UP: Downtown library. The Madison Common Council agrees to fund a new $37 million downtown library in next year's budget. The council commits to borrowing $17 million for the project, a six-story proposal at West Washington Avenue and Henry Street. Construction cannot begin until the requisite tax credits are in place.
DOWN: Burglaries. One benefit of the recession is that with more unemployed people sitting home out of work, it's harder for burglars to do their jobs. Burglaries in Madison dropped from 2,038 in 2008 to 1,051 from January through September of this year, according to newly released stats.
