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The Banner has been serving Whitewater, Wisconsin since August 1, 2006
Today is Monday, May 11, 2026
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By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Whitewater residents and visitors have already endured two construction-related highway closures this season, and this past week brought the announcement of yet another. Highway 12 from Whitewater to Fort Atkinson has been closed since March, and is not anticipated to reopen until close to the end of the year. Highway 89 to Richmond was shut down beginning May 1, with projected completion by midsummer; however, the beautifully resurfaced road has already reopened. Now the Rock County Public Works Department has announced that the portion of County Highway N which extends from the western end of Walworth Street will be closed beginning Wednesday, July 5 until August 31 for paving and culvert replacement.
It does remind one of the old adage, “Wisconsin has two seasons: winter and road construction.” One social media commenter was moved to adapt the old Eagles song, Hotel California, by saying, in Whitewater “you can check out but you can never leave.”
Shown above is the official detour to/from Whitewater, which is described as follows:
Eastbound USH 26 to STH 59 to STH 89 to USH 12
Westbound USH 12 to STH 89 to STH 59 to USH 26
Commuters who normally take County N to access I-39/90 to Madison will be relieved to find that the construction zone ends just east of STH 26, so they will be able to use the on/off ramps there in order to finally get on N for a short ride to Newville.
Regarding the east end of the construction zone, Duane Jorgenson, Rock County Director of Public Works, confirmed to The Banner that he expects that the intersection of N and County Line Road will remain open. Jorgenson also stated that local traffic will be maintained, sometimes with a single lane, for access to businesses and residences within the construction zone. The Postal Service has been appraised of the work, and it is anticipated that, perhaps with rare exception, mailboxes will still be accessible. Contact has also been made with the emergency services providers. Through traffic will not be permitted, and violators may be subject to being cited.
The following area students have been named to the Dean’s List at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for the spring semester of the 2022-23 academic year, ending May 2023.
Qualification for the Dean’s List is limited to students who have attained outstanding academic achievement. To be eligible, students must have earned not less than a 3.5 semester grade point average and carried a minimum of 12 credits.
UW-La Crosse, founded in 1909, is one of the 13 four-year institutions in the University of Wisconsin System. UWL has more than 10,400 full and part-time students enrolled in 101 undergraduate, 28 graduate and two doctoral academic programs.
UW-La Crosse – www.uwlax.edu – is the state’s top-ranked public or private higher education institution by U.S. News & World Reports for master’s degree institutions and has been ranked among the top four Midwestern public institutions for more than a decade.
Students on the Dean’s List from the Whitewater area include:
Bryce Hibbs, Communication Studies Major: Organizational and Professional Communication Emphasis
Josie Hintz, Finance Major
Connor Sharlow, Radiologic Science Major: Radiation Therapy Emphasis
Catherine Skindingsrude, Biology Major
Celine Zahn, Therapeutic Recreation Major
City of Whitewater Landmarks Commission – Thursday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda
Cravath Lake Front Room
312 Whitewater Street, Whitewater, WI 53190
Notice of the Whitewater Unified School District
Jul 01, 2023 – Members of the Whitewater Unified School District Board May Attend Social Events or District Sponsored Events and Activities Throughout the 2023-2024 School Year
Public notice is hereby given that some members of the Whitewater Unified School District Board may on occasion attend social events or district-sponsored events and activities in support of staff and students of the school district. No formal meeting of the Board will take place and no official action will be taken by the Board. A quorum of the Board may be present.
Further information may be found on the festival’s Facebook page.
The Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) exhibition officially opens on Saturday, July 1. The photographs in the show will be displayed on the walls of the gallery and, concurrently, in an online virtual display that will appear on the WAA website.
An opening reception featuring the presentation of awards and discussion of the outstanding photographs will be held Sunday, July 2 at 1:00 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Center–402 West Main Street–where light refreshments will be served. Voting for Viewer’s Choice will continue throughout the run of the exhibition and its winner will be announced Sunday, July 30.
Admission to the exhibition and its reception are free of charge, open to the public, and all are invited. The gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. (Noon) to 4:00 p.m. and the website is open 24/7. The show runs from Saturday, July 1 through Sunday, July 30.
Current information, as well as a brief history on Fran Achen, can be found at
https://www.whitewaterarts.org/fran-achen-2023.
It’s time once again for #flashbackfriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This week’s image is a great photo of the 2002 Fourth of July parade taken by Dan Sable. This is a great four-horse hitch.
We hope you all come out for the 4th parade on Tuesday, and by the way, stop in to the Whitewater Historical Society’s depot museum. We have extra hours on Saturday (during the car show) 2-6, Sunday, 1-4, and Tuesday, the 4th from 11-3.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
Photo from the Dan Sable Collection, Whitewater Historical Society.
Update 7/1/23 @ 11 a.m. – Photos by Tom Ganser of demolition added
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
The Whitewater Quick Lube and car wash that has been located for decades in front of Walmart has been demolished in preparation for the construction of a Starbucks.
Chris Bennett, city neighborhood services director, told The Banner that the city issued a demolition permit to the developer, Matt Herbeck, with that phase of the redevelopment moving forward while they wait for state-approved plans. At that time they can apply for a building permit. According to Bennett, Herbeck has expressed a desire to have blacktop in place by fall.
A previous Banner article provides more information about the development, including the Plan & Architectural Review Commission discussion regarding potential traffic impacts.
Obituaries
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
Come celebrate William Kincaid’s Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 30th at 1 pm at Trippe Lake Park Pavillion in Whitewater. He truly enjoyed gatherings where his favorite foods and music could be enjoyed with some of his closest friends and family. We will honor him by carrying on one of his favorite traditions. Please bring your own beverages and chairs. There is limited seating. See you all there!
Gladys Jean (Riley) Hildebrandt, age 89, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 23, 2026. Gladys was born on December 26, 1936, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to Theresa Egnoski Riley. She was married to Walter Sobolik Sr., and later married James A. Hildebrandt in 1976. Gladys was a hardworking woman who spent her life caring for others. She worked in school kitchens, restaurants, factories, and cleaning services. She concluded her working career as a full-time nanny. In that role, she lovingly cared for Andrew, Daniel, and Kaitlyn Drzewiecki, who became part of her chosen family. Gladys is survived by her sons, Wally … Read more
WHITEWATER – Nan Rowley died on April 15, 2026, at the age of 90. She was born on September 4, 1935, in a little house on the prairie in the Town of Johnstown, Wisconsin, the daughter of Wayne L. Wilbur and Florence (McQuillen) Wilbur. Nan attended primary schools in the towns of Johnstown and Richmond and in the City of Whitewater. Nan graduated with honors from Whitewater City High School. On June 19, 1954, Nancy and Ken Rowley were united in marriage in Whitewater and went to live on the Rowley family farm in Richmond. Over the years, Nan served … Read more
Marion H. Gorniak (nee Pfeiffer), 74, of Whitewater passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 11, 2026. She was born on October 24, 1951, to the late Harvey and Loraine (nee Drifke) Pfeiffer in Fort Atkinson, WI. On June 2, 1969, she was united in marriage to Alan Gorniak. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, and cooking, especially her rhubarb pies. She especially enjoyed spending time with family and friends and will be missed by all who knew her. Those Marion leaves behind to cherish her memory include her husband, Alan Gorniak; stepson, Alan Bauer; sister, Sue Ann Schultz, other relatives and friends. … Read more
Ruth Irene (Phelps) Justis, 88, of Appleton City, Missouri, passed away Friday morning, April 10, 2026, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg, MO, with her family by her side. Ruth was born June 3, 1937 in Janesville, Wisconsin, to Charles and Ada Mae (Maly) Phelps. She joined the Marine Corps in 1956. During her time there, she met and married her husband, Forest Wayne “Wayne” Justis in 1957. They shared 62 years of marriage and to this union, 2 children, Charles and Dorene, were born. Ruth grew up in Whitewater, WI., the oldest of three children. Ruth graduated from … Read more
Dorothy C. Kau, age 101, of Eagle, Wisconsin passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at Fort Memorial Hospital. Dorothy was born on March 18, 1925 in Eagle on the family farm, the daughter of John and Katherine (Faestel) VonRueden. Dorothy was a 1942 graduate of Palmyra High School. On May 21, 1949, Dorothy was united in marriage to Alvin E. Kau at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Eagle and the Lord blessed their union with 8 children. Alvin and Dorothy enjoyed 50 years of marriage together until Alvin’s death in the year 2000. Dorothy enjoyed being a farm … Read more
Dorothy E. McCracken, 95, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2025, in Sarasota, Florida. Born on April 14, 1930, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to Carl and Joyce Meyer, Dorothy grew up in Whitewater and graduated from Whitewater High School. She then worked for a photographer and hand painted his first colored portraits, until she got married. She and her first husband, Bernard Wafle, owned and operated a 179-acre dairy farm in Helenville, Wisconsin, for 25 years before relocating to Ocala, Florida, in 1979. Dorothy later married Earl McCracken, in Ocala, Fl. She also shared a special companionship later in life with … Read more
Carol Ann Seebruch, 88 of Whitewater passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, April 3, 2026. Carol was born July 12, 1937 in Chicago IL to William and Ann Borovec. She married Marvin Seebruch on June 9, 1984. Carol and Marvin enjoyed traveling the United States making it to 48 of the 50 states. She also enjoyed her time with the Red Hat Ladies. She loved taking pictures of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Carol is survived by her three children; Bill Anderson of Fort Atkinson, WI, Terri Laban of Whitewater, WI, and Donna (Mike) Jones of Crivitz, WI. She … Read more
Entered God’s Kingdom on Friday, April 3, 2026, age 65. Donna is survived by her cousins, other family and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents James and Lois (Michels) Lyons. Donna was raised in the Church of Nazarene, with her father being the assistant pastor. Religion was very important to Donna. Donna enjoyed working with the students of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, where she resided. Donna also loved to travel, visiting France, Italy, and all around the United States. She also loved to paint, cross-stitch, knit, and crochet. She also loved collecting recipes and trying … Read more
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