Wednesday, 6.3
Rhythm & Booms unveils its plans for this year's Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza, set for Saturday, June 27. The midway will close earlier to prevent congregations of kids. And REACH A Child will attempt to break the single-hour world record of 12,000 hugs; for a donation, folks can put the squeeze on local celebs and mascots.
Thursday, 6.4
Dane County Highway Department worker James S. Porter, 61, is killed on Highway 151 near Sun Prairie by a car driven by Alan C. Borgardt, 59. Porter worked for the department for 20 years. The sheriff's office says Borgardt appeared to not be paying attention.
The Madison Library Board unanimously backs a plan for a new $43.6 million Central Library. No one seems to know who'll pay for it. Better check the due dates on those DVDs.
Friday, 6.5
The UW Board of Regents, a.k.a. Big Brother, votes 15-2 to approve a rule change to let university officials discipline students for off-campus infractions. If the Legislature agrees, students will be hauled before tribunals, with only those facing suspension or expulsion allowed lawyers.
Sunday, 6.7
A blaze at the Wexford Ridge apartments damages five units, displacing the residents of 16 units. Passerby Stan Robinson is hailed as a hero for helping rescue three children from a second-floor balcony. The fire is later blamed on a child playing with a lighter.
Monday, 6.8
James P. Bohanan, 36, is convicted of first-degree murder for killing his former girlfriend's new boyfriend in 2007. He'll receive an automatic life sentence, a better outcome than the person he shot.
Tuesday, 6.9
One day after Madison police hold a press conference in response to recent shootings, 17-year-old Karamee Collins is fatally shot on the city's southwest side. The cops are still gathering information on the shooter(s).
Dr. Linda Farley, a tireless and courageous area fighter for universal health care, dies at age 80. The news breaks the same day The Capital Times hails Linda and husband Gene's long advocacy of single-payer coverage. For Isthmus' November 2004 article on the couple, see here.
Several Madison schools are listed as having failed to meet federal No Child Left Behind requirements for the last two years. Two elementary schools, Leopold and Lincoln, face sanctions as a result; officials say the schools lag because of their ambitious dual-language instruction (see story, this page.)
Compiled (in part) from local media