News & Events

Written by Chris Lindeke | Photos Submitted

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Enactus team, an organization that uses business as a force of good to improve people’s lives and their communities, was named the 2025 Enactus USA champion in late May at the Enactus United States Expo in Kansas City, Missouri.

This group of Warhawks will now represent the country as Team USA at the Enactus World Cup, set for this September in Bangkok, Thailand. They’ll compete alongside the top teams from more than 30 countries around the world.

UW-Whitewater last claimed the Enactus national title in 2021. The team is supported by the College of Business and Economics and advised by Choton Basu, professor of information technology and supply chain management.

Basu said the chapter’s two primary collaborations — an existing international project that empowers women, and a new project focused on supporting rural America — set the UW-Whitewater Enactus team apart from others in the nation and propelled it to win the 2025 national championship.

ProChapina

Students and faculty have been working with ProChapina, a nonprofit organization that serves to support, educate, uplift, and empower women in Guatemala through professional training programs and other services, since 2019.

Last year, Enactus teamed with UW-Whitewater’s American Marketing Association chapter — the 2025 International Chapter of the Year — to build a sustainable business plan with marketing and fundraising services for ProChapina. Two students from each group, along with AMA faculty advisor Lauren Drury, visited Antigua, Guatemala, for one week last summer to discuss product development and sales and to immerse themselves in Guatemalan culture.

The team turned its focus to marketing this past year, working with the university and businesses in the area to gauge interest in selling ProChapina products, which include hand-crafted goods and other services.

RenewTowns

Over the last year, UW-Whitewater students and faculty have worked with three Wisconsin cities as part of Enactus’ RenewTowns project.

The goal of the project is to drive sustainable economic growth and revitalization in communities. Enactus has teamed with organizations and business leaders in Fort Atkinson, Cambridge, and Wauwatosa to build business pitch competitions that offer free rent and other incentives to small businesses who set up in the downtown areas of those communities.

For example, Enactus worked with Collaborative 532 on the Cambridge Storefront Competition to bring a small business to one of the vacant spaces in downtown Cambridge. In Fort Atkinson, the latest winner of the RenewTowns storefront competition was Tidy Tails, a dog grooming business that captured the community’s heart.

As with other participating towns, the winning entrepreneur received a year of free rent — a powerful incentive designed to jumpstart small business growth on Main Streets across rural America.

The student-led initiative is more than just the prize. RenewTowns is sparking a movement that unites community members, unlocks local resources, and creates a ripple effect of sustainable growth by bringing life back to vacant storefronts. It’s an economic — and emotional — revival.

“What’s unique about this project — and what continues to impress the Enactus judges — is its unwavering focus on rural America,” Basu said. “The direct beneficiaries are the small towns, the mom-and-pop stores, and the wonderful communities that are the country’s beating heart. We’re using cutting-edge business tools to support the places and people we care about. We’re working to uplift the folks you hear about in a Springsteen or Mellencamp song.”

Ripon College has announced its Dean’s List for the Spring 2025 semester recognizing academic excellence. To qualify for the Dean’s List at Ripon College, students must achieve a 3.40 grade point average or higher on a 4.00 scale and complete at least 12 credits of regular letter-graded works.

Heather Charter, a Senior from Whitewater, WI was named to the Spring 2025 Dean’s List. Charter’s majors are Business Management, Economics. Minor, Philosophy

Founded in 1851, Ripon College is a private liberal arts and science institution nestled in Ripon, Wisconsin. Ripon College is dedicated to delivering personalized education through a diverse array of undergraduate programs and extracurricular opportunities, ensuring students enjoy a well- rounded college experience. Ripon College enrolls more than 700 students with a student- to-faculty ratio of 12:1. The college’s picturesque, historic campus and vibrant community provide a supportive environment where students can thrive academically and personally.

City of Whitewater Landmarks Commission – Wednesday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda includes Update on Starin Park Water Tower and Update on the historical gardens that were found next to Effigy Mounds.
Cravath Lakefront room 2nd floor 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 join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/979719725
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 979-719-725
United States: +1 (571) 317-3112
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install

The Whitewater City Market will not take place on July 1 as setup continues for the Whitewater 4th of July Festival.

The following student from the area has been named to the University of Wisconsin-Stout Dean’s List for the spring 2025 semester.

The award is presented to students who have a grade point average of 3.5 or above. 

UW-Stout, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, offers more than 70 industry-aligned undergraduate and graduate degrees and 40 professional certificate programs. Established in 1891, the university prides itself on the success of its students in the workplace, with nearly 1,000 national internship placements and an employment rate of 99% for recent graduates. UW-Stout is a top-rated Military Friendly and Best for Vets institution, a DOE Green Ribbon recipient for sustainability, and the only four-year institution in the U.S. to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

University of Wisconsin-Stout offers a polytechnic education distinguished by applied learning and research, business and industry collaboration, and career-focused experiences to prepare students for success in engineering, technology, design, management and other fields. It is one of the 13 Universities of Wisconsin.

Whitewater, WI

 Michael Olszewski, BS Cybersecurity

Cameron ZehrGrimm, a Biology major from Whitewater, is engaging in the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Summer Undergraduate Research (SURF) program.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship is a faculty-mentored summer research grant. Students must apply for the highly-competitive program, which includes a stipend and an expense budget for supplies, travel, or publication costs. Participating students are paired with a UW-Whitewater faculty mentor.

After participating in the summer program, students will present at UW-Whitewater’s Fall and Spring Undergraduate Research Days and at either the national Conference on Undergraduate Research or the Universities of Wisconsin Symposium.

Students who participate in undergraduate research – a staple of the Warhawk experience – are exposed to hands-on learning opportunities, relationship building and networking, presenting at state and national conferences, and being published in prestigious journals.

To learn more about the SURF program, visit uww.edu/urp.

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by UW-Whitewater.

Brandon M Herdman, 38, of N9123 Connelly Rd, Whitewater, has been charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence—seventh, eighth or ninth offense, a felony.

Alyssa L. Pero, 21, of Cambridge, formerly of 320 N. Tratt St. #5, Whitewater, has been charged with Battery or Threat to Judge, Prosecutor, or Law Enforcement Officer, a felony.

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.

On Monday, June 16th, 2025, Whitewater police officers investigated a complaint received from a victim of a financial scam. The scam began when a person called and identified themselves to the victim as being an agent for the Federal Trade Commission. The suspect informed the victim that their bank accounts were compromised and flagged after claiming that the victim’s account was used illegally in a drug trafficking and sex trafficking incident(s). The suspect advised and disclosed many different personal identifiers about the victim, the victim’s assets, and other significant personal information. Ultimately, the suspect was able to fraud the victim out of thousands of dollars.

On June 25th, 2025, the victim called the Whitewater Police Department to report that the same suspect was again contacting the victim, indicating they needed more money, specifically $50,000 in cash. The suspect claimed that the victim’s account was once again compromised. A detective from the Whitewater Police Department met with the victim to investigate, protect the victim, and attempt to apprehend the suspect. The detective worked with the victim and their bank as the detective strategically planned a meeting to intercept the individual coming to pick up the money.

At approximately 2:00 pm, on June 25th, 2025, officers and detectives from the Whitewater Police Department, deputies from the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, and a detective from the UW-Whitewater Police Department assisted in this investigation. At about 5:00 pm, Harshal D. Patel (25 years of age from Hoffman Estates, Illinois), arrived to pick up the predetermined amount of money, $50,000. Patel was taken into custody a short time later and he was later confined in the Jefferson County Jail for Attempted Theft per Wisconsin State Statutes 943.20(1)(d), a class G Felony. This investigation is in the beginning stages, but as of this press release, Patel himself was involved in an intricate scheme with a web of other suspects who focused on elderly victims around the Midwest. Whitewater detectives have identified five different states in the Midwest that Patel himself was collecting US Currency and precious metals (such as gold). Over the last two months alone, Patel himself was [allegedly] involved in the theft of over $2.9 million in US Currency/precious metals.

This investigation is still active and no further information will be released since this is an ongoing investigation. The Whitewater Police Department would like to remind the public that no banks or government agencies will call and ask for large sums of money or other assets to be picked up. Please contact the Whitewater Police Department or your local Law Enforcement agency to report or inquire about a possible scam. If you have been a recent victim of this scam, please report your incident to your local police department.

The Whitewater Police Department would like to thank the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, UW-Whitewater Police Department, and First Citizens State Bank for their assistance in this investigation.

Editor’s note: The above press release was received from the Whitewater Police Department. Pursuant to the directive of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicity, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.