Advertise on podcast: Door County Pulse Podcast

Nate Bell has been helping people get internet access in Door County for almost three decades, from the dial-up days to satellite connectivity. He joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about how far things have come, and why redundancy is still important in light of recent outages. They also discuss whether the future of the county's connection is in fiber or satellites.

Elder abuse can take many forms, and it isn’t always easy to recognize. Debra Fitzgerald speaks with Baileys Harbor resident Patti Seger, who spent the last 20 years of her 40-year career as the lobbyist and CEO of End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, about the challenges older adults face in our communities. Door County recently reported a 51.6% rise in elder abuse cases in 2025. Seger discusses the dynamics behind that rise, the warning signs people should watch for, and the many ways abuse can occur, from financial exploitation and emotional manipulation to neglect.

Elder abuse and sexual assault can be difficult to recognize and even hard to report or escape. Moriah Benzow, executive director of HELP of Door County, talks with Debra Fitzgerald about the warning signs of elder abuse and neglect, the challenges of helping vulnerable adults who may depend on their abusers, and how HELP works to support those experiencing abuse. She also talks about HELP’s expanding role as it prepares to take over services for sexual assault survivors in Door County, after Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin stopped providing the service.

Award-winning journalist and writer Jeff Oloizia joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about his new podcast, Writing Forward, where Oloizia talks to Wisconsin scribes about carving out a creative life in the dairy state. He shares the writing journey that took him from Wisconsin to New York, and back, and why he embarked on this project to interview writers such as Liam Callenan, Michael Perry, Maggie Ginsberg, Nickolas Butler and many more. They discuss the closeness of Midwest writing communities, break down the misconceptions versus realities of being a writer, and explain how writers can create sustainable careers outside of major cities like New York and Los Angeles. Jeff Oloizia has written hundreds of articles for publications including the New York Times, The Atlantic, INTERVIEW, Madison Magazine, and T: The New York Times Style Magazine. While working on his debut novel, he is currently a Pulitzer Center StoryReach Midwest fellow and host of Writing Forward, a podcast featuring Wisconsin writers at all stages in their careers.  Read Oloizia’s work: jeffoloizia.com/writing Check out his article, The Fish Fry Paradox, which explores how a changing climate is impacting a beloved tradition.  Listen to Writing Forward: available on all major streaming platforms or on jeffoloizia.com/writingforward.

In the upcoming Nov. 3 election, Wisconsin voters will be asked to vote on three proposed amendments to the Wisconsin Constitution. Sterling Knoche, a staff attorney with the State Democracy Research Initiative, an institute within the University of Wisconsin Law School, joins Debra Fitzgerald to help unpack what the amendments are, how they got on the ballot and what a yes or no vote would actually change.

In November, residents in both the Southern Door and Sturgeon Bay school districts will vote on nonrecurring operational referendums, which would allow the districts the exceed their designated revenue limit by a set amount for a set period of time. Superintendent Kevin Krutzik from Southern Door and Superintendent Dan Tjernagel from Sturgeon Bay join reporter Eleanor Corbin to discuss the upcoming referendums in their districts, as well as the reliance on referendums statewide.

Tina Torcivia joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about the inspiration behind ZaZa's Pizzeria in Sister Bay. But first, they chat about the big changes at Gibraltar School, where they both graduated, and what people get wrong about Sister Bay's Fall Fest celebration.

Jon Jarosh, Destination Door County’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to discuss the state of tourism and his long-standing personal connection with Door County.

Former ABC News Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran and playwright Brian James Polak joined Myles Dannhausen Jr. for a roundtable discussion on journalism, playwriting and the arts in the age of Trump at the Door Kinetic Arts Festival.

Emily Elizabeth Baker didn’t consider indie authors to be “real” authors – until she became one herself. Now a novelist and founder of The Indie Author School, she joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to open up about her unconventional path to authorship, the process of writing and independently publishing, book marketing and social media, and the mission behind her school, which is dedicated to turning writers’ ideas into published novels.

David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for governor, made a stop in the Door County Pulse Podcast studio during a swing through Door County Sept. 21 . He talked to Myles Dannhausen Jr. about why he entered public service and his stance on bringing down costs for residents, school funding, data centers, and bridging the urban/rural divide in Wisconsin. On Sept. 18, the Pulse invited Crowley and Republican nominee Tom Tiffany to appear on the podcast, and we are still working with Tiffany’s representatives to schedule an episode with the candidate.

If you think Tucker Carlson, Jerome Powell and Nancy Pelosi don’t have much in common, think again. They’re all Deadheads – the most ardent of Grateful Dead fans, who are everywhere, according to Dr. Eric Mlyn, a Distinguished Faculty Fellow at Duke University’s Kenan Institute for Ethics and lecturer emeritus at the Sanford School of Public Policy. Mlyn talked with Debra Fitzgerald about the first show that hooked him in 1976, and why a band that officially ceased to exist in 1995 following the death of its unanointed leader, Jerry Garcia, is in many ways bigger than ever today. He’s taught a class at Duke on the band for the past four years and he’s bringing that seminar to Door County’s Björklunden Oct. 4-7.

Eleanor Corbin talks with Cherryl Fonfara and Mark Moede from Bayside Radio Theater, a performance group that specializes in live radio shows and has been together since 2023. Fonfara and Moede share their secrets behind the sound effects that elevate their performances from simple readings to immersive experiences. They highlight what Foley artists do, explain character voice, and share how radio theater offers performance roles without age restrictions. Fonfara also breaks down a radio theater script-writing process and shares excitement that comes with basing a story around a local Door County setting. Their upcoming show, "Shadows in the Night," is an original mystery set in Sturgeon Bay that will take place over two nights at the Granary in Sturgeon Bay on Oct. 9 and 10.

The Town of Gibraltar secured a big grant to fulfill a decades-old vision for an off-road path from the Settlement Shops to the north end of the town last month. Myles Dannhausen is joined by Debra Fitzgerald to talk about the trail, as well as a lawsuit to force action on the tug that has been sitting in the water in Baileys Harbor for five years. But first, they look back on what 9/11 felt like in Door County, and what we've learned - and haven't learned - in the years since.

Myles Danhausen Jr. talks with singer-songwriter, playwright, and performer Katie Dahl about her new musical-in-progress, The Northeast Corner, which explores the relationship between journalist Lorena Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt. Katie discusses what pulled her to the story, who Hickok was, and the workshopping process.  They also dig into the collaborative nature of theater, the emotional stakes of writing for the stage, and why Door Kinetic Arts Festival is such a unique creative incubator. A public reading of the play will take place Sept. 25 at Birch Creek. Get details at doorkinetic.com.