Madison city officials gathered Wednesday to discuss logistics and entertainment for the upcoming Freakfest, which will have its 10th anniversary Saturday.
Madison Police Department’s Central District Captain Carl Gloede emphasised that the event is safe and family-friendly and that the city is excited to hold Freakfest downtown again.
“We’ve come a long way from a public safety perspective in how this event plays out each fall,” he said.
Noted: Award recipient Ted Goodfriend, professor emeritus of medicine and pharmacology, founded MEDIC, a group of student-run medical clinics for underserved populations including the homeless.
Noted: University of Wisconsin-Madison textile expert Majid Sarmadi, who studied blaze pink’s visibility for Milroy and Kleefisch earlier this year, assured the committee earlier this month that blaze pink would be safe in the woods, saying it stands out better than orange against Wisconsin’s orange-brown fall landscape. He also said deer have an easier time seeing blaze orange than blaze pink, suggesting the color might camouflage hunters.
A pastor, community activist and UW-Madison’s director of community relations announced Tuesday that he is running for Dane County judge, to replace Circuit Judge Amy Smith, who announced Monday that she is retiring.
Bryan Stevenson, the author of this year’s Go Big Read book, filled Varsity Hall in Union South Monday night during a talk on mass incarceration and race.
“Just Mercy” follows Stevenson’s career and his work as the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, an organization that defends the poor and wrongly convicted, according to the book.
The university gave out more than 5,000 copies of the book to students at convocation and more than 170 courses on campus are using the book.
Researchers at UW-Madison created a new social network aimed at keeping elderly Wisconsinites in their homes longer. The researchers explain how this site was developed and how they’re studying the site’s effects.
All streets that cross State Street will be closed Saturday night for Freakfest, according to a release.
The streets will close to vehicles at 4:45 p.m., and will reopen around 3 a.m. on Sunday, officials said.
In a shared bid for improved social justice, Madison police recruits and officers from UW-Madison and Middleton for the first time are participating in Go Big Read, the university’s annual common-book program in which students, staff and faculty across campus read and study the same selection.
The city’s longstanding ties with historical scientific achievements have a new home in the Madison Science Museum, which opened Thursday.The process of putting together the museum, the brainchild of Dave Nelson, emeritus professor of biochemistry at UW-Madison, began long before its recent grand opening.
Noted: In little more than a month, more than $33,000 has been raised for the Isthmus resident and UW-Madison graduate student, who is now out of the hospital but has a long, uncertain road to recovery ahead of her.
Noted: Managing director Dan Reed says AFV is also heavily involved in the local entrepreneurial community. AFV is a sponsor of gener8tor, the new StartingBlock initiative, the Wisconsin Technology Council, the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In fact, American Family Insurance just pledged $40 million to the university over the next ten years. “We aspire to be a leader in providing ‘proactive protection’ to customers and communities, seeking and supporting innovations that inspire and help them,” says Reed.
Quoted: Erica Halverson, associate professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is one of many partners at The Bubbler [at the Madison Public Library]. She sees the program as an important place for people to contribute to the larger society by building things. “The maker movement affords people the opportunity to be producers of ideas in an arts-based way,” says Halverson.
Noted: Sustain Dane selected three individuals as this year’s Badger Bioneers for their leadership and courage in making our region more sustainable. They are Shannon Bunsen, who created her position as the sustainability program coordinator at UW Health and is responsible for shaping the organization’s overall vision and strategy for sustainability. . . . and Jason Vargo, who helps direct the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s activities toward healthy cities and sustainability across Wisconsin and abroad through his work with the university’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Global Health Institute.
When was the last time you drew something? For most, it was probably high school. Lynda Barry, director of the Image Lab at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, is looking to change that with her Saturday Science Drawing Jam for Kids—a public drawing event for kids and adults at WID.
Nestled on the fourth floor of UW–Madison’s Helen C. White library, Dorothea Salo and Will May’s crowded offices are filled with a mammoth amount of digital information on audio cassettes, VHS cassettes, printed books, floppy disks and more.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison may be among the organizations to provide services at Dane County’s planned homeless day resource center as part of an initiative that would also bring students the opportunity to work with others across disciplines.
The issue of violence and mass shootings in this country is one that needs to be addressed. However, would allowing students to carry guns on campus actually decrease the chances of further gun violence, or would it lead to further tragedy?
The Associated Students of Madison Student Council met with UW-Madison Vice Provost and Chief Diversity Officer Patrick Sims during its meeting Wednesday to review advancements in the campus Diversity Framework.
Rather than change student ID cards to comply with state law, UW-Madison is giving students a card specifically for voting.
Quoted: “I’m surprised (at finding them), but I’m mostly surprised that it’s only showing up now,” said Center for Limnology professor Jake Vander Zanden, whose students discovered the mussels about two weeks ago along the Lakeshore Path, not far from the limnology lab.
Is the UW campus unofficially drone-free, despite a detailed set of flying usage and permission requirements issued last June?
The question became relevant Wednesday, when a university official abruptly pulled plans for a drone-shot video of seasonal foliage scheduled to promote the UW-Arboretum.
Quoted: “You’re likely to cut your feet when you’re walking in the water,” UW limnology professor Jake Vander Zanden said. “Another concern is that it tends to increase the prevalence of blue-green algae blooms, which can be toxic.”
Vander Zanden said zebra mussels have not been found in Lake Monona, and boaters can help keep it that way by drying their boats.
“It’s really important to make sure we are not transporting water from one lake to another because they have microscopic larva,” Vander Zanden said.
Before her daughter was even born, Dr. Patricia Tellez-Giron was investigating options for bilingual education programs in the Madison school district. Tellez-Giron, a UW-Madison School of Medicine associate professor and physician at Wingra Clinic, moved to Wisconsin from Mexico 23 years ago. Now she wants her young daughter to connect with her heritage and learn Spanish.
Noted: Dr. David Drake, who studies urban coyotes and foxes through the UW-Madison’s Canid Project, said the problem of aggressive coyotes is not new. He said most coyotes in the Madison area can live peacefully among people. But Drake said there were instances of aggressive coyotes reported on Madison’s West Side in 2009 and 2011.
Noted: Through the humanities, the students [in the Odyssey Project] earn college credits, gain confidence in their abilities to succeed, and an opportunity to find a career path. In other words, they find hope.
There’s a gathering next Thursday night at the University Club on campus for those interested in supporting the Odyssey Project. We think it is so worthy of support.
When Gene Delcourt was a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a visit with teachers and students from Malcolm Shabazz City High School ended up altering his career path.
The University of Wisconsin System is seeking community input during strategic planning listening sessions this week in Madison and next week in Milwaukee.
Today, United Way’s “Health Connect” program accepted a $1.3 million gift from UW Health. This gift is specifically targeted to assist low-income residents in Dane County. United Way will use the money to pay health insurance premiums for those living between 100 to 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
Noted: Autumn’s falling leaves can often run off into lakes and streams, where they release phosphorus into the water. That helps more algae bloom, according to Steve Carpenter of UW’s Center for Limnology.
“[Algae] can be toxic, [making] people sick or pets sick,” he says.
Earlier this semester, members of the UW-Madison administration revealed the results of a survey taken by students last spring surrounding issues of sexual assault. The UW-Madison Sexual Assault Climate Survey Task Force continued this conversation Monday, focusing on what the results mean for LGBTQ+ community members.
UW-Madison students will step up efforts to bring fresh healthy food to South Madison neighborhoods — including delivery by bicycle trailer — with the help of a grant to Slow Food UW.
Experts say conflicts with coyotes seem to be on the rise in the last couple months in Wisconsin.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Madison Urban Canid Project say recent reports of those conflicts, and in some cases attacks, have come from Madison, Milwaukee, Neenah and Mequon. Some coyotes have attacked and killed dogs, or even followed residents who were walking their dog.
Noted: The event Sunday, October 25 is from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Stylists are offering haircuts, colors, manicures and pedicures and all of the proceeds and tips will be donated to the UW Carbone Cancer Center.
Science in Madison’s backyard and beyond will be in the spotlight for a weekend as the fifth Wisconsin Science Festival begins on Thursday. A huge range of what science is will be on display – from the foods and drinks produced here, to games, nature, disease, hands-on science and scientists talking about what they do. The festival has moved throughout the state, too, with more than 70 other events happening across Wisconsin.
In 2007 John Maniaci decided to start volunteering and taking pictures for students at La Follette High School. In 2009, Maniaci started working for UW Health and the hospital encouraged him to continue his project, giving him free days off work to take the pictures, and they encouraged him to expand it to all four Madison schools.
Now dozens of students are able to get their senior pictures taken each year, when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to.
Fitchburg city staff is enlisting the help of UW-Madison graduate students for two of the city’s latest planning efforts.
Noted: University of Wisconsin-Madison textile expert Majid Sarmadi, who studied blaze pink’s visibility for Milroy and Kleefisch earlier this year, told the committee that pink stands out better than orange against Wisconsin’s orange-brown fall landscape. He also said deer have an easier time seeing blaze orange than blaze pink.
Several downtown streets will be closed Friday afternoon for the University of Wisconsin Homecoming parade, according to a release.
The parade starts at 6 p.m. and will close Langdon Street, Wisconsin Avenue, West Gilman Street and North Lake Street, officials said.
It was another record-setting day at the fourth-annual “Shooting Down Cancer” event hosted by Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan and his wife, Kelly.
It took place at the Kohl Center Monday.
This year the UW-Madison student body helped raise Ryan’s donation to the American Cancer Society to $60,147. Combined with matching donations, the 2015 grand total was $694,117.
In just nine days, five people were injured on the UW campus while walking or biking. On Friday UW Police released surveillance video of two of those crashes.
“The videos are a little tough to watch but they bring up a really good point about safety on our campus.,” said Marc Lovicott, a spokesman for UW-Madison Police.
Noted: UWPD police Chief Susan Riseling said the frequency of crashes and injuries is an indicator that bikers, pedestrians and motorists aren’t following laws, “and people are getting hurt.”
“Safety on our campus roads is everyone’s responsibility,” Riseling said.
The department said it plans to increase bicycle enforcement patrols on campus.
Chin Ups, an organization dedicated to fostering relationships between athletes and kids, was founded by Israel Lopez, a UW Law School grad. When Lopez was in middle school, Wisconsin Badgers football star Donnel Thompson sent him a box around Christmastime. That box included an autographed picture. “I never lost it. It had a tremendous effect on my life. Someone like that, someone who I was watching on TV, believed in me, for whatever reason … it changed my life.”
GREEN LAKE – The surface of the state’s deepest natural lake was flat last week as Capt. Marty Valasek slowly piloted the 60-foot Escapade dinner boat 150 yards off Green Lake’s shoreline.
Noted: UW officials said in a statement that they offer a separate ID for voting, but there are concerns with revising their regular student ID cards.
“Adding the signature, as is required to be voter ID compliant, in combination with other information on the card increases the identity theft risk to students,” the statement said.
MANITOWOC — There are stories hidden below the water of Lake Michigan. That includes shipwrecks – hundreds of them.
GREEN LAKE — Keeping water healthy in and around Green Lake, was the goal of an environmental field trip Monday.
Last summer, 11 students … were chosen as the first cohort of T.E.E.M. Scholars. Throughout their high school and college years, the students will participate in summer and academic year coursework, job shadows and hold teaching internships. They will also meet regularly, work with MMSD and UW-Madison staff, and take part in school activities to gain experience working in Madison schools.
Noted: Friends and family held an event Sunday at Mid Town Pub in Middleton to raise money for a memorial scholarship set up in their name through the UW Foundation.
Kotila says she hopes to raise at least $25,000, to support two freshmen every year in memory of the Dorresteijns.
(Video) UWPD drug detection dog Casey checks the News 3 studio for narcotics to promote this Sunday’s Dog Jog on the UW campus.
Those with UWPD say it’s no secret, a late start adds extra hours of drinking and usually means more work for officers.
“Night games bring a unique challenge to us,” UWPD, public information officer, Marc Lovicott, said.
A challenge those UWPD say they’re ready for.
“It could lead to and we’re expecting to lead to a few more fan issues inside the stadium,” Lovicott added.
(Video) University of Wisconsin police focus on safety during Badgers’ first night football game of the season.
Q&A with Jackie Davenport, the University of Wisconsin-Madison athletic department’s new community relations director, meaning she’s responsible for coordinating service activities for the hundreds of Badger student-athletes.
While many mothers says they’d do anything for their child, it couldn’t be more true for one who’s balancing grad school, working full time, a wife, and a mother of two.
Alysia Hanson is a trauma nurse at UW-Hospital.
The free course, from Sept. 30 to Oct. 28, is open to the public and entitled “Forests and Humans: From the Midwest to Madagascar.” The course will focus on an exploration of forest ecosystems from the Midwest to Ecuador and Madagascar. Participants will learn about the ecology, geography and economic significance of the world’s forests, and how humans interact with these environments on a daily basis, according to a description from the university.
Nearly 3,000 people deeply affected by the brutal rape of a UW-Madison graduate student on the Capital City Trail participated in a “Take Back the Bike Path” march Thursday night, getting caught in a heavy downpour.
UW-Madison and the City of Madison will join more than 20 other city-university partnerships as beneficiaries of a $1 million grant to launch a program coordinating efforts of research and funding between academic institutions and their communities.
The White House announced the MetroLab Network, funded by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, in a statement Monday along with other “Smart Cities” initiatives.
VIDEO: Sarah Bolser with Joggin for the Noggin talks about their event this weekend in Madison that will benefit the UW Carbone Cancer Center’s Brain Cancer Research Program.
University of Wisconsin System leaders are continuing to travel throughout Wisconsin to build stronger connections between businesses, citizens and higher education.
Madison officials are prepared to consider condemning a handful of Downtown properties in an effort to get more park space in the booming UW-Madison campus area.
The year-long reign as Miss Wisconsin-USA was coming to a close Sunday for Haley Denise Laundrie, 22, of Lake Mills.
