TMJ4 reported on March 4 that, “The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Friday [March 4] that a deputy has been placed on administrative leave after he was charged with 19 counts including sexual assault. The sheriff’s office said in a statement that Deputy Gerardo Baca, 36, was arrested on March 3 and is facing numerous charges in Waukesha County, including multiple counts of second and third-degree sexual assault. The sheriff’s office said the charges stem from incidents that happened when he was off duty over a year ago…According to the criminal complaint, Baca sexually assaulted six different women between 2011 and 2021. Some of the victims he met at work and one was an intern.”
“Now, Waukesha County is asking to speak with anyone who could be a victim. They are asking anyone who has been involved with Baca to call Waukesha County Sheriff Detective Aaron Hoppe at 262-896-8143 or Waukesha County Sheriff Detective Jack Kopatich at 262-896-8140.”
Additional information is provided in the TMJ4 article.
Shawn Marie Smith, age 53, passed away peacefully February 26th 2022, at Froedtert Hospital. She was born on July 28th, 1968, in Watertown to Patricia Blank.
Shawn was a respected dog behavior consultant for the last 10 years in Whitewater and the surrounding area. As a past member of the Basenji Club of Southeastern Wisconsin, she served as rescue committee chair, facilitating many successful placements. She also served as chair of the rescue committee of the Basenji Club of America.
She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. While an undergraduate she published a study that appeared in 2007 Applied Animal Behavior Science.
She is survived by her life Partner, Todd Thayer, her Mother Patricia Blank, children, Jesse Smith and Josh Smith and two brothers, Jerry Salb and Bob Budde.
James M. Stypla, age 71, of Janesville, passed away at home on Friday, February 25, 2022. A celebration of his life will be held on a later date. SCHNEIDER FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY is assisting his family.
Arthur Knute Lein was born in the family home on Fremont Street and lived his whole life on Fremont until debility necessitated the move to Fairhaven where he spent several years eventually being joined by his wife whom he referred to as my Marvelous Mary. He attended school in Whitewater and attended UWW where he eventually received a BA after a couple year hiatus to serve in the US Army. He trained with the 10th mountain division in Colorado. The war ended when he was getting ready to ship out so that was very fortunate or I might not be here. He was very proud of his service and being a veteran. He met Mom at UWW and they married in 1953. Eric, my deceased brother and I, Kevin were their children. I am the last branch of the family tree, the last of the Mohicans. Dad always introduced himself to people as “I’m Art Lein from Whitewater, Wisconsin.” He loved Whitewater and all things Wisconsin. He was a huge fan of UWW and Badger sports. All Wisconsin sports. I remember watching many Packer games with him.
Dad opened up a clothing store in the late 50’s and closed it in 1979 to sell clothing in WI and MI for many years until he retired. He was very involved in community/civic events over his life. He and Mom attended countless Warhawk games and he was on the Hall of Fame Board at UWW for many years. He was eventually inducted into the hall with a Distinguished Service Award for his years of serving and promoting Warhawk sports and UWW. He and couple of friends started the Quarterback Club to help promote the Warhawk football teams and his friend Perk, the longtime coach. He and countless friends spearheaded the drive to open Perkins Stadium in the early 70’s. Service included Zoning commission for Whitewater and Walworth county board member as well. He was head usher at the Congregational Church for 40 plus years although he was known to ditch the sermon to go eat cookies in the basement of the church. He was on the board of the Commercial Bank for many years with his lifelong friend Dave Kachel. He was a member of the Legion post for many years and was vice commander in his final years with them.
Dad was a jovial and gregarious man who always had a smile on his face. He loved going to coffee klatsch every day with a bunch of the local men so they could discuss current events and figure out solutions, with a lot of jokes and ribbing thrown in. He put a Bush senior for president sticker on Jack Frawley’s (a lifelong Democrat) car. Jack didn’t notice for a couple of days until someone asked him if he went over to the other side. Those were the days when things weren’t so divided and people so sensitive. He loved to pull jokes and pranks on his other friends as well. Too many to list.
Dad was a very kind and decent man of the greater generation. He made many lifelong friends in his time on earth. He was a true gentleman. He will be greatly missed by the many he knew and touched. He’s in heaven now with Mom.
I would like to extend my appreciation to Fairhaven for their wonderful care of Dad these last years. They have very special people working there. Also a shout out for Rainbow Hospice who were involved in his care as well of that of my mom and brother in the past. They have some wonderful staff as well.
There will be a celebration of life this summer for anyone that knew him or Mom which I will get posted when I get things nailed down. Their bodies are at UWM for medical research so there will be no burial services for some time until I get their remains. He and Mom will be interred together at the Veterans cemetery in Union Grove at a future date.
Jacob Link/Advance-Titan — Titans announce new football coach Peter Jennings
According to The Advance-Titan, UW Oshkosh Athletic Director Darryl Sims announced on March 1 that Peter Jennings would be the new head coach of the Titan football team during a press conference at the Culver Family Welcome Center.
“Peter has a real vision for Titan football,” Sims said. “He is a strong leader. He has an innovative football mind and has demonstrated the ability to work well with student athletes: to help them be successful in the classroom and on the football field.”
Jennings was the offensive coordinator for four seasons at UW-Whitewater, where he helped the Warhawks compile a 39-4 record and win three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships from 2018-21. The Warhawks advanced to the 2019 NCAA Division III championship game and reached the semi-finals in 2018 and 2021.
Further information is provided in the article at the above link.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship and will host the first and second rounds in the NCAA Whitewater Regional this Friday and Saturday at Kachel Gymnasium.
The Warhawks (23-4 overall) will face Ripon in the first round Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Red Hawks earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Midwest Conference Tournament championship.
DePauw (Ind.) and Illinois Wesleyan complete the four-team pod and will square off in the first round Friday at 5 p.m. The Tigers earned a Pool C, or at-large, berth to the NCAA Tournament after reaching the semifinals of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. The Titans claimed a Pool A, or automatic, bid after winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament.
The winners of the first-round games will play in the second round Saturday at 7 p.m. at Kachel Gymnasium.
UW-Whitewater earned an at-large bid to the national tournament, its sixth consecutive appearance and 13th in the last 14 seasons. The team claimed the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship with a 12-2 league record and reached the WIAC Tournament championship game last week.
The Warhawks were second in the NCAA Region IX rankings last week.
See below for the complete weekend schedule.
Friday, March 4
Game 1: DePauw (home) vs. Illinois Wesleyan, 5 p.m.
Game 2: UW-Whitewater (home) vs. Ripon, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 5
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m.
*host will be the home team; if host does not advance, winner of Game 1 will be home team
The following local UW-Whitewater student-athletes are members of the 2021-22 Warhawk women’s basketball team:
Rebekah Schumacher of Whitewater, WI (Whitewater High School), a senior majoring in elementary education.
Kacie Carollo of Whitewater, WI (Whitewater High School), a freshman majoring in integrated science and business.
By Al Stanek Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
The massive mound of dirt from the dredging of the lakes, taken from Howard Road. Photo courtesy of Al Stanek, who states, “It’s really hard to capture just how much dirt is in that pile.”
Nearly 69,000 cubic yards of wet soil have been moved to a temporary site in the Whitewater Industrial Park off of Howard Road as crews wrap up the dredging portion of the project to revitalize Whitewater’s two downtown lakes. The 69,000 cubic yards is the equivalent of nine times the cubic capacity of the Goodyear Blimp according to the website “The Measure of Things.”
Whitewater Common Council members were given an update on the project at their March 1 meeting which also included the first official reference to the potential for a referendum on absorbing fire and emergency medical services (EMS) as a full-fledged city department. Plans include a reduced reliance on paid on-call volunteers due to a shortage of local volunteers with an increase in paid full-time employees.
Whitewater apparently will join neighboring communities like Fort Atkinson and Milton in asking citizens to vote on exceeding state imposed spending limits to absorb fire and/or EMS services in reaction to a statewide shortage of volunteer firefighters and highly trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Fort’s citizens will vote on their referendum on April 5. Whitewater’s referendum issue is expected to be a subject of discussion at the upcoming March 15 Common Council meeting and could be placed on the ballot as early as this fall.
The dredging of Cravath Lake across from City Hall and Trippe Lake on the City’s near eastside has been a multiyear project that began with a two year long drawdown of the lakes, a controlled burn of invasive vegetation, and a massive effort at dredging which had hoped to be able to remove as much as 81,000 cubic yards of lake bed soils before warmer temperatures caused a halt in operations. Several owners of lakefront property are expected to still be able to do additional dredging from shore to contribute an estimated 4,000 more cubic yards of material.
Whitewater Parks and Recreation Director Eric Boettcher told Common Council members that the main channel on Trippe Lake had been lowered by as much as 5.5 feet and 3.5 feet on the Cravath Lake main channel. The overall maximum depth of both lakes is expected to be significantly greater when refilling of the lakes takes place in June with plans for a nearly complete refill by the 4th of July event at Cravath Lake. The project’s costs are expected not to exceed the $1.47 million budget.
In other action the Common Council approved a 2.25% wage increase for City Manager Cameron Clapper which is equivalent to increases granted to other city employees and got an update from representatives of the company that last August began stationing electric scooters at various places around town to provide a transportation option for citizens and students.
Bird Scooters Inc. representatives were asked to address citizen complaints about scooters blocking sidewalks and lying tipped over in residential yards. They agreed to step up oversight by their local contractor charged with that responsibility and could face termination of the program for non-compliance. The company reported over 11,000 trips purchased online in Whitewater between August of last year and the beginning of the snow season. They claimed to have over 300 “regular Whitewater commuters” last year.
The Council was also advised that residents with abandoned vehicles in their yards will be receiving “notice of enforcement” actions per a “Junk Vehicle Ordinance” passed in October. The ordinance includes fines ranging from $50 to up to $500 for non-compliance. Residents in the process of making repairs to a vehicle can obtain a permit forgoing the assessment of fines if the owner stipulates that the vehicle will be returned to an operable condition within a year.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the League of Women Voters of the Whitewater Area.
The League of Women Voters of the Whitewater Area is pleased to announce that it will host an in-person Whitewater Common Council candidate forum on Saturday, March 12, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM, in the City of Whitewater Council Chambers, 312 W Whitewater Street. The City of Whitewater asks members of the public to wear face masks in City-owned facilities, regardless of vaccination status.
There are four candidates running for three open seats on the Common Council and one contested race for the Member at Large seat. Participating candidates include: Jill Gerber (AD4, Wards 6/7/8) and Jim Allen (Member at Large – Incumbent) and Chuck Mills (Member At Large – Challenger). The forum will be moderated by League member and UW-Whitewater Professor of History Dr. Karl Brown.
If you have questions for the candidates but are unable to attend the in person forum, please submit your questions electronically via the following Google Form by Wednesday, March 9.
Submit questions for Common Council candidates at City Council Candidate Forum Question Submission Form. Candidate questions prepared by the LWV Whitewater Area board will be used if there are not enough questions provided by the public. The League does not accept questions targeted to specific candidates.
The forum will be filmed by Whitewater Community TV and live streamed to their Vimeo website. A recording will be rebroadcast on Channel 990 and made available on the League’s website, https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area, during the weeks leading up to the April 5 Spring Election.
The League is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the College of Arts and Communication, Department of Theatre/Dance at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The College of Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater announces the annual dance concert “DanceScapes ‘22.” Performances will take place on March 12 – 13 at 2:00 p.m. and March 14 – 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Barnett Theatre. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222. On Sunday, March 13, a fundraising raffle will be held in conjunction with the concert performance. The Barnett Theatre is located in the Greenhill Center of the Arts at 950 W. Main St. Do not come to campus if you are ill. For the most up to date campus safety information, visit the Warhawks are Back webpage at the link below. uww.edu/warhawks-are-back.
Students perform UW-Whitewater senior Anna D’Alessandro’s choreography, titled “;.” DanceScapes ’18 will be performed March 17 and 18 at 2 p.m. and March 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Barnett Theatre at Greenhill Center of the Arts on the UW-Whitewater campus. UW-Whitewater dance lecturer Amy Slater is artistic director.(UW-Whitewater photo/Craig Schreiner)
An annual audience favorite, this concert features works from UW-Whitewater faculty members, award-winning guest artist Li Chiao Ping, student choreographers Kayley Stoner and Teresa Krogmann, and for the very first time, a piece choreographed and performed by all alums. A showcase of unique talent nurtured in our studios, we hope you’ll join us as we celebrate the shared experience of live performance.
The following local students are part of “DanceScapes ’22.”
Carter Waelchli who is studying Theatre Education, serves as a crew member
Emma Hendricks who is studying General Business, serves as a dancer
Barbara Grubel, Professor of Dance and Artistic Director of “DanceScapes ‘22” says, “I am so excited to have DanceScapes ‘22 return to live audiences – there’s something so organic about the relationships built between the audience and the dancers while they’re performing onstage – the energy is palpable in the room. This year’s concert has some exciting additions with the return of guest artist Li Chiao Ping, our student choreographers Kayley Stoner and Teressa Krogmann, and for the first time, the addition of a piece choreographed by Elizabeth Szymczak ‘07 and performed by all alumni. Symczak states, “It was the perfect time to come back to UW-Whitewater and work in the studio. As an alumna, I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to once again work with Barb; she is truly an asset to the entire institution. Working with other alums on this piece has been an engaging and collaborative experience – I’m excited to have audiences take in the work and hear about their viewing experience.”
Audiences may remember guest choreographer Li Chiao Ping from her work in “DanceScapes ‘21” – a dance for camera work in the virtual concert. This year’s piece is an adaptation of last year’s piece, working with UW-Whitewater students to transform her dance for camera work into one for the stage. Chiao Ping, who was named by Dance Magazine as one of “25 to watch,” makes work for the stage, screen, and other sites for individuals and organizations around the country. She has choreographed for musical theater, opera, and ballet, in addition to concert dance, dance theater, and screen dance. Artistic Director of Li Chiao-Ping Dance and Co-Director of the SF-based Dziga Vertov Performance Group with Douglas Rosenberg from 1992-94, Li was the Director of the Dance Program at Hollins College and on faculty at Mills College.
On Sunday, March 13, 2022 a fundraising raffle will be held in conjunction with the performance. Beginning at 1:00 p.m., raffle items include a variety of gift certificates, products and more from area businesses. You do not have to attend the concert to participate in the raffle. Proceeds will go directly towards sending UW-Whitewater students to the American College Dance Association Conference each year. During their attendance students are able to learn from other instructors throughout the region, perform selected works for attendees and view works from other choreographers in the region.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Jefferson County Parks.
The Jefferson County Parks Department needs you, and anyone you know who may be interested in participating in a two-part discussion (March 8 and 22) to explore interest and support in creating a Friends of Jefferson County Parks group. Follow the link to register:https://forms.gle/XLQS9j7PtkV1sJir5
The overarching goal of the meetings will be to assess unmet needs in our park system, and interest in our community to create a working group committed to addressing those needs.
Jefferson County, in collaboration with the UW-Extension will be hosting two working group meetings to assess how we can build consensus to get this initiative off the ground.
The sessions will be blended with in-person and virtual options available and held on:
Session 1: Tuesday March 8th, 2022 (5:00 to 6:30 PM) UW-Extension Building Rm 12 864 Collins Rd. Jefferson, WI 53549
Session 2: Tuesday March 22, 2022 (5:00 to 6:30 PM) UW-Extension Building Rm 12 864 Collins Rd. Jefferson, WI 53549
