Meth-whiffing tools abandoned at toilet
WINONA, Minn. — It appears a druggy was either whiffing meth in a public toilet room in a Kwik Trip convenience store on the Far West End or chose the place to dispose of paraphernalia. Police found a jar with burned remarks on the bottom and meth residue inside. A clerk at the store, at 1601 West Fifth Street, called police about 1:20 p.m.
Brush fire tamed east of Ridgeway
RIDGEWAY Minn. — Volunteer firefighters from Ridgeway extinguished a fire in a brush pile that got out of control. This was about 12:10 p.m. in the 28000 block of Hill Road aast of Ridgeway.
Royce White accused of beating wife, son
MINNEAPOLIS — A judge has ordered U.S. Senate candidate Royce White to stay away from his ex-wife and son. White was accused of serial domestic abuse. The restraining order was issued by Hennepin County Judge Kristen Marttila in February. The case escaped immediate public attention, but acting on a tip, Minnesota Public Radio found a trail of allegations in court documents and broke the story. The restraining order protecting White’s ex-wife is for an unusually lengthy period — 50 years. Judge Marttila concluded that the family was “plainly in fear” and “utterly at a loss for how else to gain peace from him.” White is 35. The Whites divorced in 2015 but lived together from 2022 until August 2025. The restraining order is the third order for protection that the ex-wife has obtained against White. The new restraining order protects the teen-age son for four years. A child advocate assigned to the case found the son “scared for his physical safety around his father.” A daughter, however, reportedly is not fearful and is exempted from the order. The petition for protection says White abused his son at a high school basketball practice. White was quoted as not approving of his son’s attitude and then, according to the petition, chased him, grabbed him by the neck, and threw him into the metal ball rack. The document cited scratches and painful injuries. The ex-wife said White abused her repeatedly — slapping her, grabbing her, pulling her hair, leaving her bruised and swollen. He was jealous, threatening and insulting, showed up uninvited at her home and work, called her a bitch, and took over her email and social media accounts to message people she knew, she said.
White. Six-foot-8 and 260 pounds. Formerly bounced around among several National Basketball Association teams.
What next?
White failed to respond immediately to news media requests about the restraining order. Also unreturned were queries to White’s campaign manager, his attorney, and the attorney for his ex-wife. Court records showed he intended to appeal.
Royce White profile
He was born in Minneapolis and christened Alexander White. In 2009 he as named Mr. Minnesota Basketball for his performance at LaSalle and Hopkins high schools. For college he started at the University of Minnesota but transferred to Iowa State te. He led Iowa State in every major statistical category. Professionally he was drafted by the Houston Rockets. After skipping practices and being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder that included a fear of flying, he was relegated to feeder clubs in Edinburg, Reno and Sacramento. Unwilling to deal with his menial issues, the Rockets finally cut him loose. From 2016 to 2018 he played for the London Lightning in Canada. He helped the Lightning win the league championship and was named the most valuable player. In 2022 White campaigned as a right-wing populist against incumbent Ilhan Omar for the MN-5 seat in the U.S. House. He lost. In 2024, he was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Amy Klobuchar but tripped himelf up several times with whacky statements. In 2026 he announced againn for the U.S. Senate, this time seeking the seat bejng vacated by Tina Smith’s retirement.
Early violence
In 2009, just out of high school, White pleaded guilty to theft and disorderly conduct for an incident at the Mall of America. He was accused of taking $100 worth of clothes and pushing a mall security officer to the ground twice. He claimed that the security officer was charging at him and that he was defending himself. He was suspended for the upcoming NCAA Division I basketball season.
Fillmore County crash sends driver to hospital
PRESTON, Minn. — A Spring Valley driver suffered non-life threatening injuries in a two-vehicle collision on Fillmore County Road 11 . Emma Jean Broadwater, age 18, was taken 30 miles to a Rochester hospital. The accident was about 7:50 a.m. west of Preston near the Fillmore County airport. Broadwater was headed north toward Fountain in a 2011 Chevrolet Impala. The other driver, Gregory David Lenz, age 53, of Owatonna, southbound in a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, was not injured.
Emergency, fire crews make 53 calls
WINONA, Minn. – The Fire Department reported 42 emergency medical calls plus 11 fire calls in recent days:
> Tuesday, April 21: 5 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Monday, April 20: 3 medical calls plus 2 fire calls.
> Sunday, April 19: 6 medical calls plus 2 fire calls.
> Saturday, April 18: 7 medical calls plus no fire calls.
> Friday, April 17: 1 medical call plus 2 fire calls.
> Thursday, April 16: 11 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Wednesday, April 15: 9 medical calls plus 3 fire calls.
College scores
Baseball: Saint Mary’s 5, Concordia of Moorhead 1
Baseball: Concordia of Moorhead 2, Saint Mary’s 1
Softball: Saint Mary’s 9, Hamline 0
Softball: Saint Mary’s 9, Hamline 0 (doubleheader)
Minnesota prep
Baseball: Winona Cotter/Winona Hope 9, Caledonia Warriors 4
Baseball: Spring Grove Lions 8. Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 6
Baseball: Rushford-Peterson Trojans 13, Mabel-Canton Cougars 4
Softball: Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 9, Grove Lions 1
Softball: Rochester Lourdes Eagles 4, Rushford-Peterson Trojans 3
Johnson leads MN-1 campaign fund-raising
ST. PAUL, Minn. — In the latest quarterly report on campaign fund-raising, Rochester school teacher Jake Johnson outpaced MN-1 Congressional incumbent Brad Finstad. Total $470,000 to $340,000. Lots could change before the November election. A major variable will how much the national parties commit to local candidates. If Republican strategists in Congress see Finstad as either a run-way victor or an inevitable loser, they will determine their level of support. The same for the Democratic strategists and Johnson. It’s the toss-up races that attract dollars from Washington. The Cook Political Report ranks MN-1 as purple but leaning red. An internal Democratic poll over the winter had Finstad ahead 44% to 45% with 11% undecided, which suggested the seat is in play. With President Trump’s coattails in tatters — his support nationally at a historic low of 30% — Finstad could find himself in a bad place. He has been an unwavering backer of Trump policies in House vote after House vote.
Electoral history
In his two elections to Congress, Finstad won easily.
> 2022: Defeating Democrat Jeff Ettinger of Austin 54% to 42%.
> 2024: Defeating Democrat Rachel Bohman of Rochester 58% to 41%
> 2026: Recent elections elsewhere show Trump connections as a liability.
Klobuchar leads gubernatorial fund-raising
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Amy Klobuchar raised almost $5 million, a record amount at this stage of the campaign. The total was in a required periodic report to the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board. There seems to be no meaningful challenger to Klobuchar as the Democratic nominee. Klobuchar also listed campaign spending of $1.4 million. Her war chest dwarfs those of the leading Republican candidates — 10 times more than My Pillow entrepreneur Mike Lindell and 21 times more than House Speaker Lisa Demuth.
Multi-vehicle crash driver in bad shape
ORONOCO, Minn. — An Elgin woman was critically injured jn a four-car pile-up and was airlifted seven miles to a Rochester hospital. A second driver, from Lake City, suffered non-life threatening injuries. He also was taken to the same hospital. Here is what Olmsted County deputies said happened:
> A 2012 Subaru Outback was eastbound on Highway y 63 near 18th Avenue Northwest and turning left into a driveway.
> A 2019 Chevrolet Equinox, also eastbound, stopped behind the Subaru.
> A 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, also eastbound, stopped behind the Equinox.
> 2005 Chevrolet Suburban, also eastbound, collided into the Silverado.
Injured were:
> Kathryn Marie Grobe, age 52, of Elgin, driving the Suburban.
> Kylee Angell Voorhees, 23, of Lake City, driving the Equinox.
Unhurt were Montgomery James Czapiewski, 21, of Plainview, driving the Silverado, and Bridget Wilhelmina Westbrock, age 80, of Rochester, driving the Subaru. All the drivers were alone in their vehicles and. belted, deputies said.
Rear-end accident injures Plainview driver
PLAINVIEW, Minn. — A Plainview driver was injured when her vehicle was rear-ended while attempting a lef turn between Plainview and Elgin. Krista Lee Heningferkin, 57, was taken 20 miles to a Rochester hospital. Her injuries were described as sustainable. She was driving 2015 Lexus RX. The accident was about 2:55 p.m. on State Highway 42 near 275th Avenue. The other driver, Adam Joseph Feils, 39, of Plainview, was unhurt. He was driving a 2016 Subaru Outback. Wabasha County deputies said Heningferkin and Feils both were strapped and buckled.
Prison for creepy 2023 LaCrosse kidnapping
LACROSSE, Wis. — A South Dakota man is going to prison for his role in kidnapping, gagging and locking up an 80-year-old man. Caleb M. Crocker, age 28, was sentenced to 12 years of confinement and then six years of extended supervision. Crocker told Judge Mark Huesmann that he was “sorry for everything.” The judge was unmoved. He called Crocker “a real and present danger to the public.” Noting that three men participated jn the abuse, Judge Huesmann said that Cocker could have stopped the abuse at any time but allowed it to happen anyway. The judge also told Crocker that he was lucky that the victim didn’t die. Otherwise, said the judge, the charge would have been murder. Sentenced earlier in the case was Kaylan Cave, to probation. The third accused man, Kyle Wedekind, has a court appearance in June.
Earlier: Bail set in violent LaCrosse kidnapping
Crocker. The judge afforded him no leniency in the Thanksgiving 2023 crime.
May Day general strike planners reach out
WINONA, Minn. – A Winona labor activist called on local people to join an online planning session Wednesday for the national general strike on May 1. Loval time: 7 p.m. Advanced registration required. Jenna Chernega urged participation “whether you are a long-time advocate or are looking for ways to engage with the broader labor movement.” Chernega, a sociology professor at Winona State, is the immediate past president of the statewide IFO professors union. The call, Chernega said, will update plans for the “No Work, No School, No Shopping” general strike and offer tools for local participation. The strike, she said, is important for:
> Protecting Education: Resisting attacks on academic freedom and ensuring our institutions remain open for critical thinking rather than corporate or political interests.
> Labor Solidarity: Standing with workers across the country in demanding fully funded schools, healthcare, and more.
> Democracy: Recognizing that meaningful action on the most pressing issues facing our country is only possible if we protect our democratic rights and the freedom to organize.
Bernie Sanders. Vermont senator, a transgenerational icon for People Power, will share his thoughts on how general strikes can change public policy gone wrong.
United educators
Among May Day Strong Coalition supporters: American Association of University Professors, American Federation of Teachers, Labor for Higher Education, Sunrise Movement, Students Rise Up, and Schools Drop ICE.
College scores
Baseball: UW-Lacrosse 5, UW-Eau Claire 3
Baseball: UW-Eau Claire 3, UW-Lacrosse 2
Baseball: Rochester Community 10, Minnesota West Community 3
Softball: Rochester Community 12., Minnesota West Community 4
Stockton Hill 4.0: For another century
STOCKTON, Minn. — For rural pioneers Stockton Hill was a footpath to Winona. The 750-foot vertical climb to a saddle in the bluffs was sweaty but, well, shorter. Then it became a wagon trail — still a slow and tough climb although now horses bore the burden. Engineers in the 20th century modified the route for motorcars. They chose the original route but straightened some of the earlier sallies up gullies with massive earth fills, one a 200-foot drop almost straight down. The shortened route was a bit shorter although steeper climb. Maintenance, however, was a pain. Every downpour overwhelmed culverts deep under the earth fills, eroded the already narrow shoulders, and loosed uphill soil and brought trees skidding down on the pavement. Now we have Stockton Hill 4.0. Engineers last summer shut down the route to pound hundreds of round pilings in rows four deep, through karst limestone into solid bedrock in the most vulnerable stretches. The project was a $7.3 million fete. To some doubters it seemed like overengineering, but so far it’s helped. There has been less bluffside slippage. Too: The pilings allowed a slight widening of shoulders to anchor sturdier guardrails. Overengineering? Time will tell. And also nature’s deference to gravity.
Earlier: Yea! Stockton Hill barricades removed
Earlier: Missing Stockton Hill? Wait awhile longer
Earlier: What’s going on up Stockton Hill
Earlier: Stockton Hill upgrade begins Monday
21st century retaining wall. Barely visible to motorists climbing of Stockton or from anywhere else on either side of Stockton Hill. Has carried U.S. Highway since 1926 from its terminus in Chicago west to Yellowstone Park. Images: Steve Lunde
A construction portfolio
In Fillmore County a rare voter fraud case
PRESTON, Minn. — A Sprig Valley man, who’s not a U.S. citizen, has been accused of casting a ballot in the November 2024 general election. Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, age 34, an emigre from India, was charged after a county-level investigation. The criminal complaint lists three sequential events:
> March 12, 2024: Chaudhari signed a document to register to vote.
> March 27, 2023: He was added to the master Fillmore County list of registered voters.
> November 24, 2024: He cast a ballot in the general election.
Chaudhari faces two counts: Perjury and voter fraud. Falsely swearing to be a U.S. citizen to vote is a felony. Investigators quoted Chaudhari that at first denied casting a ballot but eventually admitted that he was not a U.S. citizen and confirmed that he indeed had voted. According to the criminal complaint, Chaudhari said he received a notice from the state of Minnesota for voter registration and filled it out. Only later did he learn from his attorney that, although he was in the process of seeking a green card work permit, he couldn’t vote legally.
The Trump shadow
The Chaudhari case found its way into President Trump’s campaign to federalize the administration of elections. In effect Trump wants to replace local administration of elections with minions he appoints. Why? He claims — falsely — that he lost his 2020 campaign for president due to election fraud. In Minnesota the Chaudhari case was flagged to social media attention by two-term State Representative Pam Altendorf, a Republican from Red Wing. Altendorf is no friend to immigrant causes. She hasfavored denying state driving licenses to non-citizens.
River crisis: Corn oil loosed into Mississippi
RED WING, Minn. — A barge spilled 3,000 gallons of crude corn oil, perhaps 3,500, into the Mississippi River while being loaded from ADM storage tanks on the Red Wing riverfront. Emergency responders quickly laid booms to corral the yellow-orange oil floating on the river surface. The spill was about 12:10 p.m. Authorities said there was no direct danger to public safety, even though there are environmental dangers. How the accident occurred wasn’t known immediately. The barge was moored at docks in the giant ADM complex of elevators and tanks just upstream from the State Highway 63 bridge and He Mni Can-Ban landmark monolith. ADM’s on-site staff placed a containment boom around the barge to prevent corn oil from drifting downstream. Fire crews placed additional booms downstream. Goodhue County sheriff’s officers took over river traffic control. As required by law, the duty officer at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in St. Paul was notified. The crisis response company QT Environmental was called to take over mitigation.
ADM’s Red Wing complex. Corn oil is shipped from Red Wing to downriver destinations and to Gulf ports or international destinations.
Riverside transfer docks. The ADM elevators and tanks are just upstream from the State Highway 63 bridge and He Mni Can-Ban landmark monolith.BOX
Environmental hazard
Although biodegradable, large spills of corn oil can disrupt ecosystems. On water surfaces, corn oil reduces oxygen exchange for aquatic life. Soil contamination can affect plant growth and soil health. Wildlife can go into health crises if they ingest or become coated in oil.
ADM profile
Archer-Daniels-Midland is a multinational food processor based in Chicago. ADM has been ranked second on the Top 50 global sweetener companies by the trade journal FoodTalks. Its plants mill both dry and wet corn into sweeteners, starches, syrups and also dextrose for feedstocks and bioproducts.
QTE profile
QT Environmental, based in Watertown, Minnesota, 60 miles from Red Wing, provides crisis response services globally. These include oil and other contaminating spills. The company also offers engineering counsel for sound environmental practices and regulatory compliance.
NOTE: This article has been updated to identify the crisis response contractor correctly.
Garvin Heights path closed for repair
Barriers in place for repaving. For the coming week: No access to the blufftop overlook 520 feet above Winona. You’ll have to postpone the panorama of Brady’s Bluff at Perrot State Park downriver and on a clear day Lake Pepin 30 miles upriver. Image: Steve Lunde
Disabled woman: He beat me with rolling pin
WINONA, Minn. — A Winona woman, who’s an amputee and confined mostly to a wheelchair, told police that her boyfriend beat her with a rolling pin. This, she said, was during an argument at their East Side house. Police arrested Ronald Ray Vickery, age 79, but only, they said, after he resisted. Police had received a 911 call from 550 Hamilton Street about 5 a.m. Vickery wouldn’t open up and shouted “fuck you” through the door and threatened to shoot. The woman meanwhile made her way out a back door. Police went around back, entered, and forced Vickery to floor. The woman, age 58, said that during the beating Vickery tried to stop her call to 911 but she managed to anyway. Poilce said tha no bruises showed right away the woman complained of pain and said she was terrified.
Body of Rochester man in Upper Iowa River
NEW ALBIN, Iowa — The body of a Minnesota man was recovered from the Upper Iowa River three miles downstream from Wild Landing. Don Allen Watson, age 34, of Rochester, had been missing five days. His vehicle had been left near Iowa River Drive and Lycurgus Road. Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick in Waukon said foul play was not suspected.
College scores
Baseball: Winona State 13, Wayne State of Nebraska 3
Baseball: St. Scholastics 6, Saint Mary’s 3
Baseball: Saint Mary’s 6, St. Scholastics 3
Softball: Winona State 4, St. Cloud Sare 0
Softball: St. Cloud State ,6 Winona State 0
Softball: Saint Mary’s 11, St. Catherine 3
Softball: Saint Mary’s 5, St. Catherine 1
Tennis (women): Saint Mary’s and Hamline (postponed)
Buffalo County fishkill traced to large farm
WAUMANDEE, Wis. — Storm run-off, heavily laden with manure, killed hundreds of trout and other fish in a tributary to the Mississippi River. The fishkill was on a one-mile stretch of Danuser Creek. It was believed the contamination had diluted to non-lethal levels before emptying into the Mississippi 12 miles downstream near Fountain City. An angler discovered the fishkill and called a game warden. An investigation found a drainage point at a farm where manure was spread twice in the past week. The farm was not named but was categorized in documents as “a concentrated animal feeding operation” with more than 1,000 animal units. Under investigation was whether manure-spreading regulations were violated.
Icing on the rhubarb
Frozen flakes in a rural vegetable patch up a nupper Garvin Brook tributary. The day dawned ag 32 degrees. Image: Steve Lunde
News summary at mid-week: April 18, 2026
STORM: Meteorologistes confirm eight tornado touchdowns
PLEBEIAN CUISINE: KFC retreats from LaCrosse fast-food presence
GOVERNANCE: Minnesota senators outvoted on new Up North mining
GOVERNANCE: How they voted: On Superior Forest mining
RIVER: Autopsy: Body at dam a Winona woman
REMEMBRANCE: R.I.P.: Anne (Beedle) Dettinger
CRIME: Next for missing woman: A Winona jail cell
College scores
Baseball: Winona State 8, Wayne State of Nebraska 4
Softball: Viterbo 1, Judson 6
Softball: Rochester Community and Minnesota State Community (cancelled)
Softball: Rochester Community and Minnesota State Community (doubleheader) (cancelled)
Tennis (men): St. Scholastica 6, Saint Mary’s 1
Tennis (women): St. Scholastica 4, Saint Mary’s 3
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