TRUTH JOUR THROUGH NALISM VOL. 5, WK. 11 THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 $1.00 15-year-old Wisconsin Heights student goes missing by JOE BLOCK Editor that Meigs was near the Cam- iff’s Department and the family den Road area of Madison later of the student. We will continue A 15-year-old Wisconsin in the day of the 11th. Meigs has to assist the police in any way Heights student has gone miss- ties to this area, and possibly to we can.” ing, according to the Dane the Sun Prairie area. If you see Meigs, please im- County Sheriff’s Department, Meigs’ family is concerned mediately call the Dane County as of Tuesday, March 16. for her welfare and attempts to Communications Center at Tiah J. Meigs was last seen contact her have been unsuc- 608-255-2345. If anyone has leaving Wisconsin Heights at cessful. information or has had recent 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, March Wisconsin Heights District contact with her please call the 11. Meigs got into a vehicle of Administrator Jordan Sinz re- Dane County Tipline at 608- someone she knew. She is 5’6” leased the following statement: 284-6900. tall and approximately 200 lbs. “WHSD staff has been in con- Detectives have information tact with the Dane County Sher- Town of Perry 2-year-old found safe after search by MATT GEIGER running over the soggy ground, the woods,” says officer How- News Publishing Co. following the boy’s trail, did ard Statz, who was called in something that made his han- with his dog from Middleton to Night was not far away. And dler stop in his tracks. take part in the search. night, out in the country, sur- “He had a really dramatic It was 3:02 p.m. Friday when Tiah Meigs was last seen Thursday, March 11, getting into a vehicle of someone she knew in the rounded by woods and corn- head snap and looked north to SEE K9, PAGE 12 Wisconsin Heights parking lot. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED fields, where the coyotes’ howls bounce off of the ancient drift- less landscape and seem to warp creation, can be a scary time for a lost two-year-old. It can be an absolutely terrifying time for his family as they call out his name and search for clues as to where he has gone. As loved ones and first re- sponders scoured the landscape in the Town of Perry late Friday afternoon, they came across what a police officer called “one little boot print” in a small patch of quickly-melting snow in a cornfield. Soon after that, Szeci, the hulking police dog that was Spring means tapping trees and enjoying maple syrup at Merrimac The students at Merrimac tapped maple trees and made their own syrup--then enjoyed their rewards with pancakes--just a week or two ago. Conditions were good with highs in the 40’s and lows around freezing. For more photos, see page two. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED PAGE 2 STAR NEWS THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 Merrimac students get serious about maple syrup, and El- wood Voelker gets serious about eating it. PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED langenfeld-photo.com 608.233.9938 2011 Springdale Street Mount Horeb • 608-437-5555 symdonchevy.com $100, $70 or $50 MAIL-IN REBATE $ $ ON A SET OF FOUR SELECT TIRES! • $100 Mail-in Rebate† on Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Hankook & Pirelli • $70 Mail-in Rebate† on Firestone & Michelin • $50 Mail-in Rebate† on BF Goodrich, General & Dunlop † Purchase must be made at a participating U.S. GM dealer. Offer ends 4/30/2021. See mycertifi edservicerebates.com for details and rebate form, which must be postmarked by 5/31/2021. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery of debit card. ◆◆◆Credit approval required. Terms and Conditions apply. Talk to your participating Service Advisor to apply. Offer February 1, 2021 through April 30, 2021. 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Ad 100% paid for by Friends of Carolyn Shaff er LaValle, WI ($$ "" See dealer for terms and conditions. $ $ &'$!$$ %$ #))' ) ($$ "" $ THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 STAR NEWS PAGE 3 COVID-19 news focuses on Group looks to promote Wisconsin Heights auditorium referendum vaccinations, not new cases were attended by more than a that a civic auditorium is a com- by JOE BLOCK Editor hundred people of different ages munity investment that will last their vaccination: ten thousand rate. by JOE BLOCK and backgrounds to discuss at least as long. It’s an invest- Editor 16 percent have completed For the school districts them- In the wake of a facilities what makes a great community. ment in our school, our commu- their vaccination. selves, Sauk Prairie saw 21 new referendum in the fall--one in In a reversal of what the Star One of the identified needs that nity, and our local businesses. For those between 35 and 64, cases and 48 close contacts. which the District managed to News has been reporting over received significant support was WiHPAC Public Relations 44 percent are done. Wisconsin Heights had 11 cases cut 20 percent off the cost--Wis- then past year, vaccinations take a community auditorium. When Coordinator Eric Ripp stated 21 percent of those aged 18 and 44 close contacts. consin Heights is now looking the lead in COVID-19 news. the same group met a year later, that, “For nearly 60 years, the to 34 have completed their vac- at a $7.5 million auditorium ref- In Sauk County, 25 percent of the community auditorium re- school district has worked hard cination. Data and methodology erendum. When the board chose residents have received at least mained high on the list.” to make do with what we have; to go forward with the facilities Ripp continues: we need to give our school the one dose. Nearly 15 percent As for new cases, what was All data comes from the State referendum last year, they con- “Recently, a group of vol- tools to make our community have received both. said last week holds true: new of Wisconsin Department of sidered, but ultimately chose unteer community members better.”” The numbers for those com- case rates are flat. All increases, Health. Population figures for not to, include the auditorium formed a not-for-profit organi- The group explains: pleting their vaccination break and there were only a few, were municipalities come from the project on the ballot. zation to support the building “WiHPAC also believes that down in the following way: less than five new cases in the United States Census Bureau. In a short period of time a and operation of an auditorium an auditorium is an investment 48 percent are 65 years of age past week. The population de- Data is collected by the Star non-for-profit sprung up in sup- facility. The group, called the in the cultural and economic or older. fined by the Sauk Prairie School News on Mondays. port of the auditorium referen- Wisconsin Heights Performing health of our community. One Of those between 35 and 64, District saw 25 new cases, for a Data is reported on a seven dum. The Wisconsin Heights Arts Council (WiHPAC), con- of the keys to making the Wis- 30 percent have completed their low cases per ten thousand rate day cycle. Performing Arts Council (Wi- sists of 67 members committed consin Heights area a place that vaccination. of 12. School data is collected from HPAC) stepped to the fore to to making this project happen. people drive to—and not drive Of those aged 18 to 34, 12 For the area defined by the the Wisconsin Heights School advocate for the project. WiHPAC President Kyle Schae- through—is having an easily percent are done. Wisconsin Heights School Dis- District and Sauk Prairie According to Public Rela- fer says, “The school has been visible and accessible venue In Dane County, numbers are trict, there were 12 new cases, School District each Thursday. tions Coordinator Eric Ripp: supportive of the concept; we for events that will draw people similar for those completing calculating out to a19 cases per “In 2018, and again in 2019, have built our group of volun- to our community. Several sur- the Wisconsin Heights School teers to serve as additional re- rounding communities have District hosted forums [called sources to help with building a similar venue and they have Sauk Prairie School Board Future Searches] to gather the facility.” reaped the rewards of their in- ideas about the direction of the It has been almost six de- vestment.