News & Events

The following press release was received from Lakeside Fire Department and Rock County Emergency Management.

Lakeside Fire Rescue, a part of the Edgerton Fire Protection District, was alerted by the Rock County 9-1-1 Center at 5:19 a.m. on Monday, July 1 for a report of an LP gas leak at Milton Propane, 3992 Vincent Street, on the southwest side of the City of Milton.

First arriving units from Lakeside Fire-Rescue Station 3 (Milton Station) observed an LP vapor cloud in the area being driven to the south by the prevailing winds. Lakeside crews working closely with Milton Police and Rock County Sheriff’s Office quickly closed off John Paul Road, Vincent Street, and the surrounding area.

It was determined the leak was coming from a valve on the bottom of an approximately 60,000 gallon liquid propane tank, and fire crews in concert with employees of Milton Propane began to assess the best way to safely access the area of the leak when the leak “froze over” due to the temperature of the leaking propane.

This stopped the immediate flow, but then presented a challenge as to how to safely off-load the contents of the storage tank to prevent additional releases of propane gas.

Rock County Emergency Management and the Rock County Hazardous Materials Response Team were requested to assist in coordinating and mitigating the situation. The City of Madison Hazardous Materials Response Team was also requested for additional air monitoring equipment.

Off-loading of the leaking 60,000 gallon tank began at approximately 1:53 p.m., and was complete by 4:10 p.m.

In all firefighters from Lakeside, Janesville, Evansville and Madison Fire departments were involved, along with personnel from Rock County Emergency Management, and law enforcement units from the City of Milton Police Department and the Rock County Sheriff’s Office who coordinated evacuation and securing a safe area around the facility during the incident. Additional agencies that supported Incident Command during the incident included City of Milton Dept. of Public Works, Rock County Dept. of Public Works, Alliant Energy, Rock Energy Cooperative, Rock County Communications Center, City of Beloit Police Department and SWEPT.

Roads in the area, an estimated three homes, and three businesses were evacuated for approximately 10 hours; there were no injuries. Officials want to express their appreciation for the public’s cooperation and patience during the incident.

Editor’s note: The image on the homepage is from Milton Propane’s Facebook page.

According to The Gazette, “The estimate of structural damage the EF-2 tornado that struck the south side of the city on June 22 caused has surpassed $20 million, a city official said.

Nick Faust, assistant to the city manager, said that estimate was as of Thursday with about 300 structures damaged. Both figures might change as the city continues to assess damages.

Janesville was the site of one of eight tornadoes across southern Wisconsin on June 22. There were estimated wind speeds of 115 mph in the Janesville tornado. It was on the ground for 11 minutes from 7:42-7:53 p.m……”

The National Weather Service summary on the tornado in Janesville:

“The tornado began just west of Murray Rd, north of Bass Creek where portions of several trees were snapped. The tornado quickly grew, moved to the east-northeast and produced damage rated EF-1 neighborhoods near Loch Lomond park. EF-2 damage was noted at a residence on the east side of county highway D where well over one hundred trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado continued to the northeast, crossing the Rock River, Highway 11 and Highway 51 producing damage rated EF-1. The second area of EF-2 damage was noted a neighborhood just northwest of Burbank Park, where a house lost its roof and a portion of its second story. The roof was found to the north-northwest over a block away. The tornado continued northeast crossing Beloit Ave. and ending in the fields to the west of South Read Rd. Damage along the majority of the path was rated EF-1. Tree damage was substantial with well over 1000 trees that were snapped, uprooted or had large sections damaged. Roof damage on several structures included shingle loss, occasional loss of roof decking material, peeled or dislodged siding and other facia and soffit peeling and removal. A few structure sustained damage to walls when their garage doors were breached. Numerous power poles were leaning, with several snapped.”

Path length was reported at 6.21; maximum width, 700 yards.

Twelve members of Ferradermis were able to represent Whitewater High School at the Laser Lights Offseason Robotics Competition at Kettle Moraine Middle School on Saturday, June 29.

Since the team returned from the World Championships in Houston in April, they have been discussing changes and improvements to their robot that would allow them to accomplish one of the scoring feats in the game that few robots could do. They wanted to “trap.” This means that the robot could climb on a chain and reach high enough to push in a trap door and pass through one of the notes (the orange circular game pieces). The robot the team competed with in Houston could do all of that, except its reach was just a few inches short of the trap door. In order to add those few inches of reach, the students worked to increase the height of their elevator and replace the climbing arms with something that could give them just a little more height. That mission was accomplished when the team successfully trapped in the final 10 minutes of work time before they packed and loaded for Laser Lights!

However, with no time to practice, the impact that these changes had on the other previously successful portions of the robot’s scoring mechanisms went unnoticed until the robot was on the field in Kettle Moraine. This led to some tough morning matches with little time to troubleshoot until the lunch break.

The Ferradermis Drive Team took the field with veteran driver Andrew O’Toole serving as Drive Coach and incoming sophomore Preston Miller stepping into the Driver role. They were accompanied onto the field by Operator Kay Mikos, Human Player Erison Dreksler, and Technician Nina Heim. Due to the quick match turnaround with only 14 robots competing, Ferradermis rarely made it back to their pit between matches. Incoming freshman Vivian Harris took on the role of runner, making sure the team had what they needed from the pit, including a fresh battery for each match. Margaret Brown continued her role of videographer, capturing match video to help the drive team analyze their performance, and Programming Subteam Lead Ace Hudec made adjustments to the code when time permitted between matches. Rae Breisath and Carson Miller cheered on the team from the stands and provided feedback on matches.

Some successful afternoon matches left Ferradermis with a 4-5 record in qualifications, ranking 7^th overall. CAD Subteam Lead Zoe Olson represented the team during alliance selections when they were invited to be part of the #3 seeded playoff alliance, joining forces with Team 1259 Paradigm Shift from Pewaukee and Team 3596 Rocket Robotics from South Milwaukee.

The alliance went 0-2 in the double elimination playoffs, coming up just short in both matches 63-54 and 50-44.

This event also marked the launch of Ferradermis’ newest sustainability initiative, Project Preserve. Robotics teams, including Ferradermis, are doing more and more 3D printing of parts, leading to a great deal of filament waste from prototyping, failed prints, and printing supports. Ferradermis has connected with a company that will recycle the clean, sorted PLA, PLA+, and PETG plastic waste and provide recycled spools of filament in return. The team had advertised this project in advance to those attending the event, and Team 930 from Mukwonago dropped off the first contribution, bringing over 10 kilograms of scrap filament! Business Subteam Lead Andrew Zimmermann made the rounds to all of the pits, discussing the program and encouraging teams to participate. At the same time, he was working on behalf of Team 8744 Leviathans from Eau Claire who was not in attendance, trying to recruit additional teams for their new offseason event in August.

Ferradermis continues to have a busy summer ahead, with the 4^th of July Parade this week and continued work on a new robot so that the team can put two bots on the field in Mukwonago on July 20 and 21 during the MROC Offseason Competition, giving even more team members a chance to get on the field.

New members and new mentors continue to be welcome over the summer and fall. Those interested should reach out to Laura Masbruch at lmasbruch@wwusd.org.

Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org

Update 7/2/24 @ 3 p.m. – Photos of Multicultural Heritage Showcase performance added.

ee is $15 per person, per hour with several options to pay.  

• Pay by check, cash or credit card under our self pay plan.
• Submit to your funding source.  We are vendors for many and will invoice monthly once we have required authorizations for services.
• This is an on going enrollment so sign up and join at any time.

NOTE: class size is currently limited to 10 dancers.

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Studio 84.

Studio 84 recently participated in the Whitewater High School’s Multicultural Heritage Showcase event featuring lots of talent and food. Watch a video of their performance “Dare to be Different” at www.studio84inc.org

Studio 84’s Dance Theatre programming is taking flight! It is open to all ages and abilities and skill levels. You do not have to have a disability to join just as with all their programming.  Margaret Wheeler, dance teacher, does a wonderful job accommodating all skill levels and choreographs a finished product that makes all feel welcomed. You can sign up at any time. They meet on Tuesdays from 1-2 p.m. at Studio 84 located at 121 W Center St., Whitewater WI.

Details and registration online at https://www.studio84inc.org/dance-program

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

The United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth County is thrilled to announce its inaugural BINGO event at the upcoming Jefferson County Fair. This exciting addition to the fair promises fun for all ages while supporting a great cause.

Scheduled to take place July 10^th -13^th with mini-games starting at 2 pm, 3 pm, and 4 pm each day (3 pm on Saturday) and concluding with a special evening session with a 50/50 game and progressive pot at 6 pm each evening. Card Sales will start 30 minutes before each game.  BINGO event will be located at “the big tent across from the Grandstand”  within the fairgrounds. Participants can look forward to a lively atmosphere filled with anticipation and great prizes, all while contributing to the United Way’s mission of serving our local communities.

“We are excited to bring this new entertainment option to the Jefferson County Fair,” said Elizabeth Ellis-Bols, Executive Director. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for families and fairgoers to have fun together while supporting important initiatives in our community.”

The United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth County invites everyone to join us for BINGO at the Jefferson County Fair. Come enjoy the thrill of the game, win fantastic cash & prizes, and help make a difference in our community.

For more information about the event or to learn more about how the United Way is impacting lives in Jefferson and North Walworth County, visit us on Facebook.

About United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth County

The United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth County fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our community. We harness resources to create lasting change and empower local individuals and families to thrive.

For a complete schedule of the festival’s music and other events, click here.

Festival Closing Live Musical Performance – Saturday, July 6, 8:00 p.m. to after fireworks

“PH!L” – The Music of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins & Genesis!

PERFORMING 3 GENERATIONS OF HITS!
Songs like, ABACAB, Turn It On Again & Misunderstanding! To Sledgehammer, Solsbury Hill, Follow You Follow Me, In The Air Tonight! To deep cuts like, Red Rain, Shock The Monkey, Games Without Frontiers & In Your Eyes, and many, many more from these three Grammy award-winning artists! – Double Drums, and all… With A BIG BAND SOUND!!! And a show people talk about for months after…!

Featuring WAMI award winner and Grammy member himself, Scott E. Berendt.

Scott has been a singer/songwriter & drummer for the last 2 decades, of the legendary Wisconsin rock band, Bad Boy & his all-star adult/contemporary/world beat band, The Us Project!

THE SHOW PERFORMERS INCLUDE:
Brian Wirt on drums
Mitch Cooper on keys
Brian Memmel on Guitars
Scott Esser on Bass

(*PROMO VIDIO’S*)

SHORT LIVE HIGHLIGHTS OF “PH!L” @ https://youtu.be/BNaOIKVbTUc?si=dQzxf4KpNxDAVNax

LONG LIVE HIGHLIGHTS OF “PH!L” @ https://youtu.be/mdsswhANkl4?si=_zi8HJNBNKTwFiFp

The Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) announces a record-breaking start to its Summer School Program, with nearly 800 students participating.

This is the highest number of participants in the program’s history, highlighting the strong support and student interest in summer learning. WUSD’s Summer School Program offers a wide selection of academic and recreational classes, catering to diverse interests and needs. Courses include “Getting Ready for Kindergarten,” “Ice Cream Making,” and “Elementary Engineering,” as well as physical education classes and high school credit recovery opportunities.

“The students’ energy and enthusiasm have been incredible,” said Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, Superintendent. “We want to sincerely thank our community for their support in making the start of summer school a resounding success. Additionally, a shout-out to our amazing summer school staff and principals; we could not do this without you!”

In addition to the various class offerings, WUSD has integrated a reading initiative into the summer curriculum. This initiative aims to support students’ reading goals and outcomes, ensuring continued literacy development throughout the summer break.

WUSD is proud to be at the forefront of Act 20 compliance, particularly in its summer programming. The district is committed to providing top-notch educational opportunities for students by staying ahead of future requirements.

The “Ongoing Literacy Learning” initiative, designed for students below grade-level standards, ensures targeted elementary and secondary-level literacy courses. This initiative is crucial to WUSD’s commitment to fostering academic success for all students.

To learn more about the WUSD Summer School Program, please visit www.wwusd.org

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by the Whitewater Unified School District.