News

Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by the League of Women Voters – Whitewater Area, which adds that they are also unable to accept book donations.

By Lacey Reichwald

As the last hymn echoed off the sanctuary walls, the members of Whitewater’s Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC) paused to take it all in — the 185 years behind them, the sense of community they shared, and the chance to build something lasting beyond the church doors.

Closing the church had been a hard decision. Like many congregations across the country, they faced a smaller group gathering each Sunday and an aging building that was too expensive to maintain. The idea of closing had come up over the years — sometimes quietly, sometimes more directly — but this time, everyone understood it was time. The congregation voted to disband and sell the property. One longtime member said, “My head knew it was right. But my heart hurt.” Another added, “It’s not the best — but it’s all good.”

Even through the sadness, one thing was clear: the church had always been more than a building. From its earliest days, it served the wider community, hosting city meetings, college graduations, and even basketball games. It helped launch Bethel House, which provides temporary housing for families in crisis, and the Clothes Closet, a precursor to today’s Community Space. Its kitchen turned out free weekly spaghetti dinners that fed college students and longtime residents alike.

That legacy shaped what came next. With the building sold, the congregation turned their attention to how the church’s remaining funds could be used to carry on its mission. “Anytime there’s change or closure, emotions run high,” one member said. “But these conversations about what to do with the church’s money sparked real thinking. And they helped us get through the emotional part, knowing we could still have an impact beyond the closing.”

Months before the final service, members gathered in the Fellowship Hall to decide what to do next. They filled the walls with the names of local charities and community groups, then voted with bright sticky dots to determine where the church’s final gifts would go.

The mood in the room was surprisingly upbeat. With a mix of reflection and purpose, members were energized by the chance to give one last gift together. When the votes were tallied, two organizations stood out: Fairhaven, a senior living community with deep ties to many members, and Bethel House, whose work had long been supported by the church.

But the giving didn’t stop there. Wanting to honor each member’s voice and recognize that the church’s resources had come from those very members over the years, the congregation designated $1,000 for each active member to direct toward a cause of their choice.

Some directed their funds to the Community Space, a center that offers free food, clothing, furniture, and essentials to anyone in need. Others supported the Whitewater Arts Alliance, which promotes local artists and cultural programming, or the Whitewater Community Foundation, which provides scholarships and supports community projects. Still others looked farther afield, as in one member’s gift to a Haitian relief organization. Each gift reflected personal convictions, rooted in the shared values of service and compassion.

The sale itself came quickly. A former Whitewater resident, confirmed in the church 40 years before, purchased the building and promised to preserve key parts of its mission. The Bethel House office remains. The community dinners continue. The kitchen, bustling with volunteers and laughter, will still feed the town.

On the last Sunday in April, the congregation gathered one final time. Pinned to the big bulletin board, alongside church newsletters and fading flyers, were bright thank-you notes from the groups they had supported. Members stopped to read them, smiling at the evidence that their final gifts were already making a difference.

Many members of Whitewater’s UCC have found new church homes in the surrounding area, while others have found their sense of community in different ways. All agreed that the church was never just a building anyway—it was a shared spirit of worship and giving. As the pastor said in his closing sermon, “You don’t need a pastor and these four walls to do what is right.”

The church may have closed its doors, but the work and the spirit behind them live on.

By Fletcher Crone
Co-founder of the Whitewater Creek Coalition

The forecasted rain decided to hold off on Friday morning as over 30 volunteers worked to protect and preserve Whitewater Creek. The creek-which has its headwaters in the kettle moraine hills to the south of Whitewater-flows through downtown and to the north, eventually joining up with the Bark River. Along its journey, the creek suffers from ills such as littering and lack of Native habitat.

Volunteers from the Whitewater Creek Coalition led students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on their aptly named “Make a Difference Day,” as they sought to tackle those issues. 

At Whitewater Creek Nature Area, they were able to collect a half-dozen bags of trash, and two bags of metal recycling, along with tires and construction materials. Whitewater Creek Coalition treasurer Aubrey Thompson noted that “volunteers left with giant smiles” from such a successful cleanup.

Meanwhile, volunteers at Brewery Hill Park in downtown Whitewater planted dozens of Native species along the creek, building on the invasive species removal work of prior volunteers. Plants included Wild Bergamot, Goldenrod, Brown Eyed Susan, and many other bird, pollinator, and wildlife friendly flowers and shrubs. 

The Whitewater Creek Coalition organizes regular clean-ups, invasive species removal events, and supports education and awareness to ensure a healthy and resilient Whitewater Creek ecosystem. Those interested in learning more or getting involved can contact them via Facebook or Instagram.

NOTICE: The Water Utility will begin its semi-annual water main and hydrant flushing program on Monday, April 28, through Friday, May 9, 2025.

Flushing of water mains is necessary to test the hydrants to make sure adequate flow and pressure is available. It also confirms the fire hydrants and valves are operating correctly. In addition, it enhances water quality by removing sediment from the pipes in order to maintain water clarity and quality in the distribution pipes.

Occasionally, water becomes discolored after hydrant flushing. If this happens turn on an outside spigot or a cold water tap, in the lowest level of your home, for a few minutes until the water clears. If it doesn’t clear the first time, wait a few minutes and run the water again. You may want to wait until the crew has left the area and the water settles down before running your water tap. Additionally, caution should be exercised in washing of white clothing. Discoloration of water due to flushing WILL stain white clothing. Therefore, you should avoid washing clothes until the water clears.

If the Water Utility crew experiences more repairs than expected throughout the two weeks, flushing may continue into the following week. Thank you for your patience and understanding during water main and hydrant flushing.

Josh Hyndman, Superintendent
Water Utility
jhyndman@whitewater-wi.gov
(262) 473-0560

The National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office’s 8 p.m. update indicates that “The greatest severe weather risk is becoming focused across west central and northern Wisconsin this evening, as a line of thunderstorms advances eastward from Minnesota and northern Iowa. Strong winds, a few brief tornadoes, and large hail will be possible with these storms. 

This line is expected to expand southward, but it’s unclear how far south that development will take place. Overall, the higher probabilities for thunderstorms and any severe weather will be along and north of I-94/US 18, mainly after midnight. Uncertainty remains above average with this severe weather event.

The overall severe weather risk for southern Wisconsin has decreased but still continues.  Forecast confidence remains below average for this event.”

Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay.

Editor’s note: Parking violation 12 is for parking without a permit in a space that is designated for use by persons with a disability. The following comments were provided by Police Chief Dan Meyer.

Whitewater Community,

We’ve heard your questions and concerns regarding the recent changes to parking violation fees, and I want to take a moment to explain why these changes were made.

The decision to adjust our parking fee structure was not made lightly—nor was it made unilaterally by the Police Department. In fact, the revised fee schedule was proposed and approved by the Common Council earlier this year as part of a broader financial strategy to address structural funding challenges facing the City. At that time, it was still unclear whether the operational referendum would pass, so a number of proactive measures were explored.

One key principle behind the parking fee increase is fairness. Instead of shifting more financial burden onto all taxpayers through higher property taxes, this approach better aligns the cost with those responsible for the infraction. In other words, rather than having the entire community shoulder the cost of parking enforcement and maintenance, revenue is generated directly from those who violate the rules.

This adjustment was part of a more comprehensive effort to diversify the City’s revenue streams in a fiscally responsible way. In addition to parking fees, the City also adopted modest cost-recovery charges for open records requests and video redactions—steps that help ensure essential services can continue without further strain on the general fund.

We recognize the timing of the fee implementation may be frustrating to some. Please know it was carefully considered within a larger context, and always with the intent of ensuring fairness and long-term fiscal sustainability.

Respectfully,

Dan Meyer

Chief of Police

By Dr. John Frye and Andrew Courtney to The Whitewater Banner

Dr. John Frye, Associate Professor of Geography with a focus in meteorology and climatology of extreme weather events at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, storm chaser with 25 years of experience. Dr. Frye can be contacted at fryej@uww.edu.

Andrew Courtney holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography with a research focus in severe weather, storm chaser with 12 years of experience.

As of 3 pm Sunday, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC, www.spc.noaa.gov) has most of Wisconsin under an enhanced risk of severe weather from Monday 7 a.m. until Tuesday at 7 a.m. An enhanced risk is a level 3 out 5. A powerful storm system is moving across the country today and into our region tomorrow. This system is bringing together the ingredients to produce a wide-spread and powerful outbreak of severe weather.

For Whitewater, the SPC has the greatest threat being hail and tornadoes. At this time, it is difficult to predict exactly where storm cells will form and track; that will become clearer as the event nears. Off to Whitewater’s northwest in western Wisconsin the threat level is a 4 out of 5.

The timing of this event looks to be after sunset tomorrow night for the eastern part of the state. Given the time and the increased threat, now is the time to start preparing for where you would shelter and how will you receive warning notifications in the case of a storm tracking near Whitewater. Here are some steps to help prepare yourself and your family:

 Make sure everyone is aware of where you would shelter in the event of a tornado
 Check back often on forecasts; as the event nears more precise information can be obtained. Follow the Storm Prediction Center and/or our Local National Weather Service out of Milwaukee/Sullivan on social media accounts.
o www.spc.noaa.gov
o https://www.facebook.com/NWSSPC
o https://www.weather.gov/mkx/
o https://www.facebook.com/NWSMilwaukee
 Make sure to have multiple ways to receive a warning if issued by our local National Weather Service office.
 Turn the Wireless Emergency Alerts feature to active on your cell phone
 If you have a weather radio, make sure it is plugged in, tuned to the closest station to receive the best signal, and, if possible, put fresh batteries in it in case power goes out.
 Download an alert app on your phone, like the Red Cross Emergency app. In this app you can turn on to have it track your position and you can also set a home location and boundary for that. This app is also useful if you have friends and/or family scattered around; you can track their locations too by adding more spots for the app to monitor.

An important reminder for Monday is the definitions of a watch and warning. A watch is usually issued before any storms start and it is telling us that the ingredients for severe weather or tornado, depending on the watch type, have come together in the
atmosphere and thus the event is likely. A warning means that a storm has begun and/or is showing on radar that it is producing wind, hail, or a tornado.

Figures below are the categorical and probability forecast from the Storm Prediction Center out of Norman, Oklahoma.

Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates Dr. John Frye and Andrew Courtney’s input regarding the incoming storm system.

Per the 5:15 a.m. update from the National Weather Service on Monday, the following is the projected sequence of severe storm potential this afternoon and evening:

• Isolated to scattered storms now through 12 PM, with small hail possible.

• Scattered severe storms developing this afternoon and evening.
  • Window of greatest severe potential 4 PM to 11 PM.
  • All hazards expected with any storms that develop (damaging wind, large hail, and tornadoes).
• Storm formation this afternoon and evening is dependent on placement of upstream thunderstorms this morning. Timing and placement remains in question.
• A cold front with a line of associated thunderstorms will move west to east late tonight into early Tuesday morning.
  • Large hail and damaging winds are the main threats with this line, mainly in western areas.

Preliminary ACT results for Whitewater High School show significant academic growth, with all subject areas demonstrating improvement from 9th-grade PreACT through 11th-grade ACT assessments for the Class of 2026.

The cohort’s composite score rose from 15.6 in 9th grade to 18.4 in 11th grade, reflecting an 18% increase. The most notable gains occurred between the 10th and 11th grade, where targeted instructional efforts and academic supports were emphasized.

“This year’s ACT data tells a powerful story,” said Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, WUSD Superintendent. “The Class of 2026 has shown incredible determination and perseverance, and their growth demonstrates the impact of our focused support.”

Compared to prior WHS cohorts, the Class of 2026’s composite ACT score of 18.4 is higher than the Class of 2024’s score of 17.2 and nearing the Class of 2025’s score of 19.1. The greatest two-year gains were seen in Science (23.87%) and English (25.0%).

“This cohort has made measurable progress, particularly between the 10th and 11th grade assessments,” said Dr. Terilyn Robles, WUSD Director of Teaching & Learning. “The data shows that the instructional strategies and interventions our staff implemented have effectively supported academic achievement.” The composite scores grew 12.20% between 10th and 11th grade.

Whitewater High School continues to promote growth-oriented learning strategies and collaborative supports across grade levels. School leadership also praised the high school instructional team for their role in supporting student development throughout the testing timeline.

These results will guide future planning and support strategies as the Class of 2026 prepares for senior year and post-secondary pathways.

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by the Whitewater Unified School District.

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Registration is available on the Parks & Recreation site (click on “special events.”) Deadline is Monday, May 5.