News & Events

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from First Citizens State Bank.

Nate Parrish, President of First Citizens State Bank, is pleased to announce four promotions, including three newly named officers, at First Citizens State Bank’s Main Office, located at 207 W. Main St., Whitewater, Wisconsin. The promotions are as follows:

Katie Lehman has been promoted from Assistant Vice President and Loan Officer to Vice President and Loan Officer. She is responsible for working with customers on all loan types including mortgages, commercial, consumer and agricultural. Since joining First Citizens State Bank in 2001 filing in the Real Estate Department, Katie transitioned to Commercial and Consumer loan processing, then to Credit Analyst, and in 2015 moved to a Lender role becoming Assistant Vice President in 2021. She is a local graduate of Whitewater High School and UW-Whitewater.

Michelle “Shelly” Bucholtz has been promoted from Loan Operations Supervisor to Loan Operations Officer. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Loan Processing and Servicing. Since joining First Citizens State Bank in 1993 as a part-time filer in the Real Estate Department, Shelly moved to a Loan Processor in 1995 and Loan Operations Supervisor in 2021. She received her Bachelor’s in finance from UW-Whitewater and has completed numerous trainings through the WBA.

Kelsey Herold has been promoted from Internal Auditor to Compliance Operations Officer & Internal Auditor. She is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of the bank’s internal controls and compliance with regulations and bank policies. Since joining First Citizens State Bank in 2018 as a part-time teller, Kelsey participated in an internship with multiple departments and became the Internal Auditor in 2021. She is also a local graduate from Whitewater High School and graduated from UW-Whitewater with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration General Management. She is also a certified Community Bank Internal Auditor (CCBIA) by the ICBA.

Evan Calhoun has been promoted from IT Manager to IT Officer and Assistant Information Security Officer. He is responsible for the bank’s technological infrastructure and support as well as data security and strategic planning. Evan joined First Citizens State Bank in 2006 as the Network Administrator. He received a BBA in Information Technology Infrastructure from UW-Whitewater.

In making the announcement, Nate Parrish said, “I am excited to announce these well-deserved promotions of our dedicated staff, whose commitment and leadership has played a pivotal role in the success of First Citizens State Bank. I look forward to watching these employees thrive in their elevated roles. ”

First Citizens State Bank, locally-owned and operated since 1863, is committed to serving the communities in which we live, work and do business. We are proud of the partnerships we have established with organizations, businesses and individuals in South Eastern Wisconsin. First Citizens State Bank has full service offices in Whitewater, East Troy, and Palmyra. Member FDIC.

UW-MADISON ANNOUNCES 2023 WINTER GRADUATES

A total of 1,966 students received degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Dec. 17, 2023, including a student from the Whitewater area.

Just more than 1,300 of them took part in the ceremony at the Kohl Center. The ceremony was livestreamed so that friends and family from around the world could watch. UW issued 1,459 bachelor’s degrees, 387 master’s degrees, and 120 doctoral degrees.

The keynote speaker was Michael Finley, a Badger basketball legend, NBA All-Star and assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations for the Dallas Mavericks.

“The fast track isn’t always the best track,” Finley told the graduates. “You can miss something valuable that way. I learned about patience and humility – that growth doesn’t come when everyone is watching but by how hard you work when nobody is.”

In her remarks, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said that while every graduating class is special, the Class of 2023 had the distinction of earning degrees on UW-Madison’s 175th anniversary.

“Some will tell you that the problems facing our world and our planet are impossible to solve,” Mnookin said. “So my message to you today is simple: Don’t believe it. Do not be deterred by what others have labeled impossible.”

For more information about UW-Madison, visit http://www.wisc.edu.

Here is the degree recipient from Whitewater:

 Jan Maroske, College of Engineering, Master of Science-Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. For the next several weeks, we will be featuring what looks to be photos from the same parade, sometime in the mid-20th century in downtown Whitewater. This view shows the south side of Main Street very well. Note also the pavers that are still down on the street. Some of you may remember the downtown businesses on that side of the street, as well as the “Strand” theater on the right hand side.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

3831P, Whitewater Historical Society

Through the culvert dividing our lakes 

Downtown through the culvert

Our thanks to Paul Jhona for more beautiful photos from his drone.

— 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!

Whitewater Is Home to 2024’s Longest Married Couple

Richard and Beverly Grosskreutz, who recently celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on January 28, have just been named 2024’s Longest Married Couple by the Wisconsin Family Council. Each year, the Wisconsin Family Council accepts applications for any living married couple living in the state of Wisconsin who has been married for 60 or more years. This year, they and 22 other couples were inducted into the Council’s Marriage Hall of Fame, but none of the other couples had been married as long as the Grosskreutzes. Each couple will receive a framed certificate recognizing their induction.

More on the Grosskreutzes and on the Marriage Hall of Fame can be found at https://wifamilycouncil.org/topical-resources/marriage-hall-of-fame/.

Congratulations once again to Dick and Bev Grosskreutz. Don’t forget – the first hundred are the hardest!

Submitted by the Grosskreutz Family

Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by the League of Women Voters Whitewater Area.

The League of Women Voters Whitewater Area will hold a Candidate Forum for City of Whitewater Common Council candidates on Saturday, March 2, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., in the City of Whitewater Council Chambers, 312 W Whitewater Street.  

Greg Majkrzak and Keith Staebler are in a contested race for the Common Council At Large seat. The uncontested candidates, who will also be present at the forum, are Brian Schanen (District 4, Wards 6/7/8), and Orin Smith (District 2, Wards 9/10).

The League sponsors candidate forums for the benefit of YOU, the voter. At the forum, you will be asked to write your questions on cards distributed by the League. Questions are reviewed by question checkers, who sort them by topic and check for redundancy, before forwarding them to the moderator. We do not accept questions targeted to specific candidates. Questions prepared by the League board will be used only if there are not enough questions provided by residents in attendance at the forum. 

Bring your family and neighbors!  Be an active participant in our democracy!

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit our website at https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area and like us on Facebook!

Editor’s note: Story and photos of a dress rehearsal are courtesy of Tom Ganser.

The Whitewater High School (WHS) Players will be presenting Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” Feb. 29 – March 2 at 7 p.m. and March 3 at 2 p.m. in the James M. Stewart Auditorium.

General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students.  Tickets can be purchased at the door or by calling the box office at 262-472-8178.

“Our Town” (1938) is considered to be Wilder’s best work for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  The play is centered on Grover’s Corners, a fictional town in New Hampshire between 1901 and 1913.

Jim McCulloch serves as director and Kat Dunham as technical director.  Cast members include Deven Bawden, Chacha Binagi, Payton Bunger, Ayden Clark, Alex Clarksen, Grace Coleman, Estaban Diaz-Gallegos, David Enns, Haley Keltesch, Marina Linos, Kara Long, Brooke Mason, Sam Nickelsburg, Hayleigh Pond, A’lani Ross, Josey Selby, Taylor Speerbrecher, Greg Stewart, Alex Sullivan, Ava Van Daele, and Willow Vogelzang.

Students supporting the production in a variety of capacities include Rae Breisath, Alexsa Cansino-Pena, Emerson Dunham, Ace Hudec, Gabi Kirley, Taiya Kolb, Kara Long, Kayla Mikos, Miles Nickelsburg, Ava Nygren, Joshua Nygren, Payton Peacock, Lucille Troxel, Samantha Van Daele and Matt Zingsheim.

Sophomore Devin Bawden plays multiple roles, including Joe Crowell, whom he describes as “a jock, playing baseball, and having a good aim” – very different from his last role as Glenn Coco, a “nerd and mathlete,” in “Mean Girls, High School Version.”

Admitting that preparing for the role of Joe Crowell has been surprisingly easy, Bawden said that whereas Joe Crowell is an athlete involved in sports, he himself is “chill and part of the Drama Club.”  Bawden also shared, “One thing about being an actor in ‘Our Town’ that can apply to real life is having confidence.”

The WHS Players has partnered with the Whitewater Historical Society to present “Streets of Whitewater,” including a detailed collection of historic photographs, artifacts, and stories of the early days of Whitewater that will be on display before each performance.

The Whitewater Unified School District invites the community to the dedication of the high school’s auditorium to honor school board member James (Jim) M. Stewart on Saturday, March 2, at 5:30 p.m., before the performance.