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Local Students Honored at UW-Platteville & Viterbo University (Update: Platteville Dean’s List Added)

UW-PLATTEVILLE Announces Chancellor’s List
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (July 15, 2021) – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced its Chancellor’s List, honoring those with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages for the spring 2021 semester. Students from this area who earned the 4.0 grade-point average include: 

Whitewater, WI 
Autumn Bultman, Elementary Education
Alison I Heckert, Health & Human Performance

UW-Platteville also announced its Dean’s List, honoring those full-time students who earned high honors in the spring 2021 semester. College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture and the College of Liberal Arts and Education require grade-point averages of 3.75 and above for Dean’s List honors, while the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science requires students to reach at least a 3.50.

Whitewater, WI
Autumn Bultman, Elementary Education
Allison Heckert, Health & Human Performance
Rachel Mason, Civil Engineering

VITERBO UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES SPRING SEMESTER DEAN’S LIST

LA CROSSE, Wis.— Seven hundred thirty five students have been named to the Viterbo University 2021 spring semester dean’s list.

Full-time students must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit for letter grades and receive at least a 3.50 GPA with no incomplete grades to qualify for the dean’s list. Part-time students must have completed a total of 15 semester hours of credit for letter grades at Viterbo with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Part-time students must also complete a minimum of six semester hours of credit for letter grades and achieve a semester GPA of 3.5 or above with no incompletes.

Whitewater
Jacob W. Lee

Obituary: Nancy Carroll Paynter McCord Morrow, 86

Nancy Carroll Paynter McCord Morrow, 86, of Whitewater, Wisconsin passed away surrounded by friends and family on Wednesday, July 14th.

Nancy was born on January 31, 1935, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, the daughter of Meredith (Bob) & Eldora (Zanton) Paynter. She was the first of seven children.

Nancy graduated from Whitewater High School in 1952 and continued her education at Wisconsin State College – Whitewater.

She married James Arthur McCord in 1953. They had two children, Meredith Ann and James Arthur Junior.  While her husband was serving in the Korean War, Nancy and her family lived with her mother and siblings. Upon his return from the war, the family moved to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina. After completion of his military career, they moved to the McCord Homestead in Wisconsin.

After the passing of her husband James, Nancy later married Robert Ray Morrow on January 6th, 1968. They had one son, Joseph Robert.

Nancy worked as a bookkeeper in various automotive industries for over 60 years. She also briefly worked at Commercial Bank here in Whitewater. For the majority of her bookkeeping career, she worked at Havill-Spoerl Dealership, where she formed many lifelong friendships.

Nancy was very involved in the Whitewater Community. She was intimately involved in her children’s many school and sporting activities. She was a member of the Whitewater Booster club, actively involved in the First English Lutheran Church and an avid sports fan (to say the least), of the Whippets, Warhawks, Badgers, Packers, Bucks and Brewers. With Nancy’s love of life, she made friends everywhere she went. She was known and loved by many.  Her family was everything to her and she was the heart of the family.

Nancy is survived by her three children, Meredith McCord of Tigard, OR, Jim (Teri) McCord of Tigard, OR, and COL Joseph (Susan) Morrow, United States Army, currently stationed at Scott Air Force Base, IL; two granddaughters, Brittany (Matt) Reader, Krista (Kyle) Sprecher, and three great-grandchildren, Annabelle, Olivia and Jordan Reader, siblings Elizabeth “Liz”, Robert “Bob”, and Arlene “Enie” and special sister-in-laws, Nubby and Ceila along with many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Nancy was preceded in death by her husband James Arthur McCord (1964), husband Robert Ray Morrow (2018), parents Meredith and Eldora (Zanton) Paynter, and her siblings LaVern, Aryln, and Myron.

Visitation will be from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm and Memorial Service will follow at First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater on Monday July 19th. Nancy will be laid to rest at Hillside Cemetery in Whitewater on Tuesday, July 20th at 10:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Return of the Nightingale Project (Return of the Nightingale Project, C/O Meredith McCord, P.O. Box 83126, Portland, OR 97283), or Whitewater American Legion Post 173 in support of Military Veterans (Robert Paynter, 824 E. Main Street, Whitewater. 53190).

The Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family. Online condolences may be given to the family at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com.

WUSD Turf Ground Breaking Ceremony Mon., July 26

(Whitewater Unified School District submission) On Monday, May 10, the WUSD School Board approved the following future athletic facilities upgrades: Turf Stadium Field; Turf Varsity Baseball Field; Turf Varsity Softball Field; Tennis Court (Mill/Pulverize and Replace); Track Resurfacing; and Contribution for Future Turf Replacement.

The Whitewater Unified School District will break ground on the future turf facilities on Monday, July 26 at 5:00 p.m. on the Whitewater High School Softball Field. Members of the School Board, District Administration, Coaches, and the general contractor, Midwest Sport and Turf Systems will be present to celebrate this event. The public is invited to attend the event.

The project is scheduled to be completed in stages throughout the summer and early fall of 2021.
Superintendent, Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty said, “Our future facilities will be used with pride by our students and our community. This project will benefit our community for years to come. Thank you for your advocacy and support for the Whitewater Unified School District.”

Obituary: Ronald J. Rein, 76, of Fort Atkinson

Ronald J. Rein, 76, of Fort Atkinson passed away on Thursday, July 15, 2021 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI.

Ron was born on June 14, 1945 in Burlington, WI to Ellsworth and Vernetta (Heiligenthal) Rein.  He graduated from Burlington High School in Burlington, WI.  On April 24, 1970 he met Ann Witkins and they married six months later. She preceded him in death on March 19, 2021. Together, Ron and Ann would raise two children in Palmyra.  Ron worked for Waukesha Engines and retired in 1999.  He enjoyed watching the Bucks, Packers and the Brewers. He also loved his grandchildren, fishing, and camping.  Ron was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Ron is survived by his children: Brian Rein, Tammy (Michael) Boyd; grandchildren Lilly and Brooke Boyd; sister Jeanne (Richard) Stelmaszewski.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Ann.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 20, 2021 from 10-11 a.m. at the Nitardy Funeral Home, 550 N. Newcomb St., Whitewater, WI 53190.  Burial will follow in the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Palmyra. As an expression of sympathy you may wish to consider memorials to the Jefferson County Humane Society.  Online condolences may be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

(Updated on July 16 with correction to high school. There will not be a service at the funeral home,)

This Weekend’s Rummage Sale

Rummage sale 
Saturday only 7/17  9-4
1236 Tower Hill Pass, Whitewater
Many items to include sunglasses (coach and Kate spade),
Purses( coach, grace adele), pampered chef, lia shopia, scentsy and lots more.

Final Installment of 2020 Property Taxes Due July 31

Walworth County Treasurer, Valerie Etzel, would like to remind all Walworth County property owners that the final installment of the 2020 real estate taxes is due to the Walworth County Treasurer by July 31, 2021. Include your payment stub(s) or indicate parcel number(s) that you are paying on your check or in a separate memo so we may apply your payment(s) correctly.

Please note: The building is open to the public but masks are required if not vaccinated. The following payment options are available to property owners:

  1. In Person: Check, cash, money order at the Walworth County Treasurer’s office, 100 W. Walworth St, Elkhorn. Office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  1. By Mail: Checks or money orders may be mailed to the Walworth County Treasurer, PO Box 1001, Elkhorn, WI 53121. Your mail must receive a U.S. Postmark on or before July 31, 2021. If you would like a receipt(s) mailed to you, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with your payment.
  1. Online: https://www.co.walworth.wi.us/ (Banner note: In order to pay online, you must lookup your property on this page, click on the parcel number, select “taxes,” and click on the “pay taxes” button on the bottom of the page.) Payments accepted via electronic check, debit card, or credit card. Convenience fees for online payments are as follows:
    1. $.25 – electronic check (echeck)
    2. $3.50 – debit card (flat convenience fee)
    3. 2.2% – credit card (fee is charged for total amount due)
  1. Drop Box: Payments of checks or money orders may be placed in the drop box located at the center median of the parking lot on the north side of the building.

It is important that property owners meet the July 31st deadline. If you miss the deadline, the balance on your account will be considered delinquent and subject to interest and penalty of 1.5% per month retroactive to February 1st (10.5 %).

Specific questions may be directed to the Walworth County Treasurer’s Office. (262)741-4251; email treasurer@co.walworth.wi.us

Jefferson County residents may apparently pay their property tax at this link. Those taxes are also due on July 31.

Brantmeier Excels at Wimbledon Junior Championships

It was an exciting two and a half weeks for Whitewater’s Reese Brantmeier at the Wimbledon Junior Championships held at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club. 

Before Wimbledon, Reese participated in an International Tennis Federation tournament held at the University of Roehampton in England. This event is at the level of the junior U.S., French, and Australian Open. Reese Brantmeier and her doubles partner, Ashlyn Kreuger from Highland Village, Texas, won the ITF doubles championship with a 6-4,6-2 win over Greece’s Michaela Laki and Serbia’s Lol Radivojec.

At Wimbledon, Reese participated in both singles and doubles competitions. Reese reached the round of 16 in singles before losing in a tough three-set match against the #1 junior player in the world. Reese had advanced farther than any U.S. singles player in the tournament.

Reese had another strong showing in doubles. Her doubles partner at Wimbledon was Elvina Kalieva from Staten Island, New York. They advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals before losing to the eventual doubles champion 3-6, 2-6 Kristina Dmitrok of Belarus, and Diana Shnaider of Russia.

Reese would like to thank everyone for their support and encouragement!

Article and Photos Submitted by Greg Stewart

Our Readers Share Tom Ganser: Pink Clouds

Tom Ganser shared this photo, which was taken at Cravath Lakefront Park on June 30 at a practice for 2021 Miss Whitewater participants. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen pink clouds like this,” Tom stated.

Our thanks to Tom Ganser for sharing another of his beautiful pictures.

— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share.  Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com or click on “submit a story” near the top right of our homepage.  Thanks for thinking about this!

Whitewater Man Facing Drug Charges / WW PD Reports Increased Eastside Incidents

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

Curt Patrick, 37, of 225 S. Maple Lane in Whitewater was arrested on June 25 and has been charged with three counts of delivery of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Patrick’s name may be familiar to area residents. He has been employed as the manager of a popular downtown Whitewater tavern that will be facing a two-month suspension of its liquor license. The suspension is the result of a Whitewater Alcohol Licensing Review Committee’s recent hearing regarding what Whitewater (WW) Police Chief Aaron Raap described as a “pattern and practice” that generated an unusually high number of police involvements. One of those police contacts was a highly publicized reported physical assault of a female tavern employee by a student athlete who is no longer enrolled at the university.

The charges against Mr. Patrick were the result of a June 24 search warrant of his home by the Walworth County Sheriff’s Drug Unit. Mr. Patrick was under investigation after three alleged sales of cocaine to a Sheriff’s Drug Unit informant in May. The drug sales reportedly occurred at undisclosed locations in Whitewater. Mr. Patrick was released on a signature bond, with a preliminary hearing in his case set for August 2.

It is unclear if Mr. Patrick is still employed as the manager of the college-oriented establishment known as Pumpers & Mitchell’s. The ‘Banner’ contacted the establishment’s licensee, Gregory Condos, about Patrick’s employment status but he provided only a “No comment” response. Visits to Pumpers & Mitchell’s Facebook page on Tuesday produced a “No Longer Available” response.

In other WW Police related news Chief Raap reports a significant increase in police calls to the general area of the Super 8 Motel that has been honoring vouchers for homeless individuals in Rock and Walworth County.

“We are seeing a marked increase in police calls in the area,” said Raap. “They include panhandling, theft, attempted fraud, domestic abuse, drug overdose and Operating While Impaired (OWI) charges.”

WW Police reported a total of 48 incidents in the area of the motel between May 1 and July 11 this year. That compared with only one incident in the same time period last year and only one incident in the area the year before.

Raap stressed that the motel operator is doing nothing illegal by accepting publicly funded vouchers for housing homeless individuals. Motels can reportedly choose to honor vouchers and can limit the number of vouchers that they honor according to Raap. He says his department estimates an average of between 20 and 30 homeless rooms are purchased every day at the eastside motel under its arrangement with Community Action.

The ‘Banner’ reached out to City Manager Cameron Clapper for a comment regarding the concerns with this situation, to which he responded, “The City is very sympathetic to the needs of those participating in the voucher program. It can mean the difference between life and death for some participants. We don’t want to impede the potential good that can come from a program like this. However, the extent of placements in our community is putting stress on our resources.”

“In response to the increased calls for service and concerns voiced by neighboring businesses and residents, we reached out to Super 8. Representatives from Super 8 as well as Community Action were readily available to meet with city staff and discuss our concerns. We are hopeful that, as a result of our meeting, business practices will be put in place at Super 8 that will resolve our concerns. We will continue to closely track the demand on public safety services as well as concerns voiced by residents.”

“If newly discussed measures do not resolve the current drain on law enforcement resources and restore a sense of security for residents and businesses in the area, we may need to address these issues via municipal ordinance,” Clapper concluded.