News & Events

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL, Minn. (July 17, 2020) – The following students have been named to the 2020 spring semester Dean’s List at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the university announced today.

To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student must complete 12 or more letter-graded credits while attaining a 3.66 grade point average.

John Downs, Senior, College of Sci and Engineering

Whitewater, Wis. July 17, 2020 – On Monday, July 20, 2020, the Department of Public Works will begin crack sealing in various locations around the City. No parking signs will be posted in these areas as crews progress through the list. There will be no parking allowed between 6:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, when posted. Work is expected to be completed in two to three weeks.

Group #1

Lot A
Lot B (including 2nd Street from Whitewater St south)
Lot C
Lot D
Lot E
Lot F
Lot G
Lot H
Lot I

Group #2

Bluff Road (Round-a-bout to Howard Rd)
Howard Road (Bluff Road north)
Greenway Court
Executive Drive

Group #3

N. Esterly Avenue
N. Franklin Street (Main St to Starin Rd)
Starin Road (Tratt St to Park St)
Starin Park parking lots (2)
Starin Park park roads
Highland Street (Summit St to Elizabeth St)

Group #4
Black River Court
Bloomingfield Drive (Tratt Street to west)
Blue Mounds Drive
Tower Hill Pass
Stonefield Lane
Peninsula Lane

Per The Hill and various other media outlets, “Walmart announced on Wednesday it will require shoppers to wear a face covering starting on July 20 in all stores and clubs across the U.S.

Walmart noted that currently about 65 percent of its more than 5,000 stores and clubs are located in areas where there is some form of government mandate on face coverings. The new policy is in place to help bring consistency, the company said.

“While we’re certainly not the first business to require face coverings, we know this is a simple step everyone can take for their safety and the safety of others in our facilities,” Dacona Smith, Walmart U.S. chief operating officer, and Lance de la Rosa, Sam’s Club chief operating officer, wrote in a press release.

Walmart created a health ambassador position for each store and will station them near the entrance of stores, along with clear signage, to remind people without a mask of the policy. The ambassadors will receive special training and be identifiable by black polo shirts.”

For the complete story in The Hill, please click here.

AURORA, Ill. (July 13, 2020) – Aurora University has named Cherie Meinen of Whitewater, WI, to the Dean’s List for the spring 2020 semester. Meinen is a Junior majoring in Bachelor of Soc Work. The Dean’s List recognizes full-time undergraduate students who have earned a 3.6 GPA or higher.

Aurora University is a four-year, private, nonprofit, fully accredited higher education institution offering students an excellent education while maintaining one of the lowest private school tuition rates in Illinois. Our campus is nestled in a tree-lined neighborhood in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois, and located approximately 45 miles from Chicago. The university serves approximately 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students across more than 50 majors and programs. AU leadership, faculty, and staff are committed to the success of our students, offering strong academic support programs and learning opportunities that prepare students for success beyond graduation. The university is also committed to giving back to the city we live and work in by offering educational and cultural programming that enriches the larger community. Our dedication to the transformative power of learning inspires all to discover what matters and build a life around it.

The following persons were either recently charged in Walworth County Circuit Court or recently made their initial court appearance.

Melvin B. Brown, Jr., 27, 147 N Fraternity Lane #8, has been charged with strangulation/suffocation, two counts of disorderly conduct, and misdemeanor battery in an alleged domestic violence incident. If convicted, he faces up to seven years and three months in prison and $22,000 in fines.

Adam Isaac Cooper, 37, 340 N Newcomb St # B3, has been charged with bail jumping for allegedly driving a vehicle in violation of a court order. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Garrett K. Mandel, 39, 257 N Prairie St, has been charged with possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Gerald M. Wilcox, 56, 349 Amber Dr, has been charged with operating under the influence – fourth offense and operating with a prohibited blood alcohol content – fourth offense. If convicted, he faces up to 12 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (July 9, 2020) – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville awarded diplomas to nearly 1,000 students from its three campuses for the spring and summer of 2020.

A total of 942 students from UW-Platteville, UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County and UW-Platteville Richland earned either their bachelor’s or associate degrees. Because of COVID-19, no ceremonies were held in May, but will be rescheduled at a later date.

UW-Platteville, founded in 1866, has been named the best public institution in Wisconsin for annual return on investment for the fifth consecutive year by Payscale and the best value in the state.

For more information on the university, located in Southwest Wisconsin, visit uwplatt.edu.

Students from this area who graduated, with their hometown, major(s), degree and campus, include:

HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME, DEGREE(S), CAMPUS

Whitewater, WI

 Emily Heckert, Bachelor of Science in Animal Science, UW-Platteville

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner staff
whitewaterbanner.com

The District 2 Court of Appeals on July 8 ordered a new trial for Alan M. Johnson, 35, who was convicted by a jury in November, 2017 of first-degree reckless homicide in the killing of his brother-in-law, Ken Myszkewicz, on October 25, 2016 in Myszkewicz’s home at 911 Peck Street. Johnson had entered the home by an unlocked door around midnight to search for child pornography on Myszkewicz’s computer. Years earlier he had made a police report with that allegation, but police indicated that the alleged evidence was not sufficiently current. After spending some two hours on the computer, Johnson was confronted by Myszkewicz, age 43. A struggle ensued, and ultimately the trespasser shot the homeowner five times.

Walworth County Judge Kristine Drettwan in January, 2018 sentenced Johnson to 25 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision. Lawyers representing Johnson alleged in a May, 2019 filing that Drettwan erred in forcing him to testify and limiting his self-defense claim.

The Court of Appeals found that the circuit court erred in denying Johnson’s request to instruct the jury on “perfect self-defense” and in not offering the jury the option of second-degree reckless homicide. The appeals court also found that Drettwan should have allowed into evidence that child pornography was found on Myszkewicz’s computer, which if proven could have resulted in a prison sentence for Myszkewicz. It was the appelate court’s position that the jury should have been given the opportunity to decide whether “Johnson reasonably believed that K.M. was unlawfully interfering with his person, that he used such force as he reasonably believed he had exhausted every other reasonable means to escape from or to otherwise avoid death or great bodily harm at the hands of K.M.” The “unlawfully interfering” reference was to the possibility that Myszkewicz “wanted to prevent Johnson from reporting his ongoing criminal activity of possession of child pornography.”

Judge Paul Reilly wrote the decision, joined by judges Lisa Neubauer and Jeffrey Davis.

For an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel click here.

For the 28-page decision click here.