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The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee of the League of Women Voters Whitewater Area will hold the second of three Book Club discussions on our spring book selection, An Eye for an I: Growing Up with Blindness, Bigotry, and Family Mental Illness by James Bonilla, on Monday evening, March 9th, 6:15 PM-8:00 PM, at The Whitewater Public Library, 431 W Center St, in Whitewater.
This powerful narrative offers an intersectional analysis of disability, racism, and mental illness, inviting readers to empathize, be inspired, and consider their own potential for social change. Our discussion on March 9th will cover chapters 13-30. SAVE THE DATE – the last discussion will be held on April 13 (Chapters 31-42) at the same time
and location.
ACQUIRE THE BOOK TODAY! A limited supply of books are available at The Book Teller (call 262-269-9109 to hold a copy to purchase) and local libraries. You can also order the book from Amazon.
The LWV Book Club was formed to help our members and friends engage in meaningful discussions of current notable books dealing with public policy issues of interest to the League. You do not need to be a member of the League to participate and refreshments will be served. For questions or further information please contact
Dwight C. Watson, dwight.watsondcw@gmail.com, or Deb Gamble, 23debg@gmail.com
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: This press release was provided by the League of Women Voters – Whitewater area.
The Robotics Booster Club will be hosting the United Way Bingo night on March 3rd to raise money for Whitewater Unified School District’s seven robotics teams.
The 12th Annual Whitewater Collects takes place on Sunday, March 15 from 1 PM – 4 PM at the Cravath Lakefront Community Center in Whitewater. This popular event, hosted by the Whitewater Historical Society, is free and open to the public. In addition to viewing the collections of Whitewater-area collectors, the public is invited to bring up to two antique/vintage items for evaluation by noted auctioneer, Carol Miller, owner of Bailey’s Honor Auction and Estate Services, LLC.
Collections being displayed this year include pre-war train sets, paperweights, glass birds, Fort Atkinson memorabilia, marbles, 4th of July Milwaukee Brewers caps, antique English Doulton Lambeth pottery, Japanese lacquer trinket boxes, cabinet photos, Delavan memorabilia, antique and contemporary quilts, sewing items, Rinconada figurines, brass carburetors, Lucy and Me bears, steins, decanters, cameras, 1950’s-60’s model cars, nativity sets and memorabilia of the Heart Prairie Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church.
For more information, contact Jan Goder at jgoder1976@gmail.com or 262-949-0644.
Blackhawk Technical College will host an exciting, high-level wheelchair basketball game featuring some of the nation’s most talented adaptive athletes, including Paralympians, as the Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association (WASA) Marquette Golden Eagles defending national team takes on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks Men’s wheelchair basketball team.
The game is free and open to the public and promises a fast-paced, competitive showcase of elite athleticism, teamwork, and inclusion. Fans of all ages are encouraged to attend and experience the intensity and skill of wheelchair basketball at its highest level.
“This event is about more than just a game,” said Emily Oberst, WASA Community Outreach Director. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate inclusion, challenge perceptions of disability, and showcase the incredible athleticism of wheelchair basketball. Whether you’re a lifelong sports fan or brand new to adaptive sports, this is an experience you won’t forget.”
The event also serves as an educational and community-building opportunity, exposing spectators to adaptive athletics and reinforcing the message that sport is for everyone.
Event Details: WASA Champ Marquette Golden Eagles v. UWW Warhawks Wheelchair Basketball Exhibition Game
Where: Blackhawk Technical College, 6004 S County Rd G, Janesville WI
When: Saturday, February 28, 6:30 pm – Admission: Free
About WASA – WASA’s mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical or sensory disabilities through the power of adaptive sport, recreation, fitness, and education. WASA programs impact health, independence and rehabilitation – transforming lives and empowering individuals in their daily living.
About University of Wisconsin-Whitewater – We inspire, engage and transform lives. Founded in 1868, we serve more than 12,000 students and celebrate more than 100,000 alumni around the world. Our faculty and staff are devoted to student success on our Whitewater campus, our Rock County campus, and our vibrant online environment. We prepare innovative, resilient students with outstanding skills that make them strong candidates for 21st-century careers and community leadership. We embrace our priority mission to serve students with disabilities. Home to the Warhawk family, UW-Whitewater delivers a supportive, caring culture with an entrepreneurial spirit and championship drive.
About Blackhawk Technical College – Blackhawk Technical College, one of 16 colleges under the Wisconsin Technical College System, serves students and employers in Rock and Green counties with campuses in Janesville and Monroe, Wisconsin. The College has more than 6,000 credit and noncredit students enrolled in more than 70 programs. Based in Janesville, Wisconsin, it has provided education and training to area students and employers since 1912. Find out more at blackhawk.edu.
The Whitewater Community Foundation is now accepting applications for Spring Community Action Grants. Grants will be awarded to local non-profit organizations actively working to support the greater Whitewater community with educational, cultural, charitable and benevolent projects that will benefit and improve the community.
Projects are expected to be accomplished within a specific period of time (generally not more than one year) and should be creative, innovative and address community needs. The deadline for submitting applications is April 30, 2026.
Virginia Coburn, WCF Board Member who chairs the Community Action Grant Selection Committee, said, “I’m inspired by the number of local organizations sponsoring programs and projects to benefit the community. The Foundation has given grants to The Community Space, Whitewater Food Pantry, Bethel House, First United Methodist Church, St. Patrick Catholic Church, Whitewater Rescue Squad and many more. I invite you to read the pages on our website to see if one of your projects is eligible for an action grant.”
Organizations interested in pursuing a Whitewater Community Foundation Action Grant should check out the Foundation website at https://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/?s=Action+Grants or contact Ginny Coburn at virginiacoburn@coburn.com for more information.
The Foundation continues to provide and host scholarships for Whitewater High School students and also offers fiscal sponsorship to organizations that are seeking 501(c) (3) status or require temporary pass-through funds for worthy community projects.
More information about the Whitewater Community Foundation can be found at https://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/ and on Facebook.
The Whitewater Community Foundation’s mission is to enhance quality of life in the Whitewater area via educational, cultural, charitable or benevolent expenditures.
Editor’s Note: The above was provided by The Whitewater Community Foundation.
The Whitewater Boys’ Basketball Team celebrated a successful Parents’ Night with a 73-62 victory over Delavan-Darien, Friday, February 20th. Whitewater used excellent shooting (45% from the three-point line and 49% overall) and a harassing defense to hold off the Comets and notch our fourth straight win.
The Whippets took control of the game by building a ten-point lead, 30-20, with five minutes left in the half. Although Delavan cut it to 38-32 at the half and to 38-35 early in the second half, they could get no closer. Whitewater built the lead back to seven points, 42-35, at the 14-minute mark and maintained a 7 to 12-point lead for the rest of the game.
Whitewater was led by our two seniors, Casey Lyon with 26 points and 11 rebounds and Matt Carollo with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Aaron Garcia chipped in with nine of his 13 points in the first half and Connor Brummeyer helped finish off the Comets with all 7 of his points in the second half.
The Whippets are now 10-12 overall, with two final conference games this week-At East Troy on Monday, February 23rd and at home on Thursday, February 26th for Senior Night against Monroe. Whitewater will travel to Columbus on Tuesday, March 3rd, to begin tournament play.
Article Submitted by Dwayne Lange
Whitewater High School Assistant Boys’ Basketball Coach
The Whitewater Boys’ Wrestling teams have seen their 2025-2026 season come to a close sooner than they would have liked as they participated in the Division 2 Sectional Tournament at Wilmot Union.
The boys battled through lots of adversity going into the tournament going through some illnesses. The coaching staff was very pleased with the effort throughout the day as all those present performed to the best of their abilities on the given day.
Gabe Crane (132) led the way with a 3rd place finish. The immediate result was disappointing for Gabe as he had high aspirations of qualifying for the state tournament but came up one place short. The positive of the day was the fact that Gabe was definitely not 100% and after an early loss he could have used it as an excuse and just cashed in the season. He battled hard and was able to fight through his matches finishing 3-1 on the day with 3 pins. Gabe finished the season with 28 pins, one shy of tying the school record for pins in a season.
Coming in 4th place included George Christon (106) and Brady Friend (138). Each of these young men had tough losses in the quarterfinals but came back through on the backside with a couple of much needed wins to get into the 3rd place match. Both of them wrestled hard in the final match but came up on the losing end.
Austin Retzlaff (215) had some nice wins on the day, including two against a very tough opponent in the last match for him. Austin finished the day in 5th place winning the last match by a technical fall.
Trevor Piper (190) continued to show his improvement that he has shown the last few weeks of the season. He was able to avenge an earlier season loss in the wrestle back match which really had him excited as it justified his hard work in the room was paying off. At the end of the day Trevor finished in sixth place.
Closing out the placements for Whitewater was Deavion Olson (HWT). Deavion wrestled very well in his last high school tournament having two very close matches against opponents who had defeated him earlier in the season. Olson was able to finish out his high school career with a win by pinning his opponent in the 7th place match.
Although the last couple of outings for the Whippets were not what was hoped for the team, they had a great season considering their youth. They won the Whitewater and Clinton Invites and finished as Co-Champions of the Rock Valley Conference “Valley” Division in duals.
Article Submitted by John Schimming
Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach
jschimming@wwusd.org
The LWV Whitewater Area is proud to announce that it will sponsor two candidate forums in March in advance of the April 7th Spring Election.
Whitewater Common Council Candidate Forum
Saturday, March 7, 1:30PM – 3:00PM
Whitewater City Hall Council Chambers, 312 W Whitewater Street
There are three open seats on the Council with two candidates running for each seat. The candidates are: Aldermanic District 2 (Wards 9 & 10) Gavin Kelleher and Sean Liebherr; Aldermanic District 4 (Wards 6, 7 & 8) Brian Schanen (incumbent) and Chuck Mills; and, Member at Large Aubrey Thompson and Orin Smith. All candidates have agreed to attend the forum.
WUSD School Board Candidate Forum
Saturday, March 14, 1:00PM – 2:30PM
Whitewater City Hall Council Chambers, 312 W Whitewater Street
There are three open seats on the School Board and four candidates. The candidates are: Stephanie Hicks (incumbent), Lisa Huempfner (incumbent), Christy Linse (incumbent), and Terri Jones. All candidates have agreed to attend the forum.
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. 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.
Both forums will be moderated by League member Karl Brown, Associate Professor of History at UW-Whitewater.
Obituaries
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
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!
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