Morning Update: Thursday, August 26

Good morning, Madison!

It's been a few days since I've had the chance to grace your inboxes and I'm so excited to be back. Big thanks to Sam who covered everything so smoothly while I was on vacation.

Today marks my first time sending our beloved Madison Minutes via our new platform Bulletin, so if anything looks a little wonky, please bear with me because I'm learning too.

Now, let's dive into the news.

— Hayley

🚌 A lack of bus drivers is forcing a change in school start times.

The Madison Metropolitan School District is adjusting start and end times for many schools due to the lack of drivers.
District spokesperson Tim LeMonds told reporters that the changes would only be temporary and the district hopes to be staffed up on drivers by the time second semester rolls around.
Channel 3000 has a full list of the new start and end times for Madison's elementary, middle, and high schools.

🚨 Don't get scammed: Madison Police are not raising funds for injured officers.

The Madison Police Department is warning residents of a fraudulent fundraising scam where a caller claimed to be collecting money for injured officers.
According to an incident report, a Wisconsin resident received the call from a number with a 608 area code. MPD has reiterated that they are not involved in any telephone-based fundraising efforts.

🇱🇺 From Milwaukee to Luxembourg.

President Joe Biden has picked Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to be the next U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.
Barrett will still need Senate confirmation before taking on his new post and he will continue to serve as mayor of Milwaukee until then.
According to WPR, Milwaukee Common Council President Cavalier Johnson will serve as mayor in the time between Barrett's confirmation and a special election.

📚 Virtual learning will continue for some Madison students.

MMSD's new virtual learning option for 6-12 graders received 452 applications. Of those, the district is offering 234 admissions, the Cap Times reports.
The district launched the Madison Promise program in part because some students found they did well in the virtual environment, and to address ongoing health and safety concerns over in-person schooling.
Earlier this year, the school board voted to allocate $840,000 in the budget to get the program started.

✈️ Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for takeoff.

The Dane County Regional Airport is on the road to post-pandemic recovery as more non-stop flights are returning for service.
The Cap Times reports that non-stop flights will soon be offered to Las Vegas and Miami, bringing the airport's total non-stop flight offering up to 15. Still short from its pre-COVID list of 24.

🎨 Madison's CultivARTE Collective is a space where Latin American art and culture can be appreciated and understood.

The group is holding its first Latinx Art Festival on Aug. 28 from 1 - 6 p.m. in the Sherman Avenue United Methodist Church parking lot, Tone Madison reports.
The festival is open to everyone, and admission is free. The goal with this, and the event's location, is to foster inclusivity and accessibility. The festival will showcase art in a variety of mediums with a focus on environmental themes.

⚽ Forward Madison ended its six-game unbeaten streak.

The team took a 1-0 loss to North Carolina FC Wednesday and that's all we have to say about that.

📅 Your events calendar for today:

Vaccine and Be Seen networking event hosted by the Greater Madison Area Chamber of Commerce. 8-10 a.m.
Virtual luncheon with UW system interim president (and former Wisconsin governor) Tommy Thompson. Discussion expected to include the return to in-person classes and budgeting without the tuition freeze. 12-1 p.m. Free.
“Crafternoon” at Garver Feed Mill. Purchase and make craft kits from Revel. 4-7 p.m. No entry fee.
Cheese Camp hosted by Madison Eats Food Tours and Camp Trippalindee. Cheese tasting and education event. 5 p.m. $90 per person.
90s and 2000s cover tunes for throwback Thursday at Breakwater Monona. 5-8 p.m.
Schitt’s creek trivia at the Sylvee Side Stage. Prizes for 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place and best dressed. 5:30 p.m.
Madison Jazz Orchestra at Brinklounge Madison. 7:30-10:30 p.m.

One more thing...

❌ Don't reply to this email. We won't get your reply if you do. If you reply to the emails we send through Bulletin (our new email platform) they go to a strange black hole. I'm sure this will be fixed one day, but for now, do not reply directly to the email newsletters.

🟢 Do keep the conversation going by sending us feedback at contact@madisonminutes.com. We still want to hear from you! This is just a weird technical glitch. To get your message to us, start a new email (or forward this one with your note) to contact@madisonminutes.com.