The Kewaunee Police Department shared its condolences and gratitude following a fatal boat crash earlier this week. The accident occurred about 4:30 a.m. along the north breakwall near the Kewaunee Lighthouse Pier.

An 81-year-old Appleton man, identified Thursday as Jimmie D. Brooks, was driving his 18-foot fishing boat out of Kewaunee Harbor when it struck the south side of the north breakwall. He suffered fatal injuries in the crash, and his body was recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard.

His passenger, 68-year-old Randy H. Sieg of Appleton, was rescued, taken to shore and treated for his injuries by Kewaunee Rescue. The Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department, Kewaunee Marina and Kewaunee Public Works Department also assisted in the rescue effort.

In Thursday’s release, Kewaunee Police Chief Robin Mueller extended her sympathies to the victims’ families and expressed gratitude to the responding agencies and other boaters who assisted in recovering Brooks’ and Sieg’s personal property.

A trip down the road between Stodola’s IGA and the middle and high school buildings will carry a new, special meaning Friday when School Street is renamed Okoniewski Way.

The side street is being dedicated to the late Steve Okoniewski, who served as Luxemburg-Casco High School principal from 1989 until 2014. It was a homecoming of sorts for Okoniewski, whose six-year NFL career included a two-season stint with the Green Bay Packers in 1974 and 1975.

His retirement did not stop him from supporting the Spartans, as he continued to attend school events and athletic competitions. When he died in 2024, Luxemburg-Casco head wrestling coach Chas Treml said “Mr. O” had a tremendous impact on his life as a student and coach. Treml added that a picture of the two hugging after the Spartans captured a team state wrestling championship says everything.

Athletic Director Jenny Bandow said renaming School Street after the man who hired her is a fitting tribute to someone whose influence extended well beyond the school’s walls.

“Mr. O was known as a leader who believed in people. He admired the community-minded spirit and strong work ethic of the greater Luxemburg area – values that aligned perfectly with his own approach to education and leadership. Under his guidance, Luxemburg-Casco High School continued to foster a culture of excellence, pride and opportunity for every student.”

School Street will be renamed Okoniewski Way on Friday.

I want to give a shout-out to Kinnard Funeral Services for the reminder that August is Wellness Recognition Month. I know that I have written on the topic in the past, but the importance of maintaining our personal wellness can never be overstated. The direction I want to take for this conversation is that of personal responsibility for that wellness. Too often, we look outward to our family, friends or even the community to create the conditions of wellness for us, when the only true path to wellness is that which originates and is sustained within us.

I’ll start with physical wellness, as it is the most tangible aspect of perceived wellness and one that we can take action on regardless of our surroundings. We are fortunate to have some great resources here in Kewaunee County in the form of fitness centers and businesses focused on exercise and nutrition, but it still requires deliberate action on behalf of the individual to make use of them. We speak a great deal about barriers in our small community, but the reality is that, in most cases, we are our own greatest barrier.

The internal conflict that we wage upon ourselves every day is real. It is the conflict between what we know we should do and what we want to do. It is also known as ambivalence, and once you create a habit of doing the right thing, even if it is the hard thing, personal growth is inevitable. So, get out there and go for a walk instead of streaming that television program. Park at the farthest point from the store. Grab a bottle of water instead of that Mountain Dew (I’m still working on that one!).

The next tenet of wellness on which I want to share some insight is emotional wellness. This, again, is a very personal and internal journey that has as its foundation a simple principle: Control what is in your control. Too often, we feel our emotional well-being is dependent on the actions or decisions of others. This is, of course, not only inaccurate but also detrimental to a solid foundation from which we can endure the many struggles we all face in our lives.

While we cannot control the vast majority of what we encounter in our daily lives, we can control our response to it. This, of course, takes a great deal of both discipline and practice and would be best incorporated into the small things so that, when the big things come along, we have already built those healthy habits of acceptance and self-regulation.

A good example of a starting point could be the next time a vehicle pulls out in front of you or passes you in a no-passing zone. Instead of defaulting to anger or even rage, transition to a more beneficial emotional state of acceptance and grace, as you may not know the circumstances that person may be dealing with.

Another great overarching emotion that can be relied upon to put us in a better emotional state is gratitude. This could be gratitude for what we have rather than frustration over what we don’t have, or gratitude for that special person in your life. If you really want to make an impact on both yourself and others, share that gratitude. It is literally a force multiplier of positive emotions.

Next week, I will cover some other aspects of wellness: social and spiritual.

The city of Sturgeon Bay and Wisconsin Public Power Inc. (WPPI Energy) extended their contract through 2073 on Tuesday to help ensure affordable energy for years to come. Sturgeon Bay Utilities is a city-owned entity and part of a group of more than 50 community-owned utilities that purchase power together. WPPI Energy purchases energy from a variety of sources, including an Illinois wind farm and a solar operation in Two Rivers, to keep power flowing to its customers. Last year, Sturgeon Bay Utilities hit a peak load during a summer heat wave that tested the system’s limits. Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward says the contract helps keep the city in line for power that is produced and sold to other member utilities.

Sturgeon Bay Utilities President Jim Stawicki said earlier this month that WPPI Energy is making significant investments to help meet future demand while keeping costs as low as possible, making long-term contracts necessary.

Sturgeon Bay Utilities has been busy burying power lines to make them less susceptible to tree damage during storms and is preparing to replace the First Avenue substation in the near future.

If you can lend a paw to a cat in need, the Wisconsin Humane Society will be fur-ever grateful.

WHS is currently caring for more than 1,050 cats, including more than 300 available for adoption across its campuses. That is pushing the organization’s capacity for caring for cats, while it also has dozens of dogs and other animals up for adoption. Schedule and travel changes, peak puppy and kitten season and an influx of lost pets are all factors driving animal shelters across the country to take in more animals.

The high cat population not only stretches WHS’ physical limits but its financial ones as well. Speaking about the organization’s August fundraising challenge, Wisconsin Humane Society Media Specialist Corey Viars says more animals to care for also means increased expenses for medical care, food and other necessities.

WHS is enticing potential cat owners with special adoption offers and encouraging others to consider becoming foster parents. The organization supplies everything needed to care for the animal; all the foster parent needs to provide is a loving home.

Area farmers are beginning to see signs that the corn harvest is right around the corner. According to the USDA Crop Progress and Condition Report, 9% of the state’s corn crop is in the dent stage, which is the final major phase of maturity.

Northeast Wisconsin is trailing the southern portion of the state, which is driving up the statewide average. In northeast Wisconsin, 1% of the crop is in the dent stage, compared with 36% in the dough stage and 96% in the silking phase. Corn condition is rated 67% good to excellent, down 2 percentage points.

Duane Ducat of Deer Run Dairy in Kewaunee has been focusing on his third crop of alfalfa hay, which is about 85% complete statewide, compared with the five-year average of 79%. Ducat says that with much of the corn crop still in development, his plants can use more water than heat at this point in the season.

Ducat adds that underdeveloped corn takes nutritional value away from what they feed their cows once it is chopped into silage.

Soybean development and the harvest of winter wheat and oats are ahead of the five-year average. Wisconsin farmers had 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork last week, with some producers chopping corn in northern counties because of the warm, dry conditions.

For many individuals, finding a job is a lot harder than just filling out an application. According to We are HOPE, Inc.-The EmployAbility Hub Executive Director Kim Carley, disabilities, age, justice status and a lack of confidence are just some of the reasons people who want to work struggle to find the right fit or keep the jobs they already have.

She says summer is a busy time because there are so many opportunities available that some people just do not know where to start. Carley says We are HOPE’s programming helps people find the tools and confidence they need to get the jobs they desire.

We are HOPE, Inc.-The EmployAbility Hub is in the middle of its annual campaign, with a goal of raising $50,000 to continue supporting the community through career exploration, job training and employment services.

One of its biggest fundraisers is the Grub at the Hub event on Sept. 29. You can find more information about the event below.

Voters in the Southern Door School District will have an extra item on their ballots this fall. On Monday, the Southern Door School Board passed the resolutions required to ask voters to exceed the revenue limit by $2.055 million per year for three years.

“After engaging with our community in recent months and careful consideration, the Board of Education has taken the next step in allowing our voters to consider a referendum measure in November,” said Superintendent Dr. Kevin Krutzik. “This proposal is about investing in our schools in ways that will strengthen educational opportunities for our students while helping position Southern Door for continued success in the years ahead.”

This marks the second time the district’s voters have weighed in on an operational referendum, after rejecting a measure in April that would have allowed the district to exceed the state revenue limit by $3.15 million annually for three years.

More than a dozen positions were cut, including one elementary school teacher, two middle school teachers and five high school teachers. A pay freeze was instituted for all employees, co-curricular assignment pay and travel were cut, and computer and student device replacements were delayed. Three sports programs were also cut but were later reinstated with support from the Southern Door Athletic Booster Club.

By passing the new referendum, the district hopes it can provide market-rate pay raises for staff, fund essential facility repairs and maintenance, and restore select teaching positions.

“Balancing the district’s budget required our board to make many difficult decisions, and we know those decisions have had an impact on our staff and our students,” said Board President Janel Veeser. “We are hopeful that a new operational referendum will provide the financial means to restore some of the staff positions and programming that were lost because we want to give our students the opportunities, support, and resources they need to succeed.”

District officials say that even if the referendum passes, the mill rate will drop from its current $6.99 per $1,000 of equalized value to $6.35 for the upcoming school year, $6.07 for the 2027-28 school year and $5.61 for the 2028-29 school year.

The referendum will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Now that county fair season is officially over for Door and Kewaunee counties, the search for the next Fairest and Junior Fairest of the Fair in Kewaunee County is on. The Kewaunee County Fair has opened its application window for its Junior Fairest of the Fair title.

This year’s Fairest, Savannah Bailey, and Junior Fairest, Teresa Livingstone, crisscrossed the county attending events and promoting the Kewaunee County Fair, in addition to passing out ribbons, visiting with exhibitors and sponsors, and introducing entertainment acts.

Bailey became the most recent Fairest to pull double duty for the Kewaunee County Fair after serving as Junior Fairest in 2019. During this year’s Kewaunee County Fair, Bailey said she enjoyed meeting community members and getting a different view of the livestock shows after years of exhibiting animals in the show ring herself.

Kewaunee County Junior Fairest of the Fair applicants must be in grades 6 through 10, be able to participate in the Fairest Gala on Jan. 8, 2027, and attend events throughout the county, including the Kewaunee County Fair July 8-11, 2027.

You can find the application and more details about the role at this link. The application for Kewaunee County Fairest of the Fair will be available in the coming weeks.

A 71-year-old Sister Bay woman was cited for her role in a two-vehicle crash in the town of Egg Harbor on Friday. The crash occurred at the intersection of County Highway E and Heritage Lake Road just before noon.

According to the accident report, the woman was stopped on Heritage Lake Road and was looking to cross County Highway E while heading north when she pulled out in front of an eastbound vehicle driven by a 20-year-old Eau Claire woman.

The Sister Bay woman told the deputy she looked but did not see the other vehicle coming. The Eau Claire woman said she saw the vehicle pulling out slowly but could not avoid the crash.

Both drivers and two passengers, both 21-year-old women from River Falls, suffered possible injuries that did not require hospitalization. Both vehicles had to be towed because of disabling damage.

The Sister Bay woman was cited for failing to yield the right of way from a stop sign.

My philosophy with all my fishing, including my kayak fishing, is to keep it simple. I have three sit-on-top (SOT) fishing kayaks and I’ve kept the accessories to a minimum.  For me, it’s RAM Mount external rod holders behind the seat, two flush mount rod holders also behind the seat and a small camera mount with waterproof camera for pictures of bigger smallmouth bass I catch and release.  At times I also have a storage crate with rod holders behind the seat. Having fished the waters of Door County for almost 30 years and mostly fishing shallow I don’t even use a fish finder.  My big change the past few years has been using a pedal kayak, although I still love getting out there and paddling.  The nice thing about my Jackson Kayak Coosa FD pedal kayak is the ability to troll a lure as I go from spot to spot.  And, if I find fish and the wind is blowing, which it usually is in Door County, I can hold myself in place much easier than with a paddle kayak.

Over the past several years it’s interesting to see how elaborate some kayak anglers go in rigging their fishing kayaks.  Except for the big engine, many of these fishing kayaks look like a small version of those bass boats we see zooming around the waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Many have one or two fish finders, trolling motors, power poles and more!  With these loaded and quite heavy fishing kayaks most will be using a trailer or possibly the back of a pick-up truck and bed extender.  Even simple SOT kayaks are heavier than recreational sit-in kayaks and take two people for roof transport.

Advocating for 4-H in Kewaunee County has come as naturally to Savannah Bailey and Morgan Servaes this summer as reciting the organization’s pledge.

The duo have assisted UW-Madison Extension Kewaunee County this summer as AmeriCorps members serving its 4-H programming. AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism tasked with connecting adults with local schools, nonprofits and public agencies to help with tutoring, disaster relief, health needs and environmental projects.

In the case of Bailey and Servaes, they have been tasked with working with day care centers, summer schools and other educational programs to create 4-H opportunities for their students. It has been a rewarding experience for both Bailey and Servaes.

Bailey, a student at UW-River Falls, is working on a professional development course for 4-H members, while Servaes, a UW-Stevens Point student, is preparing to expand her popular Fairytales Animal Show for next year’s Kewaunee County Fair. The pair hope their work bears fruit next month when open enrollment for 4-H begins.

Local golfers had another opportunity Thursday to hit the links in the name of a good cause. Door County Habitat for Humanity hosted its seventh annual Home-in-One Golf Outing at Idlewild Golf Course in Sturgeon Bay, with proceeds benefiting the organization’s affordable housing projects on the peninsula. The event carries extra significance for Executive Director Lori Allen, and not just because of her role with Door County Habitat for Humanity. Dozens of local businesses and Allen’s neighbors donated time, raffle prizes and money to make the event a reality. One of the holes was sponsored by Allen’s neighbor, Keitha McDonald, who dedicated it to her late husband, Mac. She says Allen’s passion for the organization made it an easy decision to support their friend.

Allen is thankful for the support the community gives to Door County Habitat for Humanity and all of the area’s nonprofit organizations.

Door County Habitat for Humanity began its 51st home build late last month in Sister Bay, a project it hopes to complete by the end of the year, along with home repair projects in other parts of the county.

No matter the size of the donation, each one gets the Door County Pickleball Club closer to what members believe will be an ace for the Egg Harbor community. The club began its $500,000 fundraising effort earlier this summer and has already garnered approximately $160,000 in pledges for a pickleball facility that will feature six state-of-the-art courts near the Egg Harbor dog park.

When completed, it will be the county’s largest facility designed solely for pickleball. Door County Pickleball Club President Don Helm says not only will it give players in the northern part of the peninsula a closer place to play than Sturgeon Bay and Institute, but he believes it will also bring a boost in tourism to the area.

If fundraising goes according to plan, Helm says construction will begin in early spring, with hopes of the first matches taking place on the new courts by July 1.

To donate, you can drop off cash or checks at the Village of Egg Harbor and indicate that the donation is for the pickleball courts.

You could soon have a little more room to walk around with a drink in downtown Sturgeon Bay.

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council will review and consider an expansion of the area that allows residents and visitors to walk around downtown with an open alcoholic beverage. The district was born out of the pandemic, when area restaurants were looking for ways to increase sales at a time when people were uneasy about going out.

District 4 Alderperson Spencer Gustafson helped design the current ordinance in response to requests from local businesses and Destination Sturgeon Bay. Some concerns residents had about the downtown entertainment district involved littering and law enforcement. Gustafson says that based on feedback from the Sturgeon Bay Police Department, there have been no issues and, in fact, conditions have improved.

The proposed expansion of the downtown entertainment district includes areas where new restaurants have opened since the pandemic, additional portions of the waterfront and the footprint of the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market.

Gustafson says if the proposal makes it through committee and Common Council meetings next month, the new boundaries could be in effect by Destination Sturgeon Bay’s Harvest Fest on Sept. 19.

In a family’s lowest moments, it is the simplest things that can make a difference. Lennox’s Feel the Love program has helped communities since 2009 by partnering with local contractors to install furnaces and air conditioners free of charge for those who need them most.

It is a program that Ultimate Air in Luxemburg has been part of for close to 15 years. Owner Jeff Blemke believes some of his favorite days on the job have come during Feel the Love installation days, especially when watching his employees’ families interact with the recipients of the equipment.

He says one of the most powerful moments came when his team gathered around a recipient in his hospital bed at home. The man thanked them, knowing he would not get to experience the comfort of the new furnace for long because of his battle with cancer.

You can nominate a friend, neighbor or family member for the Lennox Feel the Love program at this link. Nominations close Aug. 31, with the units installed in early October. More than 3,100 families have been supported by the Lennox Feel the Love program since it began in 2009.

Midwest Environmental Advocates legal fellow Michael Greif has spent plenty of time along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, and he would rather not see the scenery around it change without the proper notification. Greif will sound the alarm Friday at Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay when he presents “Protecting Public Rights in Age of Privatization,” which will take a look at the looming threat of data center construction.

The presentation, hosted by the Door County Environmental Council, comes as AI data centers become a major talking point in political races around the state and after a Marquette Law School poll showed 73% of Wisconsinites believe the costs outweigh the benefits. Proponents of data center construction point to increases in local tax revenue and construction jobs, while opponents say the facilities are bad for the environment and consumers’ pocketbooks. Greif says it is important for communities to get all the facts before AI data centers are built in their backyards.

Greif’s presentation Friday begins at 7 p.m. If you cannot attend the presentation in person, the Door County Environmental Council will make it available remotely via Zoom at this link.

A familiar venue for Midsummer’s Music musicians and fans will be the site of a special moment for the organization’s founder and artistic director. As part of this year’s Boynton Festival at Bjorklunden in Baileys Harbor, Lawrence University will honor Jim Berkenstock with its prestigious Winifred Boynton Creative Spirit Award.

Presented since 2017, the award honors individuals who have created something with a lasting impact on Door County. That description applies to Berkenstock, who, along with his late wife, Jean, founded Midsummer’s Music more than 30 years ago to bring chamber music to the peninsula.

That mission grew to include the Griffon String Quartet, which was created in 2018 not only to perform but also to help foster a love of chamber music in classrooms in Door and Brown counties.

The 2 p.m. award ceremony is part of a larger Boynton Festival lineup that includes mini-seminars, live music, a Door Shakespeare performance and more on Aug. 22. You can find more details about the event, including registration, at this link.

You are running out of time to get your kids protected against diseases like measles, mumps and whooping cough ahead of the school year. In Wisconsin, children are required to be vaccinated against certain diseases based on their age and grade level unless their family has filed a waiver.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the state is lagging behind the rest of the country when it comes to children being up to date on their vaccinations. Just over 85% of Wisconsin kindergartners are up to date on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and approximately 86% are up to date on the vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

Both numbers are down compared with recent years, corresponding with an uptick in parental exemptions. The exemption rate hit a 10-year high of 7.3% during the 2025-26 school year. With a 97% efficacy rate, Kewaunee County Public Health Director Cindy Kinnard says the required vaccinations have been proven safe and encourages families to get their kids vaccinated ahead of the school year.

Kinnard says schools keep track of students’ vaccination histories, and if students fall behind, their families are reminded by letter to get caught up. The Kewaunee County Public Health Department will hold an open vaccination clinic in October, though Kinnard encourages families to schedule an appointment with the department or their medical provider ahead of time.

The reminder comes as the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reports 36 confirmed and three probable cases of measles in Grant, Lafayette and Iowa counties.

The story of two stage actors chasing Hollywood stardom one last time will take the stage the next time you visit Peninsula Players Theatre in Fish Creek.

Starring Aja Alcazar, Joe Casey, James David Larson and Garrett Lutz, among others, Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo is set in 1950s New York, where George and Charlotte Hay learn that director Frank Capra will be in the audience for a matinee. They must weather several twists and turns involving their performance and marriage before taking the stage for what could be their final chance to make it big.

Peninsula Players Marketing Director Peter Kelly says the comedy is a love letter to theater and strikes a chord with the actors involved in the show.

The penultimate show of the Peninsula Players Theatre season runs Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7:30 p.m., except for a 2 p.m. performance Sunday, Sept. 6. You can hear our full interview with Peter Kelly here.

An 81-year-old Appleton man died and a 68-year-old Appleton man was injured in a boating accident in Kewaunee on Monday morning.

The accident occurred at about 4:30 a.m. along the north breakwall near the Kewaunee Lighthouse Pier. According to the initial investigation, the 81-year-old man was driving his 18-foot fishing boat out of Kewaunee Harbor when it struck the south side of the north breakwall.

He suffered fatal injuries in the crash, and his body was recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard. His passenger was rescued, taken to land and treated for his injuries by Kewaunee Rescue.

No names have been released, and the crash remains under investigation by the Kewaunee Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department, Kewaunee Marina and Kewaunee Public Works Department also assisted in the rescue efforts.

The same community that welcomes summer in June with its Fyr Bal will bid it farewell Saturday when Ephraim hosts its first Sweet Summer Send-Off at Harborside Park.

Running from 1 to 4 p.m., the event will feature balloon artists, caricaturists and musicians throughout the park, in addition to red bouncy balls that are part of a scavenger hunt. Attendees can also check out food at local restaurants and visit with members of the Ephraim Fire Department.

The event is free to attend, but visitors are encouraged to bring school supplies to be distributed at schools throughout Door County as part of the countywide Community Business Association school supply drive.

Ephraim’s Sweet Summer Send-Off comes just over a week before many schools around the state begin classes, with most public schools starting Sept. 1.

A 53-year-old Green Bay woman was transported to a Green Bay hospital Sunday afternoon after she lost control of her motorcycle and crashed in the town of Brussels.

The crash occurred just before 4:20 p.m. on State Highway 57 near School Road. According to the accident report, the motorcyclist was traveling south when she attempted to change lanes and lost control.

She crashed in the median and was unable to recall the incident when speaking with responding personnel. She was wearing a helmet and protective gear when the crash occurred.

The crash closed a lane of traffic for about 40 minutes while emergency personnel tended to the motorcyclist and cleared the scene. The lane reopened shortly after 5 p.m.

A 73-year-old Ellison Bay man suffered scratches and bruises to his knee after he was struck by a vehicle backing up Saturday in Baileys Harbor.

According to the accident report, the man was walking near the gas pumps at approximately 10 a.m. when he was struck by a vehicle driven by a 50-year-old Joliet, Illinois, woman who was backing into a parking spot.

The impact caused the man to grab the vehicle’s rear windshield wiper for balance before falling. He was treated at the scene and declined transportation to the hospital.

The driver, who said she did not see the man in her backup camera, was warned for failing to yield the right of way to a pedestrian.