News

Rapid COVID-19 testing continues at UW-Whitewater

(UW-Whitewater submission) Anyone 5 years and older can get free, fast COVID-19 tests at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The testing site is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, at the Kris Russell Volleyball Arena in the Williams Center, 907 W. Schwager Dr., Whitewater, WI 53190. Free parking is available in lots 7 and 9 on Warhawk Drive.

Pre-registration is required at doineedacovid19test.com. This is a rapid antigen test (nasal swab). People will receive their results within 15 minutes; space is set aside for people to safely distance while they wait.

Individuals who test negative using the rapid antigen test, but also are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or who test positive but do not have symptoms, are urged to get a confirmatory PCR test. A free PCR test will be available immediately to those who qualify on site.

Since the site opened Nov. 9, more than 6,500 tests have been conducted.

For more information on COVID-19 testing at UW-Whitewater, visit uww.edu/warhawks-return/testing.

Scholarly Scoop on Friday, Dec. 4: Dr. Eric Loepp, UW-W Department of Political Science, presents: “Now What? How The 2020 Presidential Election Will Shape American Politics in 2021.”

(Seniors in the Park submission) Dr. Eric Loepp, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, presents “Now What? How The 2020 Presidential Election Will Shape American Politics in 2021” on Friday, December 4 at 10:30 a.m.

Dr. Eric Loepp

The recent presidential election was perhaps the most consequential event of what has proved to be an incredibly consequential year. For most of 2020, we focused on what would happen in November. Now it is time to focus on January and what 2021 may bring in the world of politics. What policies have a shot at becoming law next year? Will current policies be repealed? Join us online for a lively, interactive and civil conversation about what the next presidential term will bring, and what it means for Wisconsin, the country and the world.

This virtual presentation is available online, or if you are unable to Zoom, watch at the Starin Park Community Building on our TV. To register, call 262-473-0535, email dweberpal@whitewater-wi.gov with your preference of virtual or at the center, or go online to https://schedulesplus.com/wwtr/kiosk/.

New York Times – “A Cornerstone of Democracy, Collapsing” – Referring to local journalism – You may support the Banner on this Giving Tuesday

Is the Banner one of your primary sources of local news and information? As you probably know, our publication is operated entirely on a volunteer basis, but we do have expenses for software, web hosting, IT support, etc. The Banner is owned by the Whitewater Community Foundation, and gifts to the Foundation may be designated for the Banner.  By the way, Section 2104 of the CARES Act permits eligible individuals who do not itemize deductions to deduct $300 of qualified charitable contributions as an “above-the-line” deduction, i.e., as an adjustment in determining adjusted gross income (AGI), for tax years beginning in 2020.

The Banner is careful to honor copyrights, but since the following New York Times opinion piece is about the threats to local journalism, we trust that they wouldn’t mind us sharing it. (Please try the link first.)

“A cornerstone of democracy, collapsing“ by David Leonhardt, New York Times, Dec. 1
In the internet’s early days, it seemed to have the potential to crush traditional print media. But its impact has turned out to be more nuanced. The internet has instead been a boon for some publications with a national audience. The New York Times has never had as many subscribers or readers — or employed as many journalists — as it does today. The Atlantic, The Washington Post and some others are also thriving.
It’s at the local level that the digital revolution has been as destructive as feared. Hundreds of local news organizations have folded, as their advertising revenue disappears, and the pandemic is exacerbating the crisis. At least 60 local newsrooms have closed since March, according to Poynter. Some of them were more than a century old, like The Eureka Sentinel, in Nevada; The Mineral Wells Index, in Texas; and The Morehead News, in Kentucky.
Hundreds of local news organizations have folded, as their advertising revenue disappears, and the pandemic is exacerbating the crisis. At least 60 local newsrooms have closed since March, according to Poynter. Some of them were more than a century old, like The Eureka Sentinel, in Nevada; The Mineral Wells Index, in Texas; and The Morehead News, in Kentucky.
This isn’t a story of creative destruction, in which nimble new entrants replace older companies. Often, nothing replaces a shuttered newsroom, leaving communities without any independent information about local government, schools and businesses. (A recent Times investigation found that some partisan groups have begun posing as local publishers, trying to pass off political propaganda as news.)
There are consequences for society. When a community’s newspaper closes, voter turnout and cross-party voting tend to decline, while political corruption and government waste rise, academic research has found. A democracy struggles to function when its citizens can’t stay informed.
What can be done? Eventually, savvy entrepreneurs may figure out how to make local news profitable. But several have tried in recent years, without success. For the foreseeable future, the only reliable answer seems to involve philanthropy. Americans have long accepted that the arts, higher education and organized religion all depend on charitable giving. Local journalism is now in the same category.
“We need philanthropists across the country to embrace robust local journalism,” Sarabeth Berman, the chief executive of the American Journalism Project, which funds local news sites, told me. “If you care about education, you need to worry if school boards and charter boards are covered. And if you care about the environment, you should make sure reporters like Ken Ward Jr. are covering coal country in West Virginia.” There are many other shining examples of the new nonprofit journalism. But even more communities receive little to no high-quality coverage.
I decided to write about this topic this morning, because today is Giving Tuesday, when people take a break from online shopping to focus on charitable giving. If you are worried about the state of local news, you can donate through NewsMatch, which matches donations to local publications, or to your local public-radio affiliate.

Virtual city meetings this week; REVISED with addition of Fire Dept. Business Mtg. on Thurs.

City of Whitewater Landmarks Commission – Thursday @ 3:30 p.m.
Click here for the agenda, which includes designation of Prairie Tillers mural as a local landmark.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/594292173
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (646) 749-3112
Access Code: 594-292-173

Whitewater Fire Department, Inc Business Meeting – Thurs. @ 6:30 p.m.
Agenda includes election of EMS member to Board of Directors
Due to Coronavirus Concerns, this will be a VIRTUAL MEETING.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.google.com/mrt-fwwb-trx
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: 470-238-8122
Access Code:
696 311 231

Our Readers Share – Tom Ganser: “Max Takes a Break in the Main Street Sleigh”

Tom Ganser writes, “Max takes a break in the Main Street sleigh on Small Business Saturday.  He is a rescue dog who has joined our family, thanks to the work of Paddy’s Paws in Fort Atkinson.  Until four weeks ago, Max had spent his entire life in Houston, Texas . . . so getting ready for cold and snow “up North” will be a bit of a challenge.  But he’s up to the challenge!”

Our thanks to Tom Ganser for submitting this cute picture and story.

— 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 or click on “submit a story” near the top right of our homepage.  Thanks for thinking about this!

Joe Sherman is a Hometown Hero

(Whitewater Unites Lives submission) Joe Sherman is at WUL Hometown Hero.  He was nominated “For helping others, providing assistance, and practicing servant ministry in many ways, including delivering food, working with youth ministry, organizing special ministry activities (including an annual pork chop dinner), setting up big events, assisting with weddings and funerals, providing help and assistance for the other churches in our regional ministry, and building strong, caring relationships.”

Joe Sherman is pictured here receiving his hometown hero award. With (L-R) Gina McManaway, Rev. Susan Bresser, Joe Sherman, and Jayne Haskey of First United Methodist Church

His nomination includes:  “When it comes to helping others, providing assistance, and practicing servant ministry, Joe Sherman is top-notch. He is always eager to offer his services, his expertise and his help wherever it is needed. Joe is First United Methodist Church’s ‘paid’ maintenance man, but he’s so much more. He works with children’s ministry and youth ministry. He assists with worship. He volunteers his time with Bethel House. He provides his own equipment for much of the maintenance for the church and Bethel House. He delivers food, promotes ministry, organizes special ministry activities (including an annual pork chop dinner), sets up our big events, assists with weddings and funerals, provides help and assistance for the other churches in our regional ministry, and builds strong, caring relationships.”

In addition, “He does all of this willingly and with great passion. He also connects with older members, often providing maintenance services in their homes. He’s willing to learn new things to improve everything we do at the church … and beyond. He also does many things – offering help and assistance – anonymously. He is a godsend and a true servant. We are blessed to have him on staff and as an integral part of the FUMC faith community. He is a true hometown hero.”

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 

Whippets Bullis and Houwers Sign Letters of Intent

Whitewater High School Senior Emme Bullis signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at Division 1 Cal Poly State University, the team with the longest home-winning streak in Division I, at 32 games. Bullis has played many positions on the volleyball floor but was recruited by Cal Poly as a setter. She is hopeful that she’ll get to play her final season as a Whippet as the Rock Valley Conference postponed their fall sports season until spring.

Whitewater High School Senior Ella Houwers capped off her two-title performance at the state swim meet by signing her Letter of Intent to swim for Northern Michigan University on November 19. The Wildcats are part of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for swimming and diving.

  • Emme Bullis
  • Ella Houwers

UW-W defeats Northwestern Univ. and Univ. of Chicago to compete in Fed Challenge national semifinals

UW-Whitewater defeats Northwestern University and University of Chicago to compete in Fed Challenge national semifinals

(UW-W College of Business & Economics press release) For the second time in four years, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College Fed Challenge team excelled in regional competition and competed among the nation’s best economics programs.

UW-Whitewater prevailed against some of the strongest teams in the Midwest district — including Northwestern University, the University of Chicago and Marquette University — in order to advance to the national semifinal round. Final rankings were announced on Nov. 20, naming the top three teams as well as three other finalists. While UW-Whitewater was not included among the winners or national finalists, the students’ dedication and performance reflect highly on the university.

The 2020 UW-Whitewater College Fed Challenge Team included presenting members Nicole Carter from Cary, Ill., who is majoring in international studies and economics, Clayton Gallmann from Oshkosh, Wis., who is majoring in economics, Cole Kinson from Elkhorn, Wis., who is majoring in economics and mathematics, Kevin Peralta from Racine, Wis., who is majoring in economics, and Johnny Pulley from Stoughton, Wis., who is majoring in economics. Tyler Grissom from Cedarburg, Wis., who is majoring in international business and German, also contributed to the team’s success as a non-presenting member by providing significant research and analysis support.

In addition, economics faculty members Professor Yamin Ahmad, Associate Professor Eylem Ersal, Assistant Professor Krastina Dzhambova, Assistant Professor Narendra Regmi, and Professor Emeritus Stuart Glosser also devoted many hours as team coaches. They helped the team prepare and refine their presentation, and ran them through Q&A drills.

Co-sponsored by the Federal Reserve and Federal Reserve Banks, the College Fed Challenge is the preeminent economics educational competition that teaches students to think critically about the U.S. economy, financial markets and monetary policy.

“The competition requires a lot of research, and students get a feel for what macroeconomists do,” said Yamin Ahmad, professor of economics. “The team suggested a particular policy decision in the presentation video, and the Federal Reserve ended up taking that action a week later. So the students could see that they were on target with their analysis, and they were really excited.”

In past years, bracketed competitions led to district winners who advanced to the national round. This year, all teams in a district competed directly against each other with video presentations. The top three teams from each district advanced to the national semifinals, which featured a virtual question-and-answer session with judges. Team performances in the Q&A resulted in one finalist for each district, as well as the national first-, second- and third-place rankings.

“The team started preparing in March, at the start of the pandemic,” said Ahmad. “They met remotely every week from March into November, and their dedication and hard work were reflected in their performance. They went up against some very strong economics teams to make it to the national semifinals.”

Beyond economic acumen, analytical skills and presentation abilities, the College Fed Challenge requires strong teamwork skills.

“The students pulled together right away, and they excelled based on their ability to work as a team,” said Ahmad.

“The primary takeaway from my first year of being the team captain is how grateful I am that I was working with dedicated teammates and faculty advisors who cared about how well the team did,” said Cole Kinson. “As the competition grew nearer, it became more and more clear that we could never have advanced as far as we did without the effort put in by every single teammate, nor without the help we received from the faculty advisors. The project was just too large-scale to do without everyone’s combined effort.”

The Warhawks’ journey to the semifinals is particularly noteworthy during a year of unusual disruption. When announcing the winners, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, commended all participants on the talent and drive required of both students and faculty advisers to compete in this event during a time of so much upheaval.