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| What Madison's Talking About |
|  | UW-Madison was named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the five best values for in-state students. (UW-Madison News) |
| ⬆️ UW-Madison Rises in U.S. News Rankings: U.S. News & World Report has ranked UW-Madison No. 8 among the country’s public universities, its highest ranking in almost two decades. The university, which ranked 34th overall, was also named one of the top five best values for in-state students. [UW-Madison News] | | 💸 Fees Going Up For Parks, Golf Courses and Cemeteries? Madison is considering raising its fees for a wide variety of city services, ranging from alcohol permit fees at parks and green fees at public golf courses to administrative fees at cemeteries. The cost of booking a wedding at Olbrich Gardens would also change. [🔒WSJ] | | 🪰 West Nile Virus Found in Dane County: A case of West Nile Virus found in a human has been confirmed by Public Health Madison & Dane County. The virus has spread from an infected mosquito to a person or animal, but cannot transit from person to person. [WMTV] | | 👂Airport Gets Funding For Sound Insulation: The Federal Aviation Administration has approved $4.7 million in funds for sound insulation for houses and businesses near Dane County Regional Airport. The airport will reach out to qualified residences once it has found a consulting partner to work with. [News 3] | | 🖼️ Madison College Looking For Indigenous Artists: For its Native November 2026 Art Show, Madison College curators are inviting Indigenous artists in Wisconsin to submit their work. The exhibit will be on display Nov. 9 through Dec. 11. [Madison365] | | 🧓 Grandad’s Farm Stop Sells Wisconsin Wares: A store full of produce and products from Wisconsin businesses just opened in a former auto repair shop on Mineral Point Road. At Grandad’s Farm Stop, about 70 producers sell their wares on consignment, meaning they get a higher percentage of sales than if they had just sold them wholesale. [🔒WSJ] | | 🧨 Fireworks Starts Fire Inside Grocery Store: In the latest entry in the “social media is bad for you” file, a Madison man told police he was inspired by a social media challenge to light a firework inside the Pic ‘n ‘ Save on Fish Hatchery Road in Fitchburg. The explosion caused smoke to fill the store, and customers were evacuated. [WKOW] |
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| | | Hosting friends and family for HOCO? There’s something to know before you go to festivities throughout the city: it’s also a chance to win prize packages! | | That’s because it’s Wish You Were Here season, time for feel-good getaways—and giveaways—that reward you for hosting your besties this fall. Here’s how: | 💌 Live in Madison? Invite someone in! | 📍 Visit featured places on six different itineraries | 💸 Post pics to win hotel stays, gift cards, merch and more | | Learn more. |
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| The Best New Restaurants in Madison |
|  | North Italia opened at Hilldale at the beginning of September. (Beck Henreckson / City Cast Madison) |
| Each month, we run down the best new restaurants in the Madison area that have either opened or announced plans to open in the near future. If you know of any that we missed, drop us a line at madison@citycast.fm. | | | This Italian restaurant chain has set a Sept. 2 opening date for its first Wisconsin location at Hilldale in the space that was formerly Amara, offering wood-fired pizzas, fresh pastas, and “garlic knot sliders.” | | | This new Japanese restaurant had its soft opening in mid-September on McKee Road in the spot formerly occupied by The Flying Hound. While the focus is on sushi and sashimi, they also serve ramen and other dishes. | | | After becoming a sensation selling bagels at west side farmers’ markets, Barrett’s Bagels just opened a bricks-and-mortar location on Speedway Boulevard. | | | When one chicken restaurant leaves, another one opens. The former KFC off Mineral Point Road is now home to this chicken tender chain that calls College Station, Texas home. | | CAVA (Hilldale) | The Mediterranean build-your-own chain will offer its first Madison location at Hilldale this fall, with fresh grain bowls, salads, and pitas. | | | This family-owned food truck offers a taste of Filipino street food, including rice bowls, pinay BBQ skewers, and Filipino milk candy known as pastillas. | | |
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| | There’s lots of things to love in Madison, and our City Cast Madison Neighbors want you to know about them! One of the perks of being a member is the chance to send a Neighborhood Shoutout singing the praises of a business, a nonprofit, an event, or something else cool that the city should know about. | | 📣 Leila G. wants to shout out Orange Tree Imports! “Orange Tree Imports for stocking most tools missing from your kitchen as well as local jams and soaps, carbonation refill canisters, and more.” | | 📣Sean S. is singing the praises of Green Life Trading Co.! “Green Life Trading helps me get cleaning supplies, salves, and more on the cheap, really! Plus, the staff are great!” | | 📣Kathryn M. is shouting out Wisconsin Printing on Copps Avenue! “Dan is so helpful, quick to respond, and generally awesome! Highly recommend!” | | Do these shoutouts spark an idea for a place that you would like to shout out? Become a City Cast Madison Neighbor and we’ll tell the world about it on the podcast and in the newsletter! | |
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📰 Extra! Extra! Generations of Wisconsin brides have Vera Stillmank to thank for making their walk down the aisle even more special. Stillmank, who died last week at 96, opened Vera’s House of Bridals in Madison in 1964 after opening her first small shop on the family farm in Janesville. Her daughter still runs the store, and plans to serve brides and families for years to come 👰 |
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