Morning Update

Zoo investigation, abortion rally, CrossFit

☀️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny (!!!). High: 78° Low: 57°

Good morning, Madison!

Happy Monday, we’ve made it to another week, and a sunny one at that.
We've got plenty of ground to cover this morning so let's just get right to it, shall we?

— Hayley

Correction: Last Friday’s email stated that 2022 will be the last year the CrossFit Games are held in Madison. That is incorrect. The 2023 championship competition will be the sixth and final year the games are held in Madison. We regret the error and appreciate the readers who pointed it out.

🚨 Police are investigating reported arson at an anti-abortion group's office.

The Madison Fire Department was called to the 2800 block of International Lane on the city's north Side Sunday for reports of flames seen coming from an office building. The building in question turned out to be the Madison headquarters of the anti-abortion group Wisconsin Family Action.
The Madison Police Department is investigating the incident as arson. Police report a molotov cocktail, which did not ignite, was thrown inside the building and another fire was set. Graffiti left on the outside of the building read in part "If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either.”
Local and state leaders on both sides of the aisle have been quick to condemn the actions. "We reject violence against any person for disagreeing with another's view," Gov. Tony Evers tweeted.
No injuries were reported and MPD is expected to give a press conference with updates on the investigation this afternoon.
Related: Hundreds gather for second day of protests against possible overturning of Roe v. Wade (Cap Times)

😷 MMSD's mask mandate is sticking around for now.

The Madison Metropolitan School District announced last Friday that staff and students must continue to wear masks indoors for at least two more weeks.
Cap Times reports the district will evaluate the mandate on a biweekly basis moving forward. Currently, only MMSD and Milwaukee Public Schools are the only districts in the state known to still have a mask mandate.
Related: Wisconsin's Covid Condition: Hospitalizations creep up, interrupting a pandemic lull (PBS Wisconsin)

🏗️ Development to watch: A proposed 14-story housing project on Wilson Street.

A developer from Michigan has proposed demolishing the State of Wisconsin Investment Board’s two-story building at 121 E. Wilson St. for a project reaching the Capitol height limit with apartments, commercial space, and parking.
The Wisconsin State Journal reports the 14-story development would bring 337 apartments, 17,000 square feet of commercial space, and a two-story-high, open-air promenade overlooking Lake Monona.
Downtown's District 4 Ald. Mike Verveer is "very supportive" of the proposal and plans to schedule a neighborhood meeting to discuss the project in June.

👔 The Latino Chamber of Commerce is planning a big move.

Thanks in part to a $3.4 million boost from the state, the Latino Chamber of Commerce is looking to renovate and move into a 15,000 square foot space in Fitchburg.
The expansion is necessary. The State Journal reports the chamber currently has more than 640 business members, a number that's only expected to grow with time.
The project still needs to obtain relevant approvals and feedback from the Fitchburg City Council and its committees.

🐣 Bird flu is hitting backyard flocks hard.

As of last Friday, WPR reports there have been 16 confirmed cases of avian influenza in the state, with 10 of those cases coming from non-commercial flocks.
Wisconsin's last outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza was in 2015. That year, there were only 10 cases of avian flu, which included one backyard flock.
How to keep your birds safe: The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) recommends poultry owners take preventative measures like handwashing, disinfecting equipment, and restricting access to their birds to curb the disease's spread.
You're probably wondering, can bird flu spread to humans? The short answer is — according to the CDC — it's incredibly

⚾ Keeping up with Wisconsin sports.

Brewers: The Milwaukee Brewers couldn't keep up with the Atlanta Braves over the weekend, ultimately falling 9-2. Yikes.
Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 42 points Saturday to help lead the Bucks to a 103-101 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal. The Bucks now lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is tonight in Milwaukee.
Forward: Despite wet and rainy conditions, Forward Madison FC snagged their first league win of the season beating the Richmond Kickers 1-0.

📰 Your lunchtime read: An old drug addiction and an uncharged crime: How the internet won’t let a Madison man move on.

From Channel 3000: "Newsrooms around the country are reevaluating how to balance the responsibility of maintaining a community’s public record while also remaining cognizant of how internet and Google permanency will affect people’s lives long after old mistakes. It’s something that media outlets of the past rarely had to reckon with, because of the difficulty associated with accessing archives. In the era of Google, a person’s past is now readily accessible years after small mistakes have come and gone."
Related: How WISC-TV/Channel 3000 considers name or picture removal in crime stories

📅 Events

Monday, May 2

Open Mic with Andy Smith and Bill Roberts Combo at Come Back In. 7 p.m.

Share an event with us

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How to fix it: Click and drag the Madison Minutes email from your promotions tab to your main inbox. Gmail should then ask if you want to have this newsletter go to your regular inbox going forward (click yes).