WINONA, Minn. – Police reported finding drugs concealed in the bag of a Winona woman who was hanging out at Dick’s Marina on Latsch Island. Nicola Renee Fischer, 47, was charged with drug possession — 7.7 grams of meth and 2.2 grams of heroin. She also was jailed on an unrelated arrest warrant from Wisconsin. Police had been called to Latsch Island on a report about a cluster of people who didn’t look like they belonged. The group, all known drug-offenders, denied any wrong-doing, but police then realized that Fischer was a Wisconsin fugitive, made the arrest, and checked out her bag. This was about 8 p.m.

Fischer. In “suspicious group” at Dick’s Marina.

WINONA, Minn. – It took four officers to get a kicking and swinging Winona man into a squad after a domestic abuse complaint. Once at the jail, Christopher Andrew Thornton, age 21, was booked for felony domestic assault, assault on police, and property damage. The damage was dents on the squad car. Thornton was already hand-cuffed when he turned violent, police said. This was about 1:30 p.m. at an address near Howard and Laird streets on the East Side. When first interviewed on scene, Thornton denied striking the woman but admitted throwing her personal items out of the house, police said. It had been a heated argument over fidelity issues. Police were told by the woman that Thornton slapped her face and choked her. Police reported seeing no visible marks or bruises.

Thornton. Police had had numerous prior contacts with the couple.

At Winna’s Levee Park. ‘Twas a taste of fall on a windy and cool Sunday afternoon. Image: Andy Frank.

WINONA, Minn. — Bolstered by the largest freshman class in years, Winona State University is confident it is reversing more than a decade of enrolment shrinkage. A preliminary headcount has 2,022 first-year students. That’s up 12%. The numbers are important not only for the tuition revenue but because state financial funding is enrollment-dtiven. Typically some freshmen drop out soon after arriving – blame homesickness. The result probably will be some enrollment slippage by the 10th day of classes, which is the date when state funding is calculated. At this point, the bean-counters and head-counters in the Somsen Hall executive suites are expecting overall enrollment growth for fall at 3.3%. Enrollment seemed to be bottoming out last vear after 13 years of losses, from 9,735 to 5,198 — a scary 29% plummet . Upshots have been painful — elimination of programs, faculty hiring freezes, and deferred maintenance.

Earlierr: Mark Street quietude after WSU move-in

Earlier: Cheery days at WSU: Fall enrollment climbs

Earlier: Projection: WSU enrollment slump to stabilize

WINONA, Minn. — This a no-news-is-good-news story. The first weekend of Winona State University’s fall semester was unexpectedly quiet for police. Aside from a report of underage drinking at Gabby’s Bar on Third Street, police were unaware of any issues. At Gabby’s city police asked for back-up from sheriff’s deputies for a walk-through ID check but found no problems.

WINONA, Minn. — A Winona driver was arrested and charged with drunken driving after a stop for non-working taillights. Arrested was Patricia Marie Malotka, age 61. A breath test showed her blood-alcohol level at 0.08%, the legal threshold for impairment. The arresting deputy described bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, an alcohol body odor and swaying. This was about 10:25 p.m. just south of town on State Highway 43 at Debi Lei Drive.

WINONA, Minn. — Pay rates for housekeeping jobs in Winona average $15.49 an hour, a survey shows. The range is $12.69 at the 25th percentile to $16.25 at the 75th.

> Benedictine: $13.50 to $17.50.

> ServiceMaster (home and commercial): $17.

> Healthcare Services: $16 to $17.

> Holiday Inn: $14 to $16.

> Fairfield Inn: $15.

Football: Rochester Community 30, Nausau Community of Ohio 27

MINNESOTA CITY, Minn. –  A boater with two little girls on board reported a man in a pontoon boat had dropped his pants, wiggled his butt and gone full frontal. This was about 7 p.m. off Prairie Island at Verchota Landing on the Mississippi. The boater called the Winona police dispatcher, then followed the pontoon boater to the Minnesota Boat Club. A heated confrontation ensued on a dock.  By the time deputies arrived, the guy was gone, his britches now hoisted in place. Deputies picked up enough information to identify the pontoon boat exhibitionist — a 58-year-old Winona man. They posted his description for other officers to watch for him. An arrest is pending not just for baring genitals but doing so in the presence of two 6-year-old girls.

LEWISTON, Minn. — A Lewiston man was arrested after roaring muffler-free out of Farmers Park and, according to a witness, weaving all over U.S. Highway 14 up the Lewiston grade. The truck was located in Lewiston parked near Fremont and Second streets. In a roadside breath test Robert Hanson, age 44, blew a blood-alcohol level of 0.28% — 3-1/2 times more than the cut-off for legal impairment. With so much alcohol in his system, Hanson was taken 19 miles to the Winona hospital to be cleared medically before jailing. At jail he refused a fuller blood-alcohol test.

Hanson. Police say eyelids droopy, speech, slurred.

MINNESOTA CITY, Minn. – Deputies found a bald eagle dead on U.S. 61 north of Minesota City near the State Highway 248 turn-off to Rollingstone. U.S. fish and game agents were called. It was not known immediately if the eagle had been struck by a car or shot or sick. Bald eagles are a federal protected species.

LANSING, Iowa — A man found dead in the Mississippi River early Saturday was from Brownsville in western Wisconsin. Police Chief Ross Kolsrud said the victim was Robert Merlin Biertzer, age 63. He fell into the river while walking on the docks in Lansing, the chief said.

Earlier: Body recovered from Mississippi at Lansing

Move-in flotsam. All’s quiet at the Haake dorm after the hubbub of students arriving back at Winona State university for fall semester. Classes start Monday. Also on Monday: Crews will arrive first thing in the morning to haul away trash bins overflowing with debris from moving in. Image: Steve Lunde

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A Rochester driver was injured when her 2014 Lincoln Navigator crashed south of the complex intersection of U.S. Highway 52 and Interstate 90. Barbara Ann Philip. 61, was taken to a hospital with what first-responders assessed were non-life-threatening injuries. Philip was eastbound on County Road 16, which terminates at U.S. 52. She was traveling alone. The accident was about 12:50 p.m.

Flat on its back. Wind toppled the 16-foot pylon that flashed the price of gas digitally at the Stockton crossroads. The pumps still pumped, however. The electronics still flashed: $2.84.  But you needed to be airborne to read it. Image: Steve Lunde

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The State Patrol is compensating local police with overtime pay to volunteer for extra duty patrolling for drunk drivers. It’s a two-week campaign to target impaired drivers and to raise awareness about drunken driving. In Winona, the sheriff’s office and city police department plan their usual overnight patrols. In all, the Patrol said, 300 local agencies are participating. Patrol statistics show that 16,000 people have been arrested for DWI in Minnesota so far this year with 65 deaths.

HOMER, Minn. — Traffic will be funneled from four lanes to two for repairs to the combined highway 14-61 bridge over Pleasant Valley Creek. The project is expected to take two weeks. The state Transportation Department said damaged concrete will be repaired

LANSIING, Iowa — First responders pulled a body from the Mississippi River at S&S Houseboat Rentals about 12:20 a.m.  The victim was a 63-year-old Wisconsin man. Authorities asked that his name be withheld until family could be notified. No foul play was suspected, police said.