News Bulletin: Feb. 12 – 18

• The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has included Sevastopol Elementary School among 169 Title I Schools of Recognition. Sevastopol Elementary was recognized as a High-Progress School, meaning it falls within the top 10 percent of schools experiencing growth in reading and mathematics.

• The Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission has received a $100,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant from the U.S. Forest Service to assist communities, counties and tribes with mitigating Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) impacts. The funding will be provided to Wisconsin jurisdictions and tribes within the Great Lakes Basin that are under an EAB quarantine (which includes Door County). Funded projects will be selected through a mini-grant process using an advisory panel made up of representatives from Southeastern Wisconsin RPC, East Central Wisconsin RPC, North Central Wisconsin RPC, Northwestern Wisconsin RPC, and the Wisconsin DNR. The DNR will also assist with helping to get the word out to communities, counties and tribes that the funding is available. More information will be available as the mini-grant program develops in the next couple months.

• Nine high quality sweaters on wooden hangers that were stolen from a Sturgeon Bay business were found on a ski trail in northern Door County. One other local business in close proximity reported cash missing. If you have any information, please contact the Sturgeon Bay Police Department at 920.746.2450, the “Give A Tip” web tip form available on the Sturgeon Bay Police Department’s Facebook Page or the tip form on the department website located here.

COMING UP

• The supposedly non-partisan position of state Supreme Court Justice is the only office Door County voters will have to decide on in the 2016 Spring Primary on Feb. 16. The candidates include Rebecca Bradley, who was appointed by Gov. Scott Walker last fall after the Sept. 21 death of Justice N. Patrick Crooks in his chambers. She is being challenged by Joanne Kloppenburg, the presiding judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and former assistant attorney general (1989-2012), and Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Joe Donald. Responses from the three candidates are available online at VOTE411.org, the League of Women Voters’ national voter guide website. Kewaunee County residents will be voting for a circuit court judge to replace Judge Dennis Mlezvia, who is retiring after 24 years. The candidates, all Kewaunee County attorneys, are Jeffrey Wisnicky, Keith Mehn and Andrew Naze.

• The League of Women Voters of Door County is sponsoring a forum for candidates running for Southern Door School Board. Candidates in this election include: Gregory R. Koelpien, Kim DeGrave Nowikowski, Jamie Schmiling, Kim M. Starr, Cory Vandertie and Kim D. Welch. The forum is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 24, in the Southern Door High School Library, beginning at 7 pm. A snow date has been set for Monday, Feb. 29. The event consists of anonymous written questions from the audience. Each candidate will have an equal opportunity to share his or her positions and views with the public. For those unable to attend but would like to ask questions, send them to [email protected]. The candidate forum can be watched livestream here.  A video recording of the forum will be aired on the Southern Door School website, the League of Women Voters Door County website and Facebook page within two days after the forum.

• Under the direction of the 2013-15 state biennial budget bill, the Natural Resources Board will review Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recommendations for the second phase of land sales when it meets Feb. 24 in Madison. State law directed the Natural Resources Board to offer 10,000 acres of land for sale by June 30, 2017. Proceeds from these land sales will repay outstanding public debt related to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program. The department currently owns approximately 1,517,454 acres in fee title ownership and 300,267 acres in easements. The sale of 10,000 acres represents less than one percent of the department’s total land ownership. Final department recommendations include 82 parcels, totaling 5,900 acres to be offered for sale, including 23 parcels totaling 1,001 acres to be offered for sale through a public bidding process. Information related to the marketing of parcels available for public bid will be made available as the marketing occurs. Recommendations regarding each of the parcels can be found at dnr.wi.gov, keywords “land sales” – select the button labeled “parcels for review and sale.”