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By Chris Lindeke
Marketing and Communications Manager
University Marketing and Communications
Behind strong performances from current and former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student-athletes, the Team USA wheelchair basketball men’s and women’s teams each captured a gold medal and punched their ticket to the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris over the weekend at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
The men secured first place with a convincing 81-45 victory against Colombia in the championship game to finish an impressive 5-0 showing at the tournament. Team USA raced out to a 26-7 lead in the first quarter and didn’t look back. Jake Williams, a former player and the current head coach for the UW-Whitewater men’s team, led the team with 24 points.
Current Warhawks AJ Fitzpatrick and Talen Jourdan, former Warhawk and current staff member John Boie, and former Warhawk and current graduate student Jeromie Meyer were also part of the gold medal-winning performance.
The Team USA women avenged two consecutive losses against Canada with a win in the final to claim their spot in Paris next summer, finishing off an unbeaten week in Santiago.
Former Warhawks Lindsay Zurbrugg and Rebecca Murray were among four Team USA players in double figures in scoring, together accounting for 27 points in the team’s 62-56 victory. Former Warhawk Josie DeHart was also a part of the gold medal run.
The 2024 Paralympic Games are scheduled from Aug. 28-Sept. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. Williams and Boie won gold as members of Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and Williams was a part of the gold medal-winning Team USA at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Murray’s dominating performance led the women’s Team USA to gold, also at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
The Warhawk men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams begin the 2023-24 season this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1-2, with a home tournament at the Williams Center.
UW-Whitewater is recognized consistently for exceptional programming and outcomes for students with disabilities. The Warhawk men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams are club sports that compete nationally.
The Warhawk men’s team has won 13 national championships since 1982, while the women have claimed three national titles. Several of each program’s alums are Paralympic medalists.
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library.
The library is participating in “Hour of Code” on Monday, December 4 at 3:30-4:30 p.m. in celebration of Computer Science Education Week. This year, children in grades two through six (ages 7-12) are invited to learn how to program drones and a high-tech sleigh (virtually) with coding magic to capture presents and navigate down the mountain to return Christmas to Whoville in a Grinch-style educational game. Computers will be provided.
Please register in advance as space is limited. Visit whitewaterlibrary.org and click on “Events – Registration Forms” or contact Sarah French at sfrench@whitewaterlibrary.org or 262-458-2782. The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library is located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater.
WHS Players would like to thank everyone who attended our recent production of “Mean Girls, High School Version.” It was a fun show to produce and the cast and crew had a great time bringing it to life on stage.
Please join us for our next production of the classic play, “Our Town,” by Thornton Wilder. Performances will be given February 29-March 3, 2024.
We are currently looking for corporate and private partnerships to help sponsor this event. Please contact Jim McCulloch at jmcculloch@wwusd.org for more information.
Editor’s note: Thanks to Tom Ganser for this great photo gallery.
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from Edgerton Hospital. Per a social media post by Al Hutchison, President of the UW-Whitewater Community Club, “there will be no Breakfast with Santa this year [at Esker Hall] as we have run short of help running the event. We are sorry to the Whitewater community but it takes great effort to pull this off and we just didn’t have it.” It appears that there may be a dinner with Santa at the middle school. Watch for confirmation.
(EDGERTON, WI) – Edgerton Hospital, 11101 N Sherman Rd, Edgerton, invites the community to its annual breakfast with Santa, sponsored by the Edgerton Hospital Sunshine Committee!
Saturday, December 2nd, from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m., the entire family can enjoy a delicious breakfast, holiday activities, and a fun morning with Santa! Kids always have a great time shopping on their own in “Santa’s Secret Gift Shop!”
Edgerton Hospital welcomes you to bring your holiday cheer and enjoy:
· A variety of breakfast items from the café – Donations accepted
· Pictures with Santa – Donations accepted
· Holiday Crafting Station & Cookie Decorating – $1.00 for each item
· Santa’s Secret Gift Shop – Exclusively for children to buy gifts for their family members. All gifts are under $5 and include wrapping!
Pay the day of the event! No registration necessary!
Please join us the morning of December 2nd for this fun event! For more information, visit www.edgertonhospital.com.
Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage by Jo Justino from Pixabay.
| MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers announced today that he is seeking applicants for appointment as register of deeds in Walworth County. The appointment will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Michele Jacobs on Dec. 10, 2023. The new register of deeds will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term that ends Jan. 5, 2025. Application materials must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Fri., Dec. 8, 2023. For more information about the position, please contact Walworth County. Those interested in applying must submit an online application with a cover letter detailing professional and academic qualifications, civic activities, and community involvement. Individuals interested in serving as register of deeds in Walworth County can apply via the Evers Administration register of deeds application here, which can also be found on the “Apply to Serve” page of Gov. Evers’ website at www.evers.wi.gov. Potential applicants with questions about the application process may contact the Gubernatorial Appointments Office at govappointments@wisconsin.gov. |
| An online version of this release is available here. |
The Whitewater Girls’ Basketball Team won their conference opener on Tuesday night, November 21, with a 50-42 win at Delavan-Darien High School.
The Whippets jumped out to an early lead, but the game was within single digits for most of the night.
Calli Grosinske and Mayte Navejas had a few key steals late in the second half to break the game open and secure the win.
Article Submitted by Mike Dowden
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach
dowmi01@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
On Saturday, November 25, twenty-six Junior and Cadette Girl Scouts from Whitewater and surrounding cities descended on Whitewater High School with one goal – to earn their robotics badges. Members of Ferradermis, Whitewater High School’s FIRST Robotics Competition Team, hosted the event, running workshops throughout the day so the girls at each level could meet the requirements for earning their badges for Designing Robots, Programming Robots, and Showcasing Robots.
The girls started their day as a large group with an opening introduction to FIRST Robotics presented by Ferradermis Outreach Subteam Lead Maddison LaHaie. This was followed by a visit from a virtual guest speaker, Carissa Petzinger, an industrial engineer at Rondo Energy in California. Petzinger had served as head coach for Ferradermis for several years when she was employed as an engineer at Generac in Whitewater and shared information with the girls about the robots she has designed in her various workplaces. LaHaie and Meg Roselle followed the girls to their various sessions throughout the day, capturing photographs and constructing a slideshow that the girls could use to present their projects at the end of the day.
Throughout the day, groups of girls rotated through five other sessions. Programming Team Member Margaret Brown led the girls through an activity involving writing and debugging algorithms and then shared information about how robots are currently used and how they might be used in the future before having the girls draw a design for a robot that could solve a future problem.
Programming Team Subteam Lead Ace Hudec demonstrated two of the Ferradermis robots for the scouts and gave them each an opportunity to drive one of the robots. The girls were also able to get an up-close look at the electronics on the “big” robots. Hudec also spent some extra time with the Cadettes discussing the actual code for a Ferradermis robot and writing some pseudocode with them.
Emerson Dunham, Game Strategy Subteam Lead, walked the scouts through previous games for which the team has built a robot and allowed them to examine previous game pieces that the robots have needed to handle. Each girl or pair of girls then selected one of the old game pieces and sketched a design for a robot mechanism that could pick up the game piece. At that point, the girls headed into the shop under the supervision of Mark and Andrew Zimmermann to build a prototype for their mechanism. They also had the opportunity to learn about some of the equipment in the shop that the team uses to build their robots.
The scouts spent a large chunk of time in the computer lab learning about coding and circuits under the guidance of Programming Team Member Rae Breisath, team alum and MSOE Senior Gwynne Sahyun, and Team Advisor Laura Masbruch. Hudec and Brown were also able to support the girls in this endeavor in between their other sessions. The trio walked the girls through the basics of building and coding Arduino circuits using TinkerCAD Circuits. The girls were then challenged to modify starter code to turn on an LED when a button was pressed and to turn on an LED when a motion sensor detected movement. Next, the scouts tackled the challenge of coding Arduino shield bots to drive forward, and some were able to attach a motion sensor which would cause the bot to stop when it sensed movement in front of it. The Cadettes dove a little deeper and implemented their pseudocode for driving in certain patterns.
At the end of the day, all of the girls gathered together in a large group to celebrate their accomplishments by sharing what they learned. They were then awarded their badges, and the day ended with a door prize drawing for three small robot kits and an Arduino starter kit.
Ferradermis members had connected with Geometry Teacher Laurel Ruud who works with the local Girl Scout Service Unit when deciding to offer this opportunity. The team is grateful to Mrs. Ruud for her guidance throughout the planning process. The team would also like to thank Tori Breisath and Jane Masbruch for their support throughout the day as well as Rich Grosse for his beautiful photography.
Article Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Rich Grosse and Tori Breisath
City of Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission – Monday @ 4:30 p.m.
Cravath Lakefront room, 2nd floor, 312 West Whitewater Str, Whitewater, WI, 53190
Agenda includes Discussion to add a fourth Purple Martin house, Future of Territorial Oak felled timber and possible projects relating to it, Milkweed protection discussion, protection of oaks from library expansion.
*In Person and Virtual
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/638015093
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 638-015-093
United States: 1 (646) 749-3122
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install
Whitewater Unified School District Policy Review Committee – Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
Whitewater High School Library, 534 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin
Agenda (click on “meetings” in upper right corner)
Whitewater Unified School District School Board – Monday @ 7:00 p.m.
Whitewater High School Library, 534 S. Elizabeth Street
Agenda (click on “meetings” in upper right corner) includes WUSD Strategic Planning & Scorecard Review, Whitewater Middle School (Informational); Update on the Whitewater Middle School Literacy Intervention – FTE Addition (Possible Action Item).
– URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89890457078?pwd=ak5waHBjRTN3ckFmQUQ1Umw1SkhNUT09
– Passcode: 737386
———————————————-
– Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
– Webinar ID: 898 9045 7078
– Passcode: 737386
City of Whitewater Finance Committee – Tuesday @ 5:00 p.m.
Agenda includes salary resolution proposal and employee bonuses.
Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room,
312 West Whitewater St., Whitewater, WI 53190
*In Person and Virtual
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/973175085
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 973-175-085
United States: +1 (224) 501-3412
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install
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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