News & Events

Editor’s note: The following announcement was provided by the Whitewater Lions Club.

The first Whitewater Lions Club Annual Fish-A-Ree was held in 1976. Since then, 48 years ago, the Fish-A-Ree has become a Whitewater and Southern Wisconsin tradition.   This year, with the unseasonably warm weather and early thaw, ice fishing is canceled.

However, Sunday morning, February 11, at 6:00 a.m., the Lions Clubhouse on Kettle Moraine Drive will open its doors to serve its well-renowned awesome Pancake Breakfast with super sausage, scrambled eggs, and jalapeno poppers. Breakfast will be served until 11 a.m. Free will donations accepted.

Bucket Raffles will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. drawing at the Clubhouse.  The Online Auction will be in full swing from February 11 to 18.  Due to the generosity of so many local merchants and businesses, there are over 40 bidding items to choose from.  View the website now to check it out at:  https://new.biddingowl.com/WhitewaterLionsClub

Raffle tickets are still available for the 50/50 cash raffle with a bonus prize!

The episode of America’s Most Wanted on Monday, February 5 will feature the case of a Fort Atkinson man wanted since 2020 for homicide and arson. Kevin P. Anderson is charged with fatally shooting his sister and brother-in-law, Nedra and James Lemke, in Jefferson County on June 16, 2020. The couple’s bodies were found in the driveway of a house in the town of Sumner, which Anderson is accused of burning down. Anderson also allegedly shot at a sheriff’s deputy who responded to the incident.

The criminal complaint says Anderson and his sister were engaged in a dispute over the will of their father, who had recently died.

A warrant for Anderson’s arrest was issued 10 days after the incident, but he has never been found. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, “Anderson should be considered armed and dangerous.”

Anderson is described as a white male with blue eyes and balding brown hair. He is six feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds.

This episode of America’s Most Wanted is reportedly scheduled to run at 7 p.m. Monday on FOX6 Milwaukee.

Editor’s note: This announcement was adapted from one on FOX11 Green Bay.

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.

Now is the time to lock in summer plans for kids!

For more than 50 years, UW-Whitewater has hosted summer camps for youth.  Each year, thousands of kids gather on the Whitewater and Janesville campuses, leaving devices behind to engage with each other in the magic of camp. This summer, nearly 70 camps are scheduled, offering opportunities for everyone to learn and play the Warhawk Way!

After a record-setting camps season in 2023, Continuing Education Services is prepared to host even more budding athletes, musicians, artists, gamers, and active learners this summer.  New offerings this season include Sports Performance camp, College for Teens, and Wrestling programs.  At the Rock County campus, Volleyball Day Camp and Musical Theatre Magic will both make their debut. For those over 18 looking for a camps experience of their own, Adult Pickleball will be offered in June. And making its highly-anticipated post-COVID return is Flute Camp in July. 

Inclusivity and belonging are part of the priority mission of UW-Whitewater. Summer camps put the mission into practice by providing events like Wheelchair Basketball camp, hosted by national champion teams, and Chatter Matters, a camp serving individuals who use assistive communication devices and their families. In addition, UWW maintains a 1:10 ratio of camp staff to camper for all youth programming and prides itself in youth protection training for all faculty, staff, coaches, and volunteers involved in leading programming.  Over 500 staff and volunteers are hired, representing a wide range of backgrounds and areas of expertise.

“We are proud the reputation we have built for exceptional programming,” says Morgan Anderson, Director, Camps & Conferences. “Often youth start with a commuter or day camp to learn the ins and outs or attend with a friend or teammate. Most return summer after summer to experience college life,” Anderson shares. Families have many options to fill their summer breaks, and UWW camps should be on the top of the list. “When you choose a summer experience for the youth in your life, we understand the weight of that decision. Safety is our top priority, followed closely by skill development and lots of FUN!”

Registration for the 2024 camps season is now open, with more than 700 registrants to date. Visit our website at camps.uww.edu for more information and join us to learn and play the Warhawk Way!

Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by Debbie Harris, 4-H Youth Development Educator, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension–Walworth County

During the cold days of winter, who can’t help but daydream about warm spring days bursting with new life? Students in 20 Walworth County classrooms won’t be daydreaming this May when they hear the pipping and peeping of newly hatched chicks coming directly from inside their room. As participants in the Walworth County 4-H Eggsploring Incubation Science Lab, these students will truly have a bird’s-eye view of the miracle and fragility of new life.

Eggsploring Incubation is one of eight science-based 4-H school outreach opportunities available to Walworth County K-8 teachers. During the 3-4 week program period, teachers can focus on leading an unforgettable incubation and embryology experience for their students; not worrying about logistics. All of the equipment and resources needed for the lab are dropped
off and picked back up in a timely fashion, and homes for the resulting chicks and ducklings are arranged entirely by the 4-H staff.

Eggsploring Incubation offers a unique opportunity for students to explore a wide range of science concepts while building science and life skills. From the moment they begin to set up the incubator until the last chick leaves the brooder box for life in the coop, students will be growing science abilities (observing, comparing, measuring, relating, and predicting) and building important life skills (planning and organizing, keeping records, problem solving, decision making, self-responsibility, compassion, empathy, and gratitude). They will also learn important science concepts such as temperature, humidity, food science, genetics, fertilization, life cycles, and physiology.

As stated by one recent participating teacher, “my students were totally engaged and eager to ‘check on the chick eggs and chicks’ throughout the entire school day. To explain life cycles through pictures is one thing; through video even better. Hands-on is fantastic! Through candling, they can actually see the growth!”

As noted by another teacher, “[Students] were blown away when we candled the eggs, and they saw movement inside! They learned all about chickens and can be confident the eggs they buy to eat do not have chicks inside.”

“This experience is the base for the many things students will build upon in life, not just in school,” said a third classroom teacher. “They will remember this long after elementary school.”

Now in its 13th year, Eggsploring Incubation has touched the lives of more than 5,600 Walworth County students and become a core part of participating teachers’ annual lesson planning. In addition to using the many books, visuals, and activities included, most program veterans have developed their own special science, reading, writing, or art assignments to give the experience
a personal touch. Journaling of some kind is a popular student “ask.” Other examples of specialized activities teachers say they have fashioned include dissecting eggs, making egg diagrams, building dioramas representative of the major components of incubators or brooder boxes, preparing reports and posters focused on chicken or duck breeds, and crafting illustrated “books” about the experience in its entirety. Most classrooms also host a steady stream of visitors, both youth and adults, excited to meet their hatchlings.

“Children stop in every year to ask if I will be having chicks again,” one teacher wrote in an evaluation, “even children who weren’t actually ever in my class. I have also had a couple of parents request their children be placed in my room partly because of this wonderful experience.”

“This program is fantastic in that it completely supports a teacher in making science hands-on,” another teacher stated. “The Extension staff is so helpful and responsive in answering all of my questions, as I am in no way a farmer. It is amazing that all of the resources you need are provided. This is a highlight of my school every year.”

“I always appreciate how well organized the program is, as well as all of the supplies and learning materials that are provided. “ “I love that the program is available to me. I couldn’t do all the leg work myself or afford the equipment,” a couple of additional teachers added.

What did participating students say about their experience in 2023? Evaluation data collected from 186 youth showed that 99% agreed that the experience taught them something brand new. Ninety-five percent said it changed the way they think about eggs and what’s inside them, and 97% agreed that it helped them appreciate how fragile life is. Some things they found to be
particularly memorable included: seeing tiny beaks emerge through the “pip holes” in the eggs during hatch; how noisy chicks could be; how long it took for the babies to hatch; the fact that some chicks were more dominant than others; and how “slimy, wet, and gross” they were when they first emerged from the egg.

Eggsploring Incubation 4-H Science Lab sign-up is open until March 1 or whenever equipment for loan runs out. You can learn more about THIS Walworth County 4-H Science Lab and the other labs at https://go.wisc.edu/9ac0d1. Confirm availability and schedule your lab with Debbie Harris at 262-741-4959 or deborah.harris@wisc.edu. Then, fill out the registration form
at https://go.wisc.edu/6fyahc. Due to limited equipment and staff capacity, 4-H Science Labs are open only to Walworth County teachers.

4-H is a Positive Youth Development Program of UW-Madison Division of Extension. Learn more about 4-H community club opportunities at https://walworth.extension.wisc.edu/.

DHS launches new tool letting people report suspected illnesses from food or water

In time for the annual peak in norovirus cases and outbreaks, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has launched a new online tool to encourage Wisconsinites to report food or water sickness when symptoms occur. The online questionnaire, which takes less than five minutes to complete, helps local health departments identify sources of contamination to prevent others from getting sick. This tool is especially important as cases of norovirus, the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea, tends to spike in the winter.

“By using this tool, Wisconsinites can help other people in their community from getting sick and prevent outbreaks,” said DHS State Health Officer Paula Tran. “Ingesting contaminated food and water may cause just a little stomach upset for some, for others it can lead to hospitalization and be life threatening. We’re asking people – when you’re feeling sick, report it quick.”

Contaminated food or water can come from a variety of sources, including food from grocery stores or restaurants, or water from pools, lakes, or rivers. Certain bacteria, viruses, or parasites can cause vomiting and diarrhea. In Wisconsin and the United States, it is believed these illnesses are under-reported, since many people who are infected get better without seeing a doctor. This new online tool is just one way for public health professionals to learn about food and water related illnesses and outbreaks to help prevent others from getting sick too. This tool is not a substitute for health care, and people who are feeling sick should contact their health care provider.

The new tool is a simple questionnaire that asks for current symptoms, places recently visited, and food items recently eaten. The information is sent to local health departments that identify potential sources of illness. If additional information is needed, public health specialists may contact Wisconsinites who report their illness. All follow-up will remain confidential.

The launch of the new tool will be accompanied by a “Feeling Sick? Report it Quick!” message campaign which will share information and resources about prevention, symptoms of food or waterborne illness, and the reporting system through print materials and on social media.

To avoid food poisoning before it happens, here are a few tips:

• Wash hands and surfaces touched with food often.
• Keep raw meat, chicken, seafood, and eggs away from food that will not be cooked.
• Cook food to the right temperature to kill germs that can cause illness.
• Refrigerate food at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder within 1-2 hours of cooking.

Find more information on the Report an Illness Caused by Food or Water webpage.

William Hofmann of Whitewater has been named to the Deans’ List at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the fall semester of the 2023-24 academic year.

Hofmann, a sophomore majoring in advertising and public relations, was named to the Dean’s List for the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

More than 6,800 students at Nebraska were named to the Deans’ List for the fall semester.

Qualification for the Deans’ List varies among the eight undergraduate colleges and the Explore Center. Listed below are the minimum requirements for each entity and the name of its respective dean or director. All qualifying grade-point averages are based on a four-point scale and a minimum number of graded semester hours. Students can be on the Deans’ List for more than one college.

• College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, 3.75; Dean Tiffany Heng-Moss.
• College of Architecture, 3.75; Dean Kevin G. Van Den Wymelenberg.
• College of Arts and Sciences, 3.7; Dean Mark E. Button.
• College of Business, 3.6; Dean Kathy Farrell.
• College of Education and Human Sciences, 3.75; Acting Dean Nicholas J. Pace.
• College of Engineering, 3.5; Dean Lance C. Perez.
• College of Journalism and Mass Communications, 3.7; Dean Shari Veil.
• Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, 3.7; Dean Andy Belser.
• Explore Center for undeclared, pre-engineering, pre-health and pre-law students, 3.6; Senior Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Undergraduate Education Amy Goodburn.

Ashley K Wasser, 39, of 1226 W Florence St, #13,Whitewater, has been charged with burglary of a building or dwelling, a felony.

Harling Gamez Rodriguez, 24, of 424 W. Forest Avenue, Whitewater, has been charged with possession of narcotic drugs, a felony.

Gage D Fritz, 17, of W9245 Stader Road, Whitewater, has been charged with possession of narcotic drugs, with a modifier of possession of a controlled substance on or near certain places [a felony]; possession of tetrahydrocannabinols (THC), possession of a controlled substance on or near certain places; and possession of drug paraphernalia [misdemeanors.]

Joshua T Hacht, 20, of 1563 W Wildwood Rd, #3, Whitewater, has been charged with possession of narcotic drugs, with a modifier of possession of a controlled substance on or near certain places [a felony]; possession of tetrahydrocannabinols (THC), possession of a controlled substance on or near certain places; and possession of drug paraphernalia [misdemeanors].

Editor’s note: These cases have not been concluded. Unless a judgment of conviction is entered, the defendants are presumed innocent of all charges.