12 Days of Patch: July

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.

July 2011 (Voting ends at 1 p.m. Dec. 23)

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Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus – for a snafu in reporting votes in the state Supreme Court election  – is coming under fire from county leaders again after an error made by her staff nearly cost the county $1 million.

The latest controversy surrounds a crucial letter that Waste Management Inc. sent to Nickolaus’ office in May regarding the expansion of a landfill the company .

The letter notifying the county of the expansion should have prompted the County Board to take action to join a local committee that will have oversight over the expansion. By joining the committee, the county also will receive $1 million from Waste Management over the next decade.

However, that May 9 letter was lost by someone in the clerk’s office – even though it was delivered via certified mail and signed by someone in that office.

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Waukesha's 12-year-oldpassed away this morning, surrounded by his family, after taking a turn for the worse this past weekend.

"We were all with him and will continue to love him forever," Andy's family wrote in his CaringBridge journal. "It has been very difficult and we will continue to lean heavily on family and friends for their love and support to help us get through."

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Waukesha City Administrator Lori Curtis Luther will be leaving her post in Wisconsin to become the Peoria County administrator in Illinois – a county that has nearly twice the budget as the city of Waukesha.

The Peoria County Board of Supervisors is expected to approve Luther's contract during a meeting Wednesday. Luther was selected as the top candidate by the board late last week.

Luther, 36, has been in Waukesha since 2008. Luther oversees the budget process each year and introduced a budget for 2011 with a flat tax rate. She also has lead negotiations to convince the public unions to take a wage freeze in 2010 with 1.5 percent wage increases in 2011 and 2012 while contributing more toward their health care costs.

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Large crowds gathered in downtown Waukesha for the annual Independence Day parade that stretched from Cutler Park to Frame Park. 

The parade featured children who were decked out with the parade's theme of "Traveling the USA" and Mayor Jeff Scrima.

After a vicious pit bull , a Waukesha alderman is looking to put limitations on allowing the breed in the city.

Alderman Roger Patton, who represents the downtown area, made a referral Thursday night to allow pit bulls only for commercial use, such as in a junk yards for security at night.