Weekend street riot: Police probe procedes
WINONA, Minn. — Police continued their investigation into a mob that threateningly surrounded a lone pair of officers at the downtown bar Port 507 over the weekend. Two persons were arrested outside the bar as ring-leaders. Only after the surrounded officers sent a distress call for help and eight additional officers came to their rescue from patrols elsewhere. More arrests remain possible, police said.
Emergency, fire crews make 38 calls
WINONA, Minn. – The Fire Department reported 31 emergency medical calls plus 87fire calls in recent days:
> Tuesday, June 16: 4 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Monday, June 22: 7 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Sunday, June 21: 3 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Saturday, June 20: 7 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Friday, June 19: 7 medical calls plus 2 fire calls.
> Thursday, June 18: 3 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Wednesday, June 17: No medical calls plus no fire calls
Earlier: Emergency, fire crews make 55 calls
Fungus among us in decaying wood
Ready soon for sporing. Mushrooms and fungus feed on fallen wood. Soon this white fungus will release spores from the gills on its underside to reproduce. Except for feasting on distinctive morels in the spring, never taste-test any you find out in the woods. Many are poisonous. Image: Andy Frank
Walz on judge ordering Trump to stand down
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Governor Tim Walz welcomed a federal judge’s rejection of President Trump’s push for a criminal investigation into Minnesota officialdom’s resistance to a federal military occupation last winger. Walz called the judge’s ruling “a victory for the rule of law and our democracy.” In effect, Minneapolis-based U.S. Judge Patrick Schiltz’s ruling dead-ended Trump’s claim that the Minnesota resistance was a criminal insult to federal authority over state sovereignty. The judge found Trump’’s position as petty politics and unsustainable court. Said Walz:
“This case was just one example of the U.S. Justice Department pursuing criminal investigations into the President’s political opponents. We are seeing daily reminders of this administration’s lawlessness — in Minnesota and around the country. We all must continue to seek justice and uphold the rule of law.”
Trump never forgave Walz for an energetic campaign against him as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 2o24. Even though Trump won the presidency, he is notoriously thin-skinned and has incessantly ramped up a retaliation against Walz. Trump’s bitterness grew beyond Walz and culminated last winter in a 2-1/2 military siege of Minnesota, supposedly to end a crisis of lawlessness in the streets when in fact there was no crisis. Trump’s antagonism to Walz deepened when citizen resistance to the military occupation forced Trump in nto an embarrassing withdrawal of his troops. Heis seething, unabated, eventually morphed into the now-defeated attack on Walz and oyher Minnesotans as criminals. Here are responses from other Minnesota leaders whom Trump had wanted lock toup:
State attorney general
Keith Ellison: “It should disturb every American that Donald Trump is weaponizing the criminal justice system against people he disagrees with.”
Minneapolis mayor
Jacob Frey: He said that criticizing government action is not a crime: “One of the defining strengths of our democracy is the ability to challenge those in power without fear of retribution. Elected officials have both the right and the responsibility to speak honestly about how government decisions affect the people they serve. Subpoenaing political opponents because they spoke on behalf of their constituents violates the core tenets of our democracy and human decency.”
St. Paul mayor
Kaohly Her: She called Trumo’s subpoenas “a politically motivated retaliation against our city for lawfully standing up to ICE and fighting for our residents.”
Sauntering to class at Clarke University
DUBUQUE, Iowa — A small black bear wandered through campus at Clarke University overlooking downtown Dubuque. Although not everyday visitors, bears are not uncommon in eastern Iowa. Most this far south are young males that have been bullied away by older males Up North after hibernation. They drift alone south from Minnesota. More than 20 sightings have been reported this spring in southeast Minnesota counties— a few more than usual. A Minnesota state wildlife expert in Rochester,, Todd Proberg, said that humans and bears coexist easily. Be cautioned, however: Leave them unprovoked, especially while foraging for food from trash can to trash can. They don’t like being djsturbed at dinner
Earlier: Bear invasion? Numerous sightings in northeast Rochester
Caution: Don’t pet. Clarke students were advised to stay clear. Bears rarely attack if left to be. Even so, they have oversize jaws and five-inch to seven-inch claws, Alao: They can chase you faster than you can run.
Traveler in odd downtown mini-dramas
WINONA, Minn. — After a couple of odd disturbances downtown involving an Anoka man, police decided the best course was to send him packing out of town. Alexander Craig Larson, 32, was last seen fueling up his pickup truck. Police said that he indicated he was heading for New Orleans. The disturbances:
> Blooming Grounds, 50 East Third Street. Police were called about 1 p.m for a man throwing food inside the eatery. Police found Larson parked outside in a [pickup truck. He first refused to respond to officers tapping on the window to open up but finally lowered the window. He was issued a standard trespass warning not to return to Blooming Grounds.
> Gabby’s, 179 East Third Street. Police were called about 4:30 p.m. for a man acting strangely outside Gabby’s bar. Police found Larson had parked his 2007 black GMC Yukon pickup and placed tires and orange traffic cones as well as tires. in the street. Larson, wearing a black face mask, was out in the street spray-painting the pavement with a 15-foot circle of orange, yellow and black. Seeing the officers, he walked away but when confronted he explained he was hoping to raise gas money. He didn’t make much sense, the officers said, but stgere was something about his “street art” meant to convey “Anoka to New Orleans” and something about the country’s 250th anniversary. He was issued a disturbing-the-peace citation and tlod where to find a chafity agency that mught help with gas money to leave town.
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Judge damns Trump’s Minnesota Meanness
MINNEAPOLIS — A federal judge has blocked President Trump’s g escalating campaign against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other elected officials. Judge Patrick Schiltz declared that Trump was guilty of illegally harassing people he didn’t like. The judge called it a deplorable and grossly illegal misuse of presidential power that Trump was seeking grand jury indictments of the Minnesota state and local leaders. Trump has been hammering them for months as traitorous in countless tirades forthe citizen resistance to his Operation Metro Surge — a brutal military occupation of the state over the winter. In February Trump finally was humiliated into withdrawing his troops by the hundreds. He has been seething since and vowing retribution. Judge Schiltz’s ruling was the latest in a growing number of judicial rebukes of Trump for using U.S. Justice Department to carry out personal vendettas. Critics use the word “weaponize” for his shifting the Justice Department’s energies into a vehicle to bully and harass political rivals. Judge Patrick Schlitz was blunt. About Trump’s Minnesota actions he found the President’s “dominant purpose” was to “coerce Minnesota officials into assisting the federal government with enforcing civil immigration law and to harass and retaliate against them for failing to do so.” Among those whom Trump ordered the U.S. Justice Department to seek indictments:
> Tim Walz, governor.
> Keith Ellison, state attorrney general.
> Jacob Frey, mayor of Minneapolis.
> Kaohly Her, mayor of St. Paul.
> Officials in Hennepin and Ramsey counties.
Schiltz. Chief judge for the U.S. District of Minnesota. A Harvard Law School graduate with honors. Appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush, a Republican, in 2005.
Anatomy of judge’s rebuke
Judge Schitz ruled that there appeared to be “extremely weak to nonexistent” connections between the information sought in the U.S. Justice Deoartment’s subpoenas and any possible criminal violation. The subpoenas seek materials “that largely if not entirely relate to constitutionally protected conduct,” the judge wrote. He noted that Minnesota has the legal right not to devote its resources to coercing federal immigration law. The Justice Department “is not conducting a criminal investigation but is instead using the grand jury process for unlawful purposes, Schiltz said. He called the evidence overwhelming that the Department’s subpoenas were issued for unlawful reasons. About the Justice Department attempts to justify Trump’s motives: “The Department has struggled — without success — to identify a single plausible plausible investigatory justification.”
Police post-mortem on Steamboat Days: Mostly OK
WINONA, Minn. — As police officers swapped notes about their Steamboat Days experiences, the consensus was that it went well. An exception — a major one — was a near riot outside a downtown bar. Two arrests resulted. There also a celebrant whom police escorted out of the Steamboat Days beer tent as unruly and no longer welcome. Also too: A man who had been at the beer tent crashed his car into a tree off Interstate 90. For the weekend Police Chief Tom Wiliams beefed up night patrols by four or extraofficers.
Earlier: Cops: Boozed-up crowd gangs up on Winona cops
Embarrassed city agency sets SMU as swim option
WINONA, Minn. – The city Parks Department arranged a swimming option at the Saint Mary’s University pool while repairs continue at the city’s Bob Welch Aquatic Center on the West End. Punch passes and memberships will be accepted at the Saint Mary’s Jule Gernes pool, which is inside the Toner Student Center. The daily rate: $2. Children 4 years old and younger are free. The Bob Welch opening has been delayed twice so far. The Parks Department hopes to have the pool fixed by July 1. The meantime pool times at Saint Mary’s begin Tuesday:
> June 23 and 24: 12 to 4 p. m.
<>June 25: 12:30 to 4 p.m.
> June 26, 27 and 28: None.
> June 29 and 30: 12 to 4 p.m.
$100,000 damage to Lewiston solar array
Lewiston-Altura High School. On County Road 25 on the Lewiston East End. Enrollment: 360 students in Grades 9 to 12. Spring classes ended May 22.
Lone vandal seen smashing sunray collectors
LEWISTON, Minn. — A vandal smashed solar panels at the Lewiston High School with the damage estimated initially at $100,000. The attack was at twilight, about 6:40 p.m. A witness called the police dispatcher in Winona and was able describe an automobile before it drove off. Sheriff’s deputies found a vehicle matching the description a quarter mile away in a Dollar General parking lot. Deputies said the driver, Brenden Robert Myers, age 21, of Lewiston, admitted to the vandalism. There was an odor of marijuana, deputies said: Also field sobriety tests suggested impairment. Myers was jailed on a tentative charge of driving while impaired and damage to property. A final DWI charge hinge on pending results from a blood sample drawn at the county jail in Winona. Not immediately clear was how the damage to the solar panels was accomplished. Deputies said an electrical cord of some sort apparently was involved.
Earlier: Charge ahead: Lewiston schools go solar
Minneiska biker hits deer, badly hurt
WABASHA, Minn. — A rural Winona County motorcyclist was critically injured when he ran into a deer. David Michael Deering, 66, was taken to the Wabasha hospital. The accident was on a four-lane section of U.S. Highway 61 between Wabasha and Kellogg. First-responders described his condition as life-threatening. This was about 11 :25 a.m. Deering was on a BMW R1200 and headed south toward home near Minneiska. No one else was injured.
Rochester college shies off sports dome
ROCHESTER, Minn.— Plans have been abandoned for a new bubble dome for sports at Rochester Community and Technical College. The college president, Jeffery Boyd, expressed doubts about the viability of a new bubble: “Given the level of risk associated with potential fabric and mechanical system failures, we do not believe it is a wise investment at this time.” The existing dome not only has been problematic to maintain but also is at the end of its useful life. The dome has been used by the college for winter sports as well as by youth and adult community recreation programs. The college, meanwhile, is keeping long-term plans on the drawing board for a $55 million sports and recreation complex.
News summary at week’s end: June 20, 2026
INDUSTRY: Acuity employees reeling at plant closure
INDUSTRY: Lighting manufacturer Acuity closes Winona factory
CRIME: Boozed-up crowd gangs up on Winona cops
CRIME: Cops: Rollingstone postal thief nabbed red-handed
CRIME: Guilty to 12-year-old as pregnant and doing it
CRIME: Bonfire in street, bullets popping: Why? Why? Why?
CRIME: $80,000 swindle seen as crypto crime
SCHOOLS: $50,000 Fastenal gift to Winona tech training
SCHOOLS: Caps everywhere: Joy at Winona High
ENVIRONMENT: LaCrosse to AI giants: Slow it down
PLEBEIAN CUISINE: Return of the chopsticks on West End
POLITICS: Political season sprouts among us
FESTIVAl: Honky-tonk and punk in air at Steamboat Days
FESTIVAL: Cruisers and rods outside Peter’s Biergarten
FESTIVAL: Sparkles and bouquets at royalty crowning
Cops: Biker’s own camera recorded misdeeds
DAKOTA Minn. — A deputy gave chase to bikers who, mufflers disconnected, had been roaring around nearby LaCrescent and disturbing the peace. The bikers got away from LaCrescent police and headed north into Winona County. The deputy intercepted them on County Road 1. They went even louder and faster onto Interstate 90. The deputy, siren shrieking and lights flashing, was on their tails, at points at 100 mph. Finally one biker pulled over. The deputy arrested Miguel Ramone Dodge, age 19, of LaCrosse, and confiscated his bike-cam. Police are seeing bike-cams more and more for bikers to relive their stunt-riding and ultra-speeding. The cam left no doubt that Dodge deserved to be arrested, the deputy said. The second biker, however, kept on going. He’s now on police list to be apprehended. This was all was about 7:10 p.m.
Cruisers and rods outside Peter’s Biergarten
25th annual event. Invitation-only diagonal parking on downtown Winona’s blocked-off Third Street for the Steamboat Days car show. Business was hopping at Peter’s fresh-air beer garden. “Anybody see my glitzy ’57 DeSoto?” Image: Helen Nordby
Elgin driver hurt in sunny afternoon crash
POTTSDAM, Minn — An Elgin man was injured in a three-car collision at Reikes Corners west of Zumbro Lake on White Bridge Road. Zackary Austin Peterson, 36, was taken 18 miles to a Rochester hospital. His injuries were non-life threatening, first-responders said. No one else required medical attention. The collision was about 1:20 p.m. Peterson was eastbound toward Plainview on State Highway 247. He was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Impala whose airbag deployed. Others in the accident:
> Michael Paul Halasy, 55, of Rochester, driving south on State Highway 63 toward Rochester in a 1998 Porsche Boxster convertible.
> Jon Palmer Dunham, 56, of Rochester, driving north in a 2020 Ford F150 pickup and turning west toward Oronoco.
> Tara Louise Kenitz, 54, of Rochester, a passenger in the pickup.
Notable journalism
Morgan James (KTTC, June 18, 2026): “Uncertainty in Pine Island as Data Center Debate Continues”
Rachel Mergen (Winona Daily News, June 19, 2026): “The Coffee Camper Expands with New Alma Vineyard Spot”
Richard Molseed (Rochester Post Bulletin, 19, 2026): “Tornado Carried Items into Wisconsin from Plainview Family Home”
Return of the chopsticks on West End
WINONA, Minn. – A new albeit somewhat familiar tenant has been added to the leaderboard at the Winona Crossing strip mall off U.S. Highways 61 on the West End. A soft-opening for Asian Buffet is scheduled for June. 30 The site earlier was occupied by New China King, also an all-you-can buffet. Asian food is not hard to find in Winona:
> Great Hunan: 111 West Third Street.
> Miya Japanese Bistro: 62 East Third Street.
> Novary: 1035 Frontenac Drive.
> Ocean Sushi: 1213 Gilmore Avenue.
> Panda Express: Kryzsko basement at Winona State University.
Earlier: Golden China to close doors in May
Winona Crossing. Updating the tenant list again. Image: Steve Lunde
Boozed-up crowd gangs up on Winona cops
Port 507. At 127 West Second Street at a quieter hour. Where a combative crowd of 20 had spilled into the street and turned menacingly on police when they arrived. The situation eased aonly fter police re-enforcements arrived and arrests were made. Ten officers were involved.
Until cavalry arrived, ruffians had 20 to 2 edge
WINONA, Minn. — Police got a large and unruly rumble under control outside a downtown bar but only after calling in re-enforcements from the sheriff’s office and suburban Goodview. This was about 1:10 a.m. near the hub off Steamboat Days activities. Two officers responded to a call at the Port 507 bar and found about 20 people pushing and shoving and yelling in the street. Unable to de-escalate the melee, which was becoming more intense, the officers radioed for back-up. Four additional city police officers arrived, as did two sheriff’s deputies and two Goodview police officers. One man, Nashun Louis Robinson, age 21, of Winona, who witnesses said started the fight inside the bar, was outside and still combative when the first officers arrived. When he attempted to flee, police stopped him with pepper spray. An ambulance, which by then was at the scene, took Robinson to the hospital for a medical evaluation for effects from the mace. At jail he was booked for assault and obstruction of police. As Robinson was being loaded into the ambulance, police said, Andrea Ashanti Dorothy Chamblis, age 18, of Winona was goading the crowd to engage officers. She was charged with obstructing the legal process. Further arrests were likely, police said.
Byron ballerina new Miss Minesota
Anna Brennan. Crowned Miss Minnesota at Treasure Island casino event. From Byron. As talent she performed classical ballet to “Tango de Roxanne.” Studying journalism at University of St. Thomas and interning at television station KSTP.
Acuity employees reeling at plant closure
WINONA, Minn. — Members of the Electrical Workers union at Acuity’s Winona lighting factory feel betrayed. The company’s top management, far away in Georgia, has sent down word that the plant will close soon. Employees learned of the decision at a surprise assembly. Afterward the business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 953, Brady Weiss , accused the company of “misplaced priorities,” particularly with its ongoing revenue gains:
“For decades, our members working at this facility have contributed not only to the success of Acuity Brands but added value to this community through good-paying family-supporting jobs. We are disappointed that the company’s misplaced priorities, despite their $563 million profit, have led them to the decision to close this facility following many years of committed partnership. “
Weiss said the union is committed to ensuring that its members are afforded “every protection available” under their collective bargaining agreement and the law. Weiss said the Electrical Workers contract gives “bump rights” to members to relocate to different Acuity facilities for equivaent jobs held by less senior Acuity employees. Also: The state jobs agency has assistance for workers in mass layoffs.
Steamboat Days reveler crashes car into tree
WYATTVILLE, Minn. — A northern Arizona man, seemingly after too much fun at Steamboat Days in Winona, crashed his car into a tree 24 miles away on County Road 12. A sheriff’s deputy who came across the wreck said Joshua Ray Leach, age 37, was unhurt but drunk He was wearing a beer-tent access bracelet from Steamboat Days. A roadside breath test put his blood at 0.12% alcohol, four points more than law allows. The crash was at the 90-degree corner where County Road 12 forks into County 25. This was about 3:45 a.m.
Notable journalism
Allison Murray (WXOW, June 195 2026): “Warrens Woman Charged after Kids Found Wandering Campsite; Home Deemed Uninhabitable”
Olivia Prondzinski (KTTC, June 12, 2026): “Investigation Notes Reveal Details of Stewartville High School Shooting”
Chris Rogers (Winona Post, June 12, 2026): “Refugees Rebuild in Winona”
“Fight?” What fight?” Nobody talking to cops
WINONA, Minn. –— Police responded to a call about a street fight in an East Side residential neighborhood. Although officers found people milling around, the fight was over. Police said no one would talk about what happened. Officers handed out forms and encouraged people in the remaining crowd to submit written statements in the morning when they sobered up. All appeared to be adults, officers said. This was about 1:25 a.m. on East Sanborn Street between Kansas and Liberty streets.
Biker overturns on Ettrick backroad, badly hurt
ETTRICK, Wis.— A motorcyclist was seriously injured when he lost control and overturned in a ditch on a rural road northwest of Ettrick in central Trempealeau County. Sheriff Erica Koxlien declined to release the victim’s name but didn’t explain why. The accident was about 11:35 p.m. two miles from town on County Road D. He was headed toward Ettrick. Deputies believed he was going too fast.
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