News

UW Whitewater at Rock County is offering 10 scholarships worth $1,000 each to encourage both current and prospective students to enroll full-time or part-time (at least 6 credits) for fall 2025 classes at URock. For students enrolled by June 16, 2025, five scholarship recipients will be selected at random and the winners notified by June 20. For students enrolled by July 28, another five will be selected at random and notified by Aug. 1.

“Enrollment for this fall is already strong, and it’s important that students who have already enrolled know they are also eligible for these scholarships,” said Tricia Clasen, assistant vice chancellor of the Rock County campus and dean of the College of Integrated Studies. “With our affordable tuition and 100% acceptance rate, URock is a great option, and we hope this incentive just sweetens the pot.”

UW-Whitewater at Rock County, with an enrollment of more than 700 students, has a 100% acceptance rate for all new freshman and transfer students with official transcripts, and no application fee is required. Students at URock campus find a friendly, welcoming campus, located in Janesville, that embraces a wide range of students, including 61% of our new students — and 73% of our transfer students — who are first-generation. The college offers small class sizes, an affordable tuition and flexible scheduling options for their academic programs.

The Rock County campus continues to grow its academic programs with the introduction of the collaborative nursing BSN program in 2023 and, just this spring, the new Bachelor of Science in medical sciences program, with an emphasis in diagnostic sonography or radiologic technology.

Also recently added to the list of academic offerings are two new emphases in the online Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) program: education (FoTE to K-9) and operations and supply chain management. Designed for working adults, the BAAS program offers a flexible degree completion pathway for students who hold an applied associate degree from a technical college.

For more information and to apply, visit the admissions and enrollment website.

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Be Kind and Whitewater Unites Lives.

Steve Watson writes, “By the skate park. 
Northern flicker lapping up water.
Their tongue is about 2″ long,
past the tip of its bill.
It’s a woodpecker.
They eat mostly ants, so a long
tongue that’s sticky and barbed.”

Our thanks to Steve Watson for sharing another beautiful photo together with the interesting description.

— 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!

On Saturday, May 17^th Studio 84 opened its doors to the community with a night of kindness and sharing and had its annual Gala event.  Studio 84 is a non-profit Art Studio, Gallery and Gift Shop in downtown Whitewater that provides fully accessible opportunities in the arts. There were artists proud to share their work, themed raffle baskets, and the room was filled with laughter and the telling of wonderful stories. Even though it was chilly outside it was nice and toasty warm inside listening to the delightful sounds of the Vox Quartet playing a whimsical medley of light-hearted tunes. The Co-Directors Ben Kelly and Lynnette Gmur were introduced, along with the board members in attendance. Karina Pittro, the Artistic Mentor, even made it there after appearing at her own graduation ceremony. She graduated with a BFA (Bachelors of Fine Arts) earlier in the day from UW-Whitewater. Another notable attendee was the recently retired founder of Studio 84, Deborah Blackwell. She was honored and appreciated for her innovation and many years of dedication to the studio and its artists. Everyone was sad to see her go, but excited for the continued success and growth of Studio 84. 

Studio 84
121 W Center Street
Whitewater, WI 53190

Studio, Gallery and Gift Shop Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Friday 10-5
Thursday 10-2

262-473-9845
www.studio84inc.org
info@studio84inc.org
facebook.com/Studio 84, Inc.

Photo credit: Tom Ganser

BLOOMINGTON, IL — Brooke Mason, of Whitewater, Wisconsin, was named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester of the 2024-25 academic year at Illinois Wesleyan University. Mason is a first-year majoring in Music Theatre.

Mason was among 812 students from 29 states and 27 countries named to the spring 2025 Dean’s List.

To qualify for the Dean’s List, students must earn a GPA of 3.50 or better during the semester, based on 4.0 for straight As.

Founded in 1850, Illinois Wesleyan is a nationally recognized, highly selective liberal arts university. The University is exclusively undergraduate and enrolls approximately 1,700 students from across the nation and around the globe. Illinois Wesleyan prides itself on producing graduates who are well-rounded, broadly educated individuals with a spirit of inquiry who can successfully adapt to the demands of a rapidly changing, complex world.

First Citizens State Bank will be offering a free Homebuyers Workshop for anyone interested in learning about the path to homeownership. Thinking about setting down roots and buying a home? Or maybe you’re looking for something new. Please join us on Wednesday, June 4th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the Main office at 207 W Main Street in Whitewater. This event will take place after business hours so please enter from the Fremont Street parking lot on the west side of the building.

Financing is a key step in what can be an overwhelming process. The expert lenders at First Citizens State Bank will help you understand the process, provide tips on how to prepare, and share information about programs available to assist with your down payment.

Kasey Reed from Banco Insurance will also share insights on selecting the right insurance options and Jon Marshall from Tincher Realty will discuss current housing market trends. Plus, there will be time to answer your questions.

Please send any questions ahead of time and RSVP (appreciated, but not required) by June 2nd to Kimberly Myszkewicz at (262) 473-1402 or kmyszkewicz@firstcitizensww.com or on the Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/share/1BapdTEon9/.

Member FDIC
Equal Housing Lender

Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser

Updated on 5/11/25 @ 8:15 a.m. to add the high school and middle school bands to the parade. Apologies for the unintentional omission.

Guest Speaker USAF Senior Master Sargeant Jessica Kienbaum

The Richmond Cemetery Association will hold its Annual Meeting on Monday, June 2, 2025 @ 7 pm, at the Richmond Town Hall.
Any questions may be directed to Wayne Redenius 262-203-4763. Hwy A Construction/Road Closure–Access to the hall should be available on County A from Hwy 89 east at Duck Inn, Hwy. 89 to Church Rd to County A on west, or use back entrance to Town property from Hwy 89.

Editor’s note: This announcement was submitted by Wayne Redenius.

Whitewater Unified School District administrators Dr. Terilyn Robles, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Melania Argueta Borchert, Multilingual Services Coordinator, led a session for educators and school leaders from across the state at the recent 2025 Wisconsin Association for Bilingual Education (WIABE) Conference.

The session, titled “Empowering Families as Advocates in Education through Partnership and Cultural Awareness, examined how the district has redesigned its family intake process to improve communication, promote advocacy, and establish partnerships with local organizations and businesses. The session was well attended and drew interest from educators and leaders seeking to implement similar strategies in their respective districts. Attendees cited WUSD’s approach as a model for sustainable and inclusive family engagement.

“Our goal is to equip families not just to engage in their child’s education, but also to become strong advocates who feel respected and valued,” said WUSD Multilingual Services Coordinator Melania Argueta Borchert. “We are building systems that honor culture and promote independence and empowerment.”

Additionally, 10 students from Whitewater High School performed a series of traditional Nicaraguan dances under the direction of WHS teacher Silvana del Val. The performance served as a representation of student heritage and received positive recognition from the audience.

“Our students did an incredible job representing their culture and our district,” said WUSD Director of Teaching and Learning Dr. Terilyn Robles. “It was a beautiful reminder of the strength and joy that multiculturalism brings to our schools.”

WUSD’s involvement in the 2025 WIABE Conference reflects the district’s continued work in supporting multilingual learners, promoting cultural awareness, and fostering inclusive educational environments across the community. For more information on WIABE, visit www.wiabe.net.