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Today is Thursday, October 8, 2026
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By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
According to a July 19 article in Daily Dodge, Nathan Thiel, who was introduced as city of Whitewater interim Economic Development Director on June 8, was approved on July 18 by the Beaver Dam common council to be hired as its city administrator. Other finalists included Walworth County Director of Public Works Richard Hough. The council approved the creation of the City Administrator position in September, while expecting to phase out the Director of Administration position and reducing the mayor from full-time to part-time.
Thiel was hired for the interim Whitewater position following the departure of Economic Development Director Cathy Anderson. He had most recently served as village administrator in Pleasant Prairie.
In other city staff news, Neighborhood Services Director Chris Bennett was not selected for the Village Administrator position for which he had applied in Union Grove. According to a June 28 article in The Journal Times, the village selected Kerry Bennett, who has been serving as village treasurer for the past three years, as well as interim village administrator for the past few months. Kerry Bennett is not related to Chris Bennett.
Editor’s note: The following announcement was received on July 19 from the UW-W Athletic Department.
Tom Lange, a longtime volunteer, contributor and fan for teams at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, passed away last week of natural causes at the age of 85.
Funeral arrangements are currently pending.
Lange, a 1997 Warhawk Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, contributed significantly to the success of UW-W athletics programs for nearly half a century as a public address announcer, booster club officer and volunteer.
“Tom Lange is a Warhawk,” UW-Whitewater Director of Athletics Ryan Callahan said. “He touched countless lives over his 40-plus years working with our athletic staff and teams, pouring his time and resources into our programs while asking for nothing in return.
“I am grateful to have personally known him for the last 20 years and will remember our numerous interactions and the laughs we shared the most. I know countless alumni and friends feel the pain of this loss, but I know that Tom lived a full and happy life in this community. We are lucky to have had him on our team for the last four decades and will miss him dearly.”
Most recently, Lange served as public address announcer for the UW-W wrestling and baseball teams. He also previously volunteered for men’s and women’s basketball games and for freshman football games and was an active member of the Quarterback Club and Tip-Off Club as a longtime Whitewater resident.
Lange attended countless athletics events over the last 45 years and was one of the Warhawks’ biggest supporters.
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“Tom’s legacy lives in all of us that were truly blessed to call him our friend. His passion for the Warhawks was second to none. That passion is why we are ‘Powered By Tradition.’” – Head Football Coach Kevin Bullis
“Tommy ‘The Kid’ Lange was a unique figure in Warhawk Athletics who enhanced the student-athlete experience through his daily endeavors and his announcing. Tommy built many long-lasting and meaningful relationships with athletes and coaches. His presence, laughter and one-liners will be missed by Warhawk Wrestling and the athletics department.” – Head Wrestling Coach Matt Zwaschka
A small group of Whitewater High School students, Elijah Grall, Jazmin Cederberg, Peter Portwine, Emerson Dunham, Andrew O’Toole, Andrew Zimmermann, Payton Bunger, and Mel Prince, fielded two robots at the Lakeshore Invitational in Manitowoc on Saturday, July 16, and Ferradermis’ in-season competition robot (wearing #6574) brought home a blue banner as the captain of the winning alliance.
The second Ferradermis robot (wearing #9574) is the team’s off-season project bot allowing the team to implement a swerve drive for the first time and experiment with some alternative designs for mechanisms. Fielding a second bot also allows more students to get experience as members of a drive team. In one qualification match, #6574 and #9574 faced off against each other, and in another, they were able to play on the same randomly assigned alliance.
After a hard-fought day of competition with and against 15 total robots, Ferradermis became the captain of the #3-seeded playoff alliance and asked Team #930 the Mukwonago Bears and Team #7768 The Iron Hill Automatons from Iron River, Michigan to join our alliance. The Ferradermis-led alliance defeated the #2-seeded alliance 2-0 in a best of three series, and then faced the #1-seeded alliance captained by 2202 BEAST Robotics from Brookfield, winner of two in-season regional events, in the best of three finals. The Ferradermis alliance won the first match and then dropped the second but came back strong to take the third with all three of our alliance robots climbing to secure the win.
Ferradermis will next take the field at Mukwonago High School on Sunday, July 24, for MROC – the Mukwonago Robotics Off-Season Competition. This event is free and open to the public and would be a great way for sponsors and potential new team members to see the robots in action and talk with current team members and mentors. Opening ceremonies begin at 8:45 a.m., and the event will run until mid to late afternoon. It should be a great day of competition with 20 robots representing teams from Wisconsin and Illinois, including five teams that won regional championships during the season. If you get a chance, consider stopping in for an hour or two.
Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor and Banner Volunteer
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (July 18, 2022) -The University of Wisconsin-Platteville awarded diplomas to more than 800 students from its three campuses for the spring of 2022. Founded in 1866, UW-Platteville is located in Southwest Wisconsin and has branch campuses in Richland Center and Baraboo. UW-Platteville is ranked the best public institution in Wisconsin for value by Payscale. For more information on the university, visit www.uwplatt.edu. Students from this area who graduated include:
Whitewater, WI
Joseph Creanza, Soil & Crop Science, UW-Platteville
Alexa DuClos, Forensic Investigation and Chemistry, UW-Platteville
It’s not too late to sign up for the Jr. Whippet Football Camp being held next week, July 18th-21st, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the WHS Football Fields! It is probably too late to mail in registration, but don’t forget Walk Up Registrations on Monday are allowed (and all kids should still receive their T-shirt on time, including those who sign up on Monday).
If you do plan to attend and have not registered yet, it is preferred that you email Head Coach Jason Bleck at jbleck@wwusd.org to let him know and so he can get the most accurate head count possible ahead of time. Any questions can be directed to Coach Bleck as well!
Article Submitted by Jason Bleck
Whitewater High School Head Football Coach
jbleck@wwusd.org
“Death on the Nile”
Tuesday, July 12, 1 p.m.
(Crime/Drama/Mystery) Rated PG-13; 2 hours, 7 minutes (2022)
Based upon the novel by Agatha Christie.1937: while on vacation on a cruise on the Nile, Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) investigates the murder the murder of a young heiress. Among the suspects: Annette Benning, Gal Gadot, and Armie Hammer.
The Whippet City Mile led off the Fourth of July parade again this year with 160 runners of all ages participating. The youngest participant was 2 in the stroller division and our eldest was 72. The runners were led by a Harley Davidson motorcade consisting of Ronny Walenton, Ramsey Walenton, Owen Walenton, Steve “Uncle Scuba” Meinel, Gary Smale, and Tom Bobby. The weather was perfect for the closest finish in race history. Battling to the end was Whitewater High School distance star Jack Hefty and Fort Atkinson’s Spencer Agnew. Agnew, a former 4 minute miler for Marquette University, coaches distance events at Fort High School. Hefty pulled away in the last 15 meters for a narrow victory. The female division was led by Whitewater resident and Boston Marathon qualifier, Heidi Mane. The racers once again basked in the cheers of the thousands who lined the parade route. Thank you to Marissa Piper, Scott “Richy” Richardson, Ben Holden, and Steve Johnson for their help in the race. Special thanks to Lisa Dawsey-Smith and the rest of the 4th of the July Committee for their continued support. Appreciation also to Robert Mischka for the wonderful photos. Can’t wait till next year!
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
Remember when the “Circus Train” came through Whitewater on its way to the Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee? The circus parade in Milwaukee ran between 1963 and 1973 and then was revived in the 1990s. Every summer, the Circus World Museum in Baraboo would load up its collection of historic circus wagons on a special train and head for Milwaukee. Between 1996 and 2003, this train would stop in Whitewater, usually around July 7 or 8. In this July 8, 1996 photo from the recently donated Dan Sable photo collection, one of the rail cars with historic circus wagons is shown at its stop in Whitewater. The event would always draw a big crowd of spectators and fun was had by all.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(Dan Sable photo collection, 2022, Whitewater Historical Society)
Obituaries
Sally A. Schutte, age 73, of Whitewater, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on September 21, 2026, while at Hearthstone Memory Care in Whitewater. Sally was born on November 6, 1952, to Roy and Elsie (Rohloff) Haas. Sally married William Schutte in the spring of 2003. Sally grew up on the family farm in the Town of Hebron and graduated from Jefferson High School. She dedicated nearly her entire career to Fort HealthCare, where her hard work and versatility shone through various roles. Over the years, she served in housekeeping and medical records, Center for Dermatology. Sally … Read more
Zachariah “Zach” Schoenke, 41, of Whitewater passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. He was born April 4, 1985, to Keith W. Schoenke and Kathleen Schoenke in Fort Atkinson, WI. He grew up and graduated from Whitewater High School in 2003. Zach worked various jobs over the years but was currently working at Cracker Barrel in Janesville. He was a big Packers Fan and liked to play fantasy football. He enjoyed reading, cooking, and watching horror shows. Zach fiercely loved his son, Lincoln, his sisters, Cami and Cary, his mom and stepdad, and his aunt Robin. He will be dearly … Read more
Carla Winn, 82, died September 5, 2026. Funeral Service will be at 12:00 PM, Saturday, September 12, 2026, at East Heights United Methodist Church, 4407 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, KS 67218, followed by a burial at 2:00 PM at White Chapel Memorial Garden 1806 N Oliver Ave. Carla is preceded in death by her parents, Vivian Dwight and Wilma Lois Krehbiel; and sister, Jennifer Krehbiel. She is survived by husband, Stephen; daughter, Ashley (Clint) Gagel, of Overland Park; siblings, Paul (Kay) Krehbiel, of Socorro, NM, Lynn (Bill) Oetting, of Wichita, Ellen (John) Querner, of Wichita, Teresa Woodson, of Lawrence, KS, … Read more
Susan Miller Celebration of Life There will be a gathering of friends and acquaintances at Susan’s Farm Store to celebrate Susan’s life on Saturday, September 19th from 2-5 p.m. at N6623 Lake Lorraine Rd., Delavan, Wisconsin
Our loving mother, JoAnn E Harrop, age 95, passed away on September 11, 2026. Our sorrow is deep, but we are filled with gratitude for the many years we had with her. Even as her mind was failing, she remained strong and appreciative of all who cared for her. JoAnn was born on January 13, 1931, daughter to Fred Braun and Evelyn Braun {Storck). She was raised in Whitewater, Wisconsin by her grandparents, Otto and Edith Storck. She attended Whitewater High School and helped at the Storck tavern where she met her husband Earl C. Harrop. They married on November … Read more
Russell O. Johnson “Russ,” 88, passed away on September 4, 2026 in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Russell was born on July 12, 1938, in Janesville, Wisconsin. Russ grew up in Janesville, and after high school he joined the Air Force on May 1, 1958, serving as an aircraft mechanic until June 12, 1962. He then worked at Parker Pen in Janesville for a time, where he met his future wife, Avis. After marrying Avis Mason in April 1964, Russ worked for Gillman Manufacturing for a time, then began a career at Dana until its closing in 1980. In 1981, Russ started working … Read more
Marcia Zingg, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 1, 2026, at the age of 75. Marcia will be remembered for her unwavering love, remarkable strength, generous spirit, and lifelong devotion to her family. She shared 40 wonderful years of marriage with her husband, Jeffrey Zingg, who considered her not only his wife but also his best friend, business partner, and the love of his life. Together, Marcia and Jeffrey built a successful life rooted in perseverance, hard work, laughter, and love. As entrepreneurs in Whitewater, Wisconsin, they owned and managed new car franchises and … Read more
Amanda Jean Hunter was born to Ralph and Malinda (Thomas) Hunter of Whitewater, Wisconsin, on October 6, 1976. She passed away on August 4, in Fort Worth, Texas, where she lived with her family. Amanda passed peacefully in the hospital, surrounded by her loved ones. Amanda was a kind-hearted free spirit with an unmistakable hippie warmth. Generosity, spontaneity, a quick wit, a macabre sense of humor, and an open heart were traits that she embraced. She was a tireless champion of those in need, an innate characteristic that became among the best of her qualities. She proved to be a … Read more
Ellen Eichmiller, 82, of Whitewater, Wisconsin, passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Ellen was born on September 10, 1943, in Monroe, Wisconsin, to Chester “Guy” and Irene (née Holmen) Steig. She married the love of her life, Paul Eichmiller, on December 7, 1963, and together they made their home in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Ellen spent much of her working life as a secretary at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, where she formed many lasting friendships and memories. Ellen cherished her family and friends and treasured the time she spent with those closest to her. She was known for her love of … Read more
Janet Quinn, age 71, of Jefferson passed away on Thursday, August 20th. Janet was born on December 22nd, 1954 in St. Joseph, MI to Robert Mounsey and Edith Christison Mounsey. She was a granddaughter to Herbert Bragg Mounsey, Charlotte Mounsey, and Ester Christison West. She married Michael Durden in 1979 and later married Eury Quinn Jr. (J.R.) in 1988. Janet grew up in Benton Harbor, MI, and subsequently lived in New York and Arkansas before moving to Wisconsin in 2016. She was a dedicated caregiver to her disabled Mother, and worked as a custodian for various employers over the years. … Read more
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