News

On Friday, March 20th at approximately 5:41 PM, Lakeside Fire-Rescue and the Rock County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched by the Rock County 911 Center for a reported water rescue at Storrs Lake in the Town of Milton.

A bystander contacted 911 after hearing calls for help and observing four individuals in the water approximately 100 meters from shore. The individuals had been kayaking when their kayak overturned, leaving them in the water. All four occupants were wearing life jackets and were attempting to swim back to shore.

By the time fire crews arrived on scene, all four individuals had safely made it out of the water. Two subjects were evaluated and transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Janesville with non-life-threatening injuries.

This incident serves as an important reminder to the public that although the ice has receded, water temperatures remain extremely cold and can lead to hypothermia within minutes. Wearing life jackets significantly increases the chances of survival, and responders were encouraged to see all individuals properly equipped.

This marks the third water rescue in the past 36 days. Of the eight individuals rescued during these incidents, six have been under the age of 20.

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by Lakeside Fire-Rescue. The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the home page by Petra from Pixabay.

City of Whitewater Finance Committee – Tuesday @ 5:00 p.m.
Agenda includes Discussion and possible action to recommend Down Payment Assistance Program for
Fire/EMS Department
Cravath Lakefront room 2nd floor 312 West Whitewater Str, Whitewater, WI, 53190
*In Personand Virtual
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2262494895281?p=GzbNCvxiqeNZJNGoF7
Meeting ID: 226 249 489 528 1
Passcode: 8y8og7hs
Dial in by phone
+1 929-229-5663,,840174601# United States, New York City
Phone conference ID: 840 174 601#

Aquatic Center Committee – Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m.
Agenda includes election of officers; Tour of the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center.
Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center, Large Meeting Room 580 S. Elizabeth St. Whitewater, WI
Please note that although every effort will be made to provide for virtual participation, unforeseen
technical difficulties may prevent this, in which case the meeting may still proceed as long as there is a
quorum. Should you wish to make a comment in this situation, you are welcome to call this number:
(262) 473-0108.
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone,
or telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/23024647953882?p=0xWG70oJJ3JEQ1YW1K
Meeting ID: 230 246 479 538 82
Passcode: pa7ka3GW
Dial in by phone
+1 929-229-5663,,717102861# United States
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 717 102 861#

The Fort Atkinson-Eli Pierce Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution recognized area high school students as “Good Citizens” during a reception on March 5 at the Dwight Foster Public Library in Fort Atkinson. Pictured from left to right are: DAR Corresponding Secretary and Registrar Jessica Punzel; Hannah Werning, Jefferson High School; Madeline Bennett, Johnson Creek High School; Hannah Baldry, Fort Atkinson High School; Madelynn Sherry, Lake Mills High School; Marvin Duarte Garcia, Whitewater High School; Brooklyn West, Palmyra-Eagle High School; and DAR Chapter Regent Janet Stehling. Unable to attend was Danny Swain, Cambridge High School

Pictured with Jessica Punzel of DAR: Marvin Duarte Garcia, Whitewater High School {Left]; Brooklyn West, Palmyra-Eagle High School

Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

“Song Sung Blue”

Tuesday, March 24, 1 pm

(Biography/Music)

Rated PG-13; 2 hours, 12 minutes (2025).

Lightning and Thunder, a Milwaukee husband and wife Neil Diamond tribute act, experience soaring success and devastating heartbreak in their musical journey together. Stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson (Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Actress). 

Seniors in the Park is located in Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road. Although there is no charge to attend, regular participants are encouraged to join Seniors in the Park. The annual fee for residents of the Whitewater Unified School District is $15 and non-residents is $20. The funds support about half of the cost of our front desk staff person for 15 hours per week. The rest comes out of our fundraising monies. If you cannot afford the fee, we have a fund that will cover it for you. Fees are accepted at the Starin Park Community Building or online at https://schedulesplus.com/wwtr/kiosk/ 

Join us on at The Wright House on April 17 for stories about cats. Folktales, personal stories, puppets. This show is appropriate for cat lovers of all ages. Register on Eventbrite: https://catstories.eventbrite.com

CAITLIN McLEOD (Costume Craftsperson) is a Chicago based puppet, costume, and scenic designer. Recent design credits include: Lookingglass, Raven, Chicago Children’s, Lifeline, St. Louis Shakespeare Company, Virginia Stage Company, Drury Lane, About Face, Teatro Vista, Timeline, Steppenwolf, Rough House, and Writers. Caitlin also works as a freelance craftsperson, creating sculptural costume and puppet pieces for: Actors Gym, Manual Cinema, The Goodman, Lookingglass, Northlight, Cabinet of Curiosity, Oklahoma City Ballet, Writers Theatre, and more. Caitlin is a co-curator of Nasty Brutish and Short: Chicago’s oldest Puppet Slam, a company member of Rough House, and project manager of the Chicago Puppet Studio. Instagram: @CaitlinMcLeodDesign @ChicagoPuppetStudio

Sarah Beth Nelson owns The Wright House and hosts the house concerts. She is an Assistant Professor in the School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Sarah Beth performs as a storyteller in open mics, festivals, and fringes.

Editor’s Note: The above was submitted by Sarah Beth Nelson.

Caroline Pate-Hefty, who served as Whitewater Unified School District Superintendent for five years, ending in June 2025, has resigned from the same role for the much larger Mannheim Township [Pa.] school district. The landcasteronline newspaper reported that the school board approved Pate-Hefty’s resignation on March 19, 2026. As was indicated in this previous Whitewater Banner article, she had been on leave since mid-February.

The following are excerpts from the Landcasteronline article:

“The Manheim Township school board unanimously approved a resignation agreement negotiated with Superintendent Caroline Pate-Hefty, with the board president saying she was “not the right fit for Manheim Township.”

Board President Patrick Grenter’s brief statement Thursday evening before the vote shed little light on why Pate-Hefty’s tenure ended after less than eight months. He insisted that a clause in Pate-Hefty’s employment contract barring the board from revealing details of any investigation into her leadership was not why the board was providing little information about the reasons for her departure.

“Simply put, confidentiality of this matter would have occurred regardless of this contract language,” Grenter said. “Our employees have rights. They have rights to a fair process and we will uphold those rights. Nowhere in that process does it involve discussion of personnel matters in the media.”

“We are committed to learning from this outcome to strengthen the next superintendent search in partnership with our administration staff and parents,” Grenter said.

Grenter said the board listened to feedback from the school community, worked with its counsel and investigated, acting swiftly to make a change. Yet, as four residents pointed out during public comment, replacing the superintendent is a costly burden.

“We are paying Dr. Hefty through June 30 of this year,” parent Marty Kieffer said. “This means we are paying out $75,000 to someone who is not working.”

“There is a cost of separation that we do not take lightly but are clear that this is the best path forward for the school district administrators, staff and students,” Grenter said before voting to approve Pate-Hefty’s resignation.”

Update 3/20/26 @ 9 p.m. – Reader John D. McLean, City High class of 1959, wrote with this correction: “Your ‘FlashbackFriday’ posting on March 20, 2026 has an address error.  The Whitewater Brewery building was on the corner of North Street and Jefferson Street and overlooked the creek. That is one block from Main Street.  I grew up on Jefferson Street from 1941 to 1954 and walked past the brewery every day.” Our thanks to Mr. McLean. This website also confirms that location.

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This is an image of the Old Whitewater Brewery, formerly known as Klinger’s Brewery, on fire in 1974. The building was located on the corner of Main and Jefferson Streets and had been closed as a brewery since 1942. The brewery was built in 1862, closed during Prohibition in the 1920s, and reopened in 1933. But, it was too outdated to successfully survive in the 1940s. Its popular beer was known as “Old Cream Top.” The site stood vacant until the later 1980s when a group home facility was built there. Wisconsin had many small, local, breweries in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but they all could not compete with the large beer producers in the mid-20th century.

Hello, I’m Christy Linse, a lifelong Whitewater resident, proud WWUSD graduate from the Class of 1996 (the second class to walk through the “new” high school) and a dedicated community member. I’m currently serving my first term on the Whitewater Unified School District Board of Education, and I’m seeking re-election to a second term because our district is finally turning the corner. Student achievement is climbing, opportunities are expanding, and we’re mending key relationships across the community—all while staying true to our mission of empowering every student to achieve excellence every day in a unified way. I’m committed to protecting that momentum and fully supporting the outstanding work of our administration and board president.

After graduating from Whitewater High School, I moved to Milwaukee to earn degrees in Cardiovascular Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Health Service Administration. For the next 15 years I worked in hospitals across the region, spending 14 of those years alongside physicians in Cardiac Cath Labs and Interventional Radiology. Today I serve as a Senior Clinical Specialist for a medical device company, supporting physicians in hospitals throughout Wisconsin.

My family has been deeply rooted in Whitewater for generations. My grandfather owned CK’s Keg and the Citgo Service Station at Five Points, served as police commissioner and university maintenance supervisor. My mother retired from the Whitewater Post Office, my father worked construction locally, and my cousin is a Whitewater police officer who was named Officer of the Year in 2022.

My husband TJ (also a lifelong Whitewater resident) and I built our home just outside of town, where we’re raising our two sons along with our dogs and chickens. Our older son is working full-time selling insurance with State Farm near Milwaukee, while our younger son, Thomas, is a freshman at Whitewater High School—walking the same halls I once did. As a proud boy mom, and soccer mom, I love being part of Thomas’s activities and sharing a great friend group with his circle. Our family enjoys camping, vacationing, skiing, gardening, and beekeeping together.

Having grown up here and watched our schools overcome challenges and begin thriving again, I’m more committed than ever to every child’s success. I consider myself very approachable and always welcome questions and conversation. Thank you for taking the time to get to know me—I humbly ask for your support as I seek a second term so we can keep moving Whitewater schools forward together.

Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Christy Linse. The Whitewater Banner welcomes a submission to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com from Common Council, School Board or Town Board candidates for the city and nearby towns.

UW-MADISON ANNOUNCES WINTER 2025 GRADUATES

A total of 2,151 students, including students from your area, received degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on December 14, 2025. The university held its Winter 2025 Commencement ceremony for undergraduates and graduates at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

UW-Madison was ranked the #2 public university in the United States by Time magazine in 2026. With public service as its guiding principle, UW-Madison’s students, staff, and faculty engage in a world-class education while solving real-world problems. For more information, visit http://www.wisc.edu.

Local degree recipients include:

 Crystal Chan, College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry
 Andy Vo, College of Letters and Science, Master of Science-Psychology

The Whitewater Public Library is hosting the traveling exhibit, “Wisconsin’s John Muir: An Exhibit Celebrating the Centennial of the National Park Service” starting on March 18. The exhibit will be available for viewing in the library’s atrium during all open hours, through April 17.

Generously provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society, this exhibit commemorates the centennial of the National Park Service and explores Muir’s youth in Wisconsin, his advocacy for national parks and his views on environmental issues such as logging, hunting, and climate change. 

The eight panels of “Wisconsin’s John Muir” share facsimiles of images and manuscripts from the Society’s library and archives alongside Muir quotes and interpretive texts. More information about the exhibit, including links to Muir’s books, writings, and biographical information, can be found on the Society’s website at wisconsinhistory.org.

The Whitewater Public Library is located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater. For more information, visit whitewaterlibrary.org, email library@whitewater-wi.gov or call 262-473-0530.