News & Events

Wisconsin Makers in Whitewater is offering two origami classes in November. Rebecca Finster will teach an introductory class on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and an intermediate designs class Thursday, Nov. 6. Both start at 7
p.m. at the makerspace, located at 200 East Clay St.

Classes are subject to pre-registration and limited to 10 participants age 10 and older. To register, call or text Chris Spangler at (920) 728- 2960. The classes are being offered for free; however, a free-will offering of $20 is suggested. All materials will be provided.

Finster, who has studied with origami masters, graduated from Janesville’s Craig High School in 1973. She went on to earn an art degree in 1979 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a graphic design certification from the Portfolio Center in Atlanta, Ga., in 1983.

Finster worked as a graphic designer for UW- Madison’s Agriculture Journalism and UW- Extension programs from 1984-91 and as a middle school art teacher at Eagle School in Madison from 2005-15.

Wisconsin Makers is a makerspace that creates an affordable, collaborative and educational environment that inspires people of all ages to becoming innovators within their communities by unlocking their skills through continual training. It has members from Jefferson, Walworth, Rock and Waukesha counties and beyond, and all have access to the workshops around the clock. The facility houses machine, welding/fabrication, electronics, automotive, 3-D printing, laser engraving and woodworking shops. It also offers pottery, ceramics, metal art, quilting, fabric arts, matting/framing and more. The building is accessible and has off-street parking, Wi-Fi, and many other amenities. For more information about the makerspace, contact Spangler at (920) 728-2960.

Kind people have been asking about how The Community Space (TCS) is faring with the surge in demand for food, especially with the expected suspension of SNAP benefits for folks. We have already been seeing new faces and longer lines and expect the need to increase.

What we are doing:

 Putting out extra red baskets to move people through the food pantry more quickly.

 Working with local organizations to coordinate food drives for us. (Thanks!)

 Looking at possible grants to secure more food.

 Updating our website and adding a means to make online donations.

If you’d like to help:

 Food donations — peanut butter, canned tuna and chicken, and breakfast cereals are especially needed — can be dropped off Tues 8:30-10:45 am; Wed 3:30-6:45 pm; Sat 8:30 am-11:45 a.m.

 Monetary donations really let us put our savvy shopping powers to work. Donations of any amount can be made out to “The Community Space” and mailed to P.O. Box 213, Whitewater WI 53190 or dropped off at TCS. (We’ll let you know when online donations can be made.) TCS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by The Community Space.

The following University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students are among the more than 4,300 Warhawks who are first-generation college students at the Whitewater and Rock County campuses:

53190 Whitewater, WI: Rori Nikole, whose major is Communication at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Stephanie Hensel, whose major is Accounting at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Yovanni Rojas-Reyes, whose major is Human Performance at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Mariana Aranda, whose major is Finance at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Meng Cheng, whose major is Legal Studies at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Ally Smith, whose major is Psychology at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Stephanie Goettl, whose major is Communication – MS at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Katherine Sainsbury, whose major is Elementary Education at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Kasi Hall, whose major is Social Work – MSW at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Toya Butler, whose major is Communication at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Alexis Faber, whose major is Art at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Jaciel Flores, whose major is Marketing at UW-Whitewater.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Whitney Meisner, whose major is Supply Chain Management at UW-Whitewater.

First-generation college students – or students who are the first in their families to attend college – make up more than one-third of the undergraduate population at UW-Whitewater. Fifty-eight percent of students on the Rock County campus alone are first-generation.

UW-Whitewater is proud to participate in the annual First-Generation College Celebration, a national effort led by First-Gen Forward. Held on Nov. 8, FGCC Day not only champions first-gen students’ contributions to their communities but to connect them to the resources they need for success.

As part of the celebration, the university will hold a kickoff event at noon on Monday, Nov. 3, at the University Center, the Whitewater campus’s student union. [See this Whitewater Banner article for more information.] A pop-up exhibit featuring photo portraits of first-generation Warhawk students, faculty, and staff is currently on display at Roberta’s Art Gallery, and students at both campuses are enjoying free giveaways all week.

Chancellor Corey A. King is one of several Warhawk faculty and staff members who were the first in their families to graduate from college and was one of the people featured in last year’s exhibit. He was recently named a top executive in southern Wisconsin by the Milwaukee Business Journal.

“College just opened the world for me,” King said in a video recording last fall. “From meeting people from various journeys and backgrounds and beliefs and ideas, gaining friends; it just really developed me personally, both inside and outside of the classroom.”

UW-Whitewater is dedicated to eliminating barriers to first-generation student success. Last fall, the university opened One Stop, a space dedicated to one-on-one support for students to direct them to resources on topics including financial aid, financial services, scholarships, advising, course registration, and student life.

Learn more about the ways UW-Whitewater supports and celebrates first-generation Warhawks at uww.edu/students/first-generation.

Editor’s note: This press release was provided by UW-Whitewater. A number of the students listed are likely not long-term Whitewater residents; however, they have registered with the city being their residence.

Updated on 11/3/25 @ 3:40 p.m. to add WUSD meeting on Wednesday.

Innovation Center Advisory Panel – Monday @ 1:00 p.m.
Agenda includes UW-Whitewater update and discussion, Community Development Authority update and discussion, City of Whitewater update and discussion, Executive session followed by open session: Discussion and possible action regarding negotiation of leases.
Innovation Center, 1221 Innovation Drive,
Conference Room 115, Whitewater, WI 53190
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or
telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
You are invited to a Zoom webinar!
Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83578755697?pwd=qfL6uibEG7Nmc7NbearMmmboqwMw5c.1
Passcode:314606
Phone one-tap:
+19292056099,,83578755697#,,,,314606# US (New York) +13017158592,,83578755697#,,,,314606# US (Washington DC)
Join via audio:
+1 312 626 6799 US
Webinar ID: 835 7875 5697
Passcode: 314606

Whitewater Unified School District Policy Review Committee – Monday @ 4:30 p.m.
Agenda (click on “meetings” in upper right corner.)
Whitewater Unified School District Central Office
419 South Elizabeth Street

City of Whitewater Common Council – Tuesday @ 6:00 p.m. – NOTE CHANGE OF LOCATION
Agenda includes Presentation and Brief Overview of the 2026-2027 Draft Budget, Comparable Municipal Utility Rate Review.
UW Whitewater, University Center, 190 Hamilton Green Way, 2nd Floor, RM 259, Whitewater, WI
*In Person and Virtual
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please click the link below to join:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82869828051?pwd=k3DbC7vrPenpXPgq1W6dbaNQL9YRgc.1
Telephone: +1 (312) 626-6799 US
Webinar ID:828 6982 8051
Passcode: 348221

Whitewater Unified School District Employee Benefits and Compensation Committee = Wednesday @ 3:45 p.m.
Whitewater High School Library
534 South Elizabeth Street

City of Whitewater Landmarks Commission – Wednesday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda includes Update on Effigy Mounds and Historical Garden, Update and discussion on the Birge Fountain and Starin Park Water Tower.
Cravath Lakefront room 2nd floor 312 West Whitewater St, Whitewater, WI, 53190
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or
telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Landmarks Commission
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/738784765
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 738-784-765
United States: +1 (571) 317-3122
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install

Jim Allen Memorial Bench Dedication – Thursday @ 5:00 p.m.
Trippe Lake Park Lower Shelter, 407 South Wisconsin Street, Whitewater, WI 53190.

City of Whitewater Public Arts Commission – Thursday @ 5:00 p.m.
Cravath Lakefront room 2nd floor 312 West Whitewater St
Agenda includes Review and possible action in selection and recommendation of Artist to the Department
of Public Works Commission for the 2026 Artful Transformations Traffic Boxes.
*In Person and Virtual
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or
telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/199917085
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 199-917-085
United States: +1 (872) 240-3412
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install

Yovani Ramirez Mendoza, 28, of 600 E. North Street, was charged with three counts of manufacture/deliver cocaine (15-40g) and three counts of bail jumping. All were charged as felonies.

Anner Amilkar Bustamante Talavera, 30, of 645 E. North Street, was charged with Manufacture/Deliver cocaine (1-5g) with a modifier as a party to a crime, Manufacture/Deliver cocaine (5-15g) with a modifier as a party to a crime, two counts of forgery/uttering, and Maintain a Drug Trafficking Place. All were charged as felonies.

Editor’s notes: The above information is taken from the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website.

It is a cardinal principle of our system of justice that every person accused of a crime is presumed to be innocent unless and until his or her guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt.

Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday, November 2nd at 2:00 a.m. In 2022 the U.S. Senate approved a bill known as the Sunshine Protection Act to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. But the legislation stalled in the House, as there was debate about whether to make standard or daylight time permanent. The bipartisan bill continues to be promoted, but it still hasn’t been passed. Even this past week an effort, endorsed by President Trump, was made to pass such a bill by unanimous consent in the Senate, but Tom Cotton of Arkansas blocked the bill. Cotton stated “If permanent Daylight Savings Time becomes the law of the land, it will again make winter a dark and dismal time for millions of Americans…For many Arkansans, permanent daylight savings time would mean the sun wouldn’t rise until after 8:00 or even 8:30 am during the dead of winter,” Cotton continued. “The darkness of permanent savings time would be especially harmful for school children and working Americans.”

The Rock County Sheriff’s Office offers the following safety reminders to help you prepare for an emergency.

 Check household safety items
o Smoke detectors
o Carbon monoxide detectors
o Furnaces
o Wood burning stoves
o Fire extinguishers

Create or update emergency kits for home
and vehicle(s)
o Swap summer items for winter items
o Restock and check expiration dates
• Batteries
• Food
• First aid supplies

For more emergency preparedness tips, visit https://readywisconsin.wi.gov. You can also
follow Ready Wisconsin on Facebook and Twitter.

UW-Whitewater is joining a national celebration of first-generation students in higher education to highlight the more than 4,300 students on its Whitewater and Rock County campuses who are the first in their families to earn a university degree. 

National First-Generation College Celebration Day on Nov. 8, 2025, shines a light on the unique strengths and needs of these students — who often lack the knowledge, support, and financial resources that students whose parents earned a degree can tap into — and the many faculty and staff who support them in their quest to be first-gen bold.

At UW-Whitewater, where 35% of the students on the Whitewater campus and 58% on the Rock County campus are first-generation, faculty and staff understand those challenges and celebrate those students — because many were first-gen themselves.

Read more.

First-Gen Celebration Reception

All are welcome to join us at noon outside of Roberta’s Art Gallery in the University Center on Monday, Nov. 3, as we kick off National First-Generation College Celebration week with a reception, exhibit, and remarks.

Listen to a brief program that includes Chancellor Corey A. King and other first-gen Warhawks from 12-12:30, and enjoy light refreshments and the exhibit, which showcases portraits of first-gen students, faculty, staff, and alumni taken by photographer Craig Schreiner.