🗳️ Madison offers novel defense in ballot suit

♥️ Frautschi Remembered For Making Madison ‘A Better Place’

• From Overture Center to the Madison Children’s Museum to the Edgewater Hotel, Madison would look very different without the generosity of businessman and philanthropist Jerry Frautschi, city leaders said.
• Frautschi died last week at 94. While he may be best remembered for a $205 million gift that allowed for creation of the Overture Center in 2004, he gave to literally dozens of nonprofits, often without fanfare. Michael Johnson, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, said the organization received an $850,000 contribution from Frautschi just over a week ago. [Cap Times]

🚨 Former Sun Prairie West Principal Faces Charges

• Police say that Former Sun Prairie West High School Principal Jennifer Ploeger will be charged with two counts of failure to report child abuse, in connection with a scandal that has rocked the school district.
• The charges come after the school’s former Dean of Students, Robert Gilkey-Meisegeier, was arrested on 14 charges of child pornography and two charges of child exploitation. And independent investigation commissioned by the district found that allegations that Gilkey-Meisegeir was having an inappropriate relationship with a student were ignored by school officials for months.
• Ploeger, whose attorney says she is innocent, faces a potential $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail on each charge if convicted. [Madison 365]

🗳️ Is Absentee Voting a Privilege, Not a Right? Madison Says So.

• In a lawsuit filed on behalf of Madison voters whose absentee ballots were not counted in the November 2024 election, attorneys representing the Madison Clerk’s office argue that while voting is a constitutional right, absentee voting is a privilege.
• The progressive law firm LawForward is suing the city on behalf of 193 Madison voters whose votes were not counted due to human error. Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl resigned after a Wisconsin Elections Commission investigation found multiple errors in both how the ballots were handled and how the errors were reported.
• Defense attorneys representing Witzel-Behl and the city are pointing to a 1985 law that calls absentee voting a privilege, and says as a result they can’t be sued for disenfranchising absentee voters. The law has been used to justify restrictions to absentee voting in Wisconsin, and some voting rights advocates say that it is unconstitutional. [VoteBeat, WPR]

What is IV vitamin therapy, and is it effective? Also known as intravenous nutrient therapy, IV therapy is a popular health and wellness trend in which a high dose of vitamins and minerals is administered directly into the bloodstream. The most popular IV mix is known as the “Myers cocktail,” named after the doctor who first began administering the therapy in the 1970s.

On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks to Shahayra Majumder, co-owner of Hydrate IV Bar, which will open in March in Madison Yards, about the hot new wellness trend touted by celebrities and influencers.

Here’s some more details on what IV therapy is, how it works, and where to find it in Madison.

What Are the Benefits of IV Therapy?

The main benefit of IV therapy is that it allows the body to absorb nutrients quickly, rather than slowly as part of food or drink. In addition to quickly rehydrating the body, it’s also an effective way for people with digestive issues to receive the nutrients.

Proponents say it can provide positive benefits on a range of health issues, including dehydration, depression and anxiety, immune system boost, and jet lag relief. Some influencers say it’s just the thing to bounce back quickly from a hangover.

What Are the Concerns?

Other dieticians caution that receiving so many nutrients so quickly bypasses the body’s natural gatekeeping functions. Getting vitamins released into the bloodstream immediately rather than digested slowly in the stomach could lead to vitamin toxicity.

Where To Get IV Therapy in Madison

Hydralive Therapy Madison

This chain is located in seven states, including in Madison on Junction Road on the far west side. It offers IV therapy, cryotherapy and NAD+ therapy as well as other services.

Carbon World Health

This medical wellness spa features “high-performance wellness” treatments like IV nutrient therapies, peptide therapies, and personally-designed nutrition and fitness programs.

Prime IV Hydration and Wellness

Located on W. University Ave., this spa includes IV therapy treatments (such as the popular “Myers’ cocktail” as well as IV treatments that help with jet lag recovery, hangovers, athletic performance and immunity boosts.

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