Friday, Jan. 9
Mayor Paul Soglin names Natalie Erdman, executive director of the Community Development Authority, interim director of Planning and Community and Economic Development. Erdman will fill in for Steve Cover, who accepted a job in Virginia, until a permanent replacement is found.
Saturday, Jan. 10
Lonzell A. Daniel, 26, of Chicago is killed at a party at 1405 Trailsway near Warner Park. It is the first homicide in Madison in 2015; an investigation is ongoing.
Monday, Jan. 12
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville), the 2012 vice presidential nominee, announces that he will not run for president in 2016.
Madison Police Chief Mike Koval releases a blog post criticizing the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition for recent demonstrations branding police as an "occupying force" and asking them to stop policing minority neighborhoods. Koval responds, telling the group to "look deeper at the issues besetting our people of color and stop pandering to the 'blame game' of throwing my department to the wolves."
Tuesday, Jan. 13
Gov. Scott Walker delivers his State of the State address to the Legislature, but embarrassingly forgets to ask anyone to vote for him for president. Talk about faux pas!
Madison's Young, Gifted and Black Coalition responds to Chief Koval's criticism, saying "We understand that MPD is not the only contributor to racial disparities in Madison," but adds that police play a role in perpetuating them.
The state's Government Accountability Board asks the Legislature to rewrite campaign finance laws, saying they've grown too complicated in light of recent court rulings.