Whitewater Unified School District administrators Dr. Terilyn Robles, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Melania Argueta Borchert, Multilingual Services Coordinator, led a session for educators and school leaders from across the state at the recent 2025 Wisconsin Association for Bilingual Education (WIABE) Conference.
The session, titled “Empowering Families as Advocates in Education through Partnership and Cultural Awareness, examined how the district has redesigned its family intake process to improve communication, promote advocacy, and establish partnerships with local organizations and businesses. The session was well attended and drew interest from educators and leaders seeking to implement similar strategies in their respective districts. Attendees cited WUSD’s approach as a model for sustainable and inclusive family engagement.
“Our goal is to equip families not just to engage in their child’s education, but also to become strong advocates who feel respected and valued,” said WUSD Multilingual Services Coordinator Melania Argueta Borchert. “We are building systems that honor culture and promote independence and empowerment.”
Additionally, 10 students from Whitewater High School performed a series of traditional Nicaraguan dances under the direction of WHS teacher Silvana del Val. The performance served as a representation of student heritage and received positive recognition from the audience.
“Our students did an incredible job representing their culture and our district,” said WUSD Director of Teaching and Learning Dr. Terilyn Robles. “It was a beautiful reminder of the strength and joy that multiculturalism brings to our schools.”
WUSD’s involvement in the 2025 WIABE Conference reflects the district’s continued work in supporting multilingual learners, promoting cultural awareness, and fostering inclusive educational environments across the community. For more information on WIABE, visit www.wiabe.net.
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
This week we have an image from 1889 of the first waterworks building and water reservoir. Both are still extant at the corner of Fremont Street and Starin Road, although the keeper’s house shown in the photo is not extant. The Starin Park Water Tower, also from 1889, gets the most attention in the history of Whitewater’s water system, but these resources were also important components of the system, one of the earliest in the area.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
Fort HealthCare is pleased to welcome Dr. Jay MacNeal, DO, as Emergency Services Medical Director and EMS Medical Director at Fort HealthCare. As EMS Medical Director, Dr. MacNeal provides guidance to our EMS direct affiliations and serves as a liaison to all EMS in the region.
Educated at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. MacNeal completed his residency at Akron General Medical Center and a fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. Prior to accepting his roles with Fort HealthCare, Dr. MacNeal held a full-time position at Watertown Regional Medical Center. In May 2024, he was contracted by Fort HealthCare to work on a part-time basis and continued in that capacity when DEMI Healthcare Partners/Southern Wisconsin Emergency Associates (DEMI/SWEA) began staffing Fort HealthCare’s Emergency Department in October 2024.
“I am excited to join Fort HealthCare in a permanent role,” Dr. MacNeal shares. “The hospital leadership is passionate about caring for their local community, and I appreciate that vision. I look forward to working with the excellent team already in place and becoming more involved in the community.”
Sheryl Krause, Director and Clinical Nurse Specialist of Fort HealthCare Emergency Services, elaborates, “Since his first shift, Dr. MacNeal has demonstrated alignment with our mission and values. He engages with staff from other departments to ensure collaboration toward Fort HealthCare’s goal of providing the highest quality of care possible. Dr. MacNeal also strives for an environment of care that promotes staff wellness and allows staff members to be at their best. And, because of his past EMS training and experience, Dr. MacNeal recognizes the importance of working closely with his EMS colleagues as well.”
The Fort HealthCare Emergency Department is committed to serving our community and prepared to handle any situation. Our Emergency Department and Urgent Care is staffed by board certified emergency physicians and experienced advanced practice providers from DEMI Healthcare Partners/SWEA.
Editor’s note: This press release was provided by Fort HealthCare.
The Magical Music of May courtesy of 301 talented students and their gifted directors Photos by Tom Ganser
WUSD Orchestras Spring Strings Festival directed by Patricia Nielsen – May 1
Beginning Orchestra = 20 students, Intermediate Orchestra = 10 students, Middle and High School Orchestra = 8 students
Middle School Bands directed by Justin Kamp – May 6
Justin Kamp writes, “The Whitewater Middle School Bands performed their Spring Band Concert on Tuesday, May 6. The students performed four pieces in each grade that were all extremely challenging, but the hard work and dedication of the students paid off with a wonderful performance that showcased the learning that occurred this semester!”
Whitewater Middle School Bands directed by Justin Kamp
6th Grade = 67 students
7th Grade = 29 students
8th Grade = 26 students
Sixth Grade Band – 67 students
Seventh Grade Band – 29 students
Eighth Grade Band – 26 students
WHS Bands directed by Sam Averill – May 7
Symphonic Band = 38 students, Wind Ensemble = 32 students
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team poses after capturing the NCAA Whitewater Super Regional title on May 24, 2025, in Whitewater. (UW-Whitewater athletics photo/Michael Gouvion): http://app.readmedia.com/news/
Updated on 5/29/25 @ 10:40 a.m. to add more information about the World Series format as well as historical information on the teams.
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
UW-W Baseball is among eight teams that are playing in the DIII World Series in Eastlake, Ohio. The series begins on Friday, May 30 and concludes on Thursday, June 5. UW-W was the runner-up last year, losing the championship game 10-5 versus Misericordia. The Warhawks last won the series in 2014, when they beat Emory by 7-0.
The Warhawks (44-6 overall) play in the first round against Trinity (TX) this Friday, May 30 at 7 p.m. CDT. The game will be streaming on the NCAA website. If UW-W wins that game, they will play on Saturday, May 31 at 7 p.m. CDT versus the winner of the Denison/Rowan game.
The World Series consists of 2 four-team double-elimination brackets. The champions of the two brackets will play in a best of three championship series starting on Wednesday, June 4.
The Warhawks earned the 3-seed out of the eight advancing teams. UWW will play the Tigers, with Denison and Rowan being the other two teams in the pod. Johns Hopkins, Endicott, Kean, and Messiah, make up the other bracket.
The Warhawks last faced Trinity (TX) in 2024’s season opener. The two teams split the series 2-2. The Warhawks won the first two games, 14-4 and 21-2, before falling 8-7 and 9-1 in the back half of the series.
UW-Whitewater qualified for the championship after winning the NCAA Adrian (Michigan) Regional and the NCAA Whitewater Super Regional. The team swept the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships.
This link will provide you with rosters, stats, etc., and will also provide the link to the video streams for all of the games.
This link has a variety of information about the series, including the official bracket.
Finally, d3baseball.com is also worth visiting. Their fan survey, copied below, currently predicts that UW-W has a very slight edge to win bracket two and then would likely face Johns Hopkins.
An athlete from Neilsville, Wisconsin, competes in the mini javelin event at the Special Olympics Wisconsin Summer Games on June 7, 2024. This is the second year that Special Olympics Wisconsin had their Summer Games at UW-Whitewater. (UW-Whitewater Photo/Kyle Winter)
Make a difference with Special Olympics Wisconsin this June
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Special Olympics Wisconsin continue preparations for the 2025 State Summer Games on June 5-7 in Whitewater.
More than 1,200 athletes, representing 100 programs around the state, are set to compete in athletics (track and field), cornhole, powerlifting, soccer, and tennis. Events will be held at UW-Whitewater’s athletic facilities – Perkins Stadium, Rex Foster Track, the Warhawk Outdoor Tennis Complex, the Williams Center, and the campus intramural fields.
With more than a dozen events and competitions scheduled over the course of the three days, approximately 300 more volunteers are needed for multiple roles throughout the weekend. All volunteers will receive a free T-shirt and the opportunity to engage with participants, fans, and event staff.
No prior experience is required to volunteer (unless otherwise designated). Volunteers aged 12 and under must be accompanied by a chaperone. Special Olympics Wisconsin will provide training before your shift start time.
The Parade of Athletes and Opening Ceremony kicks the event off on June 5 at 6:30 p.m. inside Perkins Stadium. Check out the full schedule of events here.
For more information or group volunteer reservations, contact Danny Kuklinski, Senior Director of Sports, at dkuklunski@specialolympics.org.
Lexus D. Boedecker was driving a group home’s vehicle on April 13, 2024, her 24th birthday, when she ran a stop sign at East County Line Road and Highway 12 in the town of Lima, causing a chain reaction crash that involved two other vehicles. Four persons who were in the vehicle that Boedecker was driving died as a result of the crash, with several other occupants being injured as well as one of the other drivers. On May 27, 2025 Rock County Circuit Court Judge Karl Hanson sentenced Boedecker to 16 years in prison followed by four years of extended supervision. Boedecker had pled guilty in February to four charges of Homicide by Vehicle – Use of a Controlled Substance.
Boedecker, residing at the time in Elkhorn, was not authorized to be driving the group home’s vehicle, was 23 weeks pregnant, admitted to smoking marijuana the night before, and had a vape THC cartridge in her possession after the crash. Testing indicated that she had THC in her system at the time of the crash. She was charged in August with four charges of homicide and four charges of causing injury related to the alleged intoxicated use of a vehicle.
Three passengers — Jeffrey Turnipseed, 67, Ericka Berg, 38, and Jamie Ranguette, 39, all of Whitewater, who were not wearing seatbelts — were ejected from the rear windshield and died at the scene, while a fourth passenger — Patricia A. Seufzer, 59, of Whitewater, who also wasn’t wearing a seat belt — died of her injuries a few days later. All four victims were adults with cognitive disabilities.
Rock County District Attorney Jason Sanders issued the following news release after the sentencing:
RE: Boedecker sentenced to 16 years in prison for Fatal Crash that Killed Four
Janesville, WI – On April 13, 2024, Lexus Boedecker was driving a group home’s vehicle when she blew through a stop sign in Lima township, Rock County, setting off a “chain reaction” crash with two other vehicles. The crash she caused killed four people and injured four others. Three passengers, who were not wearing seatbelts, were ejected from the rear windshield and died at the scene of the accident. A fourth passenger, who also wasn’t wearing a seat belt, died of her injuries a few days later. All four adult victims had cognitive disabilities. Boedecker was not authorized to be driving the group home’s vehicle, was 23 weeks pregnant, admitted to smoking marijuana the night before and had a “vape” THC cartridge in her possession after the fatal crash. The Rock County District Attorney’s Office charged Boedecker last August when the test results showed that she had THC in her system at the time she was driving. In February, Lexus Boedecker pled guilty to four counts of Homicide by Vehicle – Use of a Controlled Substance.
Today’s sentencing hearing took place in a crowded courtroom, with more than a dozen family members of the deceased attending the sentencing hearing. Four family members of the deceased victims addressed the courtroom, with more writing to the judge directly. Some victims expressed their anger and asked for Boedecker to be sentenced to the maximum consecutive sentence in prison. Others expressed that their strong faith compelled them to forgive Boedecker. Boedecker, who recently turned 25 years old, had no criminal history and recently gave birth to a child. She also had several letters testifying to her character, including from her pastor, and one that described her as “a tender soul.”
Assistant District Attorney Jerry Urbik argued for her to be sentenced to prison for a “substantial number of years, consecutive to one another.” Urbik noted that, while Boedecker did not intend to hurt anyone, she chose to consume THC on a daily basis despite being pregnant and chose to drive a vehicle she was not authorized to drive with THC in her system and without ensuring that her passengers, who she was responsible for, were wearing their seat belts. Boedecker’s attorneys argued that she should spend 4-5 years in prison, with more time on extended supervision. Judge Karl Hanson agreed with Urbik that Boedecker had made a series of bad decisions and sentenced Boedecker to 16 years in prison custody, followed by another four years of extended supervision. Because her crimes involved the death of others, she will not be eligible for early release pursuant to the Substance Abuse Program but can petition for release after serving 85% of her sentence.
“The senseless deaths of these four people could have been avoided if Ms. Boedecker chose not to drive a vehicle after consuming marijuana,” ADA Jerry Urbik said. “Judge Hanson’s sentence was tough but fair.” Urbik and his co-counsel ADA Verity Altenberger both thanked the Rock County Sheriff’s Office for an excellent investigation, and for their assistance in helping all the people injured by Boedecker’s crash. They also thanked the Victim-Witness office for their tireless work helping the many family members and friends victimized by Boedecker’s crime.
“Some people think that because THC isn’t as dangerous as fentanyl, it is just not a big deal,” said District Attorney Jason Sanders. “That’s not true when you’re driving. We’re moving thousands-of-pounds at high speeds, and it is easy to make mistakes even when sober. Don’t drive high. The lives you wreck may include your own.”
Editor’s note: Previous Banner articles regarding this crash were published on April 14, April 17, April 22. and July 30, 2024.
Samuel Karns speaking at the Community/Parent Candidate Meet & Greet on May 22 [Photo courtesy of Tom Ganser]
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
The Whitewater Unified School District School Board put in a long evening’s work on Tuesday, returning from a nearly one-hour closed session at 10:39 p.m. to vote on the choice of a superintendent to succeed Caroline Pate-Hefty, who resigned effective July 1 to accept a superintendent position in Pennsylvania. In its meeting after final interviews of three candidates last Thursday, the board chose Samuel Karns and Kurt Schneider as the finalists. The motion to approve the hiring of “Sam” Karns was supported on a 6-1 vote, with Jeff Tortomasi the lone dissenter. The terms of the proposed contract were not announced, other than a term of July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027. The job posting indicated that the base salary range was “expected to be $165,000 to $180,000 (based on experience); other benefits to be negotiated.” It is assumed that the hiring is contingent on successful negotiation and Karns’ acceptance of the offer.
Karns is the principal of Todd Elementary in the School District of Beloit, where he has served for three years. He was named the 2025 Elementary Principal of the Year by the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators and was a 2025 Herb Kohl Principal Leadership recipient.
