Wednesday 10.31
The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee approves a bill allowing cable companies to create a single statewide franchise, replacing individual agreements with municipalities. Critics say the bill, backed by AT&T, will end funding for community access channels and fail to generate jobs.
Liban Moalin is sentenced by Dane County Judge Diane Nicks to a year in prison for importing khat, an East African plant-based drug. He was arrested for a similar offense last March. Moalin, who is a Canadian citizen, will likely be deported.
An 11-year-old girl suffers a broken arm after she slips under the tire of a school bus. The middle-school student was chasing the bus because she was late. No charges are expected against the driver.
Federal Judge John Shabaz, deciding a lawsuit brought by Sierra Club, finds the state in violation of federal clean air laws and orders it to install modern pollution controls on the UW-Madison's coal-burning Charter Street Power Plant.
Thursday 11.01
Robert D'Angelo, retired Overture Center director, pleads not guilty to charges that he illegally used his city office to run two private businesses. The 39 criminal counts against him include mail fraud, money laundering and tax evasion.
Tracy Alger, 30, of New Auburn, dies when a homemade bomb explodes near her Humvee in Iraq.
David Wasserman, a teacher at Sennett Middle School, is disciplined for insubordination for his refusal to give a standardized test required by No Child Left Behind. Wasserman, 36, will have a letter of reprimand placed in his personnel file and will be fired if he refuses to administer the test again.
Sunday 11.04
Former Madison mayor Otto Festge dies at age 86. Festge was elected in 1965 and served two two-year terms. He also served seven terms as Dane County clerk and, later, as home office secretary to U.S. Rep. Bob Kastenmeier.
Monday 11.05
Dane County Judge Angela Bartell announces her plan to retire after 30 years. Bartell, 62, who will leave her position in February, is the longest-tenured judge serving in Dane County.
The Madison School Board meeting draws dozens of protesters who object to the new U.S. Army advertisements at district high school stadiums and gyms. Although the protesters march outside of the Doyle Administration Building for more than an hour and make public comments to the board, the board cannot discuss the ads because it is not on the agenda.
Kevin Kennedy, director of the state Elections Board, is named the new Government Accountability Board's legal director. The new Government Accountability Board, which will enforce campaign finance laws, replaces the state's Elections and Ethics boards.
Tuesday 11.06
Voters in Sun Prairie approve a $96 million referendum to build a new high school. The school will house 2,000 students. The school is approved by a vote of 4,106 to 3,089.
Compiled from local media
