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Today is Monday, May 11, 2026
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Besides having fun, what else can you do to prepare for the aging experience? It is going to happen to all of us and the more prepared we are, the more likely we will age gracefully. A number of doctors and experts were asked to come up with a mantra – a short slogan that encapsulates a core truth about physical and mental health. In part one, we heard:
Aging is a good thing.
The way to health is through the gut.
Sleep is important but not important enough to lose sleep over. Here are a few more mantras.
Movement is life.
If you want to maintain your physical and mental health, you have to be physically active. It keeps your brain, heart, lungs, bones and joints healthy; in fact, every cell in your body benefits from pumping blood throughout. It lowers your risk of depression, dementia, cancer, stroke, heart attack – all the things that are likely to shorten your life.
Food is medicine. Food is love. Enjoy it as both.
What you eat connects you to your culture and people you care about. So, eat your favorite foods when you’re celebrating. The rest of the time, choose foods that nourish your body.
Life is finite. Live with it.
Once you acknowledge the limitations of being human, you can plunge your energy into what matters to you. Procrastination, distraction, impatience, addiction and all the rest happen from trying to avoid reality.
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For more advice for living a long happy life https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/06/can-you-lengthen-your-life
This article is submitted by Dementia Friendly Community Initiative, a program of Whitewater Seniors in the Park to help educate the community about dementia and to support patients and their care partners. New committee members are very welcome! Call Jennifer to volunteer 262 473 0535 jjackson@whitewater-wi.gov
The National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office issued the following updated forecast at 2 p.m. om Thursday.
- Risk level 3 out of 5 for strong to severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.
- A Tornado Watch has been issued for portions of far-southern Wisconsin, see the attached graphic for details. Watch remains in effect until 8 PM CDT.
- Damaging wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes are possible.
- Timeframe of highest concern is from 5 to 10 PM CDT today.
- Thunderstorms will clear out in a west to east manner from roughly 8 to 11 PM CDT this evening, leaving quiet weather late tonight.
County Residents Report Zoning Permit Scam
Be aware if you receive unsolicited invoices or suspicious messages
County officials were recently notified of a fraudulent invoice scam involving current zoning requests before the Jefferson County Planning and Development Department. Residents have received fake emails that appear to be official correspondence from Planning and Development directing them to pay an invoice in order to finalize a permit. These scam messages often look professional and may even use the names and titles of Jefferson County employees and details regarding a pending request to appear legitimate.
Red flags that could indicate a scam include:
- Suspicious contact information not affiliated with a legitimate email address. All emails from Jefferson County end with @jeffersoncountywi.gov
- Pressure to pay promptly and through a method such as wire transfer. As standard practice, our Planning and Development Department does not send invoices. Residents pay at the time of their application or permit.
Please be aware that scammers can impersonate any County department or private business to try to steal your money. If you receive a message or request that you suspect to be fraudulent, the best practice is to contact the entity making the request via a phone number or email address you know is legitimate. Instead of using the email or phone number in the suspicious message, look up the correct contact information personally and use it to report the message.
If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from the Jefferson County Planning and Development Department, please call (920) 674-7130.
For more about Jefferson County, including contact information for all departments:
https://cms4.revize.com/revize/jeffersoncountywi25/
Carol McCormick writes, “Two swans visited Trippe Lake on Monday morning feeding on a floating bog of cattails. The geese surrounding them didn’t seem to be intimidated by them. More curious than anything. Just another example of how precious our lakes are to our community!
Our thanks to Carol McCormick for sharing another interesting 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!
Editor’s note: The link shown above is not accurate. View all class dates and register at:
finances.extension.wisc.edu/programs/
Direct link to view individual classes and register:
- For Rent Smart: Free Virtual Programs – Rent Smart
- Planning AHEAD: Overview ⋮ Planning AHEAD Statewide Virtual Series ⋮ University of Wisconsin-Madison – Division of Extension ⋮ Events
- Encouraging Financial Conversations: Encouraging Financial Conversations Foundations March 17 – April 21, 2026 Training Series
- Money Matters Live: Monthly Money Matters Live – Financial Education
Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension–Walworth County.
If you didn’t subscribe to MLB TV, how can you watch the Brewers this season? Cable subscribers are in luck, as the entire season will be available on the following channels.
Spectrum channel 319 [Thanks to Tom Wegner for passing this on to us.]
TDS channel 243
Per the Leader-Telegram, the Brewers also announced 10 free over-the-air broadcasts during the season, including the opener, that will be aired on local television stations across the state. For our area the primary local station is WITI FOX6 from Milwaukee.
The dates for future over-the-air games are March 31 (6:40 p.m.), April 28 (6:40 p.m.), May 12 (6:40 p.m.), May 19 (6:40 p.m.), June 2 (6:40 p.m.), Aug. 4 (6:40 p.m.), Aug. 18 (6:40 p.m.), Aug. 25 (6:10 p.m.) and Sept. 8 (6:40 p.m.).
Updated 3/31/26 @ 4:45 p.m. with clarification that all season games will be on cable and also the dates when over-the-air broadcasts will be available.
“Jefferson County’s Land and Water Conservation Department and Planning and Development Department are jointly hosting a free workshop on April 7, 2026 from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm at the Jefferson County Courthouse focused on shoreland development and restoration. The main topics include County and City shoreland zoning rules, native plantings, bioengineering practices, riprap practices, funding opportunities, and resources available to contractors and landowners. There will be speakers from Jefferson County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Agrecol and Envirolok LLC.
Contractors in attendance will have their company highlighted on our contractor lists noting that they attended the workshop
Shoreland Contractors Workshop Agenda
Shoreland Restoration: Permits, Practices and Partnerships
April 7, 2026
Jefferson County Courthouse
Board Room, C2063
311 S Center Ave, Jefferson, WI
7:45 – 8:00 Check-In & Registration (Coffee, Snacks)
8:00 – 8:10 Welcome & Introductions
8:10 – 9:00 Shoreland Zoning 101
- County Zoning – Matt Zangl & Sarah Elsner, Jefferson County Planning
and Development - City of Fort Atkinson – Jed Draeger, Fort Atkinson Department of
Neighborhood and Building Services
9:00 – 10:00 Benefits of Native Plants, Best Practices, Envirolok – Eric Seidl, Envirolok
10:00 – 10:10 BREAK
10:10 – 11:00 Calculating Storm Wave Height – Colton Hutchinson, Jefferson County
Land & Water Conservation Department (LWCD)
Rock Infiltration, Calculating Rock Size & Quantity, Engineering – Jon
Lisowe & Hanna Johnson, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade
and Consumer Protection
11:00 – 12:00 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) RipRap Exemption,
Bioengineering and Permitting – Erin Cox, DNR
12:00 – 12:20 Project Funding & Resources – Jefferson County LWCD
- Lake Ripley Management District
- Wisconsin Healthy Lakes and Rivers Program
- Jefferson County Cost Share Programs
12:20 – 12:30 Wrap Up – Jefferson County LWCD
Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Jefferson County.
Obituaries
Leo E. Wurzer, 65, of Eagle, Wisconsin passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at his home. Leo was born on April 15, 1961 in Kenosha, Wisconsin to Cyril and Shirley (McNeil) Wurzer. He grew up between Pleasant Prairie and Antigo, spending his childhood summers on his uncle’s farm where he discovered his love for all things tractors. Although he never had a farm of his own, he was able to partially fulfill his dream by working as a driver for Robin’s Trucking in Whitewater, WI in his last days and collecting miniature Tonka toys. He began his career … Read more
Lois Cummings, 99, of Fond du Lac, WI (formerly of Janesville, WI, Fort Atkinson, WI, Fountain Hills, AZ, and Green Valley, AZ) passed away peacefully on May 5, 2026 at the Meadows Senior Residence in Fond du Lac surrounded by family. Lois was born on February 17, 1927 in Fort Atkinson to Edward and Clarice (Roseth) Stevens. The middle child of 9 children, she attended Fort Atkinson schools and graduated in 1944. On September 11, 1948 Lois married Grant Cummings at Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Delavan, WI. Together they had 3 children, Gary, Colleen (Tom) Sabel, and Patty (Paul) … Read more
Come celebrate William Kincaid’s Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 30th at 1 pm at Trippe Lake Park Pavillion in Whitewater. He truly enjoyed gatherings where his favorite foods and music could be enjoyed with some of his closest friends and family. We will honor him by carrying on one of his favorite traditions. Please bring your own beverages and chairs. There is limited seating. See you all there!
Gladys Jean (Riley) Hildebrandt, age 89, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 23, 2026. Gladys was born on December 26, 1936, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to Theresa Egnoski Riley. She was married to Walter Sobolik Sr., and later married James A. Hildebrandt in 1976. Gladys was a hardworking woman who spent her life caring for others. She worked in school kitchens, restaurants, factories, and cleaning services. She concluded her working career as a full-time nanny. In that role, she lovingly cared for Andrew, Daniel, and Kaitlyn Drzewiecki, who became part of her chosen family. Gladys is survived by her sons, Wally … Read more
WHITEWATER – Nan Rowley died on April 15, 2026, at the age of 90. She was born on September 4, 1935, in a little house on the prairie in the Town of Johnstown, Wisconsin, the daughter of Wayne L. Wilbur and Florence (McQuillen) Wilbur. Nan attended primary schools in the towns of Johnstown and Richmond and in the City of Whitewater. Nan graduated with honors from Whitewater City High School. On June 19, 1954, Nancy and Ken Rowley were united in marriage in Whitewater and went to live on the Rowley family farm in Richmond. Over the years, Nan served … Read more
Marion H. Gorniak (nee Pfeiffer), 74, of Whitewater passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 11, 2026. She was born on October 24, 1951, to the late Harvey and Loraine (nee Drifke) Pfeiffer in Fort Atkinson, WI. On June 2, 1969, she was united in marriage to Alan Gorniak. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, and cooking, especially her rhubarb pies. She especially enjoyed spending time with family and friends and will be missed by all who knew her. Those Marion leaves behind to cherish her memory include her husband, Alan Gorniak; stepson, Alan Bauer; sister, Sue Ann Schultz, other relatives and friends. … Read more
Ruth Irene (Phelps) Justis, 88, of Appleton City, Missouri, passed away Friday morning, April 10, 2026, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg, MO, with her family by her side. Ruth was born June 3, 1937 in Janesville, Wisconsin, to Charles and Ada Mae (Maly) Phelps. She joined the Marine Corps in 1956. During her time there, she met and married her husband, Forest Wayne “Wayne” Justis in 1957. They shared 62 years of marriage and to this union, 2 children, Charles and Dorene, were born. Ruth grew up in Whitewater, WI., the oldest of three children. Ruth graduated from … Read more
Dorothy C. Kau, age 101, of Eagle, Wisconsin passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at Fort Memorial Hospital. Dorothy was born on March 18, 1925 in Eagle on the family farm, the daughter of John and Katherine (Faestel) VonRueden. Dorothy was a 1942 graduate of Palmyra High School. On May 21, 1949, Dorothy was united in marriage to Alvin E. Kau at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Eagle and the Lord blessed their union with 8 children. Alvin and Dorothy enjoyed 50 years of marriage together until Alvin’s death in the year 2000. Dorothy enjoyed being a farm … Read more
Dorothy E. McCracken, 95, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2025, in Sarasota, Florida. Born on April 14, 1930, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to Carl and Joyce Meyer, Dorothy grew up in Whitewater and graduated from Whitewater High School. She then worked for a photographer and hand painted his first colored portraits, until she got married. She and her first husband, Bernard Wafle, owned and operated a 179-acre dairy farm in Helenville, Wisconsin, for 25 years before relocating to Ocala, Florida, in 1979. Dorothy later married Earl McCracken, in Ocala, Fl. She also shared a special companionship later in life with … Read more
Carol Ann Seebruch, 88 of Whitewater passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, April 3, 2026. Carol was born July 12, 1937 in Chicago IL to William and Ann Borovec. She married Marvin Seebruch on June 9, 1984. Carol and Marvin enjoyed traveling the United States making it to 48 of the 50 states. She also enjoyed her time with the Red Hat Ladies. She loved taking pictures of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Carol is survived by her three children; Bill Anderson of Fort Atkinson, WI, Terri Laban of Whitewater, WI, and Donna (Mike) Jones of Crivitz, WI. She … Read more
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