Busted bartender-coach back on job

HERNKE Still pouring Winona bars hire a lot of football players as bartenders and bouncers. Many are already part of the bar scene and know the ropes.

WINONA, Minn., Nov. 30, 2003 -- Despite a court record for serving alcohol to minors, a conditioning coach for the Winona State University football team, Brian Hernke, has landed a job tending bar at ZaZa'a Pub and Pizzeria. Unclear is whether managers at ZaZa's knew about Hernke's record when he was hired. ZaZa's is four blocks down Mark Street from Shorty's bar. Hernke was fired at Shorty's in a police sting. Two underage police decoys were served by Hernke. In response, Shorty's fired Herke -- a widespread practice in bar management that enables a bar to scape-goat responsibility for the violation to the employee and then claim the problem was isolated and has been remedied. This explanation usually works for a bar when it goes to City Council for renewal of its liquor license. Reporters: Alison Turner and Brian Krans Background: Coaches have booze records

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

WSU j-club collecting used notebooks

Fired writer: Mayor's explanation lacking

EDSTROM Humorist? Racist? John Edstrom, Winona-born, and Fran Edstrom, his wife, a College of St. Teresa alum, founded the Winona Post in 1971 as an advertiser- supported shopper distributed free to households and merchants counters.

WINONA, Minn., Nov. 29, 2003 -- After Post sports columnist John Edstrom received a letter firing him from the city Merit Board, he called Mayor Jerry Miller to ask why. This is Edstrom's account: "I talked to the Mayor on the phone about this issue, and told him he seemed to making an accusation of racism. He replied: 'I'm not accusing anybody of anything." I pressed him further and he said, 'You alluded to Africans.' I said, 'What is wrong with alluding to Africans. I alluded to the French the week before.' His reply was, 'Right, and I don't want to debate what's right or wrong, but all I'm saying is that in my opinion that's where I'm coming from.' 'You mean I can't say the word African?' 'You can say whatever you want... but I have the right to interpret what you say the way I want to intepret it...' The conversation came to a close after I accused Miller of not being able to explain what was wrong with what I wrote or how it is in any way offensive. He replied, 'They just don't fit my values.' I said, 'What are your values? You won't express your values.' 'I don't have to explain to you what my values are.' And that was all I could get out of the Mayor." Background: Mayor sees racism in column

North Dakota dooms WSU in playoffs

FOOTBALL

GRAND FORKS, N.D., Nov. 29, 2003 -- Winona State football fans stood in silence as University North Dakota linebacker Caleb Johnson caught a 69-yard reception in the last minute of play. Winona State had come back from a 21-point deficit to take the lead with two minutes left in the game when North Dakota scored. Warrior fans had thought victory was near when their team took the lead late in the second half after Winona senior tailback Bounthavy Khamratthanome completed a 19-yard touchdown. Although Winona State's rushing yards exceeded North Dakota's, 406-365, it wasn't enough. Winona State coach Tom Sawyer attributed this loss to five Winona turnovers, three fumbles and two interceptions early. Many Winona State players, many of them seniors, fell to their knees in disappointment after the loss. North Dakota now holds the title of regional champion. The Sioux next play in the NCAA nationals against North Alabama. Reporter: Gina Bonneville

R.I.P.: Katheen Elizabeth Lovas

Fire coverup at SMU?

Mayor won't tolerate racism, fires editor

EDSTROM Post columnist The offending passage: "It is as if some infectious, flesh-eating disease has ravaged (the Vikings) ranks, robbing them of their ability to run or to close their hands into the all important fist (except whe committing defensive holdings). Perhaps one of the Africans playing the game has exposed them to an exotic virus like the ebola."

WINONA, Minn., Nov. 28, 2003 -- Mayor Jerry Miller has fired sports colunist John Edstrom from the city Merit Board for suggesting Africans playing pro football may have infected the Minnesota Vikings with ebola. Miller called` Estrom's African comments racist: "A person who made these remarks should not be sitting on the Merit Board."` Edstrom has been an unpaid member of the Merit Board for 10 years. The board deals with personnel issues. In a letter to Edstrom, Mayor Miller said: "Your recent comments in the November 12 edition of your paper, Winona Post, cast doubts on your ability to judge fairly appplicants to various city jobs. Any and all candidates may come from varied cultural and racial backgrounds." Edstrom is publisher of the Post, a free-distribution newspaper. During the football season he writes a sports column in section of the Post that is sponsored by numerous advertisers. Edstrom's Nov. 12 column stirred objections at Winona State University, which` has more racial minorities, including those of African descent, than any other Winona institution. Background: Column stirs campus

Despins: My trustee job is for the students

WINONA, Minn., Nov. 28, 2003 -- A student member of the state college board of trustees, Tyler Despins of Winona State, said it is wrong to think of him as a lackey of Gov. Tim Pawlenty. The question has arisen since the board, of which Despins holds one of 15 seats, short-circuited the collective-bargaining process and foisted the governor's boilerplate employee insurance package on faculty. Despins said that even though he was appointed by the governor, he has never met him and that the governor does not influence his decisions. "It's not like I call the governor and ask him how to vote," Despins said. "He appoints the best people and they just do their job." The board of trustees governs Winona State and 32 other universities, colleges and tech schools, setting tuition, auditing budgetss, hiring campus presidents, and negotiating faculty contracts. In a wide-ranging interview, Despins was asked about whom he represents. Without question, he said, he represents students. As a student trustee, Despins said he attends a monthly meeting of the Minnesota State University Student Association. Ironically, it was MSUSA that declined to endorse Despins' bid for state board of trustees post to which Gov. Pawlenty appointed him. With the board of trustees Despins has three scheduled meetings each month, plus occasional extra meetings like an emergency session in Cloquet, Minn., on faculty contract negotiations last week. Also, Despins said, he is invited to attend campus events and ground-breaking ceremonies throughout the state. Reporter: Tracie Groen Background: He won't resign as trustee

DESPINS MnSCU trustee Among his Winona State classmates it's become a standing joke: "Where's Tyler? He's missed more classes than he's attended since being named to the MnSCU board of trustees. Despins said that profs have been understanding as long as his assignments are on time. He is an education major. His MnSCU board term expires in June 2005.

These guys claim they're "morey" fit

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