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Today is Wednesday, May 13, 2026
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Emerson Ellenwood, a senior at Whitewater High School, has been awarded a Prestigious National Honor Society Scholarship.
Since 1946, more than $25 million in scholarships have been awarded to outstanding NHS senior members to support college access and student success. The scholarship program is supported by the parent organization of NHS, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
In the 100+ years since NHS was founded in 1921, members have been making a difference in their schools and communities. The NHS Scholarship is NASSP’s way of recognizing the most exceptional of these student leaders. Recipients are chosen based on their demonstrated work to support the four pillars of NHS: Leadership, Character, Scholarship & Service.
Emerson is the President of the National Honor Society & French National Honor Society at Whitewater High School and is the Captain of the Varsity Soccer, Basketball & Tennis Teams. He has been on the high honor roll throughout his high school career and won many academic awards for his achievement in school. Emerson earned the distinction of AP Scholar with Honor, became a University of Chicago Voltage Scholar, was a Badger Boys State Primary Delegate in 2023, Wisconsin Second Alternate at Boys Nation, and earned the Whitewater High School Rising Whippet Award in 2022. He also won an award for the Best Position Paper for SOCHUM at MADMUN XII – an organization through Model United Nations (UN) whose top priority is to enforce social, cultural and humanitarian freedoms internationally. Emerson has helped many younger students work through challenges as a Peer Mentor and encouraged many students to take advantage of opportunities as a member of the Lead Dog Program. He also inspired many students as a Basketball Coach for the Whitewater Parks & Recreation Program.
Whitewater High School NHS Advisor, Pamela Sonmor-Wintz proudly remarked, “Emerson has been an amazing National Honor Society President this year and is so deserving of this honor and recognition! He is an outstanding student, leader and exceptional human being. His character is always at the highest level and he makes decisions that have a positive impact on his peers. Emerson has empathy for others and a sense of humility that helps him recognize and acknowledge the strengths of others. He is an inspiration to everyone who has had the privilege of working with him. Congratulations Emerson for receiving this most honorable and prestigious award!”
Emerson is the son of Christian Ellenwood and Elisabeth Deussen.
It’s movie awards season and Seniors in the Park will be presenting many nominated and winning films over the coming months!
“The Holdovers”
Tuesday, February 13, 1 p.m.
(Drama/Comedy) Rated R (language)
2 hours, 13 minutes (2023).
A cranky history teacher (Paul Giammati) at an obscure Eastern prep school is forced to stay on campus over the Holidays with the few students and staff (DaVine Joy Randolph) that have no place to go. Golden Globes were awarded for Best Actor; Supporting Actress.
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/
The Whitewater Whippet Gymnastics Team went to Elkhorn Thursday night, February 8. The JV team took 2nd with a score of 65.2750. It is the JV’s highest score this year.
Vaulting for the first time, Maddie Morton scored a 7.050. Maggie, Amaya, and Gabriella scored their highest on vault.
JV Balance beam was once again a no fall beam routine from the four girls that competed.
JV had 5 girls compete on the floor, with all the girls scoring the personal best for the year so far.
Whitewater Whippets Gymnastics has two more meets left in the season. They will be in Waterford on Tuesday, February 13th and then head to Elkhorn for Conference on the 16th.
Article Submitted by Shawnda Peters
Whitewater High School Head Gymnastics Coach
speters@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Bob Mischka
Whitewater beat Clinton 57-38 Thursday night, February 8, in a Rock Valley Conference girls’ basketball crossover game.
Whitewater slowly built a double-digit lead towards the end of the first half and kept that lead the rest of the night.
Grosinske led Whitewater with 22, Navejas contributed 13, DePorter added 8, and Kohl scored 7, balancing out the scoring.
Whitewater is at Oconomowoc on Friday, February 9. They finish the regular season on Monday, February 12 (vs. East Troy) and Thursday, February 15 (vs. Jefferson) at home.
Article Submitted by Mike Dowden
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach
dowmi01@wwusd.org
Photo courtesy of Bob Mischka
Whitewater Boys’ Basketball (3-17), lost to Delavan-Darien High School on Thursday, February 8, by a score of 60-41. Reece Condon led the Whippets with 13 points, followed by Wyatt Nixon with 7.
Article Submitted by Mike McCabe
Whitewater High School Head Boys’ Basketball Coach
mccmi01@wwusd.org
Photo courtesy of Bob Mischka
Updated Feb. 10 @ 10 p.m.: Per historian Carol Cartwright:”The mill was located next to the old Baker’s garage.” (Jefferson & Main)
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
The second in our series “Gone but not Forgotten,” is the old stone mill. This image, taken in January of 1970, shows the demolition of the frame portion of the mill, also the oldest portion, built in 1839 and the first industry in Whitewater. In 1860, the large stone addition was completed and the mill operated well into the 20th century.
It was two more years (November of 1972) before the rest of the building was demolished, after the owner could not find a way to renovate and reuse the building.
Join us next week for more “Gone but not Forgotten” images.
(2595P, Whitewater Historical Society)
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from UW-Stout.
The following student from the area graduated on Dec. 16, 2023, from University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis. The university graduated 526 students, with 440 undergraduate and 86 Graduate School students this fall.
UW-Stout has more than 45 undergraduate programs and more than 20 graduate programs, including one doctoral degree. UW-Stout, established in 1891, prides itself on the success of its students in the workplace, with an employment rate of 99.4% for recent graduates. The university was awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2001.
UW-Stout is Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes.
Whitewater, WI
Cassandra Hoxie, BS Computer and Electrical Engineering
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
Stevens Point, Wis. – The No. 10 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team outscored the Pointers 17-9 in the third quarter leading to a 64-51 win at UW-Stevens Point Wednesday night. Senior forward Aleah Grundahl had a monster night with 33 points on 12-16 from the floor and 8-11 from the charity stripe. She added eight boards, two blocks, an assist and a steal in 29 minutes of action.
Box Score
The Warhawks dominated in the paint in the second half scoring 24 points in the lane while holding the Pointers to just four. For the game, UWW enjoyed a 32-24 sway in points in the paint.
Katie Hildebrandt opened the game with a three-pointer off of a Maggie Trautsch pass eleven seconds into the game and UW-Whitewater maintained the lead through the first quarter. Trautsch got the second quarter off to a similar start knocking down a triple from a Grundahl dish to push the lead to eight, 21-13.
UW-Stevens Point whittled down the lead eventually taking the advantage on a layup, 25-23, with 6:14 on the clock. UWW regained the advantage in the next two possessions but a late and-one for UWSP sent the teams into the locker room with the Warhawks leading by just two, 30-28.
On the other side of the break, the Pointers tallied the first basket, a three-pointer to claim the lead. A few plays later, Trautsch found Lunden Alexander who powered through a foul on a layup. She dropped in the free throw to spark a 12-6 run through the rest of the quarter. The Warhawks ran through the Pointers in the 10-minute span, outscoring the host school 17-9 to open up a double-digit advantage, 47-37.
UWSP was able to cut the margin to five twice in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter but Grundahl and UWW would not be stopped. The senior forward dropped in 14 of the team’s 17 points in the final quarter. Grundahl played the entire period hitting 6-7 from the floor and 2-2 from the free throw line while adding four rebounds and a blocked shot.
Trautsch paced the Warhawks on the glass with 10 rebounds, all on the defensive end, adding a team-high five assists and three steals.
With just three games remaining in the regular season, UW-Whitewater holds second in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings with an 8-3 record. The Warhawks are one game back from UWO (9-2). UW-Platteville (6-5) is third followed by UW-Stout (5-6), UW-River Falls (5-6), UW-La Crosse (4-7), UW-Eau Claire (4-7) and UW-Stevens Point (3-8).
Obituaries
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
Leo E. Wurzer, 65, of Eagle, Wisconsin passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at his home. Leo was born on April 15, 1961 in Kenosha, Wisconsin to Cyril and Shirley (McNeil) Wurzer. He grew up between Pleasant Prairie and Antigo, spending his childhood summers on his uncle’s farm where he discovered his love for all things tractors. Although he never had a farm of his own, he was able to partially fulfill his dream by working as a driver for Robin’s Trucking in Whitewater, WI in his last days and collecting miniature Tonka toys. He began his career … Read more
Lois Cummings, 99, of Fond du Lac, WI (formerly of Janesville, WI, Fort Atkinson, WI, Fountain Hills, AZ, and Green Valley, AZ) passed away peacefully on May 5, 2026 at the Meadows Senior Residence in Fond du Lac surrounded by family. Lois was born on February 17, 1927 in Fort Atkinson to Edward and Clarice (Roseth) Stevens. The middle child of 9 children, she attended Fort Atkinson schools and graduated in 1944. On September 11, 1948 Lois married Grant Cummings at Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Delavan, WI. Together they had 3 children, Gary, Colleen (Tom) Sabel, and Patty (Paul) … Read more
Come celebrate William Kincaid’s Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 30th at 1 pm at Trippe Lake Park Pavillion in Whitewater. He truly enjoyed gatherings where his favorite foods and music could be enjoyed with some of his closest friends and family. We will honor him by carrying on one of his favorite traditions. Please bring your own beverages and chairs. There is limited seating. See you all there!
Gladys Jean (Riley) Hildebrandt, age 89, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 23, 2026. Gladys was born on December 26, 1936, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to Theresa Egnoski Riley. She was married to Walter Sobolik Sr., and later married James A. Hildebrandt in 1976. Gladys was a hardworking woman who spent her life caring for others. She worked in school kitchens, restaurants, factories, and cleaning services. She concluded her working career as a full-time nanny. In that role, she lovingly cared for Andrew, Daniel, and Kaitlyn Drzewiecki, who became part of her chosen family. Gladys is survived by her sons, Wally … Read more
WHITEWATER – Nan Rowley died on April 15, 2026, at the age of 90. She was born on September 4, 1935, in a little house on the prairie in the Town of Johnstown, Wisconsin, the daughter of Wayne L. Wilbur and Florence (McQuillen) Wilbur. Nan attended primary schools in the towns of Johnstown and Richmond and in the City of Whitewater. Nan graduated with honors from Whitewater City High School. On June 19, 1954, Nancy and Ken Rowley were united in marriage in Whitewater and went to live on the Rowley family farm in Richmond. Over the years, Nan served … Read more
Marion H. Gorniak (nee Pfeiffer), 74, of Whitewater passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 11, 2026. She was born on October 24, 1951, to the late Harvey and Loraine (nee Drifke) Pfeiffer in Fort Atkinson, WI. On June 2, 1969, she was united in marriage to Alan Gorniak. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, and cooking, especially her rhubarb pies. She especially enjoyed spending time with family and friends and will be missed by all who knew her. Those Marion leaves behind to cherish her memory include her husband, Alan Gorniak; stepson, Alan Bauer; sister, Sue Ann Schultz, other relatives and friends. … Read more
Ruth Irene (Phelps) Justis, 88, of Appleton City, Missouri, passed away Friday morning, April 10, 2026, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg, MO, with her family by her side. Ruth was born June 3, 1937 in Janesville, Wisconsin, to Charles and Ada Mae (Maly) Phelps. She joined the Marine Corps in 1956. During her time there, she met and married her husband, Forest Wayne “Wayne” Justis in 1957. They shared 62 years of marriage and to this union, 2 children, Charles and Dorene, were born. Ruth grew up in Whitewater, WI., the oldest of three children. Ruth graduated from … Read more
Dorothy C. Kau, age 101, of Eagle, Wisconsin passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at Fort Memorial Hospital. Dorothy was born on March 18, 1925 in Eagle on the family farm, the daughter of John and Katherine (Faestel) VonRueden. Dorothy was a 1942 graduate of Palmyra High School. On May 21, 1949, Dorothy was united in marriage to Alvin E. Kau at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Eagle and the Lord blessed their union with 8 children. Alvin and Dorothy enjoyed 50 years of marriage together until Alvin’s death in the year 2000. Dorothy enjoyed being a farm … Read more
Dorothy E. McCracken, 95, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2025, in Sarasota, Florida. Born on April 14, 1930, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to Carl and Joyce Meyer, Dorothy grew up in Whitewater and graduated from Whitewater High School. She then worked for a photographer and hand painted his first colored portraits, until she got married. She and her first husband, Bernard Wafle, owned and operated a 179-acre dairy farm in Helenville, Wisconsin, for 25 years before relocating to Ocala, Florida, in 1979. Dorothy later married Earl McCracken, in Ocala, Fl. She also shared a special companionship later in life with … Read more
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