Insider news: Best Buy closing 30 stores
RICHFIELD, Minn. –The Minnesota-based Best Buy chain of 1,000 tech stores plans to close 30 this year in the face of declining corporate revenue, according to the insider trade journal Retail Dive. The journal didn’t identify the stores being closed. The revenue issue is this: Down 3.8% to $43.8 million. In Minnesota already, the Shakopee and Blaine stores have been closed ,although the Blaine site is being refitted as a discount outlet.
Ruinous future seen in fertilizer phosphorous
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Fresh-water scientist Dan Egan at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has amassed evidence that phosphorous is horribly detrimental to the environment. His new book, “The Devil’s Element: Phosphorous and a World Out of Balance,” documents that agricultural run-off, containing even traces of phosphorous from fertilizer, has spiked epidemic growth of toxic blue-green algae. The run-off is squeezing other life forms from lakes, ponds and streams in “goopy toxic,” he says.
“Devils Element.” New in bookstores Tuesday.
Egan. Book has been likened to“Silent Spring,” the 1962 Rachel Carson book. He’s been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Hospitality award to Winona food entrepreneur
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Winona restarateur Amy Jo Marks won the Minnesota Tourism award for customer service. The annual award recognizes individuals on the front lines with outstanding service and communication with travelers. Marks’ latest venture is an upscale cocktail and wine noshery on Third Street downtown. She also owns Blooming Grounds Coffee House and Blooming Grounds Express.
Marks. Honors from state tourism and hospitality trade group.
MSP leads mega-airport rankings
MONTREAL, Quebec – For the second year the Minneapolis-St. Paul has been ranked the best large airport in North America by Airports Council International. The award was based on 465,000 traveler surveys in 90 countries and 400 airports for overall experience, security, cleanliness and dining. The ranking:
> Minneapolis-St.Paul, 800 points.
> San Francisco,796.
> Detroit Metro, 791.
> Kennedy at New York, 791.
> Orlando, 796.
College scores
Tennis (women): Winona State 6, Seton Hill 1
Minnesota prep
Basketball (boys): Lake City Tigers 60, Rochester Lourdes Eagles 49
Basketball (boys): Goodhue Wildcats 60, Rushford-Peterson Trojans 50
Basketball (boys): Lyle/Pacelli Athletics 72, Harmony Fillmore Central Falcons 42
Basketball (boys): Cannon Falls Bombers 55, LaCescent-Hokah Lancers 53
Dover-Eyote trims school staff 10% to even budget
EYOTA, Minn. – The Dover-Eyota School Board voted 7-0 to cut seven staff positions this fall. The cuts reflect declining enrollment in a rural area that had been growing as a bedroom community for Rochester. The district has three schools, 1,100 students and 71 faculty with a 15:1 student-faculty ratio. The ratio compares with 21:1 in Rochester, 17:1 in St. Charles, 13:1 in Lewiston Altura, and 13:1 in Winona.
Rochester City Council member’s behavior condemned
ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Rochester City Council voted 4-1 to censure Council member Molly Dennis for “unwillingness to respect personal boundaries along with persistent verbal intimidation toward staff and elected officials.” Dennis voted against the censure. One Council member abstained. Why the censure? The resolution cited intimidating physical behavior during Council debates, a pattern of inflammatory allegations toward colleagues, and threatening and manipulative behavior. Dennis said she blindsided at being censured. She responded that she is neurodivergent and doesn’t always speak in the way her colleagues do.
Clinical term
“Neurodivergent” is a broad term for differences in how an affected person’s brain works. These differences include medical disorders, learning disabilities and other conditions. Among these conditions, with differing severities: Autism, Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia, dyscalculia, epilepsy, hyperlexia, dyspraxia, attention-deficit disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette syndrome.
Dennis. Remains on Council but on notice that she has disapproval from a Council majority.
House OKs borrowing for infrastructure projects
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota House easily exceeded the 60% majority necessary to borrow money and to go forward with $1.9 billion in state construction projects. The package was pretty much what Democratic Governor Tim Walz had sought in the biggest part of his record $3.3 billion infrastructure recommendations. Passage was 91-43. The projects include roads, bridges, campus and other infrastructure. Many minority Republicans supported the borrowing package. The bill next goes to the Senate, where the 60% requirement may be problematic. Democrats have only a one-vote majority in the Senate. Full passage would be significant. The Legislature hasn’t passed an infrastructure bonding bill since 2020. Infrastructure spending got lost in 2022 in a Democrat-Republican showdown that ended in stalemate.
Earlier: Walz seeks record public works budget: $3.3 billion
Walz back in saddle after colonoscopy
ST. PAUL, Mnn, — Governor Tim Walz emerged A-OK from brief surgery even though a tiny piece of him, a rectal polyp, was missing. Good riddance. The governor proclaimed he had received a clean bill of health.
Earlier: Governor into colorectal day-surgery
Driver survives but loses tons of corn
WESTBY, Wis. — A truck driver suffered minor injuries when his rig went off a curve and overturned northeast of Westby. A load of corn spillled, closing County Road P for 3-1/2 hours. Thomas Malzacher, 24, of Coon Valley, was able to climb out of the truck on his own.
Bed of corn. Truck crossed lanes and rolled near Carlson Ridge Road.
A tale of blackberry brandy, a Glok, a car-jacking
MINNESOTA CITY, Minn. – Police ended a 107 mph chase with spike strips – three sets of them — to stop a stolen pickup truck at entrance to Highway 61 from Rollingstone. Arrested without resistance was Jonathan Marquist Payton, 38, of Winona. This was about noon. It had been a bizarre chase. About 11 a.m. two men drove up to one of the men’s parents’ house on remote Bear Creek Road near Altura. There the men, ages 30 and 22, saw a car stuck in snow in the driveway. They offered the man next to the car to help pull it out. The man waved a bottle of blackberry brandy, pulled a handgun, jumped the men’s pickup, and drove off, leaving his car in the snow. The two men their pickup disappear down Bear Creek and called 911. They reported the vehicle heading down the rough unpaved road toward Rollingstone. A sheriff’s deputy began pursuit on County Road 248 near Rollingstone. The driver sped up, at and point was 107 mph on the two-lane road. The deputy radioed ahead for help. Winona police laid down a set of spike strips on Road 248. The driver evaded them. Down the road a bit another Winona officer laid down a second strip. The driver evaded them too. Finally, a third strip deflated three tires on the pickup. Arrest followed. At the jailhouse in Winona, police said that Payton first consented to a blood-alcohol test, then said no. He was taken to the hospital to be checked over. Meanwhile, back up Bear Creek, 12 miles back, deputies found the brandy bottle on the ground near the stuck-in-snow car and a Glok handgun with the serial number scratched off.
Goal to puncture, deflate. It’s not every day that police need three sets of spike strips to stop a speeding car. They can’t re-used. Replacements cost $150 each.
.
Payton Tentative charges: Robbery, assault, possession of a firearm, removing a firearm serial number, fleeing police
A new place to see owls hoot, toot, trill
HOUSTON, Minn. – The International Owl Center in Houston is moving. Karla Bloem, director, announced plans for a new home by 2025 at the Trailhead Park bandshell, nearer the Root River. The center’s home has been a flamboyantly owl-decorated historic storefront downtown on East Cedar Street. Bloem said the Cedar Street site has served the center well but more space is need, The plan is two structures:
> Main building. For rotating exhibits of owl art, biological and cultural displays, program rooms, a prep room for food and specimens, and s gift shop. Resident owls will have a aviary outside and adjacent to program rooms. Currently the “owl ambassadors” reside off-site and “commute” to work, Bloem said. This aviary will house four to six species of owls that are not adapted to the local climate. One portion will beexposed to the weather. A second portion wil be climate-controlled. “The owls can choose if they want ambient or controlled temperatures, depending on their own personal preferences” Bloem said. The public can view the owls in either portion, she said.
> Walk-through aviaries. Six walk-through aviaries in the park will allow visitors to view owls adapted to the local climate in naturally vegetated enclosures with nothing between them and the owls.Visitors literally will walk through the side of the enclosures.
Bloem said most of the Trailhead Prk property was acquired in 2020. An agreement the City of is almost complete for a parcel for the walk-through aviaries.
The LaCrescent building contactor firm Wieser Brothers is in charge of construction. Weiser has engaged DSGW for the architectural design.
Outgrown home. On Highway 16 through Houston.
Aviaries in the park. Plans unclude alk-through interior and exterior owl residences.
Verbatim
Bloem: “We envision offering the opportunity for people to spend select evenings with the owls, after dark, so they can experience the owls when they wake up and start hooting, tooting and trilling,”
Bloem. Plans unveiled at weekend’s International Owl Festival in Houston.
“Sondheim” marks dismantling of SMU fine arts
WINONA, Minn. – The grande dame of Saint Mary’s theater, Judy Ann Myers, is retiring with a musical tribute, “Sondheim on Sondheim,” as her university opus. The Sobdheim production is March 16 to 18. Admission free with . Time: 7:30 p.m. Myers departure coincides the massive Saint Mary’s faculty lay-offs ordered by incoming president James Burns to scale back on arts in the curriculum to focus instead on career preparation. Myers, who is 64, has been at Saint Mary’s 24 years. She has been member of Winona Fine Arts Commission and the Theatre du Mississippi board. She holds a master’s of fine arts degree from the University of Arizona in acting and directing.
Myers. Finishing a campus career in theater.
Sondheim review
Rhe Saint Mary’s Sondheim production features a video-recorded appearance of Sondheim narrating the progression of his writing career with introspectuvee insights into his creativity and also the business of Broadway. business. Show times: 7:30 p.m., March 16-18, with a 3 p.m. matinee on Saturday, March 18. There are new settings and arrangements from “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Company,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods,” “Follies,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Passion,” and “Assassins.” Sondheim died in 2021.
Verbatim
‘Myers: “Sondheim considered himself a teacher and was invested in students. His direction to them was always simple and direct; getting to the heart of the characters’ needs and actions. When he talks about teaching at the end of this production, I am reminded every time that his sentiments align with my own career goals. And, I hope that the past 24 years of teaching at Saint Mary’s has provided a similar foundation for my own students. Choosing this piece for my last production at Saint Mary’s was ideal in terms of providing an appropriate platform for the talents of the students finishing their majors. I am very proud of this cast for stepping up to this challenging material. I think it is an appropriate finale for my academic career.”
Police solve two thefts from unlocked cars
WINONA, Minn. – Brett Dennis’ Nautica jacket was a clue. It matched a jacket that had that had just been stolen from an unlocked car parked in the 150 block of East Howard Street. Police tracked foot prints in fresh snow to find Dennis, age 35, on foot 12 blocks away at Wabasha and Carimona streets. Officers also recovered a wallet taken in the 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. tme frame from anther unlocked car on East Mark Street. The jacket and wallet were returned to their owners, albeit minus cash that was thought to be in the wallet. Dennis was cited for misdemeanor theft and tampering with a vehicle. Police asked, of course, if he had been responsible for at least a dozen other thefts from unlocked cars in recent weeks: “No. Not me.”
Earlier: More policing aimed at street thefts
Truck overturns: 4,000 chickens on board
EITZEN, Minn. – A semi-truck and trailer hauling 4,000 chickens overturned in a ditch off Iowa State Highway 76-N up Waterloo Creek. The driver, age 58, of Postville, Iowa, was unhurt. Many chickens didn’t fare as well. This was about 5:35 a.m.
Governor into colorectal day-surgery
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz informed legislative leaders that his reins power will go to Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan at 1.p.m. when he goes under general anesthesia for a colonoscopy. Walz, age 58, said he expected to be back on the job Tuesday. Colonoscopies are an internal search for polyps usually following an at-home test for colorectal cancer or pre-cancerous polyps. The procedure itself is painless and not debilitating.
Verbatim
Walz: “I hope my procedure serves as a reminder and encouragement for Minnesotans to seek out preventative care and stay on top of your health.”
Spring cometh soon, so promises Penguin Zesto
As the sign says. Only 19 days until the walk-up window at Penguin Zesto opens on Third Street on Winona’s East Side. A favorite: Extra-large peanut butter shake with double malt. Image: Steve Lunde
Wisconsin pair charged as urban terrorists
ATLANTA, Ga. – Police arrested 35 protesters, including two Wisconsin women, in an urban forest where the city has proposed building a police training facility. Grace Martin, 22, and Kayley Meissner, 20, both of Madison, were charged with domestic terrorism. The so-called “Cop City” site has been the target of demonstrations for two years – a complex mix of eco-protests and anti-blue sentiments. This time, Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said, a group of protesters, dressed in black at night, deliberately escalated the situation and threw rocks, bricks, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at officers and destroyed construction equipment. The arrests actually were at a music festival a mile away. Those arrested came from 13 states, France and Canada, police said. The 85-acre police academy site is sacred to many Atlantans as an urban forest. From 1918 to 1995 the land was a forced-labor prison farm for men convicted of nonviolent crimes.
College scores
Baseball: Winona State 7, Missouri-St. Louis 5
Baseball: Winona State 8, Missouri-St. Louis 4
Softball: Winona State 6, Ferris State 2
Softball: Winona State 7, Holy Family 0
Softball: UW-LaCrosse 6, St. Olaf 1
Softball: UW-LaCrosse 3, Gustavus Adolphus 1
Tennis (women): Winona State 9, Carroll of Ohio 0
Tennis (women): UW-LaCrosse 8, Lake Forest 1
Dozing driver found with 88 pain-killer pills
ROCHESTER, Minn. – A police officer spotted a woman slumped over the steering wheel of her running car in a hotel parking lot and woke her. Although groggy, she reflexively shoved something into her shirt. Then the officer saw drug paraphernlia in her lap. Arrested was Mckenna Spiekermeier, 22, of West Fargo, North Dakota. The officer found 88 M-30 fentanyl pills. This was about 9:15 p.m.
Spiekermeier. At Days Inn in the 3500 block of Commercial Drive Southwest.
Pepin ice breaks up around ice-fishers
RED WING, Minn. – Rescuers in airboats ferried six adults and three children to safety from a break-away ice sheet at a wide point in Lake Pepin. All were well. This was at sundown. The Goodhue County 911 line received a call about 6:35 p.m. that nine people ice-fishing were stranded on the lake. They had entered the ice on all-terrain vehicles from the Maiden Rock landing on the Wisconsin side. The next challenge for Goodhue County rescuers: How to retrieve the ATVs and fishing gear off the ice sheet.
Stranded mid-lake. Ice-fishing group had ventured out on ATVs.
Prisoner found dead in Rochester cell
ROCHESTER, Minn. – An inmate at the main Olmsted County jail was found dead during a routine 4:30 p.m. well-being check. It was the second death this year at the 202-bed Adult Decention n Center. Dead was Melvin Tyrone Bush, 59. He was held for violating a judge’s stay-away domestic abuse order. Immediate resuscitation efforts failed, said Sheriff Kevin Torgerson. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was asked to handle the investigation.
Storm nearby: Winter’s last hurrah?
WINONA, Minn. – An incoming sloppy late-season snow storm prompted the National Weather Service to issue a winter weather advisory for southern Minnesota but not as far south as Winona and the southern tier of counties. A few inches of wet, heavy snow were expected in the afternoon with the heavier accumulations overnight at the storm’s core. Accumulations were predicted as five inches tops in the Metro area with slippery roads for morning commuters.
Heaviest to the north. Mostly slush in southern counties. Image: National Weather Service
Lil’ tykes pass bad $20 bills
WINONA, Minn. – Two youngsters picked up some goodies at their neighborhood Kwik Trip and paid with a $20 bill. Later the manager discovered the bill was counterfeit. The next day the same kids came back, picked up a second batch of goodies, and presented a $20 bill. This time it didn’t work. The clerk called the cops. They took the kids home for a talk with the parents. It turned out the kids may not have realized the bills were fake. As best the parents could figure it out, an older brother had bought the bogus bills online, and the little tykes had helped themselves: “They sure looked real.” The parents agreed to reimburse the store.
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