THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969 Volume XLIV, Issue 3
Monday, September 10, 2012
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Ironmen, women cruise through town
Kelsey Fenton The Badger Herald
Ben Hoffman (pictured) chugs along during the 26.2-mile run included in the race. He placed first among all participants with a time of 8:32:51.
Winning male finishes in under 9 hours, female victor in under 10 Camille Albert City Hall Editor
Andy Fate The Badger Herald
Amber Hahn (pictured), one of approximately 2,500 competitors, held her own and kept up with the pack in the cycling stage.
Thousands of spectators filled the streets with their most encouraging applause and loudest whistles to cheer on the 2,500 athletes that endured Wisconsin’s 11th annual Iron Man. The race kicked off at 7 a.m. with a 2.4-mile swim in Lake Monona, which led to a 112-mile bike ride through rural areas of the city and concluded with a 26.2 mile run that went through State Street and finished off in front of the Capitol. The race ended around midnight on Monday. The Iron Man brought out many professional triathletes, amateurs and
everyone in between. Professional Ben Hoffman, 29, was first to cross the finish line at 8 hours, 32 minutes and 51 seconds, breaking the record for Iron Man Wisconsin. He said finishing the race was “beyond words” and even though the last ten miles of running were difficult, the crowd kept him going. He said every time he hit a low point in the race, the fans in funny costumes cheered him up. “The crowd is easily the best crowd I’ve ever [experienced] at a race,” Hoffman said. “It was incredible.” The second place winner was Eduardo Sturla from Argentina. He finished in 8
hours, 46 minutes and 29 seconds. He said the race was different than any he had done in the past because it was outdoors and the people were so friendly to him, especially for being from out of the country. The first woman to finish the race was Elizabeth Lyles, who finished in 9 hours, 34 minutes and 35 seconds. She took time off from 2008 to 2011 to raise her children, a fouryear-old boy and two-yearold girl, and this was her first year as a professional triathlete, she said. When asked if she could ever see herself as the first female to finish an Iron
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Resnick proposes replacement to SAFEcab McKenzi Higgins Herald Contributor The idea of a downtown rapid taxi service has been introduced to replace the missing services from SAFEcab after it was discontinued last summer. Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, recently
proposed the idea of a new taxi service downtown and said it would be highly successful for students and residents of the city. Resnick said the administrative decision, which came under UW Transportation Services, to end SAFEcab was a “detriment” to students.
“SAFEcab itself was a utilized service, particularly for students who lived far from campus,” Resnick said. “During peak hours and winter months, students would use this to get home safely.” Resnick said the university has not said
SAFEcab will be brought back or that they will introduce a supplementary program. He added his idea of a downtown rapid taxi service was the first attempt to replace the services of SAFEcab. In an email to The Badger Herald, Resnick said the taxi service would
As many as 3 in Dane County inflicted with West Nile virus Local health officials still waiting for confirmation; all cases involve adults Elliot Hughes Deputy News Editor West Nile virus is believed to have reached humans in Dane County, affecting as many as three people, one health official said. Amanda Kita-Yarbro, communicable disease epidemiologist for Madison and Dane County Public Health, said Friday there was one “probable” case and two “suspected” cases. The department had only received details over the latter two Friday and had not yet investigated the matter,
according to Kita-Yarbro. All cases must be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kita-Yarbro said, but she added MDCPH considers the “probable” case to be West Nile. “We would consider her a case,” she said, after explaining the patient is an adult female. The other two suspected cases are also adults, she said. The virus was detected after the woman attempted to donate blood, according to Kita-Yarbro. She said she is recovering and was not hospitalized. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services did not immediately return phone or email messages for this story. Should any of the three cases be confirmed, it would be the first human case of the virus in Dane County this year. Health officials found a dead bird with
the virus in Dane County in July, according to a WDHS statement. The Milwaukee JournalSentinel reported Thursday two people who tested positive for West Nile in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties died, although the causes of death have yet to be determined. Nobody in Wisconsin has died from the virus since 2008, according to the JournalSentinel. In late August, WDHS had announced the first human case of West Nile in Dodge County, which borders Dane to the northeast. One other human case has been found in Kenosha County, according to the WDHS. Eighty percent of humans infected with West Nile never experience any symptoms,
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run between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Students and young professionals in the downtown area would be able to utilize the taxi service for a flat fee inside a zone, including the tip to the cab driver, Resnick said. He added the taxi service would cover the
immediate downtown area, extending from Blair Street to all of campus. Resnick said in an email the flat fee for a ride would be $5 in the central zone of the city and that the cost to the city would be minimal. He added guests could
RESNICK, page 4
DAMMED Wisconsin’s offense was largely ineffective in Saturday’s 10-7 loss to Oregon State, as the traditionally dominant Badger run game was contained to just 35 total yards. Associated Press