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Morning Update: Tuesday, Oct. 19

A case of friendly fire on State Street

Happy Tuesday, Madison.

Remember when we all become Bucks fans earlier this year? Well, everyone's favorite Milwaukee team (sorry, Brewers) will receive their championship rings tonight before kicking off their new season in a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.

The pre-game ceremony will kick off at 5:45 p.m. tonight and will feature a banner raising ceremony to be emceed by recently retired play-by-play announcer Jim Paschke. If you're in the Milwaukee area, WPR reports the team will host an outdoor watch party, like they did for many of their playoff games.

— Hayley

🚨 State officials determined the cop who was shot on State Street last week was hit by a round of friendly fire.

✏️ Student enrollment in the Madison Metropolitan School District is down nearly 2%.

💰 When it comes to campaign contributions, Mandela Barnes is leading the pack.

  • The lieutenant governor reportedly raised $1.1 million between July 1 and Sept. 30, with roughly $1 million coming from individual donors.
  • State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski and Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry also reported fundraising totals of more than $1 million, but as WPR reports, the majority of their money came from personal donations or loans — Godlewski gave $1 million to her own campaign while Lasry loaned $750,000 to his.
  • Incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson has reportedly raised more than $900,000, despite not even having announced an official re-election campaign.

☎️ PSA: Read this if your area code is 608, 414, 262, or 920.

  • Starting Sunday, anyone with the above-listed area codes will have to dial a full 10-digit phone number when making local or long-distance calls.
  • The change is a result of the Federal Communications Commission adopting the use of "988" as a three-digit abbreviated dialing code to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Dialing 988 to reach the lifeline will begin July 16, 2022, until then, folks should continue to dial 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).

🏠 Hotel Red is one step closer to becoming an apartment building.

  • The city's Plan Commission unanimously approved Steve Brown Apartments’ request to convert the shuttered four-story HotelRed into a mixed-use development with 50 apartments, first-floor commercial space, and parking. The State Journal reports the project is set to be completed by spring 2022.

🧸 The state’s first fully accessible park for children with disabilities is looking to get an upgrade.

  • Some context: James A. Grasskamp Park, located at 1953 E. Mifflin St, opened in 1989 and was designed to be accessible for children with physical disabilities. It was the first of its kind in Wisconsin.
  • The nonprofit Madison Development Corporation owns and manages a handful of affordable housing developments and market-rate apartment complexes in the city and recently submitted a proposal to build a "two-to-three story, 24-unit affordable workforce housing building" at 22 N. Second St. The proposal would demolish the existing building at the site, which MDC owns, the Cap Times reports.
  • Part of that proposal includes rebuilding and redesigning Graaskamp Park, including a "very expensive" poured in place base" which would make it easier for people to move about the park with wheels.
  • Madison Development Corporation hopes to begin fundraising for the project in January, with a goal of rebuilding the park in summer of 2023.

⛺ The city has started construction — and is moving quickly — on a Southside encampment for those experiencing homelessness.

  • Some context: The city-sponsored location is meant to be an answer to the sprawling and sometimes controversial encampment at Reindahl Park.
  • From the Wisconsin State Journal: "In six weeks, the city has graded a 1.8-acre site in an industrial area at 3202 Dairy Drive, brought in a small building and remodeled it with an office and bathrooms, and erected streetlights and electrical hookups to serve 30 tiny shelters."
  • If all goes to plan, prefabricated shelters will be delivered to the site by the end of the month. These shelters will be connected to electricity and include beds, heaters, air conditioners, and mini-refrigerators. People will be able to move in by mid-November.
  • The city is still working to determine who will manage the site. It estimates monthly operations will cost $75,000.

🤔 Your lunchtime read: Election experts criticize Wisconsin’s ‘bizarre’ 2020 review.

📚 Congrats to local hero Room of One's Own on being named the Midwest Bookseller of the Year!

🦠 Covid-19 Resources

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 54.7%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 71.6%

Here's where to find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.

Need a COVID-19 test? PHMDC has you covered.

Are you eligible for a third dose of Pfizer or Moderna? Find out here.

📅 Events: Tuesday, Oct. 19

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