News & Events

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. Happy Halloween! The society does not have any real Halloween-related photos, and we usually use cemetery views for our “spooky” content. This year we are featuring a boy (Donald Lean) in what he probably thought was a “costume” suitable for trick or treating–a Buster Brown suit. A while ago, we featured a little boy in a late 19th century “Little Lord Fauntleroy” suit. After 1900, the fad changed to Buster Brown, a character created in 1902. Buster Brown was depicted in a suit with a long tunic coat with belt, oversized bow, knickers, and a “bowl” hair cut of a bob with bangs. Mothers loved dressing their boys up as Little Lord Fauntleroy or Buster Brown, but whether the boys wanted to wear these outfits is debatable.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(1550P, Whitewater Historical Society)

The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee of the League of Women Voters Whitewater Area will hold the third and final Book Club discussions on our fall book selection, American Madness: Fighting for Patients in a Broken Mental Health System by Alice Feller, M.D., on Thursday evening, November 13, 6:15 PM-7:45 PM, at The Book Teller, 171 W Main Street, in Whitewater.

The book explores the complex realities of mental health care in the United States. Our discussion on November 13th will cover Chapters 10 – Epilogue.  

ACQUIRE THE BOOK TODAY! A limited supply of books is 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, shebagam@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!

Written by Chris Lindeke | Photos by Craig Schreiner

During his tenure at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Chancellor Corey A. King has overseen three consecutive years of enrollment growth and a renewed sense of pride from students, faculty, staff, and alums behind a “Warhawk Bold” mentality he instilled on campus.

King was recognized for his efforts as the Milwaukee Business Journal selected him as one of 21 C-Suite Stars for 2025. He is one of six honorees in the Top Executive category, and the only higher education leader recognized.

King is joined on the full list by leaders from Bank Five Nine, Marcus Corporation, the Milwaukee Brewers, Northwestern Mutual, and other businesses and organizations in Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin.

“I’m honored to be selected among this group of talented individuals, but I’m most proud of serving as this university’s chancellor and all that we’ve accomplished together,” King said. “Over the last three years, I’ve witnessed the dedication, passion, and talent that make our university thrive. I’m so proud to call UW-Whitewater my home.

“I’d like to thank the Milwaukee Business Journal for putting a spotlight on our university and its contributions to southern Wisconsin. At UW-Whitewater, our guiding compass is student success and doing all we can to positively transform students’ lives. By supporting students’ educational goals, we are ensuring a bright future for the region and state.”

Since his arrival in March 2023, King has inspired the campus under the mantra “Warhawk Bold,” empowering faculty, staff, and community members to work collaboratively as they solve problems and drive positive change for the present and future stability of the university. A first-generation college student, King has placed a focus on student success and eliminating barriers to academic progress and graduation.

Last month, UW-Whitewater announced its largest incoming class in nearly a decade for fall 2025, and its enrollment of 12,267 students — as recently announced by the Universities of Wisconsin — is up 4.4% from fall 2024.

Under King’s leadership, UW-Whitewater has also transformed its financial stability, eliminating a structural deficit that was as high as $8.9 million and beginning the 2025-26 academic year with a positive cash flow. This past year, the university launched a $50 million fundraising campaign — “Our stories. Our future.” — the single largest philanthropic effort in its history. To date, over $28 million has been raised. 

King’s leadership has led to physical changes on campus. Last spring, UW-Whitewater received state approval to renovate Winther Hall, home of the College of Education and Professional Studies, and Heide Hall, and will see several minor facilities projects begin thanks to the largest increase in state funding for the Universities of Wisconsin in 20 years.

King has rallied colleagues across both campuses to focus on student success. Earlier this month, UW-Whitewater was named the top Wisconsin public university in student experience and social mobility by The Wall Street Journal. In fall 2024, the university launched One Stop, a universal, on-site resource available to students who have questions about any aspect of academic success and campus life. King’s focus in the areas of veteran and servicemember success and mental health have continually enhanced the Warhawk student experience.

Since joining the UW-Whitewater team, King has been a member of the Higher Education Regional Alliance (HERA) executive leadership team, the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance Board, the Whitewater Chamber of Commerce Board, and the Greater Whitewater Committee. He is a strong proponent of programs like the King/Chávez Scholars Program that create pipelines from Milwaukee to the university and support social mobility.

King was announced as UW-Whitewater’s 18th chancellor in January 2023 after serving as vice chancellor for inclusivity and student affairs at UW-Green Bay.

Two other Warhawks were recognized on the Milwaukee Business Journal’s list. Dave Anderson, who graduated from UW-Whitewater with a BBA in accounting and finance and serves as senior vice president/senior executive for Southeast Wisconsin at BMO Financial Group, joined King on the list of Top Executive honorees. Lynnette Fritz, who earned a B.A. in communication (public relations) and is the chief human resources officer at OwnersEdge, is among the publication’s Top HR honorees.

The Discover Whitewater Series is hosting their 13th Annual Post-Race Banquet on November 5, 2025. The event will be held at Willow Brook Golf Course in Whitewater, WI.

The Discover Whitewater Series (DWS) is set to host their 13th Annual Post-Race Banquet to celebrate their charity partners and to honor their sponsors, volunteers, team leaders, and community members. The Greater Whitewater Committee in partnership with the Discover Whitewater Series will present proceeds and donations to their four local charity partners: Bethel House, University of Whitewater Foundation (Athletics), J-Hawk Aquatic Club, and Whitewater LEADS.

The DWS’s Annual Banquet is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 5th at 5:00 p.m. at Willow Brook Golf Course: N9035 Highway 89, Whitewater, WI 53190. The public is more than welcome to attend this banquet to learn about what our sponsors and team leaders do for our race. If you are interested in attending, you must RSVP. To reserve your invitation and get involved, contact Em Duffek at design@knightpublicaffairs.com by Friday, October 31st. Formal invitations will be sent to those being honored in the coming weeks.

The Executive Board has met and confirmed that they are set to host the 14th Annual Race on September 20th, 2026, at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. They are looking to add two new concepts to next year’s event and are asking for the help of the community.

“We are very hopeful to reinstate the Fit Kid Shuffle,” said GWC President, Jeffery Knight. “It would be free to children under the age of 10 and include first, second, third place trophies, along with medals, for each age group: 4 and under, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10. We’re looking for an organization to manage this event as part of the DWS team.”

Next year’s event will also incorporate a new traveling trophy for 5k teams. The two categories will be teams made up of sponsors/businesses or student organizations that can create groups of four and top three times will solidify their place as top finishers. Whoever wins the traveling trophy will get their company/organization’s name inscribed on it and keep it until the next race.

If you have any interest in help with the Fit Kid Shuffle, the traveling trophy 5k event, or for further details, please contact Jeffery Knight at 920.728.0662 or  jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com.

About the DWS

The goal of the DWS is to promote the City of Whitewater and highlight its greatest features, while keeping everyone in the community active. All the proceeds from the race are donated to local non-profit partners: Bethel House (which provides interim housing for homeless families), J-Hawk Aquatic Club, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Foundation of Athletics, and Whitewater LEADS. The DWS partners with the city, business community, and university to make this a tremendous event that benefits all who participate. For more information about the race visit www.runwhitewater.com. For further details, please contact Jeffery Knight, Executive Director at 920.728.0662 or jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com.

Editor’s note: This press release was provided by Knight Public Affairs.

Storytime
Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. | September 10^th-November 19^th
Cravath Lakefront Building
Ages 2-5

Join Miss Deana for stories, songs, and silliness!

Storytimes are best for children ages 2-5, but older and younger siblings are always welcome.  No registration is required.  Please contact Deana Rolfsmeyer at (262) 458-2788 with any questions.  Please note that there is no Storytime on Wednesday, November 12^th.

Steve Watson writes “Cravath Lakefront Park fall photos. It’s pretty pretty at the park.”

Our thanks to Steve Watson for sharing these beautiful fall photos.

— 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!