On Thursday St. Mary's staff participated in their own version of "American Idol" to celebrate Nurses Week.

Organizers said eight staff members mustered the courage to step onto the stage and into the spotlight much to the delight of those watching in the cafeteria.

After Thursday's event, employees will vote for their favorite performer and then the top vote-getter will be crowned the St. Mary's champ and receive a prize, the hospital said.

Emergency responders plan to assess response skills and train in a multi-agency drill Monday afternoon, organizers said. Due to the nearly four-hour exercise taking place near the Monona Terrace and Olin Park, traffic will be affected and public access to some areas will be restricted, organizers said.

The City of Madison and Dane County Metropolitan Medical Response System plans to conduct a training operation at Monona Terrace on John Nolen Drive from noon to 3:30 p.m., according to a news release.

Madison Fire Department Spokesman Eric Dahl said the drills will mean increased emergency response vehicle traffic throughout the exercise areas. He said eastbound John Nolen Drive will be reduced to one lane in the area in front of Monona Terrace for responder safety. Public parking and the bike trail at Monona Terrace will remain open during the drills, Dahl said.

In the offices at 754 Williamson St., six black and white photographs hang on the wall and welcome visitors.

Each photograph is a portrait of an early secretary or director of the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired, and many of these leaders were blind or visually impaired in some way. They are a constant reminder to all who seek the help of the Council that blindness and visual impairment do not prevent people from accomplishing great things in life.

"It's a great place to work doing great, very needed work," said Debby Meyer, fund development director of the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired (WCB). "And if there was something I could shift it would be people’s perception of who might use what we do."