FEATURED STORY
 Dems run a close race for 77th Assembly District seatUp for grabsJoe Tarr on Thursday 09/02/2010, (1) CommentWhen Spencer Black first ran for the state's 77th Assembly District seat in 1984, he slugged it out in a primary with eight other candidates. Black won and went on to become a political institution, crusading for environmental and labor causes for 26 years. Five Democrats are vying to succeed Black in the Sept. 14 primary: Dianne Hesselbein and Brett Hulsey, both current members of the Dane County Board of Supervisors; John Imes, executive director of Wisconsin Environmental Initiative and owner of the Arbor House bed-and-breakfast; attorney Fred Wade; and Doug Zwank, former Middleton mayor. >More
NEWS
 Madison Marathon bans runnerShe ran without registering; now she's persona non grataBill Lueders on Thursday 09/02/2010Ramona Villarreal considers herself an athlete and an honest person. The 56-year-old Madison resident has competed in Ironman competitions and run at least 15 marathons -- including, she reckons, 10 Madison Marathons. But no more. Villarreal has been "permanently banned" from future Madison Marathons. If she tries to register, she will be denied. If she shows up anyway, she's been warned, "We will have the right to remove you...and won't hesitate to do so." >More  Mike May's personal emailsBill Lueders on Thursday 09/02/2010Madison City Attorney Mike May thinks it's no big whoop that the state Supreme Court recently ordered records custodians to prune out the personal content of emails sent and received by government employees on their work computers. While the case was pending, his office filed an amicus brief supporting this result. >MoreMUSIC
 Carnival of Sorts isn't your average summer fairNo beer tentRich Albertoni on Thursday 09/02/2010When Adam Gregory Pergament talks about his approach to art, he likes to use the term cross-pollination. It means the transfer of pollen from one plant to another. It's nature's way of promoting genetic diversity. In his quest to further artistic diversity, Pergamente has been spreading spoken-word poetry around Madison music venues since 2005, first as a member of Stonefloat, and now with Venice Gas House Trolley. >MoreOPINION & COMMENTARY
 Free speech on a plateWhy should the state rush in where fools seek self-expression?Christian Schneider on Thursday 09/02/2010MSTRB8S. QQQQ2. RU46T9. BVRETR. No, these aren't U.S. government nuclear launch codes. They're actual entries on the list of nearly 7,000 vanity license plates banned by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. (Go ahead, read them again. See? They are sneaky gross.) >More Birth control for CatholicsIs it a moral failing? on Thursday 09/02/2010Dear Tell All: As a Catholic, I was struck by the Madison Catholic diocese's recent response to the new state law requiring that it offer its employees insurance coverage for birth control. The law says that commercial policies with a drug benefit must cover prescription contraceptives — and that, amusingly, happens to be the kind of insurance the diocese has. >More |
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 Secret lives of BadgersJason Joyce on Thursday 09/02/2010Last month, Boise State football coach Chris Peterson, whose team is ranked in the top five by coaches and media, announced that he had banned his players from using Twitter during the season, calling the social media tool a distraction. No word yet on whether Peterson is also banning girlfriends, postgame keg parties and midterm exams. >More |
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