🏥 Health officials confirm local measles case

🧑‍🎨 Which Sculptures Should Adorn the Imagination Center?

• The Madison Arts Commission selected four finalists for public art at the new Imagination Center at Reindahl Park, and is looking to hear which sculptures are your favorites.
• The four design proposals are: “Inkroot” by Cooke-Sasseville, “Suenos de Paloma (Dreams of Paloma”) by Gabriela Marvan, Flor Molina, and Ryan Rothweiler, “The Passage of Being” by Nate Page, and “Silver Lining: Where Dreams Flow” by Sujin Lim.
• Until Feb. 12, you can read about the four finalists and their proposals and vote on your favorite. The commission will decide the winner on Feb. 18, and the art will be installed in August or September.
• 🎧 Dig deeper: The Imagination Center, Madison’s first new public library in 25 years, is inching closer to reality. Ald. Sabrina Madison came on City Cast Madison to talk about why this new space is so important to the community. [City of Madison, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🧑‍⚕️ First Measles Case Confirmed in Dane County

• The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has confirmed a case of measles in Dane County, the second case in the state this year.
• Health officials say the two cases are not related and the Dane County case was related to the patient traveling internationally.
• Measles is a highly-contagious disease transmitted through the air, and can cause serious health complications. The U.S. is experiencing its largest measles outbreak in decades and health officials are urging Americans to check their vaccination status. [DHS]

🛣️ Regent Street Makeover Could Leave Only Two Lanes

• Plans to redevelop a section of Regent Street into a more pedestrian-friendly “main street” could involve reducing traffic from two lanes each way to one lane, with a flex lane in between.
• The idea is to add wider sidewalks and protected bike lanes to the section of the street between Camp Randall and the Kohl Center. Such a move would be part of an ambitious plan to make the street more welcoming for local businesses, restaurants, and bars in the area, making it safer for pedestrians to cross. Construction could begin in March 2027.
• As the city considers the future of the iconic street, it’s worth looking back at its historic past. [ 🔒WSJ, City Cast Madison]

🏥 CAYA Withdraws Plans to Operate Substance Abuse Clinic

• Madison nonprofit CAYA Clinic has backed out of a $2.4 million contract with the Dane County Board of Health to operate a substance abuse clinic. The clinic rejected the contract following public criticism of the project at the board’s meeting last month, and called for Dane County to find a new provider.
• The nonprofit, which runs a substance abuse clinic on the east side, falsely claimed in its application that it is run by people of color. CAYA’s staff is entirely white, Madison365 reported. Founder and clinical director Skye Boughman apologized for the error, blaming it on artificial intelligence used to write the proposal.
• Related: This isn’t the only contract drama the county has been dealing with lately… [Cap Times, Madison365, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

Madison voters, get ready. 2026 is going to be another busy election year, with momentous decisions on the ballot in both the spring and fall.

It all starts with the spring election primary on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and in-person absentee voting starts today. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks to Isthmus staff writer Liam Beran about what’s on the ballot this spring.

Here’s more of what you need to know – how to vote, who’s on the ballot, and what’s at stake.

Ready To Vote?

Go to myvote.wi.gov to make sure you’re registered to vote, or start the process for getting registered online if you have a valid Wisconsin driver’s license or Wisconsin ID. Because it’s already within 20 days of the election, it is too late to register to vote by mail.

You can also register now in person at the Madison City Clerk’s office in the City County Building. Or you can wait and register at your polling place on Election Day.

In-person absentee voting starts today at several locations in Madison (not necessarily the same as your local polling place.) Make sure to bring your voter ID.

Who’s On the Primary Ballot Feb. 17?

There are several Dane County races with primaries on the ballot.

All Dane County voters will cast ballots in the election for Dane County Circuit Court Branch 1, with incumbent Judge Ben Jones running against challengers Huma Ahsan and Nathan Wagner.

A couple of Dane County Supervisor races will also have contested primaries. In District 12, which covers the north side of Madison, including the Dane County Regional Airport, Sup. Tommy Rylander is running against challengers Otis Harris Jr. and Sean Burke.

In District 15, there is a rare open race after Sup. April Kigeya moved outside of her district on the far west side. Amy Larson — who’s running for the seat — was appointed to fill the seat until the April 7 general election. (Though her appointment still needs to be confirmed by the full board.) In the Feb. 17 primary, Larson is running against Rick Cruz and Anthony “Nino” Amato. Last year, Amato lost a race for Madison City Council District 19 by just nine votes.

Meet Mr. Big Ears! He can be nervous, but he's been steadily becoming more comfortable with and trusting of staff and volunteers — so much so that he leans in for pets. Mr. Big Ears knows sit and down, and he enjoys puzzle toys and treats. He also loves to jump and run around in the snow.

Mr. Big Ears is looking for a home with a fenced-in yard but no small children or other dogs, and a patient family who will work with him to gain his trust, after which he'll become your most trusted best friend.