Early City Motto "The Banner Inland City of the Midwest"
The Banner has been serving Whitewater, Wisconsin since August 1, 2006

Today is Monday, June 22, 2026

News & Events

WHITEWATER WEATHER

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.

Registration Open for U6-U8 Spring Soccer Session

February 4, 2025

Spread the word… Registration is now open for the U6-U8 nontraveling spring session! Visit our website for more information and to get your player registered!! We’re looking forward to another fun-filled session and to seeing you all on the field!

The Whitewater United FC Club is the local soccer club for children in the area. The club is completely volunteer-run and plays during the fall and spring. Our home fields are at Moraine View Park.

  • U6 Practice Monday 5-5:45, game day Wednesday 5-5:45 pm
  • ​U8 Practice Monday & Wednesday 5:15-6:00 pm. Game day Friday 5:15-6 pm

Club E-mail: general@whitewaterunitedfc.com

Registrar: Raquel Serna – Registrar@whitewaterunitedfc.com

Jefferson County Farm Bureau Accepting Scholarship Applications

February 4, 2025

Scholarship Applications Available for Local Students

Jefferson County Farm Bureau is now accepting applications for its annual scholarship program. The scholarship is available to graduating high school and current college/technical school students who will continue their education in 2025-2026. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide financial assistance toward the cost of higher education.

To be eligible, students must be the son or daughter of a Jefferson County Farm Bureau member and pursuing higher education from an accredited college, university, or technical school. Applications are due on April 1 and are available at local high schools or from the Jefferson County Farm Bureau webpage.
www.wfbf.com/countyfarmbureaus/jefferson

Jefferson County Farm Bureau has maintained strong support for community and youth programs and is one of the 61 county Farm Bureau organizations that make up the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation (WFBF). WFBF is the state’s largest
general farm organization representing farms of different sizes, commodities, and management styles.

The Young Presents “The Wizard of Oz” Featuring Local Students

February 3, 2025


Missoula Children’s Theatre is the nation’s largest touring children’s theatre, touring extensively for more than 40 years, performing all over the world. A tour team arrives in a given town with a set, lights, costumes, props and make-up, everything it takes to put on a play…except the cast. The team holds an open audition and casts 50-60 local students to perform in the production. The show is rehearsed throughout the week and a public performance is presented on a Saturday.‍

This year’s MCT show is an original adaptation of the classic children’s story, The Wizard of Oz. 

Tickets for the show on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 3:00 p.m. are available here for $24. They also may be purchased at the ticket office in the Greenhill Center for the Arts, 950 W. Main Street in Whitewater or at the door with a $2 surcharge.

Fort Fire Dept. Recommends Burn Ban After Recent Brush Fires

February 3, 2025
Fort Atkinson Fire Department responded to a brush and marsh fire that grew out of control in Oakland Township on Sunday.(WMTV)

After a reported five-plus acre marsh fire on Sunday in the Town of Oakland to which the Whitewater Fire Department provided mutual aid, the Fort Atkinson Fire Department recommended to all of the towns in its territory to suspend approving any outdoor burning. The department stated, “Over the past week, multiple large brush and marsh fires have occurred in the county, and the current [extremely dry and windy] conditions are making outdoor burning exceptionally dangerous.”

WMTV-15 reported on Sunday regarding the marsh fire, which fortunately was extinguished before it reached a nearby home. “Officials say the fire started when embers from a debris burn in a burn pit were carried by strong winds into the adjacent marsh,” WMTV reported.

In Person Absentee Voting Begins Tuesday

February 3, 2025

February 18, 2025 Spring Primary Election

In Person Absentee Voting
All In Person Absentee Voting for the City of Whitewater, will be held at the
City of Whitewater Municipal Building, 312 W Whitewater St

Voting starts Tuesday, February 4, 2025 and goes through Friday, February 14, 2025.

Hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. Please contact the City Clerk’s office with any questions. 262-473-0102 or 262-473-0103 or hboehm@whitewater-wi.gov

Heather Boehm
City Clerk

Girls’ Wrestling Hosts First Ever Dual Meet Under the Light

February 3, 2025

Late Saturday morning, February 1, leading into early afternoon provided fans of wrestling with some great action to take in as the Whitewater Boys’ and Girls’ Wrestling teams closed out their home season with dual meets against the Panthers of Oregon.

The day started off with 20 great match ups between the two teams as weights aligned very well and all students from both teams had the opportunity to compete in front of their parents and family on parent/senior night. At the end of the JV competition the Whippets found to be on the positive side of approximately ⅔ of the matches so it was a great showing and very positive way to close out the home season.

Girls’ Wrestling Hosts First Ever Dual Meet Under the Light

Following the Boys’ JV the Girls’ Team had the opportunity to wrestle under the spotlight for the first time ever at Whitewater High School. This was a very nice experience as it had the exact same feel that fans are used to seeing when the boys compete, with the spotlight and their famous 30 seconds of walkout music that pumps them up. The girls wrestled very well with Isabelle Cantu, Aubrey Fuoco, Payton Taylor, and Marianna Kubicz all coming away with wins on the night. Aubrey had the match of the night as she was losing 3-0 in the 3rd period. She chose to go on top when it was her choice and she used lots of grit to turn her opponent to take a lead 4-3 and then turned her again this time to seal the pin. It was a very nice moment for a young lady who had just joined wrestling for the first time this year. Marianna Kubicz closed things out for the girls with a 2nd period reversal and then turned the girl to her back to secure the pin for the Whippets. Unfortunately, Oregon Girls were too much to handle and the Whippets dropped the dual meet 24-42, but it was definitely a step in the right direction for the growth of girls’ wrestling in the area having a dual meet with the same atmosphere as we are used to seeing the boys have at home.

Boys Fall to Oregon in Close Dual Meet

The boys’ team closed out the day’s events with a very good dual meet that saw them fall just short to a very strong Panther team. Oregon is a favorite to win their regional in two weeks, and the Whippets held their own. Unfortunately, in the end a couple of tough losses were too much for the Whippets to overcome, falling 36-38. Junior Soto got the team on the board first with what may have been his best wrestling match of his career as he wrestled extremely smart vs an opponent that was significantly bigger than he was. Junior was able to stay in great position on top and used perfect technique to turn his opponent over for the pin. The Whippets followed with a couple of forfeits at 106 and 113 by Cooper Housel and Juan Garrafa. This brought us to one of the featured matches of the day where Jarvis Porcaro had a very talented opponent from Oregon. Jarvis just missed out on a takedown on the edge of the mat in the first period as his foot just came off the mat; as they say sports are inches from success or failure sometimes. This really could have been a swing in the match. Jarvis ended up wrestling to the bitter end but dropped a tough decision. After a couple more tough loses for the Whippets, Connor Friend came out and went to work securing a pin to bring the Whippets back where they needed to be, needing one win to secure a victory. Another pivotal match occurred at 150 pounds where Traysen Thomason had a great opponent whom he had narrowly beaten at the mid-states 7-6. This was a match that came right to the end with Traysen falling 7-8. Avi Kalra closed out the scoring for the Whippets with a pin at 165 to bring the score to the final of 36-38.

A big thank you goes out to all parents and family members who make wrestling possible for their sons and daughters. Also, a congratulations goes out to the seniors as they competed on the Whippet home wrestling mat for the final time on Saturday. It was a nice career for all of them, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds in the tournaments series as well as their future selves.

The Lady Whippets are next in action on Tuesday night, February 4, when they travel to Beloit Turner for a quad starting at 5:30. Both teams then close out the regular season on Wednesday night at Janesville Craig. Friday night sees the JV team traveling to East Troy to compete in the JV Conference Tournament followed by the boys’ and girls’ teams traveling to East Troy on Saturday morning for the RVC Conference Tournament. Wrestling begins on Saturday at 9:15.

Article Submitted by John Schimming
Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach
jschimming@wwusd.org

Pocaro wins Tough Monroe Wrestling Invitational

February 3, 2025

Following a tough loss the night before, the boys’ varsity wrestling team traveled to Monroe for an individual tournament on Saturday, January 25. The boys recovered quickly from the previous day’s disappointment. Since the tournament was individual, each wrestler had their own personal goals for the day. It was inspiring to see them test their determination in the quest for victory and overcome adversity throughout the event.

Jarvis Porcaro (2nd from the left)

Leading the way was Jarvis Porcaro. He opened the day by winning his first match by pinning his opponent. This victory propelled him into the semifinal match against a competitor from Belmont/Platteville, where he won decisively by a major decision, 15-1. This win advanced him to the finals against a tough wrestler from Boscobel/Wauzeka-Steuben. We believe this was one of Jarvis’s best matches of the year. He displayed persistence throughout the match and secured the victory with a last-second takedown.

As mentioned earlier, each wrestler had individual goals, and most were able to achieve at least some of them. Following Jarvis in the tournament standings were Jason Porras, Traysen Thomason, and Avi Kalra. All three wrestlers won their first-round matches but lost in the second round. This loss placed them in contention for fifth place, which they fought hard to attain. 

Overall, it was a very successful tournament. The Whippets finished 9th out of 16 teams, despite competing with only 11 wrestlers. The coaches were impressed with how the team performed after a tough loss the night before. As a team, they have committed to continuous improvement throughout the season, aiming to peak at the right time.

Article and Photo Courtesy of John Schimming
Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach
jschimming@wwusd.org

WUSD Robotics Open House Saturday, February 8

February 2, 2025

The Whitewater Unified School District is home to three unique robotics programs, all within the FIRST sequence of challenges. Fourth and 5th graders at all three elementary schools and 6th graders at the middle school can participate in the FIRST Lego League Challenge (FLL), 7th and 8th graders from the middle school have a new FIRST Tech Challenge Team (FTC) this year, and the high school is in their ninth season as a FIRST Robotics Competition Team (FRC).

On Saturday, February 8, between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, the public is invited to meet the teams and see their 2024-2025 projects during the annual Robotics Open House at Whitewater High School. Visitors should follow the signs in the parking lot and enter through Door #38 which is between the rear of the auditorium wing and the overhead shop doors.

Obituaries

Obituary: Marion Jauch Burrows, 96

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

Obituary: Patricia “Pat” Bailey, 70, of Woodbury, MN

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

Obituary: Gemelino Paris Esperante, 83

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

Obituary: Mary Ann Warner, 86, of Dodgeville

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

Obituary: Patricia Jacobson, 81

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

Obituary: Lois Lauritzen, 92, of Brookfield

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

Obituary: Donald Walter Triebold, 91

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

Obituary: William Kincaid Davis, 84, of Evansville

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

Obituary: Magdalene “Maggie” Stetter (nee Fritz), 79

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

Obituary: Lawrence “Larry” C. Hartung, 76, of Fort Atkinson

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