News

Part of State Street to close Saturday

Submitted by Tabatha Wethal, Channel3000.com Community Reporter

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013, 6:55pm

Bikes, cars to be rerouted for 9-hour closure

A portion of State Street will be closed Saturday due to a construction project.

The city's Traffic Engineering Division announced Wednesday that a construction company will be assembling a crane on the 100 block of State Street, which will require traffic to be rerouted from that area from 6 a.m.-3 p.m.

In a news release, the streets division said the portion of State Street between W. Dayton Street and W. Mifflin Street will allow pedestrian traffic, but bike and vehicle access will not be permitted for the the 9-hour closure.

The city said motorists are encouraged to use different routes to avoid delay during the project and deferred to Madison Metro regarding bus route detours.

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Restaurants asking $1 for water this week

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013, 8:34am

More than two dozen Madison-area restaurants will ask for a small donation as servers pour glasses of water this week, which one group said was just the beginning of a push to curb water waste.

�Restaurants like Graze in downtown Madison and Rex's Innkeeper in Waunakee will seek $1 from guests as part of World Water Week.

�The collections will benefit the Clean Lakes Alliance, which works to clean up Dane County's lakes, said James Tye, the group's vice president.

�"We're not telling people, 'Don't drink water,' we're just telling them to be aware that the water that's coming to your table is not free and any water being left on the table is just being tossed away," Tye said.

�Tye said he wasn't aware of any Madison restaurants that forced customers to ask for water before bringing it to the table, but said eateries in other cities are doing that.

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New Madison superintendent to meet with students, community members

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Tuesday, March 19th, 2013, 2:17pm

Incoming Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham plans to visit schools and neighborhoods and hear broadly from students, teachers, staff, principals, parents and community members in her first weeks on the job.

Cheatham will start on April 1 and Tuesday released plans for her first 90 days.

"It is a tremendous honor to lead the Madison Metropolitan School District and commit myself to ensuring that every school is a thriving school that prepares every student for college and career," Cheatham said in a news release. "I want to begin my work by listening and learning about the district?s strengths, challenges and opportunities for improvement."

Cheatham's entry plan includes meeting with students, parents, teachers, staff, principals and community members, as well as gathering and analyzing school and district data.

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Seventeen arrested in Internet child sex sting

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Monday, March 18th, 2013, 8:58pm

A three-day operation targeting people who solicit children over the Internet for sexual exploitation resulted in 17 arrests, including six arrests in Madison, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

The Internet Crimes Against Children operation, called Operation Black Veil, ran Tuesday through Thursday and included investigators from the state Department of Justice, investigators from Brown and Door counties, Madison police, the Dane County Sheriff's office, the Outagamie County Sheriff?s Department and others.

Criminal complaints for four of the men arrested describe arrangements for sexual encounters the men allegedly made with officers posing as minors or custodians of minors on Craigslist.

Wisconsin Deputy Attorney General Kevin St. John said it was the largest coordinated effort targeting Internet crimes against children in the state's history.

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Madison to plow residential streets

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Monday, March 18th, 2013, 3:30pm

The Madison Streets Division said it will start plowing all residential streets after 3 p.m. Monday using only city of Madison vehicles and staff.

Streets Superintendent Chris Kelley said city crews have been working on salt routes since the snow began to fall Monday morning and will continue on the salt routes until the snowfall stops.

He said the city anticipates having up to 80 pieces of equipment working on the residential streets overnight.

Kelley said the city won't bring in private contractors for this storm. He said it will take the city longer than usual as it will be doing the work internally, but he anticipates having almost all residential streets plowed in time for the Tuesday morning rush hour.

A winter weather advisory is in effect until 1 a.m. Tuesday for Vernon, Juneau, Adams, Crawford, Richland and Grant counties.

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Madison police announce traffic enforcement effort

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Monday, March 18th, 2013, 2:53pm

The Madison Police Department said its Traffic Enforcement Safety Team will be specifically addressing traffic violations this week in areas of the city.

Madison police said those areas are:

Tuesday, March 19, 2013. North District -- 1900 Packers Ave. (35 mph zone; speed enforcement)

Wednesday, March 20, 2013. South District -- 1800 S. Park St. (30 mph zone; speed enforcement)

Thursday, March 21, 2013. East District -- 3300 E. Washington Ave. (35 mph zone; speed enforcement)

The Madison Police Department is committed to improving the safety of our community by increasing compliance with traffic laws through education and enforcement.

Police said they rely heavily on the cooperation of the public to be aware of and to follow all traffic laws, whether as a pedestrian, bicyclist or motorist.

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Ironman to stay through 2018

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Friday, March 15th, 2013, 1:10pm

Ironman is set to return to the Mad City each fall for the next six years.

The annual triathlon-race organizers announced Friday that the partnership with the city will extend through 2018.

The Madison Area Sports Commission chair, Vince Sweeney, said the agreement is another reason he considers Madison as a sports destination.

"The bigger win is really for all of us who live here," Sweeney said in a news release announcing the extended agreement. "We get to continue to host a world class athletic event [and] we also benefit from the significant economic impact that this event has on our area."

Organizers said the Ironman draws more than 45,000 spectators who line the course through rural areas and the downtown streets of Madison. In the fall event, athletes swim 2.4 miles in Lake Monona, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run that finishes at the State Capitol, all without a break.

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