WINONA, Minn. – A hot-rod boater was chased by deputies in their own speed boat — red lights flashing, siren wailing — to the St. Charles Street landing. Why? Deputies said the boater had created a wake in the no-wake zone at the Levee Park. Charged was Jason Michael Johnson, 49, of Galesville. This was about 8:10 p.m. – after sundown. At the landing deputies asked Johnson to remove his sunglasses. His eyes, they said, were red and glazed. Also he smelled of a day of drinking on the river. He stumbled unevenly in field sobriety tests for balance and visual perception, the deputies said. They were surprised that his blood-alcohol registered only at 0.08% — right at the technical sober-drunk breakpoint. That, however, didn’t him off the book for causing waves in the Levee’s 5 mph zone.
Water-born safety patrol. Yes, the deputies’ propeller is faster than most.