News

Barbara Lewis of Chaska, MN passed away on February 22, 2020 at the age of 74.

Barbara Lewis of Chaska, MN, passed away on February 22, 2020 at the age of 74. Barbara was born to parents, William and Beverly (McCulloch) Kyle of Whitewater, WI on July 24, 1945 in Edgerton, WI.  

Barbara had a passion for reading and a soft spot for children’s literature.  For many years, she worked at Jonathan Elementary School in Chaska as a Media Specialist.  Barbara was a creative person and enjoyed the arts. She was a loving and dedicated mother, grandmother, sister, and friend.

Barbara will be remembered forever by her son, Kyle (Mary) Lewis; daughter, Dianne (Steve Olson) Lewis; grandchildren, Sandra (Andre) Jacques, Dakota Blatterman, Kent Poirier, Cameron Lewis, Sonja and Erik Olson; siblings, Marge Watson, Mary Ormson, Richard Kyle, David Kyle, Dean Kyle, William Kyle, Howard Kyle; other loving relatives and friends. 

Barbara is greeted in Heaven by her parents and her sister, Helen Kyle. In lieu of flowers, memorials will be distributed by Barbara’s family to her favorite charities.

No memorial service will be held.  A private family interment will be held this spring in Whitewater, WI.  



Kwik Trip Looking to Open a Second Whitewater Store

Per the Plan Commission agenda for March 9, Kwik Trip is applying for a conditional use permit for a second Whitewater convenience store with a car wash and fuel pumps, to be located at 837 S. Janesville Street. The approximate five acre lot is located on the west side of Janesville Street between Highway 59 and the bypass. Kwik Trip already has an approved conditional use permit for a store at the roundabout, with construction anticipated to begin in April, 2021. It appears that the proposed second store might be somewhat smaller than the first one.

Janice Anne Fox (Durow) of Port Edwards passed away suddenly on February 27, 2020.

It is with deep sorrow that we share our loss. Janice Anne Fox (Durow) of Port Edwards, passed away suddenly on February 27, 2020. Janice was born to Ronnie and Catherine Durow on August 1, 1944 and grew up in the small town of Astico, Wisconsin. Janice attended the Columbia County Teachers College. She married James Fox on September 5, 1963. Janice and Jim moved to Port Edwards in 1969.

Janice is survived by her loving husband of 56 years, Jim, her son, Ron Fox, her daughter Dr. Robin Fox (Kim Simes), her grandsons, Alex, Benn (Hannah), Brady, Chase and Brett Fox and her granddaughters, Brennan and Sanibel Fox-Simes. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Joan (Robert) Bleich and her brother-in-law John (Diana) Fox. Janice is also survived by other family members, nieces, nephews, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her mother in-law and father in-law (Harley and Celia Fox), her sisters and their husbands, Mary (Jerry) Schave and Suzanne (Tom) Evans and her brother and his wife, David (Rosemarie) Durow and her niece, Deborah Durow.

Janice was a gifted seamstress – making her children’s clothes when they were little, making beautiful quilts, making ornaments that were on display on the Christmas tree at the White House and for years made a wedding album for every wedding she attended. In our sadness, we like to think about all of the people who have been gifted with a “made especially for you by Janice Fox” album. She loved reading, planting and taking care of her beautiful garden, crafting, crossword puzzles, watching Jeopardy with Jim (and knowing most of the answers) and spending time with her family. She was active in Wood County HCE and volunteered many hours at Edgewater Nursing Home.

As our mum, she never missed a game, a recital, a graduation or concert. Ron and Robin have lost their biggest supporter. Her grandchildren have lost an amazing person in their lives. We will all cherish the hundreds of handwritten cards and notes she has sent us over the years. Jim has lost the love of his life and his Jeopardy rival.

Janice made a wonderful life with and for her family. She was our greatest teacher, a calming presence and perhaps the most well-read person we knew. If you were lucky enough to meet her – when you were with her, she made you feel like the most important person in the world. She taught us “to look at everything twice” and to leave the world a better place than how we found it.

We are honoring Janice’s wishes and had a small, private burial. We will have a celebration of her life in late spring. If individuals would like to honor Janice’s life and kindness, please send donations to Opportunity Development Center. This organization was near and dear to Janice because of their amazing local work in the community. The address is: ODC, 1191 Huntington Ave, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494

We love you Janice, Mum, Grandma, Jammie.

Local Students to Participate in District Solo & Ensemble Festival at Whitewater High School, Sat. 3/14

Students from area schools will participate in a Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) sanctioned District Solo & Ensemble Music Festival hosted at Whitewater High School on Saturday, March 14, 2020.  During the festival, which is free and open to the public, students will perform vocal and instrumental solos, duets, trios and small ensembles before an adjudicator.

WSMA music festivals annually attract thousands of students from middle, junior high and high schools throughout Wisconsin. The festival will draw students from a number of area schools, including Big Foot High School, East Troy High School, Jefferson High School, Lake Denoon Middle School, Lake Geneva Middle School, Marshall Middle School, Muskego Lakes Middle School, Riverside Middle School, Watertown High School and Whitewater High School.  Karen Tordera, music director from Whitewater High School, will be serving as the festival manager.

“WSMA is proud of the quality music education experiences we support teachers in providing for their students.  Our long-standing festival programs encourage well-rounded musicians who develop deeper understanding through performance preparation that culminates in comprehensive feedback from a qualified adjudicator.  This opportunity, coupled with observing and listening to peer performances, is invaluable for musical growth,” said WSMA Executive Director Laurie Fellenz.

WSMA music festivals support school music programs as part of a comprehensive education by encouraging the study of quality music literature; motivating students to prepare and perform to the best of their abilities; improving students’ understanding of music literature and concepts (performance through understanding) and providing a performance assessment to improve individual and group achievement.

For more information on WSMA, go to www.wsmamusic.org.

Founded in 1932, Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) is a non-profit service organization with more than 1,000 member public and private schools. Students from member schools are eligible to participate in WSMA programs, such as District and State Music Festivals, Concert Festivals, State Honors Music Project, State Marching Band Championships and Student Composition Project. WSMA is governed by a board of directors made up of superintendents, principals and other officers from all over the state. WSMA believes music is a basic human need and that all children have the right to experience all that music offers them.

UW-W Women’s Hoops to Host NCAA First & Second Rounds – This Fri./Sat.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division III Championship this Friday and Saturday at Kachel Gymnasium in Whitewater.

The Warhawks (23-3 overall) will face Redlands (Calif.) in the first round Friday at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship.

Trine (Ind.) and Benedictine (Ill.) complete the four-team pod and will square off in the first round Friday at 5 p.m. The Thunder earned a Pool C, or at-large, berth to the NCAA Tournament after reaching the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament championship game. The Eagles also claimed an at-large bid after finishing as runner-up in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament.

UW-Whitewater earned an at-large bid to the national tournament, its fifth consecutive appearance and 12th in the last 13 years. The team claimed the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship with a 13-1 league record and reached the semifinals of the WIAC Tournament last week.

The Warhawks were first in the NCAA Central Region rankings last week.

See below for the complete weekend schedule.

Friday, March 6

Game 1: Trine (home) vs. Benedictine, 5 p.m.

Game 2: UW-Whitewater (home) vs. Redlands, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 3

Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m.

*host will be the home team; if host does not advance, winner of Game 1 will be home team

Jim McCulloch & Lori Heidenreich Directing Summer Camp Musical, “Shrek Jr.” in Janesville – Kids Ages 8-18 Invited to Audition

The Janesville Performing Arts Center (JPAC) is proud to announce the Summer Camp Musical for 2020 will be “Shrek the Musical- Jr.”  This hilarious musical is based on the Oscar-winning smash hit film and hit Broadway musical. Performances will be held on the JPAC stage August 6th-9th. 

It’s a “big bright beautiful world” as everyone’s favorite ogre, Shrek, leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance. Part romance and part twisted fairy tale, Shrek JR. is an irreverently fun show with a powerful message for the whole family.

This production is a part of JPAC’s four-week summer camp and will be under the direction of Jim McCulloch and musical direction of Lori Heidenreich.  During this intensive camp students will learn various acting techniques (including improvisation, character development, audition skills, basic stagecraft and theatre terminology), while honing their reading, presentation, memorization, public speaking, and vocal music skills. 

Auditions are scheduled for mid-May and the class begins July 13th. Audition materials will be available April 1 online.  Kids between the ages of 8-18 years old will present 4 performances of this dazzling Broadway-style musical in the JPAC Auditorium.  Performances will be held on August 6-8 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 9th at 2:00 p.m.  Tickets are $12 for Adults, $5 for Students, and can be purchased by visiting the JPAC Box Office at 408 South Main Street, online at JanesvillePAC.org, or by calling 608-758-0297.

The Janesville Performing Arts Center serves the greater Rock County area through performances and events produced by many local non-profit arts groups. The center’s 633 seat theatre, lobby, art gallery, box office, and administrative office are located in the historic Janesville High School/Marshall Junior High School building in downtown Janesville.  Visit our website at www.janesvillepac.org.

UW-Madison Local Winter Graduates: Alegra Holt & Gabriel Taveira; Chancellor Asserts Value of College Degree

MADISON. Wis. (February 27, 2020) – More than 1,770 students received degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the winter commencement ceremony on Dec. 15, 2019. About 1,200 graduates took part.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank told graduates she’s been following closely the national debate over whether a college degree is worth the cost. As an economist who has spent much of her life studying the U.S. labor market, she said she finds the question mystifying.

“Simply put, you have just made the best investment you will ever make,” she said, to applause. “The monetary returns on a college degree are higher now than they have been in the past 50 years. College graduates earn far more than non-college graduates. It’s clear that university training gives you skills that this global economy values more and more each day.”

Keynote speaker Jason Gay, the sports columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a 1992 UW-Madison graduate in political science, stressed the messiness of life. Embrace the uncertainty, he said.

“My friends, you’re about to step out into this beautiful chaos,” he told graduates.

Student speaker Lisa Kamal, a highly accomplished geology major, told the graduates that their everyday human experiences give weight and substance to the diplomas they are about to receive.

“Every sacrifice, every bit of energy you dragged out of you every morning – even if all you managed to do was scratch the bare minimum. You are graduating today. You did enough and I am proud of you. I am immensely proud of you.”

For more on the graduation, see https://news.wisc.edu/at-2019-winter-commencement-grads-step-into-the-beautiful-chaos-that-awaits/

For more information about UW-Madison, visit http://www.wisc.edu.


Whitewater, WI

 Alegra Holt, Col of Agricultural & Life Sci, Bachelor of Science, Animal Sciences, ,
 Gabriel Taveira, College of Letters and Science, Bachelor of Science, Computer Sciences,

Peace Corps Documentary at Dwight Foster Library in Fort – Mon., 3/9

Dwight Foster Library

The Dwight Foster Library will screen the new documentary film A Towering Task: the Story of the Peace Corps on Monday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m. This event will take place in the FCCU Community Room on the first floor of the library at 209 Merchants Avenue, Fort Atkinson.

Founded during the Cold War, the Peace Corps stands as an icon of American idealism. From the beginning its mission of world peace and friendship proved to be a towering task. Imbued with the unbounded energy and vision of its charismatic leader, Sargent Shriver, and thousands of vigorous volunteers, the story of the Peace Corps is a uniquely American tale. From the political machinations to establish not just a brand new government agency, but a new concept in international relations, to the growing pains of an agency striving to define its mission, A Towering Task takes viewers on a journey of what it means to be a global citizen. The film was directed by Alana DeJoseph and is narrated by the actress Annette Bening.

The screening will be followed by a brief Q & A session with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. This program is supported by the Friends of the Library so it is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Contact the library at (920) 563-7790 for additional information.

Community Invited to St. Patrick’s High School Mission Trip Fundraisers March 6 and 20

High School Mission Trip Fundraising Dinner:

What:    Fish Fry (Fried fish, French fries, cole slaw, bread, dessert, milk, water, and lemonade)

When:    Friday, March 6th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM

             Friday, March 20th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM

Where:    Berry Hall—Upstairs (St. Patrick’s)

Cost:    $8 for adults/ $5 for children 9 and under—Soda for $1

(All proceeds support the St. Patrick’s High School Mission Trip to Eastern Shore, VA this summer.)

Cena para Recaudar Fondos para el Viaje de Misión de Jóvenes

Qué:    Cena de Pescado (Pescado frito, papas fritas, ensalada de repollo, pan, postre, leche, agua y limonada)

Cuándo:    Viernes, 6 de marzo de 5:00 a 7:00 PM

     Viernes, 20 de marzo de 5:00 a 7:00 PM

Dónde:    El Salón Parroquial—Arriba (San Patricio)

Precio:    $8 por adultos/ $5 por niños de 9 años y menos—Refrescos por $1 (Todo el dinero que se recaude es para apoyar el Viaje de Misión de Jóvenes a Eastern Shore, VA este verano.)