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Today is Friday, June 19, 2026
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Besides having fun, what else can you do to prepare for the aging experience? It is going to happen to all of us and the more prepared we are, the more likely we will age gracefully. A number of doctors and experts were asked to come up with a mantra – a short slogan that encapsulates a core truth about physical and mental health. In part one, we heard:
Aging is a good thing.
The way to health is through the gut.
Sleep is important but not important enough to lose sleep over. Here are a few more mantras.
Movement is life.
If you want to maintain your physical and mental health, you have to be physically active. It keeps your brain, heart, lungs, bones and joints healthy; in fact, every cell in your body benefits from pumping blood throughout. It lowers your risk of depression, dementia, cancer, stroke, heart attack – all the things that are likely to shorten your life.
Food is medicine. Food is love. Enjoy it as both.
What you eat connects you to your culture and people you care about. So, eat your favorite foods when you’re celebrating. The rest of the time, choose foods that nourish your body.
Life is finite. Live with it.
Once you acknowledge the limitations of being human, you can plunge your energy into what matters to you. Procrastination, distraction, impatience, addiction and all the rest happen from trying to avoid reality.
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For more advice for living a long happy life https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/06/can-you-lengthen-your-life
This article is submitted by Dementia Friendly Community Initiative, a program of Whitewater Seniors in the Park to help educate the community about dementia and to support patients and their care partners. New committee members are very welcome! Call Jennifer to volunteer 262 473 0535 jjackson@whitewater-wi.gov
The National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office issued the following updated forecast at 2 p.m. om Thursday.
- Risk level 3 out of 5 for strong to severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.
- A Tornado Watch has been issued for portions of far-southern Wisconsin, see the attached graphic for details. Watch remains in effect until 8 PM CDT.
- Damaging wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes are possible.
- Timeframe of highest concern is from 5 to 10 PM CDT today.
- Thunderstorms will clear out in a west to east manner from roughly 8 to 11 PM CDT this evening, leaving quiet weather late tonight.
County Residents Report Zoning Permit Scam
Be aware if you receive unsolicited invoices or suspicious messages
County officials were recently notified of a fraudulent invoice scam involving current zoning requests before the Jefferson County Planning and Development Department. Residents have received fake emails that appear to be official correspondence from Planning and Development directing them to pay an invoice in order to finalize a permit. These scam messages often look professional and may even use the names and titles of Jefferson County employees and details regarding a pending request to appear legitimate.
Red flags that could indicate a scam include:
- Suspicious contact information not affiliated with a legitimate email address. All emails from Jefferson County end with @jeffersoncountywi.gov
- Pressure to pay promptly and through a method such as wire transfer. As standard practice, our Planning and Development Department does not send invoices. Residents pay at the time of their application or permit.
Please be aware that scammers can impersonate any County department or private business to try to steal your money. If you receive a message or request that you suspect to be fraudulent, the best practice is to contact the entity making the request via a phone number or email address you know is legitimate. Instead of using the email or phone number in the suspicious message, look up the correct contact information personally and use it to report the message.
If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from the Jefferson County Planning and Development Department, please call (920) 674-7130.
For more about Jefferson County, including contact information for all departments:
https://cms4.revize.com/revize/jeffersoncountywi25/
Carol McCormick writes, “Two swans visited Trippe Lake on Monday morning feeding on a floating bog of cattails. The geese surrounding them didn’t seem to be intimidated by them. More curious than anything. Just another example of how precious our lakes are to our community!
Our thanks to Carol McCormick for sharing another interesting photo.
— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share. Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com. Thanks for thinking about this!
Editor’s note: The link shown above is not accurate. View all class dates and register at:
finances.extension.wisc.edu/programs/
Direct link to view individual classes and register:
- For Rent Smart: Free Virtual Programs – Rent Smart
- Planning AHEAD: Overview ⋮ Planning AHEAD Statewide Virtual Series ⋮ University of Wisconsin-Madison – Division of Extension ⋮ Events
- Encouraging Financial Conversations: Encouraging Financial Conversations Foundations March 17 – April 21, 2026 Training Series
- Money Matters Live: Monthly Money Matters Live – Financial Education
Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension–Walworth County.
If you didn’t subscribe to MLB TV, how can you watch the Brewers this season? Cable subscribers are in luck, as the entire season will be available on the following channels.
Spectrum channel 319 [Thanks to Tom Wegner for passing this on to us.]
TDS channel 243
Per the Leader-Telegram, the Brewers also announced 10 free over-the-air broadcasts during the season, including the opener, that will be aired on local television stations across the state. For our area the primary local station is WITI FOX6 from Milwaukee.
The dates for future over-the-air games are March 31 (6:40 p.m.), April 28 (6:40 p.m.), May 12 (6:40 p.m.), May 19 (6:40 p.m.), June 2 (6:40 p.m.), Aug. 4 (6:40 p.m.), Aug. 18 (6:40 p.m.), Aug. 25 (6:10 p.m.) and Sept. 8 (6:40 p.m.).
Updated 3/31/26 @ 4:45 p.m. with clarification that all season games will be on cable and also the dates when over-the-air broadcasts will be available.
“Jefferson County’s Land and Water Conservation Department and Planning and Development Department are jointly hosting a free workshop on April 7, 2026 from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm at the Jefferson County Courthouse focused on shoreland development and restoration. The main topics include County and City shoreland zoning rules, native plantings, bioengineering practices, riprap practices, funding opportunities, and resources available to contractors and landowners. There will be speakers from Jefferson County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Agrecol and Envirolok LLC.
Contractors in attendance will have their company highlighted on our contractor lists noting that they attended the workshop
Shoreland Contractors Workshop Agenda
Shoreland Restoration: Permits, Practices and Partnerships
April 7, 2026
Jefferson County Courthouse
Board Room, C2063
311 S Center Ave, Jefferson, WI
7:45 – 8:00 Check-In & Registration (Coffee, Snacks)
8:00 – 8:10 Welcome & Introductions
8:10 – 9:00 Shoreland Zoning 101
- County Zoning – Matt Zangl & Sarah Elsner, Jefferson County Planning
and Development - City of Fort Atkinson – Jed Draeger, Fort Atkinson Department of
Neighborhood and Building Services
9:00 – 10:00 Benefits of Native Plants, Best Practices, Envirolok – Eric Seidl, Envirolok
10:00 – 10:10 BREAK
10:10 – 11:00 Calculating Storm Wave Height – Colton Hutchinson, Jefferson County
Land & Water Conservation Department (LWCD)
Rock Infiltration, Calculating Rock Size & Quantity, Engineering – Jon
Lisowe & Hanna Johnson, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade
and Consumer Protection
11:00 – 12:00 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) RipRap Exemption,
Bioengineering and Permitting – Erin Cox, DNR
12:00 – 12:20 Project Funding & Resources – Jefferson County LWCD
- Lake Ripley Management District
- Wisconsin Healthy Lakes and Rivers Program
- Jefferson County Cost Share Programs
12:20 – 12:30 Wrap Up – Jefferson County LWCD
Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Jefferson County.
Obituaries
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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