Help us choose the All-Suburban teams and you could win Bucks tickets

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.

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.

Nicolet girls hold GT at arm's length to claim NSC title, 57-47

Feb. 18, 2010 10:15 p.m. | Still basking in the glow of Nicolet's 57-47 North Shore Conference championship win over second-place Germantown Thursday night, junior point guard Courtney Smith carefully measured her words when she was asked if the 17-1, second-ranked in state Knights still had some goals left to achieve.

She took her time, chuckled and then gave the most precise of answers in a long, carefully drawn out "Yes".

That's because Nicolet is not taking anything for granted even with the solid effort over a game Warhawk squad (15-4), even with the thought of a potential number one seed in its WIAA sectional and a long-sought after state tournament berth now drawing closer and closer.

Coach Corey Wolf didn't want to talk about that just yet but did keep her eyes on the future.

"Conference champs was one of our main goals, now we'll just have to set a new one," she said. It was the second consecutive title for the Knights, but this one is theirs alone after they shared it last season with Grafton.

Closing of Green Tree Road still up in the air

Feb. 18, 2010 11:08 a.m. | The River Hills Village Board will wait another month before reconsidering a request from some residents along Green Tree Road between River and Jean Nicolet Roads for a partial closure of the street.

The board in November agreed to a trial closure of the eastbound lane. The lane would be open to residents living on Green Tree and for emergency vehicles, school buses and other municipal vehicles, such as garbage trucks, but closed to other traffic.

In February, trustees voted to reconsider the closure after receiving petitions from other residents opposed to the closing.

The board started its meeting Wednesday night with a closed session to discuss the reconsideration and a pending lawsuit in federal court.

The city of Glendale and Nicolet School District have sued the village, attempting to stop the partial closure. On the advice of legal counsel, the board deferred discussion of the partial closure to its March meeting.

Redeker, Kasle advance in School Board race

Feb. 16, 2010 9:40 p.m. | Ellen Redeker and Joseph Kasle will vie for a vacant seat on the Nicolet School Board in the April 6 election.

In Tuesday's primary election, Redeker garnered 507 votes to 199 for Kasle and 114 for Bruce Brocker, the third candidate.

Redeker, a banker, lives in Glendale. Kasle, an insurance broker, lives in Fox Point and is the president of the Maple Dale-Indian Hill School Board. Redeker is a newcomer to elected office but has been active on the Glendale River Hills School District Foundation, serving as its president.

Nicolet School Board results in for Glendale, Bayside

Feb. 16, 2010 8:38 p.m. | Election results are in from Bayside and Glendale, two of the communities making up the Nicolet School District.

With the two communities reporting, the totals thus far have Ellen Redeker, 373; Joseph Kasle, 132; and Bruce Brocker, 92. The top two top vote-getters will be on the ballot seeking one vacant seat in the April 6 election.

Prep basketball sectional tickets now on sale

Feb. 16, 2010 3:51 p.m. | Tickets are now sale at for the WIAA boys basketball "Super Sectionals" to be played at Marquette University's Al McGuire Center at 12th and Wells Streets in Milwaukee, March 11-13.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Germantown will be co-hosting the event.

Teams from three sectionals will determine state tournament berths at the events. From division I sectional eight, area teams that could be involved include Nicolet, Oak Creek, South Milwaukee and Wauwatosa East and West.

From division I sectional five, potential sectional participants include Germantown, Homestead, and Menomonee Falls.

In addition, the division 2 sectional final will be held at the McGuire Center at 4:15 p.m. Saturday, March 13. This loaded event features many of the state's top-ranked teams including New Berlin Eisenhower, Port Washington, defending state D2 champ Wisconsin Lutheran and Catholic Memorial, along with Brown Deer, Shorewood, Whitefish Bay and New Berlin West.

Drive your way to auto show with free tickets

Feb. 16, 2010 10:16 a.m. | The Greater Milwaukee Auto Show starts Saturday, and you could win a pair of free tickets by entering our Twitter contest.

To win, simply follow MyCommunityNOW on Twitter and tweet "I want to win free tickets to the Greater Milwaukee Auto Show from @MyCommunityNOW. RT to win. Details: http://bit.ly/cdQMKE"

A drawing will be held at 10 a.m. Friday for the four pairs of free tickets. Winners must pick tickets up at NOW's Waukesha offices. Winners will be contacted through Twitter before noon on Friday.

For more information on the auto show, visit AutoShowMilwaukee.com.