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Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the League of Women Voters.
The League of Women Voters Whitewater Area is a proud supporter of the National Voter Registration Day and will provide Voter Registration Education in Whitewater, Fort Atkinson, and Delavan, WI in order to celebrate this nonpartisan civic holiday.
Founded in 2012, National Voter Registration Day is designed to create an annual moment when the entire nation focuses on registering Americans to exercise their most basic right – the right to vote.
According to U.S. Census data from 2020, as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote. Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. National Voter Registration Day wants to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote.
Please tap into our collective expertise with all your voting concerns on this special day.
You can find us at the following locations and times on
Tuesday, September 20th.
10am to 2pm: MATC, 827 Banker Road, Fort Atkinson
12 noon to 2pm: Irvin L Young Memorial Library, 431 W Center St,
Whitewater
3pm to 7pm: Aram Public Library, 404 E Walworth Ave, Delavan
3pm to 7pm: Outside City Market at the Whitewater Depot
4pm to 6pm: Dwight Foster Public Library, 209 Merchants Ave, Fort Atkinson
The Whippets saw their best finish in several years at the Kettle Moraine Tournament this past weekend, with a 5th place finish in the gold bracket. Teams included Kettle Moraine, Lake Mills, Arrowhead, East Troy, Kewaunee, Wauwatosa East, Muskego, Manitowoc Lincoln, Dominican, Barneveld, Sun Prairie West, Verona, Appleton East, The Prairie School, Newman Catholic, and Whitewater.
The Whippets faced The Prairie School (Racine) in the first round of pool play and beat them in best of three sets with the scores of 25-8, 22-25, 15-12. This was a battle, and the Whippets came out on top with statistical leaders of Calli Grosinske with 19 assists, Kindyl Kilar and Ella Spear with 3 aces apiece, Kilar with 9 digs, and Kilar with 21 kills.
Up next was another match in pool play where the Whippets battled Newman Catholic (Wausau). This match found the Whippets losing in a two of three-set match with scores of 23-25, 25-23, and 13-15. Statistical leaders for this match included Calli Grosinske and Cali Kopecky with 3 aces apiece. Grosinske finished with a double-double with 19 assists and 28 digs, and Kindyl Kilar also finished with a double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs.
Following pool play, the Whippets were reseeded to 6th place, which placed them in the Gold Bracket playoff (top 8 teams moved here). The Whippets faced a tough Kettle Moraine team and struggled in the first set. They came back in the second set, falling just short with scores of 10-25 and 20-25. Statistical leaders for this match included Kilar with 10 kills, Caleigh Yang with 8 digs, Cali Kopecky with 2 aces, and Calli Grosinske with 12 assists.
The first-round loss in the playoffs left the Whippets playing off for 5th place, facing Appleton East. The Whippets came out dominating and won in two straight sets with scores of 25-21 and 26-24. Statistical leaders included Kindyl Kilar with a double-double with 17 kills, 12 digs, and 2 aces, Caleigh Yang with 17 digs, and Calli Grosinske with 17 assists.
The coaching staff could not be prouder of this squad. Coach Kilar stated, “For us to come out and battle against schools much larger than us and truly come together and compete, was fun to see. We didn’t back down, we persevered through some ups and downs and came out on top in our last match. To place 5th is an absolutely solid accomplishment for our varsity squad.”
Next up is conference play, with the Whippets heading to Brodhead on Tuesday (9/13) followed by a home match (Parents’ Night) against McFarland on Thursday (9/15).
Article and Photo Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
You could feel the energy in the gym the minute the Whippet Varsity Volleyball team took to the court on Thursday, September 8! The Whippets were honoring something bigger than volleyball, the inspirational educators who have made a difference in their lives. As Kindyl Kilar spoke to the crowd at the beginning of the match, “You have been chosen not only for the subject you teach, or the lessons you have created, but for the meaningful relationships you have created with each one of us. You have cared for us, inspired us, and allowed us to see potential in our futures. So tonight, we honor you!” Each member of the program chose an inspirational educator that touched their lives in some way. Whether a grade school educator, a coach or a counselor, they have made an impact and were honored.
Kilar shared, “Showing gratitude for people in our lives who have made a difference is bigger than volleyball. The wins are nice, but understanding in this world that honoring people who have touched our lives in a positive way is so much bigger than volleyball. Tonight, there were some true educators who have been called to a vocation and those educators touched each of our athletes in some way. We were honored to have so many educators in the gym with us, and I was honored to be able to highlight them with our athletes.”
The Whippets went on to sweep the Chiefs in three straight sets behind a very loud and energetic crowd. “This was such a fun night. The fans were awesome, the youth came out and supported us, our educators were here, and it was great to bring home a win,” said Kilar.
This was a program win for the Whippet teams as all three levels defeated Big Foot. “As a coaching staff, we are so proud of what our athletes are doing. They are working hard in the gym and weight room, and it is producing positive results,” said Kilar.
Statistical leaders on the night included Calli Grosinske with 26 assists, Ella Spear with 12 digs, Jenna Pope with 2 blocks, Cali Kopecky, Grosinke, and Pope with 3 aces and Kindyl Kilar with 26 kills. The Whippets won 25-16, 25-19, and 25-23.
Article and Group Photos Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
Action Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
The Whippet Girls’ Swim Team traveled to Elkhorn for their dual meet on Thursday, September 8. Out of the 11 events, the Whippets placed 1st in 7 events overall! These 1st place finishes were:
🏆200 Medley Relay – Grace Foucault, Emerson Dunham, Makayla Bazeley, and Brooke Bazeley
🏆200 Freestyle – Grace Foucault
🏆200 IM – Makayla Bazeley
🏆50 Freestyle – Brooke Bazeley
🏆200 Freestyle Relay – Makayla Bazeley, Emerson Dunham, Brooke Bazeley, and Grace Foucault
🏆100 Backstroke – Makayla Bazeley
🏆100 Breaststroke – Grace Foucault
Our new Whippets had an opportunity to compete in individual events. These swimmers include:
✔Atreya Wilson swam in the 100 Breaststroke and then immediately swam in the 400 Relay.
✔Ace Hudec and Andrea Alcala competed for the first time this season. They both did a great job in conquering the dive and flip turns in the 50 Freestyle.
✔Big shout out to Charlotte Hajewski for taking on the 200 IM, which is never an easy swim, and to Josie Treder for taking on the 100 Butterfly for the first time!
We are so proud of all our Whippet swimmers! The dogs next compete on Saturday at the Elkhorn Invite.
Article and Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
It’s time once again for #flashbackfriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
Here is another photo from the Robert Ortmann collection. Robert was a student at UWW (then Wisconsin State University-Whitewater) from 1967-1971. This view is from 1968 and features the “Centennial Candle” marking the 100th anniversary of the UWW in that year. This is the first photo of this the museum has seen–who remembers it?
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(5038P, Whitewater Historical Society)
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
The Badger Project, which uses the tagline “Nonpartisan, nonprofit, investigative journalism in Wisconsin,” published an article by Peter Cameron on August 29 with the headline, “Total number of police in Wisconsin, already at historic lows, continues to drop.” Following are some excerpts from that article, below which the Banner will provide a local perspective.
“The number of law enforcement officers in the state ticked down again in 2022, setting a new record for the lowest statewide total since the Wisconsin Department of Justice started tracking the numbers in 2008.
To relieve some of the burden on law enforcement agencies, and attempt to de-escalate encounters between police and civilians, some cities and counties across the state are experimenting with sending non-police employees to answer some 911 calls.
Wisconsin has fewer than 13,400 law enforcement officers at the moment, according to the state’s Department of Justice. That’s down from 2021, when the state counted more than 13,500. The record high is nearly 14,400 in 2008. These totals exclude officers who work exclusively in correctional facilities.
Although the decreases are small, they are occurring while the state’s population is on the rise. In the last decade, Wisconsin grew to nearly 5.9 million residents from about 5.7 million, according to the U.S. Census — an increase of about 4%.
Exacerbating the law enforcement shortage is Wisconsin’s unemployment rate, which sits at a near-record low of 2.9 percent, below even the national rate of 3.5 percent, which itself matches the lowest level in 50 years.
And while some crime, including burglary and theft, is down statewide, the tumultuous pandemic years have brought a rise in violent crime such as homicide and assault, according to data from the state DOJ. Wisconsin mirrors a rise in most violent crimes across the country.
Milwaukee has taken the brunt. In 2020, the city set a record for its highest number of homicides in one year: 190. Last year, it broke that new record by reaching 197. And with 160 homicides recorded by the end of August, the city is on pace to break that record again this year.
The “cop crunch” has been a concern for years, as demographics and priorities of younger generations shift. But it has become more acute recently as industries across the board struggle to find workers in the post-pandemic economy.
Jim Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, the largest law enforcement union in the state, said he believes that a number of factors have contributed to the crunch.
“Budgetary constraints that impede an agency’s ability to maintain staffing levels, the well-publicized, broad-brush criticisms that surround the profession in the wake of law enforcement controversies, regardless of where they occur in the country, and the changing work preferences of a younger generation that can make more money doing a job that is less dangerous, less scrutinized, and less reliant on working conditions such as shift work and forced overtime,” he said in an email.
In a report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum from June of 2020, Wisconsin finished dead last of all 50 states in the percentage of state funding for law enforcement. To balance that, the state’s municipal governments appear to devote a higher proportion of their budgets to police than the national average, the report said.
Many law enforcement agencies do have the budget authorization to hire, but simply cannot land enough qualified recruits……Law enforcement openings used to attract many applicants. Not anymore. “When I broke into this business in 1983, there were well over 100 applicants” for openings, [Marinette County Sheriff Jerry] Sauve said. Now, “we’re getting 6, 8” applicants.
….Some cities and law enforcement agencies in the state are using civilian employees to ease the burden on police.
The city of Madison, home to what experts call one of the more progressive police departments in the state and country, launched an initiative in September 2021 that dispatches an EMT and a crisis counselor to some 911 calls that don’t require a police presence.
As of August 2022, the Community Alternative Response Emergency Services (CARES) program has answered more than 800 calls that police normally would have, said Madison Fire Department Assistant Chief Che Stedman, who oversees the program.”
Whitewater’s Department staffing is in “pretty good shape”
Dan Meyer, who assumed the role of police chief last month after serving as interim chief since December, 2021, when asked about the department’s current staffing situation, responded as follows: “Currently we are actually in pretty good shape:
Sworn officers: 23/24 – We are down 1 of our 24 sworn officer position with the vacancy of Aaron Raap’s position. That is being filled through the cascading of internal promotional processes currently, and I anticipate it will end with posting a patrol officer position at some point this fall. Our two most recent hires are currently at the law enforcement academy and won’t be on the road until spring 2023.
CSO: 2/2 – Just last week we hired our second CSO [Community Service Officer] so we are now fully staffed. (Both are part-time positions.)
Clerical: 2.5/2.5
Dispatch: 6/7 – We are down one dispatcher of our seven slotted positions.”
Whitewater Police Department is also augmenting its response capabilities with a crisis counselor
As was noted above, some cities, including Madison, are seeking to ease the burden on police by utilizing civilian employees. Last year, as was reported in this Banner article, Walworth County began placing a fulltime Community Crisis Liaison (CCL) in the Whitewater Police Department as part of a pilot program to support the police with behavioral health related calls. Although, as opposed to Madison’s program, this social worker does not respond without an officer to initial calls, they make follow-up contacts in a number of situations. Chief Meyer stated, “the CCL position has improved our communication with Walworth County Health and Human Services, which has significantly increased the provision of mental health and crisis resources in our community.”
Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates being granted permission to quote from the article from The Badger Project.
Editor’s note: As was indicated in a previous Banner article, beginning July 30, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) are being provided by a city of Whitewater department. The pancake breakfast is sponsored by WFD, Inc. (WFD), the new name for the nonprofit organization that capably responded to the city and surrounding townships’ fire and EMS calls for 150 years. WFD continues to exist as a separate not-for-profit entity focusing primarily on fundraising and fellowship activities.
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
After a difficult start to the season last Saturday when the Warhawks fell to host Saint John’s University (MN), 24-10, UW-W dropped from #4 to #6 in the D3football.com poll. The Banner article on that game may be found here.
The Warhawks continue their tough non-conference slate this Saturday, September 10 against top-ranked Mary-Hardin Baylor (TX) at Perkins Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. A great turnout will give the team a boost as they dig deep to get back on track. Tickets may be purchased here. Advance tickets, at a savings of $2 over the gate price, for adults are $13 and for youth (under 18) and senior adults (65+) are $8. Children age 3 and under are free.
Obituaries
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!
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
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