News

Sheriff Fell is pleased to announce that the Rock County Sheriff’s Office will offer our final 2026 ATV/UTV Safety Education Course on February 11, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., and February 21, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., at the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, 200 East U.S. Highway 14, Janesville, WI 53545. Students must attend both sessions to graduate. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988, is required to complete an ATV Safety Education Course to legally operate an ATV or UTV in areas open to the public within Wisconsin. Students should be at least 12 years of age or turn 12 shortly after the class. [Adult ATV riders are welcome and encouraged to attend.]

ATV/UTV Safety Education Course

Session 1: February 11, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. @ Rock County Sheriff’s Office
Session 2: February 21, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. @ Rock County Sheriff’s Office

Registration is now open. Complete the online enrollment form to reserve a seat.
https://www.co.rock.wi.us/departments/sheriff-s-office/recreational-patrol/atv-education

Class size is limited to thirty (30) students. Upon submission of the registration form, the submitter will see an onscreen confirmation message with course information. The course fee of $10.00 per student will be collected at the first session. If the student is under 18 years old, a parent/guardian will need to attend the first session with the student. Students will receive course materials at the first session. Please direct any questions to Deputy Michael Borgwardt at michael.borgwardt@co.rock.wi.us.

CURTIS N. FELL
SHERIFF

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by the Rock County Sheriff’s Office. It has previously been indicated to The Banner that Rock County residency is not required in order to register for their classes.

“After the Hunt”

(Psychological Drama/Thriller)

Tuesday, January 27, 1 pm

Rated R (Language; moderate sexual content).

2 hours, 18 minutes (2025). 

A college professor (Julia Roberts) finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil levels an accusation against one of her colleagues, and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light. Also stars Andrew Garfield. An AARP 2026 Movies for Grown Ups Award nomination for Julia Roberts. 

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/ 

AMES, Iowa – More than 11,800 Iowa State University students have been recognized for outstanding academic achievement by being named to the 2025 fall semester Dean’s List. Students named to the Dean’s List must earn a grade point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.00 scale while carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours of graded course work.

Whitewater, Wisconsin

 Tessa V Schmocker, Actuarial Science, B.S.

Editor’s note: The below press release was provided by the Rock County Sheriff’s Office.

On January 23, 2026, at approximately 2:52 pm, the Rock County Communication Center received a report of shots being fired from the area of the UW Whitewater-Rock County campus, 2909 Kellogg Av, in the city of Janesville. Law enforcement personnel from multiple agencies responded.

The first units arrived at approximately 2:59 pm and began entering the campus and securing the area. The campus was locked down but due to the campus schedule, there were limited staff and students present. An initial search of the campus was completed at approximately 3:54 pm. A secondary search was completed at approximately 5:18 pm. No one was injured, and there was no evidence located to suggest shots were fired on campus. The scene was turned back over to UW staff. Preliminary investigation indicates the source of the shots call was believed to be from a person setting off fireworks near the campus.

The City of Janesville Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, UW-Whitewater Police Department, Town of Beloit Police Department, City of Janesville Fire Department, and Mercy Hospital’s MD-1 all responded. We want to thank our first responder partners and the staff at the Rock County Communication Center who assisted during this incident for their quick responses, as personnel struggled through dangerous temperatures on one of the coldest days of winter.

The investigation is ongoing, but there is no danger to the public at this time.

CURTIS N. FELL
SHERIFF

Editor’s note: An article listing warming shelters may be found here.

The National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office provided the following update as of 4:15 a.m. on Friday.

An Extreme Cold Warning remains in effect for all of southern Wisconsin until 1 p.m. on Friday. Wind chills between -30 and -40 degrees are still expected during this time, with air temperatures between -10 and -20 degrees.

At 1 p.m. today a Cold Weather Advisory goes into effect until noon on Saturday. Wind chills of -20 to -30 degrees are expected during this time, with air temperatures between -10 to -20 degrees.

Cold conditions will linger into next week.

The City of Whitewater Parks & Recreation Department is excited to announce that it will be coordinating the 2026 4th of July Parade!

2026 Theme “America 250”

The 4th of July Parade is a beloved Whitewater tradition, bringing residents, families, and visitors together to celebrate community spirit, patriotism, and summertime fun. The Parks & Recreation Department looks forward to carrying on this tradition and sharing more details as planning progresses.

Community members are encouraged to stay up to date by following the Whitewater Parks & Recreation and City of Whitewater Facebook pages, and visiting:

• www.wwparks.org
• www.whitewater-wi.gov
  Additional information, including parade participation details, and event announcements, will be shared in the coming months. For more information, please contact Michelle Dujardin at (262)473-0121 or via email at
  mdujardin@whitewater-wi.gov

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

This week we have an image of the first industry in Whitewater, the Old Stone Mill, a flour mill built by James Trippe, who developed both the Cravath and Trippe Lake dam sites in the 1830s and built the front frame portion of this building in 1839. The mill was important as it provided a local place for pioneer farmers growing wheat to market their grain. In 1853, William Birge purchased the mill and added the stone portion in 1856. Byron Brown purchased the mill in 1866 and owned it until the 1880s. After a series of other owners, the mill was purchased and operated by the Fetherston family from 1925 to c.1960. The frame portion of the mill was demolished in 1970 and the stone portion in 1972 after an effort was made to save it.

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

(0405ST, edited, Whitewater Historical Society)

The community is invited to join the Winter Reading Challenge at the Whitewater Public Library, which runs January 20 through March 13.  The challenge is for all ages, and it’s easy to participate! Pick up a bookmark at the library’s front desk. Fill in a circle
for every 20 minutes that you read or listen to a book. When all of the circles are filled, return the bookmark to the library and claim your goody bag! All entries will go into a grand prize drawing. There will be two winners – one in the children’s category and one in the adult and teen category. Winners will be notified the week of March 16. Stay cozy this winter by snuggling up with some good books!

The Whitewater Public Library is located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater. Contact the library at 262-473-0530 with questions.

For anyone who is in need of a place to keep warm, there are unfortunately very few shelters in the area that have been posted as being available other than during business hours on the weekend.

In an urgent situation, 24/7:
– 211 is an information and referral phone number
– City of Whitewater Police: (262) 473-0555 option 4 or 312 W. Whitewater St.
– Walworth County Health & Human Services: 262-741-3200
– Jefferson County Health & Human Services: 920-674-3105

Walworth County provides a list of libraries that can serve as shelters. None of them are open on Sundays. Whitewater’s Public Library, 431 W. Center Street, is open Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Andersen Library, 750 W. Main Street, is open the following hours during school sessions and is open to the public. Note that there is a charge for parking on campus except for starting at 5 PM on Friday and extending through 11 PM on Sunday. City street parking, however, is available at no cost across Main Street.

Monday – Thursday: 7:30 am – 12:00 am
Friday: 7:30 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm – 12:00 am

The Daily Jefferson County Union has published a list of warming centers in Jefferson County. The only location that is indicated to be open on Sunday is the Watertown Public Library, 100 S. Water St., Sunday 12 – 4 p.m.

Rock County has the most extensive list of warming sites, with the following introduction:

When forecasted temperatures, real temperatures, or wind chills drop below zero degrees in Rock County, WI, these locations shall automatically authorize use as a warming site during their normal business hours only. These daytime site locations will not extend or alter their hours so citizens should plan accordingly. Warming sites may close without notification and are not obligated to participate. Citizens are responsible for their own belongings. Food and water are not provided. Overnight warming sites will only open during a county emergency activation.

Warming sites are activated overnight when temperatures drop below 0 degrees. Overnight warming sites will be open Thursday night, January 22nd through Tuesday morning, January 27th.   New safety notice: Zero tolerance for drug, alcohol, intimidation, or weapons.  Violators will be removed immediately and Law Enforcement contacted.

Uptown Janesville (formerly the Janesville Mall) is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
The Milton Public Library, 430 High Street, is open Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

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

Exhibition: Thursday, March 5, 2026 – Sunday, March 29, 2026. Whitewater Arts Alliance Cultural Arts Center Gallery, Whitewater, WI

Artrageous Birds is an annual, themed, juried exhibition of original artwork, showcasing traditional, physical media alongside digital artwork in a traditional yet innovative in-gallery experience, together with online display of all accepted work. Theme: Birds! Original artwork depicting or inspired by birds. Two Divisions (Salons) Traditional Salon: welcomes 2D and 3D visual art mediums such as painting, drawing, illustration, mixed media, sculpture, and photography which will be displayed in both a traditional, physical gallery exhibit, and in an online web exhibit. Accepted pieces must be physically delivered to the gallery and be ready to hang with wire hangers (2D), or fully assembled and ready for display (3D). Digital Salon: welcomes 2D visual art mediums such as digital painting, digital drawing, digital illustration, digital mixed media, and photography which will be displayed electronically in-gallery and in an online web exhibit. Entries are submitted as digital files only and no physical delivery is required. Questions?Please see our Frequently Asked Questions Page Key Dates Exhibition: Thursday, March 5, 2026 – Sunday, March 29, 2026. Reception: Saturday, March 7, 2026, 1pm-4pm. Submissions Close: Sunday, January 25, 2026, 11:59pm. Notification of Acceptance: Monday, February 9, 2026. Drop-Off (Salon): Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 4pm-6pm; Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 12pm-2pm. Pick-Up (Salon): Monday, March 30, 2026, 4pm-6pm.

Ashley Dimmig is the Crossman Gallery Director at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In addition to overseeing all operations of the Crossman Gallery and its permanent art collection, she also teaches art history in the Department of Art and Design. After completing her PhD in the History of Art at the University of Michigan (2019), she worked as the interim curator of Islamic Art at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Additionally, Dimmig has served on a number of professional boards, she has published in various scholarly journals and edited volumes, and she has been the recipient of many awards and fellowships, including residencies at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and the Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations in Istanbul. Dimmig also holds two Master of Art degrees (Indiana University Bloomington and Koç University in Istanbul), as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Kansas City Art Institute.

Nicholette “Nikki” Marsicano:I received my fine arts education at UWM -Milwaukee and UNM – Albuquerque (BFA degree) and my Pre-K-12 Art Specialist certification at UW- Whitewater. In 2002 I received the Herb Kohl Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. Retired after 29 years of classroom teaching K-8, I continue to teach children and adults privately. I have illustrated four children’s books by Marilyn Ellman.  My work has been on exhibit at various venues in Wisconsin and New Mexico and can be found in collections across this country as well as Europe and Asia.     Retired after ten years as president of Geneva Lake Arts Foundation, I continue to support its mission by volunteering for various programs which brings the arts to the community including Art in the Park.

Click here for more information and to submit your work.

Gallery Exhibit Hours

Thursdays: 12pm – 4pm
Fridays: 12pm – 4pm
Saturdays: 12pm – 4pm
Sundays: 12pm – 4pm

Please Note: The gallery is closed outside of Gallery Exhibit Hours except for special events and is also closed when no show is currently running.