News

A massive fire late on Monday, January 19 destroyed a large portion of the AJ Anich Lumber – Pal Steel Company on Third Street near Highway 59 in Palmyra. An off-duty police officer first saw smoke coming from the business and called emergency services at about 11:48 p.m.

The extreme cold temperatures caused firefights to upgrade the response to a four-alarm fire, bringing in 30 fire trucks from Dane, Jefferson, Walworth, and Waukesha counties.

“We had multiple departments respond to help us out,” said Dylan Callas, deputy chief of the Palmyra Fire Department. “The cold weather definitely made things more challenging for our crews, but everyone worked together effectively.” Fire officials indicated that the fire was one of the worst in the past decade.

Company officials said staff will move operations to another facility while investigators determine the cause of the fire.

Firefighters remained on scene until 11:05 a.m. on Tuesday, using a backhoe to knock out remaining hot spots from the blaze. No injuries were reported among civilians or firefighters despite the size of the fire.

The cause of the fire has not yet been announced.

Further information is provided in the press release below.

Hate to announce that due to the extreme cold warnings, we will not have the market on Saturday, January 24. It will be too cold for the safety of the vendors and our market goers. Everyone please stay warm and safe this week. We will see everyone next week.

Editor’s note: This announcement was posted to the City Market Facebook page.

Join the UW-Madison Division of Extension Agriculture Water Quality Program for a free weekly webinar series that will focus on the latest research in conservation practices that will give you new tools and resources to consider for your farm.

Webinars will be every Tuesday, February 3-March 24, from noon–1:00 p.m., with the exception of the Discovery Farms Multi-State webinar on March 24, which will be 2.5 hours from 9:00–11:30 a.m. CST. CEU credits will be available for each webinar.

Registration is free but required. Please note the separate registration form for the March 24 Discovery Farms webinar!

February 3: Supporting Economic and Water Quality Opportunities Through Expanded Dairy Heifer Grazing
Raising dairy heifers on well managed pastures can improve soil health, water quality, and biodiversity. In addition to ecological benefits, heifer grazing offers cost savings to grazers, supporting viable farm enterprises. In this session we will learn about collaborative efforts to support increased dairy heifer grazing in the state.

Speakers: Sarah Lloyd, Value Chain Coordinator, Grassland 2.0, Stephanie Bowers, Extension Dairy Educator, and Paul Daigle, Dairy Grazing Specialist, Dairy Grazing Alliance

February 10: Diving Deeper Into Tile Drainage: Installation and Conservation Practice Considerations*
The use of tile drainage in Wisconsin is growing. Tile can help dry out a wet field, yet there are water quality concerns with increased nitrates in water discharging from the tile outlet. This session will dive deeper into tile and share data on how bioreactors and other conservation practices impact nutrient losses, and discuss considerations when choosing which practices fit your operation.

Speakers: Matt Helmers, Professor, Iowa State University and Director, Iowa Nutrient Research Center and Margaret Zimmer, Associate Professor, Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, UW–Madison

February 17: Reducing Phosphorus Losses by Pushing Beyond the Basics*

Phosphorus is essential in crop growth, yet its journey from field to waterway creates one of the most persistent challenges. This webinar will share research on how P interacts in the environment, especially at the shallow top two inches of soil. The audience will be pushed to consider how different types of phosphorus act during different times of the year and make farming discussions accordingly.

Speakers: Laura Paletta, UW–Madison Extension Ag Water Quality Outreach Specialist and Steve Hoffman, President and Managing Agronomist, InDepth Agronomy

February 24: A Bird’s Eye View of On-Farm Conservation
Tired of looking at next steps in your conservation journey from the ground? Join us in the sky to get a bird’s eye view of on-farm conservation! Open your eyes to the whole landscape; what can you observe on your farm? Matt Oehmichen offers his experience as an agronomist and Water Action Volunteer to support broadening our view of what conservation practices on the farm can mean for stream health and wildlife. Sheri Schwert brings in examples from Discovery Farms research on how farm management practices affect water quality, including in-stream data.

Speakers: Sheri Schwert, UW–Madison Extension Ag Water Quality Outreach Specialist and Matt Oehmichen, Agronomist, Farm Manager, and Water Action Volunteer

March 3: Finding The Right N Rate Balancing Yield, Profitability, and Water Quality

This session centers one question: can we find a nitrogen rate that balances yield, profitability, and water quality? Outreach specialist Guolong Liang and Extension Specialist Dr. Matt Ruark will talk about why it’s important to find the right rate, the process we use in generating N rate guidelines, the challenge farmers face to find the balance among yield, profitability, and nitrogen loss reduction.

Speakers: Guolong Liang, UW–Madison Extension Ag Water Quality Outreach Specialist and Matt Ruark, Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, UW-Madison, and Discovery Farms Co-Faculty Advisor

March 10: Understanding Nitrogen Leaching and Water Budget Measurements
There are many reasons to measure nitrate leaching and water budgets to support both water quality and quantity goals in Wisconsin. For water quality, nitrogen leaching measurements can help understand whether management practices are increasing or decreasing nitrogen loading to groundwater. For water quantity, water budgeting can help understand how different management practices are impacting groundwater recharge or replenishment of aquifers. Outreach Specialist Izze McNamee and Extension Specialist Mallika Nocco will share approaches and tools for measuring and understanding nitrate leaching and water budgets.

Speakers: Izze McNamee, UW–Madison Extension Ag Water Quality Outreach Specialist and Dr. Mallika Nocco, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, UW–Madison

March 17: Impacts of Cereal Rye as a Cover Crop Depending on Farm Goals
Using cereal rye as a cover crop can be beneficial for many aspects, like impacts on water quality, soil health, and weed management. These speakers will share data that compares cover crop seeding rate to find what rate is needed for these benefits. The speakers will also discuss impacts to consider at different seedings rates, like nitrogen management.

Speakers: Rodrigo Werle, UW–Madison Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Francisco Arriaga, UW–Madison Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, and Matt Ruark, UW–Madison Professor and Extension Specialist and Discovery Farms Co-
Faculty Advisor

March 24: Discovery Farms 2026 Multi-State Webinar (separate registration required)
Discovery Farms® Programs in Wisconsin, Vermont, Arkansas, and Minnesota will present program updates and new data. Join this interactive webinar to learn more about farmer-led water quality research in these four states and celebrate 25 years of the Discovery Farms Program. This 2.5 hour webinar will begin at 9:00 a.m. CST.

Speakers: TBD
Register for the Ag Water Series and the Discovery Farms webinars now (note the separate registration for the Discovery Farms webinar on March 24).

*These presentations were also given at the Wisconsin Water and Soil Health Conference in December 2025.

Editor’s note: The Banner is grateful to have permission to use the image on the homepage by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay.

The Whitewater Unified School District invites local businesses, organizations, and community members to engage in partnership opportunities to support students.

Community members and businesses interested in partnering with the district are encouraged to complete the Whitewater Unified School District Community Partnership Interest form, available at https://forms.gle/HvbjNX9JjLxsopjt9.

The form is open to individuals and organizations looking for opportunities such as classroom visits, career presentations, work-based learning experiences, internships, sponsorships, and advisory support.

“Schools are strongest when they are connected to the community they serve,” said Superintendent Samuel Karns. “There’s a lot of talent and experience in the Whitewater area, and we would love to hear from community members and businesses interested in partnering with us to support students.”

Feedback collected through the form will help the district build a network of partners aligned with district needs and community strengths, supporting student learning, staff development, and community growth.

Get your augers and tip-ups ready for the Lions Club 50th annual Fish-a-ree. Celebrate your award for the biggest fish at our Pancake breakfast, open from 6 – 11 a.m. Pancakes, eggs, sausage and our famous jalapeno poppers are guaranteed to satisfy! And don’t forget to bid for in-house raffles, and fabulous merchandise on our online auction (see flyer for details). All proceeds go back to the community, so come and feast for a good cause.

DeKalb, Ill. – More than 1,200 students received their bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Northern Illinois University in December. Included among the graduates is Ian Vara of Whitewater, WI, who earned a Bachelor of Science.

About Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University is a student-centered, nationally recognized public research university with a global network of nearly 260,000 alumni. With expertise that benefits its region, the country and the world, NIU offers more than 170 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs across seven colleges: Business, Education, Engineering and Engineering Technology, Health and Human Sciences, Law, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Visual and Performing Arts. Through its main campus in DeKalb and education centers for students and working professionals in Naperville and Rockford, NIU serves a diverse and international student body of over 15,400. The 16 NIU Huskies Division I athletic teams compete in the Mid-American Conference. For more information, visit NIU.edu.

First Citizens State Bank announces the retirement of Kat Mawhinney

 It is with both excitement and a touch of sadness that we announce the upcoming retirement of Kat Mawhinney.

Kat has dedicated her entire banking career to First Citizens State Bank and the Whitewater and surrounding communities.  She has made a lasting impact over 37 years starting as a Teller and working her way to Vice President | Loan Officer and Marketing. With her incredible skills and vast banking knowledge, she has helped countless customers realize their goals and dreams.  Additionally, she has been at the heart of the company organizing birthday lunches, retirement parties, holiday activities, happy hours, summer outings, and more. She has also devoted her time to community organizations including The Whitewater Community Foundation, Rock County 4H, and The UWW TipOff Club, just to name a few.

To help us celebrate Kat as she moves on to her next adventures, we invite customers to stop by this week, Wednesday 1/21 through Friday 1/23, to enjoy coffee, share stories and wish her well going forward.

  We will miss Kat very much and we thank her for all of her years of dedicated service.   Cheers to 37 amazing years!

All city offices will be closed on January 20th, but citizens who need police assistance may use the afterhours call button in the Municipal Building Whitewater Street vestibule or may call the non-emergency phone number at 262-473-0555 option 4. For all emergencies, please call 9-1-1.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.,^[1] and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. Born in 1929, King’s actual birthday is January 15 (which in 1929 fell on a Tuesday). The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21.

King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.

Text in second and third paragraphs is from Wikipedia. The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage by EasyGiftWizard from Pixabay.

The National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office issued the following advisory and forecast as of Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

Dangerously Cold Wind Chills: Tonight Through Monday Morning

• Winds to 40 MPH tonight will also bring wind chills in the negative 20s.
  • A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect from 3 AM CST to 12 PM CST Monday.
  • Areas in southwestern Wisconsin may see wind chills drop as low as negative 30 degrees for a brief period overnight, but coverage is expected to be isolated.
• Although conditions improve into Monday afternoon as winds diminish to gusts of 25 mph, expect wind chills to remain in the negative teens throughout Monday afternoon and overnight through Tuesday morning.

This year is America 250—the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Whitewater Historical Society is starting the year with a program about the Revolutionary War era and the early history of our country. Noted presenter and interpreter Jessica Michna will be bringing Abigail Adams to life in a program on Sunday, February 1 at 1:00 p.m. in the Cravath Lakefront Community Building.

The program is entitled “Abigail Adams – ‘A Lifeline of Letters’” and looks back to the days of Abigail and John Adams’ early marriage. Referring to the many letters written between them, Abigail recalls the days of revolution and uncertainty. She reminisces about friendships forged in France and England as a diplomat’s wife, the divisive election of 1800, and her management of the family farm. She also brings to life the early days of Washington, D. C. as seen from the windows of an unfinished White House.

Michna’s interpretations of historical women are not to be missed as she has gotten “rave” reviews for her presentations. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call Carol Cartwright at 920-723-8858.