Local Students Graduate at UW-Eau Claire

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire awarded 1,400 degrees in May. Of the degrees awarded, 1,387 were received by students attending the Eau Claire campus and 13 were received by students attending UW-Eau Claire – Barron County. Local students who received degrees and their fields of study are shown below.  Congratulations, class of 2022!      

Whitewater, WI

 Naomi Allen, Nursing and Health Sciences, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, nursing
 Alexis Long, Business, Bachelor of Business Administration, accounting and information systems

Editor’s note: The above announcement was provided by UW-Eau Claire.

Whitewater Chamber of Commerce to hold 2nd Year of the Whitewater Storytelling Festival with support from WI State Tourism JEM Grant

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Council.

The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce that, with support from a 2nd Year JEM Grant from the WI Department of Tourism and a generous sponsorship from Generac, they will be bringing back the Whitewater Storytelling Festival! This wonderful festival, happening September 23-25, 2022, is a celebration of the art of storytelling, bringing to Whitewater locally, regionally, and nationally known storytellers. The festival is a collaborative event, harnessing the talents, skills, and resources of multiple organizations and individuals in the Whitewater community. Information about the activities happening during the festival weekend can be found at https://www.whitewaterchamber.com/whitewater-storytelling-festival/. Updates are being made weekly as the schedule for the festival grows!

Photo by Katy Daixon Photography

The JEM Grant from the WI Department of Tourism will help with marketing this exciting event and attracting visitors to the community from new tourist markets.  The Whitewater Chamber is keenly focused on making Whitewater a place people want to visit, live, learn, celebrate, and grow. This 3-year grant opportunity gives the Whitewater Area Chamber and its partners the opportunity to highlight Whitewater’s robust arts community and build the festival into an event that puts Whitewater on the map!

Tourism is a multibillion-dollar industry in the state of Wisconsin, and the industry is crucial to economic recovery and success. JEM grant funds are available to nonprofit organizations for the promotion of Wisconsin tourism events and destinations and are just one of the tools in the toolbox for the Department of Tourism to partner with organizations and nonprofits around the state who are using innovation and creativity to bring visitors and dollars to their community.

Photo by Katy Daixon Photography

The Whitewater Area Chamber is thrilled to receive the 2nd year JEM Grant! We are also grateful to be part of such a vibrant community filled with talented and generous individuals and organizations. We look forward to the 2nd year of this wonderful festival and welcoming new visitors to the community. Be sure to follow the Chamber’s Facebook page for updates on the festival planning! For questions about this event or anything Chamber related please contact Kellie Carper, Exec. Director at (262) 473-4005.

New Resource Available for Lakeshore Properties 

The NEW online Lakeshore Resource Guide for Walworth County is now available to provide lakeshore property owners, managers, residents, and hired professionals the resources they need for living on, managing, and working at these properties for the benefit of the lake. Construction, landscaping, yard maintenance, lawn care, and other practices are different for lakeshore properties. Practices done on a suburban or urban property can be detrimental to the lakeshore environment. Using the resources in the Guide, you can manage and maintain your property to preserve the shoreline, water quality, and overall ecology.  

The contributions of many local and regional organizations, government agencies, lake associations, and residents created the online Lakeshore Resource Guide for Walworth County. The Guide features links to credible, trustworthy resources free of bias and backed by research and evidence. Topics include landscaping practices, invasive species, property development, and questions to ask when hiring professionals as well as other educational resources.  

Look for the NEW online Lakeshore Resource Guide for Walworth County on the county’s Land Use and Resource Management website: https://bit.ly/3zrq3IM 

If you have questions about this resource, please contact Julie Hill, UW-Madison Division of Extension Walworth County Horticulture Outreach Specialist, julie.hill@wisc.edu.

The image on the homepage is from Image by Neta623 from Pixabay.

Emotional Intelligence for Leadership Development Class offered Sept. 30

Diagram of Emotional Intelligence with keywords. EPS 10 – isolated on white background

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at Rock County.

In this course, professionals will explore and understand the research and science behind the five domains of emotional intelligence. Rooted deep in behavioral and organizational psychology principles, emotional intelligence training is becoming an absolute necessity for the modern worker who wants to grow in leadership skills. When IQ only gets you so far as a leader, EQ skills will take you farther. In this course, aspiring and established leaders will understand the power of acumen and how to harness emotions in order to be effective with others, build resilience during stressful situations, and stay motivated for achieving further success. Participants will engage in their own reflection and measurement of EQ skills. This course will focus on self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, social regulation, and motivation. Class discussions will be centered around practical scenarios for improving self-awareness in the work space, and understanding how emotional intelligence can positively impact leadership skills and improve team dynamics. Outcomes: Understand the research and science behind emotional intelligence. Review the data collection of how people perform when they utilize the science and techniques for improving emotional intelligence. Professionals will evaluate personal domains of emotional intelligence and identify areas for improvement. Discuss practical scenarios and strategies for how these domains impact performance as a professional. Decide how newly acquired awareness and knowledge in these areas will impact higher levels of collaboration in the workplace. Reflect on how applying EQ skills will help professionals achieve future leadership goals .  This event is available to registrants aged 18 and up.

Limited to the first 30 registrants.

Friday, September 30, 2022 | 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Register Online

Click Here To Register

Registrations accepted online until Thursday, September 22, 2022. 

Registration Questions

Registrants will be asked the following questions in the registration.  Please have the answers prior to registering:

Registrant name, address, phone, email, gender identity, race/ethnicity (optional), job title, how did you hear about this event, I understand the refund policy, accommodations/comments, name on CEU certificate (optional).

We do accept walk up registrations at event check-in. Walk-up registration available here to download after online registration closes.


Your online registration and payment are always safe and secure.  We accept MasterCard and Visa credit card payments in our online registration system.  We will NOT accept credit card payments over the phone.  We will accept checks made out to “UW-Whitewater” and mailed to UW-Whitewater Camps and Conferences, 800 West Main Street, Room 2005 Roseman Hall, Whitewater WI 53190.


Confirmation Emails
Once you register to attend an event (including waitlisted), a confirmation email will be sent to your email account. Contact cesevents@uww.edu if you do not receive this confirmation email.  You must have a working email address on file with us to be able to receive important announcements and updates about this event.

Fire & EMS Services Will be Provided by a City Department Beginning this Saturday

The Transition Team that has been meeting every Friday morning to negotiate the terms of the agreement. Left to right: City Manager Cameron Clapper, EMS Chief Ashley Vickers, WFD Board President and Captain Christ Christon, City Finance Director Steve Hatton, Asst. Chief Joe Uselding, Common Council President Lisa Dawsey Smith, EMS Captain Jason Dean (Not shown – Chief Kelly Freeman)

Signing the agreement at the conclusion of the joint Common Council and Whitewater Fire Dept., Inc. meeting – 1st row: City Clerk Michele Smith, City Manager Cameron Clapper, WFD Board President and Captain Christ Christon 2nd row: Councilmember James D. Allen, Councilmember Carol McCormick, Lieutenant Andrew Rowland, EMS Chief Ashley Vickers, Asst. Chief Joe Uselding, Councilmember Brienne Brown 3rd row: Council President Lisa Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Lukas Schreiber, Asst. Chief Ryan Dion, Lieutenant Justin Sachse, EMS Captain Jason Dean

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

Capping off nearly a year of discussion and negotiation, the City of Whitewater Common Council on July 28 approved an agreement with Whitewater Fire Department, Inc. (WFD) which provides that fire and emergency medical services (EMS) will be furnished by a city department beginning on July 30. The department will also continue the contractual services that are provided to parts or all of the towns of Cold Spring, Johnstown, Koshkonong, Lima, Richmond, and Whitewater.

WFD has capably served the city since its founding in 1871, but, as has been the case with nearly all volunteer fire departments across the state, staffing challenges under the Paid-on-Call model made it increasingly difficult for the department to respond to increasing call volumes particularly for emergency medical services. As a result response times were sometimes extending, particularly when it was necessary to call on neighboring communities for mutual aid. Over the past year WFD migrated to a Paid-on-Premises (POP) model for EMS, where four positions are now staffed twenty-four hours a day, providing a two-ambulance response at all times. Recruitment is improved as reliable hours can be provided, and as a number of employees will become eligible for health and retirement benefits.

The part-time position of Department Chief has been established, with Kelly Freeman being appointed. A previous post lists the other individuals who have been appointed to the Command Staff. Current Chief Mike Higgins will remain with the department as a firefighter until he retires at the end of 2022. Nearly all WFD equipment and rolling stock will become property of the municipal department. The Transition Team will continue to serve in an advisory role until December 31, 2022, or until such time as it is deemed to no longer be necessary. WFD will continue to exist as a separate non-profit entity focusing primarily on fundraising and fellowship activities.

The substantial increase in fire and EMS staffing has resulted in nearly a doubling in projected expenses for 2022 compared with 2021. Consequently it will be necessary for the city to place a referendum on the November 8 ballot. Further information will be provided in a forthcoming post.

#FlashbackFriday with the Historical Society: Normal School Lawn Postcard, 1910

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.

One of the most popular post card views from Whitewater was the Normal School (UWW) lawn in all its summer glory. This view, dated 1910, was produced for the O’Connor drug store in Whitewater. Drug stores were popular places to purchase “picture” postcards during their popularity between 1900 and the 1970s.

The vast lawn in front of Old Main on the UWW campus was a point of horticultural interest in the community because it had and still has a wide variety of trees and shrubs. In this view, a classical monument also decorates this part of the “normal lawn.”

Join us next week for more from the collections of the Whitewater Historical Society.

(3096PC, Whitewater Historical Society)

UW-W Chief of Staff & Legislative Liaison Named

Jim Disrude (Source: LinkedIn)

Interim Chancellor John Chenoweth has announced the appointment of Jim Disrude as chief of staff and legislative liaison for the Chancellor’s Office at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, effective Aug. 22.

“I’m pleased to welcome Jim Disrude back to UW-Whitewater. He is a trusted and respected member of our community with 13 years of experience as a higher education instructor, advisor and administrator,” Chenoweth said. “The chief of staff role is a critical position in the Chancellor’s Office that builds partnerships and collaborations on campus, in the community, with our legislators and with other stakeholders. Jim’s passion for UW-Whitewater and diverse skill set will serve us well as we move the university forward.”

Most recently, Disrude served as the director of student success for McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, Illinois, where he oversaw the campus advising center, new student orientation, student success coaches, and an adult education program. 

Disrude served in previous roles at UW-Whitewater, including coordinator of academic advising for the College of Arts and Communication, director of advising and lecturer in the Department of Communication, and director of the nationally competitive Forensics program. Before his career in higher education, Disrude worked in sports broadcasting for ten years as a TV anchor and live sports producer.

“It is an honor to accept the position as chief of staff and I can’t wait to get started,” Disrude said. “As an alumnus, I have deep roots here at UW-Whitewater and I’m immensely proud of the efforts by our faculty and staff to help students succeed. I look forward to working with Dr. Chenoweth, members of the Chancellor’s Cabinet, and colleagues on both the Whitewater and Rock County campuses to carry out our mission.”

Disrude earned his doctorate in educational leadership and innovation from Arizona State University. His research interests include change leadership, education innovation, high-impact practices, and student retention. In 2021, his dissertation won the national research award from NACADA, a global organization for academic advising. Jim also earned a master’s degree in communication and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UW-Whitewater.

Editor’s note: The above announcement was made by UW-Whitewater on July 27. The image on the homepage is from ResearchGate.

Hunter Safety Classes Offered August 27 & 28 and September 10 & 11

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Rock County Sheriff’s Office.

Enroll At: https://www.co.rock.wi.us/departments/sheriff-s-office/recreational-patrol/hunter-education
A class fee of $10 per student will be collected at the in-person registration meeting. The student, and a parent or legal guardian if the student is underage, must attend the mandatory registration meeting in order for the student to take the course. Students will receive course materials at the in-person registration meeting. Please direct any questions to Deputy Terry Borgwardt at terry.borgwardt@co.rock.wi.us.

The Sheriff’s Office has previously assured the Banner that Rock County residency is not required in order to attend their classes.

This Week’s Rummage Sales

Rummage sale 228 S Dann St, Whitewater
Movies, video games, electronics, comic books, collectibles, board games, computer parts, household items, Christmas stuff, 18 inch doll stuff (American girl size), women’s and kids clothes, shoes, books and lots of new stuff. And more possibly coming. July 29, 30th, and 31st   9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day

Rummage Sale
Post-Moving-In Sale.
401 S Buckingham Blvd, Whitewater

Saturday July 30, 2022 8-4 p.m.
Curio Cabinet, curtains, valances and rods, some sporting goods, books, furniture, table lamps, dishes, older bikes, some gardening tools, lots of misc. treasures.  Something for everyone.