Monday, October 26, 2026·Focal News
Madison's independent voice
Local
A sales-tax exemption for data center construction and electricity was added to Wisconsin’s 2023-25 budget, despite an identical bill never receiving a Senate hearing or vote. With costs now projected in the billions and public opposition rising, both major-party candidates for governor say they support ending it.
Local
Firefighters from multiple departments spent hours containing a woods fire on Lehman Road in the Town of Sumpter after a report…
Politics
Wisconsin voters have requested about 20% fewer absentee ballots than at the same point in 2022, and a smaller share of those…
Local
The university will pay about $17 million to shift a portion of its data center services to Milwaukee-based Data Holdings as its…
Politics
Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany has proposed a parents’ and teachers’ bill of rights that would require parental…
Local
Deaths and injuries involving high-speed e-bikes and scooters have prompted lawmakers to consider age limits, licensing, helmets…
Politics
A proposed 240-megawatt data center on a former coal plant site has divided Springdale, where residents fear noise and higher…
Politics
Statewide ballot measure titles this year average the reading level of a first-year graduate student, a Ballotpedia report…
Politics
Sen. Bernie Sanders joined Democratic congressional candidate Rebecca Cooke at an Eau Claire get-out-the-vote rally and canvass…
Local
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob apologized after video showed him and other bishops praying with President Donald Trump in the Oval…
Politics
A coalition of faith and community organizations is asking Wisconsin’s gubernatorial candidates to expand transitional jobs…
Local
A pressure drop in South Wayne’s water system prompted a boil-water advisory after affecting at least a quarter of the…
Politics
Rep. Bryan Steil and Democratic challenger Mitchell Berman debated taxes, Social Security and tariffs during a WCLO radio forum…
Politics
At an Eau Claire forum, Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden defended President Donald Trump’s tax-cut package, while Democratic…
Local
A man died after being shot early Saturday in downtown Madison, police said. Investigators had not announced an arrest as of…
Politics
Dane County officials say state guidance could confuse poll workers about whether federal agents may observe voting, while the…
Local
A Madison-area family marked Brooke Elfers’ birthday with a Saturday fundraiser at Bowl-A-Vard Lanes, supporting the nonprofit…
Sports
Green Bay heads to Ford Field with a league-best nine interceptions, but Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs and turnover-free Jared Goff…
Sports
Milwaukee rallied from a four-run first-inning deficit to beat Tampa Bay 5-4 Saturday and take a 2-0 lead in the World Series.…
Local
A pedestrian was taken to a local hospital after being struck at Park Avenue and North University Avenue around 7 p.m. Friday.…
Local
A man died at a hospital after Madison police found him with a gunshot wound downtown early Saturday. No suspect was in custody…
Local
A 66-year-old Belleville man was hospitalized Friday after his vehicle left State Highway 92 and went through a fence in the…
Politics
Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock joined Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley at a Madison campaign event, arguing Wisconsin’s…
Local
A Rock County sheriff’s deputy arrested Dennis Ellis, 56, early Saturday after a traffic stop in the Town of Turtle. The…
Local
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway says threats, harassment and the personal toll of public service led her to end her reelection…
Sports
Several area teams moved on with first-round wins Friday, including Verona’s 24-16 victory over Sun Prairie East and…
Sports
The Brewers built an early lead and held off the Rays 3-2 in Game 1 on Friday in Milwaukee. Jacob Misiorowski worked five…
Local
University police say they found no evidence that activist Ryan Blum entered campus to film pigs being stunned with carbon…
Local
The university held a ceremony Friday for physicist Francis Halzen, honored with the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics for work on…
Local
UW-Madison broke ground Oct. 23 on an expansion built around a new cyclotron, which the university expects to boost production…
Politics
Rhodes-Conway says she is ending her reelection campaign because the personal cost of public service and threats against local…
Sports
Milwaukee will open the World Series against Tampa Bay with Jacob Misiorowski on the mound, while Nick Martinez starts for the…
Local
Two men face theft and burglarious-tools charges after police say they found six containers of restaurant cooking oil in a truck…
Local
Dane County deputies responded Friday after a caller threatened gun violence at Deerfield Elementary School. Authorities said…
Local
A $13 million Fisher House is under construction in Middleton, offering free lodging, meals and support for as many as 16…