Clipsheet

What should have been one of the busiest weekends of the summer for downtown Madison businesses turned into a major disappointment as Canadian wildfire smoke created hazardous air quality conditions throughout the region.

The smoke essentially formed a black cloud over Maxwell Street Days, significantly impacting vendors and their bottom lines. Business owners reported drastic declines in foot traffic and sales during what is typically a peak revenue weekend for small businesses in the area.

Now that UW-Madison police have cut ties with Flock Safety, privacy advocates and others on campus say the community needs to be more involved in deciding which automated license plate readers, if any, the department uses in the future.

When eight of the company’s cameras first appeared on campus in July 2025, many people were taken by surprise, said Annette Zimmermann, a UW-Madison data science professor.