Madison Media Digest

If you only read one local news story this week, it should be this piece about how residents of the Allied Drive food desert rely on convenience store groceries while they wait for a long-term cost-effective solution. 

Education

A new program is pairing UW–Madison dance students with local schools and community centers. Madison School District employees will get a pay raise to help offset their higher health care costs. UW - Madison and Edgewood College are partnering with MSD on their personalized pathways. 

Community

The first-ever Madison margarita festival will take place in June. MATC is now negotiating with developers for its downtown campus. A long-vacant historic building on East Washington may become home to a boutique hotel. Madison’s female bartenders play an important role in the city’s craft cocktail scene. 

City Government

A committee offered 13 recommendations for the Madison Police Department; Chief Koval questions whether they are necessary. The city council is alarmed by the recent uptick in violent crime, and the mayor and council are working to address gun violence and other pressing issues. The city shared its preliminary site plan and designs for the Madison public market. The city council has approved reimbursing Chief Koval for his legal defense costs. The city continues to work on solutions to “bad behavior” at the top of State Street.