Families and their four-legged friends are invited to Dogtoberfest on Sunday, Oct. 2 at the Capital Brewery in Middleton. Proceeds from the event go to the Dane County Humane Society.

Folks will enjoy live music from The SoapBox Project from 12 to 2 p.m. and Mighty Short Bus from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

There will be food and the Green Bay Packers game will be televised.

There will be a tail wagging contest at 11:30 a.m., a hot dog eating contest at 1 p.m., a costume contest at 2 p.m. and musical squares at 3:30 p.m.

Social, leashed dogs are welcome. No flexi-leads are allowed. Suggested admission is a donation of $5 per person.

A Madison Water Utility project that will upgrade a water main along Droster Road on the city's far east side will use technology that allows them to make the repairs without digging up the entire street. 

The new technique will rehabilitate the existing main, which has been showing signs of deterioration, by inserting a liner through a minor excavation at one end of the main segment.  The pilot project will be the first in the state to use the new trenchless method, Madison Water Utility officials said.

Residents will not have their street torn up and water service will be only minimally interrupted when the work begins the week of Oct. 3, officials said.

While the liner is being installed for the entire main between East Buckeye Road and Starker Avenue, a temporary above-ground water system will supply drinking water, officials said.

The Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education has approved a plan to use drug-sniffing dogs at the district's middle and high schools.

Superintendent Dan Nerad is recommending that district use the dogs in the schools' common areas. He shared a report with board members Monday that found parents surveyed on the issues supported the plan.

Over the last six years, the district has seen a 61 percent increase in the number of students caught with drugs in school.

"The goal, the objective is to minimize the potential for violence. We know that often violence is associated with drug trafficking, and that's the issue that we want to address through this program," said Louis Yudice, a school safety coordinator.

The drug sweeps will happen around three times per semester, and the plan will be evaluated each year.

Monday's vote passed, 5-1.