percent under last year. Some of the concerns is the bean crop is not finishing out, and it seems to be coming true with more chatter of disease possibly showing up. I've noticed some things in some of our fields around here too, we have had so much moisture here in the end and that's one of the last things beans need."   

Suitable days were reported for fieldwork during the week ending August 30, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Potato harvesting was underway, while some farmers had begun limited fall tillage.

The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's - Washington County takes place on Saturday, September 26 at Regner Park in West Bend. It's a free, family-friendly event.

On Walk day, participants honor those affected by Alzheimer's with the poignant Promise Garden ceremony. It's a mission-focused experience that signifies their solidarity in the fight against the disease. During the ceremony, walkers will carry flowers of various colors, each color representing their personal connection to alzheimer's disease.

More than 7 million Americans are living with alzheimer's disease. In Wisconsin, there are more than 110,000 people living with the disease and over 206,000 caregivers.

The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's is the world's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's care, support and research.

Visit act.alz.org/washingtonco to register.  

The Jackson Fire Department announced that the department will officially transition to providing 100% paramedic-level emergency medical services to the communities they serve. This transition, beginning Tuesday, September 1 at 7 a.m. represents a significant advancement in the level of emergency medical care available to residents in the Village of Jackson, Town of Jackson, Town of Polk and the Town of Germantown.

This level of service will allow their paramedics to perform more advanced skills and administer more life-saving medications that can be critical during life-threatening emergencies. 

Their goal is to provide the right care, at the right level, as quickly as possible.

The extensive work of the Jackson Fire Department EMS Committee made this transition possible. The committee was involved in the planning, development, review and implementation of the many changes necessary to move from a flex staffing model to a full paramedic-level EMS system.

The Jackson Fire Department has operated under a flex staffing model since 2019. In fact, the Jackson Fire Department was the first fire department in Wisconsin to implement flex staffing for EMS.  

Hartford’s Joint 1 School District’s first day of school is Tuesday, September 1.

It’s been a busy summer, according to District Administrator Dr. Tara Villalobos. 

"In the summer we have a lot of things to do, whether it's related to facilities and getting all of the buildings ready. Whether it's our Summer Academy, where we get our students continued enrichment during the summer so there is continued learning. Our Middle School Connections program just happened, along with the training for all of our staff."

They are looking forward to another great school year, with Central Middle School, Lincoln Elementary and Rossman Elementary.

They continue to improve the curriculum for the students.

"Our school board just approved our curriculum review cycle last month," according to Dr. Villalobos. Along with that, in the spring we adopted several new pieces of curriculum. We adopted ELA curriculum, which is english language arts at all grade levels. Then we adopted a new science curriculum."                                      

Many students and parents attended the Joint 1 School District's annual open house events on Wednesday, August 26 and Thursday, August 27. It was a chance to prepare for the upcoming school year by visiting classrooms and meeting their teacher.     

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office investigated internet crimes, after they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

As a result of the tip and the investigation, 60-year-old John Bauer, of Mayville, and 42-year-old Jason Van Dyke, of Burnett were booked into the Dodge County Jail. Each suspect face a felony charge in this case.

These charges are being requested to the Dodge County District Attorney’s Office.

All individuals arrested and booked into the Dodge County Jail can be found on the “Arrest” tab of the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office App.

The Washington County Humane Society is inundated with cats. 

Event and Cultivation Specialist Hannah Noegel told WTKM that the number of cats and kittens is growing at the shelter.  

"It was a big late summer cat and kitten boom. Right now, we need the community's help to find homes for these fantastic felines. We are caring for a wide variety of ages, breeds, energy levels and personalities."                                      

Visit the cat’s page on their website, wchspets.org or visit the shelter which is located between Slinger and Jackson, on Highway 60.

The Washington County Humane Society is open to the public for adoption viewing hours on Monday and Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.   

The Washington County Highway Department reconstructed a two-mile stretch of road in the Town of Jackson, including County Trunk Highway M from County Highway T (Western Ave) to State Highway 60.

The project included culvert improvements, new and wider asphalt surface, shouldering, ditching, sightline improvements, striping, and signs. 

Mashuda Contractors was the prime contractor. The project was completed five weeks early.  

The Washington County Communications Center received a 911 call of a motorcycle crash in the area of Highway 175 and Highway 164 in the Town of Polk on Saturday, August 29 at 2:30 a.m.

Deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Slinger Police Department and Wisconsin State Patrol responded to the scene and located a female patient and a male patient. Lifestar Rescue and the Slinger Fire Department also responded. Lifesaving efforts were performed, but both patients passed away. The victims were identified as a 29-year-old woman, from Polk and 51-year-old man, from Jackson.  

The roadway was closed for five hours while the Washington County Crash Reconstruction Unit and the Washington County Medical Examiner’s Office investigated the scene.

The crash remains under investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann welcomed U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald to the Oaks of Jackson on Tuesday, August 25 for a tour highlighting the county’s Next Generation Housing Initiative and its growing influence as a model for expanding attainable homeownership.

Schoemann, Fitzgerald and Village of Jackson Administrator Jen Heidke toured newly constructed homes, met with homeowners and discussed how Washington County’s public-private approach is helping working families purchase homes, supporting local employers and encouraging future housing development.

“What started as a local solution to a challenge facing Washington County is now helping shape the national conversation about housing,” Schoemann said. “Our Next Generation Housing Initiative demonstrates what can be accomplished when county and municipal leaders work alongside builders, employers and community partners. By reducing barriers to construction and focusing on attainable homeownership, we are helping more working families achieve the American Dream while strengthening the workforce our local businesses need.”

The visit also highlighted Fitzgerald’s recently introduced federal housing legislative package, including the Working Families Home Construction Act, which was inspired by a similar program implemented in Washington County.

“Washington County has shown that innovative financing can help get more homes built for working families,” said Congressman Fitzgerald. “My Working Families Home Construction Act takes the lessons learned here in Wisconsin and brings them to the federal level, helping builders access the financing they need to build more middle-class housing across the country.” 

“Fixing the housing shortage in the United States is one of the top issues we face,” said Congressman Fitzgerald. “Washington County has developed a successful model for overcoming barriers to housing construction, and we need to build on that success so more hardworking Americans can achieve the dream of homeownership.”

The Working Families Home Construction Act would allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase qualifying residential construction loans at low interest rates. The proposal is intended to help builders obtain financing for land acquisition, infrastructure, site preparation and other upfront costs associated with producing middle-class housing.

Fitzgerald’s package also includes the Sustainable Homeownership Act and the Home Affordability Through Mortgage Simplification Act. Together, the proposals seek to reduce barriers to new housing construction, simplify the homebuying process and expand sustainable homeownership opportunities.

During the tour, Schoemann and Fitzgerald visited homes constructed by Hillcrest Builders and spoke with Next Generation Housing homeowners about their experiences. Local government, business, housing and community representatives also discussed how attainable housing helps employers recruit and retain workers by allowing more families to live near their jobs and establish roots in Washington County.

Washington County launched the initiative in 2021 to increase the supply of attainable, owner-occupied housing and address barriers to homeownership. Under its updated framework, the initiative seeks to create 1,000 new owner-occupied housing units in Next Generation Housing developments by 2032.

The initiative’s pricing goals call for 40% of homes to be sold for less than $340,000, 80% for less than $360,000 and all homes for less than $420,000, including the home and lot or site. Its broader vision is to expand housing opportunities, provide attainable options and help families obtain quality homes while keeping housing costs within approximately 30% of household income.

Photo of U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald by Washington County.

A barn fire was reported from Meadow Road, in Farmington. The caller reported smoke and flames coming from the barn, which had animals inside.

The Fillmore Fire Department was dispatched and quickly upgraded the incident on Friday morning, August 28 around 7:37 a.m. Deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded and found the structure fully engulfed in flames, with heavy smoke throughout the area.

Area fire departments responded, including Boltonville, Newburg, Kewaskum, St Lawrence, Jackson, Kohlsville, West Bend, Silver Creek, Fredonia, Random Lake, Saukville, Beechwood, Richfield, Grafton, Allenton, Hartford, Slinger, Campbellsport, Campbellsport, and Washington County Emergency Management.

Meadow Road was closed for four and a half hours to support firefighting operations. No injuries to firefighters or other emergency personnel were reported.

The barn, which included a milking parlor, was declared a total loss. Damage is estimated to exceed $1 million.

The fire remains under investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Fillmore Fire Department.

The fire is not believed to be suspicious in nature.

A new school year begins at Hartford Union High School with the Freshmen Jump Start. It's the first day of school for incoming freshmen on Tuesday, September 1st.

HUHS Superintendent Dr. Stacy Gahan told WTKM that the freshmen are on their own that day. 

They will meet their teachers, tour the campus, walk their schedule, pick up their Chromebooks and take part in spirit activities. 

The first day of school for sophmores, juniors and seniors will be Wednesday, September 2nd at Hartford Union High School. 

Labor Day falls on Monday, September 7th this year. It's a popular weekend for a final summer getaway.

AAA booking data shows a strong demand for travel.

Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis with a reminder regarding alcohol. 

AAA shows the average domestic airfare is up two percent compared to last year.

The Labor Day weekend traffic forecast finds the heaviest road congestion will be Thursday, September 3rd from 2pm to 7pm and Noon to 8pm for Friday, September 4th. 

Habitat for Humanity of Washington and Dodge Counties’ Germanfest celebration continues through Sunday, August 30.

The 40^th annual four-day event started Thursday, August 27.

A talented lineup of bands perform at Regner Park, in West Bend. Delicious food is also served.

Habitat for Humanity’s Director of Development Amber Ruch told WTKM about where the funds go.

"Germanfest is one of our largest fundraisers for our affiliate. It takes around two hundred thousand dollars to build one home and we try and build four a year."                            

Providing affordable housing is their mission. They help families build and improve places to call home.

Hartland Police have released information regarding an incident yesterday, around 1 p.m.

A 50-year-old woman, a Hartland resident, called the Waukesha County Communications dispatch center and said she was being held at gunpoint in her apartment, located on Campus Drive.

Officers responded and set up a perimeter.

Lake Country Lutheran High School was placed on lockdown and a community notification was announced.

The Suburban Critical Incident Team and multi-jurisdictional SWAT team responded to the scene.

It was later determined that the woman had been alone inside the apartment, and there was no indication of anyone being held at gunpoint.

The woman was arrested.

The legendary Dolly Parton passed away on Tuesday, August 25. She was 80-years-old.

Her amazing talent was widespread as a singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist. Her legacy has had an impact in Washington County, through the Imagination Library.

United Way of Washington County CEO Kristin Brandner told WTKM about this great program.

"It's about getting free books into the hands of all of our kids in Washington County. It's a book-giving program to inspire the love of reading at a young age. It's for kids in the community ages birth to five years of age."                          

Dolly Parton was inspired by her father’s inability to read or write, and launched the Imagination Library in 1995, initially in Tennessee. It has become a popular book-gifting program across the country. It mails free books to registered children every month.  

Learn more at unitedwayofwashingtoncounty.org. The Imagination Library is a free program.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a house fire, at 5243 High Ridge Trail, in Trenton Wednesday evening, August 26 at 6:09 p.m. Washington County. Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies, Newburg Fire Department and Newburg Rescue responded to the scene.

The homeowner called 911 and stated there was a fire in his basement and believed the dehumidifier was on fire. The homeowner successfully extinguished the fire, using a household fire extinguisher. The residence quickly filled with black smoke. The homeowner and his wife safely evacuated the home.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived on scene and made entry to the residence to confirm the fire was out. Newburg fire personnel arrived on scene and verified the fire was extinguished and checked for any hot spots in the basement ceiling. Firefighters removed burned debris from the basement, including a heavily damaged dehumidifier, an extension cord, basement ceiling tiles and insulation. Newburg fire personnel ventilated the home to clear the smoke from the interior. The fire was contained to the basement workshop area.

The residence is a single-family home and sustained minimal fire damage to the basement, but suffered significant smoke damage throughout the house. Estimated damage to the property is $120,000.

The homeowner was transported to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. There were no injuries to first responders or fire personnel. The cause of the fire appears accidental, originating in the area of the dehumidifier.

86,025 fairgoers, which is a 21 percent attendance growth for the annual Washington County Fair, in West Bend. It's certainly great news, which is attributed to beautiful weather and a county fair which had something for everyone.

Event and Fair Operations Manager Tanya Becker told WTKM from the start, that it had the makings of a record-breaking year.

"We had one hundred more exhibitors than last year and one thousand more exhibitor entries. More animals, more Lego sets, more flowers and plants. It's exciting to see the hard work of the kids in Washington County." 

The 168th Washington County Fair is stronger than ever, thanks to many people who work hard all year long behind the scenes.

"It's the best fair ever," according to Washington County Fair Committee Chair Rob Johnson, who joined WTKM live on the fair grounds on Thursday, July 23. "It's because we have an amazing staff, sponsors and volunteers. The weather helps and we are very excited that people have a safe place to come out to. It's awesome for families."

Johnson went on to recognize the Washington County Board of Supervisors and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann.

"They are the ones who made this facility happen. They have a major asset here for the county. They truly want it to be the best fair in the state, and I believe it's going to be. We are very fortunate."

Johnson also serves on the Agricultural Industrial Society Board of Directors. They operate the fair park year-round.  

"We are blessed. We are a nonprofit volunteer board."

It's made up of dedicated board members, according to Johnson. It includes Aaron Jambura, Holly Lemmer, Jamie Ludovic, Randy Strupp, Tammy Mucherheide, Tracy Oestreich, President Jack Rettler, Lucas Simonds, Cindy Zimmer, Alex Sprtel, Gary Heckendorf and Kate Carroll.

Becker has done an impressive job in her role. She was excited to tell WTKM about an uptick with the number of exhibit entries and a variety of tasty fair food. 

The Washington County Fair Committee continues to make an impact. 

"Tanya and I host these meetings, typically once a month," said Johnson. "We are organizing things all year long, I have learned a lot. Tanya is a rock star and she obviously knows all of the details as we get all of the volunteers up to speed."

Johnson also recognized the facilities team and their great office team. 

"People think of the fair being one week long, but truthfully they are working on this all year long. And the great thing is, we are already talking about things we can improve on."

Solid support and many strong sponsors also shine a bright light on the Washington County Fair.   

Hartford Common Council met Tuesday night, August 25.

Council approved the building plans for Hartford’s Fire Station #2, which will move forward with the bidding process.

The contracted design firm is Five Bugles Design. Hartford Fire and Rescue Chief Tony Burgard says it may seem simple on the outside, how it's put together makes all the difference.

"It makes all the difference in the world. With Five Bugles Design, they have hundreds of fire stations that they have built, including local fire stations. They will fulfill our needs in this case."  

Bugles Design has created a final set of plans and specifications for Hartford’s Fire Station #2, which will be located on the corner of Highway K and Schauer Drive, in Hartford. It will be a single story with 8,000 square feet. It will be a metal building, which will include a decontamination space which is designed to clean toxic items off their gear before entering the living quarters.

The initial design estimate was $6.6 million, which was decided to be too much, in this case. Certain cuts were made in the design process, and it will be put out to bid to see where the cost lands.

It will go to bid in September, of 2026. It will be a three-week bidding period.   

The Theresa Lions Truck and Tractor Pull is Saturday, August 29 at 1 p.m.

12 exciting classes will be featured at Theresa Fireman's Park, in Theresa. Gates open at 11 a.m.

Theresa Lions' member Lee Recklaw told WTKM all about it.

"We have PI Motorsports. They are bringing nine classes to our pull and we are bringing three. The PI group is just a great group and they run our show. If you like tractors, we will have four tractor classes from PI and we have four truck classes."  

The Theresa Lions donate the funds that are raised from the Truck and Tractor Pull. The money goes to local charities, the food pantry, Lions Camp and scholarships.