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Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Kettle Moraine Baptist Church

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Kettle Moraine Baptist Church.

We want you to celebrate Christmas with us! The members of Kettle Moraine Baptist Church invite you to come and experience the joy of the Christmas season!

Do you know the story of Jesus’ birth? Do you love singing traditional Christmas carols? We’d love for you to join us as we sing familiar Christmas carols and read the Christmas story from the Bible.

Friday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m.

Kettle Moraine Baptist Church
Pastor Steve Kindstedt
505 S Wisconsin St.
Whitewater, WI 53190
262-473-2224
www.kmbcwi.org
FB: @KettleMoraineBaptistChurch

Flags to Half-Staff on Thursday for Chad Christiansen, WI Dept. of Military Affairs

Gov. Evers Orders Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Chad P. Christiansen of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs 
 
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #149 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff tomorrow, Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, in honor of Chad P. Christiansen, of Baraboo, a Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs security officer at Volk Field Air National Guard Base who lost his life due to complications from contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty. 

“Chad was a valued member of our Department of Military Affairs team and his loss is felt not only by his colleagues at Volk Field, but throughout the agency and state,” said Gov. Evers. “Kathy and I are sending our thoughts and prayers to Chad’s family, the folks at Volk Field and the Department of Military Affairs, and all those who knew and loved him.”

A memorial service will be held for Chad P. Christiansen on Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, in Clinton, Iowa. 

Executive Order #149 will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, and is available here. 
Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the office of the governor.
 
Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #149 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff tomorrow, Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, in honor of Chad P. Christiansen, of Baraboo, a Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs security officer at Volk Field Air National Guard Base who lost his life due to complications from contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty. 

“Chad was a valued member of our Department of Military Affairs team and his loss is felt not only by his colleagues at Volk Field, but throughout the agency and state,” said Gov. Evers. “Kathy and I are sending our thoughts and prayers to Chad’s family, the folks at Volk Field and the Department of Military Affairs, and all those who knew and loved him.”

A memorial service will be held for Chad P. Christiansen on Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, in Clinton, Iowa. 

Executive Order #149 will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, and is available here. 

Whippet Boys Defeat Jefferson

The Whitewater Boys’ Basketball Team used an aggressive defense and some efficient shooting to defeat Jefferson 57-40, last Friday, December 17.

Jon Aron pulls up for 3 of his 21 points. 

The Whippets took control of a back and forth game late in the first half to build a 32-20 halftime lead. Jefferson closed the gap early in the second half, but Whitewater quickly pushed the lead back to double digits in their most consistent effort of the season.

Whitewater was led in scoring by Jon Aron with 21 pts and Jake Hintz with 13 pts. Wyatt Nickels’ double-double of 12 pts and 10 rebounds and Sam Brown’s 10 assists contributed to the all-around team effort.

The Whippets next play at home Tuesday, December 28 (JV at 1 pm and Varsity following) and Thursday, December 30 (JV at 4:30 and Varsity at 6).

Article Submitted by Dwayne Lange
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka

Whitewater Elementary School Choir Concert Photo

Editor’s Note: The following photo was provided by Tom Ganser.

The Whitewater Elementary School Choir Concert took place on December 14. In the below photo, the choir is directed by Val Troxel, the choir teacher at Washington Elementary School. The concert took place at the Whitewater High School Auditorium.

Elementary School Choir Concert

Jill Gerber Announces Candidacy for Common Council District 4

Editor’s note: The following statement was provided by Jill Gerber.


Whitewater community member Jill Gerber is running for the 4th district council seat being vacated by council member Lynn Binnie. Gerber believes in hard work, transparency, and getting results.

Gerber has been a part of the Whitewater community for many years. She graduated from
UW-Whitewater with a Business Law Degree and worked as the execuve assistant to the Whitewater
city manager from 2015 – 2019. During her time working for the city, she was able to learn the ins and
outs of Whitewater. Gerber now works for UW-Whitewater in the Office of Field Experience within the
College of Education and Professional Studies.

While already an involved community member, Gerber hopes to continue to serve the City of
Whitewater and its residents as a common council member. She is a strong supporter in upholding the
city’s transparency provisions adopted by the city council. A firm believer in informed decision making,
Jill Gerber maintains that providing council members and the public with information at least 72 hours
prior to discussion allows enough time to understand the views of community members and advocate
for them.

“I have always prided myself in digging in, researching subjects and creating real resolutions,” said
Common Council Candidate Jill Gerber. “I would be humbled if my neighbors elected me as their
representative. I am ready to work alongside the other council members on important city issues as they
arise.”

Gerber believes in diversifying Whitewater’s existing housing stock and supports the construction of
additional single-family residential homes. She plans to advocate for additional housing in Whitewater,
as well as work to increase efforts to land a grocery store in the city. Her core values and strong work
ethic make her a great candidate to represent the City of Whitewater.

About Jill Gerber
Jill works for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the College of Education and Professional Studies
as a data and special programs assistant. Previously she worked for the City of Whitewater as the
executive assistant to the city manager. She has been married to Dave Gerber (Walworth County Sheriff’s
Office) for 21 years and has two sons, Ben and Griffin who are sophomores at UW-Whitewater. For
further details on Gerber’s common council candidacy, please contact Jill Gerber at
jgerber1026@gmail.com.

Editor’s note: The image on the homepage, “Ballot” by OldOnliner is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Major Leaguer Ben Heller Honored by WHS

Former Whippet Ben Heller was recognized for his career achievement of making it to the Major Leagues on Friday evening, December 17, during halftime of the boys’ basketball game. 

  • Ben Heller with Coach Dan Gnatzig
  • Ben Heller with Coach Ron Sdano
  • Ben Heller with Jersey that will be hung in the gym.

According to Coach Michael Hookstead, “It was a great night that Ben said he will never forget, and he was honored with all the support shown.”

Before the ceremony Friday evening, all athletes had the chance to listen to Ben speak about his journey. Ben then allowed for a little Q&A session with the student athletes. Coach Hookstead added, “Ben said that it was a privilege to come in and speak to the student athletes.”

Article and Photos Submitted by Michael Hookstead
Whitewater High School Head Baseball Coach
mhookstead@wwusd.org

Winter Begins Tuesday, December 21; Days Start Getting Longer

Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate zones. It occurs between autumn and spring each year. Winter is caused by the axis of the Earth in that hemisphere being oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures define different dates as the start of winter, and some use a definition based on weather.

When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and vice versa. In many regions, winter is associated with snow and freezing temperatures. The moment of winter solstice is when the Sun’s elevation with respect to the North or South Pole is at its most negative value. That is, the Sun is at its farthest below the horizon as measured from the pole. The day on which this occurs has the shortest day and the longest night, with day length increasing and night length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice. (Source: Wikipedia)

The image on the homepage, “happy winter” by suzy_yes is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Death Notice: Nicole Marie Knudsen, 76

Nicole Marie Knudsen, age 76, passed away at her home on Wednesday, December 15, 2021.  The family is planning a Celebration of Life to be held in the Spring of 2022. Arrangements are pending at the Nitardy Funeral Home, Whitewater.  A full obituary will be posted when final arrangements have been made.  Online condolences may be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Obituary: Martha “Marty” Ellen Meske, 63 (Updated with Photo)

Martha “Marty” Ellen Meske, 63, of Whitewater passed away on Saturday, December 11, 2021 peacefully at her home surrounded by her family.

Marty was born on February 2, 1958 in Elkhorn to Myron and Helen (Tremaine) Coerper.  She was employed at The Coburn Company in Whitewater for over thirty years.  Marty married Bruce Meske and were happily married until his passing in 2008.  Marty married her lifetime friend, Raymond Witterholt, in November 2, 2021. 

She enjoyed spending time up north, loved traveling, had a great sense of direction, enjoyed finding new casinos, four-wheeling and going on motorcycle rides, and especially spending time with her grandchildren.

Marty is survived by her husband, Raymond Witterholt; children, Melissa (Keith) Gersich , Stephanie Witterholt, Garret (Becca) Witterholt; grandchildren, Baylie Wickingson, Cole Marinez, Russell and Matilda Schubert; sister, Susan Coerper; and brother, David Coerper.

She is preceded in death by parents, Myron and Helen Coerper; husband, Bruce Meske; son-in-law, Mitchel Lynch; and granddaughter, Dylan Ortiz.

At Marty’s request, there will be no services.

Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.  Online condolences can be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Waukesha County Sheriff Dept. Records Re: Police Chief Arrest Released

By Al Stanek
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

fortatkinsononline.com made an open records request for the Waukesha County Sheriff department’s records regarding the arrest of Whitewater Police Chief Aaron Raap on Thanksgiving Day. The summary of their review of those records may be found here.

Previous Banner posts on this subject:

Waukesha County DA Drops Potential Case Re: Whitewater Police Chief; City Updates Status of Leave (Dec. 17)

Police Chief Placed on Paid Administrative Leave (Dec. 3)