🦟 Why the mosquitos really suck this summer

🚨 Will Interim Police Chief Be Madison’s Next Top Cop?

• As the search continues for a new Madison police chief, several city leaders are already backing interim Police Chief John Patterson. City Council President Regina Vidaver and Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Joe Gothard have both expressed support for Patterson, who has been with the department for over 30 years.
• The city’s Police and Fire Commission is currently interviewing candidates to replace former Police Chief Shon Barnes, who left Madison in January to take the top cop job in Seattle. The commission hopes to have a decision by the end of the summer. [Cap Times, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🚓 UW Cop Under Investigation for Unsolicited Texts

• A UW-Madison police officer is under investigation by the department for allegedly sending unsolicited text messages to 11 students, including offering to help students avoid being cited for underage tickets.
• The students, all members of UW-Madison’s Greek organizations, say the officer initiated texting relationships, asked female students on coffee dates, gave rides in his squad car without requiring a liability waiver, and revealed confidential information to aid students in underage drinking. [Wisconsin Watch]

🏫 Homes of UW Regents Vandalized

• At least four homes owned by members of the UW Board of Regents, including two in Madison, were vandalized with graffiti early Friday, university officials said.
• Vandals wrote “UW blood on your hands” and “Regents are complicit in genocide” on the driveways of the homes, and splattered them with fake blood. Ring camera footage at one of the homes showed six people dressed in black at the scene.
• The messages may be connected to campus protests against the war in Gaza. Student protesters have demanded that the university divest itself from companies that do business with Israel. [🔒 WSJ, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

Many people drive by the nondescript two-story brick building on the corner of East Washington Avenue and South Baldwin Street without realizing they’re passing by a piece of rock music history.

Smart Studios was a recording studio that was ground zero for the ‘90s alternative rock movement. Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and studio founders Butch Vig and Steve Marker’s own band Garbage recorded music there.

Filmmaker Wendy Schneider captured the grungy, influential history of the studio at 1254 E. Washington Ave. in her documentary “The Smart Studios Story.” The film will play July 9 at Atwood Music Hall, with Schneider and Vig doing a post-show Q&A. On the City Cast Madison podcast, Schneider talked to host Bianca Martin about her experiences making the documentary.

‘Let’s Get Smart!’

As musicians on the 1980s Madison rock scene, Vig and Marker would often hang out at the Plaza Tavern. When it was last call, they’d declare “Let’s get smart!” and go record music until sunrise.

After several frustrating experiences trying to book time to record at other people’s studios, the duo decided to start their own.

The original Smart Studios actually originally opened across the street, in what was then the Gisholt Machine Tool warehouse. They invited any and all Madison bands to come record there.

Grunge bands from the Midwest heard the music coming out of Smart Studios and wanted to come to Madison and record there too. As their notoriety grew, Vig and Marker bought the two-story building in 1987 to accommodate all the demand.

Meet Surprise! This 10-year-old cat is a sweet kitty who was surrendered to Dane County Humane Society because the other cats in her home weren’t nice to her, and she would run and hide rather than standing up for herself. (Ironically, Surprise got along great with the family dog!) She is friendly but independent and while she loves being brushed and receiving lots of attention, she doesn’t love being picked up or carried. She’d adore a new home where can lay around in peace while being spoiled by love and pets.