Speaker $95,000 richer, then $95,000 poorer

COMBS To students: No substitute for concentrating on your studies

WINONA, Minn., Sept. 30, 2003 -- Speaker Patrick Combs told Winona State Univerity students how he became $95,000 richer by endorsing a fake check with a smiley face. Nine years ago, sorting through his junk mail, Combs found a sample check in his name for $95,093.35. The check appeared so real that he decided to deposit it in the bank as a joke. Rather than endorsing the check, Combs drew a smiley face and wrote "have a nice day." He figured the bank would recognize his prank. Not so. His account was credited the full sum. The junk mail company complained to the bank, which demanded the money back and sued. According to Comb's attorney, the bank would have lost the suit, but he returned the money anyway. Also, he gave his story to the Wall Street Journal, which launched him on a career as a motivational speaker. His Winona State speech, "Major in Success," was designed to help students focus on their school work so that they can find good jobs after graduation -- not a free lunch or even $95,000. Reporter: Tracie Groen

UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS AND SCHEDULES
ST. MARY'S	SOUTHEAST TECH	WINONA STATE

Unions: Still time to negotiate

AFSCME THEME Lapel button AFSCME has 19,000 state employee members. MAPE has 10,600.

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 30, 2003 -- The executive director of the largest state employees union, Peter Benner, said he hopes last week's pro-strike membership vote "helps bring the state back to negotiations so we can settle this without a strike." AFSCME members voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike last week. "Our goal is to reach a negotiated settlement," Benner said. "We have said many times we are willing to go back to the bargaining table, anytime, anywhere." The executive director of the smaller MAPE union, Jim Monroe, said the pro-strike vote by his members does not mean the leadership will call for a strike immediately. There is still time for the state to return to the bargaining table, he said. Background: AFSCME: 80% to strike

"Thieves Carnival" coming to WSU

AFSCME vote: 80% to strike

AFSCME THEME Lapel button STRIKE SCENARIO If the unions immediately give a legally required 10-day notice that they intend to strike, the walkout could occur Oct. 9. More likely: Renewed negotiations.

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 29, 2003 -- The giant AFSCME union, which represents state employees, including many campus workers, took another step toward a strike. Workers voted by a 4-1 margin to authorize a strike last week, according to ballots counted Monday at the union's state headquarters. Among state corrections officers, the vote was 98 percent to strike, the union said. Corrections officers, however, are prohibited by law from striking. At Winona State the union represents about 150 workers, mostly janitors and secretaries. Meanwhile, the smaller MAPE union, whose statewide membership includes campus supervisors, announced its members voted 2-1 to authorize a strike. Background: Hastings paper gigs plan

Homecoming weekend arrest tally: 116

Profs to perform Debussy, others

WSU speech class collecting food, learning

WHO KNOWS WHO PHOTOGRAPHER: PATRICK WALSH

AND HOW MUCH?

WHO KNOWS WHAT

WSU physics team examines magnetism

Hastings paper gigs state health plan

WSU profs write on nursing instruction

Rape-play director seeks shock

Strike vote counted at union headquarters

PHOTOGRAPHER: PATRICK WALSH PADLOCKED Sealed for delivery

WINONA, Minn., Sept. 29, 2003 -- After the last ballot was cast in Winona in the AFSCME stike authorization vote, which could lead to a statewide strike, the ballots were hauled to St. Paul for counting on Monday. AFSCME members, including 153 at Winona State University, were eligible to vote on giving union leaders the latitude to call a stike if Gov. Tim Pawlenty doesn't relent on health insurance reductions in a proposed contract change. Reporter: Patrick Walsh Background: Early turnout heavy

Pianist, celloist plan WSU concert

WINONA, Minn., Sept. 28, 2003 -- Two Winona State Univerity music profs, pianist Danne Mohr and celloist Paul Vanc, are in rehearsal for an evening performance of beautiful music. Their program includes J.S. Bach's "Sonata No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1027," as well as "Tres Lent (Hommage a Messiaen)" by Joan Tower, and Gabriel Faure's "Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 117."

PROFS PRACTICE TOO Mohr, Vance in rehearsal

Be careful whom you let in

Might Concordia unseat Warriors?

FOOTBALL

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 28, 2003 -- The undefeated Winona State University Warriors will arrive with a 5-0 record against Concordia for a Northern Sun football game Saturday. The standings: NORTHERN SUN OVER- ALL Winona State 3-0 5-0 Bemidji State 2-1 3-0 Concordia of St. Paul 2-0 3-1 UM-Crookston 1-2 3-0 UM-Duluth 1-1 2-0 MSU-Moorhead 1-1 1-3 Wayne State 1-1 1-3 Northern State 1-0 3-1 Southwest State 0-2 3-2

Stolen car found; jewels gone

Editorial: Taxes due on WSU dorm

Guard pushed, bit in dorm incident

Hey, WSU ain't a Hardee's drive-thru

Late Keith Schwab lauded for new dorm

R.I.P.: Martha Alona Steele

WSU prof helps edit ethics book

Drunk kids arrested at Fingall

Dance sites: Wilkie, WSU library

WSU prof shares teaching thoughts

ANTHONY RIZZIO	WILL ALBERT- SEN	TANYA COOKE	ERIKA HAHN	PATRICK WALSH	JOCELYN BEVIS
TOMORROW'S GREATEST BYLINES TODAY

Nurses' homecoming float best again

WSU recovering from worms, viruses

Shooting? Hostages? WSU called ready

Cops catch fleeing man behind dorm

WSU extends homecoming olive branch

REED Homecoming chief

WINONA, Minn., Sept. 25, 2003 -- This year's Winona State University homecoming is marked by initiatives to make peace with townspeople who have been irked for years at the event's drunkenness and disruption. Joe Reed, homecoming adviser, has sent letters to business and homeowners on the parade route, promising that driveways will not be blocked and that trash will be picked up. The parade route itself was shortened to ease traffic backups along Second Street, which has a growing number of storefront merchants who figure they lose customers when traffic is disrupted. Police Chief Frank Pomeroy is pleased that the shorter route, five blocks instead of eight, will keep the critical Second and Huff intersection open. "In the last couple of years, truck routes through Winona have started to become more frequent, which backed up traffic for several hours," Pomeroy said. "This takes the stress off of the traffic problems and allows the parade to go without stopping."

WSU prof helps edit ethics book

Professor-clown pays assault fine

It could rain on WSU's parade

Cops: Party was out of hand

Only 60 units in WSU parade

WSU nurses plan to "shock you"

Turnout heavy in early strike vote

SCHAUGH- NESSY Winona union president

WINONA, Minn., Sept. 25, 2003 -- By mid-afternoon 83 of about 200 Winona members of the AFSCME state employee union had cast ballots in a strike authorization election, said President Pat Shaughnessy. He expected the volume of voters to increase when day-shift state workers came off work. Shaughnessy said the ballot box would be sealed at 7 p.m. and the ballots counted on Monday. The Winona union, part of AFSCME's Council 6, represents maintenance employees and secretaries. In Winona most of these state employees are at Winona State, Southeast Tech, and the state Highway Department. Reporter: Patrick Walsh Background: Poll: Majority favoring strike

Background: Screeners missed checkered record
Comment: A gross misrepresentation

Poll: WSU majority favoring strike

AFSCME THEME Lapel button SURVEY For strike 37 Against 16 Undecided 14 Declined comment 19 Non-voting fair-share member 3 Percent of membership sampled: 58.1 Survey conducted Sept. 24-25

WINONA, Minn., Sept. 25, 2003 -- Of Winona State University union workers who had made up their mind on the eve of Thursday's strike vote and who were willing to talk about it, a large majority favored a strike when and if their state-level leadership feels it necessary. Face-to-face interviews by journalism students on Wednesday and before voting began at 11 a.m., Thursday, found a 69.8 percent majority saying they would vote to authorize a strike. Still, 15.7 percent of the 89 AFSCME members who were reached for the poll were undecided. The Winona votes will be consolidated with tallies from 19,000 other members of the AFSCME union statewide to guide union leaders on their next step in stalled negotiations for a new two-year contract. Reporters: Patrick Walsh with Christy Blake, Seamus Boyle, Ali Coates, Kelly Demeter, Becky Durbin, Cailin Flattery, Stacey Nunemacher, Jenn Olafson, Sara Ryan, Allison Turner, Pam Volk and John Yehambaram Background: Strike wouldn't be instant Background: WSU workers poised to strike

Student finds medallion, wins $25

Christian group in weekend retreat

Speaker: Making WSU greener

WSU students want CST alarm box

CODE BLUE A main campus security box

WINONA, Minn., Sept. 25, 2003 -- Without opposition, student senators have endorsed installing a Code Blue security alarm box at the Winona State University west campus. When installed, the emergency pole will add a sense of security at Lourdes, Marian and Tau dorms, supporters said. However, the boxes will be active only between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m., when guards are on duty. In discussing the Code Blue addition, some senators expressed dismay that the West Campus is without around-the-clock security. They were told that the Lourdes Hall Council, a student group, is seeking regular West Campus security staffing. Reporter: Megan Curran Background: Alarm box still in crate

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXHIBIT Works by David Bowen, Trevor Nicholas and Melanie VanHouten

"Systems" art pieces coming to WSU

Prof: Summer dry spell is problem

It'll be someone else's bash this time

WINONA, Minn., Sept. 25, 2003 -- An inveterate Winona State University party guy, Dan Gerl, won't be hosting his usual day-long homecoming bash this year. He's still smarting from a $340 fine last year after a neighbor told the cops that somebody from Gerl's beer party was pissing on his fence. Gerl's still upset, though, over being fined for someone else's indiscretion. Gerl and his housemates, all experienced on party-noise law, had planned to clear out their party by 10 p.m. to avoid neighbor complaints. "If everyone was gone by 10 we would be smooth sailing down to the bar," said Gerl. At 8, however, a cop knocked. "I answered the door and was a little startled when I saw the officer," said Gerl. "I pleaded that it was only 8 and that we were going to shut down in a couple of hours." It wasn't the noise, the officer informed Gerl. Somebody had urinated on a neighbor's fence. "We tried to keep people in the house all night," said Gerl. "One straggler must have snuck out." At his mandatory court date, Gerl argued that he didn't do the deed and didn't even know if it was someone from his party: "If I didn’t piss, you must dismiss." Unimpressed with the lame poetry, the judge fined Gerl $340. Even the fine grated. Gerl said two friends caught peeing at the Third Street bus stop had been fined only $90 -- and they had actually done it. Reporter: Becky Durbin Background: Homecoming staffing woes

DAN GERL This year he's in a tiny house that doesn't lend itself to a homecoming bash: "The city of Winona will have to pick on some other innocent college kid."

Anxious? Depressed? Consider screening

Bosses face Homecoming staffing woes

Background: Screeners missed checkered record

As portrayed in Winona State University promotional materials OTHER SLICES OF CAMPUS LIFE

WINONA CAMPUS LIFE

Target gives $500 to WSU speaker series

Target Corp. gives $2 million a week to local communities through grants and special programs. WSU got $500 this year.

WINONA, Minn., September 25, 2003 -- Giant retailer Target Stores awarded $500 to Winona State University for this year's Lyceum speaker and performance series. The Body Cartography dance residency, which launched the currenty Lyceum program, is under way now. The first speaker will be author Patrick Combs next week.

Kissing intruder recalls dream, no more