Meet In CommonNews

Local news in and around Baraboo, WI

Baraboo News Republic · Baraboo, WI

Miller, Patricia

Patricia D. (Wagner) Miller, of Baraboo, Wisconsin, died at age 71 on Monday, November 9th, 2026 after an over 6 year battle with cancer in her home in Baraboo. Patricia was born April 28th, 1955. She will be remembered as…

Madison365 · Dane, WI

Nearby: Dane, WI

City of Fitchburg, Dane County reject police surveillance technology contracts

The Fitchburg Common Council on Tuesday night rejected a budget amendment that would have funded a seven-year, roughly $1.8 million police technology package that includes automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, drones and a camera-sharing program with local businesses. However, they left money in the 2027 budget to fund a “real-time information center” for police, so the issue could come up again in the coming months. Also Tuesday night, the Dane County Board’s Public Protection and Judiciary Committee rejected a smaller, $331,400, five-year contract between Axon and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office for ALPRs only. Committee members said they heard from many residents, none in favor of adding more ALPRs. Supervisor Amy Larson cited privacy concerns. “We can craft the perfect contract with the best litigation-proof terms, but if we don’t have the public confidence and the actors on the other side of the contract, I can’t support having these in place,” Larson said.

Clearwater Tribune · Elroy, WI

Nearby: Elroy, WI

John R. “Bob” Forbes, 78, formerly of Orofino

John "Bob" Forbes John R. (“Bob”) Forbes, 78, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026 at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho, following a motorcycle crash on his way back to Florida in early October. One of his last stops was for breakfast at a place in Orofino where (no doubt) everybody knew his name.John was born to the late June L. and John S. Forbes and the family lived in Elroy, Wisconsin. John graduated from Royall High School in 1966. He attended college in Eau Claire for two years before transferring to UW-Madison where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1971. He was a pharmacist for several decades before retiring in his mid to late 60s.John was previously married to Kathy Lee and Beth Lake. Most recently John lived in Sebring, Florida, where he spent winters enjoying the warmth of the Florida sunshine. He became good friends with a large group of guys and looked forward to regular breakfasts at McDonald’s where everybody knew his name.

Wausau Pilot and Review · Madison, WI

Nearby: Madison, WI

2026 WIAA state football playoffs, state semifinals scoreboard

Wausau Pilot & Review The 2026 WIAA state football playoffs continued with state semifinals in seven divisions on Friday, Nov. 13. Winners qualify for the 2026 WIAA State Football Championships, which will be held Thursday, Nov. 19 (Divisions 4-7) and Friday, Nov. 20 (Divisions 1-3), at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. See the statewide scoreboard here: 2026 WIAA State Football Playoffs State Semifinals, all games Friday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m. Division 1 No. 1 West De Pere (13-0) 20, No. 2 Racine Case (11-2) 19 No. 1 Sussex Hamilton (13-0) 48, No. 1 Bay Port (11-2) 15 Division 2 No. 1 Monona Grove (12-1) 30, No. 1 New Richmond (12-1) 7 No. 1 Green Bay Notre Dame (13-0) 28, No. 1 Union Grove (12-1) 17 Division 3 No. 1 Pewaukee (13-0) 28, No. 5 Waukesha Catholic Memorial (7-6) 14 No. 1 Port Washington (13-0) 34, No. 1 La Crosse Logan (12-1) 27 Division 4 No. 1 Freedom (13-0) 35, No. 1 Little Chute (11-2) 6 No. 1 Lake Mills (12-1) 36, No. 2 West Salem (12-1) 7 Division 5 No.

Madison365 · Madison, WI

Nearby: Madison, WI

An unapologetically Black space’: Madison’s Black Film Festival returns for fourth year with twice as many films

Madison’s Black Film Festival returns for its fourth year with twice as many films, as its creator says the event is finally growing into the vision she had from the start. The festival was launched in 2023 by Nehemiah Justified Anger, a faith-based organization focused on strengthening the Black community. It was created to connect the “head and heart,” says Siobhan Jackson, Nehemiah’s director of education, while providing more opportunities for people to experience Black culture, joy and art. Now in its fourth year, the festival has doubled its film lineup, offering a broader mix that includes major blockbusters, short films and video essays. “As it has grown, I’m getting to sort of bring it to my original hope and goal, which is to create a specifically unapologetically Black space,” Jackson said.

Madison365 · Madison, WI

Nearby: Madison, WI

Rev. David Hart: The spectacle is over. It’s time to return to the sanctuary

I really appreciate being a litigator. Jury trials in a courtroom do a lot to reveal the human condition. Sometimes I have seen the best of humanity. Other times, I have seen the absolute worst. For instance, when a witness takes the stand and systematically contradicts every sworn statement they have ever made, you do not need a law degree to know their credibility is shattered. You simply watch the jury turn away. We are witnessing this very credibility-shattering moment in the Christian world. For years, those of us standing in the prophetic tradition of the Black church, alongside progressive faith leaders across Madison and the nation, have watched a slow, tragic unraveling inside white evangelicalism. We watched as the radical, liberating Gospel of Jesus Christ was traded away for a seat at the table of political power. We watched as the cross was draped in partisan flags and the sacred call to love our neighbors was replaced by a relentless obsession with culture-war dominance.

Madison365 · Madison, WI

Nearby: Madison, WI

Shiva Bidar-Sielaff honored with Rotary’s Manfred E. Swarsensky Humanitarian Service Award

The Madison Downtown Rotary Club honored Shiva Bidar-Sielaff with its 2026 Manfred E. Swarsensky Humanitarian Service Award on Nov. 11, recognizing her decades of leadership, community service and work building connections across cultural and social differences. The award, established in 1982, recognizes individuals whose volunteer efforts have made outstanding contributions to humanitarian service in the greater Madison community, following the example of Rabbi Manfred E. Swarsensky. Bidar-Sielaff, the vice president and chief social impact officer at UW Health and associate dean for social impact and belonging at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, was nominated by Juli Aulik. Swarsensky, a Holocaust survivor who settled in Madison after fleeing Nazi persecution, founded Temple Beth El on the city’s near west side.

BGodInspired · Madison, WI

Nearby: Madison, WI

Who Said “People Will Never Forget How You Made Them Feel”? Not Angelou

Read Time:9 Minute, 46 Second No. “People will never forget how you made them feel” was not written by Maya Angelou. The earliest record anyone has found is a 1971 book called Richard Evans’ Quote Book, where the line is credited to Carl W. Buehner, a church leader from Salt Lake City. His version was shorter: “They may forget what you said — but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Angelou’s name was not attached to it until 2003, more than thirty years later. Nobody has found her saying it in any book, speech or recorded interview that can be checked. Almost everyone credits her, and it is easy to see why. The line sounds like her. It has been read at funerals, printed on cards and put at the bottom of a thousand email signatures with her name under it. If someone you love gave it to you, they were passing on what they had been given. The saying is real. Only the name is wrong.

Isthmus · Madison, WI

Nearby: Madison, WI

Candidate tracker: Madison mayor's race 2027

× Expand Magnific A 'City of Madison Mayor's Office' button on a pile of 'Vote' buttons. Having trouble keeping up with the race for Madison mayor? Mayor Rhodes-Conway says she isn't seeking a third term, leaving an open field of candidates vying to be the city's next top executive. The pool is likely going to grow before it shrinks. The filing deadline for the 2027 spring election is Jan. 5, at 5 p.m. The nonpartisan primary, on Feb. 16, will whittle the field down to the two top candidates. Those candidates will go head-to-head in the spring nonpartisan election on April 6. This live tracker will be updated with additional information over the course of the campaign. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order; we will include links to our coverage as well as to other news outlets. Syed Abbas × Expand Chali Pittman Syed Abbas. A Pakistani immigrant who became an organizer in his Eken Park neighborhood, Syed Abbas was first elected to the Madison city council in 2019.

The Chetek Alert · Madison, WI

Nearby: Madison, WI

Patricia L. Hinrichs

Patricia L. Hinrichs, 83, of Cameron, Wisconsin, was called home by her Savior on Nov. 7, 2026.Pat was born March 11, 1943, in Madison, Wisconsin, the daughter of Robert and Dorothy (Hayes) Keller. She lived the lake life growing up on Lake Mendota and lived in the Chetek area until passing. She enjoyed being outside. She especially loved swimming, hiking, tennis, horseback riding and picking wildflowers in the meadows. Her love for music, playing piano, dance and singing became an important part of her life. Making church music and assisting with choirs, directing and playing at church were all to the glory of God.She was always thankful for the people who touched her life in many ways: Pastor Ronald Mueller (Kathy), Pastor John Erickson (Sue), Shirley Langhough, Susan Barta, Sandy Miller, and Cindy Huting.

Isthmus · Madison, WI

Nearby: Madison, WI

Tarot therapy

× Expand Chali Pittman Dr. Laura Robu, left, reads the cards for Bethany Vongsiri. Dr. Laura Robu, left, reads the cards for Bethany Vongsiri. The smell of Palo Santo is wafting and people are starting to trickle into Oz by Oz when a tall, dark-haired woman dressed in black and lacy sleeves whirls into the downtown Madison cocktail bar. “The doctor is in,” says Colin, one of two bartenders working this evening. The woman greets him and asks for water with no ice, then settles into a small nook in view of King Street pedestrians. By day, Dr. Laura Robu — her tarot stage name — is a licensed psychologist at ClearPath Counseling and Wellness, where she specializes in trauma therapy and EMDR. Tonight, she’s here for her monthly residency as a tarot reader. She unpacks a small black cloth given to her by a former client, filled with quartz and other gemstones, and a traditional tarot deck.

Isthmus · Madison, WI

Nearby: Madison, WI

Which is Madison’s votingest neighborhood?

× Expand Olbrich Botanical Garden, Spring primary, Aug. 11, 2026. Ward 19, on Madison’s east side, can continue to boast its status as Madison’s votingest neighborhood. There was little question that Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a Democrat, would carry the Madison area in Tuesday’s election for governor, but the size of his margin over U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate, was greater than what we’ve seen in recent statewide races. In Madison, Crowley collected nearly 90% of the vote, about five points better than U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris managed in the 2024 presidential election and nearly two points better than Gov. Tony Evers received in 2022. Tiffany proved what many political pundits — and President Donald Trump himself — have long argued: if Trump isn’t on the ballot, Republican candidates suffer. Trump scored over 15% of the Madison vote in 2024, while Tiffany was stuck below 11%. All results can be found on the Dane County clerk’s website.