News

Earlier this year, students enrolled in automotive courses completed a series of ASE certification exams, marking an important milestone in their technical education.

In the Auto Service Fundamentals course, students had the opportunity to take the ASE A5 Brakes exam. Those who successfully passed earned their first ASE credential—Entry-Level ASE Certification—a nationally recognized industry qualification. Meanwhile, Auto II students completed the Manual Transmission certification exam, further advancing their technical expertise.

Preparation for these assessments involved a comprehensive blend of classroom instruction and hands-on experience. Students engaged with ASE-aligned curriculum, exploring key concepts in brake systems and manual transmissions. Lessons covered topics such as identifying signs of brake failure, measuring and diagnosing brake pad wear, flaring brake lines, and repairing both disc and drum brake systems. Students also learned to recognize and address issues such as air in brake lines.

Throughout the unit, emphasis was placed on building technical vocabulary and reinforcing theoretical knowledge. Students then applied these concepts in the shop through practical lab work designed to develop real-world skills.

To further support exam readiness, students participated in daily review exercises using ASE-style questions. These “bell ringer” activities encouraged critical thinking, as each question was carefully analyzed to help students understand its intent and evaluate possible answers. Through guided discussion and deductive reasoning, students developed the test-taking strategies necessary for success on industry certification exams.

Autos instructor Justin Buntrock had the highest number of students pass and highest percentage of success so far in his nine years of teaching! He is very excited for these students and proud of what they achieved. Even the large majority of students who didn’t pass only missed it by 1 or 2 questions, which is very impressive!

Auto 1 students earning their certification: Nolvin Alvarez, Cristian Juan Aranda, Micah Dvorak, Aubrey Fuoco, Lucas Klein, Carter Lien, Quinton O’Toole, Fransisco Alcala, Rae Breisath, Emmanual Cansino-Pena, Mason Dvorak, Aaron Garcia, Preston Miller, Cooper O’Neal.

Auto II students earning their certification: Westley Carlson, Logan Duesterbeck, Jhonny Escobar, Jimmy Kinson, Dayne Lohmeier.

Advanced Auto Student earning his certification: Aaron Aranda Porras.

Article and Photo Submitted by Justin Buntrock
Whitewater High School Automotive Teacher
jbuntrock@wwusd.org

Friday, April 10, 2026, 6 pm-9 pm

The Whitewater Arts Alliance invites the community to an evening of food, fun, and friendly competition at BINGO a la Mostaccioli on Friday, April 10, 2026, from 6 pm-9 pm, with doors opening at 5 pm. The event will be held at Berry Hall (which is accessible and has an elevator) at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1225 W. Main Street in Whitewater.

Guests will enjoy a delicious homemade dinner featuring their choice of meat or vegetarian mostaccioli, along with garlic bread, salads, desserts, and refreshments—all included with the price of admission. Specialty mocktails and additional refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the evening.

Admission is $20 per person and includes one BINGO sheet for each of the 10 rounds, one cash raffle ticket, dinner, and refreshments. Cash is preferred and checks as well as Mastercard and Visa are accepted.

All proceeds from the evening will benefit the Whitewater Arts Alliance, supporting local arts programming and cultural events in the community. The Alliance extends its sincere thanks to the generous sponsors who are helping make this event possible, including The Blue Opal • Countryside Jeweler • Culver’s • Edward Jones • First English Lutheran Church • The Dentist •  The Duck Inn •Fanatico •  JM Carpets • Dawn Aiello Klocek • McCullough’s LTC Pharmacy • Pet Supplies Plus • Revamp Nutrition • Rock County Honda • Rosa’s Pizza • Superior Plumbing.  

Community members are encouraged to gather friends and join in the fun for a lively evening of BINGO, great prizes, and wonderful food—all while supporting the arts in Whitewater.

For more information, contact: Kim Adams, Gallery Director,

Whitewater Arts Alliance

Phone: 608-201-2151

Email: wwartsalliance@gmail.com

Website: whitewaterarts.org

Cultural Arts Center, 402 West Main Street

Gallery Hours: Thursdays-Sundays, 12pm-4pm

UW-Whitewater Chancellor Corey A. King recently announced that three finalists have been chosen for the position of Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The position is currently held on an interim basis by Robin Fox.

The candidates are as follows. To view further information on the candidates and the open forums that will take place beginning on Tuesday both in-person and online, click here.

Andrae Marak, Ph.D.
Professor of History and Political Science, Roosevelt University

Andrae Marak Curriculum Vitae

Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Open Forum: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Hyland Hall Timmerman Auditorium or Webex

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Kathryn Zuckweiler, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Dean of the Graduate School, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Kathryn Zuckweiler Curriculum Vitae

Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Open Forum: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Hyland Hall Timmerman Auditorium or Webex

-_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pieter deHart, Ph.D.
Associate Provost for Research, Dean of Graduate Studies, Minnesota State University-Mankato

Pieter deHart Curriculum Vitae

Thursday, April 9, 2026
Open Forum: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Hyland Hall Timmerman Auditorium or Webex

The “road closed” signs have gone up on Highway 59 and Janesville Street. If you’re looking to get to Kwik Trip on that corner, or one of the several other businesses located in that immediate area, that won’t be a problem. No through traffic is allowed, meaning that anyone driving past that area and the Rock/Walworth County line must be traveling to a home or business in that area or risk being ticketed.

The official detour takes Walworth Avenue/County N all the way to Highway 26. Many residents already take Rock/Walworth County Line Road to Highway 59 on their way to Milton or Janesville. That option is still available. Alternatively, to get to Janesville one may take Highway 89 to Richmond and travel west on County A to Janesville.

As was announced previously on The Banner, this closure is only the first of three phases of this summer’s road construction, as shown below.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has announced a roadway improvement project affecting portions of State Highway 59 and State Highway 89 in and near Whitewater.

Construction is expected to begin April 1, 2026, and is anticipated to be completed by the end of June, early July, 2026, weather permitting. The project will occur in three stages.

Stage 1:
Highway 59 from the Rock/Walworth County line to Janesville Street

• Curb and gutter replacement
• Sidewalk and pedestrian ramp upgrades
• Milling existing pavement and installing new asphalt
  Traffic will be detoured using County Highway N and Highway 26.
  
  Stage 2:
  Highway 59 from Janesville Street to US 12 and Highway 89 from US 12 to Wills Ray Road
• Milling existing pavement
• Installing new asphalt
  Traffic will remain open with flagging operations.
  
  Stage 3:
  Highway 59 from the Rock/Walworth County line to Janesville Street
• High-friction surface treatment
  Traffic will again be detoured using County Highway N and Highway 26.
  Electronic message boards will be placed one week prior to closures to alert motorists. Please slow down and use extra caution when traveling through construction zones.
  Thank you for your patience during these roadway improvements.

Editor’s note: This press release was provided by Brad Marquardt, city director of public works.

Editor’s note: The following announcement was posted on the Whitewater Fire & EMS Facebook page. 

BIG Announcement: Out with the old and in with the new! 

The Whitewater Fire & EMS has retired its 35‑year‑old ladder truck and introduced a safer, modern replacement.

The old truck was well beyond recommended service life and nearly failed its last inspection. This upgrade was necessary to remain NFPA [National Fire Protection Association] compliant. The new truck is officially in service, ensuring our crews can continue protecting the community safely and effectively.

Watch the full video:

Easter,^{[nb 1]} also called Pascha^{[nb 2]} (Aramaic, Greek, Latin) or Resurrection Sunday,^{[nb 3]} is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD.^[12][13] It is the culmination of the Passion of Jesus Christ, preceded by Lent (or Great Lent), a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.

Easter and its related holidays are moveable feasts, not falling on a fixed date; its date is computed based on a lunisolar calendar (solar year plus Moon phase) similar to the Hebrew calendar. The First Council of Nicaea (325) established only two rules, namely independence from the Hebrew calendar and worldwide uniformity. No details for the computation were specified; these were worked out in practice, a process that took centuries and generated a number of controversies. It has come to be the first Sunday after the ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or soonest after 21 March.^[18] Even if calculated on the basis of the more accurate Gregorian calendar, the date of that full moon sometimes differs from that of the astronomical first full moon after the March equinox.^[19]

The earliest date on which [Western] Easter Sunday can occur is March 22. This was the case in the year 1818, and it will not happen again until the year 2285.

The latest date it can fall on is April 25. The last time Easter Sunday fell on April 25 was in 1943, and the next occurrence will be in 2038.

[From Wikipedia]

The Landscaping, Grounds and Sustainability team of Facilities, Planning and Management will be doing permitted, prescribed burns of the UW-Whitewater prairie during the week of April 6-8, weather permitting. The rain date will be the week of April 13-15.

Signage will be placed along the roadway. Please be aware, there will be smoke and a burning smell in the air during the day of the burns. The areas will burn for a couple of hours.

UW-Whitewater typically conducts this prescribed burn every 3-4 years to help promote the growth of native prairie plants, forbs and wildflowers. Burns also discourage invasive and woody species from taking over.

Editor’s note: This announcement was posted to the UW-Whitewater announcements page. The Banner appreciates having permission to use the photo on the homepage by terski from Pixabay.

The Universities of Wisconsin recently announced the selection of the 2026–2027 Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars.

The upcoming Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars (WTFS) participants include 23 faculty and instructors from 12 universities, nominated by Provosts for their excellence in teaching and learning. The WTFS program provides UW faculty and teaching academic staff a unique opportunity to collaborate with other exceptional teachers from across the Universities of Wisconsin and from various disciplines. In addition to discussing effective evidence-based teaching and learning approaches, participants are guided through systematic research focused on improving student learning through a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project. The yearlong program begins in May and will culminate with a research
presentation in Spring 2027.

Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars is one of three programs offered by the Universities of Wisconsin’s Office of Professional and Instructional Development (OPID). OPID supports the UWs’ 13 Centers for Teaching and Learning in fostering a culture of teaching and learning excellence in Wisconsin. Together they offer professional development programs that seek to enhance student learning in face-to-face, online, and blended learning environments.

The Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars program is directed by two faculty leaders, Sarah Riforgiate, a communications professor at UW-Milwaukee, and Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges, a psychology professor at UW-Green Bay.

The 2026–2027 Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars, who each will receive a $4,000 stipend from their university, are:

• Alexander Bozzo. UW-Stout, English, Philosophy, and Communication Studies
• Anjuli Joshi Brekke, UW-Parkside, Communication
• Xinghui Chen, UW-Platteville, Marketing
• Jennifer Collins, UW-Stevens Point, Political Science
• Meg Chrusciel, UW-Superior, Legal Studies and Criminal Justice
• Natalie Cummings, UW-Stevens Point, Voice
• Anita Davelos, UW-La Crosse, Biology
• Ashley Edwards, UW-La Crosse, Communication Studies
• Benjamin Fine, UW-Eau Claire, Computer Science
• McLean Gunderson, UW-Madison, Comparative Biosciences
• Edina Haslauer, UW-Platteville, Teacher Education
• Nick Hwang, UW-Whitewater, Communication

• Dani Kvam, UW-Oshkosh, Communication Studies
• Aubri McDonald, UW-Parkside, Criminal Justice
• Md Tarique Newaz, UW-Green Bay, Marketing
• Elizabeth Novotny, UW-Whitewater, Literature, Writing and Film
• Ismaila Odogba, UW-Stevens Point, Geography
• Rhonda Petree, UW-River Falls, English
• Gregory Ruegsegger, UW-River Falls, Health and Human Performance
• Michael Weinstein-Reiman, UW-Madison, Music Theory
• Rojoba Yasmin, UW-Green Bay, Electrical Engineering
• Juan Zhang, UW-Eau Claire, Marketing & Supply Chain Management
• Yuxuan Zhao, UW-Stout, Psychology

#

About the Universities of Wisconsin
The Universities of Wisconsin serve more than 164,600 students. Awarding more than 37,000 degrees annually, these 13 public universities are Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. Nearly 90 percent of in-state Universities of Wisconsin graduates stay in the state five years after earning a degree. The universities provide a 23:1 return on state investment. The Universities of Wisconsin also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy. Learn more at wisconsin.edu.

Editor’s note: This press release was received from the Universities of Wisconsin.

Event: Purple Up! Family Movie Night
Host: American Legion Post 173
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 15, 2026 – Doors open at 5:30 PM, movie starts at 6:00 PM
Location: Whitewater Cinemas, Whitewater, WI
Admission: Free and open to all

Description:

American Legion Post 173 invites the Whitewater community to a free, family-friendly movie night on April 15 in celebration of Purple Up! Day and the Month of the Military Child. Everyone is welcome to attend as we come together to recognize and support military-connected youth in our community.

Families can enjoy a free showing of Max (rated PG) at Whitewater Cinemas. The movie begins at 6:00 PM, with doors opening at 5:30 PM. Max tells the story of a military service dog who, after the loss of his handler, finds a new home with the handler’s family, forming a strong bond and navigating life, love, and healing.

American Legion members will greet guests and offer an opportunity to recognize military children in attendance, and goodie bags will be available for families to enjoy.

April is recognized nationwide as the Month of the Military Child, established in 1986 to honor the important role and sacrifices of children in military families. Purple Up! Day, observed each year on April 15, is a special day when communities are encouraged to wear purple as a visible show of support. The color purple represents all branches of the military, symbolizing unity and appreciation for these young heroes.

Military children often experience unique challenges, including frequent moves and time apart from loved ones during deployments. Community events like this are an opportunity for all of us to show our support and appreciation.

Attendees are encouraged to wear purple and join us for an evening of fun, recognition, and community connection as we celebrate the strength and resilience of military children

Wisconsin Makers will host its ninth and final iron pour on Saturday, April 18.

The public is invited to this family-friendly event at the regional makerspace, located at 200 E. Clay St. in Whitewater.

Participants and spectators are welcome to watch the “pour team” — Teresa “Tree” Lind, retired University of Wisconsin- Whitewater lecturer of art and design — and her former students and alumni melt cast iron in an outdoor furnace and then fill sand square scratch molds with the liquid metal.

This marks the makerspace’s last-ever iron or aluminum pour in light of Lind’s retirement and other factors.

“For the past decade, the iron pour has been the highlight of Wisconsin Makers’ year, enabling the public to create metal art in an easy, fun and collaborative way,” said Wisconsin Makers President Al Jewer. He noted that it also has provided UW-Whitewater students a connection to the community. “Whether a maker or spectator, please join us for this, our final pour,” Jewer said.

Those wishing to make their own casting may buy a sand scratch mold to personalize with their design that day, starting at 9 a.m. Each scratch mold must be completed no later than 11:15 a.m.

By noon, the outdoor forge should have reached 2,700 degrees and be ready for the pour. Lind and her team will fill buckets with molten iron and pour it into the sand scratch molds. They will present the completed castings to participants by mid-afternoon.

The per-person cost is $25. Participation is on a first-come, first served basis. All ages are welcome, but youngsters must be accompanied by an adult.

During the iron pour, grilled brats, chips, water and soda will be available for purchase.

Scratch mold workshop set

Persons wishing to get a head start on their squares may attend a scratch mold workshop at the makerspace Friday, April 17, from 5 to 8 p.m. Pizza will be available for $1 per slice.

They also may make arrangements to pick up a scratch mold earlier than that date by calling Jewer at (630) 430-9498.

“Your unique design will be preserved in cast iron for ages to come,” said Jewer, adding that past years’ iron pours each have drawn more than 100 attendees. “This is a wonderful opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art.” To get a feel for what an iron pour entails, please view a short YouTube video of the 2017 event: https://youtu.be/Q5HgV94OPe4.

Wisconsin Makers is a nonprofit regional makerspace (community workshop). Work areas/equipment include: 3-D printing, laser engraving, machining, welding/fabrication, electronics, blacksmithing, woodworking, ceramics/pottery, jewelry making, arts/crafts, quilting and more.

For more information on the iron pour, scratch mold workshop or other upcoming classes, visit Wisconsin Makers’ Facebook page at @wisconsinmakers or call Jewer at (630) 430-9498.