Last 7 Posts
Konkel Round Up
Local Government News
No sports, no crime, no fluff.
Corrections, press releases and articles can be sent to forwardlookout@gmail.com. Articles are added to the day they are published, however, sometimes they are added not until the following day.
Last updated May 10, 9:53 am
Sunday, May 10th, 2026
City of Madison
- Construction coming to University Avenue this summer – WMTV Channel 15
- Week of May 11, 2026 – Alder Badri Lankella
Dane County
- none yet
Education
- none yet
Saturday, May 9th, 2026
City of Madison
- Madison police launch community engagement initiative for National Police Week – Channel3000.com
- Broom Street railroad crossing work beginning Tuesday, closures announced – Channel3000.com
- Building permit issued for Paisan’s redevelopment on Wilson Street – State Journal
Dane County
- National Register nomination presentation in Monona – State Journal
Education
- Madison Schools weigh all-day phone ban for younger students, classroom ban for high schools – State Journal
Friday, May 8th, 2026
City of Madison
- Police: No policies violated in arrest of Madison School Board member, nonprofit leader – State Journal
- Week of 05/11/26: Street Closures Saturday and Sunday in Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood – Alder Davy Mayer
- New faces headed to Madison Public Market – Isthmus
- Roads closed for law enforcement and UW-Madison events – State Journal
- City allowing accessory dwelling units – Fitchburg Star
Dane County
- Middleton launches spring campaign to support pollinators – Channel3000.com
- Breeze Airways, Dane Co. Regional Airport celebrates nonstop flight from Madison to Raleigh – Channel3000.com
- Waunakee reshapes tourism commission, hoping it can do more – Waunakee Tribune
- Reading with an officer – Sun Prairie Star
- Cambridge village board weighs changes to fire, EMS agreement – Cambridge News and Deerfield Independent
- Dane County Executive Melissa Agard to deliver first State of the County address May 21 – WKOW Channel 27
- Dane Co. executive sets date for first State of the County address -Channel3000.com
- Paoli St / Hwy 69 / Valley Rd • Verona, WI – City of Verona
- 365 Amplified: “A Great Day to be Black.” The Center for Black Excellence and Culture is open! – Cap Times
- Dane County: County Executive Melissa Agard to deliver first State of the County Address – WisPolitics
Education
- Canvas hack shuts down operations at UW-Madison, worldwide – Daily Cardinal
- Canvas system is online after a cyberattack disrupted thousands of schools – Channel3000.com
- What we know about the Canvas hack impacting thousands of schools – WKOW Channel 27
- Canvas outage continues at UW-Madison during finals week – WKOW Channel 27
- Marshall School Board holds reorganization meeting – Sun Prairie Star
Other
- Lanterns for Peace 2026 – Safe Skies Clean Waters
- Memorial Day 2026 Madison Veterans for Peace Rally and Community Gathering – May 25 – Safe Skies Clean Waters
- United Way of Dane County surpasses $18 million goal – State Journal
- 365 Amplified: “A Great Day to be Black.” The Center for Black Excellence and Culture is open! – Madison365
- St. Mary’s Hospital nurses allege widespread union busting – Cap Times
Thursday, May 7th, 2026
City of Madison
- Madison police stop Black drivers at higher rates, drawing scrutiny – Cap Times
- Streets around Capitol Square closed on Friday for annual law enforcement ceremony – Channel3000.com
- City of Madison announces street closures for Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony and Spring Commencement – WMTV Channel 15
- Madison Police to partake in “Bread & Badges” event – WMTV Channel 15
- Some streets around Camp Randall closing due to commencement – Channel3000.com
- Madison Police Department oversight office calls out City of Madison for obstructing its independence, demands rejection of proposed revisions to its structure – Badger Herald
- Join me for District 3 Office Hours on May 20th or 30th! – Alder Derek Field
- Crime Rates are on the Decline in Madison. What’s Working? – WORT 89.9 FM
- District 10 area events – Alder Yannette Figueroa Cole
- Odana Hills Golf Park Project – Alder Yannette Figueroa Cole
- Plan ahead: Street closures set for UW-Madison graduation ceremony Saturday – WKOW Channel 27
- Wisconsin Elections Commission faces lawsuit, criticism over order not to count late-arriving Madison ballots – Wisconsin Watch
- Madison police discussing ways to curb teen fights – Channel3000.com
- Crews install new pedestrian bridge in Olin Park – WKOW Channel 27
- Madison police discussing ways to curb teen fights, including possible curfew – Channel3000.com
- Madison voters sue after absentee ballots not counted due to clerk error – WisPolitics
- Dane County appeals, voters sue over 23 rejected Madison ballots – WisPolitics
- Lawsuit challenges order tossing 23 late absentee ballots in Madison – WisPolitics
- City staff to take another look at Regent Street redesign after bike lanes nixed – State Journal
Dane County
- Dane County to appeal discarding Madison’s 23 late-arriving ballots – Cap Times
- After thousands of years, canoes found in Lake Mendota are starting to reveal their secrets – Wisconsin Public Radio
- Monona Police Department tests out “Grappler” tool used to help stop pursuits – WMTV Channel 15
- ‘Walk, Bike & Roll to School’ in Cambridge – Herald Independent and McFarland Thistle
- Book it: Library used book sale is May 7-9 – Fitchburg Star
- Village board OKs consulting contract for senior center – Fitchburg Star
- Welcome Fire Chief Hensley • Verona, WI – City of Verona
- Historic Tax Credit Workshop for Homeowners – City of Monona
- Spring Hydrant Flushing Underway – City of Monona
- Monona Police to use new chase tool – WKOW Channel 27
Education
- Full-day 4-year-old kindergarten coming to more Madison schools next year – State Journal
- Sugar Creek named one of ‘American’s Healthiest Schools’ – Verona Press
- MMSD increases full-day 4K options and expands pilot of five-day programming for 2026-27 school year – WMTV Channel 15
- Canvas down for UW students, staff following worldwide data breach – Badger Herald
- Universities of Wisconsin affected by nationwide Canvas outage – Channel3000.com
- UW-Madison reporting Canvas outage – Channel3000.com
- MMSD expands free full-day 4K program, adds 5-day options to some schools – Channel3000.com
- Are trained tutors an answer to Madison’s reading crisis? – Isthmus
- Cyberattack tied to national Canvas outage disrupts UW system final exams – State Journal
- Nationwide Canvas outage hits UW-Madison, affecting students across Wisconsin – WKOW Channel 27
Other
- Hundreds line up for first look at the Center for Black Excellence and Culture – Isthmus
- Capital Times agrees to recognize reporters union – Cap Times
- Cap Times reporters unionize – WORT 89.9 FM
- Center for Black Excellence and Culture grand opening, in photos – Cap Times
- Behavioral health therapist layoffs at SSM Health add to concerns about mental health care shortages in Madison and across Wisconsin – Madison Commons
- “A great day to be Black.” Center for Black Excellence and Culture celebrates grand opening – Madison365
Wednesday, May 6th, 2026
City of Madison
- 10-bedroom backyard building deemed too big for Regent Street historic district – State Journal
- Law Forward files lawsuit against Wisconsin Elections Commission – WMTV Channel 15
- No results change after ballot recount in Madison – WKOW Channel 27
- For the Record: Madison clerk explains decision to count late-arriving ballots – Channel3000.com
- Lacking a curfew ordinance, police seek answers to Downtown youth violence – State Journal
- New tool lets Madison residents check air pollution levels in their neighborhood – WKOW Channel 27
- Street closures announced for The Center for Black Excellence and Culture’s grand opening – Channel3000.com
Dane County
- What it’s like to feed a polar bear at the Madison zoo – State Journal
- How Dane County spends opioid settlement money to prevent more deaths – Cap Times
- Dane County is facing a $15 million budget deficit. How did it happen? – Cap Times
- Madison’s newest polar bear has defied all odds. Can she do it again and become a mom? – State Journal
- One alliance is trying to grow the polar bear population, and brought Nora to Madison – State Journal
- Giraffe exhibit and new nonprofit up next for Vilas Zoo – State Journal
- Nora is doing her part to help scientists research polar bears – State Journal
- Fitchburg seniors learn how to ride e-bikes – Channel3000.com
- Middleton launches spring campaign to support pollinators – Channel3000.com
- Getting artsy at the library – Verona Press
- For the Record: Madison clerk explains decision to count late-arriving ballots – Sn Prairie Star
- Hwy. 18/151 construction update – Verona Press
- Court ruling fuels debate over whether police officers’ names should be public – Wisconsin Public Radio
- Sun Prairie Utilities’ new building designed for the future – Sun Prairie Star
- Fitchburg Announces 2026 Healthy Neighborhoods Grant Awards • Fitchburg, WI – City of Fitchburg
- Dane County horticulture expansion could impact endangered lizards, turtles – WKOW Channel 27
- Dane County Board of Canvassers votes to appeal rejection of 23 absentee ballots – WisPolitics
Education
- Madison School Board Grapples With Phone Restriction Policy – WORT 89.9 FM
Other
- ‘A line around the block’: The Center for Black Excellence and Culture opens to crowd of more than 1,500 – WMTV Channel 15
- United Way of Dane County exceeds fundraising goals with $18 million – WKOW Channel 27
- Centro receives $3M grant to launch tech workforce hub – Badger Herald
- ‘We needed a voice’; The Center For Black Excellence & Culture opens to community – WKOW Channel 27
- United Way Dane County campaign tops $18.1 million – State Journal
Tuesday, May 5th, 2026
City of Madison
- Madison in the running for next-gen fusion energy research facility – Cap Times
- Men’s Shelter hits the Legislative Process this week! – Forward Lookout
- Madison seeks control of Park Street corridor to improve safety – Cap Times
- Sweeping plans for southeastern, southwestern Madison advance to city review – State Journal
- Madison celebrates a century of Breese Stevens Field – State Journal
- Madison leaders discuss safety measures after youth downtown fights – WMV Channel 15
- Breese Stevens Field marks 100 years in Madison – WMTV Channel 15
- Area plans for Madison’s southeast and southwest sides submitted – WMTV Channel 15
- Madison’s rooftop concert series returns this summer – Channel3000.com
- Center for Black Excellence opens Wednesday; road closures, delays expected – WKOW Channel 27
- Madison’s Southwest and Southeast plans submitted for final review – Channel3000.com
- Madison’s parks system leaders work to make outdoor spaces accessible for all – Madison Commons
- Madison seeks feedback on Odana Hills Golf Course redesign – WORT 89.9 FM
- Consider Serving on a City, Board, Commission or Alder – Alder Barbara Harrington McKinney
- Breese Stevens Field celebrates 100 years of community events – Channel3000.com
- Concerts on the Rooftop returning to Monona Terrace – Channel3000.com
Dane County
- Annual drinking water consumer confidence report – (Verona)
- Building permit fee schedules and groups (Sun Prairie)
- Young Blood Beer Co. opening brewery in DeForest – WMTV Channel 15
- Monona Police suspend use of Flock cameras – Herald Independent and McFarland Thistle
- We’re Hiring: Part-Time Administrative Assistant • Verona, WI – City of Verona
- Celebrating Municipal Clerks Week – City of Verona
- Mendota County Park completes major improvements honoring late civic leaders Tom and Karen Ragatz – WKOW Channel 27
- Central downtown plan envisioned for Cottage Grove – Cambridge News and Deerfield Independent
- Comprehensive Plan Public Workshop: May 13th, 6PM – City of Monona
- Memorial Day Closures • Verona, WI – City of Verona
- Shred Event to be Held May 12 – City of McFarland
- Update: McKee Road Lane Closure Extended through June 10, 2026 • Fitchburg, WI – City of Fitchburg
Education
- Madison school district floats all-day cell phone ban for K-8 students – Cap Times
- UW-Madison outlines 2025-27 compensation strategy – State Journal
- Solar project ribbon cutting – Clarion
- UW–Madison finalizes 2025–27 compensation strategy – UW Madison
Monday, May 4, 2026
City of Madison
- Police, Construction, All Ages & Abiliites, and Fore! – Madison Bikes
- Monday Morning Round Up 5/4/26 – Forward Lookout
- Imagination Center at Reindahl Park updates, MPD East District Townhall, Committee Appointments, Ethics Board, Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of May 4, 2026 – Alder Sabrina Madison
- Wisconsin Elections Commission orders Madison to un-count 23 absentee ballots – Wisconsin Public Radio
- Madison considering age restriction, curfew in downtown after Mifflin fights – WKOW Channel 27
- Final Yard Waste Collection, Recycle Better, 2026 Assessments – Alder Tag Evers
- AARP Wisconsin to host virtual, in-person events for Madison Housing Week – WMTV Channel 15
- Budget prep continues in Dane County – Forward Lookout on WORT 89.9 FM
- Community Connection Week of May4th,2026 – Alder Carmella Glenn
Dane County
- Notice of Herbicide Application – City of McFarland
- Public Service Recognition Week is May 3-9 – Fitchburg Star
- Grow With the Flow… – City of Middleton
- Public Health Madison Dane County employee arrested on drug trafficking – WMTV Channel 15
- Deerfield creates pickleball court reservation system – Herald Independent and McFarland Thistle
- Council OKs grants to address community needs – Fitchburg Star
- Sun Prairie considers plan to reduce number of polling places – State Journal
- Public Health Madison and Dane County employee accused of distributing drugs from dark web – Channel3000.com
- Dane County Department of Human Services encourages foster parenting amid high need – WMTV Channel 15
- Budget prep continues in Dane County – Forward Lookout on WORT 89.9 FM
- Mitch Sands to fill vacant Cambridge village board seat – Cambridge News and Deerfield Independent
- Sun Prairie library to cut the ribbon on renovation – Sun Prairie Star
- Sun Prairie Public Library cutting ribbon on expansion – Channel3000.com
- International Firefighters’ Day • Verona, WI – City of Verona
Education
- UW-Madison plans pay raises for 548 faculty in high-demand fields – Cap Times
- 5.4.26 Instruction Work Group – MMSD YouTube
- César Chávez Elementary School to be renamed following alleged sexual abuse – Daily Cardinal
- Board of Regents names UW-Madison chancellor search committee – Daily Cardinal
- McFarland School Board votes to amend new name of Performing Arts Center – Cambridge News and Deerfield Independent
Sunday, May 3, 2026
City of Madison
- Week of May 4, 2026 – Alder Joann Pritchett
- Madison Housing Week addresses housing crisis – Channel3000.com
- City Meetings and Updates Week of May 4 – Alder Derek Field
- Madison City Week Ahead 5/4/26 – Forward Lookout
- Legislative Approval Process Begins for Southeast Area Plan – Alder Derek Field
- Madison Housing Week, Downtown Police Town Hall, and more – Alder Will Ochowicz
- Landmarks considering ADU in University Heights Monday; Meadow Lane closure; Small area of Spooner to be resurfaced; New property values available – open book period this week, and More! – Alder Regina Vidaver
- Meeting and Event Highlights for the Week of May 4, 2026 (Updated) – Alder Bill Tishler
- Week of May 4, 2026 – Alder Badri Lankella
Dane County
- Dane County Week Ahead 5/4/26 – Forward Lookout
- Hydrant Flushing to Being May 4 – City of MdFarland
Saturday, May 2, 2026
City of Madison
- 2026 City of Madison Property Assessments – Alder Mike Verveer
- Downtown Police Town Hall Meeting – Alder Mike Verveer
Education
- Attend Building for the Future engagement sessions – State Journal
Friday, May 1, 2026
City of Madison
- Madison adds over 300 new homes in month of April – Channel3000.com
- Average Madison home value tops $500,000 in latest assessments – State Journal
- Madison police stop hundreds for speeding following Park Street death – Cap Times
- Wisconsin Elections Commission launches investigation into late-arriving Madison ballots – Channel3000.com
Dane County
- McFarland Village Board votes for more restrictions on short-term rentals – Cambridge News and Deerfield Independent
- Madison adds over 300 new homes in month of April – State Journal
- Sloth arrives at Henry Vilas Zoo from Milwaukee – WKOW Channel 27
- 30-year-old two-toed sloth arrives at Dane County’s Henry Vilas Zoo – WMTV Channel 15
- Henry Vilas Zoo welcomes new sloth – State Journal
- Henry Vilas Zoo welcomes two-toed sloth Nentas – Channel3000.com
- Good Neighbor News – City of Middleton
- Public Health Madison & Dane County employee charged with maintaining a drug trafficking place – WKOW Channel 27
- Mark Your Calendars! – City of Middleton
- Dane County Exec Agard: Announces new senior staff appointment – WisPolitics
Education
- Asian American studies certificate expands access at UW-Madison – Daily Cardinal
- UW-Madison says it generated billions for state’s economy last year – WisPolitics
- School board OKs support staffing contract – Fitchburg Star
Other
- Spring Plant Sale is On! – Occupy Madison
- Isthmus hires Chali Pittman as staff writer – Isthmus
- Cap Times reporters vote to unionize – Madison 365
PAST CONTENT
2026
2025
- December 2025
- November 2025
- October 2025
- September 2025
- August 2025
- July 2025
- June 2025
- May 2025
- April 2025
- March 2025
- February 2025
- January 2025
2024
2023 – none
2022
This section of the blog was suspended in August 2022 due to being toooooooo busy.
- August 2022 (partial)
- July 2022 (partial)
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
2021
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
2020
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
2019
Social Media
Forward Lookout
Brenda Konkel
