R.I.P.: Jason Gruett
MINNESOTA CITY, Minn. — Jason Gruettt, age 51, of Minnesota City, who was fire chief in the adjacent suburb of Goodview for eight years, died at age 51. Death was suicide. Gruett was with the Goodview Volunteer Fire Department for 19 years. As chief he succeeded Todd Ives as chief in 2017. He worked 34 years for Wabasha Sand and Gravel. His life had ironies. He had an illegal burning conviction. He served probation for assaults and also had a drunken driving conviction. His family remembered his “joy and compassion” in serving the community. The family also noted his passion for cars and hockey. A funeral service was schedued at the Remlinger Collector Car Museum in Goodview.
Details: Hoff Funeral Home
Teens caught vaping marijuana at golf course
WINONA, Minn. – Police interrupted a small vaping party in a car parked obscurely on an access road into the Westfield golf course. This was about 1 a.m. Three teenagers, 15 and 6 years old, two boys and one girl, were issued curfew citations. Their vape pen was loaded with a marijuana product, the officer said..
College scores
Baseball: Minot State 10, Winna State 9
Baseball: Southwest Minnesota State 10, Winna State 4
Softball: Winona State 9, Dominican of Ohio 0
Softball: Saint Martin’s 2, Winona State 1
Roseville elects Democrat to Minnesota House
ROSEVILLE, Minn. – Democrat David Gottfried won a special election in Minnesota House from District 40-B, preventing Republicans from taking majority control of the House. Early returns showed Gottfried with 75% to Republican Paul Wikstrom’s 23%. As soon as results are certified, Gottfried will be sworn jn – and the Democrat-Republican make-up of the House will be 67-67. That puts a pre-arranged power-sharing agreement in place, The election was a setback for Republicans. Had Wikstrom won, Republicans would have gained 68-66 majority control.
Gottfried. A pro bono law specialist at the Minneapolis firm Moss & Barnett. Interested in civil rights litigation. Age 32.
Airport refines emergency rules after crash
ROCHESTER, Minn. – The Rochester airport has revised procedures after an incident that delayed emergency crews from responding to a crash a quarter mile outside the airport fence. John Reed, airport director, threw out the old protocols. “We have reviewed our procedures and are removing the need for airport fire rescue staff to gain administrative approval to respond to a crash off airport property,” Reed said. This is what had happened:
> 10:13 p.m. A single-engine Musketeer light plane took off on Runway 13-21.
> 10:15 p.m. The Musketeer pilot radioed the control tower that he had lost power. A controller advised the pilot to return to any runway for an emergency landing. The pilot responded he was going down. The controller: “I’ve got rescue coming to you.” The control tower asked the on-site airport rescue and firefighting crew to begin searching for the plane, advising the crew to leave the airport gate. The crew responded that permission was first needed from airport administration because an American Airlines plane was overnighting at an airport gate and a Delta flight was inbound.
> 10:26 p.m.: A crash witness called 911. Municipal fire crews scrambled from Rochester and Stewartville, both from several miles away.
> 10:30 p.m. Olmsted County sheriff’s officers located the downed plane in woods at the Oak Summit golf course.
Reed said the RST airport rescue crew had followed existing protocol to a T but that the protocol was insufficient.
Reed. In charge at Rochester airport 10 years. Earlier at airports in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Brownsville, Texas.
Bell House Band plays for food shelf
A benefit performance. At First Congregational’s Café Congo series for social justice. This performance by the Winona folk band’s Bob Stuber, Connie Dretske and Jim Armstrong supported the local food shelf. The series has raised more than $60,000 over 10 years. Image: Andy Frank
Cooke back: Running for Wi-3 seat in Congress
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. – The candidate who lost narrowly to Derrick Van Orden to represent western Wisconsin in Congress last November thinks he’s vulnerable. Rebecca Cooke announced her candidacy to unseat Van Orden in the 2026 election. Cooke, who grew up on a farm, made her announcement at the Triple T Farm in rural Chippewa Falls. In 2024 she lost to Van Orden by 2.8 percentage points. Cooke first will need to win the Democratic nomination. No one else has announced so far. Nor has Van Orden, a strident Trump supporter, although he’s expected to run. In her announcement Cooke, an Eau Claire small-business operator, called herself a working-class advocate who would be a moderate voice in Congress. In 2024, Cooke said, she won the trust and support of an unprecedented number of Democratic, independent and Republican voters. “We nearly sent a farm kid from western Wisconsin, from here in Chippewa Valley, from here in Chippewa County, to Congress,” She said. “We built the movement, but we ran out of time, and now, with your help, we’re going to win in 2026.” She called Van Orden cowardly for not holding townhall town hall meetings to hear the anger of WI-3 voters. She was critical of Trump initiatives to dismantle Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other core government services. She promised to take on the healthcare industry: “Now is not a time to cower as big drug companies jack up our medicine prices and our local hospitals here in Eau Claire remain closed. We must stand up to federal elites blocking our pathway towards home ownership to good paying jobs and to achieving the American dream.” Republicans don’t care about the price of milk or gas, she said.
Cooke. Claims a coalition of union workers, farmers, small business owners and teachers. Age 37.
Third Congressial District. WI-3 is heavily agricultural. Population centers: Eau Claire, LaCrosse and Prairie du Chien. Also extends r\east almost to Madson.
Rochester crash blamed on engine failure
ROCHESTER, Minn. — The pilot of a light plane that crashed at a Rochester golf course told the first person to arrive that his engine quit on him. The pilot whose injuries were slight, was shaken but coherent, the rescuer said. It was believed the pilot had been making touch-and-go landing exercises at the nearby Rochester airport. Without saying why, authorities have not released the pilot’s name. It is known he had flown south from the Lakeville airport 60 miles away. The plane, a Beechcraft Muskateer, was owned by a flying club at Lakeville. The plane went down in trees at Oak Summit golf course. There was nobody on the ground to be injured. The pilot was flying alone. The first to arrive at the wreckage, Mitchell DeCook, who lives nearby, said he helped the plot open the plane’s door. The ground, DeCook said, was soaked in fuel. They moved quickly away in case fire broke out. The RST control tower had received a mayday alert before the crash. The pilot knew he was going down. De Cook said the pilot had a cut on his forehead and complained that his hurt neck.
Crumpled wreckage. Just off fairways at Oak Summit golf course. Image: Olmsted County sheriff
Beechcraft Musketeer. A single-engine low-wing light craft. Manufactured from 1963 to 1983 in many variations. Total production: 4,600. Popular as flight trainer. Speed: 120 mph cruising, max 145. Range 770 miles. Ceiling: 13,000 feet.
Rushford pickup crash injures driver
RUSHFORD, Minn. – A 91-year-old driver was injured when his pickup truck hit a parked car, a light pole and a fire hydrant on State Highway 43 through town. Myron Dale Bunke of Rushford was taken 24 miles to the Winona hospital. His injuries we described as sustainable. The crash was about 8:35 a.m. at the East Park Street intersection. The man was driving south in a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado.
WSU civic project slowed but moving ahead
WINONA, Minn. – Plans for a regional civil engagement project at Winona State University are still “on” albeit being scaled down after the Trump Administration reneged on a $1.1 million grant. “While the termination is indeed very disappointing, we are moving forward,” said Elissa Alzate, project director. “There are several options that we are pursuing with various community partners.” The project is designed to facilitate citizen dialogue with government and community leaders for positive outcomes. Alzate said that Winona State administrators have supported the project since the beginning and have indicated continuing support. “What form that support will take will remain to be seen in an era of tightening budgets,” she said. The U.S. Defense Department awarded the grant last year but cancelled two weeks ago. It The explanation n was terse. Between the lines, outside observers were blunt in assessing the withdrawal: Civic engagement was not a Trump priority and indeed anathema.
Student interns lose jobs
Alzate said that four student interns had been hired for the project. “We’ve unfortunately had to let all four interns go, although we are pursuing a couple different options to help them,” she said. The budget also had included part-time salaries for Alzate, a second Winona State faculty member, and community partners.
Speaker series takes hit
The original budget also had lines to bring in national level speakers on civic engagement, civility, collaboration, and the importance of public service. “We can still proceed with some of that but will to focus on local speakers and partner with community organizations for round table discussions,” she said. The budget also had money for consultants to help build partnerships and establish workshops to benefit government entities in southeast Minnesota.
Earlier: How WSU lost $1.1 million community-building grant
Earlier: Trump kills $1.1 million WSU project
Spring roundtables. Plans proceeding for sessionst o brain-storm possibilities, strategies, tactics.
Alzate. Calls university administation supportive in changing gears but notes this is “an era of tightening budgets.”
Verbatim
Alzate: “We’ve been very lucky in the partnerships we are already developing, and they have been an invaluable resource. We will be able to establish workshops of some sort, but it just may take longer than we had anticipated.”
When two vodka sodas are too many
WINONA, Minn. – A Wisconsin woman who admitted to two vodka sodas at Market Street Tap was stopped just down the street and arrested for drunken driving. The officer who stopped Alexa Mae Meyer, 21, of Rice Lake, said her taillights were off. Thos was about 1 a.m. The officer said she smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot and watery eyes. She failed sobriety exercises, then a breathalyzer test showed impairment with her blood-alcohol level at 0.08%. This was at Third and Johnson streets. At jail her level was up to 0.09%.
College scores
Baseball: Winona State 14, Northern State of South Dakota 12
Softball: Saint Mary’s and St. Catherine, cancelled
Tennis (women): Winona State and West Chester
Wilson Township unanimous on budget
Large turnout. About 40 people showed up for the Wilson Township elections and annual budget-setting meeting. The township, one of the largest in Winona Cunty, has 1,200 people. Civility, grassroots discussion and expressions of concern for neighbors were in abundance. Special recognition and applause were given to Fire Chief Josh Murphy and his department. Murphy led first-responders to the Minnesota Equestrian Center fire in November, At far right: Leon Bowman, township chair, and Fire Chief Josh Murphy huddle after the meeting. Image: Andy Frank
Sex offender caught after Winona disappearance
WINONA, Minn. – A convicted sex offender who had been living in Winona, Richard Martin Luers, age 60, has been arrested in Minneapolis. Luers hsd been out on probation. He moved out and failed to check in with his Winona probation supervisor in January.
Viking’s 2025 ports of call exclude Winona
WINONA, Minn. – Swiss-based Viking Cruises unveiled its 2025 Upper Mississippi schedule for its premiere its premiere vessel Viking Mississipi and skipped Winona. Ports of call include LaCrosse, Red Wing and St. Paul. Most cruises are eiother one way upriver or downriver from Alton, Ilinois, to end points in New Orleans or St Paul. Cruises also can be booked for the whole 2,350 miles. Fares range from $6,000 to for partial cruises or $12,000 the whole way.
Viking Minnesota. Heading downriver to New Orleans. The vessel, built in 2022, accommodates dates 350 guests with a crew of 187.
Finstad: Count me in for 2026 re-election
WASHINGTON – Southern Minnesota’s member of Congress, Brad Finstad, announced he will seek re-election. Finstad is a New Ulm farmer who has been an exuberant supporter of President Trump. The timing of Finstad’s announcement was a surprise. The announcement came as polls showed Trump’s support plummeting for cutting government services, siding with Russia in the Ukraine war, and launching scary tariff wars that could worsen inflation and destroy foreign markets for US. agriculture. Perhaps astutely, Finstad’s announcement didn’t mention Trump. Instead, as if rutted in the past, he lambasted former President Biden. Finstad is conscious of Trump becoming a liability. For weeks Finstad has refused to seek constituent views through the usual forum of townhall meetings. Instead, he has arranged only small meetings limited to tiny groups of like-minded Republican loyalists. News reporters haven’t been invited, nor have citizens at large. Finstad’s political history includes three terms in the Minnesota House going back 23 years. In 2017 he was appointed by Trump as a rural development ambassador to Minnesota farmers. His duties were not defined. It’s unclear what he did, suggesting the appointment was political payback for supporting Trump. On policy Finstad opposes abortion and a woman’s right choose.
Finstad. In his farm truck. Besides corn and soybeans. he owns a soil laboratory that employs 40 people. His age: 48.
Verbatim
Finstad: “It has been an honor of a lifetime to represent my friends and neighbors across southern Minnesota in Congress. Under Biden and the Democrats we saw chaos on our border, out of control inflation, and skyrocketing national debt. The American people voted for us to take action to ensure we leave a strong nation to our children and grandchildren. There is a lot of hard work to be done, but I know America’s best days are still ahead of us.”
His electoral history
2002 special election: Defeated Jeff Ettinger of Austin, a Democrat, 50% to 46%, for the MN-1 seat vacated by the death fellow Republican Jim Hagedorn.
2022 election: Defeated Ettinger again, this time 53% to 42%.
2024 election: Defeated Rachel Bowman of Rochester, a Democrat, 58% to 41%.
Ex-state senator seeks return to public duty
EAGAN, Minn. — Former Democratic legislator Melisa López Franzen launched a political comeback, this time for the U.S. Senate. López Franzen is making it a two-way race for the Democratic nomination for Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of Tina Smith. López Franzen’s candidacy makes it a two-way race with Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. López Franzen served 10 years in the state Senate. She bowed out in 2022 after the boundaries of her district were redrawn. The new Senate District 49 would have had her running against another Democrat incumbent so she withdrew. At the time she was the Senate majority leader. “I made a difficult decision when I got redistricted,” she said. “But now having the background of being away from it, especially for the last two years, I think it’s refreshing, but it’s also reaffirmed my commitment to public service.” She has operated a consulting firm since leaving the state Senate. Currently she is executive director of government and community relations at the University of Minnesota.
Campaign plans, positions
In launching her campaign, López Franzen called herself a champion for accessible healthcare, education and small businesses. Her legislative record shows her a moderate on economic issues. As a U.S. senator she said she would advocate for the middle class. “The stakes are high right now,” López Franzen said. “I want to bring a voice of sanity back to Washington.” Franzen, age 44, who lives in Edina, said she would campaign in all 87 of Minnesota’s counties.
Biography
López Franzen grew up in Puerto Rico. Her Latina heritage, she said, is key to who she is as a person. She has been in Minnesota 23 years and identifies herself as a “quintessential Minnesotan.” She noted she owns a snowmobile and a cabin Up North and calls herself a soccer mom.
Earlier: Franken is 14th Flanagan endorser for Senate
Earlier: Flanagan campaigning for U.S. Senate
López Franzen. Holds law degree from Hamline. Earlier degrees from Interamerican University-San German and University of Minnesota.
Pelowski lauded for House intern project
Winona legislator. Minnesota House members recognized retired Representative Gene Pelowski of Winona for leadership of the House high school page program. Pelowki took charge of the program when first elected in 1987. Image: Michele Jokinen
Twin suburbs poised to decide Legislature’s fate
ST. PAUL, Minn. – All eyes at the Capitol are riveted on Roseville and Shoreview. A special election is being held in the suburbs Tuesday for the vacant House District 40-B seat. If Democrat David Gottfried wins, the House goes into a 67-67 tie between Democrats and Republicans and confirms a power-sharing agreement between the parties. If Wikstrom wins, Republicans will have a 68-member majority and control. So how will the special election go? District 40-B traditionally has been a Democratic stronghold. In November’s election Curtis Johnson, a Democrat, won 65-35 over Wikstrom, but a judge nullified the results because Johnson had moved outside the district. District 40-B stretches around the north and west sides Minneapolis.
Auto crashes at St. Charles Subway shop
ST. CHARLES, Minn. – A Rochester driver crashed into a ditch at the Subway sandwich shop about 12:30 a.m. When police arrived, Krista Rose Riess, 28, was still in the car and appeared unhurt. She herself had called the Winona police dispatcher just after the crash. Where she had been wasn’t clear. She offered a confused explanation about a sober driver offering to take her home but going only part way. Riess said shethen drove on but only for a few minutes. Deputies said she had been southbound into St. Charles on State Highway 74, which dead-ends at the Subway on the U.S. Highway 14 thoroughfare through town, Subway was closed at the time. The parking area was empty. It was clear that Riess had been drinking, deputies said. Her blood-alcohol tested at 0.19% at the Winona jail. Anything more than 0.08% constitutes impairment under state statute.
Riess. Cops: Bloodshot and watery eyes, smelling of alcohol
.
Pilot OK after crash at Rochester golf course
ROCHESTER, Minn. – A light airplane crashed after dark at the Oak Summit golf course a quarter mile from runways at the Rochester airport. The pilot, alone in the plane, walked away with minor injuries, deputies said. There was no fire. The pilot was taken to a hospital to be checked over. The crash was about 10:15 p.m. The course is just west of the golf course., which is southwest of ghe city.
College scores
Baseball: Winona State 8, Northern State of South Dakota 5
Baseball: Winona State 8, Northern State of South Dakota 5 doubleheader)
Baseball: Pomona-Pitzer 13, UW-LaCrosse 5
Softball: Indiana of Pennsylvania 2, Winona State 1
Softball: Ekerd 1, Winona State 0
Tennis (women): Slippery Rock 7, Winona State 0
Cops: Driver “flying low” from MSP airport
WINONA, Minn. – A Winona man driving into Winona from Interstate 90 was clocked at 78 mph by a deputy and stopped – and then arrested for driving drunk. Arrested was Kirk Lee Talmontas, 45. His blood-alcohol level tested at 0.11%, roughly double what’s allowed. The stop was about 10 p.m. on State Highway 43 at Braeburn Road. The deputy said that Talmontas had buzzed past him in a 60 mph zone. The deputy said that Talmontas explained that he was driving home from the Minneapolis airport. He admitted to one drink during the evening, the deputy said, but the deputy added in his report that Talmoneas smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot and watery eyes, and failed roadside sobriety tests.
News summary at week’s end: March 8, 2025
GOVERNANCE: Tariff war: Canada threatens to unplug Minnesota
GOVERNANCE: Knock, knock. “Anybody home?” Not any more
GOVERNANCE: Unknowns lurk in dim state budget update
TRAGEDY: New snow hinders Alaska avalanche recovery
COLLEGES: How WSU lost $1.1 million community-building grant
CRIME: Ellison: A Trump pardon for killer-cop a dead-end
Driver claimed only one beer but blew 0.10%
WINONA, Minn. – A Winona man driving home from a Pheasants Forever raffle at the Witoka Tavern was stopped by a deputy who reported him straddling the center line, then the fog line, and back and forth. Brian Herbert Eggert, 33, told the deputy he was monkeying with the radio. The deputy quoted Eggert also that had had only one beer. The deputy suspected more because alcohol fumes were emanating out the driver window. Eggert’s blood-alcohol level tested at 0.10% — one-fifth more than allowed for driving. The stop was about 10:35 p.m, up Pleasant Valley on County Road 17 at Clinton Drive.
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