The Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) will be presenting Kim Witte of Witte Artistry’s special effects makeup artwork in the Cultural Arts Center (CAC) from February 2 to March 26, 2023. The CAC is located on 402 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI in front of the Birge Fountain.
Kim Witte is a University of Whitewater-Wisconsin alumni who graduated with a bachelor of arts degree. She has been pursuing her makeup art career for over 11 years. An opening reception will be on Friday, February 3, 2023 at the CAC from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.
Not only has Kim been creating works of art, she has also been educating the public through presentations and virtual platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. She has written several books which can be found on Amazon. Many of Kim’s values are the core beliefs that the WAA represents.
Stoughton Trailers LLC, a leading Wisconsin-based semi-trailer manufacturer and sales organization, together with the Wahlin Foundation, a private foundation supporting Stoughton Trailers communities, has partnered with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics to support business education. A combination of student scholarships and faculty fellowships at UW-Whitewater, the program is designed to promote a well-trained Wisconsin workforce through funds distributed within the College of Business and Economics.
The Stoughton Trailers Student Scholarship program will provide ten $1,500 scholarships in each of the next five years. The Wahlin Foundation Distinguished Fellowship in Supply Chain will be a $10,000 stipend awarded in each of the next five years to a qualifying member of the college’s Information Technology and Supply Chain department. Together, this $125,000 gift serves to create awareness of local employers while making quality college education more affordable to 50 future employees.
“If there is one thing that the pandemic has made abundantly clear: America’s supply chain is fragile. That includes the supply of job-ready employees. UW-Whitewater’s undergraduate and graduate programs in supply chain management work with local employers to deliver relevant education to allow graduates to hit the ground running, ready to make an impact on day one. Beyond supply chain, businesses like Stoughton Trailers need human resources, safety, sales and marketing, finance, accounting and economics professionals, all areas that our business students pursue,” said Paul Ambrose, dean of the College of Business and Economics. He continues: “Stoughton Trailers and the Wahlin Foundation understand that investing in today’s college students is really an investment in the economy of our state. Stoughton Trailers is a leader in manufacturing and distribution. UW-Whitewater is Wisconsin’s largest business school. This partnership is an example of what happens when we work together for the future of our communities.”
Dr. Andy Ciganek, department chair states, “Information technology and supply chain professionals can work in almost any industry imaginable. Supply chain, in particular, is a vast and growing field shaped by technology and international competition. UW-Whitewater houses this discipline in the business college, recognizing it as a vital component to the modern economy. Graduates of our program have a 99%+ placement rate and are typically entertaining multiple offers at graduation. Stoughton Trailers is wise to recognize the importance of creating more professionals and building relationships with students early in their academic career.”
Betsy McClimon, Executive Director, of The Wahlin Foundation, Inc. offers, “Now, more than ever, people, education, and research are at the forefront of our business world. The Wahlin Foundation and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater share a common vision and ideas to promote a better future. We are excited to partner with the UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics, and its outstanding students, faculty, and alumni.”
Dean Ambrose adds, “This scholarship program, internships and faculty educators combine to ensure that College of Business and Economics graduates are ready to join our 30,000+ active alumni in creating a better business community that represents and benefits us all. We appreciate the partnership with Stoughton Trailers and the Wahlin Foundation. The communities of Stoughton and Whitewater share so much; it is wonderful that we now share another link through UW-Whitewater and Stoughton Trailers.”
Stoughton Trailers values leadership, integrity, respect, and is customer driven. Located in Stoughton, Wisconsin, the company started as a small family-owned business in 1961 and is now one of the industry’s leading manufacturers of over-the-road transportation equipment including semi-trailers and intermodal container chassis. The company operates from nine different facilities in the South-Central Wisconsin cities of Stoughton, Evansville, and Brodhead. In 2022 they opened a new manufacturing facility in Waco, Texas. Stoughton Trailers has a combined 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing space under their roof. Visit stoughtontrailers.com to learn more.
The Wahlin Foundation is a private foundation that provides monetary grants to non-profit organizations in the communities local to, and surrounding, Stoughton Trailer facilities. The broad purpose of the Foundation is to enrich lives and provide opportunities in these communities. Learn more at Wahlinfoundation.org.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics (CoBE) is Wisconsin’s largest business college. It is home to the #1 ranked online Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program in the State, of single schools, and is the only college in Wisconsin that offers an AACSB-accredited Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) degree program. The Department of Information Technology and Supply Chain Management offers a Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Technology, a Bachelor of Business Administration in Supply Chain Management, and a Master of Business Administration with emphases in both. Programs also offer majors and minors and are available on campus or in 100% online formats. CoBE is in the top 2% of the world’s business schools having earned both AACSB and AACSB Accounting Accreditation. For more information on the College of Business and Economics, visit uww.edu/cobe or email cobe@uww.edu.
According to a media release from the Wisconsin Department of Administration, Secretary Blumenfeld is announcing that the Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance Program, funded by the Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program through the U.S. Department of Treasury, will close applications on Jan. 31, 2023, due to low remaining funds.
The media release from the Wisconsin Department of Administration says housing stability services will continue even after rental benefit funds are exhausted.
According to the media release from the Wisconsin Department of Administration, since launching in 2021, WERA has paid out over $242 million in benefits to support more than 38,865 households across all 72 counties with rent, utilities, water, and internet payments. The media release says overall, the program has provided a total of $544 million statewide to help families avoid homelessness due to pandemic-related financial hardship.
“Since launching this program, we’ve been able to help tens of thousands of households get caught up on rent, keep the heat and lights on, and ensure folks could stay connected during one of the most challenging economic periods our state has ever experienced,” said Gov. Evers. “Wisconsinites have had enough on their plate these last three years without also having to worry about having a safe, stable place to lay their head at night. I’m proud of our efforts to help Wisconsinites have one less stressor as they’ve worked to provide for themselves and their families.”
“This successful program has allowed thousands of households to catch up on utility bills and get some peace of mind during a very trying time, and we are making sure that housing stability services continue to be offered even after WERA benefit funds run out,” said DOA Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld. “We are grateful for Gov. Evers’ unwavering support and the commitment of our statewide network of partners in helping Wisconsin renters avoid eviction and retain safe, stable housing.”
Applications are being accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, according to the media release from the Wisconsin Department of Administration. Benefits will be paid to the extent that funding remains available, with priority given to households facing imminent eviction.
Information about applying for the program is available here. Applications for Walworth and Rock County residents are made through Community Action, Inc., 608-313-1337, or through this link. Jefferson County applications are submitted to Energy Services, Inc., 833-900-9372, or through this link.
Greg died suddenly on January 18, 2023, due to an enlarged heart.
Greg was married to the love of his life, Tammy (Iverson) Aprahamian for 34 happy years. He was the proud father of Brittany (Dan) Dubnicka Aprahamian, Ryan (Daysi) Aprahamian, Tyler Aprahamian, and Megan (Dan) Edwards. He was ecstatic to be Grandpa to Raylee Hope (22 months old), Maxton Gregory (14 months old), and Andrew Roger (almost 8 months old).
Greg is additionally survived by his mother, Patricia Aprahamian, his brothers, George, Leonard, Steve, Charles, and Michael. He is preceded in death by his father, Dr. Charles Aprahamian and his mother-in-law, Bonita Iverson.
Greg was a highly respected teacher and wrestling coach for over 30 years at Muskego and Kettle Moraine Schools. He was a positive influence on the lives of many of his students and wrestlers as well as a mentor to so many others. As head coach, Greg led Muskego to a team state title in 1994. Wrestling was a family affair as Greg coached both his sons, and his daughters were team managers, at Mukwonago High School. He also coached football and track through the years, but wrestling was always his passion.
Even in “retirement,” he kept himself more than busy. He invested in properties in Whitewater and made great strides in revitalizing the downtown area. He also kept building onto his dream house on the lake. Even with all that, he always found time to help with his children’s home renovations.
Whenever he could relax, Greg loved swimming in the lake, playing fetch with his dogs, and going to his condo in Ormond Beach, Florida. He was an avid Wisconsin sports fan and enjoyed having a beer and watching the Packers, Badgers, Bucks and Brewers.
Greg accomplished many things, but anyone that knew him could tell that he was most proud of being a grandfather. He loved his three grandkids more than anything and was looking forward to spending as much time with them as he could.
Greg lived his life for his family and passing due to an enlarged heart was painfully fitting. Everything he did was for them. The only thing greater than his work ethic was his love of his family, whom he never stopped loving and supporting.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 5, 2023 at the Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home (930 Main St. Mukwonago) from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Service at 2:00 p.m.
After the funeral service at the funeral home, a Celebration of Greg’s Life will follow at The Venue in East Troy with open bar as Greg would have wanted.
Grace Suzanne Bushey, age 16, left her earthly home for Heaven on Friday, January 20, 2023 at her home with her loving family by her side.
Grace was born on December 20, 2006 in Madison, WI. The loving daughter of Chad and Kim (Raatz) Bushey, Grace was blessed with 11 siblings, whom she loved very much. Grace was quiet and confident in her own way. Her family was the most important thing in her life. She was also very passionate about travel. Her trip to Sea World was one of her favorite memories and Grace hoped to do much more traveling in the future. Grace’s favorite color was purple and her favorite animal was the Beluga Whale. While with her family at SeaWorld, she was so enthralled by the Beluga Whale that she had to be reminded there were other animals to see! Grace was a sweet young lady and will be dearly missed and forever remembered by her family and friends.
She is survived by: her loving parents, Chad and Kim Bushey of Whitewater, WI; her maternal grandparents, Suzanne and David Roth of Tomahawk, WI; her paternal grandparents, Dennis and Peggy Bushey of East Troy, WI; and her loving siblings, Kari, Elizabeth, Jeremiah, Perpetua, Joseph, Ezekiel, Justice, Ava, Hannah, Ezra, and Emily. She is also survived by a number of other relatives and friends.
She is preceded in death by her brother, Samuel and her maternal grandfather, Lee.
Memorial Donations may be made to Chad and Kim’s ministry for the children: “The Carpenter’s Flock” (a tax deductible entity) in Grace’s honor. W5621 Tamarack Trail, Whitewater, WI 53190.
A Funeral Service to thank God for Grace’s life will be held at 12:00 Noon on Saturday, January 28 at The Chapel in Whitewater, WI (445 Warner Road, Whitewater, WI 53190). Pastor Kevin Tranel will officiate the service. Visitation will take place from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at The Chapel. Grace will be laid to rest following the service in Oak Ridge Cemetery of Eagle, WI.
Gibson Family Funeral Homes of Palmyra and Eagle, WI is serving the family. To place an online condolence, please visit gibsonfuneral.com
Ronald Leon Ortelle was called home to be with his lord and savior on Thursday, January 19, 2023 surrounded by his loving family.
Ron was born on September 12, 1945 to Fred and Leone (Hoffman) Ortelle of Rome, WI. He married his late wife Charlene Ault on November 7, 1964. He then married Tina Sukowski on May 20, 2017.
He graduated from Jefferson High School in 1963. Ron and his father-in-law, Ervin Ault, started a business painting and refinishing floors which he did for over 15 years. He had a true passion for painting. Ron then was employed at Fairhaven in Whitewater for 31 years in maintenance before retiring.
He was an avid hunter and NASCAR fan, who had a true passion for tending to his beloved lawn and gardens.
Ron is survived by his wife, Tina; children, Dawn (Guy) Dempsey, Tammie (Melissa Marshall) Ortelle, Brittany Sukowski, Nick (Courtney) Sukowski, Tabatha Sukowski; grandchildren, Brandy and Bailey Dempsey, Justin Krantz, Gage Sukowski, Ryder Sukowski, Reign Sukowski, Rhett Sukowski, Blake Sukowski, Miles Sukowski, Alex Turley, Izzy Turley, Hunter Turley; sisters, Bonnie Jean (Dave) Ault, Connie (Jerry) Jansen; seven great-grandchildren; many others loving family members and friends.
He is preceded in death by his grandparents; parents, Fred and Leone Ortelle; son, Bradley Ortelle; first wife, Charlene; and infant great-grandson.
The family would like to give special thanks to SSM Home Health and Hospice Team for their care and compassion for Ron.
An evening visitation will take place on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Funeral services will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2023 at Nitardy Funeral Home, 1008 Madison Avenue, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Services will be officiated by Martin Wilson and Terry Ault. Visitation will take place from 10 a.m. until the time of services on Thursday. A burial will follow services at Riverview Cemetery in Sullivan.
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the Walworth County Public Works Department.
Walworth County Public Works Champions WI Salt Awareness Week
Too Much Salt Pollutes Freshwater, Corrodes Roads and Bridges
All the salt that we apply to roads and sidewalks ends up in our freshwater. Salt can be an effective deicer, but more isn’t always better. Salt prematurely ages roads and bridges and degrades freshwater lakes and streams. Additionally, skyrocketing salt costs make it a costly road maintenance strategy.
To reduce the County’s use of salt, Walworth County Public Works has implemented several smart-salting practices, including annual equipment calibration, operator education and training, continual analysis of material usage and application, and the increased use of salt brine.
“Walworth County Public Works is committed to reducing our environmental footprint, specifically the amount of salt used during winter maintenance operations,” says Public Works Director Richard Hough. “Over the last four years, we’ve reduced our salt use by nearly 40 percent while maintaining (or improving) safety on roads. We’ve done this by increasing our use of salt brine by over 2,000 percent, implementing operator education and training, continuously analyzing operational strategies, and carefully calibrating our equipment for optimal material distribution.”
Like Walworth County, dozens of Wisconsin municipalities are striving to improve their winter maintenance programs and slow down the salting of our lakes, streams, and drinking water. Many citizens, however, are not aware of the issue. It’s for this reason that the Wisconsin Salt Wise Partnership, a coalition of organizations across the state working together to reduce salt pollution in our lakes, streams, and drinking water, is hosting “Wisconsin Salt Awareness Week” from Monday, January 23, to Friday, January 27.
Wisconsin Salt Awareness Week aims to educate citizens on the issue of salt pollution: how salt impacts freshwater ecosystems, the role of water softening, ideas for teaching kids about salt pollution, and other ways to get involved. Speakers will stream live over YouTube Monday through Friday, from 12:30 to 1 p.m., to share their knowledge and field questions.
Speakers include Sujay Kaushal (University of Maryland), Charlie Paradis (University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee), Allison Couture (UW Health), Shannon Haydin (Wisconsin DNR), and Allison Madison (WI Salt Wise). To tune in starting Monday, January 23 at 12:30 p.m., check out the WI Salt Wise YouTube channel or register at www.wisaltwise.com.
Levels of chloride, one of the components of salt, are rising at all of the 43 river sites where the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducts long-term monitoring across the state—most seeing increases between 1 percent and 4 percent annually and some more than 10 percent annually.
It only takes 1 teaspoon of salt to permanently pollute 5 gallons of water to a level that is toxic to aquatic life. (Source: Wisconsin Salt Wise)
According to the DNR, high chloride concentrations can harm fish and fish habitats. Chlorides found in salt draw moisture from fish bodies, which alters their electrolyte balances and can lead to reproductive failure and a higher likelihood of disease.
The average price of salt in Wisconsin has increased from $29.9 per ton in 2001-2002 to $81.8 per ton in 2021-2022.
Nationwide, we spend over $5 billion annually to repair salt damage to roads and bridges (source).
One ton of rock salt causes between $800 and $3,300 of damage to buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure (source).
City of Whitewater Also Decreasing Salt Usage
Kelly Freeman, City of Whitewater Streets Superintendent, provided the salt related metrics shown below that he has tracked during his time as superintendent. He also told the Banner the following: “We have had a reduction in winter events over the last four years, which helps with the reduction of salt used, but we are also taking steps to decrease salt usage as well. All of our patrol trucks have had the salters calibrated to ensure the proper amount of material is being put down per lane mile. We have increased the usage of salt brine, not only with the amount we are applying to pre-treat prior to a winter event, but we are also pre-wetting the salt during application. This makes the salt work sooner and helps keep the salt stay on the roadway resulting in less salt being more effective.”
Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Heather Morgan.
The local scouting program, Whitewater Scouting 173, hosts their annual Pinewood Derby on Sunday, February 19th at the Whitewater Armory Gym. All are welcome! Come watch, or even race a car! Weigh-in is at 3pm, with race beginning at 4pm. To register, please call Heather at 608-635-5841 or email at whitewaterscouting173@gmail.com
As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on January 21, 2023, in Monterey Park, California, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, January 26, 2023. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.
Carol McCormick writes, “Always a beautiful sight regardless of the season! Spotted overlooking Trippe Lake on Sunday afternoon.”
Our thanks to Carol McCormick for sharing yet another interesting nature photo.
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