News

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This week we present a photo that was donated recently. It is a not-yet-seen image of downtown Main Street. It was identified as c.1925 and the automobiles support that date. If you enlarge the photo on the far right side, you can see there is a sign for an Ice Cream Parlor. Given it is the hottest time of the year, that idea sounds good today.

By the way, we are looking for photos from the mid-20th century. If you have photos you would be willing to either donate or share with us, we would appreciate it. Just contact the society at whitewaterwihistoricalsociety@gmail.com. We would really like to keep this feature going with some newer photos!

(6094P, Whitewater Historical Society)

What seems to be a very common email scam in recent weeks is an invitation, such as the samples below, for a dinner or party. Such an invitation likely said it was coming from a friend – or at least someone who’s probably on your email contacts. If you actually think that the invitation is legitimate, the best thing to do would be to call or send an email from your contact list (not by clicking “reply.”) Clicking on the “invitation” will probably result in your contacts getting an “invitation” from you, or something worse such as a virus.

We are ONE WEEK AWAY from Michael Fields Agricultural Institute’s biggest event of the year: our Annual Field Day!

Please join us on Wednesday, August 5, for a very special gathering at our New Farm in East Troy, Wisconsin. This free, family-friendly event will feature tours of alternative crop research plots, including proso millet, buckwheat, mung beans, Kernza perennial grain, Pennsylvania Dutch popcorn, cover crops, prairie strips, and agroforestry plantings. We’ll also introduce our new research paper on Wisconsin’s meat-processing deserts.

After the field tours, we’ll enjoy a local lunch featuring savory crepes and cakes made with millet, East Indian chutneys, buckwheat and Kernza desserts, and a green salad topped with sprouted mung beans.

This new property, which we co-steward with The Nature Conservancy, is especially precious because it is located in the heart of the Southern Kettle Moraine, near the Pickerel Lake Fen Preserve. Fens are among the rarest types of wetlands in North America and depend on natural springs, making careful management of the surrounding Mukwonago watershed’s sensitive agricultural acres especially important. Pickerel Lake Fen is one of the most biologically diverse fens in southeastern Wisconsin and one of the few protected for conservation.

Guests can also take a wagon ride to view and learn about the wooded kettle on the farm, a deep depression with a fascinating geologic history.

The event is free, but registration is appreciated:
www.michaelfields.org/event-details/mfai-annual-alternative-crops-field-day

Dave Magnum has been inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place June 18th in Lake Geneva at the association’s 75th anniversary convention. A video and acceptance speech is archived at
www.wisconsinbroadcastingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/dave-magnum/.

Magnum’s first time on the air was in 1976 at age 13 on WNNO-FM in Wisconsin Dells helping raise funds for Camp Wawbeek through a radiothon. At 15, WNNO hired him as a deejay. At 19, he was on WIBA-FM in Madison. Radio jobs then took him to Kansas and Texas. Dave met his future wife, Lynn, in 1987 when he became Program Director of a Michigan station where she worked in the office. In 1989, the newlyweds moved to Albuquerque, where Dave joined Drake-Chenault as a Regional Manager.

The couple returned to Wisconsin in 1991 to build their first radio station from scratch, a construction permit licensed to Tomah they called WBOG to locally brand with the area’s cranberry bogs. In 1994, they consolidated two more stations in the La Crosse market.

In 1998 Magnum acquired his hometown stations licensed to Wisconsin Dells, WDLS- AM and WNNO-FM plus WIBU-AM in Poynette.

The couple’s plan was to build an all-Wisconsin group with the goal of overlapping I- 90/94 signals from La Crosse through Madison to Milwaukee.

Lynn Magnum died of breast cancer in 2002, at age 33.

In 2007 Magnum Media added area stations WNFM-FM, WRDB-FM and WBOO-FM in Reedsburg-Baraboo. In 2011, Portage stations WPDR-AM and WDDC-FM.

Over the years, Magnum acquired stations in Green Bay, La Crosse and the Milwaukee suburbs.

In 2020, it added Whitewater 106.5 WKCH-FM “Classic Kountry Hits” which is rebroadcast on 94.7-FM Beloit, Fort Atkinson-Janesville-Madison adult contemporary 107.3 WSJY-FM, Fort Atkinson 940 WFAW-AM which is now a rock station also carried on 101.1-FM Janesville and 96.1-FM Watertown, and built Janesville-Stoughton- Madison signals 95.9 & 99.5 WBKY-FM.

Magnum’s sons, Reid and Ty, plus Reid’s wife, Chelsey, are taking the group into its second generation. As of 2026, Magnum has owned 27 AM and FM stations, 25 FM translators, and three LP-TV stations, across Wisconsin.

Updated 7/30/26 @ 2 p.m. reflecting that Mandela Barnes dropped out of the Democratic race for governor.

Primary election day is Tuesday, August 11 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. There is only one polling place this time: the Downtown Armory, 146 W. North Street. In Wisconsin we do not register by party, so a person may vote in any party. However, they may not “crossover;” i.e. choose candidates from more than one party.

What’s on your ballot? Simply enter your address in this site: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/.

The following candidates are on the ballot but have dropped out or suspended their campaign.

Governor – Democratic
Mandela Barnes (7/30/26)
Missy Hughes
Sara Rodriguez

Representative In Congress District 1 – Democratic (Jefferson County residents are not in this district.)
Peter Burgelis

If you already returned an absentee ballot and voted for someone who bowed out of the race – or otherwise have changed your mind – can you cast a new ballot?

No. A Dane county judge on July 29 ruled that although in-person voters may spoil a ballot and get a new one up to two times, the law does not permit a new ballot to be voted if their original ballot has already been mailed or otherwise returned.

Bethel House, a local ecumenical nonprofit dedicated to preventing homelessness, is excited to announce the launch of its fundraising campaign for its 7th Home Project.

For more than 30 years, Bethel House has provided support and stability to children and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness throughout the greater Whitewater area. As a grassroots nonprofit, Bethel House relies on the generosity of local individuals, businesses, churches, civic organizations, and community partners to make its work possible.

Today, Bethel House offers three core services to the community:

• Emergency Assistance, to help families remain safely housed by preventing evictions and utility shutoffs.
• A public toiletry pantry, open Monday through Thursday, providing essential hygiene and household items to individuals and families in need.
• A Transitional Housing Program, where families can live for up to one year while working one-on-one with Executive Director Angeline Doman. Through individualized case management, families receive guidance with budgeting, employment, financial planning, accessing community resources, and overcoming the barriers that led to housing instability.

Bethel House currently operates six transitional housing units in Whitewater. Through an exciting partnership with Habitat for Humanity, the organization will soon begin construction on a brand-new duplex on property recently acquired from the City of Whitewater. Construction is expected to begin this fall following the sale of Bethel House’s Whitewater Street property.

The new duplex will feature two spacious three-bedroom, two-bathroom units, including a basement that could allow for a fourth bedroom and third bathroom to be added, allowing Bethel House to serve larger families—an ongoing need identified through recent housing applications. Once construction is complete, the organization will once again provide seven transitional housing units, expanding its ability to offer safe, stable housing to local families working toward long-term independence.

To help make this vision a reality, Bethel House has launched a fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $100,000 toward the construction of the 7th Home Project.

Community members interested in supporting the project may mail donations to:

Bethel House
133 South Franklin Street
Whitewater, WI 53190

Donations may also be made through the Bethel House website. Please note “7th Home Project” in the memo or donation comments to ensure your gift is designated for the campaign. Bethel House General Donation Page

As construction gets underway, Bethel House will also be seeking volunteers to assist with various aspects of the project. Those interested in volunteering can complete the online volunteer interest form on the Bethel House website.

For more information about the 7th Home Project, Bethel House’s programs, volunteer opportunities, or ways to support the organization, please contact:

Angeline Doman, Executive Director
Email: director.bethelhouse@gmail.com
Phone: 262-473-2715

Follow Bethel House on social media and watch for updates on the 7th Home Project, construction progress, volunteer opportunities, and information about the organization’s upcoming Fall Dinner.

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Bethel House is an ecumenical project that helps families facing homelessness in the Whitewater area. It
provides transitional housing, emergency financial assistance, and case management to families in need.
Bethel House utilizes private housing units where families can live for up to one year while working on the
issues that led to their homelessness. Case management services include budgeting, debt repayment,
job searching, resume creation and building, life skills and decision-making, accessing other community
resources and services, and much more.

Bethel House services are provided to clients free of charge and with understanding and compassion.
Clients are always treated with the dignity and respect we all deserve. For more details, visit
www.bethelhouseing.org or call 262.473.2715.

Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser

Carol McCormick writes of this photo on July 27: “Always in awe of what Mother Nature gives to us after a stormy day!”

Our thanks to Carol McCormick for another gorgeous photo.

— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share. Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com. Thanks for thinking about this!

The Whitewater Grocery Co-Op will hold a special meeting for owner-members on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Whitewater Library, 431 W. Center St. The meeting will include updates from the Board of Directors on the organization’s activities, finances, and future planning, while providing members an opportunity to help shape the co-op’s next
steps.

The meeting comes at a pivotal time for the organization. Since forming in 2017 after Whitewater lost its only grocery store, the volunteer-led co-op has grown to more than 900 owner-members and has spent nearly a decade exploring opportunities to establish a community-owned grocery store.

During that time, the organization navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluated more than 30 potential locations, pursued multiple development opportunities, and worked with community partners, grocery development experts, and the City of Whitewater to determine the most viable path forward.

The opening of ALDI in 2024 addressed part of Whitewater’s grocery needs, but co-op leaders say community discussions have continued about access to a broader range of grocery options. A 2026 Community Development Authority market study also identified additional grocery opportunities within the city.

At the same time, grocery cooperatives across the country have experienced significant changes. Inflation, higher construction costs, labor shortages, and shifts in consumer shopping habits have prompted many cooperatives to rethink traditional store models. National grocery organizations such as the Food Co-op Initiative have also begun revising development resources to reflect these new realities.

Most recently, the announcement that Anderson Ashton, Inc. intends to develop a Piggly Wiggly grocery store alongside an early childhood education and childcare center on Whitewater’s east side prompted the Co-op Board to reassess its long-term direction.

“The grocery landscape in Whitewater has changed considerably since our organization was founded,” said Vice President Brienne Brown. “We believe it’s important that the future direction of the Co-op be guided by the people who own it. This meeting is an opportunity for members to help determine what role a community-owned grocery cooperative should play in Whitewater moving forward.”

In addition to the August 12 owner-member meeting, the board plans to host community listening sessions later this year to gather broader public input about the future of a cooperative grocery model in Whitewater.

All owner-members are encouraged to attend and participate in the discussion.