Category: Campus life

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk said a veteran dispatcher missed significant sounds on a 911 call from murdered college student Brittany Zimmermann, and a second error caused investigators to spend days searching for two innocent men.

27 News has also uncovered the 911 dispatcher, who mishandled an emergency call from Zimmermann’s cell phone, had requested a transfer out of emergency communication work nearly a month before the Zimmermann call.

Last week, county officials confirmed the 911 operator, 54, had requested, and received a transfer from the communications center, but did not specify the date of the transfer request.

A UW-Madison student is facing felony charges of criminal damage to property after police allege he intentionally set off the sprinkler system in the University House Towers April 4.

When you invite your 100 best friends to a party on Facebook, you may be inviting the Madison Police as well.

The University of Wisconsinâ??s senior class president-elect has been charged with a misdemeanor for stealing six bus tickets from the Memorial Union over spring break.

A criminal complaint was filed in April against a University of Wisconsin student accused of setting off a sprinkler system, causing thousands of dollars of property damage.

The Madison Police Department reported 438 arrests at last Saturdayâ??s Mifflin Street Block Party and still has arrests and citations to issue to Mifflin residents hosting parties in violation of the law, police officials said Monday.

Six Dane County supervisors are requesting an external audit of Dane Countyâ??s 911 Center after hearing the center failed to return a phone call from slain University of Wisconsin junior Brittany Zimmermannâ??s cell phone the day she was killed.

27 News has uncovered the veteran 911 operator who mishandled an emergency call from murder victim Brittany Zimmermann’s cell phone had requested a transfer out of emergency communication work nearly a month before the Zimmermann call.

Last week, county officials confirmed the 911 operator, 54, had requested, and received a transfer from the communications center, but did not specify the date of the transfer request.

911 Center Director Joe Norwick has yet to respond to a request from 27 News for more information on the timing and motivation of the operator’s transfer request.

A UW-Madison student faces a felony charge of criminal damage to property for allegedly setting off a fire sprinkler system in the University House Towers student housing on Frances Street on April 4.

Max J. Korman, 18, of Northbrook, Ill., allegedly set off the building’s sprinklers on the eighth floor where he resides, and was caught on the building’s security video system. The system activation caused thousands of dollars in damages to the building and to the retail store on the ground floor and led to the evacuation of residents.

Along with a felony count of criminal damage, Korman is also charged with a misdemeanor count of interference with fire fighting equipment.

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk has written letters of apology to be sent to the family of murder victim Brittany Zimmermann and her fiance, in response to a disclosure last week that a call to the 911 center was made from her phone around the time she was killed, but was not returned as is normal protocol.

Falk aide Joshua Wescott said Monday that the family and Zimmermann’s fiance, Jordan Gonnering, should receive the letters of apology shortly.

The recently elected UW-Madison senior class president has been arrested and charged with misdemeanor theft for stealing bus tickets from the Memorial Union information desk.

Oliver Delgado won election as president of the class of 2008-09 by garnering 430 votes in the spring election, beating Jeff Wright (388 votes) and Tim Fung (101), according to election tabulations by the Associated Students of Madison.

But a couple of weeks before the early April vote, Delgado was caught stealing bus tickets so he and his roommate could get out of Madison for spring break, according to a complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court.

A highly touted program to walk University of Wisconsin-Madison students home safely has been understaffed while services are in high demand after a student’s murder, employees say.

Dane County officials failed to follow a consultant’s staffing recommendation made in a 2004 report that warned of a potential “catastrophic event” if staffing levels were not immediately increased.

The “strategic plan,” prepared by Seattle-based MTG Management Consultants, recommended hiring five additional dispatchers, one manager and two technology professionals. “Additional staff increases will likely be required in the near future as 911 activity continues to increase,” the report said.

MADISON, Wis. — Local officials said on Monday that they plan to release new information regarding the killing of a University of Wisconsin-Madison student but gave no details on when.

This follows last week’s revelation that the Dane County 911 Center received a call from 21-year-old Brittany Zimmermann’s cell phone on the day she was killed. However, a 911 dispatcher hung up on the call and then failed to call back, which violates protocol. Police officers were never sent to investigate.

MADISON, Wis. – A highly touted program to walk University of Wisconsin-Madison students home safely has been understaffed while services are in high demand after a student’s murder, employees complain.

The SAFEWalk program has turned away several students seeking escorts after the April 2 murder, in part because the university refused to schedule more workers, employees say. Many of the callers accepted free cab rides instead but others walked home on their own.

MADISON, Wis. — Dane County officials planned to offer apologies to the family of a slain University of Wisconsin-Madison student after revelations last week that a 911 call from the victim’s phone was apparently mishandled.

On Monday, Dane County Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott McDonell said he believes a mistake was made at the 911 Center and apologized. Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk has also drafted some letters of apology to Brittany Zimmermann’s family and fiancé, according to a spokesman.

The apologies follow last week’s news that the Dane County 911 Center received a call from 21-year-old Zimmermann’s cell phone on the day she was killed in early April. However, a 911 dispatcher hung up on the call after apparently hearing nothing and then failed to call back, which violates 911 protocols. Police officers were never sent to investigate.

Dane County Supervisor Dave Wiganowsky is demanding an independent probe into how the 911 call from murder victim Brittany Zimmermann was handled by the county’s dispatch center. Wiganowksy says he’s not necessarily “pointing fingers” but he’s hoping an external audit can determine what role if any the lack of response from the 911 dispatcher played in the death of the UW-Madison student.

The operator who authorities said mishandled the 911 call from Brittany Zimmermann’s cell phone on the day of the student’s murder declined a request for a interview from 27 News.

A member of her household told 27 News reporter Tony Galli the county worker is remaining private about what happened. He also expressed skepticism the media would treat her fairly.

MADISON, Wis. — Dane County officials said on Monday that they plan to release new information regarding the killing of a University of Wisconsin-Madison student but gave no details on when.

This follows last week’s revelation that the Dane County 911 Center received a call from 21-year-old Brittany Zimmermann’s cell phone on the day she was killed. However, a 911 dispatcher hung up on the call and then failed to call back, which violates protocol. Police officers were never sent to investigate.

The news touched off a public round of fingerpointing between Madison police and various local and county officials about whether there was enough information from the call to prompt police to respond. The dispatcher who answered the call has since been transferred to another county job, WISC-TV reported.

After the Dane County 911 Center revealed the mishandling of a call from homicide victim Brittany Zimmermannâ??s cell phone the day of her death, many UW-Madison students are questioning the centerâ??s ability to provide proper emergency response.

City officials are pushing for a revamp of the Mifflin Street Block Party, including possible sponsorship of the event, after hitting a record number of arrests at the 40th annual event Saturday.

More than 4,500 University of Wisconsin faculty, staff and students have registered for the WiscAlert-Text Messaging program since the sign-up process began last Thursday.

Friends of slain University of Wisconsin junior Brittany Zimmermann raised more than $2,000 to support a scholarship in her memory at the Mifflin Street Block Party Saturday.

For the fifth year in a row, the Mifflin Street Block Party hit a record high in the number of arrests Saturday. According to preliminary numbers from the Madison Police Department, arrests climbed roughly 10 percent from last year despite a similar number of attendees.

It looked like Bourbon Street in New Orleans on a Sunday morning, as the Mifflin Street Block Party in Madison wound down at about 8 p.m. Saturday.

After about 10,000 young people had partied hard for hours, the street was strewn with flattened beer cartons, flattened beer cans, broken plastic cups and — manure from the steeds of mounted police. Most party-goers had left, and a phalanx of police arrived to clear the rest from the street, leaving only some die-hard partiers on balconies and porches.

About 400 people had been arrested, mostly for alcohol-related offenses such as underage drinking and having open alcohol containers.

Madison has tamed its raucous State Street Halloween celebration, but this weekend’s 40th annual Mifflin Street Block Party remains a booze-infused wild child.

On Saturday, thousands of college students are expected to converge on the Downtown neighborhood to drink heavily and get arrested in droves.

What started in the 1960s as a peacenik music fest, has turned into a chain of hard-drinking house parties and street revelry.

The 911 dispatcher who mishandled the call from a homicide victim’s phone has transferred to another Dane County job, officials confirmed Friday.

Contrary to what he said Thursday, the director of the 911 center, Joe Norwick, now acknowledges that the transfer took place soon after April 2, the day a UW-Madison student was found dead in her home.

Karen Bosold is a Madison mother with two daughters attending UW-Madison. She made sure that the girls took their cell phones with them to campus, and she reminded them to use the phones to call 911 if they get in trouble.

“That’s the reason you get your daughter a cell phone,” Bosold said. “They all tell you it’s to talk to their friends. As a parent paying the bills, safety is the reason.”

The revelry, boozing and general lawlessness went on as usual at the annual Mifflin Street Block Party, but reminders of slain UW-Madison student Brittany Zimmermann permeated the party.

Zimmermann was killed a month ago in her home near Mifflin Street, where the raucous pre-finals block party takes over the neighborhood during the first Saturday in May.

Four decades is a long time to be looking for someone who does not want to be found. It means that only one of you can be successful, either at hiding or finding. In the murder of Christine Rothschild, there is the added skill of remembering.

And to her friends and the few who remember her â?? the retired detectives, the aging professor, the surviving sister â?? Rothschild’s murder might have been yesterday.

MADISON â?? One of the nation’s most enduring and well-known college beer bashes will go on but against a darker backdrop this year.

Thousands of college students will gather Saturday for the annual Mifflin Street Block Party, where students party hop between houses stocked with kegs, and beer bongs start flowing about 8 a.m.

Itâ??s always fulfilling when you find such a colorful, culturally rich event at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Thatâ??s exactly what the African Student Association (ASA) brought to the Lowell Center Saturday, April 26, with with their annual show â??Africa Night.â?

SAFEwalk is a program that sends out teams of two to walk with students on campus who request it. Everyday, they provide their services from 8 at night to 1 in the morning. But, some feel it could be better.

“My last day was on April 29,” stated Dana DeMet.

Earlier this week DeMet and 10 of his fellow SAFEwalk employees quit, saying that management was not listening to their concerns.

The streets of downtown Madison near Doty street haven’t been the same since the murder of Brittany Zimmermann just one month ago. What’s missing is the sense of security residents once had in their neighborhood.

Abby Riese lives on West Doty, several houses down from where Zimmermann was found dead in her home and is still nervous about the fact her killer is still on the loose. Since the murder she and her friends only travel alone if they have to during the day.

“And now after this I don’t feel safe here anymore,” says Riese. “I promised my dad that I wouldn’t walk alone at night and I haven’t so there’s a lot of times where I just don’t do things I would normally do.”

More than 300 dollars from a local firefighters’ union went to the Dollars for Brittany scholarship fund as friends of Zimmermann kicked off fundraising during Saturday’s Mifflin Street Block Party. One month later, the 21-year-old’s tragic murder is still fresh on everyone’s minds.

“I just thought it was a good idea to bring awareness to it and just also help people remember to be safe,” says Brittany’s best friend, Jenna Krasselt.

The fundraiser was held right in the midst of the block party, now in it’s 40th year, as UW students crowded the streets enjoying the annual celebration.

MADISON, Wis. — Thousands of college students gathered downtown Saturday for the 40th annual Mifflin Street block party, one of nation’s most enduring and well-known college beer bashes.

At the block party, thousands of revelers party hop between houses stocked with kegs all day.

MADISON, Wis. — Many questions linger following the revelation Thursday that a 911 call from the cell phone of slain University of Wisconsin-Madison student Brittany Zimmermann did not result in police being sent to her downtown apartment last month.

County Executive Kathleen Falk said that “the system didn’t work like it should” when a 911 dispatcher received the call from Zimmermann’s cell phone on April 2.

Ald. Mike Verveer wants to find an organizing group for the Mifflin Street Block Party that would turn it into a celebration instead of a beer party.

And he says he has encountered some interest from representatives of the mayor’s office and the Madison Police Department.

“I had that conversation in the last several days, and during and after the party, with Joel Plant from the mayor’s office and Capt. Mary Schauf, commander of the central police district,” Verveer said Sunday, the day after the party resulted in more than 400 arrests.

“It is apparent that this year, unlike past years, city officials besides myself are interested in providing some semblance of organization or sponsorship for this inevitable annual event.”

As Madison recovers from its latest shock, the murder of University of Wisconsin-Madison junior Brittany Zimmermann, students, locals and out-of-towners were tentatively festive at this yearâ??s Mifflin Street Block Party on Saturday.

Joviality and cooperation, among drunkenness, colored the fortieth annual gathering that originally intended to protest the Vietnam War. Fewer than 10,000 attended this year’s party, according to Madison Police Department Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain — down from 2007.

MADISON, Wis. — Itâ??s the annual bash that brings thousands to Mifflin Street.

“Just partying, seeing all your friends at one time, people you don’t see during the year, just a great time,” according to UW senior Rachel Roggi.

In addition to the usual festive atmosphere of the Mifflin Street Block Party, revelers noticed a new rallying cry this year: â??Pizza, remember Brittany Zimmermann,” came the repeated shout from volunteer Joann Gonnering.

Registration for the campus-wide safety alert text messaging system WiscAlert-Text began Thursday and will be available to all students through the My UW server.

At its best, Madisonâ??s annual Mifflin Street Block Party has been a peaceful day of revelry, music, celebration and relaxation the weekend before UW-Madison final exams. A chance for students and other residents to blow off steam, socialize and soak up a nearly 40-year-old traditionâ??along with a few beers.

Brittany Zimmermann, the UW-Madison junior killed in her apartment last month, called 911 before she died, officials confirmed Thursday.

A fire in an elevator in the A tower of the University of Wisconsinâ??s Witte Hall forced residents to evacuate the building early Thursday morning.

Two University of Wisconsin students took fate in their hands and spun the wheel this week.

Madison police said Thursday a 911 call was placed from 21-year-old Brittany Zimmermannâ??s cell phone the day of her homicide.

By RYAN J. FOLEY
Associated Press Writer

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — One of the nation’s most enduring and well-known college beer bashes will go on but against a darker backdrop this year.

Thousands of college students will gather Saturday for the annual Mifflin Street Block Party, where students party hop between houses stocked with kegs and beer bongs start flowing about 8 a.m.

But the spring celebration comes just one month after the slaying of University of Wisconsin-Madison junior Brittany Zimmermann in her apartment a few blocks away. The murder, and two others nearby that also remain unsolved, has police and university officials warning students to keep strangers out of their homes.