Whitewater High School seniors Josh Demrow and Brandon Haas have each won Whitewater High $6,750 Wisconsin Technical Excellence Scholarship this year! Josh and Brandon have the highest demonstrated level of proficiency in technical education subjects at WHS and each completed over four Career & Technical Education credits. The Technical Excellence Scholarships are only for use at a WisconsinTechnical College. Josh will be attending Blackhawk Technical College and Brandon will be attending Madison Area Technical College in the fall. Congratulations Josh and Brandon!!
Ashlynn Prah (Left) and Emma Weigel
Whitewater High School Seniors Emma Weigel and Ashlynn Prah have each won a $9,000 Wisconsin Academic Excellence Scholarship this year! The State of Wisconsin Academic Excellence Scholarship provides $2250 per year for tuition at a Wisconsin college or university for up to four years. In order to be eligible for this award, students must have acquired senior status, completed at least three semesters at Whitewater High School, and have the highest cumulative grade point average in all subjects taken for credit at the end of the seventh semester. In the event of a tie, students are chosen based on their highest composite score earned on the ACT. Other tiebreakers include the highest subscores on the ACT, the number of Advanced Placement tests passed with a score of “3” or higher, and the number of AP tests passed. Wisconsin Academic Excellence Scholarships are awarded to alternate winners if the top recipients choose to attend college in another state. Congratulations Emma and Ashlynn!!
According to City Clerk Michele Smith, property reassessment notices were due to be sent out by the city’s assessor, Accurate Assessor, during the week of March 6. It is indicated that the average residential increase is 10.5% and the average commercial increase is 8-10%. The assessments are based on property sales during 2022. Last year residential assessments generally increased by 7-11%, with commercial and large residential properties increasing by an average of 15%.
The fact that a property assessment is increased does not indicate that the property taxes will increase by a similar percentage. If a property’s assessment increases at a rate equal to the citywide average, then the total property tax bill should change at the same rate of change for the tax rates of all taxing entities (city, county, school district, technical school district).
Property owners with questions or concerns about their assessment are encouraged to attend Open Book with the assessor in person at the Cravath Lakefront Room, second floor in the Municipal Building, on March 20 between 2-4 p.m. Appointments may be made online. Occasionally this conversation may result in a change being made in the assessment. Ultimately, however, if a property owner objects to the assessment they must file a “Form of Objection” with the Whitewater City Clerk’s office at least 48 hours before a city established “Board of Review” meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 25 at 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Many people have brought items to add to the memorial where the infant was found
Participants who didn’t have a candle were offered one from the table
This and next two photos courtesy of Tom Ganser; others are by Lynn Binnie
Pastor Kevin Tranel
Fr. Pedro Lana
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
As was previously reported on the Banner, on Saturday, March 4, Whitewater Police and EMS responded to the Twin Oaks Mobile Home Park on Tratt Street for the report of a deceased newborn located in a field. The investigation is ongoing and no additional information has been released. Police are seeking any information that may assist in the investigation; please see the link above for contact information.
On the evening of Saturday, March 11, a diverse group numbering about 70 people, including teens, adults, and families with young children, gathered to pay respects and to express their grief over the situation. The brief remembrance was opened by Pastor Kevin Tranel, who spoke of the consolation that God offers to the broken-hearted and led a prayer. Several recorded songs were then played, ending with Amazing Grace. Father Pedro Lana offered a closing prayer in Spanish and English, asking for support for those involved as well as the entire community.
UW-Whitewater Basketball: FINAL FOUR BOUND — Warhawk Men Punch Ticket to Fort Wayne
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s basketball is still dancing as they knocked off sixth-ranked Oswego State 77-74 in Ashland, Virginia Saturday evening. The Warhawks’ Cinderella season will continue in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the Final Four. UWW will play the second of the two semifinals Thursday, March 16 against Mount Union (OH). Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
The Warhawks (25-7) will take on the Purple Raiders (29-2) who defeated UW-Oshkosh 78-67 Saturday. The first semifinal, slated for a 4:30 p.m. tipoff March 16, features Christopher Newport (VA) (28-3) and Swarthmore (PA) (28-3). More information regarding tickets and live coverage will be provided soon.
History was on UW-Whitewater’s side Saturday. The Warhawks have won every Elite 8 game they’ve played in – advancing to the Final Four in 2014, 2012, 1989, 1984 and 1983. UWW went on to win the national title in four of those seasons (2014, 2012, 1989, 1984). Pat Miller was part of three of the program’s four national titles — hoisting the trophy as a player and twice as the head coach.
The Warhawks held the lead for the majority of the first half. A 6-0 run for Oswego State to close the period sent the teams into the locker room with UW-Whitewater facing a 34-30 deficit.
UWW narrowed the gap and eventually knotted the game at 39 on a Carter Capstran (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) triple with 17:24 on the clock. From that point, UW-Whitewater rattled off 12 of the next 17 to open up a seven-point advantage, 51-44, with just under 13 to play.
The Warhawks’ lead ballooned into double digits where it hovered for the nearly nine minutes. With under five minutes to go, UWW enjoyed a 70-60 advantage. Oswego State whittled away eventually pulling to within three, 74-71 with just over a minute left.
Miles Barnstable (Sheboygan, Wis./Howards Grove) hit a pair from the free throw line with 26 seconds on the clock to push the lead to five, but a foul was called on a three-point attempt for Oswego. Knocking down all three, the gap was cut to two, 76-74 with 14 seconds to play.
A foul on the inbounds sent UWW to the line but a missed pair gave Oswego a chance trailing by two. A jumper in the paint bounced high off the rim and Jameer Barker (Racine, Wis./St. Catherine’s) skied in for the rebound. He was fouled on the rebound with 1.4 seconds on the clock.
Barker drained the first of the pair and missed the second with time expiring before either team gained complete possession.
Barnstable led UWW with 23 points on 7-13 from the floor, 3-5 from downtown and a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe. Capstran registered a double-double with 21 points on 9-15 from the field and 15 boards. Delvin Barnstable (Sheboygan, Wis./Sheboygan Lutheran) added 12 points and 10 boards while Barker dished out a game-high five assists.
By Angela Kelm Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
Birmingham, Ala. — UW-Whitewater Track and Field: Men 8th, Women 23rd as Three Warhawks Earn All-America Honors Saturday
Three University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s track and field athletes captured All-America honors at the 2023 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala. Saturday. The Warhawk men finished eighth in the final team standings marking the program’s 10th top 10 finish at the indoor championships since 2010. The Warhawk women were 23rd with 10 points from Gracie Holland’s (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) individual title in the pole vault.
Sophomore distance runner Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) claimed his second All-America honor of the indoor championship with a fourth-place finish in the 3,000. A day after capturing the national title in the 5,000 in championship record time, Patzka competed in a race where the top nine finishers all bested the previous championship record. His time of 8:05.50 was shy of the top three by .21 seconds.
Fellow distance runner Justin Krause (Ixonia, Wis./Pewaukee) posted a personal record in the mile run. He crossed the line in 4:07.76 to secure All-America honors for the second consecutive track season — he finished fourth in the 1,500-meter run outdoors a year ago.
Two Warhawks represented UW-Whitewater in the men’s triple jump Saturday. Shelvin Garrett became a two-time indoor All-American with a leap of 14.85 meters (48-8.75) for fifth place. Garrett claimed bronze last season. Teammate Brayden Zettle (Monroe, Wis./Monroe) registered a distance of 14.41 meters (47-3.5) to finish 13th.
Shinhoster claims second straight 184 pound national title at 2023 NCAA DIII Wrestling Championships courtesy of Kodiak Creative
By Angela Kelm Asst. Sports Director for Sports Information
Roanoke, Va. — Jaritt Shinhoster Claims Second Consecutive National Title at 184 Pounds
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater senior Jaritt Shinhoster (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Barrington) successfully defended his national title to claim the crown at 184 pounds once again at the 2023 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships in Roanoke, Virginia.
In a rematch of the 2022 national championship bout, Shinhoster defeated Shane Liegel of Loras College by 9-2 decision Saturday evening to secure the title for the second consecutive season. The title bout was the rubber match between the two brawlers, as the pair had each registered a win against the other this season. Shinhoster was a perfect 4-0 at the national championships this season. After opening with a fall, he posted back-to-back major decisions to advance to the title bout.
Shinhoster is the third back-to-back champion in program history joining Rob Llorca from 1990 and 1991 at 158 pounds and fellow 184-pounder Jordan Newman who secured titles in 2017 and 2018. Overall, he is the fifth wrestler to win a national title as a Warhawk.
The fifth-year senior has recorded a phenomenal career as Warhawk. His 33 wins this season is the most in his five years (including a shortened season due to the pandemic) as he wrapped up the season at 33-2. For his storied career, Shinhoster is 112-15 with 57 pins, 9 technical falls and 28 major decisions. With a streak of five consecutive pins through regionals and into the first round of the national tournament this season, it is no surprise that Shinhoster has a fall-rate nearing 50-percent for his career.
SATURDAY MORNING SESSION RECAP University of Wisconsin-Whitewater brawler Jaritt Shinhoster (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Barrington) has advanced to the title bout at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. The senior will defend his 2022 national title against Loras’ Shane Liegel in the Saturday evening session slated to begin with the parade of All-Americans at 6:30 pm ET.
The 184 title bout will be a rematch of the 2022 national championship. Shinhoster defeated then top-ranked Liegel by major decision 13-5. This season, the brawlers have met twice. Liegel won in sudden victory in the title bout of the Concordia Wisconsin Open back in November. That loss marked Shinhoster’s first of the season – his lone other came to a Division I opponent in the annual Midlands Championships where he finished as the runner-up against all Division I competition. Shinhoster took the second meeting this season by decision, 4-0, in a dual against Loras in January.
Shinhoster defeated Donovan Corn of Luther College by 12-0 major decision in Saturday morning’s semifinal.
Shinhoster is 32-2 on the season with half of his victories coming by fall. He three technical falls and seven major decision for a total of 26 bonus point wins of his 32 victories.
Attached photo: Shinhoster claims second straight 184 pound national title at 2023 NCAA DIII Wrestling Championships courtesy of Kodiak Creative
Editor’s note: The following was posted to the city website.
Over the past few months some of you may have been experiencing brownish colored water in your home at times. I would like to explain why you have experienced this issue.
As you know, the City of Whitewater installed a new water tower just south of the Highway 12 bypass. Adjacent to the new tower is one of five water wells within our system. During the construction of the new tower, this well stayed in service to pump water into the water distribution system. However, during the construction of the water tower we began to notice the well pump was starting to lose some pumping capacity. The decision was made to take the well offline to perform an inspection, which verified iron was blocking the suction screen and some of the well casing had begun to go soft and develop holes. Arrangements were made to repair the well pump motor, clean the suction screen, and replace the well casing. The project was expedited to get the well back in service as soon as possible.
Before the new water tower the water in the water mains typically traveled in one direction from the well toward the water tower in Starin Park. With the new water tower online and the well out of service, water in the water mains had to reverse and flow toward the new water tower in order to fill it when needed and then flow back to serve homes. This back and forth action, of the water in the water mains, caused some dislodging of minerals that formed on the inside of the pipes. The mineral buildup is very typical and is not hazardous or harmful.
Some residents who notified us about their concerns allowed us into their homes. We removed their water meter and flushed the lateral for a number of minutes until the water was clear. This seemed to have worked with positive results.
With the well back in operation now, we will use this well as much as possible to fill the new water tower to avoid the back and forth turbulence of the water in the water mains. Additionally, we will do a directional hydrant flushing in the areas that have been impacted during our normal hydrant flushing scheduled for April. If the need warrants us to do flushing sooner or again after April, we will. Also planned for this year is the installation of a new water main connecting the new water tower to a dead end watermain to the east. This watermain will loop the water system and help with the water quality and supplying water to the water tower.
Please continue to contact the Water Utility (262-473-0560) if you are experiencing any water quality issues, and we will do our best to respond in a timely matter. We apologize for the inconvenience you may have experienced in the last few months.
Christian Patzka crushed the meet record in the 5,000.
Gracie Holland secured gold in the pole vault. Photos courtesy of Benjamin Verge
By Angela Kelm Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
Birmingham, Ala. — Warhawks Gracie Holland and Christian Patzka Claim National Titles at Indoor Track & Field Championships
Sophomores Gracie Holland (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) and Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) claimed individual national titles on the first day of competition in the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday. Holland secured gold in the pole vault while Patzka crushed the meet record in the 5,000.
Holland matched her career-best, which is also the best in Division III this season, with a height of 4.00 meters (13-1.5) in the pole vault Friday. That mark is among the top ten recorded in championship meet history. Holland is the first Warhawk to claim the indoor national title in the event and fourth to win an individual title in the history of the UWW women’s program. She is now a two-time indoor All-American in the event after finishing fifth a year ago.
Patzka crushed the 29-year-old championship meet record in the 5,000 Friday. Crossing the line in 13:47.01, he shattered Dan Mayer’s clocking of 13:53.17 from 1994. Patzka is now a two-time indoor All-American in the event after finishing fourth in 2022. He’ll be back in action Saturday competing in the 3,000-meter run.
Patzka’s distance teammates Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) and Justin Krause (Ixonia, Wis./Pewaukee) joined him in action Friday. Sophomore Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) posted a time of 14:23.20 in the 5,000 to finish just outside the top eight. Krause posted a career-best 4:08.17 to time qualify for the finals in the mile.
Sophomore Tina Shelton (Janesville, Wis./Parker) had to start her 60-meter prelim twice after a fellow sprinter false started. Her clocking of 7.67 was 12th in the prelims of the event. She added a personal record of 25.06 in the 200 Friday evening to finish 17th.
Marlon Cystrunk (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) was also in action on day one. The sophomore registered a time 8.39 in the 60 hurdles for 19th in the prelims of the event.
Jaritt Shinhoster at 2023 NCAA DIII Wrestling Championships courtesy of Kodiak Creative
Angela Kelm Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
Roanoke, Va. — Warhawk Senior Jaritt Shinhoster Continues Path to Defend 184 Pound Title
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater senior Jaritt Shinhoster (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Barrington) punched his ticket into the semifinals of the 2023 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships to secure All-America honors for the third time in his career. Jake Burford (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) and Dominik Mallinder (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) were also in action in the opening day of nationals in Roanoke, Va. Friday.
Shinhoster, the defending national champion at 184 pounds made quick work of his first bout on the day. Pinning Isaac Cory of Penn College of Technology in just 40 seconds, he registered his fifth consecutive fall. Shinhoster went the distance in his quarterfinal bout but still picked up the bonus win defeating Mahlic Sallah of Roanoke College by major decision 12-0. Top-ranked Shinhoster will face fifth-ranked Donovan Corn of Luther College tomorrow morning.
Burford had a tough draw at 149 pounds opening with the second-ranked wrestler from Johnson & Wales, Hayden Brown. The senior bounced back from a first-round fall to defeat Daniel Uribe of Wabash by 9-6 decision. In his first bout of the evening session Friday, Burford topped Chris Perry of Trinity (CT) before falling to eighth-ranked Chase Sumner of Ohio Northern. Burford, the 2023 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion and Upper Midwest Regional runner-up, ends the season with a 32-9 mark after making his third trip to the national championship.
Mallinder had a phenomenal freshman campaign for the Warhawks. The 2023 WIAC champion, Mallinder qualified for his first trip to nationals with the Upper Midwest Regional crown. Despite going 0-2 Friday, Mallinder’s 31 wins in his first season competing collegiate speak for themselves.
The 2023 DIII Championship will conclude with a morning and evening session Saturday.
Remember to “spring forward” this Sunday morning. Once again in the past year there have been calls for eliminating daylight savings time. Polling shows that a majority of Americans detest the practice: 62% would prefer to end it, according to a March, 2023 poll by YouGov, but respondents were divided between those (50%) who would like to have permanent daylight time (DST) and those (31%) preferring permanent standard time. Last year on March 15, the Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 by unanimous consent. It would make DST permanent. However, the bill died in the House amid renewed debate over whether year-round DST was the safest, healthiest, and most economical option for the country.
As Daylight Savings begins, it is a perfect time to “spring ahead to safety” and tackle a few critical emergency preparedness updates for the coming spring season.
Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: All residences are required to have both types of detectors on every level, including the basement, but not the attic or storage areas. Now is a good time to replace the batteries in your detectors and push the test buttons to be sure they’re working properly. Replace your detectors every five years.
Emergency Go Bags: Be sure to have a basic emergency kit in your home with supplies, food and water to last you and your family for at least three days. Other items like a battery powered radio, flashlights, additional batteries, and first aid kit should also be included. For more information, please visit https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit
Emergency NOAA Weather Radio: Spring brings the threat of tornadoes. Make sure you have an emergency weather radio. It’s like having a tornado siren in your home. When it goes off, go to a safe place. Remember, the outdoor warning sirens are only intended for people to hear outdoors.
National Weather Service Wireless Emergency Alerts: Wireless Emergency Alerts are emergency messages sent by authorized government alerting authorities through your mobile carrier. Government partners include local and state public safety agencies, FEMA, the FCC, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Weather Service. No signup is required. Alerts are sent automatically to WEA-capable phones during an emergency. For more information, please visit https://www.weather.gov/wrn/wea
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team’s run in the NCAA Division III Tournament came to a close in the Sweet 16 Friday night. The Warhawks fell to Trinity (CT) in a quarterfinal contest hosted by Smith College in Northampton, Mass.
UW-Whitewater ends their season 23-7 after making the team’s 21st appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament including 14 trips to the postseason since 2007. UWW won its 11th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season title in 2023, following it up with a WIAC Tournament crown for the championship sweep – a feat accomplished twice in program history.
In the first meeting between the two squads, the Bantams won the bookends while UW-Whitewater owned the second and third quarters. Both teams struggled from long range, but Trinity held the advantage from the field and free throw line.
Kacie Carollo hoped to set the tone with the first bucket of the game – a triple less than a minute in. However, threes would be hard to come by from either squad the rest of the way.
Trinity ran off the next ten before ending the period with five straight give the Bantams an eight-point lead at the end of the quarter, 17-9.
Carollo took over in the second quarter scoring six of the first seven points of the period to pull UWW within one, 17-16. From that point, the teams traded small runs with Renee Rittmeyer hitting a bucket as time expired to send the Warhawks into the intermission down three, 27-24. After a 10-point quarter, Carollo had 17 at the break.
On the other side of halftime, the Warhawks battled back from a six-point deficit to tie the game at 35 on a free throw by UWW’s number 35, Abi Baumgartner. The Bantams responded with back-to-back buckets before Baumgartner dropped in a pair of free throws and Maggie Trautsch hit a layup to knot the game at 39 with less than two minutes left in the period.
Trautsch struck again, this time from beyond the arc with under a minute to go. That triple reclaimed the lead for UW-Whitewater 42-41 heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
An 8-1 run to open the fourth for Trinity opened up a seven-point gap, 50-43. Carollo once again took over, sparking a run with an old-fashioned three-point play. She hit a jumper next then knocked down a three-pointer for eight straight points from the sophomore. Just like that, the game was tied at 52 with 5:47 left.
The Bantams hit a pair from the charity stripe, but Abby Belschner elevated over a defender banking a jumper home on Whitewater’s end. On the next trip on offense, Belschner drew a foul and hit the second of the two free throws to give UWW a 55-54 lead halfway through the quarter.
The squads traded single free throws down to the 3:09. Trinity hit back-to-back buckets while the Warhawks went cold offensively. Forced to foul facing a three-point deficit with under a minute remaining, the Bantams were able to seal the game from the charity stripe.
Carollo led all scorers with 28 adding eight rebounds. Baumgartner added 10 points and five boards for the Warhawks.
