11.5 Wednesday
Thousands of local folks realize they were not just dreaming: Barack Obama really won.
11.7 Friday
Charles Witzel Jr., 42, of Loganville, turns himself in to police, after allegedly shooting and killing Craig Finley, 37, and injuring his brother, Casey, 32, at a home outside of Mineral Point. Police say Witzel shot the brothers because Casey Finley was dating his ex-girlfriend, Joan Haglund. Witzel was already wanted for allegedly shooting and killing 45-year-old Craig Severson and injuring his 27-year-old girlfriend at their home in Cross Plains. Police say Witzel was angry that Severson had an affair with Haglund.
UW-Madison business major Kurt Lewsing, 21, is killed by a drunk driver in Hong Kong. Lewsing was studying abroad.
11.11 Tuesday
Gov. Jim Doyle announces the faltering economy means Wisconsin will face a $5 billion budget shortfall over the next two years. That's not a typo.
The state Public Service Commission votes 3-0 to deny Alliant Energy's request to build a new, 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant near Cassville. Commissioners say the $1.2 billion plant is too expensive and would produce too much pollution. (See here.)
Dane County's Personnel and Finance Committee approves $600,000 for a cost-of-living raise for social service agencies, as well as $147,000 to hire three new social workers, in the 2009 budget. The committee delays other expenditures, including $2.3 million for a manure digester project supported by County Executive Kathleen Falk. The full County Board must still approve the budget.
The Government Accountability Board votes to require municipal clerks to check thousands of voter registrations since 2006. State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen had sued the board to force the checks before the Nov. 4 election, but his lawsuit was tossed out. The board says there was not time to do the checks before the presidential election. Van Hollen says he'll continue his appeal of the court decision.
Spencer Zimmerman, 29, of Stoughton, files to run against Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk in April. Zimmerman, an unemployed writer, lost the Republican primary for the 46th Assembly District in September.
11.12 Wednesday
Shortly after midnight, the Madison Common Council passes a $164.4 million capital budget for 2009. The council keeps $112,000 in funding for the Madison Arts Fund and $250,000 for Central Park. Numerous amendments to delay upcoming road projects fail, but the council does pass an amendment to give it an earlier look at proposed road expansions. Yet to come: meetings to tweak the city's $237.9 million operating budget.
Compiled from local media
