Morning Update

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Morning update: Wednesday, Oct. 18

In this newsletter

Good morning, Madison!

It's Wednesday, which means we're halfway through the week and I'd count that as a win.

Later this week (or maybe next, I don't make the rules), we'll have some exciting news to share with you, so be sure to keep an eye on your inbox!

With that, let's dive right into today's news.

— Hayley

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🚔 What will it take for the city to secure a police monitor?

If you'll recall: Last week, the city announced the Police Civilian Oversight Board had selected John Tate II to be Madison's first independent police monitor.
The latest: On Tuesday, the city announced Tate has withdrawn his acceptance of the job to take another position with the city of Racine.
What's next: The city hasn't shared next steps yet. But the Police Civilian Oversight Board, which is responsible for hiring the police monitor, is scheduled to meet Oct. 27.
Déjà vu: This isn't the first time someone turned the job down. In December 2021, the Police Civilian Oversight Board offered the position to Madison civil rights administrator Byron Bishop, who later withdrew from consideration after past allegations of workplace discrimination surfaced.
Some context: The Independent Monitor is tasked with investigating complaints against the Madison Police Department, recommending policy changes, and engaging with the community.

🛑 A Willy Street development proposal just hit a bump in the road.

City Planning Division staff opposed the combination of land that would be the site of a $40 million housing proposal in the Willy Street neighborhood.
The proposal sought to combine property at 826 Williamson St. and an adjacent, larger property at 302 S. Paterson St. According to the State Journal, the Landmarks Commission voted 4-2 to deny the application, saying the combination "wouldn't fit the pattern of lot sizes in the city's Third Lake Ridge Historic District."
The proposal had the support of the Marquette Neighborhood Association board and District 6 Ald. Brian Benford, who represents the site.

🖊 PSA: Online and mail-in voter registration ends today.

Online registration will close at 11:59 p.m. tonight and all mail-in forms must be postmarked by today. You can check your registration status here.
Also we made a voting guide to help answer all of your questions!

🗳️

Are you ready to vote? The election is Nov. 8 and MyVote.wi.gov is your one-stop shop for all election information. We've also pulled a few extra links for specific questions. Happy voting!

Check your voter registration here.
Get the details on voter IDs here.
Meet the candidates here.

🥩 The founder of Rare is bringing a new restaurant to the square.

Jack Sosnowski, founder of Rare Steakhouse and former owner of the Ivory Room Piano Bar, will open Draper Brothers Chophouse next spring at 101 N. Hamilton St.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the new spot "will be in the tradition of an Italian chophouse with an upscale, supper club environment and a sleek bar. The menu will feature steak, roast prime rib, veal, fish, poultry, and seafood."
Some history: The building was previously home to Boar & Barrel from 2018 to 2020 and Hamilton's on the Square from 2015 to 2017. Before that, the historic building held The Blue Marlin restaurant for 29 years.

📚 Your lunchtime read: UW’s Dr. Sami Schalk digs into unexplored intersections in new book, Black Disability Politics.

Via Madison365: "As a women’s studies major at Miami University, Sami Schalk needed an elective to round out her schedule. A course called 'Women and Disabilities' fit her schedule.

'I had never thought really about disability critically before,' she told Madison365 in an interview last week. 'I had never considered much about it at all. And it just absolutely blew my mind, the class blew my mind. And I got really invested in learning more about disability studies.'

So invested, in fact, that she went on to earn a PhD in gender studies from Indiana University — focusing on disability studies in her dissertation — and join the faculty at the University of Wisconsin in 2017."

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