12 Days of Waukesha Patch: January

Waukesha Patch’s one-year anniversary is Dec. 28, 2011. It’s been an action-packed year here in Waukesha and we are proud to bring you the 12 days of Patch. Each day, we will bring the most popular stories of each month for Patch readers to vote for their favorite each month.

On our anniversary, Dec. 28, we will present the top 12 reader’s selection for the community to pick the top story of 2011.

January 2011 (Voting ends at 1 p.m. Dec. 17)

The rescued six people from the second and third floors when a fire ripped through a large apartment building at 212 W. North St. Saturday evening.

Journey Annette Sprader didn't want to wait the last three weeks before making her appearance in the world.

Instead, when her daddy was taking advantage of an unusually warm New Year's Eve by grilling outside, Journey's mom's water broke.

Deputy Chief Mark Stigler provided Waukesha Patch with hours of footage from the fire, including these clips. Stigler said that the instant the 911 call came into dispatch, the dispatchers were able to focus on the fire.

The cameras helped with keep track of the fire's intensity and the location of the firefighters as they were rescuing six people from the burning building and extinguishing the blaze.

Commissioner Jo DeMars said the Plan Commission has carefully attended to area as it is “an important area in our city.”

“We have attempted to make a very impressive and attractive shopping area for the citizens of Waukesha,” DeMars said.

Waukesha Police Officer Jim Rottscholl was off duty and walking his dogs, Sam and Bailey, on the bike trail through Gatewood Park in New Berlin at 3:50 p.m. Nov. 28 when three children – two boys and a girl – caught his eye.

The children were playing near a muddy, murky pond in the park. It was covered in a thin layer of ice, and Rottscholl knew the pond and its dangers.