Your Daily Guide

🧑‍🍳 Willy Street Co-op Moves Kitchen To Garver: Having outgrown its space on East Main Street, Willy Street Co-op announced it will move its production kitchen to Garver Feed Mill next spring. The co-op uses its kitchen for hot bar, deli items, and bakery goods, and Garver offers four times as much space. [InBusiness]

💰 Madison School Board Approves Budget: The owner of the average Madison home valued at $500,300 will see the school district’s share of their property tax bill go up $335.24 under the 2026-27 budget approved Monday by the Madison School Board. The $612 million spending plan is $42.7 million higher than last year. [🔒WSJ]

⛺ 2027 Camp and Shelter Reservations Start Nov. 2: Dane County park users can begin reserving camp and shelter spots for next year on Monday, Nov. 2. Park activity permits will also go on sale then. [Dane County Parks]

💻 Survey Says AI Use Is Up Among Local Businesses: More than four out of five of the 218 Madison-area businesses who responded to an annual survey said they use artificial intelligence. In the Next Normal Regional Employer Survey, 83% of businesses reported using AI, up from 51% two years ago. According to the survey, the top reported use of AI in business operations was for “administrative support,” like scheduling and emails. [Cap Times]

⚽ Forward Madison Starts Playoffs at Home Friday: With a fourth-place finish in the USA League One season, Forward Madison will host Spokane Velocity in the playoff quarterfinals on Oct. 30. Spokane is the only team to beat Forward at Breese Stevens this season. [Madison365]

📹 Animal Rights Activist Admits To Falsified Video: An animal rights activist admitted he misrepresented footage he falsely claimed to have taken inside a UW-Madison meat research laboratory. Ryan Blum, a UW graduate, said he infiltrated the Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery laboratory and filmed a carbon dioxide gas chamber. But the footage was actually publicly-available video from a similar facility in Australia. [Daily Cardinal].

⚖️ Youth Ask Supreme Court To Hear Climate Case: Fifteen Wisconsin youth plaintiffs are asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear their lawsuit against the state of Wisconsin that was dismissed in Dane County Circuit Court. At issue is whether the Public Service Commission should consider air pollution, including greenhouse gas admission, when deciding whether to approve fossil fuel power plants.

• Dig deeper: Madeleine Bohn, a West High School student and one of the plaintiffs in the case, along with lawyer Skylar Harris of Midwest Environmental Advocates, are both on the City Cast Madison podcast today to talk about what inspired them to file the case. [Midwest Advocates, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

Halloween is just three days away! Are you freaking out trying to think of an idea for a costume?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are eight great ideas for Halloween costumes that have a very Madison vibe, either inspired by recent headlines or by some of our favorite things. Email us at madison@citycast.fm or comment on our Instagram page with your ideas. And Happy Halloween!

Undead Essen Haus

Will Essen Haus ever really die? Plans to demolish the downtown bar have been killed and revived countless times over the years. So grab some vampire makeup and a boot and you’ll have a locally relevant costume for years to come.

Triangulador Mattress

Who doesn’t love local art? Madison artist Liubóv Szwako (AKA Triangulador) is known for turning street trash into treasures. His preferred canvas? Discarded mattresses. For this one, you’ll want a cardboard box, white sheets, spray paint, and a wild imagination! Bonus: Triangulador himself said he will gift an original painting to whoever does the best version of this costume so get creative!

Alexandra Paul, Beagle Rescuer

Remember when the Baywatch star made headlines for taking part in the break-ins at Ridglan Farms? Recreate the scene with a simple red swimsuit, handcuffs, and stuffed dog toy.

Paul Soglin

A true Madison icon, all you’ll need for this getup is a fluffy mustache and penchant for “civil disobedience." For the full Soglin experience, repeatedly leave the Halloween party you’re at only to return a few minutes later.

⬆️ Last Week’s Photo

They’re located at the Edgewater Hotel!

🎉 Congratulations to Julie F., Jennifer H., and Nancy N. for being the first three people to guess correctly!

⬇️ This Week’s Photo

Where is this mural located? A few clues:

• It’s on Madison’s west side
• It’s in a place known for both dine-in and take-home meals
• I’m sure we’ll get “plenty” of correct guesses!