Your Daily Guide

⚾ Construction Starts on Edgewood Athletic Campus: Not far from the site of the new YMCA facility that just broke ground in Fitchburg, crews started work on Edgewood University’s new Athletics and Wellness Campus on Lacy Road. The $30 million facility will include room for six different sports, including baseball and softball, as well as a training facility. [InBusiness]

🤧 Flu Season Is Off to an Early Start: County health officials said the flu virus is hitting residents sooner than expected, and is urging everyone over six months old to get their flu shots as soon as possible. While rates are still low, health officials are already seeing a rise in cases they usually don’t see until mid-November. [PHMDC]

🚨 Council May Vote Tonight on Terminating Interim Police Monitor: The Madison City Council is scheduled to vote tonight on whether or not to terminate the contract of interim Independent Police Monitor Aeiramique Glass, and appoint Council Chief of Staff Karen Kapusta-Pofahl until a permanent replacement is found. At issue is whether Glass fulfilled her contractual responsibility to find a permanent police monitor for the city.

• What are others saying? The Police Civilian Oversight Board on Monday said Glass’s performance evaluation showed she “performed at a high level across every category.” District 2 Ald. Will Ochowicz, who introduced the resolution, wrote on his blog that Glass delayed the hiring process to explore the idea of herself being hired to the post. District 15 Ald. Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford wrote that while she finds Glass to be a “fierce advocate,” she “has exhibited behavior that gives me pause,” and has full faith in Kapusta-Pofahl. [Fox47, City of Madison]

🏢 Program Hopes To Help Students Bridge the ‘Lease Gap’: Every August, some UW-Madison students are left in housing limbo as their old apartment lease expires days or even weeks before the new one starts. A new pilot program launching next summer will experiment with offering free or low-cost university housing to some students to ease the transition. [Daily Cardinal]

🛒 IKEA Meatballs Will Have to Wait Until Spring: The opening date for Madison’s first IKEA store on the far west side has been pushed back from November until the spring. Although relatively small by the Swedish furniture giant’s standards, the 54,000-square-foot store is large enough to take up three former storefronts in the Prairie Towne Center on Junction Road. [Cap Times]

🥃 Madison’s First Rum Lounge Coming to Atwood: Killdevil Rum Club is set to open on Atwood Avenue in December in the basement of Baked Lab. Owner Mitchell Turino, who also owns I/O Arcade Bar on Willy Street, envisions the spot as a place to escape the winter chill and enjoy daiquiris and other rum drinks. [Cap Times]

The Nov. 3 election is exactly two weeks away, which means in-person absentee voting in Wisconsin starts today. Do you have a plan to vote? Do you know what you’ll be voting on? This handy-dandy fall election guide is designed to help you through the process.

What’s On My Ballot?

The big-ticket item on the Nov. 3 ballot for Wisconsin voters is of course the race for governor. It’s an open seat with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers declining to seek a third term. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany is running as the Republican nominee while Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is the Democratic nominee. The candidates’ only debate is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21, and will air on WKOW. Earlier this year, Crowley spoke with the City Cast Madison podcast about his hopes for Wisconsin if elected. (Tiffany did not respond to multiple requests for interviews.)

In Wisconsin, candidates for lieutenant governor run separately from the governor’s race. Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski is the Democratic candidate, while former Lancaster Mayor David Varnam is the Republican nominee.

In the race for attorney general, it’s a rematch between incumbent Democrat Josh Kaul and his Republican challenger, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney.

This could also be a pivotal year in the state Legislature, where new legislative maps mean Democrats could be poised to take over one or both chambers after 16 years of uninterrupted Republican rule.

Isthmus has a good rundown of all the contested Assembly and Senate races in Dane County. In District 76, which state Rep. Francesca Hong decided to leave for her unsuccessful run for governor, it’s a tale of two Ninas as Democrat Ald. Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford runs against Republican Nina Chat. If Rutherford wins, she will be the first openly transgender member of the state Legislature.

The ballot will also include three constitutional amendment questions approved by the state Legislature. We took a deep dive into these questions earlier this year, and you can learn more about the Republican-backed proposals here.

Meet Marmalade! This sweet senior cat was underweight when she was found earlier this month, but Dane County Humane Society veterinarians put her on medication and she’s already begun gaining weight. What she never lost was her sweet spirit – she adores receiving pets, purrs with happiness, and gives head bumps asking for more attention.

She’s looking for a loving family who will shower her with plenty of attention, conversation, companionship, and love. Her adoption includes four weeks of medication.