News & Events

Gov. Evers Declares State of Emergency in Wisconsin

MADISON, Aug. 25 — Gov. Tony Evers today signed Executive Order #86 declaring a state of emergency following protests in communities across Wisconsin. Executive Order #86 proclaims a state of emergency in Wisconsin, directs state agencies to continue assisting the state response, and calls to state active duty additional elements of the Wisconsin National Guard to support first responders and protect critical infrastructure and cultural institutions. The state of emergency declaration comes as earlier today Gov. Evers released a statement regarding protests in Wisconsin last night. On Monday, at the request of local officials, the governor announced he authorized the Wisconsin National Guard to help protect critical infrastructure and assist in maintaining public safety and the ability of individuals to peacefully protest in Kenosha County. Following protests on Monday night, Gov. Evers today announced he is authorizing increased Wisconsin National Guard support for Kenosha County to 250 members and will continue to adjust to meet local needs. The National Guard may not be used to impede the ability of people to peacefully protest or impede the ability of the media to report on this situation. Pursuant to Section 321.39(1)(a) of the Wisconsin Statutes, the governor ordered into state active duty members of the Wisconsin National Guard deemed necessary to support to local law enforcement and first responders in Kenosha. Any Guard members called to active duty may only be used to provide support to local law enforcement and to protect critical infrastructure and cultural institutions necessary for the well-being of the community, and to provide support to first responders such as the Kenosha Fire Department. This is the statement that was released earlier on Tuesday: Gov. Evers Releases Statement on Last Night’s Protests   MADISON, Aug. 25 — Gov. Tony Evers today released the following statement regarding last night’s protests:  “The ability to exercise First Amendment rights is a critically important part of our democracy and the pursuit of justice. But there remains a line between peaceful assembly and what we saw last night that put individuals, families, and businesses in danger. “We cannot forget the reason why these protests began, and what we have seen play out over the last two nights and many nights this year is the pain, anguish, and exhaustion of being Black in our state and country. But as I said yesterday, and as I’ll reiterate today, everyone should be able to exercise their fundamental right—whether a protester or member of the press—peacefully and safely. We cannot allow the cycle of systemic racism and injustice to continue. We also cannot continue going down this path of damage and destruction. “We are assessing the damage to state property and will be increasing the presence of the Wisconsin National Guard to ensure individuals can exercise their right safely, protect state buildings and critical infrastructure, and support first responders and fire fighters. “Tonight, and in the days ahead, if you are going to protest, please do so peacefully and safely. Please do not allow the actions of a few distract us from the work we must do together to demand justice, equity, and accountability.”

MADISON, Wis., Aug. 18 – The Governor’s Task Force on Student Debt announced today the release of its final report on student debt prepared at the request of Gov. Tony Evers. The report outlines eight recommendations for how Wisconsin can provide relief, education, and protection to its student debtholders now and in the future. Read the final report on the task force website here.

“I want to thank the folks who served on this critically important task force to help us find solutions to address the growing crisis of student debt in Wisconsin,” Gov. Evers said. “I’m grateful for all their good work, and now that we have their final report and recommendations, we have to get to work considering how these recommendations could be implemented to help people across our state.”

After months of research, listening sessions, consultation with external experts and colleagues in other states, the Governor’s Task Force on Student Debt finalized its 120-page report during a WebEx meeting on August 12, 2020. The electronic report includes 37 proposed solutions and eight recommendations approved by the task force during previous meetings. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the task force convened and completed its work virtually. The task force was chaired by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld.

“While student loan debt is a large and complex issue, the task force aimed to address what can be done by the State of Wisconsin to assist borrowers with their student debt, provide clear and useful information, and suggest proactive measures to combat student debt,” DFI Secretary Blumenfeld said. “In forming the final eight recommendations, the task force considered solutions to help borrowers before they borrow, while they are enrolled in a postsecondary program, and after they graduate or leave their program. The final eight recommendations provide a multi-faceted and multi-generational approach to solving Wisconsin’s student debt problem. Now, we must collectively move forward on the hard work ahead, as outlined in this report.”

The task force submitted the following eight recommendations to Gov. Evers for consideration: 1) create a Borrower Bill of Rights and Student Loan Ombudsman; 2) enhance proprietary school regulations and reinstate the Educational Approval Board; 3) improve financial literacy education; 4) increase need-based, targeted aid for postsecondary education and create a statewide promise program; 5) strengthen student loan counseling; 6) consider targeted loan forgiveness programs; 7) promote refinancing opportunities with other states; and 8) create a state student debt relief tax credit. These recommendations are the result of expansive dialogue between experts from government, industry, academia, and student loan borrowers.

The Governor’s Task Force on Student Debt was created by Executive Order #67 to address the growing student debt crisis in Wisconsin. The 32-member task force included borrowers, industry leaders, legislators, financial aid experts, and lenders to share a broad spectrum of ideas and experiences to inform the work of the task force. To learn more and read the final report, visit the task force website.

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LA CROSSE, Wis. (August 18, 2020) – The following area students completed degree requirements at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in May. The 110th annual spring commencement was held virtually in May due to health and safety risks of COVID-19 and graduates will be invited back to participate in a future in-person ceremony.
      
UW-La Crosse, founded in 1909, is one of the 13 four-year institutions in the University of Wisconsin System. UWL has more than 10,500 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. UW-La Crosse remains one of only two Wisconsin colleges to consistently make Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s list of the top 100 best values nationwide in public colleges.
      
Students earning degrees in May included:

HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME, DEGREE, MAJOR(S), HONORS (if listed)

Whitewater, WI

 Yvonne Fanshaw, Certificate, Educational Leadership
 Andi Markham, Bachelor of Science, Exercise and Sport Science Major: Exercise Science – Pre-professional Track, Honors
 Haylee Stachow, Bachelor of Science, Psychology Major
 Faith Steinert, Bachelor of Science, Microbiology Major: Biomedical Concentration

City of Whitewater Common Council
Tuesday, August 18 – 6:30 p.m.
Includes: Equal Opportunities Commission revised ordinance
City of Whitewater is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
https://zoom.us/j/92037494194
Telephone: 1 929 205 6099 or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free)
Or
iPhone one‐tap :
US: +19292056099
Webinar ID: 920 3749 4194#

Whitewater University Technology Park Board
Wednesday, August 19, 8:00 a.m.
Includes 2021 budget
More information
To join online click here
Meeting number (access code): 133 227 8474
Meeting password: h9hSAJ3txt3
Join by phone
+1-415-655-0001 US TOLL
+1-855-749-4750 US TOLL FREE

City of Whitewater Parks & Recreation Board
Wednesday, August 19, 5:30 p.m.
Includes after school reopening plan, WAFC budget and facilities update
More information
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/831270277
You can also dial in using your phone. United States: +1 (669) 224-3412
Access Code: 831-270-277#

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Here’s the way The Gazette describes their 20Q (twenty questions) weekly feature: Kicks presents 20Q, a feature that introduces readers to people involved in the area’s arts and entertainment community. Compiled by kicks Editor Greg Little, each piece will include a short bio, photo and answers to questions that provide insight into not only that person’s artistic interests but also his or her unique personality.

20Q for August 12 features Whitewater’s internationally renowned polka musician, Steve Meisner. The son of another polka legend, Verne Meisner, Steve started learning the accordion at age five. Click here to read the article, which it appears you may access without a subscription. Steve’s website may be found here.

RIPON, WI (08/10/2020)– Ripon College has announced its Dean’s List for the spring 2020 semester, recognizing academic excellence. To qualify for the Dean’s List at Ripon College, students must achieve a 3.40 grade point average or higher on a 4.00 scale and complete at least 12 credits of regular letter-graded work.

Clarice Bergman of Whitewater, Wisconsin

Jacob Zuehlke of Whitewater, Wisconsin

Ripon College, founded in 1851, is Wisconsin’s best-value private college and a national leader in liberal arts education, devoted to ensuring every student realizes their unique potential. Ninety-six percent of alumni are employed, in graduate school or student-teaching within six months. In recognition of its academic excellence, the college was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in 1953, placing it among a select group of the nation’s top colleges. Ripon has the highest earning graduates in Wisconsin, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard. Ripon ranks first in Wisconsin and third in the Midwest on Washington Monthly’s list of “Best Bang for the Buck” colleges. The College has the highest minority graduation rate in the nation. Ripon is consistently recognized as a “Best Value” and “Best 383 College” by The Princeton Review and a Top Tier National Liberal Arts College by U.S. News & World Report. For more information about Ripon College, visit ripon.edu.

WHITEWATER, WI, August 11 — At its meeting Monday night, the School Board of the Whitewater Unified School
District (WUSD) voted to approve the district’s Fall Instructional Plan. As a result, students will engage
in a combination of in-person and virtual learning starting Tuesday, September 1.
The district will begin the school school year in Phase I, which means students in grades K-5 will take
part in virtual learning with a rotating schedule of small-group in-person classes. Students in grades
6-12 will participate in an orientation-to-schools day with virtual learning follow-up instruction.
Prekindergarten students will learn in small-group in-person classes on two half-days each week.

“We are pleased to move forward with what we believe is a sound plan for approaching the upcoming
school year and all of the uncertainties associated with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
teaching and learning,” said Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, WUSD District Administrator. “While we know that
not everyone will agree with every decision we make, we will continue to work to minimize risks for
students and staff while providing a high-quality educational experience to all of our students.”

The district also will offer an all-virtual option for families who cannot or do not yet feel comfortable
having their children attend school in person at this time.

To help students and families gain a greater understanding of the virtual platforms that will be used for
teaching and learning this school year, WUSD will hold training sessions on Tuesday, August 18 in the
Whitewater High School auditorium. A Seesaw training for parents of students in grades 4K-5 will start
at 6:30 p.m., while a Google Classroom training for grades 6-12 will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The district will also provide a Spanish-facilitated version of the presentations on Wednesday, August 26 at 7 p.m. in the Whitewater High School Library Media Center.

Banner note: The following fact sheet which provides an overview of the Fall Instruction Plan was referenced in the press release, though not part of it. We found it to be helpful.

Submitted by Rob Boostrom, Board Vice President for Downtown Whitewater, Inc. and Associate Professor of Marketing for UW-Whitewater

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is obviously a big part of our community. Yet, often, it seems that the students don’t see much of the town and sometimes don’t feel like they’re part of it. To help bridge the gap between the students and the town, Downtown Whitewater is beginning its Classroom to Community Connection program.

To be sure, this isn’t the only effort in this area. The university’s own Community-Based Learning (CBL) program has been guiding faculty and staff to create really wonderful programs to meet the needs of area businesses and organizations for a while now. They offer many tools for connecting students to community members and Downtown Whitewater, Inc. continues to be a proud partner with this program. You can find out more here: https://www.uww.edu/ce/cbl.

That said, we feel there are two ways that Downtown Whitewater might help facilitate additional connection. First, we want to continue working with businesses and organizations to connect them to opportunities to work with students via the CBL program. We hope to act as a kind of matchmaker for organizations and instructors who want to take part in that process. Second, some instructors might be interested in trying something less comprehensive than the CBL process. We would like to help those instructors find community partners that might add to the classroom environment in a smaller way.

As such, we are now asking businesses and non-profit organizations to describe up to three different problems that might be addressed in some way by student projects. These should be projects which require the application of some expertise and the output would be some kind of strategic plan, tactical recommendations, or creative work. The problem doesn’t need to be extremely specific or lengthy but should communicate the expected area of expertise that will need to be applied.

For businesses or organizations who are just interested in connecting to students, your problem or interest area might be hypothetical. Consider asking a radical question about how something could be promoted or how a resource might be applied. This can be a way to either get help with a real problem or just connect to students from a particular class in a new way to raise awareness.

We are also asking instructors to provide a brief description of the kind of inputs you’d need (like participation of the business owner) and the outputs a client might expect (such as a plan, presentation, or creative materials). Descriptions generally would only need to be a few sentences long to communicate the basics of what is required.

For businesses, organizations, or instructors that would like to find a partner, please contact Downtown Whitewater’s President, Lisa Dawsey Smith, at ldawsey06@gmail.com. Provide either the description of what you’d like a class to help you with, or if you’re an instructor, the description of what you’d need from a partner and what you’d provide. We’ll be collecting these until August 20th. We plan to have all match suggestions sent out by August 28th.