News

Editor’s note: The following news release was received from Walworth County.

(February 14) Walworth County Clerk Kim Bushey announced that she will be retiring from her elected position as County Clerk effective April 2nd. Bushey has served Walworth County for the past 25 years and was first elected in November of 1996.

“It is with a little anxiety and much excitement that I tender my resignation effective April 2, 2022, with my final work day to be April 1,” wrote Bushey. “I would like to thank the citizens of Walworth County and, of course, the Walworth County Board of Supervisors for the opportunity to serve for the past 25 years.”

Bushey is the fourth longest-serving Walworth County Clerk, and only the 18th County Clerk to have served in the County’s 183-year history. She was elected to her current four-year term in November 2020.

During her tenure, Bushey oversaw the County’s transition from four separate voting systems to a single, countywide system, successfully collaborating with County municipalities to write a grant to recoup the costs. Additionally, her office was part of historical statewide recounts of a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice and the President of the United States.

“Walworth County is extremely fortunate to have benefited from Kimberly’s professionalism, dedication, and knowledge these past 25 years,” says Walworth County Administrator Mark Luberda. “I have learned a great deal from her, and she will be greatly missed. We wish her well in her future endeavors.”

At its Feb. 8 meeting, the Walworth County Board of Supervisors forwarded Bushey’s resignation to the Executive Committee for discussion regarding how to fill the impending vacancy. The Executive Committee met on February 14th and will be forwarding recommendations to the full County Board regarding [the] vacancy.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville awarded diplomas to more than 600 students from its three campuses for the fall of 2021. The ceremonies were held inside Williams Fieldhouse on the UW-Platteville campus.  Students from this area who graduated include: HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME, MAJOR, CAMPUS

Whitewater, WI

 Jessica Nehs, Agricultural Education, UW-Platteville
 Tyler Niemuth, Civil Engineering, UW-Platteville
 Connor Rupke, Civil Engineering, UW-Platteville

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The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced its Chancellor’s List, honoring those with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages for the fall 2021 semester.

Students from this area who earned the 4.0 grade-point average include: HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME, MAJOR, CAMPUS

Whitewater, WI

Allison Heckert, Health and Human Performance, UW-Platteville

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The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announces its Dean’s List, honoring those full-time students who earned high honors in the fall 2021 semester. College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture and the College of Liberal Arts and Education require grade-point averages of 3.75 and above for Dean’s List honors, while the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science requires students to reach at least a 3.50. 

Students from this area on the Dean’s List include:  HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME, MAJOR, CAMPUS

Whitewater, WI

 Joseph Creanza, Soil and Crop Science, UW-Platteville
 David Cushman, Undecided LAE, UW-Platteville
 Morgan Dailey, Criminal Justice, UW-Platteville
 Allison Heckert, Health and Human Performance, UW-Platteville

Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine,^[1] is celebrated annually on February 14.^[2] It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, through later folk traditions, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.^[3]

There are a number of martyrdom stories associated with various Valentines connected to February 14,^[4] including an account of the imprisonment of Saint Valentine of Rome for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire in the third century.^[5][6] According to an early tradition, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer.^[7] Numerous later additions to the legend have better related it to the theme of love: an 18th-century embellishment to the legend claims he wrote the jailer’s daughter a letter signed “Your Valentine” as a farewell before his execution;^[8] another tradition posits that Saint Valentine performed weddings for Christian soldiers who were forbidden to marry.^[6]

There is a tradition that the Feast of Saint Valentine was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496 to be celebrated on February 14 in honour of Saint Valentine of Rome, who died on that date in AD 269.^[9][10] The feast is found in the Gelasian Sacramentary (which was compiled after Gelasius), meaning that is has been observed since at least the eighth century.^[11] The day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries when notions of courtly love flourished, apparently by association with the “lovebirds” of early spring. In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”). Valentine’s Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.^[12] In Italy, Saint Valentine’s Keys are given to lovers “as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart”, as well as to children to ward off epilepsy (called Saint Valentine’s Malady).^[13]

Saint Valentine’s Day is not a public holiday in any country, although it is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion^[14] and the Lutheran Church.^[15] Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day on July 6 in honor of Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and on July 30 in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).^[16]

(From Wikipedia)

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. Here is the second post featuring the growth of Old Main on the UW-Whitewater Campus that burned on February 7, 1970.

This image shows the first addition to Old Main, completed only eight years after the Whitewater Normal School opened. The Second Empire (mansard roof) style addition was designed by noted Madison architect David R. Jones. Jones designed several buildings on the UW-Madison campus and became notable for being one of the most important Welsh-American poets in the United States.

This addition burned in 1891, but was quickly rebuilt along with a new gymnasium addition attached to the west wall.

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

(1633P, edited, Whitewater Historical Society)

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.co

The Walworth County Health & Human Services Department stated in its February 10 weekly report that the county, along with 15 other WI counties, moved from Wisconsin’s critically high to very high COVID disease activity level. The transmission level for the past week decreased to 372.59 cases per 100,000 from 707.53 cases per 100,000 the previous week.

Walworth County statistics as of February 10 may be viewed here. 14.2% of ICU beds in the county were reported as being available, compared with 7.7% two weeks ago. Updated: We previously reported the two weeks ago statistic as .077%; 7.7% is correct.

Information on testing sites, including at UW-Whitewater, may be found here. As was previously announced on the Banner, the federal government is now mailing four at-home COVID-19 test kits to any residence upon request. Those tests have started to be delivered.

Whitewater Unified School District School Board Legislative Breakfast – Monday @ 8:00 a.m.
Whitewater Unified School District Central Office
William D. Kyle Board Room
419 South Elizabeth Street
Agenda – Click on “meetings” in the upper right

City of Whitewater Plan and Architectural Review Commission – Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
This Meeting is IN-PERSON and VIRTUAL
City of Whitewater Municipal Building
Community Room- First Floor
312 W. Whitewater St.
Agenda includes Review And Possible Recommendation To Consider A Change Of The Zoning Ordinance
Regulations, To Enact Proposed Amendments To The City Of Whitewater Municipal Code
Title 19, Chapter 19.46 Floodplain Ordinance and Review And Possible Recommendation To Consider A Text Amendment To Of The City Of Whitewater Municipal Code Chapter 19.38 – Whitewater University Technology Park District (WUTP).
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/822623277
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (872) 240-3212
Access Code: 822-623-277

City of Whitewater Alcohol Licensing Commission – Tuesday @ 6:15 p.m.
Community Room – Whitewater Municipal Building, 312 W. Whitewater St.
Agenda: Request for Class B Beer License for San Jose Mexican Grocery, 148 W. Main Street

City of Whitewater Common Council – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m.
City of Whitewater Municipal Building – Community Room
312 W. Whitewater St
This will be an IN PERSON MEETING as well as a VIRTUAL MEETING
Agenda includes Authorizing the Sale of Real Estate in the Industrial Park to Richter Excavating, LLC
and to enter into Development Agreement with Richter Excavating LLC, Update on Code Enforcement, and Discussion regarding Charter / Spectrum streaming transmission.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89707150076?pwd=cVBFZnd5QjVEbXdwRGt0b21LOEpEQT09
Passcode: 043422
Or Telephone:
Dial 1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 897 0715 0076
Passcode: 043422

Editor’s Note: This information was provided by the Whitewater Unified School District.

Whitewater Middle School (WMS) Associate Principal Ben Holzem and 26 members of the WMS Builders Club walked over to UW-Whitewater to meet with the Whitewater chapter of Circle K this week.

WMS Builders Club members attended a Circle K meeting, toured Hyland Hall and worked with the Circle K Club on making blankets for Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee.

The visit promoted public service, post secondary education and the value of giving back to the community. 
Also present were several members of the local Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club–which sponsors Builders Club at Whitewater Middle School. The Builders Club is made up of 60 students in grades 6-8 who meet to identify community needs and work to meet these needs through community service events throughout the greater Whitewater community.

Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the Whitewater Unified School District.

On Wednesday, February 9th about 30 fourth and fifth grade students at Lincoln participated in the spelling bee. Emma Schultz-Majkrazak took first and Rafaela Los took second. Everyone had a great time and showed great sportsmanship. It was wonderful having the spelling bee back!