An 80-year-old Sturgeon Bay man was cited for inattentive driving on Thursday afternoon after his car rear-ended a truck in the Town of Sevastopol The accident occurred just before 4:45 p.m was stopped near CTH P waiting to turn when he looked in his rear-view mirror and noticed the car coming at him and not slowing down The incident report said he braced for impact when the car struck his truck The Sturgeon Bay man said he did not remember anything before the crash but remembered the impact and the windshield breaking He told the responding deputy that he did not have a medical emergency or lose consciousness Two witnesses noted that the Sturgeon Bay man did not do any maneuvers to go around the truck or try to avoid the crash Both men suffered suspected minor injuries but only the one from Sturgeon Bay was transported to Door County Medical Center for additional treatment The intersection was closed until about 5:15 p.m to clean the scene and tow the two vehicles away Sign up for our Daily Electronic Newspaper Obituaries and more delivered to your inbox View Results Click Here for more Obituaries If you need help accessing the online public files due to a disability, please contact us Built on Envisionwise Technology STURGEON BAY (WLUK) -- They're billed as one of the most abundant migratory fish species in the Great Lakes suckers make their way up waterways like Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay "Right now, the suckers have started to make their migrations in the tributaries and are coming in, in large numbers to reproduce," said Karen Murchie, Shedd Aquarium freshwater research director The suckers are really motivated to go as far upstream as they can the less likely their eggs are going to be washed all the way back out into the lake," she said she has been tracking their movements since 2017 "What we're finding out is the same fish will come back to the same location year after year to spawn," said Murchie Crossroads at Big Creek is a 200-acre nature preserve in Sturgeon Bay Executive Director Samantha Koyen says watching the sucker run is a popular pastime "There's two things about suckers so make sure you don't fall and hurt yourself along our creek as you're going to explore we also ask people to be really respectful of these fish," said Koyen Murchie says suckers and their spawning run play an important role in the aquatic ecosystem providing a food source for both predators and prey "It's about 21 days before the eggs hatch and then the little baby fish stay in the creeks for a while before they move back out to Lake Michigan There's so much to learn about suckers They've been very understudied and undercelebrated the more cool things we can share about the fish," she said Experts say the Door County sucker run could stretch into the beginning of May Tickets go on sale May 1 for sailing experiences on the tall ships coming to Sturgeon Bay for six days this summer in what appears to be their only appearance in Wisconsin and Lake Michigan in 2025 It's the first time tall ships will be docked in Door County since 2019 when they came to Lake Michigan as part of the Tall Ships Festival and Great Lakes Challenge sailing race held by the Tall Ships America organization so the tall ship appearances currently nearest to Door County are in Duluth from July 10 to 13 and Detroit from Aug What tall ships will appear in Sturgeon Bay?The ships scheduled to appear in Sturgeon Bay are: a 157-foot-long topsail schooner built to the lines of an 1812-era Baltimore clipper a 125-foot-long replica of a mid-19th century Baltimore clipper that operates in Boston Harbor during summers and the Bahamas in winter a restored 83-foot-long Alden schooner commissioned by famed U.S a 77-foot-long staysail schooner designed by the late Fred J the founder of onetime Sturgeon Bay shipyard Peterson Builders The vessel has covered an estimated 60,000 miles in its life including an around-the-world cruise from 1956 to '59 and is now homeported in Manitowoc under its new private owners after it was donated in 2016 by Peterson's son a nonprofit organization based in Traverse City When will the tall ships appear in Sturgeon Bay and how can I get tickets?Viewing the tall ships is free of charge and the Utopia and Pride of Baltimore II will host free deck tours while docked from 9 to 11 a.m Tickets are required for scheduled sailing experiences the ships will offer all four days starting with a three-hour cruise on them as they enter the Sturgeon Bay channel around noon July 31 for the Parade of Sails that opens their appearance Other sailings include Daytime Sailaway experiences of about one-and-a-half hours at various times from Aug 1 to 3 and two-hour Twilight Sailaways departing at 7 p.m Some sailaways already are sold out because early ticket sales were made available April 29 to select people the website for the tall ships appearance advises those ordering sailing tickets that each ticket is for a specific ship and specific sailing time so they need to decide which ship and sailing experience they want when they make their order For tickets and more information on the ships and their appearance, visit sturgeonbay.net/tall-ships Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@gannett.com. MORE: New Door County cooking school gives students a chance to cook, then dine afterward MORE:Lake Michigan car ferry comes to Sturgeon Bay for repairs before 2025 season FOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our website Badger passenger ferry arrived in Sturgeon Bay Wednesday afternoon for planned repairs NBC26 was there when it docked and spoke with people who gathered to watch the ship arrive Many saying it brought back memories of their time aboard (The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story) "We had to come out and see it make the trip around," said Jackie Vandoren who lives in Egg Harbor and came down to watch the Badger Vandoren grew up in Manitowoc and saw the S.S so seeing the ship come to Sturgeon Bay for repairs felt like a full-circle moment "We had that parked in Manitowoc when we lived there all our lives The S.S. Badger is in Sturgeon Bay for 10 days, docked at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding for propeller repairs Sam Perlman of the Door County Maritime Museum says it’s more than just a repair "The Badger was built right here in Sturgeon Bay so it's always fun to have the Badger come back to its home port," Sam Perlman said originally serving as a ship that transported railcars across Lake Michigan it carries passengers and their cars from Manitowoc to Ludington Dennis Myer and his wife traveled on the Badger just a few months ago "Last summer we went up to Mackinac Island so we kinda drove south and got on at Ludington and we crossed over," Dennis Myer said The strong bond between locals in the area and in Manitowoc with the S.S Badger stems from the ship’s long-standing presence in their communities "The Badger has been operating in that community and in this area for its entire history That's what it was made for," Perlman said The S.S. Badger will make a stop in Manitowoc on its way back to Ludington, Michigan, just in time to kick off the car ferry season on May 16 We cover stories making an impact in Door County. This is your home to stay on top of what is changing in Door County and why it matters to you and your family. We want to hear from you! Click here and tell us what we should be covering in your neighborhood STURGEON BAY (NBC 26) — The venerable SS Badger arrived in Sturgeon Bay on Wednesday afternoon to undergo planned repairs was initially planning to arrive on Tuesday but inclement weather delayed the trip for 24 hours where crews will have better access to its propeller shaft NBC 26 reporter Hanna Lopez will have the full report tonight at 5 p.m 15th Avenue in Sturgeon Bay will be closed It will be open to local traffic only for the beginning of Mill and Pave construction The road will remain closed until it is paved weather and contractor scheduling permitting Planning for paving is set for sometime in June 15th Avenue between Utah Street and Memorial Drive will also be closed but open for local traffic only A new sidewalk will be installed on the west side of S This closure will tentatively remain in effect until May 21 The City of Sturgeon Bay is asking drivers to avoid this area but says that if travel is necessary to use caution to allow the work to be completed as safely as possible.  Door County also announced a road construction project that will begin on Thursday. CTH I will be closed from N Country View Road to CTH T from May 1st through May 8th to allow crews to replace a culvert Motorists will be able to follow a detour that will use N Country View Road Built on Envisionwise Technology. Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Sturgeon Bay man sentenced for using hedge trimmer in 'vicious' home invasion attackby Mallory Allen STURGEON BAY (WLUK) -- A Sturgeon Bay man was sentenced to prison nearly three years after attacking a family with a hedge trimmer during a home invasion. who was 30 years old at the time of the incident will spend 20 years behind bars and 10 years on extended supervision He was convicted of attempted first-degree intentional homicide armed robbery use of force and physical abuse of a child intentionally causing bodily harm Miller entered a home located on Georgia Street in Sturgeon Bay without permission two 5-year-old children and the woman's grandfather were at the residence at the time of the incident leaving her injured and in need of medical care the Sturgeon Bay Police Department called the assault "vicious and brutal." Miller also struck one of the children with his hand Both children then fled to another room and barricaded themselves inside until police officers arrived who was working in the home's backyard at which point he was also attacked by Miller and sustained injuries historic Lake Michigan auto and passenger ferry that also is the last steamship operating on the Great Lakes will be in Sturgeon Bay for about two weeks starting April 30 The SS Badger which traverses Lake Michigan between Ludington heads to Sturgeon Bay under its own power for a propeller shaft bearing repair in dry dock at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding 72-year-old vessel is expected to depart Ludington between 6 and 8 a.m The approximately 12-hour trip takes the ship from Ludington toward Washington Island and the tip of the Door Peninsula then back south through the bay of Green Bay to the bay of Sturgeon Bay to get to Bay Shipbuilding instead of using the Sturgeon Bay ship canal but delayed for 24 hours due to a National Weather Service forecast predicting gale force winds on Lake Michigan with surface winds to 50 knots possible The repairs are being made to prepare for the Badger's upcoming season The ship is expected to return to Ludington by May 11 "It is the priority of (owner/operator) Lake Michigan Carferry and our parent company to keep the Badger in its best working condition," Sara Spore "Having these repairs done now will reduce interruptions to our summer sailing season." said in the press release the ship is going into dry dock because the repair work requires taking the boat out of the water and removing its 13-foot VerVelde also said the Badger is heading to Door County under its own power instead of being towed because with the ship's ferry season starting in less than three weeks it'll already have a crew on board doing its preseason "fit out," getting the engines and machinery ready for the season "Since the crew is going to be aboard anyway we might as well steam her over," VerVelde said It's a return to its birthplace for the Badger which was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2016 at the same facilities now owned by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding The ship was in dry dock at Bay Ship over the winter of 2021-22 for its routine five-year dry dock inspection The Badger operates between May and October as an auto and passenger ferry that also is capable of transporting commercial vehicles. The spring season for the four-hour voyage between Ludington and Manitowoc runs from May 16 to June 19, the summer season from June 20 to Sept. 1 and the fall season from Sept. 2 to Oct. 12. For tickets and more information, call 1-800-841-4243 or visit ssbadger.com MORE: State 57 near Jacksonport to close for two months for culvert replacement MORE: Door County canine search team gets two new members Familiar faces will continue to lead key roles around Door County after Tuesday's election Challenged by a write-in campaign by Andrea Frank Ward comfortably won his third term to rejoin Dan WIlliams in addition to welcoming Nicole Matson. Ward says they have made a lot of progress on addressing the roads and housing in the city since he first joined the council as an alderperson before becoming mayor He appreciates the opportunity to carry on with that work Below is the parade video broadcast of the parade  on DoorCountyDailyNews LIVE After the parade, St. Patrick's Day activities continued citywide with live music entertainment from local Irish restaurant Kitty O’Reilly while Third Avenue PlayWorks hosted its final indoor market of the season      Connie was born January 30 MI the daughter of Charles Muck and Barbara Jean (Emanuelson) Bordeau She graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School in 1971 Connie received her associate degree in accounting in 1995 from NWTC She was employed at Emerson Motors/Doerr Electric for many years as a machinist      Connie loved animals especially her dogs and was an accomplished trainer knitting and crocheting and selling her art at the Sturgeon Bay Farmer’s Market      Surviving family includes her father and step-mother      Preceding her in death was her mother      Connie asked not to have a public service and to remember her as the sister      Huehns Funeral Home & Door County Crematory LLC in Sturgeon Bay are assisting the Bordeau family and photos of Connie may be shared with her family through her tribute page at www.HuehnsFuneralHome.com STURGEON BAY - Voters will find just one candidate on their ballots in the race for mayor of Sturgeon Bay in the April 1 election after an appeal by a hoped-for challenger to be on the ballot won't be decided until after the election But that challenger is continuing to campaign as a write-in candidate and picked up some endorsements along the way for her run against an incumbent seeking a third term who's easily won his past races for city government Andrea Frank filed nomination papers with 51 signatures before the Jan. 7 deadline to become a candidate against Mayor David Ward and she was listed as a candidate the day after the deadline by city clerk Stephanie Reinhardt in an email to the Advocate But a later review of the signatures on her papers by the clerk's office found three of them were by people who weren't Sturgeon Bay residents which meant the number of signatures fell below the 50 required to be listed as a candidate on the election ballots Frank learned she wouldn't be on the ballot Jan. 20, and her campaign subsequently filed an appeal Jan. 24 with the Wisconsin Elections Commission about the decision they claimed they had more signatures they could have submitted for nomination but were told before the deadline no problems existed and the review wasn't done in a timely manner to give Frank a chance to resolve the problem Reinhardt told the Advocate after the appeal was filed that she and her office did everything within her interpretation of state statutes and it's the responsibility of the prospective candidates to make sure they have enough signatures and the signers are qualified voters living within city limits before they submit their papers the elections commission won't decide Frank's appeal until some point after the election meaning Ward will remain the only candidate for Sturgeon Bay mayor on the ballot that the state would order a special election if the commission ruled in Frank's favor after the regular election who's running for office for the first time from continuing to campaign as a write-in candidate held a meet-and-greet at a local pizza place and organized supporters for door-knocking campaigns in the city "This is a serious effort by Andrea to get elected as a write-in candidate," campaign manager Jamel Jones said to the Advocate "She's staying in because she believes she'd be a good mayor for Sturgeon Bay She feels this is the best way to be of service to the community." “I’ve said from the beginning that I’m in this race for the long haul and I’m a woman of my word,” Frank said in a press release Along the way, Frank, who moved to Sturgeon Bay more than 14 years ago and serves on the board of local LGBTQIA+ advocacy organization Open Door Pride, has picked up endorsements from the national Democratic Municipal Officials association and LGBT advocacy groups Fair Wisconsin and LPAC. On her website she says she's running to create more affordable housing in the city attract and retain small businesses and build openness and accountability in city government Frank will have to defeat an incumbent who hasn't had a close race in his political career Ward is the founder and CEO of NorthStar Analytics an economic development consulting firm that has worked on projects in multiple states and worked for more than 30 years with the University of Wisconsin System in several senior management positions including for Door County Medical Center and the Door County Economic Development Corp Ward was appointed to a vacant seat on the Sturgeon Bay Common Council in July of 2016 then ran to retain the seat eight months later and won with almost 62% of the vote He subsequently ran for mayor in 2019 and won that race with 66% of the vote then was reelected without opposition in 2022 On his campaign's Facebook page, Ward touted a number of changes in Sturgeon Bay that have occurred since he took office such as more affordable housing and other increased housing options road repairs and pedestrian safety improvements Ward also has received an endorsement from District 4 Ald Spencer Gustafson on Gustafson's Facebook page and even if there's little to no chance for a re-do Jones said Frank's campaign feels it's important for her appeal to be heard because it might set a precedent Jones said he spoke with several members of the elections commission and they told him they weren't aware of a case like this being brought to them before He also said there doesn't appear to be a path in state statutes that would call for a special election in the event Frank wins the appeal "We think it's important this issue that's never been brought before the commission is resolved," he said For more about Frank and her campaign, visit VoteAndreaFrank.com or the "Andrea Frank for Mayor" Facebook page. For more on Ward and his campaign, visit the "Mayor Dave Ward" Facebook page 2025 at Pine Crest Village in Sturgeon Bay the son of Sherman Raisbeck Harding and Julia (Chanko) Harding Don graduated from Blodgett Vocational High School in Syracuse with the class of 1955 He enrolled in art classes at Syracuse University in New York Don enlisted to serve his country with the United States Naval Reserves after high school and was honorably discharged on December 5 he entered into service with the United States Coast Guard Don met Joan Ruth Austad through a mutual friend They were united in marriage on November 16 Joseph Catholic Church in Sturgeon Bay (Joan's home parish) Don was transferred from active duty to reserve status on December 4 He was awarded a Good Conduct Medal for his active service Don remained with the Coast Guard Reserves until July 12 He worked for various places after serving Don and Joan returned home to Sturgeon Bay in winter of 1963 He worked in purchasing for Peterson Builders (PBI) in Sturgeon Bay for a couple of years before going to work for the Green Bay Post Office Don took a position with the Sturgeon Bay Post Office and remained there for 24 years until his "retirement." He volunteered with the Door County Library for over 20 years helping in the History section and throughout the library including overseas to England (twice) where they visited London and West Minster Abbey Don's love for history had them visiting Civil War battle sites and (Don) participating in Civil War reenactments near Eagle WI and Heritage Hill State Park in De Pere for eight years Don and Joan were blessed with over 64 years of marriage Eric (Kelly) Harding and Callyn (Mitch) Graf and Mackenzie and Zachary Harding; great-grandchildren Bill (Laurie) Guth of Waukesha; other relatives; and friends He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; daughter-in-law A funeral service will be held at 6:00 p.m 2025 at Huehns Funeral Home in Sturgeon Bay with Dcn Military honors will be provided by the United States Coast Guard Joseph Cemetery Mausoleum in the Town of Sevastopol Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Friday from 4:00 p.m "Our family would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the staffs of Pine Crest Village and Unity Hospice for the wonderful compassionate care you gave to our father." and photos of Don may be shared with his family through his tribute page at www.HuehnsFuneralHome.com Michigan (WPBN/EGTU)— The SS Badger is set to travel to Sturgeon Bay on April 29 for essential repairs before the start of the sailing season on May 16 The 410-foot vessel will make the journey under its own power to Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding for a propeller shaft bearing repair a trip expected to take approximately 12 hours "This trip is being made under our own power instead of under tow because we are so close to our sailing season we will already have a crew getting the boat ready to sail," said Badger Chief Engineer Andrew VerVelde "It takes two to three weeks of 'fit out' prior to the season which involves getting her engines and machinery ready Since the crew is going to be aboard anyway The SS Badger was built by Christy Corporation in Sturgeon Bay in 1953 and will take a northern route to the tip of the Door Peninsula and Washington Island from Lake Michigan into Sturgeon Bay before heading south back to the city of Sturgeon Bay VerVelde said the repairs require taking the boat out of the water and removing its 13-foot This maintenance is distinct from the Badger's routine five-year dry dock inspection which last occurred over the winter of 2021-2022 The vessel is expected to return to Ludington by May 10 "It is the priority of Lake Michigan Carferry and our parent company to keep the Badger in its best working condition," said Sara Spore "Having these repairs done now will reduce interruptions to our summer sailing season and we are thankful for Interlake's commitment to assuring the Badger will sail reliably for many years to come." STURGEON BAY - Tall ships return to Door County this summer for the first time in six years including one with ties to Sturgeon Bay's lengthy maritime history they'll be there for more than just an overnight stay and you'll be able to head out onto the water on them A collaborative effort by Destination Sturgeon Bay and the Door County Maritime Museum has four tall ships scheduled to dock in Sturgeon Bay from July 31 to Aug 5 in what Destination Sturgeon Bay executive director Cameryn Ehlers-Kwaterski said might be their only appearance in Wisconsin in 2025 Besides being a big event and likely major tourist draw their appearance also is around the time of the maritime museum's annual Classic & Wooden Boat Show and the city's Maritime Week celebration organized by the museum Their appearance opens with a Parade of Sails when they arrive around noon July 31 Special programs and other details are being decided and will be announced Which tall ships are coming to Sturgeon Bay and which one is connected to the city?The ships scheduled to appear in Sturgeon Bay are: spectacular clippers and schooners with thousands of square feet of sail on masts reaching high into the sky that have proven popular and been used for educational purposes across the country Sturgeon Bay hosted stops for the tall ships every three years from 2010 to 2019 when they came to Lake Michigan as part of the Tall Ships Festival and Great Lakes Challenge sailing race held by the Tall Ships America organization The hope was that the three-year cycle would bring them back in 2022 but the COVID-19 pandemic threw off those hopes this might be the only appearance this group of tall ships makes in a Wisconsin port in 2025 The Tall Ships America website shows it has ships scheduled to be in Duluth and it has yet to announce a location for the Great Lakes Challenge Ehlers-Kwaterski said Destination Sturgeon Bay approached the maritime museum about working together to bring back the ships which holds big annual events like its Classic & Wooden Boat Show and Maritime Week has great experience in dealing with the logistics involved she said the city wanted to get back on a three-year cycle of hosting tall ships after missing out in 2022 said they contacted Tall Ships America in March of 2024 to learn if it was possible to hold a full tall ships event in Sturgeon Bay this summer knowing even that 15 or 16 months was unusually short notice to put everything together but Tall Ships America contacted the maritime museum last fall to ask if the city would be interested in hosting a smaller event this summer – still relatively short notice "It really does take quite a bit of time to do all the logistics," he said Fewer tall ships will stay in Sturgeon Bay this year than in their past appearances as part of the Tall Ships Festival – nine vessels came to Sturgeon Bay for their last appearance in 2019 the tall ships only were in Sturgeon Bay for one night as they passed between Green Bay Ehlers-Kwaterski said while the tall ships' previous appearances have been tremendously popular having them in port for a longer time opens up more opportunities for people to see them and more related activities "The last couple of times the tall ships have been in Sturgeon Bay they've just been kinda passing through," she said "The fact that we'll have a fleet of ships here for a whole week will be a great opportunity It's looking to have a positive impact for bringing day-trip travelers coming from Green Bay there will be the rare opportunity to take rides of one and a half to two hours on the ships Tickets for these sailing experiences are expected to go on sale around the end of April And the Utopia and Pride of Baltimore II will host free deck tours while docked "It's a little different than the ships just sitting in port Also for something a little different, Perlman said the Parade of Sails will include the StJarna, a sailing vessel docked at the museum this summer and being restored by the Patriot Racing Project a Green Bay-based veterans organization dedicated to friendly sailing competitions And he said it's a big deal to have the tall ships at the same time as the museum's Classic & Wooden Boat Show which on its own draws thousands of boat fans to the museum grounds each year the Friday-through-Sunday of the tall ships being in town it makes it even more of a special weekend," Perlman said For updates on the tall ships' visit to Sturgeon Bay, including ticket sales for sailing experiences and more on the ships, visit sturgeonbay.net/tall-ships MORE: Tensions over electing new GOP leader boil over in the 8th Congressional District MORE: Baileys Harbor road project to affect traffic on State 57 in early part of summer If you are driving through Sturgeon Bay Wednesday evening don’t be surprised if you have to wait for a federal landmark to sail by Badger Lake Michigan Carferry are preparing the vessel for its 12-hour journey from Ludington, Michigan to Sturgeon Bay for a propeller shaft bearing repair in dry dock at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. High winds kept the 410-foot car ferry from departing Ludington on Tuesday Sara Spore, General Manager of Lake Michigan Carferry “It is the priority of Lake Michigan Carferry and our parent company to keep the Badger in its best working condition Having these repairs done now will reduce interruptions to our summer sailing season.” While the delay will push the S.S the Lake Michigan Carferry believes it will still be ready to go ahead of the start of its sailing season on May 16th Badger was last in Sturgeon Bay in 2022 after spending a portion of the winter receiving repairs at Door County Medical Center in Sturgeon Bay and lived there before moving to Sturgeon Bay Howard worked for Bay Ship in Sturgeon Bay and at West Palm Beach Recycling Center in Florida of Sturgeon Bay; 10 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren He was preceded in death by his parents; and siblings Joseph's Cemetery in Sturgeon Bay on Saturday Vincent Hospital in Green Bay following a 2 1/2 yr courageous and optimistic fight with cancer to Roger and Kay (Krusienski) Derrickson in Madison The family moved to Sturgeon Bay in 1983 when Ryan was eight years old Ryan is a 1993 graduate of Sturgeon Bay High School Ryan furthered his education at the University of Dubuque - Iowa completing his bachelor's degree in aviation operations and aviation management Ryan was a commercial pilot with United Airlines where he achieved the rank of Captain he owned and operated an 18-wheeler and designed and built several award-winning show trucks He enjoyed driving the open road and flying free in the skies He enjoyed hunting with his father and his cousin Jason He was a wonderful caretaker for his mother when she was ill Roger (Chris) Derrickson and Kay Derrickson; stepsister He is further survived by other relatives and many dear friends Preceding him in death was his grandparents Kenneth and Ruth Derrickson and Harold and Kathryn Krusienski; and uncle The Derrickson family would like to extend a special thank you to Eric Danihel P.A from Door County Medical Center for his care and compassion for Ryan while in his care A memorial gathering will be held Saturday donations may be made in in Ryan’s name to Door CANcer and photos of Ryan may be shared with his family through his tribute page at www.HuehnsFuneralHome.com DOOR CANcer, INC.P.O. Box 423, Sturgeon Bay WI 54235Web: http://www.doorcancer.com William "Bill" James Christensen passed away peacefully early Monday morning 2025 at Waterfall Health of Algoma where he resided since 2023 the son of Maurice Christensen and Esther Edna (Wilke) Christensen He grew up attending Wilson School and then Hainesville School Lutheran Church in Sturgeon Bay where he was confirmed He graduated from Southern Door High School with the class of 1966 Bill became a merchant marine and sailed on the Great Lakes for over 40 years with Oglebay Norton finishing his watch as a wheelman at the end of his sailing career in 2009 He met Kathleen Elizabeth Beno in Sturgeon Bay where they shared a life and daughter together He would always keep his eye out for his next one If there was ever a "perfect" customer for a car salesperson He liked watching old Westerns and listening to oldies music including Sam Cooke and Del Shannon-on repeat Being a grandfather brought him so much joy Bill will be missed by his family: daughters OK and Holly (José) Neri of the Town of Nasewaupee; grandsons James "Jim" (Diane) Christenson of Sturgeon Bay; siblings-in-law Lana Sporisky of Pulaski and Darreld Krauel of Carlsville; two aunts Donna DeLair of Sturgeon Bay and Linda (Dennis McCarthy) Long of the Town of Sturgeon Bay; nieces and nephews; cousins; and other relatives He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Lawrence Wilke and Ronald (Geraldine) Wilke; partner Bill's life will be honored with a memorial service held at 1:00 p.m 2025 at Huehns Funeral Home in Sturgeon Bay with Chaplain John Hauser officiating Visitation for family and friends will be held at the funeral home on Sunday from 12:00 noon until the time of service memorials may be to help support his grandchildren's (future) college education (c/o Holly Neri) thank you for the loving and devoted care you gave to Dad over the years helping him with grocery shopping and other daily necessities A heartfelt thanks also goes out to the staff of Waterfall Health and Compassus Hospice for the wonderful and compassionate care you provided." "Fair winds and following seas." and photos of William may be shared with his family through his tribute page at www.HuehnsFuneralHome.com (WLUK) -- The SS Badger's planned trek to Sturgeon Bay Tuesday has been postponed 24 hours because of inclement weather Officials made the decision to delay the ferry's trip due to the National Weather Service predicting gale force winds on Lake Michigan The Badger is now expected to depart Ludington it will be put into dry dock and have a propeller shaft bearing repaired the ship is expected to return to Ludington May 11 STURGEON BAY - All three of the city's bridges over the Sturgeon Bay channel will fully close to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for one or two days at a time between April 14 and May 1 for annual routine inspections and spring maintenance conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation The Bayview Bridge bypassing downtown on State 42/57 will close April 14 and 15 the downtown Maple/Oregon Bridge will close April 29 and the downtown Michigan Street Bridge will close April 30 and May 1 Work also will continue on the Bayview Bridge April 16 and 17 but the bridge will be open those days with lane closures and flagpersons to control traffic The DOT said the bridges are safe to travel in its press release announcing the work and travelers should use one of the other two bridges as detours during the closures and pay attention to signs Marine traffic can pass through the bridges during the closures The DOT said in the press release that motorists may see bridge inspectors inspection equipment and drones at the bridges in the next month as crews conduct their inspections and maintenance For updates and more information, visit the DOT Projects webpage for the state's Northeast Region at projects.511wi.gov/maintain-ne/schedule MORE: Midsummer's Music announces its 35th season, including a Big Top celebration MORE: Door County coffee shop gets a happy new name and look, with 'fun new flavors' to come Embarking for their daily visit to look for birds at Portage Park in Sturgeon Bay Candy and Rush Evans didn't expect to see anything out of the ordinary "(We) didn't really have high hopes because of the time of year," Candy Evans said we'll just walk around the corner to the rocky shoreline." Perched on a rock overlooking Lake Michigan was a small gray white and black bird with a rounded belly and long legs The Evanses rushed to their car and pulled out a field guide Its pages showed they had spotted a white wagtail a species common in Europe and Asia but rarely found in North America 28 sighting of the white wagtail marked the first time the species has ever been seen in Wisconsin the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology later confirmed said birds inherently know where to migrate likely ending up Wisconsin after being blown off course in a storm or getting confused when migrating from Siberia The Evanses have spent the past three years going birding nearly every day drawn to the retirement hobby by a shared love for the outdoors they spent 4½ hours observing the white wagtail in Sturgeon Bay More: There's been an increase in snowy owl sightings in Wisconsin in December More: 5 American Flamingos spotted in Port Washington in 2023 Candy Evans likened birding to a treasure hunt every day when we go out is that we're going to find a rarity But when you come across something that is it's just a rush of adrenaline," Candy Evans said Immediately after identifying the white wagtail she began contacting people in the local birding community and posting about the experience on social media About 20 other birders filtered into the park that day to see the bird some who had driven from as far away as Milwaukee The crowd respected the creature's space from a distance while taking in its beauty "This happened to be one of those times where the bird was very happy and comfortable where it was," Evans said "That gave plenty of people time to come and see it So that really made it extremely special for us at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay the son of the late George and Muriel (Tenner) Savage Tom graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School in 1977 He went to work for five years on a tugboat for Hannah Marine where he enjoyed traveling the Great Lakes and visiting the large cities delivering their cargo Tom would be gone for several weeks at a time and eventually decided he missed too much at home and moved on to construction Tom became a skilled carpenter over the years and enjoyed the challenge of the job and seeing the result of his hard work and attention to detail in the finished project This work continued until his retirement in 2019 Tom struggled with back pain and other health issues but you would never know it because it never stopped him from living life to the fullest was a big help in that way; she came into his life at retirement and kept him going through health adversities An avid outdoorsman with deer hunting being his greatest passion any opportunity to be outdoors in the woods was welcomed by Tom cutting firewood or making wood were some of his other favorite activities growing up on Pine Street in Sturgeon Bay was a great time in Tom’s life He often talked about those happy days spent with the neighborhood kids and their families many of whom he still considered his friends He was a member of the Sturgeon Bay Rod and Gun Club Stephanie (Tom) Gandia; and brothers-in-law Greg (Becky) Prichett and Gary Widner; many precious nieces Mary Kiehnau and Ann Grimmer; and sister-in-law A service to celebrate Tom’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m 2024 at Huehns Funeral Home in Sturgeon Bay 2024 at Huehns Funeral Home in Sturgeon Bay and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m Memorials can be directed in Tom’s memory to Door County Land Trust (P.O WI 54235; www.doorcountylandtrust.org) or Crossroads at Big Creek (P.O “Our family would like to thank the staffs of Door County Medical Center and Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay for their support and care given to Tom.” and photos of Thomas be shared with his family through his tribute page at www.HuehnsFuneralHome.com Door County Land TrustP.O. Box 65, Sturgeon Bay WI 54235Tel: 1-920-766-1359Email: info@doorcountylandtrust.orgWeb: http://www.doorcountylandtrust.org Crossroads at Big CreekP.O. Box 608, Sturgeon Bay WI 54235Tel: 1-920-746-5895Web: http://www.crossroadsatbigcreek.org