News

By Al Stanek
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

As the Banner previously published, the city of Whitewater announced on December 3 that Police Chief Aaron M. Raap had been placed on paid administrative leave while an internal investigation would be conducted by an outside agency regarding an incident that took place outside the city. “The leave is not considered punitive, rather part of the Whitewater Police Department policy,” the city’s press release stated.

WKOW reported on December 15 that the Waukesha County district attorney had dropped a potential domestic battery case against Raap. Per WKOW, District Attorney Susan Opper released a statement saying, “Please be advised the DA’s office has declined to issue criminal charges due to a lack of evidence to establish that Mr. Raap intended to inflict bodily harm on anyone.”

The city of Whitewater, indicating that it had received a number of media inquiries regarding the status of the internal investigation, stated the following in a press release on December 16: “The procedure is part of a broader effort to maintain the integrity of the organization as a whole, not a criminal investigation. As a result, the internal investigation runs independent from any decisions made by other agencies including
Waukesha County’s District Attorney’s Office and will be completed as soon as possible.”

WKOW’s article quoted City Manager Cameron Clapper as telling them that “a law enforcement officer from an agency other than Whitewater Police and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department is conducting the personnel investigation for the city of Whitewater. He [Clapper] says Whitewater’s Police and Fire Commission will consider the investigator’s report and decide on Raap’s employment status.”

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the city of Whitewater.

The City of Whitewater and Whitewater Police Department wish their
current police K-9 officer well as he retires from the department.

Tilla, a 5-year-old male, black German Shepherd from the Netherlands was sworn in as the department’s K-9
officer in December of 2018. Tilla graduated from Little Rock K9 Academy after months of training.
Tilla, certified in narcotics detection, tracking lost persons or suspects and apprehension, worked diligently with
his handler, Officer Justin Stuppy for the past three years. Tilla will continue to reside with Stuppy, who is
ending employment with the WPD this week. Tilla will get to stay with his family and enjoy the remainder of his
life retired at home.

Prior to Tilla, Stuppy was also the canine handler for Ruso who sadly passed away in July of 2018. Both Ruso
and Tilla trained with the well-respected Little Rock K-9 Academy.

The City of Whitewater and the WPD thank all citizens and organizations who have worked so diligently to
fundraise and provide financial support for Tilla and K-9 Handler/Officer Stuppy over the years.

WPD anticipates continuing the canine program in 2022

Editor’s Note: The information below was provided by the Kiwanis Whitewater Breakfast Club.

Looking for a beautiful poinsettia for the holidays?  Join us this Saturday from 10 a.m. to Noon at the Library during the Whitewater City Market and you can purchase one of the last available Kiwanis poinsettias.  Your purchase will help the Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club help the children in Whitewater and the world.  There are just a few left, and you can have one!  Kiwanis members hope to see you Saturday!

Editor’s note: The following emergency alert was published by UW-W on Wednesday, 12/15.

Editor’s note: The following information was received from the Whitewater Unified School District.

Residents of the Whitewater Unified School District are encouraged to consider seeking a position on
the School Board. The final day for filing is Tuesday, January 4, 2022, by 5:00 p.m.

Any person who is a United States citizen and a qualified elector of the Whitewater Unified School District is legally qualified
to become a member of the School Board. In addition, Board candidates should have a genuine interest in and devotion to
public education, a willingness to give time and effort to the position, a capacity to understand people, and the ability to work
cooperatively with others.

The School Board is the District policy-making authority and is responsible to the public for the success of all education
services offered by the District. This success is dependent on many individuals, but also upon each Board member’s
understanding of the workings of the District-wide operations and each member’s ability to participate meaningfully in the
decision-making process that governs the District.

Two positions will be on the spring ballot. The incumbents are Jennifer Kienbaum and Joseph Kromholz. Both candidates
have filed the appropriate paperwork to appear on the spring ballot.

The Board will provide an orientation for Board candidates in order to help them become quickly acquainted with the
election process and Board members’ duties and responsibilities in January. The Superintendent has developed, in
consultation with the Board, a candidate orientation program to be presented by District staff and a Board member
appointed by the Board President.

The candidate filing documents may be obtained and filed at the office of the School Board Secretary at the Whitewater
Unified School District Central Office, 419 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater. School Board candidates do not circulate
nomination papers but the School Board Secretary, Jaclyn Tueting, will assist to complete necessary filing documents.

CENTRAL OFFICE HOURS
Through Wednesday, December 22…………………………………………………………..…….M-Th, 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m./ F, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 23 through Friday, December 31…………………………………………………………………………….Central Office Closed
(Friday, December 24 at 5:00 p.m. is the deadline for incumbents to file a Notification of Noncandidacy)
Monday, January 3…………………….……………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 4…………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………..……….…….7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
(5:00 p.m. is the deadline for filing candidacy paperwork)

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by UW-W.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will celebrate the achievements of its graduates at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, as proud families and friends gather for the 2021 winter commencement ceremony.

More than 762 students will cross the stage to receive their degrees. The ceremony, which is approximately two hours long and will be presided over by Interim Chancellor Jim Henderson, will be held at Kachel Fieldhouse in the Williams Center. 

This year’s commencement speaker is Ray Jacobsen, a 1976 graduate with a degree in education who believes in the value of mentorships and credits four mentors he has had over the course of his life with much of his success, including famed Coach Willie Myers of the Warhawks wrestling program. After a three-year stint at Brookfield East High School as a teacher and coach, the Fort Atkinson native embarked upon a long career in business, first at Wausau Insurance Co. and then EBI Companies, rising from loss control consultant to regional manager and then CEO at the age of 39. 

The student speaker is Melissa Dix, a liberal studies major who grew up in Rockford, Illinois, and lives in Beloit with her husband Tim and their four children. Dix’s Warhawk family roots go back almost 100 years, when her great aunt attended and graduated in the 1920s. An expert in information technology, she currently works as a lead program instructor at Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville, helping people harness the power of technology to foster connection, creativity and the joy of learning. 

The ceremony will recognize 75 undergraduates from the College of Arts and Communication, 201 from the College of Business and Economics, 172 from the College of Education and Professional Studies and 177 from the College of Letters and Sciences, for a total of 630 undergraduate degrees. The School of Graduate Studies will award 132 degrees, including 119 master’s degrees and 13 doctorates.

The graduating class includes 4 international students, 71 military veterans and 168 nontraditional students, defined as undergraduate students who are 25 years of age or older. In addition, 79 self-identified students with disabilities will receive degrees.

Commencement will be broadcast live online by UWWTV, the university television station. Access to the livestream will be posted at uww.edu/commencement.

Editor’s Note: This information was provided by Whitewater Unites Lives.

Laura Masbruch is a WUL Hometown Hero, “For leading, inspiring and guiding the Whitewater High School Ferradermis team of students as they pursue computing and robotic excellence.  For spending hours of personal time motivating, fundraising and communicating about this great program.”

Laura said, “Thanks to some of our WHS computer science alumni, we’re also building an endowment fund for the team through the Community Foundation; more information will be released about that fund in the coming months. The community of Whitewater has embraced this team since the moment it was conceived in the fall of 2016, and the kids and I are incredibly appreciative. People familiar with FIRST Robotics say, ‘it is the hardest fun you’ll ever have,’ and that couldn’t be more true! I can’t wait to see what the kids come up with for the new robot when the 2022 game is unveiled in January!”

More information about Ferradermis and how to donate directly to the team can be found on ferradermis.org.

WUL (Whitewater Unites Lives) is a locally-focused civil and human rights group that works to connect the people in our community and to create opportunities for all people to learn and support each other in our common humanity.   

Anyone who would like to nominate a local hero of any age should send their nomination, with a short description, to whitewaterunites@gmail.com 

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the City of Whitewater.

The intersection of Tratt Street and Walton Drive will be under construction while
a contractor installs a water main to the west of the intersection starting at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, December 14th.
Traffic will be reduced to one lane with flagging operations. Motorists are advised to use caution through the work zone. Work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the day Tuesday, December 14th

Questions can be directed to the Department of Public Works at (262) 473-0560 or submitting a question online at
https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/RequestTracker.aspx.

The image on the homepage, “188/i365 Men at Work” by Keith Bloomfield is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.