Madison Media Digest: Education, Justice, Community

Here’s what we were reading while getting hungry for Black Restaurant Week. 

Education

A federal investigation into whether a student’s expulsion was racially motivated will move forward. Madison Schools are reconsidering a contract with the police department. The school district reported progress on hiring teachers of color. Was this an unexpected outcome of Gov. Scott Walker’s stripping of collective bargaining rights from teachers and other public employees? Students in the UW-Madison People Program and Darbo-Worthington’s Mentoring Positives may be entering the pizza business. 

Justice

The State Journal looked at restorative courts, which divert young people out of the criminal justice system. Some community leaders call for a federal investigation of Genele Laird’s arrest, which caused outrage after it was caught on video. A Madison Police detective apologized on behalf of the department for online comments posted by two officers. Chris Rickert wonders if the police and some in the public really understand each other. Members of the police department spoke out about their own community reputation. Southwest Madison received a Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Grant.

Community

July 21’s megastorm damaged some of the city’s voting machines. The city plans a wastewater treatment facility on Starkweather Creek to remove phosphorous from the lakes. An immigrant from Cameroon talked about the challenges of adjusting to Madison. A city grant program to support retail businesses downtown has seen one applicant since its passage this winter. Homelessness is a highly individualized story. The UW-Madison Walgreen’s will carry naloxone, which can treat heroin overdoses. The Madison Community Foundation has a new development director. So does Wisconsin Public Radio. Madison recycles styrofoam. The Urban League held its Unity Picnic on Saturday. Dane County will be first in Wisconsin to implement an in-home long-term care program for elderly and disabled residents. Meriter and St. Mary’s Hospitals received high marks from the federal government. The Chamber of Commerce wants to brand Madison as a “health tech hub.” The Madison Planning Commission endorsed senior housing on the east side. A pedestrian tunnel under Verona Road is closing for three weeks to add a skylight. There’s a “lost city” inside the Madison Arboretum.  Madison’s first Black Business Expo drew participants from across the country. The owners of The Edgewater owe $14M to contractors and architects, an arbitrator ruled. Madison gaming firms are trying to get in on the Pokemon Go craze. 

The Madison Media Digest is off next week.