CRAIG CULVER Key to success at 277 burger and custard shops: Make people happy

PHOTOGRAPHER: DOUG SUNDIN

Culver's founder: People trump money

R.I.P.: Leo WIlliam Winkels Jr.

County satisfied with 45 mph at SMU

Crackdown on WSU football partying

FOOTBALL RECRUITING UPDATE

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 26, 2005 -- High-school football recruits visiting Winona State University this month will be following a new curfew policy implemented after last year's Carey Rottman drunken partying incident. Coach Tom Sawyer said recruits and their host players will have a nightly 11:30 p.m. meeting with the coaching staff. Rottman, a freshman last year, was arrested last January for assaulting a police officer at a party while he was hosting recruits. Rottman pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault, obstructing the legal process with force, giving police a false name and birth date, and underage consumption of alcohol. MORE

R.I.P.: Wilfred "Bill" Henning

Rottman back on WSU football roster

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 26, 2005 -- The Bad Boy of the 2003 Winona State University football team, Carey Rottman, has returned to the roster for next season, coach Tom Sawyer confirmed. Sawyer said that Rottman, busted with whisky and marijuana at a party last January, has done all that was asked of him to be reinstated. Sawyer would not be specific about what had been asked of Rottman, but the 20-year-old athlete has been under a judge's order to stay out of trouble. He was sentenced over the summer on four counts from the January party at which he admitted head-butting an arresting police officer. He was jailed, then charged with eight counts, including four felonies. At his attorney's request the felony charges were dismissed. MORE

TOM SAWYER Warrior coach

CAREY ROTTMAN Cleaned up his act

Lawyer: Hours long, pay good

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 25, 2005 -- Winona State University courses in criminal justice and political science are exceptional preparation for a future in law, alum Scott Johnson, now a partner at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi in Minneapolis, told nearly 100 students. Johnson's own professional journey began with a Winona State criminal justice bachelor's degree. "Give it your best shot when you are here," he said. Writing and reading skills are excellent training law school, said Johnson, who holds a degree from the William Mitchell Law School. His firm, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, helped win the Minnesota v. Big Tobacco $6.5 billion settlement. Recently Johnson has worked on mold and environmental damage cases. There is so much variety today with what kind of careers can be found with a law degree, said Johnson. MORE Asked if the good outweighed the bad in a legal career, Johnson said with a chuckle: "Of course," "the money is good." The excitement, he said, comes in studying new cases and circumstances that have never risen before in the hundreds of years that the legal system has been around. No two days are the same, he said. He added that it is exciting when a judge agrees with your case. The bad part? Long hours and hard work, he said. Johnson said that it's never too late to begin a law career. Many people take time off after graduation before beginning, he said.

PHOTOGRAPHER: KATIE WARMAN SCOTT JOHNSON WSU grad

Pawlenty Rochester plan has loose ends

Governor fails to fund college growth

Profs seek to tighten prereq checks

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 25, 2005 -- The Faculty Senate unanimously voted for its academics committee to investigate how the registrar can run computer checks to head off students who have not met prerequisites from taking advanced courses. Faculty vice presdient Bruce Svingen said too many students get in over their heads by skipping required preliminary courses. Also, Svingen said students withoui prereqs sometimes take seats in upper-division courses that should go to better-prepared students.

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RECENT DAYS IN THE CITY POSTED JAN.25, 2005 EARLIER NEWS

FLU HITS. After admiting four patients with the flu, the Winona hospital limited visitors to family only. MORE

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Report: Bush to cut prep programs

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2005 -- President Bush will propose eliminating two programs that help needy students prepare for college, insiders said. To finance an expansion of his No Child Left Behind law to high school, Bush wants to drop Upward Bound and also Talent Search, which serves 455,000 students and veterans. The two programs cost $460 million. The proposal will be in the 2006 budget that the President unveils in February, according to sources.

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Both programs slated for elimination serve much the same purpose as would an expanded Non Child Left Behind program -- to prepare high schoolers for college. But the change would also affect more than 5,000 Veterans Upward Bound participants, which serves veterans with low incomes or who are the first in their families to attend college. Upward Bound helps veterans from the Vietnam period through the war in Iraq with classroom instruction, career counseling, and help with applications for college and financial aid.

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QUICK SPORTS JAN. 25, 2005

GYMNASTICS (WOMEN'S): UW-La Crosse 178.925, WSU 125,225. TRACK AND FIELD (WOMEN'S): Named conference athlete of the week was SMU senior Ashley Dingels, who set an MIAC records of 5-2 1/2 in the high jump and 38-4 1/2 in the shot.

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THE DRUG SCENE

WSU student skips out on drug charge

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2005 -- An arrest warrant is out for a Winona State University student accused of selling marijuana out of his room in the Quad dorm. Jonathan Richard Erickson, 20, failed to show for a scheduled Dec. 13 court date on a fifth-degree controlled substance charge. MORE The case against Erickson began Nov. 3, when an informant told police that he knew someone who would sell him marijuana, said Tom Williams, deputy chief. Later in the day, according to police documents, the informant went to the supplier's residence with a recording device and then drove to the Winona State campus with another man as police trailed behind. The male, whom the informer said went by the nickname "Little Jon," sold the informer two plastic bags containing marijuana, the documents say. The bags cost $35 and $10, according to the documents. MORE Little Jon" was identified as Erickson after police checked his car license plate, police documents said. On Nov. 24, Erickson received a court summons to appear in court on Dec. 13. He didn't show. The max penalty on the drug charge is a $10,000 fine. Reporter: Amanda Knowles Background: Doing drugs at WSU

Don Walski, campus security director, said drug-dealing in Winona State dorms is rare. About the Jonathan Richard Erickson case, Walski said: "I've been with Winona State University for about 10 years now, and this is the first incident we’ve had on campus involving a student selling drugs that we know about." The last time Walski could recall any problems with drug-dealing on campus was seven or eight years ago, he said.

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WSU pays athletics chief $90,500

WINONA, Minn., Jan 24, 2005 -- The athletics director at Winona State, Larry Holstad, is earning $90,309 this school year, records show. His salary last year was $88,560, a 1.9 percent increase. Holstad has held the position since 1997. Reporter: Heather Stanek Background: Other campus salaries

LARRY HOLSTAD Athletics director

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For profs, jock favoritism still an issue

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2005 -- The Winona State Faculty Senate unanimously agreed to call administrators to the next Senate meeting to explain how varsity athletes came to get privileged treatment to register for spring classes ahead of other students. Senators expressed concern because administrators, notably academic Vice President Steve Richardson, did not inform faculty of the policy change. Several senators said registration policies should be the same for all students regardless of extra-curricular activities. MORE David Bratt, former faculty president, believes the issue needs to be thoroughly investigated and resolved. Referring to a letter to all faculty from Athletic Director Larry Holstad about the policy, which called it a a failed experiment, Bratt said: "The athletic department brought it up, so now let's talk about it." Bratt said he is interested in moving beyond initial reactions to the policy in hopes of achieving a broader view of the issue. Bratt said the most important question is: "Can we treat this as an opportunity to solve a problem that's larger than athletics?" It is widely recognized that Winona State's registration process doesn't work well. MORE The jocks-first issue surfaced in November when it was learned that varsity athletes had been given early registration times to sign up for spring courses, regardless of academic standing. Responding to an initial wave of outrage, Richardson and Holstad told faculty the priority registration was an attempt to avoid scheduling conflicts, but that explanation raised further questions. Bruce Svingen, the Faculty Senate vice president, said more discussion is needed about the controversial policy. Reporter: Amanda Finley Background: Jocks' priority registration to end

DAVE BRATT Former faculty president BRUCE SVINGEN Faculty vice president STEVE RICHARD- SON University vice president LARRY HOLSTAD Athletic director

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THE SUGAR LOAF MURDERS

Slayings shock, upset neighbors

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2005 -- Neighbors of Stacy Smith, a Winona State University junior found dead with her daughter in an arson fire at the Sugar Loaf Apartments, were emotionally affected. Most didn't know Smith but had often seen her 10-year-old daughter playing outside and were upset to discover both had been murdered, then their apartment set ablaze. Jean Rettke, who lives two doors away, said she was not only "very saddened" but also "a little fearful." She had moved to Winona from Minneapolis and thought she had escaped violent crime. On Dec. 16, the night of the fire, Rettke said she saw paramedics trying to resuscitate Smith. It looked as though Smith was already dead, she said.

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Rettke said other tenants at Sugar Loaf Apartments, 358 E. Sarnia St., spent the night across the parking lot at the Martin-Myhre Funeral Home. They discovered the next morning that Smith and her 10-year-old daughter Taylor had died, said Rettke. She said she wasn't acquainted with Smith but recognized her daughter. While sitting on her porch, Rettke said she often saw Taylor riding her bike around the parking lot. "She seemed like a real nice girl," said Rettke. Rettke said she felt sad after Taylor died because she had a niece of the same age and had wanted to introduce the two. MORE Rita Corcoran, another neighbor, who has lived in the apartments almost a year, remembered Taylor too. She said the girl enjoyed playing outside and riding her bike. "She was a friendly little girl," Corcoran said. "She'd always say 'hi.'" Corcoran also said that she saw firefighters bring Taylor out of the apartments the night of the fire. MORE She said she was within a few feet of the girl as paramedics tried to resuscitate her. "I had a sick feeling because she looked dead," Corcoran said. As paramedics worked on Stacy, Corcoran said she could recall tenants shouting to firefighters that Smith was still in the building. She said she did not see Smith brought out because the tenants had to leave when a window blew out. MORE Melissa Willhite, a Winona State University student studying pre-veterinary medicine, who lives at the apartments, said she remembered seeing Smith and Taylor from time to time. She said they often picnicked on a grassy area next to the parking lot. Willhite said she was shocked and angered: "If someone had a problem with the mom, the little girl should never have been involved." MORE

PHOTOGRAPHER: CHRIS WARRINGTON FUTILE RESUCITATION ATTEMPT Rescue workers inside an ambulance at Sugar Loaf Apartments try to revive Stacy Smith, not knowing she had been murdered before her apartment was set on fire. MORE A GLANCE INSIDE An officer looks into an ambulance where rescuers desperately work to bring 10-year-old Taylor Swanson back to life.

Michael Hartwich, who lived two doors away from Smith, said he didn't know her or her daughter but was emotionally affected by their deaths. "I was impacted a heck of a lot," he said. "It was pretty darn close for comfort." Hartwich said he is more afraid of how Smith and her daughter died than of the person who committed the crime. "What really scares me is the fire business," he said. "Fires show no mercy."

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Corcoran too said she was "deadly afraid" of fire, and knew that something was wrong the night it occurred. She said she was angered at whoever set it, and felt saddened to discover Smith and Taylor had died. "I had a sick feeling in my stomach," Corcoran said. "I wondered how it could happen here." Corcoran said the homicides have encouraged tenants to watch for suspicious activity. She said she is more cautious in the parking lot and takes note of "odd vehicles."

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Paul Allan Gordon, a 21-year-old man, is being returned from the Mexican border for questioning. Police found Gordon's cell phone in Smith's apartment after the fire.

Reporter: Heather Stanek
Background: Newspaper sees self as rumor-squelcher

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Study: Profs see textbooks as critical

UTICA, N.Y., Jan. 24, 2005 -- Most college professors, 84 percent, see textbooks as essential for students to complete their courses, according to a survey by Zogby International. The survey found that textbook publishers are in tune with their professor-adopters in bundling supplementary material with books. Three-quarters direct students to supplementary materials. At four-year colleges 63 percent require or recommend CDs, online self-assessment tests, interactive learning tools and online homework, at community colleges 55 percent. The survey, conducted in December, had 1,029 respondents, 817 at four-year schools.

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Eighty percent said it is important for textbooks to be as current as possible, Fifty-eight percent are satisfied with the frequency at which new textbook editions are released. More than 70 percent require that students read and study at least half the textbooks they assign. Instructors at two-year colleges are more likely to agree that students absolutely need a textbook to get a better grade, and are more likely to inform students early in the course that they need to use the book.

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2005 LEGISLATURE

Will governor end higher-ed suspense?

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan, 24, 2005 -- The suspense will end Tuesday when Gov. Tim Pawlenty lays out his budget recommendations to the Legislature. To higher-education people, state professors' lobbyist Russ Stanton said: "Do not expect good news." Pawlenty, who has vowed not to increase taxes, is in a bind. Pawlenty's only options, said Stanton, are budget cuts and accounting shifts to cover the shortfall. MORE The MnSCU system, which includes Winona State, has proposed a budget that includes a $130 million increase in the funding base for enrollment growth, plus $66 million of new initiatives to produce more teachers and nurses, to improve salary competitiveness, and to fund online education. MnSCU also has proposed a 2 percent per year increase for compensation inflation over the two years, to be funded by a 4 percent tuition hike. Through the Minnesota State University Student Association, students are asking the Legislature to appropriate $63 million to offset inflation and also to freeze tuition at present levels. MORE In southeast Minnesota, ears are eager for details on Pawlenty's call for a new university in Rochester. Stanton said he's talked with legislators of both political parties and legislative staffers: "They are still scratching their heads over what the governor has in mind. Is it a state university? A branch of the U of M? A new type of entity? What would happen to Winona's extensive program offerings in Rochester? Nobody seems to know." It was last week in his State of the State address that Pawlenty proposed spending $3 million to plan a new university infrastructure in Rochester. MORE It is also unclear what the governor has in mind with his call for higher-ed funding to go to students, rather than flow to the institutions, Stanton said: "He seems to be talking about some sort of voucher system, but the details missing." In the State of the State address, Pawlenty emphasized that the money would go to public students, and there would be some adjustments for economies of scale for small rural institutions. MORE Stanton said faculty will be looking also for followup details on the governor's call for offering college-level courses to high school juniors and seniors at their high schools for college credit. For college faculty the concerned is maintaining standards, Stanton said. He noted that thousands of high school students already take courses in their own high school through programs whereby high schools contract with colleges to deliver the courses. In addition, he said, thousands of students take college-level courses through the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Program.

TIM PAWLENTY Governor

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Calendar shifted for WSU Roe event

WINONA, Minn., Jan 24, 2005 -- It was no accident that the National Abortion for Reproductive Rights Action League chapter at Winona State University decided to throw its Roe v. Wade anniversary party on the same day as President Bush's inauguration. "We are here to celebrate and support that piece of legislation which has made abortions legal in this country, and which is at risk with the Bush Administration still in office," said Sarah Goberville, who along with Meggan Patterson, serves as a chapter representative to the national organization. The anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a landmark for women's rights, was actually Saturday, but both NARAL representatives thought it made sense to hold the event during the President's inauguration. "This is as much a protest against the policy of the Bush Administration on abortion as it is a celebration of a woman's right to choose," Goberville said. The event in Kryzsko Commons, drew modest gathering of supporters. A discussion of the issue took place, condoms were made available and donations were accepted. Chapter member Jackie Wood, expressed concern that sex education is at risk with Bush in office.

Reporter: Jason Staskus

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2005 LEGISLATURE

Senate construction bill to floor vote

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan, 24, 2005 -- The Senate Capital Investment Committee voted 21-0 to fast-track a $976 million borrowing plan for state construction projects to the Senate floor. The bill includes the remodeling of the Pasteur science building at Winona State. Legislators are under voter pressure to get their act together after bitter partisan wrangling last year deadlocked the Senate and House. Last year's construction bonding bill was defeated by two votes in the Senate. Some senators who voted against the bill last year voted for the bill in committee this time, including Sens. Dennis Frederickson, R-New Ulm, and Carrie Ruud, R-Breezy Point.

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The House version of a bonding bill is moving slower. House Speaker Steve Sviggum is pushing to pass a small bonding bill to fund high-prioriy projects early in the session and to delay other projects until later. Sviggum wants to use the projects as bargaining chips in the tough budget-balancing debate that will take place at the end of the session. Many House Republicans, however, favor a big bill right away.

Background: Campus construction funding ideas vary

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HAVE A NEWS TIP? TELL THE CYBERINDEE

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Pappas: Rochester scheme too costly

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 24, 2005 -- The timing of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposal to spend $3 million to examine how to create a four-year independent university in Rochester is all wrong, said State Sen. Sandy Pappas, D-St. Paul. "It's a lot of money to do that, especially given the cuts that we did two years ago, but there probably will be a little bit of money for planning," said Pappas.

Background:
Pawlenty backs new university for Rochester
SMU blind-sided by Pawlenty scheme
Student leader faults Pawlenty plan
Pelwoski dubious on Rochester scheme

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Will Athenaeum disrupt library quiet?

WINONA, Minn., Jan 24, 32005 -- The new Athenaeum series of concerts, speakers and discussions in the Winona State University library will cause minimal disruption for students using the library to study, librarian Kendall Larson told the Student Senate. The events have been planned for Wednesdays at 1 o'clock. Because the library's Athenaeum is prime study space, concern had been expressed that the series would pose a disruption. Larson assured the Senate that the series will be limited to one hour and has been scheduled for afternoons to keep disturbances minimal.

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Among sessions will be a question-and-answer session with departing university President Darrell Krueger on Feb. 2. Lib-arts Dean Tony Paino will lead a civility conference panel on Feb. 18. Larson invited students interested in performing in the Athenaeum to contact him.

Reporter: Amanda FInley
Background: Celloist launches WSU Athenaeum

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NEWS AND COMMENT WINONA MEDIA WATCH THE PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW In a democracy, government has a sacred obligation to be fully open and forthright with the people. The alternative, absolutely unacceptable, is for the people to be hobbled with ignorance in going about their citizenship obligation to participate intelligently in public matters. To his shame, Police Chief Frank Pomeroy, backed up by County Attorney Chuck MacLean, is withholding autopsy information from the Sugar Loaf murders. Pomeroy and MacLean are doing this despite statutes that require the release, at minimum, of the cause of death. MORE The Daily News has set procedures in motion to require Pomeroy and MacLean to comply with the law. This is as it should be. MORE To their discredit, Pomeroy and MacLean don't seem bothered much by the Daily News' protest at their contrary-to-the-law posture on open government documents. They know that appeals for the state open-documents law to be applied will take weeks. In the meantime, they expect that their investigation into the murders can be completed, leaving their present stance moot. At worst, they'll get a wrist-slap from the state commissioner responsible for viewing complaints about denials of access to government records or perhaps even a reprimand from a judge. MORE The Pomeroy-MacLean game, ignoring the law for short-term goals, is not what we should expect of the authorities whom the people hire to do the people's business. The end can never be used to justify the means. In this case two supposed bastions of the law, the police chief and the prosecutor, are foresaking the law with the wobbly argument that keeping their investigation pristine is more important than the people's right to know. MEDIA WATCH ARCHIVE

Background: A newspaper as rumor-squelcher

YOUR COMMENTARY TOO IS INVITED TRY TO STAY WITHIN 300 WORDS

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NEW UNIVERSITY

Kiwi-WSU exchange program in works

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2005 -- Signs are positive for creating an exchange program between Winona State University and University of Canterbury in New Zealand, said Winona State internship director Rita Rahoi-Gilchrest, after a 12-day visit to Christchurch. From meetings with Robert Peffers, a marketing prof at Canterbury, Gilcrest said she discovered striking similarities between the two universities that would help an exchange go smoothly. "Students at Canterbury are very much like students at Winona State," she said, calling both mostly "hard working students, nice people, and from rural areas." She said the internship exchange would help reach one Winona State goal in its emerging New University program, which is broadened international experiences. "If we are going to sell ourselves as a world-class university, faculty, above all, need to push themselves to do these kinds of projects," said Gilchrest.

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Winona State admissions offices have posed "no challenge and no conflict." In fact, she said, there has been strong support. The internship that Gilchrest is putting together will be offered to a broad range of students, especially those interested in the marketing field. If approved, the program would be not only be an internship but a life experience. The only program Winona State offers that is similar to what Gilchrest is planning is the Pacific Challenge Program in which students travel to Australia and New Zealand. The Pacific Challenge program is geared to recreation and tourism majors.

Reporter: Kim Kawecki

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Aviation ground school starts at WSU

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2005 -- A six-week Winona State University instrument ground school course for aviators will begin its Friday-Saturday meetings this week. The course, available for college credit, is designed to help students pass a federally required written examination. Topics include meteorology, aerodynamics and instrument approaches, said prof George Bolon. The first class:

Date: Friday, Jan. 28 Time: 7 p.m. Place: Administration building, Winona Airport Cost: Not announced Contact: (507) 452-1937

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Doubts cast on Rochester scheme

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2005 -- The proposal by Gov. Tim Pawlenty to create a new university in Rochester probably is not realistic economically, State Rep. Gene Pewloski, D-Winona, said. Pelowski noted that the University of Minnesota has backed out of taking over the existing multi-college Rochester programs because it can't afford it. There once were plans for the University of Minnesota to set up a full branch in Rochester. Pelowski pointed too to an earlier Rochester study that concluded that upper-division courses might not be well attended. On the economics of the Pawlenty plan, Pelowski he doubts the Legislature will give the governor the $3 million he has proposed preliminary studies on feasibility, especially considering Pawlenty'ss no-new-taxes pledge . Pelowski believes Winona State and other colleges that oiffer integrated Rochester programs, including the University of Minnesota, are supplying Rochester's needs adequately. MORE State Sen. Bob Kierlin, D-Winona, doesn't see a threat to Winona State's home campus in Winona from a new four-year university 50 miles away in Rochester. Nor, despite the governor's rhetoric, does he see Winona State's Rochester program being disassembled. A new institution would likely focus more on Rochester's needs, like medical research programs and genomics, he said. Kierlin said he does expect a new university in Rochester to happen, noting continued growth and continued clamoring for the prestige of a stand-alone university bearing the city's name.

GENE PELOWSKI Winona state legislator BOB KIERLIN Winona state senator

Background:
Pawlenty backs new university for Rochester
SMU blind-sided by Pawlenty scheme
Student leader faults Pawlenty plan

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WSU rugby recruiting players

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2005 -- The Winona State University women's rugby club team needs five to 10 recruits who are serious about the game, coach Roger Riley said at a team organizational meeting. He stressed that recruits don't need experience if they willing to give the time and commitment. New players also are needed so they can learn the game before some veterans graduate, Riley said. He noted too that, rugby being a physical sport, injuries may sideline some current players. The team begins practice Wednesday, Feb. 9. Riley encouraged word-of-mouth advertising emails, signs and chalking.

Reporter: Anne Ligocki

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THE SUGAR LOAF MURDERS

Newspaper sees self as rumor-squelcher

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2005 -- The Daily News vowed in an editorial to continue pressing county attorney Chuck MacLean for autopsy details in the murders of Winona State University student Stacy Smith and her daughter. In an editorial, the newspaper said that a void of facts spawns rumors that "can turn deadly, destroying reputations and dividing a community against itself." Although the editorial didn't say so, the paper has begun a process that could end in a legal confrontation to force Maclean to release the information. Said the editorial: "Publishing accurate, complete information is the alternative to the spread of rumor, and rumor is too dangerous to allow to be spread unchecked."

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The editorial, drafted by Jerome Christenson, acknowledged competing interests in the case, noting that police don't want to tip their hand to the murderer until they have built the strongest possible case: "But just as (the cops') role and duty is to protect the community by bringing criminals to justice, it is the newspaper's role and obligation to provide the public with the information it needs to understand the nature and circumstances of the crime, and, if warranted by that understanding, allow people to take the precautions they deem appropriate."

Background: Newspaper escalates murder data quest

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THE DRUG SCENE

Culpepper to trial Feb. 22

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 20, 2005 -- A woman arrested in the Winona's largest drug bust on Nov. 12, Roberta Culpepper, 35, whom police say made drug sales with her kids in the car, will go to trial Feb. 22. Culpepper has pleaded not guilty based on a lack of probable cause. She is accused of first-degree, second-degree, third-degree and fifth-degree substance possession and one count of child endangerment. Her bond is set at $100,000. The trial is set for 9 a.m. before Judge Jeffrey Thompson. She will be represented by attorney Karin Sonneman. Nancy Bostrack is prosecuting.

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Police say that Culpepper sold drugs to a police informant at 7:50 p.m., Sept. 23, outside Warehouse Liquor in a red minivan. Police said a small person in the passenger seat appeared to be a child. The informant met with police after the transaction and produced six plastic pouches of what was believed to be cocaine, documents state.

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Culpepper is also charged with selling cocaine to an informant on Nov. 10. Documents state the transaction occurred at Sixth and Market Streets, within one block of Central Elementary School. Culpepper also allegedly sold cocaine and endangered a child on Oct. 4, according to court documents. In another deal, outside Midtown Foods, an informant said he met Culpepper to purchase cocaine and that one of Culpepper's young daughters was in the vehicle, police said. Documents state it is illegal for children to be present while an individual sells or possesses illegal substances. Culpepper currently resides at 122 Center St. In all, she faces 16 counts that could carry a 30-year term and a $1 million fine.

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Culpepper was arrested at her apartment, at 189 W. Fourth St., in the Nov. 12 raids. As cops broke into the place, Culpepper sent her 12-year-old son running to the Freedom gas station and drop a large bag of crack cocaine in an alley trash can, police said. The boy has been turned over to relatives.

Reporter: Heather Stanek
Background: Three still sought in drug busts
Background: Two-month probe led to drug raids

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Colorado tuition plan inspired Pawlenty

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 25, 2005 -- Gov. Tim Pawlenty modeled his proposed reform for higher-ed financing on what's called the Colorado Plan, a new funding scheme that gives two-thirds of the state higher-ed appropriation directly to students. Colorado began the new scheme this summer, amid criticism that it was a ploy to enable the state to cut spending in the long term. With student aid issued on a basis of need, the cost of running the state's colleges falls increasingly on students with lesser need -- in effect putting more of the burden on middle-class families. Or so goes one argument against the Colorado Plan. The chair of the Minnesota State University Student Association, Brad Krasaway, foresees students bearing more of the cost of tuition increases under the Pawlenty plan.

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"When tuition goes up, it leaves students behind," said Krasaway, a Winona State University senior. "It leaves people who should have or who would have gone to college behind, and they won't be able to get into the workforce." Accessibility to college should remain the state's goal, as it has been historically, Krasaway said: "Lowering tuition makes higher education affordable for everyone."

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A counterargument is that legislators would have a harder time cutting appropriations to students than to the colleges. Rick O'Donnell, executive director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, told the Associated Press: "If the Legislature wants to cut higher education funding, they're actually going to have to take 300,000 students' stipend and reduce the amount. And those 300,000 students are going to see very clearly what's happening and the consequences of that. And I think it's going to make them a very vocal constituency for the state to keep investing in higher ed."

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Even so, Pawlenty seems motivated by an opportunity to reduce state spending. His higher-ed adviser, Susan Heegaard, director of the Minnesota Higher Education Services Office, said the Colorado Plan could address the continuig decline in Minnesota's state higher-ed funding while simultaneously increasing access to college for the neediest students. Also, suggesting wastefulness exists in Minnesota higher-ed, Heegaard said the plan would create more accountability for institutions to be sensitive to students who would shop around for the best deal." Higher-ed is getting squeezed across the country," she said. "The concern is how do you try to figure out a way to preserve your investment."

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Heegaard's state Higher Education Services Office has long been sympathetic to pressure from private colleges for a voucher-type system that channels state money away from public colleges and gives it to students. A gradual shift to vouchers has dramatically increased state funding for students at private colleges in recent years. About 12 percent of Mionnesota state higher-ed money goes to student grants, one of the nation's most generous student aid programs.

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As expected, the president of the University of Minnesota, Bob Bruininks, bristled at the governor's proposal to shift even more money away from direct college budget support. Bruininks called he proposal "very bad public policy" that would substantially erode access and quality of higher education in Minnesota." Investing in higher-ed is an investment in the state's future, Bruininks said: "If the state wants to be a leader in the biosciences, if the state wants to be a leader in research related to human health, in science, and many other fields, it has to also invest directly in the core infrastructure and the people who comprise the University of Minnesota."

Background: Governor: Halt direct state college funds
Background: Pawlenty plan surprise to SMU chief
Background: Student leader faults Pawlenty plan

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RECENT DAYS IN THE CITY POSTED JAN.24, 2005 EARLIER NEWS

MENARD'S TAXES. The owner of the200-store Menard's home improvement chain, which has a Winona big-box outlet, owes nearly $6 million in back taxes, a judge ruled in an Internal Revenue Service case. A judge ruled that only about $7 million of the $20 million paid to John Menard can be shielded from full taxation. MORE FISH SHOP. Commercial fisherman Bud Ramer, famous locally for the hickory-smoked carp and catfish he sells at his Second Street shop, announced his retirement and the closing of the shop. He is 67. MORE FASTENAL PROFITS. Sales at Winona's Fastenal Co. topped $1.2 billion, a record, in 2004. Net earnings were $130 million.

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Book-centered series begins at WSU

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2005 -- A semester-long series of eventson the importance of the book, "Celebration of the Books, begins at Winona State University on Tuesday with a reading by poet Cullen Bailey Burn. The events are free, said English prof of the sponsoring Consortium for Liberal Arts Promotion.

Cullen Bailey Burn poet: Reading. (7 p.m., Jan. 25, North Lounge, Lourdes Hall).

Greg Britton, editor in chief, Minnesota Historical Society Press: "The Life of the Book in the 21st Century" (7 p.m., Feb. 9, Stark Auditorium).

Lisa Schoenfielder printmaker, Viterbo University, and Julie Leonard, bookbinder, University of Iowa Center for the Book: Artists' slide presentation for Watkins gallery exhibit (1:30 p.m., Feb. 16, Stark Hall).

Max Yela, special collections librarian, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: "’You Call That a Book?’: The Book as an Art Form" (7 p.m., Feb. 23, Stark Auditorium).

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Kevin Possin Winona State philosophy prof, and Kathy Sullivan, Winona State librarian: "Publishing an E-Book." (7 p.m., March 2, North Lounge, Lourdes Hall).

Wayne Wiegand, librarianship and of American studies prof, Florida State University: "Books on Trial: Witch Hunts in America's Heartland and a Nation’s Response, 1940-1943" (7 p.m., March 9, Library Athenaeum).

Paul Johnson, Winona State English prof: "Film and the Book: Problems and Possibilities in Adaptation" (7 p.m., March 23, North Lounge, Lourdes Hall).

Carol Kratz, papermaker: "From Mountain Water: The Ancient Art of Japanese Papermaking" (7 p.m., March 30, North Lounge, Lourdes Hall.

Li-Young Lee, poet: Reading (7 p.m., April 5: North Lounge, Lourdes Hall).

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John Campbell and Carol Slade, rare book seller: Rare and antique book apperaisal (April 9, Public Library).

Emerson Blake, editor in chief, Milkweed Editions: "The State of the Book and the Role of the Small Press" (7 p.m., April 13, Stark Auditorium).

William Least Heat Moon, nonfiction writer: Reading (7 p.m., April 21, Maxwell Leadership Center)

Emilio DeGrazia, retired English prof, Winona State: "Rethinking the Book: Passage

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ALCOHOL- RELATED CONVICTIONS Winona County District Court JAN, 24, 2005

Hailey Marie Lalicata, 19, Goodview, Minn., $265. Jenna Maryann Roland, 19, 700 Terace Heights 969, SMU, $165. Jennifer Ashley Shire, 18, Anaheim Hills, Calif., $165.

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THE SUGAR LOAF MURDERS

Newspaper escalates murder data quest

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2004 -- Reacting to Winona County prosecutor Chuck Maclean's refused to tell a reporter the causes of death in the Sugar Loaf murders, the Daily News has filed formal, written requests for the information. Letters went to Maclean and also Eric Pfeifer, Olmstead County coroner, who conducted the autopsies. The letters are a routine escalation by the news media under state laws that require the government to provide citizen access to government documents. The next Daily News step would be a complaint to the state commissioner who considers these issues -- or a full-blown open-documents lawsuit against MacLean and Pfeizer.

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The Daily News has had counsel from Mark Anfinson, staff attorney for the Minnesota Newspaper Association. Anfinson, a strong advocate for openness in government, acknowledged that state statutes allow some autopsy information to be withheld for good reason during a pending investigation, but he pointed too to a clause that explicitly forbids withholding cause of death.

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Another open records confrontataion involving MacLean occurred in 1997 when he sided with police against releasing autopsy infromation in the death of five St. Mary's University young people whose truck crashed through ice in the Mississppi river. Police sought to shield the sensitivities of the families of the victims, all of whom, the autopsy had discovered, were hopelessly drunk. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune demanded the information. There was also strong community sentiment for the information because hundreds of volunteers had been enlisted in a week-long search for the missing St. Mary's group. The newspaper prevailed and MacLean ended up bloodied in the legal showdown.

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In another case, the Winona Post sued the school board for closing a meeting to discuss preliminary plans for a new middle school. Even though statutes require school business to be conducted openly, the Post lost the case to an exception in the law for strategy discussions.

Background: County attorney on autopsy: Nyet

Marijuana advocates plan trip

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Elusive drug suspect no stronger to cops

$350,000 to be paid in topless photo shoot

County attorney on autopsy: Nyet

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2004 -- County prosecutor Chuck MacLean is taking a hard line, maybe even violating state law, in refusing to release the cause of death of Winona State University student Stacy Smith and her fourth-grade daughter. MacLean said release the information could compromise the investigation into the Dec, 16 murders. Maclean said if the autopsy is released, the perpetrator might be able to concoct a cover story that would thwart prosecution. State open records statutes specify that some autopsy details may be withheld during an investigation. Cause of death, however, cannot be withheld.

CHUCK MACLEAN Winona County attorney

WSU students write soldier-penpals

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

WINONA CAMPUS LIFE

WSU broadcasters raise tsunami funds

Mah's "Melting Pot" wins art show

Pawlenty plan surprise to SMU chief

WINONA, Minn., Jan. 24, 2005 -- The president of St. Mary's University, which offers programs in Rochester, said he was blind-sided by Gov, Tim Pawlenty's proposal to override Rochester's current higher-ed infrastructure and create a new state university. Louis DeThomasis said he had nary a hint that Pawlenty's State of the State address last week would include the Rochester university proposal. DeThomasis told the Daily News: "We are certainly interested as a private institution of higher learning when the governor proposes to spend $3 million for a study that involves higher education 50 miles from us." MORE DeThomasis said the current University Center Rochester, with programs offered by several colleges, including Winona State and St. Mary's, is efficient and cost effective. "The kernel of the model is already there in good cooperation between public and private education," he said. In effect, he said, if it aint broke, don't fix it. St. Mary's has offered classes in Rochester since the 1980s after a study on what the community needed and wanted. The programs, he said, are flourishing, DeThomasis said.

LOUIS DETHOMASIS SMU president

Who will run next time?

Donor bricks to grace WSU stadium

Aviation seminar scheduled