Adult Mental Health First Aid for Wisconsin Agriculture Community – July 28 & 29
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension is offering a virtual education program to help the Wisconsin agriculture community identify and respond to a variety of behavioral health challenges. The next virtual Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for the agriculture community is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, July 28-29, 2026, from 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. via the Zoom platform.
What to expect: Participants are required to attend both virtual sessions. Pre-registration and approximately two hours of self-paced, online pre-work is required to participate in the July 28-29 training. Register for free at go.wisc.edu/11mr82.
Nearly one in five adults lives with a mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Research shows that suicide rates are higher within the rural and agriculture communities. The stigma of mental health challenges and thoughts of suicide is prevalent in our rural and farming communities. Mental Health First Aid helps community members better understand how they can support their friends, family members, and neighbors and help break the stigma around mental health.
Just as CPR teaches you how to help someone having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid instructs how to help someone experiencing a mental health challenge including, but not limited to, depression and anxiety symptoms, panic attacks and substance misuse, as well as someone thinking about suicide. The program gives participants the skills, confidence and resources to provide initial support and be able to respond in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Mental Health First Aid is a program that teaches participants how to identify, understand and respond to signs of these challenges.
The instructors for this training are two UW-Madison Division of Extension Educators: Joy Kirkpatrick, Farm Succession Outreach Specialist and Beverly Doll, Grant County Human Development & Relationships Educator. If you have questions about the training, please contact either joy.kirkpatrick@wisc.edu, 608-263-3485 or beverly.doll@wisc.edu, 608-723-2125.
Rock River Community Clinic (RRCC) recently completed their $2 million capital campaign after just over a year of fundraising efforts.
The Wisconsin State Building Commission recently awarded RRCC $330,000 through the Non- State Grant Program, helping reach the finish line.
The 2025-2026 “Moving Upstream” Campaign consisted of: ● Opening a new integrated medical, dental & behavioral client site in the first floor of the Fort HealthCare Johnson Creek clinic to expand and integrate patient care services ● Renovating the existing medical clinic in Whitewater to expand into the empty lower suite for administrative and business offices, creating additional space to support the continued growth of medical services. ● Relocating and renovating the Watertown medical clinic to the empty Medical Clinic building on the Watertown Regional Medical Center campus “Because of this incredible support, we’ll be able to serve more patients while reducing barriers to accessing care,” said Dr. Olivia Nichols, CEO/Executive Director of Rock River Community Clinic. “Medical, dental, and behavioral health services will operate together in our new Johnson Creek clinic, a milestone made possible by this campaign and the generosity of our community.”
By integrating patient services, RRCC will minimize overhead costs and maximize patient access to affordable services. By late summer, RRCC plans to transform the Watertown clinic into an outpatient behavioral health center. With these expansions, RRCC projects to serve 6,800 patients annually by 2028, totaling an estimated 23,000 visits.
Caption (from left to right): The lobby of the new Johnson Creek integrated care clinic, the renovated Whitewater clinic, and the exterior of the new Watertown clinic.
RRCC will host a public open house of the Johnson Creek clinic later this summer, offering community members an opportunity to tour the clinic and learn more about RRCC’s mission to provide quality, comprehensive health care for all.
To learn more about Rock River Community Clinic, visit RockRiverCommunityClinic.com/, or contact Dr. Nichols at director@rockrivercommunityclinic.org or 262.472.6839.
Rock River Community Clinic (RRCC) is a community health center that provides comprehensive and cost-effective health care services to ensure all community members have access to the care they need.
At RRCC, all community members are welcome and accepted, regardless of ability to pay, with discounted prices for patients who are uninsured or underinsured (high deductible plans). RRCC also provides care coordination services to help patients overcome barriers to accessing healthcare (e.g., transportation), and helps to coordinate referrals. Bilingual staff (Spanish & English) are available to support patients and their families. By increasing access to health care services, offering care at affordable costs, and assisting with healthcare navigation, RRCC works to create a healthier, more equitable, community. For clinic hours and directions, visit www.rockrivercommunityclinic.org
In addition to all the ways our city will celebrate our Nation’s 250th Birthday, there will be a 40th Anniversary REDEDICATION of the Starin Park War Memorial on 7/4/26 after the PARADE at 1 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
It was erected in early 1986 and dedicated July 4,1986. This Memorial recognizes our Whitewater veterans who paid the ultimate price for our freedom; 25 died in World War II, 2 died in the Korean War, and 4 died in the Vietnam War. All these men lived in the Whitewater Unified School District.
The Third Annual Unity Walk will be Saturday, July 18 at 10 a.m. starting at the Whitewater Armory. All are welcome to enjoy live music, visit tabling community organizations, and hear speeches about unity at this non-partisan, inclusive community event. Unity signs will be available to carry from the Armory to the Cultural Arts Center and back. The Unity Walk, a Symbol of Civility, offers all residents from all backgrounds an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to bringing Whitewater together as one human family.
Following is the Program:
Opening Ceremony at Whitewater Armory
Gathering Music – Instrumental Group
Visit tables of 15 Community Organizations
Proclamation – John Weidl, City Manager
Presentation of Colors – Elkhorn Scout Troop 234
Pledge of Allegiance
National Anthems of America and Ukraine
Unity Speakers at the Armory
Jorge Islas Martinez, Whitewater Immigrant Support Coalition
Rev. Clarissa Martinelli, First United Methodist Church
Walk to the Cultural Arts Center (near the Birge Fountain)
Unity Talks at the Cultural Arts Center
Camden Harlan, Whitewater Pride
Pastor Joseph O’Donnell, First English Lutheran Church
Visit Heritage 250 exhibit, Cultural Arts Center
Return to Armory
Visit tables of Community Organizations
Many sponsors and community organizations are sponsoring the UnityWalk: Whitewater Immigrant Support Coalition, Be Kind Whitewater, Whitewater Arts Alliance, Whitewater Unites Lives, Whitewater Pride, First English Lutheran Church, First United Methodist Church, Whitewater Police Department, Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club, Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission, The Book Teller, Whitewater Unified School District, Fort Community Credit Union, The Coburn Company, Inc., Whitewater Islamic Center, Moms Demand Action-Whitewater, and League of Women Voters of Whitewater Area.
For more information about the UnityWalk, please contact Bill Chandler at 414-630-3598.
Editor’s Note: The above was provided by the Unity Walk Committee.
DHS Monitoring Continues to Show High Levels of Tick Activity Statewide
Encourages Wisconsinites to understand tick activity, report ticks, and prevent against disease
With tick activity reaching its peak for the season, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) continues to closely monitor tick activity, with the most recent surveillance data showing nymphal deer (blacklegged) ticks are currently driving the trend. Nymphal deer ticks are young (not yet adult) ticks known for being very small—about the size of a poppyseed—and for spreading more human tickborne infections than adult deer ticks, including Lyme disease and other illnesses.
“Nymphal ticks are harder to spot due to their small size, making them more likely to go unnoticed, and remain attached for longer, so they have a higher potential to transmit disease,” said Vectorborne Disease Epidemiologist Rebecca Osborn. “Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent tick bites, including using insect repellent, wearing clothes and gear that have been treated with permethrin, and doing daily tick checks when you are outdoors.”
To understand tick activity in Wisconsin, DHS conducts a bi-weekly sampling at sites in Iowa County, Lincoln County, and Waupaca County. DHS conducts “tick dragging,” where the DHS public health entomologist pulls a squared cloth drag through vegetation and checks for ticks at 15-meter intervals.
“Sampling in local communities helps us gather data to better understand where ticks are, how many we see, and then provide information to help people understand any risk for illness. We provide the tick data we collect through new tick surveillance reports,” said Public Health Entomologist Xia Lee. “In addition to tick dragging, DHS closely monitors emergency department data for people seeking medical care for tick bite-related concerns and shares the data through an interactive tick bite tracker.”
If Wisconsinites do find a tick on themselves, family, or friends, and want to learn more about it, they can submit it to DHS through the DHS Tick Identification Service, a fast and simple service to identify the tick based on a few questions and photographs submitted online.
For Wisconsinites who plan to enjoy the outdoors, DHS recommends they:
Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors to help keep ticks away from skin. Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to spot.
Apply insect repellent with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 to exposed skin and clothing.
Treat clothing with permethrin prior to heading outdoors. Do not apply permethrin directly to skin.
Walk in the center of trails and avoid wooded and brushy areas with tall grass and leaf litter.
Do daily tick checks after being outdoors in areas where ticks may be present.
Check all parts of the body carefully. Pay special attention to the armpits, behind the knees, scalp, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, and groin.
Parents should check their children for ticks.
Take a bath or shower within two hours of spending time outdoors to help find and remove any ticks.
Place your clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks you may have picked up after spending time outdoors.
DHS recommends anyone who finds a tick:
Remove the tick properly as soon as possible.
Grasp it with a narrow-bladed tweezer as close as possible to the skin using steady pressure. If tweezers are not available, they should use fingers shielded with tissue paper or rubber gloves.
Use rubbing alcohol or soap and water after removing the tick to clean the bite site and hands.
Take a picture of the tick to identify it. Never crush a tick after removing it. Get rid of the tick by one of the following:
Putting it in alcohol.
Placing it in a sealed bag or container.
Wrapping it tightly in tape.
Flushing it down the toilet.
Even if a person has not noticed a tick bite, it is possible they have been bitten and did not know it. Anyone who has spent time outdoors, especially in areas with woods or tall grass, and develops flu-like illness, such as fever, rash, body aches, headache, and fatigue, should talk to a health care provider about the possibility of tickborne disease.
Not all tick bites will make someone sick, but it’s important for Wisconsinites to protect themselves and their families while enjoying time outdoors. The best way to stay safe from diseases that are spread by ticks is to prevent tick bites. Find information about ticks, illnesses that can be spread by ticks, and ways to Fight the Bite on the DHS website.
Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
UW-Whitewater Foundation announces new Board Directors for 2026-27
Three University of Wisconsin-Whitewater graduates and seasoned professionals with more than 75 years of combined experience in business will join the UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc., as Board Directors starting July 1, 2026.
Danielle Bly ‘00, a vice president at WEC Energy Group, Lynn Gardinier ‘90, a principal and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with Baker Tilly, and Dave Holterman ‘97, president of First Community Bank in Milton, will begin their terms on the Foundation Board this summer.
“We are incredibly honored to welcome Danielle, Lynn, and Dave as UW-Whitewater Foundation Board Directors,” said Katie Kuznacic, president of the UW-Whitewater Foundation. “Each of these distinguished Warhawks brings a wealth of leadership experience and a deep-seated passion for the university. Their willingness to serve their alma mater is a testament to the lasting bond between our graduates and the university.
“As we look toward the future, their collective insights will be instrumental to enhance our mission to support student success and to ensure that UW-Whitewater remains both a premier destination for higher education and a vital engine for the region’s prosperity.”
Founded in 1962, the UW-Whitewater Foundation benefits the university and its alumni, students, faculty, and staff. The dedicated Foundation team drives long-term university support through strategic engagement and impactful giving, supporting UW-Whitewater’s transformative programs that facilitate student success. Using a collaborative, results-driven approach, the Foundation works closely with donors, philanthropists, and stakeholders to fulfill aspirations and legacies for the good of the university.
The Foundation is currently in the midst of a $50 million+ campaign — Our Stories. Our Future. — to support UW-Whitewater’s present and build for its future. To learn more about the campaign, visit uww.edu/campaign.
Bly has worked at WEC Energy Group, one of the largest electric generation and distribution and natural gas holding companies in the nation, for 25 years. In her role as Vice President, Supplier Diversity — which she has served in since 2020 — Bly is responsible for fostering corporate relationships with suppliers, contractors, area businesses, and local government. Her team has regularly exceeded strategic targets, reaching a high of $333 million in supplier diversity spend in 2023.
Bly also serves on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation, the We Energies Foundation, the Greater Milwaukee Urban League, Black Arts MKE, Pius XI Catholic High School, and Stella’s Playground. She previously served on the Boards of Professional Dimensions and Danceworks, Inc.
A proud member of TEMPO Milwaukee, the Milwaukee (WI) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, and Jack & Jill of America, Incorporated, Bly was named one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Black Leaders in 2021 and was recognized among the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Women of Influence in 2014. She also earned the PowHer Network Bridge Build-Her Award, the Trailblazer in Women’s Leadership Award, and, most recently, the TEMPO Milwaukee Mentor Award.
Bly earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from UW-Whitewater in human resource management in 2000. She and her husband, Ramel, have two children.
Lynn Gardinier
Gardinier has more than 30 years of experience working primarily with manufacturing and distribution companies and their owners on both the audit and tax side.
A team member at Baker Tilly since 1991, she is a Principal and CPA with the accounting firm, serving as the Janesville office market leader and a people leader for Wisconsin. As market leader, Gardinier is responsible for driving growth and company partnerships across Rock County and its surrounding areas. As people leader, she oversees assurance professionals in the Janesville and Milwaukee offices.
Gardinier currently serves on the boards of Forward Foundation and Cedar Crest and is a member of the UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics Advisory Board. She is treasurer of the Walworth County Fair Foundation and a member of the finance committee for St. Teresa of Calcutta Pastorate. She was previously a Board Director with United Way Blackhawk Region, the American Red Cross, Forward Janesville, and the Janesville Performing Arts Center.
Gardinier graduated from UW-Whitewater with a BBA in accounting in 1990. She and her husband, Smokey, have two children who are UWW graduates and four grandchildren.
Dave Holterman
Holterman began his nearly 30-year banking career during his final semester as an undergraduate at UW-Whitewater. He currently works as president of First Community Bank in Milton, where he leads strategic efforts to drive sustainable growth and long-term success for the organization. He oversees initiatives that ensure regulatory excellence, foster meaningful career development opportunities for staff, and deliver exceptional value and service to clients.
An active community leader who is dedicated to supporting education, economic development, and community enrichment. Holterman previously served on the Milton School Board for four years and currently serves on the Advisory Board for UW-Whitewater at Rock County, as a Board Director for Forward Janesville, as a committee member at the Children’s Museum of Rock County, and as President of the Foundation at Blackhawk Technical College.
Holterman attended UW-Whitewater at Rock County in 1994 and later graduated with a BBA in finance from the Whitewater campus in 1997. One of his children, Samantha, is also a UWW graduate. Holterman and his wife, Jonette, are proud residents of southern Wisconsin.
Thanks to all of you who have signed up for the WHS 1981-ish* reunion on July 25! We’re looking forward to seeing you!
Good news for those of you who haven’t signed up yet: Enough people have signed up that we’ll have a great party, but we’ve got room for more! DEADLINE EXTENDED: July 7 Please help spread the word.
COST: $40 per person (Includes facility, appetizers, staff, gratuities and taxes). Cash bar.
HOW TO REGISTER: Email Whippets1981@gmail.com and provide full name (birth name, too, if different), WHS class year, number of attendees along with their names and method of payment. Pay $40 per person by Venmo OR by check: • Venmo app: Send to @Martha-Lundin-2 • Check: Make check payable to Martha Lundin and send it to her at 2832 Woodridge Ct., Waukesha, WI 53188. • Questions about payment? Text or call Martha at 262-527-5159. No refunds after July 10, 2026
We hope to see you at Willow Brook Golf Course at 7 p.m. on July 25! * Whitewater High School (WHS) class year 1981 plus nearby years (e.g., …, ’78, ’79, ’80, ’81, ’82, ’83, ’84, …).
P.S. Interested in golfing earlier that day? Contact Cort Hartmann for details! Email: cohart1962@gmail.com; text/call: 920-728-5396
Deadline for submissions extended until Sunday, June 28, 2026, 11:59 pm
Theme:
Artistic works that capture the essence and aesthetics of life in Wisconsin. Paint Wisconsin is a celebration of the state’s essence through any visual medium—whether rendered in clay, with a brush, a lens, or a digital stylus. “Paint” is a metaphor.
Overview:
Paint Wisconsin is an annual, themed, juried exhibition of original artwork, showcasing traditional, physical media alongside digital artwork in a traditional yet innovative in-gallery experience, together with online display of all accepted work. While the theme of the artwork must relate to Wisconsin, artists do not need to be residents of Wisconsin. The exhibition has two divisions, the Traditional Salon and the Digital Salon. The key conceptual difference between the two salons is that for the Traditional Salon, the images submitted by the artist represent the artwork while in the Digital Salon, the images submitted by the artist are the artwork.
The Traditional Salon: The Traditional Salon is dedicated to the enduring impact of physical artwork.
Experience: Accepted works will be displayed in a traditional gallery exhibit and a concurrent online exhibit.
Mediums: We welcome all traditional 2D and 3D mediums including painting, photography, sculpture, drawing, illustration, and mixed media. Also welcome are digital mediums that have been rendered and prepared for physical display.
Requirement: Open to artists in the contiguous United States. Artists are responsible for delivery/shipping of wire-hung, framed work.
The Digital Salon: The Digital Salon is an electronic showcase of screen-based fine art.
Experience: Accepted work will be exhibited electronically in-gallery via high-definition display and featured in a global online exhibit.
Mediums: We welcome 2D visual art mediums such as digital painting, digital drawing, digital illustration, digital mixed media, and photography. Also welcome are works in traditional mediums that have been prepared for digital reproduction.
Requirement: Open to artists worldwide. This is a digital-only submission process; no physical delivery of work is required.
Key Dates:
Exhibition: Thursday, August 13 – Friday, September 18, 2026.
Submissions Close: Sunday, June 28, 2026, 11:59 pm
Notification to Artists: Monday, July 13, 2026
Drop-Off Dates: Saturday, August 1, 2026 – 12 pm to 4 pm; Friday, August 7, 2026 – 12 pm – 4 pm
Artist Reception: Friday, August 14
Roberta’s Art Gallery, UW-Whitewater campus, 3 pm-4:30 pm
Cultural Arts Center, 402 W. Main St., Whitewater, 5 pm-7 pm.
Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Walworth County. Residents of the city are welcome to participate whether they live in Walworth or Jefferson County.
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh officials have released the names of students who qualified for the Dean’s List and University Honor Roll in spring 2026.
The term grade-point average (GPA) requirement for University Honor Roll is 3.3; the term GPA requirement for Dean’s List is 3.75 out of a possible 4.0.
To qualify, a student must have been enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits. (P/F courses do not count toward a 12-credit minimum.) There can be no individual grades below a “C” and no incomplete or non-reported grades at the time the process is run.
Whitewater, WI
Quinn Burgess, Dean’s List Ty Hagedorn, Honor Roll
