Crops in ground a tad earlier than 2023
WINONA, Minn. – Farmers welcomed the off-and-on drenching rain of recent days amid concern about a continuation of the 2023 drought and a precipitation-light winter. The rains, however, kept them out of the field and delayed planting. Even so, statewide, planting is ahead of previous years. The U.S. Agriculture Department reported that Minnesota’s main crop, corn, is 39% as in the ground — one week ahead of last year and four days ahead of the five-year average. Details:
Corn
2024: 39%
2023: 24%
Five-year average: 27%
Soybeans
2024: 90%
2023: 80%
Five-year: 12%
Oats
2024: 25%
2023: 13%
Five-year: 77%
Would-be pizza customer absconds with tip jar
WINONA, Minn. – A Winona man, Dakota Todd brown, was displeased when told to leave the Topper’s pizza joint on Third Street. He picked up the tip jar and walked out, a clerk told polic. Offices recovered the jar and arrested Brown. At Topper’s request, police issued a don’t-come-back citation. This was a little after 12 a.m.
Woman in fear as guy pounds door
WINONA, Minn. – A police dispatcher sent officers immediately to a West Side address when she heard pounding at a door over the 911 line. The caller, a woman, said she feared for her safety. Arriving at a multi-tenant converted house in the 800 block of West Fifth Street, officers found Rayshun Boler, 38. The woman said that Boler had been shouting threats through the door that he wanted to beat and slap her. He was arrested for domestic violence and instilling fear. Police said a court order for Boler to stay away from the address had been issued but not yet served. Offices said Boler called them names and accused the woman of infidelity. A juvenile in the house confirmed details of threats, police said.
Boler. Arrest near the Anthem indoor skateboard park on West Fifth Street.
Somebody really hates those rental scooters
WINONA, Minn. – Spring is here. The Bird rental scooters are out on Winona streets again – and again they’re being stolen and dumped way, way out of their usual GPS-tracking range. This first theft of the new season ended in Wisconsin. The scooter was heard pinging submerged up Doelle Road not far from then Trempealeau River hamlet of Dodge. Last year several Winona scooters were abandoned around Dodge, leading investigators to pursue a Dodge connection. But then a scoter showed up dumped roadside near Lewiston in central Winona County.
Earlier: Electro-scooter stolen at East End Rec Center
Earlier: Yet another Winona e-scooter stolen, dumped
Earlier: E-scooter mystery: A gang of thieves in Dodge?
Earlier: City Council renews Bird e-scooter license
College scores
Baseball: Winona State and Sioux Falls (fifth inning), called due to rain
Softball: Winona State and Sioux Falls, cancelled (doubleheader)
Head-on collision seriously injures drivers
VIROQU, Wis. – A two-vehicle collision between Viroqua and Readstown left both drivers hospitalized in serious condition. Chloe Rose Billington, 20, of Soldiers Grove, was taken 36 miles to a LaCrosse hospital. She was driving Jeep Cherokee. The other driver, Brett Lee Burkum, 38, of Viroqua, in a 2020 Kia Stinger, was taken to the Viroqua hospital. Burkum was heading north toward Viroqua when he went into the oncoming lane. Alcohol was a likely explanation, deputies said. The collision was about 5:55 p.m. on Highway 14 near Offerdahl Road.
Not much left. Of Kia Stinger after head-on crash. Wreckage awaiting a lift onto a flatbed. Image: Vernon County sheriff
In burglary’s wake, Democrats shun Senator Mitchell
ST. PAUL, Minn. – In an unexpected move, the Democratic leadership jn the State Senate has removed Nicole Mitchell from committees and told her not to come to Democratic caucus meetings. Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, D-St. Paul, announced the decision. Mitchell, D-Woodbury, is accused in Detroit Lakes of attempting to burglarize a relative’s house 1-1/2 weeks ago. As a crime against property, burglary legally is less serious than crimes against persons, which makes Murphy’s censureship curious: In the past the Senate leadership has turned a blind eye to other members’ drunken driving, which can have lethal consequences. Burglars don’t kill people
Verbatim
Murphy: “This is a tragic situation, and there are still questions that need to be answered. The legal investigation is ongoing, and last week, we referred her case to the Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct. While the case is under review both in the Senate and in the courts, Senator Mitchell will be relieved of her committee assignments and removed from caucus meetings.”
Notable journalism
Gabriel Hathaway (Winona Post, April 24, 2024): “Scrapyard Insurer May Seek Over $1.3 Million from City over Fire”
Christopher Ingraham (Minnesota Reformer, April 24, 2024): “At Least Six Current State Lawmakers Have Been Arrested While in Office. None Have Resigned”
Eric Lee (LaCrosse Tribune, April 25, 2024): “Peregrine Falcon Population Makes Phenomenal Recovery in Wisconsin Minnesota”
Pickup overturns on U.S. 63, killing driver
ORONOCO, Minn. – The driver of a pickup truck died in a rollover on U.S. Highway 63 north of Rochester. Killed was Corey Christopher Krohn. 55, of Rochester. The accident was about 1:55 p.m. A passenger, Wyatt Russell Krohn, 15, of Rochester, received sustainable injuries. They were driving toward Zumbro Falls in a 2018 Dodge Ram. Pavement was dry, deputies said.
Quest for Tylenol: Zvirblis climbs on firetruck
WINONA, Minn. – The least wanted man in downtown Winona, who’s been hauled out of stores countless times and told not to come back, has intruded unwanted again: This time Michael Wade Zvirblis, 56, climbed onto a firetruck on a call at the Choate Building at 51 East Third Street and was peeking inside. A firefighter told him to climb down and called a police officer over. Zvirblis explained he was looking inside the firetruck for Tylenol. The officer took him away and released him. Zvirblis been arrested 20-plus times for untoward behavior downtown, drunk every time. His favorite place: Topper’s pizza. He doesn’t take kindly to being escorted away, but once sober in jail he’s compliant and apologetic. But jailing doesn’t seem to help. His behavior returns. Police say they have tried everything and have no options left. He’s unwelcome at homeless shelters. Police have arranged bus tickets out of town to go to family. He’s back in three days. He resists treatment. The Rochester detox center to which Winona police send seriously alcohol-incapacitated people to dry out has refused to see him anymore.
Add-on charge against inmate: A urine attack
ROCHESTER, Minn. – A Stewartville man in jail on an assault charge against a deputy during a traffic stop did it again, according to a revised criminal complaint. Andrew Fogan, 28, threw a milk carton full of urine at a jailer who came to retrieve a meal tray, the document says. Fogan said it was apple juice, A deputy who witnessed the incident, and who also was splashed, said it sure didn’t smell like apple juice. It soaked through the jailer’s vest and blouse and also the deputy’s pant leg. The incident was April 10. Meanwhile, Fogan will see a judge soon on the original charge from the traffic stop in September. Fogan had been stopped on Highway 52 near Oronoco. That criminal complaint alleged that he flailed his arms and threw punches as he resisted arrest. The deputy fired a stun-gun to gain control. The deputy suffered a swollen lip. Also, he said, it hurt.
Fogan. Accused of alternate ways to express disdain.
Hypocrisy redux: Who’s calling kettle black?
Senator Nicole Mitchell. Co-chairing the joint Senate-House veterans and military affairs committee with Representative Jerry Newton. This committee session was before her arrest in Detroit Lakes on a burglary charge. Image: Catherine Davis
Guilty pleas aplenty among uncensured legislators
ST.PAUL, Minn. – Amid knee-jerk calls for State Senator Nichole Mitchell to resign even before her day court, the Minnesota Reformer posted some history: Five fellow legislators, both Democrats and Republicans, have had scrapes with the law and remained in office. In the case of Mitchell, a Democrat, the Senate Republican leadership was quick to demand her resignation. That failing, they demanded an ethics investigation. This all within hours of learning that Mitchell had been arrested inside a relative’s house. in Detroit Lake and charged with burglary. At the Minnesota Reformer, investigative reporter Christopher Ingraham compiled this list:
Representative Brion Curran, D-White Bear Lake. In 2023 she was arrested for drunken driving. She had gone into a ditch on Interstate 35. She pleaded guilty.
Representative Matt Grossell, R-Clearbrook. In 2019 he was arrested as drunk and disorderly, trespassing and driving drunk. This was at a Capitol area hotel. Blood-alcohol: 0.15%. He was ordered into rehabilitation.
Grossell again. In 2023 he was arrested for drunken driving and pleaded guilty.
Senator John Jasinski, R-Faribault. In 2020 he was arrested for driving drunk. Eventually he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. He was placed on probation for one year.
Representative Dan Wolgamott, D-St. Cloud. In 2023 he was arrested for drunken driving. He had a just come out a liquor store buying more. He pleaded guilty.
Senator Tou Xiong, D-Maplewood. In 2022 he was arrested for drunken driving. Blood-alcohol level: O.11%. He pleaded guilty and was fined $288 and and placed on probation fone year.
News summary at week’s end: April 27, 2024
GOVERNANCE: Attorney general: Fridley car-dealer a swindler
GOVERNANCE: Miller scrapyard fire may cost city $1.3 million
GOVERNANCE: State Senate sidetrack: The Mitchell mess
MAYHEM: Out of hand again: Madison block party
ENVIRONMENT: Peregrines: Long path from extinction
POLITICS: Minnesota polling: Biden, Trump close right now
COLLEGES: Gow looks to faculty support to stay at UW-L
College scores
Baseball: Winona State 8, Sioux Falls 3
Baseball: Winona State 9, Sioux Falls 7
Baseball: Bethel 3, Saint Mary’s 0
Baseball: Bethel 6, Saint Mary’s 5
Gundersen ponders Chippewa Valley healthcare void
LACROSSE, Wis. – Gundersen Health System is considering a role in the vacuum left by the financial collapse of major hospitals in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls and their health-related operations. “Our team is thoughtfully and thoroughly investigating opportunities,” said Gundersen spokesperson Christopher Stauffer. He acknowledged meeting with local officials “to help us make the best decisions.” Gundersen already operates seven hospitals and 65 clinics from bases in LaCrosse and Green Bay. Other healthcare enterprise already have expanded into the Eau Claire area:
> Marshfield Clinic. A new urgent care services at Lake Hallie.
> OakLeaf Clinics. More physicians and staff fat our clinics in Cornell, Ladysmith, Menomonie and Rice Lake.
> OakLeaf Medical Network. More services and capacity.
> UW-Eau Claire. More speech and audiology staff and services.
Expansion-minded. In 2020 Gundersen opened this 90,000-square foot clinic in Winona in direct competition with Winona Health. Gundersen has been also in merger discussions off and in the region. Negotiations with Marshfield clinic to create a 10-hospital system fell through in 2019. Negotiations with Bellin hospital system al out of Green Bay succeeded with a merger in2022
Vandals leave downtown LaCrosse mark
Drunk hooligans. Downtown shopkeepers found storefront damaged overnight. The shops included White Buffalo thrift shpp at Fifth and Main streets and shops in the Scenic Center professional building. One shopkeeper blamed young people “partying a little too hard.” There appeared to be a few display window items missing. Image: Jose Vargas
Skater lauded for ice, classroom achievement
WINONA, Minn. – A Winona High School senior, Jordyn Werner, has been honored by the U.S. Figure Skating Association’s graduating seniors for skating and academic achievement. Besides figure skating, Werner participated in three sports — tennis, track and field, and hockey. She also helped as a figure skating coach.
Werner. With her ribbons. Honored during Winona Figure Skating Club’s annual ice show.
Miller scrapyard fire may cost city $1.3 million
WINONA, Minn. – A September fire at the Miller scrapyard was caused by improperly sorted waste material from the municipal sewage plant, said scrapyard owner Jeremy Miller. The city, said Miller can expect a $1.3 million bill from the scrapyard’s insurance carrier. Miller pointed to an investigative report from the insurer that blamed the fire on methane filters that had been hauled to the scrapyard before being cooled and aired out sufficiently. The fire started in a truck that had driven into the scrapyard. Only later did the fire erupt. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but it reignited after fire crews thought it was out and left. The greatest damage was to a transfer station building and a warehouse. The scrapyard, on Shives Creek on the Far East End, is owned by former Mayor Jerry Miller and his son Jeremy, a state senator.
Sewage plant. Source of spontaneous combustion at Miller scrapyard has been traced to the Winona municipal wastewater treatment plant. At 1400 Shives Road. Image: Steve Lunde
Perils of chemistry
If damage was indeed due to spontaneous combustion from meyhane filters, experts say this could be what happened:
> Equipment at the wastewater plant captures methane gas from sewage and burns it to generate energy.
> The filtering material itself consists of iron oxide pellets that capture the noxious gas hydrogen sulfide.
> A chemical reaction between the hydrogen sulfide and iron oxide converts the pellets into iron sulfide.
> When the spent pellets are exposed to oxygen in the air, another chemical reaction generates heat.
> The reaction occurs slowly and can go unnoticed until it sparks a fire.
A fire that wouldn’t die
Firefighters knew the burning trailer was loaded general waste, including shredded fabric and filter media from the wastewater plant. They sprayed the truckload with water and pushed some persistently burning material into a pile near Miller’s transfer station ramp. The rest was off-loaded into a large structure, where crews spent two hours extinguishing it. Scrapyard workers later moved debris to the far east side of yard. It apparently relit itself five days later. Miller said the warehouse and transfer station will be rebuilt.
A disposal history
Miller Scrap has had a continuing contract to dispose of material from the wastewater plant. There never had been a previous incident, Miller said. In an interview with the Winona Post, the city’s wastewater supervisor, Paul Drazkowski, acknowledged that recent filters had performance issues and were retired earlier than the typical one to three years. The usual procedure for disposing of spent filters, he said, was to water them down and let them sit for a day to prevent spontaneous combustion.
Earlier: First fire crew locked out at Miller scrapyard
College scores
Baseball: UW-LaCrosse 8, Stevens Point 4
Baseball: Stevens Point 11, UW-LaCrosse 1
Tennis (women): Mary 4, Winona State 1
Out of hand again: Madison block party
Mifflin Street excesses. An off-campus rite of spring in Madison swelled out of control. But only a few injuries amid the socializing, mayhem and destruction. Images: Madison police
What can 150 police do with 500 revelers
MADISON, Wis. –- Police made 80 arrests, most for liquor excesses, at the annual Mifflin Street block party. Revelers overturned one car and seriously damaged another. Crowd estimates ranged from 400 to 500. Two city blocks we cordoned off. Emergency medical teams responded to 14 calls and called ambulances for 11 of them. One police officer was injured. She was struck by a vehicle at a traffic post. Although not sanctioned by the city for several years, the annual spring bash keeps going. Some 150 officers worked this year’s event. There were no signs of any political of social issues — mostly just boisterous milling around. By 5:40 in the afternoon the crowd, exhausted and mostly drunk, petered out, and police reopened Mifflin Street.
Mifflin Street reputation
The annal block party dates to 1969 as a street protest against the Vietnam war. It’s been a fixture since — midway between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona on he central Madison isthmus. It’s always on the last Saturday of April and attended predominantly by UW-Madison students. It’s evolved become more into alcohol-heavy socializing before final exams. Typically it features local bands on house porches, balconies and backyard stages. The party has not had city sponsorship since 2012. Attempts by the university and the city to create competing events have been unsuccessful.
Crowd tumbled off. An upstairs patio deck collapsed from the weight of party-goers who had crammed bumping and thumping on weak timbers.
Burglar leaves watches, jewelry behind
LEWISTON, Minn. – A woman convalescing at a friend’s place the past two weeks returned home and found two watches, jewelry and old car titles missing from her bedroom. They had been in a metal lunch box. She then found the box on a bed in a camp-trailer outside. She called sheriff’s investigators about 1:40 p.m. She said her house had been unlocked. Even so, she had no idea why someone would take the box and then leave it in the trailer and apparently not take anything else.
Car into guardrail near Red Wing; driver hurt
RED WING, Minn. – A St. Paul man driving south toward Red Wing was hurt when is car hit a guard rail. Michael Patrick Legato, 68, was treated for sustainable injuries at the Red Wing hospital a couple miles away. The accident was about 1:10 p.m. at a bend on U.S. Highway 61 at County Road 31 west of Red Wing. The airbag in the 2009 BMW 335 coupe deployed. Pavement was dry.
Cops call bicyclist’s explanation lame
WINONA, Minn. – A police officer with eagle eyes spotted a woman riding a bike that looked like one reported stolen the day before. The woman, Shona Vaneesha Booer, 35, said that an acquaintance had given her the bike and that, yes, she suspected it was stolen. She was cited for receiving stolen property. The arrest was at Fourth and Zumbro streets on the East End. The bike, a red Schwinn valued at $255, had been stolen from a front porch a few blocks away on East Broadway.
Fire at rural LaCosse home; all escape
Coon Valley remnants. Alerted by neighbors who saw smoke from the attached garage, the family got out safely The fire had broken through the roof by the time firefighters arrived. The family cat was seen running out unhurt but hasn’t been seen since. Image: Coon Valley Fire
Cotter team wins machine design competition
They call themselves Brainiacs. Five Cotter Junior High School students aspiring to engineering careers won first place in the annual tri-state Engineering Machine Design Challenge at Rochester Community and Technical College. There were 27 teams. The Brainiacs: Mateo Doerr, Clay Cagle, Gavin Slavey, Will Stier and Ifraz Mohmed. They met twice and week and weekends to brainstorm, build and fine tune a contraption they affectionately called “Rube,” short for Rube Goldberg. Their coach: Eric Paulsen.
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