All those extra people driving around Door County during the summer months contributed to a record year for the county's tourism economy.

According to newly released data from global research firm Tourism Economics, Door County saw a $34.6 million increase in total economic activity from the previous year, a 5.3% increase. The county's total economic impact reached a record $685.8 million as tourism continued to benefit communities across Wisconsin.

Direct visitor spending totaled $551.6 million in 2025, with an additional $134.2 million generated through indirect and induced impacts. That ranks seventh among Wisconsin counties, which Destination Door County Interim President and CEO Jon Jarosh said is impressive given the area's seasonal nature.

Because of tourism's impact on the local economy, Jarosh said the $55.7 million generated in state and local tax revenue offsets what more than 3,700 households would otherwise have to pay to maintain current levels of government services.

Door County's success was part of a statewide trend of tourism growth.

According to state officials, Wisconsin's tourism industry generated a record $27 billion in total economic impact in 2025 — about $74 million per day. It marked the fourth consecutive year the state set a new tourism economic impact record.

"These numbers are a big deal for our state, our economy and the countless hardworking folks in the industry who make it all happen — the folks who work each day to promote our state as the premier place to visit and explore, as well as the tour guides, waiters, restaurateurs, hoteliers and the friendly faces in communities across Wisconsin that keep folks coming back for one more adventure year after year," Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement announcing the figures.

State officials credited several factors for the growth, including increased holiday-season tourism in Door County following the television debut of A Cherry Pie Christmas. They also cited the NFL Draft in Green Bay, record attendance at EAA AirVenture, Beloit Sky Carp games and the Northern Wisconsin State Fair.

This week on Y-Wednesday, find out how to enroll your children in the upcoming Camp in the Park at Sturgeon Bay's Otumba Park and Summer Baseball programs for students in 4K through sixth grade.

We spoke with Sturgeon Bay YMCA Youth and Sports Program Executive Paul Briney about both programs and how registrations are currently being accepted. The baseball program includes both tee-ball and coach-pitch divisions, making it a great way for children to get started in America's pastime.

Listen to the full Y-Wednesday interview here.

It's not goodbye, but rather "see you later" to a popular Algoma landmark along the shores of Lake Michigan.

As part of the reconstruction of the north breakwater wall at the Algoma Marina, Roen Salvage Co. removed the iconic red pierhead lighthouse so further demolition work can take place. The removal comes just a couple of weeks after the catwalk was removed from the wall.

While the future of the catwalk remains uncertain, the red lighthouse made the trip from Algoma to Sturgeon Bay on Tuesday evening, where it will remain for several weeks and receive a fresh coat of red paint before returning home.

City Administrator Matt Murphy said it was great to see how much the city-owned lighthouse means to residents.

Murphy said the multimillion-dollar project, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, remains on schedule and is expected to be completed on time, meaning it won't be long before the lighthouse returns to its rightful spot.

The city will celebrate its temporarily departed landmarks Saturday at the Algoma Boat Club from noon to 6 p.m. as part of a fundraiser to help save the catwalk.

Two of the newest additions to the National Register of Historic Places can be found in Kewaunee County.

Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Historical Society announced the addition of the Town of Carlton's Sandy Bay Pier and Algoma's Tug John Evenson shipwreck to the National Register of Historic Places.

Located offshore from the Kewaunee Power Station, the pier served as an important part of the economy in the mid-1800s, supporting area residents as well as the nearby Sandy Bay sawmill and commercial complex. It played a key role in the years immediately before and the decades after the 1854 Treaty of Wolf River, when forests along the northwestern Lake Michigan coast were opened to exploitation and Euro-American settlement.

The Wisconsin Historical Society also points to archaeological deposits found around the site that help tell the story of the people and businesses that relied on Sandy Bay Pier.

In 1895, the 54-foot tugboat John Evenson was assisting the I. Watson Stephenson a few miles northeast of Algoma when it crossed in front of the larger steamer's bow and was crushed.

The vessel was discovered by Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck in 2024 before being added to the State Register of Historic Places last year.

Picture of the John Evenson courtesy of Brendon Baillod

They lost a day in the fields compared with the previous week, but that was quite all right for area farmers.

According to the USDA Crop Progress and Condition Report, farmers had 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork, down from 6.7 days the previous week. Despite the lost time, corn and soybeans were both more than 95% planted. Corn emergence is right in line with the five-year average at 81%, while soybeans are seven percentage points ahead of the usual pace at 79%.

The first cutting of alfalfa hay is also well ahead of the five-year average, at 70% compared with 63%. Other crops, including oats and winter wheat, are also progressing nicely.

Deer Run Dairy owner Duane Ducat said the rain is coming at the right time.

More rain is in the forecast, with precipitation expected Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Ducat is hosting this month’s Peninsula Pride Conservation Conversation on how agricultural waterways can help direct water at 6 p.m. Thursday, weather permitting.

When you find kids enjoying their summer break, there is a good chance you will find them curling up with a good book.

More than 770 books will be mailed to Door County children next month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Through the generous support of United Way of Door County and other partners, approximately 95% of children from birth to age 5 participate in the program, which mails books to them each month.

That is far higher than the approximately 30% participation rate Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library officials told United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle to expect when the organization first joined the program. Kohnle is happy the community has found ways to get books into the hands of children.

While some communities have placed participation caps on the program, Kohnle said generous donors have allowed any family who wants to sign up to do so.

Door County residents can sign up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at this link.

No matter where you live in Door County, you will likely see Sunshine Resources' impact.

The Sturgeon Bay-based organization is launching its "Five Initiatives, Five Years, $5 Million" plan, which will touch people of all ages and abilities throughout the county.

The plan includes creating an alternative school program; developing a Northern Door facility and program; building a new Sunflower Cottage; renovating the PATH building; modernizing its Yew Street facility; and establishing an endowment fund. All are on the calendar within the next five years.

It is an exciting time at Sunshine Resources for President and CEO Barry Metzentine, who started the job 20 months ago. While some of the initiatives have been years in the making, others have reared its head over the last few months. He said the partnerships and conversations he has had throughout the community have led to this moment.

Metzentine said that while Sunshine Resources is working on all five initiatives, increasing capacity at Sunflower Cottage from 17 clients to 60 clients will be its primary focus for the immediate future.

More information about the campaign is available on the organization's website.

This is the time of year when you should take Charlie Berens' advice to "watch for deer" a little more seriously.

Deer activity on area roads increases during May and June because of spring fawning and yearling dispersal. According to the Door County Sheriff's Department's 2025 annual report, June had the third-highest number of vehicle-deer crashes, with 58, trailing only November, with 80, and October, with 62.

While you should keep an eye on the road for deer crossings, you also might have to watch for fawns in your yard. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Conservation Warden Chris Kratcha said deer can have their young in some interesting locations and then disappear for hours at a time.

Kratcha reminds residents that wildlife cares for its young differently than humans do, and intervening too soon can cause more harm than good when it comes to a young fawn's survival.

If you encounter a fawn in your yard, do not move it and give it time to leave on its own. Kratcha said residents should not contact the DNR or a wildlife sanctuary unless they know for certain the fawn's mother has been killed or the animal is injured.

The next time you take in the views at Sugar Creek County Park in Brussels, you'll have a little more to do.

Door County Parks Director Wayne Spritka and other officials from the Door County Facilities and Parks Department cut the ribbon on a new playground made possible through support from the Friends of Door County Parks and the Destination Door County Community Investment Fund.

In addition to the new playground, improvements at Sugar Creek County Park include a new pavilion and an ADA-accessible grill for visitors to use.

Spritka said residents have long asked for new amenities at county parks, especially those in southern Door County. After about two years of planning and construction, Spritka said he is happy everything is ready for people to enjoy.

Sugar Creek County Park is not the only county park receiving extra attention this summer. Chaudoir's Dock will undergo major improvements in the coming weeks, including additional dredging to make it easier for boaters to access the water.

The sights and sounds of classic cars in Sturgeon Bay will not disappear this fall after all.

Destination Sturgeon Bay and the Old Bolts Car Club announced Monday that the car show will return to the event after nearly a month of uncertainty.

Last month, the Old Bolts Car Club, which organizes the Harvest Fest car show, announced that space concerns would not allow it to return to its traditional spot along Third Avenue in downtown Sturgeon Bay.

“Our members have remained committed and willing to continue the event, but without the necessary downtown street space, we do not feel we can provide the type of show participants and spectators have come to expect,” the organization wrote May 11.

Destination Sturgeon Bay responded a day later, saying that “this decision was about public safety, crowd flow, emergency access and making sure Harvest Fest can continue to grow safely for everyone attending.”

On Monday, Destination Sturgeon Bay announced not only that the car show would return to Harvest Fest, but also that some activities — including a Ferris wheel, food vendors and street art sculptures — would be hosted on the West Side Promenade.

“Most importantly, Destination Sturgeon Bay and the Old Bolts Car Club share the same goal: creating a fun, welcoming, safe and successful event for our community,” the organizations said in a joint statement.

“We appreciate the volunteers, sponsors, businesses, participants and attendees who help make these events possible, and we are excited to continue working together to make this year’s Harvest Fest the best and biggest one yet!”

Sturgeon Bay Harvest Fest is scheduled for Sept. 19.

Your formal introduction to summer is on the way this week as warmer temperatures arrive in northeast Wisconsin.

While the lake will keep the Door Peninsula in the mid- to upper 70s, the National Weather Service is forecasting that parts of Kewaunee and Brown counties could see temperatures reach the low 90s, with the heat index making it feel even warmer.

While Brown County reached 90 degrees in late May, Door and Kewaunee counties have not seen 90-degree temperatures since last August.

Kewaunee County Public Health Director Cindy Kinnard says that, in addition to staying in the shade, avoiding strenuous activities during the hottest parts of the day and wearing loose-fitting clothing, one of the best ways to beat the heat is by paying attention to what you drink and eat.

The midweek warm spell will be accompanied by summer storms that could bring temperatures back into a more comfortable range by the end of the week.

You can find more tips on staying safe in the heat this summer below.

Door County’s newest entry on the State Register of Historic Places is a three-for-one experience in the Town of Liberty Grove.

The Wisconsin Historical Society announced last week that the Tostenson Pier Archaeological District was officially added to the register. Unlike some entries on the State Register, the Tostenson Pier Archaeological District consists of a pier and two shipwrecks: the scow schooner Maria and the schooner Sardinia.

The two vessels played a critical role in the area’s lumber industry. The Maria sank near the pier in 1883, while the Sardinia followed in 1900.

According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, the pier cribbing and shipwreck sites remain fully submerged beneath the water’s surface in 10 to 15 feet of water.

Placement on the State Register of Historic Places prohibits divers from removing artifacts from the sunken vessels and makes it a crime to further damage the sites.

The Maria and the Sardinia are two of more than 240 shipwrecks surrounding Door County, many of which are also listed on the State Register of Historic Places.

For a story you may have never heard about one of the greatest movies ever made, Sturgeon Bay’s Third Avenue PlayWorks invites you to pull up a chair.

Entering its first full week on stage, Moonlight and Magnolias takes audiences back to the late 1930s, when producer David O. Selznick, director Victor Fleming and screenwriter Ben Hecht desperately tried to take Gone With the Wind from failure to fantastic over the course of five days.

Written by playwright Ron Hutchinson and featuring actors Rudy Galvan, Paige Klopfenstein, John Taylor Phillips and Nick Vidal, Artistic Director Jacob Janssen says the play does an excellent job telling the stories behind the stories behind the movie’s memorable scenes and dialogue.

Moonlight and Magnolias runs at Third Avenue PlayWorks through June 21. You can learn more about the production at this link.

Picture courtesy of Third Avenue Playworks

Nearly two weeks after coming to the rescue of a swarm of bees at Sturgeon Bay's T.J. Walker Middle School, math teacher Craig Sigl says his newest residents are doing great.

Sigl's hobby of beekeeping came in handy recently when a swarm of bees was discovered near a school bench. What was a scary situation for some was an exciting one for Sigl, who ran home to grab his beekeeping equipment and remove the swarm.

After about two hours, Sigl was able to bring the bees home in a plastic tote before introducing them to their new hive alongside his existing hive. He said he was 90% sure everything had gone according to plan when he left T.J. Walker Middle School, but after offering the bees sugar water and monitoring them for a couple of days, he was certain he had successfully established a new hive at his home.

With just one hive, Sigl said he was able to produce about 4 to 5 gallons of honey. With a second hive now established, he is brainstorming ideas for how the additional honey could help kick off fundraising efforts for the Sturgeon Bay Athletic Complex development.

Residents and visitors will have an opportunity to explore Sturgeon Bay's rich history on foot when the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation hosts a free historical hiking tour on Thursday, June 11.

The guided tour will begin at 10 a.m. at the historic Door County Granary and will take hikers on an approximately three-mile walk through both of Sturgeon Bay's downtown districts.

Along the route, hikers will travel paved pathways and cross both the Michigan Street Steel Bridge and the Oregon Street Bridge while learning about the city's development, maritime heritage and industrial past.

The tour offers a unique opportunity to experience the stories behind many of Sturgeon Bay's most recognizable landmarks while gaining insight into how transportation, shipping and agriculture helped shape the community.

"The history of Sturgeon Bay is best understood by experiencing the places where it happened," said Nicole Matson, Executive Director of the Sturgeon Bay Historical Foundation. "This hiking tour gives you a chance to connect with the people, places and landmarks that helped shape the city while enjoying some of the its most iconic views and historic sites."

The Door County Granary, which serves as the tour's starting point, is one of the city's most significant historic structures. Built in 1901 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the grain elevator played a key role in connecting Door County's agricultural economy to Great Lakes shipping and rail transportation.

"Whether you've been here your entire life or are in Sturgeon Bay for the first time, there's always something new to learn about the city's history," she said. "We hope everyone leaves with a deeper appreciation for the history that surrounds them every day."

Space is limited, and advance registration is encouraged through the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation website.

Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes and be prepared for changing weather conditions. Public parking is available near the Door County Maritime Museum and the Door County Granary.

Sturgeon Bay School District Superintendent Dan Tjernagel cannot wait to see the new athletics facility come to life, but he understands that good things come to those who wait.

In recent weeks, the school district and the city of Sturgeon Bay approved the master plan for the Sturgeon Bay Athletic Complex, which would overhaul the site’s baseball, softball, football, soccer and other facilities.

Rather than relying on a capital referendum or operating funds from the Sturgeon Bay School District for the estimated $14.7 million project, Sturgeon Bay City Administrator Josh Van Lieshout said last week that a combination of tax increment district revenues, grants and private donations will support the project. Tjernagel said that piece was important to the district and the taxpayers it serves.

The city and school district will work together to formalize an intergovernmental agreement in the coming months so engineering work can begin later this year. Construction could start in 2027 or 2028.

Community members will have an opportunity to help shape the future of the Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport during a public open house scheduled for Tuesday, July 9 as planners seek feedback on the airport's long-term development.

The open house will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Gibraltar Town Center, in Fish Creek. The event is part of the ongoing Airport Master Plan process for the Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport, also known as 3D2.

Project planners are inviting residents, airport users and other stakeholders to review proposed plans, learn about future development opportunities and share their ideas for the airport's future.

Airport master plans guide airport improvements and operations over the coming years while addressing the needs of pilots, businesses, visitors and the surrounding community. Public input is an important component of the planning process.

Those attending the open house can review project materials, speak directly with members of the planning team and provide feedback on priorities for the airport's future growth and infrastructure needs.

Residents unable to attend the meeting in person will still have an opportunity to participate. Project information and an online feedback portal are available through the airport master plan website.

The Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport serves northern Door County and provides access for general aviation pilots, visitors and local businesses.

The Door County YMCA will once again help ensure local children have access to nutritious meals during the summer months through its annual Summer Foods Program.

Beginning June 8, the YMCA will offer free meals to all children and teens age 18 and younger at multiple locations throughout Door and Kewaunee counties while schools are on summer break. The program is designed to provide healthy, balanced meals to young people who may otherwise have limited access to food during the summer months.

Meal sites will be available in Sturgeon Bay, Northern Door, Southern Door and Algoma communities, with breakfast and lunch options offered at several locations. The program will run through late August at most sites, with meals available on designated weekdays and times.

Sarah Gavin, healthy living director at the Sturgeon Bay Program Center, said the initiative aligns closely with the YMCA's mission of supporting youth and strengthening the community.

“Summer should be a time when children can focus on learning, growing and enjoying their break from school, not worrying about where their next meal will come from,” Gavin said. “This program helps ensure kids have access to healthy food while providing families with additional support during the summer months.”

The YMCA's Summer Foods Program has become an important resource for families across the region, serving hundreds of meals each year through partnerships with local schools, community organizations and municipalities.

“Providing nutritious meals is one of the most direct ways we can support the health and well-being of local children,” Gavin said. “We are proud to continue offering this program and helping fuel both bodies and minds throughout the summer.”

A complete list of meal locations, serving times and menus is available through the Door County YMCA website, or listen to this week’s Y-Wednesday podcast here.

Door County residents will soon have a new option for appliance sales and service as Mathu's Appliance opens its newest store Monday in Sturgeon Bay.

The family-owned business, which has served customers throughout northeast Wisconsin for decades, is expanding its footprint with a new showroom on Green Bay Road, the former West Marine location.

Mathu's Appliance specializes in major household appliances and offers sales, delivery, installation and repair services. The company currently operates locations in Green Bay and Appleton.

Owner Nick Spude said the decision to expand into Door County was driven by a desire to better serve customers who have long traveled outside the county for appliance purchases and service.

"We've worked with many customers from Door County over the years, and opening a store in Sturgeon Bay allows us to provide a more convenient experience close to home," Spude said. "We wanted to establish a local presence where customers can see products firsthand and receive the personalized service we're known for."

The new location will provide Door County residents with easier access to a variety of kitchen and laundry appliances from nationally recognized manufacturers, along with local delivery, installation and repair support.

Spude said the company views the Sturgeon Bay store as an investment in the community and an opportunity to build lasting relationships with local homeowners, contractors and businesses.

"Being family-owned, customer service has always been at the center of what we do," Spude said. "We're excited to become part of the Door County community and look forward to helping residents with their appliance needs for years to come."

The store is scheduled to open Monday, with a grand opening celebration in July.

For this week’s article, I am going to broach a subject that is at the very core of every human being’s existence, yet one that seems to have become more elusive: happiness. If you were to survey any demographic group, there would be one consistent theme regarding what they strive for: happiness. If you were to inquire as to what has greater value, money or happiness, you would begin to see where we go astray, as some people place monetary or material accumulation above happiness. The logic behind such an answer is that with enough “stuff,” happiness can somehow be acquired or obtained. They couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, study after study over many decades has brought us to an irrefutable truth: the state of happiness never was, and never will be, a product of wealth, but rather a product of purpose.

Don’t get me wrong. The basic essentials of life require us to engage in the exchange of money for the products and services we rely on for our very existence. The wise and frugal use of those resources provides us with the ability to transcend beyond our physical and safety needs to the next levels in the hierarchy of human needs, ultimately arriving at self-actualization. This is where purpose, personal growth, self-love, and morality all culminate in a state of happiness. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, the road to happiness is wrought with distractions, detours, and roadblocks, most of which are self-inflicted.

Of the many things I get to do as Sheriff, engaging with the children of our community is one of my greatest joys. I find myself in awe of their consistent state of happiness. It has allowed me to arrive at a conclusion after many years of observation: we are, by nature, happy, and it is only through the slow and insidious infusion of negative influences that we transform into the cynical existence in which so many find themselves years later. The interesting part is that the primary goal—being happy—never left. It simply got hijacked by messaging and influences in our popular culture that misdirected our efforts away from that ultimate goal. This is the basic premise of a book I am currently working my way through titled Resisting Happiness, written by Matthew Kelly.

The title itself provides the premise for what many of us struggle with in our daily lives. By pursuing that which is easy, profitable, glamorous, or popular, we are, in fact, resisting the very happiness we seek. This fixation on rushing toward an illusion of happiness is often the foundation of our many vices and addictions. So how do we reset our compass toward true happiness? I don’t know that I have arrived at the absolute path to happiness, but I can say with some certainty that anchoring our journey to a purpose founded on our personal values is a great first step.

This concept circles back to a theory I have spoken of before: our “Why.” If you know your why, you are much better suited to weather life’s inevitable storms. When we adhere to our purpose, any and all material gain or comfort becomes secondary. However, if we become distracted by material gain and base our journey on such superficial rewards, we will always come up empty, struggling to discern how to fill that void deep within our souls. Happiness is not just a choice, but rather the outcome of the choices we make. Of all the things we should resist in our lives, don’t let happiness be one of them.

A multi-year effort to transform Sugar Creek County Park in southern Door County will reach a major milestone next week with the opening of a new playground and the completion of a comprehensive park improvement project.

Door County officials will celebrate the completion of the multi-year project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. Monday, June 8, at Sugar Creek County Park. Refreshments will be available from 12:30 to 2 p.m.

The project, nearly eight years in the making, grew out of discussions among Southern Door residents, county board members and Door County Parks staff about ways to improve the park while balancing recreation, environmental stewardship and community needs.

The improvements include a new playground, an accessible pavilion, an ADA-accessible grilling station, parking lot and driveway upgrades, boat launch repairs, a new entrance sign, native prairie restoration and wildlife habitat enhancements. The project also included improvements to the park's water fill site used by emergency responders and the establishment of a research partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for stream monitoring and environmental studies.

A memorial red oak tree donated by Door County Memorial Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic also was planted as part of the park's enhancements.

The park's new handcrafted pavilion marked the first phase of the project and was funded through a $150,000 grant from the Door County Community Foundation's Park Initiative, awarded to the Friends of Door County Parks System. Additional funding support came from the Friends of Door County Parks, the Town of Gardner and Destination Door County.

The public is invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony and playground opening Monday at Sugar Creek County Park. With more information available at the Destination Door County website.

Over the past dozen years or so, when giving my kayak fishing talks, I have mentioned how a “too heavy” paddle can make your outing more challenging. I’ll touch on this more in an upcoming paddle article, but transporting your kayak can also be a challenge.

As I’m driving around Door County heading out to chase smallmouth bass, I see many vehicles with kayaks on top. Most of these kayaks are the smaller recreational type, which are easier to put on top of a vehicle with a good kayak rack. When buying a kayak, take into consideration whether you will be loading and unloading it alone or have someone with you.

It is even more challenging if you have a heavier sit-on-top fishing or recreational kayak, which is noticeably heavier than a sit-in recreational kayak. My fishing kayaks, whether paddle or pedal, weigh between 85 and over 100 pounds. I’m also out by myself most of the time, so putting one of these on top of my Subaru Outback is tough. Fortunately, I have been using a Malone MicroSport kayak trailer for over a dozen years and love how easy it makes loading and unloading. Many launches in Door County allow kayak trailers. It’s so nice to back right up to the water! Also, for storage between outings, I leave the kayak on the trailer.

Whether you use a roof rack or trailer, there are going to be times when you can’t get right up to the water, so you may want to get a kayak transport cart. Do your research and ask the outfitter you buy from for suggestions on how to best transport the kayak or kayaks you purchase.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been somewhat off and on this season, but no matter how they’re biting, it’s always great to be on the beautiful waters of Door County in a kayak. Also, this time of year, bass are spawning, and the male smallmouths will be guarding their nests. Please don’t target the males on nests, as this can really hurt the fishery. Even if a male is only off the nest for a short period of time, gobies will inundate that nest, eating whatever they find. With the fishery receiving a great deal of pressure and numbers being down for several years, our Wisconsin DNR has made Door County 100% catch-and-release until July 1. This is a great move!

As always, if you have any questions related to kayak transport or other kayak fishing topics, please email me at kayakfishingwisconsin@gmail.com. Also, my 2026 Canoecopia talk, Kayaking & Kayak Fishing Door County, Wisconsin, covers most of the great launches in the county. Let me know if you’d like a PDF of this presentation.

A 29-year-old Manitowoc woman and a 16-year-old Kewaunee boy were among six people transported to Green Bay hospitals Friday afternoon following a two-vehicle crash in the Town of Montpelier.

The crash occurred just before 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of State Highway 29 and County Road AB.

According to the Kewaunee County Sheriff's Department, the Manitowoc woman was stopped at the intersection and attempted to cross Highway 29 while traveling north on County Road AB. She then collided with a vehicle driven by the Kewaunee boy, which was carrying four additional passengers.

Authorities said the injuries sustained by the six people ranged from minor to suspected serious.

The Luxemburg and Kewaunee police, fire and rescue departments, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and County Rescue assisted the Kewaunee County Sheriff's Department at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.

The newest vessel docked behind the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay carries special meaning for those who have sailed aboard it.

Last month, the schooner Utopia was officially gifted to the Patriot Racing Project, a veterans peer-support charity that brings veterans together as a team through sailing and hands-on craftsmanship. The vessel made an appearance during last year's Tall Ships festival hosted by Destination Door County.

Utopia toured the Door Peninsula before docking behind the museum Friday afternoon. Door County Maritime Museum President and CEO Kevin Osgood said he is excited for the community to have a tall ship call Sturgeon Bay home and serve as a symbol of support for veterans.

Patriot Racing Project Executive Director Jack Gage said the museum has been a tremendous partner for the organization and hopes the relationship continues to evolve.

While plans include deck tours, Utopia and another Patriot Racing Project vessel will come and go as they fulfill the organization's mission, in addition to offering charter and sailaway opportunities to help raise funds for the program.

Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward is hopeful the trend of filling housing as quickly as it is built will continue.

Last week, city officials and the owners of Cherry Lanes Arcade Bar cut the ribbon on a new apartment project that added eight affordable housing units to the area. Ward said more than 90 applications were received for the eight units, which were built with assistance from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.

Another example of the growing demand for housing is the Geneva Ridge development, where 20 of the 24 lots designated for affordable housing have been spoken for in less than three years. Ward said that when the city approved the project, officials expected it would take five to six years to fully develop.

With such a high housing absorption rate and a change in investors, Ward said the Sturgeon Bay Common Council took the opportunity to approve a new development agreement that moves the construction of affordable housing units into the first phase, with the expectation they will be filled quickly.

Ward added that the residential vacancy rate in Sturgeon Bay is about 3%, a couple of percentage points below the 5% to 8% range generally considered healthy for a community.

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council also approved the second reading of an ordinance for the Colorado Heights housing development and the change of polling place for Districts 6 and 7 from the P.A.T.H. of Door County building to the ADRC of Door County Center in Sturgeon Bay during Tuesday's meeting.