On Minnesota victory against Big Oil: “No done deed”
WASHINTON – A lobbyist for climate litigation praised Minnesota’s success in keeping a state lawsuit against Big Oil in state courts. Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, made his comment after the U.S. Supreme Court denied an oil industry attempt to move the Minnesota case into the federal court system, which the industry saw as more hospitable to corporations. Wiles cautioned, however, that Big Oil will not give up: “Big oil companies will continue fighting to escape justice.” He noted that the new U.S. Supreme Court was the third in a series of Big Oil’s “desperate pleas “ to overturn the unanimous rulings of every single court that had considered the jurisditional issue. The jurisdictional argument was an attempt to kill the Minnesota case before it could be heard in court, he sai: “After three strikes it’s time for these polluters to give up their failed arguments to escape state courts and prepare to face the evidence of their climate deception at trial.”
Wiles. President of Washington-based Center for Climate Integrity, which uses litigation to hold fossil-fuel companies accountable for climate damage.
Life-threatening wind chills into Tuesday
WINONA, Minn. – A Wind chill advisory remains effect into mid-day Tuesday with temperatures well below zero and winds making it feel even colder. Temperatures were minus-4 at midnight around Winona, not counting the chill factor. A National Weather Service advisory about wind chills covered Dodge, Houston, Fillmore, Goodhue, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona counties and adjacent areas of Iowa and Wisconsin. Wind chills were expected to bottom at minus-30 to minus-40. These are “life-threatening,” forecasters said.
The night the music died: Deejay’s laptop stolen
WINONA, Minn. – A deejay at the Market Tap bar left her station for a moment about closing time and, returning, realized her laptop had been taken from her gable. That pretty much ended the music for the evening. The deejay told police the computer was worth $1,500 to $2,800. The good news. The device was found in the afternoon in an alley behind Johnson Street 10 blocks away.
Off Third Street. At 117 Market Street.
Large farm groups join Daley expansion fight
WINONA, Minn. – The Daley family has lined up farm organizations to support expanding its dairy herd to 6,000 cows. The Winona Post reported that these organizations have committed to signing on to an appeal that the Daleys filed in December to the State Court of Appeals:
> Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation.
> Minnesota Milk Producers Association.
> Minnesota Pork Producers Association.
> Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association.
> Winona County Farm Bureau.
Support could take the form of becoming co-litigants, or filing friend-of-the-court briefs, or helping the Daleys pay for attorneys. There have been unanswered questions about how the Daleys have managed costly legal bills over seven years of protracted appeals to expand their herd from 1,500 to 6,000 cows, while simultaneously claiming their multi-generational farm can’t support all the families involved without a much larger herd.
Verbatim
Glen Groth, president of Winona County Farm Bureau, to the Post: “I think at the heart of this case is, can a farm family in Winona County get a fair hearing? If you get a political climate in the county that is hostile to ag or certain forms of ag, there is no way that farms can get a fair hearing in that kind of environment where people make up their minds beforehand.”
Verbatim
Sean Carroll, policy director for the Land Stewardship Project, which has opposed the Daley expansion: “Animal unit caps are common-sense avenues for protecting water resources while shielding local communities from the kind of unprecedented consolidation that is putting small and mid-sized farmers out of business and decimating Main Street economies.” The Daley proposal would have concentrated animal feeding operation larger than 99% of all livestock operations in the state, he said.
Verbatim
Bruce Kleven, attorney for Daley supporters: “Livestock farmers across the state of Minnesota have a significant interest in the issue of whether biased anti-agricultural groups should hold sway over the expansion of their family farms to include the next generation.”
R.I.P.: Cheryl Rae Halleron
WINONA, Minn. – Cheryl Rae (Smith) Halleron, formerly of Litchfield and Willlmar, who spent her last five years in Winona with family, died at age of 73. She suffere early dimentia. In Willmar she worked for Anderson Insurance Agency. In Litchfield worked for Rare Earth Coatings.
Details: Hoff Funeral Home
1950-2024
News summary at week’s end January 13, 2024
POLITICS: Pelowski’s CoVid-driven family decision to retire
ENVIRONMENT: Ellison’s jurisdictional triumph over Big Oil
WINTER RISKS: Winona driver spins into snow plow, injured
CRIME: East End raid nets two arrests, meth, Rx pills
COLLEGES: Hot brew for hot chancellor: Sold out
COMMENT: New state flag foes get it wrong /jv
College scores
Basketball (men): Bemidji State 93, Winona State 58
Basketball (women): Winona State 44, Bemidji State 43
Hockey (men): Saint Mary’s 3, St. Olaf 2
Hockey (women): Saint Mary’s 5, St. Olaf 2
Minnesota prep
Basketball (boys): Winona Winhawks 88, Red Wing Wingers 77
Basketball (girls): Winona Winhawks 86, Red Wing Wingers 77
Basketball (girls): Winona Cotter Ramblers 74, Hayfield Vikings 68
Hockey (girls): Rochester Century Panthers 3, Winona Winhawks 0
Wisconsin prep
Basketball (boys): Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau Red Hawks 55, Fall Creek Crickets 52
Basketball (boys): LaCrosse Aquinas Blugolds 73, Arcadia Raiders 38
Basketball (boys): Bloomer Blackhawks 71, Mondovi Buffaloes 20
Hot brew for hot chancellor: Sold out
LACROSSE, Wis. – At 5:03 p.m. the 608 Brewing Company announced it was sold out of its special Hot for Chancellor brew. The limited-time-only brew had been introduced at the 608 taproom only two days earlier as gesture of support for Joe Gow, the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse chancellor who was fired by the UW Board of Regents for performing at full mast in sex videos that went viral. Needless to say, the Hot for Chancellor beer was also a slap at the regents, whom Gow has called hypocrites and prudes.
How Now Gow? He’s thumps-up with 608 Brewing proprietors at the launch of the Hot for Chancellor label.
Snowmobiler safe after crash in open water
FOLEY, Minn. — A16-year-old boy was treated for hypothermia after his snowmobile hit a patch of open water on ice-covered Little Rock Lake north of Sauk Rapids. He’s OK, said Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck. A witness on shore saw the youth slow the snowmobile when he spotted the open water ahead – but it was too late. As the snowmobile sank, the youth managed to climb onto ice and walk to a fish house and find an angler. The angler took him to the St. Regis Park landing and then to a hospital. Sheriff Heck said that lake ice wasn’t t yet ready for vehicles, despite a recent cold spell.
Truck cracks through Mille Lacs ice; driver dies
Rescue too late. Pickup driver in cold-water floating gear was retrieved alive but died in hospital. . Image: Mille Lacs County sheriff
Lake ice uneven — and way too thin
ISLE. Minn. – A local man died after his truck broke through six inches of ice on Mille Lacs near Flagship Inn. Richard Gadbois, 80, of Isle, was wearing a floatation device, first-responders said. They pulled him to shore and took him 12 miles to the Onamia hospital, where he died. Sheriff Kyle Burton said a truck needs 13 to 17 inches of ice to traverse the lake safely.
Snow, cold brighten Steeplechase ski prospects
MAZEPPA, Minn. – With the current cold snap, the owner of Steeplechase tubing and ski hill hopes to be fully operational soon. Justin Steck said the key for skiing will be when artificial snow is built up to three or four feet. Tubing runs need less snow. Steeplechase skiing was dormant for 16 years, but Steck has cleared 30 acres of skiable terrain with a 240-foot vertical drop overlooking the Zumbro Valley south of Mazeppa.
Making winter hay. The Steeplechase event center, which specializes in weddings, is coming back with winter ski runs.
College scores
Basketball (men): Winona State 78, Sioux Falls 60
Basketball (women): UM-Crookston 77, Winona State 69
Gymnastics (women): UW-LaCrosse 188.950, Simpson 178.825
Hockey (men): Saint Mary’s 5, UW-Stout 2
Hockey (women): Saint Mary’s 5, St. Olaf 3
Minnesota prep
Basketball (boys): Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 0, Cannon Falls Bombers, postponed, first half
Basketball (girls): Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 0, Cannon Falls Bombers, postponed, first half
Wisconsin prep
Basketball (girls): Onalaska Luther Knights 0, Black River Falls Tigers 0, postponed, first half
Basketball (girls): LaCrosse Aquinas Blugolds 0, Wisconsin Rapids Assumption Royals 0, postponed, first half
More snow predicted; I-90 declared perilous
WINONA, Minn. – A second major wave of winter was expected to add four more inches of snow across southern Minnesota by Saturday — on top of what was already on the ground. The National Weather Service forecast continuing blizzard-like conditions, the worst in northern Iowa. Meanwhile, the State Patrol posted a critical warning for all of Interstate 90 through Minnesota’s southern tier of counties. Some long-distance tuckers with a choice of routes switched north to I-94 through the Twin Cities – even if it meant more miles to their destinations.
Doctor seeks record of secret murder proceedings
ROCHESTER, Minn. – An attorney representing a Mayo doctor accused of poisoning wife filed for access to transcripts of the grand jury proceedings that indicted him for rnurder. This is a routine defense procedure, Meanwhile, Connor Bowman remains jailed in lieu of $5 million bail.
Dresbach lock-dam project precludes ice-fishing
DRESBACH, Minn. – Ice-fishing is off limits at the Mississippi River lock at Dresbach because of construction. The Army Corp sf Engineers, which operates the lock and dam, said also that parking is inaccessible because of contractor equipment. The project is scheduled to continue through March.
“Snow day” declared at most schools in region
WINONA, Minn. – These schools will be closed due to anticipated sub-zero cold, snow and winds. Daycare is open in some cases.
> Buffalo County: Alma. Cochrane-Fountain City, Gilmanton, Mondovi,
> Fillmore County: Harmony Fillmore Central, Lanesboro, Mabel-Canton, Rushford-Peterson, Spring Valley Kingsland, Wykoff St. Johns,
> Goodhue County (southern and eastern): Lake City.
> Houston County: Caledonia. Houston, LaCrescent-Hokah, Hokah St. Peter, LaCrescent Montessori, Spring Grove.
> Jackson County (southern): Black River, Melrose-Mindoro.
> Olmstead County (eastern): Dover-Eyota, Stewartville, Stewartville Zion.
> Trempealeau County: Arcadia, Blair-Taylor, Independence, Whitehall.
> Wabasha County: Wabasha-Kellogg, Zumbrota-Mazeppa.
> Winona County: Lewiston-Altura, Nodine St. Johns. Ridgeway, Riverview, Rollingstone, St. Charles, Winona, Winona Hiawatha Valley, Winona Hope.
How they voted: In northeast Iowa caucuses
DES MOINES, Iowa – Former President Donald Trump won the Iowa Republican caucus with 51%. Second was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 21%, then former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. The voter turnout, 110,000, was suppressed by sub-zero weather. Here are the results in counties along the Minnesota border:
b Allamakee (Waukon, county seat)). Trump, 54%; Haley, 19%, DeSantos, 17%.
> Winnishiek (Decorah): Trump, 54%; Haley, 19%; DeSantos 17%.
> Howard (Cresco): Trump, 64%; Haley, 17%, DeSantos, 10%.
> Mitchell (Osage) : Trump, 50%; DeSantos, 20%; Haley, 15%.
> Worth (Northwood): Trump, 67%, DeSantos , 12%, Haley, 10%.
Minnesota prep
Basketball (boys): Northfield Raiders 61, Winona Winhawks 59
Basketball (boys): St. Charles Saints 69, Winona Cotter Ramblers 56
Basketball (boys): Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 61, Harmony Fillmore Central Falcons 59
Basketball (girls): Winona Cotter Ramblers 73, St. Charles Saints 24
Basketball (girls): Harmony Fillmore Central Falcons 48, Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 45
Basketball (girls): Rochester Marshall Rockets 53, Winona Winhawks 47
Hockey (girls): Winona Winhawks 5, Austin Packers 0
Wisconsin prep
Basketball (girls): Blair-Taylor Wildcats 47, Alma Center Lincoln Hornets 27
Basketball (girls): Cochrane-Fountain City Pirates 57, Onalaska Luther Knights 42
Basketball (girls): Onalaska Hilltoppers 64, Arcadia Raiders 39
As Tom Smothers would say: “Protect your bippies”
WINONA, Minn. – The National Weather Service issued a warning for all southeast Minnesota and north Iowa for significant overnight snow and strong winds. Accumulations of six inches to 12 inches were expected. Forty mile-an-hour winds will whip snow, reduce visibility, and lead to hazardous driving conditions. It’s worse in far southwest Minnesota and adjacent Iowa where blizzards were expected. The Weather Service’s technical definition for a “blizzard” is a storm lasting more than three hours with sustained winds of 35 mph with frequent gusts to 35 mph and considerable falling or blowing snow frequently reducing visibilities to less than a quarter mile.”
Snow forecast. Bitter cold coming too. Image: National Weather Service
Smothers Brothers. At the cutting edge of social commentary in the 1970s with “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” on CBS. Tom, who died in December at age 86, had a line “And don’t freeze your bippies off.” So what’s a bippie? He never said.
Valley View Mall update: Macy’s to be razed
LACROSSE, Wis. – The LaCrosse City Council approved a plan to tear down the Macy’s department store at Valley View mall and build three restaurants and a car wash on the site . The floundering New York based Macy’s closed its Valley View store in 2017. The building itself is owned by an Illinois investment group, GMX, which had been unable to find a new tenant.
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