Sometimes, preventing a fall means learning how to R.I.S.E. to catch yourself. That's the goal of the Reducing Incidence of Falls with Strength and Education, or R.I.S.E., course being offered by Door County Medical Center at its Sister Bay Clinic and Rehab Center.

 

Led by Falls Certified Physical Therapist Krista Keck and DCMC Rehab Services Outreach Specialist Christy Wisniewski, the six-week workshop brings together local clinicians and community providers to help participants develop strategies and confidence to reduce their risk of falling.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 4 older adults falls each year, making falls one of the leading causes of injury and death among older adults. Falling once also doubles the risk of falling again.

 

Wisniewski said the course can help people recognize warning signs and develop the skills needed to stay safe.

 

 

Space is limited for the R.I.S.E. course, which will be held Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m. beginning Aug. 31 and running through Oct. 12, with no class on Labor Day.

 

More registration information is available at this link, and you can listen to our full conversation with Wisniewski here.

While it may rest on the bottom of Lake Michigan, the F.J. King shipwreck was added earlier this week to the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Constructed in Toledo, Ohio, in 1867, the F.J. King was used in the coal and grain trade between Lake Michigan and the rest of the Great Lakes. In September 1886, the vessel met its fate when it sprang a leak while carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Chicago and sank near Door County.

 

Last June, Principal Investigator Brendon Baillod and a group of 20 citizen scientists and community historians discovered the vessel near Cana Island. Among them were Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands Capt. Stiles Meredith and Capt. Scott Nelson, who said last September they had always wanted to be part of an expedition to discover a shipwreck and are still amazed their goal became a reality.

 

 

Despite nearly five decades of unsuccessful searches, Baillod credited advances in technology and a trove of original documents that had been digitized with helping locate the wreck.

 

Thanks to thousands of photographs taken during the discovery, visitors can explore the F.J. King through 3D virtual reality tours using an Oculus VR headset.

 

At the time of its discovery, the F.J. King was the fifth shipwreck Baillod had helped locate in three years. 

 

Upper Lone Tree Farm in Brooklyn, Wis. and an expanded listing for Milwaukee's Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Complex was also placed on the National Register of Historic Places this week.

After failing to pass one in the spring, the Southern Door School District may ask voters to consider an operational referendum this fall.

 

The district announced its intentions Thursday after a series of special meetings focused on its financial outlook.

 

In April, voters rejected an operational referendum by a vote of 2,031 to 1,603. The measure would have allowed the district to exceed the state revenue limit by $3.15 million annually for three years. District officials said the additional funding would support day-to-day operations and address emerging needs, including maintaining programs and services.

 

A month later, more than a dozen positions were cut, including one elementary school teacher, two middle school teachers and five high school teachers. A pay freeze was instituted for all employees, three sports programs were eliminated, co-curricular assignment pay and travel were cut, and computer and student device replacements were delayed.

 

The sports programs were later reinstated with support from the Southern Door Booster Club.

 

The cuts totaled approximately $1.78 million, but the district said it is still facing a $1.67 million budget deficit.

 

"Like many school districts across Wisconsin, we are facing financial challenges that require us to carefully evaluate how we can continue providing the high-quality educational opportunities our students deserve," Superintendent Dr. Kevin Krutzik said. "The board's decision to explore an operational referendum for November is an important step in that process. We are committed to engaging our staff, families and community members as we evaluate our options."

 

By reducing the specific categories a new operational referendum would address, the district expects the amount requested would be less than the $3.15 million sought in April.

 

The Sturgeon Bay School District is also exploring a possible operational referendum this fall.

 

Both districts will participate in a Joint Review Board meeting with Sturgeon Bay officials next week as they explore potentially expanding tax increment districts in the city, which could further affect the schools' finances.

 

Decisions on both districts' referendum questions will be discussed at upcoming school board meetings.

The proposal of a 12th Tax Increment District earlier this week did not come without a fight.

 

Residents attended the meeting to voice concerns not only about creating one TID to jump-start new housing developments along Division Road and amending three others, but also about recent changes made to Sawyer Park Flats.

 

Residents told WGBA-TV they fear the TIDs are diverting too much funding that should be going to local schools. School districts receive only the base tax value from properties within a TID for the life of the district, which is typically 20 years.

 

Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward said it is a balancing act for communities like Sturgeon Bay, which is negatively affected by the current school funding formula. While he acknowledged the TIDs will prevent some money from going to the Sturgeon Bay and Southern Door school districts, he said he hopes the growth they promote will bring more families to the area, resulting in higher student enrollment.

 

 

A Joint Review Board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 13 to discuss the TIDs with the school districts. The districts grew by more than 120 acres after Tuesday's Common Council meeting, including the 77 acres included in the proposed TID No. 12.

After a busy week of water rescue missions, including one that ended tragically, you can't blame the Door County Sheriff's Office for being extra cautious when it comes to finding an empty kayak.

 

The department recovered a red kayak Thursday morning floating in Green Bay about three miles north of Dyckesville after the U.S. Coast Guard, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and local fire departments also responded. A few hours later, the kayak had been returned to its rightful owner after it had floated away. 

 

Door County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Kyle Veeser reminds watercraft owners to properly label their vessels so they can be contacted if the craft is found adrift or washes ashore without them.

 

 

You can label your vessels and other marine equipment with a permanent marker or use a free, weatherproof watercraft decal from the Coast Guard Foundation or the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. 

Making the area a safer place to live and the Sheriff's Office a better place to work are among the goals the four candidates for Door County sheriff have outlined ahead of Tuesday's primary and the Nov. 3 general election.

 

Curt Vandertie and Carl Waterstreet will face each other in the Republican primary, while Tammy Sternard will run unopposed in the Democratic primary. Randy Wagner will not appear on the primary ballot but will be on the ballot for the general election.

 

Vandertie said he would like the department to be more engaged with the community, starting with his Community Connect program. He said the initiative would take a proactive approach to law enforcement by hosting educational events to keep residents informed.

 

 

Waterstreet said he would like to restore a sense of pride within the department by allowing employees to take part in the decision-making process and by providing support for their families.

 

 

Wagner said he would like to see more money invested in the department while ensuring all employees receive the training they need and want to be successful.

 

 

Sternard said she wants to expand programs that protect the county's aging population while helping foster the next generation of leaders within the department.

 

 

You can watch and listen to the full interviews with the candidates by clicking on the links.

 

Local municipalities have also been reminding voters that this is a partisan primary, meaning they must select a single political party and vote only for candidates from that party when casting their ballots.

 

Early in-person voting ends Friday.

Just because summer is winding down doesn't mean road construction season in Door County is wrapping up.

 

The Door County Highway Department announced this week that its latest project on County DK will begin Aug. 17. The project, which stretches from Cemetery Road to Junction Road, will begin with cutting driveways and intersections and pulverizing the existing road surface.

 

Paving is expected to begin Aug. 24, followed by shouldering and striping. The road will remain open to traffic throughout the project, although paving operations may require temporary closures with flaggers directing traffic.

 

Weather permitting, the project is expected to be completed by Sept. 10.

After a busy stretch for emergency personnel on the water, the U.S. Coast Guard is reminding boaters to wear a life jacket and prepare for the unexpected.

 

On Monday, 20-year-olds David Thalman of Dundee, Illinois, and Franceska Warick of South Elgin, Illinois, were recovered after they went missing while kayaking without life jackets following an exhaustive search by several local, state and federal agencies.

 

Later Monday evening, two paddleboarders near Little Sister Bay also needed assistance from multiple agencies after they floated too far from Pebble Beach without life jackets.

 

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, all vessels must have at least one U.S. Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket for each person on board. U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan Public Affairs Officer Joe Neff says a properly fitted life jacket should be treated like a seat belt in your car.

 

 

Neff also advises boaters to check the weather, carry a fully charged cellphone, and let friends and family know where they are going and when they expect to return.

If your future dreams involve a fire station, Algoma City Administrator Matt Murphy wants to hear from you.

 

With the Algoma Fire Department's move from its downtown station to the nearby industrial park just weeks away, the City of Algoma recently issued a request for proposals, or RFP, for its former fire station, which served the community for decades.

 

Restaurants, breweries, offices, retail storefronts or a mixed-use development with residential space upstairs have all been floated as preferred uses for the building. Murphy says it was important to him and the City Council not to focus solely on selling the building to the highest bidder, but also on its future as a community asset. He believes it has a future as a commercial property.

 

 

The deadline to submit a proposal is Oct. 1. Murphy adds that the city has already received interest in the building, which carries a minimum bid of $150,000. He hopes the sale can be completed before the end of the year.

With farmers' crops progressing with every passing day, the UW Extension office has set dates for upcoming corn dry-down events in Luxemburg and Sturgeon Bay.

 

The events serve as a first look for farmers to see if their corn crop is ready to be harvested for silage, which typically needs to have a moisture content between 60% and 70%, depending on how it will be stored. By comparison, corn harvested for grain usually has a moisture content between 13% and 25%, depending on storage methods.

 

While marking your calendars for Sept. 9 at Rio Creek Feed Mill in Luxemburg and Sept. 15 at Door County Cooperative is good for planning, farmers have plenty of time before they need to collect samples.

 

 

According to the USDA Crop Progress and Condition Report, corn silking is 72% complete, which is on par with the five-year average. Sixteen percent of the corn crop has reached the dough stage, when the milky fluid inside the kernels begins to thicken before the kernels dent and reach maturity.

 

UW Extension Regional Dairy Educator Aerica Bjurstrom says many of the farmers she meets with say their corn is on the right track thanks to timely rains and, if they were lucky, withstood severe weather events such as high winds and hail.

 

 

Soybean blooming is 86% complete, and oat coloring has reached 93%, with both crops still trending ahead of the five-year average, while the winter wheat harvest remains on pace with the average. Farmers across the state had 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork, with parts of eastern Wisconsin, including Door and Kewaunee counties, receiving some relief from the warm, dry conditions.

A 75-year-old Sturgeon Bay woman died Monday after she was struck while crossing the street in downtown Sturgeon Bay.

 

The crash occurred shortly after 11 a.m. at the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Michigan Street.

 

According to a news release from the Sturgeon Bay Police Department, a 73-year-old Sturgeon Bay woman told officers she was waiting to turn left onto Michigan Street from 3rd Avenue while a group of pedestrians crossed another part of the intersection. After the pedestrians cleared, she began her turn without seeing the 75-year-old woman, who was crossing from west to east in the south crosswalk. The vehicle struck the pedestrian.

 

When emergency crews arrived, they found the woman lying in the intersection. She was taken to Door County Medical Center before being transferred to a Green Bay hospital, where she later died.

 

No additional details were released. The Sturgeon Bay Police Department extended its condolences to the victim's family.

As summer begins its descent into fall, the Door County YMCA is ready for the excitement the changing seasons bring.

 

In the latest episode of the Y-Wednesday Podcast, Steve and Jackie Kane Center Executive Director Holly Butenhoff shares details about the programming and hours that come with the fall season. Registration opens to members Aug. 17 and to community members Aug. 19 ahead of the start of the Fall 1 session on Aug. 31.

 

Along with new programs come new hours, which are extended during the fall and winter months. Butenhoff also highlighted the YMCA's upcoming blood drive this Friday and its golf outing next month at Maxwelton Braes Golf Course in Baileys Harbor.

 

You can listen to the full interview at this link.

A 41-year-old Brussels man was cited for inattentive driving following a two-vehicle crash in the Town of Union on July 30.

 

The crash occurred at 4:50 p.m. at the intersection of State Highway 57 and Tru Way Road.

 

According to the Door County Sheriff's Office, the Brussels man was towing a trailer and attempting to cross State Highway 57 while traveling north to continue on Tru Way Road. He crossed the northbound lanes and stopped in the median. Meanwhile, a 58-year-old Grand Chute man was driving south on State Highway 57. As the Brussels man attempted to cross the southbound lanes, the Grand Chute man was unable to stop in time and struck the Brussels man's vehicle and trailer.

 

The Grand Chute man injured his hand in the crash. He was treated at the scene and did not require hospitalization.

 

The Brussels man received his citation after failing to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic after stopping in the median, as required by law.

 

The highway's southbound lanes were closed for about an hour while the Brussels man's trailer was removed and crews cleared the scene. The lanes reopened just before 6 p.m.

After a rash of incidents over the past few days, the Door County Sheriff’s Department is reminding visitors that the area’s waters are beautiful but can be extremely unpredictable.

 

Within 24 hours of recovering the bodies of two kayakers from Illinois, the department, along with other agencies including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Coast Guard, responded to two other incidents involving people being rescued without life jackets.

 

On Monday at around 9 p.m., two paddleboarders near Little Sister Bay needed to be rescued after they floated too far from Pebble Beach without life jackets.

 

On Tuesday at around 12:20 p.m., multiple people had to be rescued near Whitefish Dunes State Park after they were caught in a rip current hundreds of yards from shore.

 

Everyone returned to shore safely, but the Door County Sheriff’s Department used the incidents as a teaching moment.

 

"Wisconsin law requires that every boat, kayak, canoe, paddleboard and other floating vessel have a properly sized, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket available for each person on board," the department said in a statement. "We strongly encourage everyone to wear their life jacket whenever they are on the water, as it can make the difference between life and death. Swimmers, especially those unfamiliar with the area, should also consider using a flotation device and never swim alone. Before heading out, always check the weather and water conditions, let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return, and be prepared to change your plans if conditions deteriorate. Taking these simple precautions can help prevent tragedies and save lives."

 

Door, Kewaunee and Manitowoc counties are under a small craft advisory and a beach hazards statement until 10 p.m. Tuesday because of high waves and dangerous currents.

 

The National Weather Service says several beaches are especially susceptible to dangerous swimming conditions, including Rock Island State Beach, Baileys Harbor beaches and Whitefish Dunes Beach in Door County; Crescent Beach and the City of Kewaunee Beach in Kewaunee County; and Point Beach, Neshotah Beach and Red Arrow Beach in Manitowoc County.

United Way of Door County is asking for the community's help to address local housing needs as it launches a $30,000 emergency housing assistance campaign.

 

The request comes as the rising cost of housing and other basic necessities has left the area's ALICE population — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — with little financial flexibility to cover unexpected expenses such as medical emergencies and vehicle repairs.

 

The funds raised will be divided among three local organizations that provide critical assistance to individuals and families experiencing housing instability: The Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul–St. Joseph Conference and HELP of Door County.

 

United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle says all three organizations have seen requests for assistance increase while exhausting their available funding. While the United Way of Door County does not usually address emergency housing with its own fundraising efforts, Kohnle says the need is there. 

 

 

United Way of Door County hopes to raise the $30,000 by Aug. 24. Donations can be made online or by mailing a check with "Emergency Housing" in the memo line to support the effort.

The Sturgeon Bay Maritime Week festivities continued Monday night with the Door County Mariner Honors Dinner. Co-hosted by the Door County Maritime Museum and the Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club, the event honored Lt. j.g. Aaron Person of Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay as the Coast Guard Person of the Year. Stewart Fett received the Mariner Award, while Amos Lovejoy and Steve McNeil were each honored with a Posthumous Mariner Award.

 

Person was recognized not only for navigating an extended ice season on the water, but also for leading through a year of significant transition ashore. He led a crew of more than 30 new personnel through an icebreaking season that lasted more than 80 days.

 

Former Sturgeon Bay Common Council Alderman Stewart Fett was honored for his career at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, where he worked his way up through the electrical department from foreman and general superintendent to production manager before retiring. He is credited with leading a technological revolution at Bay Shipbuilding, helping vessels transition from gauges and switches to computerized systems.

 

Former Sturgeon Bay City Administrator Steve McNeil was recognized for his role in creating the Sturgeon Bay Coast Guard Committee and helping the city earn designation as an official U.S. Coast Guard City, one of the smallest communities in the nation to receive that recognition. In acknowledgment of the city's connection to the U.S. Coast Guard, McNeil also led the effort to establish Sturgeon Bay Maritime Week.

 

Lovejoy was honored as one of the peninsula's earliest settlers, working his way north from the Sevastopol area toward Washington Island. He is also credited with constructing the first vessel in Sturgeon Bay.

 

Maritime Week celebrations continue this week with the Salute to the Coast Guard Golf Outing, a special military-themed Concert in the Park and the U.S. Coast Guard Picnic.

 

Picture courtesy of Door County Maritime Museum

 

 

A 69-year-old Sturgeon Bay man was taken to a Green Bay hospital after colliding with a deer while riding his motorcycle in the Town of Gardner Saturday.

 

The crash occurred at 4:45 p.m. as the man was traveling west on County K near Hilly Ridge Road.

 

According to the accident report, the man told the deputy he was traveling about 20 mph on his motorcycle when a deer suddenly crossed in front of him, giving him no opportunity to stop in time.

 

The crash closed one lane of traffic for about an hour while the man was treated and the motorcycle was removed. The roadway reopened just before 6 p.m.

For $15.5 million, you can take your turn owning a piece of bayfront Egg Harbor history.

 

The Alpine Resort has been put on the market after years of public scrutiny over Sagorac Enterprises' proposed redevelopment plans for the site, which included the demolition of the historic lodge building.

 

"This historic and cherished Egg Harbor resort and iconic wedding venue drew generations of guests for a century of lodge stays and waterfront getaways," reads the listing by Erika Skogg of Christie's International Real Estate. "A rare half-mile of Green Bay shoreline in the heart of Door County. Restore and operate the resort once again to welcome guests, an outcome with deep sentimental and nostalgic interest; or reimagine it with a combination of private waterfront home sites."

 

In addition to the shoreline access, the property also includes more than 29,000 square feet of living space on an 8.71-acre lot. It does not include the nearby golf course or restaurant.

 

The listing comes about two months after a legal battle over the site ended in June, when a group of taxpayers hoping to block the demolition of the lodge and three other buildings dismissed their request for judicial review of the village's approval of the raze permit.

 

The decision came nearly two months after Sagorac Enterprises issued a news release formally evicting Alpine Resort operator Randy Abrahams and his affiliated entities over alleged lease violations and unpaid rent. The Alpine Resort said it had terminated its ongoing negotiations with Sagorac Enterprises and had no knowledge of the issue until its access was blocked. The resort added that it had been negotiating the lease and repurchase of the waterfront parcels and blamed recent delays on sudden changes to the agreement.

 

Abrahams sold the property to Sagorac Enterprises in 2025 for $6.75 million.

Two kayakers who went missing Saturday near Washington Island were recovered from the water Monday, ending a nearly 40-hour search.

Washington Island Police, Fire and Ambulance was called to the area at approximately 6:50 p.m. Saturday. Emergency personnel were told that the two missing kayakers, 20-year-olds David Thalman of Dundee, Illinois, and Franceska Warick of South Elgin, Illinois, went out without life jackets.

Washington Island emergency personnel conducted their own search operations until nearly 10 p.m. The U.S. Coast Guard took over from there, conducting search operations until 2:30 a.m. Sunday. The Coast Guard resumed the search at 7:30 a.m. and stopped at 10:45 a.m.

Search operations continued with the assistance of the Washington Island Fire Department, Egg Harbor Fire Department, Ephraim Fire Department, Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department, Gibraltar K-9 Search Team and Jacksonport Fire Department, along with the Gibraltar Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Door County Sheriff's Office and Door County Emergency Management.

Just before 11 a.m. Monday, Thalman's body was pulled from the water, followed by Warick's.

The incident remains under investigation by the Door County Sheriff's Office, which extended its condolences to the victims' families.

The installation of a Safe Haven Baby Box and the creation of a new tax increment district highlight Tuesday's Sturgeon Bay Common Council meeting.

 

The city became the eighth Wisconsin community to approve the installation of a Safe Haven Baby Box in June. The climate-controlled boxes allow parents to safely and anonymously surrender newborns younger than 3 days old without risking arrest. With support from Door County Medical Center and the Knights of Columbus, the future Safe Haven Baby Box will be located at the city's west-side fire station.

 

Under the memorandum of understanding, the Knights of Columbus will provide funding for the box, while Door County Medical Center will be responsible for its annual maintenance. The city is responsible for obtaining all necessary permits and approvals before it is installed at the west-side fire station. It will also install a silent alarm and 911 connection through the Door County Communications Center. When the project was approved, Mayor David Ward said he believes the box is a worthwhile investment to help protect Sturgeon Bay's youngest residents.

 

 

Also on the agenda is the creation of TID No. 12, which will help fund the infrastructure improvements necessary to build a new housing development along Division Road. The council has been working on a new 55-lot subdivision featuring a mix of single-family homes and duplexes, along with a condominium development featuring 34 storage units with optional living space on a portion of the property.

 

As part of the discussion, the council will also consider amendments to TIDs 7, 9 and 10 to expand those districts and facilitate future residential and commercial development.

 

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council will also celebrate the Door County Jazz Festival and Maritime Week, create a street closure application and fee, and discuss the final plat for the Division Road subdivision when it meets Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Sturgeon Bay City Hall.

If you are attending Packers Family Night this year, you can help Sturgeon Bay native Zane Statz participate in one of the time-honored traditions along Lombardi Avenue.

 

For decades, select fences facing Lambeau Field have been painted with slogans and images celebrating the Packers, their players and their coaches. Statz has participated in the tradition since 2015 near the corner of Lombardi Avenue and Ridge Road. For the past three years, he has created a "community fence," where he stencils the design weeks in advance before inviting hundreds of people to help paint it.

 

 

Traditionally done before the first home game of the regular season, the league's schedule makers threw a wrench into those plans when they scheduled that game for a Thursday in late September. Statz believes holding the painting event on the same day as Family Night is a great fit, and he is excited to see what the turnout will be like.

 

 

This year, Statz is incorporating two sponsors into the mural, which will highlight tailgating and game-day culture through 34 different illustrations. You can lend Statz a hand Friday from noon to 6 p.m. ahead of Family Night. Click the link below to see photos from past years.

The "dog days of summer" mean something completely different at Wisconsin Humane Society campuses across the state, including those in Green Bay and Door County.

 

According to Wisconsin Humane Society Media Specialist Corey Viars, more than 1,300 animals are available for adoption through its facilities thanks to increased intake during the summer months. Schedule and travel changes, peak puppy and kitten season, and an influx of lost pets are all factors driving animal shelters across the country to take in more animals.

 

With more animals to care for, Viars says that also increases expenses for medical care, food and other necessities.

 

 

If you cannot adopt or foster an animal, there are other ways you can show your support. The Wisconsin Humane Society's Door County Campus will host its annual Pet Walk on Saturday, Aug. 8, with events beginning at 9 a.m. at the Door County YMCA's Peterson Park. You can register here.

 

You can also donate directly to the Wisconsin Humane Society. Thanks to a group of donors, all funds raised during August will be tripled.

As Birch Creek Music Performance Center kicks off its final week of Summer Academy performances, it will pay tribute to one of its own on Thursday.

 

The concert will honor the life of longtime Jazz II faculty member Rick Haydon, who died in January. When he was not mentoring young musicians at Birch Creek Music Performance Center, he was doing the same south of the border as a professor emeritus of music at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His obituary stated that "music was not only his profession, but his lifelong language of expression."

 

Executive Director Jenna Ferdon hopes Thursday's concert honors Haydon's Birch Creek legacy.

 

 

Tickets are still available for Thursday's performance, as well as the concerts scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

 

You can listen to our full interview with Jenna Ferdon here

Much like their colleagues in Kewaunee County, the challenge of recruiting and retaining high-quality employees is one of the issues the four candidates running for Door County sheriff would like to tackle if elected in November.

 

Republican candidates Curt Vandertie and Carl Waterstreet, Democratic candidate and incumbent Sheriff Tammy Sternard, and independent candidate Randy Wagner all mentioned staffing as one of the biggest challenges facing the Door County Sheriff's Department and other law enforcement agencies. Waterstreet paired that challenge with the budget, adding that the department has to be creative to fill roles without increasing the burden on taxpayers.

 

 

Vandertie says one of the strongest foundations of any organization is its people, adding that improving the culture within the department can help attract new recruits.

 

 

Sternard recognizes the challenges she has faced hiring new deputies and jail staff, saying the department needs to become more aware of what is happening and determine what it needs to do differently.

 

 

Wagner says promoting a culture of personal growth could be key to retaining more staff and attracting new hires.

 

 

Vandertie and Waterstreet will face each other in the Aug. 11 Republican primary, while Sternard will be unopposed in the Democratic primary. The winners will join Wagner on the ballot for the Nov. 3 general election.

 

You can listen to all four candidate interviews on our podcast page and watch their candidate forum with the League of Women Voters of Door County below.

 

 

Multiple agencies are searching for two kayakers who went missing near Wickman Drive on Washington Island Saturday night.
Washington Island police, fire and ambulance personnel were called to the area at approximately 6:50 p.m. Emergency personnel were told the two missing kayakers went out without life jackets. Crews conducted their own search operations until nearly 10 p.m.
The United States Coast Guard then took over the search, conducting operations until 2:30 a.m. The Coast Guard resumed the search at 7:30 a.m. before suspending operations at 10:45 a.m.
Search operations have since continued with assistance from the Washington Island Fire Department, Egg Harbor Fire Department, Ephraim Fire Department, Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department, Gibraltar K-9 Search Team and Jacksonport Fire Department, along with the Gibraltar Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Door County Sheriff’s Office and Door County Emergency Management.
Crews are searching for a 20-year-old man who is approximately 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs 195 pounds. He was last known to be wearing khaki shorts and has brown hair.
The woman is 20 years old and is described as 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighing 95 pounds, with brown hair. She was possibly wearing a teal or red/pink swimsuit.
Washington Island Police Chief Gary Schultz says search operations will continue until further notice. More information will be released when it becomes available.