Start your Monday here

Happy Monday, Madison!

You might notice something is a little different in today's newsletter.

There's no Covid-19 section (gasp!).

First, let me be clear, we're not ending our Covid-19 coverage. And we are not in any way calling this pandemic "over." We are simply changing our coverage approach to better fit the current situation's needs.

Moving forward, we'll publish Covid-19 case graphs weekly. We'll also have a more permanent home for Covid-19 resources and commonly asked questions (more on that to come).

As always, if you have questions or feedback on this — or any aspect of the newsletter — send us an email.

— Hayley

P.S. Don't forget to vote tomorrow! Get the answers to all of your election questions here.

💔 Family members remember Dwayne Lee Collins.

• Angela Briggs identified her son, Dwayne Lee Collins, as the man shot and killed outside of the Dane County Jail last week. Family members and loved ones gathered outside the jail Friday to honor Collins’s life with balloons and candles, NBC15 reports.
• Two men have been arrested in connection to Collins' death. The Madison Police Department has said they believe Collins' death to be a planned attack. Briggs confirmed to NBC15 that her family knows the suspects involved.
• While Briggs identified her son as the victim, the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office will officially release the name of the victim following an investigation.

🐦 Keeping an eye on bird flu in Wisconsin.

• The highly contagious bird flu has been detected in a domesticated “backyard flock” in Rock County. This is the second confirmed case in a domestic flock — the first was at a farm in Jefferson County in March, which lead to the euthanization of nearly 3 million chickens.
• Last week the Wisconsin DNR announced the EA H5N1 bird flu strain was found in wild birds in Dane, Columbia, Grant, Milwaukee, and Polk counties.
• WKOW reports researchers at the University of Wisconsin are working to contain the highly contagious disease, which can be a death sentence to captive and domesticated birds. To be clear: The CDC says the virus is not cause for immediate public health concern and does not currently pose a food safety risk.
• This isn't Wisconsin's first Bird Flu outbreak. Learn about the state's 2015 bout with avian influenza and its lasting impact from WisContext.

🏀 Johnny Davis is headed to the NBA draft.

• University of Wisconsin sophomore Johnny Davis announced he's hired an agent and is entering the 2022 NBA draft.
• Davis is ranked as the ninth-best prospect in the ESPN 100. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year and most recently won the 2022 Jerry West Award. David took to Instagram to thank his teammates, coaches, and family members for helping him make this professional leap. You can watch his statement below.

🏳️‍🌈 UW-Madison’s Pride Prom returns.

• After a two-year hiatus, the University of Wisconsin's Pride Society is bringing back its annual dance, The Daily Cardinal reports.
• Pride Prom seeks to provide UW's LGBTQ+ community with an opportunity for free expression. Since many people are only exposed to the concept of prom as the heteronormative high school dance portrayed in pop culture, Pride Prom challenges the norms and allows for a reclamation of space.

“[Pride Prom] allows us to reclaim that idea of going to a dance with people that you love, and just have fun dressing up for a night." — Diane Camarda, TPS president

🎶 Mark your calendars for WORTstock.

• The annual music festival hosted by everyone's favorite community radio station will return to Warner Park May 22.
• As written on WORT's website, the festival "is a celebration of the diverse music WORT offers listeners every day, and the hundreds of volunteers who come together to make it all happen."

🌻 It's outdoor garden season.

• The birds are singing, the weather is warming (more or less), and Olbrich Botanical Gardens outdoor gardens has announced new hours. The local park features 16 acres of outdoor gardens to stroll and is now open daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. through September.

⚖️ Your lunchtime read: Legal advocates for Afghanistan immigrants in Madison call for change.

• From Madison Commons: "Iris Christenson and Katherine Bekasova got used to late nights at the office. They got used to 3 a.m. Zoom calls with families in Afghanistan. But they say they will never get used to the lack of support from the U.S. government as they work to legally advocate for those it employed as part of its military efforts in Afghanistan."

📅 Events: Monday, April 4

• Webinar: The international (and domestic) politics of climate, energy, and sanctions with Wisconsin Energy Institute. 3 p.m. Free.
• Lebanese Wine Tasting at Leopold's Books Bar Caffè. 5-7 p.m. $15 includes samples of red and white wines from Lebanon.
• Kishi Bashi, Tall Tall Trees at Majestic. Music at 8 p.m. $25 advance, $30 doors .🟠

Wondering what that 🟠 means? That symbol next to an event listing means that Tone Madison’s team of writers and editors recommends checking it out.