Wisconsin prep
Cop: Car smelled marijuana, driver acted high
WINONA, Minn. – Police took in a driver who admitted to “a joint” within the past half-hour while being questioned during a traffic stop. Kayla Jean Madison, 19, St. Paul, had been driving with dead taillights. The arresting officer said the odor of marijuana from the car was unmistable. Madison had bloodshot eyes and other sggns of impairment, the officer said. This was about 8:40 p.m. at Huff and Howard streets near Winona State University.
Construction zone crash kills road worker
TOMAH, Wis. – A road crew worker was killed when a pickup truck hit a paving machine near the Interstate 90 and Interstate 94 split east of Tomah. Andrew Skupniewitz, 35, of Portage, was pronounced dead at the scene. This was about 9:30 p.m. Deputies said the pickup, a 2002 Ram, hit the back of a semi, went out of control, and hit the paving machine. The pickup driver, Isaac Morales Jr., 25, of Sparta, and a passenger were injured. Eastbound I-90 lanes were blocked about six hours.
Comment: Where did the church ladies go?
Remember church suppers when the ladies spent the day quibbling good-naturedly over whether meatballs were better formed with corn meal or crumbled whole-grain bread or dried-out Wonder bread? And how about binders ?An egg per pound? Two? What about those church suppers of yore when sides were delectably seasoned per generations-old family secrets? When desserts were to die for? At a church supper recently the meatloaf was standard dullsville from a grocery chain. The veggies were from a can without further embellishment – not even a dash of salt, let alone a sweet syrup or rich cream sauce or even a pat of butter. Desserts were uneven. Truth be told, one lady’s seasonal pumpkin bar topped with a dollop of whipping was superb. Other choices, well, the word “lame” comes to mind. Further disappointment: There is nothing communal about take-away eat-at-home Styrofoam trays. Whatever happened to church basement fellowship? Any good news? Yes: The $20 fare per plate for the Styrofoam event went to a good causes like helping the impoverished, the sick, and the destitute.
Fravel trial /56: He won’t testify
MANKATO, Minn. – The Winona man accused of killing Maddi Kingsbury waived his right to testify in his own defense. The decision of Adam Fravel to be silent capped his attorneys’ presentation of its fivedefense witnesses on Fravel’s behalf during the morning. Without Fravel testifying, Judge Nancy Buytendorp ordered a recess until Wednesday, when attorneys will make their closing arguments to the jury. The long weekend recess clears the calendar of everyone involved in the trial through Election Day on Tuesday.
Defense strategy
It is common practice for a defendant in a criminal case not to take the witness stand personally. Conventional wisdom is for defense attorneys, as experts in argumentation and the law, to be the mouthpiece of the defendant. Also, defendants who testify expose themselves to cross-examination by prosecutors. In short, there almost always is more to lose than to gain n when defendants testify.
Fravel. In coat and tie for court appearances. Otherwise in inmate orange in lieu of $3 million bail.
Mother wants tough bail in violent crime cases
SPARTA, Wis. – The mother of a Sparta woman who died in a domestic abuse case has launched a campaign for stricter bail for anyone accused of violent crimes. The daughter, Ticarra Manning, died twoweeks of brain injuries that, according to police, were incurred by man free onhs iwn recognizance for a previous beating. The victim’s mother Yolanda Manng-Joyce is asking the Legislature to create what she calls “Ticarra’s Law”: “Passing this law will hopefully eliminate the opportunity for those offenders to repeat their actions.” She has reached out to Governor Tony Ever for sport and created a GoFundMe account to help finance an advocacy campaign, as well asto cover medical and legal fees. “Once we get this localized in the state of Wisconsin, then we will move forward for a national la,” she said.
Manning. Died after injuries at home. Arrested was a man already free on bail in a strangulation case. Image: From family
Surviving children
Ticarra Manning, age 35, left two sons, 13 and 8 years old. Said her mother Yolanda Manning-Joyce: “She was a great mom. She was meticulous and was a perfectionist on how she raised her boys.”
No public defender in corpse-hiding case
ALMA, Wis. – A request for a court-appointed attorney was denied to a Fountain City man accused of hiding his wife’s corpse. Judge Thomas Clark ruled that Arthur E. McMullin, 69, didn’t qualify for a public defender. Such a decision usually reflects a review of a defendant’s assets. After a brief court appearance, McMullin was returned to jail in lieu of $10,000 bail. McMullin faces 12 counts, which include hiding a corpse, mistreating animals, and obstructing police.
Fravel trial /53: Brother never saw him angry
MANKATO, Minn. – The youngest brother of Adam Fravel testified at Adam’s murder trial that he never had reason to suspect an abusive relationship. Ryan Fravel said he never saw Adam angry about anything. The testimony was part of the defense case in the Adam Fravel trial for the 2023 murder of Maddi Kingsbury. Ryan, who is 12 years younger than Adam, sand he was first introduced to Maddi Kingsbury 10 years ago. She and Adam seemed like a young, happy couple, he said. They were “very affectionate” to each other, although, he added, that their relationship was “on and off.” Ryan said that the couple’s two children “adored” Adam. The brother said he never noticed any abuse from Adam to Maddi nor did he ever see any suspicious bruising on Maddi. Ryan added he also participated in massive public searches for Maddi in the 10 weeks she was missing.
Where democracy lives: The voting place
Quiet awaiting Tuesday. The tiny, unimposing Warren Township Hall near Wyattville is one of 39 polling places in Winona County – 12 in the Winona municipality and 17 out in the county. All are open by 8 a.m. Tuesday for voters, Image: Steve Lunde
Quiz for Winona news hounds /11
> What subjects do the 2024 Winona Teachers of the Year teach? Clue
> Has the new Borealis passenger train been successful? Clue
> Why is Hy-Vee scaling back self-checkout aisles? Clue
> Why will barge traffic cease on the Upper Mississippi in December? Clue
> Are motorcycle wrecks more frequent in southeast Minnesota lately or less frequent? Clue
Earlier: Quiz for Winona news hounds /10
Dairyland Power poised to try nuclear again
LACROSSE, Wis. – The electricity-generating coop Dairyland Power, which tore out its only nuclear plant in 1987, now foresees a nuclear future again. Chief executive Brent Ridge told news reporters that technology is making nuclear power economically viable again. “We are absolutely interested in nuclear going forward,” Ridge said. Possible sites for a new Dairyland nuclear plant, he said, include the coop’s coal-fired plant 55 miles upriver from LaCrosse in Alma. And, yes, another possibility again is Genoa again, 18 miles downriver. Dairyland once also operated coal-fired plant in Genoa but razed the plant in March.
Dairyland profile
Dairyland, based in LaCrosse, produces electricity as a wholesaler to 44 local utilities. These include MIEnergy, which serves southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa. Dairyland has been in business since 1941. Dairyland produces 1,100 megawatts from its coal-fired plant in Alma. It also has partial ownership in two coal-fired plants near Wausau. It owns 3,300 miles of power lines
Vance to LaCrosse ahead of Election Day
WASHINGTON — Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is will visit La Crosse on Monday, the Trump presidential campaign announced. His message, the campaign said, will be the economy and immigration. Vance will speak at the La Crosse Center at 9:30 a.m. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. Tickets. It is Vance’s first stop in La Crosse, although he has campaigned twice in Eau Claire and elsewhere in Wisconsin.
Woman brutally assaulted, then a self-knifing
WINONA, Minn. – A Winona man gave up and came out a house where he had been holed up, his leg bleeding. The arrest ended a 1-1/2-hour drama that began with a domestic assault. The man’s wound, police said, was self-inflicted and deep. The man, age 36, was reported recovering at the hospital. The arrest was about 6:40 a.m. in the 350 block of East Sanborn Street. Earlier the man’s girlfriend was taken to the hospital with serious injuries from a beating. This is what happened, as best as police could reconstruct events:
> The boyfriend climbed into bed and began beating the woman.
> She fled the house and called 911 as she ran. This was about 5:20 a.m.
> Police found the woman on the street near Sanborn and Liberty streets, the next street over, and called an ambulance.
> She had significant facial injuries — a swollen nose, bleeding from her mouth, and a swollen eye.
> Police went to the assault address and rapped on the door. There was no response, but police saw a man through an upstairs window with a knife.
> Police repeatedly commanded the man to come out.
> About 6:40 a,m he did so and yielded to arrest without resistance..> An ambulance took the man to the hospital for the leg wound.
Police believed alcohol was involved. The man, police said, could face elevated domestic assault charges because of a previous conviction.
Sunday ends traversing Minneapolis locks
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Army Corps of Engineers is closing its Minneapolis locks for the season Sunday. This includes the Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and also Lock and Dam 1 and applies to all commercial and recreational vessels.
College scores
Volleyball (women): Winona State 3, Sioux Falls 0
Minnesota prep
Fravel trial /51: The day Maddi Kingsbury vanished
MANKATO, Minn. – The jury in the Adam Favel murder trial heard the prosecution’s reconstruction of what happened the day that Maddi Kingsbury disappeared. Not much was new to people who have followed the Winona case closely the past 19 months. The Mankato jurors, however, were drawn from a Blue Earth County pool and were chosen for having at most a passing knowledge of the case. Adam Brommerich, a Winona Police sergeant, provided narrative from the witness stand as the chief prosecutor Phillip Prokopowicz showed surveillance video from numerous sources and talso timeline slides. Videos of Kingsbury’s blue minivan March 31 of 2023 had been collected by police from a variety of sources.
> The van headed to the daycare where Kingsbury and Adam Fravel dropped off their kids.
> Fravel and Kingsbury walked up to the daycare entrance with the children.
> They departed together in the van.
> The van went down Kerry Drive, the street where Kingsbury and Fravel lived.
> Kingsbury sent a message to her sister Megan that she had sent Fravel a cash transfer of $20.
> Kingsbury’s phone locked two minutes later – and remained locked until the evening the next day when the device died.
> A few minutes after Maddi’s phone locked, Megan responded to Maddi’s text message. There was no reply.
> An hour later, someone can be seen crouching in front of the van in the driveway of Fravel and Kingsbury’s townhouse.
> The same personnwalked behind the van.
> A few minutes later, the headlights were turning on and off.
> The van was driven to a nearby Kwik Trip, and someone got out and paid for gas at a pump.
> After the van left KwikTrip, Fravel texted Kingsbury that he just loaded the car up with gas. There was no response.
> The van stopped at the townhouse.
> The van left the townhouse and left Winona.
> The van headed south on State Highway 43 toward Rushford.
> Much latert he van headed north, this time toward Winona.
The van backed into Fravel and Kingsbury’s townhouse driveway in Winona.
> Fravel sent more texts to Kingsbury. One asked what was for supper. Another said he might take the children to his parents’ home near Mabel
> Fravel drove the van to pick up the children.
Brommerich’s testimony, three weeks into the trial, wound up the prosecution’s presentation. He was 68th witnesses to testify.
Earlier: Fravel trial /45: Boyfriend details Maddi relationship
Prokopowicz. Has put 68 witnesses on stand.
Brommerich. Chronicles movements of Kingsbury’s van the day she disappeared.
Two Winona teachers honored for excellence
WINONA, Minn. – The Winona Education Association named high school teacher Sarah Dixen and middle school teacher Lizz Hall as its 2024 teachers of the year. Their selection was announced in separate ceremonies at their schools.
Dixen. She teaches history and government. She has been at the high school since 2012. Previously she designed curriculum for the graduate program at UW-La Crosse, where she also taught. She has taught also in Blue Earth, Mankato and at St. Charles. In 2023 she was selected as a Genocide Education Project fellow and spent 10 days in Armenia. Last summer, she took part in a program at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Hall. She works with students whose primary language is not English. She has taught 22 years at the middle school and has served for five years as system coordinator in the district’s English as a Second Language program. Hall has served on several school committees and is active in the WEA teachers union. In 2014 she received the Diversity Advocacy Award from nonprofit Project FINE, which serves immigrant and refugee families.
Verbatim
John Casper, spokesperson for Winona schools: “Sarah Dixen tries to help her students better understand the world around them. Lizz Hall tries to help the world better understand her students. They are talented, loving, creative and pour every once of themselves into their students, fostering a connection that doesn’t stop when the bell rings or the school year ends.”
Driver dies when car goes into marsh
LACROSSE, Wis. – An Onalaska driver died after his vehicle crashed into a marsh on French Island. The victim’s name was not released immediately by the State Patrol, but it was known that he was 79 years old. The accident was on Lakeshore Drive just north of Summit Environmental elementary school. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the only person in the vehicle.
Borealis ridership at six months: 100,000
WINONA, Minn. – The Borealis train linking St. Paul and Chicago through Winna has reached 100,000 passengers since daily roundtrips began six months ago. Chris Meyer of Winona, vice chair of Great River Rail Commission, called the ridership a landmark accomplishment.
Winona departures. 4:36 p.m. to St. Paul, 1:40 p.m. to St. Paul.
Mystery 911 call leads to foot, aerial search
WITOKA, Minn. – Deputies traced the ping of a 911 emergency hang-up call to farmland east of Witoka in search of perhaps an injured person. This was about 12:30 a.m. A heat-seeking drone detected nothing. The foot search began off County Road12 on Reinhard Drive, then expanded to the Blackberry Road area. Deputies found a UTV by itself but nothing appeared amiss. They knocked on farmhouse doors about any problems or anyone missing — to no avail.
News summary at mid-week: October 30, 2024
POLITICS: How the Walz sex assault story was deepfaked
POLITICS: Police foresee smooth election day
SCHOOLS: St. Charles ponders four-day school week
SCHOOLS: Gun threat reported on Winona school bus
SEASONS: Color almost all Minnesota brown — a very deep brown
COLLEGES: Accreditors accept WSU engineering program
ACCIDENT: Lynxville collision claims mother, two teens
RIVER: Upper Mississippi shipping ends December 9
POLICING: Motorcycle crashes zoom 14%
CRIME: Truck-stop knifing a hate crime?
CRIME: Rescued Fountain City cats, dogs flood shelters
CRIME: A savage attack on Winona jail inmate
CRIME: Teen: Drunk mom attacks with steak knife
CRIME: Minnesota missionary slain in west Africa
CRIME: From Blue Earth County courtroom:
> Fravel trial /45: Boyfriend details Maddi relationship
College scores
Soccer (women): Saint Mary’s at River Falls, cancelled
Voleyball (women): UW-Stout 3, UW-LaCrosse 2
Minnesota prep
Soccer (girls): Plymouth Providence Lions 3, St. Charles Saints 0
Volleyball (girls): Stewartville Tigers 3, Red Wing Wingers 0
Hy-Vee cutting self-checkout aisles
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa –The Iowa-based grocery chain Hy-Vee plans to phase out self-checkout lines. The 280-stre chain chain wants more face-to-face interaction with customers, insiders said. Another goal, sources said, is to reduce inventory shrinkage through shoplifting. Self-checkout will remain at some Hy-Vees but be limited to 12 items, sources said. Hy-Vee is not alone. Big-box retailers Target and Walmart are scaling back self-checkout aisles.
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