Fire wipes out Minneola campground trailers
ZUMBROTA, Minn. – Several parked camper trailers were lost in a fire at a Minneola Township campground northwest of Zumbrota. The fire apparently began in a pile of leaves and jumed from one camper to another. The ampers, parked for the season, were unoccupied. The fire call was about 4:15 p.m. to the Zumbro firefighters, who called immediately for reinforcements from Wanamingo. The fires took half an hour to extinguish.
Cigarette at fault? Flames leaped from unit to unit. Image: Zumbrota Fire Department
Lewiston crew quells Almon grass fire
WYATTVILLE, Minn. – A grass fire was extinguished by Lewiston firefighters in rural Warren Township. The Fire was beginning to burn itself out when the crew arrived, said Fire Chief Adam Franzen This was about 11:25 a.m.in the 25000 block of Almon Drive.
Earlier: Winds have sucked up surface moisture
Trump goes for death penalty in Mangione trial
NEW YORK – The Trump-appointed U.S. attorney general, Pam Bondi, pushed through a federal indictment in order to seek the death penalty in the assassination of Minnesota health insurance executive Brian Thompson. The man accused of the crime, Luigi Mangione, also had been charged under New York state law, which prohibits capital punishment as savage and cruel. The Bondi-engineered federal indictment trumps a trial in the state court to go for blood. It’s not clear what course that Mangione’s defense attorneys will take in the case. While no one endorses assassinations, Mangione nonetheless has become a folk hero in raising grass roots attention to insurance company greed that delays and denies claims from policy holders. Mangione, age 26, suffers chronic back pain that’s been uncovered by insurance.
Earlier: Judge sets calendar Mangione assassination case
Earlier: Arrest made in Minnesota insurance executive slaying
Earlier: Earlier: Minnesota insurance exec assassinated
Capital punishment
Eye-for-am-eye death penalties, once universal, have been abandoned in 23 states. These include Minnesota and fellow Upper Midwest states Illinois, Iowa, Michigan,North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Federal-level executions, although still allowed, have become rare. In 2024. President Biden commuted the federal death sentences of 37 prisoners, leaving only three on death row. In the modern era there have been only 13 federal executions, all in a six-month period between July 2020 and January 2021.
New UW-Eau Claire major: Robotics engineering
MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin’s governing board approved a new UW-Eau Claire undergraduate program to design and implement expanding technologies in healthcare and related industries. It’s a field called Assistive Systems and Robotics Engineering. Michael Carney, UW-Eau Claire’s provost, said the new program will be built on existing courses in physics, engineering, computer science, medicine and healthcare. “Our proximity to medical device manufacturers in the Twin Cities will provide fertile ground for student research and capstone projects,” Carney said.
Expectations
UW-Eau Claire estimates that 80 to 100 students will be enrolled in the program by the fifth year. The program projects 40 graduates in the first graduating class in 2030.
Cops nab Altura man, charging drunk-driving
LEWISTON Minn. – An Altura man, Urbano Zacarias Tepole, age 31, who has a rural address, was arrested at the Kwik Trip and charged with drunken driving. Lewiston police made the arrrest about 10:30 a.m. Other charges: Giving officers a false name and driving with a revoked license.
In her first peek from a Wisconsin nesting box
And awaiting Easter. This Florida white lass in a Jackson County hutch is ready to delight some child’s grass-lined bunny basket Sunday morning Image: Leif Olson
Emergency, fire crews make 54 calls
WINONA, Minn. – The Fire Department reported 41 emergency medical calls plus 13 fire calls in recent days:
> Tuesday, April 15: 6 medical call plus 1 fire call.
> Monday, April 14: 8 medical calls plus no fire calls.
> Sunday, April 13: 4 medical calls plus 6 fire calls.
> Saturday, April 12: 8 medical calls plus 3 fire calls.
> Friday, April 11: 7 medical call plus 1 fire call.
> Thursday, April 10: 5 medical calls plus 2 fire call.
> Wednesday, April 9: 3 medical calls plus no fire calls.
Earlier: Emergency, fire crews make 42 calls
College scores
Baseball: Concordia of St. Paul 12, Winona State 4
Baseball: Winona State 14, Concordia of St. Paul 10
Baseball: St. Scholastica 4, Saint Mary’s 1
Baseball: Saint Mary’s 9, St. Scholastica 3
Minnesota prep
Tennis (boys): Rochester Mayo Spartans 5, Rochester Century Panthers 2
Tennis (boys): Rochester Marshall Rockets 4, Faribault Falcons 3
Track and field (boys): Rochester Century Panthers 75, Austin Packers 42, Northfield Raiders 41
Volleyball (boys): Rochester Century/Marshall/Mayo 3, Chaska Southwest Christian 2
Plane’s engine blamed in Rochester crash
ROCHESTER, Minn. – Federal inspectors said a plane crash near the Rochester airport in March was due to engine failure. The preliminary report from the National Transportatin Safety Board confirmed the pilot’s account. The pilot said he was in an initial climb off a runway, up about 650 feet, when the engine lost power. The pilot said the engine didn’t sputter but went “click click.” He went down in a grove at the Oak Summit Golf Course. He walked away with minor injuries.
Earlier: Airport refines emergency rules after crash
Schmidt’s Virginia college presidency pays $610,000
HARRISONBURG, Va. – When a former Winona State University vice president, Jim Schmidt, takes over at James Madison University as president, he will be earning $610,000. That’s double. his current $302,600 as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin Eau Caire. Schmidt has been at UW-Eau Claire 12 years. Earlier he was Winona State’s vice president for public relations and fund-raising.
Earlier: Former WSU exec to new presidency
Teen missed the memo: No vaping at school
WINONA, Minn. – Police ticketed a 15-year-old girl caught with a nicotine vape device at Winona High School. The principal called police. This was about 2:50 p.m. Vapes are not only banned from school but are illegal for anyone not yet 21 years of age.
WSU praised as tree-conscious
Arbor Day is April 22. For the 11th year the Arbor Day Foundation has commended Winona State University for engaging students in the spirit of conservation. The Foundation noted that Winona State maintains a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan and budget, and an Arbor Day observance, said Nathan Anderson, campus arboretum director. Only one other campus in the state, the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, hold the recognition.
Second WI-3 Democrat looks to oust Van Orden
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The race for the Democratic place on the 2026 ballot against Congressman Derrick Van Orden has heated up. Emily Berge, president of the Eau Claire City Council, announced her candidacy. Berge said she offers a “big tent” into which Republicans are welcome. Van Orden, a Republican, emphasized loyalty to President Trump in 2024. Now with Trump’s popularity in free fall, his coattails are tattering. About her “big tent,” Berne said: “I welcome everyone, and it really doesn’t matter who you voted for in the past or where you’re from or how much you have in your bank account. Things aren’t going well at the national level. There’s a lot of chaos and uncertainty.”
Berge. Eau Claire business owner.
Plainview pickup, semi crash injures driver
PLAINVIEW, Minn. – A Kellogg driver in a pickup truck was injured in a collision with truck pulling a trailer northeast of Plainview. Jeremiah Otto Leonhardt, 46, was taken 27 miles to a Rochester hospital with injuries described by Wabasha County. deputies as sustainable. The trucker, Timothy David Vanbrunt, 33, of Theilman, in a 2010 Peterbuilt 384, was unhurt. Leonhardt was in a 2020 Ram 1500. The accident was about 10;40 a.m. at State Highway 42’s intersection with County Road 14.
Students flee Onalaska school after gas line break
ONALASKA, Wis. – A gas line punctured by a construction crew forced 660 students to evacuate the Onalaska Middle School in this LaCrosse suburb. There was no explosion. The utility company Xcel turned off the gas. With firefighters, the Xcel crew tested every room in the school for gas. After an all-clear, students returned to their morning classes. Because gas was cut off, the kitchen staff couldn’t get out its usual hot lunch. The district superintendent ordered out for free pizza for everyone.
Onalaska Midddle School. At 707 Eighth Avenue North.
Head-on I-94 crash: Wrong-way driver dies
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – A driver going the wrong way on Interstate 94 died when he collided head-on into an 18-wheeler. The semi driver was injured. This was about 8:35 a.m. on the eastbound lanes between the Eau Claire-Whitehall exit and the Fall Creek exits. The State Patrol had no immediate explanation how the driver of the car came ti be in the wrong lanes. It was not possible to identify the driver of the wrong-way vehicle immediately, troopers said. With Interstate 90, I-94 connects Chicago with St.Paul-Minneapolis and points west. The eastbound lanes were expected to be blocked two hours to clear the wreckage.
Notable journalism
Jeremy Olson (Minnesota Star Tribune, April 12, 2025): “Laid-Off Minnesota Health Department Workers Warn of Public Health Consequences”
Steve Rundio (LaCosse Tribune April 5 2025): “Wisconsinites Fear Trump Medicaid Cuts: ‘This Time It Just Feeks Different’”
Jessie Van Berkel and James Walsh (Minnesota Star Tribune, April 10, 2025): “Social Security Changes Have Minnesotans Worrying ind Waiting”
Minnesota prep
Lacrosse (girls): Rochester Century Panthers 10, Owatonna Huskies 6
Tennis (boys): Winona Cotter Ramblers 5, Stewartville Tigers 2
Tennis (boys): Winona Winhawks 7, Albert Lea 0
LaCrose principal to lead LaCrescent schools
LACRESCENT, Minn. – The principal of Logan High School in LaCrosse, Walter Gnewikow, has been appointed superintendent of the LaCrescent-Hokah district. He is being paid $148,500. As superintendent, Gnewikow replaces Mindy Crowley, who served two years. She is leaving for personal reasons. The district has 84 faculty and 1,000 students. The budget: $18.2 million. The LaCrescent School District is bounded by the Caledonia, Houston and Winona districts.
Gnewikow. Holds a graduate degree in educational leadership from Viterbo University. Earlier a high school math teacher. Age 54.
Jury on Necedah murder: Guilty on 15 counts
MAUSTON, Wis. – A jury found Donald J. Dahlberg guilty for a 2024 murder near Necedah and burning a car to incinerate the victim’s body. Dahlberg, age 47, could be sentenced for life. The jury convened seven hours to convict Dahlberg on all 15 counts on which he was tried. The counts included homicide and arson. The trial ran a full week. Dalberg’s codefendant, Crystal C. Teumer, 28, was sentenced earlier to 1-1/2 years for harboring a felon. Both Dahlberg and Teumer were from Grand Marsh, population 130, in neighboring Adams County.
Prosecution’s blow-by-blow reconstruction
Prosecutors presented a detailed and grisly account of what happened in Januay 2024. The main characters:
> Floyd Burdick, the murder victim.
> Donald Dahlberg, the murderer
> Crystal Teumer, Dahlberg’s ex-girlfriend.
The geography:
> Necedah. Population 900. In Juneau County near the Wisconsin River.
> Grand Marsh. Population 120. In Adams County, 30 miles from Necedah.
> Mauston. Population 4,300. The Juneau County seat.
On January 17, Floyd Burdick told a roommate that he was fearful that Teumer was in danger from Dahlberg and that he was going to check on her. The roommate, concerned also for Burdick’s safety, later messaged him to ask if he were OK. Burdick texted back that he was fine. Early the morning of January 18, the roommate said he received a text from Teumer’s phone that said, “It’s done. I hope you’re not mad.” The roommate said he then spoke with Dahlberg on the phone and was told Burdick had dropped Dahlberg and Teumer off in Mauston. That, however, wasn’t the whole story.
The evening before, Burdick drove his own vehicle and picked up Teumer and Dahlberg. The three drove around Juneau County. At one point Dahlberg asked Burdick to stop because he wanted to give Teumer a hug. Burdick stopped. Dahlberg got out, walked to the back passenger door, opened it and gave Teumer the hug. Dahlberg then got back in the front seat. Burdick started to drive away. Teumer, in the back, saw a bright flash, heard a loud bang and then heard Burdick say, “What the fuck.” Two more bright flashes followed with two more loud bangs. Teumer said she grabbed the steering wheel to keep the vehicle on the road. It stopped.
Dahlberg and Teumer got out. Dahlberg pushed Burdick’s body out of the driver’s seat and began to drive himself. Eventually they pulled into a driveway and got stuck in the snow. Dahlberg removed Burdick’s body from the vehicle and covered it with snow. Dahlberg and Teumer drove off. The couple then got another vehicle. Teumer drove the second vehicle while Dahlberg drove Burdick’s vehicle. They picked up Burdick’s body. On the way Dahlberg threw Burdick’s cellphone and a gun out the window. Dahlberg and Teumer went to an area near Necedah and parked on the side of a road. Dahlberg set Burdick’s vehicle on fire.
St. Charles crew puts out I-90 grass fire
ST. CHARLES, Minn. – A large grass fire erupted along Interstate 90 about 2-1/2 miles east of St. Charles before dawn. St. Charles firefighters with a pumper extinguished the fire. This was about 5:35 a.m.
Baked beans an assault weapon at Levee Park
WINONA, Minn. – A handful of homeless people pitching tents at Levee Park were run off by police after an assault complaint. This was about 3:30 a.m. The group moved along. The greens atop the levee are an on-again off-again site for homeless encampment in summer. The assault, police said, involved a couple arguing about where to locate their sleeping bags. The man was covered in baked beans when police arrived. He told officers that the woman, Robin Rae Mengedoht, 43, first threw a propane tank at him in anger. The tank missed, but, he said, she then threw an open can of baked beans at him and pushed him to the ground. The man, age 46, was drenched in beans when police arrived — not to mention the grass stains. Mengedoht was taken to jail and booked for domestic assault instilling fear.
Mengedoht. Police have had experience with Mengedoht dating backing to 2020 but not for a year or so and not for domestic assault.
Rural ATV crash seriously injures driver
UTICA, Minn. – An adult man on a four-wheeler suffered severe head injuries in an accident near the Fillmore County line south of Utica. Initial details from the scene were scant, but it was known that the man was taken by ambulance to a hospital. The accident was about 12:40 a.m. in the 33000 block of Ponderosa Road.
Hippity hop, Easter’s almost here
Finding a meal out is never easy on Easter Sunday. At least one West End eatery in Winona, however, plans to serve albeit with limited hours. Image: Steve Lunde
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