KELLOGG, Minn. – A wild police chase north out of Goodview ended with the pursued driver crashing into a sandpile at a dead-end road 22 miles away near Kellogg. Also crashing into the sandpile was one of six police vehicles that had engaged in the pursuit. Arrested uninjured was Alexia Grace Brown, 20, of Arcadia, Wisconsin. The chase began about midnight when a Goodview police officer clocked Brown northbound out of Winona on Highway 61 at 72 mph in a 55 zone. She didn’t stop. In vain attempts to elude officers, she three times made u-turns across medians – north back south, north again, south again and north again. During all this, more police joined the pursuit, also making the serial hair-pin reverses. Not even a spike strip stopped Brown. She maneuvered around the spikes – as barely did the squad car that was tightest on her tail. During all this she was weaving across lanes and back and forth over center lines and into fog lines.  Her driving acumen — or luck — was all the more remarkable considering she was drunk, police said afterwards. It was near Kellogg that Brown turned onto a county road and then the dead-end street.  Although Brown was not injured thumping suddenly onto the sandpile, the Winona County deputy in closest pursuit also smacked into the sand and suffered back pains in his own impact.  Both vehicles were damaged. Brown was booked into Winona County jail 5-1/2 hours after the chase began. She spent the rest of Sunday sobering up to see the judge first thing Monday.

Brown. Charges include fleeing police, speeding, reckless driving, driving drunk, driving without a license. Other charges were pending.

On Highway 14. In Stockton on a heavy commuter route into Winona from western reaches of Minnesota House District 26-A. Kruger is facing Dwayne Voegeli in a Democratic run-off on August 13. Kruger’s campaign spokesperson declined to confirm how many billboards Kruger has purchased. This is the only one we could find. Image: Steve Lunde

Earlier: Winona legislative candidate posts

ROLLINGTONE, Minn. – An estimated 200 young people crashed what was supposed to be small gathering of buddies around a bonfire outside Rollingstone. By 11 p.m. the gathering had becme was so out-of-hand that the farmer who owned the site called sheriff’s deputies from Winona to break it up. Not until two hours later did the deputies have everyone dispersed and on their way somewhere else. The farm-owner said he had given his son permission for a couple of friends to come ever over for an end-of-the-school year gathering. Somehow word got around on social media that the bonfire was the place to be. This place was in the 20000 block of Countv Road 114 — not exactly easy to find on back-country roads in the dark , but the lure of Saturday night partying at a remote place hada magnetic lure. Nor was the party hard for deputies to find after the father called. Something like 70 cars were parked cattywampus and everywhere. The party-crashers, who brought their own beer, were in full revelry. When the deputies pulled up, panic set in. Suddenly all the Good-time Charlies and Charleens began scattering. With only three deputies on duty overnight in the whole 226 square miles of Winona County, the officers didn’t attempt any arrests. They focused instead on seeing that drivers leaving the party were themselves sober enough to be driving. Most of the vehicles headed off east toward Olmsted county line.

Earlier: Party-pooping cops pinch under-age revelers

Earlier: Crashers ruin party in west Winona County

WYATVILLE, Minn. – A Lewiston man ran off the road into a ditch and was injured at the 90-degree County Road 25 bend at County Road 23. Ross Richard Wobig, 38, was taken 40 miles by ambulance to a LaCrosse hospital. His injuries appeared non-life threatening. There was open beer in the car and Wobig admitted to having imbibed, deputies said.

ELBA, Minn. – A land-owner near Whitewater State Park didn’t like a drone hovering around his property and threatened to shoot it out of the sky. A Winona County deputy arrived and ascertained that the drone was being flown by a land surveyor with a legitimate contract. That mediated the confrontation.

Elba tensions

Pioneer surveyors didn’t get all Winona County property lines quite right. Their unfortunate legacy has been mashed-up and overlapping property lines arond Elba. The thinking back then was that nobody would much care or even notice the surveyingg messiness in remote corners of the county. Wrong. Countless lawsuits over the years have left persistent ambiguities around Elba and unhappy neighbors.

Backyard surveillance. The gentleman stole 12 pounds of brisket overnight from a backyard smoker. Thanks to a surveillance camera, Eau Claire police have a very good idea what he looks like. Image: Eau Claire police

LACROSSE, Wis. – The La Crosse Aviation Board has named a new director for the LasCosse airport. Jeffrey Tripp has been manager of the two run-way airport in Cottonwood, Arizona, southwest of Flagstaff. The Cottonwood field averages 130 operations a day and is home to 47 airplanes and three helicopters but no commercial service. At LaCrosse Tripp will manage a facility with commercial airline services.

Earlier: LaCrosse still seeking LSE airport director

Tripp. Moving from municipal Arizona airport to regional LSE.

WYKOFF, Minn. – Some Winona sixth-graders were so traumatized after their school bus wrecked Friday that they refused to climb aboard a second bus that was dispatched to take them 50 miles home to Winona. Instead vans were sent for students who spurned another bus ride. The students had crawled out of a rear door and roof hatches after the bus slid off a country road and rolled on its side. The students, mostly 12 years old, huddled roadside after the crash to await help with four chaperones and the driver. Injuries were minor. Ambulances took three children to a hospital to be checked over. Others were treated roadside by paramedics for bumps and bruises. The crash was about 10 a.m. By 2 o’clock, all the students were back at the Winona Middle School, which had been quickly converted into a reunification center for families to pick up their kids.

Processing and coping

A School District message to parents noted that the accident was a “traumatic and unsettling experience” both for students on the bus and for students on other buses who witnessed what happened. Parents were encouraged check in with their children throughout the weekend to see if they need help processing what happened. The message suggested visiting the National Association of School Psychologists website for tips.

Earlier: Winona school bus rolls off road on field trip

Heavy-lifting. A wrecker designed to handle 18-wheelers pulled the disabled bus back to the right-of-way on 212th Street west of Preston. Image: Fillmore County sheriff

WINONA, Minn. – Police arrested a Winona woman who reportedly had gone berserk at her mother’s place, threw white paintn\\t all over, and then corralled her mother in a bathroom and slapped and kicked her.  Arrested was Justine Julia-Kay Cada, 34. Police were called abut 12:25 a.m. by a third woman who had fled the place and was waiting outside in the 600 block King Street when officers arrived. She said that Cada was highly intoxicated and aggressively agitated. The  mother had retreated into a bathroom and Cada forced her way in and physical attacked her, the witness told police.

Cada. Booked for assault causing fear and harm.

Softball: Wabasha-Kellogg Falcons 21, Blooming Prairie Amazing Bloomers 1

Softball: Wabasha-Kellogg Falcons 4, Blooming Prairie Amazing Bloomers 1

MINNESOTA CITY, Minn. – A man, Rodolfo Ramirez-Guevara, 31, was arrested after deputies were called to the Hidden Valley trailer court for a domestic incident. Police were told that Ramirez-Guevara had yelled at a woman. slammed walls, and hit her. The call was about 9:30 p.m. The woman, although frightened, wasn’t seriously hurt, police said.

Ramirez-Guevara. Booking charge: Assault causing harm and fear.

WINONA, Minn. – Police arrested a Winona man at Lake Park Lodge for yellimg and swearing at young people in the park, including homophobic slurs. William Earl Davis IV, 51, was charged with disorderly conduct. This was about 9:10 p.m.

WINONA, Minn. – A cyclcist on an electric bike saw the battery pack smoking between his legs and threw the bike down and ran. Police used a dry chemical extinguisher against the battery pack. When firefighters arrived, they removed the hot battery pack from the bike with a long-handle wire cutter. With a scoop shovel they submerged the pack in a salvage bucket. The biker said he was uninjured. This was about 3:50 p.m. in the 200 block of East Howard Street.

NODINE, Minn, — A semi-truck rig rolled over on Interstate 90 near the crest of the Four-Mile Grade between Dakota and Nodine. The driver, Michael Lawrence Curtis, 65, of Ludowici, Georgia, was taken 17 miles to a LaCrosse hospital. His injuries were non-life-threatening, police aid. The accident was about 12:30 p.m. The Freightliner Conventional F was eastbound toward Wisconsin when it lost control and went across the grassy median and oncoming westbound lanes and into the ditch. Debris briefly blocked westbound lanes heading toward Lewiston, St. Charles and Rochester.

WINONA, Minn. – A candle-light vigil against domestic violence has been organized for Saturday evening at the riverfront Levee downtown. Organizers said the event is on the birthday of Maddi Kingsbury to bring awareness to domestic violence. Kingsbury was killed amid domestic strife in 2023. Time: 7:30 p.m. The event, called “Break the Silence,” will include a children’s table of events. Sponsors:

> Advocacy Center of Winona.

> Bluff Country Family Resources.

> Hope Coalition.

> Women’s Shelter.

Spring outing. Bus rolled on its side but didn’t overturn. This was between Forestville State Park and Mystery Cave.The yellow school bus is a few hindred feet down the road off the right shoulder.  Image: Fillmore County sheriff

Three kids to hospital; injuries mostly bumps, bruises

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Governor Tim Walz ordered flags to half-staff at all state buildings starting sunrise Friday to honor Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell who died in the line of duty. Officer Mitchell was shot while responding to an emergency call. Walz called Mitchell, “a dedicated public servant and hero in his community who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting his neighbors.”

Earlier: Slaying of Minneapolis police officer an “ambush”

Verbatim

Walz: “Our first responders are first to step in during crisis. We must never take their commitment for granted, and we must ensure they can answer their call of duty without fearing for their own lives. My heart is with the family and loved ones of Officer Mitchell at this time.”

WINONA, Minn. – A Winona man told police he found a door unlatched after hours at the Eagles Club so, why not, he went in and helped himself to a jug of Bacardi rum, a Coors Light and a Pepsi. Brently Steven Johnson, 61, was charged with burglary. The store’s surveillance video had shown a burglary about 12:30 a.m. Based on the burglar’s clothing on surveillance video, police stopped Johnson an hour or so later. The Bacardi was half empty.