⛄ Make it a December to remember in Madison

📚 70-Year-Old Madison Bookstore Reaches ‘The End’

• After a run of 70 years, Paul’s Bookstore at 670 State St. will close early next year.
• Caryl Askins, the widow of Paul Askins, who started the store in 1954, announced the decision on social media. The store is a favorite of browsers for its eclectic mix of books and its cozy, throwback feel.
• Meanwhile, Mystery to Me owner Joanne Berg is selling her store on Monroe Street to two of the store’s employees, Hilary Burg and Hannah Davidson. The store will change hands next month. [Badger Herald, Cap Times]

🚨 Did Body Cam Consultant Have a Conflict of Interest?

• A Madison Police report recommending that body cameras be made permanent in the department did not disclose that one of the researchers in the study was also a paid consultant for Axon, a body-cam manufacturer.
• Dr. Broderick Turner, a marketing professor at Virginia Tech, contracted with the department to study a 90-day pilot program of body cameras in the city’s north district. He acknowledged at a 2022 City Council meeting that Axon pays him “a couple of thousand bucks a year” to serve on an independent advisory council.
• Dig deeper: Hear from Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes himself on why he thinks the department needs body cameras. [Tone Madison, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🏢 New Low-Cost Housing Could Be West Side’s Future

• The city is close to approving a $63 million 200-unit low-income housing development in University Research Park.
• The project is located off Mineral Point Road, close to both the new BRT line and some of the city’s major employers, like Exact Sciences and TruStage.
• Supporters say the project would be the first step in the city’s plan to remake West Side housing to respond to demand. In exchange for tax increment finance funding and other real estate payments, the city will purchase an option to buy the property outright in 15 years. [ 🔒 WSJ, 🎧 City Cast Madison]