Happened in Door County: May 29 – June 12

• Ephraim altered its process for selecting its Fyr Bal Chieftain, reverting to the format it had used in previous years. Eligible Fyr Bal Chieftain voters may cast their vote at the Ephraim Visitor Information Center on a write-in ballot before Friday, June 19 at 3 pm. Eligible voters include Ephraim Business Council Members, Ephraim voters and Ephraim residents and taxpayers.

• A bill that would give the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin the authority to set state-wide standards for wind turbine siting remains in committee in the Wisconsin legislature. A staffer in state Senator Jeffrey Plale’s office said Plale is talking to colleagues about adding amendments to the bill but does not have a timetable for moving forward.

• A Manitowoc man was charged with his seventh OWI. Keith D. Delsman, 40, was arrested May 2 after leading officers on an 8-mile chase. Delsman previously earned his sixth drunk-driving citation in Door County.

• Assembly District 1 Representative Garey Bies (R-Sister Bay) criticized his Democratic colleagues on the Joint Finance Committee for loading the state budget with earmarks, pointing to $5 million for the Bradley Center, $500,000 for remodeling the Oshkosh Opera House, and $125,000 for remodeling a library in Eau Clair.

• The Wisconsin State Legislature cut all $14.85 million from the state’s Department of Energy Independence in next year’s budget. The department’s Brian Driscoll had met with Door County officials about combining purchasing power and sharing energy-efficiency ideas last winter. The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters is pushing legislatures to restore bare-bones funding to the department to enable programs already initiated to continue to operate.

• Door County Board Chairman Leo Zipperer lauded Bill Chadoir of the Door County Economic Development Corporation and Door County Administrator Michael Serpe for their work to bring federal stimulus dollars to the county, including $9 million for projects awarded to Roen Salvage.