The City of Beloit City Council in recent weeks interviewed two finalists for their city manager position: Daniel Ortiz Hernandez of Texas and John Weidl, Whitewater’s city manager. On Wednesday, April 22 the Beloit council issued the following press release indicating that they are negotiating with Hernandez.
“The Beloit City Council is negotiating an offer of employment as it considers selecting Daniel Ortiz Hernandez as the next City Manager. The City Council is expected to meet on Thursday, April 23, to discuss the negotiations.
Ortiz Hernandez has been in municipal management for 13 years. He currently serves as assistant city manager in Ennis, Texas, where he helps lead more than 240 employees across 12 departments with a combined budget of $74 million. He has previously served as city administrator in Kimball, Nebraska, and city manager in Wasco, California, and Webster City, Iowa.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California State University and a Master of Public Administration with an Urban Management concentration from Arizona State University. He is an ICMA Credentialed Manager and a graduate of the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard Kennedy School.”
Wisconsin held its first official FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) State Championship at Brookfield East High School from April 17-19. Whitewater High School’s robotics team Ferradermis was one of 36 top high school teams invited to vie for the title in a highly competitive and highly cooperative weekend of matches with 12 invitations to the World Championships in Houston on the line.
On the way to the event, the team took time to tour Milwaukee Tool on Friday afternoon, getting a personal tour from two Milwaukee employees who mentor other FRC teams and another Tool employee with a Whitewater connection. The state tournament began with some wild weather on Friday evening, sending teams to take shelter during tornado warnings for over an hour and cancelling all evening practice matches.
Team members at Milwaukee Tool
Once matches started, the Ferradermis robot CEO was led onto the field by Driver Mason Genung, Operator Erison Dreksler, Human Player Vivian Harris, Technician Owen Taylor, and Drive Coach Mark Zimmermann. CEO’s performance has been improving steadily all season, especially in autonomous mode with some great work by Lead Programmer Ace Hudec, programming team members Emily Bruns, Carson Miller, and Colby Long, and Programming Mentor Andy McKenzie.
Teams took a variety of approaches to preparing for the championship with some even building brand new robots. Others, like Ferradermis, simply made small improvements. After each team had played their 12 qualification matches, Ferradermis was ranked #8 out of 36. The Whitewater team increased their offensive power rating, which reflects the average point contribution of a team to an alliance, from 68 at the end of their last competition in La Crosse to 140 by the end of the state competition!
After a wild playoff alliance selection process which saw many teams make risky moves, Ferradermis became the captain of the #6 seeded playoff alliance. They again invited Team 171 The Cheese Curd Herd from Platteville to join their alliance, as they had in La Crosse just two weeks before. Their second selection for an alliance partner was Team 6223 Arsenal of Engineering from Menomonee Falls. In the first round of the playoffs, the Cheese Curd Herd’s robot became broken and was unrepairable in time for the second match. Ferradermis was forced to call in a backup robot which turned out to be Team 4021 igKnightion from Luther High School in Onalaska. Ferradermis’ new alliance partner struggled to stay functional in the second match, and the alliance was eliminated from the playoffs. This also ended the team’s chance for a third consecutive trip to the World Championships in Houston.
The #6 seeded playoff alliance, led by Ferradermis
Statistically, Ferradermis ends its season ranked #11 out of 71 teams in the state of Wisconsin, #418 out of 2944 teams in the United States, and #499 out of 3724 teams in the world, a top 13% statistical world ranking.
Students had many opportunities over the weekend to gain valuable experience in leadership and communication. Rae Breisath, Georgia Esch, and Zoey Ambrose led the team’s scouting alliance with Team 2062 CORE from Waukesha and Team 6381 Red Raider Robotics from Sheboygan. The seniors made a true effort to help younger students step into new roles, even having Freshman Ambrose announce the team’s picks during alliance selections. The data for alliance selections was provided by scouts Asher Downs, Alex Fletcher, Julian Rennells, Johan Servin, Letty Trautman, Paxton Wilson, and Mily Zeferino-Hernandez, among others. Kudos to these students for also supporting the scouting alliance led by Team 6421 WarriorBots from Muskego who were shorthanded on Saturday and needed help throughout the day filling scouting shifts using a completely different scouting system.
Chacha Binagi, Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman, Sam Raupp, and Alex Nelson all took on the role of Student Ambassador, providing tours to VIPs. Binagi and Raupp also stepped up to host one of the FIRST Lego League Teams competing in the Udder Chaos competition being held in the same building on Saturday. Safety Captain Nina Heim spent the weekend securing the pit, while Jayden Kehrer and Preston Miller took shifts working on the robot. Team Media Representative Cooper Housel accompanied the drive team to all matches to gather photos and video. Binagi, Heim, Wildermuth-Breitzman, Esch, and Rennells sang in the team choir that performed the National Anthem during opening ceremonies.
The team and coaches Laura Masbruch and Mark Zimmermann would like to thank all of the mentors that accompanied them to the event and helped oversee various aspects of the team. Thank you to Tori Breisath for volunteering as Pit Administrator, Kevin Housel for overseeing scouting, Kat Dunham for helping out in the stands, and Quinn McKenzie, Matt Doherty, and Andy McKenzie for helping with the robot in the pits. A special thank you goes out to Tim O’Toole for transporting the pit and the robot all season.
Ferradermis will celebrate the end of the season on April 22 with their annual ice cream social and awards program. Thank you to Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream and the WUSD Robotics Booster Club for donating the goodies. You can catch the team this summer at several City Markets, the Whitewater Storytelling Festival, and in the 4th of July Parade. Their next competition will be the Mukwonago Robotics Off-Season Competition (MROC) on July 25 and 26. Any new students entering grades 9-12 who are interested in joining the team should reach out to Laura Masbruch at lmasbruch@wwusd.org.
Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor lmasbruch@wwusd.org
On Saturday April 18th, four members of the WHS Forensics Team competed at the WISDAA State Festival in Madison. Each member earned their way to this festival through their hard work and dedication. They achieved high scores throughout the season in their individual categories. Please congratulate them on a job well done!
Medalists, from left to right, are: Lucy Davis – Poetry (Silver), Grace Coleman- Oratory (gold), Peyton Comfort-, Solo Serious Monologue,(silver) and Sophia Noonan,- Solo Serious Monologue (silver).
Article and Photo Submitted by Jim McCulloch Whitewater High School Head Forensics Coach jMcCulloch@wwusd.org
Dale’s Bootery Announces Retirement Sale After 56 Years of Serving the Community
After 56 years of proudly serving the Whitewater community, Dale’s Bootery has announced that it will be closing its doors as Bob Herold enters retirement. Starting May 1, 2026, the store will host a Retirement Sale offering customers a final opportunity to shop and reminisce with Bob and his staff.
“After many rewarding years, the time has come for us to step into retirement. We are incredibly grateful for the support of our customers, employees, and community. This Retirement Sale is our way of saying thank you and giving everyone a chance to find something special one more time,” said Bob Herold.
The Retirement Sale will begin on May 1, 2026 and continue through June 30, 2026, or until inventory is sold. Customers are encouraged to visit early for the best selection. Anyone with gift cards or store credits remaining is encouraged to use them as soon as possible.
For decades, Dale’s Bootery has been fortunate enough to have built lasting relationships with customers, supported local events, employed area residents, remained an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, and contributed to the community when possible. “We hope that we leave as many good memories with you as you have with us and we encourage you to stop in and share those memories with us,” Bob added.
While the storefront will close, Bob Herold looks forward to the next phase in life while continuing to offer limited shoe repair services (inquire for details).
Whitewater’s fifth, free International Children’s Day on April 18 was a fun-filled celebration for all children. Approximately 300 attendees enjoyed face-painting, crafts, Culver’s custard, balloon art, and more. The district superintendent was also in attendance, helping to celebrate the strong sense of community that makes this event so special. Baile folkorico and students from the Washington Elementary dance group performed. Olivia Monson of the Whitewater Police Department read to children in both English and Spanish. The City of Whitewater Fire Department brought an ambulance, and the Police Department brought a police vehicle for children to explore.
The International Children’s Committee thanks all of the vendors, volunteers and donors who made the event a success. Plans are underway for next year’s event, the 6th one!
Sponsors of International Children’s Day Celebration include Whitewater Unified School District, Whitewater Unites Lives, and Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club.
Editor’s Note: The above was provided by Whitewater Unites Lives.
Thanks to increased support and attendance at their annual Pride Rally in October, Whitewater Pride, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, has been able to increase the number of events they host, co-host, and sponsor. They’ve also made considerable donations to organizations that promote and support a safe, affirming, inclusive environment for the community of Whitewater.
Since the 2025 Pride Rally last October, Whitewater Pride has funded two Whitewater High School Pride Scholarships, the Whitewater Arts Alliance Pride Month Art Workshop in June, the purchase of LGBTQ+ books for Whitewater Public Library, sponsorship of the Whitewater High School S.T.E.A.M. Faire, sponsorship of the UWW Out of the Darkness walk for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and cash donations to Whitewater High School Gay-Straight Alliance and Whitewater Middle School Prism Club.
Ongoing events for Whitewater Pride include “Rainbow Coffee” on the first Saturday of each month from 9-10:30 AM at The Sweet Spot Cafe in Whitewater, “Safe Study @ Starbucks” on the second Monday of each month during the school year from 6-8 PM at the Starbucks on Main Street in Whitewater, and “Cheers, Queers!” on the third Thursday of each month from 6:30-8 PM at Second Salem Brewing in Whitewater. For each of these events, Whitewater Pride gives out free stickers, lip balm, and hugs. The first five people at each of these events receive a $5 gift card to that establishment.
Community members can join Whitewater Pride at one of these upcoming events, as well:
Friday, April 24 – 4th Annual Pride Paint and Sip Fundraiser with Kristen Monday from 5-7 PM at the Cultural Arts Center 402 W. Main Street, Whitewater. RSVP via their Facebook event.
Saturday, April 25 – Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement’s 15th Anniversary Celebration at 4 PM at James Reeb UU 2146 E. Johnson Street, Madison.
Saturday, May 9 – WHS Robotics S.T.E.A.M. Faire from 10 AM – 2 PM at Whitewater High School 534 S. Elizabeth Street, Whitewater.
Saturday, May 30 – Storytelling Festival at Flatiron Park in Whitewater from 9 AM – 3 PM.
Tuesday, June 2 – BINGO fundraiser for Whitewater Pride and United Way of Jefferson and North Walworth Counties at The Real MacCoys with card sales starting at 5:15 PM and first ball called at 6 PM. Call The Real MacCoys at (920) 568-8988 to reserve your table.
Saturday, June 6 – Pride Pup-up Paw-ty hosted by Pet Supplies Plus in Whitewater and sponsored by Whitewater Pride from 11 AM – 4 PM; contact Tyler or Carmen at (262) 528-6350 if you’d like to be a vendor at this event.
Thursday, June 11 – Whitewater Arts Alliance Pride Month Art Workshop, more info TBA
Saturday, July 18- Unity Walk at the Whitewater Armory, more info TBA
Saturday, October 3 – 6th Annual Whitewater Pride Rally from 10 AM – 3 PM at Cravath Lakefront Park
For more information or to support Whitewater Pride as Sponsor or Donor, visit www.whitewaterpride.org, Instagram @whitewaterpride, or Facebook at Whitewater Pride.
Editor’s Note: The above was provided by Whitewater Pride.
Tena Engels is a WUL Hometown Hero, and has been nominated by Fairhaven Resident Ruth Kromholz “For nurturing monarch butterflies and the residents of Fairhaven by creating a Monarch Waystation to raise monarchs from larvae to butterflies.”
Monarch butterflies travel the world, and they need a place to rest and multiply. Tena has created such a haven. Once the butterflies reach maturity to be released, she has shared that experience with the residents of Fairhaven, who are even able to name their butterfly.
Tena Engels is a WUL Hometown Hero
Ruth said, “Tena is a joy. We are lucky to have her.”
Brian Robinson of Fairhaven said, “The monarch exhibit is a ‘water cooler’ spot for residents, staff and visitors as they enter Fairhaven and even throughout the day checking in and checking back to see what has changed and excited for what is to come.”
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
Tena and Staff at Fairhaven
Editor’s Note: The above was provided by Whitewater Unites Lives.
Roberta’s Art Gallery is excited to share Beth Racette’s exhibit “Gaia: the Earth Is Alive.” Featuring pieces from her ongoing “Gaia” series, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the living systems of the earth and the intricate connections that shape life on our planet.
This exhibit is in collaboration with S.A.G.E. and UW-Whitewater Sustainability in celebration of Earth Month.
The exhibit will be open from April 16 to May 15.
Reception and workshop: Tuesday, April 21 from 5 to 6 p.m.
Racette will provide a short talk and a reflective art activity to “explore one’s personal relationship with the Earth. Participants will create a drawing, poem, or other creative piece on circular paper inspired by questions about how we feel about, care for, and connect with the Earth.” No art experience is needed, just curiosity and reflection. The reception will be followed by an Open House from 6 to 7 p.m. with refreshments and time to enjoy the artwork, community and conversation.
We hope you visit us and check out this phenomenal exhibit!
Tickets are available from any Booster Club member, including me (Neil Hicks, nhicks77@gmail.com, 920.723.7859 – I will come to you!) Tickets are also available at the door.
In December of 2024 and August 2025, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by two families in Walworth County who were targeted by a sophisticated investment fraud scheme.
In December 2024, an initial complaint reported a loss of $770,000.00 from his retirement savings to an entity operating under the name “G110 Monarch Capital Investments.”
In August 2025, a subsequent case was referred to the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), Division of Securities Enforcement Bureau. In this instance, the individual reported a total loss of $460,000.00, comprising both personal retirement funds and proceeds from his late wife’s life insurance policy. This loss resulted from a coordinated romance and investment fraud scheme.
These cases were extremely technically complex, as both schemes involved the victims using third-party applications to convert funds from their bank accounts into cryptocurrency for transfer.
To assist in these investigations, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with other agencies. In the initial case, we partnered with the Greenfield Police Department to utilize their specialized cryptocurrency tracing expertise. In the second case, DFI’s Division of Securities Enforcement Bureau utilized its licensed forensic tools to track the flow of funds from the initial exchange to a specific digital wallet.
The investigations revealed that the perpetrators converted the majority of the stolen funds into USDC, a type of cryptocurrency issued by Circle Internet Financial LLC. Unlike volatile cryptocurrencies, USDC is pegged to the U.S. dollar and backed by reserves of the same value, maintaining a stable valuation. To obscure the paper trail, the schemers utilized ‘layering’ techniques, frequently transferring assets between digital wallets and commingling them with other funds—a common form of digital money laundering.
In the first case, investigators tracked 262,900 USDC into a specific wallet. While the majority was further dispersed, a portion remained and was subsequently combined with an additional transfer of 393,000 USDC. Through advanced digital forensics, detectives identified that 460,311 USDC remained stationary in the wallet at the time of discovery. It was further discovered that, of the 460,311 USDC, a little over 25,000 USDC was added by a victim from Forsyth County, Georgia.
In the second case, the DFI’s Division of Securities Enforcement Bureau analysts identified a single, direct transfer of 381,235 USDC, all of which remained secured within the target wallet. Following the forensic identification of the illicit funds, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office successfully petitioned for judicial seizure warrants, which a Walworth County Judge authorized to freeze and seize the targeted digital wallets. Despite these court-ordered seizures, Circle Internet Financial LLC [Circle] has declined to repatriate the corresponding fiat reserves to the victims, citing a lack of established legal precedent compelling the reversal of USDC transactions. In the interim, while Circle holds these frozen funds, they profit from the interest generated by the victims’ stolen assets.
In response, since Circle has not complied with a Circuit Court Judge’s seizure warrant, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office has requested the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office, with counsel and support from the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), to pursue litigation to challenge the current industry standards and compel Circle Internet Financial to facilitate the return of these recovered assets to the victimized residents.
The Walworth County District Attorney’s Office has filed a Criminal Complaint for the August 2025 case against Circle Internet Financial LLC for Contempt of Court – Disobey Order. An initial appearance has been scheduled for this case on May 5, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., in front of the Walworth County Circuit Court Branch 3, Judge Kristine Drettwan.
Pursuant to the Wisconsin Supreme Court directive, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicity, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This exhibit is in collaboration with S.A.G.E. and UW-Whitewater Sustainability in celebration of Earth Month. 
Reception and workshop: Tuesday, April 21 from 5 to 6 p.m.
