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Madison's commuinity website, featuring local news, sports and entertainment content from The Capital Times, Wisconsin State Journal and WKOW TV as well as autos, real estate and employment listings

• A greener holiday? Survey shows more shoppers more eco-friendly
  Thinking greener this season? You're not alone. A holiday spending survey commissioned by Deloitte & Touche this fall revealed that nearly one in five consumers will purchase more eco-friendly goods this year -- many of them indicating they're willing to pay more. Sustainability has crept into the mainstream with increasing numbers of people adding what's good for the planet to their gift list. Credit Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore. He simplified the science behind global warming and brought the ...
• Milk not really organic, suit says
  SEATTLE -- Some of the nation's largest retailers and grocery chains sold milk labeled "organic" that was not truly organic, recently filed lawsuits allege. The federal complaints focus on the sale of milk from Boulder, Colo.-based Aurora Organic Dairy, which recently agreed to change its practices after the U.S. Department of Agriculture found more than a dozen violations of organic standards. The lawsuits allege that Costco Wholesale Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp., Safeway Inc. and Wild ...
• Market memo: December 15, 2007
  More changes at Hilldale up for review Monday The Madison Plan Commission Monday night will hear a presentation from Joseph Freed & Associates over proposed changes to its Hilldale mixed-use development. Freed is putting on hold plans for additional condominiums, pending an improvement in the local housing market. It wants to place the new Hotel Indigo on University Avenue where a condo high-rise was originally proposed. The developer also wants to replace another planned condo building with a ...
• Wipfli to move to Todd Dr. space
  One of the region's largest accounting firms is the second major tenant to lease office space in the new Arbor Gate development at Todd Drive and the Beltline. Wipfli LLP announced Thursday it will relocate its Madison office when the twin six-story buildings are ready for occupancy in the fall of 2008. The Wisconsin Heart and Vascular Institute announced in October it would be leasing space at Arbor Gate. "We've got two anchor tenants now so ...
• UW alumni group behind fan survey
  If you're a "Wisconsin sports fan" who recently received an online survey "to learn more about opinions surrounding cable and satellite coverage of Wisconsin sports," the entity behind it was the Wisconsin Alumni Association. "The purpose was so that we as an organization can better understand people's opinions about televised Wisconsin sports, including the NFL Network and Big Ten Network, via satellite providers," said Kate Dixon, WAA media and public relations specialist. The WAA decided to conduct ...
• Market memo: December 14, 2007
  Alliant unit partners for ethanol efficiency Madison-based Alliant Energy announced that its Iowa utility unit has partnered with three other companies to market, design, install and arrange financing for a biomass-fueled, steam production technology that aims to significantly cut the cost to produce ethanol while lowering emissions. The four firms are Interstate Power and Light Co., Harris Companies, AE&E-Von Roll Inc., and FCStone Carbon LLC "With ethanol prices lower than they've been in recent years and capital costs ...
• Ray Unger: Be cautious of December 'foot shooting'
  If St. Paul was an investor, his words, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do" (Romans 7:14) would certainly resonate with many of us today, especially during December when we make trades purely for tax reasons. Then when January rolls around, Paul's words come back to haunt us and we shudder in disbelief. You all know what I'm talking about ...
• Madison Big Lots outlet to close
  Big Lots Inc. will close its East Washington Avenue store next month. The big box chain that specializes in selling overstock inventory at closeout prices will exit Madison by Jan. 19, saying the store is doing poorly in the market. "It is, frankly, not doing that well," said Rob Claxton, senior vice president of marketing for the Ohio-based company. "More importantly, we could not come to terms with the landlord on a new lease." The 20,000 square-foot store ...
• Immigration solution? Dairy hiring firm helps bridge vexing challenge
  Despite what will be a record year for income, all is not rosy on the Wisconsin dairy scene. Presidential candidates have been discussing the immigration issue. Many opinions have been offered, but none have found significant backing from lawmakers or the public. Diego Duarte of Sun Prairie, who owns Dairy Solutions & Services, may be the closest person to being an expert on the subject in southern Wisconsin. His business provides dairy producers with employees, most of ...
• Dairy farmers prepared for ups and downs
  How are Wisconsin dairy farmers doing? Those closely allied with the dairy business are often asked that question by friends, relatives and others not involved in milking cows. One answer is good, since it appears 2007 dairy income will reach a record high. In the first 11 months of the year, the basic milk price paid producers for 3.5 percent butterfat milk is $17.80 per hundredweight. That's $2.41 above the previous record of $15.39 reached in 2004. ...
• Market memo: November 13, 2007
  DirecTV to 'airlift' NFL Network DirecTV has come up with a new twist in its competition with cable companies. For the next two weeks, it will be flying its new blimp -- the DirecTV Starship -- over Tampa, St. Petersburg and Orlando, Fla., showing NFL Network game telecasts and promoting DirecTV's high-definition service to cable customers who do not receive NFL Network from their local cable provider, Bright House Networks. The side of the blimp is an enormous ...
• The good, bad of Charter service
  While CableWorld Magazine has named Charter Communications its Multi-System Operator of the Year, a new study gave Charter the worst customer service ranking of the major cable TV providers. In honoring Charter, CableWorld cited the company for addressing its nearest-term debt maturities; its rapidly expanding phone business; and its "consistent, data-driven marketing plan." "This is a tremendous honor and it speaks to the efforts of over 16,000 Charter employees," CEO Neil Smit said in a statement. ...
• Dinner By Design eyes area outlets
  Dinner By Design may be a little late to the table here, but it's coming. The firm, which is based in northern Illinois, still plans to be the Madison area's third company in the growing meal assembly category, joining Michigan-based Main Dish Kitchen and Texas-based Super Suppers. Dinner By Design originally planned to open an outlet in Sun Prairie in the first quarter of this year, but the success of its site in Delafield caused the ...
• Twisted e-cards: Sarcastic holiday cheer online
  The tradition of holiday cards sometimes feels about as outdated as Tickle Me Elmo. (No disrespect, Elmo.) Of course, many families still dispatch Christmas and Hanukkah cards the old-fashioned way: through the mail, with smiling family pictures attached. But the traditional holiday card is finding surprising and peculiar evolutions online. E-cards have become big business, with notable sites including Hallmark's Web site, www.123greetings.com, www.BlueMountain.com/, www.AmericanGreetings.com and many more. These sites would be smart to ...
• USA Baby to close at Westgate
  USA Baby & Childspace will close at the Westgate Mall next week. The local franchise that sells better furniture and accessories for babies and children has been losing money in recent months, said Bob Helmholdt who owns the franchise store with silent business partners. Helmholdt blamed online buying and the opening of another baby specialty store in Madison this year for the downturn in the 11,200 square-foot store he has run for 13 years. "Since Babies R Us ...
• 'Glass bank' sold: Local firm buys iconic Capitol Square building
  One of the highest-profile buildings on the Capitol Square is changing hands. Mi