College scores
Soccer (men): St. Olaf 3, Saint Mary’s 0
Volleyball (women): UW-Oshkosh 3, UW-LaCrosse 0
Volleyball (women): Rochester Community 3, Riverland Community 0
Minnesota prep
Football: Winona Cotter Ramblers 43, St. Charles Saints 24
Football: Rochester Century Panthers 28, Winona Winhawks 20
Football: Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 21, Adams Southland Rebels 14
Walz hits road, casts blame for soybean plight
FARIBAULT, Minn. — Governor Tim Walz visited a Rice County farm to put his criticism of President Trump’s trade wars in a real-life context. Walz pointed to “billions of dollars in lost sales and financial strain” in rural communities across Minnesota. The governor was at the sixth-generation Purfeerst spread, which has its usual soybean crop almost harvested but with no buyers at a price that isn’t a net loss. The gigantic Trump tariffs imposed in February on Chinese imports have pushed the Chinese to retaliate and stop buying U.S. soybeans. Instead they’re buying from South America. With Walz was Gary Wertish, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union. Wertish called for stability in global trade: “Farmers don’t need to deal with additional instability in an already, challenging market.”
In John Deere setting. Walz sympathized with the Purfreest family. The usually large soybean export market to China suddenly is gone.
Democrats support new No King rally
WINONA, Minn. — The Winona County Democratic Party issued a call for people to involve themselves in the No King 2 rally sponsored by the Winona Indivisible grassroots organization on Saturday in Winona, as well as a companion rally in St. Charles for the Whitewater area. The rallies:
> St. Charles: U.S. Highway14 at Whitewater Avenue, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30.
> Winona: Windom Park, Broadway and Huff streets,.12 p.m. to 1:30.
Flu vaccination for school kids coming up
WINONA, Minn. —Parents have until Monday to file documents authorizing flu shots for their kids under age 18 next week. Parental consent forms are necessary. Vaccinations are through the Winona Health clinic and the Winona County public health agency. Vaccinations will be 9 a.m.to 4 p.m. at:
October 27: Winona Middle School
October 28: Winona High School community access building.
Hedin leaves race for Winona seat in House
WINONA, Minn. — Two months into his campaign for the Minnesota House from Distict 26-A, Jack Hedin withdrew. Hedin cited personal reasons in a Facebook post but didn’t elaborate. Hedin said he would support whom Democrats choose for the November 2026 ballot. The only announced candidate is Dan Wilson of rural Winona County. The 26-A incumbent is Aaron Repinski, a Republican. Hedin said he would remain on the Winona School Board, to which he was elected a year ago: “I will continue to focus my energy serving this community as a Winona Area Public Schools board member, where I’ll be fighting to protect students and staff from the Trump administration’s attacks on public education and working to promote the great work underway at WAPS.”
Emergency, fire crews make 40 calls
WINONA, Minn. – The Fire Department reported 29 emergency medical calls plus 11 fire calls in recent days:
> Monday, October 13: 5 medical calls plus n 1 fire calls.
> Sunday, October 12: 9 medical calls plus no fire calls.
> Saturday, October 11: 4 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Friday, October 10: 4 medical calls plus 1 fire call.
> Thursday, October 9: 2 medical calls plus 3 fire calls.
> Wednesday, October 8: 5 medical calls plus 5 fire calls.
Earlier: Emergency, fire crews make 64calls
Notable journalism
Gabriel Hathaway (Winona Post, October 3, 2025): “Winona Police Offer Advice after Stream of Burglaries”
Rachel Merten (Winona Daily News, October 14, 2025) “Historic Masonic Theater Revived as Winona Arts Hub”
Alexandra Retter (Winona Post, October 8, 2025): “Cotter Schools Enrollment Grows”
College scores
Soccer (women): St. Olaf 2, Sant Mary’s 0
Soccer (women): Milwaukee Engineering 1, UW-LaCrosse 0
Tennis (women): UW-LaCrosse 7, UW-Oshkosh 0
Minnesota prep
Cross country (girls): Northfield Raiders 65, Mankato East Cougars 84, Winona Winhawks 94, Owatonna Huskies 111, Mankato Wet Scarlets 138, Rochester Marshall Rockets 174, Rochester Century Panthers 199, Faribault Falcons 200, Austin Packers 201, Rochester Mayo Spartans 246, Red Wing Wingers 271, Albert Lea Tigers 305
Volleyball (girls): Lewiston-Altura Cardinals 3, Lake City Tigers 0
MSP to Trump: Take down political messaging
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The Minneapolis airport’s governing board banned a video from President Trump’s homeland security chief that blamed Democrats for the federal government shutdown. The video had been playing at security checkpoint lines. The video was the latest evidence that former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, now Trump’s homeland security secretary, is incompetent. She narrates the 37-second video in clear violation of the 1939 Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from such political activities. Other airports also have told their local federal security agents to take down the one-sided Noem video being forced on travelers. Meanwhile the federal shutdown entered its 14th day. Polls show most Americans blame Trump and Congressional Republicans for the shutdown.
Three vehicles crash at Pelzer and U.S. 61
WINONA, Minn. — A Minnesota City driver suffered minor injuries in a pile-up at the rain slick Far West End corner where U.S. Highway 14 takes off toward Stockton Hill and points west. Three vehicles were involved. Devyn Thomas Turkowski, 17, was taken to the Winona hospital. Police said Turkowski was driving a 2009 Chevrolet Impala and entering the signal-controlled intersection from Pelzer Street. This was about 2:10 p.m. Uninjured were:
> Mary Komperud, 17, of Minnesota City, a passenger in Turkowski’s sedan.
> Cody Joseph Piel. 37, of Fountain City, driving a 2012 Ford Focus.
> Jennifer Lynn Lehnertz, 46, of Rollingstone, driving a 2001 Ford Ranger.
Back to prison for online child fetish
WABASHA, Minn. — A Wabasha man was sentenced to nine years in prison for more than 300 lewd images of children on his hard drive. Charles Douglas Harris, 43, was a repeat offender, who was, according to records, convicted in 2016 on four similar counts. Judge Christopher Neisen issued the new sentence. Police said they found 345 images that Harris had uploaded through an encrypted network in Iceland. Police had been tipped by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Harris. Already a registered sex offender.
36 years later, WSU fiscal exec retiring
WINONA, Minn. — The Winona State executive who strategized the university’s financial trial through three presidents, Scott Ellinghuysen, is retiring. He has announced his departure after 36 years, including 25 as vice president for finance. The current university president, Ken Janz, said there will be a national search for successor. The position pays $204,000. Ellinghuysen also has served on the boards of the WSU Foundation, the Minnesota State Chief Financial Officer Advisory Group, the state Higher Learning Commission’s Institutional Actions Council, and the National Colleges Committee on Sustainability. He has received the Minnesota State Chancellor’s Award three times. During his tenure Winona State earned 14 consecutive awards from the Minnesota State college system financial management.
Ellinghuysen profile
Ellinghuysen, a Winona State grad, joined the financial staff in 1989. Coincidentally it was the same year that Darrell Krueger became university president. It was Krueger who later put Ellinghuysen in charge of finances and facilities. Ellinghuysen’s early years as a vice president were easy, at least relatively. Enrollment was growing. There was institutional stability.
Troubled times
After Judith Ramaley became president, enrollment began to slip — a reflection of social and cultural changes shifts beyond local control. There also came Ramaley’s erratic top-level personnel shake-ups and policy shifts to force a remolding of the university to her vision. Ellinghuysen survived the Ramaley shake-ups, which purged several men from leadership. Ramaley recognized Ellinghuysen as invaluable for his deep grasp of the intricacies of the university’s infrastructure and dynamics that no outsider could catch up on.
Stability amid enrollment crises
The university culture returned to an even keel with Scott Olson’s arrival as president. But alas, the enrollment decline deepened. Ellinghuysen arranged campus-wide forums over several years to brain-storm ways to address crippling revenue losses. It was a strategy that gave everyone — faculty, staff and students — a community feel as being part of evolving solutions. Through 13 years of enrolment drops from a 6,900 peak, with revenue hemorrhaging, there were no dismissal of any faculty and only minor program construction.
Milestones
Ellinghuysen navigated novel financing to build the East Sarnia dorms through the WSU Foundation as a borrowing agent. There environmentally friendly upgrades that drew national attention. A continuing challenge in Ellinghuysen’s later years was unravelling an ambitious but failed Kruger project — the so-called “residential college” at Lourdes Hall 1-1/2 miles from the main campus at the old College of St. Teresa. Although the residential college concept collapsed, Lourdes Hall remained a financial albatross. Ellinghuysen finally unloaded the building, albeit at major financial loss but there was good news: No longer was it a fiscal drain. Other good news for Ellinghuysen’s successor: Enrollment, although only 5,600, appears to have bottomed out and is on the climb.
Ellinghuysen. Retirement effective in June. Age 59.
Recent WSU presidents
Ellinghuysen served in these administrations:
> Ken Janz, since 2024.
> Scott Olson, 2013-2024.
> Judith Ramaley, 2005-2012.
> Darrell Krueger, 1989-2005.
Retirement beckons for Trempealeau sheriff
WHITEHALL, Wis. — The sheriff of Trempealeau County for seven years, Brett Semingson, is retiring. Semingson announced his last day will be in December. He is 58 years old. Semingson, who lives in Eleva in the far north of the county, has been in law enforcement 29 years. He started in rhe sheriff’s office as a sergeant and was elected sheriff in 2018. The department’s roster, when full, has 28 sworn officers and a jail staff of 20. Semingson prides himself on a digital transformation “from pen and paper reporting to the most updated technology.” He has implemented school programs on online safety, mental health, and substance abuse prevention. Semingson has been plagued by staff shortages in recent years. The problem has been compounded by chronic vacancies in the Arcadia municipal police department that have siphoned county resources. The county has 29,000 people, Arcadia 2,900. Semingson’s record has been mixed on keeping the public informed. He is a minimalist with details on crime and accidents and has instructed deputies not to answer even routine news quries without his permission. His close-to-the-vest practices include blocks on public access on who’s in the county jail.
Semingson. A 1990 graduate of Chippewa Valley Tech in Eau Claire and a 1985 graduate of Eleva-Strum Strum Central High School.
R.I.P.: Laurie Moore
WINONA, Minn. — Laurie Rae Moore, age 67, of Winona, a career social worker, died at home after four years with cancer. She held a degree in social work from Concordia University-Bronxville. She worked at St. Luke’s Medical Center, Bethesda Homes, and IRI Research, all in St. Louis, Missouri. She later moved to Winona with her pastor-husband.
Detail: Watkowski-Mulyck Funeral Home
1958-2025
Another day done: Deep shadows as sun drops
Baling accomplished. Livesock in central Winona County will eat well this winter. Image: Steve Lunde
Probe ongoing in $650,000 rural scam
MINNESOTA CITY, Minn. —The scam of $650,000 from an elderly rural couple, reported in mid-August, remains an open case. Winona County Sheriff Ron Ganrude said the victims are being interviewed for additional information. Also, Ganrude said, the couple’s bank has provided information.
Fall brilliance: Report Number 5
Southeast counties getting there. Approaching 50% of its peak fall colors is Whitewater State Park in far western Winona County. So too in Carley State Park up the Whitewater’s North Fork just over the Olmsted County line. On the map are blue dots are state parks and trails. Image: Minnesota Natural Resources Department
Earlier: Fall brilliance: Report Number 4
Alaska hell-skiing: Minnesota radio exec dead
GIRDWOOD, Alaska — The body of a Minnesota radio chain owner, David Linder, was recovered from a log jam in a river in the Chugach Mountains. Linder, age 39, had been free-range skiing when caught in an avalanche in March. Linder co-owned Mankato Radio and Lakeland Media. Two fellow skiers, all friends from high school, are presumed dead.
Polaris exits role in Indian motorcycles
MEDINA, Minn —Snowmobile manufacturer Polaris sold its stake in the struggling Indian motorcycle company to a Los Angeles investor group. Indian motorcycles have accounted for 7% of Minnesota-based Polaris’ revenue. Indians are designed in Switzerland and manufactured in Monticello, Minnesota, and Spirit Lake, Iowa. Mike Speetzen, chief executive at Polaris, said the deal allows Polaris to focus on its primary business— snowmobiles, watercraft, four-wheelers and its helicopter-transportable Drago combat vehicles. Polaris has 1,500 employees at its primary plant in Rouseau in northern Minnesota.
College scores
Soccer (men): Rochester Community 2, Dakota County Tech 0
Minnesota prep
Urban explorer gravely hurt in six-floor fall
Upper Harbor Terminal. The old Minneapolis industrial zone has been mostly cleared. Among remaining structures is the grain elevator where Carly Barnes fell. Developers are converting the 48 acres for housing, retail and office space, and a park with a large outdoor amphitheater.
Still in intensive care after two weeks
MINNEAPOLIS – Belatedly it was learned that a 19-year-old exploring the interior of an abandoned grain elevator fell six stories and cracked her head on a cement slab. The family of Carly Barnes confirmed she has been hospitalized unconscious since September 28. She was with friends who had learned on the Minneapolis urban explorer grapevine that adventure awaited at the elevator. Fans knew the place as “Alien City.” The accident was about 10 p.m. Friends called rescuers. Barnes has been breathing with a ventilator. Although she hasn’t awakened entirely, her family takes hope in that she has started shifting her arms and legs on command. Part of her skull has been removed because of brain swelling. Incredibly she broke no bones.
Grain elevator. Razing delayed for possible repurposing as a cistern to irrigate the new park
Barnes. A family photo.
Flags bow to honor Minnesota tribal peoples
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Flags flew half-staff in Minnesota for Indigenous Peoples Day at the direction of Governor Tim Walz. The governor called the day a reminder of the contributions of tribal communities to Minnesota’s shared history, culture and economy. “We still have work to do to keep Minnesota moving and strengthen connections with tribal communities to make sure our economy works for everyone,” Walz said.
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