ROLLINGTONE, Minn. – An estimated 200 young people crashed what was supposed to be small gathering of buddies around a bonfire outside Rollingstone. By 11 p.m. the gathering had becme was so out-of-hand that the farmer who owned the site called sheriff’s deputies from Winona to break it up. Not until two hours later did the deputies have everyone dispersed and on their way somewhere else. The farm-owner said he had given his son permission for a couple of friends to come ever over for an end-of-the-school year gathering. Somehow word got around on social media that the bonfire was the place to be. This place was in the 20000 block of Countv Road 114 — not exactly easy to find on back-country roads in the dark , but the lure of Saturday night partying at a remote place hada magnetic lure. Nor was the party hard for deputies to find after the father called. Something like 70 cars were parked cattywampus and everywhere. The party-crashers, who brought their own beer, were in full revelry. When the deputies pulled up, panic set in. Suddenly all the Good-time Charlies and Charleens began scattering. With only three deputies on duty overnight in the whole 226 square miles of Winona County, the officers didn’t attempt any arrests. They focused instead on seeing that drivers leaving the party were themselves sober enough to be driving. Most of the vehicles headed off east toward Olmsted county line.
