Category: UW-Madison Related

Coming off a strong poll in Wisconsin but a challenging national debate the previous night, President Barack Obama on Thursday fired up college supporters and sought to renew his campaign?s momentum.From a stage looking up at the tree-lined Bascom Mall sloping down from the administration building of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Obama addressed a capacity crowd of students and supporters.

There has been some griping from several killjoy professors at the welcome University of Wisconsin officials gave Thursday?s visit by the president to the campus. To ease the task of organizing the event ? which drew more than 30,000 students and community members to Bascom Hill and surrounding areas ? the UW allowed the signup for event tickets to run the ticketing process. The rally was a huge success.

If Mitt Romney comes to the campus, he should be accorded precisely the same treatment. The same goes for Libertarian Gary Johnson or Green Jill Stein….The cure for what ails democracy is always more democracy ? especially on a campus where a central premise is the ?sifting and winnowing? of ideas. As long as the UW treats all campaigns in the same manner, all will be well.

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Madison police have begun charging groups to march down State Street, sparking discord with the Madison Area Peace Coalition and leaving organizers of the 42nd annual Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival fuming. Representatives of both groups say they will likely march without a permit this weekend rather than agree to pay costs for officers to block traffic at intersections and squad cars to drive at the front and end of the march ? measures the Police Department says are needed to ensure safety.

Coming off a strong poll in Wisconsin but a challenging national debate Wednesday, President Barack Obama arrives in the state Thursday afternoon looking to fire up a core of supporters and renew his campaign?s momentum.

UW-Madison?s iconic Bascom Hill will see throngs of spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of President Barack Obama Thursday afternoon, when he will deliver a speech to the liberal capitol of one of a few highly publicized swing states across the nation. Because POTUS will be stationed at one of UW-Madison?s top hot spots, many campus buildings will be affected, resulting in the cancellation and relocation of many classes.

If you live on Park Street or Brooks Street near the UW-Madison campus, and your garbage and recycling was picked up this morning, it?s time to take the carts back onto your property, or else.

President Obama may be a heavy favorite as he enters the final month of his campaign, but the commander in chief has plenty of detractors from all points on the political spectrum, some of whom will be making appearances at the president?s rally on Bascom Hill Thursday.

UW-Madison officials on Tuesday morning released more details about President Barack Obama?s campus visit. And although the university reports that it is doing its best to minimize the disruption of a normal school and workday for faculty, staff and students, it?s now clear that Obama?s Thursday campaign rally is going to force significant disruptions for those who utilize academic and administrative buildings housed on Bascom Hill.

For just the third time since 1950, a sitting United States president will visit the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus Thursday. Regardless of political affiliation, the event will mark a significant day for the university. Around campus and across the city, anticipatory buzz is building. Facebook and Twitter have exploded since the news broke Saturday that President Barack Obama would reschedule his planned trip to Columbus, Ohio and instead visit Madison. And still two days away, on-the-ground preparation has begun in earnest.

Parking will be at a premium on Thursday in downtown Madison and near the UW-Madison campus because of President Barack Obama?s speech on campus, but you might be able to find a spot in one of four city parking ramps.

Planning to meet your study group at the UW Law School on Thursday? Hoping to go to office hours at Science Hall? Better make other plans, because much of the campus will be in lockdown by then in preparation for President Barack Obamas visit to Bascom Hill.

The day after Barack Obama?s Wednesday night debate with Mitt Romney, he?ll seek to show an image of strength by leading a rally on the university campus here – long a bastion of his support. The event will give the president a chance to either sustain any momentum he has coming out of the debate in Denver or to change the subject if Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, scores points in the forum.

A team of University of Wisconsin political scientists analyzed 2008 election returns in each of the nation?s 3,100 counties, controlling for variations in demographics, geography and political dynamics (ie. whether a county was in a battleground state). Turnout in counties with early voting was about three percentage points lower than in counties without it.

Four years ago, the Zimmermann family experienced a tragedy when they lost their daughter, Brittany, a University of Wisconsin-Madison student, in a horrific and still unsolved murder. According to event treasurer Beverly Otis, approximately 280 runners participated Saturday in the annual 5K ?Brittany Run,? which was hosted by the Zimmermann family. Although the goal of the race is to increase crime awareness, the money raised from the participation fee supports a private volunteer organization called Madison Area Crime Stoppers, which uses funds to pay for tips that aid police investigations.

President Barack Obama will hold his rally Thursday at Bascom Mall on the UW-Madison campus, the campaign announced Monday. Doors will open at noon. The event is free and open to the public, but those wishing to attend must register online at www.barackobama.com/Madison2012. Madison-area residents also can register in person at the campaign office at 222 State St.

I came to Madison, Wis., for the first time in 2001, intending to stay a year but privately hoping to find a home of the heart, since otherwise I had no particular place to go. I?d lived most of my life in Miami and New York City, and couldn?t envision a future in either place. I was in my late 20s, torn between wanting to romp around on unspecified adventures and wanting to build the kind of life?spouse, kids, writing career?that benefits from a home base.

The University of Wisconsin Foundation is rolling out an aggressive campaign this fall to double alumni donations, both in dollars and number of alums who make gifts, partly to raise an extra $3 million in need-based financial aid for students, according to the alumni magazine for the Madison campus.

Four patrons were arrested at Wando?s Bar early Sunday morning when a fight broke out after an individual was asked to leave the bar.

A Green Bay man who almost fatally stabbed another man at the 2011 Mifflin Street Block Party was sentenced Friday to 2½ years in prison. Colin J. Rosenow, 23, wept as he told Matthew Warnert that he was sorry for what happened on April 30, 2011, and asked for his forgiveness. ?I do not expect to be forgiven just because I said sorry,? Rosenow said.

After months of recommendations and revisions, the Human Resources Design Project will release a new plan designed to improve the University of Wisconsin?s personnel system to become more competitive with other world-class universities.

Two student organizations applied for 2013-?14 fiscal year funding eligibility from the Student Services Finance Committee Thursday.

Help Olbrich Gardens celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Thai Pavilion and Garden this weekend and throughout the fall. The elaborate red and gold pavilion ? a symbol of international friendship ? was a gift from the Thai government and the Thai chapter of the UW-Madison Alumni Association. It?s surrounded by a Thai garden that is at its peak in September.

This Saturday marked the kick-off of a new campaign targeting University of Wisconsin alumni for donations to benefit the campus.  

The University of Wisconsin-Madison created a new annual multimedia campaign aimed at increasing alumni donations, which will run through October. The campaign, titled ?Share the Wonderful,? features an interactive website designed to help alumni learn how their contributions make an impact on campus, according to a statement by the university. Currently, less than 10 percent of all alumni contribute to UW-Madison, according the statement.

A man allegedly ?groped? a 21-year-old woman at North Frances Street and Conklin Place near Dottie Dumpling?s Dowry early Saturday morning. At approximately 4:14 a.m., a downtown resident and a friend were walking southbound on North Frances Street, according to Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain.

A 21-year-old Madison woman was sexually groped early Saturday morning while walking along a downtown street, Madison police reported. The assault was reported at 4:14 a.m. Saturday on North Frances Street near Conklin Place, said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

Playing to a younger audience, Vice President Joe Biden is stressing differences between the presidential campaigns on education, college debt and entitlement programs more in doubt for future generations.

Mayor Paul Soglin?s annual capital budget calls for the allocation of funds to renovate Library Mall and State Street in 2013.

Madison?s financial committee continued deliberating Mayor Paul Soglin?s proposed 2013 capital budget at their meeting Tuesday, hearing presentations from city departments that affect areas of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

University of Wisconsin-Madison police said they arrested a man Sunday for intoxication while driving through the IronMan marathon course in downtown Madison.

The sexual assault of a Madison woman in a downtown park early Sunday was a very violent attack, the spokesman for the Madison Police Department told Madison.com. “This rape is a bad case,” Joel DeSpain said. “It is as serious as any other one I?ve seen.”

Folks in Madison, Wis. haven?t had much to cheer about the past two weekends, with their beloved Badgers losing momentum and slipping from No. 13 to No. 22 in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll.

The City of Madison?s Plan Commission decided Thursday to change the zoning codes of specific University of Wisconsin properties.

A Filipina is one of the top senior aides of US Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan. Joyce Yamat Meyer of Franklin, Wisconsin heads Ryan?s Washington office as his chief-of-staff.

A 19-year-old Madison man riding his longboard (skateboard) on a street near UW-Madison was mugged Monday night by a group of young men standing along the street, Madison police reported. The victim was treated at a local hospital for a chipped tooth, facial and hand injuries, according to a police news release.

The Madison Fire Departments Lake Rescue Team was called Thursday morning to help a swimmer who failed to surface while swimming with a group of people in Lake Mendota.

A swimmer who failed to surface from Lake Mendota after swimming with friends Thursday morning was pulled from the water and taken to UW Hospital, authorities reported. The incident was reported at 6:49 a.m. in front of the UW-Madison Limnology Building, 680 North Park Street, according to the Dane County 911 Communications Center.

When it comes to ice cream flavors, Kim Premo has not only tasted a lot of them, he?s made them. Premo is vice president of research and development at Denali Ingredients LLC in New Berlin. He grew up on a farm in Columbus and obtained an undergraduate degree in food science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1977.

?Quakers believe there?s a god in every person, so everyone is who they are supposed to be,? said Joe Elder, a UW-Madison professor marching with the group. Parishioners from five Madison-area Episcopal churches marched together, many wearing T-shirts that read, ?God loves you. No exceptions.? …The group from the UW-Madison chapter of Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics included a marcher with a beard and shoulder-length brown hair. He wore a white tunic and carried a sign saying, ?I approve.? ?It?s a long-time joke that I look like Jesus but I?m a hardcore atheist,? said the marcher, Chris Calvey.

The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents approved two budget requests for the upcoming biennium and held discussions about accountability measures and the new flexible degree program.

The University of Wisconsin System regents are meeting to discuss funding needs for the upcoming budget cycle and to review the systems annual performance.

Madison Police Chief Noble Wray wants to put more surveillance cameras Downtown and have them monitored in real time so officers on the street quickly can respond to areas where problems might be developing. “We?re trying to be as efficient with our limited resources as possible and have more eyes out there,” Wray said Wednesday. The number of potential new cameras, their locations and costs have not yet been determined, he said. The city currently has 118 surveillance cameras, police spokesman Joel DeSpain said. Among them are 34 surveillance cameras on Downtown streets, said Central District Capt. Carl Gloede. The Downtown cameras include those requested by police earlier this year in the troubled 600 block of University Avenue, where at least three people were hurt in a May shooting.

Noted: She is barely 10 years out of high school, the Bullis School in Potomac, Md., where she worked at Tickled Pink, an offshoot of Lilly Pulitzer. She also attended a summer program at Parsons, where Tim Gunn was a mentor. In college, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, she majored in fashion design, with a certificate in art history.

University of Wisconsin-Madison police participated in a training exercise simulating an active shooter Tuesday at the Kohl Center.

Madison police said four men robbed a 21-year-old as they walked home early Wednesday morning. According to a news release the person was approached by the four robbers while walking on the 400 block of State Street around 2:30 a.m. Authorities said the person was not hurt in the attack.

While Ankit Agarwal was a chemical-engineering postdoc at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, he came up with an idea that could save thousands of lives.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- Repairs at the University of Wisconsin-Superior are nearly complete after June flooding devastated the campus. Heavy rains caused flooding that damaged every building except the Service Center on the south side of campus. But facilities management director Tom Fennessey told the Duluth NewsTribune that repairs are about 95 percent complete. He?s optimistic repairs will be finished when students return to campus in a couple of weeks.

Also celebrating a milestone is the University of Wisconsin-Extension, Keil said. The extension will have extra promotions and a banner congratulating the board on its successful fair. A variety of educational displays and special entertainment will be part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Extension Day on Friday. Fairgoers will be able to interact with the UW-Madison faculty and extension specialist. The university?s official mascot, Bucky Badger, is expected to make a guest appearance around noon with a few musical surprises from the Madison campus.

Members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison community gathered in Library Mall for a candlelight vigil Wednesday to memorialize the victims of the recent Sikh temple shooting.

2nd Congressional District debate: Democratic candidates for the 2nd Congressional District will debate Tuesday at 7 p.m. on the UW-Madison campus. The televised debate will take place in the Plenary Room of Grainger Hall, 975 University Ave.

Last Friday evening, visitors to the Memorial Union Terrace reported a disconcerting sight to police. A man sat at a picnic table with an uncased compound bow by his side. He had arrows with him as well.

Four candidates vying to be the 2nd Congressional District Democratic candidate this fall will take part in a debate a week before the primary election.The debate will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 7 in the H.F. DeLuca Forum in the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery on the UW-Madison campus, according to a news release from UW-Madison.The four candidates are state Reps. Mark Pocan and Kelda Roys, Iraq war veteran Matt Silverman and consultant Dennis Hall.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison and WISC-TV will host a debate between 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary candidates next Tuesday.

MADISON, Wis. – Madison police said a 21-year-old was beaten up in an unprovoked attack downtown just after bar time early Wednesday. The incident happened in the 500 block of University Avenue at 2:15 a.m. Wednesday. According to police, the man was walking down University when witnesses said five men jumped the victim. Police said he was knocked to the ground and kicked.

MADISON (WKOW) — Police are searching for a group of males believed to have attacked a Madison man on University Avenue. Witnesses reported to Madison police that five men jumped a 21-year-old man while he was walking in the 500 block of University Avenue around 2 a.m. on Wednesday. He was knocked to the ground and kicked. The victim was taken to a hospital with head injuries.

LODI – LeVerne M. “Kirk” Kirking died Sunday afternoon, July 29, 2012, at home in rural Lodi. He was proud to open their farm to international students studying sound farming methods at UW-Madison. Last year theirs was recognized as a Centennial Farm at the Wisconsin State Fair for 122 years of ownership in the same family.

MADISON, Wis.- A 22-year-old man suffered serious injuries when he fell an estimated 22 feet from a roof in downtown Madison early Saturday morning. Madison police said the downtown resident fell from a roof in the 200 block of State Street onto a crevice between two buildings at about 4:30 a.m.

Habitat for Humanity Dane County announced its new chief executive officer Thursday, naming Valerie Johnson the leader of the local non-profit.

The “dog days of summer” refer to the hottest days in July and August, but the phrase takes on a new and charitable meaning on Saturday. The first Dog Days of Summer picnic is a fundraiser for the UW-Madison Police Department?s K9 Unit, with all proceeds supporting training, supplies and the acquisition of another police dog to join the three already in the department.