Category: General News
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Census Takers Starting Follow-up with Nonresponding Households
With a current self-response rate of 46.1 percent to the 2020 census by Door County residents, census takers will now begin visiting the remaining addresses to collect responses in person. These census takers are hired from the local community and will follow all local public-health guidelines when visiting addresses. If no one is home when […]
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DOT Maintains Funding for Local Road Projects
State grant dollars awarded for critical transportation projects around the state, including four within Door County, will be funded after all. The Multimodal Local Supplement (MLS) grant program was created through Gov. Tony Evers’ partial veto of the 2019-21 budget. Then the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned that veto July 10, putting the MLS grant program […]
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Lake Michigan Reaches Record July High-Water Level
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that Lake Michigan has reached its highest recorded July water level. Lake Michigan-Huron (considered one body of water) is now two inches above the July record, set in 1986; three inches above the July 2019 level; and 34 inches above the average lake level for July. That’s just […]
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DMV Explains Steps to Obtain ID to Vote
Most Wisconsin voters already have some form of identification (ID) needed to vote, including a Wisconsin driver’s license or ID. There is no separate “voter ID,” and a federally compliant REAL ID card is not required for voting purposes. The Wisconsin Elections Commission provides a list of acceptable options to take to the polls at […]
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Partisan Primary Election on Aug. 11
Voters will head to 21 polling locations around Door County on Tuesday, Aug. 11, to participate in the state’s partisan primary election. Votes are cast for only one party’s primary. The ballot in Door County contains congressional, legislative and state seats that are up for election this year. The Door County treasurer’s seat is the […]
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Supreme Court Decision Halts Local Transit Projects
A Wisconsin Supreme Court decision that bridled Gov. Tony Evers’ veto authority has also pressed the pause button on state grant dollars that had been awarded for critical transportation projects around the state, four within Door County. The issue pertains to the 2019-21 biennial budget bill that Evers signed July 3, 2019, with several vetoes. […]
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All Masked Up: Area Businesses Receive Mixed Reactions to Mask Requirements
On Monday afternoon, while parked outside the entrance to the Walmart in Sturgeon Bay, not a single maskless person could be seen entering the store, at least during a period of about 40 minutes. A large sandwich board positioned at the roped-off entrance gave customers the scoop: “Walmart requires face coverings for all customers, associates […]
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State Task Force Focuses on Expanding Broadband Access
Last week the New York Times called digital exclusion a civil-rights issue. Specifically, “doing schoolwork in the parking lot is not a solution” was the opinion of its editorial board, and “an adequate connection is no longer a matter of convenience. It is a necessity for participating in a civil society.” Too many people in […]
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Sturgeon Bay Receives $250k for Younkers Building Redevelopment
The City of Sturgeon Bay is receiving a $250,000 state grant to help redevelop the former Younkers department store space in downtown Sturgeon Bay. The Community Development Investment Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) will support the renovation of the long-vacant building into a new retail center that will include an accessories and […]
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Governor Creates New State Task Force on Broadband Access
Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #80 on Tuesday to create the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access. It will advise the governor and Wisconsin State Legislature on broadband actions and policy, including strategies for successfully expanding high-speed internet access to every residence, business and institution in the state; initiatives for digital inclusion; and pathways […]
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Helmets and Shields Purchase Back on the Table
Helmets and shields are again being considered for the Door County Sheriff’s Office after Adopt a Soldier of Door County offered to donate $10,000 to pay for the gear. “We’re not considering this riot gear,” said Nancy Hutchinson, founder and president of the local Adopt a Soldier chapter. “We’re not looking at it that way. […]
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U.S. Supreme Court Ends Al Johnson’s Trademark Debate
The United States Supreme Court refused to hear a petition from a New York attorney who sought to cancel the “goats on a roof of grass” trademark owned by Al Johnson’s. The court’s June 22 denial put the decade-long lawsuit to rest for good. Attorney Todd Bank has been involved in attempts to strip Al […]
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Dairy Farmers Persevere during the Worst Crisis in Decades
Organic milk production sustains fourth-generation Wilke farm It hurts to say so, but California is now the Dairy State. During the past 15 years, there has been a 49 percent decrease in the number of dairy farms in Wisconsin. In just two years, from 2016 to 2018, the state lost almost 1,200 dairy farms, and […]
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2.7 Million Absentee Ballot Applications to be Mailed in Wisconsin
Nearly all registered voters in Wisconsin who have not already asked for absentee ballot applications will receive them by Sept. 1. Under the plan given approval last week by the Wisconsin Elections Commission, some 2.7 million ballot applications will be mailed. The mailing will not be sent to the nearly 528,000 electors who have already […]
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Coree Aussem-Woltering Sets Ice Age Trail FKT Record
It took 21 days, 13 hours and 35 minutes – along with 14 pairs of shoes – for 30-year-old Ottawa, Illinois, native Coree Aussem-Woltering to run the entirety of the 1,147-mile Ice Age Trail. Finishing at the trail’s eastern terminus in Potawatomi State Park on the night of June 22, Aussem-Woltering made his way through the […]
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FSA Accepting Nominations for County Committee Members
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting nominations for Door County (and other county) committee members through Aug. 1. “I encourage America’s farmers, ranchers and forest stewards to nominate candidates to lead, serve and represent their community on their county committee,” said FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce. “There’s an increasing need for diverse representation, including underserved […]
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New Legislation Bites Ticks Back
Ticks become active beginning in May, and this year, for the first time, new legislation has been passed to try to bite the creatures back. The Wisconsin Assembly passed two bills in January that require the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to warn visitors about the dangers of Lyme disease and to sell insect […]
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It’s Tick Season, and They Really Bite
Last spring, “Corona and Lyme” would have sounded pretty good to many people, but now it’s probably the last thing most want to hear about. However, as many people are spending time outdoors and exploring nature without the fear of contracting COVID-19, there’s another serious disease they should be concerned about contracting. Lyme disease is […]
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Bank Closures Position Nicolet for Strength, CEO Says
Nicolet National Bank has closed seven locations in northeast Wisconsin, three in Door County in Brussels, Ellison Bay and Fish Creek. The other four are in Appleton, Kewaunee, Oshkosh and Suamico. The permanent closures have affected 56 employees, including 12 executive-branch employees, according to Nicolete Chairman and CEO Bob Atwell. Nicolet was not a victim […]
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For College Students and Schools, Fall Plans Are Becoming Complicated
Gibraltar senior Mara Packard knew that she would be a perfect fit for Lawrence University in Appleton because of its small, tight-knit academic community. She had received scholarships and financial aid that would cover the majority of her tuition and was eager to move into Lawrence’s campus dorms in the fall. However, after facing the […]