Biker hurt in crash north of Caledonia
CALEDONIA, Minn.— A Caledonia motorcyclist was hurt when he lost control on State Highway 76 north of Caledonia. Injuries to Reed Jason Gordon, 19, were described as non-life threatening. He was taken 20 miles to a LaCrosse hospital. This was a little before 8 p.m. at the intersection with Holty Ridge Drive five miles from Caleldonia. Gordon was heading south toward Caledonia on a 2005 Kawasaki.
Body recovered from Mississippi backwaters
LACROSSE, Wis. – A body was found in a slough a half mile south of LaCrosse. Sheriff John Siegel said the body appeared to have been in the water several years and likely had come downstream, perhaps through at least one Mississippi River dam. Maybe, the sheriff said, it was from a tributary. A piece of jewelry on the body might belpful in identification, the sheriff said. The body was found abut 1:20 p.m.
Winona Mall sell-off into new phase
WINONA, Minn. – The owner of Winona Mall, real estate broker John Alexander, is continuing to sell off sections of the mall. Sources confirmed that negotiations are in final stages to sell a section to the Hiawatha Valley Education District, a Winona-based contract agency that schools children whose home school districts aren’t sufficiently staffed to handle. The mall has been owned by Alexander for six years. He earlier sold one section in a little-noticed transaction. A purchase agreement with Hiawatha Valley tentatively for $4.5 million is in final stages, sources said.
Current Mall tenants. Vacancies are substantial. Note store sites 6, 13, 16 and 19.
Hiawatha Valley Ed profile
Hiawatha Valley Education District provides special education services to 14 school districts and two charter schools. The individual districts transport students to HVED facilities in Caledonia, Hokah, Kellogg and Winona. It’s a cost-saving arrangement for the contracting districts, which have 12,000 students all together but which lack expert staffing for students with special needs.
Hiawatha Valley Ed enrollments
> Early Childhood Special School, Winona (PK): 42 students.
> River Valley Charter School, Winona (Grades 8-12): 19 students.
> Kellogg (PK-12): 13 students.
> Hokah (PK-12): 12 students.
> Caledonia (PK-12): 10 students.
The company has 75 full-time and part-time employees. These include psychologists and specialists in recreational therapeutics, early intervention, and behavioral issues. Head office: 1510 Bundy Boulevard, Winona.
R.I.P.: Leonard Mayer
WINONA, Minn. – Leonard “Len” Mayer, 81, who was mayor f Lewiston in the early 1990s, died at Lake Winona Manor. He joked about being “Mayor Mayer.” He was sales manager for the school yearbook publisher Camera Art in Lewiston. At Cotter High School he was on the golf team that won 1959 State Catholic Golf Crown. He later golfed for the Winona State University. He became an assistant pro for the Winona Country Club. His love of golf went back to when he was 9 and caddied.
1942-2023
Back in Winona, Stanek to face judge on assaults
WINONA, Minn. — A Minnesota City man accused of break-ins at two apartments in Winina and a terrorizing rampage Friday has been transferred from jail LaCrosse and booked at the Winona County Jail. On the day of the incidents Andrew John Stanek, 22, had been arrested, drenched in blood, outside one of the apartments. He ended up in a LaCrosse hospital for the injuries. The Wisconsin-to-Minnesota transfer back to Winona was completed Tuesday about 8 a.m.
Earlier: Minnesota City man accused of terrorizing break-ins
Regional power grid under stress
RUSHFORD, Minn. – Faced with high demand on the regional electrical grid, the Rushford-based MiEnergy Cooperative asked members to reduce consumption between from 2 and 6 p.m. The co-op has 23,000 members in 10 counties. The message: Shift electricity use to 6 o’clock or later.
Notable journalism
Paul P. Murphy and Holly Yan (CNN, June 3, 2023): “Support Brace Seen Bending as Brick Facade Began to Crumble Prior to Davenport Building Collapse, New Surveillance Video Shows”
Jordan Sansom (KAAL, June 9, 2023): “Court Docs: Fravel Had History of Domestic Violence”
Jacob Shafer (Winona Daily News, June 20 2023): “Winona Schools Prepare for Marijuana Legalization Ahead of Fall Semester”
Vehicle hits tree: Mom, kids hurt near Money Creek
MONEY CREEK, Minn. – A Rushford woman and two children were injured when their Jeep left the road and struck a tree on State Highway 76 near Cone Dale Drive. Tia Marie Christenson, 24, was taken 30 miles to a LaCrosse hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The children, a 6-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy, were taken to the same hospital, also with non-life threatening injuries. The crash was shortly before 12:30 a.m. The vehicle, a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, was heading south, toward Money Creek and Houston, on the two-lane highway.
Peeved boyfriend to jail after shotgun incident
WINONA, Minn. – A Winona man was arrested after a girlfriend, with whom he was breaking up, reported he loaded a 12-gauge shotgun and waved it at her. Christian Matthew Martin, 19, was booked for assault and threatening violence.
Martin. Booked abut 11:15 p.m. for assault with a deadly weapon.
A troubled day
This account was compiled from witnesses, police accounts and the criminal complaint:
Neighbors called police to a loud commotion. Martin had told the girlfriend to come to his place in the 500 block of East Belleview Street and pick up her things. There were relationship issues. Martin said he was peeved that she had turned off her cell phone’s GPS tracking feature and that he didn’t know any more where she was at. Later she arrived at Martin’s place, with a woman friend and was confronted outside by Martin. Reportedly he said: “Get the fuck off my property” and “I’ll shoot you.” He went into a garage and grabbed the shotgun. Later, he told police that he had meant only to scare the women and indeed had only cocked, not loaded the gun. The friend told police Martin kept the shotgun waist-high and pointed it at her. The ex-girlfriend left, but her accompanying friend stayed. To her Martin said “I’m gonna use force now because you’re on private property and that’s trespassing.” A friend of Martin’s, a man, came onto the scene and took the gun. Meanwhile the ex’s friend called police. This was about 10:15 p.m. When police arrived, Martin admitted to being “amped up and pissed off” but denied that the shotgun was loaded. He also denied pointing the gun at anyone. Police confiscated the gun, which they said indeed was unloaded.
A growing tribute to Maddi Kingsbury
Roadside memorial. Mourners have continued adding symbols of their grief at an obscure dead-end road off Highway 43 north of Mabel. Just a few yards down the road is where her slain body was found 10 weeks after her disappearance. Among memorial items: A rustic wooden cross. Most items are in Maddi’s favorite blue. Image: Steve Lunde
Bail at $1,000 in Holmen stabbing
LACROSSE, Wis. – A Holmen man arrested Saturday night for a stabbing in suburban Holmen posted $1,000 bail and was released until a later court date. Michael O’Brien, 31, had been arrested a couple hours after the incident. In a court appearance O’Brien claimed self0defense. He said the other man had jumped into his vehicle, this on a downtown Holmen backstreet about 9:30 p.m. Police said the stab wound was in the other man’s neck. The man was expected to survive. Judge Todd Bjerke set O’Brien’s bail at $1,000.
O’Brien. The charge: Recklessly endangering safety.
Enbridge to appeal Line 5 court ruling
CALGARY, Alberta– The pipeline company Enbridge plans to appeal a U.S. judge’s order to find a solution to environmental dangers from its Line 5 pipeline across northern Wisconsin. Although appealing, the company said it “remains open to an amicable resolution” with the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Enbridge, which has a long litigious history on environmental issues, said it disagrees with the judge’s timeline that Line 5 stop operating on reservation land within three years. The U.S. judge, William Conley, said he was concerned for potentially “catastrophic” damage to the water supply of the Bad River Band.
Amish buggy passenger killed in pre-dawn crash
DARLINGTON, Wis. — An Amish woman in a horse-drawn buggy was killed returning home from a long day of Sabbath services. The buggy was struck from the rear by a semi-truck about 3:10 a.m. Fannie King, 19, was thrown from the buggy and died instantly, Lafayette County deputies said. The horse also died. The buggy driver, Frannie King’s brother, Samuel King, 30, had serious injuries. He was first taken to the Darlington hospital. then air-lifted 50 miles to a Trauma One facility in Madison. The Kings had been at gathering 20 miles away near Platteville. The semi-truck driver, 39, from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was not hurt. The buggy was equipped with LED lights, deputies said. Whether the lights were operating was impossible to determine from the wreckage, deputies said. The accident was on a straight stretch of State Highway 81, which runs 120 miles from Beloit to Cassville on the Mississippi River. The accident was a couple miles west of Darlington at Burke Road. Highway 81 closed 6-1/2 hours.
Coming soon: A new look for the ol’ CP
CALGARY, Alb. — The 20,000 employees of the CPKC railroad have been asked to choose the paint job for the newly merged company’s locomotives. The company laid out five schemes on Canadian Pacific’s premier locomotive – the six-axle SD70ACU Number 7001. Voting ends this week. When will the new livery show on the mainline along the Mississippi River through Winona? Expect a slow roll-out as new locomotes are acquired and older ones go through maintenance.
Earlier: Railroad confirms choice of new logo
Musical tribute planned for Maddi memorial
WINONA, Minn. — In the spirit of a poetry slam, friends of Maddi Kingsbury are inviting musicians to express their feelings in a loosely organized performance at a memorial service. The service for the slain 26-year-old woman will be June 25 at Winona State University. “To honor Maddi’s love for music, we are asking for artists or groups willing to donate their time to play,” the group said in an online invitation. Responses came quickly. Among them, from Elizabeth Indra, operations manager at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum: “I’m a violinist and honored to play, either solo or as an accompaniment to other instrumentalists or vocalists. While I never knew Maddi personally, I’m a domestic abuse survivor and mom of three little ones, so her story really hits home.”
Earlier: Maddi Kingsbury funeral at WSU gym
A piece of Winona history for sale: Penguin Zesto
WINONA, Minn. – What Winona kid doesn’t have a memory of a summer cone from Penguin Zesto – and older folks too. That may change soon. At age 58, Rich Drazkowski is selling the shop at East Third and Carimona, as well as a sister shop in Goodview. Since 1998, Penguin Zesto has been serving walk-up burgers and ice cream. No, there’s no inside seating. Originally the Carimona shop was just plain “Zesto” — no “Penguin.” But Draz, who admits to a lifetime fascination with penguins. expanded the name. Why not? He owned he place. In the early 2000s he opened a second shop in suburban Goodview. Unlike the original summers-only Carimona shop, the Goodview location opens earlier in the year for workers to wander over from near the nearby industrial park.
A Winona landmark. Burgers, fries and ice cream concoctions. It’s future? Depends on who buys.
Maddi Kingsbury funeral at WSU gym
WINONA, Minn. – The family of Maddi Kingsbury plan a public funeral in McCown gym at Winona State University on June 25. The Sunday service will be at 1 p.m. Because the number of mourners is expected to be large, the Hoff Funeral Home said the service will also be live-streamed. Details on parking and where to enter will be announced as plans come together, the Hoff funeral home said. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferredfor Maddi’s children.
A family’s remembrance. The Kingsburys provided these images with the obituary.
Verbatim from obituary
“Madeline Jane Kingsbury came into the world on June 1, 1996. She was torn from us on March 31, 2023. Was lost and then finally found on June 7. She is the baby of the family and a bundle of joy. From an early age it was obvious she was special. By the time she was two she was stringing large sentences and complex thoughts together. People would take notice and couldn’t help but ask with exclamation, “How old is she?! “ She could definitely talk and talk and talk, carrying on conversations for hours. When she was young, she’d follow you around the house chattering away … actually, she’s always done that, not just when she was little. As many of you also know, she also loved to sing and did so beautifully. Mommy, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, friend, colleague, and co-conspirator… she was many things to many people. Big smile and big heart. That’s Madeline.”
“She grew up to be a strong and competent young woman. A graduate of Farmington High School and Winona State University. Smart, loving, a friend to all. She was also an amazing mother who loved young Ellie and Noah more than life itself. We will make sure that they come to know her through our shared memories and stories about her sense of humor, intelligence, fierce loyalty, and undying spirit.”
“Over the past several months, thousands of people have heard her story. We’ve shared much and many of them have expressed that even though they’ve never met her, they feel they know her, and even love her. Think about that. That’s our Madeline. You can’t help but love her. She’s become a part of the fabric of your community. A true daughter of Winona and Southeast Minnesota. We’re proud to share her with you.”
“She was just hitting her stride as an accomplished young woman. She loved her job as a clinical research coordinator at the prestigious Mayo Clinic. She had also just entered her first term of graduate school at the University of Minnesota in its Public Health Administration master’s degree program. She was acing it and was loving the challenge. All this as well as being a single mom to a boisterous 2-year-old son and a sweet and feisty 5-year-old daughter. Making little humans and being a mother was her greatest joy and watching her with her children was one of ours.”
“We will sorely miss her smile, her bubbling laughter, her beauty, her intelligent mind, and her charm as well as the way she folded everyone she met into her heart. No one she ever met was a stranger for long, they were just friends she hadn’t met yet.”
“Her life was cut short in a most wicked way. But it will be remembered as oh “so full.” Brimming with a measure of love and joy that most people can only aspire to and seldom experience. We’ll miss our Maddi always and forever. Know that for certain, Good does triumph over Evil. We promise that her voice will be heard and will remain loud.”
“Madeline is survived by her children, Elliana and Noah; parents David and Cathy Kingsbury; parents Krista and Deanna Naber; brother Steven Kingsbury and wife Melissa and Steven’s son Braxley; sister Megan Kingsbury and fiancé Will Hancock and Megan’s son Logan; step-sister Holly Waterston and husband Mike and daughters Whitney, Willow and Wrenley; step-sister Katja Manrodt and husband Greg and children Eliana and Niko; grandmother Garnet Hultgren; step-grandfather, Richard Voeltz; uncle Kirk Hultgren and wife Cheryl; aunt Lidia Kingsbury; aunt Alisa Flaig and husband Mark; aunt Rebecca Jacobson and husband Dean; uncle Scott Kingsbury and wife Deb; aunt Colleen Ouimet; aunt Carmelle Eickhoff and husband Tim; and cousins Jason Flaig, Suzanne McFadyen, Luke Jacobson, Allysen Jacobson, Renata Kingsbury, Kelley Hatfield, Jonathan Kingsbury, and Jacob Kingsbury. Preceded in death by grandmother Lorraine Abel, grandfather Delmoure “Red” Hultgren, uncle Rand Kingsbury, uncle Jon Elshaug, and step-sister Heather Kastner.”
Woman ejected, killed in Arkansaw UTV roll-over
ARKANSAW, Wis. — An Arkansaw woman was killed and two companions critically injured when a four-wheeler hit a gravel pile on a backroad construction zone and overturned. Jessica L. Bignell, 45, was ejected and died apparently instantly, Pepin County deputies said. The accident was a little before 9 p.m. near the intersection of County Road G and County Road Z northwest of Arkansaw. The UTV was in a convoy out for a moon-light adventure. Alcohol was a likely factor, deputies said. No one had fastened a seat belt. The convoy had passed several road-closed signs. Also ejected in the rollover were Richard L. Bignell, 47, of Arkansaw, who was airlifted 70 miles in critical condition to a St. Paul hospital, and Bradley T. Holz, 54, of Akansaw, who, also in critical condition, was taken 30 miles to an Eau Claire hospital. No one on the other UTVs was hurt.
Two injured in Root River collision
LACRESCENT, Minn. — A two-vehicle collision at the troubled intersection of Highways 16 and 26 sent two LaCrescent people to the hospital. Their injuries were described as non-life threatening. Robert John Mach, 54, and Mary Erickson Mach, 64, were on a wide sweep of Highway 16 heading toward Hokah. This was south of LaCrescent at the mouth of the Root River about 7:20 p.m. The Machs were transported seven miles to a LaCrosse hospital. The other car, traveling the opposite direction, toward LaCrescent, was driven by Maor Leker Locker, 25, of Rochester. He was unhurt. The Machs were in a 2016 Buick Encore, Locker n a1999 Honda GL1500. The impact triggered airbags both vehicles.
Finstad sincere, also shaky, on staffer attack
WASHINGTON – Congress member Brad Finstad, elected from southeast Minnesota, confirmed tyat one of his Washington staff members was recovering well from a mugging near the Capitol. The staffer was attacked on his way home after watching Democratic and Republican members of Congress, including Finstad, play a charity baseball at nearby National Park. The staffer was shaken but not hurt physically, according to police. Finstad, a freshman Republican in Congress, has a Capitol staff of six. Finstad used the occasion in a news release to repeat a GOP talking point:
“In Washington, D.C., and cities across the country, anti-police, soft-on-crime policies have created lawless societies that endanger the public and empower criminal behavior. It’s time we started treating criminals like criminals and bring back commonsense policies that imprison career criminals, keep the public safe, and allow our police officers to adequately protect our communities and keep violent criminals off the streets.”
While Finstad’s sympathy for his staffer undoubtedly was well intended, his political talking point is cliche bunk. Recent statistics show that violent crimes, including homicides, have been dropping nationwide to pre-pandemic levels. Also, police funding has increased at national, state and local levels. Too, Washington Police Chief Robert Contee has blamed crime on the growing number of guns in Washington and everywhere — even as Finstad’s voting record consistently has opposed any limits whatsoever on firearm access.
Earlier: Armed muggers attack Finstad aide
State takes over Genoa traffic stop death
GENOA, Wis. – The state Criminal Investigation Department has assumed control of an officer-involved shooting death in this Mississippi River town south of LaCrosse. This external investigation is standard protocol. The DCI’s conclusions will be turned over to the Vernon County district attorney to assess whether charges are warranted against the deputy. In the incident the deputy shot a driver who was fleeing a traffic stop with a second deputy being dragged by the fleeing car. The deputy who fired the shot, meanwhile, has been placed on administrative leave. The officer’s name has not been released by Sheriff Roy Torgeson, whose office is in the county seat, Viroqua, 20 miles from Genoa.
Steep climb up coulee now bears MIA name
Honoring Richard Schell. Winona County’s Route 25 is the county’s first to be designated a memorial highway. It spirals up the Minneiska coulee to bluff-top croplands on the way to Rollingstone. Image: Steve Lunde
Memorial markers unveiled on County Route 25
MINNEISKA, Minn. – In Rollingstone they remember a native son, Richard Schell, who disappeared in Vietnam in 1967, apparently a prisoner of war. Fifty-six years later his family, friends and well-wishers gathered to dedicate a nine-mile stretch of scenic Route 25 in his name. Roadside plaques with the MIA symbol were unveiled in ceremonies at the Rollingstone and Minneiska ends of the route — the first Winona County highway named as a memorial. A half-mile convoy climbed the steep coulee out of Minneiska for a memorial service with eulogies at Holy Trinity Church in Rollingtone. Veterans honor guards participated from Eden Valley, Eyota, Lewiston, Plainview, St. Charles, Wabasha and Winona. Richard Schell, an Army major, was among eight soldiers in a combat helicopter that was caught in a downdraft and crashed. A rescue team found four survivors and one body. No traces of the others, including Schell, were ever found. The Pentagon says Schell was later reported being seen in an enemy prison camp.
Schell. Today he would be 78 years old.
Week’s summary: Ending June 17, 2023
MADDI UPDATE:
Adam Fravel’s own account: The day Maddi vanished
Rebuke to Kingsburys in Fravel custody matter
Grandparents: Don’t let Favel anywhere near the kids
An explanation: Why not first-degree murder for Maddi?
Why Fravel to Rochester jail? High security risk
ENVIRONMENT: Peril from latest Canada wildfire smoke
LINKING HANDS: Breza honored for promoting Kashubian culture
CUISINE: Have $146 for a high-ed steak? Try Kahler Hotel
HEALTH: Mayo begins update of airlift helicopter fleet
ARTS: Eclectic performers bring chuckles, awe to river towns
COLLEGES: WSU hunts for liberal arts dean; interim fills in for now
SCHOOLS: Data on 95,000 Minnesota foster kids lost to cyber-thieves
SCHOOLS: Winona High graduation: A sea of caps and pinks
SCHOOLS: “Fuel up” summer lunch buses on Winona circuit
CRIME: Minnesota City man accused of terrorizing break-ins
CRIME: Probation granted in baseball bat attack
CRIME: Mother’s murder trial OK’d in boy’s death
Earlier: Week’s summary: Ending June 10, 2023
Houston County driver killed in Yucatan accident
HOUSTON, Minn. – A 19-year-old Harmony area man was killed and his fiance seriously ijured in a one-car accident in the Yucatan area. Dead when first-responders aruved was Seth Mason Rolfs of the Harmony area. His passenger, Abigail Nation, 18, of Houston, was airlifted to a hospital. The crash occurred on County Road 13 west of Houston.
Rural woman critically hurt in tractor accident
WYATTVILLE, Minn. — A woman was run over by a tractor and also a chopper machine and critically injured on the Gerald Lanz farm. Hoa Lanz, 74, was taken 14 miles to the Winona hospital, then airlifted to a Level One trauma facility. The accident was about 4:40 p.m. Apparently she was unhooking a tractor, which was idling, from a hay chopper. The tractor slipped into gear and began rolling down a slope. She was run over by both a front tractor wheel and a chopper wheel. This was in the 27000 block of County Highway 25 near the County 12 intersection.
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