Here’s what we were reading on the Badger Bus [1].
Policing
The Madison Common Council approved $400,000 for a review of the Madison Police Department [2], but the politics of this vote grew fractious. Police Chief Mike Koval stands by the scathing blog post [3] he wrote about the Common Council’s study of the Madison PD (You can read the blog here [4]). Alders are concerned by what they called Koval’s [5] “obviously threatening” tone. The Isthmus’s Citizen Dave wonders why Mayor Paul Soglin [6] hasn’t weighed in on the issue yet. Chris Rickert thinks Koval took a strange approach to this question with the council [7]. Dave Blaska thinks Koval is right to fight back [8]. So does the State Journal, although it criticized Koval’s approach [9].
Education
Madison’s schools see the ripple effects of a recent string of homicides [10]. Madison-area Out of School Initiative makes it easier [11]for parents to find summer activities for their kids. The Madison School District may take out a $9.2M loan from the city [12]. The State Journal praised the school board’s plan to study a later start time for teenage students [13]. One City Early Learning Center reopened ready to prepare young children [14] for successful lives and academic careers. The Overture Center won a $100,000 grant from Disney for theater education [15].
Government
Madison reached a $170M deal with a Chicago developer for the Judge Doyle Square project [16], after an initial deal fell through last year. A Fitchburg alder running for State Assembly highlights the systemic barriers [17] that keep people of color out of city, county, and state governments.
It’s going to cost more to ride the bus [18]. Soglin told city department heads to limit their budget requests [19] as he resists raising property taxes. Public Health Madison and Dane County released a report [20] on food insecurity in the area. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi kicked off his reelection bid [21]. 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 [22]. The city seeks community input on the long-delayed Monroe Street reconstructions [23]. The city promoted from within [24] to head its Office of Business Resources. The city adopted a new energy plan [25].
Community
Madison is embracing the “housing first” model [26] of addressing homelessness. The tight rental market is contributing to homelessness [27]. Homeless individuals are drawn to Madison because of the quality of life not the social services [28]. A new “virtual farmer’s market” app aims to remedy the weakness [29] of the CSA model by allowing customers to pick the types and quantities of food that they purchase. Opioid overdoses are on the rise [30] in Madison. The Madison Cricket Club makes Madison feel like home [31] for new arrivals. The Ho-Chunk Nation wants to partner with the city of Madison to build a new indoor/outdoor [32] sports arena. The Marquette neighborhood hosted its annual waterfront festival [33]. The Bodgery on Robertson Road is a focal point for the local Maker Movement [34]. UW Credit Union will raise its minimum wage to $15 in 2017 [35]. After nearly a century on East Washington, Marling Lumber moves to make room for new developments [36]. The city hopes Truax Field will be a home of the F-35 fighter jet [37]. Hilldale Mall is moving into the next phase of its redevelopment [38].
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Links:
[1] http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/longevity-in-business-nearly-a-century-of-change-at-badger/article_2491719e-19a9-555b-bbeb-3e5970d05918.html
[2] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/madison-city-council-approves-police-department-review-funding-at-tense/article_b1599873-02c1-5b7d-9ac5-5516af049c04.html
[3] http://isthmus.com/news/news/mike-koval-interview/
[4] http://www.cityofmadison.com/police/chief/blog/?Id=9412
[5] http://madison365.com/index.php/2016/06/06/police-chief-to-common-council-you-are-being-watched/
[6] http://isthmus.com/opinion/citizen-dave/wheres-the-mayor-in-koval-flap/
[7] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/columnists/chris-rickert/chris-rickert-madison-s-top-cop-beats-head-against-wall/article_2f966463-4a8f-5680-9cc2-cbfb45dc8306.html
[8] http://www.ibmadison.com/Blogger/Bring-It/June-2016/Memo-to-the-State-Journal-Koval-finally-got-your-attention/
[9] http://host.madison.com/wsj/opinion/editorial/chief-koval-right-on-substance-not-style/article_86cb7bd2-c0cb-5987-87e3-e6da31f28a5b.html
[10] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/madison-homicides-have-ripple-effect-that-reaches-into-schools/article_33cc9b78-3ce8-510c-a60c-3d78e8ade0e5.html
[11] http://isthmus.com/news/news/most-initiative-connects-families-with-summer-programming/
[12] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/madison-city-council-school-district-to-consider-million-loan/article_0c5ffc46-b56b-584d-88aa-daf54b958c1d.html
[13] http://host.madison.com/opinion/editorial/credit-madison-school-board-for-seeking-later-start/article_52fc7100-7398-5a1d-8260-d08cc73b9bf5.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share
[14] http://madison365.com/index.php/2016/06/09/one-city-early-learning-center-opens-in-the-heart-of-madisons-south-side/
[15] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/overture-center-receives-from-disney-for-theater-education-program/article_85493d8e-4d56-5144-aa1d-04e23430b755.html
[16] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/city-beitler-real-estate-services-near-tentative-deal-on-judge/article_702a693f-64cf-57c5-8929-5a1266a1022f.html
[17] http://madison365.com/index.php/2016/06/08/agent-of-change/
[18] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/commission-approves-metro-transit-fare-increase/article_72451d3d-69da-5b20-b32a-0a61e4aa0ec2.html
[19] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/paul-soglin-wants-to-limit-next-city-tax-increase-to/article_7153b9d4-cd33-53bd-9f30-262be515e2ad.html
[20] http://madison365.com/index.php/2016/06/07/report-brings-attention-to-food-insecurity-in-dane-county/
[21] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/stressing-access-for-all-dane-county-executive-joe-parisi-to/article_0698fd63-c156-5f5a-a8b5-009f26ea6552.html
[22] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/with-new-hill-farms-building-to-open-in-state-preparing/article_39aa9a29-98d1-5f47-ab5e-62e2f9755f6c.html
[23] http://host.madison.com/ct/business/madison-seeks-input-on-rescheduled-monroe-street-reconstruction-project/article_6b318ea2-1186-55a6-8c08-873faba30eaa.html
[24] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/economic-development-specialist-named-city-business-resources-manager/article_3dd633af-5c7b-57df-9cd9-7249920c927c.html
[25] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/energy-work-plan-propels-madison-into-future-proponents-say/article_eb924c1a-dd8a-5ab6-a9d2-af7bb2f4d526.html
[26] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/this-is-home-madison-opens-its-biggest-housing-first-project/article_af1f6f66-832f-5697-9917-a06f349323ee.html
[27] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/the-housing-market-how-madison-got-in-this-tight-spot/article_80ae610d-e14b-589b-82fb-746fc0270923.html?utm_content=buffer463da&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=LEEDCC
[28] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/special/homeless/is-madison-a-magnet-for-the-homeless/article_121afbc3-3d37-56d8-af3a-ca970dd02c79.html
[29] http://isthmus.com/news/news/technology-and-small-farm-csa-model/
[30] http://isthmus.com/news/news/fentanyl-blamed-for-spike-in-dane-county-overdoses/
[31] http://isthmus.com/news/snapshot/cricket-at-reindahl-park/
[32] http://madison365.com/index.php/2016/06/09/ho-chunk-nation-hopes-to-partner-with-city-on-new-sports-complex/
[33] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/photos-scenes-from-the-annual-marquette-waterfront-festival/collection_598cfced-c64a-5cdd-abe9-2511d7391679.html
[34] http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/the-bodgery-adds-to-madison-s-maker-movement/article_87f89061-2a31-56db-93f8-afad0b32b94c.html
[35] http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/uw-credit-union-to-raise-minimum-wage-to-an-hour/article_8edeafc3-0d62-53f5-81de-d8728ab6f8fc.html
[36] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/marling-lumber-moving-locations-making-way-for-east-washington-development/article_ba626714-3743-5b97-9ad0-8532b5d0d467.html
[37] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/madison-hopes-for-new-supersonic-f--fighter-jets-for/article_e25c5e5e-7db5-51cf-bcfa-9f9669236136.html
[38] http://host.madison.com/ct/business/hilldale-shopping-center-owners-plan-meeting-to-discuss-next-phase/article_6dc1b8b0-c53e-57d1-9205-3a2143a7e13a.html