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Author: jnweaver

UW class offers energy-saving tips for Monroe Street library and others

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Capital Times

In response to the city of Madison’s latest budget crunch, library officials recently floated a plan to close the Monroe Street branch library or, at the least, cut back hours and services. But maybe there’s a “green” way to save some dollars there instead.

A study by students in Mike Oliva’s sustainable design engineering class at University of Wisconsin-Madison last year found that the 47-year-old library could shave energy costs by using high-performance fluorescent light bulbs, natural lighting, double-pane windows, occupancy sensors for bathroom lights and fans and additional insulation. The students found, incredibly enough, that there was no insulation in the walls.

Lit up UW Union smoker butts heads with campus cops

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Capital Times

A Madison man became so angry when told he couldn’t continue smoking his cigarette in the University of Wisconsin Memorial Union that he wound up being arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting an officer, and of course, handed a citation for smoking in a UW building.

According to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday, Gary Collins, 66, who has numerous previous convictions for disorderly conduct in both Madison and La Crosse, lit up in the union on Aug. 14, and became belligerent with staff members after being told to put out his smoke.

Posted in Uncategorized

University of Minnesota researchers produce blood from stem cells

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Capital Times

From the Los Angeles Times —

Scientists said Tuesday that they had devised a way to grow large quantities of blood in the lab using human embryonic stem cells, potentially making blood drives a thing of the past.

But experts cautioned that although it represented a significant technical advance, the new approach required several key improvements before it could be considered a realistic alternative to donor blood.

Despite recent murder, residents still committed to Bassett neighborhood

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On a sultry summer day, Sheridan Glen has the interior of his BMW cool as his pulls out of the parking lot of his home in the 4th Ward Lofts. A Madison resident for eight years, Glen has immersed himself in the historical fabric of one of Madison’s oldest neighborhoods on the isthmus.

….As the (Brittany) Zimmerman homicide illustrates, the neighborhood, despite its recent developments and new residents, is not immune from violence and criminal activities. Roughly 500 major crimes, including rape, murder, burglary, theft and aggravated assault, have been committed in the neighborhood over the past five years, according to Madison Police Department records. The numbers, though, have declined slightly each of the past five years.

Capt. Mary Schauf of the Madison Police Department’s Central District says major crimes have stabilized as the result of acute attention paid to the area in recent years.

Olympics: Tegenkamp blazes into 5,000-meter track final

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Capital Times

BEIJING â?? Former University of Wisconsin athlete Matt Tegenkamp qualified for the 5,000-meter Olympic track and field final on Wednesday morning, setting the stage for another showdown with naturalized countryman Bernard Lagat.

Tegenkamp sliced through the lead pack in the final straightaway to win in 13 minutes, 37.36 seconds, the fastest time in qualifying.

Some colleges want drinking age lowered to 18

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Capital Times

Leaders of more than 100 colleges and universities from across the United States — including Ohio State, Maryland, Syracuse, Duke and Dartmouth — are asking lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.

Ripon College president David Joyce, however, is the only leader from the state of Wisconsin who has signed on with the Amethyst Initiative — a movement launched in July of 2008 to provoke national debate about the drinking age.

….UW-Madison officials did receive information about the Amethyst Initiative, said UW Communications director Amy Toburen, but decided not to make an institutional commitment due to the upcoming change in leadership.

Damaged UW lab belongs to pharmacology chair Ruoho

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Capital Times

The UW-Madison lab that was damaged in a fire Monday night belongs to Arnold Ruoho, according to Brian Mattmiller of UW Communications.

Ruoho is chair of the department of pharmacology, which is in the School of Medicine and Public Health.

The Madison Fire Department responded to the fire at 1215 Linden Drive — which is at the corner of Charter Street and Linden — a little after 8 p.m. Firefighters found heavy smoke on the fourth floor and began extinguishing the flames.

UW football: Inspired by late sister and young daughter, Brinkley aims to be a factor

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Capital Times

There are sources of inspiration all over the place for Niles Brinkley.

Like when the sophomore cornerback on the University of Wisconsin football team opens his locker in the basement of the McClain Center and sees his late sister’s face smiling back at him.

Or when he flips open his cell phone and gazes at another smiling face, this one his 2-year-old daughter.

Or during a spare moment in practice, when he looks up at the empty seats at Camp Randall Stadium and imagines what it would be like to have 80,000-plus fans cheering for him after a big play.

Pawlenty derides Obama’s ‘minimalist’ energy plan

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Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, often mentioned as a potential running mate for Sen. John McCain, promoted McCain’s energy policy and critiqued his rival’s as he campaigned across Wisconsin on Monday.

Pawlenty said Democratic Sen. Barack Obama would “slam the door shut” on additional nuclear power and offshore drilling if elected president because of his conditional support for those options.

McCain’s plans to open more U.S. coastal waters to exploration for oil and gas and to add 45 nuclear power plants by 2030 would do more reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, he said.

“Sen. McCain’s proposal is bold, it’s aggressive, it’s an all of the above approach,” Pawlenty told reporters at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he toured a nuclear reactor used for research. “Sen. Obama has taken a very minimalist, or none of the above, or very few of the above approaches.”

Two workers hospitalized after chemical spill

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Capital Times

Two people were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries Monday afternoon after a chemical spill at the SAFC Pharma company temporarily caused the evacuation of the company building at 645 Science Drive in the University Research Park.

A Madison Fire Department spokesman said the spill consisted of fewer than two liters of methyl bromoacctate and was contained within a room in the building.

Construction starts on Library Mall

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Capital Times

Underground utility construction on Library Mall on the UW-Madison campus has begun and won’t be completed until June 2009.

The work is expected to increase utility capacity and improve reliability in the east campus area.

Video games help kids learn, experts say (AP)

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CNN.com

Mentions that researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison looked at a random sample of 2,000 chat room posts about “World of Warcraft” to see what the players were discussing. The game is set in a fantasy world where players hunt, gather and battle to move their characters to higher levels. Players who work together succeed faster.

Pawlenty avoids Veep talk

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty was in the state Monday to raise cash for state Republicans, but dropped no hints as to where he stands when it comes to joining the GOP ticket to be headed by John McCain. As part of his visit, Pawlenty visited UW-Madison’s teaching and research nuclear reactor.

Forbes.com names top colleges

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

In an effort to provide an alternative to the college-rankings giant U.S. News and World Report, Forbes.com for the first time released a list of top colleges based on â??the quality of the education they provide, and how much their students achieve.â?

Generally, large public schools didn’t fare as well as smaller liberal arts schools in the Forbes.com analysis. Wisconsin’s public flagship, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for example, ranks 335th, while some relative unknowns sit high on the list. The all-male Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind., ranks 12th, and Centre College in Danville, Ky., ranks 13th.

Their Coke bottles never broke

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Beloit College released today this year’s version of its Mindset List, , a collection of 60 cultural waypoints originally designed to help the college’s professors understand where the incoming students are coming from.

Now folks from around the country look to the list each year to see how times have changed.

Evening fire damages lab on UW campus

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Capital Times

The Madison Fire Department responded to a fire that damaged a UW-Madison molecular biology lab just after 8 p.m. Monday on campus.

Firefighters responded to a fire alarm sounding in the building, at the corner of Charter Street and Linden Drive. As they checked the building, at 1215 Linden Drive, they found heavy smoke on the fourth floor and began extinguishing the flames.

Firefighters broke out a window facing the street to ventilate the room. They had the fire under control within 15 minutes, according to department spokesman Eric Dahl.

Pawlenty Derides Obama’s ‘Minimalist’ Energy Plan

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WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Sen. Barack Obama would “slam the door shut” on additional nuclear power and offshore drilling if elected president.

Pawlenty has been mentioned as a potential running mate for Republican Sen. John McCain and made the remarks while campaigning for McCain at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Monday.

Kelsey Balcaitis: U-Haul provides poor service to students

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Capital Times

Dear Editor: The middle of August means one thing for downtown Madison: college moving season. Like most other college students, I figured a U-Haul would be my best bet. I called to reserve a U-Haul at the advertised rate for the needed time period.

I received a call two days before moving telling me that there was no way I could get the U-Haul I requested over a month ago for the time period I needed it. I was told that the Madison U-Haul center had given strict instructions that no one could rent a U-Haul for more than six hours between Aug. 13 and 17.

Studies: Video games can aid students, surgeons

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BOSTON (AP) — Parents, don’t put away those video games just yet – today’s gamer may be tomorrow’s top surgeon. Researchers who gathered in Boston for the American Psychological Association convention detailed a series of studies suggesting video games can be powerful learning tools – from increasing younger students’ problem-solving potential to improving the suturing skills of laparoscopic surgeons.

One study even looked at whether playing “World of Warcraft,” the world’s biggest multiplayer online game, can improve scientific thinking.

The conclusion? Certain types of video games can have benefits beyond the virtual thrills of blowing up demons.

Man who died on Breese Terrace porch identified

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Capital Times

An autopsy Sunday failed to provide a reason for the death of Jonathan J. Krenzelok, 29, of Madison, who died Saturday evening on a porch at 144 Breese Terrace.

Dane County Coroner John Stanley said preliminary findings from the autopsy “confirm that physical trauma was not the cause of death,” in the case. Further medical studies are pending, Stanley said.

Krenzelok helped a friend move into the house, part of the Triangle fraternity on Friday, and was drinking with friends Friday night. He was found dead on the porch of the house at about 5 p.m. Saturday.

The case remains under investigation by the Madison Police Department and the Dane County Coroner’s Office.

UW safety airs views

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

If Jay Valai isn’t able to earn a paycheck on the football field, he plans to make a decent living in the broadcast booth.

Radio or TV, it doesnâ??t really matter.

â??Either or is fine,â? the University of Wisconsinâ??s No. 1 strong safety said recently. â??Just think about that. Sitting around and talking sports. Could you ask for anything better than that?

Twist of fate summer games

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Beau Hoopman was going through freshman orientation at the University of Wisconsin, trying to figure out which end was up, when he noticed a man with a clipboard staring at him.

â??I thought, â??Uh-oh, whatâ??s this guy want?â?? â? Hoopman recalled. â??He said, â??You look like an athlete.â?? I said, â??Uh . . . yeah?â?? He said, â??Would you be interested in crew?â??

â??Iâ??m, like, â??Whatâ??s crew?â?? â?

And so began an improbable 10-year journey that took Hoopman from the rowing hotbed of Plymouth, Wis., to two Olympic medals in the sport.

Editorial: Growing our own

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The renewed focus on developing entrepreneurs at the Wisconsin School of Business is an important ingredient for a state that needs more home cooking.

Incomes in Wisconsin lag the national average, making economic growth an imperative. But with the exception of communities like Hudson and Kenosha that border large metropolitan areas, most communities in Wisconsin traditionally haven’t been able to attract companies from outside the state. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try, but realistically, most growth has to come from existing businesses – or by creating new ones.

Under the leadership of University of Wisconsin-Madison business school dean Michael Knetter, and with the strong support of UW’s vast network of alumni, the school is trying to produce more graduates interested in starting companies.

UW chemist learning how to trick killer bugs into being peaceful

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

When bacteria start talking, bad things happen.UW chemist

Many bacteria release chemical signals in search of their â??friends.â? When chemical levels remain low, the bacteria donâ??t make much mischief. But when the bugs congregate, chemicals build up, which alerts the microbes that there are enough of them to kick off an infection.

These collective infections can be especially severe and hard to treat. But Helen Blackwell, a University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor of chemistry, thinks sheâ??s found a way to stop these bacterial social gatherings before they start.

UW researchers find gene marker for prostate cancer

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Capital Times

Prostate cancer affects one out of six men as they age, and now UW researchers think they have discovered one reason why. Blame it on a misbehaving gene.

“We’ve found that there’s a gene in the prostate that alters its expression with aging, and that aberrant gene behavior is what promotes the development of cancer,” explained Dr. David Jarrard, the study’s principal author and a professor of urology at the UW Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center in Madison.

Dave Zweifel’s Plain Talk: UW bashing coming home to roost

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Capital Times

Do you suppose that Rep. Steve Nass and the other university bashers in the Legislature were paying attention a few days ago when Jon Foley, one of the stars on the UW-Madison campus, announced he is leaving for Minnesota?

….The 40-year-old professor made it clear that it was an opportunity he couldn’t refuse. But he also made it clear that the constant stream of bickering and budget cuts aimed at the UW by some of our state legislators played a role in his decision.

Janet Pearson: Ban flyovers? Better to ban football

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Capital Times

Dear Editor:

Please allow me to respond to Daniel Golden’s ill-considered rant about banning the “intrusion of the military-industrial complex” into every aspect of our daily lives by banning flyovers of football games by military aircraft.

Police push safety on big moving day (photo gallery)

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Capital Times

If approached by a police officer while moving into your new apartment, don’t be alarmed. The officer just wants to say “hi” and give some pointers about staying safe in the campus/downtown area.

The initiative is known as Safety 24/7, the first time UW-Madison has conducted an organized welcome for students moving into their new digs on moving day, the first day most leases commence for hundreds of apartments both downtown and on campus.

The effort is to educate students how to keep themselves safe while living and studying in Madison.

UW team patents technique for making micro computer chips

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

An iPod equipped with a tiny disk drive can hold up to 200 hours of video, or 40,000 songs.

In other words, not nearly enough.

The continuing effort to squeeze more digital material into ever smaller devices has taken a big step forward at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where researchers have helped develop a novel technique for making computer chips.

Wis. family still in dark 3 yrs after son vanishes

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Associated Press

TOWN OF MENASHA, Wis. (AP) — The parents of a University of Wisconsin-Madison student who disappeared in Japan three years ago say they’re resigned to never knowing what happened.

Steven and Lesley Lathrop of the town of Menasha have gone to Japan since their 20-year-old son Andy vanished three years ago Friday. But Lesley says Japanese authorities have asked them to stop searching.

Posted in Uncategorized

Former UW running back Smith sentenced to 20 days jail

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Capital Times

Former University of Wisconsin running back Lance Smith was sentenced Thursday to 20 days in jail for the physical assault on his girlfriend last year which started in his apartment and continued to a nearby convenience store.

In handing down the sentence, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Stuart Schwartz gave Smith credit for the four days he sat in jail after his arrest for the assault. Since Smith will earn good time when he serves his sentence, it will amount to about eight more days behind bars if he behaves.

Play a chess grandmaster at the Memorial Union

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Capital Times

Chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley will simultaneously play up to 25 other people Friday at the UW Memorial Union.

Up to a dozen playing places remain available for UW-Madison students, faculty and staff on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

Ashley is a world-renowned chess player and the only African-American international grandmaster of chess. The Asset Builders of America are sponsoring Ashley’s visit to Madison as part of a weekend-long conference about financial education.

Doyle’s stem cell research support earns him award

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Capital Times

Gov. Jim Doyle will receive the National Leadership award at the 2008 World Stem Cell Summit to be held in Madison next month, it was announced Wednesday.

The Genetic Policy Institute, the group presenting the summit, announced five major awards Wednesday including the one to Doyle. The summit is billed as the “epicenter of the burgeoning international stem cell revolution,” and will be held at the Alliant Energy Center on Sept. 22-23, bringing together hundreds of stem cell experts from throughout the world.

Walk-on wrestles with new challenge

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

After more than three years away from football, Jordan Hein didn’t forget how to put on his shoulder pads.Taking them off without a struggle was another matter for the University of Wisconsin rookie defensive tackle.

â??It is a funny question, but I donâ??t have the technique down to get them off right away,â? Hein, a member of the wrestling team his first three years at UW, said after football practice Wednesday. â??One time I had my one arm stuck taking them off and a couple guys were laughing at me.

State Street will be open for moving days

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Capital Times

State Street residents moving in or out of apartments this week will be able to use the whole length of the six-block-long street to get their moving vehicles close to their quarters.

The lower half of State Street (the 500 and 600 blocks) has been a construction zone all summer, but construction will be halted at the end of the day Wednesday and won’t resume until Monday, allowing vehicles to be able to use those two blocks for the massive move, as most leases end Thursday (Aug. 14) and renters start moving in Friday.

Only residents with State Street addresses will be allowed access to the street for their moving vehicles, said Madison Police Department spokesman Joel DeSpain.

Ed Garvey: Watch out for the agenda behind the poll

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Capital Times

A couple of weeks ago, I raised questions about presidential polling in general and the Quinnipiac University’s polling in particular. Should you rely on polls or not? I was chastised by a University of Wisconsin political science prof for raising questions about Quinnipiac’s polling. Not since I questioned papal infallibility in sixth grade have I been dispatched to the corner so vigorously. I was even told to apologize to Quinnipiac.

I have no beef against Quinnipiac and I wish them well. But I wish them and all the other pollsters more transparency in polling.

Kevin P. Reilly and Katharine C. Lyall: UW is a national leader in accountability

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Capital Times

In July, the University of California System announced an initiative to measure and report publicly the performance of its 10 campuses. This would be the first such report of its kind for that system. Previously, in June, the Minnesota State Colleges and University System announced a new “accountability dashboard” to monitor its 32 colleges and universities.

These efforts come as people in higher education appreciate having clear, quantifiable performance data. Increasingly, students, lawmakers and taxpayers use such information to evaluate their return on investment.

Wisconsinites sometimes envy places like California and Minnesota. In this instance, however, we can take pride in Wisconsin’s long-standing leadership position in public accountability reporting.

Professor creates microscope program for elementary school kids

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

When Doug Weibel spotted an $85 microscope at Toys â??Râ? Us, he immediately bought it and brought it home for his children. His children started magnifying everything they could get their hands on – wires, sponges, insects – capturing images and recording movies on a computer linked to the microscope.

It struck Weibel, however, that this was not only fun, but also educational.

Last December, Weibel, an assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, decided to start an outreach program called MicroExplorers to bring microscopes to classrooms and after-school activities.

State ranks 3rd in ACT scores, but racial gaps persist

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsinâ??s average score on the Midwestâ??s most popular college entrance exam still ranks among the highest in the nation, but that could change in coming years: Milwaukee Public Schools plans to offer the ACT to the majority of its juniors next spring, a move that could lower the statewide average.

UW sports: A power-packed class for Hall of Fame

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Capital Times

Troy Vincent, Rick Olson and Craig Norwich headline a nine-member class that will be inducted into the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame later this month.

UW also will honor several alumni of historical importance, including Sidney Williams, the first African-American starting quarterback in modern Big Ten Conference history; Megan Scott, UW’s only three-sport female letterwinner; former associate athletic director Otto Breitenbach; and prominent boosters Tom Wiesner and Palmer “Butch” Strickler.

Bus delays expected near Capitol Square

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Capital Times

Trek Bicycles annual sales meeting at Monona Terrace could cause some traffic tieups Thursday and Saturday evenings downtown to accommodate two bike rides, but the Metro bus system doesn’t expect to have to detour buses because of heavy bicycle traffic.

Bicycle rides are planned from Monona Terrace to the UW Union Terrace at 6 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, but the bicyclists will most likely delay bus service rather than force Metro to detour buses away from the Capitol Loop/State Street routes, according to a Metro spokesman.

Study shows 5% decline in students in the arts

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Capital Times

The state of arts education in Wisconsin public schools is “at a crossroads” according to a study released Monday.

The report shows music and art classes are readily available in almost all Wisconsin public schools, however, there has been a 5 percent decline in participation over the last four years. The study, which was commissioned by the arts advocacy group Arts Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education — a statewide organization dedicated to arts education — also found that dance and theater classes are very rarely offered.

UW men’s hockey: Bearson, UW parting ways

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Capital Times

Zach Bearson and the University of Wisconsin hockey team are parting ways.

The forward said that UW coaches told him at the start of the summer that they would continue on without him, a decision that Bearson said was disappointing.

“I’m sure they have their reasons upstairs,” said Bearson, a seventh-round NHL draft pick who dressed for only one game in his sophomore season after appearing in five as a freshman.

Inspired by three fallen friends, UW’s Aaron Henry is on the mend

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Capital Times

Some people in Aaron Henry’s situation would be curled up in the fetal position, wondering when the next instance of pain and suffering would be arriving.

Not Henry, who somehow manages to keep a smile on his face instead of a permanent scowl. The latter would be understandable considering how rotten the past eight months have been for Henry, a sophomore cornerback on the University of Wisconsin football team.

Former UW student pleads to role in moving hundreds of pounds of weed

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Capital Times

A former Madison man in the middle of a marijuana sales network that moved at least one ton of pot between 2000 and July 2003 pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to conspiring to distribute a controlled substance with a second man who’s suspected of involvement in an unsolved murder.

Brian Hutchinson, now of Fontana, Wis., was a UW-Madison student in August 2000 when he moved into a house on Wingra Avenue shared with the second man, Reed Rogala, who was already heavily involved in marijuana trafficking, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Graber.

Making free time pay off

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

University of Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez earned more than $167,110 in outside income in 2007 by giving speeches, doing radio shows and appearing as an analyst on network television, newly released records show.

During the same time period, football coach Bret Bielema and menâ??s basketball coach Bo Ryan generated substantial income as well, earning $88,700 and $61,460, respectively.

Farms can increase wildlife diversity, Wisconsin researchers say

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Farms cover nearly half the land in Wisconsin, creating an immense stress on the natural biodiversity of the stateâ??s landscape.

But farms can also drastically increase the diversity of plants, birds and beneficial insects by incorporating uncultivated land, University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists reported this week at the Ecological Society of Americaâ??s annual meeting in Milwaukee.

Man pistol whipped, robbed on Regent Street

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Capital Times

A 19-year-old Fitchburg man was pistol whipped and robbed early Saturday morning by a group of seven or eight men who attacked him on Regent Street.

Madison police said the victim reported the attack about 10 a.m. Saturday but it happened about 2 a.m., in the 100 block of Regent Street.