County Residents Report Zoning Permit Scam Be aware if you receive unsolicited invoices or suspicious messages
County officials were recently notified of a fraudulent invoice scam involving current zoning requests before the Jefferson County Planning and Development Department. Residents have received fake emails that appear to be official correspondence from Planning and Development directing them to pay an invoice in order to finalize a permit. These scam messages often look professional and may even use the names and titles of Jefferson County employees and details regarding a pending request to appear legitimate.
Red flags that could indicate a scam include:
Suspicious contact information not affiliated with a legitimate email address. All emails from Jefferson County end with @jeffersoncountywi.gov
Pressure to pay promptly and through a method such as wire transfer. As standard practice, our Planning and Development Department does not send invoices. Residents pay at the time of their application or permit.
Please be aware that scammers can impersonate any County department or private business to try to steal your money. If you receive a message or request that you suspect to be fraudulent, the best practice is to contact the entity making the request via a phone number or email address you know is legitimate. Instead of using the email or phone number in the suspicious message, look up the correct contact information personally and use it to report the message.
If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from the Jefferson County Planning and Development Department, please call (920) 674-7130.
Carol McCormick writes, “Two swans visited Trippe Lake on Monday morning feeding on a floating bog of cattails. The geese surrounding them didn’t seem to be intimidated by them. More curious than anything. Just another example of how precious our lakes are to our community!
Our thanks to Carol McCormick for sharing another interesting photo.
— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share. Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com. Thanks for thinking about this!
If you didn’t subscribe to MLB TV, how can you watch the Brewers this season? Cable subscribers are in luck, as the entire season will be available on the following channels.
Spectrumchannel 319 [Thanks to Tom Wegner for passing this on to us.]
TDS channel 243
Per the Leader-Telegram, the Brewers also announced 10 free over-the-air broadcasts during the season, including the opener, that will be aired on local television stations across the state. For our area the primary local station is WITI FOX6 from Milwaukee.
The dates for future over-the-air games are March 31 (6:40 p.m.), April 28 (6:40 p.m.), May 12 (6:40 p.m.), May 19 (6:40 p.m.), June 2 (6:40 p.m.), Aug. 4 (6:40 p.m.), Aug. 18 (6:40 p.m.), Aug. 25 (6:10 p.m.) and Sept. 8 (6:40 p.m.).
Updated 3/31/26 @ 4:45 p.m. with clarification that all season games will be on cable and also the dates when over-the-air broadcasts will be available.
“Jefferson County’s Land and Water Conservation Department and Planning and Development Department are jointly hosting a free workshop on April 7, 2026 from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm at the Jefferson County Courthouse focused on shoreland development and restoration. The main topics include County and City shoreland zoning rules, native plantings, bioengineering practices, riprap practices, funding opportunities, and resources available to contractors and landowners. There will be speakers from Jefferson County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Agrecol and Envirolok LLC.
Contractors in attendance will have their company highlighted on our contractor lists noting that they attended the workshop
Shoreland Contractors Workshop Agenda
Shoreland Restoration: Permits, Practices and Partnerships
April 7, 2026 Jefferson County Courthouse Board Room, C2063 311 S Center Ave, Jefferson, WI 7:45 – 8:00 Check-In & Registration (Coffee, Snacks) 8:00 – 8:10 Welcome & Introductions 8:10 – 9:00 Shoreland Zoning 101
County Zoning – Matt Zangl & Sarah Elsner, Jefferson County Planning and Development
City of Fort Atkinson – Jed Draeger, Fort Atkinson Department of Neighborhood and Building Services
9:00 – 10:00 Benefits of Native Plants, Best Practices, Envirolok – Eric Seidl, Envirolok 10:00 – 10:10 BREAK 10:10 – 11:00 Calculating Storm Wave Height – Colton Hutchinson, Jefferson County
Land & Water Conservation Department (LWCD) Rock Infiltration, Calculating Rock Size & Quantity, Engineering – Jon Lisowe & Hanna Johnson, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
11:00 – 12:00 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) RipRap Exemption,
Bioengineering and Permitting – Erin Cox, DNR 12:00 – 12:20 Project Funding & Resources – Jefferson County LWCD
Lake Ripley Management District
Wisconsin Healthy Lakes and Rivers Program
Jefferson County Cost Share Programs 12:20 – 12:30 Wrap Up – Jefferson County LWCD
Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Jefferson County.
The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee of the League of Women Voters Whitewater Area will hold the third and final Book Club discussion on our spring book selection, An Eye for an I: Growing Up with Blindness, Bigotry, and Family Mental Illness by James Bonilla, on Monday evening, April 13th, 6:15 PM-8:00 PM, at The Whitewater Public Library, 431 W Center St, in Whitewater.
This powerful narrative offers an intersectional analysis of disability, racism, and mental illness, inviting readers to empathize, be inspired, and consider their own potential for social change. Our discussion on April 13th will cover chapters 31-42.
ACQUIRE THE BOOK TODAY! A limited supply of books are available at The Book Teller (call 262-269-9109 to hold a copy to purchase) and local libraries. You can also order the book from Amazon.
The LWV Book Club was formed to help our members and friends engage in meaningful discussions of current notable books dealing with public policy issues of interest to the League. You do not need to be a member of the League to participate and refreshments will be served. For questions or further information please contact Dwight C. Watson, dwight.watsondcw@gmail.com, or Deb Gamble, 23debg@gmail.com
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit our website at https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area and like us on Facebook.
Congratulations to the WHS Forensics team for an outstanding season of public speaking. The team finished their final individual competition last week in Lake Mills. Five of the seven members will be moving on to the state WISDAA competition on April 18th. Students going to state are Peyton Comfort and Sophia Noonan in Acting Solo Serious, Atreya Wilson in Impromptu Speaking, Grace Coleman in Oratory, and Lucy Davis in Poetry.
Whitewater Public Library is excited to host a Badger Talk performance featuring University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Low Brass Ensemble. A collective of the Trombone Choir and Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble, the ensemble performs original compositions, transcriptions, and arrangements across genres, showcasing the expressive potential of low brass in every form.
In this program, they will delight audiences with 45 to 60 minutes of music from a recent or upcoming concert. There is also an opportunity for informal interaction with the performers after the concert.
Discover the bold, resonant voice of the UW–Madison Low Brass Ensemble, where the power of sound meets the artistry of collaboration. Directed by Professor Tom Curry and Professor Mark Hetzler, two leading low brass educators and performers, this ensemble showcases the full spectrum of low brass brilliance—from the thunderous depths of the tuba to the soaring warmth of the trombone and euphonium.
Badger Talks reflects our tradition of the Wisconsin Idea — to extend the resources of the university to citizens of the state. Over 300 Badger Talks are hosted around the state each year, featuring faculty and staff with expertise in a variety of disciplines. Talk topics range from cutting edge discoveries to happiness in the workplace and everything in between. Professional, community, and civic organizations, as well as schools, are invited to request a UW–Madison speaker. For more information about Badger Talks or to find a speaker for your next event, contact 608-262-3880 or badgertalks@uwmad.wisc.edu.
This event will be held in Meeting Room 1 of Whitewater Public Library at 431 W. Center St. in Whitewater on April 10, 2026 at 5:30 PM.
This program is for all ages. Registration is preferred but not required. Visit whitewaterlibrary.org/events to register in advance. You may also email hswanson@whitewater-wi.gov or call 262-473-0113 to register, or with any questions.
