Madison Media Digest: Government and Services, Community and Business

Here’s what we were reading while wondering if news aggregation skills would help us escape a locked room. 

Government and Services

The city and county may have found a spot for a long-planned homeless day shelter. The city closed a space it had set aside for homeless people to store their belongings during the day. Trying to find storage spaces for homeless individual’s belongings is proving difficult to properly execute, writes Brenda Konkel. Officials disagree how deeply the state budget will affect Madison and Dane County. The Madison School district is looking at the place of athletics in education. The Madison Clay Coalition sells pottery to support art departments in city schools. Madison School District officials presented their controversial discipline policy to a national audience. A Toki Middle School teacher just led her 20th eighth-grade trip to Washington, DC. Spending was down in Madison’s mayoral election from four years ago, but incumbent and winner Paul Soglin had a decisive advantage. Police in the Town of Madison will wear body cameras. Madison’s new director of the Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development was reluctant to take the job at first but comes in with high praise and a focus on using city planning documents.

Community

The Willy Street Peace Mural will add a memorial to those connected to the neighborhood that have died by violence, including Tony Robinson, who was killed Mar. 6 by a Madison Police office, which led to a series of protests. UW Health is opening a new hospital on the far east side. Madison 365, a media outlet seeking to cover communities of color, will be opening in Madison. A proposed home renovation in the Nakoma neighborhood has led to a heated debate in the neighborhood. According to a new Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling, “you don’t need to break a traffic law for a cop to pull you over. The cop just needs to think you broke a traffic law.”  Madison’s state Sen. Fred Risser and his wife have created a garden oasis that includes an homage to “bee-partisanship.” Childcare costs are difficult for working families to manage. WYOU is debuting a cooking show for kids.

Business

The new Gebhardt Development project, The Cosmos, includes plans for a music venue with Frank Productions to compete with Minneapolis and Milwaukee–but the developer’s first partner thinks he got “Franked.” The Madison Landmarks Commission approved a plan to restore the sign at the Orpheum Theater on State Street. A grocery store planned for East Washington has delayed its opening date. Dane County’s airport is seeing fewer flights but more passengers. Paleo Mama Bakery is seeking funds to expand.