SPECIAL REPORTS - WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports

The face of domestic abuse

For one woman, struggling through years of abuse meant nearly losing her life. Now her story of survival is inspiring others, and teaching the dangers of domestic violence. More>>

Online deal sites can save you money
These days, people go to great lengths to find a good deal, and now, more online deal sites are popping up.Sites like Groupon and Living Social are very popular.More >>
Wisconsin's blind eye on drunk driving
Wisconsin is known for its beer and drinking, but the ugly side to that image is the state's horrible reputation when it comes to drunk driving.
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Foods to watch out for before they hit the cart
You might think you are eating healthy, but experts say some foods might not be as healthy as you think.More >>
Cost of Convenience
Many parents are cutting down on time by buying groceries at the convenience store, rather than the grocery store at times. But is it worth it? Elishah Oesch looks at the cost of convenience.More >>
Parenting Project: Too young for cell phones?
While most adults can't seem to live without their cell phones, the same may be coming true for kids. But the debate over when a child should get a cell phone and how they should be able to use it continues.More >>
Does it Work? Plaque Attack
The brush? Too much fuss. You can now spray your dog's plaque away with plaque attack. At least that's the claim of the infomercial. It pushes a product that supposed to be safe, easy to use and will save you money.More >>
Phone cramming: 3rd party companies tacking charges on your phone bill
You could be billed tens, hundreds, even thousands of dollars for services you don't want or even ask for. It's called phone cramming.More >>
Sleep disorders: Do you have one?
Sleep disorders can rob you of sleep and threaten your life, and you might not even know if you have one. Here's how to tell and what to do if you do.More >>
Does it Work? Pasta Boat and Eggies
It doesn't take a master chef to make pasta or hard boiled eggs, but these two products promise to make the experience even easier: the Pasta Boat and Eggies. 27 News puts them to the test.
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Making the Trade: The Art of Barter
Many people and small businesses have had to get creative to survive in and after the Great Recession.
Instead of cash, they're using what they sell to pay for what they need.More >>
A Smarter Way to Shop
Mobile and internet coupons are big right now, but can they really save you money on essentials like groceries? WKOW's Elishah Oesch went shopping for deals, and found that many of them literally in the palm of your hand.More >>
A country girl with big dreams: Whitney Mann
There are millions of aspiring musicians across the country, all hoping to make it big someday.More >>
Does it Work? Emery Cat Board
Trying to clip your kitty's claws can be difficult at best. So, a product that promises to make the process less painful seems like an easy sell.More >>
Women sticking to their guns on concealed carry
The Department of Justice has gotten more than 25,700 applications since the concealed carry law went into effect nearly a week ago.More >>
They've Got You Covered, Too - Ruth Ann Phillips
Ruth Ann Phillips has been the crossing guard at Fair Oaks and Atwood Avenues, in front of Madison's Lowell Elementary, for 22 of the 95 years the school has been there. Her children went to the school,More >>
Student confronts teacher on tape over alleged sex abuse
A dismissed prosecution over a Wisconsin teacher's alleged sex assault may not be over, and a critical piece of evidence could be the teacher's own words in a secretly recorded conversation.More >>
Does it Work? EZ Moves
It seems simple enough: A product that makes moving stuff easy. But does it work? 27 News put EZ Moves to the test.
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No puppy mills yet found under puppy mill-driven legislation
State officials have yet to find a dog-breeding facility that could be considered a puppy mill under a new law driven by public outcry on the topic.More >>
Dep. Eric Novotny - He's Got You Covered, Too!
The Dane County Sheriff's deputy relishes being the good guy when things go bad on the Beltline.More >>
Taking a chance: Hyperbaric therapy and autism
One of every 110 children is diagnosed with autism. And, while there's no cure, there are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of treatments: both traditional and non-traditional.More >>
Does it Work? Active Park Assist
Parallel parking can come with unparalleled challenges: Finding a large enough spot, squeezing in just right, keeping off the curb but not too far away.More >>
Does it Work? Slap Chop
You may have seen the infomercials for a device that promises to save you time and grief in the kitchen. But does the Slap Chop live up to hype?More >>
Summers of Destruction: 2005
It's been an especially destructive year already for severe weather around the country, and for some people here in southern Wisconsin, those images hit very close to home.More >>
SPECIAL REPORT: There's an app for that
From the simple, to the creative, to the bizarre. There are hundreds of thousands of smart phone apps available on the iTunes and Android markets, and some are made here in Madison.More >>
Project for women after incarceration
Women getting out of jail are finding some hope in the Backyard Mosaic Women's Project.More >>
Not a life sentence: Children with incarcerated parents
Researchers estimate the parents of about 1.7 million children in the United States are incarcerated in prison and millions more are in jail.More >>
Local family helps efforts to make backing up your car safer
A local family took part in National Highway Traffic Safety Board hearings in March, on back-up cameras in cars. Experts believe the tiny cameras could help prevent cases of kids being backed over. "NoMore >>
Now and Then: Social Media and Relationships
Social Media has changed our lives and our relationships forever. Elishah Oesch explores how relationships were before, and how they are now. More >>
A Dirty Look: A search for household germs
27 News went looking for bacteria in clean places. With the help of a UW microbiologist, we found the dirt in several places that may surprise you.More >>
SPECIAL REPORT: Cost-saving measure prevents prosecution of sex offenders
A cost-saving measure by the Department of Corrections is preventing the prosecution of some convicted sex offenders, according to interviews and court documents reviewed by 27 News.More >>
The Citizenship Test
We're going to see how much you remember from your high school history and civics classes as we take the Citizenship Test.More >>
Special Report: Tracking Your Every Move
From the pictures you post, to the websites you visit, detailed information about your daily life is being captured and stored online.

It's information that could have someone tracking your every move without your knowledge, a 27 News investigation has revealed.More >>
"Little Shrine that Could" gains world prominence
Growing up in the shadow of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Joe Anderson is already surfing the web and enjoying movies.More >>
A dose of reality: Real-life teen moms
Some are calling it a phenomenon, others call it a crisis.More >>
The Best Deal--Grocery Shopping Price Comparisons
Grocery prices are on the rise again. Many families want to find the best deal, but they don't know how, or have the time to comparison shop. So, WKOW hit some local grocery stores for you, to find the best deal.More >>
Special Report: Where's the credit?
Americans are finding it harder to get credit. But, banks and other financial companies say they have all kinds of money to lend. More >>
27 News Special Report on ABC's Modern Family
27 News takes you backstage to find out why the cast and crew are so darn funny.More >>
An emotional journey
It has been an emotional ride as we recapped our Badger Honor Flight experience.

One veteran says he couldn't ask for a better finale to his life.More >>
Openly gay man fights to be ordained
A Madison man has spent the last 20 years trying to be ordained as a Presbyterian pastor. But he's running into problems because he's gay.

If ordained, he would become the first openly gay pastor in the world.More >>
Local WWII veteran survived Bataan death march, headed to DC Saturday
On Saturday, 105 local World War II veterans will fly to Washington, D.C. for the Badger Honor Flight.More >>
Death Investigation School teaches cops to 'think dirty'
It's a boot camp for homicide detectives, the place where they learn the secrets of their trade.

In a two-part special report, Bob Schaper spent a day with students and instructors at the state's Death Investigation School in secluded Green Lake County.More >>
WKOW Investigation: Former UW student claims Verveer acted improperly
In an account eerily similar to previous claims of prosecutorial excess by former Assistant Dane County District Attorney Mike Verveer, a former UW-Madison student claimed to WKOW 27 News Verveer made an unsolicited telephone call to him when the man was a criminal defendant, and may have tainted a prosecution.More >>
Finding balance in the social media world
It's fast. It's furious. It's communication today. The immediacy with which we all share information - from emails, to twitter, to Facebook and news is happening at a pace we could not have imagined 10 years ago. Social media is an important part of our lives, but it also creates the potential for problems. You need to keep some balance so you don't get lost.More >>
LZ Lambeau: Welcoming home Vietnam Veterans decades later
Some say it's more than 40 years over due. Wisconsin veterans of the Vietnam War will be coming to Lambeau Field for the welcome home they never got.

One veteran says it's what vets like him have waited decades for.More >>
Sucked in by social media
On Sunday, Barbara Vaughan reports on how to keep some balance so you don't get lost.More >>
Experiments in thrift
Experiments in thrift are turning positive results for many people, who are happy to share their success stories with you.More >>
New Information: Investigation reveals state ignores some fraud complaints
New interviews and public documents suggest the state's consumer watchdog agency promises taxpayers something it can't possibly deliver.

Our tax dollars pay the Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, or DATCP, to investigate fraud complaints and crack down on con-artists and scammers.More >>
Remembering Ben Larson
27 News' Diana Henry traveled to Haiti to see the impact Wisconsin volunteers are making in Haiti following January's earthquake.

Join her for a week-long series on Wisconsin's Lifeline to Haiti on 27 News at 10. And, on May 7th at 7 PM, tune in for a live one hour fundraising event.More >>
Orphans in Fondwa, Haiti now sleep under tarps
27 News' Diana Henry traveled to Haiti to see the impact Wisconsin volunteers are making in Haiti following January's earthquake.

Join her for a week-long series on Wisconsin's Lifeline to Haiti on 27 News at 10. And, on May 7th at 7 PM, tune in for a live one hour fundraising event.More >>
Red Cross distributes aid in Haiti
Haiti's struggle to survive is far from over. 27 News' Diana Henry traveled to Haiti to see the impact Wisconsin volunteers are making in Haiti following January's earthquake.

Join her for a week-long series on Wisconsin's Lifeline to Haiti on 27 News at 10. And, on May 7th at 7 PM, tune in for a live one hour fundraising event.More >>
Haiti: 4 months later
Haiti is a country still trying to survive 4 months after the deadly 7.0 earthquake on January 12th.More >>
DNA Test Predicts Natural Athletic Abilities
If there was a simple DNA test that could predict your child's natural athletic abilities, would you be interested?More >>
Lost generates mystery with time travel
ABC's hit show Lost uses time travel as a central theme. Roland Beres looks at the real theories surrounding time travel and how it might help solve some of the show's mysteries.More >>
Fewer sex offenders in mental health treatment concerning
The number of Wisconsin's most serious sex offenders in secure, mental health treatment is declining and raising questions among Wisconsin lawmakers and concerned citizens.More >>
Lost changed the television landscape
The hit ABC show LOST has changed the landscape of prime time television.More >>
Family learns with autism: Where there's a will, there's a way
We don't often get a chance to see the day-to-day challenges of life with autism, especially extreme autism. A family shares their struggles with twins who are autistic, including a son who is non-verbal.More >>
STD rates soar among Wis. teens
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), five of the 10 most common diseases are STDs, and one in four teenage girls in America has an STD.More >>
Lost makes it big thanks to Internet
UW associate professor and expert in pop culture says the internet was uniquely utilized to make "Lost" a big success.More >>
Justice on a budget
A special report on the impact of budget cuts on Wisconsin's legal system. The people in the courtroom describe what happens when we have justice on a budget.More >>
Domestic violence soars in Wisconsin
Jamie Hersch hears from two women about their fight to break away from the men who tested the limits of the once-sacred vow.More >>