I want to ride my BCycle

Happy Tuesday, Madison.

This Tuesday is one that's been highlighted on my calendar for a long time. Why? Well, today is the day Madison's beloved BCycles return to the streets!

During the winter months, the folks on the BCycle mechanic team inspect, disassemble, repair, and reassemble the e-bikes for the new season.

Last year, BCycle added nine new stations around town. They say this year will be even bigger, with more station and e-bike additions.

“By creating a more wide-reaching bike share program, we can help generate a greater impact with farther reach as a viable public transportation option that people rely on each day,” BCycle general manager Helen Bradley said in a release.

Also new this year is increased trip times. The allotted ride time for annual and monthly members is now 90 minutes per trip, up from 60 minutes in the past. In addition to increased ride times are increased membership prices. Annual and monthly memberships are now $135 and $30, respectively.

— Hayley

🗳️ Get ready for the spring election.

• You can now see your sample ballot for the spring election. Head to  www.MyVote.WI.gov, type in your address and see exactly what your ballot will look like on the big day.
• There are plenty of offices up for election, including all 37 County Board Supervisor seats, school board seats, and judges.
• The election is April 5.

🏫 Madison School Board launches student safety committee.

• The board voted unanimously Monday to create a "student safety and wellness committee," which will be made up of community members, students, and staff, the State Journal reports.
• The move comes five months after a wave of fights broke out over multiple days at East High School. The 13-member committee will be tasked with addressing the "root cause of disengagement and violence in schools and to create districtwide policies focused on student safety and wellness."

🐍 Take me home Tuesday: meet Gamsey, the ball python.

• From DCHS: Gamsey was found on a porch in Stoughton and brought to DCHS to find a new home. Gamsey is about 3 years old and weighs a little over 3 pounds. He slithers very quickly, so act fast. He's looking for a home with a large terrarium so he has lots of places to burrow. To learn more about Gamsey, click here.

🐦 Bird flu has been found in southern Wisconsin.

• This is the first time since 2015 the influenza has been confirmed in the state, WPR reports.
• The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced the disease was detected at a commercial poultry flock in Jefferson County. The entire flock — roughly 3 million birds — will be killed to prevent the spread of the disease.
• Health officials stress the avian flu does not present an immediate public health concern and has not been found in any humans.

🍷 Table Wine is making moves.

• Cap Times reports the Atwood Avenue business has plans to buy a neighboring building, taking over the space Sugar Shack Records has held for nearly two decades.
• The Table Wine owners hope to close on the building in May and re-open in the new space by August. But don't worry about finding your perfect bottle of wine, the shop owners say they plan to keep their store open "for most of the in-between time, with the exception of online orders for a week or two during the move."
• Related: Sugar Shack Records to close in April (Tone Madison)

🚦 Traffic deaths are up in Dane County.

• Dane County saw a record number of fatal crashes in 2021. Last year, 48 people were killed on county roads — a 33% increase compared to the past five years.
• The State Journal reports in half of the fatal crashes, motorists were speeding. Drive safe, folks.

🥧 Lunchtime read: Carson Gulley was more than the maker of fudge bottom pie at UW-Madison.

• From WPR: "[T]he legacy of what Gulley brought to UW-Madison — a legacy that lives on in the form of the refectory he once served being named Carson Gulley Commons — is not Gulley’s complete story. His full life included facing rampant racist and discriminatory practices, from continually being passed over for supervisory roles despite his excellent performance to white neighbors circulating petitions trying to evict him and his wife."

🦠 Covid-19 Update

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 60.6%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 78.3%

Resources

• 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.
• Request an at-home testing kit from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
• Where to pick up free masks from the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program
• Where to Buy N95s, KN95s, and Surgical-Style Masks in 2022 (Wirecutter)
• What to Do if You are Sick or Possibly Exposed (PHMDC)

📅 Events: Tuesday, March 15

• Concert Bingo at High Noon Saloon. Prizes include merchandise and concert tickets. 5 p.m. $5 entry includes five rounds.
• Evenings with Audubon: Inclusion, Access, and Disability in Birding with Birdability, a new nonprofit that’s working to ensure the birding community is welcoming, inclusive, safe and accessible for everybody. 7 p.m. Virtual. Free.
• Isabelle Demers at Overture Center. Demers, an organist, will "wow our audience with a program that will use just about every sound on our Mighty Klais." 7:30 p.m. $20.
• Oshima Brothers at the Bur Oak. Indie duo. Music at 8 p.m. $12 advance, $15 doors.