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Sheriff Fell is pleased to announce that the Rock County Sheriff’s Office will offer our first 2026 Hunter Safety Education Course on April 18, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., and April 19, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., at the Edgerton Conservation Club, 900 Stoughton Road, Edgerton, WI 53534. There will be an in-person introductory session on April 1, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., at the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, 200 East U.S. Highway 14, Janesville, WI 53545. Students need to attend all sessions to graduate.
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1973, is required to complete a Hunter Safety Education Course to legally hunt in Wisconsin. Students must be at least 12 years of age.
Hunter Safety Education Course
Session 1: April 1, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. @ Rock County Sheriff’s Office
Session 2: April 18, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. @ Edgerton Conservation Club
Session 3: April 19, from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. @ Edgerton Conservation Club
Registration is now open. Complete the online enrollment form to reserve a seat. https://www.co.rock.wi.us/departments/sheriff-s-office/recreational-patrol/hunter-education
Class size is limited to thirty (30) students. Upon submission of the registration form, the submitter will see an onscreen confirmation message with course information.
The course fee of $10 per student will be collected at the first session. If the student is under 18 years old, a parent/guardian will need to attend the first session with the student. Students will receive course materials at the first session. Please direct any
questions to Deputy Michael Borgwardt at michael.borgwardt@co.rock.wi.us.
Editor’s note: The Rock County Sheriff’s Department has previously informed The Banner that Rock County residency is not required in order to participate in their classes.
Emma Allamian, a Communication Sciences and Disorders MS major from Whitewater, WI, was recognized on February 5-6 at the 2026 Wisconsin Speech-Language Pathology [SLP] and Audiology Association (WSHA) annual convention in Pewaukee.
Allamian earned second place in the Knowledge Bowl Competition
The convention is a gathering of speech-language pathologists, audiologists and speech, language and hearing scientists in Wisconsin.
Five students from UW-Whitewater’s communication sciences and disorders undergraduate and graduate programs won awards and/or presented at the convention.
Professor Lynn Gilbertson, associate professor Michael Hammer, and assistant professor Cody Busch served as mentors to the students on their presentations.
UW-Whitewater’s communication sciences and disorders program, housed in the College of Education and Professional Studies, includes undergraduate and graduate programs. The department also operates the UW-Whitewater Center for Communicative Disorders. For more information, visit uww.edu/coeps/comdis.
The first Whitewater High School Model UN Banquet took place at Fanatico’s restaurant. During the 2025-26 Model UN season, the team attended three Model UN conferences: the Madison Model United Nations, Arrowhead High School Model United Nations, and the four-day Model United Nations Conference at the University of Chicago.
Model United Nations (MUN) at the high school level is an educational simulation where students role-play as diplomats to research, debate, and resolve international issues. Its purpose is to improve critical thinking, public speaking, negotiation, and leadership skills, while promoting global citizenship and understanding of the UN’s role in international relations.
At a Model United Nations conference, students gain in-depth knowledge of foreign policies, international law, and complex global challenges. Students act as ambassadors representing specific countries, requiring them to defend policies and perspectives that may differ from their own.
Model UN provides a platform for students to engage with global issues, learn about the United Nations, and develop skills necessary for future careers in law, government, and business.
Some of the award winners include:
- Maya Davis – Best Delegate
- Melody Smith – Best Position Paper
- Camdyn Avila – Most Improved Delegate
- Emma Schultz-Majkrzak – Most Improved Delegate
- Kyan Fajardo – Rising Delegate
- Bastian Portales – Rising Delegate
- Cyrus Hudec – Future MUN Leader
- Ameera Lin – Best Debater
- Madelyn Taylor – Active Participation
- Juliana Cortez – Active Participation
- Serina Soto – Active Participation
- Jesse Kezong – Active Participation
Whitewater High School Model UN Advisors Maddy Blain, Liberty Cunningham, and Gregory Stewart would like to thank WHS Principal Brent Mansky, Athletic/Activities Director Michael Dowden, WHS Secretary Ms. Becky Skindingsrude, Nelson’s Bus Service, and the parents for their support of this program.
Article and Photos Submitted by Greg Stewart
Whitewater High School Model UN Advisor
gstewart@wwusd.org
Live Life Spiritual Direction invites individuals around the world to join Cultivating Peace Within, a heartfelt virtual event dedicated to nurturing inner peace and uplifting collective well-being. This free online experience will take place Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm CT via Zoom.
In a time when stress, division, and uncertainty seem to dominate headlines, there remains a growing movement of people committed to nurturing harmony, compassion, and peace. Cultivating Peace Within offers a supportive space for participants to explore these qualities through reflective discussion and meditation — guided by seasoned spiritual facilitator Denise Maple of Live Life Spiritual Direction.
“Peace begins within each one of us,” said Denise Maple, founder of Live Life Spiritual Direction. “When we strengthen our inner calm and presence, we raise the vibrational field of the planet. This gathering is a chance to deepen our connection to peace, together.” Numerous studies show that peace meditations lower violent crime in the intended area.
The one-hour session will feature:
- A welcoming group conversation on how inner peace impacts our lives and communities
- Guided meditation to anchor participants in mindful presence
- Practical insights for integrating peace into daily living
- An inclusive, heart-centered atmosphere designed for all backgrounds and experience levels
Details at a Glance:
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm CT
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free of charge
Register:
https://www.facebook.com/events/858852150467556/?rdid=pdvfzcdDRsWp9zRs#
Registration is encouraged but not required. Participants can RSVP on the Wellness Collective of Whitewater’s Facebook page or at https://livelifespiritual.com/event directory/.
This event is part of Live Life Spiritual Direction’s and the Wellness Collective’s ongoing commitment to wellness, mindful living, and authentic connection. Past events from the organizations have focused on collective well-being, meditation, and inner transformation — empowering individuals to become more conscious co-creators of peace in their lives and the world. - For more information, please contact Denise Maple at 262-724-0064 or denise@livelifespiritual.com
About Live Life Spiritual Direction
Live Life Spiritual Direction is where soul-centered wisdom meets practical, grounded guidance. Led by Denise Maple a mind-body-spirit coach who serves as a spiritual life coach, bioe ergetic testing practitioner, Reiki Master, and holistic business coach—this work is rooted in the belief that you deserve to live authentically, vibrantly, and in alignment with who you truly are. Denise welcomes clients at her cozy office on Main Street in Whitewater, Wisconsin, as well as virtually.
Denise founded Live Life Spiritual Direction to help people move beyond merely surviving and step into a life where they can thrive physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Her approach blends deep spiritual training with over 30 years of
business leadership and teaching experience.
As a former Clinical Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of Illinois, honored as a Teacher Rated as Excellent by Students and a Dean’s Impact Award recipient, Denise brings a rare blend of heart, intuition, and grounded expertise. She serves as a compassionate guide to help you unearth and live the Song of Your Soul—so you can expand into your fullest potential with clarity, joy, and confidence.
The National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office indicates that the Whitewater area is at a “slight risk” of seeing 1+” hail this evening, primarily before 7 p.m.
- Storms will continue after 7 PM and evolve into congealed clusters that will diminish the hail threat late in the evening.
- Storms will diminish and move out between 11 PM and 1 AM Wednesday.
- Main hazards remain hail and lightning.
From Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 8, 26 members of Ferradermis put their new 2026 robot CEO (Chief Excavation Officer) to the test on the field at Lakeland University. Lakeland played host to 33 Wisconsin teams for the first ever Wisconsin District Event. Over the course of the last year, Wisconsin has transitioned from a “regional” model of competition to a “district” model of competition. In essence, this means that Wisconsin FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Teams will now play in-state to a State Championship with teams earning a berth to the Houston World Championships via their performance at State. This transition was possible because of the growing popularity of the program in the state; Wisconsin is now home to 72 FRC teams.
The 2026 FRC game, like the FLL and FTC games from the fall, is based on an archeology theme. In the case of the FRC game, Rebuilt, the game brings back field elements and game pieces reminiscent of games played over the last 25 years of FIRST. The only game piece this year is a bright yellow solid foam ball called fuel, just like the yellow whiffle balls from Ferradermis’ rookie year in 2017. There are 504 pieces of fuel on the field at any one ti
me, leading to complete chaos and the likelihood that robots will go “fuel surfing” by ending up entirely beached on top of multiple pieces of fuel. Alliance partners often have to give each other’s robot a nudge to get their robots off the top of the fuel field.
The performance of CEO improved greatly over the course of the event as the pit crew including sophomore Jayden Kehrer, lead programmer Ace Hudec, and mentor Quinn McKenzie continued to make slight adjustments to electrical, mechanical, and coding aspects of the robot between matches. The robot relies heavily on computer vision through use of a Limelight camera to spot April Tags (like QR codes) on the field to automatically calculate the angle of its shots.
The drive team, consisting of Driver Mason Genung, Operator Erison Dreksler, Human Player Vivian Harris, Technician Owen Taylor, and Drive Coach Mark Zimmermann, led the robot onto the field for 2 practice matches and each of its 12 qualification matches. District events are designed to be smaller and run on a compacted schedule, leaving much less time between matches. At the end of qualifications, the Ferradermis robot ranked #13.
The scouting team including Emilie Bruns, Mily Zeferino-Hernandez, and Preston Miller worked diligently in the stands throughout qualifications with their scouting alliance partners Red Raider Robotics from Sheboygan North and CORE from Waukesha. The trio of teams had decided to band together to test out a new scouting app. Thank you to mentor Kevin Housel for helping Head Scouts Rae Breisath, Georgia Esch, and Zoey Ambrose learn the ins and outs of the new system. Ferradermis students cycled through hour-long scouting shifts, with each student following a particular robot in a match and entering data into the app. Students also paired up to do pit scouting, interviewing other teams in the pits about the capabilities of their robots.
Alliance selections for the playoffs took place immediately after the last qualification match, and, armed with their scouting data, Ferradermis was represented on the field by Breisath, Ambrose, and Genung. The team was invited to join the #8 seeded alliance with the RoboCats from River Falls and Saber Robotics from Franklin. The *alliance was defeated in the double-elimination playoff bracket first by the eventual champion alliance led by BadgerBots from Middleton and then by the #4 seed led by Ripon Robotics.
On Saturday, the Impact Presentation Team of Al Nelson, Sam Raupp, and Cooper Housel met with a panel of judges to share a 7-minute presentation and do a 5-minute Q & A session. These students outlined all of the work that Ferradermis does to support younger students in STEM and to help create other FRC teams in the state, highlighting the over 1,500 hours of outreach that team members have logged just since June.
Also on Saturday, team FIRST Leadership Award nominees Raupp and Harris sat for their interviews with a panel of judges. The Leadership Award is the only individual student award in FIRST, and candidates need to learn to highlight their personal contributions rather than talk about what the team has accomplished.
On Sunday morning, after the mentor parade, Zimmermann was welcomed to the field as the team’s Woodie Flowers Award nominee for outstanding mentor. As is FIRST tradition, previous Woodie Flowers Finalist Award Winners, including Ferradermis Advisor Laura Masbruch, created a high-five line for the nominees. This year’s winner for the state will be announced at the State Championship event.
During Sunday’s opening ceremonies, 13 team members including Chacha Binagi, Asher Downs, and Colby Long volunteered to be part of the FIRST Wisconsin Team Choir to sing the national anthem. Also helping where they could and filling volunteer roles at the event were Alex Fletcher, Charlotte Trautman, and Frankie DiFiore who helped with field reset during Friday night’s practice matches. On Sunday, the tournament host again reached out to the team for volunteers and Trautman, DiFiore, and Carson Miller stepped up for a full day of field reset duties while Paxton Wilson and Julian Rennells helped queue robots for matches. Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman volunteered as an ambassador, giving tours to VIPs visiting the event. Housel served as the team’s media representative. Thank you to mentors Kat Dunham, Tori Breisath, and Matt Doherty for volunteering their time to help support students in the stands and in the pit. We also loved seeing Ferradermis alumni now working with other teams: Reilly Aschenbrener with Graffiti from Greendale, Jacob Lee and Rosie Aschenbrener with the Mukwonago Bears, and Peter Portwine with UPS from Milwaukee.
Ferradermis is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary season in FIRST, and students planned some celebrations to highlight the milestone. After researching and finding that diamonds are a representation of the 10th anniversary, team members ordered tiaras to wear at the event. However, they wanted to share the fun with the other teams at the event marking the same milestone. The team delivered tiaras to Red Raider, Warriorbots from Muskego, and FE Freedom Engineers along with 10th anniversary cards signed by the team. In addition, the team created a series of 3D printed pit awards to be given to other teams. Teams were recognized for forging a friendship with iron-skinned Ferradermis (an award in the shape of an anvil), being the most helpful, having the best mascot, and putting safety first, among other things.
Throughout the event, students in the pits need to be prepared to speak with roving pairs of judges that will stop by and ask questions about the team and the robot. Wildermuth-Breitzman and Safety Captain Nina Heim remained in the pit for all three days of the event, ready to discuss whatever questions the judges had. The judges were particularly interested in speaking with Hudec about the team’s control system. Under the guidance of programming mentor Andy McKenzie, the programmers have implemented a custom button board each of the last two seasons. As a result of these conversations, the team was announced as the winners of the Innovation in Control Award sponsored by nVent. This award recognizes teams with unique and effective control systems—software, electrical, or mechanical—that enhance machine performance.
Ferradermis will play in their second district event in La Crosse from April 2 – 4. The Seven Rivers District Event in La Crosse will be the fourth and final qualifying event for Wisconsin teams. All teams will play in two of the four competitions. State qualification berths will be finalized after the La Crosse event.
On the way to the event, the team took time to tour the Kohler Design Center and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
“The Matrix” will be featured at Wisconsin Makers’ Movie Night on Wednesday, March 11. The public is invited to attend the free showing of the film at 7 p.m. at the community makerspace, located at 200 E. Clay St. in Whitewater.
Free popcorn will be served. Pizza, soda and water will be available for $1.
Before and after the film, attendees are welcome to tour the makerspace to see what it has to offer.
The 1999 action/sci-fi film is the first installment in the Matrix film series. It stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. The film depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside the Matrix, a simulated reality created by intelligent machines. The plot follows the computer hacker Neo, who is recruited by Morpheus into a rebellion against the machines.
The film will be shown on the makerspace’s 15-foot-wide movie screen with 500-watt surround-sound.
Located at the corner of Wisconsin and East Clay streets, Wisconsin Makers is a community workshop with members from Jefferson, Walworth, Rock and Waukesha counties and beyond. It houses machine, welding/fabrication, electronics, automotive, 3-D printing, laser engraving and woodworking shops. It also offers ceramics, metal art, quilting, fabric arts, matting/framing and more.
The building is accessible, and has off-street parking, Wi-Fi, and many other amenities.
For more information about Movie Night or the makerspace, contact Chris Spangler at (920) 728-2960.
Obituaries
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
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
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