Rewards Offered for Information About Milton Cemetery Damage

Below is a press release from Milton Police Lieutenant John Conger regarding the damage that occurred at the Milton Cemetery last week. 



Janesville Area Crimestoppers has offered a reward of up to $1,000 should an individual come forward with information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for last week’s criminal damage incident at the Milton Cemetery. We are also authorizing an additional $250 from our Crime Prevention Fund should a report lead directly to an arrest.

We are urging any victims to come forward if their family’s headstone was damaged. At this point we have not had anybody claim ownership of the damaged property, and that will be necessary to charge those responsible with Criminal Damage To Religious Property, a felony. A list of names from the legible headstones will appear in a public notice in this week’s edition of the Milton Courier.

The investigation is ongoing, and we have received some information regarding the incident. However, we would urge anybody with information to contact the Milton Police Department at 757-2244 or Janesville Area Crimestoppers at 756-3636. Once again, reports can remain anonymous.

City of Milton Meeting Notifications - Week of May 30 – June 3, 2011

The following official City meeting will take place this coming week. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are held in the Common Council Chambers (lower level of City Hall, 430 E. High St.).

• Wednesday, June 1st
• Historic Preservation Commission @ 6:00 p.m.

The agenda for this meeting will be posted at all three official posting places by 5:00 pm at the end of this work week. Those locations include City Hall (430 E. High St.), Piggly Wiggly (727 S. Janesville St.), and Dave's Ace Hardware (430 S. John Paul Rd.).

In addition, the agenda will be posted on the City's website by the end of this work week. Click here to access those materials: http://www.ci.milton.wi.us/CityInformation/DocumentLibrary.aspx

You are welcome to contact City Hall with any questions about these meetings at info@ci.milton.wi.us or call (608)868-6900 (ext. 5).

Trash Collection - Delayed One Day Next Week

Due to the holiday weekend, refuse and recycling collection will be delayed one day next week. 

Collection will occur on Thursday, June 2nd, instead of Wednesday, June 1st. 

Reminder: City Offices will be closed on May 30th in observance of Memorial Day.

City Hall Hours to Change June 6th

Similar to summer hour changes occurring in the Department of Public Works and the Police Department (discussed in the New Summer Hours blog posting), City Hall will also be adjusting hours for a 90-day trial period beginning June 6th.

City Hall will be open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Criminal Damage at Milton Cemetery

Below is a press release from Lieutenant John Conger of the Milton Police Department regarding criminal damage that occurred at the cemetery on Janesville Street.  The department is requesting the community's help in solving the crime.



The City of Milton Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in an ongoing investigation of criminal damage that took place at the Milton Cemetery, 123 N. Janesville Street. Approximately 25 headstones were overturned and another 15 were damaged by vandals between 3:00pm on Wednesday and 8:00am on Thursday. Precise damage estimates are not yet known, but it is believed the total will be in excess of $60,000.00. 

Individuals that come forward with information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for this crime are eligible for a cash reward through Janesville Area Crimestoppers. Individuals with tips can remain anonymous. 

If you have information regarding this incident please contact the Milton Police Department at 757-2244 or Janesville Area Crimestoppers at 756-3636. Anonymous tips can also be sent via text to CRIMES (274637), then enter JACS plus your message.

Independence Run/Walk - Registration Forms Available

The Milton Optimists will be holding the annual Independence Run/Walk on Monday, July 4th.  Registration forms are available at City Hall, 430 E. High Street.  Click here to view the registration form.

The event features a 10K that starts at 8:30 a.m., a 1-mile run that starts at 8:35 a.m., and a Fun Run that starts at 8:40 a.m. 

The registration fees are as follows:

• Age 13 and up before June 29 with a shirt $15, without a shirt $10.
• Age 13 and up after June 29 with a shirt $20, without a shirt $15.
• Age 12 and under with a shirt $6, without a shirt is free.

Participants 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult to run the 10K.

If you have any questions, contact Kris Koeffler at 868-4229.

City Offices Closed 5/26/11, 11 a.m. to Noon

City Offices will be CLOSED for one hour on Thursday, May 26, 2011 from 11 a.m. to noon for an all City employee meeting.

Payments for bills can be dropped off in the outside drop box at City Hall. City offices will re-open for regular business at noon.

City Offices Closed - May 30, 2011

City offices will be closed on Monday, May 30th in observance of Memorial Day.

Reminder - Don't Mow Into the Street

As the mowing season starts again for Milton residents, the city just wants to remind everyone that grass clippings should not be mowed or swept into the street.

This has always been a city ordinance; however, the DNR stormwater rules require the city to enforce the regulation more stringently than in the past.   

Grass clippings can be placed into a designated container at the Public Works Garage located at 620 W. Madison Avenue, behind the fire station.

New Police Chief - Dan Layber

Milton Police Chief Dan Layber was sworn into office at the Common Council meeting Tuesday night.  Click here to read a story by Rick Miller from this week's Milton Courier.

In addition, City Administrator and former Police Chief Jerry Schuetz was honored for his service to the Milton Police Department.  The official resolution can be found in the Common Council packet posted on the city's website. 

New Summer Hours

On June 6, 2011, hours will change at the Police Department and the Public Works Garage for a 90-day trial period. The new hours are as follows:

• Police Department: Monday - Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Public Works Garage: Monday - Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Friday 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Annual Awards Banquet - May 21, 2011 at 7 p.m.

On May 21st the City of Milton Police Department will be recognizing the following officers and community partners at our annual banquet:

• Officer of the Year: School Resource Officer Jim Martin-in a compelling nomination submitted by one of his peers, Jim’s work as a SRO has helped continue to evolve this position through proactive programming, and work in truancy prevention. He was promoted to the position at a challenging time, and helped maintain and re-establish the program’s viability as a critical component in our Department’s community policing efforts. 
• Community Service Award: Lt. John Conger- For his work in research and development of drug prevention programs and ordinances that included the County’s prescription drug box and working with elected officials in passing an ordinance banning synthetic marijuana in Milton. 
• Valor Award: Officer Johnson, Officer Breckling and Lt. Brad Smith: For their rapid response in protecting human life during a hostage situation on Greenman St. in the winter of 2011. 
• Commander’s Commendation: Officer Jim Schumacher, for his follow through in solving both a burglary and a complicated prescription drug case at the Middle School, as well as being instrumental in developing the Middle School Resource Officer program. 
• Community Partner Award: Rick Mullen of Mercy Health System for his volunteer work as a pharmacist and assisting our agency with sorting the medications turned into our prescription drug box. 
• Community Partner Award: All of the staff and volunteers at the Milton Area Youth Center for making their vision of a youth center in Milton a reality in 2011.

The awards banquet is open to the public. If there are community members that would like to attend the event tickets can be purchased at the police department prior to 4:00pm on Thursday, May 19th. The cost is $15 and that includes appetizers. Beverages will be available for purchase. There will also be auctions ongoing throughout the evening for many wonderful items donated by area businesses and community members. All proceeds from the evening will benefit the City of Milton Police Department’s Crime Prevention Fund. That fund is used to support community based police programming and equipment in our city.

The event begins at 7:00pm at the Milton House.

Open Book - June 1st & 2nd

Open Book has been scheduled for June 1, 2011, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and June 2, 2011, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees must make an appointment with Accurate Appraisal by calling 800-770-3927.  

Open Book provides property owners with an opportunity to meet with an assessor from Accurate Appraisal to dispute their assessment. The assessment role will be available at City Hall and the Library, both located at 430 E. High Street, on May 25, 2011.

If property owners do not come to Open Book, then they are ineligible to make an appointment with the Clerk/Treasurer for Board of Review, which will be held on June 22, 2011.

"Caught Wearing a Helmet" Program

Below is a recent press release from Lieutenant John Conger from the Milton Police Department about a new program the department started called "Caught Wearing a Helmet."

Each year, approximately 135 children die from bicycle-related injuries and more than 267,000 nonfatal bicycle injuries occur. Helmets can reduce the risk of severe brain injuries by 88 percent; however, only 15 to 25 percent of children 14 and under usually wear a bicycle helmet. Furthermore, it is estimated that 75% of fatal head injuries and 45,000 non-fatal head injuries annually could be prevented by use of a helmet by young bicyclists.

It is because of alarming statistics such as this that we are proud to announce our agency’s partnering with local merchants to increase helmet use and reward the children of our community who are making safe decisions. This bicycle season our officers will be handing out certificates to children that they observe wearing helmets while riding their bicycles in the City of Milton. Partnering with us in this great cause are Cowley’s Piggly Wiggly, Dave’s Ace Hardware, The Red Rooster, and the Milton House Museum. These certificates will be redeemable at Cowley’s Piggly Wiggly for a free bottled water, at Dave’s Ace Hardware for a free sport drink, The Red Rooster for a free scoop of ice cream, and at the Milton House Museum for a free piece of candy and a tour.

We believe that helmet use by bicyclists should be a focus and it is our hope that this program will promote more helmet use by the children of our community.

Public Safety Fair - May 21, 2011

Lieutenant John Conger from the Milton Police Department released the following press release today regarding the City of Milton Public Safety Fair that will take place on Saturday, May 21st.




On Saturday, May 21st we will be hosting our first annual Public Safety Fair. The event will be from 10:00am until 2:00 pm at Northside Intermediate School.

Special presentations will be ongoing throughout the day, including; Taser at 10:30am, Rock County Sheriff’s Office SWAT demonstration at 11:00am, Rock County Sheriff’s Office K-9 demonstration at 12:00pm, and a Milton Fire Department “Jaws of Life” demonstration at 1:00pm. Med-Flight will also arrive with their aircraft during the event. Also participating are the Rock County Health Department, Milton Public Library, Badger Vet, Mercy Health System, Fort Healthcare, Wisconsin DNR, Janesville Area Crimestoppers, Girl Scouts, Partners In Prevention-Rock County, and an area boat patrol.

The Milton Public Library will be offering face-painting for children throughout the day, and the Milton FFA will have a petting zoo on the grounds. 

We will also have an officer on hand to provide materials regarding the “Take 25” national initiative to help parents better communicate with their children on a wide variety of safety topics.

Badger Vet will have gift certificates and coupons for services and focus on the importance of rabies vaccinations. Mercy Health System will be promoting bicycle safety and will have coupons on hand for $10 off bicycle helmet purchases at Michael’s Cycles. If your child is in need of a helmet, there will be a drawing for (5) bicycle helmets that will go to the winners.

The event will take place rain or shine. If the weather is inclement, it will be moved into the school’s gymnasium.

"Make It With Wool" Class at the Milton House

The Milton House is hosting a "Make It With Wool"class instructed by Quilter Maretta Miller at the Milton House tomorrow night, Wednesday, May 11, 2011, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  It is a two part class that will meet this week and next Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at the same time. 

You will receive the wool kit to work on and create the item of your choice.  The cost is $35 for everything, and benefits the Milton House at the same time

Contact Cori Olson at the Milton House at 868-7772 to sign up for the class.

Reminder: Tails n Trails Dog Park Grand Opening 5/14/11

The Tails n Trails Dog Park Grand Opening will take place on Saturday, May 14, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Click here to access a previous blog with more details.

We hope you will be able to come and help celebrate!

Annual Plant & Bake Sale Benefits Milton House Museum

View the press release from the Milton Historical Society about this event.


On Saturday, May 7th from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., the Milton Historical Society, 18 S. Janesville Street, will hold their annual plant and bake sale to benefit the Milton House Museum. This year’s sale will take place in the green warehouse on the museum grounds, instead of the stable where it has been held in the past.


Plants will include annuals, perennials, ground covers, houseplants and wildflowers, donated by society members, friends and area businesses. Delicious homemade baked goods will also be available.


The Milton House Museum will be open for tours and the society gift shop will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.


For more information, or if you would like to donate plants or baked goods, please call 868-7772 or stop at the museum between 1 and 4 p.m., Tuesday-Friday.