They lived happily ever after

Good morning Madison!

And a special good morning to the family of ducks who found themselves in a predicament at the library yesterday.

The group of quackers ended up stuck on Central Library's green roof. Thankfully, quick thinking from one library administrator led to the safe rescue of the birds by animal control.

The ducks are now safely back in the wild. We love a story with a happy ending.

— Hayley

🩺 A new diagnosis has lead Rebecca Blank to step down as Northwestern's president.

• Former University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank was supposed to start her new job as president of Northwestern University September 1. But the 66 year old announced Monday she was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and will step down from the role and return to Madison for treatment.
• Blank would have been the first female president of Northwestern.

🦠 Covid-19 hospitalizations are creeping up.

• Wisconsin is experiencing an uptick in Covid-19 hospitalizations and transmission.
• Locally, the community level of Covid-19 in Dane County remains at medium, meaning there are fewer than 200 new cases per 100,000 people
• The latest: A new and highly contagious omicron subvariant, BA.5, is driving a new wave of cases.
• While vaccines remain one of the strongest forms of protection against the virus, some data suggests that the first booster shot's effectiveness drops after a few months. Currently, folks 50 and older, as well as people 12 and older who are immunocompromised, are eligible for a second booster.

🖼️ Camp Createability is asking for help.

• The local nonprofit was reportedly robbed of $10,000 worth of visual arts equipment late last week. Channel 3000 reports burglars made off with studio cameras, a projector, and studio backdrops.
• Camp Createability is a visual arts school for students with autism or other disabilities. The organization created a GoFundMe to help recover the costs of the stolen items.
• The Madison Police department is investigating.

🏹 You can now apply for an archery hunting permit.

• Applications are now open for 2022 Dane County Parks Archery Limited Access Permits. The program allows archers to hunt deer and turkey on specific county lands with the required Wisconsin DNR hunting licenses.
• Applications are open through August 15 for the 206 permits available. Get details from the county here.

🍷 Check out these area restaurants for the wine.

• Eno Vino Wine Bar & Bistro, Green Acres Restaurant, L’Etoile Restaurant, and RARE Steakhouse have been listed among 3,169 dining destinations across the globe to receive Wine Spectator’s awards.
• The awards highlight restaurants with exceptional wine programs and service, Madison Magazine reports. So next time you're contemplating between red or white, head to one of these local spots and let the experts guide you.

🎨 A winning doodle.

• A Verona high schooler's art was chosen from thousands of entries as one of 54 state and territory winners in the Doodle for Google competition. Now, Michael Jones is waiting to see if his drawing will advance further.
• The competition allows students in kindergarten through 12th grade to create their own version of the Google logo inspired by a prompt. This year's prompt was “I care for myself by …” The State Journal reports the national finalists will be announced in July, and one winning artist’s work will be featured on the Google homepage for a day.
• You can cast your vote for your favorite doodles here.

🦙 Your lunchtime read: Go alpaca go! UW alum joins with Peruvian artisans to make Badger wear.

• Via Cap Times: "Growing up in the Chicago suburbs and attending college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Katie Lorenz has spent much of her life in sweater weather.
  
  The only problem: She hated sweaters.
  
  'I think they're itchy. I run really warm. They're heavy. They don't feel good,' Lorenz said.
  
  But when she spent a month in Peru in 2014, a couple years after graduation, a friend insisted she try on one of the country’s signature crafts: an alpaca sweater."

Advertisement © CrossFit, Inc. All rights reserved.

🛍️CrossFit Games: More than lifting weights

• While the world’s most elite athletes compete hard, the spectators play harder.
• Aside from watching the athletes, spectators at the NOBULL CrossFit Games get to explore hundreds of onsite fitness brands and organizations ready to help them step up their workout ‘fit or find a new wellness community.
• Sound intriguing? Check out these 5 reasons why you should go to the CrossFit Games.
• Ready to go? Get your tickets now.

📅 Events: Tuesday, July 12

Presentation: "Cats, Dogs and Cows, Oh My! Climate change and the impacts on pets and livestock.”
12 p.m. | Virtual | Free
There has been plenty of buzz about the contribution of livestock production to climate change – but what about the impact of the climate on the animals?

Lunch Time Live: Venus In Furs
12 p.m. | Capitol Lawn, South Hamilton Street Side | Free.

Up, Up and Away — Family Science Show
3 p.m. | Virtual | Free
Mad Science Milwaukee and DreamBank present a virtual show that explores the marvels of air and pressure. Recommended for ages 5-12.

Jane: An Abortion Service (2013)
6:30 p.m. | Madison Public Library - Central | Free.

Tomorrow

• Concerts on the Square: Reflections on Liberty
• Presentation: “Diseased, Decayed, Defective, and Dangerous: When Good Trees Go Bad”
• Spoon
• Anteloper

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