🌧️ It’s raining, it’s pouring! How to prep for flooding

🤔 Is the State Micromanaging the UW System?

• When state lawmakers passed their biennial budget in July, they approved a $256 million increase to the University of Wisconsin system budget — but that money came with a lot of strings attached.
• Professors across the UW system are expected to carry heavier teaching loads, which has raised concerns about the potential impact on research and overall academic quality.
• On today’s City Cast Madison podcast, we speak with Jon Shelton, a professor at UW-Green Bay and president of the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin, and Barret Elward, president of the United Faculty & Academic Staff union at UW-Madison, to unpack these concerns and other potential consequences. [City Cast Madison 🎧]

💉 Dane County Prepares for Measles

• Wisconsin has confirmed nine connected measles cases in Oconto County — but they’re not calling it an outbreak.
• Instead, officials at Public Health Madison and Dane County and UW-Madison say they’re actively preparing for potential outbreaks through training and coordination.
• The confirmed cases have been tied to out-of-state travel. While vaccination rates in the state are lower than the national average, testing for measles has increased during this period. [🔒 Wisconsin State Journal]

💸 Madison Rents Are Up, but Vacancy Improves

• Rent prices for one- and two-bedroom apartments in Madison have increased by 47% since 2020 — reaching $1,488 and $1,664, respectively.
• But on a (maybe?) slightly more positive note, vacancy rates in Dane County are at 7.1% — the highest in over five years. Madison’s rate is 3.6%.
• Experts say that while rent increases are slowing, high costs still threaten to push residents out of the community. [Isthmus]

Meet Toby! This sweet 2-year-old loves to run, receive belly rubs, and play with all kinds of toys. He was a scared pup when he first arrived at DCHS in March, but he’s really grown with his foster family. He knows all the commands, plays well with his 14-year-old foster cat sibling, and walks well on his leash. This 50-pound baby would do well with a family that loves to shower him with snuggles and adventures.

Toby has been with DCHS for a bit, so his adoption fee has been waived! Please contact DCHS’s Adoption Center at (608) 838-0413 ext 145 to schedule an appointment to meet him! Plus, Toby’s adoption includes a special package of training sessions with Paws Together. He’s just an all-around perfect package deal, if you ask me!