The man responsible for the fire at Butch’s Bar in Sturgeon Bay that resulted in the deaths of two people was sentenced Friday to 15 years of prison.  Anthony Gonzalez, 60, was convicted of two counts of reckless homicide during his seven-day trial in January.
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Victor Jurss and Gary Heise were killed in the fire that Gonzalez inadvertently started in his apartment room above the bar when he ignited butane lighter fluid that he spilled on his bed. In the criminal complaint, he said, “It was too hot for me to stay in the room. I started pounding on the doors to get people out”.  

Judge D. Todd Ehlers also ordered Gonzalez to undergo 15 years of extended supervision and pay $5,607.38 in restitution. 

You will see a reimagined Native American settlement in the future, thanks to the input of local tribes. For years, Whitefish Dunes State Park featured replica wigwam structures and prehistoric tools to showcase what life would have been like for Native Americans living along the Lake Michigan shoreline. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, several native tribes, including the Potawatomi and the Oneota, called the land now known as Whitefish Dunes State Park home. Friends of Whitefish Dunes State Park President John Swanson says recently, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation visited the park and cited some of the inaccuracies in their tribute to Native Americans. Swanson says that dialogue started a process that will now see the Friends group start from scratch and ensure the new replica settlement is historically accurate.

Swanson, much of the funding for the improvements comes from grants received from Destination Door County. He hopes to have a conceptual drawing of the site by mid-summer.

Picture courtesy of Destination Door County

You will see residents and visitors enjoy the outdoors even more thanks to four grants awarded by Destination Door County on Friday. The tourism organization announced $202,300 in grant money for four different projects as a part of its Community Investment Fund. The biggest award was $92,850 for a new open-air park pavilion at John Miles County Park in Sturgeon Bay to provide additional space for music performances, community gatherings, and more to take place rain or shine. The Sturgeon Bay School District received approximately $80,000 for a new ADA-accessible playground at Sunrise School so children of all abilities can play together. Improving accessibility outdoors was also a factor in a $22,500 grant awarded to the Friends of Potawatomi State Park for accessible kayak launch for silent sports enthusiasts. Bjorklunden in Baileys Harbor also received a grant of nearly $7,000 to address the lighting around its parking lot for the campus’ main lodge. Since its creation in May 2023, Destination Door County’s Community Investment Fund has funded 24 projects to over $1.4 million.  “This program provides us with a way to invest in community projects that will positively impact our residents, as well as visitors, and allows us to form partnerships within the community we’ve not had before,” said Destination Door County President and CEO Julie Gilbert. The next application deadline for the Community Investment Grants is June 24th.

An event usually reserved for aspiring college athletes was instead used to highlight the commitment of three Luxemburg-Casco students after their high school days are over. The school district celebrated National Youth Apprenticeship Signing Day with Caleb Delebreau, Max Ronsman, and Tanner Veeser all bridging the gap between youth apprentice and registered apprentice. Ronsman and Veeser work in plumbing at Tweet/Garot, a Green Bay-based mechanical contracting firm. The trio’s supervisors gave them ringing endorsements on their signing day, applauding their work ethic and their eagerness to learn. The signing day was a part of the larger National Youth Apprenticeship Week, which runs through May 11th. Luxemburg-Casco School District leads the state in youth apprenticeship activity, with 58 percent of its students participating in the program. Director of Learning Services Mike Snowberry says they have been active, ensuring that students do not just go down a path, but the right one for them.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of active youth apprentices has increased 118 percent over the last decade.

You can exchange those FoodShare dollars again this year at two farmer’s markets this summer in Door County. The United Way of Door County will be at the Sturgeon Bay Farmer’s Market on Saturdays for the fourth consecutive summer while it debuted at the Baileys Harbor Farmer’s Market on Sundays. For the past two years, the United Way of Door County had run its program at Jacksonport, but low swiping rates at the Tuesday market led to a change. United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle says they are searching for volunteers to help facilitate the programs, which help residents on multiple fronts.

Last year, the program saw over $2,000 in FoodShare dollars redeemed for tokens. The Sturgeon Bay Farmer’s Market begins on June 1st, and the Baileys Harbor Farmer’s Market begins on May 19th.

The Southern Door High School’s Forensics Team was one of just 14 schools in the state to be recognized for the Excellence in Speech Award at the Wisconsin State Speech Festival held last month.  The competition was held at DeForest Area High School by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech & Dramatic Arts Association (WISDAA) and included about 10,000 students and 500 schools in the state.  Southern Door High School Principal Steve Bousley says their Forensics Team and coach JamieLynn Teska, did an outstanding job representing the school at state, and the program continues to grow. 

Judges ranked each student or performing group to determine medal awards, with the top five percent of medal-earning schools being recognized with the Excellence in Speech distinction.  Southern Door qualified for the state competition after two district rounds in February and March. 

Destination Door County released its 2034 Stewardship Plan last month, and now it needs your help to execute it. During the process, Destination Door County identified four key goals of the plan: support environmental sustainability, develop and enhance experiences, improve infrastructure, and champion community stewardship. Destination Door County President and CEO Julie Gilbert says the goals outlined in the plan are all equally important and intertwined, acknowledging the work that area organizations have done to address some of the topics like affordable housing, workforce development, child care availability, and more. Gilbert adds that even though this is a ten-year plan, Destination Door County is already doing things to accomplish the stewardship plan's goals.

You can learn more about the stewardship plan, including the presentation video, by clicking this link. Gilbert encourages residents to reach out to learn how to help achieve the group’s goals and make Door County an even better place to live, work, and play.

Kewaunee resident Kiley Pagel hopes you might consider following in her footsteps as a top candidate for Alice in Dairyland. Pagel was one of the six top candidates vying for the role of Alice in Dairyland. This year-long reign involves traveling the state promoting different aspects of Wisconsin agriculture. Three months after being announced as a top candidate and after three days of finals-related competition in Door County, Oconomowoc’s Halei Heinzel was crowned Alice in Dairyland last Saturday night. Despite not being selected, Pagel says it was an opportunity of a lifetime where she learned so much and met many people.

Pagel is not ruling out a second bid at becoming Alice in Dairyland, but she says she has plenty to keep her busy until she decides to apply. She is currently the marketing advisor for Pagel Family Businesses and is graduating from UW-Green Bay this Saturday with a degree in business administration. 

You should see one of Door County Emergency Services’ biggest needs finally addressed this fall when a budget request for a Mid-Door ambulance station is finally addressed. Door County Emergency Services Director Aaron LeClair says a site in the middle of the county that cuts down on response has been on the wishlist for nearly a decade, with timing being the biggest culprit. When call volume in the City of Sturgeon Bay grew, the Door County EMS and the Door County Aging and Disability Resource Center teamed up on a plan to refurbish an old highway shop into a new facility for both departments. A partnership with the Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department and pursuing a new home on Washington Island also came about much sooner than Door County Emergency Services had initially thought. LeClair says timing is on their side now, and he is happy municipalities want to partner with them.

LeClair hopes to have more clarity on where a new Mid-Door ambulance site will be ahead of the budget season this fall. Jacksonport has indicated they would like to partner with the county on the site. The Joint Village and Town of Egg Harbor Board approved a letter of support to Door County Emergency Services to consider an additional EMS station connected to or located near their fire station on Harbor School Road.

You will be able to find the Door County Bookmobile, which will make its first scheduled stop in decades this weekend at Write on, Door County’s Mothers and Others Day at its campus in Fish Creek. Just under two months ago, the bookmobile took its first spin around the county since the vehicle was retired in 1989. Days after that maiden voyage for the refurbished vehicle, Door County Bookmobile President John Sawyer said he was excited about what is in store for its future.

The Door County Bookmobile will waste no time bringing books to kids this spring. In addition to volunteers reading books to kids inside the Bookmobile, the first 50 kids at Saturday’s event will receive a copy of Susan Straub’s “Gaga Mistake Day.” Write On Door County’s Mothers and Others Day runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Door County Bookmobile is also looking for volunteers to prepare the bus for trips, be historical docents, and drive the vehicle to events. 

By the time May 22nd rolls around, seven Luxemburg-Casco students will have already had the thrill of being handed a diploma. Those seven students will be the first UW-Green Bay’s Rising Phoenix program graduates since Kewaunee County’s three high schools signed on to participate last year. Over 100 students in the state, including those from Marinette, Manitowoc, Green Bay, Mishicot, and Two Rivers, will graduate from UW-Green Bay with Associate’s degrees, allowing them to enter the next phase of their academic life as third-year students. As they took their high school classes, students enrolled in the Rising Phoenix program took college-level courses, earning approximately 60 credits towards their Bachelor’s degree. Luxemburg-Casco School District Director of Learning Services Mike Snowberry says it will allow those students to enter their program areas sooner at a substantial savings.

Even with students having to pay for approximately two-thirds of the credits opposed to the free ride the Class of 2024 received thanks to a grant, Snowberry says the Class of 2025 from Luxemburg-Casco more than doubled to 17 students. The Rising Phoenix celebration for the students will take place on May 10th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the UW-Green Bay- Manitowoc campus before they participate in the spring commencement ceremony at the Kress Events Center on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

The district also celebrates its youth apprentices at a signing day special ceremony on Thursday. Caleb Delebreau (Sheet Metal Fabricating), Max Ronsman (Plumbing), and Tanner Veeser (Plumbing) will continue their apprentice work at Tweet/Garot in Green Bay after going through NEWYA the past year.

That old microwave or computer collecting dust in your garage or basement can be disposed of properly at no cost if you act quickly.  You can help protect the water, land, and air when the Village of Sister Bay and the Town of Liberty Grove host a prescription drug drop-off and a recycling event this Saturday, May 11.  Residents are encouraged to bring appliances and electronics to be recycled and any papers they want to be shredded.  Village Administrative Assistant Janal Suppanz says due to the overwhelming response in the past, only Sister Bay and Liberty Grove residents may bring documents to be shredded and recycled.

Door County Sheriff’s Department members will also be on hand to take care of prescription drug drop-off and disposal.  You can bring outdated prescriptions and over-the-counter medications on Saturday as part of the event, which will be held from 9 a.m. until noon at the Village of Sister Bay Sports Park.  You can find more details here.

In Kewaunee County, Algoma Utilities is hosting an Electronics Recycling Event this Thursday, May 9 from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at 1407 Flora Avenue in Algoma.  On Wednesday, May 22, an Electronics Recycling Event will be hosted at St. Louis Church in Dyckesville from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m.  

Starting on Thursday, you will have to take a slight detour off Highway 54 when you travel into Algoma. The City is working on the infrastructure replacement on Frank Avenue this week, and a portion of the roadway and Jefferson Street (Hwy 54) will be closed for a week.

Algoma City Administrator Matt Murphy says the infrastructure construction of water, sewer, and storm sewer on Division Street is just about wrapped up, with the focus now turning to three blocks of Frank Avenue.  He says drivers will have to deal with a complete closure of Jefferson Street at the Frank Avenue intersection starting Thursday, with a detour off of Sunset Avenue to Fremont and back to Fourth Street.

The closure is expected to be from 7 a.m. Thursday until late afternoon on Friday, May 17.  After the Frank Avenue infrastructure work is done, Murphy expects the road-building crews to finish the project by the first week of June when paving and concrete work is completed. 

You can participate in one of Door County’s most popular spring events as the Door County YMCA’s annual Blossom Run returns to Egg Harbor this Saturday. Healthy Living Coordinator Sarah Gavin says the family-friendly event has already registered 230 runners for the five-mile run/walk, a record for the Blossom Run in its 30-year history. A two-mile run/walk and a one-mile youth run are also slated for Saturday morning. 

 The 2024 Blossom Run starts at Dock Park in Egg Harbor, with race day registration from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Following the runs at about 10:15 a.m., awards will be given to eight age groups in both male and female categories. More information on the event sponsored by Door County Medical Center and Ross Liebmann Legal Group is available here. 

An 18-year-old Two Rivers man was sent to the hospital after his car rear-ended a stopped school bus in the town of Carlton in Kewaunee County.   According to the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department, a little after 3 p.m. Tuesday a Kewaunee School District bus with about 30 students aboard was stopped at a residence on Highway 42  South of Townline Road in the township of Carlton.  A 2009 Chevrolet Impala driven by the 18-year-old was traveling Southbound on the highway and ran into the back of the school bus.  The teen driver was injured and transported to the hospital, while the occupants of the school bus only reported minor injuries, and none required medical treatment.  The accident is still under investigation by Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department with the help of Wisconsin State Patrol.  Highway 42 was closed for about three hours after the accident.  Kewaunee Rescue, Carlton Fire, Carlton first responders, Kewaunee County Highway Department, State Patrol, and Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department all responded to the scene.

The key concerns over natural water quality and aquatic weed control in the channel were addressed at the Sturgeon Bay Common Council on Tuesday night.

After a 30-minute presentation on the 2024 Aquatic Management Plan by Onterra, the Sturgeon Bay Common Council unanimously approved the plan that was recommended by the Joint Parks & Recreation Committee

Before the vote, Onterra Aquatics Ecologist Tim Hoyman told the council that the plant biomass had slightly decreased from 2016 to 2023 while the plant population in the waters of Sturgeon Bay is in relatively good health. He noted that the management of plants in Sturgeon Bay is done so boaters and users have reasonable access to the waters of the bay.  Only three percent of the bay is currently being managed with the harvesting of plant fragments.   The aquatics management plan includes about 125 acres of harvesting again but with a new second herbicide treatment in late July or early August with the assurance of best management practices.  You can read the complete 2024 Aquatics Management Plan here. 

In other council business, Mayor David Ward’s appointments of committee chairs and vice-chairs were approved.

The first reading of an ordinance for property located at 148 North 8th Place would allow rezoning from (R1) to (R-2) so the lot can be split to allow the building of another home on the second lot.

The other first reading that passed was a repeal of an ordinance for portable fueling of watercraft to make it safer for all concerned by prohibiting transporting fuel in containers that are not federally approved.

An Urban Area Boundary Adjustment for the City of Sturgeon Bay in the southwest portion of the city to include an area on South Duluth Avenue was approved. 

Three retiring city employees were honored before the meeting by Mayor Ward.

Your drive through Door County is becoming more beautiful by the day, thanks to the area’s cherry trees. Southern Door County is getting the floral show a few days earlier than trees in Northern Door County. The cherry blossoms are appearing earlier than usual in Door County, which usually peaks in mid-May. Toni Sorenson from Soren’s Vahalla Orchards says that she is confident it will be another great crop of cherries this year based on the blossoms.

Cherry blossoms are usually visible for about two weeks after they bloom before they disappear. Sorenson says not to worry if you cannot make it up to Door County to catch the cherry blossoms, as the apple blossoms will not be far behind. She adds that cherry blossoms are a sign that you are about 60 days out from enjoying fresh fruit off the trees. 

 

 

 

 

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Large investments in the county's operations are still in the future, but Kewaunee County Board Chairperson Dan Olson hopes you see progress on its highway shop in Footbridge and the jail in Kewaunee in the near future.

About a year ago, a Milwaukee-based design firm identified about 20 deficiencies with the highway shop that dates back decades, including roof, plumbing, sewer, septic systems, poor ventilation, and bad insulation. Board members toured a former Wisconsin Public Service facility as a possibility for a new highway shop. Olson says that at the advisement of its new Highway Commissioner Marty Treml, they will look at rehabbing the old building first before exploring ways to make additions.

As for the jail, the board is looking to hire an owner’s representative for the county. The owner’s representative will act on the county’s interests regarding the projects, starting with the Request for Proposal (RFP) and concluding with the jail’s construction. Olson believes the owner’s representative will make the process more efficient from the county’s point of view.

No strict timetables have been set, but Olson says they would like the owner’s representative in place before releasing a new RFP for the jail. He also comments that Treml will likely want to jump on the to-do list with the highway shop improvements when he officially leaves the military for the position in June.

The Centers for Disease Control is warning you of a new variant of COVID-19 that could test your immunity.

The agency announced that the variant KP.2, also known as FLiRT, has become the most dominant of the 18 variants tracked by the CDC’s wastewater surveillance data, accounting for nearly 25 percent of all of the cases. According to WebMD, Yale School of Public Health Dean Megan L. Ranney, MD, says the changes in the virus itself, the lower vaccination rate, and the lower efficacy of the current booster may make it a higher likelihood that you can get re-infected with the new COVID-19 variant. If it is right for you, the CDC recommends you stay up to date on your vaccinations, especially if you are above the age of 65 or immunocompromised. The symptoms of the FLiRT variant are similar to past strains of COVID-19, including fever, cough, sore throat, congestion, headache, muscle aches, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and brain fog. 

Earlier this year, the CDC updated its guidelines surrounding COVID-19, saying you no longer have to isolate for five days after a positive test. The new rules, which include staying at home if you are sick, practicing good hygiene, and improving air quality, fall in line with what is suggested for people dealing with other respiratory illnesses.

A show that premiered at Third Avenue PlayWorks in Sturgeon Bay last May received national recognition this past weekend.  The play “I Carry Your Heart With Me,” written by Jennifer Blackmer, was one of four plays nationally to be the recipient of a Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Citation.  Jackie and Steve Kane, Artistic Director at Third Avenue PlayWorks Jacob Janssen, who traveled to Costa Mesa, California for the awards show and celebration, says they feel fortunate and honored to be part of one of the best plays showcased nationally last year.  He notes that Blackmer is an incredibly talented and generous playwright and that three of the four theaters honored at the New Play Citation were from Wisconsin.

The Steinberg/ATCA awards recognize playwrights who produce the best scripts that premiered professionally outside New York City in 2023.  Third Avenue PlayWorks opened the 2024 season in May with “Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson-APT. 2B” by Kate Hamill, which will run until May 19th. 

After putting so much focus on the city’s past, the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation is looking ahead to the future with the hire of its first full-time executive director. SBHSF President Laurel Hauser announced Monday that Michael Telzrow would be the organization’s leader. Managing non-profits with a historical bent is nothing new for Telzrow, who has had previous stints at Heritage Hill State Historical Park in Green Bay, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison, and the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay. He also served other roles for the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Georgia and Green Bay’s Neville Public Museum. Hauser says it is exciting for them to bring someone like Telzrow to help guide them into the future after so many years of focus on saving the Teweles and Brandeis grain elevator and the Potawatomi State Park observation tower.

Saving two of the city’s landmarks is part of the reason why Telzrow is excited to join the SBHSF as its executive director. “As the new director, I look forward to enhancing the Granary’s civic value through meaningful exhibits and public programs, while also advancing the Foundation’s operational capacity and core mission,” said Telzrow. He will join Door County Granary project manager Nicole Matson to help get the facility opened by early 2025.

Where you check out books to read will soon be where you can find a job. The Algoma Public Library will host a ribbon cutting next week when its JobPod site opens to the public for the first time. JobPod is a collaboration between the Bay Area Workforce Development Board, Brown County Library, Nicolet Federated Library System (which includes Door County, Algoma, and Kewaunee’s libraries), and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Hosting the site will be nothing new for the Algoma Public Library, which has long helped its patrons access job search resources, connect with workforce development experts, and participate in online employee training. Library Director Cathy Kohlbeck says helping provide even more resources to community members looking for jobs is important.

When the Algoma Public Library hosts its public ribbon-cutting event on May 15th at 1 p.m., it will become the second of three pilot libraries. The Brown County Library opened its JobPod location in March at its east side campus, while the Marinette County Public Library will soon open its at its Niagara branch.

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council meeting will take on a nautical theme when the governing body meets on Tuesday.

After reading a Safe Boating Week proclamation, the council will hear a presentation from Onterra, LLC about the 2024 aquatic management plan. The nearly 50-page document submitted by Onterra shows not just the progress that has been made but what can still be done, as it cited several different kinds of aquatic plants that are found in Sturgeon Bay waterways, such as wild celery, coontail, clasping-leaf pondweed, muskgrasses, and more. The aquatic management plan was approved by the city’s Joint Parks and Recreation Committee/Board meeting on April 24th. Some discussions on the topic focused on how the cut waterweeds are picked up and where they are disposed of once removed from the water.

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council will also weigh in on an ordinance aimed at how boaters safely refuel their vessels while out on the water. The ordinance revision focuses on the types of containers that can be used and the procedures that must be followed when doing portable fueling. The ordinance also covers areas where portable fueling is now allowed.

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council will meet on Tuesday at 6 p.m. inside its chambers at city hall.

Door and Kewaunee counties have long been known for their cheese production, but you can also find some of the best meat in those locations. The Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors recently announced the winners of its Specialty Meat Championships, placing the top five entries in 38 different categories. Forty-four total plants, including Luxemburg’s Salmon’s Meat Products and Paulie’s Chop Shop, competed in the contest, submitting 879 entries. Both businesses earned a reserve grand champion award for their respective hams, while Salmon’s Meat Products earned a grand champion award for its Belgian Trippe in the specialty bratwurst category. You can find all of the awards here and see where the local entries are stacked up below.

Salmon’s Meat Products

• Flavored Summer Sausage: Jalapeno and Cheddar Honorable Mention
• Ham-Boneless (Traditional): Reserve Grand Champion
• Frankfurters/Wieners- Natural Casing: Honorable Mention
• Bratwurst- Specialty (Cooked and Uncured): Belgian Trippe- Pork Sausage and Cooked Cabbage Grand Champion

Paulie’s Chop Shop

• Ham- Bone-In: Reserve Grand Champion

Students at Southern Door School District woke up to an unexpected three-day weekend after the district canceled classes for Monday.

Interim Superintendent Tony Klaubauf made the call at approximately 6:15 a.m. on Monday, pointing to electrical problems as the reason. As a result, the district lost fire alarm capabilities in addition to other issues.

Classes will likely resume on Tuesday.