Wednesday, 10.14
A Fitchburg woman, Jerwanda Stallworth, is charged with five counts of neglect in the death of her 4-month-old son. Stallworth allegedly told police she was sleeping on Feb. 24, when the infant started crying. Her 4-year-old son picked up the baby but dropped him. The baby was later found suffocated against a plastic bag in his crib.
Madison Teachers Inc. approves a two-year contract that includes a 1% annual salary increase, a 4% increase with benefits.
Thursday, 10.15
Dane County Board Chairman Scott McDonell introduces a resolution to let the board create a Regional Transit Authority with the power to levy a sales tax. The resolution, which will likely be voted on in November, comes despite pressure from some supervisors to first have a referendum on the RTA.
A 125-pound black bear wanders into a grocery store in Hayward, where it browses the liquor section for about an hour while panicked customers evacuate. The bear ends up in the beer cooler before being tranquilized. The bear, following the golden rule of hikers to leave only footprints and take only pictures, causes no damage to the store, leaving only a nose print on a display case.
Friday, 10.16
Circuit Judge David Flanagan orders the Madison school district to provide educational services to a 16-year-old student who was expelled from East High for drug charges but is under a court order to continue his education.
Saturday, 10.17
Police arrest a 16-year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman for allegedly snatching the purse from an 88-year-old woman in the parking lot at Woodman's, 3817 Milwaukee St.
Sunday, 10.18
A fire damages a 200-foot mural on a fifth-floor walkway at Kraft Food Oscar Mayer, causing $75,000 of damage.
Jeffrey Doxtator, a 47-year-old worker at American Packaging Plant in Columbia County, accidentally sparks an explosion with a handheld grinder. The blast kills him.
Tuesday, 10.20
The state Senate approves a bill to ban texting while driving, with fines of up to $400. The Senate expanded the original bill, which would have banned texting only for those under 18. A similar measure awaits a vote in the Assembly.
Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard applies to fill an upcoming judge vacancy on the state's Fourth District Court of Appeals, joining 10 other applicants. Blanchard, first elected in 2000, says that if he doesn't get that, he'll run in April for the Court of Appeals seat being vacated by Judge Charles Dykman.
The Madison Common Council bans vending carts near schools until December, after concerns were raised about a hotdog vendor who set up shop near Gammon Road to cater to Memorial High School students.
A 23-year-old man is hospitalized with serious injuries after being hit by a Madison Metro bus while riding his bike near the 4300 block of Melody Lane.
Compiled (in part) from local media
