ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is waiving day-use fees Sunday at its recreation areas nationwide in observance of the Corps’ birthday, June 16. Day-use fees also are being waived the following Wednesday for Juneteenth National Independence Day. The waiver covers fees for boat launch ramps and swimming beaches but not to camping and related services, or fees for group picnic shelters and events. Note: Some Corps-contract operators may not be participating.

> Upriver from the Minneiska dam: Lock and Dam 5, Belvidere Slough landing, Goose Lake landing, Buffalo City shoreline, Great River landing, Lizzy Pond Way, Lower Spring Lake landing, Upper West Newton landing, Weaver landing.

> Near Fountain City dam:  Mcnally landing, Verchota landing, Minnesota Boat Club.

> Upriver from Trempealeau dam: Prairie Island Park and landing, Trempealeau, Trempealeau public landing.

> Near Dresbach dam: Brice Prairie shoreline, Fisherman’s Road landing, Sherman’s Road landing, Long Lake landing, Nelson Park, Round lake landing, Upper Dike landing.

> Near Genoa dam: Goose Island Park, Lawrence Lake Marina, Stoddard Park, Wildcat Park.

DOVER, Minn. – A Utica couple were injured when their motorcycle left the roadway on U.S. 14 and rolled. Bonnie Faye Kiese. 69, the driver, and Bonnie Faye Kiese. 69, were taken 23 miles to a Rochester hospital with injuries that appeared sustainable. They were headed east toward Utica. Both were wearing helmets. They were on a 2002 Honda. He accident was about 12:15 p.m. near the Dover exit.

WABASHA, Minn. – Heavy rains have pushed the Mississippi River into mild flooding behind the Alma dam. The river has backed up over all the sand at Wabasha’s Beach Park. Swimmers and sun-bathers have been spreading their towels on grass on higher land – not the sand. Riverside at Slippery’s bar and grill, docks are floating high. The steps down are under water. A flood warning has been issued through Sunday for Wabasha County and also for Buffalo County in Wisconsin.

Earlier: High river affects Wabasha sewer upgrade

WINONA, Minn. – Planners for the annual Steamboat Days festivities es have arranged free buses from the  new Fastenal parking lots on Huff to downtown events a few blocks away. Also, planners said, the Fastenal lots will be great for parking and watching fireworks. Shuttles will run every quarter hour. Schedule:

> Thursday and Friday: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

> Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

LANESBORO, Minn. – Former Governor Jesse Ventura is loading his saddlebags with goodies from his cannabis retirement project and heading to Lanesboro. Ventura’s touristy Root River stop will be Saturday. He’ll be touting his Jesse Ventura Farms products from 12 to 1 p.m. at the Parkway Place site of a now-defunct coffeehouse and marketplace.

Earlier: Next for Jesse Ventura: A cannabis brand name

Ventura. At 201 Parkway Avenue. Goodies expected to include gift cards.

WINONA, Minn. – Police got a call from Walmart that a man in the store had opened and damaged a merchandise box containing a music playback appliance and also a Pink Floyd album. This was Friday about 3:05 p.m. Police ticketed Matthew Bradley Connor, 45. A house detective signed a do-not-return order barring Connor from Walmart for  a year. Two hours later a clerk at nearby MGM Liquor called police to report Connor had stolen a can of beer from a cooler. This meant a second citation, The next day, police said, Connor was back at Walmart despite having been told in writing that he he wasn’t welcome back. This time, house detectives said, he walked off with $40 in merchandise. Enough was enough: Police took Connor to jail.

Connor. Homeless and on a trouble local odyssey.

THUNDER BAY, Ont. – A 689-foot iron ore carrier began taking on water off Isle Royale in Lake Superior and partially flooded. As the Canadian-flagged Michipicoten listed 15 degrees, another ore carrier pulled alongside and took on 15 of the 22-person crew. The remaining Michipicoten crew stayed aboard in hopes of limping 50 miles to Thunder Bay. No one was believed injured. The incident was about 7 a.m. The Michipicoten was fully loaded with 23,000 tons of taconite from an iron-ore processing plant in Two Harbors, Minnesota, The Michipicoten’s normal speed fully loaded is 14 mph. It was headed 400 miles east across the length of Lake Superior to the Algoma steel factory in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Sime initial speculation was that the Michipicoten struck an underwater object – even though the incident was on a well-charted route 35 miles off  Isle Royale with depths of 500 to 650 feet.

The ore boat Michipicoten. On its own power heading to the nearest port after its hull cracked 35 miles southwest of Isle Royale.  The vessel had listed 15 degrees before  mostly self-righting. Image: Tom van der Sander

ALBERT LEA, Minn. – An Albert Lea man died when his sedan and an 18-wheeler collied in the westbound lanes at the Interstate 90 interchange with I-35 to Minneapolis and Des Moines. Oscar Antonio Ramirez, 24, of Albert Lea, died apparently outright. He was unbelted, police said. The semi’s driver, Murad Bazarov, 35, of Elmer, New Jersey, was unhurt.  The accident was about 1:40 a.m. Ramirez was in a 2005 Chrysler 300C.

WYKOFF. Minn. – The crash of a Winona school bus with 35 kids aboard on May 31 was an unavoidable accident, said Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge DeGeorge. No citation will be issued against the driver. The sheriff blamed the accident a on a soft shoulder on an unpaved backcountry road. The bus was moving slowly, DeGeorge said. No serious injuries resulted.

Earlier: After wreck, some kids won’t board another bus

Earlier: Winona school bus rolls off road on field trip

Softball: St. Francis Fighting Saints 8, Winona Winhawks 2

Track and field (boys): Caledonia/Spring Grove 67 (at 1st), Winona Cotter Ramblers 39 (at 2nd)

Track and field (girls):  Winona Cotter Ramblers 41 (at 1st), Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball 40 (tied at 2nd), Bagley/Fosston 40 (tied at 2nd)

WINONA, Minn. – As expected, Adam Fravel formally requested a venue change for his murder trial for the 2023 slaying of his ex-girlfriend Maddi Kingsbury. The request was in a nine-page brief in which Fravel’s attorney repeated earlier motions. The brief was in response to Judge Nancy Buytendorp’s request that various earlier defense motions be put into writing in a consolidated brief. The brief missed Buytendorp’s original May 17 deadline. The delay suggests the date for Fravel’s trial date may be pushed deeper into the the court’s fall schedule than original scheduled.

Earlier: Fravel venue issue: Is Winona too hot for fair trial?

Earlier: Fair murder trial possible in Winona for Fravel?

Earlier: Judge wants briefs on pre-trial Fravel issues

Earlier: CBS retells Maddi Kingsbury’s disappearance

Earlier: Fravel attorney makes case to relocate trial

Earlier: Fravel attorney: Murder trial must be moved

WINONA, Minn. – Somebody stole a box of World War field gear and memorabilia from an unlocked garage. The homeowner said the collection held sentimental value and he would appreciate it being returned. It probably has  nil resale value, he said. He told police he suspected the thief didn’t realize personal heirlooms were in the box. The theft, in the 650 block of West Broadway, probably occurred much earlier than when it was discovered, the owner said.

LACRESCENT, Minn.  – The Catholic bishops from the Winona-Rochester Diocese and the LaCrosse Diocese met on the Mississippi River bridge for a ceremonial exchange of a vessel of sacramental bread symbolizing the body of Christ. The vessel, called a monstrance, had begun its journey at the headwaters of he Mississippi at Lake Itasca and been carried south through 20 Minnesota parishes, each with a local ceremony. In LaCrescent, the Winona-Rochester bishop, Robert Barron, presided at an 8 a.m. service at Crucifixion Church. A procession followed to the bridge, where the monstrance was passed to LaCrosse Bishop William Battersby. He carried the monstrance to a service and rally at the LaCrosse Event Center. The monstrance will continue to a national gathering in Indianapolis, where three similar monstrances all will arrive after journeys from Maine, Texas and California. Although thousands of Catholics are joining local services along the way, only eight of the faithful, called “perpetual pilgrims,” all young, are making the whole route from Lake  Itasca to Indianapolis.

Confluence of the faithful. On July 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. For American Catholics this is the first national Eucharistic Congress since the 1840s, although there have been interim regional and international Eucharistic congresses.

Lake Itasca. The blue Marian Route procession had a metaphorically fitting start on the  wooden bridge over the Mississippi River headwaters near Bemidji on May 19.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Access fees to Minnes0ta state parks will be waived Saturday in the Natural Resources Department policy of one free day every season. This applies to all 74 state parks. Although admission is free, not covered are camping, rentals and special tours. Included:

> Fillmore County: Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park.

> Goodhue County: Frontenac State Park.

> Houston County: Beaver Creek Valley State Park,

> Mower County: Lake Louise State Park.

> Wabasha County: Carley State Park.

 . Winona County: Great River Bluffs, John A. Latsch and Whitewater state parks.

MABEL, Minn. — Friends tidied up their decorations where the body of Maddie Kingsbury was recovered one year earlier near Mabel after 10 weeks of searching. They posted new flowers roadside on Highway 43. The flowers again were blue, her favorite color. Down the road, where the body was found wrapped and taped in sheets, the friends laid yellow roses, signifying friendship, and sat and read books and listened to music ad wept. It was “very cathartic,” said Holly Stamschror.

Earlier: A growing tribute to Maddi Kingsbury

Earlier: Human remains found roadside near Mabel

Where the search ended. A gathering of friend on a sad anniversary. Image: Steve Lunde

WINONA, Minn. – Police recovered a bicycle a few hours after it was reported stolen from the 950 block of East Sanborn Street. The theft occurred, police were told, between 8 a.m. and noon. There was little doubt who did it or was at least was a guilty party, police said. Nicole Angelica Klink 36, of Winona, was riding the bike. This was about 10:05 p.m. in the 400 block of Mankato Avenue –only a few blocks from where the bike was stolen.. Klink was cited for possession of stolen property.