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(Cedarville University submission) Mina Truesdale, of Whitewater, was recently named to the Dean’s Honor List for the fall of 2020 at Cedarville University. This recognition required Truesdale to obtain a 3.75 GPA or higher for the semester and carry a minimum of 12 credit hours.

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,550 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about Cedarville University, visit www.cedarville.edu.

Per the Banner’s weather source, predicted lows: Friday -2; Saturday -15; Sunday -26; Monday -13; Tuesday -13; Wednesday -4, Thursday -6, Friday -20. Daily highs are expected to barely break zero.

(From the City of Whitewater Facebook page)

A Heartfelt Thanks

Dear Whitewater Community,

Thank you for your ongoing support of our families in need. The recent fire, in which a local family lost everything, was just the latest example of how this community comes together in times of need. 

Whenever there is a significant crisis, this community is ready to help, whether it’s the members of Whitewater Unites Lives (WUL), The Community Space (TCS), Breakfast Kiwanis, UWW Optimists, local churches or businesses. In addition, there are countless individuals, teachers, and staff who generously give their time, money and energy to mobilize at a moment’s notice. 

I have the privilege of hearing from the recipients of this generosity and I have been told repeatedly how Whitewater is truly a special place. During people’s most difficult times, they have shared that the outpouring of support has helped them realize that they are not alone and this has helped them to have hope.

Thank you again for your many expressions of love and for providing hope to so many members of our community.

With gratitude,

Mary Geraghty

Social Worker, Whitewater Unified School District

By Al Stanek
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
February 3, 2021

The Whitewater Common Council has scheduled a Public Information opportunity at its next meeting to explain several proposed Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) changes. The opportunity will be on a Thursday (February 18) as opposed to the Council’s normal Tuesday night schedule because of a Tuesday primary election later this month.

TIF financing utilizes the creation of Tax Incremental Finance Districts (TIDs) to facilitate and help fund development that will ultimately benefit the City, the Whitewater Unified School District, Walworth and/or Jefferson Counties, and the regional technical colleges. The tax revenue on development projects in a TID go exclusively to enable development in the district until the projects are completed and the additional tax revenues generated by the completed projects are then shared with the City and the other three units of government.

At the creation of a TID generally the City will take advantage of low interest municipal bonds to provide seed money to jump-start development. When a TID’s projects no longer need public support, the City can use accumulated TID funds to pay off the bonds. Any remaining balance is returned equitably to all four units of government.

The Common Council at its February 2 meeting voted to “call” or “exercise the option” to pay off the outstanding balance of the original bonding that jump-started the development in the general area of the Industrial Park known as TID #4. Doing so is estimated to save more than $60,000 per year in interest costs and will remove that debt load from the city’s total which could result in lower interest rates for future borrowing.

These actions lay the groundwork for a City plan to finish closing out its remaining TIDs, extend existing TID #4 funding for one year as allowed by the WI Department of Revenue (DOR), and ultimately to allow access to TIF financing as a future development tool. DOR regulations prohibit communities from having more than 12% of their assessed value in TIDs. With TID #4 remaining active the Whitewater community does reportedly exceed that percentage.

The issue of “extending” TIF #4 does apparently come with some opportunity for controversy. In a proactive approach to that possibility, City Manager Cameron Clapper provided an outline of public and other taxing unit input sessions beginning with the February 18 Public Information opportunity. The seven-step process takes place over a four-month period involving the Whitewater Community Development Authority (CDA), the Common Council and the TID Joint Review Board (JRB). The JRB includes representatives from all four units of government impacted by TIF actions.

The DOR webpage provides a matrix containing only three scenarios for when a TID can be “extended” for one year. They include a “Standard” scenario which would allow additional time to pay off incurred debt, a scenario unique to TIDs created for “technical college” projects, and an “Affordable Housing” option. It appears that only the last option would be applicable in this case. A community must adopt a Resolution that will “… specify how the municipality will improve housing stock.” “Affordable Housing” can be distinctly different than “Low Income Housing” and a City’s plan can include housing rehabilitation efforts.

(Whitewater Public Library submission) The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library offers a new take-and-make craft kit every week! Pick up your kit during curbside pick-up or while the Library is open. New craft videos are posted every Monday at 11:00 a.m. to our YouTube channel and Facebook page. For more information visit us at whitewaterlibrary.org or call 262-473-0530

(UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics submission) – The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics has earned accounting accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, the premier accrediting body for schools of business.

With this achievement, UW-Whitewater becomes the first regional comprehensive university in the UW System to achieve separate AACSB accreditation for accounting. Less than six percent of the world’s institutions of higher education that offer business programs have earned AACSB accreditation, and less than two percent have earned supplemental accounting accreditation.

“The UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics has an outstanding reputation for its accounting programs, and our graduates are in high demand by employers throughout the region,” said John Chenoweth, dean of the College of Business and Economics. “We are proud to have earned the elite distinction of AACSB accounting accreditation.”

AACSB accreditation ensures continuous improvement and provides focus for schools to deliver on their mission, innovate and drive impact.

To realize accounting accreditation, an institution must first earn or maintain AACSB business accreditation. Then, in addition to developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy the business accreditation quality standards, accounting accreditation requires the satisfaction of an additional set of accreditation standards that are specific to the discipline and profession of accounting.

“Our program prepares students to meet real-world challenges through transformational experiences in the classroom, internships and community service, among others,” said D’Arcy Becker, department chairperson and professor of accounting. “Separate accounting accreditation demonstrates that we pursue this educational mission at the very highest level. It shows that our faculty are experts in their fields who are committed to delivering a rigorous curriculum that provides an excellent base on which outstanding accounting careers are built.”

The UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics currently offers an accounting major and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting. More information is also available on the Accounting Department, including its mission, faculty and programs.

Source: Wisconsin Dept. of Revenue – Arms length sales recorded in January, 2021

MENOMONIE, Wis.  (January 25, 2021) – The following students from the area have been named to the University of Wisconsin-Stout Dean’s List for the fall 2020 semester.

The award, formerly known as the Chancellor’s Award, is presented to students who have a grade point average of 3.5 or above.

UW-Stout, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, has 46 undergraduate majors and 24 graduate programs, including one doctoral degree. UW-Stout, established in 1891, prides itself on the success of its students in the workplace, with an employment rate above 98% for recent graduates. The university was awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2001.

Enrollment was 7,970 in the fall.

UW-Stout is Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes.

HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME, CLASS YEAR, MAJOR

Whitewater, WI

 Zach Gross, Senior, BS Computer Science
 Bennett Miles, Sophomore, BS applied mathematics and computer science
 Luke Rule, Sophomore, BS Digital Mktg Technology

Michael Hilliger, Entertainment Design & Game Design & Development-Art (Added by UW-Stout on Feb. 2)