Continuing our spring election coverage, we turn to Common Council District 7 on Madison’s southwest side. Current alder Nasra Wehelie isn’t running for another term, after serving for four years on the council. Her husband Abdirahman Siad is vying to take her place this spring and faces one opponent in Badri Lankella. Southwest side voters will se…

Here's your local news for Thursday, February 27, 2025: We check in with Senator Tammy Baldwin, after Tuesday's narrow vote in the House approving a Republican-authored budget bill, Sit down with a Common Council candidate who wants to streamline city government, Share some takeaways from a recent open meetings ruling, Tell you where there's still …

Here's your local news for Wednesday, February 26, 2025: We break partially with our format to deliver a special on the scale and scope of federal government, Discuss the declining enrollment of Native American students in the UW System, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Travel back in time to 1967, And much more.…

Here's your local news for Tuesday, February 25, 2025: We learn how the Trump Administration's funding freezes have impacted some climate projects in Wisconsin, Find out why a city council candidate is calling for more economic development, Share The Milkweed's recent story about toxic cattle feed, Visit a vegan spot in downtown Madison, Explain ho…

Here's your local news for Monday, February 24, 2025: We find out why a local nonprofit has withdrawn their proposal for a new charter school, Attend a downtown rally commemorating the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Attend a wake for surrealist filmmaker David Lynch, Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead, Mark…

Here's your local news for Thursday, February 20: WPR reports that some fossil-fuel projects like Enbridge's Line 5 could get fast-tracked by the Trump Administration; meanwhile, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association says it will comply with a directive to ban transgender athletes from women's sports. Locally, Metro Transit is apologiz…

Here's your local news for Wednesday, February 19, 2025: We share the results of yesterday's primary - and look ahead to Election Day, Find out how Indigenous tribes in Wisconsin plan to use the clean-energy transition to reclaim their autonomy, Get the details on state Democrats' "Safe Haven" bill, Hear a former UW Regent's advice to current and f…

Here's your local news for Tuesday, February 18, 2025: We get the details on Governor Evers' plan to revamp the state prison system, Learn what city leaders were saying behind the scenes about Madison's uncounted ballots in November, Explore how tariffs and mass deportation could impact the dairy industry, Share an abridged history of transportatio…

Here's your local news for Monday, February 17, 2025: We brave the cold to hear from folks at the "Not My President's Day" protest, Take a look at how Wisconsin's Senators have voted so far on Trump's cabinet picks, Learn the public health benefits of fluoridated water, Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead, Mark the anniversary …

Here's your local news for Thursday, February 13, 2025: We share the details on a career-oriented charter awaiting approval from the Madison school board, Find out how state Democrats took action today to fight for Medicaid, Get the scoop on Uline's alleged "shuttle program," Talk open meetings and Brad Schimel, Tell you the best spots for winter f…

Here's your local news for Wednesday, February 12, 2025: We find out how La Crosse urban planners are promoting "granny flats," Learn how the federal funding freeze has impacted a Head Start program in Dane County, Hear what's ahead for a UW-Madison professor who was recently appointed to Trump's Council of Economic Advisers, Broadcast the most com…

Continuing our spring election coverage, we turn to Common Council District 5 on Madison’s near west side. Incumbent alder Regina Vidaver faces one challenger in Ulrike Dieterle. With just two candidates in the race, District 5 will skip the primary next week and west side voters will select their next alder on April 1st. We sat down with incumbent…

Here's your local news for Tuesday, February 11, 2025: We share an inside look into yesterday's Landmarks Commission meeting, Sit down with an incumbent alder who says Madison needs a "results-based" budget, Define butter, Visit a local Tex-Mex restaurant, Celebrate Groundhog Day, And much more.Par WORT News and Public Affairs

Here's your local news for Monday, February 10, 2025: We outline Dane County leaders' dueling press releases last week on the search for a new Human Services director, Meet a candidate running to represent Madison's near west side on the city council, Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead, Mark the anniversary of a massive worker…

Continuing our spring election coverage, we turn to Common Council District 4 in downtown Madison. Incumbent alder Mike Verveer faces one challenger in Eli Tsarovsky. With just two candidates in the race, District 4 will skip the primary later this month and downtown voters will select their next alder on April 1st. We sat down with incumbent alder…

Here's your local news for Thursday, February 6, 2025: We share an update on the Brayton Lot development project, Interview a candidate for city council who says he wants to demystify local politics, Discuss alternatives to solitary confinement, Tell you how to handle the ice dams collecting on your roof, Look forward to Valentine's Day, And much m…

Here's your local news for Wednesday, February 5, 2025: We attend two protests in one day, Interview Madison's longest-serving alder about his re-election campaign, Discuss how Wisconsin's declining birth rates could affect college enrollment in our state, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Travel back in time to 1965,…

Continuing our spring election coverage, we turn to Common Council District 2 in downtown Madison. Current alder Juliana Bennett isn’t running for another term – and two candidates are vying for her seat: Matt Egerer and Will Ochowicz. With just two candidates in the race, District 2 will skip the primary later this month and downtown voters will s…

Here's your local news for Tuesday, February 4, 2025: We learn how a federal funding freeze could jeopardize violence prevention efforts in Wisconsin, Find out why nature's pest control workers are in peril, Sit down with a self-described "YIMBY" running for city council, Explore the potential consequences of Trump's tariff plans, Ask an immigratio…

Here's your local news for Monday, February 3, 2025: We learn how much undocumented immigrants bolster Wisconsin's economy, Attend a new book club taking on bike infrastructure issues in Madison, Sit down with a policy advisor at the state Capitol who's running for city council, Share a local perspective on the recent federal funding chaos, Mark th…

Continuing our spring election coverage, we turn to Common Council District 18 on Madison’s north side. Current alder Charles Myadze didn’t file the necessary paperwork with the city and won’t appear on the ballot this spring. Carmella Glenn and Kevin Monroe are running for his seat. With just two candidates in the race, District 18 will skip next …

Here's your local news for Thursday, January 30, 2025: We get the details on the latest CARES expansion, Find out how researchers in Wisconsin are using microbes to reduce waste, Discuss police accountability with a city council candidate, Explore the ins and outs of email distribution lists, Hear how the recent wacky weather has affected fishing c…

Here's your local news for Wednesday, January 29, 2025: We hear from a former police officer who was stationed inside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, Interview a violence intervention professional running for city council, Learn what food insecurity looks like at UW-Madison, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Travel bac…

Continuing our spring election coverage, we turn to Common Council District 12 on Madison’s north side. Incumbent alder Amani Latimer Burris has represented the area since 2023 and is running for re-election this spring. She faces a familiar challenger in Julia Matthews, who she defeated by just over 700 votes two years ago. A third candidate, Huss…

Here's your local news for Tuesday, January 28, 2025: We attend a community listening session held just over a month after the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, Learn about some clean energy options, Sit down with a northside alder running for re-election this spring, Consider what the Trump administration might have in store for food sta…

Here's your local news for Monday, January 27, 2025: We take a closer look at a resolution that headed this evening to Madison's Sustainability Committee, Talk affordable housing with a candidate running for city council, Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead, Celebrate a trailblazing attorney, Teach you how to make a popular coc…

Continuing our spring election coverage, we turn to Common Council District 9 on Madison's far-west side. Alder Nikki Conklin has represented the area for the last four years. She faces two challengers in next month's primary: former nurse and educator Dr. Joann Pritchett and Rick Cruz, a financial consultant for the state's Department of Public In…

Here's your local news for Thursday, January 23, 2025: We sit down with Police Chief Barnes one last time before his departure, Hear Governor Evers' goals for 2025, Interview an incumbent alder headed to a primary next month, Discuss life in solitary confinement, Share a rundown on heat pumps, Explore the demonic nature of Furbys, And much more.…

Here's your local news for Wednesday, January 22, 2025: We get the details on a beloved thrift store's worker safety citations, Find out how many Wisconsin children depend on BadgerCare, Hear from both sides as DeForest considers defluoridation, Talk lake ice with a local expert, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Trav…

Here's your local news for Tuesday, January 21, 2025: We have the latest on Wisconsin's stagnant minimum wage, Interview a former nurse and educator who's running for Common Council, Make predictions for the Trump administration's agriculture policies, Revisit Leonard Peltier's long struggle for freedom, Explain why northern bobwhite numbers are de…

Here's your local news for Thursday, January 16, 2025: We learn how Wisconsin's tax burden has changed over the last two decades, Find out why moose are vulnerable to ticks during the winter months, Sit down with the city council president ahead of next month's primary, Look ahead to this year's Openness in Government Awards, Celebrate good ice-fis…

The spring election is already looming on the horizon. January 7th was the deadline for local candidates to submit paperwork – and three quarters of the current city council are running for re-election. Located on Madison’s southwest side and bounded by the Arboretum to the east, Common Council District 10 kicks off our series of spring election co…

Here's your local news for Wednesday, January 15, 2025: We get the details from today's press conference opposing a new ICE detention facility in Milwaukee, Find out why a Wisconsin farmer is building "mock beaver dams," Meet a former city staffer running for Common Council this spring, Discuss the ins and outs of citizen referendums, Broadcast the…

Here's your local news for Tuesday, January 14, 2025: We share Madison's latest public safety stats, Outline yet more proposed tweaks to the city's zoning code, Interview a former alder who's running to regain her seat after a narrow defeat, Examine the rising demand for high-protein dairy products, Explore the art of food, Describe the power of co…

Here's your local news for Monday, January 13, 2025: We hear from the "water defenders" who marched to the DNR's downtown headquarters today, Get the latest tally of protected ag lands in Wisconsin, Find out why a special prosecutor is slated to investigate a local dog breeding operation, Share the government's calendar for the week ahead, Remember…

Here's your local news for Thursday, January 9, 2025: We get the details on the latest study scrutinizing Morey Airfield's public health impacts, Learn how an alleged price-fixing scheme could be driving up rent in Madison, Talk home additions and foundation options, Discuss the power of storytelling, Study a nonpartisan quilt, And much more.…

Here's your local news for Wednesday, January 8, 2025: We share the latest on a resolution that would save two Madison ice arenas, Find out who's running for office this spring, Discuss Meta's new fact-checking policy, Learn how a defamation lawsuit impacted a local news editor, Broadcast the most in-depth weather report on the airwaves, Travel bac…

Here's your local news for Tuesday, January 7, 2025: We have the latest details as Police Chief Shon Barnes prepares to leave the city for a new job, Find out why emergency teaching licenses are on the rise in Wisconsin, Track avian influenza outbreaks in livestock - and people, Examine the rightward shift among Indian American voters, Remind dog o…

Here's your local news for Monday, January 6, 2025: We hear party leaders' priorities for the state's next biennial budget, Discuss gun reform after last month's school shooting in Madison, Find out how the Wisconsin Innocence Project plans to spend a $1.5 million federal grant, Take a look at the government's calendar for the week ahead, Celebrate…

Just because we're in a new year, leaving the stuff we don't want to carry anymore in the old year might not be so easy. It could take weeks, months, years, or even... 1,000 hearts to let go. Erika Koivunen is an artist and for many years, she worked with metal and fire until heartbreak turned those flames into yarn. In 2023, she lost her Park Stre…

Stu Levitan presents a special New Year's Eve history lesson on Madison's greatest decade... the 1970s, when the highest hopes and worst fears of the 1960s came true. In four segments, Levitan presents how the city burned in the spring semester of 1970, catalogs the extraordinary women of the decade, documents the revolutionary first administration…

On August 12th, 2024, Kevin Price made a call for help. But instead of getting help, Price was shot by a Fitchburg police officer. He would spend three days in a hospital without his family knowing before he died. WORT News Producer Faye Parks spent months reviewing the investigation that followed - and asking experts what broke down. It's led to t…

Here's your local news for Thursday, December 19, 2024: We talk school safety measures, Hear Speaker Vos' priorities for the next legislative session, Get more details on last month's oil spill in Jefferson County, Share ten open records tips, Tell you where it's still safe to ice fish after this weekend's warm-up, Look ahead to the Flamingos' next…

Here's your local news for Wednesday, December 18, 2024: We attend a vigil mourning the victims of the ALCS shooting, Sit down with Chief Barnes, who's urging patience as police carry out their investigation, Learn how emergency management experts prepare for chemical spills, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Travel b…

Here's your local news for Tuesday, December 17, 2024: We share the latest updates on yesterday's school shooting in Madison, Ask an expert how to support children following a crisis event, Describe how Waupaca County residents faced down big business, Talk to Friendly Black Foodies about their quest for good food, Explain the nuances of animal hib…

Here's your local news for Monday, December 16, 2024: We have the latest information on a school shooting this morning in Madison, Check in with Midwest Environmental Advocates after last month's Enbridge oil spill in Jefferson County, Share the government’s calendar for the week ahead, Celebrate a renowned anthropologist’s birthday, Review a class…

Here's your local news for Thursday, December 12, 2024: We learn how much the UW System spends on consulting contracts, Hear from the finalists in Middleton's search for a new police chief, Interview a prolific comics writer with Madison roots, Explain how and when to get plans for your next home improvement project, Share some advice on how to fin…

Here's your local news for Wednesday, December 11, 2024: We recap last night's long and contentious city council meeting, Find out why a study committee has recommended allowing a sandhill crane hunt, Discuss the "grim public reaction" to an insurance CEO's recent murder, Broadcast the most comprehensive weather report on the airwaves, Travel back …

Here's your local news for Tuesday, December 10, 2024: We share the details on the DNR's air quality trends report, Learn how the latest Act 10 decision could impact this spring's judicial election, Find out why Wisconsinites are paying more in local property taxes this year, Track an unexpected shift in cheddar cheese prices, Examine UW-Madison's …

Here's your local news for Monday, December 9, 2024: We find out how much the "Twenty is Plenty" roll-out is costing the city, Learn how Wisconsin's local news outlets are faring, Discuss how Trump's proposal to abolish the Department of Education could impact Wisconsin students, Share the local government's calendar for the week ahead, Hear how a …