Johnson also spoke during his hour-long town hall about his frustration with confirming Trump nominees in a timely fashion, his yes vote on the One Big, Beautiful Bill, the upcoming elections, immigration, and the Epstein list.
This week, Senator Tammy Baldwin joined bipartisan efforts to give first responders the tools to treat overdose deaths, stop the practice of mislabeling imitation dairy products, and provide clean water to rural communities.
If you live in Kewaunee and get a letter in the mail from Accurate Appraisal LLC, do not throw it away. The city gave notice to its residents online on Thursday that appraisal letters are being sent out as property assessments. As you may remember from when Sturgeon Bay announced its own revaluation process with Associated Appraisal Consultants in mid-July, state statute requires municipalities to do the assessments every five years. The letter states that it could benefit the homeowner “to provide viewing access to their residence” to ensure a complete and accurate valuation, though you also have the right to deny an assessor access to your home. In those cases, assessors will base their valuation on the next best information available. City officials note that an increased assessment does not necessarily mean an increase to your taxes, and the exact impact will not be known until late fall when they receive numbers from the Kewaunee School District, Kewaunee County, and the State of Wisconsin. The city will host open book reviews from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on August 18th and 8 a.m. until noon on August 19th before the Board of Review meeting takes place on September 24th. You can learn more about the appraisal process in Kewaunee below.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation wants you to circle 2028 as the year when you will see a permanent change to the County Road BB (Gordon Road)/State Highway 57 intersection. The road to change began on Wednesday afternoon when DOT officials hosted a public meeting to formally introduce the project to the community. The proposed roundabout would be similar to what is seen at the highway’s intersections with Michigan Street and Egg Harbor Road, which were built in 2016. Access to the highway from Gordon Road would be closed during the project, but a temporary bypass roadway would allow the highway to stay open when work begins in 2028. Two commenters thanked the DOT for addressing the troubled intersection that saw 18 accidents between 2018 and 2022, prompting the county to install a temporary measure. They also asked if they had considered making the roundabout smaller, pointing out that the two-lane roundabout often turns into a speedway with drivers trying to pass people while going through them. Project Manager Paul Brauer said that while it was considered, ultimately, the bigger roundabout will handle the traffic better while maintaining safety in the intersection.
You can still weigh in on the improvements being proposed at Peninsula State Park.
The Wisconsin DNR is focusing on the Lot 5 Trailhead and golf course service area at Peninsula State Park with hopes of replacing a nearly 80-year-old storage facility with a new and bigger one and constructing a new shelter with restroom facilities and additional storage. While there could be some environmental impacts due to the projects, the DNR believes that the changes are consistent with the park’s goals to enhance recreational opportunities and infrastructure for guests year-round.
The comment period is open through August 7th and you can submit it by using the information below.
This is one of two variance requests still active for Peninsula State Park according to the DNR’s website. The DNR is still trying to decide on improving the parking near Eagle Tower in order to welcome more guests to the parks.
Email: Yoyi.Steele@wisconsin.gov
Phone: 608-590-6027
U.S. Mail
Wisconsin DNR
Attn: Yoyi Steele, LF/6
P.O. Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707-7921
While the swim season may only be a few months, Competitive Swimming Director Mike McHugh champions are being built on a much more long-term basis. The Door County YMCA swim teams have several athletes who are prepared to make noise on a national level. Many of which preceded their time in the pool with the Peak Performance Camp, a program that utilizes over $9,000 worth of agility performance equipment that helps to develop a powerful foundation of agility and speed, along with strength and endurance. With well over 1,000 state qualifiers under his belt, McHugh says the camp pushes kids to their best, and the results prove it.
There are fewer than 150 days until Santa comes to your house, but the time is now to help those in need. Emergency personnel in Door and Kewaunee counties congregated at Culver’s in Sturgeon Bay for its now annual Lights of Christmas Campaign. The effort started nearly a decade ago by Q90 FM in Green Bay as a part of their ministry to help people in need during the holiday season. What started with two police departments distributing $10,000 and 100 backpacks in 2016 has grown to 75 departments participating and distributing $225,000 in gift cards and 1000 backpacks. Door County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Kyle Veeser says that it has become one of the most impactful ways they are able to connect with the community, whether they are contributing to the cause or benefiting from the generosity.
Veeser adds that even though this is a statewide effort, all the money collected for Lights of Christmas stays in the community. If you missed out on this year’s effort, you can always donate directly by clicking this link.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association salutes the 39 schools, including Sturgeon Bay, that fulfilled the criteria to be named recipients of the Award of Excellence in 2024-25.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association salutes the 39 schools that fulfilled the criteria for being named recipients of the Award of Excellence in 2024-25.
The award promotes and recognizes schools' efforts and achievements in sportsmanship, ethics, integrity, leadership, character, and administrative accomplishment.
The recipients of the Award of Excellence, presented to high schools that have verified they have met each of the award’s criteria, are:
Adams-Friendship
Barron
Beaver Dam
Brookwood
Clintonville
Crivitz
Delavan-Darien
Divine Savior Holy Angels
Dodgeville
Elkhorn
Franklin
Frederic
Germantown
Greenfield
Hartford
Hortonville
Janesville Parker
Johnson Creek
Kenosha Tremper
Kimberly
Lake Mills
Lakeside Lutheran
Little Chute
Monona Grove
Northwestern
Owen-Withee
Portage
Poynette
Regis
St. Croix Falls
Seymour
Sheboygan Christian
Sheboygan Falls
Stratford
Sturgeon Bay
The Prairie School
Unity
University School of Milwaukee
Williams Bay
Of the 39 schools receiving the award this year, 28 have received the award multiple times, and 11 are first-time recipients. Those 11 schools are Adams-Friendship, Barron, Dodgeville, Frederic, Greenfield, Hartford, Janesville Parker, Lakeside Lutheran, Regis, Sheboygan Christian, and Sturgeon Bay.
Brookwood, Divine Savior Holy Angels, and Kimberly are being presented the award for the seventh time in the nine years since its inception, which represents the most in the membership. Baraboo, Beaver Dam, Fort Atkinson, Germantown, Hortonville, Lake Mills, and Watertown have received the award six times.
Recipients will be presented the Award of Excellence at their respective district’s Area Meeting in September and recognized for their achievement on the WIAA website, in State Tournament programs, in the WIAA Bulletin, and at the 2026 Annual Meeting.
For the third year, the criteria applied toward the Award of Excellence in 2024-25 have included a number of deadline-specific items, including score and schedule verification, enrollment forms, participation forms, and fan ejection forms. The following is the list of criteria for award consideration:
Instead of driving to Green Bay, all you had to do to introduce your kids to the wide world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Manufacturing (STEM) in Sturgeon Bay was stop in the Door County YMCA parking lot. The Einstein Project out of Green Bay made its second stop in recent weeks to introduce STEM concepts to area children. On Tuesday, kids were creating keychains and dice with 3-D printers in the Einstein Project’s Mobile Lab, which also has space to introduce them to computer science, laser cutting, and coding. Guiding them through the process was Dennis Rockhill, who serves as The Einstein Project’s Makerspace Director. He says the mobile lab is a great opportunity to introduce kids to some of the technology that helps make STEM careers grow.
With its partnership with American Transmission Company, The Einstein Project has reached approximately 3,000 children across the state. That will include an opportunity on August 4th at the Kewaunee Library from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Your students will encounter a lot of changes when they go back to Algoma Public Schools this fall. From the bathrooms and classrooms for music and technical education on the inside to the track and roof on the outside, district facilities are in the middle of a major overhaul thanks to its passage of a $10.2 million referendum in April 2024. Other projects that will be a part of the improvements include new plumbing and roofing at Algoma Elementary School, safety upgrades at the middle/high school, replacing the middle/high school's parking lot, updating the lighting, sound, and ceiling tile at the Algoma Performing Arts Center. The work is being done in phases to limit the impact on students and teachers. Superintendent Jesse Brinkmann says so far, everything is on target to start welcoming staff members late next month.
You will be able to catch a Broadway musical among the trees in Fish Creek when Little Women: The Broadway Musical opens at Peninsula Players Theatre on Wednesday. Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, the Tony Award-nominated musical tells the story of the March sisters as they navigate family, romance, and life in Civil War-era Massachusetts. Little Women continues a tradition of past seasons, bringing a little taste of Broadway to Door County audiences. Past musical productions at Peninsula Players Theatre have included Million Dollar Quartet (2024), Ghost the Musical (2019), The Full Monty (2016), and Chicago (2012). Audra Baakari Boyle says that because of the layout of the theater, having this type of musical in your backyard is a lot different from traveling to even Green Bay or Appleton, let alone New York or Chicago.
Little Women: The Broadway Musical runs from July 30th until August 17th. You can hear more about the show and Peninsula Players’ upcoming production of Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise by clicking on this link.
If you are looking forward to Tall Ships Sturgeon Bay this weekend, you can get a preview right now along the city’s downtown shoreline. The first vessels began arriving before 9 a.m. on Tuesday, with the When and If and the Liberty Clipper docking first. The Utopia is expected to arrive at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with the Pride of Baltimore II pulling in later in the week. It is just part of the job for crew members like Jake Ryder, who is a ship’s carpenter on the Liberty Clipper. After departing Boston in June, Ryder and the crew have navigated around the Great Lakes, including festival stops in Michigan and Minnesota. In between stops, Ryder finds time to make necessary repairs to the ship to help restore the Liberty Clipper to its former glory. Over a year ago, the Liberty Clipper was destined for the scrap heap, but Ryder now takes great pride in showcasing it across the Great Lakes.
Thanks to the early Tuesday arrival from Port Washington, Wis., to Sturgeon Bay, Ryder says the crew is looking forward to a few days off in the city before Tall Ships Sturgeon Bay begins on Thursday. You can click on this link to check out more information about the event.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued an Air Quality Advisory for the Counties of Door, Kewaunee, Brown, and surrounding areas until 5 p.m.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to reach the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" to "Unhealthy Levels."
The DNR advises the sensitive groups to move activities inside, and those with symptoms to immediately go inside. For everyone else, keep your activities outside to shorter intervals and less intense.
The Canadian wildfires are impacting the air quality, and this is expected to continue for the next few days.
Area food pantries could find it more difficult in the future to serve their neighbors in the community. Earlier this year, the federal government discontinued the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and scaled back the Emergency Food Assistance Program, both of which offered food pantries nationwide hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on stocking their shelves. United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle says some of the food pantries in Door County did not rely on the funding through the Door County Food Pantry Coalition, organized by the United Way and Door County Community Foundation, but she admits they may have to move forward.
On the other hand, cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding also threaten to take money out of the pockets of approximately 90,000 residents in Wisconsin. Kohnle says demand at area food pantries usually goes down during the summer months because everyone is working. However, demand has stayed high, setting the stage for a potentially busy fall and winter for food pantries.
Kohnle encourages people to donate money to the Door County Food Pantry Coalition or to bring items directly to the food pantries. In addition to the standard food staples, Kohnle suggests things like cake mix and frosting for families that want to give their kids a special birthday treat and items that can be opened without a can opener.
A 57-year-old Sturgeon Bay man was put behind bars late last week on child pornography charges. According to court records, Scott James Soucek appeared in court via video from the Door County Jail last Friday on 10 counts of possession of child pornography with a modifier of lifetime supervision of serious sex offenders. The offenses allegedly took place on March 13th, 2025.
Soucek notified Judge David Weber in court that he does not qualify for a state public defender, leading Judge Weber to advise Soucek to get a lawyer ahead of his next hearing, which was scheduled for August 29th at 9 a.m.
A $10,000 cash bond was set for Soucek’s release with the stipulation that he has no unsupervised contact with minors and not use any file-sharing software.
With the average family spending more than $584 a kid on school supplies, you can make back-to-school preparations a lot easier for families in need this fall. Recent data shared by CapitalOne Shopping showed that American families spent a total of $38.8 billion for the 2024-2025 school year, which was down 6.5 percent compared to the previous year. In addition to notebooks, crayons, and pencils, the figures also take into account the money spent on back-to-school electronics, clothing, and shoes. The Kewaunee County Public Health Department has run its Back-to-School program for several years, ensuring that families receive a backpack full of supplies and a bag of hygiene items to get the school year off to a strong start. Public Health Director Cindy Kinnard says there is always a need in the community this time of year.
If you are a Kewaunee County resident and in need of assistance, you can click this link to apply to be a part of the program. If you want to support the program, you can drop off donations of school supplies and monetary donations at the Kewaunee County Public Health Department.
“The Heat is On: Summer Playlist,” which features songs from summer blockbuster movies, Woodstock, and more, plays at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the Five Nine Amphitheater during the Wisconsin State Fair, July 31st to August 10th.
FROM JULY 18TH
Austin Vandertie is making sure that as long as you park your car at the local diner in Brussels, there will be a dairy farm right behind it. A sixth-generation farmer, the 25-year-old Vandertie took over the family farm from his parents, Dan and Julie, in January 2025 after earning his dairy science degree and business management certificate from UW-Madison. Vandertie instantly brings youth into an industry that is getting older. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, the average age of a Wisconsin farmer is 56.7 years old, up from 56.0 in 2017. Nationwide, only nine percent of all farmers are under the age of 35, which is actually up 3.9 percent from 2017. An even smaller segment is under the age of 30. Vandertie says his dad knew he had a chance to pass the farm down to him when he asked how he would feed his cows if they turned his 400 acres into a subdivision. It was just a matter of when, setting in motion a succession plan that gave Vandertie a deeper understanding of his family farm beyond the 40 cows it milks on a daily basis. Vandertie says they sorted out the details over the last few years, adding that it was tough to find a balance to ensure that his parents were taken care of financially in their retirement while making sure there was enough for him to keep the farm going.
Vandertie has begun planning for the future of his farm while ensuring its heritage as a successful Holstein breeder continues. He recently built a new heifer barn and installed a new manure storage pit while planning to add robotic milking and precision planting to the operation in the future. You can watch the full Ask a Farmer segment, brought to you by the Door County Farm Bureau.
While history floats near Sturgeon Bay’s downtown bridges next weekend, you will also be able to find it in the parking lot of the Door County Maritime Museum this coming weekend.
Tall Ships Sturgeon Bay coincides with the Door County Classic and Wooden Boat Show, an event the museum has organized for the last 34 years. Vessels like canoes, kayaks, sailboats, and runabouts will be on display as a part of the show, many of them either built or restored by amateurs. The Classic and Wooden Boat Show also allows visitors to try boatbuilding themselves with the SikaFlex Challenge. Already one of the biggest events the museum puts on every year, Deputy Director Sam Perlman says having the Tall Ships in the background will hopefully introduce more people to their mission and their programming.
Similar to Tall Ship Sturgeon Bay, the Classic and Wooden Boat Show runs from August 1st to August 3rd.
Picture by Rachel Lukas
If you look closely enough, there is a whole ecosystem growing among the corn and soybeans that farmers are growing in their fields. According to Peninsula Pride Farms, more than 16,000 of its members’ acres have cover crops growing at some point during the course of the year, with farmers planting crops like corn and soybeans into 5,500 of those acres.
While cover crops like triticale and rye have become old standbys for some farmers, Barry Bubolz from the Natural Resources Conservation Service says test plots planted at the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station in Sturgeon Bay could unlock some different combinations that could yield even better results. The test plots are showcasing how different cover crop mixtures react with each other and with herbicides, in addition to being used with interseeding between rows of cash crops like soybeans and corn. Bubolz says they are always trying to learn how farmers can make their soil healthier and crop yields better while protecting their water quality.
Bubolz and State Agronomist Jamie Patton will discuss their findings at the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station in Sturgeon Bay on Wednesday at 5 p.m. as part of the Peninsula Pride Farms' Conservation Conversation.
At Crossroads, we call an informal group of volunteers “Habitat Healers.” We invite volunteers of all ages and abilities to join us to help us achieve our restoration goals.
In the north end of the Big Creek preserve, much of which is wetland. And in recent years, this area has undergone significant ecological change.
Since European settlement, the land has experienced major human impacts. Forests were cleared, Big Creek was straightened, and wetlands were drained. Yet for many decades, ash trees thrived in the moist soil along the creek.
The first restoration project at Crossroads focused on returning the creek to its original meandering path. Over time, however, invasive plants—particularly reed canary grass and buckthorn—took hold. When the emerald ash borer wiped out the once-shady ash grove, sunlight flooded the area. Coincidentally, the site was literally flooded due to a period of unusually high water.
Suddenly, the landscape transformed into a dynamic wetland community—a mosaic of sedge meadow and alder thicket (shrub carr), rich with sedges and a surprising diversity of wetland flowers, including some that are relatively rare.
Restorationists believe that this change was triggered by the activation of the seed bank, which they define as "a reservoir of viable seeds stored in the soil." In wetlands, such seed banks often contain seeds from native hydrophytic (water-loving) plants, even if the above-ground vegetation has been altered by past degradation.
Unfortunately, seed banks also harbor invasive species, so for the past four years, we’ve engaged in labor-intensive efforts to reduce undesirable vegetation.
This week, our Habitat Healers will focus on expanding biodiversity by collecting seeds from native wetland plants, with the goal of bolstering seed banks in areas still lacking in diversity. We understand that success depends on hydrology—wetland seeds will only germinate under the right conditions. But by establishing a native seed bank, and with adequate moisture, we hope to enhance the habitat for wetland wildlife.
One of this week’s Journeys with Joan programs is titled “Welcome Back." She will explain that butterflies and pollinators depend on native plants for food and reproduction. Some insects, in fact, are exclusively reliant on specific wetland species, and without them, we would not have our songbirds. On Thursday, Terrie Cooper will lead a guided hike for adults offering an in-depth look at wetland restoration in this region.
Our restoration work aims to improve both the resilience and ecological quality of our land. Just as important, we hope to inspire and educate local landowners and land managers by sharing what we’ve learned through our ongoing projects.
Friday, August 1
8:30 am - 10:30 am Habitat Healers-Wetland Seed Gathering
Help gather seeds from the wetland areas of Crossroads. No experience required.
Waterproof or muck boots are highly recommended. Bring a water bottle and dress for the weather. Meet at the Crossroads Shop, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.
Monday, August 4
1:00 Journeys with Joan: Mysteries of Migration
Join our naturalist for free, family-oriented activities exploring nature!
Learn about the journeys made by insects, birds, and mammals.
Suitable for all ages. Registration nis ot required. Open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay
Tuesday, August 5
1:00 Journeys with Joan: Insect Safari
Join our naturalist for free, family-oriented activities exploring nature!
Together we’ll discover the secrets of insects as they transform from egg to adult. Hand lenses and collecting nets are provided.Suitable for all ages. Registration is not required. Open to the public and free. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay
Wednesday, August 6
1:00 Journeys with Joan: Welcome Back
Join our naturalist for free, family-oriented activities exploring nature!
Learn about efforts to restore native birds, animals, and fish to Wisconsin lands.
Suitable for all ages. Registration is not required. Open to the public and free. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay
1:30 Wandering Wednesday
Join a naturalist-led hike. Easy walking. About an hour.
Registration is not required. Open to the public and free. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay
Thursday, August 7
1:00 pm Nature Trek with Terrie – Restoration Hike
Deep dive into environmental topics with Terrie Cooper. She will discuss Habitat Healers, restoration hiking, and native landscaping. Adults only.
Registration required. Please RSVP below on the Crossroads website.
If you like the sounds of a chamber music quartet, then you will love what Midsummer’s Music has coming up over its final six weeks twice as much. Midsummer’s Music will join forces with its Griffon String Quartet beginning on Sunday for a series of concerts written for eight musicians, also known as an octet. Violinists David Perry, Roy Meyer, Alex Norris, and Ann Palen, violists Allyson Fleck and Oryann Tsaig, cellists Mara McClain and Jesse Nummelin, and bassist Kris Saebo will present Krzysztof Penderecki’s Ciaccona in Memoriam Giovanni Paolo II, Carl Schuberth’s Octet in E Major, Op. 23, and Max‘s Octet in B-flat Major, Op. Posthumous as a part of the series. Executive Director Allyson Fleck says there are not many pieces written for octets, and she enjoys how all of the instruments are able to work together to produce a superior sound.
Tickets are available for performances on July 27th at the Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor, July 30th at Sister Bay Moravian Church, August 1st at MUSE in Sturgeon Bay, and August 2nd at Sister Bay’s St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Sister Bay. You do not have to fret if you miss this octet either. Octets featuring strings, brass, and woodwinds are scheduled for the end of August and early September.
As we all continue to enjoy our summer months, I felt it was a good time to revisit the issue of accountability. I have written in the past about how each of us is accountable to each other. A big part of this is empathy, which is to say. “How might others feel?” This is also a key component of emotional intelligence. This idea that some are oblivious to those around them, focusing only on their own reality, strikes me each time that I am on my porch enjoying a peaceful surrounding, only to have that peace interrupted by unreasonable noise emitted by either vehicles or motorcycles traveling by. Or, to hear the music emitting from a vehicle long before I can even see that vehicle.
When it comes to loud exhaust, most will associate this with motorcycles, and while these seem to be the most common, there are also vehicle owners and operators who fall into this same inconsiderate category. While it is acceptable to modify an exhaust system, in many of these situations, exhaust systems are modified to the point where there is little baffling of the noise directly off the engine, which results in an extremely annoying experience for anyone within the area. Another recent trend is the modification of a vehicle’s exhaust system, which facilitates the emission of large black plumes. In either case, these modifications are both unnecessary and without merit.
Similarly, there are those who feel that a ride in their vehicle is not complete without elevating the volume to the point where it can be both heard and, in some cases, even felt blocks away by those who really have no desire to be part of their musical experience.
First Loud exhaust, this is very simple, if your exhaust system is broken, fix it. If you have purchased an exhaust system that did not come originally with the vehicle or motorcycle, make sure it is not unreasonably loud. The following is the Wisconsin State Statute that covers loud exhaust:
347.39(1)
(1) No person shall operate on a highway any motor vehicle subject to registration unless such motor vehicle is equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise or annoying smoke. This subsection also applies to motor bicycles.
Next, let’s cover loud radios. We all enjoy our own select taste in music, and we all enjoy listening to it as we travel to and from our destinations. There is a belief that if the music is good at a low volume, it will be even better at a higher volume. While this may be the case, we all need to consider those around us and whether or not they need to hear this music as well. There is no reason for a vehicle's sound system to be heard two blocks away, and in some cases, literally “felt” at the same distance. The following is the Wisconsin State Statute that covers loud music from a motor vehicle:
346.94(16) RADIOS OR OTHER ELECTRIC SOUND AMPLIFICATION
DEVICES. No person may operate or park, stop, or leave standing a motor vehicle while using a radio or other electric sound amplification device emitting sound from the vehicle that is audible under normal conditions from a distance of 75 feet or more, unless the electric sound amplification device is being used to request assistance or warn against an unsafe condition.
In both of these circumstances, please note that we in law enforcement have an obligation to maintain peace and order in our community. The desire for a portion of our population to do as they wish is not acceptable. Just because you like the loud rumble coming from your cycle does not give you the right to intrude on others' right to enjoy a peaceful afternoon. If you are that attached to your exhaust system, please feel free to run it in the seclusion of your own home; however, once you are out on the public roadway, you now fall under our rules as a society, and yes, you will be held accountable. If you feel the need to emit black smoke from your vehicle’s exhaust, feel free to pipe it directly into your own home. As in most things in life, it’s quite simple: Do the right thing.
Similarly, if you like to listen to your vehicle’s sound system at a high decibel, feel free to park it in your yard and enjoy. Please know that in this case, whether on the road or in your yard, you will still need to turn it down if it becomes a nuisance to your neighbors. Once again, in simple terms, do the right thing.
While this may not be a popular action to enforce, again, it is our sworn duty, and I hope that all can appreciate and respect our obligation to the preservation of peace and tranquility within our communities. If anyone has any questions or concerns regarding this issue, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. (920)255-1100. Thank You!!
A 71-year-old woman died Friday night as a result of her injuries sustained in a two-vehicle accident.
The accident occurred before 10 p.m. near the intersection of State Highway 42 and County Road P. According to the release from the Door County Sheriff's Department, a 43-year-old Green Bay man was driving his electric truck southbound on State Highway 42 when it struck an SUV driven by a 22-year-old Sturgeon Bay man as it was trying to turn left onto County Road P.
In addition to the 71-year-old woman who passed away, the electric truck's three other occupants were taken to Door County Medical Center for additional medical treatment. The driver of the other vehicle was treated at the scene and released.
The Sturgeon Bay Fire Department, Sevastopol Emergency Medical Responders, Door County Emergency Services, and the Door County Sheriff's Department all responded to the accident, shutting down the area until 5:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The accident remains under investigation with help from the Wisconsin State Patrol, and no other information is being released until family members are notified.
Despite construction projects occurring off and on through next summer, you will still see plenty of people hiking and biking through Potawatomi State Park. Workers have been busy with projects throughout the park outside of the usual maintenance that comes up every year. Earlier this year, the park’s observation tower reopened to the public for the first time in seven years after emergency restoration repairs were completed during the spring. As people arrive at the park, you can see progress being made at the new $2.6 million visitor entrance that could open later this fall after work began last year. Park Superintendent Erin Brown-Stender says thanks to good weather, traffic at the park has not slowed down.
While construction is not slowing things down this year, a project slated for 2026 likely will. Brown-Stender says a road construction and water line replacement project near its campground that is slated to begin this winter will close the park’s campsites, accessible cabin, south shore shelter, and amphitheater through June 2026. At this time, you cannot reserve campsites, the shelter, or the amphitheater between January 1st and June 30th, 2026.
As quickly as Governor Tony Evers announced that he would not seek a third term leading the state, you found two Democrats looking to replace him. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez both announced their intentions to run for the state’s highest office. Rodriguez is a step ahead of Crowley, officially launching her campaign an hour after Crowley said he would begin the process. Crowley served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly before becoming the Milwaukee County Executive in 2020. Rodriguez has been Evers’ lieutenant governor since 2022 after also previously serving in the Assembly. Late last month, Whitefish Bay businessman Bill Berrien joined Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann in the race for the Republican nomination. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, former U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde, former Gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels, and former Governor Scott Walker are also rumored to be thinking about throwing their hats into the ring.
The appeal of the murder conviction of the late Richard Pierce is slowing down, but not because he died last fall. Pierce’s appeal was filed prior to his death on October 24th at Dodge Correctional Institution. In early December, Judge David Weber denied all arguments presented in the motion to appeal the decision, according to court records, also refusing post-conviction relief. The case still made its way to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, but appeals court records show that it is open, but currently on hold. According to WBAY, Pierce’s attorney suffered a stroke last month and cannot continue the case, forcing the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office to find a new attorney. In August 2022, Pierce was convicted of murdering his wife, Carol Jean Pierce, and disposing of her body in 1975. The murder dates back to his time serving in Sturgeon Bay as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard. Her body was never found, and it was considered a cold case until the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and the Sturgeon Bay Police Department worked together to solve it after 47 years.
A two-vehicle crash on the highway in the Town of Nasewaupee led to a busy morning at Door County Medical Center and two citations issued by the Door County Sheriff’s Department.
The accident occurred just after 8:45 a.m. near the intersection of State Highway 42/57 and Stagg Road when a 69-year-old Sturgeon Bay woman and her two passengers turned into traffic trying to cross the road in their minivan. According to the accident report, she told the responding deputy that she did not see any other vehicles traveling behind two larger trucks approaching the intersection, looking to turn onto Stagg Road. As she was crossing the highway from Stagg Road, her vehicle was struck by another minivan driven by a 33-year-old Sturgeon Bay woman with her two passengers traveling south on the highway. The impact sent both vehicles into the paved median until emergency personnel arrived. Between the two vehicles, all six individuals went to Door County Medical Center following the accident. Five of the six people had to be treated for possible injury, and all three individuals in the minivan, two of whom were from Michigan, were transported via ambulance.
The 69-year-old Sturgeon Bay woman was cited for failing to yield while making a left turn, while the 33-year-old woman was cited for driving an unregistered vehicle. The crash closed down the highway for approximately an hour so the vehicles could be removed and clean-up could occur.
You can still throw your hat into the ring to represent your community if you live in Door County District 19. Door County Board Chairperson David Englebert extended the deadline to apply for the vacant District 19 Supervisor position to August 19th. Residents living in the Town of Baileys Harbor (Ward 3), the Town of Liberty Grove (Ward 1), the Village of Ephraim (Ward 2), and the Village of Sister Bay (Ward 1) have been without representation since Supervisor Patrick Voight resigned from the post in June for personal reasons. You can submit your letter of interest to County Board Chairperson David Englebert, c/o the County Administrator, 421Nebraska Street, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235, or email it to lholtz@co.door.wi.us. Following a vetting process, Englebert will nominate a person to fill the seat before the County Board gives its blessing. Whoever is chosen will only have to serve out the remainder of the term, which is April 20th, 2026.
The race for Wisconsin Governor is officially wide open after Tony Evers announced on Thursday that he will not run for re-election.
"For five decades, my family has sacrificed to give me the gift of service. They’re my world, and I owe it to them to focus on doing all the things we enjoy and love doing together. It’s why, Wisconsin, I’m announcing that I will not be running for a third term," he said in a video posted on social media.
The 73-year-old Democrat has over a year left on his second term as governor after navigating the 2025-2027 budget earlier this month. According to NBC News, state Attorney General Josh Kaul, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson have expressed interest in running in Evers' place on the Democratic tickets.
Late last month, Whitefish Bay businessman Bill Berrien joined Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann in the race for the Republican nomination. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, former U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde, and former Gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels are also rumored to be thinking about throwing their hats into the ring.
Without the work of Bob Bordeau and Bordeau Farm Market, you may not have seen the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market be the Saturday morning pastime that it is today. Bordeau was working for the city when Sturgeon Bay took over the farmers market in 2000, filling up the city hall parking lot with 35-40 vendors. That roster of vendors grew to more than 100 before he retired, even establishing a waiting list for businesses to participate. His own farm market has been a staple of the farmers market, moving its stand from the old Market Square to its spot on Nebraska Street with its selection of produce. Bordeau says his physical location has also been a staple in the community, with a unique history behind it.
Tart and sweet cherries, green beans, and cucumbers are in season right now, with sweet corn and tomatoes on the horizon. Bordeau is looking forward to unveiling an organic Honeycrisp apple that he coordinated with Wood Orchard at the market later in the year, along with the Macintosh and Cortland apples that he grows. You can listen to the full Faces of the Farmers podcast at this link.
When you stroll among the flowers at next week’s Door County Medical Center Auxiliary’s House and Garden Walk, keep in mind the larger goal of the event. The hospital’s volunteer organization pledged $250,000 to support Door County Medical Center’s larger $3 million goal to enhance its behavioral health programming. Through the increased services at its clinics in Sturgeon Bay, Sister Bay, and Algoma, the hospital aims to increase direct therapy hours for students, form connections to the area’s elderly through its Senior Life Solutions program, and support its outpatient services for substance abuse disorders. For 64 years, the House and Garden Walk has been a major driver for the DCMC Auxiliary’s mission to support the hospital, and event chairperson Pat Neudecker says this year is no different.
Tickets are on sale now for the House and Garden Walk, which will take place on Tuesday, July 29th, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at six homes hardens situated between Sturgeon Bay and Ellison Bay. You can purchase the tickets online or at select retailers throughout the county.
Among the fields of green in Door and Kewaunee counties, do not be shocked if you encounter patches of purple in your journey. Depending on where you are on the Door-Kewaunee peninsula, lavender fields are currently in full bloom after starting in mid-June. Depending on the variety, some growers are blessed to be able to have a second bloom for their perennial plants in the early fall as well. According to the Wisconsin Independent, more than a dozen lavender farms call the state home, most of which have started in the last decade. One of the largest lavender producers in the Midwest calls Washington Island home, with Fragrant Isle boasting between 20,000 and 30,000 plants. Amber Hewett’s field in Kewaunee is not quite that big, but the goal of her family's Glen Innish Farm is the same: connect consumers to agriculture and learn the different ways lavender is used.
According to the United States Lavender Growers Association, more than 20.3 tons of lavender were harvested nationwide in 2024. Lavender is then used as an ingredient for products like soaps, candles, essential oils, and teas. The area’s lavender farms, like Glen Innish Farms, will hold events this summer celebrating the harvest and showcasing its use.
You can have a say in the future of a troubled intersection in Door County when the Wisconsin Department of Transportation hosts a public meeting on the County Road BB (Gordon Road)/State Highway 42/57 intersection next week. The intersection had seen 18 accidents between 2018 and 2022, leading up to the county asking the WisDOT to do something about the intersection. While the groundwork could be laid for a roundabout to be constructed, county officials approved approximately $250,000 to make adjustments to the intersection to limit people from turning north onto the highway from Gordon Road, forcing them to go south first. WisDOT spokesperson Mark Kantola says while the changes have helped, a more permanent solution is definitely needed.
After securing approximately $2 million for the project in 2023, WisDOT will host a virtual meeting on July 30th at 4 p.m. You can find information on the meeting and about the entire project at this link.
Kantola says that access to the highway from Gordon Road would be closed during the project, and a temporary bypass roadway would allow the highway to stay open. You still have a while before you will see movement at the intersection for the project. Utility relocations will not start until late 2027, and the construction of the roundabout will not begin until 2028.
Even if you have dreamed about a small role in making Hollywood magic, the Sturgeon Bay Police Department is urging that you sit this opportunity out. The department sent out an alert Wednesday afternoon about an incident that first occurred last Thursday when two males went into a local business stating that they worked for Paramount Pictures. The duo stated that they were working on a movie and they were need of old electronics and other electrical equipment. The flyer they passed out included pieces that they were in search of, such as used electrical wire, AC/DC motors, machinery, and more. No other information was given because the car was parked away from the business, and the phone number on the flyer was not valid. The Sturgeon Bay Police Department is urging residents and local businesses to call the department if they have any additional information.
If you are planning outdoor activities and in a group that is sensitive to the air quality, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued an alert that will last until 11 p.m. tonight for Door, Kewaunee, and Manitowoc counties along the Lake Michigan Shoreline. Groups sensitive to it should make outdoor activities shorter in length and less intense. You should also watch for symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath. For more details and up-to-date weather, visit the weather page.
A retired Navy commander is the reason why you could see a new medal awarded to Vietnam War veterans in the near future.
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and Rep. Tony Wied jointly announced on Tuesday their bipartisan bill that would honor veterans who participated in Operation End Sweep with a Vietnam Service Medal. Despite the United States withdrawing from the Vietnam War at the time of the mission, Operation End Sweep cleared dangerous mines from Haiphong Harbor surrounding North Vietnam. Veterans of the mission were ineligible for the Vietnam Service Medal because it took place after the war had ended.
According to the release from Senator Baldwin’s office, the bill was inspired by Retired Navy Commander Michael Cosgrove of Sturgeon Bay. “Operation End Sweep marked the end of the Vietnam War and serves as a powerful example of the dedication and bravery of our Vietnam veterans, like Retired Navy Commander Michael Cosgrove of Sturgeon Bay, who risked their lives to clean up naval mines left behind in the war’s aftermath,” said Rep. Wied in his joint statement with Senator Baldwin as both commended the work of the mission’s veterans. Cosgrove was an Executive Officer of an ocean-going minesweeper during the mission, spending five months after the Vietnam War ended to ensure naval mines were removed from the harbor as a part of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords and under the Hague Convention of 1907. “We received virtually no credit for our efforts,” Cosgrove said, “most have no idea the operation even occurred. I would like to see this bill passed so that those of us who participated in End Sweep receive some recognition for our service.”
The Honoring Operation End Sweep Veterans Act is the latest of Baldwin’s efforts to address the aftermath of the Vietnam War, including honoring members of the Southeast Asian Diasporas that supported the country during the war and authorizing funding for the removal of landmines and unexploded ordinances and victim support programs.
Whether it is making a donation online or swinging a set of golf clubs, the Door County YMCA is working hard to ensure it can make the biggest impact it can for its community. Last month, the Door County YMCA announced it had raised more than $583,000 to exceed its annual campaign goal. While membership fees go to support the programming you take advantage of when you visit one of their two centers, annual campaign funds go to support the YMCA’s membership assistance initiative and programs related to teen leadership, youth scholarships, hunger prevention, and chronic disease. Door County YMCA Philanthropy Executive Brett Cleveland says the positive stories they help create go beyond the people coming in for a good workout.
Having your support would be a breath of fresh air for the Southern Door Fire Department as they prepare for their annual firefighters’ picnic and parade this weekend. The annual event serves as the department’s biggest fundraiser of the year to help them purchase important equipment for them to use while on call. The day starts with a parade at 11 a.m. and is followed by a busy afternoon of live music, food, games, and more. Southern Door Fire Chief Rich Olson says this year’s funds will go towards paying down the loan they took out to purchase new air packs for their firefighters. He adds that it is encouraging to see the support they receive from not just the community, but from neighboring fire departments as well.
Last year, the department used the event’s proceeds to outfit its new brush truck. Volunteer fire departments like Southern Door rely on grants, fundraisers, and other avenues to help upgrade their equipment.
Picture courtesy of Southern Door Fire Department
You can enjoy time outside in the sunshine plus a variety of activities during the annual Celebrate Carlsville Day celebration hosted on Saturday, July 26th.
The fun will kick off at 10a.m. with a parade on highway 42 and will be followed by live music, a craft fair, and entertainment for those of all ages.
“Celebrate Carlsville is a way for our wonderful little community to show people what we offer at our businesses here,” said Allie DeGuelle, the Community Coordinator for Carlsville, “it's a wonderful event that has things for the whole family to enjoy!”
Kids can burn off energy on the inflatables, get their face painted, or get a balloon animal, and attendees can hop on board the Door County Trolley for free rides. In true Door County fashion, a cherry pie eating contest will take place at noon.
“This event brings all of the locals and tourists alike to experience all that Carlsville has to offer, from coffee to wine, spirits, candles and so much more!,” added DeGuelle, “I am looking forward to seeing families enjoy all of our community's hard work.”
The event runs from 10a.m until 4p.m.
An activity you may have heard of before caused a scare at a popular Door County attraction Tuesday afternoon. At approximately 3:40 p.m., the Door County Sheriff's Department responded to Cave Point County Park near Valmy due to caller finding a suspicious package. As a precautionary measure, deputies cleared the park, only to discover that the suspicious item was a geocache, a container used in the GPS-oriented scavenger hunt. There are well over 100 geocaches hidden in Door County including several in Cave Point County Park and nearby Whitefish Dunes State Park.
Make sure you pack an extra water bottle and dress appropriately when you head out the door later this week. The National Weather Service is warning people that temperatures could approach 90 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday, with the humidity making it feel warmer than that. While Lake Michigan will keep things along the water in the mid-80s, other areas in northeast Wisconsin like Green Bay and Oconto could see a heat index that makes it feel like it is 95 to 100 degrees. Kewaunee County Public Health Director Cindy Kinnard says you should drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks, and wear loose-fitting clothing if you want to beat the heat.
As of noon on Tuesday, the National Weather Service had not issued any additional warnings related to the heat. The extreme heat is paired with chances of storms throughout Wednesday.
In just over a week, you will be able to see tall ships parade on the waters in Sturgeon Bay for the first time in six years. The excitement for the vessels’ arrival has been bubbling ever since Destination Sturgeon Bay and the Door County Maritime Museum announced that the tall ships “Liberty Clipper,” “Pride of Baltimore II,” and “When and If,” as well as the Great Lakes schooner “Utopia” would be docking in the city back in March. Tickets for sail away experiences have been virtually sold out since they went on sale in May, with additional trips also selling out quickly. While sailing on the actual ships may not be in the cards, Destination Sturgeon Bay’s Alexa Soto says a festival-like atmosphere will unfold during the weekend-long event.
Tall Ships Sturgeon Bay is preceded by Destination Sturgeon Bay’s Sail Through The Avenues Sidewalk Sales and coincides with the city’s Maritime Week activities and the Door County Maritime Museum’s Classic and Wooden Boat Show. Soto adds that they have been in close contact with agencies like the Sturgeon Bay Police and Fire Department, the Door County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to ensure a safe experience, who may try to share the waters with the tall ships when they are in town July 31st-August 3rd.
Through six months, you are living in an even safer community than you may have before the merger between the Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department and the communities’ two Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) groups.
Fire Chief Curt Vandertie issued the mid-year checkpoint over the weekend after the three groups officially joined forces on January 1st. While two members have left since then, the department has gained seven new members and has another two in the pipeline once they start training in October. The extra bodies are definitely being used with the jurisdiction experiencing a 13 percent increase in emergency medical calls. Despite this, the department has seen the number of “no response calls,” the result of no EMRs being available due to full-time jobs or other reasons, drop 77 percent. Vandertie was hopeful before the merger took place that coverage during emergencies and recruitment would improve once the changes were complete.
Vandertie remains thankful for the support of the towns’ leaders and the community, who trusted in combining services, and also for the firefighters and emergency medical responders who dedicate a significant amount of their time to protecting the area.
If you are adopted and have always wondered who your birth parents were, a recently introduced bill by State Senator Andre Jacque could soon help answer that question. Jacque joined Rep. Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc) in introducing a bill allowing adopted children the right to obtain a copy of their original, unaltered birth certificate. The bill follows the lead of 10 other states that have allowed individuals 18 years and older to unlock a critical part of their past. Jacque says the bill is part of the many adoption-related bills he is bringing to the legislature to help connect the dots for adopted children and hopefully make Wisconsin a more adoption-friendly state.
Tittl and Jacque are both seeking co-sponsors for the bill until July 31st. According to data from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, an average of over 680 children per year were adopted in Wisconsin between 2019 and 2022, including 649 in 2022.
A Washington, Ill. couple was transported to Door County Medical Center last Saturday afternoon following a one-vehicle crash. The accident occurred just after 1:20 p.m. on State Highway 42 near Beach Road. The vehicle was heading south on the road when witnesses said it swerved off the road while trying to avoid slower traffic ahead. The vehicle drove through a ditch before hitting the guy wire of a utility pole and a tree. Both the 86-year-old man driving and his passenger, an 82-year-old woman, suffered suspected minor injuries in the crash that required additional treatment. The driver was cited for failing to keep his vehicle under control.
One person suffered a minor injury as a party to a two-vehicle accident in the Town of Sevastopol last Friday evening. The accident occurred at the intersection of State Highway 57 and Clark Lake Road at approximately 5:40 p.m. According to the accident report, a 60-year-old Baileys Harbor man was crossing STH 57 heading east on Clark Lake Road after stopping at the intersection when he struck a vehicle heading north on the highway. He told the responding deputy that he looked but did not see the other vehicle, driven by an 87-year-old Baileys Harbor man, coming when he struck him. An 80-year-old Baileys Harbor riding in the car that was struck was the only person who suffered a possible injury in the crash, though she did not need additional treatment following the accident. Both drivers and two other passengers in the other car were uninjured. The 60-year-old Baileys Harbor man was cited for failing to yield to the right of way from a stop sign and driving without insurance.
No matter how far you may live from Oshkosh, you can expect to see at least some traffic heading there no matter where you look. Last year, the weeklong annual event welcomed a record 686,000 people to the Wittman Regional Airport and the adjacent EAA grounds. With 10,000 aircraft flying in and out of Oshkosh, EAA Airventure becomes the world’s busiest airport for a week. Area airports also see a spike in traffic because of the event, including Austin Straubel Airport in Green Bay. Airport Director Marty Piette says EAA AirVenture is not just a celebration of aviation, it is also a showcase for the area’s other airports.
Door County’s airports in Sturgeon Bay, Ephraim, and Washington Island also see some additional traffic due to EAA AirVenture, which runs July 21st-27th.
Your next hike in Sturgeon Bay could give you a new view on an old favorite. The Door County Parks Department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reached an agreement earlier this month to manage the property lining either side of the Sturgeon Bay and Lake Michigan Ship Canal. There are trails on both sides of the canal for people to enjoy, one of which is near the Door County Land Trust’s Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve. Door County Parks Director Tim Kazmierczak is already a fan of the overlook trail on the north side of the canal, adding that he is excited for more people to enjoy the property.
Kazmierczak says during the two weeks they have managed the property they have trimmed back some shrubs and cut the grass ahead of installing new signage in the near future.
Despite his Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis years ago and the struggles he still encounters with it, you will still find it difficult to find Dave Mailand without a smile. According to the National MS Society, multiple sclerosis is a disease that impacts the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves, which make up the central nervous system and control everything we do.
People like Mailand often do not experience symptoms after years of damage have already taken place. Mailand, for example, says his doctors believe he had MS for more than 20 years before he was diagnosed with it more than five years ago. Instead of feeling bad about having MS, he made sure other people did not have to go through their own journey with the disease alone.
He has become the biggest cheerleader for those who have MS or take care of people with MS. In addition to organizing monthly Door County MS Alliance meetings, he has volunteers at events like next month’s mini-golf outing in Fish Creek and the 50-mile MS Challenge Walk in September. He says the positivity goes a long way.
Things are changing—some quickly and some with glacial slowness—at Crossroads at Big Creek, and this week our programs will reflect on some of those changes. So what is glacial slowness? Geologists estimate that during the last Ice Age, the glacier moved over the Door Peninsula at one to four inches per day, when it wasn’t stalled, which it sometimes was.
The topic of the family program Journeys with Joan at 1:00 on Monday, July 28, is butterflies, and for them, change happens quickly. Participants will likely see monarch butterflies flitting among common milkweed blossoms, sipping nectar, though monarchs tend to prefer other flowers for feeding.
Females are more likely to search for tender milkweed leaves on which to lay their eggs. Joan will explain that a monarch develops from a tiny egg about the size of a grain of sand to an adult butterfly in 29-32 days, depending on temperature. Other butterfly species may develop even faster, but in the grand scheme of things, it's an impressively rapid transformation.
The next day, the Journey with Joan program will focus on glaciers—the iconic example of slow change. But the formation of the Great Lakes has also been slow. The retreat of the last glacier began more than 10,000 years ago, and the landscape is still recovering.
The ice sheets were so massive that they depressed the Earth’s crust. When the ice melted, the land began to rebound, while the volume of water in what is now Lake Michigan fluctuated wildly for millennia. Today, the land around Sturgeon Bay is still rising a few millimeters per year, while nearby areas are sinking ever so slightly.
On Wednesday, the Journey with Joan program will discuss caves, another testament to slow geologic change. Approximately two million years ago, glaciers scoured away the overlying soil and rock, exposing the region’s Silurian dolomite bedrock. Since then, slightly acidic rainwater—formed when rain mixes with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and soil—has slowly widened fractures in the dolomite, creating the caves and sinkholes we see today.
Finally, our Nature Trek with Terrie will transform participants into "Nature Detectives." Learners of all ages will explore Crossroads’ diverse terrestrial and aquatic habitats, searching for clues about who lives there, what they eat, and where they go.
Looking ahead, on Saturday, September 6, the community is invited to further explore our habitats during the Second Annual Trails & Ales event. We encourage early registration—discounted pricing is available through the end of July. Proceeds support programming and outreach at Crossroads at Big Creek. For details and tickets, visit the Crossroads website.
Monday, July 28
1:00:Journeys with Joan- Butterflies
Butterflies are masters of change, and participants will search for these remarkable insects in the gardens, meadows, and fields of Crossroads. This free, family-friendly nature program is open to all ages and requires no registration. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.
Tuesday, July 29
1:00 p.m., Journeys with Joan: Glaciers to Great Lakes
Learners of all ages will explore how massive glacial ice shaped the landscapes we know today. Discover how these ancient forces helped form Wisconsin’s most precious resource—our Great Lakes. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.
Wednesday, July 30
1:00 p.m. Journeys with Joan: Rocks & Caves of Door County
Learners of all ages will delve into the geological history of the region. Learn how Door County’s caves formed over millions of years in the layers of ancient dolomite bedrock. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay
1:30 p.m. Wandering Wednesday
This gentle, one-hour walk led by a naturalist is perfect for all ages. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.
Thursday, July 31
1:00 p.m., Nature Treks with Terrie
Participants of all ages are to take a deep dive into local ecology. Join naturalist Terrie Cooper on a discovery hike to explore Crossroads’ forests, fields, and wetlands while searching for clues about who lives there, what they eat, and how they travel through the landscape. Reservations required. See www.crossroadsatbigcreek.org Events for more information and to register.
Whether you are a visitor or resident, you can learn about history through a unique offering created by the Gibraltar Historical Association. Their audio tour, which is available around the clock, includes 23 sites that have stood the test of time.
“Fish Creek is a walkable village and people so often ask about the story behind many of these buildings,” said Laurie Buske, Director of the Gibraltar Historical Association, “you can put the rack card in your pocket and pull it out when you want to know more as you walk from shop to shop, or waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant, it’s so easy, fun, and brings history to all.”
Each stop, marked by a blue ceramic number tile, includes places such as the Fish Creek Market, Thorp House Inn, the Alexander Noble House, and Buske’s favorite, Asa Thorp’s cabin, which tells the story of how Fish Creek began.
“Audio tours are the easiest way to discover history because it is as simple as dialing a phone number and punching in a code,” Buske added.
To access the free tour content, patrons can call into (920) 365-3711 on their mobile device and enter the site tile number followed by the “#” key. There is no limit to the number of times the tour can be accessed. Visitors can also download a free tour guide on the association website here, or pick one up at the Fish Creek Visitor Center.
For individuals in Door County, healing support could come with four paws and a tail. Through Door County Therapy Dog Teams, Inc., a volunteer-run nonprofit based in Brussels, the group educates the community about the magic behind pet-provided therapy opportunities.
“Therapy dogs bring happiness and joy to other people,” said Julie LaLuzerne, president of Door County Therapy Dog Teams, Inc.
Therapy dogs and their handlers visit nursing homes, schools, hospitals, libraries and other locations around Door County and their services rely on grants and donations. In effort to continue to make an impact locally, the group will host their Dog Days of Summer fundraising event on Friday, August 8th from 4p.m. and 8p.m at the Thirsty Cow Taphouse in Baileys Harbor.
“It’s so important to realize the impact the therapy dogs have on people of all ages,” LaLuzerne added.
The event, hosted rain or shine, will feature a Door County Sheriff K-9 Unit Dog Show, 4-H Dog Show, raffles, vendors, and live music. There will also be opportunities for kids to get a free book, read to therapy dogs, and create an art piece with their dog or a therapy dog. Well-behaved dogs with up-to-date vaccinations are welcome to attend.
You can see lettuce and zucchini growing alongside the love for a new hobby at the Boys and Girls Club in Sturgeon Bay. The gardening club at the Boys and Girls Club Bay and Lakes Region is growing fruits and vegetables in their raised garden beds right outside the doors. The kids receive hands-on advice from the Door County Master Gardeners to assist in their efforts to grow food that can be used as snacks at the club. The gardening club also received a major boost from the Dillion Family Foundation on Thursday with former Green Bay Packers running AJ Dillon and his wife Gabrielle donating $25,000 to the effort and to celebrate the foundation’s one-year anniversary. Development Director Kacie Mueller says the Dillon Family Foundation Garden Beds are more than that to the kids that will get to use them.
Mueller says the gardening club fits right with its six pillars of success at the club, which in this case covers health and fitness.
With over 300 miles of shoreline there are plenty of places to launch your kayak in Door County whether chasing smallmouth bass or just out for a fun time paddling on our beautiful Green Bay or Lake Michigan.
I won’t have space to list all the launches, but this should get you started. I suggest you do some exploring and take advantage of Google Maps. One of the best, and there are dozens of these up and down the peninsula, are roads that dead-end at the water. The key to any of these launch points is making sure your vehicle is off the road when you park.
Throughout the county there are many public and private boat launches that if you are using a kayak trailer you can launch by just paying the fee. I’ve used the launches in Ellison Bay and on both North Bay and Moonlight Bay. For Sturgeon Bay, I like the launch at Sunset Park and if you are transporting your kayak on your vehicle, you can launch at the beach. Beaches are great places to launch, but usually best on weekdays or before the crowds show up on weekends. Other good beaches to launch at are Otumba Park, Murphy Park and public beaches in most communities. For the more secluded Rowleys Bay and Mink River use the nice kayak launch next to the public boat launch in a protected little harbor. And, as you’d expect, both Potawatomi and Peninsula State Parks have kayak specific launches and plenty of parking.
There’s beautiful scenery and plenty of water birds to view when paddling from any launch point in Door County. You might even get lucky and spot an eagle soring over the water or above the trees. For you smallmouth bass anglers many of the launches I mentioned can put you on some very good spots to catch and ideally release those smallies. As you all know I love chasing smallies and the excitement level ratchets up when in your kayak.
It’s the perfect time of the year to get out in your kayak and enjoy Door County! As always, if you have any kayak or kayak fishing questions email me at kayakfishingwisconsin@gmail.com. My 2024 Canoecopia talk, Kayaking & Kayak Fishing Door County, Wisconsin, covers most of the launches in the county with Google Map pictures. Email me if you’d like the PDF of the talk.
Recently, I was perusing some of the local Social Media platforms when I observed a significant amount of chatter regarding the observation of a city squad out in the county. It was unfortunate, although not surprising, that the initial question of why a city squad would be out in the county took a negative turn with comments ranging from taxpayer resources being wasted to the general degradation of our law enforcement profession. So, I thought the topic of “Mutual Aid” statutes here in the State of Wisconsin would be a great topic to try to shed some light on the matter.
Let’s start with the statute itself, which is contained within chapter 66.0313 “Law Enforcement; Mutual Assistance”. To summarize the overall language, it states: “Upon the request of any law enforcement agency, the law enforcement personnel of any other law enforcement agency may assist the requesting agency within the latter's jurisdiction, notwithstanding any other jurisdictional provision. Law enforcement personnel, while acting in response to a request for assistance, shall be deemed employees of the requesting agency.”
Now, of course, there are a great deal more details to this statute and its provisions, but for the sake of this article, what is important is that we operate under this authority to assist each other in our times of need. This is, in fact, a significant resource, as it allows our agencies to operate at a given staff level for day-to-day operations, but then to have additional resources at a moment’s notice when an emergency arises. All of this was done at no cost to the requester, which, in terms of taxpayer resources, is as efficient as you can get.
There may also be times when a given squad is seen operating out of its jurisdiction, and that Officer may be conducting follow-ups on an investigation, as the various persons involved in that investigation may not reside within their given jurisdiction. You may also see squads out of their jurisdiction traveling to and from training. The bottom line is that the presence of squads in any community is a positive thing, and instead of defaulting to a negative pre-conceived notion, your overall mental health and general disposition may be better served in assuming the positive.
If you ever do have any questions about what we in law enforcement do and the many unique aspects of our duties, please feel free to reach out and we can have a wonderful conversation. I guarantee you will come away better informed than relying on social media platforms for the answers.
The Transportation Board for the City of Sturgeon Bay has proposed changes to the intersection on 5th Avenue and Jefferson Street in Sturgeon Bay following an increase of accidents and near-misses on the main corner. Their plan, which includes parking reduction, will now be brought to the Common Council for approval.
Within their concept, the board suggests removing one parking stall from each side of the intersection closest to the northeast and southeast corners. This concept looks to improve sight lines to reduce the number of collisions and will be paired with new crosswalk signage to improve visibility for both pedestrians and drivers.
District 4 Alderperson Spencer Gustafson supports the change, calling it a measured approach that improves safety without significantly altering the traffic flow.
“We’ll monitor the intersection over the next few months and may revisit whether a pedestrian-activated or continuous flashing crosswalk light is needed,” Gustafson said, “If so, that would require future budget planning as it’s a significant cost.”
This wasn’t the only change the board initially discussed for this area; a four-way stop was proposed but was rejected.
“That decision was based on input from street department staff and the fire department who raised concerns about emergency vehicle turning radius and braking during winter conditions,” Gusafason added, “state and federal guidelines also recommend four-way stops only when traffic volume is similar in all directions and Jefferson carries significantly more traffic than Fifth.”
The Common Council is also currently reviewing areas farther east on Jefferson near Sixth and Seventh for a potential speed board like ones already installed on Michigan near the school zone, on Maple and on 18th.
Photo Credit: Jeanine Elizabeth
Third Avenue PlayWorks is launching its summer production of The 39 Steps this weekend at the Steve & Jackie Kane Theatre, kicking off a whirlwind theatrical experience filled with suspense, slapstick humor, and inventive storytelling.
Directed by Mary MacDonald Kerr, the fast-paced comedy-thriller is a stage adaptation of the Alfred Hitchcock classic, blending mystery and parody as four actors take on more than 150 roles. Rudy Galvan makes his TAP debut as Richard Hannay, joined by TAP favorites Karen Estrada, Charlotte Foster, and Dan Klarer, each taking on the roles of multiple characters.
Artistic Director Jacob Janssen describes the production as “a high-flying comedic tour-de-force,” highlighting the creative energy and talent onstage. The show runs approximately two hours and fifteen minutes with one intermission, delivering a whirlwind of theatrical surprises in a tightly choreographed spectacle.
Performances continue through August 10, with evening shows Wednesday through Saturday, and matinees on select Fridays and Sundays. Tickets and more information are available at thirdavenueplayworks.org.
To learn more about The 39 Steps, listen to the full podcast here.
When you tap your toes to the tunes played during the Big Band Jazz session at Birch Creek Music Performance, Jeff Campbell is tapping his foot right along with you. Campbell has been at Birch Creek for 37 years, including 29 as the Jazz Program Director. Despite the long trip from Rochester, New York, coming back to Birch Creek is a must for Campbell every summer, adding that even his kids have attended sessions and talk about the fun they had. Campbell admits his musical programming is fluid, often picking pieces based on the musicians he meets when the session begins. He says the connection Door County has with jazz music at Birch Creek is something special.
The first session of Big Band Jazz runs now through July 26th, with the second session running July 30th to August 9th. Jazz Ambassadors will also be touring the peninsula at various spots until August 9th. You can see the full schedule here and listen to our full interview with Campbell and Executive Director Jenna Ferdon here.
You have heard about the importance of eating, drinking, and shopping locally, but what about reading locally? Introducing you to local writers is the goal of Saturday’s Door County Published Author Collective’s Book and Author Fair inside Sturgeon Bay’s Martin Park in Sturgeon Bay. More than a dozen authors will line the park meeting with readers and showcase their books for every age and interest. One of the authors participating is Corey Geiger, who has written two books about Wisconsin’s agricultural history. His most recent book, “The Wisconsin Farm They Built,” won three national writing awards. Geiger enjoys talking with other authors about their works as a part of the Door County Published Author Collective. He enjoys meeting with people who have read his books because of the conversation that is born out of those few minutes in time.
The event coincides with the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market at Martin Park, running from 8 a.m. until noon.
Europeans received a chance earlier this month to hear the musical stylings of Wisconsin students you have heard before in the Luxemburg-Casco auditorium. Elizabeth Rank, Lorelei Salentine, Skyler Kopkey, David Allen, Lexi Polster, Karley Beyer, and Jay Kopkey were a part of the Wisconsin Ambassadors of Music Honors Band and Choir that recently returned from a European tour that included rehearsals and performances across England, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. The students were nominated by their teachers and rehearsed with each other at UW-Green Bay this spring before going on the summer trip. Beyer was nominated to be a part of the honors choir, saying she was able to build on her singing ability just by being around so many talented individuals.
Beyer adds that it was quite the experience to perform in small villages across Europe and to spend time in the mountains.
Auto Artisans, Inc. teamed up with the United Way of Door County on July 17th to raffle off a fully restored 1986 GMC K2500, combining classic craftsmanship with a meaningful cause.
The GMC, painted in pearl blue and midnight metallic, was fully rebuilt by Auto Artisans owner Jason Maccoux and his team. Maccoux says the project took six months from start to finish.
The winning ticket belonged to Sturgeon Bay resident Paula Cummings. Cummings says winning the GMC is “a dream come true.” She’s especially excited to take her grandchildren to the drive-in theater in the truck.
"Our crew here at Auto Artisans are all extremely grateful for being able to partner with the United Way," Maccoux said afterwards. "Not only for the big publicly announced aid and resources, but also the behind-the-scenes individual aid and resources that most of the community does not see. We hope to be able to continue to partner with United Way on events like this in the future."
Amy Kohnle, executive director of the United Way of Door County, said the event “attracted a new and different crowd,” helping the organization connect with supporters in a fresh way. “It diversified the way United Way raises money to support the community,” she added.
The United Way’s mission is to help people in the Door County community thrive in the areas of education, economic stability, and basic needs.
The collaboration between Auto Artisans and the United Way proved to be a creative and successful fundraiser, steering generosity in a new direction.
No matter where you go in Door County, if there has been a way to support the Ramirez family, the community has found a way to help. Earlier this year, eight-year-old Lucia Ramirez was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a fast-growing cancer that attacks white blood cells in a person’s blood and bone marrow. Lucia’s parents, Martin and Melanie, have had to take Lucia to and from Green Bay for treatments for at least one day a week if not more. The community has rallied behind the Ramirez family in multiple ways, including families cooking them meals, businesses like Door County Candle Company creating special fundraising products, and events like the Barney Fun Run in Sister Bay and the Sevastopol Color Run donating proceeds. It has been heartwarming to see for people like Katy Lau, who worked with Melanie at Nicolet National Bank until she had to take time off of work to help care for Lucia.
Nicolet National Bank is getting into the act on Friday with a brat fry at their downtown Sturgeon Bay office from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can contact the office to place to-go orders with all proceeds going to benefit the Ramirez family.
You can catch two local kids take the Southern Door Auditorium stage this Friday two weeks before their residency at the Wisconsin State Fair takes place. Luxemburg-Casco alum Joey Theucks and Southern Door alum Noah Rass are a part of the 57th Kids from Wisconsin troupe crisscrossing the state this summer. Rass is the second Southern Door alum since 2020 to be a part of Kids from Wisconsin after Brady Tooley was part of three seasons. Entitled “The Heat is On: Summer Playlist,” the show features songs from summer blockbuster movies, Woodstock, and more. Cory Vandertie says they always get strong audience support for their Kids from Wisconsin performances, but there is extra enthusiasm this year because of Rass’ inclusion.
Limited seats are still available for the show, which begins at 7 p.m. The troupe will also offer a free Realize Your Dream Workshop for kids 7-14 at 4 p.m. If you cannot make Friday’s show, they will make a few more appearances before performing twice daily at the Wisconsin State Fair at the Five Nine Amphitheater.
Update: U.S. Cellular says all locations are remaining open, including the Sturgeon Bay location.
STATEMENT FROM U.S. CELLULAR
"T-Mobile has offered employment opportunities to a majority of UScellular associates, and stores in Wisconsin remain open and continue to serve customers. We also anticipate a smooth transition for UScellular customers, who will have the option of remaining on their current plans or switching to a T-Mobile plan after the transaction closes.
In an effort to strengthen the rural network of one cell phone carrier, you will soon see the presence of another disappear in Sturgeon Bay. T-Mobile announced this week that it was closing 40 U.S. Cellular-branded stores across Wisconsin, including its location on Egg Harbor Road in Sturgeon Bay. Locations in Bellevue and Ashwaubenon were also closed as a result of the sale. The decision dates back to May 2024 when T-Mobile announced it was acquiring most of U.S. Cellular’s operations for approximately $4.4 billion. That deal included the company’s wireless operations, customers, stores, and other assets. At the time of the sale, T-Mobile officials said they hoped that by acquiring U.S. Cellular that they would be able to provide a better connection for its rural customers. Approximately 4,100 people were laid off as a result of the sale, though the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development says many of them could be hired back as T-Mobile employees.
Eighty to ninety planes are expected to join hundreds for the annual Fly-In Fish Boil, which takes place at the Washington Island Airport from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Photo by Washington Island Chamber of Commerce
If you get a letter from the Associated Appraisal Consultants about the revaluation of your property, Sturgeon Bay officials are urging you not to throw it away. The City of Sturgeon Bay announced the start of the revaluation process on Tuesday, citing state statute that requires them to do it every five years. Assessors are set to begin the process in the coming weeks, with inspections focusing on the exterior of buildings unless there has been new construction or if a building permit is present. Dean Peters from Associated Appraisal Consultants says there are several reasons why the assessments are needed.
Peters adds that contrary to common belief, revaluations are not done to raise tax revenues collected by the municipality and school district.
Below is a sample of the letters from the Associated Appraisal Consultants. When inspectors are in your neighborhood, they will carry identification and a letter from the City of Sturgeon Bay while driving an AAC-marked vehicle.
The National Weather Service in Green Bay has issued a flood watch for Kewaunee County, stating flash flooding could occur due to excessive rainfall. Rainfall of 2 to 3 inches is possible this afternoon and into the evening. The watch is in effect until 10:00 p.m., and runoff could result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, or other flood-prone areas. Travelers between Kewaunee and Door Counties are advised to use caution.
A Small Craft Advisory has also been issued for Kewaunee and Door County, in effect until Thursday evening. Due to strong North wind gusts, Lake Michigan waters between Washington Island going south could experience waves of 2 to 4 feet. Those operating smaller vessels are advised to avoid navigating during hazardous conditions.
You could see more stories told for the big and small screen in Door County in the future, thanks to a state budget provision creating a Wisconsin film office. In addition to the creation of the State Film Office under the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, productions can receive a 25 percent tax credit on income paid to Wisconsin residents up to $250,000 and on film-related expenses. Hollywood has called Door County several times in recent years, most recently on the holiday film “A Cherry Pie Christmas” directed by John Stimpson and starring Katie LeClerc and Ryan Carnes. Destination Door County Chief Communications Officer Jon Jarosh hopes to see more productions coming to Door County after positive feedback received from other recent experiences, such as “Feed the Fish” and “Green and Gold.”
Jarosh hopes this iteration of the State Film Office has longer legs to it than the previous one than began about 15 years ago but was axed in 2013.
The Door County YMCA wants you to think about the upcoming school year before you even start shopping for supplies. Registration for before-school, after-school, and preschool programming is available right now as families wrap up their summer. Serving students primarily in the Sturgeon Bay School District and at St. John Bosco School, the Door County YMCA offers state-licensed childcare options for parents who need some assistance taking care of their children while they are at work. The YMCA’s preschool readiness program helps the area’s youngest residents get ready for school and also has wraparound care available, which stretches from 6:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The preschool readiness program has two and four-day options available, while the before and after-school programs have three, four, and five-day options. Ashley Bagneski from the Door County YMCA says parents appreciate the flexibility for their children.
While you may have six weeks until classes resume, Bagneski suggests you enroll your kids sooner rather than later by stopping by the Door County YMCA, either online or in person. You can listen to our full interview with Bagneski by clicking on this link.
You could have a voice in empowering a larger political spectrum in the future if a bipartisan coalition of Wisconsin voters gets its way. United Wisconsin co-chairperson Dale Schultz is leading the charge to reintroduce fusion voting to the ballot, taking his case to the Dane County Circuit Court. Fusion voting allows multiple political parties to nominate the same candidate, allowing them to pool votes on the same ballot. Wisconsin used to have it in place, but the practice was banned more than 130 years ago. Currently, only the states of New York and Connecticut allow it. Schultz, a former Republican legislator in Wisconsin, told WMTV that the state needs to find a new way forward, adding that empowering independents and smaller third parties would put “a little democracy back in our democracy.” Common Cause Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck remembers fusion voting during his time living in New York, recalling a time when a conservative candidate beat out a Democratic and Republican candidate in a U.S. Senate race during the 1970s. He believes there is some merit to the idea.
While Heck says the process would likely need some time to grow through education and pilot programs, critics are against it. Republican Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Anika Rickard said in a statement that fusion voting would confuse voters and create “an election integrity nightmare,” adding that “voters deserve to be free of deception” and “not be manipulated into voting for a major party candidate masquerading as an independent.” Fusion voting is different from ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to arrange their preferred candidates in order of preference rather than choosing one. Candidates with the fewest votes get eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to other candidates until one candidate has the majority of them.
Wisconsin U.S. Senator Ron Johnson is not backing down on his promise to help return federal spending to pre-pandemic levels as he spoke to constituents during his tele-town hall on Monday. The tele-town hall came days before the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a $9.4 billion rescissions package that would cut funding from programs such as foreign aid and public broadcasting. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the plan last month, largely along party lines, with four Republicans joining Democrats in their opposition. According to Fox News, those are the cuts that have some Senate Republicans on the fence about approving the bill. Johnson said during his tele-town hall that the government is so massive that if President Donald Trump, his administration, and the House of Representatives say it should be rescinded, he will vote yes.
Johnson predicts another vote-a-rama will take place on the bill, meaning that changes could be made during the process. He also defended changes to Medicaid, Medicare, and ICE detention centers during his nearly hour-long tele-town hall, which you can watch below.
The time is now for you to spend quality family time in cherry orchards throughout Door County. The cherry blossoms you celebrated just over two months ago have transformed into delicious fruit, with some orchards allowing you an opportunity to pick your own bucket full. It is one of Toni Sorenson’s favorite things about owning a cherry orchard with her family after Soren’s Vahalla Orchard opened for sweet cherry picking late last week. She is expecting a strong harvest for sweet cherries and an even stronger one for tart cherries. In fact, the tart cherry harvest could be so bountiful that it can be blamed for why you are not able to pick them out yourself quite yet in some spots.
Sorenson adds that if you can be patient, both tart and sweet cherries will be available for picking at her orchards by Wednesday. According to Destination Door County, approximately 10 percent of all the cherries harvested in the United States come from Door County. Sorenson credits Door County’s placement between two bodies of water as a reason why the area is so successful growing cherries. Tune in later this month as Sorenson goes more in-depth with cherries as our Door County Farm Bureau Featured Farmer of the Month.
Checking yourself for ticks this summer may save you a trip to the hospital.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there have been more than 440 emergency room visits related to tick bites this year due to their ability to carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites from host to host. One kind of bacterial infection that is being seen locally, according to the Door County Public Health Department, is Anaplasmosis. Usually caused by the bite of a blacklegged tick, Anaplasmosis can cause fevers, headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue, but can also lead to respiratory failure, kidney problems, and even death.
To protect you and your family from tick bites, you should use repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, wear light, long-sleeved clothing, shower within two hours of being outside, and conduct checks every two hours.
Picture courtesy of Pixabay and JerzyGórecki
Do not feel bad or childish if you have the urge to “catch them all” alongside your children and grandchildren.
The popularity of Pokémon is experiencing a surge thanks to a mixture of nostalgia, social media, and investment interest. The card game spawned video games, television shows, movies, and more. Many parents were their kids’ age when Pokémon made its way to the United States in 1999, following a successful three-year run in Japan. That is part of the reason why the Head Gnome at Gnome Games and The Gnoshery in Sturgeon Bay, Pat Fuge, is becoming a multi-generational game, and its interest is surging once again.
Fuge adds that the popularity and camaraderie of Pokémon players rival that of sports teams and other social activities, with some traveling thousands of miles to compete.
The Gnoshery and 96.7 WBDK teamed up on Monday to host a Pokémon Night for Parents and Grandparents to go through the basics of the game and how to trade fairly. Pokémon cards have become increasingly more valuable, according to a report by Fast Company in February, with some cards going for thousands of dollars. It is part of the reason why Fuge believes some schools are banning the cards because of their high value. He recommends going to an official Pokémon card dealer like Gnome Games and The Gnoshery to connect with other players and to get the proper support.
If you have ever moved before, then you can appreciate the experience the Door County Maritime Museum staff is having after closing on a new storage facility for its collections. The museum officially purchased a former manufacturing building to become its new off-site collections storage, archive, and educational facility. It allows the museum to more than quadruple its capacity from 5,000 square feet between two structures to 23,000 square feet under one roof, and it will keep their collections in a more temperature-controlled environment. Volunteers have been assisting the museum in making the necessary renovations and moving some of the artifacts to a new facility, allowing staff members like Deputy Director Sam Perlman to uncover some interesting pieces that will lead them to be able to tell some exciting stories.
It is a busy time for museum officials. They are not only in the middle of their busiest time of the year but also preparing for the arrival of the Tall Ships at the end of the month. You can contact the museum to volunteer with the move itself or to contribute to the facility’s further renovation.
Even with a handful of treats, a belly rub, and a “good girl,” you may still struggle to find enough ways to thank a four-legged member of the Door County CERT K-9 Team for her efforts over the weekend. On Saturday night, the Door County Sheriff’s Department and the Door County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) collaborated to help find a missing woman dealing with Alzheimer’s. CERT K-9 Hanna and her handler, Rob, were able to track her down, marking their first successful rescue as a member of the organization. Door County Emergency Management Director Jeb Saelens reiterated that these all-volunteer crews do not replace the K-9 units used with the Door County Sheriff’s Department or other law enforcement agencies. He does note the importance of having a local duo be able to be quickly on duty.
Saelens also thanked the fire departments of Egg Harbor, Baileys Harbor, Jacksonport, Gibraltar, Sister Bay/Liberty Grove, Ephraim, and Sturgeon Bay for their assistance. Last month, the Door County Emergency Management Department celebrated the certification of three other K-9 units for search and rescue missions to join Hanna and another dog named Toby. The Door County CERT just started a new class this month that takes place at the Gibraltar Fire Station at 5:30 p.m.
You saw plenty of smiles and tears from Wisconsin State Fairest of the Fairs Megan Salentine in Luxemburg as she checked off Kewaunee County on her list of 50-plus county fairs that she will visit as a part of her reign. Salentine compared notes with fellow former Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair and 2018 Wisconsin State Fairest of the Fairs Isabella Haen, raised her family farm’s paddle during the livestock auction, and took in the futurity show as a part of her visit to her hometown county fair.
The former Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair was greeted by an appreciative Kewaunee County Fair Board, her “crew” donning pink shirts under the Andy Barta Legacy Show Pavilion, and inspired young ladies looking to snap a picture with the state Fairest. Her visit was bookended by visits to the fairs hosted in Lafayette and Jefferson counties, both of which are over 150 miles away from Luxemburg. Salentine says her experiences on the road shone a new bright light on the fair that has meant so much to her.
Salentine has two more busy weekends before taking up her nearly two-week residency at the Wisconsin State Fair, July 31st to August 10th. After that, she will hit the country fair circuit again, including the Door County Fair.
Photo by Jennifer Salentine
Five to ten minutes of your time can help give valuable insight on how you use and what you would like to see from Door County Parks in the future. The Door County Facilities and Parks Department is in the process of developing an updated 5-year plan for the Door County Parks. In preparation for that process, the department unveiled its survey for residents to take online. Visitor and resident feedback during the 2020-2025 parks plan led to the development of the all-inclusive playground installed at John Miles County Park two years ago. Parks Director Tim Kazmierczak hopes it goes to show how much they consider the survey results when they create their plan.
You can click on this link to fill out the survey until August 1st. Kazmierczak says the goal after that is to compile the results and submit a plan for Door County Board of Supervisors approval before the end of the year.
If you have not done so already, the Door County Public Health Department wants to hear your thoughts on how the health and well-being of your neighbors can be improved. The department launched the Community Health Assessment earlier this year as a part of their quinquennial rite to learn more about the residents they serve. The survey helps the department identify the most pressing health issues in the area, influence future investments in programs and services, and ensure everyone has a voice in the process. Public Health Strategist Shauna Blackledge says five years ago, when they last surveyed residents for the Community Health Assessment, mental health was a growing concern in the area and became something the department leaned into addressing.
You can click this link to take the assessment or pick up printed versions to fill out at Door County Public Health, the Aging & Disability Center (ADRC), its satellite meal sites, and some partner organizations. The assessment is due on August 31st.
You will no longer be able to access specialized services for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) individuals through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline after July 16th. The action follows through on a promise made by the Trump Administration last month to “no longer silo LGB+ youth services” in order to make sure everyone gets the help they need. According to The Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide as their peers. Because of that, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin says now is the wrong time to pull those specialized services, comparing it to military veterans who also need their own expert services through the Veterans Crisis Line at 988.
Baldwin, who became the first openly gay person to serve in the U.S. Senate, wrote the legislation to pave the way for the 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline in 2020 to replace the longer versions of the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Veterans Crisis Line.
Musician Eric Lewis hopes you enjoy his collaborations with the Griffon String Quartet as much as he does, especially when he performs with them at Midsummer’s Music Big Top Door County on June 16th. The idea for the collaboration began in 2019 when he was working on his own music and thought a string arrangement would complement it well. After talking with Midsummer’s Music’s Jim Berkenstock, work on a potential project was supposed to take place in the summer of 2020, which was called off because of the pandemic. Two years later, Lewis and the Griffon String Quartet recorded “Beneath the Waves,” a collection of six original songs that was released on CD in 2023.
Lewis says working with musicians like those involved with the Griffon String Quartet is a dream come true and that it helps bring his compositions to life.
Lewis will join George Meyer, Kris Saebo, the Griffon String Quartet, and the strings of Midsummer’s Music as a part of Midsummer’s Music Big Top Door County, which still has tickets on sale for people who would like to attend. Lewis will also be back in September to perform with the Griffon String Quartet and adds that they are thinking about returning to the studio to record another album. You can listen to our full conversation with Lewis by clicking this link.
If you have ever wanted a Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market-like atmosphere to spill over into a weekday, mark your calendar for July 24th. Destination Sturgeon Bay and the City of Sturgeon Bay are closing down 3rd Avenue from Jefferson Street to Michigan Street for its annual Sail Through The Avenues Sidewalk Sales that takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Intermingled with storefronts taking their best deals outside are food trucks and a DJ to create a festival atmosphere. Destination Sturgeon Bay’s Alexa Soto says it is a great opportunity for shoppers and businesses to connect in a unique way.
Sail Through the Avenues is not limited to 3rd Avenue; the city’s other shopping corridors on Madison Avenue, Jefferson Street, and Egg Harbor Road will also participate. The event serves as a prelude to Sturgeon Bay Maritime Week, which takes place the following week.
At Crossroads at Big Creek this week, the focus is on restoration, examined through the dual lenses of prairie ecology and geology. On Friday, July 18, as part of Door County Prairie Fest, the Prairie Enthusiasts organization will present “Prairie Talk: Considerations for Establishing and Sustaining a Prairie.” This free, educational program will offer practical insights into prairie restoration, ecology, and long-term stewardship.
Then on Thursday, July 24, at 1:00, the Nature Treks with Terrie will be a guided hike through the Ida Bay Preserve, highlighting the site’s geology, the legacy of post-glacial lakes, and the ecological restoration efforts currently underway.
This week, even our family programs will relate to geology and land restoration and biodiversity.
Despite the name, “Ida Bay” does not refer to a body of water. The preserve was named for the conservation-minded landowner who donated the land to The Nature Conservancy. In 2013, TNC transferred the property—along with a stewardship endowment—to Crossroads at Big Creek. The transfer was celebrated during a postcard-perfect snowfall. And throughout that winter, snowshoe hikes revealed the beauty of snow-laden conifers, but deep drifts concealed much of the terrain’s character.
When spring arrived and the snow melted, we were confronted by dense growths of invasive species. Yet, the snow-free landscape revealed ridges and rock formations—features that resembled ancient shorelines of glacial lakes.
Suspecting the ridges might mark historic shorelines, we contacted Randy Dickson of Midwest Archaeological Consultants, who sent a field technician to the site with an altimeter. Her findings were remarkable: the elevations of four distinct ridges aligned precisely with the known shorelines of four prehistoric post-glacial lakes—all within the 64-acre preserve.
During the last Ice Age, massive glaciers depressed the Earth’s crust in this region. As the glaciers retreated more than 10,000 years ago, the land began to rebound—a process known as isostatic rebound. This caused dramatic changes in lake levels over time, leaving behind the geological features we see today. The Great Lakes and the Door Peninsula, as we know them now, gradually took shape through these natural fluctuations.
Understanding the post-glacial geological history of our land enhances our ability to restore native ecosystems. It informs choices about where to plant trees and what species are most likely to thrive, where to introduce prairie vegetation, and how to support biodiversity most effectively.
This week, we invite the community to learn with us—by attending Prairie Talk, exploring the Ida Bay Preserve on a guided trek, or simply enjoying our trails, which are open to the public all day, every day, free of charge.
At Crossroads, we believe that restoration begins with understanding, and understanding begins with exploration.
Friday, July 18
6:00 PM – Door County Prairie Fest: Prairie Talk
“Considerations for Establishing and Sustaining a Prairie”
Join prairie expert Dr. Dan Carter, staff ecologist with The Prairie Enthusiasts, for a free educational presentation on prairie restoration. Free and open to the public. No registration required. For more information, contact docoprairie@gmail.com or call (920) 421-2283.
Monday, July 21
1:00 PM Journeys with Joan: Insect Safari
Join our naturalist for free ,family-oriented activities exploring nature! Participants will discover the secrets of insects as they metamorphose from egg to adult. Hand lenses and collecting nets will be provided. This activity is suitable for all ages, and registration is not required. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.
Tuesday, July 22
1:00 PM – Journeys with Joan: Finding Fossils
Learn how ancient corals and sea creatures became the fossils we find at Crossroads.
Free and open to all ages. No registration required. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay
Wednesday, July 23
1:00 PM – Journeys with Joan: Welcome Back
Explore Wisconsin’s native species and learn about the efforts to restore birds, animals, and fish to local habitats. Family-friendly. Free and open to all ages. No registration required.
Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay
1:30 PM – Wandering Wednesday: Naturalist-Led Hike
Join us for a gentle, naturalist-guided walk through the trails of Crossroads.
Easy walking, about one hour. Free and open to all ages. No registration required.
Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay
Thursday, July 24
1:00 PM – Nature Treks with Terrie
Take a deep dive into local ecology with environmental educator Terrie Cooper, as she leads an exploration of the Ida Bay Preserve, which will cover geology, forest ecology, and the story of post-glacial lakes. For adults only. Registration required.
Visit crossroadsatbigcreek.org and click on Events to reserve your spot.
You could say that a friendly neighbor is the key to a happy community, though local nonprofit Neighbor to Neighbor’s Executive Director Ann Bennett would add that volunteers are equally important. On Monday, July 28th, the organization will recognize their dedicated volunteers during their annual meeting and also invites others to help support their mission.
“We couldn’t have this service or provide this program without the volunteers,” said Bennett, “they’re a very vital part of what we do for the community.”
In 2024, 56 volunteers helped Neighbor to Neighbor serve 1,860 individuals in three locations including Sturgeon Bay, Northern Door, and on Washington Island through various programs. Founded in 1984, the organization’s programs included peer companions for homebound aging individuals, respite care for family caregivers, their medical equipment loan program, and the Lemonade Club, a monthly support for cancer survivors and patients.
Bennett said awards will be announced during the meeting, which will be held at 5p.m. at the Meeting Rooms at Community Foundation Square in the Rock Island Room, 222 N. 3rd Avenue, in Sturgeon Bay. If you'd like to attend, please call Ann at (920) 743-7800.
Volunteers are also needed for clerical duties in the office and to assist with the medical equipment loan program. Those interested in volunteering can call, email, or stop in to Neighbor to Neighbor.
In addition to June being recognized as Dairy Appreciation month, it was also Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness month.
Although farming in and of itself is a stressful calling, the subject of PTSD brings with it far greater implications and considerations. First, let’s look at what PTSD actually is and what it isn’t. PTSD is the result of exposure to high stress and traumatic events. These could be one singular event that has a significant impact on our stress response system, or an exposure to continued trauma that is more cumulative and results in behavior change and/ or mood changes when similar events or memories of events occur.
It is important to note that many of us have been exposed to stressful situations, and once that situation or event is removed, we typically return to our prior state of mind, knowing that we are in a safer environment. The presence of PTSD is when those feelings of anxiety or fear remain long after we are removed from that specific traumatic event or environment. It could be an image, a smell or a sound that brings us back to that place, and without warning, we feel as though we are right back in that moment.
It is also important to clarify that what may cause PTSD for one person may not cause it for the next. Each person’s threshold for both stress and trauma varies greatly, but the response and outcomes may be very similar.
What PTSD is not is simply a bad recollection of a negative situation or a stressful event. We all have memories of negative experiences or bad days, but remembering those unfortunate events does not bring with it a physiological transformation, leaving us temporarily paralyzed in our own bodies.
The recognition of what PTSD is and what we can do to both assist those struggling with it, as well as provide tools to prevent it, is important. As loved ones, we need to be supportive in both recognizing and supporting those struggling with PTSD by getting them to the resources that can begin the journey of overcoming this challenge. In these cases, it is not trying to forget the events or suppress the memories, but rather to make peace with them and incorporate them into our individual healing process.
For others, it is gaining the skills to minimize the effects of trauma before they happen. This has been the emphasis for those of us in the Resiliency training community, as this is truly a skill to be learned. Once you have the ability to effectively process stress and trauma, you are more likely to effectively function in its aftermath. As simple a comparison as it is, we are one of two versions of ourselves: the egg or the tennis ball. When faced with adversity and trauma, we can either shatter or bounce back. Mental Resiliency provides the skills to bounce back.
It is through both professional and personal relationships that this transition is made possible. We need to normalize our interactions with mental health specialists just as we do with medical health specialists. We need to be comfortable as family and friends to discuss such topics as PTSD. We need to make sure that no one is struggling in their journey after a traumatic event, or even worse, to minimize what they have experienced. We need to be there for each other so that we all have the resources and support to transition from PTSD to PTSG. It is in those resources and support systems that we transition from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to Post Traumatic Stress Growth. For more information on this subject, feel free to visit: www.ptsd.va.gov
After welcoming live music serving up trippe, the Brussels Lions Club is waiting for you to celebrate Belgian Heritage Days. The annual event is the club’s biggest fundraiser of the year to support its projects in the community. In the last year, the Brussels Lions Club has donated more than 141 bags of groceries, presented hundreds of dollars in classroom grants to Southern Door teachers, and supported its tee ball program. The rest of the Belgian Days weekend includes live music, food stands, a baseball/softball tournament, a Saturday run/walk, and a Sunday parade. You can find the full schedule below.
Whether you believe it or not, homelessness could be found right in your own backyard. The Lakeshore Housing Coalition is conducting its next point-in-time count on July 23rd and July 24th from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. in Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Door, and Kewaunee counties. The focus is to find people who are unsheltered, whether they are living in a car or out of a backpack in the community. The data collected during point-in-time counts helps the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine how federal housing funds our distributed. Lakeshore CAP Supportive Housing Outreach Coordinator Itzchel Garza says the impact of their point-in-time counts goes deeper than that, especially for the limited people they find in Door and Kewaunee counties. If people are found, they are given hygiene bags with toiletries and other bags so they can clean up and feel better about themselves. It also gives volunteers the opportunity to change a life with their interactions.
There are three outreach routes in Door County and five in Kewaunee County where you can assist in one of two shifts. Click on this link to find out more about the volunteer opportunities and sign up for a shift.
Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Ben Nelson is hopeful they are taking the steps necessary to improve the area's housing market and start attracting developers. The KCEDC launched Project HOMESTEAD last year to begin the process of addressing the critical housing needs the area has, especially when it comes to entry-level and workforce housing. The organization recently completed phase one of the project, which included a thorough examination of the current housing market to identify trends, gaps, and development opportunities. Nelson says they learned that much of the housing in Kewaunee County are older, single-family homes. Without a wider array of options and prices in Kewaunee County, Nelson says it is creating a bottleneck for housing in the area, which can have a negative impact on employers, schools, and other entities. In the project's second phase, Nelson hopes to evaluate the best opportunities that are available in Luxemburg, Kewaunee, and Algoma.
Nelson adds that Project HOMESTEAD is a multiyear effort with eyes for the end of the year to complete the second phase.
Your days of visiting West Jacksonport for more than just family visits and Ports baseball games are over for now after the Wisconsin Department of Transportation completed its bridge work near Logan Creek.
State Highway 57 over Logan Creek opened for the first time on Friday after being closed for a at-grade slab span bridge replacement since May 5th. The project is part of a larger effort along State Highway 57 to replace deteriorating culvert pipes. The DOT has already finished drainage structure replacement at Lily Bay Creek and Geisel Creek, but it has one more spot to focus on before the year is out. Culvert pipes at Hibbard Creek in Jacksonport will also be replaced with a new slab span bridge, though work for that project will not start until after Labor Day. At that time, highway traffic will be detoured using County V, County A, and County E until the project is completed in November.
Your community may need you to put on some turnout gear in order to keep your neighbors safe in fire emergencies. A recent survey of 400 fire chiefs in Wisconsin showed that 62 percent of them are concerned that they will not be able to staff their first due apparatuses in the next year, which is also a sign that response times could also suffer. Data shared by the Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department showed that the number of volunteer emergency personnel has dropped from 900,000 to 200,000 over the last 40 years. Southern Door Fire Chief Rich Olson says like many departments, they have struggled to keep up with retirements and other factors that might cause firefighters to leave the department. He ensures that volunteer firefighters are given the resources they need to be safe and successful.
He adds that Door County has always been kind and generous to its volunteer fire departments when it comes to their support. That includes attending events like the Southern Door Fire Department's Annual Parade and Picnic, which is scheduled to take place July 26th.
Before you head off for plans or have guests over this weekend, you’ll want to be mindful of roads under construction. Road work has been happening throughout Sturgeon Bay and in the next couple of days, remaining concrete work will be completed for some streets.
The City of Sturgeon Bay will be pulverizing and paving several roads in the vicinity surrounding Delaware Street. As work is underway, the city has asked residents to avoid parking their vehicles on the street to allow milling and paving work to be completed efficiently.
Paving is scheduled to be completed by Friday, July 18th, weather permitting, for the following areas:
In early August, the next set of road projects will be worked on from August 11th-12th and include:
The fairgrounds may make it feel like Christmas, but the colors you see decking the halls that are exciting Kewaunee County Fair exhibitors are purple, pink, and blue. The Kewaunee County Fair officially opened on Thursday, though many of the judged events began earlier this week. While many of the projects exhibited have been awarded a technicolor variety of ribbons, the journey to Luxemburg began well before that. For Sarah Doperalski, the inspiration for some of her projects began shortly after her grandmother passed away. One of her merit award-winning projects arranged some of her pieces of jewelry into the shape of a heart to form a piece of artwork that will last much longer than fair weekend. Doperalski says the awards make those projects that much more meaningful.
Evie Micolichek has been planning for this weekend for several weeks as she balances her Junior Fairest of the Fair duties with taking care of more than 30 rabbits. She was able to earn several top breed awards with her rabbits in the morning and afternoon before overseeing the hog show Thursday evening. She is looking forward to seeing everyone’s projects in her official role.
Jakayla Steinhorst understands Micolichek’s life this weekend better than most, as a former Junior Fairest herself. She has had to balance her work, school, and FFA commitments in addition to her animal preparation, which resulted in one of her steers earning a reserve champion designation. Even when those nights ended past 11 p.m., she knew it would be worth it in the end.
Despite their different journeys, all three agreed that their favorite part of the Kewaunee County Fair is interacting with their fellow exhibitors and visitors. The Kewaunee County Fair runs through Sunday.
If you know Adam Kriedeman and where he might be, the Sturgeon Bay Police Department would like you to speak with you. The Sturgeon Bay Police Department put out the notice Thursday afternoon. Kriedemann has a felony bench warrant for "Theft by false representation, with a loss of $10,000 to $100,000." You can find more details about Kriedeman below. If you can provide additional information, you are encouraged to call the Sturgeon Bay Police Department.
Providing you with something sweet, but different was the goal of Eli Schuster and Addison Wilson when starting Steel Bridge Gelato earlier this year. See how to run a small business is nothing new for them having watched Schuster’s dad Mark and Wilson’s mom Julie work together to form Bayshore Outfitters in downtown Sturgeon Bay. Both Mark and Julie said they have let the kids run their own show for the most part, only reminding them of some of the headaches that they have also had to deal with running a small business. The pair admits that there is still some advice they shake off, like when their parents remind them to call their wholesale partner Sara’s Gelato. Otherwise, they have appreciated the guidance they have received and the journey they have gone on so far with Steel Bridge Gelato.
Mark says he is proud of what Eli and Addison have accomplished and the challenges they are willing to take on.
You can find Steel Bridge Gelato throughout Door County, including at the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until noon. You can listen to the entire interview as a part of the Faces of the Farmers Market podcast found here.
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin remains fearful that you may not get the medical help you need on the heels of last week’s approval of the reconciliation bill. Baldwin joined all of her Democratic colleagues and three Republican senators in voting against the reconciliation bill, which is either beautiful or ugly depending on the aisle you sit on inside the U.S. Capitol. Republicans have championed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by providing permanent lower tax rates, adding more funding for border control and immigration enforcement, and eliminating some of the government waste. Democrats have called it the “One Big Ugly Bill,” blaming it for significant cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs while adding money to the deficit. Baldwin sharpened her critique on the bill’s impact on rural hospitals, which rely on Medicaid funding to care for some of their most vulnerable patients.
Baldwin said that even though some of the One Beautiful Bill Act provisions do not go into effect until late next year, some could feel the impact sooner rather than later. We have reached out via email to Senator Ron Johnson's office for his comments in the aftermath of the act’s passage and signature. In a statement he posted online, he said last week’s act passage prevented an automatic $4 trillion tax increase and a default on the country’s debt. He is looking forward to finding ways to reduce spending to pre-pandemic levels.
Businesses in Door and Kewaunee counties hope to reel in some of their own kings over the next week and a half as the Kewaunee/Door Salmon Tournament kicks off. The 43rd edition of the tournament welcomes anglers of all ages to participate after it awarded more than $100,000 in prizes and cash last year. Anglers bring their salmon to weigh-in at locations in Kewaunee, Algoma, Baileys Harbor, Washington Island, Sturgeon Bay, and Carlsville for their chance to win the top prize of $15,000. It is not just anglers who come to Kewaunee and Door counties, and they are not just here to fish either. Baileys 57 manager and K/D Tournament Secretary Kari Baumann says the event is a family tradition for many that takes them everywhere throughout the county.
The K/D Salmon Tournament begins on Friday and runs through July 20th.
If you have not done so already, the Door County Public Health Department wants to hear your thoughts on how the health and well-being of your neighbors can be improved. The department launched the Community Health Assessment earlier this year as a part of their quinquennial rite to learn more about the residents they serve. The survey helps the department identify the most pressing health issues in the area, influence future investments in programs and services, and ensure everyone has a voice in the process. Public Health Strategist Shauna Blackledge says five years ago, when they last surveyed residents for the Community Health Assessment, mental health was a growing concern in the area and became something the department leaned into addressing.
You can click this link to take the assessment or pick up printed versions to fill out at Door County Public Health, the Aging & Disability Center (ADRC), its satellite meal sites, and some partner organizations. The assessment is due on August 31st.
Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward hopes your scoops of ice cream in the future will help lead to better roads and other city infrastructure improvements. The city became the latest community in the state to be eligible to enact a Premier Resort Area Tax (PRAT), joining the likes of Sister Bay, Ephraim, Rhinelander, and Wisconsin Dells. The 0.5 percent tax can be applied to tourism-related purchases, and the funds collected can only be used for infrastructure improvements. Ward says the city has been pursuing the PRAT since Sturgeon Bay voters voted overwhelmingly to approve it in 2018. Despite the efforts of Rep. Joel Kitchens, the measure that would have allowed a Sturgeon Bay PRAT was removed from previous budgets. Ward says his economic development committee’s collective jaws dropped when they heard from Kitchens that they were included in the budget, and believes it will be a tremendous benefit to the community.
Ward estimates it will cost the average Sturgeon Bay family an estimated $30 a year, but the bulk of the money collected through the PRAT would come from tourists. If the city does not need to pass another referendum approving the tax, Ward says the next steps would be to work with area businesses to determine the products that would be subjected to the PRAT.
When it comes to defending your rights when it comes to clean air and water, Midwest Environmental Advocates Staff Attorney Adam Voskuil says it comes down to you speaking up. Voskuil is the guest speaker at a Door County Environmental Council session on Thursday entitled, “Healthy Lands, Healthy Water: Legal Pathways to a More Just Wisconsin” this Thursday at Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay. Voskuil and MEA have been involved in a number of high profile cases that directly impacted Door and Kewaunee counties, including addressing the public trust doctrine in Sturgeon Bay and the authority of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in protecting Wisconsin waters. The non-profit environment law firm is currently involved with a case asking regulators to revoke carbon credits from a large-scale farm in Kewaunee County with a history of environmental violations. Whether the cases are based in Door and Kewaunee counties or not, Voskuil says the work they do in the state can have an impact and some of their recent wins are already having a positive change in Wisconsin.
The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. The DCEC is also making the presentation available online via Zoom.
Picture courtesy of Midwest Environmental Advocates
If you receive a parking ticket in Sturgeon Bay that is blue and white, either throw it away or bring it to the Sturgeon Bay Police Department. That is the advice of Sturgeon Bay Assistant Police Chief Dan Brinkman, who says they have been notified of two instances of the parking tickets being distributed to unsuspecting residents. Parking tickets from the city are yellow and do not have QR codes for payment like the ones being reported. Brinkman says PMC is a legitimate parking company used in other places around the country, but they are not sure why their parking tickets are being found here.
The Door County Sheriff's Department has not encountered the erroneous parking tickets, according to Brinkman. He advises not to call the phone number or scan the QR code on the white parking tickets.
The Door County YMCA has introduced two unique places to build yoga into your weekly exercise regimen. As a part of their summer session, the Door County YMCA is holding off-site yoga classes at Anderson Dock in Ephraim on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and at the Kane Pavilion in Sturgeon Bay on Fridays from 6:15 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. Yoga combines physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation to improve your body, breath, and mind. Bailey Cox and Laura Cassidy from the Door County YMCA says to dress comfortably and prepare for a great physical and mental workout.
Even though the session began last month, Cox and Cassidy say you can always register online for a prorated rate for the rest of the session, or drop by for $10 a session. You can listen to the full interview here on our Wednesdays with the Y Podcast feed.
Picture courtesy of Pixabay and Pexels
If you find yourself driving around Sunrise School this week, be prepared to pull over for a glass of lemonade. For the third year in a row, the Sunrise Elementary Summer School is hosting its lemonade stand class to help raise funds for a new playground at Sawyer Elementary School and for the Sunrise Elementary School Activity Fund. Last fall, Sunrise Elementary School opened its all-inclusive playground for the community to enjoy, which was funded partially by the lemonade stand classes from the last two years.
Incoming fifth grader Audrey Luberger attended one of the lemonade stand days last year, making it priority for her to get into the class this year. In addition to being able to make a difference for students at Sawyer Elementary, Luberger says she has learned a lot in the class such as how to be time and cost-efficient making lemonade and how to make puppy chow.
Students are serving puppy chow and offering carnival games and tattoos as extra incentive for community members to check out their lemonade stand, which will reopen for the final time this summer on July 9th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
About four months after being placed on the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places, you can now find an Algoma shipwreck on another list of distinction.
Last week, the schooner Margaret A. Muir was placed on the National Register of Historic Places after being placed on the State Register in March. The Margaret A. Muir was a 130-foot ship built in Manitowoc to supplement the grain trade across the Great Lakes. The ship was on its way to South Chicago with a full load of bulk salt from Michigan when it encountered rough winds after clearing the Straits of Mackinac. It was not until the Margaret A. Muir was near Ahnapee (present-day Algoma) that it was realized that the ship was taking on water, and it eventually sank on September 30th, 1893.
In May 2024, the Margaret A. Muir was discovered by Brendon Baillod, Robert Jaeck, and Kevin Cullen, who have found three Algoma-area shipwrecks within an approximately two-year time frame. Baillod said a lot of work goes into their process to discover these ships lost in time after discovering the John Evenson shipwreck last fall.
There are now more opportunities for kids to build a passion for reading after the Boys & Girls Club of Door County received 1,000 new books from an initiative organized by the Smithsonian. The program provides a diverse selection of books across all reading levels and is a great way to support summer learning.
“We’re really working on avoiding that summer slide that we hear about and making sure that our kiddos are maintaining their academic success throughout the summer months,” said Boys & Girls Club Development Director Kacie Mueller, “I’m really excited about this donation.”
Donated titles include a variety of history books, chapter books, and other reads. Mueller hopes the books inspire kids to read at home as well and says they make an excellent cool-down activity on hot days.
“One of the great things about the variety of books that we received is that there’s something for everyone,” added Mueller, “it’s inspirational and it’s something they can take home with them to continue to read at home; maybe it’s too hot to play outside or they need to be inside, just having that relaxed time away from a screen can help exercise their minds at home as well.”
Alongside promoting literacy, the Boys & Girls Club is offering a free collection of printable educational activities for summer on their Virtual Club website.
Photo Credit: Boys & Girls Club of Door County
In the hours after heavy rains washed out communities in Texas and killed dozens in its wake, you could find a familiar glow shining from a Door County business.
Over the weekend, several areas of Texas received several inches of rain that caused flash flooding along the Guadalupe River. According to CNN, at least 82 people, including 28 children, have died as a result of the flooding. Dozens are still missing due to the floods that caused the river to rise as much as 20 feet in less than two hours.
Much like they have for causes like the war in Ukraine, wildfires in Hawaii and California, hurricanes in Florida, and a fight between cancer and a young girl from Fish Creek, Door County Candle developed a candle to support the victims of the Texas floods. Previous efforts have generated thousands of dollars for those causes to get money to the people and organizations that need it. Door County Candle owners Nic and Christiana Trapani say they try to work as quickly as they can in these instances to make sure they can make the most significant impact.
Positive comments have been pouring in since the announcement, some directly related to the area of the tragedy. The Trapanis added that the candle is available to order online and will be available in store on Tuesday. As of Monday morning, Texans were not out of the woods yet after the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for nearly five million people in central Texas, which includes many of the communities already designated a disaster area.
A 15-year-old driving a blue 2013 Hyundai struck a utility trailer that was parked on Delaware Street within the Thunderhill Estates mobile home community in Sturgeon Bay on Sunday evening. The driver, who was driving on a valid Iowa Instructional Permit, hit the trailer due to the position of the sun, which temporarily impaired her ability to see.
Due to the hit, the vehicle flipped onto its roof. Both the driver and passenger were wearing their seatbelt. The driver was taken to Door County Medical Center where she was treated for cuts to her arm. The passenger, a 26-year-old Sister Bay woman, did not sustain any injuries. Assistant Chief of Police Dan Brinkman says alcohol and drugs were not a factor in the crash and that no citations were issued.
If you come across a stray animal in Kewaunee or Door County, it will now have a place to go thanks to a new contract between A Cause for PAWS, a Kewaunee-based nonprofit, and the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS). The partnership allows individuals in Kewaunee, Luxemburg, Casco, and Algoma to bring in animals to the Door or Brown County Humane Society campuses without the risk of being turned away.
“Between all of us, it has been a huge accomplishment and a lot of work,” said Suzie Leist, Vice President of A Cause for PAWS, “we’re all very proud of ourselves for getting to where we are.”
A Cause for PAWS was created in November 2023 by a group of five women with a compassionate heart for animals. Leist said these contracts were much-needed as the number of homeless animals continues to increase in the area.
“The community has been a huge support in all of this,” Leist added, “it has already been a benefit and now that the word is out there that all the municipalities have contracts, when citizens find a stray animal, they can take it into the humane society without being turned away, which is a huge relief.”
The contracts will have to be renewed each year, but Leist is confident they will continue to be valuable for both individuals who find a stray and for the animals that need help.
Photo Credit: A Cause for PAWS
Thousands waited out the weekend rains for a meal and fun on the farm at the Sevastopol FFA Dairy Breakfast at Wilke R Organic Farm in Sturgeon Bay on Sunday. Guests were greeted with pancakes, eggs, and plenty of cheese, putting Door County staples like cherry, syrup, cider, and milk on full display. After breakfast, the crowd shifted to the century-plus-old operation, highlighting its decade-long organic farming chapter. The Wilke family showcased its farm to everyone from neighbors to U.S. Rep. Tony Wied and Alice in Dairyland, Halei Heinzel.
Sunday was especially emotional for Heinzel, who saw her chapter as the state’s Alice close in her first visit to Door County since she was selected in May 2024. Heinzel said this weekend felt like a homecoming for her, and it was a fitting end to her reign.
Dozens of volunteers helped make the Sevastopol FFA Dairy Breakfast a success this year, including making sure the parking lots were dry enough to handle the influx of traffic and serving guests in the breakfast lines. Proceeds from the annual event support scholarships and other programming organized by the Sevastopol FFA.
Next time you’re on an adventure around the peninsula, you just may spot a rather interesting find: a tiny pink flamingo! During their vacation to Door County, Anne Norton Parkes and her daughter decided to hide them along their stops, and you just may be lucky enough to find one!
Norton Parkes, who is originally from Door County herself, now lives in Florida. She recently visited for a girl’s trip with her fourteen-year-old daughter, Jade, and together they wanted to do something different and quirky.
“My daughter, on a bunch of them, wrote nice positive messages; teeny tiny, but she was able to write on there like ‘you’re awesome,’ and ‘have a nice day,’ and those kinds of things,” added Norton Parkes.
Think you can find one? Norton Parkes told Door County Daily News that these cheerful little souvenirs are hidden between Sturgeon Bay and Sister Bay.
While the Kewaunee County Fair celebrates Christmas in July as the theme for this year’s event, you do not have to look far away from the Luxemburg fairgrounds to discover an equally festive mood in the community. Luxemburg businesses joined in on the holiday spirit, with some adorning Christmas decorations as a sign of support. The annual parade organized by the Luxemburg Area Chamber of Commerce will also celebrate Christmas tiding despite temperatures likely north of 80 degrees on July 13th. Luxemburg Area Chamber of Commerce Secretary Alex Stodola says it is important for them to show support for the fair that attracts thousands to the area every year.
The community brings that support into the fairgrounds on Saturday, especially on Saturday, when dozens of businesses bid on animals raised by local 4-H and FFA members during the Kewaunee County Fair Animal Sale. Businesses like Ebert Enterprises in Algoma hear from participants weeks in advance of the sale, sharing a little about themselves and the animals they have worked on exhibiting for months. It is a tale very familiar to Jordan Ebert, who is on the other side of the fencing after participating in the sale as a youth. He appreciates seeing local businesses, large and small, trying to find ways to give back.
The Kewaunee County Fair runs July 10th-13th.
Organizations around the state, like the Door County Land Trust, may have to rely more on you to help protect the land, playing an important role in the environment. In the budget recently signed into law by Governor Tony Evers, funding for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program was not included, letting the funding potentially sunset in 2026. The program was created in 1989 to preserve land crucial to the state’s water quality and fisheries while expanding outdoor recreation opportunities. Funding from the program has allowed organizations like the Door County Land Trust to protect thousands of acres of land for over 35 years. The cut from the state comes as the federal government has eliminated similar programs. Door County Land Trust Executive Director Emily Wood believes the future of their work is murky at best if some kind of funding does not return.
Two Republican legislators introduced a bill to resurrect the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. Under the bill, there would be more legislative oversight for large land purchases and provide funding for upgrades on properties previously purchased through the program. Wood says it was a promise made by legislators that she aims to ensure they keep.
You can’t blame Birch Creek Music Performance Center Executive Director Jenna Ferdon for treating the first few weeks of the 2025 season like a family reunion.
Ferdon was a symphony session student and a faculty member before being hired as its executive director. The symphony season began last week with its annual Clampitt Concerto Competition Winners performance and its Independence Day concert, kicking off a stretch that has conductor Brian Groner, violist Matthew Lipman, trumpeter Mary Elizabeth Bowden, and bassist Michael Thurber all returning to the Egg Harbor campus. Ferdon says the enthusiasm they have shared in their returns has been infectious.
The Birch Creek Music Performance Center symphony session runs through July 12th. You can catch our full interview with Ferdon at this link.
At Crossroads at Big Creek, we strive to inspire environmental stewardship in learners of all ages. That’s why we offer programs for youth camps and families, as well as lectures and events geared toward adults.
This week, young people from the Boys and Girls Club will explore the science and fun of kites and geocaching. Free family programs are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.
On Thursday, July 17, our focus shifts to adult learners. At 1:00 p.m., we’ll offer an “adults-only” Nature Trek with Terrie, highlighting native summer wildflowers. Pre-registration is required and available through our website.
Wildflowers are more than just beautiful—they’re essential players in the ecosystem. While trees and grasses are often wind-pollinated, and some flowers self-pollinate, most wildflowers we enjoy in midsummer rely on insects. And for pollination to succeed, timing is everything.
The lives of native wildflowers and their insect pollinators are intricately synchronized to ensure mutual survival. Hikers may notice that many midsummer flowers are yellow or purple—the colors most attractive to native bees.
Wisconsin is home to several hundred species of native bees. Some are generalists, gathering nectar and pollen from many types of flowers. However, about a third of them are specialists, meaning they visit only one or two closely related flower species. Some rare plants are pollinated by a single bee species, which emerges and forages only during the brief window-a mere week or so-- in which its partner flower blooms.
Even the time of day matters. Many—but not all—wildflowers release a scent at specific times to coincide with their pollinators’ activity. Flowers pollinated by bees usually emit fragrance in the morning, while those white or light-colored flowers relying on moths wait until dusk to give off their scent.
Our beautiful Ohio spiderworts, in contrast, are unscented and their blossoms wilt by noon— but they are bright purple and have lots of pollen, and conveniently (but probably not coincidentally) their pollinators- bumble bees, sweat bees, and long-horned bees-- forage in the morning,
You'll learn more about these fascinating relationships if you join us for Nature Trek with Terrie.
That evening, July 17, at 7:00, the Door County Environmental Council will sponsor the lecture “Healthy Lands, Healthy Water: Legal Pathways to a Just Wisconsin.” Adam Voskuil, Staff Attorney at Midwest Environmental Advocates (MEA), will discuss recent and pending environmental lawsuits that may significantly impact our state's conservation law and water protection. This program is free and open to the public.
If it’s been a while since you contributed to Crossroads—or if you’d like to make an additional gift—now is the perfect time. Through July 31, every dollar donated will be matched (up to $10,000) thanks to the generosity of Jim and Donna Janning. Your gift will support stewardship of the Big Creek Watershed and help preserve our natural spaces for future generations.
Visit our website to learn more, register for programs, or make a donation.
Monday, July 14
1:00 Journeys with Joan- Butterflies
Butterflies are masters of transformation. During this family-oriented program, participants will seek butterflies in Crossroads’ gardens and meadows. This program is free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.
Tuesday, July 15
1:00 Journeys with Joan-Migration
Learn about the journeys of birds, insects, and mammals during this family-oriented program. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Sturgeon Bay
.
Wednesday, July 16
1:00 Journeys with Joan- Rivers to Lakes
Wisconsin has a fantastic gift – our Great Lakes! Families will learn how glacial ice has transformed our landscapes. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan, Street Sturgeon Bay.
1:30 Wandering Wednesday
This weekly, naturalist-led hike is a gentle one-hour visit to various ecosystems at Crossroads. It is free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.
Thursday, July 17
1:00 Nature Treks with Terrie – Wildflower Hike
Deep Dive into Environmental Topics with Terrie Coop,er Wildflower hike in search of cardinal flowers and other summer flora - adults only. Reservations required. For more information and to register, visit the Crossroads at Big Creek website.
7:00 Lecture: Health Lands, Healthy Water.
The Door County Environmental Council will present the lecture “Healthy Lands, Healthy Water: Legal Pathways to a Just Wisconsin.” Adam Voskuil, Staff Attorney at Midwest Environmental Advocates (MEA), will discuss recent and pending environmental lawsuits that may significantly impact our state's conservation law and water protection. This program is free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads, 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.
At only 16-years-old, Door County’s Luke Filar has graced national screens after his debut on NBC’s show American Ninja Warrior. Following his run on the show’s Las Vegas course, he is training in North Carolina as he prepares to take on his biggest goal yet.
Filar started training at age 10 and has been a long-standing fan of the obstacle course-style set up. He decided to apply, and was thrilled to be accepted to compete for the show’s 17th season. Now, the soon-to-be high school junior is reflecting on his experience and using what he learned to propel his future in competitive sports.
“I was just in shock the entire time, like the whole set and everything was so much bigger than I thought it was,” said Filar, “the balance was pretty deceiving; for the logs that I fell on, they spun a lot more than I was expecting.”
Despite the tumble, Filar’s favorite part was the flywheels and overall experience. Most impressively, it helped him to prepare for his out-of-state move to take part in the US Pentathalon Residental Program, which trains the best athletes in the nation. On his bucket list? A five-event pentathlon, and eventually, taking on the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“The next step is get better for a pentathlon, which includes course racing now, so I get to train for Ninja and I do want to go back on the show someday,” added Filar, “after that, eventually the olympics.”
Filar’s mom, Trisha Filar, said seeing her son dream big has been deeply rewarding, even if that means he is away from home for sometime.
“Even though we miss him, we are really proud of Luke for being brave enough to work hard to pursue his dreams,” she said, “he is thankful to have such a supportive community behind him for his journey!”
Photo: NBC
In a world that is often connected through speech and technology, communities like the Deaf and Hard of Hearing are still underrepresented. Learning American Sign Language (ASL) is not just about acquiring new skills, but is about building bridges, fostering inclusivity, and strengthening our ability to connect with others. Through a new ASL class led by Maplewood resident, Kivo LeFevre, individuals in Door County will get to do just that.
LeFevre was born deaf and raised by a hearing family who learned to communicate with him through sign language. He uses ASL daily, but after moving to Door County last year, he hoped to connect with others who are deaf.
“It is challenging for me because I haven’t found a deaf community here in Door County that is deaf like me,” said LeFevre, “but I don’t give up on trying to communicate with hearing people.”
At his job, LeFevre writes or communicates using voice to text, but says that’s a new experience for people who don't know how to use it. Many customers had expressed their interest in wanting to learn ASL, which inspired him to start a class to teach sign language.
“You never know, you might meet a deaf person somewhere and to be able to communicate with them even with basic sign language is helpful,” he added.
Classes will be held at S1599 Hwy 42 in Maplewood on Wednesdays starting on July 9th at 6p.m. and will go through August. There is no cost to attend and all levels are welcome. RSVPs are encouraged and those with questions can contact Kivo2u@yahoo.com.
After wrapping up its production of Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park on Sunday, Peninsula Players Theatre in Fish Creek will transition to a piece from the mind of author Stephen King. Written by William Goldman based on Stephen King's novel, Misery follows the story of novelist Paul Sheldon, who, after a car accident, wakes up in the home of a superfan who wants her favorite book character written back into existence. Acting alongside Lucy Carapetyan, Ryan Hallahan, and Glenn Obrero will continue their residency at Peninsula Players Theatre after wrapping up the much lighter-hearted “Barefoot in the Park.” Peninsula Players’ Audra Baakari Boyle says the transition shows the depth their actors can show from production to production.
Misery is the second show featured during Peninsula Players’ 90th year in Fish Creek. After “Barefoot in the Park” closes on July 6th, “Misery” runs from July 9th to July 27th.
Albert Einstein once said, “Intellectual Growth should commence at birth and cease only at death”. One of the best ways to learn is through reading, and I have committed to increasing my intake of books that expand my intellectual and emotional intelligence. As a flawed human being, I am acutely aware that this will be a lifelong journey, not with perfection as an end state, but merely growth. My current read is “Hope for Cynics- The Surprising Science of Human Goodness” by author Jamil Zaki.
The title caught my attention as I was listening to a podcast with a similar title. While I enjoy listening to those articulating their respective subject matter, the discipline of reading brings with it many additional benefits, so when I get the chance, I go old school and grab a book, preferably hardcover.
In my many years in public service, specifically when trying to influence those around me, I surround myself with those who will challenge my ideas and beliefs. I would classify these associates as “Healthy Skeptics”. They are rooted in both reality and curiosity. The shadow side of healthy skeptics is the cynic. They exist for the mere purpose of negative response, with little to no value as team members. Unfortunately, we have given great status to the cynics, assigning them a higher level of perceived intelligence and relying on them for counsel. We do this to our detriment, as they both limit our possibilities and deny us rewarding outcomes. They would have us believe that it is better to expect the worst of people and be right than to expect the best and be wrong. Fortunately, we now know through numerous studies that, in fact, your life’s outcomes are better in everything from finances to physical well-being when you apply the lens of positive thinking. As it turns out, if you expect the worst, that is what you will get; however, if you expect the best from others, the results are both positive and sustaining.
As with most things worth striving for, subscribing to and practicing this philosophy of positive thinking brings numerous hurdles, the most prominent being our current social media culture- popular/ culture reinforced cynicism. We view those who look to the positive as “Suckers’, waiting to be duped. We recall first and foremost the times when we were let down versus the times, we were pleasantly surprised by the actions of another. We call this “playing it smart”, when in fact it is just fear. We give only when there is either exclusive or at least mutual benefit to ourselves. We yearn for attention and sympathy for our cause when in crisis, when in fact what heals our soul is the act of self-sacrifice, and the attention we give to others.
There is a name for this human frailty, which I have shared before in my resiliency articles. It is called “The Negativity Bias”, and it can be very powerful if we let it, but it can also be controlled through a deliberate effort to change that focus from negative to positive. This is not to say that we don’t acknowledge a challenging time in our lives. It profoundly states that we have chosen to focus on the good. This personal choice is one rooted in optimistic courage and resilient fortitude, not surrender and defeatism. Two very different mindsets with two very different outcomes. Stay Positive!
With the kayaks having such a low profile, they are hard to see sometimes. Many times those pleasure boaters have several people in the boat talking, laughing and probably not always looking for or able to see small watercraft like kayaks. Just this week a Door Count friend texted to tell me about a kayak angler out by the Strawberry Islands in a tan kayak, wearing a camo shirt with a dull colored life jacket (PFD)! His point was how hard it was for him in his boat to see the guy. For this reason, I’ve always liked having fishing and recreational kayaks that are brightly colored. I like bright orange, lime green or chartreuse, white, red, etc. Those darker greens, grays and browns tend to blend into the water and are much less visible. My Astral Sturgeon PFD is Blaze Orange and offers extra visibility!
Nicely, many of the recreational kayak paddles come with yellow, orange or white blades that can be seen for quite a distance. Another accessory I’ve used is the YakAttack VISIFlag that comes with a bright orange flag on a flexible shaft that flies a few feet above the kayak. These only cost $30 to $40 and are easy to attach to most kayaks. If you are out early or late with low-light, I might suggest their VisiCarbonPro with a light on top.
As always, when on the big waters of Green Bay or Lake Michigan be as safe as possible. For you smallmouth bass anglers, fishing this season has been slow with the cold spring, but, with the recent warmer weather and rising water temps it has improved up and down the peninsula. I’ve been having very good luck fishing pretty shallow throwing the Keitech USA 2.8 FAT Swing Impact and the Z-Man 3-inch SlimSwimz. Both are small swimbaits and after a long cast should retrieved slow and steady on a light Z-Man or Gopher Tackle 1/16 or 3/32 ounce chartruese jig. If you have any questions about kayak fishing or kayaking in general, please email me at kayakfishingwisconsin@gmail.com
You may recognize the name of the new City of Sturgeon Bay Community Development Director after she was officially selected during Tuesday’s Common Council meeting. The council named Rebecca Kerwin as the new director to replace Marty Olejniczak after more than two decades on the job. Kerwin’s current office is just a few blocks over, where she is a planner in the Door County Land Use Services Department. Mayor David Ward says Kerwin brings much experience to the role that comes from living in the area. He adds that her knowledge of the Geographic Information System (GIS) software makes her especially valuable as the city grows.
Kerwin will likely begin in her new role at the beginning of August. On Tuesday, the Sturgeon Bay Common Council also approved a new planned use development (PUD) agreement for the 81-room Hampton Inn hotel project and new amendments in the zoning code that Ward says will make the city more buildable for additional housing.
If you pass by the Alexander Noble House this summer, you will hear some tunes coming from Noble Square. Not only is it a nostalgic pastime, but it showcases the richly rooted history of Fish Creek.
“This year is the 150th anniversary of the Alexander Noble House and to celebrate this, all season long we're going to have something that ties into celebrations,” said Laurie Buske, Director of the Gibraltar Historical Association.
Visitors can bring a chair or blanket on Tuesdays and find a spot in the square to listen to a variety of bands that will play on select dates. Buske called it the perfect opportunity to unwind and enjoy the calming ambience of the outdoors.
The hum of music has ties back to the early 1900s when the Noble family would host musical entertainment for guests in their parlor.
“Ula, Noble's first daughter played the organ and that is still in the home,” Buske added, “so that's kind of how music is tied to the actual square.”
Along with the concerts, visitors can participate in free docent-led tours at 9a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. For more information on the music line up or tours, visit the Gibraltar Historical Society website.
Just as their slogan ‘Do a good turn daily’ shares, Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes (GSNWGL) is continuing to make circles of positivity around helping girls in Door County become leaders thanks to a Women’s Fund Community Grant.
The $4,000 grant pooled contributing funds from the Barbara and James Hansen Fund, Dianne Trenchard Fund, Lutsey Family Foundation, Marion Peterson Memorial Fund, Marti (Spittell) and Gary Ziegelbauer Fund, Nancy A. Felhofer Memorial Fund, Sally & Michael O’Brien Family Fund, and the Women’s Fund Endowment of Door County. Together, funding will assist with membership fees, costs associated with camp, uniforms, and programming; last year alone, GSNWGL provided $160,000 in financial support.
“We fully depend on having our partners just really understanding how their investment is moving our girls forward in leadership skills and building courage, confidence and character,” said Kate Corey, the Chief Development Officer for Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, “it’s amazing to have those types of partners and we couldn’t be more honored to receive this type of funding.
In Door County, there are currently 145 girls amongst 17 troops who are active in Girl Scouting. For more information on Girl Scouts, visit their website here.
Photo Credit: Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
Could we see an election more costly than the $100 million spent on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race last spring? Depending on how a United States Supreme Court case is ruled next fall, it could be possible.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case brought to it by Vice President JD Vance that could reverse a 2001 decision limiting how much political parties could spend on advertising and messages in coordination with a candidate running for federal office. The decision came nine years before the Citizens United ruling that granted corporations, unions, and other organizations the same First Amendment rights as individuals. Republicans say too much money is going toward political action committees (PACs) that have benefited candidates on both sides of the aisle, but have put the influence in different places. According to OpenSecrets.org, the conservative-leaning Make American Great Again Inc. and the liberal-leaning WinSenate PACs raised a combined $723.6 million for the last election. Democrats argue that the U.S. Supreme Court should honor the 2001 precedent.
Common Cause Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck believes that a decision favoring Republicans would pump even more money into politics as a whole, which he says could erode trust in the candidates at the federal and state levels.
Heck adds that the ideal situation occurred for about two years in 2009 when state judicial candidates agreed to a $400,000 spending cap in exchange for full public financing of their campaign, eliminating the need for the candidates to fundraise. He already expects another record amount of money to be spent on the 2026 Wisconsin State Supreme Court race.
Next time you visit Sunset Park in Sturgeon Bay, you may catch a glimpse of the exciting new upgrades including a new pavilion with an outdoor fireplace and ADA-accessible patio seating, amongst other additions. These changes not only make visiting the park more enjoyable, but they also encourage accessibility.
“One way they’ll benefit the community is by providing greater access,” said Municipal Services Director Mike Barker, “the existing restrooms down there, before we did the upgrades, there was about a 5-inch step to get into the restrooms which was really a major blow to people who are having mobility issues.”
The restrooms now have a smooth, flat entry, and they also now feature Dyson hand dryers, which were installed as a green initiative to eliminate paper waste. While the city invested upwards of $800 for the dryers, the swap is saving them money in the long-run on paper products.
Visitors with wheelchairs or seated walkers can also now roll up to the new picnic tables to enjoy a meal with family and park goers can relax by the fireplace at the end of the pavilion and take in the sweeping views the area offers. A foot wash station was also installed, providing a space to wash off sand from visiting the park beach. While these changes have been welcoming, Barker said there are more plans in the works.
“We do have a proposed design for a new playground, and as long as everything goes well through the budget process, we would be able to do that next year,” he said.
Tentative plans include a specific area for older kids plus features for young children, including a mom and tot swing and a trolley system type of zip line. If approved, Barker said he hopes to have it installed by early July 2026.
Thanks to the growing demand in the state, you can expect to find more careers incorporating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts in the future. According to GlobeNewswire, Wisconsin is expecting to fill over 186,000 STEM positions by 2028, especially in areas like data science, information security, and web development.
According to Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, the manufacturing industry is experiencing similar growing pains as it needs an estimated 3.8 million workers by 2033. Local high schools have taken notice of the demand, with dozens of students from Door and Kewaunee counties working with the Northeast Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship (NEWYA) to find career paths at area businesses. For example, 58 percent of Luxemburg-Casco’s 2025 graduating class (88 students) received special recognition from NEWYA, several of whom will be directly entering the workforce with the business they worked with through their apprenticeship.
The demand is also part of why Northeast Wisconsin Technical College restructured its academic offerings this month to create clearer pathways for students looking for their ideal career. NWTC turned its Academic Affairs and Workforce Development divisions into six newly established colleges, including ones for manufacturing and STEM. “This is about more than reorganizing departments — it’s about making it easier for students to start, stay, and succeed,” said NWTC’s Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development, Dr. Kathryn Rogalski. “By aligning programs into six focused colleges, we’re creating clearer pathways through NWTC and into meaningful careers — while strengthening the connection between education, workforce, and community.” NWTC officials hope the restructuring will allow them to adapt to the community's needs and serve students looking to find their calling quickly.
Check your boat trailer and campers before heading out this weekend to ensure you arrive to your destination safely. With the increase in vehicles on the road pulling recreational vehicles, the Wisconsin State Patrol is offering tips to help you keep your trailer in check.
“There’s a lot of boats and trailers being hauled, especially up to Door County and Kewaunee this weekend for the holidays,” said Wisconsin State Trooper Jamie Kahkola, “so remember that you’re responsible to show your trailer is in good mechanical order.”
One of the most common incidents involving trailers is flat tires. Ensure that your tires are properly filled and are not too worn before traveling. Having to change a flat roadside can be difficult since trailers need to be jacked up higher for repair, plus it’s important to travel with the necessary tools to fix the flat if you get one.
Trailers should not be overloaded and items should be tied down with sturdy straps. Kahkola recommends checking that loose items, like boat seat cushions and coolers, are secured as they can easily fly off on the highway. Most importantly, don’t forget to check your safety chains.
“A lot of the time drivers hauling boats or trailers are cited is for safety chain violations, you know, not having two safety chains or not having them crisscrossed,” added Kahkola, “so check those safety chains and remember to have enough slack to allow you to turn properly, especially in construction zones.”
For more information on traveling with recreational vehicles, visit the WisDOT website.
You could see a lower recidivism rate for incarcerated individuals if a bill coauthored by State Senator Andre Jacque becomes a reality. The New Franken Republican joined Rep. Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc) in a measure that would expand the Treatment Alternatives and Diversion program to include people with a mental illness. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, nearly half of the non-violent criminals in Wisconsin prisons suffer from a mental disease, accounting for more than 3,500 individuals. The TAD program currently allows inmates to take advantage of diversion resources to help them with drug and alcohol addictions. Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski favors the bill, especially as prisons become more crowded ahead of the potential closure of Green Bay Correctional Institution in 2029. He says they have a captive audience when incarcerated, so it only makes sense to do what they can to get their lives back on track.
According to the state’s TAD report, the report has a good return on investment with the state saving approximately $5 to $9 on treatment court and diversion programs for every one dollar spent on TAD. This is the second time Jacque has introduced the measure, telling the Journal Sentinel that it was never taken up in the Assembly after passing the Senate in 2023.
Before you light that Roman candle or firecracker off this weekend, make sure you have taken the necessary precautions so it doesn't start a fire. With the unpredictability of fireworks mixed with changing winds or dry conditions, what may start off as a celebratory spectacle could quickly turn into a costly bill.
Sturgeon Bay Fire Chief Kalin Montevideo says the most common cause of fires over the Fourth of July weekend is the mishandling of fireworks, making it even more crucial to properly dispose of them after they have cooled down.
“Proper disposal would consist of not throwing them in your trash can but having a bucket of water or some way to saturate them,” said Montevideo, “not only will that help contain additional sparks or smoldering, but it will make sure that they’re completely out.”
Along with causing property damage if not properly contained, fireworks can also pose a safety risk for handlers and last year alone, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported nearly 200 emergency room visits due to firework-related injuries. While fireworks of any capacity can be dangerous, any varieties that amateurs launch to the sky are riskier.
“Anything that explodes or leaves the ground is illegal fireworks,” added Montevideo, “knowing what is legal and illegal to be using and understanding what is allowed is necessary to doing things in a safe manner.”
If you plan on hitting the water this Fourth of July weekend, make sure you do so safely. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says there have been three boating fatalities in Wisconsin so far in 2025, after seeing 14 deaths in 2024. Most of the tragedies involved people not wearing a life jacket. United States Coast Guard Boatswain’s Mate (BM) Kylee Barnett says making sure you have plenty of life jackets on board should be a part of your checklist before undocking your boat.
The DNR also encourages you to enjoy the water sober and be aware of unseen dangers near river shorelines and sandbars. Barnett adds they have noticed an increase in boating traffic in recent weeks, but it has not created additional issues.
Finding a spot for your future employee’s child is proving to be a crucial piece to filling the spot in your office. According to a 2024 UW-Madison study, long-term demographic shifts in the state have led to the highest labor shortage rate in the last 20 years. While area leaders cannot do much about people getting older and younger couples not having as many children as they once did, they are looking at how they can lift some barriers preventing people from entering the workforce, such as childcare. The study highlighted research from the Center of American Progress, which showed that two million parents in 2016 were forced to make significant decisions about employment and relocation based on the cost and availability of childcare. Molly Gary from the United Way of Door County says investing in childcare improves the community.
Childcare advocates received good news this week when more than $330 million in the state budget was directed to programs statewide. Closer to home, you can support Sturgeon Bay’s childcare center, Doorway to Learning, by simply bringing in your new or gently used shoes to either the Egg Harbor Road or Gordon Road locations now until August 23rd. Doorway to Learning will earn funds from the shoes collected before they are donated to people in developing nations.
While many individuals in Door County are looking forward to parties and fireworks over the weekend, loud celebrations can be triggering for combat veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Knowing where to get support and how to offer it is a compassionate way to ensure that everyone has a safe holiday.
“If you’ve got neighbors who are veterans, stop by and knock on their door and let them know that you’re going to be doing fireworks,” suggested Jacob VanderPlas, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #3088 in Sturgeon Bay, “just informing them is a tremendous help.”
VanderPlas served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard and served two back-to-back tours in Iraq from 2004-2007. He said celebrations can be difficult to maneuver but that preparation is key to being able to manage anxiousness.
“For me personally, if I know the fireworks are going to be going off, it’s not bothersome, but it’s when I don’t know they’re happening and they go off that I get a surge of adrenaline and then start getting memories back,” said VanderPlas.
You can help support a veteran through courtesy and awareness and if you see someone having a flashback, it's important to give the veteran space. While the noise of fireworks can cause concern, veterans do still in fact enjoy celebrating the meaning behind the day.
“We are so proud to be Americans and we love the celebration,” VanderPlas added, “it just happens to be a trigger, but being cognizant of it is a good first step to actually help to let the veteran heal as well.”
If you’re a veteran and are struggling with PTSD, you can reach out to the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and then selecting option one, or the Door County Crisis/Suicide Intervention Hotline 24/7 by calling (920) 746-2588. VanderPlas also encourages fellow veterans to reach out to their battle buddies, calling them the best resource a veteran will ever have.
The Door County YMCA’s competitive youth gymnastics team, The Strivers, took home a handful of medals from this year’s National competition. Girls on the team have gone through the progressive gymnastics program at the YMCA to prepare for the vigorous competition. Parallel to this year’s long list of successes, there’s also an opportunity for new gymnasts to get involved as the new session starts up.
This year, the team didn’t have to travel far to compete as Nationals were held locally at the Resch Center in Green Bay. For coaches, gymnasts, and spectators, the event was a spectacular showcase of skill with nearly 2,800 gymnasts from across the country who flew in to compete. In addition to the competition, teams also attended a banquet in the atrium at Lambeau Field.
“It’s really exciting that every one of our members of our team got to compete this year in Nationals, which is great especially for the young ones, because sometimes it’s a once in a lifetime chance,” said Nikki Pollman, the YMCA Competitive Gymnastics Head Coach.
Pollman highlighted the team’s outstanding accomplishments on the floor, vault and bars, and shared that they got to listen to a keynote from fellow gymnast and Olympic gold-medalist Jordan Chiles, who is on the team at UCLA. Pollman said Chiles’ speech was very motivational for the girls and that as their coach, she was proud of their hard work.
“I always say the cream rises to the top and little by little, they’re just elevating the metals up to the top three, top five,” Pollman added.
Now that Nationals has wrapped up, it's back to the floor for a new round. Aspiring gymnasts can sign up for gymnastics classes during the summer session which will be held July 8th through August 15th.
You can listen to the full Y Wednesday interview with Nikki Pollman here.
You’ll want to celebrate the fourth with fireworks and fun, but what you won’t want is a ticket. In the interest of public safety and emergency response, the City of Sturgeon Bay Fire and Police Departments have announced the following traffic flow information ahead of celebrations at Sunset Park on July 4th.
STREET CLOSURES
NO PARKING
Following the conclusion of fireworks, traffic exiting from Alabama Street, on the north side of Bradley Lake, will be routed into the northbound lane of 3rd Avenue. Traffic will be exiting from both Sunset Drive near the ball field and Florida Street will be routed southbound on N. 3rd Avenue.
In the event of incidents or minor accidents, individuals will be directed to an alternative meeting spot by the 911 Communications Center.
While you may enjoy seeing the burst of colors in the sky during Fourth of July fireworks, pets aren’t always so enthusiastic. Due to the bright lights and loud booms, many pets become frightened and try to escape. Ahead of July 4th, the Wisconsin Humane Society is sharing helpful tips for keeping pets safe during holiday festivities.
Despite many individuals owning dogs in Door County and the increase in the amount of visitors who bring their furry friend with them on vacation, the Wisconsin Humane Society says not to bring pets to firework shows, regardless if they’re on a leash or left in the car.
“We don’t recommend taking animals to the fireworks just because it’s really loud,” said Corey Viars, a Media Specialist, from the Wisconsin Humane Society, “there’s a lot of vibration and it can really scare your dog or any pet that you bring.”
Shelters often see an influx of missing animals following summer celebrations because pets panic and get loose. Viars says it's important to keep pets comfortable at home, specifically indoors, and to make sure they are microchipped in case they do get out. It is also important to ensure contact information registered to the microchip is up-to-date.
“An interior room where they have access to food, water, and comforting items is a great option for them, even if they’re in a rental or in a hotel,” Viars added, “we still want to give them that safe space.”
Pet owners can also purchase products like Thundershirts, which work like a soothing weighted blanket, or speak to a veterinarian abou pharmaceutical options for their pets in cases where they have extreme fears. Altogether, planning ahead will not only help keep pets comfortable, but it will also keep them safe.
It may have taken over 20 hours of grueling negotiation, but the U.S. Senate has passed Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.” On July 1st, the extensive, 940-page act made it to the finish line after a tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President J.D. Vance.
The vote came in 51-50 following an overnight session with proposed amendments by lawmakers. Republican leaders raced against the clock ahead of the July 4th deadline, though three Republican Senators, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine, opposed the bill. In Wisconsin, senators have mixed notions about the bill.
“By passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we have avoided a $4 trillion automatic tax increase and a default on our debt,” said Republican Senator Ron Johnson, “due to the enormous messes Biden and congressional Democrats left us, we are also providing additional funding for border security and defense.”
Democratic Senator Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin disagreed with Johnson’s stance and the bill, saying she was disappointed, disgusted, and had voted against rigging the tax code in favor of big corporations and the ultra-wealthy.
“This bill does not solve the problems that Wisconsin families are facing - in fact, it makes them worse,” said Baldwin, “instead of standing up for these working families, my Republican colleagues jammed through a bill that guts Medicaid, kicks 17 million Americans off their health insurance, shutters rural hospitals, and takes food from families in need. And why? All to rig our already unfair tax code even more to help the rich get richer.”
The goal of the bill is said to reduce taxes, increase the statutory debt limit, and control funding for various federal programs. You can read the full bill here.
Legislation will now return to the United States House of Representatives. While different versions of the bill have been passed by both chambers, the House will need to send the bill directly to President Trump for his signature to adopt the Senate version. If the House proposes changes, Republican leaders will have to obtain support for final votes in the House and Senate as a compromise.
While you may associate the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago with more exotic aquatic species, it is the fish swimming in Door County that is garnering the attention locally. The Door County Land Trust and Dr. Karen Murchie of the Shedd Aquarium are joining forces to learn more about the longnose suckers that swim in the area. The land trust helped fund 30 acoustic trackers that will allow Murchie and her team at the Shedd Aquarium learn more about longnose suckers in Heins Creek in Baileys Harbor and the role they play in the ecology of Door County.
“There’s still a lot we don’t know about suckers, and we can’t protect what we don’t understand,” said Murchie, who is the director of freshwater research at Shedd Aquarium. “Tagging longnose suckers allows us to paint a better picture of their behaviors and needs so we can ultimately help these important fish thrive in the Great Lakes.”
From the time they are born to the time they die or get eaten, Door County Land Trust Executive Director Emily Wood says longnose suckers are the "unsung heroes" of the area because of the nutrient cycle they helped to create. She is thrilled that an outside organization has taken an interest in it.
Wood says the acoustic trackers, which broadcast the fish’s movement in the water, have a battery life of at least three years. A grant from the Fund for Lake Michigan is also supporting the study. She is excited to work with Murchie and the Shedd Aquarium so they can learn how they and other like-minded organizations can improve as land managers.
Photo courtesy of the Door County Land Trust and Shedd Aquarium
Students at Sunrise Elementary school in Sturgeon Bay were given an opportunity to expand their learning beyond the classroom thanks to a grant from the 3rd annual Rock the Dock for Education fundraising event last month. Supported by The Friends of Sturgeon Bay Schools, the group helps to fund unique programming outside of the school district budget. One grant specifically was used to purchase a TIME for Kids subscription for fourth grade, sparking student interest in news and world events.
Fourth grade teacher Jenny Rabas introduced the magazine to her students and utilized it in several ways. Not only was it a way to connect students to what was happening in the world around them, but it served as a meaningful stepping stone for facilitating enriching classroom discussions and research.
“I was looking for a way to, if we ever had downtime in our classroom, to fill that with something meaningful for our kids,” said Rabas, “we learned so many fascinating things and the kids really enjoyed reading and talking about the articles.”
Through the grant, Rabas was able to get two sets of classroom copies of the magazine that were shared between three classrooms plus a digital version. At the end of the year, she sent students home with articles in hopes that it would inspire their summer reading, trips to the library, and foster parent to child connectivity through discussions at home. Rabas said the subscriptions were a valuable tool in her classroom and that she was very grateful for the grant.
“I just like knowing that there’s people in our community that want to help our kids in the classroom,” added Rabas, “we get a budget as a fourth grade, but it it only goes so far, so the extra things like getting a subscription, there’s not money for that in our regular budget so it’s nice to know there’s ways to get funding for things that will improve our kids lives in the classroom.”
Photo Credit: Jenny Rabas
It may have been a little tardy, but you will see the significant increases in funding for K-12 schools, the University of Wisconsin System, and child care costs after Governor Tony Evers and Wisconsin Legislature leaders reached a tentative bipartisan deal on a new state budget Tuesday morning.
The Governor’s office released the details on the agreement early Tuesday morning, highlighting nearly $1.4 billion in spendable revenue for K-12 schools with the largest increase to the special education reimbursement rate in state history, the biggest increase to the UW System in over two decades, and over $330 million to support Wisconsin’s child care industry.
When Evers announced his version of the budget earlier this year, he called it the “Year of the Kid,” and he touted the spending bill as a pro-kid budget. “I am grateful for the months of work that’s gone into getting us to this point today,” Evers said in his statement. “I want to thank Majority Leader LeMahieu, Speaker Vos, and Leader Hesselbein for being willing to come to the table so we could get a real and meaningful bipartisan budget done for Wisconsin. I look forward to signing a bipartisan budget that makes these critical investments in our kids, families, and communities across our state.”
Also, a part of the tentative agreement is $1.3 billion in income tax cuts that will help approximately 1.6 million people save an average of $180 annually. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told the Associated Press that the budget delivered on their to priorities of tax relief and government accountability. At the same time, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu praised its ability to cut taxes while strengthening the state’s child care and school systems.
The budget still needs to be finalized and approved by the Wisconsin Legislature before Evers officially signs it into law. This marks the first time since 2017 that the budget was not signed before July 1st. We will have reactions from State Rep. Joel Kitchens and State Senator Andre Jacque later this week.
Archives:
2026-04 | 2026-03 | 2026-02 | 2026-01 | 2025-12 | 2025-11 | 2025-10 | 2025-09 | 2025-08 | 2025-07 | 2025-06 | 2025-05 | 2025-04 | 2025-03 | 2025-02 | 2025-01 | 2024-12 | 2024-11 | 2024-10 | 2024-09 | 2024-08 | 2024-07 | 2024-06 | 2024-05 | 2024-04 | 2024-03 | 2024-02 | 2024-01 | 2023-12 | 2023-11 | 2023-10 | 2023-09 | 2023-08 | 2023-07 | 2023-06 | 2023-05 | 2023-04 | 2023-03 | 2023-02 | 2023-01 | 2022-12 | 2022-11 | 2022-10 | 2022-09 | 2022-08 | 2022-07 | 2022-06 | 2022-05 | 2022-04 | 2022-03 | 2022-02 | 2022-01 | 2021-12 | 2021-11 | 2021-10 | 2021-09 | 2021-08 | 2021-07 | 2021-06 | 2021-05 | 2021-04 | 2021-03 | 2021-02 | 2021-01 | 2020-12 | 2020-11 | 2020-10 | 2020-09 | 2020-08 | 2020-07 | 2020-06 | 2020-05 | 2020-04 | 2020-03 | 2020-02 | 2020-01 | 2019-12 | 2019-11 | 2019-10 | 2019-09 | 2019-08 | 2019-07 | 2019-06 | 2019-05 | 2019-04 | 2019-03 | 2019-02 | 2019-01 | 2018-12 | 2018-11 | 0008-03
Sign up for our Daily Electronic Newspaper!
Plus, Get the latest updates for Local News, Sports, Obituaries and more delivered to your inbox!
© 2026 WBDK/WRKU/WRLU/WSBW/W227BP, New Radio, Inc.
Built on Envisionwise Technology.
