City Cast Madison

Childcare in Madison can cost more than college tuition. Parents are spending thousands a month, and childcare centers are feeling the squeeze of rising costs. They can’t pay enough to compete with other employers in a tight labor market — and can’t hire fast enough to meet demand. The result is parents, often women, dropping out of the workforce. Governor Evers has proposed helping parents pay fo...

The Madison Police Department is one of the largest local law enforcement agencies in the country that hasn’t embraced body-worn cameras. Chief Shon Barnes calls body cams a “must” for the department and has been working on a 90-day pilot program to test out the technology. Eventually, Barnes hopes body cams are standard issue for Madison police officers.  Event on May 19: Wisconsin Law Enforcemen...

The Wisconsin State Polka Festival is this weekend, y’all. So bring your oompahs and yooodelaydeewhoos. Polka is our state dance, after all.  Now if you’re thinking, uh… polka? We challenge you not to enjoy Madison’s very own polka DJ Stacy Harbaugh. Also known as DJ Shotski, host of Polka Time on WVMO, Stacy can be found spinning records at events around town and spreading the love of this bit of...

It’s your weekly roundup of the news in the Madison area. The search for a new County leader continues amid controversy. Monona wants to know if they should save the Frank Allis House in San Damiano Park: the lakefront mansion once owned by monks is now a public park. And we examine the struggle for better bathrooms across Madison. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz wrangle the the news...

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 14th. If you’re looking for a brunch recommendation, it’s tough out there. With UW graduation happening the same weekend, most restaurants are full up. But dear listener, all hope is not lost. We’ve got a few ideas up our sleeves. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz share some of their DIY tips for honoring your mama.  💐 Join us every Thursday as we explore Ma...

Tucked away inside Vel Phillips Memorial High School is the Madison area’s only planetarium. Not only does it inspire awe in schoolkids from all over, anyone can go. You don’t have to be a kid — or have a kid in the school district — to visit. And for a couple bucks, you’re in for a show.  Dylan Brogan caught up with Planetarium Director Ben Senson to learn what’s in the skies.  🔭 Learn the stars...

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, protestors in Madison gathered day after day at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Amid calls for more diverse representation at the Capitol, a statue of Hans Christian Heg was torn down and tossed in the lake. And then, an idea was born: Wisconsin should create a statue memorializing civil rights pioneer Vel Phillips. She was the first woman judge in the st...

It’s not every day you look out your living room window and see a big ‘ole black bear. Especially in Madison. But that’s exactly what happened to Chris Juzwik in his suburban Fitchburg neighborhood. He gives us the low down. Also on the show: Euchre tournament in New Glarus Midwest Vintage Flea Market at Garver Feed Mill Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or em...

UW Madison is wrapping up its semester with a bang. Students are demanding action from the chancellor after a racist video surfaces online. Meanwhile, state lawmakers propose cutting diversity programs from the entire UW system. And UW adds maternity leave! For horses. What a week. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz are here to rein it all in.  PS - Have you seen the BEAR roaming around...

Spring in Madison is a great time to find delicious food right in your backyard. And foraging for delectable local morsels means hunting much more than mushrooms. There’s ramps, watercress, dozens of edible weeds… all around you.  But how do you know where to look? And what’s edible… and tasty?  Dylan Brogan sits down with Andy Gricevich, owner of What Got Gathered, for some local foraging pro tip...

Phosphorous runoff has been plaguing Madison's lakes and streams for years. This fertilizer causes algae to bloom, making our beloved waterways stinky and hazardous.  Now facing tougher state and federal regulations, the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District has to clean up more phosphorous than ever. And just how they propose to do that is up for debate.  The sewer district says filtering out mo...

Meteorologist Bob Lindmeier has been a household name in the Madison area for decades.  Most people know him as the WKOW weatherman. And after 43 years, he’s seen a lot of weather. He’s also seen how it’s changed in the Madison area over the years. More extreme rainfall. Catastrophic flooding. But despite witnessing our changing climate firsthand, he hasn’t given up hope. Dylan Brogan caught up wi...

Like many things, too much of a good thing can be very, very bad for you. And the case of Madison-area lakes and rivers, too much phosphorous fertilizer has been a very bad thing: it causes stinky and hazardous algal blooms and fish kills. It’s one reason why many of our beaches get so stinky that public health has to post advisories not to swim in them.  The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District...

What a week it was in Madison. The Northern Lights were visible on Sunday night. The Madison City Council lifts a ban on nunchucks. Politicos debate taxes at the State Capitol while Madisonians get miffed about this year’s property assessments. Senator Ron Johnson looks for the silver lining in the grim news of climate change. And a local political controversy stirs about whether State Assembly me...

Summer is so short in Wisconsin, when it’s finally nice enough to casually lounge outdoors again, we burst onto the scene with a fury. And that time is coming, friends.  Cap Times photographer Ruthie Hauge started cataloging all of Madison’s great outdoor gathering spaces during the pandemic. And she never stopped. Now the Cap Times guide’s got more than 350 patios for dining, drinking, bringing y...

The Madison Public Library has a wealth of resources beyond books.  Your little orange card can help you grow a garden or get across town. You can digitize those old family photos or make cheap photocopies. Tana Elias, the library’s digital services and marketing, lets us in on a few things you probably didn’t know your little card can do.  Also mentioned on the show:  🌳 Free State Park Day Passe...

Artist Erika Koivunen is no stranger to tragedy. Just eighteen months after losing her husband, Aaron Howard, a massive fire torched her entire S. Park Street workshop. Acme Ironworks, the shop that she and her husband shared as metalworkers, burned to the ground after a thunderstorm. The fire caused millions in damages and destroyed several businesses on the block.  You’ve probably seen Erika’s w...

“History is written by the victors.” That’s often attributed to Winston Churchill.  But what about the other sides of the story? The stories we don’t learn about in school: how some students and staff were denied housing due to their race and why some UW leaders held dangerous, racist ideas about genetic superiority. And what about the stories of students who fought to make campus more accessible...

Happy Earth Week, everyone. Dane County is now the first county in the state to have government facilities 100% powered by renewable energy. The airport, the courthouse, the Alliant Energy Center… their energy use is now completely offset by local renewable energy production. The Yahara Solar farm is online.  In other news, the State Assembly would like to ban anyone from banning gasoline engines....

When Pick ‘n Save announced they’d be closing their store on S. Park Street, neighbors were worried. The nearest full-service grocery was miles away. The block seemed headed for another hospital expansion.  Few grocers seemed interested in running a store in south Madison. The Pick n’ Save store was too old and not large enough for many grocery chains to take over. The area is considered low-incom...

Madison was the first city in the nation to offer curbside recycling service. But fifty-five years of celebrating recycling’s virtues has driven us to optimism. We wishfully toss things in the cart and hope for the best. Friends, we are here to tell you that is NOT how this works. In fact, your good deeds are messing things up - gumming up machines and putting workers in harm’s way. Can you recycl...

The Dane County Board is poised to vote this Thursday on whether to spend an additional $13 million on renovating the oldest part of Dane County Jail. The latest vote comes after the Board has already earmarked $166 million for the project so far - and after the Board already approved a plan for a smaller, cheaper facility. County Executive Joe Parisi vetoed that plan, and is pushing for a larger...

There’s been a flurry of court action regarding abortion. What exactly is legal in Wisconsin is confusing — and up for debate. While Wisconsin’s 1849 law banning abortions is in effect, some people are mail-ordering mifepristone and misoprostol through online pharmacies to end their pregnancies. But new dueling court decisions raise questions about access to medical abortion. Medical abortions inv...

On the roundup this week, we dig into the surprising election results of a coy UW-Madison conservative. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul is making moves in lawsuits over abortion access. And what should Wisconsin do about wolves making a comeback in the state?  The whole City Cast pack's here scavenging for the news. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz talk about things big and small....

There’s a new french bakery in Madison, tucked away in the old New Orleans Take-out spot on Fordem Ave by the railroad tracks. It’s a non-descript spot on Madison’s northside. A small sandwich board stands outside. The old jazz mural is still there.  But inside, the flavors explode. Handmade asparagus quiche with buttery, flaky dough. Kouign-amann, the cake that seems to be half butter by weight....