New event will help local shops celebrate with West Bend residents
By Noah Mintie, Current Staff
Check your calendars, because an exciting new milestone is coming to West Bend.
Continue readingCategory Archives: Community
Business in the Front, Party in the Back
Filed under Community, School News and Features
Calling All Art Enthusiasts
By Amber Georgenson, Current Staff
Imagine if the picture you took of the sunrise this morning won the grand prize at an amateur photo contest. With no fee to enter, what is stopping you?
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
Decision 2023: Meet Board Candidate June Kruger
By Annelise Paczesny, Current Staff
June Kruger is looking to provide a service for the community. She has always been a community-oriented person and wants to give back to West Bend.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
Decision 2023: Meet Board Candidate Chad Tamez
By Dakota Gunnare, Current Staff
Chad Tamez wants to run for school board because he feels like he is a good communicator between people who could ease some of the discord in the school district.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
Decision 2023: Meet Board Candidate Kelly Lang
By Annelise Paczesny, Current Staff
Kelly Lang wishes for everyone to recognize the good that comes out of the West Bend School District, especially because the district offers so many unique opportunities.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
Decision 2023: Meet Board Candidate Nick Stewart
By Dakota Gunnare, Current Staff
Nick Stewart is running for West Bend School Board to ensure transparency in the district.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
Decision 2023: Meet Board Candidate Bill Schulz
By Dakota Gunnare, Current Staff
Bill Schulz wants to bring change to the West Bend School District.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
Acclaimed Dance Group Coming to West Bend for Black History Month Celebration
By Mia Herdeman, Current Staff
Two student groups are bringing an energetic groove to the West Bend High Schools.
Continue readingFiled under Community, Entertainment, School News and Features
Youth Impact Club Plans ‘Powerful’ Event
By Noah Becker, Current Staff
Come for the food, stay for information about mental wellness.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
‘Tis the Season for Service
Local students lend a hand at Enchantment in the Park
By Dakota Gunnare, Current Staff
Visitors to Enchantment in the Park last week were greeted by the smiling and slightly chilly faces of the West Bend West High School boys soccer team.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
These Jazz Cats Are In Rhythm
Meet the the new local band Melodic Impurities
By Michael Collins, Current Staff
Six music students have found an ambitious way to bring their love of jazz to West Bend.
Continue readingFiled under Community, Entertainment, School News and Features
Bird Scooters Flying High and Low
Are the ride-share devices useful to high school students?
By Austin Hunn, Current Staff
Mysterious scooters have started to appear all over West Bend.
Continue readingArt Club Comes Back Strong with Milwaukee Zoo Christmas Exhibit
By Rylie Albert, Current Staff
After the club’s disappearance in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the West Bend High Schools’ art club is back, stronger than ever, and filled with holiday spirit.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
Crushin’ It With Kiptyn
Blood drive spotlights a local middle schooler
By Annelise Paczesny, Current Staff
When the West Bend High Schools student council was considering the theme for its blood drive this year, a young district student with leukemia sparked their interest.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
New Six Flags CEO Puts ‘More Flags More Fun’ to the Test
By Keaton Beltmann, Current Staff
Normally during the fall, Six Flags Great America announces a new ride for the upcoming season. Unfortunately, that won’t happen this year.
Continue readingFiled under Community, Entertainment
NAMI Recognizes Longtime Volunteer
By Nicole Walters, Current Staff
Even though she retired from the West Bend School District in 2007, Sheryl Smith never stopped teaching at an award-worthy level.
Continue readingFiled under Community
Dance the Night Away
By Rhys Chesick, Current Staff
After being postponed, the West Bend High Schools charity week and dance are back on.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
‘Keep Getting Up’: Area Trainer Sets World Record to Raise Mental Health Awareness
By Cassidy Scherzer, Current Staff
There was a personal reason why Jackie Vazquez wanted to set a new world record in weightlifting.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
West Bend Graduate Honored at Film Festival
Amber DeRuyter stars in the independent film ‘Lonesome’
By Hasti Ghasemivaghar, Current Staff
After decades performing on area stages, Amber DeRuyter has now been recognized for a performance on the silver screen.
Continue readingFiled under Community, Entertainment
West Senior Hired to Promote Historic Theatre
By Cassidy Scherzer, Current Staff
One area student has gained behind-the-scenes experience at the Bend, West Bend’s historic theater that survived the Great Depression and now a global pandemic.
Continue readingFiled under Community, Entertainment
An Oldie But a Goodie
WBHS senior helps revive old baseball tune with local ties
By Megan Landvatter, Current Staff
As the baseball season starts up again, a lost piece of Brewers history has been found and restored.
Continue readingFiled under Community, Entertainment, School News and Features, Sports
Mystery Couple Identified
By Caroline Peplinski, Current Staff
When an old picture of unknown high school sweethearts was shared online last week, West Benders wondered who they were.
As it turns out, today marks their 40th wedding anniversary.
Continue readingBe Kind, Rewind: Farewell to the Video Store and a Way of Life
Area teachers and former video store clerks ponder what Family Video’s closing means for the culture of film viewing
By Elise Marlett, Editor in Chief
It’s the end of an era.
As of February 28, all Family Video locations across the country are permanently closed, including the location in West Bend. With Family Video being the only remaining video rental store in West Bend prior to closure, local movie lovers must accept a transition from discs to streaming. For many, the transition prompts deep feelings of nostalgia as the culture of film viewing has changed so drastically in the past decades.
Continue readingFiled under Community, Entertainment
Decision 2021: Meet Board Candidate Kurt Rebholz
By Noelle Mentch, Current Staff
Kurt Rebholz believes that his financial background and openness to different ideas are some of his strengths that make him a great member of the school board.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
Decision 2021: Meet Board Candidate Chris Zwygart
By Megan Landvatter, Current Staff
After serving on the school board for the past three years, Chris Zwygart believes that he is ready for a second term.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
Decision 2021: Meet Board Candidate Jody Geenen
By Megan Landvatter, Current Staff
After watching her three daughters graduate from West Bend West High School, Jody Geenen hopes to give back to her community once more.
Continue readingFiled under Community, School News and Features
Masks On, Sleeves Up
By Elise Marlett, Editor in Chief
The COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t cancel this decades-old tradition. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
‘I Never Had a Non-White Teacher’: New Group Seeks Change at the West Bend School District
By Elena Chamberlain, Current Staff
Former West Bend students have started a group that advocates for racial justice in both the community and school district. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
A Beautiful Deed in the Neighborhood
By Elise Marlett, Current Staff
As of Tuesday, Diane Malicki has sewn an estimated 75 face masks for her neighbors in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Continue reading
Filed under Community
Decision 2020: Board Candidates on Another Referendum
What are your thoughts about asking voters to consider another referendum?
Tonnie Schmidt (incumbent)
The West Bend School District is very conservative. It is one of the reasons I choose to live here. I appreciate the need to be responsible with our spending and ensuring that responsibility is one of the reasons I sought to run for school board three years ago and it is still a reason why I chose to run for another term. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
Decision 2020: Board Candidates on Why They Want to Serve
What is your motivation for wanting to serve on the school board?
Tonnie Schmidt (incumbent)
The gratitude I feel for the education I received as a child and young adult as well as the ability to serve the community that has welcomed the success of my business, Delta Defense, is what motivates me to serve on the school board. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
Decision 2020: Board Candidates on How to Improve the District
What areas of the district do you seek to change or improve?
Tonnie Schmidt (incumbent)
In the immediate future, I would like to be directly responsible for hiring a new superintendent to replace resigning Don Kirkegaard.
I also would like to ensure that our facilities are in good shape going forward while not disregarding the declining birthrate and its effect on enrollment in the future. I have a commitment to neighborhood schools as is feasible, including incorporating central administration into existing vacant space in them as an alternative to closing multiple elementary schools. I believe in the priceless power of families to support one another in neighborhood elementary schools over a large centralized structure where children can feel lost and overwhelmed. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
Decision 2020: Board Candidates on Their Experience with the District
What has been your experience with the West Bend School District?
Tonnie Schmidt (incumbent)
As a school board, we removed an inexperienced and toxic superintendent and conducted a thorough search for a new superintendent, which included input from the community, resulting in hiring a nationally recognized superintendent who has brought stability to our district. Continue reading
Filed under Community, School News and Features
New York’s Coronavirus Outbreak ‘Feels Like a Nightmare’
West Bend graduate is a public health scientist in New York City
By Samantha Dietel, Editor in Chief
The City That Never Sleeps now resembles a ghost town.
That’s what Kacie Seil, a former West Bender now living in New York City, says about how the COVID-19 outbreak has affected her current home.
Seil, an epidemiologist who attended Yale University after graduating from West Bend East High School in 2006, serves as a research scientist for data integrity at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. As a resident and analyst, Seil has seen the impact of the coronavirus pandemic up close. Continue reading
Filed under Community
West Bend Teachers Miss Their Students
VIDEO
Teachers at Decorah Elementary School organized a car parade today to connect with their students. Students haven’t seen their teachers since schools were closed March 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The parade started on Vine Street and traveled through several neighborhoods. Staff members from Silverbrook Intermediate School will parade Monday starting at 5 p.m. Distance learning starts Tuesday.
Filed under Community, School News and Features
The West Bend Current 