All posts by Ellie Gogolewski

Online News Consumption

News I am most drawn to is news concerning public safety. Public safety is one of the only topics that I believe will always concern everyone. More specifically, news regarding crime is what interests me most. I learn most from news that affects my safety and feel like popular news culture, for example, celebrities and showbiz, can be more drama than insightful. Any crime that takes place or precautionary news catches my attention immediately. I am interested in public safety on the international, national, and especially local level. I learn most from crime news because I feel reassured that I can avoid dangerous situations as best as I can. Each story about a kidnapping, theft, or car accident releases different details about the occurrence. I accumulate more knowledge about how I can best avoid these situations.

I am from West Bend, Wisconsin and I find local news from the Washington County Insider, West Bend’s Facebook, and even word-of-mouth. When I know what occurs around me, I feel safer and smarter going out in public. I visit Fox News and the Washington County Insider on a weekly basis. My favorite news website is Fox News because I enjoy the reporters and the news they cover. The website is very user-friendly and organized by category. If I am looking for anything specific, I am able to easily locate the story. Each story is labeled and if the cursor moves over it, a picture appears. If I am walking to class, exercising, or anything else on the go, I can easily access the same news on my phone. Additionally, Fox News has a podcast series which makes it easy for me to listen when I cannot look at the screen. For example, when I am

driving or cooking, I enjoy listening to Fox News podcasts. I almost always search my news through Google. I use a few mediums when accessing news: I enjoy the accessibility of text, convenience of podcasts, and the lasting effects of videos. I enjoy watching videos for news intake the most. I can watch a video if I want; being able to see the host and pan the setting of an event or occurrence gives me better insight. If I am busy, I can just listen to the video and still hear the story. I believe I can get a bit of both when watching a video. I have never interacted with international or nationwide news. I have posted comments on local news sites if it regards someone I know or is something I know more about. I believe I can contribute to my community by posting occasional comments on local news sites. I do not use Twitter as I believe it is filled with too much clutter that I have to sift to in order to find insightful information. I often view Twitter as a medium for feuding; many people fail to focus on the issue itself and rather attack others. The main podcasts I listen to are True Crime Podcasts (specifically “Crime Junkie”) and Fox News podcasts.

I believe news is real if some of the following aspects are involved: a police report, more than just a few witnesses, or more than one story about the same issue lines up. Statistics make a story more reliable and legitimate which gives the audience a sense of tangible evidence. A story is difficult to believe if there are more opinions than facts involved and if the reporter’s views are clearly skewed. I have discovered exaggerated stories when reading multiple stories on the same event or occurrence and they are all different from one another. To summarize, I like using different mediums and websites to be well-rounded in what takes place, especially around me. Stories are credible when they are supported with facts, witnesses, or reports. News about crime and safety interest me the most and help to warn the public. I enjoy discussing current events and issues with my peers, family, and friends as I feel I can positively contribute to society.

Man shoots gun near barn in Rumphannock

A man was caught shooting his rifle at the rear of a barn on Monday afternoon. 

It was around 3:15 p.m. when Deputy Roland J. Smithers Jr. got a call about gunshots fired by Robert L. Worthington, age 46, on the intersection of County Highway K and Cussvile Road in Rumphannock. 

A 2012 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck identified as belonging to Worthington was located parked on the shoulder of Cussville Road about a quarter of a mile east of the site.

Farmer Clem R. Kadiddlehopper, age 67, is the owner of the property that Worthington was shooting around. He saw Worthington with his gun in the field behind his barn. He then called Smithers Jr. and his backup, Deputy Susan K. Smithers, who arrived just minutes after.

When told to drop the gun, Worthington rebelled and lunged at Susan Smithers, grabbing her neck in a choke hold. He pretended to surrender so both deputies would come near him, and cried while in the field carrying a .22-caliber bolt-action rifle in one hand and a liquor bottle in the other. 

“I wasn’t gonna hurt no one,” suspect told deputies. “Shit, I was just all worked up over all this crap goin’ on, and I thought I might feel better if I shot up some bottles and shit. Now I gone and f—ed up everything.”

Smithers dropped her weapon and began struggling with Worthington’s arm around her neck. After Rolan Smithers pulled Worthington away from his wife, he grabbed Worthington around the neck.

Susquehanna County usually is prohibited from hiring spouses, but the state issued a waiver to help fulfill the goals of a 1996 law, the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Gender Equity Act, which encourages the hiring of more women as police officers, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers.

Susan Smithers employed a taser device on Worthington from about five feet away and temporarily disabled his actions. Both deputies handcuffed Worthington and placed him in Roland Smithers’ squad car. 

Worthington was booked at Susquehanna County Jail in Kittatinny. On recommendation of prosecutors, Circuit Judge Clarence L. Simon issued charges of public intoxication, trespassing, two counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer, and reckless use of a deadly weapon. Worthington was being held overnight pending a bail hearing on Tuesday.

Enchantment in the Park

Elizabeth Gogolewski

West Bend Festival of Lights

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November 28, 2022

The city of West Bend in Wisconsin welcomes everyone to join in unity to celebrate its annual festival of the lights, best known as “Enchantment in the Park”. The festival is attended by primarily West Bend residents, but all are welcome to come join.

Each attendee is encouraged to make a non-perishable food donation to contribute to the community. This event can be walked or driven through, and there are trails for both options.

I primarily walk through the festival, mostly because I love to ice skate on the frozen pond at the center of the event. 

Local sponsors put on the event and it runs from Sunday, November 27 to Monday, December 26. Each night it is open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

A different local band performs each night at the festival and anyone is welcome to gather around the stage and enjoy refreshments. Hot chocolate, tea, and water are available to anyone who arrives. I hope to see many community members there!

For W.B. News, this is Ellie Gogolewski in West Bend.

Drunk Driving Mayor

Kittatinny Mayor Gustavus G. Petykiewicz was drunk driving and hit an innocent man at an intersection just after 1p.m. on Saturday. 

Deputy Gordon J. Slivovitz received a call about a vehicle accident on the east side of Highway 117. Gustavus G. Petykiewicz, 64, was under the influence of alcohol when he hit 50-year-old Robert H. Doane. Kittatinny’s new budget crisis goes from bad to worse as the mayor’s drunk driving accident placed him in a position making him unable to solve the crisis. 

The ambulance arrived at the scene at 1:23p.m. Doane was heavily bleeding from the head and complaining of abdominal pain but conscious. Petykiewicz was not wearing a seatbelt, but Doane had his seatbelt on with no signs of airbags. Petykiewicz was slurring his words but received no injuries. 

The mayor is battling adversity due to the Kittatinny production plant closing. The situation has put about 900 people into unemployment which is increasing the city’s tax revenue. 

Thinking he could drink his problems away, Petykiewicz was caught with a half-empty bottle of Fleischmann’s vodka on the floor of his passenger side and when asked if he’d been drinking, he responded with “you’d be drinking too if you were me”. 

Petykiewicz consented to a breath test and showed a blood alcohol count of .14 which is over the legal limit of .08 for intoxicated driving in Pennsylvania. He stumbled and failed his field sobriety test which contributed to his arrest. 

Flight for Life was summoned and arrived at the scene at about 2p.m. to take Doane to Northeast Pennsylvania Hospital and Trauma Center in Wilkes-Barre for his injuries. 

A witness reported that Doane was driving at about 55 miles per hour when Petykiewicz hesitated at the stop sign and crossed the road and struck Doane on the side of his vehicle. 


Petykiewicz was taken to Schuylkill County Jail in downtown Kittatinny. His wife, Gloria Petykiewicz, came and picked him up from the jail at 3:02p.m. and bailed him out for $500. 

Doane is in satisfactory condition but has several broken ribs, a broken jaw, and lasting damage to his head, chest, and abdomen. Petykiewicz will face jail time for this felony and could be as long as 10 years for causing severe bodily harm to another due to operating while intoxicated. 

AMA 15th Annual Regional Conference

UW-Whitewater students had the opportunity to meet in-person for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic with students for the annual American Marketing Association (AMA) regional conference.

After interviewing AMA advisor Jimmy Peltier, co-president Avery Goehring, and regional conference team leader Lauren Arndt, the Whitewater regional conference of 2022 was a great success.

This conference is one of the largest AMA conferences throughout the nation, and it is a large commitment to each student in the organization. Schools from all over the U.S. come to network with other universities and business partners. This was a unique year for UW-Whitewater’s chapter as no student had experienced the regional conference in-person before because it had not been held the previous two years.

Lauren Arndt, one of the divisional presidents of AMA, helped prepare for this event and made sure attendance, food, partners, times, and locations were all in line. She helped students navigate through the weekend for those who traveled to attend the conference.

“This is the biggest event of the entire year for AMA and none of us have experienced it”, explained Lauren. This was a new experience for everyone involved.

On Oct. 7, 2022, Whitewater’s annual regional conference was a huge success as UW-Whitewater won many competitions against 28 other universities.

*Digital, sales, and interview competitions gave UW-Whitewater many opportunities to showcase their strengths among other schools. The students of Whitewater claimed their victories all day as the event went from 7:30a.m. to 5p.m. UW-Whitewater placed in almost every one of the various competitions that day.

“I am extremely proud of this chapter of students,” said Jimmy Peltier, a UWW business professor and advisor of AMA.

*AMA has over 40,000 members across the nation and UW-Whitewater was able to outshine many schools with over 500 attendees.

UW-Whitewater AMA members celebrated their victories that night as they were more than satisfied with their dedication to the large event. No members knowing what an in-person conference looked like, made it even more of a success.

AMA Co-President Avery Goehring had also been a large contributor to the event. Avery explained that watching even new members become so involved in the event made her confident they will “continue to maintain Whitewater AMA’s image”. The chapter has a lot to be proud of after this year’s regional conference.

Hurricane Ian wipes out power for southern Florida residents

By Ellie Gogolewski
Hurricane Ian has struck the coast of Florida with winds at 155 miles per hour.

Hurricanes with winds that high are reported to cause catastrophic damage and are extremely dangerous.

Alec Arndt, 23, lives in Fort Myers and had to say goodbye to his belongings as he lives in one of the most impacted areas of Florida at the time of the hurricane.

On September 28, 2022, the West Coast of Florida was severely impacted by a category four hurricane. It is reported that the winds from Hurricane Ian are due to climate change. Alec lives on the first floor of an apartment building right along the coast, so his complex was swiped away by the water, debris, and winds. Alec has rushed home to Sheboygan, Wisconsin to live with his family and work remotely until he can move into his new house in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The hurricane has flooded his entire place and ruined everything in it. “My furniture, mattress, electronics, and shoes have all been completely destroyed”, says Alec.

Alec Arndt enjoys living in Florida to pursue his post-graduation career as an IT sales manager at Gartner. He has always known his heart is in the Southeast.

“I have enjoyed my life in Florida since I graduated from UW-Whitewater,” explains Alec. “Even though the hurricane was a very scary and surreal experience, I am excited to be back in Florida once I get back on my feet. I am so thankful for my family and friends here in Wisconsin”.

Thousands of Florida residents lost power during this storm which made it hard for everyone to be able to return to their normal lives once the storm ended.

“My family has taken me shopping and some of my friends have donated money for me to buy a new laptop, new furniture, and just support me during this time”, said Alec.

Alec’s parents, grandparents, and friends took him out shopping to replace some of what he has lost.

Alec has plans to move back to Florida once the new year arrives and he plans to live with some friends. “Good thing I’ll live further north, so hopefully this won’t happen to me again”, said Alec.
Even though this has been tough for Alec, his head is held high and he plans to pick up his life right where he left off once he returns to Florida.

Vehicle Strikes Hippopotamus

A woman was driving along County Highway D when she struck a hippopotamus that was crossing the road on Thursday evening.

It was around 5:30 p.m. when the dispatcher got a call about a totaled car with a broken windshield and front end damage. Jessica Milbrath, age 35, was alone in her car driving at about 20 miles an hour and became mildly injured from the incident.

A representative of the Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey Circus, Bob Miller, knew about the hippo and said his name was Bobo and that he was very reckless. Bobo’s not usually mean, but he’s scared right now. He could snap you like a twig”, said Miller. At about 6:45 p.m., a woman and two men arrived at the scene of the hippo. One of the men had a gun, and according to him, it was a tranquilizer gun. He proceeded to shoot the hippo until it drifted off to sleep and started to snore. Aumann’s Towing Service took Bobo away from the scene later that night and drove to the Madison Veterinary Hospital.

Miller had said Bobo escaped from the circus train when it was heading north on the Union Pacific tracks. Two sheriff’s deputies arrested him for his “henius, egregious, and inexcusable negligence”. The sheriffs and attorneys thought it was irresponsible and careless to leave a wild and fierce animal like that out on the loose. Mr. Miller had criminal charges filed against him.

The hippo was taken out of the circus due to animal cruelty. The Sheriff’s Department sent a press release of Mr. Miller’s charges in the Jefferson County Circuit Court with first-degree recklessly endangering safety. Miller is now a legal felon with a bond set at $1 million. He then went to the Jefferson County Jail.

Steve Jobs 2005 Commencement Speech

Steve Jobs told Stanford University’s 2012 graduates to “stay hungry, stay foolish” which meant taking risks even if the outcome is far from certain.

As he spoke, following one’s heart and falling in love was at the core of Jobs’ message. He told three major life stories that embodied those themes and communicated their importance and relevance to the graduates throughout the speech.

Steve Jobs had dropped out of college because he felt he was wasting his parents’ life savings all for him not to understand the purpose of why he was in college. Instead of taking pointless college requirements, he wanted to take classes that would suit his interests, even if he saw no practical application. 

At first, Steve saw no point in taking that class other than enjoyment, but it later became one of the best decisions of his life. A large part of the first Macintosh computer design process required utilizing his calligraphy skills that would have been extremely difficult if he refrained from taking that single college calligraphy class.

“Trust that the dots will connect in your future. Trust in something, your gut, destiny, life” and “believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path”, explained Jobs.

Jobs started Apple in his parents’ garage alongside Steve Wozniak, also known as “Woz”. He later converged his ideas with a former friend named John Sculley who’s visions began to differ from his, and the Apple board of directors sided with Sculley, so Jobs was fired.

Jobs explained how he wanted to run away as he felt he let his fellow entrepreneurs down, but what kept him going was doing what he loved. The series of events with Apple were inconsistent, but what stayed consistent was his passion. 

*He got fired and later rehired at Apple, started the animation studio Pixar, and developed technologies that helped Apple grow way beyond its beginnings as a computer manufacturer.

“The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again”, explained Jobs. That right there led him to the most creative period in Jobs’ life: establishing Pixar and Next. 

Keeping his eye on the prize also led him to meeting the love of his life and eventually wife: Laurene Powell Jobs. These events inspired him to follow his heart as that was the one thing that got him to the destination of success. 

Jobs made a promise to himself that he would live every day like it was his last. He made sure that every day he would be satisfied with what he was doing if he knew he would die that day. That very soon became relevant when he was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. 

Steve Jobs had a very rare form of Pancreatic cancer that was able to be treated with surgery which allowed him to overcome his life expectancy of three to five months. Through his struggles, he was able to keep his head held high because through his ups and downs, his passion remained constant.

Staying hungry kept him eager to continue to learn which got him through tough times and pushed him to not just continue, but also advance in his pursuits. Staying foolish pushed him to take risks and adventure into new situations. 

Those situations caused him to grow and accelerate into success. He motivated the graduates of Stanford to do the same so they could be able to pave their own way to success one day.

Ledes, quotes and attributions

Lede: Carley Hach, senior at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, is studying early childhood education. She is from Muscoda, Wisconsin, a small town all the way west and happens to be the morel mushroom capital of the world. Her family is made up of avid Packer fans and they never miss a game! She has an older brother and loving parents who support her in all her endeavors. Carley enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, shopping, golf, and lake life. She wants to be able to financially support herself and a future family. For her final two semesters of college, she hopes to be on the Dean’s list. Carley just purchased her first ukulele and wants to become a professional player. She is very passionate about life!

A direct quote: “I graduated from high school with only thirty people in my class”.

A direct quote: “My basement is covered in Packer colors and signs from wall to wall”.

A direct quote: “I am ecstatic to begin my musical career by playing the ukulele”.

A paraphrase: According to US News, there are fewer and fewer people who become educators which makes schools short staffed.

A paraphrase: Mike Santa Barbara from Yard Barker mentioned that the Packers were losing until Rodgers scored a 13-yard touchdown.

A paraphrase: Carley Hach explained how she aims to become the best educator she can be and use her degree to its fullest potential.

Something from an authoritative source on the Web, geared to one of your subject’s interests:

https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2022-09-27/new-federal-data-too-few-applicants-i n-k-12-schools

K-12 teacher positions in the US are not being filled and there is a shortage and dire need for teachers of the young age. School staff are hurting for more employees; there are very few teachers applying for these positions.

Another something from a different authoritative source on the Web, geared to another of your subject’s interests:

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/packers_aaron_rodgers_becomes_fifth_player_in_nfl_history_to _reach_500_career_passing_touchdowns/s1_13132_37949466

Aaron Rodgers, one of the Packer’s most valuable players, has now scored over 500 touchdowns in his career. He is only the fifth player in NFL history to do so. He has become as successful as Brett Favre with 508 touchdowns , Peyton Manning with 539 touchdowns, Drew Brees with 571 touchdowns, and Tom Brady with 627 touchdowns.