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The Banner has been serving Whitewater, Wisconsin since August 1, 2006
Today is Friday, October 9, 2026
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Mark Dorn writes “Some hearty souls!”
Thanks to Mark Dorn for sharing this chilly holiday 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!
Updated 1/2/26 @ 9:30 p.m. with up-to-date information about Council candidates.
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Anyone wishing to run for city, state or federal office must complete the necessary steps by Tuesday, January 6 at 5 p.m. For Common Council, nomination papers with at least 25 signatures must be submitted for a district seat, or 50 signatures for an at-large position. The clerk’s office at the municipal building is closed on New Year’s Eve and Day. It will be open on January 2 and January 5 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on January 6 until 5:00 p.m.
City of Whitewater Common Council
Three City of Whitewater Common Council seats are up for election on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. If there are more than two candidates in any race there will be a primary on February 17, 2026. Per City Clerk Heather Boehm, the following is the status of the nomination filings, which are listed in alphabetical order.
District 2 (Currently represented by Orin Smith, who has filed a noncandidacy statement)
Gavin Kelleher, 451 Warhawk Drive – campaign registration is complete.
Sean Liebherr, 771 W. Lauderdale Drive, campaign registration is complete.
District 4 (Currently represented by Brian Schanen)
One other person has indicated an interest in running but has not yet completed any papers.
Brian Schanen, 441 S. Buckingham Blvd., campaign registration is complete.
At-large (Currently represented by Greg Majkrzak, who has filed a noncandidacy statement)
Teresa Golembiewski, 1180 Bloomingfield Drive, campaign registration is complete.
Orin Smith, 329 N. Tratt St., campaign registration is complete.
Aubrey Thompson has submitted her campaign registration forms but has not yet submitted her nomination signatures.
Whitewater Unified School District
Information regarding the School Board election may be found here.
Walworth County Supervisor, District 4
District 4 represents the western portion of the city; a map may be found here.
Incumbent Al Stanek has indicated that he is not running for re-election.
Tyler Schneider has announced that he is a candidate.
The Banner has not sought an update from the county, but understands that no one else had filed as of December 31.
Walworth County Supervisor, District 3
Incumbent Brian Holt has not filed a noncandidacy statement.
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U.S. House of Representatives
The general election for this position is not until November 3. It is very likely that a primary will be held on August 11, as the following candidates have already been announced:
Bryan Steil (Incumbent) (Republican Party)
Miguel Aranda (Democratic Party)
Mitchell Berman (Democratic Party)
Randy Bryce (Democratic Party)
Enrique Casiano (Democratic Party)
Gage Stills (Democratic Party)
Connor Walleck (Republican Party)
Adam Follmer (Independent)
State offices – November election
Walworth County Sheriff – November election
Incumbent sheriff Dave Gerber has filed a noncandidacy statement.
John’s Disposal will be closed on:
New Year’s Day – Thursday, January 1, 2026 – Collection will be delayed by one day.
Residents may contact John’s Disposal directly by calling (262) 473-4700 or by emailing
office@johnsdisposal.com. You may also view their website at https://www.johnsdisposal.com.
Brad Marquardt
Director of Public Works
262-473-0139
bmarquardt@whitewater-wi.gov
For other requests, visit https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/RequestTracker.aspx.
Penny Ardelt has been part of the First Citizens State Bank family for nearly 27 years and has had the opportunity to work with many community members through her roles in New Accounts/Relationship Banking and Business Development. Please join First Citizens State Bank in wishing Penny all the best as she begins her retirement journey! An open house will be held at the bank’s main office at 207 W. Main Street in Whitewater on Friday, January 2nd from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Stop in, have some cake, and share stories and well wishes for Penny’s next adventures.
Dawn Hunter writes, “Ice Discs or Ice Pancakes: This rarely seen formation was spotted on the spillway near the Trippe Lake Park just before Christmas. These discs need the right air and water temperatures, plus the right amount of swirling water motion to form. Mother Nature’s holiday gift to the viewer.”
Our thanks to Dawn Hunter for sharing her rarely seen experience through these 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!
The annual Parade of Lights took place on a fairly chilly night on December 5. Photos are courtesy of Tom Ganser.
Plant Diagnostics: The Step-by-Step Approach to Identifying Plant Problems is an online course offered by the UW-Madison Extension Horticulture Program. The course, which runs Feb. 1-April 30, 2026, teaches basic troubleshooting skills for plant-related problems.
Learn the step-by-step process for identifying plant problems in your yard, garden, and even indoors. This course introduces the plant diagnostic process in an easy-to-understand way. Anyone who is interested in becoming a better gardener, regardless of skill level, is invited to register. This course is open to all Wisconsin gardeners of all skill levels, as well as commercial horticulture practitioners.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
● Explain the steps of the diagnostic process
● Identify appropriate resources to use for diagnostics
● Know how to access UW-Madison Extension diagnostic labs and services for additional support
Plant Diagnostics: The Step-by-Step Approach to Identifying Plant Problems is completely self- paced with 13 modules that contain videos, readings, and interactive activities. Participants are also invited to attend two live webinars, “Putting the Process into Practice: Real World Diagnostics”, led by UW-Madison Extension educators, and “Meet the Labs!”, with UW- Madison diagnostic lab directors.
Registration for the general public and commercial professionals is open until Jan. 29, 2026. An Early Bird registration discount is available now through Jan. 19 at a rate of $99. The regular registration rate ($119) is in place Jan. 22-29. Wisconsin Extension Master Gardeners are eligible for a special discounted rate of $49.
Find more information about this course and register at: go.wisc.edu/ExtDiagnosticsCourse
Questions? Contact the course moderator, Amy Freidig at
gardening.class@extension.wisc.edu.
Two felting workshops will take place next month in Whitewater. They are set for 5 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 12 and 26 at Wisconsin Makers, 200 E. Clay St. Attendees — beginners to advanced felters — may work on needle or wet felting or both. They may attend one or both sessions. The fee for each class is $20, materials included, with payment that night. Register by calling instructor Leani Schoor at (608) 421- 4078 or emailing her at
leanischoor@gmail.com.
Having earned her bachelor of science degree in art education and master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Schoor taught art at Jefferson High School for 38 years. The owner of Studio 2154 in Madison, she teaches wet and needle felting, beadwork, glass fusing, cement yard art, ceramics, copper enameling, metal work and quilting.
Located at the corner of East Clay and Wisconsin streets in Whitewater, Wisconsin Makers is a makerspace or community workshop. For more information, contact Chris Spangler at (920) 728-2960.
Obituaries
Sally A. Schutte, age 73, of Whitewater, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on September 21, 2026, while at Hearthstone Memory Care in Whitewater. Sally was born on November 6, 1952, to Roy and Elsie (Rohloff) Haas. Sally married William Schutte in the spring of 2003. Sally grew up on the family farm in the Town of Hebron and graduated from Jefferson High School. She dedicated nearly her entire career to Fort HealthCare, where her hard work and versatility shone through various roles. Over the years, she served in housekeeping and medical records, Center for Dermatology. Sally … Read more
Zachariah “Zach” Schoenke, 41, of Whitewater passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. He was born April 4, 1985, to Keith W. Schoenke and Kathleen Schoenke in Fort Atkinson, WI. He grew up and graduated from Whitewater High School in 2003. Zach worked various jobs over the years but was currently working at Cracker Barrel in Janesville. He was a big Packers Fan and liked to play fantasy football. He enjoyed reading, cooking, and watching horror shows. Zach fiercely loved his son, Lincoln, his sisters, Cami and Cary, his mom and stepdad, and his aunt Robin. He will be dearly … Read more
Carla Winn, 82, died September 5, 2026. Funeral Service will be at 12:00 PM, Saturday, September 12, 2026, at East Heights United Methodist Church, 4407 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, KS 67218, followed by a burial at 2:00 PM at White Chapel Memorial Garden 1806 N Oliver Ave. Carla is preceded in death by her parents, Vivian Dwight and Wilma Lois Krehbiel; and sister, Jennifer Krehbiel. She is survived by husband, Stephen; daughter, Ashley (Clint) Gagel, of Overland Park; siblings, Paul (Kay) Krehbiel, of Socorro, NM, Lynn (Bill) Oetting, of Wichita, Ellen (John) Querner, of Wichita, Teresa Woodson, of Lawrence, KS, … Read more
Susan Miller Celebration of Life There will be a gathering of friends and acquaintances at Susan’s Farm Store to celebrate Susan’s life on Saturday, September 19th from 2-5 p.m. at N6623 Lake Lorraine Rd., Delavan, Wisconsin
Our loving mother, JoAnn E Harrop, age 95, passed away on September 11, 2026. Our sorrow is deep, but we are filled with gratitude for the many years we had with her. Even as her mind was failing, she remained strong and appreciative of all who cared for her. JoAnn was born on January 13, 1931, daughter to Fred Braun and Evelyn Braun {Storck). She was raised in Whitewater, Wisconsin by her grandparents, Otto and Edith Storck. She attended Whitewater High School and helped at the Storck tavern where she met her husband Earl C. Harrop. They married on November … Read more
Russell O. Johnson “Russ,” 88, passed away on September 4, 2026 in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Russell was born on July 12, 1938, in Janesville, Wisconsin. Russ grew up in Janesville, and after high school he joined the Air Force on May 1, 1958, serving as an aircraft mechanic until June 12, 1962. He then worked at Parker Pen in Janesville for a time, where he met his future wife, Avis. After marrying Avis Mason in April 1964, Russ worked for Gillman Manufacturing for a time, then began a career at Dana until its closing in 1980. In 1981, Russ started working … Read more
Marcia Zingg, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 1, 2026, at the age of 75. Marcia will be remembered for her unwavering love, remarkable strength, generous spirit, and lifelong devotion to her family. She shared 40 wonderful years of marriage with her husband, Jeffrey Zingg, who considered her not only his wife but also his best friend, business partner, and the love of his life. Together, Marcia and Jeffrey built a successful life rooted in perseverance, hard work, laughter, and love. As entrepreneurs in Whitewater, Wisconsin, they owned and managed new car franchises and … Read more
Amanda Jean Hunter was born to Ralph and Malinda (Thomas) Hunter of Whitewater, Wisconsin, on October 6, 1976. She passed away on August 4, in Fort Worth, Texas, where she lived with her family. Amanda passed peacefully in the hospital, surrounded by her loved ones. Amanda was a kind-hearted free spirit with an unmistakable hippie warmth. Generosity, spontaneity, a quick wit, a macabre sense of humor, and an open heart were traits that she embraced. She was a tireless champion of those in need, an innate characteristic that became among the best of her qualities. She proved to be a … Read more
Ellen Eichmiller, 82, of Whitewater, Wisconsin, passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Ellen was born on September 10, 1943, in Monroe, Wisconsin, to Chester “Guy” and Irene (née Holmen) Steig. She married the love of her life, Paul Eichmiller, on December 7, 1963, and together they made their home in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Ellen spent much of her working life as a secretary at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, where she formed many lasting friendships and memories. Ellen cherished her family and friends and treasured the time she spent with those closest to her. She was known for her love of … Read more
Janet Quinn, age 71, of Jefferson passed away on Thursday, August 20th. Janet was born on December 22nd, 1954 in St. Joseph, MI to Robert Mounsey and Edith Christison Mounsey. She was a granddaughter to Herbert Bragg Mounsey, Charlotte Mounsey, and Ester Christison West. She married Michael Durden in 1979 and later married Eury Quinn Jr. (J.R.) in 1988. Janet grew up in Benton Harbor, MI, and subsequently lived in New York and Arkansas before moving to Wisconsin in 2016. She was a dedicated caregiver to her disabled Mother, and worked as a custodian for various employers over the years. … Read more
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