Morning Update: Monday, Sept. 13

It's here. Monday.

Good morning, Madison!

It's Monday and we've made it to a new week, but before we dive into today's news, we have a conclusion to last week's taco festival saga: it's canceled. Over. RIP.

Breese Stevens Field made the announcement over the weekend, saying they "weren’t confident that [AZ Food Festivals] would put on a quality event and we weren’t really willing to move forward running that risk.”

Ticket holders should expect to see a refund hit their bank accounts this week.

Now who's hungry for some more news?

— Hayley

🏈 The good, the bad, and the ugly in Wisconsin sports.

Bad news first: The Packers had an ugly loss in their season opener. Aaron Rodgers himself said he played poorly, leading to the team's 38-3 Sunday loss to the New Orleans Saints.
On the other hand: The Badgers had a great weekend. After a disappointing season opener against Penn State, Wisconsin rebounded and absolutely destroyed Eastern Michigan, 34-7, at Camp Randall Saturday night.
History made: The Brewers swept the Cleveland Indians over the weekend, making history in the process when pitcher Corbin Burnes and reliever Josh Hader threw a combined no-hitter Saturday night. This is the first no-hitter for the Milwaukee team since 1987 and only the second in franchise history. Ultimately the Brewers won 10-3 on Friday, 3-0 Saturday, and 11-1 Sunday.
Playoff potential: The Forward Madison Flamingos took home a hard-fought 1-0 win against the Richmond Kickers Saturday night. The victory pushed the team into sixth place in USL League One. The top six teams in the league face off in playoff games in November.

🍲 What's new in Madison's restaurant world?

The owners of Johnson Public House are opening an "upscale diner" and bar in familiar territory, one block away from their beloved neighborhood coffee shop. The State Journal reports the menu will feature diner-inspired cuisine (think burgers and hot dogs) and plans to open at 824 E. Johnson St. by the end of October.
Viet Kitchen opened in the height of the pandemic — October 2020 — weathering the storm mostly via takeout orders. Now the restaurant is operating at full dine-in capacity, offering phó, bánh mì, smoothies, and more. The Cap Times has a full review.
"Structural concerns" forced the shut-down of 131 W. Wilson St., home to Paisan’s restaurant, last week. While the city says the building isn't in danger of collapse, there are concerns about the degrading underground parking garage and reports of the building "swaying" and "shaking." The restaurant will be closed until engineers give the final OK.

🏗️ A proposal is in place for the site of the East Side's former Stop-N-Go.

Brandon Cook hopes to demolish the old Stop-N-Go on Winnebago St. to make way for a roughly $5 million, 24 apartment, mixed-use building. The State Journal reports Cook hopes to gain the proper approvals to begin construction in March 2022.

🧼 Looking to support Afghan refugees? Here's an opportunity.

Madison College and the Ho-Chunk Nation are partnering with the Kindle Project to collect donations for Afghan refugees relocated to Wisconsin's For McCoy. The donation drive calls for items including clothing and footwear of all sizes, personal hygiene items, baby items, hand sanitizer, and sanitizing wipes.
The college will be hosting a drive-through drop-off event at their Truax Campus on Friday but donations will be accepted at any Madison College campus through Sept. 17. For a full list of drop-off sites, check out Madison365's story.

🎶 Queer Madison Mixtape is back with a second edition.

Madison arts non-profit Communication dropped the first Queer Madison Mixtape in February and the second edition features many familiar names from the first. The mixtape is available for purchase on a sliding scale and as Tone madison reports, sales of "Summer's Ends" will raise funds for Freedom Inc.

💉 Your lunchtime long read: Many long-term care staff in Wisconsin reject vaccine, despite risks.

Wisconsin Watch takes an in-depth look at the "clash between some long-term care workers and vaccine mandates to protect the vulnerable residents they serve."

💪 140.6 miles in one day? Sure, why not.

Thousands of incredibly fit folks descended upon the isthmus over the weekend to compete in the Madison Ironman. You may have noticed the many traffic disruptions. If you're unfamiliar with the event, it's a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run (aka a full marathon).
The State Journal has a nice lil' roundup of the event, which always includes stories of inspiration and triumph. Check it out if you need a boost.