Last call for trash names

Good morning, Madison!

I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing long weekend. If you managed to get any good (or bad!) firework photos, send them my way and you might just see them on our social channels.

Let's ease back into things slowly, shall we?

Top of mind this morning: Today is the last day to vote on names for the city's new electric trash and recycling compactors.

Whether you like Crush Farley, Trashy McTrashface, or Stone Cold Squeeze Often, now is this time to exercise your civic muscles and vote in this crucial election.
The winning name will be revealed after the election at a TBD naming ceremony.

— Hayley

🥵 The fight for air conditioning at Norris Court.

• A new report from Tone Madison details the struggle many tenants in one of the city’s oldest apartment complexes are facing this summer: unseasonably high temperatures and a ban on window AC units.
• JSW Companies, the company that operates the Norris Court apartment complex in the Tenney-Lapham neighborhood, instituted a policy in March banning window AC units. The rental company in May sent out a reminder to tenants about this policy and instead directed them to buy more expensive (and questionably effective) portable air conditioner units that sit on the floor.
• Many tenants were unaware of this new policy and according to Tone, JSW began enforcing the ban while some tenants were still under leases that did not explicitly forbid window units. “It is frustrating to drop half a month’s rent on a new A/C when I have a perfectly good one already,” one Norris Court resident told the news outlet.

🦠 Monkeypox has officially landed in Wisconsin.

• The Wisconsin Department of Health Services identified the first case of Monkeypox in the state last Friday.
• The patient is a Dane County resident and has been isolating. DHS maintains the risk of transmission remains low for the general public.
• Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious disease that doesn't spread easily from person to person. You can get more information on Monkeypox including its signs and symptoms from DHS here.

🚧 Back to the drawing board.

• If you'll recall, local developer JD McCormick planned to  demolish the buildings at 430-444 State St. and construct a five-story building with apartments and retail space. The proposal forced the relocation of several longstanding State Street businesses including Sencha Tea Bar, B-Side Records, and Freedom Skate Shop.
• The Cap Times reports the city's Urban Design Commission (UDC) wants the developer to make some changes to their proposal so it is "more representative of the surrounding architecture and more in-scale with the rest of the street."
• The initial proposal was out of scale with neighboring buildings and its color scheme — mostly white brick with some gray — wasn't a hit. The developers will now get a chance to reimagine their design and come back to the UDC with a new proposal.

🚓 Shorewood Hills Elementary School was vandalized with hate symbols.

• The Shorewood Hills Police Department is seeking information on vandalism that occurred last week at the elementary school. A swastika and a hooded KKK figure were reportedly found spray-painted on the school's exterior wall.
• In a Facebook post, police have put out a call for information and are encouraging neighboring residents to check their security cameras for information.

🔥 Did you catch that big cloud of smoke over the weekend?

• A large fire involving fireworks led to the complete loss of a south side warehouse Sunday.
• Heavy smoke and flames could been seen from the building at 600 East Badger Road. According to the fire department, the building's contents were "flammable in nature" and that combined with the use of fireworks resulted in a complete loss of the structure valued at $250,000.
• The incident is still under investigation. Firefighters were able to stop the blaze before it spread to neighboring buildings. No one was hurt in the incident.

😽 Happy Take Me Home Tuesday! Meet Chester.

• DCHS would like you to meet a very special senior kitty, Chester. Chester is in urgent need of a special family. He is in the beginning stages of diabetes. Treatment typically includes insulin injections and a special diet, but shelters do not have the resources to manage diabetes. When properly managed, diabetic cats like Chester can lead a full and happy life.
  
  Chester isn’t letting his diagnosis slow him down. Chester is a sweetheart who loves body rubs, snuggles, and playtime. Because of his medical condition, he is a member of our Lonely Hearts Club. A generous donor has sponsored Chester’s adoption fee.
• Learn more about Chester here.

🥾 Your lunchtime read: Arlette Laan will soon be the first female hiker to complete all 11 national scenic trails.

• From WPR: "In about a week, a Massachusetts woman is expected to reach the eastern end of Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail, becoming the first female hiker to finish all 11 national scenic trails in the United States.
  
  Arlette Laan, whose trail name is "Apple Pie," had about 200 miles left of the 1,200-mile-long trail as of last week. Once she reaches the trail's eastern terminus in Sturgeon Bay, she'll make history."