Door County Pulse Podcasts

The Door County Drug Treatment Court has been in operation since 2020. Earlier this year, the county paused new admissions to the program, and in May, announced it would be shut down due to staffing shortages. But last week, new developments suggested the program may continue after all. Joe Krebsbach, director of the Door County Health and Human Services Department and the person who oversees the program, joins Debra Fitzgerald to talk about the program, why it’s important and what’s next.

Myles Dannhausen Jr. and Debra Fitzgerald discuss the Pulse’s approach to covering difficult stories and how we choose what merits a story. But first, a look at the growth in live music on the peninsula, the smoky haze settling in the air, and a potential third round-about coming to Sturgeon Bay.

Dr. Kristen Raney, President of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC), talks with Debra Fitzgerald about how the college is transforming education into opportunity in Door County and elsewhere within the systems’ communities. Dr. Raney shares what makes NWTC her favorite college to lead, how job-focused programs are tailored to local workforce needs, and how the school is partnering with employers, K-12 districts, and even correctional facilities.

Few people will put more planning and time into catching a great photograph than Kevin O’Donnell, who shared the story of his pursuit of a very particular photograph in the Summer edition of Door County Living Magazine. He reads his essay, “The 40-second Window” on the podcast this week, but first John Mielke joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to discuss his story on the fishing guides who steer people to the catch of their lives on the lake and the bay in Door County.

It’s becoming difficult to ignore the Canadian and western U.S. wildfire smoke that is causing an increasing number of air quality alerts throughout the Midwest, including within Door County. To help us understand what’s going on, a leading air quality expert at UW-Madison, Brad Pierce, (Director of Space Science and Engineering and former NOAA physical scientist and NASA research scientist), joins Debra Fitzgerald to talk about why we’re seeing more Door County days flagged for poor air quality, what people can do to keep themselves and their families safe, and what the future may hold for the air we breathe.

Peninsula Pulse interns Betsy Lecy and Cassidy Johnson sat down with Debra Fitzgerald to share what it’s like to cover Door County through the eyes of the next generation of reporters. From unexpected community insights to the stories that left a lasting impression (so far), they reveal what surprised them most, how their perspectives have changed, and what they discovered about the peninsula that only a reporter on the ground could know.

Since 1972 a unique cultural exchange program has connected Southern Door with Belgium, where many of its first settlers came from. Muraelle Havet, an exchange visitor from Brussels, Belgium, joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. and her host, Bill Chaudoir, to talk about her impressions of Door County and the strong connection between Wisconsin’s Belgian settlement and Wallonia.

Wilkins & Olander has been a familiar name to local residents, particularly in Sturgeon Bay, since the clothing store opened its doors in 1990. Now in its 35th year, the store is owned by Dawn Fischer, who took over from her stepmother, Carol Overland, who died in 2019. In April, the Door County Economic Development Corporation honored Fischer with its Light Keeper Award for women, minority or veteran-owned business of the year. She joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. on the podcast to talk about her business, the evolution of 3rd Avenue, and the lessons she learned from Carol Overland.

The Door County Food Pantry coalition has raised awareness that this year, people have been using, at unprecedented rates, the nine food pantries across the county. Debra Fitzgerald talks with Adam Peronto with the Door County Community Foundation and Heidi Penchoff with the Door to Life Food Pantry in Sister, about the rising need, what’s driving it and how federal funding cuts would impact the food insecure. They also talk about solutions, community generosity and how people can access the resources they need.

Jeff Lutsey of the Climate Change Coalition of Door County joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the effort to add 50 new solar installations on the peninsula this year. The Coalition is hosting several informational sessions in the coming weeks for people to learn more about the possibilities for solar energy and potential savings through a group buying program.

Sportswriter Herb Gould spent years covering Chicago sports with the Chicago Sun-Times, but in retirement he turned his eyes toward an icon of a Chicago rival – Curly Lambeau. He joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about his new biography on Lambeau and digging up new stories on a legend.

Leroy’s holds a special spot in the hearts of many, especially kids of the ‘90s. It was sad to see the coffee shop languish the last few years, but now Jennifer and Bjorn Larson have brought it back, keeping it the same as it always was. Larson joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about why she took it over and why it's so important to so many.

Jess Farley-Nielsen took several stabs at moving away from her hometown, but family brought her back to stay. The Peninsula Pulse sales manager joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about working all kinds of jobs on the peninsula, her love of cooking and family gatherings and the beauty of Jacksonport.

Get the scoop on fireworks, celebrations and more, plus, everyone has their own Door County 4th of July Traditions. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks to Betsy Lecy about their 4th traditions, what makes each community celebration unique, and where to go to avoid the crowds as Door County celebrates America next week.

Ellison Bay Day is back with a day of events to celebrate a community that’s truly unique on the peninsula. Maureen Mercier joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk not just about what to expect at the event, but also about what makes Ellison Bay so different from the rest of the peninsula.

This spring the tools and supplies from Door County's last feed mill were auctioned off. Myles Dannhausen Jr. talks about what the closing of Brussels Milling and Supply marks, and the roll the feed mills used to play in our communities. Plus, a look at Door County History Days and the value of historic preservation. Additional sound courtesy of IndustrialNoiseRhitmic 140106_02.wav by klankbeeld -- https://freesound.org/s/213228/ -- License: Attribution 4.0.

Last month, celebrated poet and author Mark Turcotte was named the sixth Poet Laureate of Illinois, joining the ranks of literary icons like Carl Sandburg and Gwendolyn Brooks. Even early in his career, Turcotte’s powerful voice was drawing attention, particularly through his books Road Noise (1998) and Exploding Chippewas (2002) – works he published during his decade living in Door County. In this conversation, Debra Fitzgerald speaks with Mark about his journey from the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation in North Dakota to his current role as Poet Laureate. They also reminisce about his years in Door County.

There's a lot more to Al Johnson's restaurant than the goats on the roof. What's most special about the Sister Bay restaurant is what happens beneath the sod. In the latest installment of our conversations with the 2025 winners of Door County Economic Development Corporation's annual awards, Rolf Johnson talks to Myles Dannhausen Jr. about the legacy of his parents, Al and Ingert Johnson, and how life in the restaurant – especially the kitchen – shaped him and so many others. Get a glimpse into how the Al's kitchen works, the banter on the line, and the role a restaurant can play for a staff and a community that leaves a mark well beyond the dining table.

Communities across the county, from Brussels to Washington Island, use the same emergency communications system, owned and operated by the County of Door. The county is in the process of fully upgrading that system from analog to digital formats at a cost of nearly $28 million. This means eight additional towers added to the 13 currently operating, and new equipment needed for all fire departments (radios, pagers, etc). Ashley DeGrave, county technology services project manager, talks with Debra Fitzgerald about why the upgrade is being done, what it will achieve, and the challenges of getting the site locations nailed down for the new towers.

Mayor of Sturgeon Bay David Ward proclaimed the second Saturday in June as Steel Bridge Day, an annual city-wide holiday from this year forward. Steel Bridge Songfest, an event launched in 2005 to help raise money to save the bridge, went on a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020. This year, it returns to celebrate its 20th anniversary. One of the founding organizers and local music legend pat mAcdonald joins reporter Eleanor Corbin to discuss how the festival came to be and what people can expect from its return.