HBC TV 25 News

The Winona City Council will hold their first meeting of the New Year tonight. Agenda items include a vote on delaying a pre–design study for a proposed multi–purpose event center. Mayor Jerry Miller is recommending the project be delayed for two years while the state deals with a major budget deficit. Council will also vote to approve the phase two contract of the McKinstry Energy Savings project and renewal of the "Safe Ride" agreement with Winona State University and Saint Mary's University.

Tuesday morning the Winona County Board meets at the County Government Center. This will be the first meeting for new commissioners Mena Kaehler who takes over the seat formerly held by Jerry Heim. Greg Olson replaces longtime commissioner Dave Stoltman who Olson defeated in November. To start the session, county commissioners will elect a new board chair and vice–chair. The board is also scheduled to receive an update on real estate recordings. The Winona County Board meets at 9:00 a.m. in the second floor board room of the government center.

A St. Charles man is in custody after failing to keep law enforcement officials updated on his whereabouts. Winona County Sheriff Dave Brand said Francis Wilkemeyer was taken into custody by deputies Saturday after failing to notify authorities of his change of address. According to reports, as a registered sexual predator, Wilkemeyer is required to inform law enforcement officials of his current address. Brand said a deputy was doing a routine check of offender addresses in a state data base and noticed Wilkemeyer's address was not current.

A summons has been issued in Winona County District Court for a Winona man to appear on four drug counts. Court documents charge 46–year–old Scott Alan Parker with two counts of Third Degree Controlled Substance crimes for selling hydrocodone with a previous conviction and two counts of Third Degree Controlled Substance crimes for selling hydrocodone. Documents accuse Parker of selling hydrocodone pills to a police informant on June 25 and 26 of 2008. Parker is scheduled to make his first court appearance February 3.

Fire has destroyed a machine shed early this morning on a Hillsdale Township farm. According to reports from the Winona County Sheriff's Department, firefighters from Minnesota City and Lewiston responded to the Gale and Dorthea Haase farm located on county road 110 at the top of what is known as Haase Hill. Gale Haase told authorities the power had gone out shortly before 5:00 a.m. and he went to start a back–up generator located in the shed. It was then that he noticed the fire.

The Winona City Council will hold their first meeting of 2009 Monday. Monday's meeting will include several procedure items including selecting a new Council President Pro–Tem to preside over meetings when the mayor is absent. Other items include a vote on delaying a pre–design study for a proposed multi–purpose event center. Mayor Jerry Miller is recommending the project be delayed for two years while the state deals with a major budget deficit.

On January 14, the Winona City Council will meet to discuss the CapX2020 project. The informational session begins at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers. Representatives of the project will be giving a formal presentation and will also answer questions pertaining to the project. CapX2020 is a project that would involve constructing a corridor of high–voltage electity lines through Winona county. One plan has the power lines passing through the county near I–90. A question and answer session is also planned with handouts at fact sheets to be provided. The meeting is open to the public.

Fire investigators have ruled the cause of a fire at the Down and Dirty Bike Club in downtown Winona as accidental. Assistant Chief Jim Maulthop said an electric stove that had been left unattended started the fire. Winona Firefighters were called to 129 East Third Street at 2:36 Tuesday morning after a passerby noticed smoke bellowing from the first floor. Winona Police officers rescued three occupants from the burning building. Fire officials said the building's first floor received significant fire and smoke damage with upstairs apartments suffering damage from smoke.

A Dakota girl received minor injuries after her pickup truck went into the ditch and rolled over on I–90 Wednesday night. The Minnesota State Patrol reports 17–year–old April Frickson was driving westbound near milepost 258 when she lost control of her vehicle ran off the road and rolled. Reports say Frickson was taken to a LaCrosse hospital with non–life threatening injuries. Investigators said she was not wearing a seatbelt.

A rural Winona county man reported someone shot at his home with paint balls. Winona County Sheriff Dave Brand said Steve Schell notified his office yesterday afternoon that a rental home he owns along County Road 31 near Oak Ridge in Mount Vernon Township had been damaged by paint balls. Schell told deputies he believed the incident occurred between 11 and 11:30 Monday night. Damage to the home is estimated to be around $2000.