5.21 Wednesday
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen demotes Carolyn Kelly, director of the Justice Department's special investigations bureau, for sending threatening emails and allegedly withholding information on the Crandon murders. Van Hollen also demotes Joell Schigur, head of the department's public integrity bureau, but does not explain why. A few weeks earlier, Schigur had sent an email questioning whether Van Hollen should receive taxpayer-funded security at the upcoming Republican National Convention.
5.22 Thursday
Susan M. Mehlert, 43, of Milton pleads guilty to stealing money raised by students at Martin Luther Christian Day School in Stoughton, where she was an administrator. Mehlert is sentenced to three years' probation and has to repay the money.
David A. Roberts, 21, pleads guilty to first-degree reckless homicide for beating his 3-month-old son Aaron to death in February. He faces up to 40 years in prison.
5.24 Saturday
A fire that began with a trashcan of burning posters causes $5,000 damage to the UW Humanities Building. UW-Madison police suspect arson.
5.25 Sunday
About 5,600 people participate in the annual Madison Marathon. Ricky Reusser of Middleton comes in first among men, while Aimee Kurian of Madison wins among the women.
Madison developer Jerry Mullins, 82, dies at the HospiceCare Center in Fitchburg. Mullins was a prominent Madison property owner involved in much of the renovation of the Capitol Square, including Inn on the Park.
5.26 Monday
Madison gay rights activist Felicia Melton-Smyth, 41, is stabbed to death in her hotel room while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Mexican authorities arrest 36-year-old Francisco Javier Hoyos Reyes, who allegedly confessed.
The World's Largest Bratfest breaks its record, selling 191,712 brats. The previous record of 189,432 was set in 2004. The event raises money for local charities.
5.27 Tuesday
The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance and a UW researcher say Wisconsin is no longer one of the top 10 states in the nation for high taxes, dropping to 11th place. Residents pay about 12.3% of their income to state and local taxes, compared to a national average of 11.6%. Ecstatic shouts of "We're No. 11!" are heard throughout the state.
Gov. Jim Doyle signs the Great Lakes Compact, making Wisconsin the fifth state to ratify the treaty. The pact prevents southwestern states from taking water out of the Great Lakes. Three more states - Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio - must still sign the treaty.
5.28 Wednesday
UW System President Kevin Reilly and a search committee choose Carolyn "Biddy" Martin, provost of Cornell University, as UW-Madison's new chancellor. The Board of Regents must approve the choice at their June meeting. Martin, who was a lecturer at the UW in the 1980s, will replace outgoing chancellor John Wiley.
In an unprecedented action, the Wisconsin Supreme Court imposes discipline on one of its own members, reprimanding Justice Annette Ziegler for ruling on cases in which she had undisclosed conflicts of interest when she was a circuit court judge. The court, in opting against a harsher penalty, noted that Ziegler and her family did not benefit from these rulings.
Compiled from local media
