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Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Whitewater Unites Lives (WUL).
Ed Schweitzer is at WUL Hometown Hero and he was nominated by Jasmyne Hauger and Brian Robinson of Fairhaven “For his kindness and generosity by bringing a flower and handwritten card to each mother living on Fairhaven’s Assisted Living Floors on Mother’s Day.”
Jasmyne Hauger, Dining Services Manager at Fairhaven, said, “I was approached by Apartment Resident Ed Schweitzer the week of Mother’s Day as he asked if there was any way I could find out how many mothers there were on the assisted living floors. He had the beautiful idea of getting a flower for each Mom and a nice handwritten card. Ed wanted to make sure that they were celebrated and felt special. I could tell this meant a lot to him as well.”
“I had the honor of delivering the flowers and cards with Ed on Friday prior to Mother’s Day. Seeing the faces light up when they were handed a flower and told “Happy Mother’s Day” was such a heart-warming moment. People like Ed are the reason I love working here. Remembering to slow down and take time to think of others and the people that you care about. I have known Ed for over nine years, and he is one of the kindest most thoughtful people I know,” she said.
Brian Robinson, Director of Marketing, Community Relations and Leisure Services at Fairhaven said, “It brought goosebumps to hear of him wanting to do this and to be able to hear of him doing so and the response afterwards was one that made this nomination a no-brainer. Ed not only makes Fairhaven Senior Services a better place, he makes the World a better place. Thank you again Ed!!!”
WUL (Whitewater Unites Lives) is a locally-focused civil and human rights group that works to connect the people in our community and to create opportunities for all people to learn and support each other in our common humanity.
Anyone who would like to nominate a local hero of any age should send their nomination, with a short description, to whitewaterunites@gmail.com
Updated 6/2/25 @ 6:00 p.m. to add future bingo dates to end of the article.
Join the Fun at The Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA)
“BINGO For the Arts” Night – June 6, 2025!
Join us for a fun evening at the WAA “BINGO For the Arts!” during our 20th Anniversary year. The event will be held on Friday, June 6, 2025, from 6pm-9pm, with doors opening at 5pm. This event will be held at the Community Engagement Center (CEC), located at 1260 West Main St, in Whitewater (next to Walmart) in Rooms 108 and 109, which are fully accessible.
Get ready for an exciting night filled with fun, games, and community spirit! For just $20 admission, you will receive one BINGO sheet for each of the 10 rounds, one 50/50 raffle ticket, and refreshments to keep you energized throughout the night. Additional BINGO cards are available for purchase: a 10-pack of 3 sheets each for $10, a 10-pack of 6 sheets for $15, and a 10-pack of 9 sheets for $20. Beer and wine will also be available for purchase (cash only), and we accept cash (preferred), checks, and Mastercard/Visa for all BINGO cards.
Plenty of free parking is available at the front, back, and side of the building. You can sign up to attend through the WAA website at whitewaterarts.org, visit the Cultural Arts Center during regular gallery hours, or simply join us on the day of the event.
Admission includes food, soda, and water, with beer and wine available for purchase. The evening will feature a running slide show, a special appearance by Scoopie from Culver’s who will bring custard for dessert, basket raffles, money prizes, a 50/50 raffle, and the chance to win a FREE WAA membership. Additionally, we will be serving Toppers pizza, breadsticks, soda, and water.
All proceeds benefit the Whitewater Arts Alliance to help the arts thrive in the community.
Looking Ahead
We are excited to announce our future “BINGO For the Arts” events, which will take place on Friday, September 26; and Friday, November 7, from 6 pm-9 pm at the CEC. We look forward to seeing you there for a night of fun and community!
By Kristine Zaballos
Asst. Director of University Marketing & Communications
UW Whitewater at Rock County is offering 10 scholarships worth $1,000 each to encourage both current and prospective students to enroll full-time or part-time (at least 6 credits) for fall 2025 classes at URock. For students enrolled by June 16, 2025, five scholarship recipients will be selected at random and the winners notified by June 20. For students enrolled by July 28, another five will be selected at random and notified by Aug. 1.
“Enrollment for this fall is already strong, and it’s important that students who have already enrolled know they are also eligible for these scholarships,” said Tricia Clasen, assistant vice chancellor of the Rock County campus and dean of the College of Integrated Studies. “With our affordable tuition and 100% acceptance rate, URock is a great option, and we hope this incentive just sweetens the pot.”
UW-Whitewater at Rock County, with an enrollment of more than 700 students, has a 100% acceptance rate for all new freshman and transfer students with official transcripts, and no application fee is required. Students at URock campus find a friendly, welcoming campus, located in Janesville, that embraces a wide range of students, including 61% of our new students — and 73% of our transfer students — who are first-generation. The college offers small class sizes, an affordable tuition and flexible scheduling options for their academic programs.
The Rock County campus continues to grow its academic programs with the introduction of the collaborative nursing BSN program in 2023 and, just this spring, the new Bachelor of Science in medical sciences program, with an emphasis in diagnostic sonography or radiologic technology.
Also recently added to the list of academic offerings are two new emphases in the online Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) program: education (FoTE to K-9) and operations and supply chain management. Designed for working adults, the BAAS program offers a flexible degree completion pathway for students who hold an applied associate degree from a technical college.
For more information and to apply, visit the admissions and enrollment website.
Danny Hopper After 3-Run Homer in 3rd inning Photo credit Molly DeNucci
By Broderick Frye
Asst. Sports Information Director
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team defeated Denison 11-4 to advance to the Pod Final at the NCAA Division III World Series. With their 46th win of the season, the Warhawks set a new record for wins in a season.
The Warhawks got on the board quickly, capitalizing on some misplays by the Denison defense. Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) brought in the first runner to give the Warhawks a quick 1-0 lead in the first.
Denison kept the Warhawks off the base in the next inning, but UWW didn’t stay quiet for long with a four-run third inning.
Adam Cootway (DePere, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) hit his 20th home run of the season to start the inning. The senior broke the single season Warhawk record, held since 2008 by Kevin Zalnis. Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) added the next three runs with his own jack, putting the Warhawks up 5-0 over Denison.
The Big Red connected on their own solo homer, scoring their first run of the game. The Warhawks reclaimed the run, with Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) hitting a sacrifice fly. Cootway added another run with an RBI single.
The Warhawks pitching kept working through the Denison hitters, but another solo home run added to the board for the Big Red in the bottom of the 5th. Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South) cancelled it out the next inning with a RBI double forcing a change on the mound.
In the Top of 7, Danny Hopper (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) led the inning off with a double to spark another rally for the Warhawks. Four consecutive hits added a run and loaded the bases. Holland hit his second sacrifice fly of the day, with Scolan adding another RBI single to break the double-digit mark on the scoreboard.
Denison added two more runs in the final three innings, but the Warhawks pitching and defense closed the door on the Big Red leading to the 11-4 victory.
The Warhawks are next out to the field in the Pod Final against the winner of Sunday’s night cap of Rowan/Denison. First pitch is set for 1:15 PM (ET)/12:15 PM (CT) on Monday, June 2nd. Now scheduled for 12:30. Link for livestream Sportshttps://www.ncaa.com/game/6449675
The Whippets competed in the Track and Field Sectional Friday evening, May 30, and will be sending two athletes to the State Meet!
The boys’ 4x800m relay started things off on the track and ran to a 7th place finish overall from the first heat, easily winning their heat, after they were seeded 12th going into the meet. The all-senior relay of Onyx Thompson, Miles Nickelsburg, Luc Pomazak and Xavier Zei stopped the clock in 8:40.80 and earned 2 points for the team.
Traysen Thomason then ran a solid 100m prelim in 10.97 to earn his spot into the final. After a short break, he came back and placed third in the final in 10.80, his second-best time of his career, to earn a return trip to state in this event.
While the track was heating up, so were the field events as sophomore pole vaulter Langdon Coburn was soaring to new heights. He entered the meet with a personal best of 11′ 6″ from regionals and continued to go over that bar again and set a new personal best of clearing 12′! His new personal best helped him finish in fifth place, one spot short of qualifying for state. Although close to adding another meet to his schedule, he has a lot to be proud of as he has made tremendous gains in such a short time and picked up on the event quickly. He is eager to work hard in the off season to continue learning as much as he can to go even higher next year.
Ty Bucholtz competed in his second 110 high hurdle event of the season as he returned from an injury that held him out of competition for nearly the entire season. His first hurdle race was at regionals when he qualified for the sectional meet. He placed fourth in his preliminary heat and was 8th seed in the final. Unfortunately, in the final Ty false started and was unable to run his 110H final. Also a sophomore, we are eager to see what a full healthy season will look like as he continues to grow as an athlete on the team next season.
Jack Hefty was up next in the 1600 as he looked to qualify in his signature event, and his fourth trip to the state track and field meet. The winds picked up as the flag stood straight out but that wouldn’t stop Jack from controlling the race after the first 250m. He cruised to a victory by running nearly even splits for all 4 laps and won the sectional title in 4:27.24.
The boys 4×200 quartet of Kennan Sheffield, Ty Hagedorn, Christian Minett and Vinnie Juette competed in heat one and had smooth exchanges and powered their way around the track to run their best time of the season by far. They finished 8th overall and scored one point for the team in the meet. Their time of 1:33.94 was significantly faster than this group had run before, which was 1:36.14.
Makayla Bazeley was now underway in her pole vault competition. She entered the competition with a personal best of 9′ 6″ from regionals. She had some good attempts but was unable to match her best from regionals and went out at 9′. Makayla is an athlete that joined late in her HS career but picked up a very technical event quickly and made a strong attempt to vault her way to state in limited time. She leaves her mark in the program as she is in the top 10 in this event in WHS history.
Miles Nickelsburg competed in heat one of the 800 and took control of his final race in a Whippet uniform in dominant fashion. He led from the gun and ran a new lifetime best in the event in his solo effort as the rest of the field couldn’t keep up. He stopped the clock in 2:06.99 and placed 7th overall in the event.
Traysen Thomason once again eased himself into the blocks for one final time in heat 2 in the 200m final (there are no prelims for this event at sectionals). Running a great curve and giving the crowd something to cheer about, he finished second with a new lifetime best of 22.15 and a second event to add to his state meet itinerary. His new personal best also moved him to #4 all time in Whippet history in this event.
Freshman Virginia Nelson got her first taste of sectional track competition in the 3200m event. By far the strongest field she had competed in all year, she rode the back of the train for as long as she could before some separation occurred. She gained valuable experience running in this field and gave it her all and placed 14th with a time of 13:50.11.
The 3200m proved to be an exciting race as three senior Whippets competed in this event. Jack Hefty rode the shoulder of New Berlin West’s Isaac Kryzaniak for much of the race while Xavier Zei made a strong push in the later stages of the race. Xavier injected some pace into the field and he got within 5 meters of Jack and Isaac as the field began to stretch out. Meanwhile, Luc Pomazak continued to grind out a strong effort as he passed through the mile faster than he had ever before. With less than two laps to go, Hefty took the pole position and never relinquished it as he earned his second sectional title on the night and punched his ticket to state in this event as well. His time was 9:41.24. Xavier ran a gutsy race and finished ninth overall in 10:13.75, his second-best time of his career. Luc also mirrored Xavier and gutted out a tough second mile and finished 14th, just missing his lifetime personal best and stopped the clock in 10:30.82
Traysen and Jack will now prepare to compete at the WIAA State Track and Field meet which is held at UW-La Crosse on Friday June 6th and Saturday June 7th.
Boys’ Results: https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Track/2025/bigfootsectionalb.pdf
Girls’ Results: https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Track/2025/bigfootsectionalg.pdf
State Meet Information:
https://www.wiaawi.org/Tournaments/State-Tourney-Central
Article and Photo Submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Assistant Track and Field Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Be Kind and Whitewater Unites Lives.
Steve Watson writes, “By the skate park.
Northern flicker lapping up water.
Their tongue is about 2″ long,
past the tip of its bill.
It’s a woodpecker.
They eat mostly ants, so a long
tongue that’s sticky and barbed.”
Our thanks to Steve Watson for sharing another beautiful photo together with the interesting description.
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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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