Best of Patch: December

As 2011 comes to a close, Sussex Patch looks back at the top stories of the year, month by month. Here’s a recap of the news that made headlines in Sussex.

• Read the entire Sussex Year in Review series

An early morning fire caused about $240,000 in damage to a single-family, two-story home in the W24000 block of Clover Drive. Nobody was injured during the fire, which started at about 2:45 a.m. The cause still remains under investigation but there seems to be absolutely no reason to believe it was arson, said Sussex Fire Chief Colin "Corky" Curtis. The cause of the fire is currently classified as undetermined.

A 25-year-old Sussex man is facing multiple charges after he got drunk and began starting fights inside a Menomonee Falls bar, then tried to bite a bartender’s finger off when he was being escorted out. John. P. Schieble was charged in  with one count of battery, two counts of disorderly conduct and two counts of bail jumping. If convicted, he faces up to 33 months in prison and $32,000 in fines.

Mark Schlechta, a 30-year-old from the Town of Merton, blew a stoplight at the intersection of Highway 164 and Main Street, broadsiding a 37-year-old Hartland man. Schlechta was given citations for operating a vehicle with a revoked license and violating a red light signal. According to the Wisconsin Court System, in the past Schlechta has also been found guilty of reckless driving, disorderly conduct, possession of THC, possession of a controlled substance and a second offense OWI.

Everything seems to get a little richer during the holiday season, and that’s including holiday cocktails. From eggnog to heavy holiday beers, these traditional holiday drinks are fun but high in calories. Erin Naatz, certified personal trainer and owner of  in Sussex, says one of the biggest problems people have with added calories comes straight from holiday drinks.