✈️ F-35s are coming in the air tonight

🧤 Madison-Made Mittens Raise Money For Food Pantries

• Pantry Partners of Dane County (formerly known as ReMittens) is again this winter making and selling warm, handmade mittens to raise money for local food pantries.
• The mittens are $35 per pair and funds will be sent to River Food Pantry, St. Vincent de Paul, and WayForward Resources. In addition to several special pop-up events for the holiday season, they are for sale at numerous locations around town, including all Barriques coffee shops and Ace Hardware stores.
• 🎧 Dig deeper: The federal government’s attempt to pause SNAP food assistance benefits have increased demand on Madison’s already-busy food pantries. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks to Ellen Carlson of Wayforward Resources about how her organization and others like it are weathering these uncertain times. [News 3, Pantry Partners, 🎧 City Cast Madison,]

🚨 Alders Try To Defund Police Monitor To Pay For Body Cams

• Earlier this week, City Council approved the $453 million 2026 budget, but not before several alders proposed a last-minute amendment to defund the Office of the Independent Monitor.
• The proposal would have taken $400,000 from the office, which is currently without a leader after Robin Copley resigned in October, and put it towards the Madison Police Department’s long-delayed body-worn camera project. The money wouldn’t buy cameras, but would be used to hire a lab technician and other specialists to operate the program.
• The measure failed 3-17, and in a heated exchange, other alders on the board complained about the amendment being offered just hours before the meeting.
• Related: Madison’s Office of the Independent Monitor has been under scrutiny since day one. Why? It’s a complicated story. [Isthmus, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

✈️ F-35s Hold Evening Training Flights This Week and Next

• The Wisconsin Air National Guard will be conducting nighttime training flights of its F-35 jets tonight until 8 p.m., as well as during the evenings of Nov. 17 -20.
• Training flights usually take place during daytime hours, but pilots and maintenance personnel are required to train at night as well. The noise from F-35s has been a long-standing nuisance for many east side residents. The U.S. Department of Defense rejected a request this summer for grant money for noise mitigation from the jets, but the Guard says it plans to apply again. [News 3, WPR]

Thanksgiving is coming up in two weeks. If you don’t feel like spending all day in the kitchen whipping up a full spread for the family, Madison restaurants have got you covered.

Whether you want to go out and be served a full dinner, or take home dishes to heat up on the holiday, here’s what local restaurants are offering this Thanksgiving. Hot tip: If you’re ordering to go, make sure to do so early, as many restaurants will sell out in advance and have set order-by dates.

And while you’re making your reservations, remember that a lot of families in Dane County could use your help making their Thanksgivings a little brighter. Donate to Goodman Community Center for their Thanksgiving Basket Drive or another area food pantry!

In-Person Options

Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company

The Hilldale location just closed, but be thankful that you can still go to the downtown, eastside, and Fitchburg locations, which will all be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thanksgiving Day serving turkey dinner. The Fitchburg location will also have a full Thanksgiving buffet. And if you’d rather stay home, pre-order a take-home Thanksgiving meal.

The Statehouse at the Edgewater Hotel

The Edgewater is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, serving a special holiday menu of organic turkey or prime ribeye, caramel apple bread pudding, and maple pumpkin creme brulee.

Delta Beer Lab

As has been tradition the last few years, Delta Beer Lab is hosting a Community Thanksgiving Dinner from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The dinner is free and donations are encouraged, with proceeds going to local nonprofits. The first 150 people to register in advance will be first in line, and everybody else will be admitted after that.

Madison Concourse Hotel

Spend Thanksgiving Day in the Concourse’s Grand Ballroom with a sumptuous buffet featuring both turkey and prime rib carving stations, your choice of over 15 hot and cold side dishes, and desserts from the hotel bakery.

Seven Acre Dairy in Paoli

Bring the family to enjoy an afternoon buffet (kids 7 and under eat free!) with turkey and ham, roast pumpkin and leek soup, stuffing featuring pork sausage from Fox Heritage Farms, and more. And you’d better believe dessert includes soft serve from Seven Acre’s microdairy.