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Suspect charged in “shots being fired” incident on Saturday morning

(Whitewater Police Dept. Facebook post, Oct. 8) At approximately 3:00 a.m. this past Saturday morning, city police officers were notified of a “shots being fired” in the area of the 600 block of W. Main St. The officers immediately responded and located a suspect who was hiding under a vehicle. That suspect (21-year-old Oliver D. Carmichael-Grandstrand) was armed with a handgun and knives. He was taken into custody. The officers also conducted a thorough search of nearby buildings and autos for injuries or damage caused by the gunfire. They located an occupied residence which was struck. Thankfully, no one was injured. At this time, there is no known motive for the crimes and it is not believed that the residence was intentionally targeted. Carmichael-Grandstrand has been charged by the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office with two felonies and six misdemeanors.

Banner note: Per Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, Carmichael-Grandstrand resides at 120 S. Prairie St. and has been charged with two felony counts of 2nd-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety and six midemeanors.

Whippet Swimmers Down Delavan-Darien in first WHS Sporting Event in 216 Days

Whitewater 89 vs Delavan-Darien 80

After 216 days with no competition for any Whitewater sport teams, the Girls Swim team was ready to race hard against Delavan-Darien.  The girls beat Delavan-Darien 89-80 with a strong group effort. The girls were very excited to get in and compete!  Leading the way by 18 seconds in the 200 Medley Relay was the team of Sophia Fanshaw, Ella Houwers, Grace Foucault and Amber Krebs.  Other first place finishes from the meet include Ella Houwers in the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Breaststroke, Sophia Fanshaw in the 50 Freestyle, Grace Foucault in the 100 Butterfly and 100 Backstroke, Amber Krebs in the 500 Freestyle and our 400 Freestyle relay of Amber Krebs, Karime Velazquez, Brooke Bazeley and Ella Houwers.

Sophomore Brooke Bazeley swam well in what is considered some of the tougher races.  Brooke scored great points for the team with her 3rd place finishes in both the 200 Individual Medley and 500 Freestyle.  Brooke also had to lead off the 200 Freestyle relay immediately after finishing the 500 Freestyle and posted a 29.54 in that relay.

Our newcomers really did an outstanding job after only 8 practices to gain knowledge and experience.  Vicki Ramirez earned many points with her ability to swim all 4 strokes well and raced particularly well in the 100 Butterfly and 100 Breaststroke.  Trinity Nickels took on the 500 Freestyle in her first meet as a Whippet and swam an incredibly well paced race that earned points for the team. Aileen Perez showed great improvement in just one week by dropping a whopping 25 seconds in the 50 Freestyle; this is one determined swimmer!  Skylar Staebler not only raced the Varsity 100 Freestyle, but was able to score points with her strong performance.

Returning swimmers Ashly Xochipa, Josie Treder, Karime Velazquez and Ella Smith helped add depth to our team with their prior experience and willingness to push through pain.  Ashly continued right where she left off last year posting a lifetime best time in the 100 Backstroke to score points for the team. Josie Treder finished especially strong in the 100 Breaststroke and 100 Freestyle on the 400 Freestyle relay which earned some very important points to help us secure the win. Karime Velazquez had an outstanding night with her performances in the 200 Freestyle and 100 Butterfly swimming right on her best times from last year.  Ella Smith pushed through the 200 IM to earn some much needed points for the Whippets in addition to her 100 Freestyle.  Having these veterans ready to race with knowledge from previous years was a huge part of our win tonight.

It was truly a great first meet. I am very proud of these girls and can’t wait to see what we can do in our next meet with a little more time in the pool.

Article Submitted by Coach Gina Foucault

This Weekend’s Garage Sale

Garage Sale Notice:

919 W. Charles St., Whitewater
Fri 8-3 (Oct. 9th) / Sat 8-3 (Oct. 10th)

Set of WWII puttees, Military airplane models, Vintage baby clothing, Dutch stuff, German stuff, Sewing notions, Dog crate, Chimney cap, Rocking chairs, Oak coffee table, Book shelf, Handmade afghan, Old electronic accessories, Craft items, Marvel & DC comic books, Baseball cards, Suitcases, Flour sack dish towels, Halloween costumes, Toys from the 80s, Puzzles, Games, Women’s & Men’s clothing, and much more!  Masks appreciated.

“Hiking the Ice Age National Scenic Trail” – Zoom talk from the library, Tues. Oct. 13

Hiking the Ice Age National Scenic Trail 
Live on Zoom Tuesday, October 13th at 6:00 p.m.
Register at whitewaterlibrary.org

The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a thousand-mile footpath that highlights the glacial landscape features as it travels through some of Wisconsin’s most beautiful natural areas. But it’s more than a path through the woods — it’s a place for mental and physical rejuvenation, a place to unwind after a hard day and enjoy the landscape of Wisconsin. More than 2.3 million people use the trail each year to hike and snowshoe, to backpack, to disconnect and reconnect.


Join presenter Amy Lord with the Ice Age Trail Alliance to learn more about the Ice Age Trail. This overview presentation will introduce the Trail, its history and story, provide resources to plan your journey, and helpful information suited to scratch that hiking itch.


www.iceagetrail.org

Link provided for recording of City/UW-W town hall on October 1

On Oct. 1, the City of Whitewater and UW-Whitewater held a live town hall via Webex Events.

If you were unable to join during the live event, you are encouraged to watch the video of the Community Town Hall, which covered a wide variety of important topics including, COVID-19 Dashboard, facial coverings, and voting, to name a few.

Our panelists included:

City of Whitewater
Cameron Clapper, City Manager

UW-Whitewater
Greg Cook, Interim Chancellor
Artanya Wesley, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Matt Kiederlen, Chief of Police

Many questions from the community were also addressed during the presentation.

Here is the video link to the Community Town Hall:  
https://streaming.uww.edu/#/videos/69beded4-3646-40be-b9c6-5f5f5cf34876

Common Council receives City Manager’s 2021 budget proposal

By Lisa Dawsey Smith
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

City Manager Cameron Clapper presented his 2021 budget proposal to the Common Council at its October 6 meeting. The balanced budget would project revenues and expenses at $9,641,209, a 2.4% decrease compared with the 2020 budget. Clapper and Finance Director Steve Hatton alternated in providing a relatively brief overview of the proposal, acknowledging that a major uncertainty is the degree of shared revenue that will be received from the state of Wisconsin. Intergovernmental revenues, largely from the state, represent approximately 47% of the city’s receipts. In view of the possible economic impact of the pandemic on state revenues from sales and income taxes, it is feared that municipal payments will be reduced.

The Capital Improvement Projects portion of the budget includes a $350,000 reserve towards a future purchase of a ladder truck for the Fire Department, design work for major street improvements on Yoder Lane and E. Main Street, an evidence garage for the Police Department, a new street sweeper, a combination jetter truck for the Wastewater Department, a backup generator for water well #8, and storm water improvements at Walworth Avenue and Douglas Court.

The Finance Committee will review the proposed budget in detail in meetings on October 8, 13, and 14, and the final proposal will come back to the Council on November 5.

In other business:

  • Eric Boettcher, Director of Parks & Recreation, announced the plans for trick or treating, with recommended safety precautions, on October 31 from 4-7 p.m. It is suggested that residents who do not wish to participate should leave their porch light off.
  • Cameron Clapper announced that a product called IWave that removes viruses and allergens from the air is being installed in the air handling systems at the library, the municipal building, and many other city buildings.
  • Mwita Binagi was appointed to the Police and Fire Commission.
  • New council member Greg Majkrzak II was appointed to the Finance Committee and Alcohol Licensing Committee.
  • It was decided, in view of the high level of COVID-19 cases in the area, to continue holding city meetings virtually. The matter will be revisited at the November 5 meeting.
  • It was decided to decline to sell Lot 3B in the Whitewater Business Park to a business that would store trucks and other vehicles and only employ two people.

This Week’s virtual city & school district meetings; UPDATED with City Finance Committee on Thurs.

Whitewater Unified School District Policy Review Committee – Tuesday @ 10 a.m.
Click here for agenda; click on “meetings” in upper right hand corner.
10:00 a.m. via Zoom Online
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82633476623?
pwd=UG5vTS9HQnE0V2VxY3daME9VMzB2UT09
Passcode: 580350
Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
Webinar ID: 826 3347 6623
Passcode: 580350

City of Whitewater Common Council – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m.
Includes presentation of 2021 budget proposal, staff update on strategic plan and 2020 objectives, virtual vs. in-person city meetings, and potential sale of lot 3B in the Business Park.
Click here for agenda
To join Zoom meeting: https://zoom.us/j/94650836786?pwd=U2Y2ckw4Z1VrcG1DaHBWdkdnT3JYUT09
Passcode: 701901#
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +13126266799,,94650836786#,,,,,,0#,,701901# or +19292056099,,94650836786#,,,,,,0#,,701901#
Or Telephone: US: +1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 946 5083 6786
Passcode: 701901#

City of Whitewater Finance Committee – Thursday @ 4:30 p.m.
Includes 2021 budget proposal review (1 of 3 meetings)
Click here for agenda
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/845158093
You can also dial in using your phone. (For supported devices, tap a one-touch number below to join instantly.) (224) 501-3412
One-touch: tel:+12245013412,,845158093#
Access Code: 845-158-093

Active Minds Organization & Community Partners Come Together to Plant Hope Garden

(News release) WHITEWATER, WI., October 1, 2020 – As part of a new initiative to smash the stigma surrounding mental illness, UW-Whitewater’s Active Minds Organization will partner with UW-Whitewater Sustainability and Working for Whitewater’s Wellness, Inc. to plant tulips in the Campus Memory Garden as well as the Cravath Lakefront Park. In honor of the Yellow Tulip Project, the social distancing-style planting event will take place on October 9th and 10th.

Due to Covid-19, masks must be worn at all times and social distancing guidelines will be enforced. Registration is also required to participate in the Hope Garden Bulb Planting Ceremony, as the event is limited to 25 participants. Please sign up using the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4ca4ae23a3fdc16-hope

This event is brought to Whitewater by the UW-W Active Minds Organization, UW-W Sustainability Office, Working for Whitewater’s Wellness Inc., the City of Whitewater, the Whitewater Unified School District, and Seeds of Hope. Stay updated on The Yellow Tulip Project by following @ytp_whitewater on Instagram.

The Yellow Tulip Project, founded by Julia Hansen, was created to combat the increasing rates of suicide through productive conversations, community interaction, and eradication of the stigma. The nonprofit organization partners with schools and publics to plant Hope Gardens to instill a sense of hope and happiness within communities. (theyellowtulipproject.org)

Yellow Tulips represent happiness and hope. After a long winter, tulips offer a reminder of perseverance and the renewal of spring. The flowers will be planted in the fall and bloom during the following spring season. Active Minds will plant three thousand yellow tulips with the purpose of bringing awareness to mental health and combatting suicide rates.

The UW-Whitewater Active Minds Organization dedicates their mission to creating conversation about mental health among America’s youth. UW-W Graduate Taylor Stevens explained, “Active Minds creates a safe space for myself and others on campus to express ourselves and feel safe.” Email activeminds@uww.edu or call 608-963-5721 to learn additional information. You can find more information here: https://activemindswhitewater.weebly.com/the-yellow-tulip-project.html

Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/7178545569131514/?event_time_id=7178545575798180

About W3: Working for Whitewater’s Wellness, Inc. (www.W3wellness.org)

W3, inspired by the Blue Zones Principles, envisions Whitewater to be a community where people live longer, happier, healthier lives. W3 facilitates programs and partnerships to affect sustainable improvements for everyone in our community.  W3’s strategic priorities focus on: Being Active, Eating Well, Healthy Minds and Connection.

About UW-W Sustainability: The UW-Whitewater Sustainability Office strives to improve the education and awareness of environmental sustainability issues in our academic curriculum, student life, campus operations, and local community. Educating the campus and communities we serve about the global challenges we face and the role sustainability solutions can play in addressing them, while pursuing tangible sustainability projects to improve campus operations, allows the UW-Whitewater Sustainability Office to help our university address the three values of sustainability (environmental stewardship, economic feasibility, and promotion of social justice) in meaningful ways.

Some Mental Health Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK

Crisis Text Line: Text ‘Hello’ to 741-741

The Trevor Project for LGBTQ+: 1-866-488-7386