The New Lisbon Correctional Institution in Juneau County had a nearly tenfold increase in active COVID-19 cases from Wednesday to Thursday, with cases skyrocketing from 31 to 305.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in the Wisconsin prison system broke 5,000 for the first time Thursday, and the active case count surpassed 2,000.
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections reported 467 new cases in a single day Thursday, bringing the total number of prisoners infected since the pandemic began to 5,392. Of those, 2,063 cases were active.
Six prisons had active outbreaks of more than 100 cases Thursday, and even more had dozens of active cases.
One prison, New Lisbon Correctional Institution, had a nearly tenfold increase in reported COVID-19 cases from Wednesday to Thursday. The medium-security prison had just 31 active cases among inmates Wednesday, but that number skyrocketed to 305 active cases Thursday, according to DOC’s data dashboard.
So far, DOC has reported a total of 10 COVID-19-related inmate deaths, measured as prisoner deaths in which a local medical examiner or coroner has confirmed that the virus was an underlying cause of death or a significant condition that contributed to death.
More prisoners may have died from COVID-19, but they won’t be added to DOC’s data dashboard until the medical examiner confirms it.
Among staff, 1,126 DOC employees have self-reported testing positive, with 256 of those cases active Thursday, DOC reported.
The five other prisons with massive outbreaks of more than 100 cases are Redgranite Correctional Institution with 298 active cases among inmates Thursday, Stanley Correctional Institution with 297, Waupun Correctional Institution with 285, Dodge Correctional Institution with 170 and Jackson Correctional Institution with 155.
Prisons with smaller but still sizable outbreaks included Chippewa Valley Correctional Treatment Facility with 82 active cases among inmates Thursday, Racine Correctional Institution/Sturtevant Transitional Facility with 74, Green Bay Correctional Institution with 66, Winnebago Correctional Center with 64, Taycheedah Correctional Institution with 60, Fox Lake Correctional Institution with 41, Oshkosh Correctional Institution with 41, Ellsworth Correctional Center with 37 and Black River Correctional Center with 34.
DOC’s policy is for infected prisoners to be isolated and medically cared for, and for exposed inmates to be quarantined.
Wisconsin DOC confirms COVID-19 deaths among prison inmates tops recent notable crime-related news
Wisconsin DOC releases data on COVID-19-related inmate deaths for first time; 5 are dead
After pressure from criminal justice groups and the Wisconsin State Journal, the state Department of Corrections has changed course and is for the first time releasing the number of prisoners who have died from COVID-19 — more than a month after the first inmate died.
DOC announced Friday that a total of five Wisconsin inmates have died from COVID-19. Inmate deaths are counted as COVID-19-related if the virus was an underlying cause of death or a significant condition that contributed to death.
McFarland woman, 3 Madison men indicted on drug charges by federal grand jury
A McFarland woman and three Madison men have been indicted on drug charges by a federal grand jury, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Madison reported.
According to the report released last week of the grand jury's action:
Tara Blum, 29, is charged with four counts of distributing methamphetamine and two counts of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
The indictment alleges that between July 22 and Sept. 9 one of Blum’s sales involved 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and that on Sept. 9 she possessed 500 grams or more for distribution.
Madison woman arrested for pointing gun, wanting to shoot man who damaged her car
A Madison woman was arrested after pointing a handgun at a man on the Far West Side Sunday and admitting to police she wanted to shoot him for damaging her car, police said.
Officers responded to the 1100 block of Morraine View Drive at around 8:40 a.m. Sunday to a report of a woman pointing a gun at a man, Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said. The man who reported the incident was asleep in his nearby apartment when we was woken up by the sounds of yelling and saw the woman, who appeared angry and was shouting, pointing the gun at a man.
Man charged with damaging statues also charged with breaking City-County Building windows
A Madison man charged last week with helping tear down two statues on the state Capitol grounds during anti-police demonstrations on June 23 was charged Monday with breaking windows at the City-County Building the same night, before at least one other person tried to set the building on fire, according to police.
Sasha N. Clemente, 21, was charged in a criminal complaint Monday with an additional count of felony criminal damage to property after police said they identified him from photographs using a shovel to break a window on the Carroll Street side of the CCB early on June 24.
2 more Wisconsin prisons have COVID-19 outbreaks totaling more than 500 active cases
Two more Wisconsin prisons are in the midst of massive COVID-19 outbreaks, with nearly 390 active cases among inmates at one facility and 140 at the other, the state Department of Corrections reported Monday.
The simultaneous outbreaks come on the heels of five other massive outbreaks of more than 100 cases in the prison system over the last two months.
Man arrested for attempted homicide for attack on 71-year-old homeless man Downtown
A 71-year-old homeless man suffered non-life threatening injuries after being attacked on State Street early Thursday morning, Madison police said.
The man was sleeping near the intersection of State Street and Lake Street around 3:20 a.m., when he was cut several times in the lower torso with some type of "sharp-edged instrument," police spokesman Joel DeSpain said in a statement.
2 teens arrested in July 6 vehicle-to-vehicle shooting on West Side, Madison police say
Two 17-year-old boys have been arrested in a July 6 vehicle-to-vehicle shooting on the West Side, Madison police said.
Lazerek B. Austin, of Verona, and Donivan L. Douglas, of Madison, were booked into the Dane County Jail on tentative charges of first-degree reckless endangerment after being arrested by the Madison Police Department Violent Crime Unit, police spokesman Joel DeSpain said.
Ahead of homecoming and Halloween, Cottage Grove police confiscate mountain of toilet paper
Sounding an irreverent note in one historic downer of a year, the Cottage Grove Police Department on Tuesday posted a photo and a few words about the mountain of toilet paper it had confiscated in recent days from teens looking to do a little, um, decorating around town.
Facebook took it from there.
“Madison Police could use the help Im sure if all CG has to worry about is this petty nonsense!” responded one person.
“Ah so you stole their legally purchased and possessed product,” responded another.
Janesville man indicted on charges for 7 armed robberies in Rock, Dane counties
A Janesville man has been indicted on charges for seven armed robberies and an attempted robbery in September in Madison, Fitchburg and Janesville, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Madison said.
Devonti Wilson, 36, also is charged with brandishing a firearm during each robbery, and with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Woman arrested after stabbing ex-husband in town of Harmony home they share
A woman was arrested Thursday night for stabbing her ex-husband in the town of Harmony home the two of them live in together, the Rock County Sheriff's Office said.
Stephanie Larson, 52, was arrested on tentative charges of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm with use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct, Capt. Aaron Burdick said. She was taken to the Rock County Jail, and her initial appearance in court is set for Monday.
Madison man pleads not guilty to homicide in stabbing death of his daughter
A Madison man charged with stabbing his 13-year-old daughter to death and trying to kill his wife pleaded not guilty to homicide and attempted homicide charges Friday after he was ordered to stand trial.
At a long-awaited preliminary hearing for Travis M. Christianson, 44, Madison police Detective Lisa Fahrenbruch testified that Christianson’s wife, Dawn Christianson, arrived at their Southwest Side home from a trip to the grocery store on July 30 and was met by her husband, who wielded a large kitchen knife. She asked him about their daughter, Addrianna.
