Our lived experience: 2024 in review

The grand, the good

Orchestral hall. Construction of the $35 million Masterpiece Hall on Fifth Street continued toward a 2025 target for an inaugural concert. The 700-seat performance showcase is a project of philanthropists Bob Kierlin and Mary Buttichter.

Fastenal. Winona’s largest employer, the home-grown Fastenal nuts and bolts manufacturer and distributor, had another smashing year. The latest annual report showed global sales up 5.2% to $7.3 billion. Employment worldwide reached 23,200. The Fortune 500 company continued its strong performance for investors.

College enrollments. Student enrollment at Minnesota State College Southeast grew 17% to almost 2, 300. Also upbeat was that Winona State enrollment stabilized after a precipitous 13-year decline. Meanwhile, concern grew about the viability of Saint Mary’s, whose Winona enrollment fell into low 800s despite faculty layoffs and termination of many academic programs.

Pelowski retirement. Gene Pelowski capped a 38-year career as the most popular elected leader from Winona in memory. His retirement set off a scramble by both Democrats and Republicans to succeed him. Republicans prevailed with single-term City Council member Aaron Repinski going to St. Paul from House District 26-A

Yummy. Everybody’s favorite bakery marked its 100th anniversary and was named Retailer of the Year by the Minnesota shopkeepers’ association.

Levee hotel. After years of struggle to find a path for financial viability, investors broke ground for a four-story riverfront hotel. It will be less than it could be, however.  Plans to top the hotel with a classy rooftop bar were scuttled. Why? Investors decided, unfortunately, that the cost of an elevator to get up there would have delayed a quick return on their investment.

The Walz-Flanagan political partnership. It’s over. When Governor Tim Walz returned from campaigning as Kamala Harris’ running mate for the White House, he learned that his lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan, had tapped his campaign war chest to jumpstart her own campaign to replace him as governor. She’s now persona non grata.

Dirty politics. State-level Republicans took a low, low road in the race for Winona’s 26A seat in the Legislature. Sarah Kruger, the Democrat was smeared with sexist metaphors to Barbi dolls, dog-whistle innuendo about sexuality, irrelevancies and falsities. Aaron Repinski won. Neither Repinski nor his campaign manager, Jerry Papenfuss, disavowed the smears.

Downtown retailing. Merchants gussied up storefronts to look their best in 40 years but lagged in recapturing shoppers newer albeit less classy Big Boxes on the East End. Among shops remaining downtown — the 111-year-old Hardt’s music store although now part of a Mankato chain with the flavorless new name Music Mart. Going out of business: Holtan’s jewelry, Baker shoes, McDonald’s. The only remaining downtown gas station, on Johnson Street. closed. At the west end of Second Steet, the Chrysler dealership vacated its lease to rebuild on Highway 61 alongside co-owned Sugar Loaf Ford.

Tourism. A negative bobble in tourism revenue resulted from fewer cruise visits. Three of 10 scheduled dockings were cancelled because of flooding. Also, the cruise company American Queen Voyages went belly-up.

Another empty factory. BCS Access Business Systems, once the high-flying TRW of the Fortune 500, closed its doors in Winona. Rather than manufacture locally, it had become an importer of China-sourced products. Lost were 140 jobs.

Police grilling. In an interrogation early in the investigation, Fravel denied complicity. He has been consistent in denying guilt.

After 69 days missing. Maddi’s body was recovered hidden in this culvert 40 miles from Winona.

Taxes. To pay for environmentally essential upgrades to the city sewage plant, the City Council unanimously budgeted an 11% increase in property taxes. The budget also starts catching up on deferred maintenance going back several years.

School shifts. The School Board reconfigured elementary schools. Kindergarteners will attend Goodview. First through fourth graders to Jefferson and Washington-Kosciusko.

Repurposing Winona Mall. Hiawatha Valley Education, which provides special education services, took the aging Winona Mall off the hands of real estate developer John Alexander, for $1.9 million, after several years of attempts to lure shoppers back. Hiawatha is remodeling to consolidate its multi-county operation.

Disasters, tragedies

Equestrian inferno. Fire destroyed 128,000 square feet of the sprawling Minnesota Equestrian Center south of town. Much of the remaining structure was damaged by heat and smoke. Two horses died. Thirteen were rescued. The resident manager’s family lost their quarters.

Lost in Yellowstone. After a triumphant solo ascent of 13,300 Eagle Peak in Yellowstone Park, Winona mountaineer Austin King-Henke went silent. After several weeks the search was given up. It was feared he was caught by a fierce incoming September snow storm. He was 22.

Olivia Prondzinski. Of Rochester television station KTTC. Scored more scoops and depth than even hometown media in 19 months covering the Maddi Kingsbury case. She led too on day-to-day coverage. The station’s management stood out for putting resources into First Amendment arguments for publlc access to court hearings and documents. Prrondzinski is a Winona State journalism graduate.