Local emergency personnel are encouraging everyone to take the proper precautions when celebrating Independence Day this year.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were more than 13,000 fireworks-related injuries in 2025, including 15 deaths. Nearly 40% of those injuries were burns, with most affecting the hands and fingers.

Brussels-Union-Gardner Assistant Fire Chief Jim Wautier says you have to practice the proper safety precautions after you acquire a permit.

Professional fireworks displays are scheduled for Fish Creek on July 2, Kewaunee and Egg Harbor on July 3, and Baileys Harbor, Sturgeon Bay, Gills Rock and Washington Island on July 4.

A 21-year-old Ephraim woman was cited for failing to yield while making a left turn after she was hit by a car while riding her scooter Friday.

The crash occurred shortly after 4:30 p.m. on state highways 42 and 57 in Sister Bay.

According to the crash report, the woman was traveling north on her scooter and was being followed by a car driven by a 78-year-old Rockford, Illinois, man. As the man attempted to pass the scooter, the woman turned left in front of the car and was struck.

The woman suffered minor injuries that did not require hospitalization. The driver and his passenger, a 16-year-old Cherry Valley, Illinois, boy, were not injured.

Destination Door County Interim CEO Jon Jarosh is thankful for the patience businesses and visitors are showing as longer waits and shorter business hours have crept into the summer tourism season.

Door County has made headlines across the state because of work visa issues that have delayed many seasonal employees from arriving on time. Many of the delays involve the H-2B visa program, which allows businesses to fill nonagricultural jobs for a longer period than the J-1 student visa program.

According to Wisconsin Public Radio, 58% of businesses across the country expect their H-2B workers to arrive at least a month late, and nearly 30% believe the delay could stretch to two months or more.

Jarosh says local businesses struggle to find enough workers to fill seasonal positions during the summer, which is why they rely on the H-2B and J-1 visa programs. He adds that Destination Door County's relationship with the Social Security Administration office in Green Bay helps speed up the process for workers once they arrive.

Along with Director of Partner Services Phil Berndt, Jarosh says this year's challenges have provided valuable lessons that will help Destination Door County better advocate for local businesses with state and federal officials.

Jarosh reminds visitors and businesses that they can still expect great service — it just might look a little different this summer.

He adds that Door County is still expecting a near-record number of J-1 visa workers later this summer, and plans are underway to target specific industries with future workforce recruitment efforts.

The summer weather you've been waiting for all year is arriving this week, but it comes with a warning. The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for much of the state, including Brown, Door, Kewaunee and Manitowoc counties, from noon Monday through 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Temperatures are expected to climb into the mid-80s and low 90s, with heat index values making it feel like more than 100 degrees. There will be little relief overnight, with heat index values expected to remain around 75 degrees.

Earlier this month, Kewaunee County Public Health Director Cindy Kinnard offered advice for staying safe in the heat, especially for those who have to work outdoors.

Even though the extreme heat warning expires Tuesday evening, temperatures are forecast to remain in the 80s through Friday, with chances for thunderstorms mixed into the forecast.

The next time you pick up items for your pantry at the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market, you can also grab something for your medicine cabinet.

Thanks to grant funding, the United Way of Door County and the Door County Alcohol and Other Drug Coalition are distributing free lockboxes and lock pouches for prescription drugs and other medications.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 13,000 people die each year from drug overdoses involving prescription opioids. That number reached a record high of 17,029 in 2017.

United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle said even gummy multivitamins can lead to a trip to the emergency room if they fall into the wrong hands. She said the program gives people greater peace of mind when it comes to safely storing their medications.

The grant also covers pouches that help people safely dispose of expired medications if they cannot make it to one of the drug take-back events hosted by local law enforcement.

The lockboxes and pouches are available every Saturday at the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market and periodically at other farmers markets throughout Door County.

Where there are improved roads on the peninsula this year, you can thank the Door County Highway Department.

While the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has taken the year off from major projects in Door County, the Door County Highway Department has not shied away from them. The department announced its latest project last week, which will reconstruct County Highway E from Elm Point Road to Logerquist Road. The project will begin July 13 and is expected to end by mid-August.

It has been a busy summer for the Highway Department, with work wrapping up on County Highway T from State Highway 42/57 to the Lily Bay Boat Launch and County Highway S from State Highway 42/57 to Emerald Drive in the coming days and weeks.

Door County Highway Commissioner Thad Ash said there are other projects going on across the area that motorists should pay close attention to while driving.

Ash encourages drivers to use caution and pay attention to signage while traveling to and through construction zones.

You can find many of the updates on the Door County Highway Department projects on their Facebook page.

Connecting aspiring entrepreneurs with established business owners is the goal of a new collaboration between the Door County Economic Development Corporation and Do Good Door County.

The Mentors x Mentees (M2) program pairs aspiring business owners with experienced entrepreneurs, giving tomorrow's business leaders valuable advice from those who have already walked the path and want to help the next generation succeed.

Door County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Michelle Lawrie said they talk with new business owners all the time who just need a little guidance in certain areas. She said the M2 program is a great way for those entrepreneurs to receive assistance while giving experienced business owners another opportunity to connect with the community.

Lawrie said the organizations have already generated significant interest in the program, especially among experienced business owners who believe their knowledge and advice can make a positive impact.

You can click the link below to apply for the program.

“Birds” is this week’s Summer at Crossroads theme, and this time of year, our skies, forests and shorelines are alive with activity as resident and migratory birds feed, nest and raise their young.

Door County sits along a major migratory flyway, making early summer an especially rich time to observe species that rely on a remarkable suite of adaptations, including lightweight hollow bones, powerful flight muscles and feathers uniquely designed for both lift and insulation.

The week starts with a Tale at 2 p.m. Monday, July 6, when Door County Librarian Beth Lokken will read the storybook “The Birdwatchers” by Simon James. For those who cannot make the story time, the pages of the book will be posted on the Trail Tales storybook walk, which starts at the West Trailhead.

Journeys with Joan, the weekly family program, will explore Fantastic Flyers at 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 7. Participants will learn how wing shape influences flight, including broad wings for soaring hawks and pointed wings for swift, agile swallows.

Hikers participating in Wandering Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, will observe birds and learn how each species fills its own ecological niche.

For the 2 p.m. Thursday Talk, presenter Paige Witek of the Door County Land Trust will introduce participants to a variety of local bird species and highlight the strategies they use to attract mates, build nests and help their chicks survive, from elaborate courtship displays to carefully constructed nests that regulate temperature and protect fragile eggs.

Throughout the week and the rest of summer, visitors can stop by during open hours, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, for Tinkers, self-led, hands-on activities designed for curious minds. Participants can take part in a bird scavenger hunt, explore how different beak shapes are adapted to specific diets and create their own binocular craft.

The week wraps up with an opportunity to contribute to real science. Join Crossroads’ bio-inventory efforts to document bird species at Ida Bay Preserve as part of ongoing restoration work. Participants will help conduct standardized point counts following Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas protocol, recording birds seen and heard within a fixed time and distance to help track species presence and abundance.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, Crossroads trails are open all day, every day, free of charge.

Monday, July 6

2 p.m. Tale: “The Birdwatchers”

Join Door County Librarian Beth Lokken as she reads the weekly tale, “The Birdwatchers” by Simon James.

Jess and Grandad return in this follow-up to “The Wild Woods.” Free and open to the public. Meet in front of the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan St., Sturgeon Bay.

Tuesday, July 7

1 p.m. Journeys with Joan: Fantastic Flyers

Join naturalist Joan Wilkie for free family-oriented activities exploring nature. Experience the mysteries of migration in the fields and woodlands. Some creatures travel 10,000 miles or more to make it to the preserve. Suitable for all ages. Registration is not required. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan St., Sturgeon Bay.

6 p.m. Door County Well Monitoring Program Results

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Environmental Research and Innovation Center, in collaboration with the Door County Department of Public Health, will share findings from the ongoing well monitoring program that started in 2019. Event organizers will discuss the latest results, comparisons to previous years and new initiatives. There will be time for questions and discussion. Free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan St., Sturgeon Bay.

Wednesday, July 8

1:30 p.m. Wandering Wednesday

Join a naturalist-led hike. Easy walking. About an hour. Well-behaved dogs are allowed on leash. Registration is not required. Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan St., Sturgeon Bay.

Thursday, July 9

2 p.m. Talk: Bird Breeding Behaviors

Experience the wonders of the breeding season through the eyes and songs of Door County’s birds. Join Paige Witek of the Door County Land Trust for an insightful guided hike exploring the complex and captivating behaviors birds display as they court, nest, raise young and defend their territories.

Free and open to the public. Meet at the Collins Learning Center, Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan St., Sturgeon Bay.

Friday, July 10

5 a.m. Bird Survey

Join Crossroads’ bio-inventory efforts to document bird species at Ida Bay Preserve as part of ongoing restoration work. Participants will perform three point counts throughout the summer following Breeding Bird Atlas protocols.

Participants should dress for the weather and have the Merlin Bird ID app downloaded on their phones. Registration is not required. Meet in the parking lot at 1195 Canal Road. Participants will then be staged throughout Ida Bay Preserve to record birds they see and hear.

This week, it will finally be time to party like it's 1776 as communities across Door and Kewaunee counties celebrate Independence Day.

In Door County, the festivities get off to an early start on July 2 when Fish Creek holds its celebration with fireworks over the harbor and live music at Clark Park. The celebration is a two-day affair in Egg Harbor, with fireworks, music and food on July 3 and a 1:30 p.m. parade of July 4 featuring the University of Wisconsin-Madison Marching Band.

For those looking to double up on parades, Baileys Harbor will hold its parade at 10 a.m. July 4, between activities throughout the town and fireworks at dusk. Washington Island, Gills Rock and Sturgeon Bay also will have fireworks displays on July 4, with live music, food, drinks and more beforehand.

Destination Sturgeon Bay's Alexa Soto says that, with the Fourth of July falling on a Saturday, they are expecting big crowds for their biggest fireworks display in years.

Sister Bay will skip the holiday and instead host its annual Freedom Fest on July 11, featuring fireworks at Marina Park.

In Kewaunee County, the Kewaunee Area Chamber of Commerce will host its Independence Day celebration on July 3 with live music, food and activities in and around Lakehaven Hall before a fireworks display.

Click the links above for more information.

Photos taken by photographer Rachel Lukas

The Miller Art Museum's Dome House has a new resident.

The Sturgeon Bay art museum announced Friday that Juan Carlos Rodríguez Rivera has been selected as its 2026 Dome House Al & Mickey Quinlan Artist in Residence.

The Detroit-based artist will spend the summer at the Sturgeon Bay retreat creating artwork while developing a public program and presentation based on his work.

According to the Miller Art Museum, Rodríguez Rivera uses nature not only as his inspiration but also as his medium. He plans to use pigments extracted from locally sourced flowers and plant materials gathered from the grounds of the Dome House and throughout Door County. His work will also incorporate handmade paper and bioplastics made from Lake Michigan water.

"The Dome House residency provides a rare opportunity to test how locally specific ecologies — like freshwater and humidity — will shape material outcomes, and to explore large-scale production within a truly unique environment," Rodríguez Rivera said. "I'm especially interested in how this work will expand my understanding of temporality, ecological engagement, and the material potential of pigment and bioplastic systems."

Rodríguez Rivera's interest in landscape and ecology made him an ideal choice for the next chapter of the Miller Art Museum's Dome House Al & Mickey Quinlan Artist in Residence program, according to Miller Art Museum Executive Director Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead.

"His interest in how landscape and ecology shape the making process aligns beautifully with the spirit of the Dome House, and we're excited to see how Door County's waters, light, and seasons leave their mark on his work," Meissner-Gigstead said.

The museum will announce dates for Rodríguez Rivera's residency and public programs in the coming weeks. All events will be free and open to the public.

A few weeks ago, local law enforcement coordinated with our state law enforcement partners for what is known as High Visibility Enforcement. This is a statewide initiative supported by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation based on traffic citation and motor vehicle crash data.

During this enforcement effort, we focused our resources on educating our community about safe driving practices and vehicle equipment laws. We also utilized K-9 units from our partner agencies to detect and deter drug trafficking and drug abuse within Kewaunee County.

This operation resulted in 70 traffic stops, during which K-9s were deployed on 19 occasions. Those stops resulted in citations for the following violations:

• Operating without a valid license
• Operating while suspended
• Speeding
• Failure to provide proof of insurance
• Failure to fasten a seat belt
• Possession of open intoxicants
• Failure to register a motor vehicle
• Passing in a no-passing zone
• Possession of THC
• Possession of drug paraphernalia

In addition, those contacts resulted in 11 criminal charges or arrests for the following offenses:

• Possession of methamphetamine
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Operating while intoxicated (alcohol)
• Operating while intoxicated (drugs)
• Resisting or obstructing an officer
• Operating without a valid license
• Operating while revoked

Although the violations listed above are ones we deal with on a daily basis, our ability to focus on traffic enforcement and related criminal violations is limited by our day-to-day staffing levels. These enforcement events are intended to increase awareness of traffic laws and improve compliance with the laws designed to keep our community safe.

For those who were negatively impacted by our enforcement efforts because of the choices they made, we hope this serves as motivation for positive change. To everyone else, thank you for making good decisions and helping keep our roads safe.

It is not easy to go from a nursing home in France to a writers' room in California to a detective's office in Boston in the span of nearly three months, but not all places are Third Avenue PlayWorks.

Rehearsals have begun for TAP's next production, Red Herring. The comedy follows a female detective in Boston as she tries to solve a murder while navigating her relationship with an FBI agent during the Cold War.

With weeks between the closing of Moonlight and Magnolias and the opening of Red Herring, the costume and set designers are hard at work creating the perfect looks and scenery to help bring the story to life on stage.

Artistic Director Jacob Janssen said TAP is fortunate to have a team with a keen attention to detail when it comes to creating the setting for each production.

Audiences will be able to see how the costume and set design team captures 1950s Boston when Red Herring opens July 15. You can hear more about the show and the stories behind its production by clicking the link below.

Picture courtesy of Third Avenue PlayWorks

Door County Emergency Management Director Jeb Saelens hopes you see the county’s new safety barriers at events throughout the peninsula this summer and that you feel safer because of them.

After borrowing the Sturgeon Bay Police Department’s set of safety barriers for select events, including Sister Bay Fall Fest, last year, Door County Emergency Management debuted its own barriers at last weekend’s Ephraim Fyr Bal.

The mobile safety barriers are designed to protect festival attendees by preventing unauthorized vehicles from entering gathering areas.

The purchase of the safety barriers was made possible in part by a grant from Destination Door County’s Community Investment Fund, which has turned room tax dollars into more than $3.7 million in support of 66 projects throughout the peninsula.

Saelens said he had been looking into adding mobile safety barriers ever since he took the job with Door County, and he is happy to see them being deployed.

He hopes more local municipalities, event organizers, law enforcement agencies, fire departments and community partners reach out to his department to identify opportunities to strengthen event safety and preparedness.

Even with relief at the gas pump, many of your neighbors are still struggling to put food on the table.

According to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Marketbasket Survey, the total cost of 12 food items needed to host a summer cookout for 10 people was $75.50, an increase of 7.5% from last year's state average and the highest total since the survey began in 2013.

Increases of more than 20% for items such as ground beef, strawberries and vanilla ice cream are the primary drivers of the higher cost. Many other grocery items also are becoming more expensive, sending more people to their local food pantries to help make ends meet.

Sandi Soik of the Lakeshore Community Action Program Food Pantry says the pantry is ahead of last year's pace, when it served more than 6,300 people. With everything costing more, Soik says many families are looking for any way possible to keep the lights on and food on the table.

Soik says donations also are down so far this year. In addition, the pantry is receiving 75% less food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture because of budget cuts.

You can support Lakeshore CAP by dropping off food donations, making a financial contribution or participating in this weekend's Sunny Slope 5K in Egg Harbor. Click the link above for more information about the event.

Supporters of the Boys and Girls Club of Door County sampled bourbon flights and barbecue in the name of charity at Sister Bay’s Northern Haus on Thursday evening.

Blues, Brews, Bourbon & BBQ is one of the organization’s signature summer events, allowing community members to enjoy a summer evening while enjoying food and drinks, participating in raffles and silent auctions, and hearing inspiring stories from the Boys and Girls Club of Door County. The event raised thousands of dollars for the organization, including more than $11,000 during the live auction alone.

The organization is currently hosting more than 180 members through Camp LeVoy, a 10-week summer program that gives participants the opportunity to explore local museums, take field trips to area businesses and participate in other activities.

Boys and Girls Club of the Bay and Lakes Region CEO Johanna Wicklund said Thursday’s event is one of the organization’s two major summer fundraisers supporting its mission of serving area youth.

Earlier this year, the organization was represented by Elian N. and Izzy H. at the regional Youth of the Year competition, where they showcased the leadership, resilience and personal growth they have developed through their experiences at the Boys and Girls Club of Door County while connecting the dots between music and leadership.

As a record crowd of visitors and residents said goodbye to the Winter Witch last Saturday, they also welcomed the new Ephraim Fyr Bal chieftain.

Third-generation Ephraim resident B.D. Thorp was bestowed the honor at this year's Fyr Bal, the village's take on a traditional Scandinavian midsummer festival.

Thorp was recognized for his efforts to preserve Ephraim's historic character, most recently by painting over graffiti on the Anderson Dock building. Over the years, he also has served on multiple municipal committees and volunteered with Ephraim Moravian Church.

As chieftain, Thorp was escorted across Eagle Harbor before lighting the Fyr Bal bonfire along the village shoreline.

The ceremony was just part of a day full of activities, including a visit from the Door County Bookmobile, food-eating contests, Scandinavian dancers and fireworks.

The 62nd Ephraim Fyr Bal will take place June 19, 2027.

Picture courtesy of Ephraim Business Council

Little Sturgeon’s Robert Carmody Park and New Franken’s Bay Shore Park are being suggested as alternative boat launch sites once Chaudoir’s Dock closes for dredging operations next month.

The Door County Parks Department announced Wednesday that dredging operations will begin July 13.

This is the second phase of a dredging project with a price tag of more than $551,000. The project is being funded through a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and county boat launch fees. The county completed the first phase of the project last spring.

During the dredging process, a turbidity barrier will remain in place at all times to protect water quality.

The county dock and boat launch will be closed for six to eight weeks because of the confined nature of the harbor and the presence of dredging equipment. Parking also will be restricted because dump trucks will be needed to remove dredged material from the area.

Door County Parks Director Wayne Spritka said earlier this month during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Sugar Creek County Park that boat launches such as Chaudoir’s Dock are typically dredged on a 10-year cycle. He added that the county will take advantage of the closure to complete other projects at the popular park.

According to the county website, the outer entrance to the harbor was dredged in 2001, again in 2005 during bin wall repairs caused by ice damage, and once more in 2014 because of low water levels.

Picture courtesy of Door County

If your student enjoys what they hear at Birch Creek Music Performance Center, imagine if they were the ones who wrote it.

Birch Creek officials are developing a new music composition program that would take place during the Percussion, Steel Pan and World Music Summer Academy. Many of the pieces performed during the academy are original compositions written months before students step onto the organization's Egg Harbor campus. In addition to refining their percussion skills, students would also have the opportunity to learn how to compose the music they perform.

Percussion faculty member Peter Naughton is excited about the possibility of offering the program to future students.

This is the final weekend of the Percussion, Steel Pan and World Music Summer Academy, with performances scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

You can hear more from Naughton about the proposed composition program and this year's Percussion, Steel Pan and World Music Summer Academy by clicking this link.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the citizen group Potawatomi Advocates for Trees, Conservation and Heritage will be back in court next month as the legal battle over a road construction project resumes.

Door County Circuit Judge Jennifer Moeller signed an order Tuesday temporarily blocking additional tree-cutting inside Potawatomi State Park after announcing the injunction during a June 19 hearing.

The lawsuit was filed about a week after PATCH announced it was suing the DNR and DNR Secretary Karen Hyun over a road construction project that resulted in hundreds of trees being cut down to widen Shoreline Road and South Norway Road by up to 10 feet for new bike lanes.

Speaking shortly after the lawsuit was filed, PATCH Executive Director Dave Allen argued the project violates the park's 2018 master plan, which states that road projects should maintain the park's current level of development. He said the work completed this spring exceeded those guidelines and expressed hope the lawsuit would protect other parts of the park from similar projects.

Attorney Gabe Johnson-Karp told the court paving work could continue because the trees within the affected area had already been removed.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 14 at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, PATCH plans to hold a public meeting July 2 at 4 p.m. at the Door County Granary to present its case. The group's attorney, Brian Potts, is expected to attend.

Kewaunee County Sheriff's Deputy Brent Reimer continues to receive praise for his lifesaving actions last fall, this time from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. Rep. Tony Wied recognized Reimer during remarks he delivered in the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. The recognition comes after Reimer received the Wisconsin Professional Police Association's 2026 Certificate of Merit at its annual conference in April, as well as the Kewaunee County Sheriff's Department's Life Saving Award and Sheriff's Commendation Award. He received the honors for using an airway suction device to save a person who was choking in November.

Wied noted it was Reimer who researched the lifesaving device that is now carried by patrol officers and used in schools and nursing homes.

A 2011 Kewaunee High School graduate, Reimer joined the Kewaunee County Sheriff's Department in 2017. According to the National Safety Council, approximately 5,500 people die from choking each year, making it the fourth-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in the United States.

A pair of 20-year-old brothers from La Crosse were injured in a moped crash in the town of Liberty Grove.

The accident occurred Monday shortly after 2 p.m. on State Highway 42 near Europe Bay. One of the brothers lost his hat while riding behind the other and attempted to retrieve it from the roadway before crashing his moped. The lead brother also crashed his moped while looking back at his brother after he went down.

The brother who crashed first suffered injuries to his face and legs and was transported to Door County Medical Center for further treatment. According to the accident report, he was treated and later released from the hospital.

The other brother suffered minor abrasions in the crash but declined additional treatment from paramedics. He later traveled by ambulance to the hospital to support his brother.

Both men were cited for failing to register their mopeds and were warned for not having insurance.

The crash closed one lane of traffic for approximately 20 minutes while the mopeds were removed and the scene was cleared.

While most Americans will honor the United States' 250th birthday with fireworks, sparklers and festivals, others, like Sturgeon Bay's Meredith Renard, will use it as a time to remember.

Renard is among the more than 100 active members of the Jean Nicolet Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. It took Renard nearly 10 years to discover that two of her sixth-great-grandfathers were patriots during the American Revolution, helping pave the way for the country we know today.

She is now among nearly 190,000 active members spread across approximately 3,000 local chapters worldwide. Her own journey discovering her connection to the American Revolution inspired her to help others find their connection to the nation's founding.

Renard said people are drawn to their families' patriotic backgrounds and to learning how their ancestors came to Wisconsin to start new lives.

The chapter has adopted Bayside Cemetery in Sturgeon Bay, caring for gravesites that include those of four daughters of American Revolution patriots.

As the lineage research chair and volunteer genealogist chair for the Jean Nicolet Chapter, Renard said she loves helping others discover their stories so they can pass them down through generations.

The DAR is active in several initiatives throughout the area, but even more so this year as part of the America 250 celebration. Renard has toured the area giving presentations that tell the stories of patriots and inspire others to dig deeper into their own family lineage.

Another slow week in the fields did not hinder crop progress for Wisconsin farmers.

According to the USDA Crop Progress and Condition Report, Wisconsin had 4.3 days suitable for fieldwork last week, with rains in the northern part of the state limiting activity for several days.

The extra precipitation is not going to waste, with corn and soybeans still emerging in some parts of the state and the second crop of alfalfa continuing to develop.

Corn emergence reached 97%, and soybean emergence was at 95%, both two to three percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Crop conditions remained strong, with about 80% rated good to excellent, up 1 percentage point from the previous week.

Oats are 51% headed, and winter wheat is 92% headed, both a few percentage points ahead of the five-year average.

Many farmers are using the time to complete their second cutting of alfalfa, which is about 11% complete. The first cutting is about 93% complete.

There is still time to catch the summer reading bug in Door County.

The United Way of Door County and the Door County Bookmobile are doing their part to make that happen through their Love of Reading events across the peninsula. The organizations kicked off their efforts Tuesday with stops at the Door County Library branches in Forestville and Sturgeon Bay.

Not only could children from birth to age 5 receive a free book, they could also sign up for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to receive books during the other 11 months of the year and learn more about the bookmobile.

Shaun Tauber and Jessie McCains shared stories of the program and the impact it can have on the youth in Door County.

If you missed Tuesday's stops, don't worry. The United Way and the Door County Bookmobile will visit the Door County Library branches in Sister Bay from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Baileys Harbor from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. and Egg Harbor from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. Wednesday. They will also stop at the Door County YMCA in Sturgeon Bay on Thursday during the summer lunch program from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Door County YMCA has thousands of members across the peninsula, and it needs your help to continue providing services to the community.

On this week's Y-Wednesday Podcast, Communications and Outreach Executive Amy Gamble highlighted several job opportunities available at the YMCA's branches in Sturgeon Bay and Fish Creek. In addition to program instructors, summer camp counselors and lifeguards, the Door County YMCA is seeking an aquatics director and a gymnastics coordinator in Sturgeon Bay.

Gamble also highlighted volunteer opportunities available through next month's Door County Triathlon. Volunteers would help keep intersections along the course safe for the hundreds of participants who swim, bike and run throughout Door County, while also helping the Door County YMCA raise funds for its annual campaign.