Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, summed up the state of the Mifflin Street Block Party the day after 2013’s event, saying “the past Mifflin that some upperclassmen are used to is done.”In early April, Madison police issued a neighborhood letter saying there would be no block party on May 4,… Read more »

East Mifflin Street could see a new development project coming to the downtown area soon, as developers get ready to present a proposal for a six-story apartment building in the neighborhood next Wednesday. The development could replace four houses and a large parking lot and would be located on East… Read more »

City Council unanimously chose to oppose a bill addressing landlord-tenant interactions in their meeting Tuesday evening after concluding the legislation would severely eliminate tenants’ rights in the state. Although Madison has no jurisdiction over the bill itself, the motion was done as a gesture towards the Legislature in effort… Read more »

Robbery: Mound Street A thief robbed a man walking down Mound Street early Tuesday morning, pointing a gun at the victim’s chest when he demanded the man’s phone. According to a Madison Police Department statement the victim was walking down Regent Street shortly after midnight near its intersection at… Read more »

Madison’s mayor may require city departments to significantly cut their budgets for the 2014 fiscal year in order to combat the city’s growing debt. Madison Mayor Paul Soglin said in a statement Monday he wanted the city’s departments to submit, along with their 2014 capital budget, an alternate budget that… Read more »

City of Madison and campus officials agreed the 2013 Mifflin Street Block Part was milder than the party has been in recent years, with no major incidents and figures showing record lows in citations and detox transportations.Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain said no one attending the Mifflin event went… Read more »

Battery: University Avenue Madison Police arrested a man for battery on the 600 block of University Avenue at around 1 a.m. Sunday after he initiated multiple fights with another man. Police found Deon Pickett, a 24-year-old Chicago native, fighting with another 24 year-old man outside of University Avenue establishments,… Read more »

As Madison gets ready for summer to arrive, a new boat rental service and cafe are gearing up to open for Memorial Day weekend blocks from campus on Monona Bay in Brittingham Park. Tyler Leeper, the co-owner of Brittingham Boats along with Stephan Reinke, gave community members and city leaders… Read more »

A fire burned down much of a playground and its equipment at an elementary school on Regent Street early Thursday morning.  Madison Fire Department spokesperson Lori Wirth said the fire is still under investigation and the blaze’s cause remains unknown. She said a call from a neighbor of Randall Elementary… Read more »

Local and national law enforcement agencies led a manhunt Thursday that ended with the police taking a fugitive into custody who was wanted by the FBI for violating parole and for questioning in a federal murder investigation.  The hunt ended shortly after 7 p.m., when the Madison Police Department took… Read more »

The Associated Students of Madison has approved a $52,670 budget for a mental health office in the Student Activities Center  that will be used to help students with mental health issues. SAC Governing Board Chair Katie Cary said the money will fund the construction of an office in the same… Read more »

Madison’s top appointed and elected officials heard a presentation on the results of a study done by a federal body, which focused on a long-term option to increase bus rapid transit in Madison, at a meeting Tuesday. Bill Shaefer, the transportation planning manager of the Transportation Planning Board, said the… Read more »

Attempted Robbery: Baldwin Street A man attempted to steal the purse of a 27-year-old woman walking near the intersection of South Baldwin Street and East Wilson Street shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday night. According to a Madison Police Department statement, the suspect ran into the victim, said nothing and then attempted… Read more »

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin upped the ante for good behavior at this weekend’s Mifflin Street Block Party, announcing in a meeting with city officials any unused funds from the police budget for the event would go to funding summer youth programs. Soglin said the 2012 Mifflin event cost $190,000 for the… Read more »

A city committee updated and recommended renewal of a city ordinance that prohibits liquor stores from selling to habitually drunk persons Wednesday night.  Madison’s City Council first passed the Habitually Intoxicated Persons ordinance in July 2010. The Alcohol License Review Committee chose Wednesday to recommend the ordinance be extended to 2015,… Read more »

George Bunn, a former University of Wisconsin Law School Dean remembered for his passion and activism for nuclear disarmament, died Tuesday at age 87 in Palo Alto, Calif. According to a UW statement, Bunn served the UW Law School from 1969 to 1986, and was dean of the school from… Read more »

Attempted Homicide: Jenewein Road A Madison man was shot on the 4700 block of Jenewein Road Monday night by unknown perpetrators after a clash broke out between two groups in the city’s west-side neighborhood. According to Madison Police Department Lt. Cory Nelson, the gunshot wounds were not fatal, and a… Read more »

Residents will have a new option for pizza in the Willy Street neighborhood coming in July, with a pizzeria opening in the old storefront of an antique gun shop.Gilbert Altschul, the owner of Grampa’s Pizzeria, said the restaurant is slated to open the second week of July at 1374 Williamson St.… Read more »

The Madison Police Department and the Dance County Sheriff’s Department worked together after receiving help from a private citizen to locate and retrieve the body of a man who went missing in January from Lake Monona. Charles Geurts, a 26-year-old Kaukana man, was last seen on Jan. 16 while he… Read more »

Local Madison police officers met with leaders in the Greek community Thursday night to respond to concerns about how the Langdon Street area will be policed on May 4, the day of the Mifflin Street Block Party and Revelry. Madison Police Department Lt. Kelly Donahue reassured the group MPD’s policies… Read more »

On Tuesday, Madison’s City Council approved a project that will build a six-story apartment building where the soon-to-be demolished Stadium Bar is currently located. Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said even though in the past many local students advocated for the Stadium Bar to remain, there is nothing City Council… Read more »

Madison’s City Council met in a special session Tuesday to vote to appoint a downtown alder to be the City Council’s pro tem, or vice president.Ald. Scott Resnick, the District 8 who represents a large portion of the University of Wisconsin campus, was elected to be the council’s pro tem.… Read more »

Two explosions at the Boston Marathon finish line killed at least three people and injured more than 140 on Monday, sparking concerns of a terrorist attack on United States soil, according to the Associated Press. Of the nearly 23,000 athletes from around the world who ran in the Boston Marathon… Read more »

In light of recent uncertainty surrounding the event, city officials emphasized the Mifflin Street Block Party is not “cancelled,” as was delineated in a letter from police officials to residents, but will be treated similarly to last year’s block party. A letter sent out to residents last week said “there… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin and the City of Madison are slated to begin construction on a redevelopment of the 700 and 800 block of State Street and Library Mall at the end of 2013. According to Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, the goal of the project is to update the… Read more »

Mayor Paul Soglin released his appointments Wednesday for the city committees Madison’s alders will sit on for the next two years. Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, was appointed to sit on Plan Commission, one of the most powerful city committees which has a large say in what gets built in… Read more »

Sharon Dunwoody, a professor who specializes in science communication at University of Wisconsin’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, has won the Hilldale Award for professors in social science. She said she studies how people use messages in the media to make decisions about science issues, such as global warming.… Read more »

A city committee decided Tuesday the 800 block of East Washington Avenue will gain an apartment building and a Metcalfe’s, a local Wisconsin grocer that currently has three locations in the state.  The committee chose Metcalfe’s because it said to be the best fit for the neighborhood. But if Metcalfe’s… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin Athletic Board presented its annual report and budget for the 2011-12 academic year Monday at the UW Faculty Senate meeting. The Wisconsin Athletics revenue increased from $80,941,888 in the 2010-2011 academic year to $89,998,412 in the most recent academic year, and has seen a similar increase… Read more »

The friends of a 30-year-old man who a Madison police officer shot and killed Nov. 9 plan to present a petition to the Madison Police Department chief to remove the officer from street patrol. Paul Heenan, the man who was killed, was intoxicated and attempted to return to his Williamson… Read more »

Residential Burglary: Frances Street A man entered the Statesider, an apartment building located on the 500 block of North Frances Street, shortly after bar close on Sunday morning and entered the unlocked rooms of several women, lying in one’s bed, stealing a wallet and accosting another woman. The suspect signed… Read more »

Community leader Ledell Zellers will become the new representative on City Council for District 2 after defeating her opponent, Bryan Post, with 51.7 percent of the vote.Zellers said one of her first priorities as an alder will be establishing good channels of communication within the district. “I want to figure… Read more »

Madison voters elected Mary Kolar, a retired navy captain, to represent the downtown area on the Dane County Board over C.J. Terrell, a leader in the 2011 protests at the Capitol. Kolar said she will focus on increasing the resources and services Dane County provides to the community. She said… Read more »

North Bassett Street: Robbery A man stole an iPhone from a 19-year-old woman as she was walking down the street on North Bassett Street on the night of March 26. The woman was texting as she walked down the street and passed two men, according to a Madison Police… Read more »

The marble floors of the Capitol sustained nearly $18,000 in damage after a cleaning company’s machine spilled battery acid. The Wisconsin Department of Administration has asked the company, Peterson Cleaning Inc., to pay for the damage by the end of April, spokesperson Stephanie Marquis said in an email to The… Read more »

Mayor Paul Soglin and city advocates for victims of sexual assault, child abuse and trauma, met April 1 to raise awareness for National Sexual Assault Awareness month and National Child Abuse Prevention month this April.Violence toward children and women is at an unprecedented level, Cheryl Kato, the director of the… Read more »

Three state lawmakers introduced a bill in late March to the Wisconsin Legislature that will require universal background checks for those hoping to buy guns in the state. Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, Rep Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee, and Sen. Nikiya Harris, D-Milwaukee, co-authored the bill. They released a statement March 21… Read more »

Homeless individuals who are part of the Occupy Madison movement will continue to live on private property in Madison until the middle of April, when they will be able to move to Dane County campgrounds. Madison’s Zoning Board of Appeals voted last week to maintain county rules that make it… Read more »

A State Street sushi restaurant may lose its liquor license after a city committee met Wednesday and chose to take action on a complaint lodged against the establishment on March 13. The Alcohol License Review Committee began the process of revoking T Sushi’s liquor license after the restaurant, located at… Read more »

City Council approved plans Tuesday to demolish three downtown apartments and build new student-oriented housing in its place. The three apartment buildings to be demolished are currently located on 415 W. Johnson St., 226 N. Broom St. and 424 W. Dayton St. The project developers will be required to work… Read more »

The Madison community is gearing up for the approaching District 2 election that will take place in the beginning of April to choose an alder who will represent the area in the City Council. The current incumbent, Bridget Maniaci, will not seek re-election. Voters will have their choice April 2… Read more »

The Brewers Association released new figures on the growth of craft breweries in the United States Wednesday, which showed a growth in Wisconsin’s local breweries. According to a Brewers Association statement, there has been a net increase of 366 breweries in the country during 2012, which brings the total to… Read more »

Police took a male suspect into custody Tuesday morning after he allegedly threw a female victim into an elevator.The Madison Police Department detained a 27-year-old man after he threw a woman into the elevator of an apartment building on the 1000 block of West Johnson Street and continued to… Read more »

College Court: BatteryFive or six college-aged men jumped a 19-year-old College Court resident Friday night around 11:30 p.m. after he refused to let the group into his apartment.The victim said there were many different parties happening in the area, but he was in his apartment with a friend listening… Read more »

Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed two-year budget will cut the funding of public transit systems around the state, including Madison Metro Transit, if it is passed unchanged. General Manager of Madison Metro, Chuck Kamp, said the proposed budget will restrict Madison Metro’s ability to keep up with the demand of the… Read more »

Two advocates for victims of domestic violence presented a partnership between the Madison Police Department and Madison’s main service provider for victims of domestic violence to a local government committee Tuesday. MPD Capt. Joe Balles and Domestic Abuse Intervention Services Executive Director Shannon Barry, leaders of the Law Enforcement Advocate Partnership,… Read more »

Baldwin Street: Fire A residential building at 420 S. Baldwin St. caught fire Saturday night. None of the seven residents of the apartment were injured by the blaze, Madison Fire Department spokesperson Eric Dahl said. He said firefighters were also able to rescue pet cats that lived in the… Read more »

Members of the Langdon Street community introduced a petition calling for the neighborhood to be designated as a local historic district, an effort organizers said would preserve the character of the neighborhood, in a city committee meeting Monday night.The petition, which is currently being circulated online at change.org, aims to prevent… Read more »

Mayor Paul Soglin said cuts in federal funding will ultimately lead to decreases in local organizations that provide resources to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The cuts in federal funding, known as the sequester, would cut $120,000 from the Stop Violence Against Women Project, Soglin said at… Read more »

Two downtown alders have proposed a compromise that would allow late-night food carts to continue to do business on Broom Street without damaging the business of nearby restaurants. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, is one of the alders who proposed the compromise. He said that, currently, late-night vending is legal… Read more »

Madison’s City Council voted unanimously to implement a plan to include bike lanes on Sherman Avenue, the main thoroughfare on the city’s north side.The proposal would turn the four-lane street into a two-lane street with bike lanes and a center left-turn lane. Sherman Avenue will also be made safer by… Read more »

A five-year plan for the future of Madison Metro Transit was presented to Madison’s City Council Tuesday evening, including potential changes to the current bus system in the downtown area. Bill Schaefer, transportation planning manager of the Madison urban area’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, presented the plan, which finds long-term solutions… Read more »

Atwood Avenue: Injury A 38-year-old woman walked in front of a moving Madison Metro bus on Atwood Avenue Monday afternoon. According to a Madison Police Department statement, the woman fell to the pavement and hit her head. She was taken to an area hospital immediately, the statement said. The bus… Read more »

Christian Hansen, a candidate in Madison’s District 8 aldermanic race against incumbent Ald. Scott Resnick, announced he is dropping out of the race on Monday night, citing financial challenges.Hansen said he is leaving the race due to personal financial difficulties and said he could no longer balance his duties as… Read more »

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin spoke out Monday against the federal sequester, arguing in a press conference the massive federal spending cuts put in place after Congress did not reach a compromise could affect nearly 1,000 University of Wisconsin System students. The sequester is set to cut $85 million in spending nationwide… Read more »

As the city of Madison began to brace for an impending winter storm, some residents woke up to an alert for an unexpected kind of inclement weather Monday.The National Weather Service accidentally set out a mass tornado warning text and email to the cell phones of South Central and South… Read more »

A city committee convened for the first time in nearly a year to begin making plans for reconstruction of the 700 and 800 blocks of State Street. The city of Madison formed the State Street Design Project Oversight Committee in 2003 to design plans for the reconstruction of the State… Read more »

Madison police arrested a 20-year-old man for drunk driving after he allegedly stole a car on East Washington Avenue, drove it around Capitol Square and crashed it between the Veterans’ Museum and Ian’s Pizza. The suspect, Michael Rivera, fell asleep on a Madison Metro bus and was forced to exit… Read more »

A task force for the Madison Metropolitan School District has recommended the school board implement a mental health screening program in Madison’s public schools. Scott Strong, executive director of Community Partnerships, a local nonprofit that works to provide community-based resources to people with mental health problems, is a member of… Read more »

Police arrested 21-year-old Francisco Martinez late Monday night after he allegedly threw a bottle of beer at a worker of a restaurant on the 200 block of Gilman Street, and drove away intoxicated afterward. According the the Madison Police Department statement, Martinez threw the bottle at around 9:30 p.m.,… Read more »

A wind turbine company appealed a decision made by regulators to block the company’s plans of building a large wind turbine farm in northwestern Wisconsin, and now both sides will voice their opinion Wednesday. Matt Pagel, spokesperson for the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, said PSC is the regulatory body… Read more »

Research on the bird flu may start up again on the University of Wisconsin campus after scientists voluntarily put the project on hold more than a year ago. UW spokesperson Terry Devitt said UW professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka from the university’s Department of Pathobiological Sciences may resume his research on the… Read more »

The Madison Police Department will be working more closely with the elementary schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District in an effort to prevent violence in schools after a number of recent mass school shootings. Luis Yudice, MMSD coordinator of school safety, said there were many discussions on how to… Read more »

University of Wisconsin researchers have discovered a new way to detect and quantify proteins, which could potentially lead to more efficient cancer research and diagnosis. Joshua Coon, a biomolecular chemistry professor, leads the group that produced the research. Coon said the research will allow scientists to compare proteins of up… Read more »

Park Street: Fire A popular Mexican restaurant on South Park Street caught fire early Monday morning. Firefighters arrived at the scene of the fire at Taqueria Guadalajara around 7:15 a.m., Madison Fire Department spokesperson Lori Wirth said. No one was injured in the blaze or in the building at… Read more »

The Dane County Housing Authority has chosen to end a program that helps low-income residents buy their own home because of a shortage of funding and a decrease of people in the area seeking home ownership.  Judith Wilcox, the chair of the Dane County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, said… Read more »

Madison has begun testing trees for emerald ash borers, an invasive Chinese insect that has been devastating much of North America’s ash trees. Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said around 25 percent of Madison’s trees are ash trees, adding it will cost the city millions in order to fully cover… Read more »

Mayor Paul Soglin and advocates for the Madison Metropolitan School District spoke out against Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to expand the private school voucher program to public schools in the city at a press conference Monday. Under a voucher program, the City of Madison would pay private schools to… Read more »

Candidates will face off in Tuesday’s primary race in hopes of moving onto the aldermanic general election on April 2 and gaining a seat on Madison’s City Council.So far in the race, the downtown-area candidates have run their campaigns primarily on development, environmental issues, economic growth and providing a new voice… Read more »

South Bassett Street: Burglary Two Madison-area teenagers were arrested Thursday night after attempting to break into a house on the 10 block of South Bassett Street. The incident took place around 11 p.m. Thursday when a 21-year-old man, one of the home’s six residents, heard noises in his home and went… Read more »

Mifflin Street community members and city police officers continued to weigh logistics and concerns over the upcoming Mifflin Street Block Party as well as the alternative event to be held around Union South at a meeting Thursday. Madison Police Department Lt. Kelly Donahue said MPD had its first planning meeting… Read more »

Chang Tan, the red panda at Madison’s Henry Vilas Zoo, passed away over the weekend after an extended fight with long-term ongoing medical issues. Jeff Halter, deputy director at the zoo, said Tan was 12 years old and had lived in Henry Vilas Zoo since he arrived in Madison from… Read more »

Gov. Scott Walker announced Sunday he will increase the state’s funding of Wisconsin technical schools by millions of dollars, but some of the requirements to receive the aid was met with mixed reviews. A statement from the governor’s office said he will fund initiatives to improve the Wisconsin Technical College… Read more »

MIFFLIN STREET: Robbery A 49-year-old man’s money and laptop were stolen from his home on the 1300 block of East Mifflin Street at around 2:30 a.m. Saturday. According to a Madison Police Department statement, there was no sign of forced entry but the victim heard rustling noises that awoke him.… Read more »

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin are one step closer to finding a cure for carpal tunnel syndrome through the use of video technology to record and analyze workers’ upper body movements. Robert Gadwin, a professor in biomedical engineering and industrial and systems engineering, who also led the study, said… Read more »

A Madison Police Department officer addressed possible police strategies for both the planned alternative spring event and the Mifflin Street Block Party in a neighborhood meeting Monday. MPD Lt. Kelly Donahue said the University of Wisconsin has plans to have a spring party on university property the same day the Mifflin… Read more »

Madison Metro reported the bus system experienced a slight decline in ridership in 2012, mainly due to a lower level of campus usage. Madison Metro spokesperson Mick Rusch said people rode the bus 14,592,214 times in 2012. This is down from the 14,923,970 bus rides people took in 2011. Rusch… Read more »

The Peace Corps announced Tuesday the University of Wisconsin boasted the third highest amount of Peace Corps volunteers for 2013. According to a statement from the organization, UW currently has 103 alumni volunteering through the Peace Corps overseas. The only two universities with more alumni in the Peace Corps this… Read more »

After months of deliberation over logistics and concerns voiced by community members, Madison’s City Council approved a proposal to build a six-story student apartment building in the Langdon Street neighborhood Tuesday evening. The City Council voted 15-3 with two absences to approve the contentious building proposal to be located on… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin Police Department and the Madison Police Department each voiced their support for a student organized event at Union South held the same day as the traditional Mifflin Street Block Party. MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said MPD Chief Noble Wray supports ending the block party as it… Read more »

The City of Madison has been experiencing increased levels of fraudulent activity over the past weeks, according to a Madison Police Department report, giving reason for heightened awareness in the community.  Four instances of fraud, including telephone fraud, internet fraud and counterfeit bills, have been reported since the end of… Read more »

Care Net, a Christian pro-life pregnancy center in Dane County, will continue to pursue government funding for a housing project after members of Madison’s City Council chose to drop sponsorship for the project. Care Net did not receive support from City Council members at Tuesday night’s Board of Estimates meeting… Read more »

A city decision could mean students will have the opportunity to attend an alternative festival to the Mifflin Street Block Party May 4, leaders from the Wisconsin Union Directorate and the Associated Students of Madison said Tuesday.  Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said city and university officials, including Soglin, met… Read more »

Three controversial ads for Pabst Blue Ribbon beer finished their six-month spot on Madison area buses at the beginning of this month, despite numerous complaints Madison Metro Transit received from community members. Mick Rusch, Madison Metro spokesperson, said on average, he received a complaint every two weeks during the six-month… Read more »

Students will have the opportunity to attend an alternative festival to the Mifflin Street Block Party on May 4, leaders from the Wisconsin Union and the Associated Students of Madison told The Badger Herald tonight. David Gardner, spokesperson for the Associated Students of Madison, said the event is still in… Read more »

A firearm was discharged during a fight between two men outside The Frequency, a music venue located off the Capitol Square, early on Monday morning. According to a Madison Police Department incident report, no one was injured by the gunshot, and the fight had moved outside by the time one of the men… Read more »

The City of Madison’s Board of Estimates met Monday night and weighed the possible consequences of a potential affordable housing project proposed by Care Net, a Christian pregnancy center, and also granted approval to a plan to create a Madison Public Market. The affordable housing would be located next to… Read more »

Mayor Paul Soglin recently voiced support for a new ordinance to ramp up keg registration at the time of purchase as a tool for law enforcement officials, which one downtown alder said sends the wrong message about alcohol on campus.Mark Woulf, the City of Madison alcohol policy coordinator, said the… Read more »

West Johnson Street and North Park Street: Pedestrian-car collisionAn intoxicated pedestrian was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of West Johnson and North Park Streets on Monday night.Madison Police Department Lt. Cory Nelson said the vehicle had the right of way. The pedestrian suffered minor injuries, and was taken… Read more »

A steam leak broke out in a University of Wisconsin building Sunday night, setting off the fire alarm and alerting the Madsion Fire Department. UW Police and MFD were called to Engineering Hall between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. last night according to UW spokesperson Susannah Brooks, who said the… Read more »

After accidentally releasing 50 Social Security numbers, the City of Madison has removed the leaked information from their website and is taking steps to protect those affected by the leak.City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Beh said workers in the city clerk’s office had put up the social security numbers in error. However,… Read more »

Madison’s City Clerk office accidentally released 50 social security numbers online of people applying for liquor licenses for Madison establishments, their office announced Thursday. According to a city of Madison statement, a city employee discovered on Dec. 19 that a liquor license application packet on a city website contained… Read more »

Mayor Paul Soglin gave his State of the City address Wednesday to the Rotary Club of Madison at a local hotel, highlighting issues and achievements in Madison. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said Soglin covered many issues he was passionate about such as poverty, education, hunger and economic development. Soglin… Read more »

City officials have organized a community meeting to gain feedback from residents on the death of a Madison man who was shot and killed by a police officer in November. Ald. Marsha Rummel, District 6, organized the meeting for next Tuesday at a community church, where attendees will consider the… Read more »

A proposal for a new student-oriented apartment building received final approval from the City Council Jan. 8, continuing the years-old housing development boom in Madison. The 12-story building will be located on the 300 block of North Frances Street and is one of the many building projects expected to be… Read more »

The fourth and final suspect in the summer battery against University of Wisconsin football running back Montee Ball has been identified. Joel DeSpain, Madison Police Department spokesperson, said 27-year-old Karlis Griffin remains at large. He said the lead detective on the case is still trying to locate Griffin and is seeking any… Read more »

STATE STREET: Weapons violation Madison resident Quincy Franklin was arrested for disorderly conduct while armed at Michelangelo’s coffee shop the morning of Jan. 13, according to a Madison Police Department statement. Franklin was having stomach problems and stopped at the coffee shop to use the restroom, the statement said. After occupying the… Read more »

A pedestrian was severely injured on the 600 block of University Avenue after getting hit by a car early Sunday morning. According to a Madison Police Department statement, the 20-year-old victim was crossing the street with his friends when a car struck him around 2 a.m. The statement said the… Read more »

Two of University of Wisconsin running back Montee Ball’s attackers pleaded guilty to substantial battery Wednesday. Ball was attacked by a group of men on the 500 block of University Avenue the morning of August 1. He was then hospitalized as a result of head injuries. Assistant District Attorney Michael… Read more »

The City Council voted Tuesday to no longer fund the city’s operating budget with extra money the city has borrowed unless there is a two-thirds majority vote, which can overturn the ordinance in the future. Mayor Paul Soglin introduced the ordinance, and said other municipalities do not use borrowed money… Read more »

Plans to put up new apartment buildings in Madison’s downtown area moved forward after receiving the Urban Design Commission’s approval Wednesday night. One of the projects, a 12-story apartment building on the 300 block of Frances Street, received final approval. The design of the building has been updated to better… Read more »

A campus relief drive organized by the University of Wisconsin and student groups for those in the New Jersey and New York area will come to an end this week. Susannah Brooks, a UW spokesperson, said the drive started Friday, Nov. 30, and will continue until Saturday, Dec. 8. Members… Read more »

Some of Madison’s homeless have a permanent place to stay now that a Madison non-profit opened up single room occupancy housing on the city’s East Side. The resource development director at Porchlight Inc., Beatrice Hadidian, said there are 14 Safe Haven units in the facility, which share a kitchen and… Read more »

Plans for a twelve-story student apartment building on the 300 Block of Frances Street were delayed after the Urban Design Committee chose not to approve the project at Wednesday night’s meeting, citing ordinance violations and inadequate living accommodations for residents.  Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the plans for the building did… Read more »

An apartment building on the south side of Madison will be redeveloped after the City Council granted a permit to the developers at its meeting Tuesday night. The Nob Hill apartment building’s redevelopment will include a community center, better safety features and an overall update for the 30-year-old building. Zilber… Read more »

Madison city officials will gather Wednesday to discuss a controversial measure to place 20-feet tall light posts along the Southwest Commuter Bike Path.The disagreement over the lights centers on a concern over the brightness of the lights versus the added safety they would bring for nighttime bikers and walkers. The… Read more »

The Urban Design Commission met Tuesday to address general city guidelines and goals for the downtown area’s zoning code, which will go into effect in January. Principal planner for the city of Madison’s planning department Bill Fruhling said reviewing and talking through the guidelines have great value. He said the… Read more »

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin signed off on the 2013 city budget Friday, which included numerous amendments in a package from the City Council that slightly altered his original budget proposal. After the City Council voted to make various changes to the original 2013 capital and operating budgets Tuesday and Wednesday… Read more »

Madison’s City Council passed the 2013 operating budget Wednesday night, eliminating a bus fare increase and allocating $1.75 million to the Overture Center. The total cost for next year’s operating budget will be $267.1 million, and Mayor Paul Soglin now has to decide whether to pass the budget or veto… Read more »

Police arrested a man for battery early Sunday morning on the 400 block of West Gilman Street after he punched a stranger. Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain said the violence occurred after an argument broke out between two intoxicated strangers. According to a MPD statement, the argument led Kresten… Read more »

The group of homeless people living in tents at the Occupy Madison site on East Washington Avenue was required by the city to leave by 3 p.m. Sunday. According to a Madison Police Department statement, approximately 15 people from the site moved their camp to Lake View Hill County Park.… Read more »

Madison’s Urban Design Commission met Wednesday night to review plans for three new student-oriented apartment buildings located on campus. The first apartment building is slated to be built on the corner of Bassett and Dayton Streets and was approved unanimously. The apartment will comprise five stories and an underground parking… Read more »

For the first time in history, Wisconsin residents were permitted to show proof of residency with their smartphones and tablets while registering for the presidential election Tuesday.   The State of Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board unanimously approved the decision to allow electronic documents on Election Day, according to Analiese Eicher,… Read more »

The Dane County Board of Supervisors announced an initiative Friday to help the county’s homeless population with a proposed year-round day shelter and affordable apartment housing. Sup. Heidi Wegleitner, District 2, said the initiative is made up of amendments to Dane County Executive Joe Parisi’s 2012 county budget. She said… Read more »

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced a proposal in his 2013 operating budget that would cut funding to the Ferris Center, a minimum security jail on Rimrock Road Tuesday afternoon. County Supervisor Paul Rusk, District 12, and chair of the Public Protection and Judiciary Committee, said the county has proposed… Read more »

Madison’s City Council unanimously approved plans to build two apartment buildings near the University of Wisconsin campus on West Johnson Street and Main Street at a meeting Tuesday night. The proposed West Johnson Street apartment will include 250 apartment units and will comprise 60,000 square feet. The Main Street apartment building is… Read more »

More than 30,000 people celebrated Madison’s twelfth Freakfest Saturday night with the amount of police citations and arrests dipping to a record low. Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said the last unofficial report he received said four arrests and more than thirty citations were made during the event.A Madison Police… Read more »

Mayor Paul Soglin will help Madison celebrate national Food Day today by holding the first meeting of the Food Policy Council, which has a goal of improving Madison’s food system. According to a statement, Food Day takes place annually on Oct. 24. It said the Food Policy Council is made… Read more »

A plan to increase bus fares in Madison in is catching heat from city officials.Even though the proposed increase in bus fares in Mayor Paul Soglin’s 2013 operating budget could pose problems for low-income individuals, it may be the only way Madison Metro can operate without cutting any of its… Read more »

Mayor Paul Soglin celebrated Energy Action Month Tuesday by recognizing the success of a city program that works with businesses and homes on energy efficiency projects.The project, called Green Madison Program, works to help Madison households and businesses put energy-efficient projects in place, according to GMP Grant Administrator Matt Wachter.… Read more »

Madison’s City Council approved the new downtown zoning code and addressed a proposed cut in funding to the Overture Center in a meeting Tuesday. The Plan Commission has worked the last five years to rewrite the old zoning code, which dates back to 1966, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District… Read more »

Several citizens who had their possessions removed from city property near the Capitol Square Wednesday were able to reclaim their belongings.According to an MPD statement filed Thursday, a large amount of items were found near the Veteran’s Museum including grocery bags, trash bags, alcohol, bed rolls, suitcases and cardboard boxes.According… Read more »

The Overture Center faces an uncertain future as Mayor Paul Soglin’s 2013 executive operating budget proposes cuts equaling nearly $1 million from the center’s funding. Soglin’s spokesperson Katie Crawley said Soglin’s budget proposal recommends allocating $850,000 to the Overture Center, which is a reduction from the $1.8 million annual allocation the center… Read more »

Mayor Paul Soglin announced Monday the city received additional state funding that he hopes to allocate toward the Madison Police Department and an environmental initiative. David Schmiedicke, finance director for the city of Madison, said the state aid, adding up to $267,000, will become part of Madison’s overall budget. He said Soglin proposed new… Read more »

One of the nation’s leading experts on progressive policing addressed Madison Police in a Wednesday presentation. The MPD’s Special Investigations Unit hosted Professor David Kennedy, the director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Kennedy presented his strategic intervention framework, which focuses on… Read more »

Dane County’s plans to open a new daytime homeless shelter on Madison’s east side has sparked criticism from the mayor and other city officials. According to a Dane County statement, County Executive Joe Parisi announced the opening of a new daytime homeless shelter on Wright Street. The shelter will serve as a place where the homeless… Read more »

The Madison Police Department has recently implemented a new technology to help lead officers to suspects. The newly acquired technology, called “Leads Online,” eventually led to the arrest of Madisonian Sidney Ivy, after he allegedly stole a watch and money from a downtown apartment Sept. 14, according to a police report.… Read more »

Chief Executive Officer of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Paul Jadin announced his resignation from the deparment Thursday to join a Madison area non-profit.  Tom Thieding, communications manager at WEDC, said Jadin will become the president of Thrive, an economic development partnership for the eight-county Madison area, because of his… Read more »

A city committee moved plans for a new pizza restaurant forward and came closer to removing liquor license conditions from a downtown bar at its meeting Wednesday night. The owner of Ian’s Pizza, Madisonian Ian Gurfield, will be opening a new restaurant called S2 Pizza Bar on the 500 block… Read more »

In an ironic twist of events within Dane County politics, the only homeless member of Dane County’s main committee dealing with homelessness was removed from his position last week. Daniel Callahan, the former member, said he was told that County Executive Joe Parisi had removed him from the committee after… Read more »

Wisconsin Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, is addressing the rising number of homeless youth in Madison by pressuring the state to adapt measures that would better provide for those in need.Taylor, who represents the 48th district in the Wisconsin State Assembly, said in a statement Madison does not do enough to… Read more »

University Health Services hopes to soon be better equipped to address suicide prevention on campus after receiving a several thousand dollar national grant earmarked for prevention efforts.UHS Director Sarah Van Orman said the department obtained a three-year Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant totaling $306,000 from the U.S. Substance… Read more »

The charges against those arrested in connection with the Aug. 1 Montee Ball attack have been put on hold due to a shortage of information on the case.Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne delayed the charges against Wendell Venerable, Deonte Wilson and Robert Wilks— arrested last month after the battery… Read more »