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

Today is Monday, January 13, 2025

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.

Whippets Host New Invite at UWW

March 23, 2022

On Tuesday, March 22, Whitewater High School hosted the first annual “Fool’s Spring” Invitational, held at UW-Whitewater. This meet gave more athletes a chance to compete indoors before beginning the outdoor season. In total, 12 teams participated in the meet. Whitewater was again led by a strong performance in the Girls’ 4x200m relay, improving their season’s best time to 1:53.65, good for 1st place by a nearly 4-second margin. Jack Hefty led the boys’ team with his 1st place finish in the 1600m Run, finishing in a time of 4:41.42. Other top-5 efforts included the Girls’ 4x400m Relay team of Kilar, Buehler, Grace Villarreal, and Weigel (3rd), Cooper Hammond in the 1600m (4th place), the Boys’ 4x400m relay team of Hammond, Hefty, Connor Sharlow, and CJ Tomomitsu (4th), and CJ Tomomitsu in the Pole Vault (5th). 

Kindyl Kilar

Additionally, our throwers all threw for personal records in the Boys’ Shot Put, and several young sprinters had the chance to participate in their first high school competition. Thank you to all the parents and spectators who attended the meet, as well as to all the student-athletes who volunteered to work events, which allowed the meet to run smoothly! The Whippets’ next competition is scheduled for Saturday, April 2nd, at Clinton High School.

Article Submitted by Matt Green
Whitewater High School Head Track Coach
mgreen@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka

Whitewater FFA News

March 22, 2022

Editor’s note: The following was received from Mason DePorter, FFA Reporter.

Pictured from left to right are Rebecca Schmidt, Kiwanis President Patrick Taylor, Eloise Rohloff, Kiwanis We Go Round Project Chair Lorrie Koppein, Aiden Wiendenhoeft, FF President Carter Friend, Blake Zajdel, and Mason DePorter. Submitted by FFA Reporter Mason DePorter
Pictured from left to right are FFA Officers Eloise Rohloff, Rebecca Schmidt, Katie Grady manager at Culver’s, Mason DePorter, FFA President Carter Friend, Blake Zajdel, and Aiden Wiendenhoeft.
Submitted by FFA Reporter Mason DePorter

Recently, the Whitewater FFA gave a $2000 check to the Whitewater Breakfast Kiwanis Club. Last spring the Whitewater FFA decided to donate the profits from the plant sale to Kiwanis to support the We Go Round project. The We Go Round Project is adding an accessible playground feature at Starin Park. 

In honor of FFA week and their ongoing support, the Whitewater Culver’s donated $500 to the Whitewater FFA. 

WHS in Search of Community Volunteers to Hear Senior Portfolio Presentations

March 20, 2022

The WHS Portfolio Committee is seeking community members to be a part of the listening audiences on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, 4:00 – 7:30 p.m. We are hoping for at least 15 Whitewater Community members to participate. Community members willing to attend the presentations can email kmcnulty@wwusd.org  or call 262-472-8230 to sign up by Friday, April 8.

Members of the Whitewater High School Class of 2022 are currently preparing for the annual Portfolio Event which will be held on Wednesday, April 27, 4-7:30 p.m. at the high school. 

This event for seniors allows them to showcase their academic achievements, celebrate their accomplishments, and share their postsecondary career and academic plans before graduation. To make the presentations more meaningful, students present to an audience of WHS staff members and members of the community along with family and friends who are invited to attend. 

Students present examples of their best work in core academic and elective areas, share 2 or more examples of their involvement in activities in and outside of school, or work experiences, and at least one service activity that had special significance. Students then describe their future career and educational plans and the pathway they have chosen to accomplish their career goals. Graduates end their presentation by summarizing the most important learning experiences they’ve had in high school and how they hope to use their knowledge and skills to become a productive and responsible member of society. 

Article Submitted by Kate McNulty
Whitewater High School
kmcnulty@wwusd.org

Senior Adult Prom Planned; Assistance from Community Welcome

March 20, 2022


At Our House Senior Living Memory Care in Whitewater we are looking forward to a great evening for our senior residents as we celebrate Prom 2022 on March 31, 2022. We are holding Prom for our seniors to brighten up their evening, and we would love to hear them reminiscence about their memories with special events like this that they had in the past. We want all of our residents to feel special!

We are looking for donations of prom dresses and men’s dress attire. Anything would be helpful to make this a night to remember. We will also be looking for a great local vendor to order our prom meal from. If anyone in the community would like to donate any items for our prom please reach out to Angela Lyman-Executive Director at 262-473-9507 or Brandy Eason-Assistant Director at 262-473-1011.

The image on the homepage,”Corsage – Blumz by JRDesigns in metro Detroit” by Flower Factor is marked with CC BY-NC 2.0.


Boys 4×800 and Girls 4×200 Teams Place First at Nelson-Daniels

March 20, 2022

On Friday, March 18, Whitewater Track & Field athletes participated in the Nelson-Daniels Small School Invitational at UW-Whitewater. Strong team and individual performances were posted by both squads. Competing against over 20 schools from Wisconsin and Illinois, the Whippets began with a strong start from the Boy’s 4x800m relay. The team of Cooper Hammond, Nate Holden, Ethan Dugan, and Jack Hefty posted a time of 9:09.36, good for 1st place. Despite strong competition and on-track adversity, the boys crossed the finish line nearly 12 seconds faster than the next-fastest relay team. The other 1st-place finish of the night was posted by the Girl’s 4x200m relay team of Maddie Buehler, Kindyl Kilar, Olive Coburn, and Calli Grosinske. A strong start out of the blocks, stellar hand-offs, and a gutsy finish on the back stretch helped the relay team cross the line in a time of 1:54.88.

Nate Holden, Cooper Hammond, Ethan Dugan, and Jack Hefty

Other event place-winners for the boys included CJ Tomomitsu in the Pole Vault (T-2nd), Connor Raupp in the Shot Put (7th), and the 4x400m relay team of Hammond, Dugan, Tomomitsu, and Hefty (8th). For the girls, Kindyl Kilar placed 6th in the 55m Dash Final. All athletes who competed showed great effort and enthusiasm, cheering on and supporting their teammates through the 4x400m relay that was run late that night. The Whippets return to action on Tuesday for their second and final indoor meet, the ‘Fool’s Spring’ Invitational, hosted by UW-Whitewater.

Article Submitted by Matt Green
Whitewater High School Head Track and Field Coach
mgreen@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka

Boys’ Wrap Up Season with Banquet

March 18, 2022

On Tuesday, March 15, the Whippet Boys’ Basketball Team enjoyed their end of season banquet. Overall, the season didn’t play out as well as the players, the coaches, or the fans hoped. There were, however, some bright spots, and the players at all three levels improved as the season progressed. The JV2 squad came together as a team to overcome inexperience, illness, and injury to finish strong. The JV1 team, always in a tough spot as their players are always on notice to challenge Varsity in practice, provide minutes for Varsity in game situations, and work on developing their team chemistry in their own games, overcame these challenges to finish the season on a positive note.

Seniors

The Varsity team, at different times throughout the season, was battling injuries and illness. Near the end of the season, the team started to find their rhythm and were more competitive than earlier in the season. This was most evident when the #12-seeded Whippets traveled to the #5-seeded Mariners of St. Francis near the shores of Lake Michigan in the first round of the WIAA playoffs. The boys battled through 13 lead changes and 11 ties to experience their most satisfying win of the season. The final score was 60-56 behind Jonathan Aron’s 25 points and five assists and Wyatt Nickel’s 13 points, six rebounds, and five steals. Arno Crowley contributed nine points and three steals, Ramon Wence poured in seven points and dropped seven assists and three steals, with Sam Brown providing a steady rudder guiding the Whippet ship with six points, four rebounds, and five assists.

Last but not least, the Rock Valley Conference coaches gathered last Wednesday to vote on All-Conference honors. The RVC coaches recognized Jonathan Aron and Wyatt Nickels for their season-long performances and rewarded them by naming them All-Conference Honorable Mention. Congratulations fellas and to all three teams!

Article and Photos Submitted by Jim Aron

Ferradermis Wins Gracious Professionalism Award at Lake Superior Regional

March 15, 2022

Whitewater High School’s FIRST Robotics Team Ferradermis has been busy prototyping, designing, manufacturing, building, wiring, programming, and testing their 2022 robot since FIRST unveiled the new game for the Rapid React season on January 8. The team is currently between competitions, having traveled to Duluth, Minnesota for the Lake Superior Regional from March 2 – 5. They will be competing in Milwaukee at the Wisconsin Regional during Spring Break and again in La Crosse at the Seven Rivers Regional from March 30 – April 2.

This year’s game is sponsored by Boeing and themed around the elements of an airport. The game involves shooting oversized tennis balls (cargo) into an upper and lower hub in the center of the field and climbing a set of monkey bars in the hangar during the last 30 seconds of each match. As always, games are played with six robots on the field at a time, 3 on the blue alliance and 3 on the red alliance. To learn more about how the robots play the game, watch the game animation at https://youtu.be/LgniEjI9cCM

Prior to competing, members of Ferradermis enjoyed hosting the community for an Open House on Saturday, February 12. Team members greeted visitors and showed them the game animation before demonstrating the CAD model for the newest robot. Members of the mechanical, electrical, and programming teams then demonstrated how they accomplish their goals, and the tour wrapped up with a visit to the tables hosted by the Whitewater BrickLayers FIRST LEGO League teams from Washington, Lakeview, and Lincoln Elementary Schools.

On Saturday, February 20, members of the team traveled to Sussex Hamilton High School to participate in a pre-regional scrimmage with 25 teams from southern and central Wisconsin. This annual event gives teams the opportunity to test their robot on a full official field for the first time. Teams also have the opportunity to see what other teams have created and discuss ideas. Sussex also includes sessions where students can discuss scouting and strategy at events, see each others’ Chairman’s awards presentations, and practice for Dean’s List interviews.

Duluth welcomed 112 high school FIRST Robotics Teams to the DECC on March 2, split between the Lake Superior Regional and the Northern Lights Regional. This was the first in-person regional event to be held since the first week of March of 2020, when Ferradermis competed at Northern Lights, and everyone was thrilled to be back in action! The 58 teams competing on the Lake Superior side of the curtain this year represented Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Because many COVID protocols were still in place, team members had completed two judging interviews prior to traveling north. At other regionals, the judges will mill about in the pits and interact with teams in a much less formal way.

The robot played 9 qualification matches in Duluth, with a record of 5 – 4. The team ended up ranked 38 out of 58, and did not make the playoffs. However, the team was thrilled to win the Gracious Professionalism Award for the Lake Superior Regional. Gracious professionalism is a main tenet of FIRST which expects teams to compete as hard as they can on the field but to also do everything they can to help other teams reach their own potential. Go, Ferradermis!

Article Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor and Banner Volunteer
lmasbruch@wwusd.org

Lincoln Elementary welcomes Whitewater Police Department for Reading Time

March 13, 2022

Editor’s note: The following information was received from Whitewater Unified School District.

Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser
Lincoln had the pleasure of welcoming Acting Chief Dan Meyer, School Resource Officer Michele Martin, Detective Justin Brock, and Detective Shane Brandl to our school for some reading time!  The members of our police department visited Mrs. Adelmeyer’s 1st-grade class and Mrs. Nelson’s 2nd-grade class as part of the Kiwanis Program, Cops ‘N Kids on Friday, March 4th. Each class enjoyed the visit and even received a free book! 

Obituaries

Obituary: Kandi Lynn Kincaid (Cardinal)

In Loving Memory of Kandi Lynn Kincaid (Cardinal)Beloved Daughter, Sister, Mother, Grandmother, and Friend It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Kandi Lynn Kincaid, daughter of Eunice and Richard Kincaid, on December 28th at 7 PM. Kandi passed away peacefully in bed, enjoying one of her favorite pastimes—watching crime shows. Kandi was a woman of many passions. She was a devoted fan of the Chicago Bears, found joy in listening to 2Pac, and had an unwavering love for animals, always standing against cruelty of any kind. Her smile could light up a room, and her warmth … Read more

Read More

Obituary: Dr. George Harold Seeburger, 89, of Lake Mills

Dr. George Harold Seeburger, 89, of Lake Mills passed away on Friday, January 3, 2025 at Lilac Springs Assisted Living in Lake Mills. George was born on July 20, 1935 in Phillips, Wisconsin to George and Nellie (Knight) Seeburger.  He graduated from Phillips High School and received an undergraduate degree from UW Stevens Point and went on to earn his PhD from the University of Georgia Athens. He was a biology professor at UW Whitewater up until his retirement. George married Nancy Carole Skalitzky on November 6, 1959 in Waukegan, Illinois. Nancy passed on November 13, 2021.  They enjoyed traveling … Read more

Read More

Obituary: William J. “Bill” West, 75

William J. “Bill” West, 75, of Whitewater passed away on Tuesday, December 24, 2024 at Fort Memorial Hospital in Fort Atkinson. Bill was born on September 8, 1949 to John and Bessie (Sutherland) West in Fort Atkinson. He worked at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater for twelve years. Bill enjoyed watching the Packers and NASCAR. He is survived by his girlfriend, Sandy Hahn; and many friends and family. A memorial visitation will take place on Thursday, January 16, 2025 from 11 AM until 1 PM at Nitardy Funeral Home, 550 N. Newcomb St., Whitewater, WI 53190. Inurnment will take … Read more

Read More

Obituary: David Harold Baker Jr., 61, of Portland, OR

David Harold Baker Jr., beloved husband, father, stepfather, son, and brother, passed away on December 16, 2024, in Portland, Oregon, at the age of 61. Born on August 10, 1963, in Beaufort, South Carolina, David was the firstborn child of David Baker Sr. and the late Betty Jean Baker (née Wickham) while his father served in the United States Marine Corps. David spent his early years in Wyoming, where the family lived until his parents divorced. In 1976, David moved to Oregon with his father, and he graduated from high school in 1982. Shortly after, he moved to Wisconsin to … Read more

Read More

Obituary: Allen C. Hicks, 85

Allen C. Hicks, 85 of Whitewater passed away on Saturday, January 4th, 2025 at Huntington Memory Care in Janesville. Al, the oldest of seven boys, was born on July 5th, 1939, in Belvidere, Illinois to Walt and Laura (Keller) Hicks. A few years later, the family bought a dairy farm in Whitewater and became very active in the Whitewater community. There was always work to be done or something to be repaired on the farm which led to Al’s lifelong love of tinkering. He was very active in high school sports which continued on into his adult years playing in … Read more

Read More

Obituary: Jeanette Ila Hansen, 91

Jeanette Ila Hansen, 91, Whitewater passed away on December 24, 2024 at Rainbow Hospice Inpatient Center in Johnson Creek, WI, having lived independently almost all her later life. Jeanette was born on May 12, 1933 in Whitewater, WI to Alvin and Maybell (Maasz) Cox.  She married Norman Hansen on November 2, 1950 and they were married for 59 years.  Jeanette enjoyed fishing, reading, indoor gardening, collecting dolls, and cooking; and she made many beautiful items with crocheting, knitting, and sewing.  She was generous and seemed to have a good word to say about almost everyone she met. She especially loved … Read more

Read More

Obituary: Isaac Richard Unger, 31

Isaac Richard Unger left the field on Christmas Day, and is now at peace. He was born in Whitewater, WI on April 1st, 1993 to Paul and Mary Jo (née Peiffer) Unger. Isaac was born ten days late on a silly holiday, and lived his life as such–never rushed, and with a lighthearted sense of humor. Isaac graduated from Madison East High School in 2011, and then attended UW-River Falls from 2011-2016, where he studied English and philosophy. Isaac was a sports lover, not only as a spectator, but as a participant. Isaac grew up playing soccer, basketball (Badger Sporting … Read more

Read More

Obituary: John George Mack, 61

John George Mack passed away into eternal glory on December 24th, 2024. John was born December 1, 1963, in Fort Atkinson, WI to Ronald and Mary Alice (Hanson) Mack of Whitewater.   John was a 1982 Whitewater High School graduate. In 1983 just out of high school John started his first wood company selling wholesale through all the major gift markets including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York. At the time his clients included 8 out of the 10 retail chains and several thousand independent stores nationwide. John had so many wonderful customers and associates.   As the wholesale gift market shifted to cheaper overseas … Read more

Read More

Obituary: Clifford Maynard Witte, 103

Clifford Maynard Witte, age 103, of Whitewater, WI completed his earthly journey on December 24, 2024 in his home surrounded by his loving family.  Clifford was born on September 13, 1921 on a farm in Mount Horeb, WI, and was the third child of Ella and Eli Witte.  Clifford served his country by joining the Navy in 1942 during WWII, and served alongside his two brothers. Later he used the GI bill to attend Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, IA. There he met the love of his life, Beulah (Billie) Ohrberg, and they married on Nov 7, 1946. Shortly after … Read more

Read More

Obituary: Mary Ann Burkhardt, 79

Mary Ann Burkhardt, 79, passed away December 24, 2024, at Edgerton Hospital, surrounded by loved ones following a brief illness. Mary was born on September 14, 1945, in Chicago, IL, to Raymond and Helen (Pasternak) Burkhardt. She attended elementary school in Chicago and Good Counsel Catholic Girls High School, before her family moved to Whitewater where she graduated from WHS in 1963.  She worked at Gus’s Pizza Palace, Whitewater Products, and finally, Jones Dairy Farm until her retirement 33 years later.  She enjoyed bowling, snowmobiling, boating, golf, riding her motorcycle, and playing softball for the Long Branch Saloon.  She was … Read more

Read More