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The Banner has been serving Whitewater, Wisconsin since August 1, 2006
Today is Monday, June 22, 2026
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Starting July 21, Starin Road between Warhawk Drive and Prairie Street will be closed to all traffic. The University is in the process of installing new steam and condensate piping. The project is anticipated to be completed by August 8. This work is weather dependent. Traffic will be detoured using Warhawk Drive, Schwager Drive and Prairie Street.
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A partir del 21 de Julio, Starin Road entre Warhawk Drive y Prairie Street estará cerrada a todo el tráfico. La Universidad está en el proceso de instalar nuevas tuberías de vapor y condensado. Se prevé que el proyecto esté terminado para el 8 de Agosto. Este trabajo depende del clima. El tráfico se desviará usando Warhawk Drive, Schwager Drive y Prairie Street.
Editor’s note: The above press release was received from the Department of Public Works.
Special Common Council Meeting for City of Whitewater & Whitewater
Unified School District School Board – Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda Discussion regarding School Resource Officer agreement- Whitewater Unified School District; Discussion and Possible Action regarding School Resource Officer agreement with Whitewater Unified School District- City of Whitewater
Whitewater High School LMC, 2nd Floor, 534 S. Elizabeth Street
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/88295102614?pwd=nWlHbClD6GkRKOeovPasL3a1w4bBh4.1
Telephone: +1 (312) 626-6799 US
Webinar ID: 882 9510 2614
Passcode: 058570
Starin Park Water Tower Community Committee – Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda
Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room, 312 West Whitewater St
*In Person and Virtual
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/167994549
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 167-994-549
United States: +1 (872) 240-3212
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install
Irvin L. Young Memorial Library Board of Trustees – Monday @ 6:30 p.m.
Agenda includes naming of the library.
Cravath Lakefront Conference Room, 312 W 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 the webinar:
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89777146348?pwd=zpOmV3adZ7k3qhC3tHIGJe1GxYEyg1.1
Meeting ID: 897 7714 6348
Passcode: P2NQ6svp
Telephone: +1 (312) 626-6799 US (Chicago)
City of Whitewater Finance Committee – Tuesday @ 5:00 p.m.
Agenda
Cravath Lakefront room 2nd floor 312 West Whitewater Str
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 the webinar: You are invited to a Zoom webinar!
Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84316558364
Phone one-tap:
+13126266799,,84316558364# US
Join via audio:
+1 312 626 6799 US
Webinar ID: 843 1655 8364
Sing, Dance, Thrive! Music & Movement Fun for Children
Do you and your young kids love to sing, dance, and play musical instruments? Do you wish you had new parenting strategies to handle stress, meltdowns, and challenging behaviors? Children ages zero to six and their caregivers are invited to “Sing, Dance, Thrive,” a free class at Cravath Lakefront Park (341 S. Fremont St.) on Monday, July 21 at 4:30-5:30 p.m. Participants will engage in imaginative music and movement adventures, playfully dance with colorful ribbons and parachutes, and nurture relationships by deepening emotional awareness and learning coping strategies for home and school.
The class is taught by Noelle Larson, a Board-Certified Music Therapist, graduate of Whitewater High School and Berklee College of Music, and the owner of Circle of Song Music Therapy, LLC. Noelle has a passion for helping clients and participants to “Connect, Thrive, and Come Alive Through Music,” strengthen family relationships, learn adaptive coping strategies, and experience wonder and joy through the delight of participating in live music making.
There is no cost or registration required to attend. While the class is best for ages 6 and under, all ages are welcome to attend. Contact Sarah French with any questions at sfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or 262-473-0530.
The city’s ongoing major project to replace all the lead water pipes, which was described in a previous Banner article, will necessitate major changes in downtown parking and traffic flow beginning on Monday, July 21. The work is anticipated to be completed by Friday, August 1.
- Parking will be prohibited on both sides of Main Street between Whitewater Street and 2nd Street. Alternative parking options are the side streets and the nearby public parking lots.
- Westbound traffic will be detoured via Whitewater Street and Franklin Street. Eastbound traffic will be shifted into the parking lane where possible to give more room for the workers.
- Pedestrian access to downtown buildings will be maintained but may shift daily based on construction progress.
The contractor is hoping to have all water service lines replaced during the week of July 21. Restoration of sidewalks, curb and gutter, and asphalt pavement is scheduled for the week of July 28. All work is anticipated to be complete and the street and parking back open by August 1st.
Editor’s note: The above information was provided by Brad Marquardt, public works director.
The Edgerton Tobacco Heritage Days Parade will step off on Sunday, July 20 at 11:30 a.m., beginning on Stoughton Road.
This year’s parade is proudly coordinated by Edgerton Tobacco Heritage Days Committee Member Anna Jensen, with support from the Edgerton Police Department and the City of Edgerton’s Department of Public Works.
“We’re excited to welcome back many local favorites in this year’s parade, along with some exciting new entries,” said Anna Jensen, Parade Coordinator. “Find your favorite spot along the route and make some unforgettable memories!”
The parade will start Stoughton Road, turns into W Rollin St, turns right on Albion St, turns left on W Fulton St, turns left on N Henry St and will end at Central Lutheran Church.
The parade will feature over 50 entries from local organizations, businesses, and community groups, including: 1953 Chevy Belair, Brown Paws Rescue Transport Van, Chris Squire Classic Cars, Cottage Grove Lions Happy Whistlers, Cripple Creek Cloggers, Edgerton High School Band, Edgerton Care Center, Edgerton Fast Pitch Softball, Edgerton FFA, Edgerton High School Dance Team, Edgerton Hospital & Health Services, Edgerton Lions, Edgerton VFW, Forsaken Souls Haunted Attraction, Friday Night Skate, Fulton Church Celebrate 175, Gemuetlichkeit Days, Jefferson, WI, Girl Scouts of Wisconsin – Badgerland, Gifts For Kids, Green Beret Marching Band, H&P Rentals of Edgerton, LLC, Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin and Job’s Daughters International Bethel #21 Edgerton.
In additional to: Kim Colby Homes, Lakeside Fire and Rescue/Edgerton Fire, Lake House Inn, Last Nite Bar and Grill, Lifes a Batch – Cookies by Laura, Model A Restorers Club of America, Perry’s Piggly Wiggly, Premier Outdoors, Renegades 4-H Club, Red Hot TradJazz Band, Rocket Cycle, Sam the Wheeler, State Assembly, Starlight Dance Edgerton, Sterling North Society, Sundowners Snowmobile Club, Sun & Stars Birth Services, Tebala Air Squadron, TRICOR, Vintage Acres Welding and Yettis Bar and Grill, Wisco Aerial & Ground Services LLC, Yankee Dutchmen Marching Band, Yackety, the Clown, Zor Shine Clowns and Zor Shrine Mincars.
For parade updates and the full Edgerton Tobacco Heritage Days schedule, visit www.edgertontobaccodays.com or follow Edgerton Tobacco Heritage Days on Facebook.
Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by Anna Jensen.
“Last Breath”
Tuesday, July 22, 1 pm
(Adventure/Thriller/True Story)
Rated PG-13. 1 hour, 33 minutes (2025).
A true story: North Sea deep-sea communication divers battle the raging sea to rescue their crew mate, trapped on the ocean ‘bottom, with oxygen and time running out. Gripping. Breathtaking. Edge of your seat! Filmed on location. Stars Woody Harrelson.
Seniors in the Park is located in Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road. Although there is no charge to attend, regular participants are encouraged to join Seniors in the Park. The annual fee for residents of the Whitewater Unified School District is $10 and non-residents is $15. The funds support about half of the cost of our front desk staff person for 15 hours per week. The rest comes out of our fundraising monies. If you cannot afford the fee, we have a fund that will cover it for you. Fees are accepted at the Starin Park Community Building or online at https://schedulesplus.com/wwtr/kiosk/
In June 2024 Kikkoman broke ground in Jefferson on a $560 million plant which is expected to begin producing soy sauce and related seasonings such as teriyaki sauce in early 2026. The plant will be the company’s third, with one in Walworth and the other in California. It is planned to be a high-tech, energy efficient factory and is projected to create over 80 jobs.
In celebration of Kikkoman’s investment, the City of Jefferson has planned a new event celebrating Japanese cuisine. The Japan-America Society of Wisconsin is also assisting with the event. The Kikkoman Cookout will take place from 12-6 p.m., Saturday, July 19, at Rotary Waterfront Park, 227 S. Gardner Ave. All ages are welcome to the free event.
According to the Daily Jefferson County Union, Jefferson Mayor Dale Oppermann said that when the Kikkoman plant groundbreaking took place last year, the soy sauce company brought in an authentic Japanese drum group, and the spectacle so impressed local leaders that they started looking into the idea of bringing in more Japanese entertainment. “We wanted to welcome Kikkoman into the Jefferson community,” Oppermann said. “There’s a lot our community doesn’t know about the new company coming in, and there’s a lot the company doesn’t know about our community. We thought, what about having an event that brings the two together and celebrates the Japanese culture at Kikkoman’s roots?”
The schedule includes:
12:00 – Opening of the event – Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, a member of the Japan America Society, a Kikkoman advisory board member and a longtime backer of the company, is scheduled to be present.
12:30 – Beni Daiko Drumming will perform
2:30 – Hibiki Taiko Drumming Performs
4:30 – Koto Strings performance
The publicity is unclear — starting at either noon or 2 p.m. there will be free samples of barbecue and other American foods, using Kikkoman sauces. Throughout the fest, there will be authentic Japanese cuisine on sale, as well as American food, produced by food trucks and restaurateurs from the Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago areas. Along with the grilling samples and the food trucks, there will also be beverages available on site for children and adults. There will be Kona Ice, in a nod to the Japanese tradition of serving shaved ice, and adult drinks including Japanese beer and non-alcoholic “Asahi.”
Chad Holpfer, parks and recreation director for the City of Jefferson, said that in keeping with the city’s goal of offering family-friendly events, there will be lots of activities appropriate for children and all ages.
Craig and Carol Cobb are happily commemorating 60 years of marriage on Thursday, August 7! The couple is planning a small family gathering to celebrate six decades of love. Congratulations to our dear “oldie-weds” on reaching this momentous milestone together.
Their mailing address is: 880 Burr Oak Trail, Whitewater.
Obituaries
Marion Jauch Burrows (Feb. 2, 1930 – June 5, 2026) Her sparkling eyes, warm laugh, and generous ways were gifts Marion brought into this world, touching family members and friends alike over the ninety-six years of her life. She was born and raised in Lombard, IL, and in the course of her life lived with her husband and growing family in Abilene, TX, St. David’s, PA, Arkadelphia, AR, Ada, OK, and Colorado Springs, CO, before settling in Whitewater, WI, in 1965. Generosity of heart, compassion toward those in need in and beyond her community, and an unwavering commitment to fairness … Read more
Patricia “Pat” Lynn Bailey, age 70, passed away peacefully on June 1, 2026 with her daughter by her side. Pat was born February 21, 1956 in Ann Arbor, Michigan to John and Ruth (Hudock) Prentice. After a brief time in Ann Arbor, the Prentice family moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin, where Pat grew up as part of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater community, where her father served as University Registrar. Pat attended the University School and later graduated from UW Whitewater with a degree in Elementary Education. Although she did not pursue teaching, she built a meaningful career in Human … Read more
Gemelino Paris Esperante, 83, long time resident of Whitewater, passed away on Thursday, June 4th, 2026. He was born on January 10, 1943, to his late father and mother, Evaristo and Carmen in Spain. In 1973 he moved to the United States as a sheep herder. On August 21, 1981, he was united in marriage to Cyndie Esperante in Colorado. Gemelino also worked in Mining and construction for many years. He enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, raising sheep and growing things in his garden, and flowers. He will be missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife … Read more
Mary Ann Warner died peacefully on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at Crestridge Assisted Living in Dodgeville. Her physical heart failed, but her actual, loving heart never did. Ann was born June 28, 1939 to Mary and Charles Kearns in Iowa. She moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin and graduated with many dear friends in the class of 1957. Ann married John Warner on September 19, 1959. They lived in Whitewater, Sturgis Michigan, and finally settled in Janesville where they built a beautiful life and raised their family. Together, they ran a business, traveled, played cards, and enjoyed their lives. When they became … Read more
Patricia Ann Jacobson (Bureau), age 81, of Whitewater, WI, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI. Born on September 2, 1944, in Marquette, MI, to the late Donald and Margaret Bureau, Pat grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She graduated from Graveraet High School, attended Michigan State University, and later earned her bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University. Pat dedicated her professional life to shaping young minds, working as an elementary and junior high school teacher in both Flint, MI, and Whitewater, WI. At the heart of Pat’s life was a beautiful, … Read more
In loving memory of Lois Lauritzen, age 92, who passed away on June 1, 2026 at Lakewood Memory Care in Brookfield. Lois led an active life full of devotion to family and friends. Born July 14th, 1933 in Silvis, IL, daughter of Harry and Elsie Wilson, she grew up in the Quad Cities with older brother Harry Wilson Jr. Lois graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL with a degree in physical education. She met her husband Paul Lauritzen on the college tennis team. Their marriage on June 12th, 1955 lasted 59 years until Paul’s death on September 26th, … Read more
Donald Walter Triebold passed on to his eternal home on May 21, 2026. Don was born on April 23, 1935, in Evanston, IL, to the late Frederick W. and Mildred (nee Stecher) Triebold. Through his teen years, Don lived and worked on the family’s dairy farm, where he developed a life-long work ethic. His first eight years of education were in a one-room country schoolhouse, in which all eight grades were taught by one teacher. He graduated from Whitewater City High School in 1953 and then graduated from UW Whitewater in 1958 with a degree in Business Education. He continued his education, and earned a Master’s … Read more
William Kincaid Davis, age 84, passed away on Tuesday, May 19 at Agrace Hospice Center in Fitchburg. He was born on November 1, 1941, in Madison, Indiana, the second son of Salvation Army Officers Agnes (Dixon) and William C. Davis. He attended several schools in Indiana and Illinois, including University of Illinois Experimental High School (Champaign), and graduated from Galesburg High School in 1958. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UW-Eau Claire in 1964 and his master’s degree from UW-Whitewater in 1972. He had an expansive career in education, beginning as an English teacher in Whitehall, Thornton Township (IL) and … Read more
Magdalene “Maggie” Stetter (nee Fritz), 79, of Whitewater, Wisconsin passed from this life onto the next on Monday, May 4, 2026. She was born on January 16, 1947, to the late John and Mary (Presser) Fritz in St. Stefan, Austria. Maggie immigrated from Austria with her parents and brother, became a US citizen, and grew up and attended school in West Allis, WI and then graduated with a teaching degree from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Maggie served as a substitute, English, and German language teacher in the Whitewater, Elkhorn, Delavan, and Palmyra schools and at Divine Word Seminary. Maggie … Read more
Lawrence “Larry” C. Hartung, a proud Marine Veteran of the Vietnam War, and longtime resident of Fort Atkinson, WI, passed away peacefully at his home on May 1, 2026. Larry was born June 7th, 1949, to Levon and Charles Hartung in Chicago, IL. Larry enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1968 and served 3 consecutive tours in the Vietnam War. During this time, he became pen pals with his future wife, Candy, via a connection through his father. In 1970, he came home on leave to marry Candy. They celebrated 55 years of marriage on October 31st, 2025. During … Read more
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