News & Events

By Al Stanek
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article was generated in response to readers who wanted to know more of the particulars regarding an alleged assault and related underage drinking incident in early March. ‘The Banner’ requested and reviewed police reports relating to the incident. As we reported on March 11, a male who is no longer enrolled at UW-W was cited with disorderly conduct (assault) and underage presence in a licensed establishment. The Banner found nothing particularly newsworthy about the assault investigation, but did research the age requirements for bartenders. No editorial position regarding existing underage drinking regulations is intended.

Further examination of a Whitewater incident that occurred after bar time the night of Thursday March 4 brought to light the fact that in Wisconsin 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds can tend bar in an establishment restricting attendance to those age 21 and above.

The police report indicates that the man and a woman that he is accused of striking were both underage and had been in a tavern before the incident occurred.. The young woman was employed as a bartender at the establishment but was in the tavern as a customer at the time.

Municipal citations for “underage presence in a place prohibited” which require a deposit of $376 were issued to the assaulted woman and the man. A citation requiring a deposit of $691 was issued to the tavern owner for “licensee sell(ing) alcohol (to an) underage person.”

We asked Whitewater Police Chief Aaron Raap about the impact of underage bartenders here in Whitewater and although he was not “overly enthusiastic” about the policy he did not think that preventing underage bartenders alone would have a significant impact on underage drinking in the city. We also asked a WI Tavern League spokesperson to comment on the issue. Pete Madland advised us that, “Thousands of Wisconsin college students have helped pay for college by tending bar.” He added that “Technically an 18-year-old can be the owner of a Wisconsin tavern” and added that past efforts to raise the required age for bartending have failed.

City Attorney Wally McDonell and an attorney for the WI Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) were both asked if the City could pass an ordinance requiring city bartenders to be 21 or older. Both replied that the state law would most likely prevent the City from doing so.

SSM Health to adjust visitor policy for hospital, local clinics

Requirement helps to keep patients, visitors and employees safe

Janesville, WI – As SSM Health slowly begins to resume more normal operations, visitor policies will soon be adjusted. These changes affect SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Janesville and Dean Medical Group Southern Region WI Clinics in Janesville, Edgerton, Evansville, Stoughton, Fort Atkinson, Whitewater and Delavan.

Effective March 8, the following visitor guidelines will be in place:

SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Janesville

• One visitor (ages 18+) to accompany patients, per day.
• Two visitors (ages 18+) will be allowed for pediatric patients, per day.
• Visitors are not allowed for patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 or are under investigation for a COVID-19 infection.

Exceptions to the visitor policy will continue to be made during special circumstances, including end of life, and must be arranged with a nursing leader.

Hospital inpatient visiting hours will be 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Visitors must enter via the front doors and complete a health screening before being approved to go to a patient room. Visitors must also perform hand hygiene and will be required to wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as directed by our caregivers. Visitors are encouraged to remain in the patient’s room to limit movement in the facility. The Prairie View Café will be open for carryout meals only.

Dean Medical Group Southern Region WI clinics

• 1 support person per patient (ages 16+).
• 2 support persons (ages 16+) for pediatric patients (ages 0-18).

Dean Medical Group patients will be encouraged to bring a support person only when needed. Visitors must pass established COVID-19 screening protocol, wear a face mask which covers both the nose and mouth and practice social distancing.

Louisa Answers the Call
Tuesday March 23, 1:00 p.m
Virtual or at Starin Park

March is Women’s History Month, and Jill Fuller will be with Seniors in the Park, virtually, to talk about Louisa May Alcott. Before she became famous as the author of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott left Concord, Massachusetts to serve as a nurse in the Civil War. In this presentation, we will explore this pivotal experience in her life and how it ultimately led to her famous novel.

Jill Fuller is a librarian, writer and historian. She is a member of the Louisa May Alcott Society and the co-host of Let Genius Burn, an upcoming podcast on Louisa May Alcott’s life. You can find her at www.jillfuller.com or on Instagram @jill.full. 

Sign up for the virtual presentation or to watch the presentation at Starin Park on our zoom by calling 262-473-0535, emailing dweberpal@whitewater-wi.gov or going online to https://schedulesplus.com/wwtr/kiosk/. The deadline is Monday, March 22 at noon. Zoom link will be sent out Monday afternoon.

(Middle School press release) The Whitewater Middle School Theater, in collaboration with WHS Players, will be presenting, 10 Ways To Survive Life In Quarantine, by Don Zolidis, on Thursday, March 18^th, and Friday, March 19^th, at 7:00 p.m.  The show will be presented on Zoom, and is free to all viewers.  The viewing link will be posted on the middle school website at 6:55 p.m. both evenings.   

Have you been wondering how others have been handling their time in quarantine?  Well, this show gives us a snapshot of just how things are going, and how our various characters are coping.

Cast members include middle and high school students, London Altreuter, Lucy Davis, Adalynn Frye, Danny Fuller, Miles Hutchison, Maggie Jay, Ben McCulloch, Hailey Peterson, Aldo Rodriguez, Madison Strickler, Anderson Waelchli, Carter Waelchli, and Ella Willman.  The show is directed by Liz Elliott and Alyssa Orlowski. 

Please consider supporting our cast in our first ever virtual production!

Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser

(SSM press release) – SSM Health is continuing its COVID-19 vaccine community outreach efforts with an on-site, mobile vaccination clinic for pre-registered individuals on Tuesday, March 16. This is not a walk-in clinic.

Educators from the Whitewater Unified School District, School District of Fort Atkinson and UW-Whitewater will receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine during this day-long event. In addition, Madison College (Watertown and Fort Atkinson campuses), and employees from other area school districts, also will be vaccinated.

“We believe vaccinating educators is a key component to getting our state’s children safely back to school full time and SSM Health is honored to partner with school districts to administer the COVID-19 vaccine,” said SSM Health WI Regional President Damond Boatwright.

SSM Health has enough vaccine supply to vaccinate school district staff members, while still prioritizing those ages 65 and older. We continue to closely follow guidance issued by Wisconsin DHS and are collaborating with public health officials in the communities and counties we serve.

To date, SSM Health has administered more than 111,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin. We are committed to vaccinating as many individuals as safely and efficiently as possible.

This week’s #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society follows up last’s week’s with another image from the 1881 snowstorm!

This past week marks the storm’s 140 year anniversary, as it hit in two waves between February 26 and March 4. A heavy rainstorm, followed by over four feet of snow, pounded the city that week. Record books in Madison indicate that approximately 114 inches of snow fell in total that winter. This stereoscope view, courtesy of local photographer J.P. Whipple, shows the snow drifts along the sidewalks on the north side of Main Street.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society collections!

(1575ST, Whitewater Historical Society)

The Whitewater Historical Society collects, preserves, and interprets the history of Whitewater and the surrounding area. Be sure to join us next week for more from the Society’s collections. Please “like” us on Facebook, and check out our website at whitewaterhistoricalsociety.org!​ 

(Walworth Co. Division of Public Health press release) ELKHORN, WI — On February 18, 2021, Walworth County moved to Phase 3 of its Phased Guidance for COVID-19. The Division of Public Health initiated the shift after observing sustained improvement in all key indicators highlighted on Walworth County’s Public Health Community Data Dashboard.

The most notable change from Phase 2 to Phase 3 is an increase in recommended capacity from 50% to 75% for certain industries and some larger permitted gathering sizes. While Phased Guidance recommendations become more relaxed, Walworth County Health Officer Erica Bergstrom encourages that collective actions to prevent COVID-19 remain steadfast. “Our community has worked diligently and made tremendous sacrifices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 over the last year,” she states. “At this pivotal point in our recovery, we must remain vigilant in protecting our community against COVID-19. When we use all available tools and strategies, we ensure that we stay on this encouraging path.”

Even as vaccines become more readily available, it remains important to use all preventative actions to protect against COVID-19. These include being vaccinated when and if able, maintaining physical distance from those outside of your household, wearing a face covering, washing your hands frequently, staying home when you’re sick, and getting tested if you have symptoms.

For more information on Walworth County Public Health’s data, Phased Guidance, and using all tools and strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19, please visit the county website at https://www.co.walworth.wi.us/856/COVID-19. Questions on the Phased Guidance may be sent to walcoph@co.walworth.wi.us.