Photos of the year: A look back at the Wisconsin State Journal's top photos of 2021
A look back at the year 2021 through the lens of Wisconsin State Journal photographers John Hart, Amber Arnold and Kayla Wolf
SmartAsset ranked Madison fifth in dog friendly cities, based largely on the fact that it has the most pet stores and vet officers per 10,000 establishments. It also has 4.1 dog parks for every 100,000 residents and plenty of dog-friendly shops.
Genevieve Faucher kisses her son, Atlas, 5, who was diagnosed with Pompe disease, a rare disorder, at the age of four months, at their home in Oshkosh, Wis., Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. Wisconsin has approved adding Pompe to its newborn screening program but hasn't started testing for the condition yet. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
A group of friends sing and play following the Eid Al-Fitr prayer held at Olin Park in Madison, Wis., Thursday, May 13, 2021. Eid Al-Fitr is a Muslim religious holiday that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Jase Frost-Ohlsen, 12, uses a rope swing he made with his brother to dangle over the Yahara River in Madison, Wis., Monday, May 3, 2021. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Artist Angele Nyberg assembles elements of her environmental art installation, “To Hold You,” at James Madison Park in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. The piece was commissioned through the Madison Arts Commission’s BLINK program and will offer visitors to the opening the opportunity to weave reclaimed, naturally dyed strips of fabric into the upright hammock wall. An interactive work, the assemblage tilts back slightly, allowing participants to lean into the weaving while gazing along the shores of Lake Mendota. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Peyton Hein, left, a senior at Waunakee High School, and Jacky Duarte, a senior at Sun Prairie High School, watch Sun Prairie's season-opening spring football game against Verona from a parking lot outside the new Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium at Ashley Field in Sun Prairie, Wis., Friday, March 26, 2021. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Visitors to Olbrich Botanical Gardens’ GLEAM nighttime art exhibit explore “Tesseract,” a light and sound installation by Madison, Wis. artists Brett Adams and Bo Raasch Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021. The annual event features large scale light installations created by local, regional, and international designers displayed throughout the gardens’ 16 acres. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
As hot, humid weather settles into the region, Ilona Steigerzat, 14, generates their own breeze during a swing at Yahara Place Park Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Members of DanzTrad, including Yuriza Leonperalta, at right, perform traditional Mexican dance during the Shifting Gears Bike Path Dance Festival at Olin Park in Madison, Wis., Monday, Sept. 6, 2021. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Storybook Ballet founder Meredith Mast makes adjustments to the form and posture of the ballerinas during class in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Two-year-old triplets, from left, Aiya, Blaire and Charlotte Cahoon, from Madison, feast on strawberries as their mom, Autumn, grandma, Julie Stough, of Seattle, at left, and sister, Grace, 4, fill the basket with their pickings during a visit to Carandale Fruit Farm in Oregon, Wis., Wednesday, June 16, 2021. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Francesca Hong kisses her son George Morris goodbye on his first day of kindergarten at Lapham Elementary School in Madison, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Jen Korz, executive director at Heartland Farm Sanctuary, tries to get the attention of Maxwell, a Yorkshire pig, on the farm in Verona, Wis., Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Brothers Tom and Mike Duerst harvest corn on their farm off of Schaller Road in Verona, Wis., Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. The United States Department of Agriculture reports harvest of corn for grain across the state is 61 percent complete, which is 10 days ahead of the 5-year average. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Kari Oates, right, and her husband Donald walk through what was the entryway of their home before an F-3 tornado swept through Boscobel, Wis., Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Amber Dolphin reads a book to her daughters, Ivy Moechnig, 1, and Maya Moechnig, 5 (not pictured), in the children’s section of the newly reopened Pinney Library in Madison, Wis., Monday, May 24, 2021. Madison’s libraries reopened Monday after being closed to in-person visits for 15 months. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Members of UW-Madison’s Class of 2021 revel in the chance to do one last “jump around” during the 2021 Spring Commencement at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. Saturday, May 8, 2021. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Jill Uhe attends a Memorial Day service with her children, Brianna, 8, and Benny, 11, at right, at the Wells - Davis - Young - Neal American Legion Post 209 Memorial Park in Orfordville, Wis., Monday, May 31, 2021. Many residents of the small village remembered Cpl. Benjamin Neal, a 21-year-old Orfordville resident who died in Afghanistan in 2012 when he was 21. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Madison firefighter Bree Bower, left, shows Sienna Tadych, 8, of Madison, how to work a fire hose for CampHERO, a partnership between Madison Area Technical College and Wisconsin Badgerland Girl Scouts to give girls in kindergarten through high school hands-on experience in protective services at the college's Protective Services Building in Madison, Wis., Friday, July 30, 2021. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Nurse Teeney Beidel, center, puts on personal protective equipment to assist a team of nurses rotating a patient on a ventilator at the Aspirus Medford Hospital in Medford, Wis., Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Numbered swatches of fabric, each representing a death from COVID-19 in the state, hang as part of a memorial display at Trinity Methodist Church in Madison, Wis. Thursday, March 4, 2021. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Friends of three senior high school students killed in a vehicle crash grieve at the site along Mineral Point Road in Veronal, Wis., Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. The students, Simon Bilessi, 17, Evan Kratochwill, 18, and Jack Miller, 17, were killed when their vehicle was struck from behind by a motorist who is facing charges of multiple counts of homicide in the incident. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
UW-Madison sophomore and Army ROTC cadet Sydney Bobolz plants an American flag on the lawn of Bascom Hill as part of a Veterans Day program held by the Wisconsin Union and University Veteran Services in Madison, Wis., Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Oregon and Sun Prairie line up to sing the national anthem under a rainbow at the Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium at Ashley Field in Sun Prairie, Wis., Thursday, May 6, 2021. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Confetti falls from the ceiling as Wisconsin players celebrate after defeating Nebraska to clinch share of the Big Ten volleyball title at the UW Field House in Madison, Wis., Friday, Nov. 26, 2021.AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Fans of the Milwaukee Bucks celebrate during the fourth quarter in the “Deer District” outside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., Tuesday, July 20, 2021. The team earned a 105-98 win over the Phoenix Suns to win their first NBA Championship title since 1971. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Milwaukee Bucks Grand Dancer Juju Gramms hands out "Fear the Deer" towels to fans gathered at the Deer District in Milwaukee, Wis., Wednesday, July 14, 2021. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Waunakee’s Sarah Bova, left, and Chloe Larsen, right cross the finish line of the girls 400 meter dash as the event’s winner, Brooklyn Sandvig of Chippewa Falls falls to a first place finish in the event during the WIAA Division 1 state track and field championships at UW-La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., Saturday, June 26, 2021. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Lions running back D'Andre Swift (32) jumps over Packers cornerback Kevin King (20) during the second half at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Wisconsin Badgers running back Jalen Berger (8) is brought down by Eastern Michigan Eagles defensive back T.J. Peavy (8) and Eastern Michigan Eagles defensive back Mark Lee Jr. (17) during the first quarter at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Wisconsin forward Maddi Wheeler (28) celebrates her goal with teammate defenseman Grace Bowlby (13) and defenseman Mayson Toft (14), at left, in the second period of a women's hockey game against St. Cloud St. at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wis., Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
New Glarus-Monticello's Darris Schuett (13) is tackled by Belleville's J Jay Wenger (3) and Tyler Fahey (5) during the first half of a game between the teams at New Glarus High School in New Glarus, Wis. Friday, May 7, 2021. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
DeForest's Jocelyn Pickhardt hugs teammate, Alexys Scheuerell, front, after crossing the finish line and qualifying for state in the girls 800 meter relay during the WIAA Division 1 track and field sectional at Mansfield Stadium in Madison, Wis., Thursday, June 17, 2021. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Waunakee’s Max Brud celebrates with his coach, Betsy Zadra, after holing a 98-yard shot for an eagle on the 13th hole of the WIAA Division 1 state golf championship in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., Tuesday, June 15, 2021. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Snow and frost hold to the branches of trees along University Bay Drive on the campus of UW-Madison in Madison, Wis. Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Six people found dead in a Milwaukee home had apparently been shot and investigators are looking for the person or people responsible for the homicides, police said Monday.
A Wausau ginseng farmer has won $1.1 million playing fantasy football.
Three GOP appointees to the tech college board whose terms have expired are refusing to step down until their replacement is confirmed.
As constitutional amendments, the measures would need to pass the Senate and Assembly in two successive sessions before being ratified by voters in a general election. The governor cannot veto a constitutional amendment.
The package is likely to be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who has rejected past attempts by GOP lawmakers to direct federal spending.
A $10 million grant from an anonymous donor will allow America's Black Holocaust Museum to reopen in Milwaukee next month following years of struggles to remain viable.
Wisconsin broke a day-old record Wednesday by reporting 10,288 new confirmed coronavirus cases while the state also received an "extremely limited" supply of two antiviral pills intended to treat mild to moderate COVID-19.
The Wisconsin Lottery said Thursday the ticket worth half of the $632 million Powerball jackpot was sold at a Citgo convenience store on Packerland Drive in Ashwaubenon. The winner has not yet come forward.
His resignation announcement on Friday falls on the the same day that a committee of UW Board of Regents members meet to select finalists in the presidential search.
Police are recommending no charges be filed in the case of an intruder who was fatally shot at an Appleton residence last June.
Milwaukee police are investigating after a body was found in a burned vehicle that had been towed to an impound lot.
The UW Board of Regents will choose between a Milwaukee law firm CEO and one of its own chancellors to be the next president of the UW System.
The trial could resume on Tuesday, if jail testing protocols allow it.
An off-duty Milwaukee police officer was shot and wounded while trying to stop an armed robbery in the city's Third Ward, authorities reported.
A man has died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound following a shootout with police in the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis, authorities reported.
A Burger King robbery that left a Milwaukee girl dead was staged, and she was in on it, investigators allege in court documents filed Friday.
The deal requires requires Navient to pay $1.1 million in restitution to more than 4,100 federal loan borrowers and cancel $22.8 million in private loan debt for nearly 1,000 Wisconsin borrowers.
Milwaukee police say they are investigating the death of 8-year-old Tiana Huddleston as a homicide.
Police say a Milwaukee man charged Wednesday in the shooting death of his 8-year-old daughter told investigators he wanted to teach his children about gun safety before inadvertently firing the weapon.
Some say UW-Madison is again falling short in its pandemic response and others feel the university is acting cautiously appropriate ahead of the spring semester, which starts Tuesday.
A Burger King employee accused of inadvertently killing another worker while shooting at a robber has turned himself in to Milwaukee police.
Milwaukee police are investigating a shooting that killed two men and injured a third.
Six people found dead with gunshot wounds in a Milwaukee duplex have been identified while police continue Tuesday to look for the person or people responsible for the slayings.
A Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy was shot and wounded early Wednesday by a man later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.
Four people have been detained as police investigate their level of involvement, if any, in the deaths of six people found with gunshot wounds in a Milwaukee duplex last weekend, the city's police chief said Thursday.
The death of a man suspected of shooting and injuring a Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy has officially been listed as a suicide, the county medical examiner's office said Thursday.
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson says he's had a change of heart on criminal justice and is promoting the UW System's prison education project.
Sheriff's deputies rescued a man after his pick-up crashed through the ice on Lake Winnebago on Saturday afternoon.
A former University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor has agreed to plead guilty to federal crimes connected to defrauding Chinese graduate students and visiting scholars.
Suring Public Schools superintendent Kelly Casper was charged with false imprisonment after the students said she asked them to take off some of their clothes in a high school bathroom in searches for vaping devices Jan. 17 and 18.
Viking's highly-anticipated Mississippi River cruises between New Orleans and St. Paul, Minnesota, with a stop in la Crosse, are a step closer to reality.
Georgia-Pacific is closing one of its Green Bay mills and making an investment in another facility in the city.
The first Mississippi River towboat has marked the unofficial start of the 2022 navigation season.
The state Department of Natural Resources is ending its practice of posting volunteer guards along the Wolf River to protect spawning sturgeon from poachers.
The Marathon County Sheriff's Office said a woman and a man were electrocuted while they were creating art using a dangerous method called fractal wood burning.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has approved a permit for a new factory farm in southwestern Wisconsin, a region known for its rolling hills and clear trout streams.
A pilot landed a small plane with engine trouble in a Grant County field on Sunday afternoon, authorities reported.
Police said in a statement Friday that the two-seat Cessna 152 crashed in a home's backyard Thursday afternoon after taking off from Timmerman Airport on Milwaukee's north side.
STILLWATER, Minn. — Hundreds of people gathered at a Minnesota golf course at dusk to remember a 17-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed during a recreational tubing trip on a Wisconsin river.
Emmitt “Mullet Boy” Bailey, 8, of Menomonie, won the children's division, and Cayden Kershaw, 17, of Wausau, won the teens' division.
Hundreds of supporters, as well as advocates for victims of clergy sexual abuse, attended retired Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland’s funeral, which was marked by an open acknowledgement of his mistakes.
More than two dozen lakes and other sites in Wisconsin are among nearly 650 peaks, lakes, streams and other places on federal land in the U.S. that have been renamed by the government because they included a racist term for a Native American woman.
Supply chain problems and climbing prices are affecting the availability of fireworks as the Fourth of July holiday approaches.
A coal-powered passenger steamship on Lake Michigan that's the last of its kind in the U.S. will stop using coal to fuel its historic engines once its operators settle on an alternate power source.
Wisconsin-based Jack Link's protein snacks announced Tuesday that it will build a $450 million factory in the middle Georgia town of Perry, hiring 800 people after it opens in late 2023.
Walmart and Kohl's are paying a combined $5.5 million in settlements after the Federal Trade Commission said they falsely marketed dozens of sheets and other home textile products as made of environmentally friendly bamboo, when they were actually rayon.
A new study shows Wisconsin's housing market is strong with the total value of homes and other property sold in 2021 increasing at the fastest rate in about 15 years.
A work stoppage that began Sunday brought trains to a halt across Canada and interrupted fertilizer and other shipments to and from the U.S.
Canadian Pacific covers much of the U.S. Midwest and is a large shipper of potash and fertilizer for agriculture.
Wisconsin ranks fourth in maple syrup production nationally, behind Vermont, New York and Maine.
