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Author: jnweaver

Despite tragedy, Metro’s safety record has been improving

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Wisconsin State Journal

Despite a tragedy in which a Metro Transit bus struck and killed a pedestrian on June 22, Madison?s bus system has an improving safety record amid rising ridership, city records show. Metro had 72 crashes in which the bus driver was at least partially at fault in 2010, the lowest sum in at least seven years.

….In the first five months of 2011, Metro has had 36 crashes. The sum doesn’t include the June 22 accident when Maureen E. Grant, 58, of New Glarus, was struck by a bus on University Avenue near UW-Madison.

UW diversity issues clear at UW-Madison SOAR session

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Wisconsin State Journal

Damon Williams looked out at the eager faces of incoming UW-Madison freshman and told them the truth.

?Now, you?ll notice that the faces in this room are pretty diverse, particularly from an ethnic and racial perspective,? said Williams, UW-Madison?s top diversity officer. ?I?m here to tell you, that?s not going to be your experience on a day-to-day basis here at UW-Madison.?

On Sunday, UW-Madison held an orientation session ? known as SOAR Student Orientation Advising and Registration ? for new students of color. The idea is to allow under-represented students a chance to get to know one another before school starts.

Former UW Student Indicted On Child Porn Count (AP)

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WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — A federal grand jury has indicted a former University of Wisconsin-Madison student on one count of sharing child pornography computer files. According to court documents, an FBI agent in Los Angeles logged onto a file-sharing site in August 2010 and downloaded nearly 160 images linked to a computer in 23-year-old Matthew Hendrickson?s UW-Madison dorm room.

Second federal lawsuit filed over union law

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Wisconsin State Journal

A second federal lawsuit has been filed challenging Wisconsin?s new law restricting collective bargaining rights. The lawsuit by two Madison-based labor unions was filed in U.S. District Court in Madison on Wednesday. The unions represent about 2,700 public workers in Madison and Dane County, including school teachers, city public workers employees and others.

Obituary: Niles S. Schley

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Niles S. Schley, age 92, passed away on Saturday, July 2, 2011, at his home in Fitchburg. He worked as a master plumber for the University of Wisconsin for more than 25 years.

University?s ?[title of show]? is a musical about making a musical

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Wisconsin State Journal

In University Theatre?s summer musical, four friends will play four friends who played … themselves.

“[title of show]” is a 2005 musical about making a musical with nothing more than four chairs, a piano and a goofy idea. In an early song, Hunter Bell asks Jeff Bowen: “What if the first scene was just us talking about what to write? We could put this exact conversation in the show.” And they do.

Plain Talk: We?ve become laughingstock of the nation

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Capital Times

A longtime friend who now lives in Washington, D.C., called the other day.

?What the hell is going on in our state?? he demanded. ?People are making jokes about Wisconsin all over the place.? He?s right, of course. Our once proud state that long had the reputation for being on the cutting edge of everything from social justice to clean, honest government has become a laughingstock to many outsiders.

UW football: Is Wilson destined to be a disappointment?

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Madison.com

Just because Russell Wilson was a successful quarterback at North Carolina State the last three years doesn?t guarantee he will put up the same numbers with the University of Wisconsin this season. In fact, after crunching some numbers, ESPN Insider KC Joyner predicts Wilson will be a disappointment for the Badgers.

Tech and Biotech: Seeking new ideas for flight

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Wisconsin State Journal

Have an idea for a new way to fly? AeroInnovate is looking for early-stage inventions to show off at the AeroInnovate Technology Showcase. The new event will be held at the Experimental Aircraft Association?s annual AirVenture gathering, July 25-31, in Oshkosh.

UW women’s basketball: Bowe’s scholarship offer withdrawn

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Madison.com

Heather Bowe?s dream was to play basketball at the Kohl Center. It?s a dream she realized in March when she led her Eau Claire Regis team to the WIAA Division 4 state title. But her home court in college will be somewhere other than the Kohl Center.

Bowe, who committed to former University of Wisconsin women?s basketball coach Lisa Stone following her freshman season at Regis, was told by new coach Bobbie Kelsey that the scholarship offer had been withdrawn.

UW football: Wilson manages to make plays just fine

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Madison.com

The University of Wisconsin football team had to fight a lot of perceptions in the successful recruitment of former North Carolina State quarterback Russell Wilson. One of the biggest was summed up by veteran college football writer Stewart Mandel of SI.com in an interview last week.

?He?s so not the traditional Wisconsin quarterback,? Mandel said after Wilson announced he was transferring to UW.

Q&A: Deal maker John Neis works to connect ideas with venture capital

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Capital Times

Those who follow Wisconsin?s economic development scene know the state suffers from a lack of investment dollars to help new companies get off the ground. One figure often cited is that Wisconsin is home to 1.84 percent of the U.S. population and receives 2.15 percent of the nation?s academic research spending but attracts just 0.11 percent of the available venture capital.

For more than 25 years, John Neis has been working to change that.

Johnson Controls Sponsors Research At UW Schools

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WISC-TV 3

GLENDALE, Wis. — Johnson Controls Inc. is providing research support to two University of Wisconsin campuses toward the study of batteries and other forms of energy storage. The Milwaukee-based company said Thursday it will provide faculty and laboratory space at UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee. Company officials said the move will help educate more energy researchers and also ensure that Wisconsin remains a center of energy expertise.

Campus Connection: Challenges await Ward as UW-Madison’s interim chancellor

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Capital Times

With hopes of moving forward, UW System officials decided to turn back the clock in looking for leadership to guide UW-Madison. David Ward, who was chancellor at Wisconsin?s flagship institution of higher education from 1993 to 2000, was introduced as the university?s interim chancellor by UW System President Kevin Reilly at a press conference Wednesday at Bascom Hall.

“David, it?s no exaggeration at all to say, is one of the most admired American university leaders at home and abroad,” says Reilly.

Leaving his old name behind, Bill Callahan looks to the future, including an unlikely gig on the Terrace after Rhythm and Booms

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Wisconsin State Journal

After the excitable crowds on the Memorial Union Terrace marvel at Madison?s annual Rhythm & Booms fireworks display taking place across the lake at Warner Park on Saturday, July 2, they?ll be greeted by an unlikely sight in Bill Callahan. The introspective singer-songwriter is not the first performer who comes to mind when one thinks of who should headline a day-long party capped by thunderous fireworks.

Madison360: City aging quicker than most, study says

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Capital Times

Many in Madison have long perceived the city to be a youthful place based in part, I suppose, on the annual infusion of University of Wisconsin freshmen. Well, the facts are indicating otherwise. A report by The Brookings Institute has Madison 6th in the nation for the rate of growth of pre-seniors, people ages 55 to 64, between 2000 and 2010. It is hard to generalize, but it feels like all those Vietnam-era Baby Boomers at UW who chose to stay are still around.

Campus Connection: Ward named UW-Madison’s interim chancellor

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Capital Times

UW System President Kevin Reilly and Board of Regents President Michael Spector held a news briefing Wednesday at Bascom Hall to announce the interim chancellor. Reilly made the hiring decision after consulting with Board of Regents leadership and key UW-Madison stakeholders such as administrators, faculty, staff, alumni and donors.

Obituary: William “Bill” Hilsenhoff

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William “Bill” Hilsenhoff passed away on Thursday, June 16, 2011, in Middleton. Bill had a distinguished career as a professor of entomology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and in association with numerous professional societies and committees.

John Nichols: State poised to renew progressive legacy this summer

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Capital Times

The most progressive legislative session in Wisconsin history took place precisely 100 years ago, when a coalition of rural Republicans and Milwaukee Socialists united to enact reforms that broke the grip of the robber barons and finally put state government on the side of working Wisconsinites, small-business owners and farmers.

….Wisconsin established the standard by which other states were measured. It was the most innovative, the most humane, the most responsible and, above all, the most politically progressive state in the nation. And the ideas that came from Wisconsin formed the underpinning for the labor, farm, civil rights and social justice movements that would eventually come to the fore two decades later, as Franklin Roosevelt imported University of Wisconsin professors and veterans of the state?s legislative and political battles to forge a ?New Deal? for America.

Outstate outrage: Grass-roots energy beyond Madison fuels recall efforts

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Capital Times

From Green Bay to Fond du Lac, Oshkosh and beyond, those involved in the movement to remove their legislators who sided with Walker say it is their constitutional right to take action, and while they may not be hoisting signs and walking around the Capitol, they are working to change the makeup of those who serve within it.

Quoted: Dennis Dresang, UW-Madison professor emeritus of political science

Court watchers say high court has hit new low

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Wisconsin State Journal

They are supposed to be sober, adult and dispassionate. But recent events have legal and political experts wondering what the heck is wrong with the state Supreme Court.

Quoted: Donald Downs, a UW-Madison professor of law and political science, and Mordecai Lee, a UW-Milwaukee political science professor and former Democrat state lawmaker.

Madison’s African Americans have fewer black-owned nightspots even as population grows

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Wisconsin State Journal

Pool at Vitale?s, then dancing at Purlie?s, then winding down at Mr. P?s. For a generation, the three taverns within a mile of each other gave blacks on the South Side places in their neighborhood to mingle after dark ….However, since the three bars closed in the late 1990s, taverns that cater to blacks have assumed another pattern.

“We call them grand opening grand closings,” said Dwayne Williams, a UW-Madison budget analyst who has a side business as a music and events promoter.

Burglars hit unlocked downtown apartments, police say

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Capital Times

Following a string of burglaries Saturday morning at downtown apartments, Madison police are urging residents to make sure their doors and windows are secure to prevent becoming the next victim. The close to half-dozen burglaries had common threads: unlocked doors for entry, and laptop computers the target items.

Paul Nason: Metro is out of control

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Capital Times

Dear Editor: I am a former city worker and a union supporter, but Madison Metro has way too much attitude. Service gets worse every year. Both management and drivers are at fault, so fire them all. Close Metro down!

Coach Bielema: Russell Wilson will play for Badgers

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WKOW-TV 27

MADISON (WKOW) — Russell Wilson has committed to Wisconsin and plans to play football for the Badgers and attend graduate school at UW beginning this fall, head coach Bret Bielema announced Monday. The UW Athletic Department released the following statement on Wilson.

“Russell will come in and compete for the starting quarterback position,” Bielema said. “This is an unusual situation, especially for a program that prides itself on developing players throughout their careers, as we do here at Wisconsin. However, this is a special situation and Russell is the type of player and person that fits very well with our team.”

Professor: State Supreme Court Has Become ‘Laughingstock’

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WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — A University of Wisconsin law professor said that bickering among the state?s Supreme Court justices has made the court a “laughingstock.” His comments come after a liberal justice accused a conservative court member of choking her during an argument earlier this month.

University of Wisconsin-Madison law professor Howard Schweber said infighting has made the court a laughingstock and the justices have become fodder for late-night comics.

All-ACC quarterback Wilson to play football for Badgers

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Madison.com

Russell Wilson will play his final season of college football at the University of Wisconsin. The sought-after quarterback had been weighing offers from the Badgers and Auburn against a continued career in minor league baseball.

“Russell will come in and compete for the starting quarterback position,” UW coach Bret Bielema said in a statement Monday.

UW men’s hockey: Eaves shoots down NHL speculation

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Madison.com

University of Wisconsin men?s hockey coach Mike Eaves dispelled two East Coast newspaper reports that he was being considered for the NHL opening at New Jersey. Eaves said Monday he?s had no contact with the Devils or any other NHL team about leaving his alma mater, where he?s coached since 2002.

UW women’s basketball: Recruit Tinjum withdraws commitment

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Madison.com

Scratch another of the 2012 recruits for the University of Wisconsin women?s basketball team. At least for the moment. Whitney Tinjum, a 6-foot-1 wing player from Chisago Lakes Area High School in Minnesota, has decommitted from the UW program to open up her recruiting heading into the July evaluation period.

Tom Oates: Big Ten may mean big issues for hockey

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Madison.com

There are many valid reasons behind the Big Ten Conference?s decision to form a six-team men?s hockey league that will start in 2013-14. With traditionally strong programs at Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State and the University of Wisconsin, the conference should become a hockey power. The name recognition of those schools along with Ohio State and hockey newcomer Penn State could raise the profile of hockey nationally and give it a stronger voice in the NCAA. Finally, it will provide much-needed live programming for the Big Ten Network. Nationally, however, the perception of the conference is a bit different.

Obituary: Heather Crispen

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Heather Crispen died on June 6, 2011, after a courageous battle with cancer. Heather?s love of science took her to the Harlow Primate Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She started as a student worker in 1982, and after receiving her B.S. in psychology in 1983, she continued to work there until her illness prevented it. Her passion for science and monkeys continued through her career as she worked her way to becoming a research program manager. Recently Heather was awarded emerita status by the University of Wisconsin after a long and committed career cut short by her illness.

Obituary: Maureen Ellen Grant

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Maureen Ellen Grant, age 58, of New Glarus, passed away on Wednesday, June 22, 2011. She was a librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for 26 years. An informal gathering to celebrate her life and to visit with her family will be held at a later date in New Glarus.

Sources: Argument between Prosser, Bradley becomes physical

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Wisconsin State Journal

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser allegedly grabbed fellow Justice Ann Walsh Bradley around the neck in an argument in her chambers earlier this month, according to three knowledgeable sources. But a different account of the incident emerged Saturday, and Prosser said the allegation “will be proven false.”

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel quoted sources saying Prosser made contact with Bradley to defend himself after she charged toward him. Details of the incident, investigated jointly by Wisconsin Public Radio and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, remain sketchy. The sources spoke on the condition they not be named, citing a need to preserve professional relationships.

(The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism also collaborates with Wisconsin Public Television, the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication and other news media.)

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Executive Q&A: Mortgage CEO focuses on ?precious present?

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Wisconsin State Journal

Steve Jacobson traces the philosophy that guides his business to this day, after 28 years in the mortgage-finance industry, to his time playing college basketball at UW-Madison. Jacobson, 50, was a guard under Coach Bill Cofield in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but it was what then-assistant and now head Badgers coach Bo Ryan used to say about the “precious present” that stuck with him most.

Teen boys have little to choose from, Herbach says

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Wisconsin State Journal

Geoff Herbach sensed a lack of smart literature aimed at teen boys. So he wrote a book called ?Stupid Fast.? Herbach, a Platteville native and UW-Madison grad who now teaches creative writing at Minnesota State University in Mankato, created a protagonist, Felton Reinstein, whose infectious energy nearly leaps off the page.

Wis. gov makes 50 vetoes in state budget (AP)

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Madison.com

Republican Gov. Scott Walker left the state budget largely intact, using his powerful veto pen to issue only 50 changes before signing it into law Sunday. The lack of changes indicate Republicans who control the Legislature handed the governor most of what he wanted as they revised the two-year, $66 billion budget.

UW: Braveheart makes remarkable recovery

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WKOW-TV 27

MADISON (WKOW) — The health of Braveheart, the dog who was left to die in a Kentucky dumpster, is greatly improving. Braveheart’s remarkable recovery will be on display on UW-Madison Day at the Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis on Wednesday, Aug. 10.

UPDATE: “Braveheart” Recovery

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NBC-15

MADISON – Back in March, when the doctors and technicians at UW Veterinary Care first met Braveheart, he was an unknown, previously unloved and basically forgotten dog. He was found in a dumpster in Kentucky, where he was left to die. Braveheart was severely malnourished, full of worms and infested with parasites. His hair was spotty at best and open sores covered much of his skin. Fast forward to today and Braveheart is a well-known and loved dog.

Handler Talks About Meaning Of K9 Vest Donation

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Channel3000.com

Protecting the dogs who help protect us, that?s the idea behind the Wisconsin Vest-A-Dog organization that has made a very special donation to the University of Wisconsin Police Department K9 Unit on Thursday. The bullet resistant and stab resistant vest will go to the newest member of the unit, Odin.

UW Alumni Association Unveils New Ice Cream Flavor To Celebrate 150 Years (channel3000.com)

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The Wisconsin Alumni Association unveiled the secret ingredients of Babcock Hall Dairy?s new flavor, Mad Grad Medley, at a birthday party to commemorate its 150th anniversary. Bucky Badger and football great Ron Dayne delivered the first tastes of Mad Grad Medley — a Door County cherry-infused vanilla ice cream whipped with chocolate chips and topped with chocolate flakes — to the June 23 party on Alumni Pier, just east of the Memorial Union Terrace.

Atrehyeu Lalor and Cecilia Leon: Official response to Langdon Street mock ?lynching? utterly inadequate

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Capital Times

Dear Editor: On the night of Wednesday, June 8, something sickening happened in our neighborhood ? something we cannot get out of our minds, no matter what we do. Students living in the Badger House on Langdon Street, near where we live, made the poor decision of hanging a black nylon dummy from a noose, attaching it to their balcony.

Women, queer folks and people of color oftentimes do not feel safe walking down Langdon Street the way it is. To know that there was what is tantamount to a mock lynching (regardless of the intent) more than bothers those minorities living in the neighborhood. It is both terrifying and infuriating. The response from the UW has been minimal at best.

Biz Beat: Budget serves up tax break for wealthiest Wisconsinites

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Capital Times

Progressives have found precious little to like in the 2011-2013 budget Gov. Scott Walker will sign into law Sunday at a ceremony in Green Bay. But perhaps the most regressive item is a new tax loophole ? disguised as an economic development tool ? that is projected to cost the state hundreds of millions in lost revenue over the next decade.

Quoted: Andrew Reschovsky, UW-Madison professor of public affairs and applied economics

Bucks keep Leuer in state with 40th pick

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Madison.com

ST. FRANCIS ? Jon Leuer smiled Tuesday afternoon when he was asked if he thought the Milwaukee Bucks were interested in drafting him.

“I hope so,” the 6-foot-11 forward responded enthusiastically. He got his wish. The Bucks used their second-round pick ? and 40th overall ? to select the former University of Wisconsin men?s basketball standout Thursday night in the NBA draft.

Pedestrian killed by bus identified as UW library employee

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Wisconsin State Journal

A long-time UW-Madison library system employee, Maureen E. Grant, 58, of New Glarus, was identified Thursday as the pedestrian killed when struck by a bus on campus Wednesday morning. An email sent to employees of the library system Wednesday alerted co-workers of the death. Grant is listed as an employee of the Central Technical Services department in the general library division of the university, working at Memorial Library.

Marquette revises sex assault policies (JSOnline)

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Marquette University officials acknowledged Wednesday that the university made mistakes in how it handled student reports of sexual assaults and said they?ve worked out a way to improve how they report sexual assaults to city police. Previously, officials with Marquette?s public safety department left it up to the student who reported a sexual assault whether to report that assault to the Milwaukee Police Department. But that was against Wisconsin law, which mandates that a private security firm that believes a crime has been committed has to promptly notify police. Now students will be told the incident will be reported, but they have a choice of whether to talk to police.

Woman Dies After Being Hit By Metro Bus

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WISC-TV 3

MADISON, Wis. — A woman has died after being struck by a Madison Metro bus on Wednesday morning in downtown Madison. The incident apparently occurred at about 8:54 a.m. when a woman was walking in a cross walk northbound on University Avenue. She was in the crosswalk and had a walk light when she was hit by the bus, which was turning left onto University Avenue from Lake Street, according to Madison police.

Pedestrian struck by Metro bus

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Wisconsin State Journal

Authorities with the aid of hydraulic emergency equipment removed an injured female pedestrian from beneath a Madison Metro Transit bus at University Avenue and Lake Street at about 9 a.m., Madison Fire Department officials confirmed. The injured woman was taken to the UW Hospital and traffic was snarled Downtown while the rescue operation was underway.

UW football: Badgers coaches off to a fast start on the 2012 recruiting trail

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Madison.com

The impressive start to the University of Wisconsin football team?s 2012 recruiting class has yet to make a big splash on the national scene. Blame that on its consistent success over the years, despite recruiting classes that rarely finish in the top 25 nationally.

“I don?t really care how Wisconsin is recruiting ? is the easiest way I can put it,” said Scott Kennedy, the national director of scouting for Scout.com. They?re going to be good.

Obituary: Liz Koerner

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Liz was known for her passion for the out-of-doors, for music, her cats, for her beloved husband, Jeff, and for her commitment to positive social change. As a producer for Wisconsin Public TV, she was ideally suited to the research and storytelling required for the job, working tirelessly to make sense of the world and pass that understanding onto others. Many of her Tribe met Liz through her work producing gardening shows (“she was an elegant gardener”), documentaries (“one of our best educators”), concerts (“a musician and director”), social issues (“sorting out the important things in life”), and environmental concerns.