July 10 – 17

What Happened

• The Republican field of candidates aiming to take out Congressman Steve Kagen (D-Appleton) grew to three. Reid Ribble, a Kaukauna roofing contractor, announced his candidacy for the 8th Congressional District, which includes Door County. Door County Supervisor Marc Savard and Brown County Supervisor Andy Williams are also running.

• Sister Bay declined an offer by the University of Oregon to donate a 10-acre piece of landlocked property at the end of Fieldcrest Rd.

• Antonio Riley, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Administration, visited Door County July 7 and 8. Riley spoke at the Sturgeon Bay Common Council Meeting on behalf of the Wire Tech and Bay Shipbuilding projects.

• The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin is reviewing an application by Wisconsin Public Service filed in May to increase retail electric rates by 4.95 percent and natural gas rates by 3.44 percent in 2010.

If approved, the average residential electric customer using 630 kilowatt-hours of electricity would see an increase of $4.15 per month. A natural gas customer using 900 therms per month would see an increase of $3.22 per month.

Comments on the request can be posted at http://psc.wi.gov.

• The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism reported that alcohol as a factor in boating accidents declined to its lowest level in at least a decade. Alcohol was a factor in 40 percent of boating accidents, down from a high of over 85 percent.