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A change in plans

Morning Update: Tuesday, March 29

In this newsletter

A change in plans

Happy Tuesday, Madison!

We're just going to jump right into the news this morning.

Let's get to it.

— Hayley

🦠 Covid-19 testing at Alliant is sticking around a little longer.

  • Last week, Public Health Madison & Dane County announced it would shut down its Covid-19 testing facility at the Alliant Energy Center April 2. Now, PHMDC says instead of shutting down operations completely, it is setting up a new clinic inside the east lobby of the Coliseum at Alliant.
  • The new clinic will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. starting April 3 and will remain open until June. Walk-ins and appointments are welcome.

🚧 The Wisconsin Historical Society has found a design team for its $120 million museum project.

  • The historical society announced the SmithGroup has joined the effort to build a four-story, 100,000-square-foot museum downtown. The SmithGroup played a role in designing the National Museum of African History and Culture in Washington, D.C., and Alumni Park at UW-Madison, the State Journal reports.
  • The design phase of the project is expected to kick off this summer with construction slated for early 2024.
  • Some context: The Wisconsin Historical Society has long been in need of a new home. Last October, the society announced it would demolish its current museum and adjacent properties to make room for the much larger and more modern facility.

🐶 Happy Take me home Tuesday! Meet sweet baby Buddy.

  • From Dane County Humane Society: Buddy, age 7, is a loveable couch potato. He has peacefully shared space with other dog friends, cats, and children. He also likes to chew on socks and carrots. Buddy is looking for a retirement home where he can enjoy soaking up the sunshine and cuddling up to his humans on the couch. To learn more about Buddy, click here.

👮 MPD is seeking community input on policing.

🧪 Fentanyl test strips are now decriminalized in Wisconsin and are already being put to use.

"The most important step is keeping people alive so they can get the treatment and help to give them the best quality of life possible.” — Shakita LaGrant-McClain, director of the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services

🍔 Meet Sookie's Veggie Burgers.

  • The name says it all. Sookie's opened last week in what had been Koi Sushi at 502 State St. after operating as a food trailer in Milwaukee.
  • According to their website, Sookie's "goal is to provide healthier and more sustainable food for restaurant-goers. We use biodegradable packaging and all of our menu items are 100% plant-based." And who is Sookie, you ask? The owners' dog.

✏️ Your lunchtime read: How a UW-Madison professor’s algorithm helps find The New Yorker’s cartoon caption.

  • From WPR: "Voters of The New Yorker’s weekly cartoon caption contest decide what witty line will appear in the magazine to accompany the praying mantis, an insect whose females notoriously decapitate its mates. But which captions of the thousands of submissions voters are shown is not random. The New Yorker relies on an algorithm from Robert Nowak, an engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison."

🦠 Covid-19 Update

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 60.7%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 78.5%

Resources

📅 Events: Multi-day

  • Vintage Kitchen Event! at Vinny's Willy St. Through Wednesday. Vintage aesthetics, Pyrex, Cast iron, and kitchen goods.

Tuesday, March 29

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