News & Events

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by United Way of Jefferson and North Walworth County.

Fort Atkinson, WI – September 13, 2023 –The United Way of Jefferson and North Walworth County is kicking off the 2023 campaign with a shoe donation valued at over $20,000. The shoe donation consists of 200 pairs of Nike Air shoes ranging in sizes from 5 toddlers up to size 7 youth. These shoes will be donated to local schools and organizations throughout the community. The goal of this program is to help break down barriers to learning, United Way Executive Director Elizabeth Ellis-Bols stated, “If a child is cold, hungry, or tired, they won’t be able to learn in the classroom, no matter how engaging the teacher is. So, if we can fulfill some of those basic needs, they will be ready to learn when they come to school.”

This year’s campaign theme is “United in Building a STRONGER Community TOGETHER”. The organization we know today as the United Way of Jefferson and North Walworth Counties was organized on August 9, 1943, as the War and Community Chest of Fort Atkinson. In 1963, it became known as the United Fund of Fort Atkinson and became the “United Way” in the early 1970’s. In 1992, The United Way expanded into the surrounding communities of Jefferson and Whitewater. Ten years later, The United Way of Watertown merged to create the United Way of Jefferson and North Walworth Counties. Today, the service area of our local United Way is comprised of the communities of Fort Atkinson, Johnson Creek, Helenville, Jefferson, Lake Mills, Palmyra, Sullivan, Waterloo, Watertown, and Whitewater where over 90,000 individuals reside. Furthermore, our United Way works with an average of thirty partner agencies which provide various health and human services to over 75,000 individuals in our community.

“We’re excited to be hosting several new events and outreach opportunities throughout our county,” states Ellis-Bols, “We are hoping to participate in signature events in each locale to spread awareness of the United Way’s mission and our continued dedication to serving the community.” One such event will be the new BINGO nights offered at The Real MacCoys in Whitewater on the 3rd and 5th Tuesdays of the month, starting September 19th, 6-8pm. There will be a number of great prizes and cash jackpots available for bingo winners, including Stanley tumblers, coolers, portable wine glasses, gift certificates and much more.  Ellis-Bols added “We know it has been a difficult year for many small businesses, so we are incredibly grateful that The Real MacCoys is generously offering this opportunity to our organization and donating some prizes beyond that. We feel fortunate to be involved and hope to have a great crowd join us on Tuesdays!” More information can be found via the Facebook invite for “Bingo at The Real MacCoys” and anyone with any questions can contact Ellis (920.563.8880) or The Real MacCoys (920.568.8988) directly.

The United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties’ mission is to fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our communities. We do that by providing support to community programs, projects and local agencies that provide critical health and human services to those in need.  This network of helping services can be described as a “safety net” for those in our midst in need.  Whether it is transitional housing, literacy education, after-school programs and education, health and dental care, end of life care, mentoring programs, job training or disaster relief, the United Way identifies the greatest needs in our community and helps to fund agencies that can meet those needs.

For more information about our local United Way, you may visit the website at www.uwjnwc.com  or “like” the Facebook page at “United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties.”  For details regarding the United Way’s online volunteer tool, please visit www.volunteermain.com. 

“The Empire of Light”
Wednesday, September 20, 1 p.m.
(Drama/Romance) Rated R (sexual content, language); 1 hour, 55 minutes. (2022)

Our last Wednesday art film of the summer is a British homage to the movie palaces of a bygone era. Coastal England, 1980. A middle-aged, unmarried cinema manager (Olivia Coleman) struggles to save a dying, chain movie theatre. Her loneliness and depression, compounded by a lecherous boss (Colin Firth), takes a turn when an energetic trainee (Micheal Ward) brightens her perspective on the business and life. Nominations included Best Cinematography (Oscar), Best Actress & Film (BAFTA) and AARP Best Grownup Love Story. 

Breaking Ground: Walworth County & WCEDA Host Housing Summit

Summit Focused on Finding Meaningful Solutions to the County’s Housing Shortage

(ELKHORN, WI): Walworth County and the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance (WCEDA) will host the Breaking Ground: Walworth County Housing Summit to find solutions to the shortage of middle-income housing. The summit will bring together local municipal and business leaders, educators, state and local housing and community development experts, funding and resource partners, builders and contractors, non-profit organizations, and residents to explore the state of housing in the county, solutions, and incentives. 

“Right now, the American dream of owning a home is not attainable for most in Walworth County,” says Walworth County Economic Development Alliance Executive Director Derek D’Auria. “The lack of workforce housing is impacting the health of our communities, our local economy, and our school systems. Our goal is to bring together leaders from across sectors to work side-by-side on solutions to meet the housing needs of our residents.” 

The Breaking Ground: Walworth County Housing Summit will take place on Monday, September 25, 2023, from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Abbey Resort, 269 Fontana Blvd., Fontana. An optional lunch will be served. This event is open to the public. Registration is required; please register at https://bit.ly/WalCoHousingSummit. Questions may be directed to WCEDA at 262-564-3212.

A 2023 housing study conducted by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) on behalf of Walworth County found that demand for housing in the County will grow over the next several decades. A few takeaways from the study illustrate the County’s housing challenges:

• The County is expected to add 16,500 households by the year 2050, creating a long-term demand for about 17,000 additional housing units. 
• In the near term, there could be a demand for over 5,600 additional housing units in the County by 2030. When compared to the number of housing units developed in the County over the last 10 years—about 3,700—it shows that there is much work to be done.
• The median annual household income in Walworth County is about $69,400. According to the Wisconsin Realtor’s Association, the median sales price of a home in Walworth County was $316,250 in 2022. A household would need to have an income of at least $90,000 a year to afford the home. 

To view the full study, visit Housing for a Healthy Walworth County. 

QPR Suicide Prevention Training to be Held at Health and Human Services 

(ELKHORN, WI): In recognition of September as National Suicide Prevention Month, Walworth County Health and Human Services will host suicide prevention training for anyone over the age of 16. 

QPR—or Question, Persuade, Refer—is practical, proven suicide prevention training that empowers people to recognize the signs of crisis in others and provide potentially life-saving intervention and support. Just as people trained in CPR save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. 

“Suicide is complicated and tragic and often preventable,” says Walworth County Public Health Specialist Patty Stritesky. “Knowing the warning signs for suicide and how to get help can save lives. Throughout September, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness. Taking part in suicide prevention training is a simple yet impactful step that anyone can take to make a difference.” 

This free suicide prevention training is scheduled for Wednesday, September 27, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at Walworth County Health and Human Services, 1910 County Road NN, Elkhorn. Space is limited; registration is not required but strongly encouraged. You may register by visiting https://bit.ly/3PrzApR, emailing walcoph@co.walworth.wi.us, or calling 262-741-3200.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 for 24/7 crisis support or chat 988Lifeline.org for connection with a trained crisis counselor.

Steve Watson writes, “The morning of Sept 9. Temperature 48° and Foggy. A plethora of spiderwebs adorning the barrier on the Wisconsin St. scenic overlook.

Ok you arachnologists.
Look what’s in this morning mist.
Webs aplenty shape and size.
Dew drops let us scrutinize.
Webs of death for little guys.
Spiders weave these deadly traps.
To catch a snack or lunch perhaps.
Webs are woven almost every day.
Shiny for attraction,
Not for interception.
To catch their prey.”

Our thanks to Steve Watson for yet another fascinating nature photo compilation.

— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share.  Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com or click on “submit a story” near the top right of our homepage.  Thanks for thinking about this!

WHITEWATER- September 12, 2023- Whitewater Leads is excited to announce that they are expanding their ability to improve literacy for children within the Whitewater area. 

Over the past six years, through their partnership with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Whitewater Leads has given away over 24,000 free books to children from birth until their fifth birthday within the Whitewater area.

Through the increase of donations, Whitewater Leads was able to expand to give four elementary literacy grants last school year. The recipients of the Whitewater Leads elementary literacy grants for the 2022 – 2023 school year were Shannon Frye – kindergarten teacher at Lincoln Elementary, Lisa Kaminski – reading interventionist at Lincoln Elementary, Jill Whitney – fifth grade teacher at Washington Elementary, and Jacquie Sedmak – fourth grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary. Shannon Frye stated, “The Whitewater Leads Grant allowed me to purchase Boogie Boards to be used in the classroom. The Boogie Boards allow students to write, draw, and trace on an easy to use and clean device. These boards are a welcome addition to our classroom to practice literacy skills and more. Boogie Boards are a liquid crystal paper and allow students to write without the need for paper or messy ink (like dry erase boards). They erase completely at the click of a button. My classroom is grateful for the purchase of these boards to enhance our literacy program.” More information about each grant winner from the 2022 – 2023 school year is available on the Whitewater Leads website, whitewater-leads.org.

This school year, Whitewater Leads plans to give away up to six literacy grants to Whitewater Unified School District staff. These grants will give WUSD students additional literacy opportunities. 

Molly Fuller, Whitewater Leads co-president stated, “ We are extremely excited to be able to expand our ability to help kids in our community. Being able to raise enough money to give away over 24,000 free books is an absolute honor. Now, to be able to give away literacy grants to help our elementary aged students is a dream come true.” 

To apply for a literacy grant worth up to $500, WUSD staff can submit their grant proposal to whitewaterleads@gmail.com. If you have a child/children who are not yet five, live in the Whitewater Unified School District area, and would like to receive free monthly books, you can sign them up at imaginationlibrary.com today. 

Whitewater Leads, Inc. works to support literacy, in all of its diverse forms, throughout and within the boundaries of the Whitewater Unified School District of Whitewater WI.