Morning Update: Wednesday, Dec. 15
Remembering a Madison LGBTQ pioneer
Good morning, Madison!
It's Wednesday. Happy Wednesday.
Quick heads up: There's a high wind warning that will go into effect at 6 p.m. tonight. What does that mean? Well, according to the National Weather Service, we can expect to see Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 65 mph. The warning will remain in effect until 6 a.m. Thursday.
High winds like these can make it harder to travel (especially in higher profile vehicles) and have the potential to knock out power lines, causing outages. Stay safe, y'all!
— Hayley
🍕 The Paisan's building is closing. Again.
- Some context: The building at 131 West Wilson Street was forced to shut down in September due to structural concerns. It re-opened in October with additional safety measures. Support columns were put in the parking garage as a temporary fix. The building's tenants have previously said they plan to file a lawsuit against the building's owner for damages incurred during the 40-day shutdown.
- The city is shutting down the building again because its owners failed to comply with required inspection reports. According to the city, building inspection personnel have not received the required documentation regarding the ongoing monitoring, so the building must close.
🏳️🌈 Madison LGBTQ pioneer Dick Wagner has died.
- Who was he? Wagner is noted for being the first openly gay member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors. He was a dedicated public servant, having been part of nearly a dozen of the county’s boards, commissions, and committees. He was one of the co-founders of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s LGBT Alumni Association and the author of two books chronicling Wisconsin’s gay and lesbian history.
- You can read an excerpt of his 2019 book “We’ve Been Here All Along" published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press here.
⚖️ Michael Gableman threatened to arrest Madison's Mayor and city officials are over it.
- Who is Michael Gableman? Gableman is a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice and is currently leading a partisan review of the 2020 presidential election.
- Why arrest Satya? Gableman said he wants to hear testimony from Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway in private, but city lawyers say he doesn’t have the legal ability to do that. Rhodes-Conway has said she's willing to testify but only in a public setting. Gableman filed a petition in Waukesha County Circuit Court that would allow the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office to travel to Madison (and Green Bay), arrest the mayors, and detain them to force them to testify about the election.
- City Attorney Michael Haas sent a letter to the Waukesha County judge in response to Gableman's threats calling them “unprofessional, an abuse of process, and a bad-faith effort to publicly harass local officials with no legal basis.”
- Related: ‘This is a charade’: GOP senator, voting experts urge Wisconsin Republicans to halt election attacks (Wisconsin Watch)
💉 MMSD and SSM Health are bringing COVID-19 vaccine clinics to Madison schools.
- Children ages 5-11 will be able to receive their COVID-19 vaccines at the school clinics throughout December and January.
- NBC15 put together a list of participating locations. Check it out here.
😷 Wisconsin universities are putting their employee vaccine mandates on hold.
- Some context: President Joe Biden ordered all federal contractors must be vaccinated against COVID-19. A federal judge blocked that mandate last week.
- Now, the Stae Journal reports UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee have paused their vaccine requirements for all employees until further notice because of the court injunction. The mandate was scheduled to take effect Jan. 18. Officials say more than 95% of UW-Madison employees are already vaccinated.
🥕 PSA: Here are Metcalfe's Christmas hours.
 Christmas eve: 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Christmas day. |
🍸 Did someone say late night?
- Yes, we all know Tornado Room has a killer late-night menu (escargot, anyone?), but they're not the only spot in town serving food after hours. Madison Magazine put together a list of 17 Madison dining de sure to satisfy any after-dark craving.
🥘 Your lunchtime read: ‘Madison Chefs’ tells stories of culinary change in Wisconsin's capital.
- From the Cap Times' Lindsay Christians: "Four years ago, I signed on to the project that would become 'Madison Chefs: Stories of Food, Farms, and People.' That book, coming on Dec. 21 from University of Wisconsin Press, highlights nine local chefs who re-imagined what Wisconsin food could be, from New Jersey-influenced farm-focused pizza to Wisconsin-style bibimbap. [...] Madison’s food scene is never static. [...] Though some restaurants have closed and some people have left the industry altogether, I believe these chefs and restaurateurs point to an exciting future for Madison food."
🦠 Covid-19 Resources
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Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 57.4%
Dane County Vaccination Rate: 75.1%
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: Wednesday, Dec. 15
- Happy (Belated 250th) Birthday Beethoven! concert by Madison Symphony Orchestra. Two shows: 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. $15.
- Webinar: Kids in the Kitchen: Cookie Craze. "The Kids Chef" Lily Kilfoy will lead the class in baking cookies from scratch. 5 p.m. $10 for Owners; $20 for non-owners.
- Holiday Cocktail Class at Garver Lounge. 2-3 hour class. Take home recipes, bitters and sweet vermouth so you are ready to recreate cocktails at home. 5 p.m. $160 for 2 people.
- Vinyl Night at Bierock. Bring your own vinyl records to spin. Every customer that brings in a record will receive Happy Hour pricing on beer and one half price appetizer. 6-10 p.m.
- WheelHouse at the Bur Oak. Americana and bluegrass band. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. $10 advance, $12 at door.
- JD McPherson with Joel Paterson at the Majestic. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. $25.
