Red Robin wins city approval, likely will open this fall

3:38 p.m. | Brookfield's Common Council on Tuesday unanimously approved plans for a new Red Robin gourmet burger restaurant at Brookfield Square.

Red Robin plans to build a 5,700-square-foot freestanding restaurant and bar on the mall's east side next to Barnes & Noble. The former Houlihan's restaurant will be razed to make room for the new building.

Red Robin operates nine other Wisconsin locations. The restaurant should be open by this fall, and hours of operation would be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The plans were approved as part of the council's consent agenda.

City anticipates $100,000 brownfield grant approval

3:32 p.m. | The city of Brookfield is close to solidifying a $100,000 grant that would help pay for site assessment and possible cleanup at the former Quebecor property on Bluemound Road near the city's eastern border.

Brookfield last year applied for the brownfield assessment grant through the state Department of Natural Resources so it can see how much contamination there might be at the 25-acre site and what would be needed to clean it up.

The Common Council on Tuesday agreed to amend the city's budget to account for the funds, but Director of Community Development Dan Ertl said the city still needs to take several steps before it will receive the grant, including reaching an agreement with property owner World Color to allow access to the site, as well as getting World Color to agree to pay $16,000 in matching funds.

The Common Council last night also gave the go-ahead for the city to apply for another DNR grant. The DNR's Plant Recovery Initiative is designed to help communities that have lost manufacturing plants or a significant number of jobs when larger employers have left the community, Ertl said.

Brookfield is seeking $200,000 through the second grant, but, Ertl said, he does not know when the city will hear if it has qualified.

Money for interchange study stays in 2010 budget

1:02 p.m. | After some significant discussion at the Finance Committee and Common Council meetings last night, Brookfield aldermen approved only slight modifications to the city's capital spending plan for 2010.

The city will spend a little more than $5 million on capital projects in 2010, including work on roads, storm sewers and parks.

Together, all the city's capital improvements for 2010 - including water utility projects, sanitary sewer projects and general city projects - total $9.64 million, but many of those projects are funded via other sources, including grants and developer contributions.

Aldermen proposed two amendments to the spending plan, one of which passed. The council voted, 12-2, to eliminate a $150,000 project to add pedestrian lighting along the southern section of Moorland Road. The project would have been tied in with Waukesha County's planned improvements to the road later this year.

Aldermen Mark Nelson and Jim Garvens voted against pulling the funding.

Tune in for live coverage of tonight's Elmbrook candidate forum

March 16, 2010 11:18 a.m. | Candidates running for Elmbrook School Board will square off at a forum tonight, and we'll be delivering as-it-happens coverage throughout the evening.

The action is set to begin at 7 p.m. in the board room at Elmbrook's Central Administrative Office, 13780 Hope St., Brookfield. Candidates for the board's Area II seat - incumbent Glen Allgaier and Ilse Frayer - will join candidates for the two at-large seats - Beth Horneffer, Sandra Schultz, Kathryn Wilson and incumbent Bob Ziegler - in a two-hour discussion about the issues facing Elmbrook.

We'll start blogging shortly before 7 p.m. and if you'd like, you can sign up now to receive an e-mail alert just before we get under way.

On April 6, district voters will head to the polls to cast three votes, one for each of the three open seats.

Allgaier and Frayer will face off for a full term in the Area II seat.

Eyeglass frames valued at $19,000 taken from business

March 15, 2010 5:54 p.m. | Two hundred pairs of eyeglass frames, checks and cash were taken from two businesses in a Brookfield office building last weekend.

According to police reports:

Suspects forced their way into Milwaukee Eye Care Associates and the dental offices of Christopher Blake, 17280 W. North Ave., between 5 p.m. March 5 and 7:55 a.m. March 8.

At Milwaukee Eye Care, the suspects took the eyeglass frames, with a total value of $19,000, from a display, and about $200 in petty cash.

At the dental office, an undetermined number of non-sequential checks were taken. Police said someone tried to cash some of the checks in Milwaukee on March 6.

Waukesha County signals 'keep us out' of RTA

March 15, 2010 5:24 p.m. | Waukesha - None of the competing legislative plans for a new regional transit authority in southeastern Wisconsin requires that Waukesha, Ozaukee or Washington Counties be members, though in some proposals the counties could vote to opt in.

In an affirmation of the "keep us out of it" principle, the Waukesha County Board's Executive Committee unanimously voted Monday to endorse a resolution objecting to the county's inclusion in any regional transit authority unless the Waukesha County Board votes to participate.

In the event that happens, the county wants to be able to back out with one year's notice, according to a resolution that will be sent to the County Board March 23.

The resolution follows a similar action by the Washington County Board in February.

In both cases, the counties' resolutions say that the counties have limited public transit services, no planned routes for commuter rail, no potential for major property tax relief from new transit revenue sources and prefer continued county governance of local transit services.

Woman steals jewelry from Boston Store, threatens employee with knife

March 15, 2010 4:58 p.m. | City of Brookfield police arrested a 21-year-old Milwaukee woman who stole $300 worth of jewelry from a Brookfield department store and threatened to use a knife on loss prevention officers who tried to stop her.

Police responded to a call at Brookfield Square, 95 N. Moorland Road, at 5:25 p.m. March 9 for a report of a retail theft. Employees of Boston Store said three women had taken several items of jewelry from the store, and one of them had threatened to use knife on store employees.

Police found the three women in the mall's J.C. Penney store and took them into custody. Police did not find a knife on the Milwaukee woman and she admitted that she didn't have one, but since she had threatened to harm employees, she was arrested for armed robbery.

Two other Milwaukee women, ages 18 and 19, were arrested for theft for taking $205 in jewelry from Boston Store.

Two charged in beating of Tosa cross country runners

March 15, 2010 2:30 p.m. | The two Brookfield men suspected of attacking four Wauwatosa West High School cross country runners last fall have been charged with disorderly conduct.

Charges were filed last week in Waukesha County Circuit Court against David Jameson and Jonathan Bibb, both 18-year-old Brookfield residents. The two are accused of beating four Wauwatosa West students Oct. 21 while the athletes were on a routine practice run through Brookfield's Lamplighter Park.

The charges, brought by Assistant Waukesha District Attorney Kevin Osborne, are considered a class B misdemeanor and carry a maximum penalty of $1,000, 90 days in jail or both.

Charges against a third suspect, who is 16, were filed in Children's Court last week by Waukesha County District Attorney Ted Szczupakiewicz, but a request for information had not been processed as of NOW's press deadline.

According to the criminal complaint against Jameson and Bibb and Brookfield police reports:

Brookfield Central, Greendale girls basketball photos now online

March 14, 2010 12:17 p.m. | Host Brookfield Central defeated Greendale in overtime, 50-41, yesterday in a girls basketball regional final and we've just posted a photo gallery from the game.

The Lancers outscored the Panthers, 9-0, in the overtime to move on to the next round. Central’s Valerie Rose Agnello scored 18 points while Greendale's Mary Merg had 16.

See NOW photojournalist C.T. Kruger's photo gallery.

Brookfield Central advances with OT win over Greendale

March 13, 2010 6:02 p.m. | The Brookfield Central girls basketball team is headed for the sectionals after defeating Greendale, 50-41, in overtime Saturday afternoon.

Central grabbed the regional final victory at home by outscoring Greendale 9-0 in overtime.

Central’s Valerie Rose Agnello scored 14 of her team-high 18 after the third quarter. Erin Lueder scored 15 points for Central before fouling out with three minutes left in the fourth.

Greendale's Mary Merg scored 16 points before fouling out with about 2 minutes left in the fourth.

Central plays Racine Case in a sectional semifinal game at 8 p.m. Friday at Central.

Brookfield Central boys basketball photos now online

March 13, 2010 8:07 a.m. | We've just posted a photo gallery from Brookfield Central's boys basketball sectional semifinal against Milwaukee Hamilton last night at Greenfield High School.

The No. 5 Lancers fought to overcome an early deficit before No. 1 Hamilton took control of the game late in the contest and posted a 47-43 victory.

See NOW photojournalist Peter Zuzga's photo gallery.

Federal grant will pay for defibrillators for Fire Department

March 12, 2010 1:26 p.m. | The city of Brookfield Fire Department today received an $89,000 grant to purchase paramedic defibrillators.

The new defibrillators will allow the city to provide a higher quality of care, Fire Chief Charlie Myers said in a news release. More than 40 percent of the patients treated by the department require advanced cardiac monitoring, which the new defibrillators would provide.

The grant, which requires a city contribution of $9,900, will be used to purchase three defibrillators.

The grant is administered through the Department of Homeland Security.

Developer hopes to bring Target, senior apartments to Brookfield

March 11, 2010 11:35 p.m. | Minneapolis-based developer Ryan Cos. has agreed to buy a 23-acre site in Brookfield, formerly the site of a printing plant, where the company hopes to develop a Target discount store and senior apartments.

That's according to two real estate industry sources who spoke about the project on the condition that their names not be published.

A Ryan executive didn't return phone calls Thursday. A Target spokesman said the company hasn't announced plans for a new Brookfield store. Typically, Target announces its new stores one year ahead of when the store will open, spokesman Kyle Thompson said.

Dan Ertl, Brookfield's director of community development, said the former Quebecor World printing plant is under contract to a developer. But he declined to identify the developer, saying no project plans have yet been filed with the city.

A Quebecor World spokesman also declined to comment, citing a confidentiality agreement with the developer. The printing plant, which closed in 2006, would be demolished to make way for the new developments.

$500,000 bail set in alleged sex assault of Falls teen

March 11, 2010 4:36 p.m. | Bail was set at $500,000 Thursday for a 48-year-old Brookfield man charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl he met at a Menomonee Falls gas station last weekend.

According to a criminal complaint, Sunil K. Singh talked the Menomonee Falls girl into getting into a car Saturday before getting her drunk, groping her and driving to an apartment building in the 11000 block of W. Meinecke Ave. in Wauwatosa.

According to the complaint, Singh threatened to kill the girl before dragging her by the wrist into the basement of the building, where he beat her and forced her into sex.

The girl managed to escape to a nearby apartment, where a resident called police.

Singh admitted to police that he provided the girl with alcohol, had sex with her and slapped her several times to keep her from crying.

We're blogging live from Friday night's boys basketball sectional semifinals

March 11, 2010 9:43 a.m. | Join NOW's David Cotey and Lake Country Publications' JR Radcliffe court side Friday night as they blog live from three of the area's top Division 1 boys basketball match ups.

Cotey will be covering the contest between No. 5 Brookfield Central and No. 1 Milwaukee Hamilton, set for 6 p.m. at Greenfield High School.

Radcliffe will be at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee reporting from No. 4 Waukesha West vs. No. 1 Arrowhead at 6 p.m. and No. 3 Germantown against No. 2 Menomonee Falls at 8 p.m.

Sign up now to receive an e-mail reminder when the events go live:

Brookfield Central vs. Hamilton