A Kewaunee County farm has opted to end one of its legal battles with the state by paying over $200,000 in fines.

According to the Associated Press, Kinnard Farms and the Wisconsin Department of Justice settled one of its suits on Friday, which alleged that the operation improperly spread manure in Kewaunee and Door counties between 2018 and 2022, failed to submit an engineering evaluation for a feed storage area, and failed to timely submit annual nutrient management plan updates. The settlement calls for Kinnard Farms to pay $215,000 in fines and upgrade a pair of waste storage facilities and a feed storage area. The agreement allows the operation to pay forfeitures, surcharges, and fees without the admission of wrongdoing.

In a statement prepared by Lee Kinnard of Kinnard Farms, he said:

“For the sake of our family, our fifth-generation dairy and crop farming business, and our relationship with the DNR, we decided it is time to move forward with a settlement, avoiding a lengthy and costly dispute. Our family remains committed to working constructively with regulatory agencies as we continue our use of science-based practices to produce nutritious food while also being highly protective of our precious water and soil resources, our cows, and our community. We continue to innovate daily through our use of climate-smart practices. Our family prides itself on being a leader in regenerative agriculture. For decades, we have utilized practices such as cover cropping to build healthy soil and no-till planting to reduce erosion, and have incorporated industry-leading sand and water recycling technology, as well as a system that allows for the production of renewable natural gas. We look forward to pursuing state-of-the-art manure management technology that will allow our family to remain on the cutting edge of conservation and further protect and improve water quality.” 

Kinnard Farms sued the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources last year for what they saw to be unfair conditions for their permit including herd limits and groundwater monitoring. That suit is still pending. 

With the spring election one week away, you may need to visit your local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) office.  A valid and compliant photo identification card, like a driver’s license, federal passport, state ID, military ID, or student ID, is needed to vote in Wisconsin.  You can receive a free state identification card by going to your local DMV and filling out the proper paperwork.  Certain documents, such as a birth certificate, proof of identity, and Wisconsin residency, are necessary to obtain an official Wisconsin ID card.  In Door County, the DMV service center is in the Bay Ridge Square in Sturgeon Bay and is open from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Kewaunee County’s DMV service center is on 4th Street in Algoma and is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.  If you need to register to vote and want to avoid a possible line at your polling place, the deadline to register in person at your municipal clerk’s office is March 31st.  

Kewaunee County could see an influx of thousands of visitors come by water this summer, and it wants you to be prepared when it happens. Several ships from Viking Cruises will lower their anchors near Algoma this summer, letting loose visitors to gallivant through the peninsula looking for things to see and do and with money to spend.

Algoma is listed as part of a 15-day excursion through the Great Lakes. Viking Expeditions will offer six “Great Lakes Collection” cruises that will take passengers between Duluth, Minnesota and Toronto, Ontario during the months of June, July, August, and September. Algoma marks the halfway point of the excursion with the cruise line offering side trips to check out Lambeau Field, explore Moonlight Bay by kayak, hike the Niagara Escarpment, paddle through Ellison Bay and the Mink River Estuary, and sample the area’s wine and cheese.

The Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation is helping businesses and residents get ready with an event on March 30th called, “Preparing for Impact: How to Prepare for Cruise Ship Visitors.” Executive Director Ben Nelson says it is a great opportunity for the community to ask the questions they have about what to expect once the ships arrive in Algoma this summer. Those topics include how to market your business to cruise ship passengers, how to create a welcoming atmosphere that encourages repeat visits, and how to ensure the community is ready to welcome them ashore.

The session will take place on March 30th at 2 p.m. at the Algoma City Council Chambers. You can click this link to sign up. 

If you have noticed more airplanes traveling to and from Green Bay in recent weeks, you are certainly not alone. Through the first few months of 2023, passenger traffic at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport is up 15 percent compared to 2022 levels. That falls in line with the rest of the airline industry across the country which has also seen growth in passenger travel in 2023. Airport Director Marty Piette said earlier this month that airlines are taking notice, whether it be new flights or bigger planes.

Things may be even more impressive for cargo flights at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport. They have seen cargo traffic more than double since last year.  Similar to its passenger traffic, carriers are looking at additional ways to expand their operations in the coming months.

Kewaunee and Door Counties will likely head into April two months removed from their last appearance outside of the low COVID-19 community-level standards set by the Centers for Disease Control.

As of Friday, eight counties were at least at the medium COVID-19 community level with Oneida and Forest counties listed at the high level. Closer to home, the Door County Public Health Department announced it had nine positive cases of COVID-19 out of 32 total tests excluding those performed with at-home kits. There was one new hospitalization reported but no new deaths. In Kewaunee County, Cindy Kinnard for its public health department told the county board during its meeting that it has been averaging between 10 to 15 new cases of COVID-19 a week. It also saw two additional deaths due to COVID-19 over the last month, increasing its count since the beginning of the pandemic to 61. In both cases, Kinnard says the people were older and vaccinated, but they also had significant health issues. She told the board that COVID-19 is here to stay.

The state Department of Health Services will end its community testing support program on April 15th as more people are relying on at-home kits rather than going to their doctor’s office or pharmacy. It comes as the COVID-19 pandemic will no longer be considered a federal public health emergency in May.

You could assist a family in need by donating items to Help of Door County. The Sturgeon Bay-based organization is focused on helping victims of domestic abuse by helping them get restraining orders and moving them out of abusive environments as well as providing support groups for families and friends of victims. Help of Door County is dependent on donations of items like period products, baby products, cleaning supplies, and gift cards to help clients get back on their feet. If you can’t donate, there are more ways to help, volunteers are always needed at Help of Door County. Ava, a domestic violence advocate talks about how to get involved. 

For more information on how to donate or volunteer, click this link.

Kewaunee service organizations are collectively working together to provide after-school snack packages in the Kewaunee School District for children of impoverished families.  The Kewaunee Rotary, Optimist, and Lions clubs are working with Lakeshore Community Food Pantry to provide about 90 bags of nutritious snacks weekly for the Storm Snack Pack Program for students from kindergarten through 5th grade at Kewaunee Elementary School.  Kewaunee Rotary Club President Wendy Shelton and member Joe Viau share how the program has made a big impact over the past few years with the incredible help of the community.

The program originated about five years ago when the Kewaunee Optimist Club recognized a significant need in the Kewaunee area to address a food insecurity for nutritious meals for children over the weekend.  Through matching grants and community genorisity, the Storm Snack Pack Program was implemented about a year and one-half later. The snack packs are typically arranged on Thursday afternoons and are discreetly placed in the student’s lockers before the end of the school week.  

When it comes to STEM education in Door County, you have likely heard the name Miranda Dahlke. A teacher at Washington Island. She has helped the school receive thousands of dollars in grants and training sessions through the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow program. She is also one of the supervisors for the school’s SeaPerch Challenge teams, which last qualified for the international competition hosted at the University of Maryland. Earlier this month, Dahlke was named a finalist for the 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She was originally not going to apply, saying she want to build up her growing resume even more. She then decided the personal growth she has experienced in her 12 years of teaching was enough to at least try.

Dahlke says they should announce the winners of the award in the coming weeks. One awardee in mathematics and one awardee in science may receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation and professional development opportunities, along with being honored at an award ceremony in Washington D.C.

The Climate Change Coalition of Door County and other environmental organizations are inviting you to dig deep to celebrate Earth Day this year. Partnering with The Nature Conservancy and the Forest Recovery Project, the Climate Change Coalition of Door County hopes to plant 10,000 trees during the months of April and May as part of this year’s Door County Big Plant. The organizations have teamed up on more than 25 community planting as a part of the Door County Big Plant since it held its first such event in 2016. By planting a collection of balsam fir, red pine, white pine, and white spruce trees, residents can help fight climate change while also providing habitat to area animals, preventing soil erosion, and protecting groundwater. You can learn more about the program below.

The Door County Big Plant is not the only environmentally-friendly activity the Climate Change Coalition of Door County is organizing in the coming weeks. The organization is rallying people to look into solar energy and potentially participate in a group buy of solar panels.  You can find out more about that event below.

You could learn more about the Crane population of Door County next month at the Ridges Sanctuary. On April 14th, 6:30 pm- 7:30 pm, Stanley Temple, professor of forest and wildlife ecology and environmental studies at UW Madison, will review the remarkable recovery of Midwestern sandhill cranes. He will also describe their migratory behavior and discuss recent controversies, such as crane hunting, that have attended to their new status as an abundant bird. On April 15th, 5:30 am - 7:30 am, you can take part in a volunteer Crane count. The International Crane Foundation sponsors the Annual Midwest Crane Count as a part of its mission to conserve the world’s 15 species of cranes and the natural communities on which they depend. On April 15th, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, you could go to the Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center,  featuring “Door County Wildlife in Watercolor” artwork by Wisconsin artist Thomas Jewell. This exhibit showcases original illustrations from Jewell’s children’s book, “Tig of the Marsh and Wetland” along with newly completed works of wildlife seen at The Ridges. If you can’t make the event on the 15th, Jewell’s artwork will be up from April 13th until May 21st in the Nature Center Gallery Hall at the Ridges Sanctuary. Environmental Interpreter at Ridges Sanctuary, Anna Foster explains what poses a threat to Cranes and how to support the sanctuary. 

For more information on these events, click this link. 

One of the most rewarding parts of being in a leadership position is the ability to watch those around you grow into their respective roles within our agency. Over the past 16 years, I have witnessed the transformation of young men and women from wide-eyed new candidates to well-seasoned, and experienced Public Servants. A key part of the growth process is the annual evaluation. This is a two-part activity that starts with the Deputy articulating both their strengths and growth opportunities as well as their respective goals. This is followed by the supervisors providing their feedback and evaluation of that Deputy. Our goal is to make this more of a mutual conversation than a one-sided critique. While a small agency such as the Sheriff’s Department is limited in what we can offer for opportunities, we do our best to be responsive to our staff and their desire to take on new and challenging responsibilities.

Some examples of stated goals are duties such as Field Training Officer, ERU Team member, Evidence Technician, or Department Tactical Training Officer. Some even share their career goals of becoming a Sergeant, Lieutenant, Chief Deputy or even Sheriff. In many cases, the goals are personal in nature such as becoming more efficient in their current duties or even focusing more on their own physical health. As in their professional goals, we in leadership must foster a department culture that allows each individual Deputy the best possible environment to be successful in those personal goals. Over the last year, we have engaged in a partnership with an amazing resource located right here in Northeast Wisconsin. The group is called the Wellness Coop and they are a team of dedicated professionals who focus on those who have dedicated their lives to the service of their Country, State, and Community. Recently a grant was made available by the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration to be used for both equipment as well as officer wellness, and we used that grant as an opportunity to solidify our commitment to our staff’s well-being by providing one on one wellness screenings for each member of our department.

On a broader scale, our department as an organization also has goals that it is looking to achieve in 2023. Of course, our most recognizable goal is the continued progress of our Jail planning as we continue in our now 7-year journey toward a better solution to the housing and care of those remanded to our custody. We are very grateful for the support and engagement we have received from both our County Board as well as so many community members throughout our community on this project.

Another goal for 2023 is the continuation of our county-wide multi-disciplinary Active Shooter training which we have been conducting over the past few years, in cooperation with our partners in both Fire and EMS. These trainings are very involved and start with preliminary tabletop discussions and then culminate in full scale reality-based scenarios at local facilities throughout Kewaunee County.

A goal that we had been working on for the past few years and will be taking a big step forward this year, is our Body Worn Camera implementation. This project started with our use of in-squad cameras, and through a recent grant was able to be expanded to body-worn cameras as well. Much like many of our other projects, we do our best to realize benefit to not only our agency but also to our criminal justice partners, such as other local Law enforcement as well as our District Attorney’s Office. I will be sharing more on this initiative in future articles as we move along the process.

In general, our agency is only as strong as the men and women who serve within it, and we must focus both attention and resources in that direction if we are to be successful in serving our community. We must also have the capacity to incorporate the best training, technology, and equipment if we hope to remain a credible and legitimate resource to our community in their time of need. It is through the setting and pursuit of realistic yet ambitious goals that we will be able to move our agency and the men and women who serve it, toward our true potential.

This is my last article in the series of annual report articles, and I hope you found them informative and helpful in understanding the operations of the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department. As always, if you have any questions on anything I have covered, or just want to chat, feel free to give me a shout. (920)255-1100. Thank you!

The first formal step in the building of the new Door Community Child Development Center in Sturgeon Bay occurred Friday afternoon near the Gordon Road and Old Highway Road intersection. Dozens of community members attended the groundbreaking for the new 18,500-square-foot facility.  Executive Director Alexis Fuller, who co-founded the center with her sister Bridgett Starr, says the new facility will help meet a great need in the community and accommodate some of the 100 families who are on their waiting list.

The new center, which is projected to open next January, will be almost three times the size of the current facility at 1743 Egg Harbor Road.  It will also have the capacity to accommodate 146 children six weeks to five years of age, compared to the current license capacity of 83 children.  The new facility will also be home to a new Head Start program.   The Door Community Child Development Center, which opened in 2020, currently employs 28 women.  You can listen to the entire conversation with Alexis Fuller and Bridgett Starr below.   

Much like their neighbors to the north, the Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation hopes you see more housing options in the community in the future. Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Ben Nelson outlined housing along with broadband and mid-sized business diversification as major parts of its strategic plan moving forward during his quarterly report to the Kewaunee County Board on Tuesday.  Nelson specifically mentioned that having newer housing stock available so prospective employees could move to the area easily was a major talking point during his conversation with local business leaders. He says a portion of their agenda for the upcoming Door/Kewaunee Legislative Days will also be directed at developing more housing.

The board meeting also covered the county’s ongoing efforts of improving its broadband, the purchase of a forklift, and the retirement of Rhonda Rummel from the county’s human services department.

After sharing what they found late last year, Do Good Door County wants to discuss with you what is next at four different stops across the area next month.

Do Good Door County surveyed residents in October before hosting a series of community forums in November.  During those forums, members of Do Good Door County focused on eight different domains:  outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, respect and social inclusion, social participation, civic participation and employment opportunities, communication and information, and community support and health services. The overarching theme was  the county’s older residents' concerns with being unable to drive, becoming seriously ill, or having memory loss without a support system. Do Good Door County’s Cynthia Germain says she hopes to start discussing potential solutions to those issues at eight different events in Sturgeon Bay (4/6), Sister Bay (4/11), Sevastopol (4/19), and Fish Creek (4/27).

Each location will host a pair of hour-long coffee and conversation events at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. You can find out more details about the event and where you can learn more about Do Good Door County below.

Helping you become more informed about the extended drawdown of the Forestville Millpond and nearby watersheds is the goal of a study potentially receiving grant funds this week. The Door County Board of Supervisors will vote to approve a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lake Planning Grant for the evaluation of the Forestville Millpond after a two-year drawdown effort that began in November 2019. The county’s Soil and Water Conservation Department received the partially matching grant for $9,237.80 from the DNR, one of 13 lake planning grants awarded by the state for the 2023 fiscal year. Add in what the county is contributing over $13,000 would be made available to address the drawdown and where to go from there. 

The drawdown brought mixed reviews in the community and eventually saw the Friends of the Forestville Dam take the county to court over it before the case was dismissed in early 2022. The Friends of the Forestville Dam charged Door County officials with mismanaging the millpond with its drawdown efforts. The county began the process in 2019 in an effort to stave off future invasive plants and fish. The group has said the drawdown sent sediment downstream, which would wreck other habitats along the way. It wants the millpond to be kept at a consistent depth of just under 600 feet. In the view of the county, the hope was the drawdown would improve water quality, compact the sentiment, as well as suppress invasive species and the carp that are in the millpond. It was considered to be a less costly alternative to dredging. 

The Door County Board will also approve a gift to the ADRC, discuss its involvement in the opioid settlement, and the appointment of Ethel and Tom Davis to the position of Poet Laureate when they meet at 9 a.m. on Tuesday at the Door County Government Center. 

You will see Door County Medical Center’s newest facility in action beginning on Monday in Sister Bay. March 27th marks the first-day patients will be able to take advantage of the new Sister Bay Clinic, which will open to rehabilitation clients for their afternoon appointments. A week later, all patients will be able to access the building that will offer more providers and more services for Northern Door County residents. Previously, patients would have to travel to either Fish Creek or Sturgeon Bay for their appointments in medical areas like cardiology and audiology. Door County Medical Center CEO Brian Stephens said last month that there is a lot of excitement around how much better they will be able to serve the community due to the bigger space at the Sister Bay Clinic.

The switch will close the Fish Creek facility and move the rehab services from Scandia Village. Residents at Scandia Village will still receive on-site care from Door County Medical Center staff members. Door County Medical Center will host an open house and a dedication ceremony at the Sister Bay Clinic on June 11th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If you were up late Thursday night, the northern skies treated you to a great light show. According to USA Today, residents of Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Michigan, and New York joined Wisconsinites in enjoying the Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, late Thursday night into early Friday morning.

Courtesy of Alma Vai in Gills Rock

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gave people more reason to set their alarms or make it a late night, predicting that the Northern Lights would be impacted by “stronger than anticipated” influences. The colorful, dancing lights are caused by particles flowing from the sun getting caught up in the Earth’s magnetic field.

Picture Courtesy of Collin Steele in Kewaunee County

According to the Planetary K-index, which is used to measure electromagnetic storms, was over 7.3 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. 

Photo courtesy of Becky Hlinak of Kewaunee County

Top picture courtesy of Paula Shefchik, Kewaunee County

You will see a new face leading Kewaunee High School next fall. The Kewaunee School District recently approved the hiring of Aaron Dobbe as its high school principal, replacing Michael Bennett. His 21-year career in education includes stops at Tigerton, Rosholt, and Luxemburg-Casco School District. Most recently, the graduate of UW-Stevens Point and Marian University helped improve the curriculum and the school culture at Rosholt High School as its principal. He also has experience coaching in the past, including stints at the head coach of the Tigerton boys’ basketball team and the Rosholt softball team. Dobbe, his wife Rebecca, and his two daughters live in Luxemburg. You can read the full release from the Kewaunee School District below.

A familiar face that you may have seen on a performance stage in Door County for the past five years will be leading a new initiative implemented by Northern Sky Theater.  Lachrisa Grandberry has been named the program director of the newly-formed NOVA Initiative.  NOVA stands for Nurturing Original Voices and Artists, with a goal to foster, nurture, and expand creative opportunities for alumni, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), and emerging writers in Northern Sky’s development process.  

Grandberry says “the Nova Initiative is a reflection of what Northern Sky has always been in my time working on Sunflowered, I learned so much in the writing process and could not have done it without the hands-on support of the leadership staff. I am in no way, shape, or form an expert, but I do have knowledge and resources to further this part of Northern Sky's Mission”. 

Recently named one of Wisconsin’s 52 most Influential Black Leaders, Grandberry will also serve on Northern Sky’s IDEAS Task Force (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Solutions) and will help support the company’s marketing efforts to reach new audiences.

Northern Sky Theater will begin its 2023 performance season in June which will continue through the end of the year.

(photo credit -- Rachel Lukes)

Now that the money has been secured, you should see work being done on the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower in the coming months. Earlier this week, Governor Tony Evers agreed to the emergency stabilization of the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower, much to the celebration of residents, visitors, and local leaders like State Rep. Joel Kitchens and State Sen. Andre Jacque. The decision makes up to $500,000 from the state building trust fund or from the Departments of Administration or Natural Resources available to make the repairs. Wisconsin State Parks Director Steven Schmelzer says they will be working with GRAEF, who was tapped to work on the concept designs of a reimagined tower with ADA accessibility, on the next steps for the project.

Improvements to Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower were included in the state’s capital budget announced earlier this year by Evers. The stabilization of the current tower was part of a multi-million project that would add a helical ramp for visitors to use to get to the top of the historic structure if they could not or did not want to use the stairs. If funding for the tower falls through, Schmelzer says he is unsure at this point if the emergency stabilization would be enough to re-open the tower due to other issues with the structure.

Another robot may send Washington Island School students back to the International SeaPerch Challenge in Maryland again this year. Earlier this month, Washington Island's four teams tried out their robots at the Sturgeon Bay YMCA to make some of their final tweaks ahead of their regional competition on April 1st.  

The team made its first trip to the international competition on the campus of the University of Maryland last year after coming in second place in their regional competition.

Out of 56 in-person teams, Team Dory took 14th overall in the middle school stock class and was first among those competing from Wisconsin. At the international competition, Team Dory finished 31st in engineering design, 12th in the team video, tied for eighth in the pool mission course, and 34th in the pool obstacle course.

The SeaPerch teams are led by science teacher Miranda Dahlke, who recently was named a finalist for the 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. SeaPerch teams in Door County are supported in part by the Door County Maritime Museum.

They will compete alongside a dozen other schools on April 1st at Ashwaubenon High School. 

Pictures courtesy of Miranda Dahlke, Washington Island School District, and Door County Maritime Museum

Your child’s special needs may not be a barrier anymore if they ever dreamed of exhibiting animals at the Kewaunee County Fair. Algoma High School junior Morgan Servaes and the Kewaunee County 4-H Goat Project are spearheading the Fairytales Animal Show, which will allow differently-abled children between the 3rd and 12th grades to show a goat during the fair while being paired with an animal and a mentor. Participants will be able to meet with their mentors and their animals at Wilson’s Wish in Luxemburg before the show, which will take place on Saturday, July 15th at 11 a.m. Servaes is excited to combine two of her passions at this year’s Kewaunee County Fair: exhibiting animals and working with kids with special needs.

Kewaunee County 4-H Goat Project members will mentor the Fairytales Animal Show participants, which can feature up to 15 kids. Servaes hopes the program can grow to other species and involve more kids in the future. The Fairytales Animal Show will host an informational meeting for potential participants on Monday, March 27th at 6:30 p.m. at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. 

Your child could have the opportunity to scout out different jobs in Door County. The Door County Economic Development Corporation and the Northeast Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship program are co-hosting a High School Job Fair on March 29 at Stone Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sturgeon Bay. The event will feature more than 30 businesses and organizations for your student to interact with. Participants are encouraged to bring resumes and be prepared to sit down with businesses to talk about job opportunities. The goal of the event is to help our local businesses and working-age students connect for summer employment, part-time employment, and youth apprenticeship opportunities. DCEDC Director of Marketing and Communications, Korey Mallien, explains why Youth Apprenticeships are so important for students. 

Youth apprenticeships are a way for students to find lasting careers that interest them outside of seasonal part-time jobs.

You can get closer to nature this spring and summer as a Door County tradition opens this week for registration.  The Ridges Sanctuary’s 21st Annual Festival of Nature kicks off on Memorial weekend and brings a slate of field trips, events, and experiences to Door County that celebrate the natural beauty of the peninsula.  The events include an art exhibit and artist reception on May 25th and a 20-year vision open house on Sunday, May 28th at the Ridges Sanctuary that shares the master plan initiative.  The celebration will also focus on “66 Ways to Connect with Nature”.  You can find more information on the Festival of Nature and register for upcoming events and field trips with this link. 
 

The City of Algoma will be looking for a new chief of police this spring.  Randy Remiker announced his retirement recently after serving for over four years as the top law enforcement officer in Algoma.  The Finance and Personnel Committee met on Tuesday and decided to post the position on Wednesday with hopes of hiring a new police chief by June.  A native of nearby Denmark, Remiker moved back to the area after working for the Albuquerque Police Department in Arizona in 2018.  He was promoted to Brigadier General in the New Mexico National Guard this past January but plans on remaining in Algoma during his retirement.  Algoma City Administer Matt Murphy explains how the search for the next police chief will be conducted.

Murphy adds that the Algoma Police Department is hoping to fill two patrol officers positions soon as well. Remiker, whose retirement will be effective on June 5th, says he loves the people and the city, but it’s the right time for him to retire. 

The Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department had ended its long-time contract with the City of Algoma before Remiker’s hiring in 2019 as Algoma’s chief of police.