Lynn Binnie

Free Narcan Training at the Library

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library.

Join the Jefferson County Health Department at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library to learn how to recognize, prevent, and respond to an opioid overdose by using naloxone (Narcan). Naloxone is a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. The community is welcome to attend this free training on Wednesday, August 9 at 5:30 p.m.  

During this one-hour training, participants will take a deeper dive into learning what an opioid is, how they affect the brain, and how an overdose occurs. With these fundamentals, participants will also learn how to recognize the signs of an overdose, how to administer Narcan correctly, and provide care for someone who overdoses.  

Participants will receive a free kit of Narcan and a certificate of completion wallet card. Additional opioid resources will be available as well.  

Please call 920-728-7687 to register in advance or visit the library’s website at whitewaterlibrary.org and click on “Events—Registration Forms.” Note that there must be a minimum of five participants signed up for each training or it will be canceled.  

All adult community members are welcome to attend. The library is located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater. Contact Sarah French with questions at sfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or 262-568-2782. 

Obituary: Marlene “Granny” Brunckhorst (Smelzer), 86

Marlene “Granny” Brunckhorst (Smelzer), 86, of Whitewater, WI, passed away on Friday, July 14, 2023 in Whitewater, WI.

Marlene was born on December 18, 1936, to Harold and Pearl (Adams) Smelzer of Dodgeville, WI. She married William Brunckhorst at the First Congregational Church in Spring Green, WI on August 16, 1958. Marlene began her education in Highland, WI and graduated high school in 1953. She went on to study education, receiving her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and her Master’s in education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Marlene worked as a third grade teacher at East Troy Elementary School in East Troy, WI for a number of years where she met some of her lifelong friends. Marlene enjoyed traveling the world and spending time with her family on Squirrel Lake in Minocqua, WI. She also loved shopping at TJ Maxx, going out for a delicious meal and spending time with friends.

Marlene is survived by her daughter Jane (Joe) Loizzo of Minocqua, WI; grandchildren: Lauren Bailey of Woodbridge, VA, Jackson Bailey (Evie) of Fond Du Lac, WI, Andy Loizzo of Oconomowoc, WI, and Alison (John) Bohl of Beaver Dam, WI; great-grandchildren: Violet and Cecelia Loizzo and Morgan and Blake Bohl; nephews: Michael (Tara) Cotherman, and Steve Cotherman; niece, Michelle (Mark) Humbert. She was preceded in death by her husband, William; daughters: Anne and Mary; parents: Harold and Pearl; sister Sandra; brother Ronald and sister-in-law Marge.

A Celebration of life honoring Marlene will take place from 2-5 p.m. on August 18, 2023, at the Fuzzy Pig, N8660 Clover Valley Rd., Whitewater, WI 53190. Please feel free to come and go during this time to celebrate Marlene with her family.

Memorials may be made to the Bill and Marlene Bruckhorst Endowment Scholarship for International Students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Online condolences may be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Weekly Wednesday Creek Clean-ups

Editor’s note: The following announcement was submitted by Jeff Weigel.

The Creek is looking fantastic due to the consistent efforts of an amazing volunteer crew, but there is still plenty of work to do! Join members of the Whitewater Creek Coalition every Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. at the skate park (Brewery Hill Park) to get involved.

Click on the link below or send an email to friendsofwhitewatercreek@gmail.com for more information. See you at the creek!

https://forms.gle/4bkrv64EcbjnG8ZA7

We Energies: All Area Outages Restored

According to the We Energies website, as of Tuesday evening there were only 43 remaining outages in their entire system from last Friday’s thunderstorm. Whitewater, Fort Atkinson, and all nearby communities are not shown as having any outages.

D3football.com Preseason Top 25 Ranks UW-W #11

The D3football.com preseason Top 25 poll, arguably the most respected poll in D-III, was released on July 31, with UW-W being ranked #11. The Warhawks’ season opener on September 2 will be at John Carroll, ranked #19. Week two will be at home vs. #6 St. John’s, followed in week three at #3 Mary Hardin-Baylor. The entire poll is shown below, together with a link to previous years’ polls.

Previous years’ Top 25 polls

RankSchool (No. 1 votes)2022 W-LPoints
1North Central (Ill.) (22)15-0622
2Mount Union (3)14-1597
3Mary Hardin-Baylor12-2553
4Trinity (Texas)11-1511
5Wartburg13-1500
6St. John’s10-2495
7Linfield10-1434
8Hardin-Simmons9-2397
9Ithaca12-1362
10Delaware Valley12-1349
11UW-Whitewater8-3322
12UW-La Crosse9-2304
13Wheaton (Ill.)8-3285
14Bethel10-3278
15Randolph-Macon11-1256
16Carnegie Mellon11-1248
17Cortland9-2237
18Johns Hopkins10-1182
19John Carroll8-2165
20Aurora11-2155
21UW-Oshkosh6-4140
22Susquehanna10-1134
23UW-River Falls7-4127
24Alma11-199
25Salisbury9-259

Storm Cleanup: Fort the Hardest Hit in the Area? Some in Whitewater Still in the Dark

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

The multiple rounds of thunderstorms that hit Southeast Wisconsin late on Friday evening, July 28, caused significant tree damage in many communities, but perhaps none were more affected than Fort Atkinson. One resident there told the Banner that at the peak of the storm the view outside his home looked “apocalyptic.” Fort’s power has taken longer to restore than any other community served by WE Energies. As of Monday at 11:30 p.m., WE reported that 328 customers were still in the dark out of their entire service area, with 67 being in Fort. At one point on Sunday it was reported that 90% of that city’s customers did not have power.

Fort’s residential tree lawns are piled high with brush
Evergreen Cemetery lost a large number of big trees.
More damage in Evergreen Cemetery [Binnie photos]

Fort’s tree damage was so substantial that its compost site was opened on Sunday. Tree lawns in many areas of the city are lined with mounds of branches. It appears that damage to buildings was limited, however. The appearance of some of the tree damage led some residents to speculate that there had been tornadic activity.

On Saturday the National Weather Service (NWS) indicated that they had not seen any damage reports that indicated tornado damage across their forecast area. They stated, “all the reports we have received so far suggest widespread 60-70 MPH winds, with some embedded areas of winds in the 75-80 MPH range. One thing that was unique about last night is how long the winds lasted in some places — 60-70+ MPH winds for 10 minutes or more in some cases. This likely accounts for the amount of widespread tree damage (especially in places like Fort Atkinson), while there was a relative lack of structural damage beyond that caused by falling trees. Trees are often able to handle short bursts of 60 or 70 MPH winds, but long duration winds like last night put enormous force on the trees, and over such a long period of time many will fall or otherwise be damaged….The damage in Fort Atkinson was due to very strong straight line winds.” On Monday NWS announced that it had determined that a “short-lived tornado did tree damage in a narrow, convergent path along Mill Road” about two miles east of Palmyra. It was a category EF-1 with peak winds estimated at 95 mph. The path length was 1.25 miles and the maximum width was 50 yards.

Festival’s deli case was empty on Sunday.
These signs appeared throughout the store.
Two scanners were dedicated to documenting product loss.
Product on its way to one of the construction dumpsters
It wasn’t the day to look for yogurt.
Three dumpsters were being loaded with ruined product.

The Fort Festival store was without electricity for long enough that they had to throw out a large portion of their refrigerated and frozen products, though some had been saved with the use of refrigerated trucks. On Sunday employees were beginning to restock the cases, but most of the shelves were still empty, with the promise of a special delivery on Sunday evening.

The city of Whitewater also sustained considerable tree damage, though it did not appear to be anywhere near that of Fort Atkinson. On Saturday morning nearly 2000 customers here were affected by the outage. As of 11:30 p.m. on Monday, 17 customers in the city were still without power, only one of which was in the Jefferson County portion. It was announced that residents do not need to call for brush pickup, as crews will be conducting chipping throughout the city all the week.

Other area communities still reporting power outages as of Monday evening include Hebron (1), La Grange (6), and Village of Palmyra (2).

Badger Women’s Basketball to Host UW-W Exhibition Game

Editor’s note: The following was posted to the Channel 3000 website on 7/31.

“The Badger women’s basketball team will host a pair of in-state opponents to begin the season, UW Athletics announced Monday.

UW-Whitewater will visit the Kohl Center for an exhibition game on Oct. 29, and the season will officially kick off against UW-Milwaukee on Nov. 7.”

UW-W Comments on Miller’s Retirement; Wichser Named Interim

By Angela Kelm
UW-W Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information

— Warhawk Men’s Basketball Coach Pat Miller Announces Retirement

Pat Miller, head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s basketball team — who led the program to 10 NCAA national tournament appearances and two national championships — will retire after 22 years at the helm for the Warhawks. Athletic Director Ryan Callahan has announced that current Assistant Coach Jarod Wichser will be the interim head coach for 2023-24.

“Pat will go down as one of the most successful college basketball coaches ever,” said Callahan. “His legacy and impact will be felt in Warhawk athletics forever. I am grateful for my time working with Pat and getting to know his wonderful family. His service to UW-Whitewater is outstanding and he has made our athletics department and the Warhawk family stronger.”

Miller took over the Warhawk men’s basketball program prior to the start of the 2001-02 season and quickly rose through the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and NCAA Division III coaching ranks. Leading UW-Whitewater to 20 or more wins in four of his first five seasons, Miller hit the 100-win mark in 2005-06, reaching the milestone faster than anyone in WIAC history. In 2014-15, he was the fastest coach in Division III to hit the 300-win milestone among active coaches. Now after 22 seasons, Miller has compiled a career record of 434-167. His .722 winning percentage is a top 15 mark in Division III history.

In 2011-12, Miller led the Warhawks through an incredible season that culminated in a national title. Coming off of a season that saw the Warhawks make an early exit from the WIAC tournament, Miller helped largely the same cast of players grow and develop as they claimed the regular season crown and garnered hosting rights to start the playoffs. UW-Whitewater rolled through the early games including a 91-62 win over the defending Division III champion St. Thomas in the second round. Cruising all the way to the national championship game, Miller captained his crew to a remarkable comeback from an 18-point deficit for a 63-60 win over Cabrini to secure his first national title as a head coach. Chris Davis was named the Division III Player of the Year while Miller captured Division III Coach of the Year recognition. UWW was 29-4 on the season – a mark that would be matched just two years later.

The 2013-14 season saw another thriller in the finals as Miller and the Warhawks would hoist the trophy once again. With Quardell Young’s last second basket and free throw sealing a 75-73 win over Williams College, Miller had led UWW to its second national title in three seasons and fourth in program history. With the title, Miller, Warhawk men’s basketball and UW-Whitewater in general made NCAA history as the only school in any division of NCAA competition to win national championships in basketball (men’s or women’s) and football in the same year – twice. Miller was again named Division III Coach of the Year.

Miller led the Warhawks through the uncertainty of the pandemic with shortened/canceled seasons, but was faced with an unimaginable test prior to last season. Following the tragic death of Derek Gray, a phenomenal player and member of the Warhawk men’s basketball family, Miller helped the team cope and led UW-Whitewater back to the court in 2022-23. The squad honored their fallen teammate and friend with arguably one of the greatest seasons in Miller’s career. Following an up-and-down regular season campaign, the Warhawks likely needed to win the WIAC Tournament and they were up for the challenge. With Miller at the helm, UWW won three straight including a 92-79 upset of UW-Oshkosh on their home court to claim the league’s automatic bid into NCAA action.

Finding themselves back on the road for the playoffs, Miller and the Warhawks traversed 1,900 miles over a six-game span (dating back to the WIAC Tournament Semifinal in La Crosse), to punch their ticket back to the Final Four. Their incredible journey would end there, but the season still stands as one of the greatest in Miller’s career.

Over his 22 seasons at the head of the men’s basketball program, Miller has led the Warhawks to six WIAC titles and five WIAC Tournament championships. UWW has made 10 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and won a pair of national titles in three trips to the Final Four.

He has helped guide players to All-WIAC honors more than 65 times including 32 first team honors. Miller coached one national player of the year (Chris Davis, 2012), five WIAC Players of the Year, one WIAC Newcomer of the Year, two Max Sparger Scholar-Athletes, as well as seven All-America honors and numerous All-Region honors.

Miller has garnered numerous accolades during his tenure at the top – he is a four-time WIAC Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year, three-time Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division III College Coach of the Year, two-time D3hoops.com National Coach of the Year, two-time National Association of Basketball Coaches Division III Coach of the Year, Schelde North America/DIII News Coach of the Year and CollegeInsider.com Glenn Robinson Award finalist. In 2019, Miller was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Miller’s storied career at UW-Whitewater began as a student-athlete in the late 1980s. He played three seasons under head coach Dave Vander Meulen and was a co-captain of the team that won a national championship in 1989, the second title in program history up to that point. That year, he was also named the WIAC Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete of the Year. By the end of his three-year playing career as a Warhawk, Miller had written his name in the program record book in multiple categories as one of the best from beyond the arc, shooting .480 from three-point range. In 2006, Miller was inducted into the UW-Whitewater Hall of Fame.

Following his graduation from UWW in 1989, Miller went on to play a season with the Horsens Idrets Club in the Danish Basketball Federation before returning to the states to begin his career in coaching. His first stop was a two-year stint (1991-93) as the boys’ basketball coach at Harvard High School. In 1993, he returned to UW-Whitewater as an assistant coach while also serving as the head coach of the women’s golf program, as well as an instructor in the health, physical education, recreation and coaching department. He led the Warhawk women’s golf team to a pair of WIAC titles (1996-97, 1999-00) during his six-year tenure. Miller was tabbed the league’s Coach of the Year following both championship campaigns.

Wichser — who has been part of the Warhawk men’s basketball program for the last six seasons, including the last four as Miller’s lead assistant — will take over at the helm on August 14.

“I would like to congratulate Coach Miller on having one of the best careers of any college basketball coach at any level,” said Wichser. “While the numbers speak for themselves, Coach Miller has always prided himself on being about people first. The relationships he has forged and the lives he has impacted during his tenure at UW-Whitewater are what truly sets him apart as one of the all-time greats.”

No Need to Call: Brush Pickup All Week

Editor’s note: The following announcement was posted to the city Facebook page. For your information, the city’s policy for the size/type of brush that may be picked up is as follows: Brush must be between 3/4″ and 6” in diameter. The brush must be a minimum of 3′ in length. Vines, rakings, roots, and root balls will not be accepted. Property owners can dispose of vines, rakings, roots, and root balls at the compost site. The City reserves the right to not collect brush for just cause.” The compost site is open on Wednesday from 3-7 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Post Storm Brush Clean up ⚡

Due to the recent storm, the Public Works Department will continuously pick up brush this entire week. Please be patient as the Department works to facilitate this.

Additionally, thank you to the city staff who has worked over the weekend and continues to work on keeping our community safe!

Editor’s note: The photo on the homepage was taken in Fort Atkinson on July 30 by Lynn Binnie.

Gazette: Pat Miller Steps Down as UW-W Men’s Basketball Coach

Pat Miller [UW-W Website]

According to an article in The Gazette, “Pat Miller met with his UW-Whitewater basketball team at 10 p.m. Sunday night [July 30].

The following are excerpts from the Gazette article, which may be viewed here.

“He had to make the difficult announcement that he was not going to be their head coach this coming season.

Miller has decided to take a job with BrandTek, a Middleton-based company that offers customized apparel and other items to clients…

The 1985 Janesville Craig High School graduate coached 22 seasons at UW-Whitewater, finishing with a 434-167 overall record and a 214-114 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record…

As the Warhawk’s head coach, Miller’s teams earned NCAA Division III national championships in the 2011-12 and 2013-14 seasons…..

“I’ve been going to Whitewater for 34 years,” Miller said. “Between being a student and an employee. There’s a part of me that says it’s time for something new.”