📝 You should test for radon

🗳️ County Approves $22 Million in Additional Jail Funds

• The Dane County Board of Supervisors voted overwhelmingly last week to approve an additional $22 million in bond money to fund the controversial jail consolidation project. The project has been years in the making with many twists, axed proposals, and an ever-rising price tag.
• How we got here: Originally built in 1953, officials say the jail is outdated and dangerous for both staff and residents. The county initially allocated $158.5 million of its 2024 budget to the project, but after receiving only one construction bid that was over budget, it was forced to find more money or return to the drawing board. Supervisors voted 31-5 to authorize the most recent round of additional funding.
• Dig deeper: Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett has been a proponent of the project since day one. In 2023, he sat down with City Cast Madison to explain why. [Channel3000, Tone Madison, WORT, City Cast Madison 🎧]

😷 Need a flu shot or strep test?

• UW Health has expanded the capacity of its John Wall Drive Thru Clinic due to increases in respiratory illnesses this season. The clinic first opened in response to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and served 60 to 70 patients a day. It has since grown to expand its service offerings to include routine checks, vaccinations, and tests, and can serve up to 140 people a day.
• The clinic is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. seven days a week. Appointments aren’t required, but they are encouraged. [UW Health, WKOW]

🐔 Meet Butterbird

• The new fast-casual restaurant and bar at 1134 Regent St. is officially open. Butterbird is the latest venture from the folks behind Harvey House. As the name suggests, Butterbird focuses mainly on chicken, both fried and rotisserie. The menu features items like fried pickles, soft pretzels, chicken sandwiches, a kale Caesar salad, and more.
• Take a look: If you’re not ready to venture into the cold, you can take a peek at the restaurant through this photo essay from Cap Times. [Butterbird, Cap Times]

🧀 Big Day for Cheese, Literally

• Here’s a bit of cheesy Wisconsin history for you. On this day in 1964, the world's largest cheese (at the time) was manufactured in Wisconsin. The block of cheddar was made from 170,000 quarts of milk by the Wisconsin Cheese Foundation specifically for the 1964 New York World's Fair. It weighed 17.4 tons, AKA 34,591 pounds! The cheese was consumed at the 1965 annual Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association meeting. [Wisconsin Historical Society, WPR]

Where an Amtrak Train Station Could Be in Madison

Madison is one step closer to the long-awaited Amtrak train that would connect the city to Milwaukee and Minneapolis. The city’s transportation department has decided on eight potential sites where a new Madison Amtrak station could be located. Host Bianca Martin sits down with transportation planner Liz Callin to get an update on the efforts and how Madisonians can give feedback on the proposed train station sites.