Riverview Flats peaks out at four floors
Like icing atop a cake. Crews have framing completed for the top floor of new apartments at the foot of Huff Street. It’s a tight, tight fit, squeezed between the Union Pacific industrial spur inside the Levee and Burgaff’s hardware store. Image: Steve Lunde
College scores
Baseball: Winona State 13, UM-Duluth 5
Baseball: Winona State 14, UM-Duluth 9
Baseball: Saint Mary’s 1. Saint John’s 0
Baseball: Saint John’s 11, Saint Mary’s 1
Minnesota prep
Baseball: Byron Bears 12, Zumbrota-Mazeppa Cougars 5
Baseball: Adams Southland Rebels 8, Mabel-Canton Cougars 1
Walz upbeat on Minnesota status but also worried
State of state address. Packed in the House chambers at the Capitol were legislators, Supreme Court judges and department chiefs. All focus was on the governor on the podium.
Trump a dark, looming shadow on address
ST. PAUL, Minn. – In his annual state of the state address Governor Tim Walz proclaimed Minnesota the envy of other states for going the right direction. He called the state “as strong as it’s ever been.” He cited new spending on classrooms and school meals, child tax credits for low-to-middle income families, and pending paid family leave program. “America would like to have what we have,” he said. Walz thanked the Legislature for the state of the state with an implicit pat on the back for himself. The governor was frank, however, that budget shortfalls lie ahead. He called on legislators to work out a spending plan that will “bring everyone to the table.” A dark undertone in his message was uncertainties about massive cuts in federal programs and services that President Trump has put in motion. Roughly 35% of the state’s budget comes from federal agencies that Trump has either wiped out or is crippling. The governor spared no criticism of Trump. He said the President is a destructive force to “the values that once made America the shining light of the world.”
“We need to prove to the people of Minnesota — to the American people — that there’s a better way to govern. Because the truth is, this current administration in Washington is not forever. These small, petty men will disappear into the dustbin of history. And when they do, we’ll have both an opportunity and an obligation to rebuild our government so it actually works for working people.”
Walz was specific about Trump’s proposed reductions in federal Medicaid support, which includes $1.6 billion per year for Minnesota. Care for a million Minnesotans could be impacted directly, he said. Rural hospitals could suffer collateral damage, he added. Walz also forecast economic trouble from Trump trade tariffs, his firing of thousands of federal workers, the cancelation of previously approved grants, and a plan to extend tax cuts that benefit only the wealthiest people in the nation.
Earlier: Billions at stake in slash-crazed Trump state projects
Walz. Sees opportunities and challenges in the months ahead and also – thank you, Donald Trump — unsettling unknowns. This was the governor’s seventh state of the state address.
2025 Southeast teaching award to nursing prof
WINONA, Minn. – A Minnesota State Southeast nursing instructor, Janine Mason, has been named the college’s 2025 outstanding educator. At the college Mason specializes in maternal newborn and neonatal intensive care at the Red Wing campus. Mason’s projects have included aligning the Southeast program for students to pass exams to be registered nurses.
Mason. holds master’s degree in nursing education.
Emergency, fire crews make 47 calls
WINONA, Minn. – The Fire Department reported 34 emergency medical calls plus 13 fire calls in recent days:
> Tuesday, April 22: 6 medical calls plus 2 fire calls.
> Monday, April 21: 4 medical calls plus no fire calls.
> Sunday, April 20: 6 medical calls plus 3 fire calls.
> Saturday, April 19: 2 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Friday, April 18: 5 medical call plus 4 fire calls.
> Thursday, April 17: 7 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Wednesday, April 16: 4 medical calls plus 2 fire calls.
Earlier: Emergency, fire crews make 54 calls
In quest of black walnuts that survived winter
Spring has sprung in the Arches enclave between Lewiston and Stockton. Afternoon temperatures at Farmers Park reached the 70s. Image: Steve Lunde
College scores
Softball: Saint Mary’s 10, Macalester 1
Softball: Saint Mary’s 7, Macalester 0
Softball: UW-LaCrosse 3, UW-River Falls 1
Softball: UW-LaCrosse 1, UW-River Falls 0
Softball: Rochester Community and Riverland Community, cancelled
Tennis (men): UW-LaCrosse 6, UW-Stevens Point 1
Minnesota prep
Golf (boys): St. Charles Saints 8, Harmony Fillmore Central/Lanesboro 2
Tennis (boys): Winona Cotter Ramblers 6, Lake City Tigers 1
Driver faces slew of charges after chase
WINONA, Minn. – Acting on a report about sloppy driving, a police officer attempted to stop a vehicle in the 300 block of East Sarnia Street. Even after the officer activated flashers and siren, the driver kept going. More than a mile later, the vehicle pulled into a driveway in the 750 block of West Fifth Street. Police arrested Andrew Troy Aurentz, age 41, of Winona. There multiple charges:
> Fleeing police.
> Driving drunk.
> Refusing a test for alcohol in his system.
> Possessing a controlled substance, for a trace of meth in a pipe.
The chase had begun about 8:40 p.m.
Scholar: Protests need focus for max impact
MADISON, Wis. – News coverage of protest demonstrations often misses the message that organizers want to convey, according to scholar Douglas McLeod at the University of Wisconsin. McLeod, who researches news coverage, says reporters often focus too heavily on easy-to-report detail like crowd size — and skip exploration of underlying issues that protestors are raising. Such reporting, he said, also can have other unfortunate effects: “Headline-grabbing content like property destruction or arrests can give protesters a bad rap as troublemakers, even if the majority of protests are peaceful.” In a lengthy interview with Wisconsin Public Radio, McCleod offered this advice: Focus on a single issue that news reporters and their mass audiences can glom onto easily. As examples, he commended protest marches last weekend in LaCrosse and Manitowoc that went after President Trump for supply disruptions to food shelves. In contrast, he noted, most of the weekend’s several hundred other protests nationwide attacked Trump on a dizzying array of issues. To underscore his point, McLeod cited the success of the massive but relatively narrow-focused civil rights movement of the1960s. He also cited the success of the anti-Vietnam war movement of the 1970s. Those protests, he said, succeeded in fundamental shifts in public opinion and public policy.
Earlier: Weekend rallies escalate voices against Trump
McLeod. Journalism scholar at University of Wisconsin.
Probation for mom in accidental wounding
WABASHA, Minn. — The mother of a 6-year-old Elgin boy who was shot in his abdomen in a June 2024 accident has been spared jail time. Nicole McGee, age 34, of Elgin, was sentenced to five years of probation by Wabasha County Judge Christopher Neisen. The boy survived. The shooting was in an unlocked van in which McGee and Raymond Duque, father of the boy, had left a 12-gauge shotgun. Duque was sentenced to prison last month.
Minnesota to Trump: Don’t mess with our culture
AT. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota’s attorney general. Keith Ellison, sued the Trump administration for threatening to cancel all federal aid to the state unless it bans transgender girls from girls sports. Ellison said the Trump threat violates the 10th Amendment to the J.S. Constitution by trying to coerce Minnesota to change its nondiscriminatory culture. Ellison’s suit was directed at Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi. She claimed Minnesota was in violation of two Trump’s executive orders on his first day in office on January 2o:
> “Gender Ideology Order.”
> “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
As Trump’s agent, Bondi also threatened to cut off federal funds to California and Maine. In Minnesota this is $42 billion, 35% of the state budget. At a news conference Ellison noted that Trump was over-reaching his presidential authority either out of ignorance about what he can do legally through executive orders — or more likely bullying: “We will not participate in this shameful bullying.”
Drug charge: Woman carrying 101 fentanyl pills
ROCHESTER, Minn. – A Rochester woman was charged with possession of 101 fentanyl pills in a bag during a traffic stop on March 8. Anna Lynn Adams, 38, was arrested, but the charge was filed belatedly. During the traffic stop the police officer reported he smelled marijuana and saw a pipe with residue in a bag on Adams’ lap. “What’s in the bag?” the officer inquired. Inside were the pills, which tested positive as fentanyl. Adams was a passenger in the car, police said.
Manhunt in fifth day for Lake Park beating
WINONA, Minn. – It was five days ago that two hoodlums jumped a man at Lake Park, tied him up with duct tape, and savagely pounded him with a metal pipe. Still at large is one of two assailants. A police spokesperson confirmed that a man they identified the day after the attack as a person of interest remains at large. A second man was arrested shortly after the attack. Police said they know who they’re looking for as the second assailant, but they have declined to release any detail about the person – not even the man’s age and whether he’s local. Asked at the daily police news briefing Tuesday, a spokesperson would say only that investigators were continuing to examine digital evidence from confiscated cell phones.
Earlier: Police hunt second man in Lake Park attack
Earlier: Thugs hog-tie man at park, pound with him with pipe
Arrest made in airport warehouse heist
WINONA, Minn. – Police arrested a suspect in the November theft and burglary at the MSI Industries warehouse at the airport. Anthony Robert Lemon, age 54, of Winona, was arrested on a warrant about 10 a.m. near the Burgraff hardware store in the 300 block of West Second Street. Police said they were still seeking a second suspect. Thieves took several large-screen television sets and tools.
Lemon. Accused as one of two burglars in November case.
Stolen Elba pickup found abandoned
ELBA, Minn. – A pickup truck stolen on Elba’s Main Street early Sunday was retrieved from weeds along a creek a couple miles away. Deputies found no clues to the thief’s identity or motive.
Child smacks mom in school attire tiff
WINONA, Minn. – A bratty 13-year-old girl was charged with domestic violence after her mother objected that the girl’s attire was inappropriate for school. This was about 8 a.m. at the family apartment in the 50 block of Links Lane on the East End. Police said the mother, age 47, had red marks on her face, neck and an arm. The daughter instilled fear and caused harm, according to police documents.
Driver admits two beers; breath suggests more
WINONA, Minn. – The erratic driving was hard to miss. An officer on patrol said he witnessed a car turn rway wide at a corner, then cross the center line, then swerve sharply left, then brake heavily and repeat the act with two tires again over the center line. The driver, the officer said, was drunk. David Weyant, 55, of Winona, blew 0.09% blood-alcohol at the scene and later 0.11% at the jail – both in the impairment range. The officer said the Weyant admitted to two beers at the Mankato Bar. The stop was in the 350 block of East Sarnia Street about 12:25 a.m. The arresting officer said Weyant smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes and impaired finger dexterity.
Minnesota prep
Baseball: St. Charles Saints 3, Wabasha-Kellogg Falcons 2
Softball: Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 2, Spring Grove Lions 2
Whither the Boat House café on the Levee
Sweeping panorama. Off season the Boat House is open Thursdays through Sundays. Menu ranges from burgers and soups to prime rib, walleye and salmon entrees. Image: Steve Lunde
City Council seeks ideas for future use of site
WINONA, Minn. – The City Council voted 7-1 to seek proposals for operating the city-owned building currently occupied by the Boat House restaurant on the Levee. For 12 years the Boat House has been operated by Lyon Smith through an ongoing non-competitive arrangement. The new deal invites competitive proposals for the future of the building, which has a sweeping riverfront panorama. Smith would have preferred continuing the old arrangement, He noted that he has invested heavily in the building. It would be unfair, he said, to deny him to continue seeking a return on his investment. Smith, of course, can submit a proposal to keep the restaurant. There have been no complaints about the operation. The Council’s decision continues a preference toward seeking facility operators rather than routine if not automatic renewals. The recent history of going to competitive proposals:
> 2025: The airport in Goodview.
> 2018: Prairie Island campground.
> 2018: The yard waste composting site.
The policy, however, has been uneven. The Latsch Island marina contract has been renewed without seeking alternative operators. So too the Bud King hockey arena and the Huff Street tourist greeting center on Lake Winona.
Verbatim
Patrick Menton, city parks and facilities director, to the Winona Post: “An open request-for-proposals process allows community members the opportunity to bring fresh ideas, encourages innovation, and supports small business development. No private entities should be entitled to a public resource just because they’ve always been there. Periodic evaluation through an open process holds all operators accountable, making sure they continue to provide quality service and value to the public.”
How they voted
For competitive proposals
SteveYoung (1st Ward, West End)
Jeff Hyma (2nd Ward, West Side)
Scott Sherman (mayor)
George Borzyskowski (4th Ward, East End)
Sam Zierden Shortridge (3rd Ward, downtown)
Jason Dicus (at large)
Against
Jerome Christenson (at large)
Thief drives off with tools at trailer court
MINNESOTA CITY, Minn. – Tools worth an estimated $825 were stolen from a work site at the Hidden Valley trailer court. A worker repairing siding on a trailer told deputies he saw a vehicle pull up briefly and leave. Later he discovered the tools missing. This was reported to the sheriff’s office about 2:55 p.m. The tools, mostly Milwaukee brand, included drills, saws and batteries. The tools all were etched with the owner’s identification.
Eichorn: Not guilty in police sex sting
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Former state Senator Justin Eichorn pleaded not guilty to propositioning a 17-year girl for sex. Eichorn has been in custody since March 17, most recently at a halfway house in Duluth. At the plea hearing Magistrate Judge Shannon Elkins granted a request to delay a trial beyond June to give Eichorn’s attorney more time to prepare a defense. After the March arrest, Eichorn resigned from the Senate. Eichorn, age 40, a Republican, had represented the Grand Rapids area since 2017.
Earlier: Judge jails Eichorn, ending self-recognizance
Earlier: State senator now faces federal prosecution
Earlier: Minnesota Senate expunges every trace Eichorn
Earlier: Eichorn resigns State Senate seat
Bishop praises Pope Francis as merciful
ROCHESTER, Minn. – The leader of southern Minnesota Catholics, Bishop Robert Barron, eulogized Pope Francis for a legacy of “mercy and evangelization.” The Pope, age 88, died at Vatican City overnight. Barron praised Francis as “a great pastor who spoke from the heart and with tender affection.” Barron met Pope Francis with other bishops several times. Barron said the Pope’s words “burned their way into my heart and mind.” Those words: “The first task of a bishop is to pray.”
Verbatim
Barron: “Pope Francis famously remarked that the Church is a field hospital to those wounded by our postmodern, relativistic society. It must, first and foremost, heal the wounds. Pope Francis had a keen awareness of the destructiveness of sin, and he encouraged the Church to show the world the merciful face of Christ. He also emphasized the importance of our personal witness to the light of faith, drawing others to the life-giving joy of the Gospel.”
Pope Francis. Stroke, heart failure after declining health. His papacy was 2013 to 2025.
Barron. Bishop of Winona-Rochester Diocese. Widely known for his “Word on Fire” broadcasts and online platform.
Finstad home but skips glad-handing contacts
NEW ULM, Minn. – Congressman Brad Finstad was home from Washington for an extended weekend at his Brown County farm. He was still cowering from the possible unpleasantness of public meeting with constituents who are angry against Trump policies. These are policies that he has supported wholeheartedly or has chosen silent complicity. Among large street demonstrations this weekend was one in Mankato,30 minutes away from his farm, and another 1-1/2 hours away in St. Paul. His absences didn’t go unnoticed. The Congressional recess for Easter is through April 27.
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