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Morning Update: Wednesday, March 2

Good morning, Madison!

It's Wednesday, but not just any Wednesday. It's the first Wednesday of the month, and if you've lived in the Midwest for long enough you know what that means: sirens.

Dane County will be testing its emergency sirens today and on the first Wednesday of every month through November.

The sirens aren't designed to be heard from indoors but if you hear something around noon today, just know there's nothing to be worried about.

— Hayley

🏫 More threats at Memorial High School.

🗳️ Takeaways from the Gableman report.

  • The special counsel hired by Wisconsin's Assembly Republicans to investigate the state's handling of the 2020 election released his findings to lawmakers Tuesday. In a long and conspiracy-laden testimony, former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman recommended decertifying the state’s 2020 presidential election — a task that has been deemed legally impossible.
    • Decertifying the 2020 election is at the heart of Republican Tim Ramthun's gubernatorial campaign. But with Ramthun as the exception, lawmakers have largely criticized the notion of decertification. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, called it a "fools errand" on Twitter.
  • In his 136-page report, Gableman called to disband the Wisconsin Elections Commission and issued 26 recommendations for changing the elections system in Wisconsin.
  • Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement following Gableman's testimony calling the investigation a "colossal waste of taxpayer dollars."
  • While the future status of the investigation remains unclear and the Assembly most likely won't be back in session until 2023, Gableman promised to continue his work, saying "This is an important topic, and there’s a lot of work to do. And I will be back."

😻 Meet our cutie of the week: Stormy.

  • From our friends at the Dane County Humane Society: This sweet adult cat starts out shy, but once she’s comfortable, she'll fill the air with purrs while kneading "biscuits" with her paws. Stormy is looking for a patient and loving family who will give her time to warm up to her new home while spoiling her with lots of pets and snuggles. Stormy does have an eye condition caused by a previous cat cold. While the condition disrupts her vision, it does not cause her any discomfort.
  • To learn more about Stormy, click here.

🚒 The search for Madison's next fire chief.

  • The Madison Police and Fire Commission is looking to the public for feedback as it searches to find the city's next fire chief. The commission will hold a meeting March 14 at 5:30 p.m. where public comment is at the top of the agenda, Channel 3000 reports. You can register to speak here.
  • While the city has been active in gathering public feedback during its search, the Cap Times reported last week that the Police and Fire Commission didn't want any of the four finalists talking to the press until after the interview process is complete. This move prompted some community leaders to call for more openness and transparency from city agencies.

📚 What's in a name?

  • Madison's Thomas Jefferson Middle School is in line for a new name. The change comes as an effort from Black students and community members "pushing for a racial reckoning in Madison," the State Journal reports.
  • The school board will soon put together an ad hoc committee that will meet over a period of three months to receive community feedback and discuss the change before bringing their recommendation back to the full board for consideration.
  • If you'll recall, last year the school board voted unanimously to change the name of James Madison Memorial High School to Vel Phillips Memorial High School.
“I think it’s important. I think we have to change the way we remember history. We have to be real but also thoughtful about the reality of enslavement in this country." — Savion Castro, school board vice president

🏀 The Badgers are Big Ten title holders.

  • The Wisconsin men's basketball team bested the Purdue Boilermakers Tuesday night to take home a share of the Big Ten regular season title. The No. 10 Badgers took down No. 8 Purdue 70-67. If the Badgers beat Nebraska this weekend, they'll finish their regular season in first place.

🎨 Your lunchtime read: ​​Liz Sexe and Tim Russell are just making art, and a lot of it.

  • From Tone Madison: "Visit Liz Sexe and Tim Russell one evening, and you might see them sitting on their living-room floor in front of a small modular synthesizer rack, making calm, inquisitive adjustments while navigating its dozens of knobs and patch cables. Sexe, a dancer and choreographer, and Russell, a musician and composer, jokingly refer to this as their version of family game night."

🦠 Covid-19 Update

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 60.4%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 78.1%

Resources

📅 Events: Wednesday, March 2

  • After Complaint with Sara Ahmed. "In her recent book Complaint!, Sara Ahmed draws on testimonies shared by academics and students who have made complaints about abuses of power such as harassment or bullying or unequal working conditions in universities. In this virtual Humanities Without Boundaries lecture, Ahmed reflects on the book by asking what it means to be after complaint." 12 p.m. Virtual. Free. 🟠
  • No Time for Comedy (1940) screening at Alicia Ashman Library. From IMDb: A patroness of the arts convinces Playwright Gaylord Esterbrook to forget about comedy and concentrate on writing a tragedy. The end result nearly destroys his career and his marriage." 1:30 p.m. Free.
  • Visiting Artist Colloquium: Jean Laurenz with UW-Madison Art Department. 5 p.m. Virtual. Free.
  • Hanah Jon Taylor Artet at Café Coda. Music at 7 p.m. Free. 🟠
  • Chastity Brown at The Bur Oak. Music at 8 p.m. $15.
  • Brett Dennen at the Majestic. Music at 8 p.m. $30.

Wondering what that 🟠 means? That symbol next to an event listing means that Tone Madison’s team of writers and editors recommends checking it out.

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