Early City Motto "The Banner Inland City of the Midwest"
The Banner has been serving Whitewater, Wisconsin since August 1, 2006
Today is Tuesday, June 10, 2025
News & Events
To add an event, click here to go to the Community Calendar. Then, click on Submit Event.
Helpful Links
Search our Archives
To search our archives, enter a search term in the search box, then press enter to search.
In Memoriam, the family of Albert Benedict invite visitors to an open studio to view his art work.
Time: 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Date: Saturday, August 17, 2024
Location: Email benedictsculpture@gmail.com for details
Website: https://tinyurl.com/benedictsculpture
Nearly 300 people filled the 841 Brewhouse banquet hall last Friday, July 26, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Community ESL (English as a Second Language) Program of Whitewater.
The gala, which included music, dinner, a recognition ceremony and dance, honored the many individuals and organizations that have partnered with founders Jorge Islas Martínez and Sandra Heyer over the years to teach English and life-skills to language
learners and families new to the area.
Members from all sectors of the community—education, business, city government, health care, social services, etc.— and many past and present students, teachers and their families attended.
The owner of the 841 Brewhouse, Jim Burns, says it was the most heavily-attended event they’ve hosted in recent years.
Honored contributors to the ESL Program were: Sarah S. Lynn, Anjie Kokan, José A. Martínez, Marlene Martínez, Margaret Fischer, Simone McKinney, Wallace Sherlock, Terilyn Robles, Alisson Keiser, Jessie Dugan, Katherine Konover, Susan Huss-Lederman, Silvana Del Val, Maritza Guerra Sucuc, Jesús Vargas, Margaret Jones, Antonio Cortez, Jennifer Paulson, Marta Aranda, Henrrique Alas Melgar, Rita C. Luna, Yasmin Palomec García, and Mireyda Palomec Cortes. In addition, Islas-Martínez
received a special honor from Voces de la Frontera for his community advocacy.
The Whitewater Community ESL Program would like to thank the many individuals and organizations that supported the event. Among them were: the Mexican Consulate, Voces de la Frontera, Whitewater Unites Lives, the Immigrant Support Coalition,
Rainbow Community Care, Planned Parenthood, Whitewater Unified School District, Fort Community Credit Union, Associated Bank, Premier Bank, Katzman Farm, Soberalski Immigration Law Firm, Open Arms Free Clinic, Rock River Clinic, the Methodist Church, and McCullough’s Pharmacy. A special thanks to The Community Space for its support and to Marco Wence, who provided music. There were many others in attendance who contributed to a wonderful showing of community spirit.
Lisa Huempfner
Immigrant Support Coalition
Editor’s note: A previous article on the Banner provides additional background about the Community ESL program.
Please note the new location for the Memory Cafe at the Whitewater Senior Center in Starin Park. The library will be under construction very soon, and the Senior Center will be our home for the foreseeable future. As always, registration is requested, but never required. Online registration is available at librarymemoryproject.org/events
Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library.
The Fall Electronics & Appliance Recycling Event will be held on Saturday, August 17 from 8-11 a.m. at the Jefferson County Fair Park (503 N. Jackson Ave, Jefferson). The event is open to households only. You do not need to register for the event! Simply, come to the Jefferson County Fair Park between 8 and 11 a.m. Fees apply for some items. Feel free to bring items from multiple residences/ families.
Recyclable Items with NO Recycling Fees: Amplifiers, Bread Makers, Cables, Calculators, Camera Equipment, CD Players, Cell Phones, Coffee Makers, Computer Mice, Computer Towers, Controllers, Copiers (desktop), Cordless Phones, Curling Irons, Digital Cameras, DVD Players, DVRs, Eight-Track Tape Players, Electronic Toys, Fax Machines (desktop), Film Cameras, Flat Irons, Food Processors, Game Systems, GPS Devices, Hair Dryers, Headsets, Keyboards, Lab Equipment, Landline Telephones, Laptops, Lawn and Garden Equipment (electric only), Microphones, Mixers, Modems, MP3 Players, Netbooks, Paper Shredders, Phone Systems, Power Cords, Power Tools, Printers (desktop), Record Player, Robotic Equipment, Rotary Phones, Routers, Satellite Phones, Satellite Receivers, Saws, Scanners (desktop), Servers, Sewing Machines, Speakers, Tablets, Toasters, Turntables, Vacuum Cleaners, and MORE! NO BATTERIES OR BULBS ACCEPTED!
Flat Screen and Tube TVs (per unit):
- 29” and under = $20.00
- 30” to 49” = $40.00
- 50” to 69” = $60.00
- Wooden Console (any size) = $60.00
- Projection (any size) = $60.00
- 70+”=$70.00 + $1.00 for every inch larger than 70”
Freon & Appliances:
- Microwaves / Large Copy Machines: $15 Each
- Mini Fridges / Small AC Units / Dehumidifiers: $20 Each
- Refrigerators / Larger Freezers: $35 Each
- Stoves / Washers / Dryers / Dishwashers: $25 Each
No hazardous waste, latex paint or unused prescription drugs will be collected at this event. Please refer to our website on how to properly dispose of these items. For information about this or upcoming events, go to www.Jeffersoncountywi.gov/cleansweep or call Kim at 920-674-7430.
Editor’s note: All City of Whitewater residents are eligible to participate in this event, even if they reside in Walworth County. Jefferson County has an agreement with Walworth County
Are you looking for employees and are interested in learning more about the best way to hire from the Newcomer populations in Wisconsin?
The Jefferson County Human Resources Management Association (JCHRMA) has recently embarked on an exciting new chapter! We are laser-focused on empowering local and Wisconsin HR professionals and business owners to tap into the talent of newcomer workers from immigrant, ESL and refugee communities through programs like humanitarian parole, Welcome Corps, visas, and international workforce/asylee initiatives.
Join us for this groundbreaking event designed for business owners and hiring managers to gain invaluable insights into hiring best practices, cultural understanding and the nuances of employing diverse populations.
We’ll cover successful integration strategies for newcomers with your existing workforce, including transportation, housing, ESL/ELL support with technology, and retention tactics. Success stories will be highlighted.
Additionally, we’ll discuss training opportunities surrounding basic skills, soft skills, and available resources to facilitate a smooth onboarding process.
Keynotes from industry leaders will kickstart enlightening discussions. A comprehensive hiring manual and website will be developed after the conference, putting valuable resources at your fingertips.
The conference agenda may be found here.
Let’s make a real impact together in Wisconsin and beyond. Register now and be part of this transformative conference.
For more details or to get involved, reach out to Matt Glowacki at President@JCHRMA.org.
Hope to see you on August 6th. Space is limited, please register soon. We will be at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 W Main St, Whitewater, WI 53190. The event venue is the Hamilton Room in the James R. Connor University Center. A continental breakfast and box lunch will be served. Please notify me if you have any specific food preferences or allergies. We will be parking in lot 12 and 14. We do need your license plate number on the vehicle you will be arriving with to pay for your on-campus parking for the day. Please email your plate information to President@JCHRMA.org
Editor’s note: We are sorry for the late notice of this event, which we just happened upon. It appears that space may still be available, as the registration button is still functional. General registration is $65 plus $6.21 in fees, and government/agency fee is $49 plus $5.13 in fees.
The Friends of Lorine Niedecker, Inc. is dedicated to preserving and expanding the legacy of Lorine Niedecker, a preeminent 20th century Wisconsin poet. The organization offers access to research archives and educational materials, and publishes The Solitary Plover, a semiannual newsletter, and What Region, a monograph series. More information about this organization can be found at https://lorineniedecker.org/
The Friends of Lorine Niedecker will host a reading by the poets published in the Summer 2024 Solitary Plover on Thursday, August 8 at 6:30 p.m. CDT.
We invite you to join us for this virtual reading conducted on Zoom. To access the Zoom presentation go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81761798711
Whitewater Unified School District School Board – Monday @ 6:00 p.m. – CLOSED SESSION , to discuss a student issue, to discuss the superintendent evaluation.
Whitewater High School Library
534 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin
6:00 p.m.
———————————————–
6:00 p.m. via Zoom Online
– URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84226228970?pwd=IGtH0j0KRU13XrYnVirakH9ZQvAScP.1
– Passcode: 626233
———————————————–
– Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
– Webinar ID: 842 2622 8970
– Passcode: 626233
———————————————–
Closed Session
———————————————–
7:00 p.m. via Zoom Online – OPEN SESSION
Agenda (click on “meetings” in upper right cornter) includes high school scorecard review, track resurfacing, Bray Facilities Planning Update, and Graduation Requirements; High School Credit Earned in Middle School
– URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89188725682?pwd=dW1HaHd4Skg1cktxODFIMzYxZGpsQT09
– Passcode: 940103
———————————————-
– Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
– Webinar ID: 891 8872 5682
– Passcode: 940103
City of Whitewater Public Test of Ballot Machines – Tuesday from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Where: City of Whitewater Municipal Building, 2nd floor Cravath Lakefront
Conference Room, 312 W. Whitewater St.
A quorum of the Common Council/Committee members may be present. This notice is given to inform the public that no formal action will be taken at this training. The event is open to the public.
City of Whitewater Common Council – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m.
Agenda includes first reading of Ordinance 2024-O-12 an ordinance regarding revisions to Chapter 12.22 Construction
Standards Adopted, Sidewalk Ordinance, Discussion and Possible Action regarding forming a Spring Splash Task Force, Discussion and Possible Action regarding wording for Advisory Referendum Question regarding expenditures to maintain the Starin Park Water Tower. Closed session, to be followed by open session: Petition received from Janesville Fire Fighters IAFF Local 580, and Settlement agreement between the City of Whitewater and Jill Gerber.
Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room,
312 West Whitewater St.
*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/82331395004?pwd=9pMq2zCqmvKLtVQQ6dGMP21CIcPwdb.1
Telephone: +1 (312) 626-6799
Webinar ID: 823 3139 5004
Passcode: 530135
City of Whitewater Landmarks Commission – Wednesday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda includes Discussion and consideration of the status of the Old City Hall Bell and old city bricks, Discussion and possible action on who should serve on the ad hoc committee for the Effigy Mounds strategic plan.
Cravath Lakefront room 2nd floor 312 West
Whitewater Str, Whitewater, WI, 53190 *In Person
and Virtual
Wednesday, August 07, 2024 – 6:00 PM
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
Aug 7, 2024, 6:00 – 8:30 PM (America/Chicago)
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/608028117
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 608-028-117
United States: +1 (224) 501-3412
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
The “road closed ahead” signs that are still posted on the approach to the Tratt Street and Starin Road intersection may be disregarded, as the construction project has been completed ahead of schedule. The originally announced estimated completion date was August 9. Water main, sanitary sewer, curb and gutter spot repairs, pedestrian ramp ADA improvements, and new asphalt were included in this project.
Meanwhile, Fremont Street is still closed from Starin Road to Whitewater Creek, with an original estimated construction completion date of September 1. Further, the westbound lane of the Highway 12 bypass is currently closed, with a projected reopen date of August 9 at 6:00 p.m.
Obituaries
A Celebration of Life for Dick Enstad will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025 from 9:30-11:30 AM at Nitardy Funeral Home, 550 North Newcomb Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to First English Lutheran Church or an organization of your choice. “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count; it’s the life in your years.” ~Abraham Lincoln
Read More
Clarence Everett Hansen, Jr. (Bud), 87, passed away on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at his family home in LaGrange, WI at 1:30 PM. Bud was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on December 6, 1937, to Clarence Hansen Sr. and Ruth (Dalson) Hansen and was baptized at Bethlehem Church in Milwaukee. Bud graduated from Lutheran High School in Milwaukee on June 9, 1955. Following high school, Bud enlisted in the US Army and was a light weapons specialist and sharpshooter. He was stationed in Germany and upon honorable discharge, served in the Army Reserves until 1962. Bud married his wife, of 63 … Read more
Read More
Edward (Ed) Geske passed away to the Great Workshop in the Sky on May 25, 2025, due to years of severe infections of the urinary tract. Edward E. Geske was born on Thanksgiving Day to Elmer and Alice McMillan Geske on November 25, 1943 at the family home in Crystal Lake, Illinois. He was accompanied by his twin sister, Marjorie, on this momentous occasion. Edward’s siblings are: Nancy(Tom) Trewyn, Arlene (Richard) Trewyn, Marjorie Petska, Susan (Gordy) Gimiski, Ray (Patti) Geske, and Mary (Gale) Smith. Ed grew up and attended elementary school in Lima Center, WI, later graduating from Whitewater High School. … Read more
Read More
Irv A. Madsen, 86, Whitewater, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, March 02, 2025. He was born in Askov, MN on May 20, 1938, to Ludvig and Augusta Madsen. Irv graduated from Amery High School in 1956 and received his Bachelor’s Degree from UW-Whitewater in 1960 and his Master’s Degree from UW-Madison in 1965. He began his career teaching Business Education at Milton High School and then moved to UW-Whitewater to become the Director of Admissions for 42 years. During his time at UW-Whitewater he coached Women’s Softball, announced Football games for 50 years and was “the voice of … Read more
Read More
Faith Ann Hansen, 83, passed away on the evening of Monday, May 19th at Alden Estates in Jefferson, Wisconsin. She was born on April 20th, 1942, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the daughter of Donald Hansen and Doris (Ceel) Hansen. Faith graduated from Brookfield Central High School. Following high school she married Clarence (Bud) Hansen, Jr. and owned and ran the Twin Oaks Inn bar in Little Prairie, WI. Faith then worked at the Lakeland Nursing Home for over 30 years, while there earning her nursing degree from MATC in 1992. She was a member of First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater … Read more
Read More
Ann S. Eckert, 85, of Port Charlotte, FL, died on Monday, April 7, 2025, at Advent Hospital in Port Charlotte, FL. She was born in Madison, WI, on October 16, 1939. Ann was the only child of Clifford and Virginia Peterson. Ann was married for 65 years to Rev. Jerry Eckert. They had two children, David and Karen. Ann was a 1957 graduate of New London High School and earned her BS degree at Texas Women’s University in Denton, TX, in 1961 with a major in home economics education. She taught a year in Seagoville, TX, and a part of … Read more
Read More
Robert (Bob) John O’Hara, a cherished member of our family and friends, passed away May 19, 2025. Bob was born September 14, 1956, to Charlotte Anna (Wallack) Lewers and Robert James O’Hara. Bob grew up in Elk Grove Village, IL and graduated from Elk Grove High School in 1974. He relocated to Whitewater, WI in 1986 and worked various warehouse distribution positions and ended his career as a manager. A significant life event occurred in 1998 when his precious daughter, Kelly Lynd O’Hara, was born. Kelly was an important focus of his life and he enjoyed watching her grow … Read more
Read More
BRADLEY TERESA ANN Teresa Ann Bradley, age 84, of Yankton, SD passed away Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at Avera Sister James Care Center, Yankton, SD. Memorial service will be 10:30 am Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Yankton with Fr. Thi Pham officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Onsite Crematory is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent at www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com. Teresa Ann was born in Chicago, Illinois, November 23,1940, to Paul and Hildegard (Weinandt) Bradley. She lived on a 5-acre farm in what is … Read more
Read More
Michael “Mike” J. Higgins, age 69, a lifelong resident of Whitewater, passed away May 13, 2025, at home. He was born May 15, 1955, in Fort Atkinson, the son of Merwyn “Mert” and Mary Ann (Krause) Higgins. He attended Whitewater schools and was a long-time mechanic at Fero’s Auto Repair, enjoying lunches at Rick’s at his reserved table. He retired after many years of service of the Whitewater Fire and Rescue Departments as Chief. He enjoyed spending time up north at his property hunting. He leaves behind long-time love of his life, Jody Buckingham and kids, Sherry (Al Jr.) Lemke … Read more
Read More
Susan (Sue) Rhoda Schlough (nee Smith) was born August 11, 1936, in Barron, WI to Daniel and Ella Smith. The second of six siblings born during the Depression years, family-life was a meager and frugal experience, where Sue gained first-hand experience in making best use of all resources to meet the needs of a large family, which served her well in other life endeavors. During Sue’s teenage years, three significant events occurred that would become the foundation of her life’s work and dedication. The first of these events was choosing to become a Methodist, joining her local First United Methodist … Read more
Read More