Lynn Binnie

A comparison of the 2016 Spring Primary/Presidential Preference Election with the same 2020 election is shown in the table below. The dramatically lower turnout this year (approximately 28.8% of pre-registered voters plus 108 same day registrants) was undoubtedly influenced by several factors, including: 1) UW-W in-person classes having been suspended, 2) In 2016 there were competitive Presidential races in both parties, and 3) The COVID-19 pandemic.

Year	Total ballots cast	In-person election day	Absentee ballots cast	Absentee ballots issued
2016	4553	4037	516	Unknown
2020	1972	445	1527 (77% of total)	Approx. 1800

Per City Clerk Michele Smith, sadly, approximately 72 absentee ballots were found to be ineligible to be counted. This unusually high number was likely a result of many people voting absentee for the first time. 17 lacked the voter’s signature on the envelope, 40 had no witness signature/address, 7 were postmarked after April 7, and 8 were received after April 7 with no postmark.

Having reviewed the final reports, a few corrections are in order.

CORRECTION: THE VOTE TOTAL IN WALWORTH COUNTY DISTRICT 4, OF 704 TO 401 WAS CORRECT, BUT ALL VOTES WERE IN THE CITY. (Previous report:”The only local race that was contested was for Walworth County Supervisor, District 4, where incumbent Jerry Grant led Kerstan Roeven by 690 to 373 votes. Including township votes, Grant won by 704 to 401.”)

CORRECTION: THE BANNER OMITTED A SECOND CONTESTED WALWORTH COUNTY SUPERVISOR RACE, IN DISTRICT 3. Brian Holt received 203 votes, and Tim Brellenthin, 116. Holt was declared the winner over incumbent Brellenthin, with the county-wide vote being 1211 to 1143.

CORRECTION/ADDITION: A few percentages (designated by a *) in the tables below have been changed slightly. Additionally, the raw number votes for the Democratic presidential candidates receiving less than 2% have been added.

Results in the Democratic Presidential Preference Primary:

Candidate	Whitewater	State (96% of precincts reporting)
Joe Biden	58% *	63%
Bernie Sanders	37% *	31%
Elizabeth Warren	2%	1%

Wisconsin Supreme Court

Candidate	Whitewater	State (96% of precincts reporting)
Jill J. Karofsky	68%	54%
Daniel Kelly	32%	46%

Court of Appeals Judge, District 2

Candidate	Whitewater	District (100% reporting)
Lisa Neubauer	73%	54%
Paul Bugenhagen Jr	27%	46%

State Referendum (“Marsy’s Law”)

	Whitewater	State (96% of precincts reporting)
Yes	76% *	75%
No	24% *	25%

Common Council: Three incumbents were reelected without opposition: Jim Allen (at Large), Matthew Schulgit (District 2), and Lynn Binnie (District 4).

Whitewater Unified School Board: There were three open seats, with three candidates. Incumbents Casey Judd and Steven J. Ryan were reelected, and former Board member Thayer A. Coburn was returned to office.

Children’s Wisconsin Physician donates to Versiti Convalescent Plasma Program

BANNER NOTE: Versiti is conducting a blood drive at the Old Armory in Whitewater on Tues., 4/14. To make an appointment please click here.

Milwaukee, Wis.– April 6, 2020 – As coronavirus cases continue to spread across the state, Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin has collected its first convalescent plasma donation in an effort to help treat COVID-19 patients.

Dave Lal, M.D., pediatric oncologist at Children’s Hospital Wisconsin, and professor of pediatric surgery at The Medical College of Wisconsin, was the first to donate as part of Versiti’s convalescent plasma program. Dr. Lal donated at Versiti’s downtown Milwaukee donor center.

“I have a unique opportunity to help others,” said Dr. Lal. “Even in my own community, I know people who are really struggling and who are critically sick. So if I can help any one of those people, it would give me much joy.”

Lal tested positive for coronavirus in March and suffered mild symptoms such as fatigue and muscle aches. He was tested for COVID-19 after learning that he was exposed to someone who had tested positive. Following hospital practices and CDC guidelines, he immediately stopped working and quarantined at home. According to Children’s, more than 100 employees and patients were tested as a result of Dr. Lal’s case. All results were negative.

The plasma donations will be provided to hospitals participating in Versiti’s convalescent plasma program. One plasma donation can be used to treat multiple patients.

Individuals who have contracted COVID-19and have fully recovered have developed antibodies to the virus, These antibodies may help patients seriously ill with COVID-19 in their recovery.

Potential donors must first be proven to have had a COVID-19 diagnosis through a positive lab test result, and must then have a negative test result 14 days after recovering from symptoms,” said Versiti Senior Medical Director Dan A. Waxman, M.D. “It’s a very collaborative effort with our hospital partners who will be working to identify and verify the donors.”

The plasma treatment – approved by the FDA as an Emergency Investigational New Drug (EIND) – could offer hope to the hundreds of patients who continue to be diagnosed. This treatment would be used by hospitals for the most severely affected patients.

“Many of our hospital partners have already requested the donations,” said Dr. Waxman. “They are anxious to begin the program.”

Individuals who have contracted COVID-19 and have fully recovered have developed antibodies to the virus. These antibodies may help patients seriously ill with COVID-19 in their recovery. The plasma donation process takes 30-40 minutes and is the same as with other plasma donations, using an apheresis machine which separates the blood components.

Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin is a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Milwaukee that specializes in blood services, esoteric diagnostic testing, organ, tissue and stem cell donation, medical services and leading-edge research. We advance patient care by delivering life-saving solutions grounded in unparalleled medical and scientific expertise. The collective efforts of Versiti affiliates result in improved patient outcomes, expanded access to care, and cost efficiencies for healthcare systems nationwide. For more information, visit Versiti.org/Wisconsin.

Agenda

Municipal Board of Canvassers

City of Whitewater Municipal Building – Community Room

312 W. Whitewater St., Whitewater, WI 53190

April 13, 2020 – 3:00 p.m. (Just to clarify, we have been told we can start reviewing the absentee envelopes earlier in the day, but cannot begin counting them until 4:00.  We are going to start with our paperwork at 3:00.  If we finish before 4:00, we will have to wait until 4:00 to count.)

In accordance withWis. Stats. § 7.52 and 7.53(m), and pursuant to the order of the United States District Court Judge William M. Conley dated April 2, 2020, the City of Whitewater Municipal Board of Canvassers will convene on the date(s) and time(s) indicated above to canvass the April 7, 2020 Preferential Preference and Spring Election absentee ballots and conduct the Municipal canvass if required.

The Municipal Building will be open to the public during the counting.

If you are disabled and need assistance, please call (262) 473-0102 before this meeting to make arrangements for reasonable accommodations.

Michele Smith, Clerk
City of Whitewater

Local bird watcher Carol McCormick says she was surprised to see the return of the American white pelicans on the drawn-down Trippe Lake, where they’ve been visiting briefly for the past few springs. She believes that they summer on Lake Koshkonong. The birds work as a group to drive fish.

The pelicans have a white stripe under their wings that is hardly visible except in flight. Carol says the birds are huge, which is confirmed by this excerpt from the interesting post on Wikipedia: “The American white pelican rivals the trumpeter swan, with a similar overall length, as the longest bird native to North America. Both very large and plump, it has an overall length of about 50–70 in (130–180 cm), courtesy of the huge beak which measures 11.3–15.2 in (290–390 mm) in males and 10.3–14.2 in (260–360 mm) in females. It has a wingspan of about 95–120 in (240–300 cm).^[3] The species also has the second largest average wingspan of any North American bird, after the California condor.”

The birds will probably be here for a few more days, and you could get a good view of them while you socially distance (aren’t you getting tired of that term) at the boat launch/shelter off Wisconsin Street.

Current suggestions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): click here

“What’s the best material for a mask?” from the New York Times: click here

Although it is believed that a fabric mask may reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19, it does not take the place of staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance from other persons of at least 6′ when you must leave your home.

The information below is not a paid advertisement for Kari’s Sew Unique, but the Banner is not aware of anyplace else that is closeby offering mask kits. The store is located at 12524 E. County Rd N, Whitewater, WI (behind the Animal Medical Center.) Per their website, they are currently only available to take calls on Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. – noon. More information re: the masks is available there.

WisDOT further restricts in-person services at DMV service
centers beginning April 8 – Service centers to offer only essential services
by appointment; online services remain open.

To protect customers and employees from the spread of COVID-19, the Wisconsin
Department of Transportation is further restricting in-person service at all Division of
Motor Vehicles (DMV) Customer Service Centers on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. This
action furthers the limitation of face-to-face services that began on March 23, 2020.

Until further notice, the service centers will be closed to all in-person transactions except the
following services, which will be available by appointment only. To make an appointment for one of these essential services while the Safer at Home order is in place, call the DMV Communication Center at (608) 264-7447.

• Commercial Driver Licenses (CDL)
• Voters needing identification who need to use the Identification card Petition Process (IDPP)
• New Wisconsin residents who need a driver license or ID for voting
• Note: There are no in-person vehicle services.

Online services available at wisconsindmv.gov:

• All vehicle-related transactions (including renewing registration, titling a vehicle, etc.
• Obtaining a duplicate driver license
• Changing address
• Services can also be completed by mail or through third-party providers.
  

Other modifications DMV has in place to reduce in-person visits include:

• All driver license and CDL renewals are extended 60 days.
• All ID cards can be renewed online
• Emissions testing requirements have been deferred
• Registration renewals should still be completed by mail or online by the renewal date
• Non-CDL driver skills tests have been cancelled until further notice
• A robust online presence (wisconsindmv.gov) to assist with your other DMV needs
• DMV staff will continue to handle phone calls, process mailed-in applications, and assist
  with any other prioritized work on behalf of the state.
  
• For more information, contact:
  WisDOT Office of Public Affairs
  (608) 266-3581, opa.exec@dot.wi.gov