Chris Rickert

Madison

Urban Affairs Reporter and SOS Columnist at Wisconsin State Journal

Reporting and consumer help ("SOS") at the @WiStateJournal. Freelance fact-checking at [email protected]. Opinions are my own.

Featured in: Favicon

madison.com (+1) Favicon

usnews.com Favicon

apnews.com Favicon

chicagotribune.com Favicon

startribune.com Favicon

washingtontimes.com Favicon

stltoday.com Favicon

seattlepi.com Favicon

tucson.com Favicon

govtech.com + 97 more

Articles

Woman sentenced to 10 years in shooting death of the father of her two children

2 days ago | madison.com | Chris Rickert

A woman who shot and killed the father of her two children after the two had argued and he had allegedly struck her was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday. Tamar B. Beasley, 27, had originally been charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the April 10, 2024, death of Andre M. Wrice, 31, at the North Side Madison Packer Townhouses where they both lived in separate units.
Trial gets underway in attempted 2014 ricin poisoning

4 days ago | madison.com | Chris Rickert

The trial in an 11-year-old attempted poisoning got underway Monday in Dane County, where a 63-year-old former town of Middleton woman faces attempted homicide charges for allegedly trying to kill her former neighbors by breaking into their home and spreading homemade ricin. Kore D.
SOS: Battery replacement promises clean grill to come

4 days ago | madison.com | Chris Rickert

The good news for humanity is that if the battery in Dave Pargman’s Grillbot is any indication of the quality of robot batteries generally, humanity still has a few good years left before the robots take over. The bad news for Pargman is that he liked his Grillbot, and he wanted it to work. Pargman, 79, of DeForest, said he got his Grillbot as a Christmas gift from his wife, Cindy. For the uninitiated, the Grillbot is a circular, rechargable, self-powered grill grate cleaner with rotating brushes.
Madison School District policy gives administrators the same raises as teachers

5 days ago | madison.com | Chris Rickert

Under a longstanding practice to give Madison School District administrators the same wage increase that the teacher’s union is able to negotiate, administrators are effectively negotiating with themselves — for their own pay raises. It’s an approach that “has been in place for the past few administrations, at least,” according to the district’s communications office.
White man passed over for position files civil rights suit against city of Madison

1 week ago | madison.com | Chris Rickert

A longtime white Madison attorney has filed a federal civil rights suit against the city alleging that he was passed over for position of the city's first independent police monitor in 2022 because of his age and race. Joel Winnig was a finalist for the position along with two Black men and a woman of color, according to the 18-page suit filed Wednesday.
Complaint: Madison couple tried to poison two women four separate times

1 week ago | kenoshanews.com | Chris Rickert

Secure transaction. Cancel anytime. Have an account? Log In Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Check your email for details. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. × × Secure & Encrypted What's your email address? What's your name? Who is this gift for?
Complaint: Couple tried to poison two woman four separate times

1 week ago | lakegenevanews.net | Chris Rickert

Secure transaction. Cancel anytime. Have an account? Log In Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Check your email for details. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. × × Secure & Encrypted What's your email address? What's your name? Who is this gift for?
Complaint: Couple tried to poison two woman five separate times

1 week ago | madison.com | Chris Rickert

Encouraged and aided by his current girlfriend, a Madison man arrested last week on attempted homicide charges tried five separate times to poison two different women he formerly dated in Dane and Rock counties, a criminal complaint says. Now Paul Van Duyne Jr., 43, and the girlfriend, Andrea L. "Ani" Whitaker, 41, of Madison, face charges of attempted homicide in Rock County and are likely to to face similar charges in Dane later today when Van Duyne makes his first court appearance.
Authorities: Wisconsin couple tried to poison man's ex-girlfriends with cyanide

1 week ago | telegraphherald.com | Chris Rickert

A 41-year-old woman prosecutors say was involved in a plot to poison two women in Wisconsin was ordered held on $750,000 bond Wednesday as authorities continue to investigate a case that also implicates a man who briefly dated the two intended victims. At the heart of the investigation into Andrea L.
Complaint: Madison couple tried to poison two women four separate times

1 week ago | wiscnews.com | Chris Rickert

Encouraged and aided by his current girlfriend, a Madison man arrested last week on attempted homicide charges tried four separate times to poison two different women he formerly dated in Dane and Rock counties, a criminal complaint says. Now Paul Van Duyne Jr., 43, and the girlfriend, Andrea L. "Ani" Whitaker, 41, of Madison, face charges of attempted homicide in Rock County and are likely to to face similar charges in Dane later today when Van Duyne makes his first court appearance.