Wednesday 10.18
State Republicans release copies of the Democrats' strategic campaign plans, which they say implicate the Dems in an effort to illegally coordinate with a political action committee. A state Elections Board official later says there is no evidence of illegal collusion.
Thursday 10.19
The Dane County Board votes 23-5 to oppose the state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions. Members say the amendment could prohibit the county from offering domestic partner benefits.
Madison's NAACP branch meets to nominate its current officers, including President Linda Hoskins, for re-election. Some members say the meeting ' attended almost exclusively by nominees ' was deliberately rescheduled to exclude them. Hoskins has come under fire for mismanaging the branch.
Saturday 10.21
The board of directors at the Mifflin Street Co-op vote unanimously to close the downtown store. The co-op has struggled to pay nearly $100,000 in debt and back taxes, while the store lost nearly $60,000 this year. The co-op's 1,000 members will vote on the recommendation in November.
Sunday 10.22
Mark Spangler, 38, of Marshall crosses the median on I-90 near the East Washington Avenue interchange and crashes into a minivan head-on. The van's occupants, two adults and three children, are all hospitalized. Spangler was driving with a revoked license and has seven drunk driving convictions. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash.
Monday 10.23
The Associated Students of Madison announces that UW students overwhelmingly voted to increase fees to raise $147 million to renovate Memorial Union and replace Union South. Less than 7% of the student population voted in the election, held last week.
Tuesday 10.24
Robert Henderson, 27, of Madison, is sentenced to 10 years in prison for kidnapping a local high school student and taking him to Beaver Dam in 2004. Henderson and his accomplice, Mario Jeffrey, forced the student to set up drug deals and threatened him with a gun.
Wednesday 10.25
The Vilas Park Zoo announces that Raymond the giraffe and Teriang the orangutan died earlier this month. Raymond, 12, was euthanized after he was found to be suffering from degenerative arthritis and edema. Teriang, 35, died of heart failure.
Compiled from local media