FARIBAULT, Minn. — A turkey flew into the windshield of a vehicle traveling 70 mph on Interstate 35. The driver, Linzy Lee Eck, age 47, of Lakeville, was injured and taken 24 miles to a hospital in Burnsville. Her injuries were non-life threatening, the State Patrol said. The accident was near the Dundas exit north of Faribault. This was about 6:55 p.m. The vehicle was a 4,800-pound 2025 BMW X5.

WINONA, Minn. — Some evidence issues in the case of the woman accused of manslaughter in the Baby Angel case have been settled, at least for the time being. Judge Nancy Buytendorp decided against allowing public access to photos that could be part of the prosecution case at a trial. The judge, however, allowed public access to an autopsy report. About the photos, they could still be used as evidence at a trial. Jennifer Baechle, who stands accused as the mother, was arrested a year ago for the death of a baby whose body was found floating in a bag in the Mississippi River in 2011. The body was cradled with angel figurines. A key question is whether hte baby was born alive or died before birth. At the hearing Tuesday, the chief southeast Minnesota medical examiner, who performed the autopsy, Lindsey Thomas, said:

> Bleeding was found on Baby Angel’s scalp and skull.

> The bleeding did not appear to be life threatening, although skull was abnormally thin.

> The ceramic figurines inside the floating bag could have caused the head injuries.  Or the injuries could have happened during birth.

> Air was found in Baby Angel’s lungs, perhaps an attempt to resuscitate her, perhaps from the birth itself, perhaps from decomposition.

> The umbilical cord appeared cut with a sharp object by someone untrained in birthing.

Earlier: Suspect in Baby Angel death: Drop case

Earlier: Attorney: Key document missing in Baby Angel case

Earlier: Attorneys list intended Baby Angel witnesses

Earlier: Court delay to October in Baby Angel case

Earlier: Bail at $200,000 in Baby Angel infanticide

Earlier: Prosecutor: Throw book at Baby Angel mom

Earlier: Arrest made in 2011 Baby Angel death

Earlier: Sheriff: Baby Angel evidence so far only inferential

Earlier: Winona’s Baby Angel update: Search warrant

WINONA, Minn. — On the 30th year anniversary of the death of legendary Winona musician Hal Edstrom, the Winona Middle School auditorium will bear his name. A rechristening of the middle school auditorium will be April 25. with a tribute program “For the Love of Music: Swing and Sway the Edstrom Way.” Time: 7 a.m. Edstrom was the first director of the school band in 1937. Alumni will perform. So too the high school band, choir and orchestra. Edstrom was bandmaster from 1937 to 1947, then teamed with his brother Everett and friend Roger Busdicker to form what grew into the world’s largest sheet music publishing company. Although now headquartered in Milwaukee, the company still has a major Winna payroll. By the time that Edstrom formed the Winona high school band he already was known regionally for a dance band that bore the name Hal Leonard. As story, goes the groovy Edstrom brothers Harold and Leonard Everett were afraid their father would disapprove of their style of music, so they blended their names into “Hal Leonard” for the band — as if dad would never know. Later as the high school band director, Harold Edstrom pretty much shucked the usual fare of stolid classics for swing. Students loved it. And so too their parents who had grown up n in the Big Band dance era and delighted in jitterbugging.

Edstrom. 1914-1996. He died in Winona and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.

How they toured in 1930s. The orchestra on the road.

Bandmaster. Harold Edstom in white with high school band members in dress wool uniforms. Also in white: The essential majorette, who strutted with a baton to lead band in step.

Gabriel Hathaway (Winona Post, March 27, 2026): “City Hopes to Protect Eroding Lake Winona Shoreline”

Nathan O’Neal (KMSP, March 29, 2026): “Suing Fleet Farm: How Minnesota Pierced Federal Immigration for the Gun Industry”

Corey Schmidt (St. Coud Times, December 30, 2026): “St. Cloud Social Media Personality Zak X Charged in Alleged ICE Protest Assault”

Baseball: Winona State 10, Jamestown 0

Baseball: Jamestown 4, Winona State 3

Baseball: UW-Parkside 11, Viterbo 4

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Six men were arrested in a crackdown Thursday on Rochester’s ongoing problem with child prostitution, the Police Department announced belatedly. In the unsigned announcement, the crackdown was called a “proactive undercover operation”. In short, it was a series of stings with police agents posing as minors online and conning would-be johns to show up for a rendezvous. At each meet-up site — surprise: Cops were there to make the arrest, either as as seeking sex from minors or prostitution, or for pimping:

> Dondi Hanson, 63, of Rochester.

> Arunkumar Manimozhian, 27, of St. Paul, 72 miles away.

> Scott Maarleveld, 58, of Swea City, Iowa, 55 miles. away

> Richard Mayweathers II, 43, of Rochester.

> Casey Swanton, 30, of Rochester.

> Brian Tackmann, 44, of Rochester.

The last such Rochester mass arrests on child prostitution was in 2024 with seven men taken into custody. The crime is punishable by five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Earlier: Cops: Teen-sex sting nabs seven johns

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A court date for State Representative Elliott William Engen on a drunk-driving charge is in limbo. A court appearance originally had been set for last Tuesday but was put off until early June and then put off further. Court records list no explanation for the dragging out the case. Some possibly relevant facts:

> The 2026 Legislature is jn session until a constitutionally mandated May 18.

> The House is split 67-67 between Democrats and Republicans.

> Engen’s departure would give a one-vote majority to Democrats.

Engen is being represented in the criminal case by Chris Madel, a prominent Minneapolis attorney who waged a brief Republican campaign for governor this year.

Burger Moe’s. Where the day’s troubles began. In St. Paul a mile or so from the Capitol at 242 West Seventh Street. Known for $16 burgers and 60 beers on tap and 30 bottled varieties.

Earlier: House leadership distressed at boozing arrests 

Earlier: Legislators, both drinking at late lunch, go AWOL

Earlier: Madel slams ICE excesses, ends governor bid

Earlier: Trial lawyer Madel joins anti-Walz race

WASHINGTON — Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a lockstep Trump supporter, has broken ranks. Johnson declared the President’s vow to wipe Iran from the face of Earth was excessive overreach. “I do not want to see us start blowing up civilian infrastructure,” Johnson told an interviewer.  His statement was among growing insider doubts among Republicans about Trump’s mental fitness and lack of morality in suggesting the annihilation— compete and total — of 90 million people. Such action would constitute war crimes. Johnson said that escalating the Iran conflict to include attacks on power plants, bridges, and other civilian targets could have unintended consequences. Johnson did not backoff his support of of countering Iran’s military and nuclear ambitions. Although there were other cracks in GOP support for Trump’s war on Iran, most Republicans were silent, neither endorsing nor criticizing the President. The speaker the House, Mike Johnson, a Trump toady, put the chamber on an extended spring recess, which meant members would be in their home districts until April 14 — and geographically shielded from the Washington press corps. The extended recess was a parliamentary trick Johnson has used before to protect GOP House members from vulnerability to Trump’s retributory temper. House Democrats, meanwhile, clamored for Johnson to reconvene the House to start actions against Trump for dementia, moral turpitude, and procedural overreach. These are the Minnesota and Wisconsin delegate in Congress  who are cowering in their home districts during Mike Johnson’s extended recess to avoid unwanted pressure to address Trump’s cultural genocide:

> Tom Emmer, R-Mn6 (north suburbs)

> Brad Finstad, R-Mn1 (New Ulm)

> Michelle Fischbach, R-Mn7 (rural west)

> Scott Fitzgerald, R-Mn8 (Clyman)

> Pete Stauber, R-Mn8 (Iron Range)

> Glen Grothman, R-Wi6 (Campbellsport)

> Bryan Steil, R-Wi-1 (Janesville)

> Tom Tiffany, R-Wi7 (Hazelburst)

> Derrick Van Orden, R-Wi3 (Prairie du Chien)

> Tony Wied, R-Wi8 (DePere)

Technically not an Easter lily, and actually more closely related botanically to daffodils, but this amaryllis  just opened up to trumpet Easter and spring nonetheless. Image: Andy Frank

WINONA, Minn. — A Fountain City driver heading home from Winona was stopped for speeding on State Highway 43 on Latsch Island and arrested and charged with drunken driving. This was about 1:20 a.m. At jail the blood-alcohol for Christopher Alan Drazkowski, age 53, tested at 0.14%, six points more than impairment. The arresting officer said Drazkowski smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech and watery, reddened eyes. He also failed a field sobriety test, the officer said. He had been clocked at 47 mph in the 40 zone.

WINONA, Minn. — In desperation to find a missing Winona woman, police shifted their search to the Mississippi River. Dragnets were pulled on the river bottom from the State Highway 53 interstate bridge and along Levee Park and farther downstream. No trace was found of Patricia Sweningson on first day of the water search.  The river runs as deep as 14 feet in Pool 6 behind the Trempealeau dam, which is seven miles downriver. The last known whereabouts of Sweningson, age 73, were March 4. She had a downtown apartment four blocks from the river. Winona Police Chief Tom Williams called for weekend help from the Winona and LaCrosse counites dive and rescue teams. They used sonar equipment and underwater remote-operated vehicles. K-9 teams were aboard their outboard boats and along the shores.

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Earlier: Police seek help for missing Winona woman

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A Wisconsin driver in a super-powered Corvette was critically injured when he crashed into a concrete median barrier. Kevin Dale Rehrer, age 66, was taken to a nearby hospital. His condition was described as touch-and-go. The accident occurred about11:50 a.m. on four-lane U.S. Highway 52. near Apache Mall. Rehrer, alone in the vehicle, was belted and the airbag deployed, police said. He was norhbound.in the Corvette, a 2019 model. The road surface was dry.

LEWISTON, Minn. — A Lewiston man was charged with impaired driving after a sheriff’s deputy stopped him at Dutchman’s Crossing near the Lewiston Grade summit of U.S. Highway14. Melvin Velazquez-Torres, age 24, blew a 0.19% preliminary blood-alcohol reading at the traffic stop. The stop was about 1:05 a.m. By the time that deputies transported him to the Winona County jail, 12 miles away, his blood-alcohol was down to 0.17%. Any reading that exceeds 0.08% is impairment. The arresting deputy said Velazquez-Torres had watery and blood-shot eyes, slurred speech and smelled of marijuana and also admitted drinking and smoking.  He failed roadside sobriety exercises., the deputy said. The stop for an expired vehicle registration.