Winona Journal – Home
8September 2023

Minnesota prep

Football: Goodhue Wildcats 41, Winona Cotter Ramblers 0

Football: Kenyon-Wanamingo Knights 34, Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 6

Football: Faribault Bethlehem Cardinals 22, Rushford-Peterson Trojans 14

Football: Rochester Lourdes Eagles 21, Plainview-Elgin-Millville Bulldogs 6

Football: Houston Hurricanes 46, Mabel-Canton Cougars 6

Football: Caledonia Warriors 47, St. Charles Saints 6

(more…)

8September 2023

Wisconsin prep

Football: Cochrane-Fountain City Pirates 20, Melrose-Mindoro Mustangs 13

Football: West Salem Panthers 50, Arcadia Raiders 6

Football: Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau Red Hawks 57, Black River Falls Tigers 0

Football: Eleva-Stum Cardinals 36, Independence Indees 6

Football: Blair-Taylor Wildcats 44, Whitehall Norse 20

(more…)

8September 2023

Target says shopper attempted $750 theft

WINONA, Minn. — A Winona woman, Chelsea Danielle Welker, 39, was charged with trying to walk out of the Target retail store on the Far East without paying for a floor-cleaning machine and a variety of merchandise. The store said the goods totaled $750. This included hair-care products, eyeglasses and cosmetics. The store called police about 2:10 p.m.

8September 2023

R.I.P.: JoAnn Galewski

TREMPEALEAU, Wis. – JoAnn M. Galewski, 78, of Trempealeau, a switchboard operator for Trempealeau County until her retirement, died at Brookdale Senior Living in Winona. Shewas a graduate of Arcadia High School and completed vocational school in Milwaukee. She contracted polio at age 2. Even though this slowed her down, her family sid she persevered through positive attitude.

Detail: Watkowski-Mulyck Funeral Home

GALEWSKI joann 1944 2023 - Winona Journal

1944-2023

8September 2023

R.I.P.: Becky Holtegaard

DOVER, Minn. – Rebecca “Becky” Holtegaard, 73, of Dover, a nursing aide and teaching aide, died at Methodist Hospital in Rochester after  a short illness. She graduated from Elgin High School. Her career included jobs as a cow-milker, housekeeper, and day caregiver.

Details: Hoff Funeral Home

HOLTEGAARD becky 1950 2023 - Winona Journal

1950-2023

8September 2023

Dog in no-dog zone bites Lake Winona jogger

WINONA, Minn. — A man jogging around Lake Winona was attacked from behind and bit on the butt. The injuries were superficial, but police spokesperson Jay Rasmussen made a point of the attack in his daily news briefing to underscore that a city ordinance forbids dogs on the park side of the East Lake. The attack was about 6:30 p.m., Thursday, at Hamilton Street —  in the no-dog zone. The jogger said that the dog had been unleashed by its walker. The city’s animal control officer has a description of the dog and its owner and is looking for them. Violations are ticketable.

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Lake signage. Many signs along park side of East Lake Winona.

8September 2023

Consultants cite repair errors in Iowa apartment collapse

DAVENPORT, Iowa — An engineering study blamed the collapse of a six-story Daveport apartment building on the removal of a brick wall that resulted from an inadequate understanding of the building’s original design. Three residents died in rhe May 2023 collapse of the 116-year-old building. The collapse could have been prevented had the section of removed brick been shored up, the report suggested.

Earlier: Iowa apartment collapse death toll: Three

Earlier: First body recovered from Iowa building collapse

Earlier: Mayor: Search for collapse victims to be respectful

Earlier: Video shows Iowa apartment in stress in last seconds

Earlier: Negligence seems factor in Iowa apartment collapse

Earlier: Six-story Davenport apartment falls Apart; three missing

7September 2023

Minnesota prep

Volleyball (girls): Winona Cotter Ramblers 3, Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 1

Volleyball (girls): Rochester Century Panthers 3, Winona Winhawks 0

Volleyball (girls): Rushford-Peterson Trojans 3, St. Charles Saints 0

(more…)

7September 2023

Fifth-grader with knife: “I’ll stab him to death”

WINA midl school - Winona Journal

Winona Middle School. On Homer Road. 650 students and 48 teachers.  Grades 5 to 8.

Boy now detained at far-away emotional health facility

WINONA, Minn. —  A fifth-grader who threatened to knife and kill a fellow student at the Winona Middle School has ended up in custody at a juvenile detention facility. Faculty intercepted the fifth-grader, age 10, as he stepped off a school bus to start the day. The knife had a two-inch to three-inch folding blade. Other students on the bus had tipped school authorities about the threats as the bus was route. The targeted boy was not on the bus. At the school, authorities called police and the parents. The confrontation didn’t go well. Police said that they were kicked and bitten and that the boy repeated that he would kill the other. boy. Apparently there had been a disagreement of some sort last spring, and the boy carried the grudge all summer. His parents took him home to cool off. A few hours later the parents  called police that the boiy had run away. Police found him at a Kwik Trip convenience store, where he remained insistent on murdering the other boy, Police took him to the Winona hospital for a physical wel-being check. Police then took him to jail and began a search for a juvenile facility equipped to deal with emotional issues. Such vacancies are hard to find, but finally the boy was sent him to a detention facility in Washington County. Meanwhile, the targeted boy, also 10 years old, expressed surprise. School authorities arranged counseling.

7September 2023

Simon: State won’t keep Trump off Minnesota ballot

ST. AUL, Minn. — As pressure mounts to bar former President Donald Trump from ballots in the 2024 election, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said it won’t happen here on his watch. An exception. he said, would be a court order against a ballot spot for Trump. Simon said he does not have the legal authority to investigate a candidate’s eligibility. His plan, he said, is to accept presidntial candidates designated by major political parties. As the state’s chief election officer, Simon has been flooded with questions about Trump’s eligibility while under criminal indictments for trying to reverse his 2020 loss for re-election. In Colorado, a legal argument has been filed that the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution bars Trump from running again.

SIMN stve MN sec state - Winona Journal

Simon. Secretary of state since 2015. A Democrat.

7September 2023

“Sorry, sir, breakfast free only to hotel guests”

WINONA Minn. — A clerk at the Plaza Hotel called police to report a freeloader at the complimentary breakfast nook for guests. The clerk said that the man, when confronted, refused to leave. Police ticketed Brett John Dennis, 36, of Winona. Also he was told to pay for the breakfast sandwich he was eating and not  to come back..

WNA plaza hitel bfast nook - Winona Journal

Breakfast at the Plaza. An on-the-house breakfast is included for guests. Rooms start at $130 a night.

DENNIS brett jhn WNA free bfast B - Winona Journal

Dennis. No such thing as a free lunch. Breakfast either.

7September 2023

Autopsy: Three deaths were murders-suicide

BREEZY POINT, Minn. — Three gunshot deaths at the upscale Whitebirch Resort were two homicides and a suicide, an autopsy included. The bodies were discovered Tuesday night. Investigators concluded that Michael Charles Toner, 59, of Maple Grove, shot his partner, Melanie Michele Jansen, 54, of Maple Grove, and her daughter, Hannah Nicole Parmenter, 29, of Elk River, then shot himself in the head. Crow Wing County Attorney Donald Ryan declined to speculate on a motive. The resort is a popular Up North destination. Police went to the resort after a 911 call from Jansen’s son, who had gone there to visit. When his knocks went unanswered, Jansen looked through the window and saw a man and a woman pooled in blood on the floor. The autopsy concluded that the two women each suffered multiple gunshot wounds, Toner a single self-inflicted shot to the head. The women had checked in at the resort on Blackduck lake five days earlier.

BREEZY Pt whitebirch resort - Winona Journal

Whitebirch Resort. In Crow Wing County 20 miles north of Brainerd. Rooms start at $200 a day.

7September 2023

Fleeing driver goes into ditch, keeps going

ROLLINGSTONE, Minn. — A speeding driver who was attempting to elude a pursuing deputy lost control and went into a ditch, then drove out and kept on going. Bryan Sevilla, 20, finally pulled over on County 25 heading north toward Minneiska. The chase began about 7:20 p.m. on State Highway 248 near Rollingstone. Deputies said there was a language problem with Sevilla. He produced Nicaraguan citizenship documents burt couldn’t communicate much. As best as deputies could determine, he lives in the Rollingstone and Altura area

SEVILLA bryan Ssppeg reckless - Winona Journal

Sevilla. Booked for speeding, fleeing, driving recklessly, and lacking a driver license.

7September 2023

End of the line for LaCrosse eatery Fayzee’s

LACROSSE, WIS. — A downtown restaurant fixture on Third Street is closing. The owner of Fayzee’s, Kelsey Williams, said that difficulties caused by the workforce shortage led to the decision, as well as well as supply problems. The last cinnamon rolls from the Fayzee bakery and the last dessert served to tables will be October 8, Williams said. Fayzee’s has been in business since 1987.

7September 2023

Olmsted County ends outdoor fire ban

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A county-wide burn ban issued eight days ago was lifted by Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson. “Red flag” conditions have eased, the sheriff said. Campfires are OK again but be careful, he said.

Earlier: Drought update: Absolute fire ban in Olmsted County

7September 2023

First fire crew locked out at Miller scrapyard

2023 09 01 miller scrap fire D 1 - Winona Journal

Gate padlocked. The place had been closed up tight for holiday weekend. Once inside yard, crews spent two hours  in defense, then offense against  flames.

Firefighter log chronicles tactics to beat fire

WINONA, Minn. — The first fire crew at the massive Miller scrapyard fire on Friday couldn’t get in right away because the only gate was locked, Fire Department logs show. Fire-fighting equipment waited outside as crews tried to force the gate open. The fire was after hours, about 7:30 p.m., on a holiday weekend. As firefighters were attempting forcible entry, a Miller employee arrived and undid the lock. The Department log tells what happened next:

> One team set up defensive because the rubbish inside the  garbage transfer structure was burning so intensely.

> A second crew initiated ann attack with a deck gun on a side of the structure.

> A hydrant in the scrapyard was opened and connected.

> The second team deployed a blitz attack.

> A third team arrived.

Goodview firefighters were called to join the battle.

> The third Winona tean opened a hydrant and attacked a corner of the structure.

A fourth Winona team and a tanker truck arrived and attacked two sides of the structure

> Once the fire’s intensity was controlled, tactics turned to offensive. Crews entered the enclosed part of the building to extinguish flames that had been inaccessible from outside.

> Miller employees used a front-end loader to move large collections of rubbish with fires still burning. A fire crew streamed the rubbish to extinguish.

> A crew was left on scene to be sure the fire was completely extinguished and to extinguish hot spots and smoldering remnants.

2023 09 01 miller scrayardstreet sign - Winona Journal

Aptly named. A city street sign marks the entrance to Miller Scrap and Disposal, which is the dead-end street’s sole occupant. The scrapyard extends half a mile from Mankato Avenue down Schives Creek. Image: Steve Lunde

7September 2023

Iowa state colleges see data bright side

DES MOINES, Iowa — All three Iowa public universities have stabilized their enrollments after years of losing students. For Fall classes:

University of Iowa: The freshman class, of 5,064 students, is the fourth largest in history.

Iowa State University: An enrollment of 30,177 is up 208.

University of Northern Iowa: Enrollment of 9,021 students is the largest year-to-year increase in more than a decade.

The data aren’t all oranges-to-oranges parallel, but the signs are positive, said Northern Iowa spokesperson Pete Morris. Even so, overall enrollment overall remans the lowest since the 1970s. It’s a mirror a nationwide decline. Morris noted that fewer  Midwest high school students are pursing any post-secondary education.

7September 2023

Follow-up on bad driving report finds drugs

WINONA, Minn. — A Winona driver was stopped on the East End after reports of erratic driving coming down into town on Highway 43. Officers said they found drugs in the vehicle. Heather Lynn Meinke, 31, was booked for possession of a controlled substance. A man sleeping in the back seat, Zachery Chad Koetz, 25, of Wabasha, was arrested on a warrant out of Wabasha County. The car had passing on the shoulder and speeding. The stop was on Mankato Avenue about 3:20 a.m.

MEINKE heather lynn DERUSG 2023 - Winona Journal

Meinke. Held on drug charge.

7September 2023

Your pinball machine need fixing? Here’s answer

WINONA, Minn. — Soon a new generation of soldering experts will be counting out of the Winona schools, having learned their craft on busted pinball machines. Matt Wagner, who teaches at the Winona Learning Center, has started a club that repairs and restores pinball machines. The club has roots in a summer softball league when Middle School science teacher Joe Cynor mentioned to Wagner that he needed some wires soldered together for his science class this fall. Wagner lent a hand, and now soldering is a skill learned at both schools.

Soldering tools in hand. At the Winona Middle School, science teacher Joe Cynor and softball buddy Matt Wagner, of the Learnug Center faculty,  take a break. “Say cheese.”

WNA oinball teachr stdnt - Winona Journal
6September 2023

College scores

Soccer (men): Saint Mary’s 2, Bethany 1

Soccer (women): UW-LaCrosse 3, Concordia of Wisconsin 0

6September 2023

Charge: She snubs the court, keeps seeing minor

STOCKTON, Minn. — A Minnesota City woman, barred from contacting a juvenile girl in a pending sexual assault case, was arrested and jailed for violating no-contact court order. Jessica Heilee Devorek, 26, was stopped by deputies on County Road 23 near Stockton about 8 p.m. The court order has been in effect since September.

Earlier: Foster mom accused of strangling teen

DEVOREK jessica hailee SEX 2023 - Winona Journal

Devorek. Deputies hail her down near Stockton.

6September 2023

Crash at Eyota round-about hurts driver

EYOTA, Minn. — An Iowa driver crashed into the middle of a four-year-old roundabout and vaulted into a ditch and was injured. Bernard Edward Merten, 81, of Toeterville, was taken 16 miles to a Rochester hospital. His injuries were non-life threatening, police said. He was westbound, heading toward Rochester, about 11:55 a.m. He was driving a 2007 Ford 500, whose airbag deployed. The round-abut is on Highway14, the main Winona-Rochester route, with exits to Plainview and Interstate 90.

6September 2023

How fitting: She’s been sculpted in butter

WARD riley ST CHAS ilke way cabdt - Winona Journal

As tradition has it. A St. Charles lass who grew up on a dairy farm found herself immortalized in butter — at least until it melts. Riley Ward was a finalist in the Princess Kay of the Milky Way competition at the Minnesota State Fair. She begins collge this week at the University of Minnesota Duluth, majoring in economics.

Earlier: State Fair was packed but nothing like record 2019

6September 2023

Former LaCrosse County exec runs for Congress

LACROSSE, Wis. — A well-connected LaCrosse Democrat, Tara Johnson, wants to unseat Derrick Van Orden as western Wisconsin’s member of Congress. Tara Johnson, former chair of the LaCrosse County Board, announced her candidacy for the WI-3 Democratic nomination. To run, she said she was resigning from executive board of the La Crosse County Democratic Party. “Politicians like Van Orden are taking us backward,” said Johnson. “I’ll always fight for access to safe, legal abortion rights, expanding access to more affordable health care and prescription drugs, and ensuring Social Security and Medicare are there for the generations who earned it.” Van Orden, a Republican and Trump enthusiast, has not yet announced whether he’ll seek a second term. In 2011 Johnson became the first woman to serve as LaCrosse County Board chair. She chose to not run for re-election in 2020.  She is the third person to announce their candidacy for Democratic congressional nomination.

JOHNSOON tara lse brd chair CING W 2 - Winona Journal

Johnson. Says Van Orden as failed to support veterans, even though he flaunts having once been a crack Navy SEAL. Her age: 61.

Verbatim

Johnson: “During his short time in Washington, Representative  Van Orden has embarrassed us with his temper tantrums, joining insurrections at the Capitol on January 6, and voting again and again against real solutions that would cut costs and make life better for people in every corner of this district, Enough is enough.  I can’t sit on the sidelines while our rights are being taken away and our Congressman cares more about the MAGA agenda than the people he claims to represent.”

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The worthiest goal of journalism is to promote intelligent citizen involvement. Such is our goal with Winona Journal. We focus on local issues so you can go about your daily activities with confidence that you can be a genuine and valued part of informed public dialogue on the kind of community we’re building.

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