Alternate-side parking tally at 1,027
WINONA, Minn. – Police issued 37 citations overnight for violations of the city’s winter ordinance for alternate-side parking. The running tally:
> December 11: 37, of which 17 were tagged and towed
> December 10: 28 tagged and towe
> December 9: Officers on other priorities
> December 8: 74
>December 7: 68>
December 4, 5 and 6: Officers on other priorities
> December 3: 8
>mDecember 2: 43
> December 1: 28
> November totals: 731
Walz asks brutish ICE excesses be disciplined
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Governor Tim Walz called for ICE deportation agents to be disciplined for wrongful manhandling of U.S. citizens. In a letter to Kristi Noem, the US. homeland security chief, Walz said her agents have been making rogue arrests in their Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. Ostensibly the ICE deportation sweeps are aimed at “the worst of the worst” illegal immigrants, but Walz cited citizen videos of other people being hauled away. Some were merely filming ICE activities while others were just going about their daily lives, Walz said. He wrote:
“Residents who document law-enforcement activity, including immigration enforcement, play an essential role in transparency, accountably, and safeguarding the civil liberties of all in Minnesota, Detaining citizens for exercising these rights sends a deeply disturbing signal about how those very rights are being eroded.”
At minimum, Walz said, ICE agents caught on tape engaging in brutish, bullying excesses should be put on administrative leave until their behavior is investigated.
Minnesota prep
Wisconsin prep
Basketball (boys): Osseo-Fairchild Thunder 69, Melrose-Mindoro Mustangs 60
Basketball (boys):Whitehall Norse 75, Gilmanton Panthers 32
Basketball (girls): Arcadia Raiders 70, Onalaska Luther Knights 49
Basketball (girls): Whitehall Norse 70, Augusta Beavers 60
Basketball (girls): Alma-Pepin Eagles 45, Osseo-Fairchild Thunder 25
LaCrosse paddle-wheeler to keep churning
LACROSSE, Wis. — The LaCrosse City Council approved a 20-year extension to the lease with the LaCrosse Queen paddle-wheel cruise boat. The diesel-powered replica of an early1900s steamboat offers sightseeing, lunch and dinner cruises from May to October. The vessel has Coast Guard capacity approval for 149.
Departing Riverfront Park. Built by Skipperliner Marine of LaCrosse in 2008.
School bus mired in snow; kids OK
WINONA, Minn. — A school bus taking kids home from school became stuck in a snow-covered driveway on Ridge Hill Drive off U.S. 14 up Stockton Hill. Another bus was dispatched from Winona to tow the first bus out and take the stranded children home, albeit a tad late. No one was injured. This was about 4:25 p.m.
911 call ends as woman screams “Get off me”
WINONA, Minn. — A police dispatcher took a 911 call from a woman screaming “get off me” before the line went dead. The dispatcher tracked the call to the 500 block of East Wabasha Street. Police found a woman at the address. She told officers that an argument with a boyfriend had escalated. He crushed her in a bear-hug as she tried to call 911, then took her phone, she said. This was about 3:30 p.m. Police located Juan Enquire Aguirre, age 29, in a car a few blocks away at King and Carimona streets. Aguirre claimed the woman had grabbed him by the neck. Police said, however, that they didn’t observe any marks on his neck but the that the woman had scratches on her wrists.
Aguirre. Charges: Domestic assault, interfering with emergency phone call.
Glitter and dazzle: Lindell’s campaign debut
SHAKOPEE, Minn. — As promised, MyPillow pitchman Mike Lindell opened his campaign for governor of Minnesota with showboating and political tinsel. It was a news event designed for cameras at his insolvent MyPillow factory in this Minneapolis suburb. Lndell:
> Addressed reporter outside his gleaming red, white and blue campaign bus as a backdrop.
> Took a break for a live chat on Trump confidant Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast.
> Beckoned the cameras inside the factory, where a dozen of uniformed workers were on cue scurrying pillow through assembly lines.
Lindell claimed that his political detractors had tried to shut him up and run him down for his fervent Trump support:
“It didn’t work. I’m still standing. MyPillow is still standing, And now I want you to know that I will stand for you as governor of the state of Minnesota.”
Asked if his gubernatorial campaign had Trump’s support, Lindell answered that he told Trump in August that he was considering a run for governor. But, he added, he didn’t push Trump for an endorsement. There were more important things to discuss, he said.
Eleven months to go. A long path to 2026 election. Lindell says thousands f people have texted and called their support. Their message, he said: “Hey, I’ll donate.” Lindell conceded he’s finacially drained frm legal battles over libel, unpaid bills,and reneging on commitments.
81-year-old man in held for Lake City shooting
RED WING, Minn. — A Lake City man was booked at the Goodhue County jail for the shooting that critically wounded a second man Wednesday. The suspect, William Charles Piar, age 81, was arrested shortly after the shooting in an alley behind a residential-commercial building that houses a Subway sandwich shop. Piar lived across a back alley from the Subway. Whether he was in the alley or his own backyard when police arrived hasn’t been clarified. The Subway is at 1301 North Lakeshore Drive. Piar’s place is at 1304 North High Stret. Police responding to a report of gunshots said they found Piar with a handgun behind the Subway. They said he refused to cooperate so they fired a beanbag projectile to bring him down. Temporarily disabled, Piar was taken to the Lake City hospital to be examined. Once cleared medically, he was taken 20 miles to the county jail in Red Wing. Meanwhile, the shooting victim remained in a Rochester hospital with life-threatening wounds. The shooting was believed to have occurred upstairs above the Subway shop.
Piar. Booked on attempted murder and related charges.
Another catalytic converter theft
WINONA, Minn. — A catalytic converter was reported stolen from the exhaust system of a Toyota Highlander at a Winona State University parking lot. Police were told the vehciel had been parked a week at the Huff and Sarnia streets lot. The report was about 11 a.m. Police were unsure if the theft was related to others in recent days.
Man accused of attack with snow shovel
WINONA, Minn. — A woman called 911 that she had been attacked by a man wielding a snow shovel at her. She showed hand and stomach injuries to police. The incident was outside a house in the 1050 block of East Fifth Street. In the house police arrested Eric John Corey, age 46. The arrest was about 10:35 a.m. Corey told police that the woman had been disruptive the night before and that he threw her out. She was back in the morning, she said, to pick up some personal items when Corey picked up the shovel and attacked. Corey admitted swinging the shovel, which was recorded on tape, but denied striking the woman.
Corey. Charged with assault. Police called the shovel “a dangerous weapon.”
Notable journalism
Brock Bergey (KTTC, December 8, 2020): “One-on-One: Finstad Calls for Transparency in Fraud Investigations, Values Somali Minnesotans Here Legally”
Grant Jones and Eric Min (KTTC, December, 2025): “Rochester Police Confirm ICE Operation in Southeast Rochester on Sunday”
Sara Millhouse (Big River magazine, November-December 2025):” “Lansing Says Goodbye to Its ‘Singing Bridge’”
Alternate-side parking tally at 990
WINONA, Minn. – Police issued 28 citations overnight for violations of the city’s winter ordinance for alternate-side parking. The running tally:
> December 10: 28 (tagged and towed)
> December 9: Officers on other priorities
>December 8: 74
> December 7: 68
> December 4, 5 and 6: Officers on other priorities>
> December 3: 8
> December 2: 43
> December 1: 28
> November totals: 731
News summary at mid-week: December 10, 2025
POLITICS: Winona County solon aspires to state Senate
POLITICS: Drazkowski: Count me out of 2026 Senate race
POLITICS: Simon wants to keep secretary of state job
GOVERNANCE: Somalian arrested in Rochester “a normal person”
REMEMBRANCE: St. Charles war hero aviator honored
GOVERNANCE: Rochester arrest of Somalian described as “kidnapping”
GOVERNANCE: State pauses funds for Minnesota group homes
GOVERNANCE: Trump rehashes old news on CoVid-era fraud
COLLGES: Platteville discovery: Turning bad milk into plastic
CRIME: Man shot in Lake City; arrest follows
CRIME: $150 fine for laser attack on med-evac copter
CRIME: Parking lot thief sawing off exhaust filters
CRIME: Judge asked to OK rap sheets in gunfire case
CRIME: Thieves at large after Galesville ATM heist
CRIME: Cocaine, gun found in car after 120-mph chase
CRIME: Driver, passenger to jail in DWI stop
CRIME: Winona woman back to jail after tumultuous arrest
TRANSPORTATION: Borealis train through Winona full up most days
Frosty is all smiles for time being
Oblivious to ice dams forming overhead at his Scharmer Estates home. What Frosty doesn’t realize is his vulnerabiity under the eaves as temperature fluctuate as they have in recent days. Icicles eventually fall. Image: Kevin O’Reilly
College scores
Basketball (men): Hamline 79, Saint Mary’s 52
Basketball (men): Luther of Decorah 84, Viterbo 69
Basketball (men): Madison 100, Rochester Community 64
Basketball (women): Saint Mary’s 54, Hamline 51
Wrestling: UW-LaCrosse 23, UW-Eau Claire 12
Man shot in Lake City; arrest follows
Lakeside strip mall. On U.S. Highway 61 at 1301 North Lakeshore Drive. With upstairs living quarters.
Caller summon police after hearing gunshots
LAKE CITY, Minn. — A man was shot and seriously wounded at an upscale North Lakeshore Drive address. He was taken the local hospital, then 30 miles to a Trauma Level 1 facility in Rochester. Police had been called about 1:30 p.m. because of gunshots. Officers found a man out back with a gun. He refused to comply with commands to put the weapon down and was subdued with a a stun gun. Police Captain Bill Weist said officers then discovered the wounded man inside the multi-purpose strip mall. The gunman, meanwhile, was taken to the Lake City hospital for evaluation. Weist declined to release the names of the men. He said agents from the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were being called to help the 10-officer city police force investigate.
¡Hurra burritos! Chipotle opens doors
WINONA, Minn. — Gilmore Avenue in Winona is a long way from the Rio Grande, but burritos were on the minds of the West End lunch crowd. It was the opening day of Winona’s new Chipolte fast-food shop. People could order inside or pick up from the corny-named Chipotlane. In English that’s a drive-through lane
Earlier: Food craze: Winona’s sixth Mexican eatery
Earlier: Chipolte rising curbside on Winona West End
Bail for two-fatality traffic death: $500,000
HASTINGS, Minn. — Bail was ordered at at $500,000 for a Kenyon man accused in a fiery head-on collision that killed two Apple Valley people over the weekend. Judge Dannia Edwards set the bail as a condition for the release of Seth John Nechville, age 28, for the Dakota County jail pending further proceedings. Meanwhile the county prosecutor, Kathy Keena, confirmed she anticipated elevating her original charge of vehicular homicide to third-degree murder.
Earlier: Kenyon driver accused of drunken homicide
Winona County solon aspires to state Senate
ELBA, Minn. — Two-term State Representative Steve Jacob wants to follow his mentor, Steve Drazkowski, to the State Senate. Jacob, an Elba farmer, announced his candidacy for State Senate District 20 seat that Drazkowski is vacating. Since he arrived at the Capitol in 2022, Jacob has saddled closely with Drazkowski, a veteran legislator, on key issues. Palling around the Capitol they called themselves “The Steves” — kind of ideologically joined at the hip. Both are Republicans and pride themselves beng on the party’s right-wing fringe. They share a fundamental distrust of government as an evilly intrusive force, not as a tool for social or cultural betterment. They see taxes as confiscation. In his first term in the House, Jacob voted against establishing Juneteenth as a Minnesota state holiday: “I saw this as an expansion of government where the taxpayer will be charged, but will receive one less day of service from all local levels of government.” His was the lone House vote against Juneteenth, which was an important issue to the 400,000 black people who comprise 8% of the state population.
Jacob profile
Jacob has a high education from Plainview. He prides himself as running a fourth-generation family farm. He also operates tourist cabins on his farm on a Whitewater ridgetop above Elma. His public service includes terms on his area’s Soil and Water Conservation Board, the Winona County Planning Commission, and the Road and Bridge Committee. In 2010 he developed a deep grudge against county authorities, =They had refused to waive zoning rules to allow him to cut a road into a hillside at his farm. It was an example, he said, of government power run amuck and interfering with his rights as property owner. He used the issue to win a rural seat on the Winona County Board and to continue as on the County Board of Commissioners for 10 years. A theme in Jacob’s County Board record was as a government minimalist. He was reflexively against taxes and sought to downsize county staffing and trim citizen services. As a state legislator he has joined the Republican cliché chorus against waste, fraud and abuse.
Jacob: Elba farmer. Served 10 years on Winona County Board Now in second term in Minnesota House. Age 59.
Verbatim
Jacob: “I am truly humbled by the community support I have received. If elected, the community can count on my continued dedication to conservative value.”
Electoral profile
2022: Defeated Elise Diesslink a Democrat, for House District 20-B, 66% to 34%
2024: Defeated Michael Hutchinson, a Democrat, for 20-B, 67% to 33%.
Jacob: On the record
A sampler: Higher education / Guns / Puppy mills / Marijuana / Suffrage / Policing / Ground water / Guns / Families / Marijuana / Prisons / Abortion / Government infrastructure / Ex-felons / Clean energy / Taxes / Marijuana / Factory farms / Taxes /
Simon wants to keep secretary of state job
ST. PAUL, Minn. — As expected, Secretary of State Steve Simon will seek a fourth term. His announcement was low-key, in a news release from the state Democratic Party. The only other announced candidate is former State Senator Tad Jud, a Republican. The Democratic statement on Simon’s candidacy praised his work to encourage young people to vote. Simon led a campaign to preregister for 16- and 17-year-olds in preparation for voting at 18.
Simon. Chief state elections administrator. Age 55.
Simon profile
After high school in the Minneapolis suburb of Hopkins, Simon studied political science at Tufts University and earned a law degree from the University of Minnesota. He worked as an assistant state attorney general from 1996 to 2001. He later spent 13 years with a Minneaplis kaw frm, and was an associate with a Minneapolis law firm. Simon was elected to the Minesota House in 2004, and re-elected four times. He had brief national attention for opposing a state ban on gay marriage: “How many more gay people does God have to create before we ask ourselves whether or not God actually wants them around?” He became secretary of state in 2014 and was re-elected three times with fairly large margins. He has never lost an election.
A lesson for jury duty: Leave drugs home
WINONA, Minn. — There is no other way tell this odd tale, dear reader, than to start at the beginning:
> Ranee Heleb Corey, age 44, didn’t show up for jury duty.
> As is custom for no-shows, the judge issued an arrest warrant.
> Corey showed up but late.
> Based on the warrant, a deputy told Corey she was under arrest.
> Anticipating being frisked, Corey produed a half gram of meth and gave it to the deputy.
> The deputy took her to jail for possession.
Corey. A second warrant related to ourth-degree burglary.
Weather slickens highways, byways, city streets
WINONA, Minn. — Several cars sled off roads in Winona County as weather deteriorated overnight. There were no injuries, a sheriff’s spokesperson said. City police had nine weather-related traffic accidents, one with a minor injury.
Emergency, fire crews make 80 calls
WINONA, Minn. – The Fire Department reported 63 emergency medical calls plus 17 fire calls in recent days:
> Tuesday, December 9: 10 medical calls plus 7 fire call.
> Monday, December 8: 8 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Sunday, , December 7: 3 medical calls plus 3 fire cal
> Saturday, December 6: 11 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Friday, December 5: 10 medical calls plus 3 fire calls.
> Thursday, December 4: 8 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Wednesday, December 3: 10 medical calls plus 1 fire cals.
Earlier: Emergency, fire crews make 68 calls
Ahead: Hyper-enforcement of parking regs
WINONA, Minn. — Anticipating a major storm, police are shifting to high gear on alternate-side winter parking rules.
> Thursday starting at 12:01 a.m.: Illegally parked vehicles will be towed. from the even-number side of streets. Also Municipal Parking Lot Number 1.
> Friday starting at 12:01 a.m.: Illegally parked vehicles will be towed from the odd-number side of streets. Also Municipal Parking Lot Number 4.
> Both nights: Illegally parked vehicles will be towed from Huff to Franklin streets and from Broadway to Levee Park Drive.
Recovering a towed vehicle is costly and a hassle. There’s a municipal fine payable at the police station. Take documentation of ownership with you. You then will need to get to Goodview storage yard of the city-contracted towing company Borkowski, three miles from downtown Winona. Borkowski charges for towing and storage, which can run a couple hundred dollars.
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