News

Thanks to increased support and attendance at their annual Pride Rally in October, Whitewater Pride, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, has been able to increase the number of events they host, co-host, and sponsor. They’ve also made considerable donations to organizations that promote and support a safe, affirming, inclusive environment for the community of Whitewater.

Since the 2025 Pride Rally last October, Whitewater Pride has funded two Whitewater High School Pride Scholarships, the Whitewater Arts Alliance Pride Month Art Workshop in June, the purchase of LGBTQ+ books for Whitewater Public Library, sponsorship of the Whitewater High School S.T.E.A.M. Faire, sponsorship of the UWW Out of the Darkness walk for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and cash donations to Whitewater High School Gay-Straight Alliance and Whitewater Middle School Prism Club.

Ongoing events for Whitewater Pride include “Rainbow Coffee” on the first Saturday of each month from 9-10:30 AM at The Sweet Spot Cafe in Whitewater, “Safe Study @ Starbucks” on the second Monday of each month during the school year from 6-8 PM at the Starbucks on Main Street in Whitewater, and “Cheers, Queers!” on the third Thursday of each month from 6:30-8 PM at Second Salem Brewing in Whitewater. For each of these events, Whitewater Pride gives out free stickers, lip balm, and hugs. The first five people at each of these events receive a $5 gift card to that establishment.

Community members can join Whitewater Pride at one of these upcoming events, as well: ​

• Friday, April 24 – 4th Annual Pride Paint and Sip Fundraiser with Kristen Monday from 5-7 PM at the Cultural Arts Center 402 W. Main Street, Whitewater. RSVP via their Facebook event. 
• Saturday, April 25 – Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement’s 15th Anniversary Celebration at 4 PM at James Reeb UU 2146 E. Johnson Street, Madison. 
• Saturday, May 9 – WHS Robotics S.T.E.A.M. Faire from 10 AM – 2 PM at Whitewater High School 534 S. Elizabeth Street, Whitewater.
• Saturday, May 30 – Storytelling Festival at Flatiron Park in Whitewater from 9 AM – 3 PM.
• Tuesday, June 2 – BINGO fundraiser for Whitewater Pride and United Way of Jefferson and North Walworth Counties at The Real MacCoys with card sales starting at 5:15 PM and first ball called at 6 PM. Call The Real MacCoys at (920) 568-8988 to reserve your table.
• Saturday, June 6 – Pride Pup-up Paw-ty hosted by Pet Supplies Plus in Whitewater and sponsored by Whitewater Pride from 11 AM – 4 PM; contact Tyler or Carmen at (262) 528-6350 if you’d like to be a vendor at this event.
• Thursday, June 11 – Whitewater Arts Alliance Pride Month Art Workshop, more info TBA
• Saturday, July 18- Unity Walk at the Whitewater Armory, more info TBA
• Saturday, October 3 – 6th Annual Whitewater Pride Rally from 10 AM – 3 PM at Cravath Lakefront Park

For more information or to support Whitewater Pride as Sponsor or Donor, visit www.whitewaterpride.org, Instagram @whitewaterpride, or Facebook at Whitewater Pride. 

Editor’s Note: The above was provided by Whitewater Pride.

Tena Engels is a WUL Hometown Hero, and has been nominated by Fairhaven Resident Ruth Kromholz “For nurturing monarch butterflies and the residents of Fairhaven by creating a Monarch Waystation to raise monarchs from larvae to butterflies.”

Monarch butterflies travel the world, and they need a place to rest and multiply.  Tena has created such a haven.  Once the butterflies reach maturity to be released, she has shared that experience with the residents of Fairhaven, who are even able to name their butterfly. 

Ruth said, “Tena is a joy.  We are lucky to have her.”

Brian Robinson of Fairhaven said, “The monarch exhibit is a ‘water cooler’ spot for residents, staff and visitors as they enter Fairhaven and even throughout the day checking in and checking back to see what has changed and excited for what is to come.”

Tena has also been recognized on the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries website/social media.  Following is the link to the story:  https://www.chhsm.org/news/monarch-waystation-latest-addition-in-fairhavens-efforts-to-help-monarch-butterflies-thrive/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRDKdhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFQR2FETGRpYTJwQjRYTTdJc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHglrd1VhmvzfJb2qey_rEbuFNIufS3rrxrYD1ucIHuluBa8stijPqv1QmuYu_aem_hEc9a_XHHGj19-HjKU194A

WUL (Whitewater Unites Lives) is a locally-focused civil and human rights group that works to connect the people in our community and to create opportunities for all people to learn and support each other in our common humanity.   

Anyone who would like to nominate a local hero of any age should send their nomination, with a short description, to whitewaterunites@gmail.com 

Editor’s Note: The above was provided by Whitewater Unites Lives.

Roberta’s Art Gallery is excited to share Beth Racette’s exhibit “Gaia: the Earth Is Alive.”  Featuring pieces from her ongoing “Gaia” series, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the living systems of the earth and the intricate connections that shape life on our planet.

This exhibit is in collaboration with S.A.G.E. and UW-Whitewater Sustainability in celebration of Earth Month.  

The exhibit will be open from April 16 to May 15.

Reception and workshop: Tuesday, April 21 from 5 to 6 p.m.

 Racette will provide a short talk and a reflective art activity to “explore one’s personal relationship with the Earth. Participants will create a drawing, poem, or other creative piece on circular paper inspired by questions about how we feel about, care for, and connect with the Earth.” No art experience is needed, just curiosity and reflection. The reception will be followed by an Open House from 6 to 7 p.m. with refreshments and time to enjoy the artwork, community and conversation. 

 We hope you visit us and check out this phenomenal exhibit! 

Tickets are available from any Booster Club member, including me (Neil Hicks, nhicks77@gmail.com, 920.723.7859 – I will come to you!)  Tickets are also available at the door.

In December of 2024 and August 2025, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by
two families in Walworth County who were targeted by a sophisticated investment fraud scheme.

In December 2024, an initial complaint reported a loss of $770,000.00 from his retirement
savings to an entity operating under the name “G110 Monarch Capital Investments.”

In August 2025, a subsequent case was referred to the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office by the
Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), Division of Securities Enforcement
Bureau. In this instance, the individual reported a total loss of $460,000.00, comprising both
personal retirement funds and proceeds from his late wife’s life insurance policy. This loss
resulted from a coordinated romance and investment fraud scheme.

These cases were extremely technically complex, as both schemes involved the victims using
third-party applications to convert funds from their bank accounts into cryptocurrency for
transfer.

To assist in these investigations, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with other
agencies. In the initial case, we partnered with the Greenfield Police Department to utilize their
specialized cryptocurrency tracing expertise. In the second case, DFI’s Division of Securities
Enforcement Bureau utilized its licensed forensic tools to track the flow of funds from the initial
exchange to a specific digital wallet.

The investigations revealed that the perpetrators converted the majority of the stolen funds into
USDC, a type of cryptocurrency issued by Circle Internet Financial LLC. Unlike volatile
cryptocurrencies, USDC is pegged to the U.S. dollar and backed by reserves of the same value,
maintaining a stable valuation. To obscure the paper trail, the schemers utilized ‘layering’
techniques, frequently transferring assets between digital wallets and commingling them with
other funds—a common form of digital money laundering.

In the first case, investigators tracked 262,900 USDC into a specific wallet. While the majority
was further dispersed, a portion remained and was subsequently combined with an additional
transfer of 393,000 USDC. Through advanced digital forensics, detectives identified that 460,311
USDC remained stationary in the wallet at the time of discovery. It was further discovered that,
of the 460,311 USDC, a little over 25,000 USDC was added by a victim from Forsyth County,
Georgia.

In the second case, the DFI’s Division of Securities Enforcement Bureau analysts identified a
single, direct transfer of 381,235 USDC, all of which remained secured within the target wallet.
Following the forensic identification of the illicit funds, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office
successfully petitioned for judicial seizure warrants, which a Walworth County Judge authorized
to freeze and seize the targeted digital wallets. Despite these court-ordered seizures, Circle
Internet Financial LLC [Circle] has declined to repatriate the corresponding fiat reserves to the victims,
citing a lack of established legal precedent compelling the reversal of USDC transactions. In the
interim, while Circle holds these frozen funds, they profit from the interest generated by the
victims’ stolen assets.

In response, since Circle has not complied with a Circuit Court Judge’s seizure warrant, the
Walworth County Sheriff’s Office has requested the Walworth County District Attorney’s
Office, with counsel and support from the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), to pursue
litigation to challenge the current industry standards and compel Circle Internet Financial to
facilitate the return of these recovered assets to the victimized residents.

The Walworth County District Attorney’s Office has filed a Criminal Complaint for the August
2025 case against Circle Internet Financial LLC for Contempt of Court – Disobey Order. An
initial appearance has been scheduled for this case on May 5, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., in front of the
Walworth County Circuit Court Branch 3, Judge Kristine Drettwan.

Pursuant to the Wisconsin Supreme Court directive, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6,
Trial Publicity, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is
presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Whitewater Cinemas is hosting two screenings on Wednesday, April 22nd of a brand-new Wisconsin film Winter Hymns on the back of sold-out screenings at the Wisconsin Film Festival. The film is produced and directed by Nathan Deming, who grew up in Tomah. He’s on a quest to release twelve films, one for each month of the year, depicting our state’s people and culture. Not long ago his feature film “February” was also shown at the Whitewater Cinemas. That film won a Golden Badger Award in the 2024 Wisconsin Film Festival,

This article in the Madison publication Isthmus provides a great introduction to the film. A few quotes from the article:

The film is a meditative, unflinching look at a day in the life of a palliative care doctor — played with sensitivity and restraint by American Players Theatre veteran Colleen Madden. It’s set in a purposely un-named part of Wisconsin, in just one room — the doctor’s office — which becomes, Deming says, “sort of like limbo.”

Deming tells Isthmus he became interested in the topic of caring for those approaching death because his father, a family doctor, switched to palliative care late in his career. When Deming was younger, he remembers his family not wanting to talk about it, but now, as a filmmaker, he finds his father’s work strikes themes he finds interesting — “exploring people under the most intense situation possible.”

Deming acknowledges that Winter Hymns is “a hard movie to watch in a lot of ways, but hopefully edifying by the end. There is value in thinking about these things.” [End quote]

Though several of the actors have performed at American Players Theatre, many others are non-actors, one of whom is a dairy farmer from Bloomer who woke up at 3:30 a.m. to milk the cows before filming for nine hours.

The film is also featured in this interesting article in the Cap Times.

Winter Hymns, an unrated drama, runs 2 hours, 36 minutes. The cast includes Colleen Madden, Tara Mallen, and Winter Williams. Showing at Whitewater Cinemas on Wednesday, April 22 at 3:00 p.m. ($8) and 6:30 p.m. ($9)

Editor’s note: This advertisement was provided by Nitardy Funeral Home.

Change, when guided with intention and respect, can be a powerful opportunity to strengthen trust and reaffirm purpose. At Nitardy Funeral Home, we have entered a new chapter—one rooted in positive growth, thoughtful transition, and a renewed commitment to the communities we are honored to serve.

Over the past several months, Nitardy Funeral Home has been undergoing meaningful internal changes, including the introduction of a new team. This team brings fresh perspective while deeply respecting the long history and traditions that families know and trust. The goal of this transition is simple and clear: to ensure every family receives compassionate care, dignity, and exceptional customer service during life’s most difficult moments.

We understand that a funeral home is more than a business—it is a place of comfort, remembrance, and trust. Every detail matters, from the first phone call to the final farewell. Our  team is focused on strengthening communication, improving processes, and ensuring that every interaction reflects empathy, professionalism, and respect.

At the heart of these changes is a commitment to listening. We are dedicated to understanding the needs of the families we serve and adapting thoughtfully to meet those needs. Whether planning a traditional service, a personalized celebration of life, or providing grief support, our mission remains centered on honoring each individual and supporting loved ones with care and sensitivity.

Nitardy Funeral Home has long been a part of the community, and that relationship remains our foundation. As we move forward, we do so with gratitude for the trust families have placed in us over the years and with a renewed promise to serve with integrity, dignity, and compassion.

Positive change is not about leaving the past behind—it is about building on it. We look ahead with confidence, committed to providing the level of service the community deserves today and for generations to come.

With Gratitude, 

The Staff at Nitardy Funeral Home

Free Poetry Jam

Community members are invited to a Poetry Jam in honor of National Poetry Month. This open mic will allow attendees to share their own poetry as well as poems they find meaning in. Individuals are also welcome to attend just to listen to poetry.

This event will be held in Meeting Room 1 of Whitewater Public Library at 431 W. Center St. in Whitewater on Thursday, April 23 from 5:30 – 7:00 PM.

This program is for adults. Registration is only required for those planning to read a poem. Registrants should also send their poem via email to hswanson@whitewater-wi.gov. Visit whitewaterlibrary.org/events to register in advance. You may also email hswanson@whitewater-wi.gov or call 262-473-0113 to register, or with any questions. 

Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Public Notice
City Compost Site
“Pursuant to WI Code NR210.21(5), the city is informing the public of a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) that occurred on Friday April 17, 2026. The SSO occurred approximately 480’ west of the southern edge of the city compost site. Due to the flash flooding that occurred on the night of April 17th, the sanitary sewer system was hydraulically overwhelmed. To prevent the likelihood of basement back-ups, utility staff intentionally bypass pumped from the sanitary sewer on to the ground. Approximately 120,000 gallons of water was pumped into a drainage ditch. Although technically sewage, this water was largely rainwater that had infiltrated the sewer system. This water likely continued flowing in the drainage ditch to the north where it eventually ended up in Whitewater Creek on the northern side of town. Threat for human exposure is minimal. However, the public should avoid recreating in the flood waters of Whitewater Creek.

Editor’s note: The above public notice was provided by Brad Marquardt, public works director for the City of Whitewater.

The League of Women Voters Whitewater Area is proud to sponsor America the Beautiful. This children’s event organizes literature into interactive stations where children can “travel” through the nation’s history, values, and landscapes.

The interactive read aloud of children’s books will be held at the Whitewater Public Library, 431 W Center St, Whitewater, on Wednesday, April 22nd, from 3:30-5:00 p.m. 

Local children are welcome and encouraged to attend! You do not need to be a League member to attend. For questions or further information, please contact Dwight Watson, watsond@uww.edu  

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The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit our website at https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area and like us on Facebook!