Notable journalism
Jennifer Benderly (HuffPost, June14, 2026): “ICE-Ravaged Minnesota:\ Now Roiling in Democrats’ U.S. Senate Race”
Gabriel Hathaway (Winona Post, July 15, 2026): “Initial Vote Supports Shelter at St.Paul’s Church”
Derek Sullivan (SouthernMinn,com, February 22, 2013): “Blooming Prairie Awseome Blossoms Go for Most Unique Mascot Title”
Man sought in Lewiston domestic case
LEWISTIN, Minn. — A Lewiston woman called deputies that she had been slapped in the face during an argument with a man whom she knew. The man was gone when deputies arrived. This on First Street South about 5:10 p.m. Deputies issued a bulletin for the man to be picked up. Deputies logged the call as domestic abuse.
Southeast College honchos to national roles
WINONA, Minn. —Two administrators at Minnesota State Southeast have been appointed to commissions of the American Association of Community Colleges. To three-year terms:
> Steve McNaughton, vice president of strategic initiatives, to the Commission on Institutional and Financial Resilience.
> Ashlesha Pawar, institutional effectiveness officer, to the Association’s Commission on Research, Data and Strategic Narrative.
Whence will go Blooming Prairie’s mascot?
BLOOMING PRAIRIE, Minn. — Sportscasters may lose their favorite team nickname — the Awesome Blossoms of Blooming Prairie. The school boards in Blooming Prairie and Hayfield voted to merge their football teams. Unsettled is whether the nickname Awesome Blossoms will survive. Or Hayfield’s Vikings. The enrollments:
> Blooming Prairie: 380 (Grades 7-12).
> Hayfield: 306 (Grades 6-12).
Toponymical origin. An Austin sportswriter called them “the awesome blossoms” 100 years ago. It stuck.
Amtrak eyes new one-level passenger fleet
WINONA, Minn — The national rail passenger service Amtrak unveiled drawings of new single-level cars to replace the Empire Builder’s double-deck Superliners through Winona. The Superliners, introduced almost 50 years ago, are nearing the end their useful life. The plan is 800 new cars to begin service in 2030. The Superliners have been limited to long-distance western routes out of Chicago, like the Empire Builder. At 16 foot-2, Superliners are too tall for eastern lines with low clearances. A single-level fleet will give Amtrak more flexibility in assembling consists. The new cars, each with fewer sseats than the double-deckers, will require extending depots at man stops.
Superliners Too tall. Too old. Sunsetting soon.
Preium seagug. Sme bonpsleepercars yibhave 2/1 seayubgPremium seating. Some coaches to have cushier 2-1 seating with more legroom. Club cars have more spacious feel.
Lindell not a Minnesota registered voter
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Responding to news media inquiries, the Secretary of State’s office reported no record of Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Linfell as a currently registered Minesota voter. The question arose after a Minneapolis Star Tribune investigation found Lindell registered to vote in Texas. The last few years Lindell has lived in Lufkin in east Texas. He left Minnesota after his MyPillow bedding business kn Chaska went belly-up due to managerial inattention as he roamed the country as conspiracist for Donald Trump. Lindell retrned to Minnesota last fall, which means he already has missed the one-year residency requirement to vote in the upcoming August primary. Meanwhile, he remains on Texas voter rolls. The Star Tribune also reported that Lindell has property in Lufkin valued at $600,000. Meanwhile in Minnesota he is delinquent i\on property taxes by 48,000.
Driver eases through red light, nicked as drunk
WINONA, Minn. — A Wisconsin driver, apparently impaired by alcohol, failed to make a complete stop at a red light.She was leaving downtown onto Huff Street. A deputy pulled her over. Her blood-alcohol level tested on the spot at 0.15%, almost double what’s allowed. The deputy took Katie Lynne Curtis, age 35, of Sparta, to jail. This was about 1:10 a.m. The stop was where Huff takes a right-angle turn into Riverview Drive.
News summary at week’s end: July 18, 2026
POLITICS: Ex-governor: Yea to Johnson, nay to Finstad
POLITICS: Musk guilty of Wisconsin vote bribery?
POLITICS: The Lindell saga
ACCIDENT: Airport Lake drowning victim from Cities
ACCIDENT: Two teens hurt in related ATV crashes
AVIATION: Rubber residue marks road after plane crash
ENVIRONMENT: Misery in the afternoon: Smoke, humidity, heat
ENVIRONMENT: Up North wildfires thickening our air
CRIME: Warrant out for Red Wing antiques caper
CRIME: These creeps must hate democracy
CRIME: Man accused of boy sex: 50-plus incidents
WILDLIFE: Rattler radar /2: Apple Blossom Drive
SPORTS: Cotter athlete to Big 10 coaching job
GOVERNMENT: How they voted: On daylight savings /1
These creeps must hate democracy
LEWISTON, Minn. — Yards signs for Winona County sheriff candidates were yanked up and hauled off overnight along U.S. Highway 14 between Lewiston and Stockton. Authorities began a door-to-door search for surveillance video to identify the miscreants. Of a dozen signs, most were for John Hazleton although at least one was for Charles Rolbiecki. Both are deputies in campaigns to replace Sheriff Ron Ganrude, who is retiring. Minnesota Statute 609.595 specifies as much as five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for desecrating a political sign.
GOP chief foresees doom if Lindell doesn’t quit
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota’s Republican chair Alex Plechash, called Mike Lindell politically problematic on the state GOP landscape. Lindell, a.k.a the “MyPillow Guy,” risks dragging down the rest of the party’s ticket by persisting with a maverick candidacy for governor, Plechash said. Although Lindell failed to win the state party’s convention in May, he has not withdrawn as a candidate in the August primary election. Plechash predicted that Lindell will fizzle jnheborimary against Kendall Qualls, who is the party-endorsed candidate. In a written statement, Plechash questioned Lindell’s commitment to ijnnesota by noting that Lindell moved to Texas when his MyPillow bedding business collapsed. “When the going got tough, Mike Lindell left Minnesota for Texas,” Plechash said. “Now he wants Minnesota Republicans to overlook his serious financial baggage, public records showing tens of thousands of dollars in delinquent property taxes, significant electability concerns, and unanswered questions surrounding his running mate.”
Earlier: Qualls to Trump: Why not butt out
Earlier: Lindell: I earned, didn’t seek Trump support
Earlier: Trum Earlier: p to Minnesota Republicans: Vote Lindell
Plechash. Elected Minnesota GOP chair in 2024. Former City Council member in west Minneapolis suburb of Wayzata.
MiEnergy co-op’s 2006 projects; data center pending
RUSHFORD, Minn. — The MiEnergy utility co-op brought its 23,000 customers up-to-date with a list of current electrical projects:
> Kingsland and Wilder substation: Being retired for more efficient service through Spring Valley and Cherry Grove substations.
> Caledonia Substation Feeder 3: Upgrading 3.4 miles of line between Caledonia and Spring Grove substations.
> Saratoga substation Feeder 1: Rebuilding one-half mile of line.
> Lime Springs Substation Feeder 4: Rebuilding 1.5 miles of line to Upper Iowa Beef ‘s butchery.
In progress but not listed were negotiations for a small-edge data center outside Harmony.
Notable journalism
Briana Bierschbach (Minesota Star Tribune, July 17, 2026): “How a 2016 Meeting with Donald Tdump Launched Mike Lindell on His Political Journey”
Allison Kite and Sydney Kasiwagi (Minnesota Star Tribune, July 13, 2026): “Unknown Donors Pouring Millions into What Could Be Minnesota’s Most Expensive Senate Primary”
Bob Timmns and Kristoffer Tigue (Minnesota Star Tribune, June 14, 2026): “Boundary Waters Evacuation Plan: Eight Rangers. Four Canoes and 1 Million Acres to Paddle
Qualls to Trump: Why not butt out
MEDINA, Minn. — The gubernatorial candidate who won the state Republican convention’s endorsement for governor, Kendall Qualls, shrugged off President Trump’s intrusion into the primary election. Said Qualls:
“This race won’t be won by national endorsements. It will be decided by Minnesota Republicans.”
This week Trump threw his weight behind election conspiracist Mike Lindell of MyPillow fame. Trump called Lindell “one of America’s greatest and most hard-working patriots” but offered no supporting rationale to vote for him for governor. Lindell has no experience in public office. In business he drove MyPillow into bankruptcy. There is some irony that Qualls, like Lindell, has been consistent in supporting Trump. In responding to Trump’s decision, Qualls struck tones of betrayal. He said that Minnesota Republicans have spoken through their state convention and that Trump should respect their choice.
Earier: Lindell: I earned, didn’t seek Trump support
Qualls. Retired health insurance executive.
Man accused of boy sex: 50-plus incidents
LACROSSE , Wis. — A suburban Onalaska man was accused of 50 sexual encounters with an underage boy over four years beginning in 2018. Named in a criminal complaint was Spencer L. Vrieze, 39. The victim’s mother went to the sheriff’s office in April, which precipitated an investigation. The boy he felt he could not say no because of Vrieze had anger issues and drug addiction. The boy recounted more than 50 incidents. The mother said she had confronted Vriese, whom she said expressed remorse. Conviction could mean 40 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.
Vrieze. Preliminary hearing in mid-August.
Warrant out for Red Wing antiques caper
RED WING, Minn. — Police began looking for a woman suspected of burglarizing coins, jewelry and sports cards from an antique shop. A criminal warrant claims Judie Lynn Kotek, age 55, hid in a furnace closet about closing time. She then roamed display cases and drawers and stuffed a sack with goodies, then leaving through a fire door, according tio the ciort docuent. This was July 9. With an arrest issued Friday, deputies went to Kotek’s apartment. She wasn’t home. The haul was valued at $2,600.
Kotek. Court record for thievery convictions going back to 2020..
Car rolls on West Burns route, driver survives
WINONA, Minn. — A Rochester driver survived the crash of her rolling car a third of the way up West Burns Creek from Winona to Witoka. Deputies said Chelsea Marie Hatwood, age 19, was unstable and showed signs of impairment. A roadside breath test showed her blood was 0.18% alcohol. Nothing more than 0.08% is allowed for driving. The accident was on a relatively straight stretch of County Road 17 near Cobblestone Lane.
Airport Lake drowning victim from Cities
GOODVIEW, Minn. — The man who drowned Thursday night at the Airport Lake quarry was Michael Oluwaseun Ogunbayo, age 22, of the east St. Paul suburb of Woodbury. The Winona County sheriff’s office released the name after the family was notified. Three women on a swimming outing with Ogunbayo called called 911 about 8 p.m. Thev said hat he had grabbed the rope hanging from an iconic tree and swung out over the water — a thrilling leap that hundreds of Airport Lake swimmers have experienced for decades. He resurfaced, then disappeared, the women told first-responders. The body was located by sonar within 20 mutes or so and retrieved. There was no visible trauma, first-responders said. A small puncture wound in an ankle was attributed to the recovery process. There was no indication of alcohol or drug involvement, deputies said.
Ex-governor: Yea to Johnson, nay to Finstad
MINNEAPOLIS — The Democratic challenger to southern Minnesota’s sitting congressman, Brad Finstad, received a surprrise endorsement — from a former Republican governor of Minnesota. Arne Carlson, who was governor from 1991 to 1999, encouraged voters to support Jake Johnsn, a Rochester Democrat, to in effect run Finstad out of office. Carlson’s endorsement aimed at Finstad’s unflinching allegiance to President Trump.
“Right now, over 80% of Americans do not trust their government and that must change, and change now. That is why I am endorsing Jake Johnson for Congress. I know he will go to bat for term limits, work towards a balanced budget, and represent the people and not just the wealthy interests.”
The influence of Carlson, now 91, is hard to assess. If nothing else, the significance is symbolic. Finstad has been a lock-step Trump toady. Finstad has voted consistently to support Trump on he Iran war, his global trade war, the faltering economy, and raids on federal health and nutritional funding.
Earlier: MN-1 Democrat OK Johnson to take on Finstad
Earlier: Finstad still avoiding news reporters, townhalls
Earlier: MN-1 Democrat OK Johnson to take on Finstad
Earlier: On all-out war on Iran: Finstad stands by Trump
Carlson. Although historically a Republican, he has gravitated to political independence in his retirement years
Winona’s treacherous Airport Lake claims life
GOODVIEW, Minn. — A man missing at the Airport Lake swimming hole was found after a 40-minute search. Attempts to resuscitate the 22 -year-old man were unsuccessful. Winona County deputies delayed releasing his name until kin were notified. The 911 call had been about 8 p.m. The lake is a 12-acre gravel-mining pit that’s been decommisioned for decades and has filled with spring water. At places it’s 100 feet deep with sudden drop-offs and dramatic and unpredictable shifts in temperature at various depths. Swimming is not recommended. Even so, the shielded isolation of one cove draws young people to cool off, ,especially in hot, steamy weather.
Airport Lake. Off Theurer Boulevard at entrance to the Winona airport and the Goodview industrial park.
Musk guilty of Wisconsin vote bribery?
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brown County prosecutor David Lasee has a choice: Whether to file criminal charges against billionaire Elon Musk for writing $1 million in checks to Wisconsin citizens to vote in a 2025 stare Supreme Court election. Like Musk, Lasee is a Republican. Last week the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 that Musk should be charged with vote bribery. Lasee has 40 days to decide. Musk, who has no Wisconsin roots, spent $20 million tota, mostly for advertising, on a Trump-backed candidate in what amounted to a showdown referendum on Trump. Trump’s candidate, Brad Schimel. lost by 10 percentage points.
Earlier: Wisconsin voters turn left on Supreme Court choice
Misery in the afternoon: Smoke, humidity, heat
Squint: Maybe you see Wisconsin. The smoky view at the Winona traffic circle looking toward the Wisconsin bluffs a little after 3 p.m. when the smoke pollution particles were at 215 — “unhealthy” for everyone. At the same time the EPA’s Duluth smoke particle sensors exceded 609 — “hazardous” for everyone. A good day for everyone here or there to stay indoors and bring out your old CoVid stockpiles of N95 masks if you absolutely need to go outside. Image: Andy Frank
Earlier: Up North wildfires thickening our air
Rattler radar /2: Apple Blossom Drive
DRESBACH Minn. — A snake wrangler removed a rattlesnake from a property just southwest of Dresbach on Oak Hill Drive up to Apple Vlossom Drive. It was the second 911 rattlesnake. call this season to the police dispatcher in Winona. The call was about 10:45 a.m.
Earlier: Rattler radar /1: Up Gilmore Creek
Cotter athlete to Big 10 coaching job
SEATTLE — A Cotter High School sports figure in Winona, Patrick Bowlin, has been named assistant women’s basketball coach at University of Washington. Bowlin, a 2008 Cotter grad, is a Minnesota High School Hall of Fame girls’ basketball coach. He ranks second in state history with 732 career victories. He graduated from St. John’s University in 2012. He has coached collegiate volleyball at Saint Benedict, Marquette, UW-Green Bay, and St. Thomas.
Lindell: I earned, didn’t seek Trump support
ROCHESTER, Minn. — At a 2020 Trump rally in Rochester, Mike Lindell let slip that he coveted the governorship of Minnesota. Trump picked up on it and encouraged Lindell. But as Trump proceeded with his presidential campaign — and as Lindell cozied up to him at every opportunity — Trump turned a cold shoulder. Lindell nonetheless persisted and campaigned enthusiastically for Trump. Even when Trump lost, Lindell didn’t slow down. With even more fervor than ever, he embraced whacky conspiracy theories that voting machines had been rigged to cheat Trump out of the presidency. During all this, Lindell’s MyPillow business, on which he had built a rags-to-riches fortune, collapsed. Retailers cancelled their pillow orders left and right to distance themselves from Lindell’s growing zaniness. Bankruptcy followed. Lindell found himself living out of a pickup truck. His dream of holding elected office persisted, however. Last December he announced he would run for governor. And although Trump was silent, Lindell kept name-dropping about Trump’s six-year-old aside of encouragement. Then out of blue this week, Trump endorsed Lindell’s bid to be Minnesota’s governor. Even Lindell was surprised. In a giddy rambling interview with MPR:
“I didn’t ask him for his endorsement. I wanted to get it based on merit, based on what I could do. And I’m really excited that he endorsed me, and it’s based on merit, and what I’ve done with my campaign so far.”
Lindell is in a large Republican field in the party’s August primary. Businessman Kendall Qualls has the party’s endorsement from the GOP state convention in May. House Speaker Lisa Demuth was runner-up. Lindell is among lesser candidacies. He sees Trump’s support as a break-through:
“Now I can concentrate. I’m not taking the primary for granted, but I want to concentrate now on getting out what I can do for Minnesota. This will raise a lot of funding. Right now we’re approaching $3 million but this should up that so we can really hit the advertising to the marketing that I have planned to go against Amy Klobuchar.”
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is the Democratic shoo-in for the August primary.
Lindell saga. Rags to riches to rags. Now to governor? Trump called him the “Pillow Guy” in announcing his endorsement.
So many running
Republicans still with active candidacies the August primary:
> Leaders: Kendall Qualls, Lisa Demuth, Mike Lindell.
> Longshots: Loner Blue, Raul J. Estrada, John Krhin, Ross Nova.
Does Trump matter?
Trump has intruded into state Republican gubernatorial processes so far this year in 12 states. His endorsed candidates prevailed in primaries in 10 states and lost in two. Impossible to measure is whether his thumb on the scale made a difference
How they voted: On daylight savings /1
WASHNGTON — The U.S. House voted 308-117 to abolish daylight savings time. Senate approval is still needed. The bill would put clocks on a uniform year-round standard: No more “fall back, spring ahead” confusion; Localities could opt out. Here is how the Minnesota and Wisconsin delegations voted:
For 12-month uniformity
> Angie Craig, D-Mn2 (south suburbs)
> Tom Emmer, R-Mn6 (north suburbs)
> Brad Finstad, R-MN1 (southern counties)
> Michelle Fischbach, R-Mn7 (rural west)
> Pete Stauber, R-Mn8 (Iron Range)
—
> Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wi8 (Clyman)
> Tom Tiffany, R-Wi7 (Hazelburst)
> Derrick Van Orden, R-Wi3 (Prairie du Chien)
> Tony Wied, R-Wi8 (DePere)
Against
> Betty McCollum, D-Mn4 (St. Paul)
> Kelly Morrison, D-Mn3 (west suburbs)
> Ilhan Omar, D-Mn5 (Minneapolis)
—
> Glen Grothman, R-Wi6 (Campbellsport)
> Gwen Moore, D-Wi4 (Milwaukee)
> Gwen Moore, D-Wi4 (Milwaukee)
> Mark Pocan, D-Wi2 (Madison)
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