Morning Update: Monday, Dec. 13

Happy Monday, Madison!

Did everyone have a good weekend?

Big shout out to everyone who stopped by the East Side Winter Market and Tone Madison's fundraising concert! It was amazing to see so many local artists, makers, and musicians doing what they do best and on top of that, I got to meet some awesome Madison Minutes fans IRL, which was kind of a mind-blowing experience.

Now to the news.

— Hayley

🏫 The School Board candidate made famous for her transphobic social media comments has dropped out of the race.

• Mary Jo Walters announced the end of her candidacy Friday on Facebook, citing "many personal reasons." She intends to start a book club in the new year.
• Shepherd Janeway, a transgender artist and activist who was inspired to run after seeing Walters' anti-trans comments is still continuing their campaign.

💉 The Madison Children's Museum is hosting a pop-up vaccine clinic today.

• Children ages 5-11 can get their shots then enjoy playtime at the museum from 1-7 p.m.
• Parents are also welcome to get their first dose, second dose or, booster shot at the pop-up as well. Registration is encouraged and can be done at the link here.

🏐 Time for some sports news.

• The Packers beat da Bears 45-30 Sunday. The game marked Aaron Rodgers' 100th career start at Lambeau Field/
• The Bucks kicked the Knicks 112-97. Giannis Antetokounmpo had an impressive 20 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists.
• Forward Madison FC re-signed their third-highest scorer, Derek Gebhard.
• Wisconsin volleyball is going back to the Final Four after sweeping the No. 12 Minnesota Golden Gophers. Wisconsin won the match 25-18, 26-24, 25-22 Saturday night and will now head to the Final Four in Columbus, Ohio where they’ll take on No. 1 seed Louisville Cardinals.
• The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team fell 73-55 to Ohio State Saturday.
• The Wisconsin Badgers women's basketball team faced a tough loss to in-state rival UW-Green Bay Sunday, ending the game 63-53.
• Badger men's hockey had a mixed weekend, earning a 4-1 win over Penn State Friday but losing 4-5 to the Nittany Lions in overtime Saturday.
• Finally, the Badger women's hockey team did what they do best: win. The Badgers scooped a 5-1 then a 5-2 win against Bemidji State over the weekend.

🍸 After 69 years, Smoky's Club is closing.

The Madison mainstay will close at the end of February 2022 to make way for a new apartment complex.

The State Journal reports that labor shortages, rising food costs, and the COVID-19 pandemic created a perfect storm that the supper club couldn't weather. The owners initially considered being a part of the redevelopment but ultimately decided against it.

"Nobody lives forever, no business lasts forever. But enjoy it while you can.” — Co-owner and son of Smoky’s namesake Tom Schmock

🩰 Bringing The Nutcracker to refugees at Fort McCoy.

The Madison Ballet held four performances of the holiday classic for Afghan refugees at Fort McCoy. The event created a "palpable" excitement for the viewers as well as the performers.

🛍️ Meet Monroe Street's newest storefronts — Sunne Boutique and Trend Boutique.

• Sunne Boutique, named after owner Carrie Astin’s grandmother, is located at 2534 Monroe St. next to Colectivo Coffee. Trend is on the other end of the street at 1639 Monroe St. where Walter’s Swim ‘n Sun once was.
• At Sunne, the majority of the shop is filled with clothes from sustainable fashion brands. Trend is owner Kristina Olson's second store and sells everything from denim and t-shirts to leather accessories.

🎵 Madison musicians were busy this year, here's a look at some of the hottest local releases from 2021.

• From Tone Madison: "Regardless of whether anyone's paying attention or not, our local musicians tend to create an unpredictable array of work, across all manner of genres and experiences. One simply does not summarize it with any degree of authority or tidiness. Better to simply try and get immersed in the frequently neglected beauty of it all."

🤑 Your lunchtime read: Black Currency podcasters want to make finance friendly.

• From Cap Times: "Opal Ellyse, Bradley 'DLO' Thomas and Corey Whitmore are, by their own admission, not finance experts. That, they say, is exactly what makes them the perfect hosts for their new podcast Black Currency, 'a ground zero approach to building financial wealth and financial freedom.'"

🦠 Covid-19 Resources

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 56.3%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 72.9%

Here's where to find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.

Need a COVID-19 test? PHMDC has you covered.

Do you still need your flu shot? Start here.

📅  Events: Monday, Dec. 13

• Lecture: How Teacher Strikes Shape Congressional Election Campaigns with UW’s department of education policy studies. 12-1:30 p.m. Free.
• Jewop Winter 2021 at Memorial Union. 7 p.m. Tickets start at $12, with discount for university affiliations.
• Madison StorySlam: Wisdom at High Noon Saloon. Open mic performers share a five-minute story about lore. Doors 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. $15.

(Header image via Flickr user Adam Fagen)