Madison opens 2027 budget process with public engagement ahead
Madison’s Finance Department has updated the city’s budget-process information as agencies, the Finance Committee and Common Council begin the stages that will shape the 2027 budget.
Wisconsin
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Milwaukee County election officials point voters to absentee and drop-box resources ahead of Aug. 11 primary
Milwaukee County’s Election Commission lists Wisconsin’s Aug. 11, 2026, partisan primary and provides links to candidate, nomination-paper, drop-box and in-person absentee-voting information.
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Madison projects an $11 million operating-budget gap as departments prepare possible cuts
Madison officials projected an $11 million operating-budget gap and asked city departments to identify possible 2% reductions as planning begins for the next budget cycle.
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Madison’s NeuroArts Festival brings participatory art and sound installations to Olbrich Gardens Aug. 14–15
Olbrich Botanical Gardens will host the NeuroArts Festival and Sound Garden on Aug. 14–15, with participatory workshops, sound installations and collaborations involving local performance groups organized through the LAB^4 community-curation project.
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Milwaukee’s Bronzeville Week underway through Aug. 8 with new and returning events
Milwaukee’s 2026 Bronzeville Week is underway in the Bronzeville neighborhood, with city-confirmed arts, history and community programming scheduled through Aug. 8.
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Madison Common Council moves Aug. 4 meetings online amid security concerns
Madison will hold its Aug. 4, 2026, Common Council and Common Council Executive Committee meetings virtually after city officials cited heightened security concerns. Online public-comment registration remains available.
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Wisconsin heads into Aug. 11 partisan primary amid ballot-replacement dispute
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin has asked the Wisconsin Elections Commission to allow some voters who already returned absentee ballots for the 2026 primary to cast replacement ballots.
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Mandela Barnes exits Wisconsin Democratic governor primary days before Aug. 11 election
Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes withdrew from the Democratic primary for governor on July 30, less than two weeks before the Aug. 11 statewide primary.
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Mandela Barnes exits Wisconsin Democratic governor primary less than two weeks before voting
Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes ended his campaign for Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial nomination on July 30, following news that the state Democratic Party reviewed past allegations of inappropriate behavior.
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Madison begins 2026 student move-out collections, deploying extra crews through Aug. 21
Madison’s annual student move-out cleanup began Aug. 3, with daily cart patrols, roaming large-item crews and enforcement of curbside electronics rules in the designated move-out area.
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Madison-area absentee voters seek court order to cast replacement ballots before Wisconsin primary
Absentee voters have filed a Dane County Circuit Court lawsuit seeking permission to cast replacement ballots ahead of Wisconsin’s Aug. 11, 2026, fall partisan primary.
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Milwaukee council approves citizen-led panel intended to direct public-safety funding
Milwaukee’s Common Council approved creation of a citizen-led panel intended to direct public-safety funding, according to the council’s July 31 news-release listings.
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Madison investigates fatal police shooting after July 22 confrontation on Williamson Street
Madison police reported that Corey Ruiz was fatally shot during an altercation with officers near Williamson and South Baldwin streets on July 22. City and state oversight investigations are pending, and a Public Safety Review Committee meeting is scheduled for Aug. 12.
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Mandela Barnes exits Wisconsin Democratic governor primary days before voting
Mandela Barnes withdrew from Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor on July 30, less than two weeks before the Aug. 11 partisan primary, following a state Democratic Party review of past allegations of inappropriate behavior.
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Milwaukee begins deployment of next-generation 911 system
Milwaukee’s emergency communications department is implementing Motorola Solutions’ VESTA 911 platform, adding planned capabilities for expanded call handling, real-time information sharing, language translation and text and multimedia communications.
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Wisconsin unemployment falls to 3.3% as employment rises in June
Wisconsin’s preliminary June labor report showed 3,030,100 people employed, 3,041,000 nonfarm jobs and a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.3%.
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Wisconsin reports first 2026 West Nile virus activity in mosquitoes and a wild bird
Wisconsin health officials reported West Nile virus in mosquitoes collected in Milwaukee County and in a wild bird from Bayfield County. No human cases had been reported as of July 14.
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Milwaukee’s Bronzeville Week continues through Aug. 8 with more than 25 cultural and community events
Milwaukee’s annual Bronzeville Week is scheduled for Aug. 1-8, bringing more than 25 events focused on African-American culture, history, art, commerce and entertainment to the Bronzeville area.
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Milwaukee County committee advances election-integrity resolution after FBI inquiry involving elections director
A Milwaukee County committee advanced a resolution affirming support for election workers and election integrity after reported FBI contact with Elections Director Michelle Hawley. Full County Board action was expected in July but is not confirmed in the approved record.
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Wisconsin absentee-ballot dispute reaches court before August 11 primary
A Wisconsin judge ruled that voters who already returned absentee ballots for the August 11 primary cannot receive replacement ballots, following a Wisconsin Elections Commission vote on ballot-change guidance.
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Madison police shooting of Corey Ruiz prompts protests, summer event changes and call for charges
A Madison police officer fatally shot Corey Ruiz on July 22 near a busy Willy Street-area intersection. The shooting, captured in part on cellphone video, has prompted protests, changes to summer events and a call from the family’s attorney for criminal charges.
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Wisconsin judge blocks replacement of returned absentee ballots before Aug. 11 primary
A Dane County judge rejected a request to replace returned absentee ballots before Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 primary. Voters with unreturned ballots remain subject to statewide deadlines.