An opportunity for kids to experience aviation, and possibly see Sturgeon Bay from the air, is available tomorrow during the Young Eagles Rally at Door County Cherryland Airport. 

The EAA, as in the same one that’s in Oshkosh, is sponsoring this event from 10am-2pm, and inviting young people to the airport.

Cherryland Airport’s resident flight school owner Kevin Perry, ‘Perry Air’, is volunteering his time and fuel to give kids a taste of piloting a real airplane.

The rally will feature more than airplane rides. Civil Air Patrol cadets will be on hand with an informational booth, and attendees can explore a STEM booth and other aviation-related activities designed to introduce young people to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

Craig Kolbeck, President of EAA Chapter 630, shared one of the ‘flying’ science experiments taking place Saturday.

The event also offers an opportunity for the community to discover the Door County Cherryland Airport, a resource that serves as a gateway to aviation, education, and economic activity in our region, says Craig Cross, airport manager. 

Door County Cherryland Airport, 3538 Park Drive, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235. Free entry Saturday, October 3, 10am-2pm.

A mini free community art gallery is now open on Third Avenue in Sturgeon Bay, next to - really part of - the Andrea Naylor Gallery and Studio.

Painter Andrea Naylor regularly hosts art classes for children at her studio. During breaks between class sessions, parents were asking for ways to keep their children engaged with art. After a little research, Naylor discovered that mini art galleries, similar to the mini free libraries, have become a national project.

For Naylor, who’s a busy mom herself, creating and hosting the box has helped her engage artists of all ages outside of the studio. 

To see the box, experience or exchange artwork or art supplies, stop by 45 S. Third Avenue, Sturgeon Bay.

More than 6,000 miles and several tanks of gas later, Casco’s Coy Vlies found himself in the ultimate victory lane last Sunday. After winning season titles at Luxy Raceway in Luxemburg and 141 Speedway in Francis Creek, Vlies drove his way around a late crash in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, to win the IMCA national title in Northern SportMods.

The achievement is not lost on Vlies, who followed his father’s lead and got into racing at a young age. After a winning streak to start the season, Vlies added trips to Minnesota and Iowa to his calendar to earn enough points in the standings to make Sunday’s championship a reality.

Thanks to his sponsors, an understanding boss and a lot of time behind the wheel and under the hood, Vlies said he could not be happier with how the most competitive part of his season concluded.

Vlies is not done getting behind the wheel. He will participate in this weekend’s annual Spooky Showdown presented by Rendezvous of Luxemburg. Race time is 6:30 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday.

Vlies will also race at 141 Speedway next weekend before calling it a year.

Better, clearer communication between emergency departments is the goal as Kewaunee County prepares to update its radio system.

In 2009, the state of Wisconsin began building a statewide radio system known as WISCOM. The system was primarily developed to improve interoperability, allowing agencies to communicate with each other during emergency calls. In the years since, the state has been developing the next generation of the system, requiring local departments to update their radio equipment.

Earlier this year, Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski credited a share of more than $2 million in grants with helping law enforcement, fire, EMS and other first responder agencies, along with the county’s highway and emergency management departments, acquire new radios.

While the state secured a rebate on radios purchased through the grants, local agencies still have to provide about 20% of the funding. Casco Fire Department Capt. Dan Andres said his department needs to purchase about 20 radios to make sure it has enough for everyone, adding that the equipment is extremely important.

The added expense makes fundraisers like the Luxemburg Community Fire Department’s Burger/Brat Fry on Friday and Casco Fire Department’s Milk Bottle Tournament on Saturday even more important.

Andres hopes to have the funding in place to purchase the radios by the end of the year and have them in-house early next year.

You will be able to hear from local candidates for the Wisconsin State Assembly and state Senate later this month. The League of Women Voters of Door County will host a candidate forum for the two races Oct. 14, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Southern Door School Auditorium.

The 1st Assembly District race is a rematch of 2024, when Rep. Joel Kitchens, a Republican, defeated Democratic challenger Renee Paplham. During their campaign announcements in April, Kitchens said he would continue working to direct more funding into classrooms while easing the tax burden on residents in Door and Kewaunee counties. Paplham said she believes the district is ready for a change and that it goes well beyond the “D” and “R” that might be next to someone’s name.

The 1st Senate District race will feature Republican Nic Cravillion and independent Mark Becker as they look to replace retiring state Sen. Andre Jacque. Cravillion is a small-business owner, a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and Jacque’s current district director. Becker is a small-business owner and former Brown County supervisor and chairman of the Republican Party of Brown County.

The public may submit questions at the forum or before the event by emailing vsforums@lwvdoorcounty.org by Oct. 11. Questions must be relevant to the position of Wisconsin state legislator and addressed to all four candidates.

Election Day is Nov. 3.

Owls, bats, and range lights, are just a few of the encounters hikers may have on a Ridges Sanctuary night hike during October. The Sanctuary offers these hikes to provide visitors opportunities to learn about the creatures that become active after the sun goes down, and to check out the Range Lights doing their work as navigational aids. 

The Ridges Sanctuary Interpretive Naturalist Amy Shook talks about what hikers could possibly experience.

Hikes last about one hour, and travel along the hidden brook boardwalk. Closed-toed shoes, and weather appropriate layers are recommended. Naturalists request that you do not bring any flashlights, light-up shoes, etc., the goal is for everyone’s eyes to adjust to the dark and to be able to see as the animals do at night. The hike is suitable for ages 8 and older.

Registration is required. Cost is $15 per adult, $7 for children. The Ridges Sanctuary members receive a discount. Hikes are scheduled for Friday, October 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, and begin at 6pm. For details and registration, visit The Ridges Sanctuary website.

Photo credit: Jackie Rath

A vehicle was destroyed Thursday evening in the Village of Sister Bay while its owner worked at a nearby restaurant. The Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department responded shortly after 5 p.m. to a parking lot across the street from the Waterfront Restaurant.

According to Fire Chief Michael Goldstone, the vehicle had been parked for approximately an hour before the fire started in the engine compartment. Goldstone arrived in a department command vehicle and attempted to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher before calling for additional assistance. He said firefighters are confident the fire was accidental, but the amount of damage would make a thorough investigation nearly impossible.

Crews were on the scene for approximately 45 minutes, with the damage limited to the engine compartment and front of the dashboard. Goldstone said no one was hurt, and there was enough space around the car to prevent damage to other vehicles.

No matter the title you are chasing next February, you can be part of a major milestone for the Miss Door County Scholarship Program. The organization is celebrating its 30th anniversary and hopes to commemorate the milestone by awarding $30,000 in scholarship money at its pageant Feb. 6, 2027, at the Southern Door Auditorium.

In June, Miss Door County Kaylee Griep, Miss Cherryland Paige Nikodem, Miss Cherryland Teen Elise Jackson and Miss Door County Teen Mia Glocke represented the area at the Miss Wisconsin Pageant.

Jackson was named first runner-up in the Miss Wisconsin Teen competition. In addition to the $1,000 scholarship she earned for her placement, Jackson won a $500 scholarship as the Patriotism Reigns Award winner. She celebrated her brother’s military enlistment as part of an essay competition.

Griep earned a $500 scholarship for placing in the Top 11 and an additional $1,000 scholarship for the Hometown Pride Award, recognizing the Door County pride she showcased in a two-minute video.

Former titleholders also found success at the pageant, with Miss Door County 2024 and current Miss Northern Lights Kylee Duessler placing in the Top 11. Former Miss Cherryland 2025 and current Miss Titletown Hannah Mertens won the non-finalist interview award.

Applications are now open for the Miss Door County, Miss Door County Teen and Miss Cherryland titles by clicking on this link. You can find the eligibility requirements below.

The new Miss Door County, Miss Cherryland and Miss Door County’s Teen will move on to compete in the Miss Wisconsin and Miss Wisconsin’s Teen competitions June 16-19, 2027, in New Berlin. The Miss Wisconsin winners will advance to represent the state in the Miss America competition in September in West Palm Beach, Florida.

GUIDELINES

To be eligible to compete for the titles of Miss Door County / Miss Door County’s Teen a woman must:

• Must live, work, or go to school full-time in Door County, Algoma, or Luxemburg-Casco
• Miss contestants must be no younger than 18 by September 1, 2027 and be no older than 28 by September 30, 2027
• Teen contestants must be no younger than 14 by September 1, 2027 and be no older than 18 by September 30, 2027
• Note: 18-year-olds have the option to choose if they would like to be a Miss or a Teen contestant

To be eligible to compete for the title of Miss Cherryland a woman must:

• Must live, work, or go to school full-time in the following counties: Kewaunee, Brown, Outagamie, Waupaca, Shawano, Menominee, Oconto, Marinette, Langlade, Forest, and Florence
• Miss contestants must be no younger than 18 by September 1, 2027 and be no older than 28 by September 30, 2027

To be eligible for our “Little Sister Program” called our Cherry Blossoms, which is a non-competitive mentorship program with the opportunity to perform on stage, a girl must:

• Must live or go to school full-time in Door County, Algoma, or Luxemburg-Casco
• Cherry Blossoms must be between the ages of 5 – 13 at the time of the show on February 6th, 2027
• *note this program is currently full, but accepting waitlist applicants

The areas of competition include private interview, artistic expression in talent, lifestyle and fitness in sportswear, on-stage interview, and evening gown.

Whether you’re an experienced arborist, or want to meet like-minded tree-loving people, the Climate Change Coalition of Door County is hosting community tree planting events this month, and is inviting you to help make Door County a little greener. 

Each planting event runs from 9:00-11:00am. You can bring your own tools and equipment, or just show up, Lutsey said, and the Coalition will supply the necessary tools for you.

The upcoming planting locations are as follows: Saturday, October 2 at the Ingwersen property in the Sister Bay area, Thursday, October 8 at Frank Murphy Park in Egg Harbor, Friday, October 9 at Crossroads at Big Creek

The trees planted at each location are area specific, and native species are conscientiously chosen. The Climate Change Coalition has hosted recent tree planting events at Newport State Park with the Newport Wilderness Society, The Ridges Sanctuary, Door County Land Trust properties, and Peninsula School of Art properties. The County of Door has been instrumental in their efforts, Lutsey added. 

Taking part in planting trees at one of these events not only helps the Door County environment, it helps people make connections in the community, says Lutsey.

For specific info about the tree planting events, visit the Climate Change Coalition's website.

Sturgeon Bay officials are busy crafting the 2027 budget ahead of its public hearing in early November, but a big piece of the puzzle has yet to be determined.

Making sure the city keeps up with road maintenance has long been a goal of Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward. It is part of the reason the city pursued a Premier Resort Area Tax, or PRAT, in recent years as officials looked for ways to fund improvements.

The 2025-27 state budget allowed the city, along with the town of Minocqua, to join other tourism-oriented communities, including Ephraim and Sister Bay, in charging an additional 0.5% tax on items typically associated with tourism.

The PRAT went into effect July 1, with initial returns from the first three months not expected to be known until later this month. Ward believes those numbers will give officials a better idea of what stays in the budget and what gets cut.

Ward says the budget is otherwise pretty “run of the mill,” with its only major capital project being improvements to Nautical Drive. The city has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to help pare down the cost of that project.

The budget is on the agenda for the Sturgeon Bay Committee of the Whole meeting Monday at 4 p.m. in City Hall’s community room.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and a new law hopes to bring a small piece of comfort to those who have lost a child. According to the CDC, 1 in 175 births in the United States is stillborn, which is defined as the loss of a baby beginning at 20 weeks of pregnancy through delivery.

Prior to the signing of the Stillbirth Recognition and Support Act, or Wisconsin Act 241, earlier this year, the grief of losing a child could be compounded by medical, funeral, counseling and other related expenses. The law creates a $2,000 refundable individual state income tax credit for parents to help provide support.

For Green Bay resident Maggie Koch, she is grateful the bill became law six years after she experienced a stillbirth and never got to see her daughter, Olivia, grow up.

“I am incredibly grateful to the group of loss moms whose grassroots efforts partnered with legislative support to make this happen!”

It is an issue state Sen. Andre Jacque became aware of when he first joined the Wisconsin Legislature and attended his first Joint Finance Committee meeting. During his final term, Jacque became a co-sponsor of the legislation, which he says will never remove the pain of losing a child but at least acknowledges that loss by providing support for affected families. He says it means a lot to him that he was able to help get the bill across the finish line before he departs his seat at the end of the year.

If your child was stillborn in 2026, you will be able to access this resource when filing your taxes early next year.

For one final time in 2026, a visit to Algoma’s Crescent Beach included a view of a cruise ship. Wednesday marked the final time Viking Cruises dropped anchor outside the Algoma Marina this season, allowing visitors a chance to explore the city and surrounding area.

According to Visit Kewaunee County, 13 cruise ships made Algoma one of their stops, many during journeys between cities such as Duluth, Milwaukee and Toronto. Thirty ambassadors, along with the Algoma Chamber of Commerce and local businesses, helped welcome approximately 5,000 passengers since May, distributing more than 3,500 yellow welcome bags along the way.

At the beginning of the season, Visitor Services and Volunteer Coordinator Kiera Bair called it a community effort to ensure cruise ships and their passengers continue to return to Algoma.

Viking Cruises is already planning at least eight trips next year with stops in Algoma. The cruise ship Polaris will make its first trip back May 20, while the Octantis will return two days later on May 22. You can see the schedule here.