Morning Update

Let's get ready to vote

Morning update: Thursday, Oct. 6

In this newsletter

Good morning, Madison!

We're just about a month away from the election. Are you ready to vote?

At Madison Minutes, we're all about being as useful as possible. We want to help you find the resources you need to cast an informed vote. So without further ado, let me introduce you to our new voting box! You'll be seeing it in our newsletters leading up to the election.

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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.

Now let's dive into today's news.

— Hayley

Correction: Yesterday's newsletter incorrectly stated when the CurderBurger made its real-life debut. It was October 2021.

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🗳 From ballot box to protest.

The City of Madison partnered with New York conceptual artist Jenny Holzer to turn its now-illegal ballot drop boxes into a statement against the "erosion" of democracy.
If you'll recall: The Wisconsin Supreme Court in July banned the use of most absentee ballot drop boxes in the state.
"The ability to vote easily, safely and securely is fundamental to our democratic process. Rather than removing these secure ballot drop boxes, we wanted to transform them to share the powerful words of Sojourner Truth and to convey our community’s belief in democracy, voting rights and the prevailing power of truth," Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said in a statement.
This isn't the first time the city has used Holzer's art to talk about elections. In 2020, Holzer's billboard-like displays popped up around town as part of a national get-out-the-vote campaign.

🏠 Zoe Bayliss co-op has a new home.

Some context: The Zoe Bayliss cooperative is one of the last remaining student housing co-ops in Wisconsin. It's leased space from UW-Madison at 915 W. Johnson St. for the past 67 years. The building is slated for demolition to make way for the new Levy Hall College of Letters and Science Building.
The news: After failing to come to an agreement with the university to save the current space or find an on-campus solution, the co-op announced it will lease a building at 636 Langdon St. The move will allow the co-op to expand its membership to students at other Madison-area colleges.
The Langdon Street building was once home to the Phoenix co-op, which has since dissolved.
Dig deeper: What the fate of Zoe Bayliss Cooperative means for affordable student housing (Tone Madison)

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🚙 WisDOT says the flex lanes are working well so far.

What's a flex lane? In case you missed it, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation opened the left-hand shoulder to drivers as "flex lanes" on the Beltline in July as a way of speeding up travel times and decreasing traffic during peak hours.
The DOT says preliminary data shows the flex lanes have been successful so far, decreasing travel time on the Beltline by roughly 30%, even as traffic volume on the Beltline has risen during the same time period.
Channel 3000 reports the use of flex lanes have saved drivers an average of 10 to 15 minutes on their commutes.

😋 The east side is getting a Colombian restaurant.

The former site of OM Indian Fusion Cuisine at 3579 E. Washington Ave. will soon get a new life as La Pollera Colombiana, the State Journal reports.
OM closed its doors in 2019 after nearly three years in business. Now, a former New York restaurant owner and her family will open Madison's first Colombian restaurant in its place. The new spot will serve exclusively Colombian food — think proteins with beans and rice — and is set to open in "about a month."

✈️ The last of the Madison's F-16 jets have left Truax.

The jets first arrived at Truax Field in 1992. On Wednesday, the last F-16 left the field as Truax continues to prepare for the arrival of the new F-35 jets in spring 2023.

🌳 Your lunchtime read: Where does the 'Driftless Area' get its name? The history, boundaries of the southwest Wisconsin region.

Via WPR: "Claire Holland wanted to know more about the history of the Driftless Area. Where did the name come from? What are its defining features? What are its boundaries? That’s where WHYsconsin stepped in. [...]

What defines the boundaries of the Driftless Area are 'surprisingly controversial,' [University of Wisconsin-La Crosse professor Colin] Belby said."

📚 Wisconsin Book Festival Fall Celebration

Don’t miss the state’s premier literary event! The Wisconsin Book Festival Fall Celebration connects you with your favorite authors in 50+ free programs, encouraging conversations that spark ideas and foster understanding.
The lineup is packed with fiction, poetry and nonfiction, including STEM, politics, social justice and other book themes.
Learn more here.