Another great day for softball

This sectional final is going into extra innings, folks!

Sun Prairie's Sam Kanak (13), left, tries to outrun a throw from Madison La Follette third baseman Tessa Lewis (23), center, in the third inning of a WIAA sectional final in Waunakee, Wis., Friday, June 10, 2011. La Follette pitcher Nicole Newman, right, follows the play.

Sun Prairie third baseman Katelyn Huemmer (3) acknowledges pitcher Kristen Hoppman on a double play in the fifth inning, throwing out Madison La Follette baserunner Haley Coulthart (5), bottom. Reacting, far left, is La Follette head coach/third base coach Heather Fish.

Madison La Follette third baseman Tessa Lewis (23) prepares to throw to home from the dirt in the eighth inning. Lewis' throw made it in time to throw out Sun Prairie's Ali Lee (8), preventing a run.

The umpire calls out Sun Prairie's Ali Lee (8) at home plate with Madison La Follette catcher Megan Tuohy (30) on the tag and throw coming from third baseman Tessa Lewis (not pictured) in the eighth inning.

Sun Prairie shortstop Chelsey Rodenkirch (1) makes a running throw to first base in the ninth inning.

Sun Prairie left fielder Taylor Lenz (11) chases down the game-winning hit by Madison La Follette's Tessa Lewis in the tenth inning.

Sun Prairie catcher Maggie Scott (4) is stunned as Madison La Follette players, left to right, Brianna Sohrweide (4), Clare Gloede (21), and Haley Coulthart (5) run onto the field to celebrate their win. Knocking in the game-winning hit was Madison La Follette's Tessa Lewis (not pictured).

It's like covering a congressional hearing...

...only in a much smaller, less beautiful room.

The political madness in Wisconsin continues as we shift some of our attention to the impending recalls of several state Senators. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Board is in the middle of a mess of a fight over signatures, petitions and affidavits for the recalls. They held an open session with lawyers and GAB staff to help determine how to handle the situation.

Jonathan Becker, division administrator of Wisconsin's Government Accountability Board's ethics division, looks at a projection of an affidavit in question during an open session meeting in the agency's board room in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 8, 2011.

Wisconsin's Government Accountability Board's staff counsel Shane Falk, left, and elections specialist David Buerger, right, make a presentation to the GAB board members in the open session meeting.

Judge Gordon Myse on Wisconsin's Government Accountability Board asks questions of GAB staff during the meeting.

Jeremy Levinson, an attorney for Democrat state senators being recalled, offers a rebuttal presentation.

Eric McLeod, an attorney representing committees trying to recall Democrat state senators, offers a rebuttal presentation.

Till death do us part – tomorrow or years from now

Don Slick and his girlfriend, Lisa Threlkeld, had been together for 17 years. Their normal day-to-day life together was abruptly interrupted by a diagnosis: Don's heart valves were infected. He has been hospitalized for nearly a month at Meriter Hospital in Madison.

Facing a high-risk surgery to replace the valves, Don proposed. The couple arranged a ceremony in the hospital courtyard scheduled for the day before the procedure. There, he stood up out of his wheelchair for the entire ceremony.

It was truly a blessing to witness and photograph this special day for them and our readers.

UPDATE: I'm happy to say that Don made it through surgery and is recovering.

Don Slick and Lisa Threlkeld, his long-time partner, stand before the Rev. Jason Hill, chaplain resident, during a wedding in the Meriter Hospital courtyard in Madison, Wis., Wednesday morning, June 8, 2011. Slick faces high-risk cardiac surgery on June 9.

Don and Lisa exchange their vows.

Deedra Atkinson, a United Way colleague, comforts Don as he and Lisa walk as husband and wife for the first time after the ceremony.

Don Slick gets a hug from United Way colleague Amber Buchmann after the ceremony.

Don is wheeled into a small hospital reception by his new wife, Lisa, after their wedding ceremony at Meriter Hospital.

Don and Lisa toast each other with a glass of champagne during the small reception.

Don and Lisa cut their wedding cake.

Where's the ball?

Coaches and players search for a lost ball in deep rough along the 18th fairway at the WIAA state golf tournament at University Ridge golf course in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, June 7, 2011.

Weather warning for the workplace

Paul Shain, CEO and president of Singlewire Software, poses for a portrait with telephones in a testing room at the company's headquarters in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 1, 2011. The company is developing an IP-based notification system for weather and other types of emergencies for applications in the business environment.

An example message on a telephone at Singlewire Software's headquarters.

A darn hot weekend for State Track and Field

Boy did I get one heckuva sunburn this weekend covering this year's WIAA State Track and Field meet in La Crosse. But it's always worth it.

From left, Marinette's Erin Perkins, Random Lake's Alexia Horstmeier, Stanley-Boyd's Marissa Mahr, and West Salem's CJ Bina clear a set of hurdles in heat 1 of the division 2 girls 100 meter high hurdles at the WIAA state track and field meet in La Crosse, Wis., Friday, June 3, 2011.

Belmont's Kailee Kamps competes in the shot put event Friday.

Pole vaulter Malachi Romportl of Rice Lake finds some shade between turns Friday.

Fans watch the girls 300 meter low hurdles event Friday.

Girls, including Monroe's Jaclyn Ditter (lane 4) compete in the first heat of the division 2 300 meter low hurdles race Friday.

Track and field fans take a rest in the green area in front of Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex, Friday.

Starter Loren Homb of Monroe starts a section of the girls 800 meter run Friday.

Aquinas' Michael Christianson looks back to check his lead over Edgewood's Joe McKenna in the home stretch of the boys 3200 meter run Friday.

Madison East's Tyrone Galvin lands in the pit while competing in the long jump Friday.

Sun Prairie's Liz Berkholtz, right, closes in on Brookfield Central's Hannah Trasser on the home stretch to win the 1600 meter run Friday.

Waunakee's Ross Maly hits the bar at 6'6" in the high jump Friday. Maly eventually cleared 6'6" and later 6'8" but nevertheless was unable to beat Green Bay East's Mike Fisher.

The Platteville 3200 meter relay team celebrates their win at the WIAA state track and field meet in La Crosse, Wis., Saturday, June 4, 2011.

Madison East's Travis Turnquist falls after crossing the finish line in the boys 400 meter dash Saturday.

A lane number tag becomes dislodged from the right leg of Monroe's Jaclyn Ditter just as she crosses the finish line in the 400 meter relay Saturday.

Tournament volunteers prepare to walk-out the championship and runner-up hardware Saturday.

Back to the Capitol

Just when I think activity at the Capitol will cool down, it heats back up again.

On my drive home from work yesterday, I was "rerouted" back to the Capitol where I was told protesters were disrupting a meeting of the Joint Committee on Finance. By the time I got parked, into the building, and all the way upstairs, things had settled down a bit, but emotions were still high.

A handful of protesters with Voces de la Frontera, a grassroots immigrant rights group, wept during debate at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Finance at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., Thursday night, June 2, 2011.

Protesters disrupt and walk out of the Joint Committee on Finance meeting.

A great day for softball

Coaches and players with Madison La Follette, left, and DeForest, right meet with officials before the start of a game at Madison Memorial in Madison, Wis., Thursday, June 2, 2011.

The ball gets by DeForest shortstop Jenny Berry (22) and second baseman Amber Dorman (23) as Madison La Follette's Clare Gloede(21) slides safely into second for a stolen base in the first inning.

A base hit gets by DeForest third baseman Taylor Legried (26) in the first inning allowing a run.

Madison La Follette baserunner Michelle Farino (24) is called out for interference as DeForest shortstop Jenny Berry (22) fields a ground ball in the third inning.

Madison La Follette teammates prepare to welcome Nicole Newman (40) to home plate after she hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning.

Elated Madison La Follette teammates welcome Nicole Newman (40) to home plate after she hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning.

Welcome to Schubert's

Mike Alioto of Madison, left, meets Walter Krumdick of Mt. Horeb for lunch at Schubert's Old Fashioned Cafe & Bakery in Mt. Horeb, Wis., Tuesday, May 31, 2011. Above them on the wall are historic photographs of the place: top, an April 1, 1960 picture of then-Presidential primary candidate John F. Kennedy, who visited Mt. Horeb and spoke in a hotel upstairs; bottom, a 1940s street view of the building, then called Olson's; right, a 1939 interior view.

Julie Zander, far right, serves a cold drink at Schubert's.

A map with push-pins showing where customers have traveled from is displayed in the front window of Schubert's.