News & Events

Editor’s note: Per the SSM Health website, applications are being accepted at St. Mary’s Hospital/Janesville for Apprentice Nurse Aides who have successfully completed nurse aide training and the exam. There also are openings for Apprentice Medical Assistants in Family Medicine in Janesville; these positions do not appear to require nurse aide training.

Students will earn as they learn necessary skills for a variety of health care careers

SSM Health is recruiting high school students for a paid apprenticeship program across its hospitals and clinics in Wisconsin that will offer valuable hands-on experiences while providing a pathway to rewarding careers in health care.

The Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program offers high school juniors and seniors enrolled in related courses industry-recognized completion certificates for their work in one of eight health care career areas, which include:

Medical Assistant	Medical Office Assistant	Phlebotomy Assistant
Medical Imaging Assistant	Nursing Assistant	Physical Therapy Aide
Medical Lab Assistant	Pharmacy Assistant

“Health care offers many rewarding career paths, and we are delighted to welcome these young people into our hospitals and clinics to experience these important roles for themselves as we seek to help train a new generation of exceptional caregivers in the communities we are privileged to serve,” says program coordinator, Sandy Riley.

Those selected for the one-year program are required to work 450 hours and can elect to begin their apprenticeship in the summer or at the start of their fall semester. SSM Health hopes to interest 50 students to apprentice throughout the 2024-2025 school year within its care teams throughout its hospitals and clinics in Wisconsin. 

Interested students and their parents can learn more about the available apprenticeships and apply online at the SSM Health Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program page.

The apprenticeship program is led by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and is offered in collaboration with: the Dane County School Consortium in Greater Madison, Southwest WI Workforce Development Board, Inc. in Green/Rock Counties and the Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESA 3) in Iowa County, (CESA 5) in Sauk County and (CESA 6) in Greater Fond du Lac, as well as a host of area high schools.

Editor’s note: The Whitewater Banner reached out to SSM Health to confirm that Whitewater High School students are eligible to participate. The short answer is that they are welcome to apply, as are students at Fort Atkinson and Elkhorn Area high schools, as well as home school students. The long answer from Sandy Riley of SSM is as follows:

“The Youth Apprenticeship (YA) program has been in existence in Wisconsin since 1991 (to clarify).  Ours was the first state to implement YA and it has been adopted by many other states across the U.S.. YA in Wisconsin operates through partnerships between high schools, consortia partners, employers, DWD, parents, and of course students.

Some schools work with a consortia partner who serve as a liaison between employers and schools.  Other high schools operate the program independent of a consortia partner. The vast majority of high schools participate in YA.  In addition, students completing a home school program may also qualify. 

To find out more about specific school districts, visit  https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/apprenticeship/contacts.htm#youthApprenticeshipConsortiums and search by school district to find the contact information for each school’s YA Coordinator.  All three schools above [Whitewater, Fort Atkinson, and Elkhorn] are listed on the DWD site. Alternatively, this page also has a clickable button labeled “See Consortium Info” which will link to the consortium partner that supports the program in each region. They are wonderful subject matter experts and are often a bit easier to connect with, particularly during the summer.

Finally, a simple email or call to the Department of Workforce Development YA contact is also an option: ya@dwd.wisconsin.gov or 608-733-3930.  If a school does not participate and there is no consortium partner, DWD would be the best information source.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September).” Some Whitewater residents are reporting that already this year they’ve seen or pulled off themselves many ticks. It’s important to protect ourselves against Lyme disease and other diseases that may be spread by ticks. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that, “Depending on the location, anywhere from less than 1% to more than 50% of the ticks are infected with it [Lyme disease.] While most tick bites are harmless, several species can cause life-threatening diseases.”

There are many steps you can take to protect yourself from tick bites.

Use repellent on skin and clothing

Use insect repellents on exposed skin and clothes to prevent tick bites. Repellents should contain one of these:

• 20–30% DEET
• 10–20% Picaridin
• 15–20% IR3535
• 30–40% oil of lemon eucalyptus

Parents should apply repellents to children. Use caution and avoid hands, eyes, and mouth. Don’t use oil of lemon eucalyptus on children under 3 years of age.

Permethrin is a pesticide that kills ticks when they crawl on your clothes. Apply it to clothes, shoes, and gear to prevent tick bites. Don’t apply directly to skin. After applied, permethrin lasts through several washes.

Carefully apply repellents according to the label instructions. Some products should be applied more often than others.

Find the Repellent that is Right for You on the Environmental Protection Agency website.

For more details, visit our webpage on Tick and Insect Repellents. Learn more with the Insect Repellent Essentials: A Brief Guide (PDF) from the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases.

Wear the right outdoor clothing.

• Wear long sleeves, long pants, and tall socks. This helps keep ticks on the outside of clothing rather than on your skin.
• Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to spot.
• Tuck shirts into pants, and tuck pants into shoes or socks. This keeps ticks on the outside of clothing.
• Take extra care if you’ll be outdoors for a long time. Tape pant legs where pants and socks meet so ticks can’t crawl under clothes.

Avoid direct contact with ticks

• Walk in the center of trails
• Don’t brush up against plants on the edge of trails.
• Avoid wooded and brushy areas with tall grass and leaf litter.

Check for ticks after being outdoors.

• Perform full-body tick checks after being outdoors in areas where ticks may be present. This could include your own yard. Check yourself and family members every day after being outdoors where ticks may be present.
• Check all parts of the body carefully. Pay special attention to the armpits, behind the knees, scalp, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, and groin.
• Parents should check their children for ticks.
• Before going inside, make sure your clothing, gear, and pets don’t have ticks. For pets, use a treatment recommended by a veterinarian to prevent ticks.
• Take a bath or shower within two hours after coming inside. This helps you find and wash off any ticks on your body.
• Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes. The heat kills any ticks still on your clothing. If clothes are damp, tumble dry on high heat for 60 minutes.

Tick removal—dos and don’ts

Don’t panic if you find a tick embedded on your body. Simply remove it as soon as possible following these recommendations:

Do:

• Grasp tick with a narrow-bladed tweezers as close as possible to the skin.
• If tweezers are not available, use fingers shielded with tissue paper or rubber gloves.
• Pull upward and out with a firm and steady tension.

Don’t:

• Don’t use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish, or other products.
• Don’t handle tick with bare hands.
• Don’t squeeze, crush, or puncture the body of the tick, which may contain infectious fluids.
• Don’t twist the tick, since this can cause the mouthparts to break off and stay in the skin.

After removing the tick, use rubbing alcohol to clean the bite site and wash your hands with soap and water. It is important that a tick be properly removed as soon as it’s found.

Visit your doctor if you have a rash or fever within 30 days of removing a tick or after possible tick exposure. Tell the doctor when and where you may have come into contact with the tick.

If I’ve been bitten by a tick, should I get it tested?

If you have been bitten by a tick, getting it tested for any diseases isn’t recommended. The only way to know if a tick bite made you sick is through an evaluation performed by a health care provider. Learn more about tick testing at Ticks in Wisconsin: What You Need to Know.

Editor’s note: The image on the homepage is from here.

It’s farmers market season here in Wisconsin. As the Whitewater City Market gears up to launch its outdoor season, we’re excited for our 9th season in the downtown commercial district. The market, built to celebrate local foods, products, and community, is thrilled to announce an exciting partnership with Generac Power Systems and TDS Telecom, as sponsors of the season’s musical performances.
 
Generac, a pioneer in backup power solutions, and TDS, a leading provider of high-speed internet and communication solutions, are both deeply committed to supporting local initiatives that foster community engagement and enrichment. Their generous sponsorship highlights their dedication to enhancing the quality of life in Whitewater and beyond.

As part of this sponsorship, the Whitewater City Market is delighted to feature live music by the talented Wendy O’Lynn (pictured above) to kick off the season. Wendy O’Lynn’s talents are the perfect backdrop for a season-opening celebration.

“We are thrilled to welcome back Generac Power Systems and add TDS Telecom as sponsors for our outdoor market season,” said Lisa Dawsey Smith, volunteer of the Whitewater City Market. “Their support not only allows us to continue providing a platform for local musicians, but also local farmers, producers, and artisans.”

In addition to music, patrons of the market can look forward to children’s activities, giveaways, local foods, local crafts, information from area non-profits, and don’t forget the food trucks/prepared food vendors. From exciting giveaways to an abundance of fresh local produce, plants, flowers, and artisanal goods, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

The outdoor market season kicks off on May 7, 2024, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and will continue every Tuesday through October. Located at the Historic Train Depot, 301 W Whitewater Street, the market promises to be a highlight of the spring and summer seasons in Whitewater.

For more information about the Whitewater City Market and upcoming events, please visit www.downtownwhitewater.com or follow us on social media @WhitewaterCityMarket.

About Whitewater City Market: The Whitewater City Market is a vibrant community market that celebrates local artisans, farmers, and food producers. With a commitment to supporting local businesses and fostering community connections, the market offers a diverse array of goods and activities for visitors of all ages.

Contact: Lisa Dawsey Smith, volunteer, Whitewater City Market whitewatercitymarket@gmail.com

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

The Whitewater Common Council, in a special meeting on May 1, interviewed three candidates for an interim appointment as Municipal Judge: Art Coleman, Jonathan McDonell, and John William Nelson. Council members did not discuss their views regarding the interviews other than to express appreciation for the three candidates stepping forward. Nelson was chosen on a 4-3 vote, with Brienne Brown, Greg Marjkrzak, Brian Schanen, and Orin Smith voting in favor.

State statutes stipulate very minimal required qualifications for a municipal judge; of particular note, a judge need not be an attorney. According to the Wisconsin Court System website, approximately 50% of the over 200 municipal judges are attorneys. The judge must live in the municipality where they serve. Two of the applicants for the position, McDonell and Nelson, are attorneys. McDonell currently serves as city attorney as well as the city’s prosecutor in the municipal court. It was mentioned that if McDonell was appointed as judge the city would have to seek a different attorney for his current roles. Coleman, who has twice been an unsuccessful candidate on the ballot for municipal judge, retired last year from state service as a probation/parole agent, and indicated that in that role he had frequent appearances in courts. Nelson described himself as a trial attorney who most recently had resided in Georgia. He indicated that he felt that his relatively recent move to Whitewater would be a plus, as he would be less likely to be acquainted with individuals who might appear in court or their family members.

The appointment of an interim municipal judge was necessitated by the resignation, effective June 1, of Patrick Taylor, who will be moving to California to join his spouse, who is now employed there. Taylor is serving his second term as judge, with a term that expires in May 2027. The selection of a new judge was particularly expedited in order to facilitate a decision in time for the new judge to attend the Wisconsin Court System’s annual Municipal Judge Orientation Seminar, which Nelson told The Whitewater Banner he does plan to attend. Taylor, in addressing the Council, complimented them on their prompt appointment of the judge, and also passed on recommendations to the candidates on what he considered to be important philosophies and practices of running an effective court.

A special election to elect a judge to fulfill the remainder of Taylor’s term will be held as part of the presidential election in November. Both McDonell and Nelson expressed an intention to run in that election; Coleman indicated that he was undecided due to the possibility of having other employment by that time.

The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce the eagerly anticipated return of the 4th Annual Whitewater Storytelling Festival, taking place on May 3rd and 4th at the Cultural Arts Center (CAC) located at 402 W Main St, Whitewater.

The festival promises a charismatic lineup of storytelling, music, art, and family fun, showcasing talent from Chicago, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Whitewater, and beyond.

The festivities kick off on Friday, May 3rd at the CAC, with an Open Mic session from 6:00 PM to 7:45 PM emceed by Karen McCulloch of The Book Teller. This will be followed by live music performances by Nazario Chickpeazio and County Craic Irish Fiddling from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Saturday, May 4th, will feature a diverse array of events in Flat Iron Park outside the CAC beginning at 9:00 AM with children’s storytelling, followed by all-ages storytelling throughout the afternoon, emceed by Sarah Beth Nelson. From 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, attendees can enjoy a watercolor demonstration and the opening reception for Whitewater Arts Alliance’s Wisconsin Regional Artists Program exhibit. The day concludes with a performance by Marco Wence at 4:00 PM. Storytellers offer “multi-cultural, interactive programs,” “magical wordplay,” “social/emotional skill building,” and a “history of large cities of the United States and other historical events in our history.” One storyteller comes with 83 Moth Slam wins!

The festival will also feature a vibrant vendor market from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM with 14 different vendors sharing products with stories to tell. Come shop jewelry, skincare, authors, baked goods, dresses, and interact with Ferradermis’ robot!

WHAT A VENDOR MARKET we’ll have during the 4th Annual Whitewater Storytelling Festival 2024 May 4th from 10-2p. We’ll see you all at 402 W Main St!

Here’s the lineup:

Buddha Belly Pizza (stone-fired sourdough pizza) – 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Aunt Mable’s (burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, hand pies) 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Pat Hall (author & creator of Ukrainian hand-painted eggs)

Eileen Troemel Author

SpoookyNook (chainmaille jewelry)

Authors Melody Calder, and Sandra & Wren Tentler

ReVamp Nutrition (shake samples and other goodies)

Jackie’s Small Batch Bakery (yummy baked goods)

RedTail Massage & Wellness LLC (providing chair massages!)

Blue Sage Massage (providing chair massages!)

Ferradermis (check out their robot!)

Zuri’s Furry Friends (Build-A-Bear!)

Owl Be There (hand-crafted clay jewelry with a portion of the proceeds going toward mental health organizations)

Ice Age Trail (Monty the Mammoth & trail info!)

Mo-bility (body butters)

Heather’s Custom Tailoring & Dress Boutique

For families, there will be an abundance of activities including yard games, chalk fun, a take and make craft by Irvin L Young Memorial Library, a story walk around the park, a Maypole, an instrument petting zoo, and a chance to meet Monty the Mammoth from the Ice Age Trail Alliance – Walworth and Jefferson County Chapter.

Attendees of all ages will have the opportunity to enjoy 15-minute chair massages and sift through crates of free books generously donated by The Community Space.

In case of inclement weather, all Saturday activities will move inside the CAC.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our sponsors for their support: First Citizens State Bank, Nelson’s Bus Service, The Sweet Spot Cafe, Whitewater Cinemas, Culvers, The Vinery Stained Glass Studio, Fort Community Credit Union, The Book Teller, and the Whitewater Arts Alliance.

Join us for a weekend celebrating the magic of storytelling. Don’t miss out on this celebration of culture, creativity, and community!

For more information visit www.whitewaterchamber.com/whitewater-storytelling-festival/ or contact dwwchamber@gmail.com with questions.

About the Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce:

The Whitewater Chamber of Commerce serves the area’s local businesses through business education, referrals, advocacy, and networking opportunities. The Chamber also strives to bring business owners and the community together through events and promotions. Our membership of businesses and individuals is dedicated to showcasing Whitewater as the perfect place to live, learn, work, play, and dream.

“Zone of Interest”

Wednesday, May 8, 1 pm

(Drama/History) Rated PG-13; 1 hour, 45 minutes (2024). Languages: German, Polish, Yiddish. Shown with English subtitles. 

Our annual Summer “art film” series returns with the Academy Award winner for Best International Film. Summer, 1943. The commandant of Auschwitz and his wife and children live a life of leisure next door to the death camp in Poland. As the War winds on, he is under Reich pressure to increase the numbers of The Final Solution…

Seniors in the Park is located in Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road. Although there is no charge to attend, regular participants are encouraged to join Seniors in the Park. The annual fee for residents of the Whitewater Unified School District is $10 and non-residents is $15. The funds support about half of the cost of our front desk staff person for 15 hours per week. The rest comes our of our fundraising monies. If you cannot afford the fee, we have a fund that will cover it for you. Fees are accepted at the Starin Park Community Building or online at https://schedulesplus.com/wwtr/kiosk/

Gov. Evers Orders the Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Firefighters of Wisconsin Who Have Given Their Lives in the Line of Duty

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #222 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Sun., May 5, 2024, as a mark of respect for the firefighters of Wisconsin who have given their lives in the line of duty. “Our firefighters are brave and dedicated individuals who show up for us and our communities on some of our worst days and in dangerous situations to help keep us safe, sacrificing their health and safety when they do,” said Gov. Evers. “Today and throughout the year, it is important for us as Wisconsinites to pay our respects to firefighters who’ve lost their lives and made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, as well as to the loved ones who miss them and mourn their loss every day. During National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, Kathy and I join Wisconsinites in honoring the memories of all those we have lost and remember them for their lives of service and sacrifice.” Executive Order #222 orders the flags to be flown at half-staff on Sun., May 5, 2024, in honor of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service during National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. Previously, National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend had been held in October, but in 2023, it was moved from October to May by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.  On Sat., Sept. 28, 2024, the Wisconsin Fire & EMS Memorial in Wisconsin Rapids will hold the Final Alarm Ceremony honoring the memory of members of Wisconsin’s fire services who have given their lives in the line of duty. Executive Order #222 also orders the flags to be flown at half-staff on Sat., Sept. 28, 2024, in honor of that occasion.  Finally, in Wisconsin, Wis. Stat. 995.225(1) designates each week annually during which October 9 falls as Fire Prevention Week and the Saturday at the end of Fire Prevention Week as Wisconsin Firefighters Memorial Day. To that end, Executive Order ### orders the flags be lowered on Sat., Oct. 12, 2024, in honor of Wisconsin Firefighters Memorial Day during Fire Prevention Week.   Executive Order #222 will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Sun., May 5, 2024, Sat., Sept. 28, 2024, and Sat., Oct. 12, 2024, and is available here.