7.9 Wednesday
UW-Madison agrees to pay Amy Gabel $250,000 to settle her sexual harassment lawsuit. Gabel, who worked at the UW's Walnut Street Heating Plant, claimed she was a target of sexual harassment as the plant's only female employee. As part of the settlement, UW will not admit wrongdoing, but "recognizes some mistakes were made."
7.10 Thursday
Severe thunderstorms with strong winds uproot trees and down power lines in the city of Madison. Lightning strikes are cited as the possible cause of several structure fires.
UW-Madison researcher Yoshihiro Kawaoka publishes a study in the journal Nature identifying more than 100 genes that the flu virus needs to survive inside its host. The findings could help drug manufacturers develop medicines to fight the virus, which is becoming resistant to treatment.
7.12 Saturday
Allen Meske, 53, dies in a house fire in the town of Blooming Grove. Meske, who uses a wheelchair, is found near where the fire started. Officials are investigating the cause.
7.14 Monday
Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz releases his guidelines for the 2009 operating budget. Cieslewicz orders city departments to trim their budgets by 5%, to avoid an "unacceptable" 10% tax increase.
7.15 Tuesday
Under a plea deal, prosecutors agree to drop a charge of reckless endangerment against Kris Burke, 32, a former Madison Metro driver who drove with a passenger hanging from the side mirror. Burke will instead be convicted of disorderly conduct.
Police find a woman murdered in a home on West Badger Road. A second person, Daniel Wright, 50, is taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening stab wounds. Police say it was not a random attack.
The Middleton City Council votes 6-2 in favor of an indoor smoking ban, which will start March 15, 2009. Locally, Madison, Monona and Fitchburg have all banned smoking.
The Madison Common Council decides to lower the fine for illegal fireworks from $300 to $225, plus court costs. Madison police said they've been reluctant to issue tickets to violators because of the steep fine.
More than 100 people gather for a town hall meeting, organized by area peace groups, protesting a possible war with Iran.
7.16 Wednesday
The Wisconsin Supreme Court dismisses a lawsuit against the Madison diocese by five men who were molested by a Catholic school teacher. The court says the men, who were abused in Kentucky, did not prove the Madison diocese was negligent in failing to warn the school about the teacher, who taught in Madison and Milwaukee in the 1960s.
Compiled from local media
