By Janine Stephens, Boys & Girls Club  MADISON —Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation has awarded a record $8.8 million to colleges and community-based organizations in four states that proposed effective solutions to the persistent problem of low college graduation rates for disadvantaged students. More than $900,000 of the total Great Lakes commitment will directly […]

By Julianne Malveaux What if we didn’t incarcerate people who commit non-violent crimes?  Or, if we sentenced them, what if their sentences were reasonable, instead of intolerable?  What if a man who steals a $159 jacket while high gets drug treatment and a sentence of, say, two years, instead of a sentence of life imprisonment […]

MADISON —The Madison Metropolitan School District released its first annual report at Sennett Middle School on Monday, detailing progress on the district’s strategy to raise achievement for all students and close opportunity gaps.“Not only have we built a strong foundation for our future success, but we are starting to see promising results already,” Superintendent Jennifer […]

MADISON — One of the most successful long-term diversity pipelines to higher education in the nation, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's PEOPLE (Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence) continues to increase the number of college-ready students applying to the state's flagship campus.On Friday, Aug. 1, another 118 PEOPLE high school scholars from across Wisconsin will […]

By   Interview with Congressman Mark Pocan Breaking the gridlock    by A. David Dahmer “I always try to find out what I have in common with people rather than what our differences might be,” says U.S. Congressman Mark Pocan. “It’s easy to find where you’re different, but for me in Congress, it’s more about […]

  Interview with Sabrina “Heymiss Progress” Madison Conversation Mixtape’s popularity continues to grow   by A. David Dahmer (photos by Hedi Rudd)   People just can’t seem to get off their laptops, tablets, i-Pads, and smartphones these days. Texting, Facebooking, Tweeting, Instagramming — the art of true conversation has been lost, people say. “Social media has […]

By A. David Dahmer Interview with New Madison Police Chief Mike Koval “We go beyond traditional law enforcement here”     by A. David Dahmer Mike Koval says he expected a short “breaking-in period" at his new job leading the Madison Police Department after taking over for long-time Police Chief Noble Wray. But that's not […]

By A. David Dahmer

By United Way  MADISON —After 33 years (25 of those as President & CEO) of serving the families and individuals of Dane County, Leslie Ann Howard will retire as President & CEO of United Way of Dane County on December 31, 2015.“The United Way Board has been planning this leadership transition since Leslie shared her […]

MADISON ­— Madison District 8 Alder Scott Resnick announced today that he will be running as a candidate for Madison Mayor in the upcoming 2015 Spring Election. Joined by friends and supporters and introduced by Madison Alder Larry Palm and Dane County Supervisor Mary Kolar, he made his announcement on the steps of the Madison […]