Madison Media Digest: Police, Education, Government, Community

Here’s what we were reading on the Badger Bus.

Policing

The Madison Common Council approved $400,000 for a review of the Madison Police Department, but the politics of this vote grew fractious. Police Chief Mike Koval stands by the scathing blog post he wrote about the Common Council’s study of the Madison PD (You can read the blog here). Alders are concerned by what they called Koval’s “obviously threatening” tone. The Isthmus’s Citizen Dave wonders why Mayor Paul Soglin hasn’t weighed in on the issue yet. Chris Rickert thinks Koval took a strange approach to this question with the council. Dave Blaska thinks Koval is right to fight back. So does the State Journal, although it criticized Koval’s approach.  

Education

Madison’s schools see the ripple effects of a recent string of homicides. Madison-area Out of School Initiative makes it easier for parents to find summer activities for their kids. The Madison School District may take out a $9.2M loan from the city. The State Journal praised the school board’s plan to study a later start time for teenage students. One City Early Learning Center reopened ready to prepare young children for successful lives and academic careers. The Overture Center won a $100,000 grant from Disney for theater education.

Government

Madison reached a $170M deal with a Chicago developer for the Judge Doyle Square project, after an initial deal fell through last year. A Fitchburg alder running for State Assembly highlights the systemic barriers that keep people of color out of city, county, and state governments.

It’s going to cost more to ride the bus. Soglin told city department heads to limit their budget requests as he resists raising property taxes. Public Health Madison and Dane County released a report on food insecurity in the area. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi kicked off his reelection bid. The new state office building in the Hill Farms neighborhood will consolidate staff in one location and create major shifts in commercial real estate market. The city seeks community input on the long-delayed Monroe Street reconstructions. The city promoted from within to head its Office of Business Resources. The city adopted a new energy plan.

Community

Madison is embracing the “housing first” model of addressing homelessness. The tight rental market is contributing to homelessness. Homeless individuals are drawn to Madison because of the quality of life not the social services. A new “virtual farmer’s market” app aims to remedy the weakness of the CSA model by allowing customers to pick the types and quantities of food that they purchase. Opioid overdoses are on the rise in Madison. The Madison Cricket Club makes Madison feel like home for new arrivals. The Ho-Chunk Nation wants to partner with the city of Madison to build a new indoor/outdoor sports arena. The Marquette neighborhood hosted its annual waterfront festival. The Bodgery on Robertson Road is a focal point for the local Maker Movement. UW Credit Union will raise its minimum wage to $15 in 2017. After nearly a century on East Washington, Marling Lumber moves to make room for new developments.  The city hopes Truax Field will be a home of the F-35 fighter jet. Hilldale Mall is moving into the next phase of its redevelopment.