HOKAH, Mjnn. — A Spring Grove woman was injured in a two-vehicle collision just west of Hokah. Alisabeth Marie Moran, 20, was taken 14 miles to LaCosse hospital. Her injuries were less than critical,  police said. No one else was injured. The accident, about 1:40 p.m., was on State Highway 44 at Union Ridge Road. Moran was a passenger in a 2006 Subaru Baja. Escaping injury:

> Tanja Lynn Midrum, 5, of Spring Grove, the Baja driver.

> Barbara Ann Twite, 65, of Caledonia, driver of a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder

Both vehicles were heading into Hokah on Highway 44, which comes from Spring Grove and Mabel.

WINONA, Minn. — Acting on an FBI tip, Winona County deputies arrested a Goodview man on a warrant asserting that he solicited sex online with a minor. Arrested was Louis Joel Lentner, 44, of Winona. The criminal complaint says Letner believed he was chatting with a minor — and exchanging explicit selfies. But on the other end, in actuality, was a far-away FBI informant posing as a teen-ager and leading Lentner on in a classic sting. Lentner was arrested at his factory job on Bundy Boulevard about 12:50 p.m. Under questioning at the police station, according to the criminal complaint, Lentner admitted to the chatting. Pre-armed with a search warrant, investigators confiscated Lentner’s cellphone. Two St. Paul-based agents from state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension used the agency’s new mobile electronic detection lab to extract data on-the-spot from Letner’s phone. The arrest was a multi-agency project involving the national Internet Crime Against Children Task Force, the FBI, the state BCA, and the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crimes Task Force, the County sheriff’s office, and Winona police.

Lentner. Charged with soliciting a child for sex, a felony.

WINONA, Minn. — Key evidence is missing against the Winona woman accused of killing her newborn baby in 2011 and leaving the body in the Mississippi River, her attorney said. The attorney for Jennifer Baechle told Judge Nancy Buyendorp that prosecutors failed to include the complete report of the autopsy that it was impossible to determine whether the baby emerged from the womb still born or alive. Baechle, age 43, is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of “Baby Angel” — the name that Sheriff Dave Brand came up with for the lifeless infant found in a bag with a collection of angel figurines. The missing autopsy report, complete and unabridged, could be key in his defense for Baechle, said her attorney, Kurt Knuesel of Winona. The criminal complaint quotes pathologist Ross Reichard but doesn’t include Reichard’s full document. Knuesel said he fears that prosecutors have lost or destroyed the complete autopsy report, which he called  “the linchpin” in their case against Baechle also potentially key for him to develop a defense.

Earlier:  Attorneys list intended Baby Angel witnesses

WINONA, Minn. — Because of powerline construction, parts of the boat launch at Prairie Island Park near the spillway will be off limits beginning January, he city Park Department announced. Soo too parts of the dog park. Xcel Energy is building a transmission line from Wisconsin across the Mississippi River to the Goodview suburb. Camping areas will remain open although certain areas may be affected. The Xcel project is expected to be completed by March.

Soccer (men): Saint Mary’s5, North Central of Minnesota 0

Soccer (women): Carleton 3, UW-LaCrosse 2

Volleyball (women): UW-Eau Claire 3, UW-LaCrosse 1

WINONA, Minn. — A 14-year-old boy suffered a cut eyebrow in a confrontation with an adult man who, by some accounts, struck the boy with a black handgun. This was about 8 p.m. in a series of encounters that began at the Belmont Whitten pocket park and playground under the Pelzer Street overpass. The boy and a 15-year-old buddy told police that a man in a car driven by a woman yelled threateningly at them. The rant was inexplicable, they said. They decided it best to head home and began walking a few blocks to the Maplewood apartment complex. The couple in the car then intercepted them and resumed yelling, the boys said. Police were by called a witness. By the time officers arrived, the alleged assailant had left in a car reportedly still driven by the woman. Police located the car three hours later a few blocks away. Police asked the man, age 21, and the woman, 20, what happened.  They acknowledged a confrontation but didn’t want to explain it, officers said. The couple claimed there was no physical assault and no gun. Police found no gun in the car. The witness who originally called 911 reported having seen a man jump the boys with a scuffle following. When interviewed, however, the witness couldn’t confirm for sure whether there was a gun. Both boys said there was a punch and a blow with a gun — and pointed to the 14-year-old’s cut eyebrow. About the injury: An ambulance paramedic patched up the eyebrow but didn’t take the boy to the hospital. Did either of the parties know each other? Those stories were inconsistent too, police said. What really happened? Police hoped to find surveillance video that might shed some light.

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MINNEAPOLIS — A federal jury found a Winona man guilty as a meth distributor after a-two-day trial. Damien Duwjan Shade, age 48, had been arrested in 2023 after a drug-sniffing dog found meth sewn inside stuffed toy animals at the FedEx transfer station at the Rochester airport. The animals were in three boxes being shipped from San Diego, near the Mexico border, to a Winon address, After the verdict, U.S. District Judge Michael Davis remanded Shade into custody to awaiting sentencing. U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson noted that a somewhat similar 2013 Minnesota case rested in a 23-year prison sentence. The arrest, back in 2023, was clever policing. Drug agents opened the three boxes at the Rochester airport and replaced the meth — six ponds total — with an equivalent weight of rock salt. The agents also hid tracking devices in two of the boxes. The boxes then were loaded on the usual FedEx truck to Winona for delivery to the address on the original Shipping label and someone named Trayvon Strange, who nobody ever had ever heard of. Bingo: When Shade showed up at the Winona address, he was arrested. This was after a stealth perimeter had been established by Homeland Security agents, Winona County deputies, Winona police, and a regional sharp-shooter team. In the house, agents found the stuffed animals torn open and ghe rock salt strewn everywhere. A subsequent search of Shade’s own address yielded a loaded .357 Magnum revolver in a dresser drawer. Shade had been convicted in 2013 a a felon in possession of a firearm in San Diego. How did Shade explain all this? He had purchased the drugs in California and shipped them to the Winona address of the mother of their children.

RED WING, Minn.— Three persons from Red Wing were injured in a collision on the West End on U.S. Highway 61. This was about 8:10 a.m. at Spring Creek Road. Injuries weren’t serious, police said. Taken to the Red Wing hospital:

> Maria Pelehos, 79, driver of a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan.

> Gabriel Constantine Kittelson. 15, a passenger in the Grand Caravan.

> Gregory Anthony Roberson, 56, a passenger in a 2020 Dodge Durango,

The Durango driver, Natasha Marie Taylor-Brock, 34, was unhurt. Police said. the Brock vehicle was northbound on Highway 61 and turning left. The Roberson vehicle was southbound.

WINONA, Minn. – The Fire Department reported 27 emergency medical calls plus 16 fire calls in recent days:

> Tuesday, September 23: 5 medical calls plus 1 fire call.

> Monday, September 22: 3 medical calls plus 1 fire call.

> Sunday, September 21: 7 medical calls plus 3 fire calls.

> Saturday, September 20: 4 medical calls plus 4 fire calls.

> Friday, Sepymber 19: 4 medical calls plus 4 fire calls

> Thursday, September 18: 2 medical calls plus 1 fire call.

> Wednesday, September 17: 2 medical calls plus 2 fire calls.

 Earlier: Emergency, fire crews make 58 calls

RIDGEWAY, Minn.  — A child suffered what appeared to be a sustainable head injury when two vehicles collided in the morning fog west of Ridgeway. Two other children in the same car were unhurt. Also unhurt in the same vehicle was the 16-year-old driver. Deputies ticketed the other driver, Ashley Ann Pomeroy, age 31, of rural Winona County. She was driving in the fog without lights, they said. This was about 8 a.m. Deputies said one vehicle was attempting to turn at the junction of the County 12 service road, along Interstate 00, and State Highway 76 to Houston and Caledonia. The children in the one vehicle were 10, 4 and 1 years old.

Soccer (women): Rochester Community 5, Anoka-Ramsey Community 1

Volleyball (women): Concordia of St. Paul 1, Winona State 1

WINONA, Minn. — It’s happened before, but it’s unusual in a college town with a reputation. Every liquor license-holder passed the latest police check for compliance with an ordinance against under-age service. This was the third compliance check of the fall semester. It can’t be said that any of the checks was exactly a surprise. Police had announced their scheduled checks in advance even before they began. In the first two checks, 20 establishments passed and five failed. Issued in the latest checks, certificates of commendation were issued to:

Brickyard, 579 East Third Street

Broken World Records, 265 East3rd Street

Blooming Grounds, 50 East Third Street

EB’s Corner, 700 west Fifth Street.

Ed’s No Name, 252 East Third Street

El Patron, 1415 West Service Drive

Gabby’s Bar & Lounge, 179 East Third Street

Joe’s Kwik Mart, 920 Mankato Avenue

Muddled Thyme, 75 West Third Street

Poots Tavern, 579 East Wabasha Street

Port 507, 128 West Second Street

River City Grill, 1025 East U.S. 61

Sinclair gas station, 952 Mankato Avenue

Sinclair gas station, 1650 Service Road

Sliced, 66 Center Street

Sloppy Joe’s, 526 East Third Stret

Wal-Mart, 955 Frontenac Drive, 1429 West

Wellington’s Pub & Grill, 1429 Service Drive

Zaza’s Pub & Pizzeria, 529 Huff Street

Earlier: 14 booze vendors OK on compliance, 3 fail

Earlier: Under-age drinkers caught at two bars

LEWISTON, Minn. — Sheriff’s deputies cleared protesters from the entrance to the Lewiston golf course where Congressman Brad Finstad was holding a closed meeting. There had been a complaint, unconfirmed, that the protesters had blocked the gravel road into the club. This was about 4:10 p.m. Advised of the complaint, the protesters kept their distance. Finstad, a Republican and Trump loyalist, has avoided public townhalls for months to avoid the embarrassment at being asked to explain his consistent support for Trump policies that polls show are underwater. To keep a step ahead of protesters, Finstad doesn’t publish his itinerary. He screens who is invited, keeps the gatherings small, limits access, and succeeds at chatty, friendly and nonconfrontational gatherings.

Earlier: Finstad home but skips glad-handing contacts

Earlier: Vets meet with Finstad stand-in on issues

Earlier: Finstad still avoiding risk with MN-1 crowds

Heartland Country Club. Outside Lewiston in central Winona County.  A nine-hole course with a converted barn as the clubhouse. Fits Finstad’s criteria for a low-profile, especially on weekdays.

WINONA, Minn. — A Winona father of two girls, ages 9 and 7, was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault. Jailed was Christopher Robert Kingsley, age 32. Police had been notified by social workers who were concerned about inappropriate contact. Forensic interviews with the children were conducted, police said. Both parents were interviewed. The arrest was about 12:20 p.m. at the family home in the 500 block of East Front Street.

Kingsley. Facing six counts of criminal sexual conduct.

Shiny showroom glass in place. So too the interior lighting. Still to come: Signage for Chrysler Winona and shiny metal objects ranging from basic Dodge Hornets at $30,000 to fully equipped Jeep Grand Wagoneers at $120,000. The only new car dealerships in Winona all now at one place — the 1200 block of U.S. Highway 61 on the West End. The Chrysler dealership previously was downtown. Image: Steve Lunde

Volleyball (women): Rochester Community 3, Dakota County Tech 0