Park wrong? Car missing? Call Borkowsi

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 20, 2000 -- Tow trucks took away 37 cars parked on the wrong side of streets during a blizzard overnight, Police Chief Frank Pomeroy said. Borskowski Toring took all the cars as part of its exclusive city contract as bad guys. Another 14 cars were ticketed, Pomeroy said.

Bad light tube blamed for SMU fire call

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 20, 2000 -- A fluorescent light in the first floor in LaSalle Hall at Saint Mary's University overheated andsent out smoke and activated a fire alarm about 1:30 a.m.. Firefighters blew the smoke out and reactivated the alarm.

Trustees boost state college tuition 2 to 8 percent

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 19, 2000 -- State college trustees approved a package of tuition increases for fall ranging from 2 to 8 percent. At Winona State, undergraduate and graduate tuition will increase an average of 5.6 percent. For full-time undergrads, that's $2,753 for the year. The trustees' decision was a setback for Darrell Krueger, president of Winona State, who had sought 10 percent.

R.I.P.: Edward McDowell Allen

LAKE SAN MARCOS, Calif., Jan. 19, 2000 -- A 1952 Saint Mary's College grad, Ed Allen, who ran radio station KWNO from 1954 to 1958, died at age 75. After KWNO, Allen managed the Winona and La Crosse cable television systems.

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TOMORROW'S GREATEST BYLINES TODAY

Snow, wind close WSU campuses

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 19, 2000 -- Evening classes at the main Winona State University campus were canceled as a blizzard-like storm ravaged highways and streets. Earlier, afternoon classes were canceled at the Rochester campus. Only one prof, Wade Nelson in educational leadership, used the official university class cancellation notification system during the day to announce his evening class wouldn't meet.

Police record up-ends Chucker's, Fitzgerald's plan

Under-age drinking convictions soaring

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 17, 2000 -- With the colleges' school year only half over, the number of under-age drinking convictions already is running far ahead of a year ago. Since September, 217 young people have been convicted, compared to 377. Fines have ranged from $78, in simple cases, to $818, in cases involving drunken driving and worse. Some sentences have involved jail time, although that's usually suspended on condition the boozers don't do it again.

Tough questions may lie ahead in WSU audit

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 16, 2000 -- State auditors prepared to pore over Winona State University's financial records in their every-third-year audit. The audit normally takes five weeks. With the January retirement of Fred Naas as university comptroller, the job of answering questions has fallen to Tess Kruger, who is on loan from the university's personnel office as interim comptroller. Depending on the thoroughness of the audit, These issues might be raised:

• Did the university fail to use competitive bidding for improvements at the Maxwell football field, as one artificial-turf company has alleged.
• Is it proper for the university to accept large gifts from successful contractors on campus projects.
• Does the university pay profs to take educational leaves but not requiring them ever to come back.

Chucker's owners want to license booze permit

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 15, 2000 -- The corporation that owns Chucker's, a downtown night spot, applied for permission to transfer the liquor license from Maso, a limited liability corporation, to Navarro Brothers Enterprises. City Council approval is needed. Dominque and Robert Navarro already operate Shananigan's and Hooligan's for the college crowd in Eau Claire, Wis. Chucker's and a connected dance hall, Fitzgerald's, have been closed since Jan. 1 for under-age serving.

WSU's Maxwell Hall misses budget short list

WSU pair take portfolio ideas to North Carolina

CULLOWHEE, N.C., Jan. 14, 2000 -- Two Winona State University experts on electronic portfolios for college students, Dennis Pack and Colleen Miron, presented two days of sessions at Western Carolina University.

Two internal candidates seek WSU comptroller job

WINONA, MINN., Jan. 14, 2000 -- Four applicants for the Winona State University comptroller job will be invited to campus interviews, President Darrell Krueger decided after considering a search committee recommendation. On the short list to place retired Fred Naas:

• Marie Bush: Budget director at Winona State. At Winona State since 1970. Master's and bachelor's from Winona State.
• Charles Crimmins: A certified public accountant with a bachelor's from the University of Minnesota. Recent responsibilities: Controller for Illinois College of Optometry.
• Scott Ellinghuysen: Financial analyst at Winona State since 1989. Bachelor's from Winona State, master's from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
• John Noel: Controller at Luther College. Master's from Carnegie Mellon University, bachelor's from St. Olaf.

Italy beckons WSU alums

WINONA, Minn, Jan. 14, 2000 -- When 3,500 Winona State University alums were polled on where they'd like to travel, more said Rome than any other places. So the alumni Society has arranged a June 10-19 tour with bus excursions to Florence and Venice. Cost $1,561 to $1,761 in most cases. Leaders: world travelers Dave Kolas, Classes of 1967 and 1970, and Shirley Hodgson Hill, Class of 1971. Between them, they've been to 45 countries and all 50 states.

Governor's budget would cover new WSU boilers

ST. PAUL, Minn, Jan. 14, 2000 -- Gov. Jesse Ventura announced a tight state building budget for the next two years, with $30 million earmarked for the state colleges. New boilers at Winona State University, costing $6.1 million, are the college system's No. 1 priority. The current boilers are 38 years old and the failure risk is high, university officials say. Now, the governor's budget goes to the Legislature.

Thief loose at SMU gym

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 13, 2000 --While Heidi McElmury was working out at Gomtomski gym at Saint Mary's University over the noon hour, somebody stole her wallet, watch and two rings. McElmury admitted that they were in an unsecured locker.

Young robber steals beer from booze vendor

WINONA, Minn. Jan. 13, 2000 -- A young man raced out of Fifth Street Liquor without paying for six packs of beer, the clerk said. The cops' account said the young man had asked to use a phone and the next thing the clerk knew an alarm was sounding as the guy fled.

Shower steam triggers WSU fire alarm

WINONA, Minn, Jan. 13, 2000 -- Students living at the Lourdes dorm at the old College of St. Teresa learned a lesson: Take shorter showers. Humidity that built up in an upstairs bath triggered a fire alarm about 9 a.m. Firefighters reset the alarm half an hour later, after finding no flames.

Clergy avoids tough definitions in porn stand

Frat membership in sharp decline

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2000 -- Some experts believe Greek membership has declined as much as 30 percent nationwide from a high of 400,000 in 1990. Leo Reisberg, writing in the Chronicle of Higher Education, said the cost of joining is a factor. Other reasons: Hazing incidents, alcohol abuse, and changing student values. Reisberg also noted that many frats with membership declines are social clubs that lack the traditional sense of frat bonding.

Salons pondering central student aid distribution

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 11, 2000 -- A proposal to disband the Minnesota Higher Education Services Office, expected to be introduced in the Legislature in February, would give the authority to distribute student financial aid to public colleges. For private colleges, aid distribution would go to the Department of Children, Family and Learning.

SMU exec on short list for Cotter chief

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 11, 2000 -- The graduate director at Saint Mary's University, David Bernard, is among three finalists for president of the Winona Cotter Schools. The others: Mimi Fischer, a former St. Cloud State exec, and Frank Miley, an assistant county attorney in St. Paul, Minn. Bernard, who is working on an education doctorate at Saint Mary's, has junior and high school teaching experience.

Finalists identified for WSU comptroller job

WINONA, MINN., Jan. 11, 2000 -- Finalists for the $97,000-a-year chief bookkeeping job at Winona State University have been identified, university President Darrell Krueger said. Finalists for the comptroller job are being contacted by a search committee for on-campus interviews possibly the last week of January, Krueger said.