Truck wrecks atop I-90’s Four-Mile Grade
NODINE, Minn. — A long-distance trucker was hurt, albeit not seriously, when he went off Interstate 90 near the Nodine exit. The 2025 International straight truck. hit a sign and ended up on its side in the ditch. An ambulance took Damien Osiris Frazier, age 46, of Germantown, Maryland, to a LaCrosse hospital 18 miles away. The accident was about 6 p.m. Winona County deputies said Frazier was eastbound toward Wisconsin. Pavement was dry.
Minnesota tax revenue expected to climb
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The latest revenue forecast for state government looks rosy on the surface. The state budget management office is projecting a surplus of $3.7 billion for Fiscal 2027, which begins July. The projection almost triples the previous quarterly projection. Erin Campbell, state budget commissioner, credited the improved outlook to greater tax revenue from capital gains, from interest income. and trom corporate profits. Campbell cautioned, however, that a lot of volatility is afoot due to President Trump’s unpredictable and shifting policy shifts with fiscal implications. There are “structural imbalances,” she said.
Schools chief accused of vile threats for Rx
INDEPENDENCE, Wis — The Independence School Board president has posted bail on a charge that threatened a pharmacy clerk for declining to fill a prescription. The clerk told a Trempealeau County investigator that Joe Bragger was upset over the phone that there was no doctor order for the drug: “Do I need to come up there with a gun and hold you hostage until I get my meds?” Bragger went on to call the pharmacy “cocksuckers,” then hung up. The call was January 22 to Colby Pharmacy in nearby Whitehall. Checking into the clerk’s complaint, the county investigator found that Bragger had messaged a Mayo clinic two days earlier:
“Okay I called Colby Pharmacy and they will not fill the prescription without YOU or THE DOCTOR providing the PA number. I tried to give it to them they won’t take it. So please call them or I will go there and bust someone’s head open. I will not be involved in this complete month after month circle jerk!”
The subsequent criminal complaint listed one felony and two misdemeanors. The complaint quoted Bragger denying that he wanted to hurt anyone. He was trying only to “elevate the conversation.” Bail was set at $200.
Bragger. Multiple-term president of Independence School Board. Age 58.
Indeoendence profile
Independence, in central Trempealeau County, has a population of 1,500.The Independence School District has 420 students in three schools. The district’s minority enrollment: 60%. Economically disadvantaged students: 48%.
Cops: Meth found on snoozing driver
WINONA, Minn. — A Rollingstone man was arrested for illegal drugs and other charges after officers found him passed out in a car, the motor running, on the Far East End. This was 1:40 a.m. Police rousted Marty Todd Hayley, age 53, and found a baggie with meth crystals in a front trouser pocket. His eyes were bloodshot and watery, officers said, but he passed a blood-alcohol test — an acceptable 0.04%. However, officers realized on-site that Hayley had driving restrictions not to touch alcohol or drugs at all. Also, a judge had ordered him to have an ignition interlock device on his car to detect alcohol. There was no such device hooked up, officers said. This arrest was on Mankato Avenue near Shive Road.
College scores
Basketball (women): UW-LaCrosse 82, UW-Stevens Point 63
Basketball (women): Concordia of Moorhead 71, Saint Mary’s 62
Minnesota prep
Basketball (boys): Dover-Eyota Eagles 76, Winona Cotter/Winona Hope 70
Basketball (boys): Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 111, Medford Tigers 51
Basketball (boys): Caledonia Warriors 71, St. Charles Saints 42
Wisconsin prep
Basketball (boys): Galesville Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau Red Hawks 84, Onalaska Luther Saints 74
Basketball (boys): Arcadia Raiders 55, Viroqua Blackhawks 41
Basketball (boys): Cochrane-Fountain City Pirates 70, Eleva-Strum Cardinals 61
Basketball (boys): Melrose-Mindoro Mustangs 90, Gilmanton Panthers 41
Impolite parking prompts drunk-driving charge
WINONA, Minn. — A Wisconsin man was arrested after a woman called police that she had been blocked in by another car at the Kwik Trip parking lot on Old Homer Road. By the time officers arrived, the woman said the other driver had jumped a curb and driven off. Police found the car in a nearby parking lot with the driver now in the passenger seat. Adan Rubio Gonzalez, age 21, of Arcadia, was arrested and booked for driving drunk. Police said he smelled of alcohol and had delayed and slow reactions. Also: He failed on-site side sobriety exercises. His blood-alcohol tested at 0.19%. The law tolerates no more than 0.08%.
Car spins out and into truck on I-90
RIDGEWAY, Minn. — The driver of an 18-wheeler and the driver of a small sedan were injured in collision on Interstate90 90 between the Houston and Nodine exits. Taken 30 miles to a LaCrosse hospital were:
> Kayla Marie Haftarski, age 22, of Muskego, Wisconsin, in a 2010 Ford Focus.
> Eric Louis Yarbrough, 59, of Cairo, Georgia, in a 2023 Freightliner tractor-trailer.
Their injuries were non-life threatening, said first-responders. A passenger in the truck, Fabian Ladon Yarbrough, 20, of Cairo, Georgia, was unhurt. The collision occurred about 4:15 p.m. Winona County deputies said Haftarski’s car, eastbound toward LaCrosse, spun out and collided with the truck. Pavement was dry.
Extra charge for Winona jail inmate: Assault
WINONA, Minn. — Nobody except the combatants seems to know what triggered an assault at the county jail. The incident played itself out as jailers were rushing in. This was about 2:20 p.m. Nobody was injured, at least not seriously. Charged with assault was Marshawn Devon Leverston, age 25. He had been in jail since July on warrants for burglarizing, damaging property, trespassing and obstructing police.
No seventh term for Wabasha sheriff
WABASHA, Minn. — Wabasha County Sheriff Rodney Bartsch is retiring ‚—again. Bartsch made a similar announcement in 2022 but changed his mind and never filed the documents to go on the ballot. Bartsch, now age 58, has been in law enforcement almost 40 years. He lives near Elgin on the extreme western edge io the county. He commutes 24 miles to Wabasha, the county seat, on the Mississippi River. The county has 21,00 people in 550 square miles. The nearest major population centers are Rochester to the west, Red Wing to the north, and Winona to the south.
Bartsch. Among longest-serving Minnnesota sheriffs.
Notable journalism
Brock Burgey (KTTC, February 17 and 18, 2026): “16 States Have T erm Limits for The Legislatures, Minnesota Does Not”
Sophie Carson (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, February 26, 2026): “In Wisconsin Town Hit Had by ICE, This ‘Abuela’ Tries to Keep Families Afloat”
John Vogel (University of Iowa Press, 1992): “Great Lakes Lumber on the Great Plains”
What did hospital know about doctor ? And when?
WINONA, Minn. — Winona Health declined to address any specifics about hiring obstetrician Juan Carlos Angelats even though he was subject of a sexual harassment case in the Twin Cities. To news reporter questions, a hospital spokesperson issued this written statement:
“Winona Health follows a consistent hiring and credentialing process for all providers and caregivers. Each provider undergoes robust background screening and due diligence, verification of licensure and credentials, and formal review through our medical staff process. Our priority is to provide safe, high-quality care to our patients and community.”
Angelats remains listedon the Winona Health website as one of six providers specializing in women’s health:
> Juan Carlos Angelats, physician.
> Katie Duerr, nurse midwife.
> Mchael Enrico, physician.
> Keith Helsinger, physician.
> Almber Reidt, nurse midwife.
> Kara Reller, physician assistant.
Angelats. Litigation pending from previous post.
College scores
Basketball (men): MSU-Mankato 74, Winona State 62
Basketball (men): UW-LaCrosse 77, UW-Whitewater 54
Basketball (women): Winona State 70, Minot State 46
Volleyball(men): UW-Stevens Point3, Viterbo 0
Minnesota prep
Basketball (girls): Byron Bears 75, Winona Winhawks 29
Basketball (girls): Lakeville South Cougars 82, Rochester Century Panthers 39
Basketball (girls): Rochester Mayo Spartans 89, Rochester Marshall Rockets 23
No wonder: Driver’s blood tests 0.31% booze
CRYSTAL SPRING Minn. — Deputies were pretty sure what happened when they arrived at a car crash on a backroad near the Crystal Spring fish hatchery. Empty beer cans littered the scene. Others, also uncorked, were inside the wrecked vehicle. The lone occupant was OK but smelled heavily of alcohol, deputies said. His blood tested as 0.31% alcohol. Arrested was Carlos Alberto Garcia, age 23, of St. Charles. By the time deputies transported Garcia to the county jail 21 miles away in Winona, his blood-alcohol was down to 0.25%. Both readigs were in the triple to quadruple range of the legal definition of dangerous impairment. This was about 7:25 p.m. near the crossing of County Road 24 and Countv Road 37 in the bluffs between Altura and Elba.
Walmart cites shopper for bad habit
WINONA, Minn. — You might call this guy a frequent shopper. Store detectives at Walmar asked police to f nd a 65-year Winona man who made repeated shoplifting forays — seven in all, toughly one a week. Police said the man can expect seven citations by mail soon As reported by Walmart, The incidents totaled $453:
> December 30: $64.
> January 6: $43.
> January 15: $65.
> January 26: $51.
> February 1: $74.
> February 11: $73.
> February 17: $63.
Minnesotan forcibly evicted from Trump speech
WASHNGTON — A Minneapolis woman who was manhandled out of the citizen gallery at President Trump’s State of the Union address has been released from jail. Aliya Rahman, age 43, who has a torn rotator cuff tendon and multiple cartilage tears in both shoulders, said she had stood up briefly and silently to relieve her discomfort. This was about an hour into Trump’s marathon speech. Capitol Police forcible pulled and pushed her of the gallery. They stopped only when their supervisor intervened in a back stairwell. Rahman was charged with a misdemeanor punishable by six months in and a $500 fine.
Earlier incident. Rahmad is no stranger to policing violence. This image is is from her arrest in Minneapolis during Trump’s Operation Metro Surge.
Scarfed woman’s Capitol ouster
A Muslim, she was wearing a traditional scarf wrapped on her head and lower face. She was the invited guest of Ilhan Omar, an elected representative from Minneapolis to Congress. Durig Rahman’s new arrest in the nation’s Capitol, Omar was seated separately on the floor of the U.S. House or the Trump speech.
News summary at mid-week: February 25, 2026
GOVERNANCE: Walz regroups for new gun laws
GOVERNANCE: Minnesota fraud study: Agency lapses, no criminality
GOVERNANCE: Rochester’s top cop to major Trump event
POLITICS: Hedin’s hat in ring for Senate District 26
SPORTS: Sidelined Viking wide receiver dead at 25
HEALTH: Winona doctor accused of patient misbehavior
COLLEGES: Collegians contribute in Martin Luther King spirit
JOURNALISM: Winona paper’s fraud pay-outs in mail
CRIME: Cam-equipped snoop reported in campus toilet
Hedin’s hat in ring for Senate District 26
WINONA, Minn. — Organic farmer Jack Hedin continued his politically baffling aspirations. This time he announced his candidacy to represent State Senate District 26, a seat being vacated by Republican Jeremy Miller after 16 years. Hedin’s announcement came too late to be on the August primary election ballot. Hedin, a Democrat, also missed the February precinct caucuses at which party members voiced their preferences. This all follows Hedin’s brief 2026 bid for Winona-centric House District 26-A, which he abandoned because he wasn’t able to devote himself 100% to campaigning. Hedin, age 59, had recently retired from Featherstone Farms, which he had founded and built into a leading regional purveyor of organic fruits and vegetables. He won a seat on the Winona School Board in 2025 as a write-in candidate for which there was no candidate on the ballot. About his current bid for the Minnesota Senate, Hedin said he’ll make his case directly the public and to delegates ahead of the Democratic Party convention. Already two other Democrats, substitute school teacher Lynn Carlson of Winona and marketing consultant Michael Todd of Goodview, have met filing deadlines and are proceeding through conventional campaign processes.
Candidate record, priorities
Hedlin his attributed his earlier bids for elected office as attempts to fnd meaning in his retirement. Now, he said, he “fully adjusted to retirement” and can concentrate on introducing himself around the largely rural Senate District 26. The district has 80,000 people in Fillmore, Houston, Mower and Winona counties. With Jeremy Mille’rs decision not to seek re-election, Hedin said he sees “a ran opportunity “for a new voice in the Legislature. He Noted his 30 years as a farmer and employer, which he said makes him well-tuned suited with rural interests. He expressed concern that the rural economy is being drained of local and independent ownership. He’s no friend of the Trump pogrom against immigrants, He said his Featherstone Farm, which has 50 employees, depends on immigrants, as do other faners. He pledged himself to prtect public schools from cuts “handed down from Washington.”
Hedin. His Featherstone Farms is north of Rushford but earlier in Winona County’s Wiscoy Valley. Home address in Winona.
What some kids do: Another school vape case
WINONA, Minn. — A teacher found n eighth-grader with a marijuana vaping pen at the Winona Middle School. Police were called. The boy, age 13, was referred to the county prosecutor as a minor in illegal possession of a vape device. This was about 10:10 a.m.
Emergency, fire crews make 65 calls
WINONA, Minn. – The Fire Department reported 43 emergency medical calls plus 22 fire calls in recent days:
> Tuesday, February 24: 6 medical calls plus 2 fire calls.
> Monday, February 23: 8 medical calls plus 3 fire calls.
> Sunday, February 22: 7 medical calls plus 3 fire call.
> Saturday, February 21 10 medical calls plus no fire calls.
> Friday, February 20: 12 medical calls plus 4 fire calls.
> Thursday, February 19: 6 medical calls plus 3 fire calls.
> Wednesday, February 18: no medical calls plus 7 fire calls.
Earlier: Emergency, fire crews make 51 calls
Driver admits drinking: “Too much,” say cops
WINONA, Minn. — A Goodhue County driver who police said admitted to drinking was arrested as intoxicated at the wheel. August Lee Cavanaugh, age 26, of Frontenac, was stopped for speeding about 12:50 a.m. This was near Broadway and Sioux streets on the West Side. His blood was running 0.11% alcohol, police said. The allowable max: 0.08%. Also, police said, his balance, gait and dexterity weren’t working well, and his eyes were glassy and his speech slurred.
College scores
Basketball (men): UW-LaCrosse 87., UW-Stout 83
Basketball (women): Saint Mary’s 59, Hamline 52
Basketball (women): Indiana-South Bend 71, Viterbo 65
Minnesota prep
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