Early City Motto "The Banner Inland City of the Midwest"
The Banner has been serving Whitewater, Wisconsin since August 1, 2006
Today is Friday, November 29, 2024
News & Events
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.
Edgerton Hospital and Health Services is pleased to expand access to mental health services with the addition of a new psychiatric nurse practitioner. Beginning on Monday, January 9, 2023, Rebecca Beese, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC will see patients at the hospital’s Milton Clinic location, 831 Arthur Drive, Milton. The appointment line is now open, 608-868-3526. No referral is needed.
Dr. Beese provides excellent patient-centered care using a wide variety of integrated healing methods including medications, supplements, supportive therapy, psychoeducation, environmental modifications, mindfulness, yoga, and Reiki. She primarily works with patients who are experiencing the following conditions:
- ADHD
- Adjustment Disorders
- Anxiety
- Autism
- Bipolar Disorder
- Depression
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Trauma
With the ever-increasing need for mental health services, Dr. Beese says that she’s happy to offer her care locally. “When I’m caring for my patients, it’s always my priority to ensure that each individual feels seen, heard, and valued. I spend time not only treating chemical imbalances, but also closely evaluating my patients’ lifestyles, relationships, and environments, using a holistic mind-body-spirit approach. Together, we create a plan to help them live their best lives,” said Dr. Beese.
Edgerton Hospital CEO, Marc Augsburger, MBA, BSN, says that Dr. Beese will be answering a need that the community so desperately has. “The hospital’s Community Health Needs Assessment tells us that mental health is a growing concern locally. It’s been our goal to directly address this need, and we are delighted to be adding Rebecca Beese as our new psychiatric nurse practitioner. Her expertise in mental health will surely benefit many,” said Augsburger.
Rebecca Beese, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She holds her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Minnesota, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin, and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Beese has 16 years of direct nursing experience at organizations including St. Mary’s Hospital and University of Colorado Hospital. She held the role of Clinical Instructor at the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State University Mankato, where she specifically focused on psych/mental health. For the past five years, Dr. Beese has been an Integrative Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at PrairieCare in Chaska, MN. In addition to her clinical experience, Dr. Beese is also a certified Yoga instructor and a Reiki Master. Her trained therapy dog, Finnigan, joins her at almost all patient appointments.
Individuals interested in scheduling an appointment with Rebecca Beese, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC should call 608-868-3526. For more information, please visit www.edgertonhospital.com.
Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage by Serena Wong from Pixabay.
Members and friends of the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center were invited to a “Jolly Holiday Party” on December 9. They were promised a special visit from Santa, together with food, games and open swim for all to enjoy. Admission was free with a nonperishable food item donation. All collected food items were donated to the Community Space. Photos are courtesy of Tom Ganser.
On Tuesday, December 13, the Whippet Boys’ Swim Team competed against Burlington Co-op in their first home meet of the season. Many tried new events, while others swam their go to events and had some best times.
Notable swims from the night include:
- Jack Hefty going best times in the 200 IM with a time of 2:32.35 and 100 Freestyle with a time of 57.88
- David Enns trying out the 200 Freestyle and having a great swim despite breaking his goggles right before his race!
- Tyler Arnett and Cruz Aranda going 1 and 2 in the 200 Freestyle with times of 2:05.39 (Tyler) and 2:14.58 (Cruz)
- Sam Nickelsburg swam a quick 50 Freestyle going a time of 31.10
- Miles Nickelsburg leading off the 200 Freestyle relay, going a best time in 50 Freestyle of 30.48
- Tyler Arnett continues making improvements in the 500 Freestyle going a season best time of 5:32.12.
- Xavier Zei had a great race in the 100 Breaststroke. He dropped 21 seconds from his previous time!
The Boys’ Swim team is up again at home next week Tuesday, December 20, at 5:30 p.m. against Badger Co-op.
Article and Team Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Co-Head Boys’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
Photos of Tyler Arnett Courtesy of Bob Mischka
The below quotes are from an article by Lawrence Andrea and Kelly Meyerhofer in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [MJS] on December 13. The complete article is considerably longer and may be accessed without a subscription here.
“A Whitewater couple and their two children stood at the front of a crowd of thousands on the White House South Lawn on Tuesday afternoon as President Joe Biden signed into federal law landmark legislation codifying same-sex and interracial marriage protections.
Robin Fox, Kim Simes and their daughters were among the president and First Lady Jill Biden’s special guests for an elaborate ceremony in which the president signed the Respect for Marriage Act — a bill the two women say gives their family security.
“I think I wasn’t really emotionally prepared for what it would be like,” Fox told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the bill was signed, noting the new law protects both their marriage and the rights of their adopted children to marry who they want in the future.
“It’s like a mix of just sheer and complete joy and a whole lot of anger that we even had to get to this point.” ……
Fox and Simes, a couple for 25 years, were invited to the ceremony because of Simes’ role as chief of staff for Family Equality, an advocacy organization for LGBTQ families. Fox, meanwhile, has spent 32 years working a variety of positions at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Last spring, Fox was tapped to be interim provost, an administrative position that is second only to the chancellor…….
The new law requires states to recognize marriages that are considered valid in the state where they were performed….It also grants protections for interracial couples, an important safeguard that Fox said shouldn’t be overlooked.
The couple’s adopted daughters, Brennan, 18, and Sanibel, 14, are of a different race than Fox and her wife.
Both Fox and Simes are UW-Whitewater alumni. They met on campus when Simes was a graduate student and Fox was director of the university’s children’s center. Their oldest daughter is now studying political science there.
This is just as hands-on as it gets,” Brennan said after the bill was signed into law.
Though the family’s trip to Washington was last minute — the White House invitation for Tuesday’s event came Sunday — they were quick to accept.
“I’m thrilled to be here,” Fox said. “We were very quick to say yes and drop everything we have going on. It’s important for us to be here and for our children to be here to watch this happen.”
According to a press release, the following individuals from our area are among the 1,890 prospective candidates for degree attending University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee commencement exercises Sunday, December 18, 2022 in Milwaukee.
UWM is the second largest university in the State of Wisconsin, with over 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
Marijose Cuellar Meza, College of Nursing, Bachelor of Science
Madison Garland, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, Master of Science
Hassime Traore, School of Nursing, Master of Sustainable Peacebuilding
The 66th Annual National Honor Society Induction Ceremony took place at Whitewater High School on Wednesday evening, November 30 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Thirteen juniors and seniors were inducted as members to honor and recognize their outstanding qualities of leadership, character, scholarship, and service to the school and community. After opening remarks by Associate Principal Nathan O’Shaughnessey, the Whitewater High School Music Masters performed a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem and a piece by Lodovico Grossi da Viadana entitled, “Exultate Justi in Domino.” Whitewater High School Principal Brent Mansky thanked the faculty for providing an excellent educational experience for students and honored parents for the support and encouragement they have provided their children over the years. NHS Advisor Pamela Sonmor-Wintz shared remarks about the projects NHS participated in during the past year and presented medallions to the officers for their leadership within the organization. NHS President Aileen Perez, Vice President Josephine Treder, Secretary Kindyl Kilar, and Treasurer Tyler Arnett presented inspirational speeches about leadership, character, scholarship, and service, and then new members were introduced and received National Honor Society pins and certificates.
The National Honor Society was established at Whitewater High School in 1956 to inspire enthusiasm for scholarship, stimulate a desire to render service, promote worthy leadership, and encourage the development of character in high school students. NHS has become a prestigious organization ranking high among college admission officers, scholarship committees, high school faculty and administrators, students, parents, and residents of our community. For many, selection as a member of the National Honor Society is the pinnacle of achievement in school. This honor, recognized throughout the nation, is both the public recognition of outstanding accomplishments and the private commitment to continued excellence on the part of each new member.
The following 2022-2023 National Honor Society Photo Story was shown at the beginning of the ceremony to celebrate all members and their accomplishments during the past year: https://youtu.be/FzeJ75_Dr8M
For more information about the Whitewater High School National Honor Society and how to become a member, please see the following website: https://sites.google.com/wwusd.org/whsnationalhonorsociety/home
Congratulations to the new members of the Whitewater High School National Honor Society!
New Senior Members
- Brenda Aguilar
- Allison Alvarado
- Dayna Carlson
- Anders Clarkson
- Evelyn Troxel
New Junior Members
- Andrea Alcala
- Aidyn Amundson
- Danielle De Porter
- Emmerson Ellenwood
- Marino Linos
- Kayla Mikos
- Mayte Navejas
- Davin Parboteeah
Senior National Honor Society Members Inducted in 2021
- Tyler Arnett, Treasurer
- Brandon Haas
- Kindyl Kilar, Secretary
- Cali Kopecky
- Jake Kuhlow
- Alexandra Martin
- Courtney Meyer
- Aileen Perez-Aguilar, President
- Jenna Pope
- Ashlynn Prah
- Skylar Staebler
- Josephine Treder, Vice-President
- Karime Velazquez
- Maria Verduzco
- Caleigh Yang
Article and Photos Submitted by Pamela Sonmor-Wintz
Whitewater High School National Honor Society Advisor
psonmorwintz@wwusd.org
The MADMUN (Madison Model United Nations) XIII Conference was held on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at Monona Grove High School. Nineteen schools and over 300 students participated in the conference.
Whitewater High School had many new Model UN members learning the feel for the club at this conference. But, on the contrary, we had some repeat members that used their past experiences to have an outstanding performance at MADMUN. Some even left with awards: Maria Verduzco and Emmanuella Mbifi won an Honorable mention in their respective committees.
Overall, Whitewater High School did an incredible job at MADMUN XIII, and all of Model UN is excited for their next MUNUC (Model United Nations at the University of Chicago) conference that will take place in Chicago during the month of February.
Article and Photos Submitted by Josie Treder, Model UN Press Secretary
Model UN at Whitewater High School is Advised by Mr. Greg Stewart
gstewart@wwusd.org
Plan and Architectural Review Commission Meeting – Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda includes Public Hearing For Consideration Of A Conditional Use Permit For A Proposed 4 Family
Residence Apartment Complex To Be Located At N. Tratt St. Parcel ID#/05-15-3233-018
(Physical Address To Be Determined At A Later Date) For Joseph Esther/Or Assigns and Public Hearing Regarding Consideration Of A Conditional Use Permit For A Proposed Auto
Repair Service With Rental Of Box Trucks And Trailers Located At 1002 S Janesville Street,
Parcel ID#/WUP 00341 For Big Deal LLC. (Lee Loveall).
City of Whitewater Municipal Building
312 W. Whitewater St.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/281060381
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (312) 757-3121
Access Code: 281-060-381
City of Whitewater Public Works Committee – Tuesday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda includes Discussion And Possible Action Regarding Draft Starin Park Water Tower Structural
Analysis Report.
Cravath Conference Room
Municipal Building – 2 Floor
312 W Whitewater St
City of Whitewater Community Development Authority Board of Directors – Thursday @ 5:30 p.m.
Agenda includes Discussion regarding Economic Development Director Timeline, Discussion regarding Starin Road Site – Development Concept, and closed session (followed by open session) regarding Potential sale of Business Park lot located on the corner of Prospect and Endeavor to David & Goliath.
Location: Municipal Building – Community Room 1st Floor
312 W. Whitewater St.
This will be an IN‐PERSON and VIRTUAL MEETING
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join us via computer, smart phone or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89300240370?pwd=clI4eTRSS0wvMGEvVW16TkZLeHA5dz09
Passcode: 575484
Or Telephone:
Dial: 1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 893 0024 0370
Passcode: 575484
Editor’s note: The CDA phone-in number was updated on 12/12/22.
Obituaries
Becca Piper, 65, of Sedona, AZ died on November 21, 2024 as a result of complications of antibiotic toxicity. She was preceded in death by her beloved son Michael and her parents Reg and Maydean Nash. She is survived by her dear husband of almost 40 years, Ken Piper, along with her children Joe, ^^Michael^^, Selena and Larry, granddaughter Maelyn and Becca’s siblings David and Janet (Nash) Schenck. She is also survived by extraordinary friends, extended family and much loved colleagues. Being a mother was especially important to Becca. She and Ken adopted all of their 4 children. Becca’s life … Read more
Read More
In Loving Memory of Will Daniel Ensslin Whitewater, WI – Will Daniel Ensslin, 77, passed away peacefully on 11-26-2024, surrounded by his loving family, after a brave and long battle with cancer. He was born on February 5, 1947 in West Allis, WI to Willy and Ellen Ensslin. Will was a devoted husband, proud and loving father, cherished brother, uncle, cousin and loyal friend to many. He was also a proud Vietnam veteran, serving his country with courage and honor as a Huey helicopter mechanic from 1966 – 1967 — a dedication to service that remained a cornerstone of his life. He married the love of his life and best friend, Susan Bilkovich, in 1971 in Milwaukee, WI. Shortly after their wedding, … Read more
Read More
Richard Allen Splitter, age 80, of Blue Eye, Missouri, passed away November 12, 2024. He entered this life on June 16, 1944, the son of Edward and Berniece (Craig) Splitter in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Richard proudly served our country in the United States Navy for two terms. During his time in the service, he was able to get his master’s degree in engineering from California State University of Long Beach. During his working years, Richard was an engineer for different aerospace companies. He retired to Blue Eye, Missouri, and thoroughly enjoyed lake life. Richard appreciated the outdoors and loved hiking, fishing, … Read more
Read More
Edward W. HamiltonApril 3,1941 – October 26, 2024 Edward “Edjo” Wickman Hamilton, 83, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at home. Ed was born in Evanston, Illinois and moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin with his family when he was eight years old. He attended Whitewater High School and then graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater with a bachelor of science degree. He also served two years in the army. He moved to Davenport, Iowa in 1971 and worked at John Deere Davenport Works until he retired in 2001. Then he followed a dream, moved back to Whitewater and … Read more
Read More
Verne Paul Schrank was born on March 9, 1930 at home on the family farm in Lima Township, Rock County, to Arthur and Marie (Witte) Schrank. He attended the Sturtevant one room school which closed when he graduated in 1944. He attended Whitewater High School and graduated in 1948. Verne farmed with his parents until 1967 when he moved to Whitewater and worked for the Whitewater Unified School District as a custodian – courier for 27 years. Verne served on various boards at St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church, as well as playing on the dartball team for many years. Verne … Read more
Read More
After a long full life, Janine Marie (Dickerson) Weiss was called home to the Lord. Janine was born on April Fool’s Day, 1930 in Milwaukee. She grew up enjoying Trolleys, dancing and school with her sisters, Donna Domagalski, Marcyl Howel, Karen Moczynski and her parents, Glenn and Lucille Dickerson. In 1950, she married Frederic Weiss in a little church in Three Lakes WI. Shortly after, the first of 5 kids was born with the next 2 shortly after. Denice Lucille (Edward DeGroot), David Arthur, and Dana Lynn (Stephen Lind). After a breather Debra Beth (Alyn Jones) and Donna Raye (Dale … Read more
Read More
Raymond Miles, 96, Whitewater, passed away on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at Our House Senior Living in Whitewater. Raymond was born on February 10, 1928, in Elkhorn, WI to Rueben and Norma Miles. He served in the US Army. On June 18, 1955, Raymond married Waverly Sutherland in Whitewater, WI. He enjoyed a long and successful career as a Livestock Dealer. In retirement, he cherished time spent with his family and remained informed on the farming community. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Waverly of Whitewater, sons Eddie of Madison and Todd (Barbara) Miles of Sarasota FL, … Read more
Read More
Connie Jean Sukowski embarked on her next big adventure on the evening of Friday, November 8, 2024. Connie enjoyed decades of adventures with friends and family. She spent 36 years teaching 2nd and 3rd grade students in the Palmyra Eagle School District, working alongside many cherished colleagues and friends. Connie and her husband, Patrick Theodore Sukowski, shared 55 and a half years of marriage. Together they raised four children: Peter, Allan, Ann and Kevin Sukowski. She took great joy in watching her five grandchildren grow into amazing adults: Sonora Sukowski, Brianne Hebbe, Jared Gundrum-Sukowski, Nolan Causey, and Lore Lai Schimmel. … Read more
Read More
Nancy Lou Hallock Cooper passed away November 8, 2024 due to complications of lungcancer. Nancy was born on April 20, 1936 in Springfield, MA to Howard and Barbara (Corliss) Hallock. As a child, Nancy spent every summer in her beloved Piermont, NH where she and her brothers “helped” the local farmer with his chores, including riding in the truck with the milk cans every morning. She enjoyed swimming in the local brooks, picking berries, going to the nearby library, visiting with cousins, and playing croquet every evening. As she grew older, she spent time as a camper and then a camp … Read more
Read More
James Robert Trier (Jimbo), passed away on November 10, 2024, at the age of 89. Born on December 22, 1934, in New Holstein, WI, to George and Frances Trier. He spent his later years residing in Whitewater, WI. Jim began his teaching career as a high school mathematics teacher and then dedicated 55 years of his life to education as a mathematics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He was the chairman of the faculty senate as well. He had a passion for math and an engaging teaching style, which made him a student favorite. He was known for telling … Read more
Read MoreOther Recent Posts
Click on the title to view the post. To open the post in a new tab, press Ctrl (Cmd on a Mac) while clicking on the title.
