Arbor Day has been celebrated for more than 30 years in the city of Shawano, but the celebration this year was just a little more personal for Matt Hendricks, city parks and recreation director.

Gresham Community School took its mission of wellness and invited the community April 22 to take part in healthy activities that help to bring everyone together.

Children and adults alike gathered to play pickleball, cornhole, board games and cards. They also got the chance to learn how to use an automated external defibrillator while also learning that healthy activity should be part of everyone’s life.

It won’t be long and Oconto County’s three Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest campgrounds will be open for business for the 2026 season.

Those campgrounds are located in the Bagley Rapids Recreation Area near Mountain, Boot Lake Recreation Area near Townsend and Boulder Lake Recreation Area near White Lake.

With the addition of Shawano County’s 413th barn quilt April 17, the barn quilt project started by local photographer Jim Leuenberger in June 2010 has come to an end.

“People will still be able to enjoy the nearly 400 quilts that remain on display throughout the county,” Leuenberger said. “We just aren’t going to be painting new ones.”

A month after Shawano County supervisors agreed to spend up to $121 million for a new courthouse, jail housing pod and jail auxiliary services, some officials are now saying the county is moving too fast.

“There are many missing pieces that haven’t been outlined to us or considered,” Supervisor Jeremy Gretzinger said at the April 21 meeting of the county board.

Kopitzke Logging, of Tigerton, removed 27 ash trees from the Shawano County Fairgrounds the week of April 20. The work also included grinding down the stumps and removing all of the debris. Trees may be replanted after the 2026 Shawano County Fair, and officials will investigate whether any grant money is available to help cover that cost.