🗳️ Your guide to the spring election

✈️ Federal F-35 Noise Money Zooms Past Madison

• The federal government has rejected a request for funds to mitigate the noise from F-35 fighter jets that have bothered east side Madison residents since the planes arrived in April 2023.
• The state Department of Military Affairs applied last year for $18 million in funding, and hoped to begin noise-dampening projects later this year, including windows and insulation for 162 homes. The request has been denied by the U.S. Defense Department, although there may be another round of grant funding later this year.
• Related listen: The federal F-35 program is one of the most expensive in US history. How did they end up in Madison? [Cap Times, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🎶 Atwood Music Hall Honors Local Heroes For Opening Shows

• The new music venue coming to Winnebago Street will honor famous Madison musicians past and present when it opens its doors in June.
• The first scheduled show at the 700-person venue on June 13 is a tribute to the late Clyde Stubblefield, former drummer for James Brown and longtime Madison resident until his death in 2017.
• Also on the books is a June 20 show by jazz great Ben Sidran, a June 26 show featuring UW-Madison grads Rainer Maria, and a 50th anniversary reunion show by the band Spooner on July 12. [Daily Cardinal, Atwood Music Hall, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🇯🇲 Fya Syde Kitchen Coming To Monroe Street

• Jamaican cuisine will be coming to Monroe Street when Fya Syde Kitchen opens in April. The restaurant will open in the spot where Taberna Tacos & Tequila has been for less than a year.
• The restaurant will mix traditional Jamaican fare like curry goat and jerk chicken with other entrees, such as burgers with Caribbean flavors. The restaurant is an evolution of the Grateful Melt, a food truck that co-owner Nicollette Beckford operated in Wisconsin Dells. [Cap Times]

Election Day is almost here! I know it seems like we just said that. But the spring election on April 1 brings a lot of important races and questions, both statewide and locally. Here’s what you need to know before you cast your vote.

Voting Before Election Day

In-person absentee voting, which is basically Wisconsin’s form of early voting, starts Tuesday. Head to one of these absentee voting locations and make sure you have your ID with you! In-person absentee voting ends on March 30.

You can register to vote at your local clerk’s office with proof of address until March 28.

Voting On Election Day

On Election Day, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Use this online tool to find out where your polling location is.

Haven’t registered to vote? Don’t sweat it. Wisconsin offers same-day voter registration. Again, bring that proof of address along with you.

What’s On the Ballot in Madison?

All 20 Madison City Council seats are up for election April 1, and 14 of those feature contested races.

Dane County Executive Melissa Agard, who won a special election for the position in the fall, is now running again in the general election against challenger Stephen Ratzlaff.

There are three seats up for election on the Madison School Board. Two of those feature incumbents running unopposed. The third is an open seat that Martha Siravo and Bret Wagner are vying for.

Want to know more about Siravo and Wagner? You’re in luck! City Cast Madison podcast host Bianca Martin interviews both of them on today’s City Cast Madison podcast.