News

Per the National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office as of 2 p.m. on Monday:

A Heat Advisory is now in place across all of southern Wisconsin from Tuesday at 12 PM to Wednesday at 8 PM CDT.

• Hottest conditions are expected between 12-8 PM each day, with some relief occurring during the overnight hours 
• Tuesday: air temperatures in the mid 90s, with heat indices in the upper 90s to low 100s
• Wednesday: air temperatures in the low to mid 90s, with heat indices in the upper 90s to potentially low 100s

While currently expected to stay below Heat Advisory thresholds, elevated heat and humidity will likely linger into Thursday & Friday.

• Thursday: air temperatures in the low 90s with heat indices in the mid-upper 90s
• Friday: air temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s with heat indices in the low-mid 90s

Vulnerable groups and those spending prolonged periods of time outdoors should take heat precautions through this week.

Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage by geralt from Pixabay.

“Get Out of This Wicked Heat!!!”

Seniors in the Park invites you to get out of the wicked heat today, for good, for a cool Tuesday afternoon, as the Witches of the North and West battle for good in their final conclusion. 

Projectionist Mark is back and will have cool treats for the audience! Tuesday, July 14 @ 1 p.m.

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/ 

Due to copyright issues, Seniors in the Park is no longer able to publicly announce the movie titles being shown.  If you wish to find out each month’s titles that Projectionist Mark Dorn has selected, you may call Seniors in the Park at 262-473-0535. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

More than 1,850 students graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at 2026 spring commencement ceremonies, held May 16 at Kachel Fieldhouse in Whitewater and May 19 at the Wells Cultural Center on the Rock County campus in Janesville.

The following students from your area earned degrees from UW-Whitewater at a spring commencement ceremony:

Whitewater, WI 53190: Aidan Allamian graduated with the following degree: Physical Education – BSE

Whitewater, WI 53190: Mae Anderson graduated with the following degree: School Psychology – MSE

Whitewater, WI 53190: Mariana Aranda graduated Magna Cum Laude with the following degree: Finance – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Matthew Baier graduated with the following degree: Instructional Design and Learning Technology – MS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Chelsea Baker graduated with the following degree: Psychology – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Grace Baker graduated with the following degree: Liberal Arts – AA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Jace Bezzo graduated Magna Cum Laude with the following degree: Environmental Science – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Landen Bley graduated Cum Laude with the following degree: Finance – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Joey Boettcher graduated with the following degree: General Business – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Alyssa Brazouski graduated Magna Cum Laude with the following degree: Finance – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Jack Brown graduated with the following degree: Marketing – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Lucas Castro-Huempfner graduated with the following degree: Psychology – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Chibu Chioma graduated with the following degree: Finance – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Daven Cooper graduated Cum Laude with the following degree: English Literature & Language Arts Education – BSE

Whitewater, WI 53190: Gil Dennis graduated with the following degree: Liberal Arts – AA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Andrew Eiken graduated with the following degree: Economics – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Sarah Felland graduated with the following degree: Chemistry – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Ashton Ford graduated with the following degree: Computer Science – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Brandt Garcia graduated with the following degree: Information Technology – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Andrea Gentry graduated with the following degree: Criminology – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Ashton Gillespie graduated Magna Cum Laude with the following degree: Management – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Elizabeth Gomez graduated with the following degree: Biology – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Brock Grosinske graduated Magna Cum Laude with the following degree: Finance – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Sophia Guedj graduated with the following degree: Applied Arts and Sciences – BAAS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Blake Haggerty graduated Magna Cum Laude with the following degree: Finance – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Jake Hintz graduated Cum Laude with the following degree: Marketing – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Kat Hunt graduated with the following degree: Social Work – MSW

Whitewater, WI 53190: Cameron Huntley graduated Cum Laude with the following degree: History – BSE

Whitewater, WI 53190: Bryce Joel graduated Cum Laude with the following degree: Marketing – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Megan Kasper graduated Magna Cum Laude with the following degree: Elementary Middle Education – BSE

Whitewater, WI 53190: Devin Kelly graduated with the following degree: Finance – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Taylor Koehler graduated Cum Laude with the following degree: Criminology – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Issac Leal graduated with the following degree: Data Analytics – MS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Sydney Lehman graduated Cum Laude with the following degree: General Business – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Krystal Leon graduated with the following degree: Counseling – MS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Hunter Lochner graduated with the following degree: Management – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Payton Lowe graduated Summa Cum Laude with the following degree: Operations and Supply Chain Management – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Cayden Maag graduated Magna Cum Laude with the following degree: Computer Science – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Connor Macy graduated Cum Laude with the following degree: Marketing – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Morgin Marks graduated with the following degree: Marketing – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Thomas McCulloch graduated with the following degree: Cybersecurity – MS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Jordan Miller graduated with the following degree: Marketing – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Morgan Miller graduated Magna Cum Laude with the following degree: Psychology – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Jack Mollner graduated with the following degree: Marketing – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Matthew Moore graduated with the following degree: Communication – BA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Madelyn Morgan graduated with the following degree: Marketing – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Olivia Nanni graduated Summa Cum Laude with the following degree: Human Resource Management – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Ari Peters graduated with the following degree: Counseling – MS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Renee Rittmeyer graduated Magna Cum Laude with the following degree: Human Resource Management – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Katherine Sainsbury graduated Summa Cum Laude with the following degree: Elementary Education – BSE

Whitewater, WI 53190: Sabrina Schmidt graduated with the following degree: Associate of Arts and Science – AAS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Savannah Schmieder graduated with the following degree: Social Work – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Jason Schrader graduated with the following degree: Counseling – MS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Connor Sharlow graduated Summa Cum Laude with the following degree: Communication Sciences and Disorders – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Juan Silva graduated Cum Laude with the following degree: Accounting – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Tristin Trevino graduated Cum Laude with the following degree: Occupational Safety – BS

Whitewater, WI 53190: Ryan Westerman graduated with the following degree: General Business – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Jaelyne White graduated with the following degree: Higher Education Leadership – MSE

Whitewater, WI 53190: Nick Yellick graduated Magna Cum Laude with the following degree: Operations and Supply Chain Management – BBA

Whitewater, WI 53190: Peter Zimdars graduated with the following degree: Finance – BBA

Degrees were conferred to more than 1,730 May and August graduates on May 16 at Kachel Fieldhouse inside the Williams Center in Whitewater. Included in the graduates earning degrees were 109 students who are veterans, 12 international students and 204 nontraditional undergraduate students, defined as undergraduate students who are 25 years of age or older. In addition, 154 self-identified students with disabilities received degrees.

A total of 116 students earning associate degrees were recognized May 19 at the Wells Cultural Center on the Rock County campus in Janesville.

A total of 215 students participated in the university’s Hired Before Graduation campaign, which celebrates students who landed a job, earned a job promotion, were accepted to graduate school, or started their own business before commencement.

Editor’s note: It is likely that the majority of these students have not been long-term Whitewater residents. They have, however, been registered with the university with Whitewater addresses.

Photo credit: UW-Whitewater/Craig Schreiner

Al Stanek caught this photo of twin fawns as it was approaching dusk.

Our thanks to Al Stanek for sharing this sweet 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!

Residents who were planning to watch the 4th of July parade from home were disappointed that the livestream was not available. Sam Jurgilanis of the city media services department told The Banner that the livestream was not forgotten but was not possible due to unavoidable circumstances. He apologized for the inconvenience and confusion. Sam indicated that as soon as the editing is completed the video will be posted to YouTube first before it airs on the TV station. The weekly programming lineup for channel 990 is posted on Facebook, so Sam indicates that “if you’re ever wondering what’s coming up, that’s the best place to check.”

Editor’s note: The following is from Katy Katzman’s Facebook page and is shared with her permission.

After 26 years as Whitewater High School’s FFA advisor, Mr. Majors retired at the end of the school year, leaving a legacy that reaches far beyond agricultural education. He was there for the big moments, the little moments, and the countless ones behind the scenes.

Jake, Elizabeth, and Aaron were all proud members of FFA under Mr. Major’s leadership, and our family is grateful for the guidance, encouragement and opportunities he gave each of them.

In honor of his retirement and his years of service to our community, Katzman Farms is hosting a cereal drive for the Community Space July 11-18. For every box of cereal donated, Katzman Farms will donate one half gallon of KempCows whole milk. Milk is Mr. Majors’ favorite dairy product, and you can’t enjoy cereal without milk!

Cereal donations may be dropped off at the drive-up rear of The Community Space. 834 E. Milwaukee Street, during the following times:

Saturday, July 11 – 8:30 to 11:45 a.m.
Tuesday, July 14 – 8:30 to 10:45 a.m.
Wednesday, July 15 – 3:30 to 6:45 p.m.
Saturday, July 18 – 8:30 to 11:45 a.m.

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh announces spring 2026 graduates

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s 152nd spring commencement celebrated the achievements of 1,100 students in two ceremonies May 16 inside Kolf Sports Center. Recognized for earning doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s or associate degrees, the new graduates joined the ranks of more than 100,000 UWO alumni.

Whitewater, WI

 Sharon Faust, Master of Science

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE AT THE LIBRARY

The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive at the Whitewater Public Library on Friday, July 17 between 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. It is open to the public.

Give the gift of life—donate blood and make a real difference in your community. Appointments are encouraged, walk-ins welcome.

Visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/ and enter code whitewater to schedule your time.

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.

Above: Members of the AMA Whitewater case competition presentation team from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater celebrate their first-place finish at the 2026 AMA International Collegiate Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Photo courtesy of Mark Campbell Productions.

Above: AMA Whitewater’s case competition presentation team (left to right) Rafa Alvarez-Reyes, Fischer Hansen, Alexia Lewis, Alex Brokaw, Gaby Matamoros, and Brenden Lewandowski at the 2026 AMA International Collegiate Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Photo courtesy of Mark Campbell Productions.

Above: Members of AMA Whitewater gather at the 2026 AMA International Collegiate Conference in Chicago, Illinois, where the chapter earned first place in the Collegiate Case Competition along with multiple additional awards. Photo courtesy of Mark Campbell Productions.

Students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics (CoBE) American Marketing Association chapter (AMA Whitewater) earned international recognition, winning first-place in the AMA Collegiate Case Competition at the AMA International Collegiate Conference (ICC) in Chicago, Illinois from March 12-14. 

The AMA Collegiate Case Competition is a year-long, national academic challenge that tasks marketing students with developing a comprehensive, research-backed marketing strategy for a real-world client. This year’s competition was co-sponsored by Major League Baseball and Deloitte Digital. Teams spent months conducting research, analyzing market conditions, and building a full strategic marketing plan before submitting a full report in December. Out of 110 teams internationally, AMA Whitewater advanced to the final 11 and was ultimately named the overall winner after presenting their work live to MLB and Deloitte executives at ICC.

The final presentation team included Brenden Lewandowski (Junior, Business Analytics BBA), Alex Brokaw (Junior, Marketing BBA), Alexia Lewis (Senior, Marketing BBA), Gaby Matamoros (Senior, Business Analytics BBA), and Fischer Hansen (Sophomore, Management BBA). The team delivered a 25-minute presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session with industry judges.

“Being a part of AMA Whitewater’s case team has taught me a lot about perseverance and hard work,” said Lewandowski. “This now being my third year, I understood what was ahead of me, a year-long project that ends in a fully memorized presentation in front of marketing professionals.”

“Ending my senior year with an experience like this is something I will carry with me forever,” said Matamoros. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude, pride, and emotion. This journey reminded me that growth happens when you step into spaces that scare you. What most people don’t see are the early mornings, late nights, constant revisions, and moments where we questioned if we were good enough. This journey pushed me further than I ever expected, not just academically or professionally, but personally.”

The presentation team was supported by a larger group of students who played a critical role in developing the written strategy and presentation materials. Rafa Alvarez-Reyes (Senior, Marketing BBA), Mallory Michalski (Senior, Human Resource Management BBA), Raina Rogne (Senior, Accounting BBA & Human Resource Management BBA), Celina Arteaga (Senior, Marketing BBA), Caitlyn Murphree (Senior, Marketing BBA & Management BBA), Ava Sterbin (Junior, Marketing BBA), Emily Morales (Senior, Accounting BBA), Victoria Catarella (Senior, Marketing BBA), Dakota Senkbiel (Senior, Marketing BBA), Ansh Dhingra (Senior, Marketing BBA), Spencer Wiersma (Senior, Marketing BBA), and Zane Bluhm (Junior, General Business BBA) are among, but not limited to, the larger team of contributors. The team was advised by Lauren Drury and Andy Dahl.

Lauren Drury, the lead advisor for the case team, said “The case, sponsored by Major League Baseball (MLB) and Deloitte Digital, required months of work. The team received the case brief in October, submitted a 40-page marketing plan in December, and advanced to finals in January. With just six weeks to prepare, the shortest timeline in the years I’ve known, they delivered a polished presentation and handled a live Q&A with VPs and Executives from MLB and Deloitte. Proud to advise this team and see their hard work pay off in such a big way!”

“It’s always fun to win anything, but winning the case competition really hits different,” said Alvarez-Reyes, former co-president of AMA Whitewater. “It’s probably the hardest thing we do in the chapter, but also the most worthwhile. You learn the most from it, and I’m glad it worked out for us this year.”

In addition to the case competition victory, AMA Whitewater also earned multiple accolades throughout the conference. The chapter took first place in the Marketing Week competition, recognizing a week-long series of themed programming and content created by the organization. The award-winning report was developed by co-presidents Alvarez-Reyes and Michalski.

The chapter also placed second in the Recruitment Video competition, with a video written, directed, and produced by Marek Lisiecki (Sophomore, Marketing BBA).

AMA Whitewater also excelled in individual events, sending twelve students to the final round of the Perfect Pitch Competition (out of 590+ competitors) and placing seven finalists in the Sales Competition (out of 168 competitors), further demonstrating the depth of talent within the chapter. Michael Van Offeren (Senior, Finance BBA) took second place in the Perfect Pitch Competition and 3rd place in the Sales Competition. Taylor Wojcinkski and Abby Zimmerman (Junior, Marketing BBA) earned 4th and 5th place in the sales competition, respectively.

This marks another milestone in AMA Whitewater’s continued success at the international level. The chapter is a 15-time consecutive International Chapter of the Year winner, solidifying its reputation as one of the top-performing collegiate AMA organizations in the country.

More About AMA Whitewater:

AMA Whitewater is a student run marketing organization residing within the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics. The club is one of the most decorated AMA collegiate chapters in the world, winning 21 total “International Chapter of the Year” titles, 15 of which have come consecutively. The club meets on Wednesday at 4 PM in Timmerman auditorium, and is always accepting new members. Anyone interested in joining AMA should contact Taylor Wojcinski (WojcinskTM25@uww.edu)

More about the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics (CoBE): 

Wisconsin’s largest business college, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics, is home to the #1 ranked online Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program in the State, of single schools. The College of Business and Economics offers a rich breadth of co-curricular activities to enhance student development and learning outcomes. CoBE is in the top 1% of the world’s business schools, earning both AACSB and AACSB Accounting Accreditation (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). For more information on the College of Business and Economics, visit uww.edu/cobe or email cobe@uww.edu. 

Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the UW-Whitewater College of Business & Economics.