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The basketball shooting competition that was to be hosted by the UW-W Wheelchair Basketball Team on Sunday, April 28 has been canceled.
Whitewater hosted the Monroe Cheesemakers in a conference match on Tuesday, April 23. Whitewater won 4-0 with goals by Mayte Navejas (2) and Belle Peterson (2). Marina Linos had 7 saves in goal for Whitewater, and Monroe’s keeper, Kaelyn Welch, had 18 saves.
Whitewater and Cambridge-Deerfield played a rainy non-conference game Friday night, April 26. Whitewater won 2-1 with goals by Belle Peterson and Mayte Navejas. Marina Linos played in goal for Whitewater and had 9 saves. The Cambridge-Deerfield keeper had 23 saves.
Article Submitted by Maddy Blain
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Soccer Coach
mblain@wwusd.org
Photo courtesy of Bob Mischka
Nearly seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s including 110,000 in Wisconsin. As an Alzheimer’s Association Volunteer advocate, it is my honor to raise my voice on their behalf. I understand firsthand the impact this disease has on Wisconsin families. My wife, Pat, of 53 years was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at Mayo Clinic in 2018. Her decline from this devastating disease has been difficult to watch. I recently attended the 2024 AIM [Alzheimer’s Impact Movement] Advocacy Forum in Washington, D.C. with my fellow Alzheimer’s Association advocates from across the country. The attendance was 1,000 strong. The purpose was to meet with our members of Congress to call for support of the NAPA Reauthorization Act, the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act, the BOLD Reauthorization Act and the AADAPT Act. Each of these bills will ensure that the nation continues to prioritize addressing Alzheimer’s and dementia as major health issues. These programs will promote early detection, implement dementia interventions, and help support the needs of caregivers. Thank you to Congressman Bryan Steil for listening to those of us impacted by Alzheimer’s. Please join me and the Alzheimer’s Association in encouraging Rep. Steil to advance the policies that will continue making progress in the fight against Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.
This issue is not Red or Blue; it is Purple
Randy Cruse
Whitewater
Editor’s note: The following press release was issued by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The photo of a measles skin rash on the homepage is from the CDC.
Following a confirmed case of measles, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), in coordination with Public Health Madison & Dane County and Rock County Public Health, are working to identify and directly notify people who may have been exposed to the measles virus.
The investigation has identified the following exposure locations in public settings for which a full list of exposed people cannot be obtained.
Individuals who were at the following locations may have been exposed to measles.
- Kwik Trip, 603 W. Madison Ave. Milton, WI, on Sunday April 21, 2024, between 2:30 and 5 p.m.
- SSM Health Dean Medical Group – Janesville, 3200 E. Racine St., Janesville, WI, on Monday, April 22, 2024, between 1 and 5 p.m., and SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Janesville, 3400 E. Racine St., Janesville, WI, on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- uBreakiFix, 2810 E. Washington Ave., Madison, WI on Monday, April 22, 2024 between 5 and 7:30 p.m.
- Noodles and Co., 110 Limestone Pass, Cottage Grove, WI on Monday, April 22, 2024 between 5:15 and 7:45 p.m.
People at these locations during those dates and times should check their measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination status as soon as possible. Wisconsin residents can find their immunization records using the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR). Instructions are available in English, Spanish, and Hmong. If you are unable to access your records, please contact your doctor’s office or your local health department.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that can be spread from person to person through the air and can stay in the air for up to two hours after a sick person coughs or sneezes. After exposure to someone with measles, symptoms can take from seven to 21 days to show up.
Symptoms of measles include:
- Runny nose
- High fever (may be greater than 104°F)
- Tiredness
- Cough
- Red, watery eyes, or conjunctivitis (“pink eye”)
- A red rash with raised bumps that starts at the hairline and moves to the arms and legs three to five days after symptoms begin.
If you develop any symptoms of measles, stay home (do not go to work, school, shopping, or use public transportation) and call your doctor’s office or clinic before visiting so they can take precautions so that other patients are not exposed to the virus. For free, confidential assistance finding a doctor or community clinic near you, dial 211.
The MMR vaccine is available at area doctor’s offices or clinics, local health departments, and some local pharmacies. If you do not have health insurance, or your insurance may not cover vaccines, the Vaccines for Children and Vaccines for Adults programs may be able to help.
For more information about measles, visit the DHS measles webpage. Additional information regarding this investigation will be released as necessary.
Symphonic Wind Ensemble – Sunday @ 3 p.m., Young Auditorium, 930 W. Main St.
Experience the symphonic melodies of our renowned Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Glenn Hayes. Join us for an extraordinary afternoon of musical excellence as our talented musicians deliver a performance that will truly move you. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for age 65+ or under age 18. They may be purchased online. Tickets purchased at the door are subject to a $2 surcharge.
Chamber Singers & Vocal Jazz, Sunday @ 7:30 p.m., Light Recital Hall, 950 W. Main Street
Experience the vocal mastery of the Chamber Singers and Vocal Jazz groups as they come together for an exciting afternoon of music. From classical and world music to swing, jazz, and musical theatre, this concert promises to be an eclectic celebration of vocal talent. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for age 65+ or under age 18. They may be purchased online. Tickets purchased at the door are subject to a $2 surcharge.
University/Community Band, Monday @ 7:30 p.m., Young Auditorium, 930 W. Main Street
Celebrate the harmony of community and campus talent as the University/Community Band takes the stage. Join us for an inspiring evening filled with the melodic synergy of UW-Whitewater’s exceptional student musicians and our dedicated community members. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for age 65+ or under age 18. They may be purchased online. Tickets purchased at the door are subject to a $2 surcharge.
Whitewater Symphony Orchestra, Tuesday @ 7:30 p.m., Young Auditorium, 950 W. Main St.
Experience the brilliance of the esteemed Whitewater Symphony Orchestra. Immerse yourself in a captivating symphonic journey as the orchestra’s harmonious blend of woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings come together to bring classical masterworks and modern-day compositions to life. With their unrivaled talent and dedication to musical excellence, the WSO promises an unforgettable performance that will leave you awe-inspired. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for age 65+ or under age 18. They may be purchased online. Tickets purchased at the door are subject to a $2 surcharge.
“Priscilla”
Tuesday, April 30, 1 pm
(Biography/Drama) Rated R (language)
1 hour, 53 minutes (2023).
The story of Elvis Presley’s wife, Priscilla, the mother of Lisa Marie. Starring Jacob Elordi (Elvis), and Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla). Directed by Sofia Coppola.
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/
Thanks in great part to the generosity of many members of the Whitewater community, twenty-one student members of Ferradermis, along with nine of their mentors, were able to travel to Houston, Texas from April 16 – 21 for the FIRST Robotics Championships. The championships, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, featured over 600 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Teams as well as FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Teams from all over the world. Over 50,000 people attended the event.
Ferradermis had qualified for the championships by winning the Impact Award in Duluth in early March. In Houston, senior Cosette Wildermuth-Breitzman, junior Maddi LaHaie, and sophomore Belle Cohen were again able to present to a panel of judges on behalf of the team to make their case that Ferradermis has made a lasting impact on their community and state in terms of developing respect and passion for science and technology. These three also served as official ambassadors throughout the week, providing tours to VIPs. (Maddi even gave a tour to representatives of the CIA!) Team 2486, CocoNuts, from Flagstaff, Ariz., won the FIRST Impact Award at Champs.
FRC teams that qualify for Champs are somewhat randomly divided into eight fields, each named for a famous scientist. Each field determines a winning alliance, and then those eight winners face off on the Einstein field to determine the World Champion. The Drive Team of junior Andrew O’Toole, senior Kay Mikos, sophomore Erison Dreksler, and sophomore Nina Heim led the Ferradermis robot on to the Hopper field, named for computer science pioneer Grace Hopper, to compete with and against 75 teams from 28 US states and 7 other countries including Canada, Israel, the Netherlands, Mexico, Turkey, China, and Australia. The eight fields are laid out end-to-end and stretch over 1/4 mile.
The Ferradermis robot, Chief Lee the Tangerine, came out strong, winning its first three matches, before experiencing some interesting issues. In one match, the 3D printed wheels on the shooting mechanism literally exploded on the field after a collision with the wall. In another match, a hard collision with a group of other robots resulted in a loose electrical connection that left Chief chugging across the field for the rest of the match. Ferradermis concluded the qualification matches with a record of 4-6, and did not make it into the elimination round. Overall on the season, Ferradermis played 50 matches, going 23-27. Statistically, Ferradermis ends the year ranked in the top 26% of teams in the world.
The World Championship Winning Alliance consisted of Team 1690, Orbit, from Binyamina, Israel, Team 4522, Team SCREAM, from Sedalia, Mo., Team 9432, Team 8-Bit, from Phoenix, Ariz., and Team 321, RoboLancers, from Philadelphia, Pa.
Wisconsin was represented in Texas by 9 FRC teams – Ferradermis, the Mukwonago Bears, MORE Robotics from St. Thomas More High School, the Hilltoppers from Marquette University High School, Round Table Robotics from Oak Creek, Nicolet FEAR, The Knack from Lake Country School in Hartland, Wave from Oshkosh, and TC Robotics, a community team from Arcadia. None of the Wisconsin teams made it onto Einstein. Ferradermis is thankful for the camaraderie and gracious professionalism of all of these teams for their support before, during, and after Champs. The team would like to give a special shout-out to Mukwonago for allowing us to make multiple trips to their full practice field this season and to Round Table and their sponsor Aim Transport for coordinating transportation of our robot and pit materials to Houston and back. We are also thankful to the programming team from the Muskego WarriorBots for spending a day with our programmers in our workspace before we left for Houston.
Ferradermis was also able to connect with several of our old mentors at the event. We were excited to be playing on the same field as BREAD, a highly successful team from Redwood City, California, now mentored by former Whitewater Generac engineer and Ferradermis Head Coach Carissa Petzinger. Former Ferradermis Head Coach Dilpreet Randhawa was in attendance with the RoboJackets, his new team from Auburn Hills, Michigan. Former Ferradermis Mentor Payton Jackson was there as well with his new team the Robonauts; the Robonauts are supported by NASA, which is where Payton is working in Houston. Ferradermis members were enthralled by the Robonauts’ workspace, which they were able to visit as part of an open house.
In between matches, students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops as well as visit the Innovation Fair and Scholarship Row. In addition to working hard at the event for four straight days, Ferradermis members found time to visit Space Center Houston on the day they arrived and the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston on the day they headed home.
Ferradermis will be open to new members beginning this summer. If you’ve ever wanted to see the robot in action, you can catch it at several off-season events this summer in Mukwonago, Kettle Moraine, Rockford, and potentially Eau Claire. You can also see demonstrations of the robot this Saturday at the International Children’s Day event, next Saturday at the Whitewater Storytelling Festival, and May 18 at the STEAM Faire at Whitewater High School.
Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by Scott Johnson. The image on the homepage is from Johnson’s Assembly website.
Statement from Scott Johnson, Candidate for the 43rd State Assembly District
Janesville WI
Representative Scott Johnson, Republican, announced he is running for the 43rd Wisconsin State Assembly District. This is an open district resulting from the 2024 redistricting that was recently signed into law by Governor Evers. Scott is currently the State Representative of the 33rd district which includes the north and east side of Janesville, the cities of Milton, Fort Atkinson and Jefferson. The new 43rd district includes the Milton area that Scott currently represents and now includes Edgerton, Whitewater, and a larger portion of the north and east side of Janesville.
For Scott this is a homecoming as he graduated from Milton High School and grew up on the family farm just a few miles east of Janesville in the new 43rd. As a lifelong farmer, Scott approaches his legislative role with practicality, logic, and common sense. Scott also served for 15 years on the Fort Atkinson School Board. While on the board, Scott led the community to adopt renewable geo-thermal and solar electric investments to reduce costs to heat and cool the school buildings.
The new 43rd will represent communities for Scott that resemble the past 33rd , representing a rural culture with strong community values. The match of the needs and desires of the citizens of the 43rd will make it a natural transition for Scott. He looks forward to continuing to fight for the people of the 43rd on issues that are important to them.
In his first term, Scott was, and will continue to, focus on issues related to education, roads, rural and agricultural economies, veterans, wetlands, human trafficking and a special interest in school bus safety.
“I am excited to meet you and learn more about your concerns, representing the 43rd district on those issues and more in Madison,” Johnson said.
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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