Grisly murder details alleged in court

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 28, 2005 -- A 22-year-old man in trouble with the law since his teens, Paul Allen Gordon, was charged with strangling Winona State University psychology major Stacy Smith and her 10-year daughter and, in the process, killing his own unborn child whom Smith was carrying. Gordon also was accused in County District Court on Monday of sexually assaulting the 10-year-old daughter prior to killing her. Another charge was that he deliberately set fire to Smith's unit at Sugar Loaf Apartments in an attempt to cover up the deaths. Bond was set at $20 million by Judge Margaret Shaw Johnson. MORE The charges, filed by County Attorney Chuck MacLean, included 10 counts -- four of first-degree murder, four of second-degree murder, one of second-degree criminal sexual assault, and one of felony arson. The deaths occurred Dec. 16. Within hours Allen left town. He was caught three weeks later at the Mexican border. On Friday he was returned to Winona by federal agents. MORE What was motive in the case? MacLean said Gordon was angry that Smith had threatened to report his drug activities to police. MacLean said he would call a grand jury within a month to seek an indictment on the first-degree murder counts. The counts carry life sentences. Gordon's next court appearance was scheduled for March 10. MORE Also before Judge Johnson on Monday, Gordon was advised of details in unrelated cases against him. Those cases involve drugs and terroristic threats.

PAUL ALLEN GORDON Charged with strangulation, sexual assault on minor, arson

UPCOMING EVENTS
ST. MARY'S	SOUTHEAST TECH	WINONA STATE

TO EARLIER ITEMS TO TOP TO HOME TO NEWS ARCHIVE

Michaelson wins Student Senate bid

Jones wins WSU sophomore Senate seat

How Arab television showed Iraq war

Student referendum: No, no, no to New U

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 28, 2005 -- In a binding referendum, Winona State University students voted by a 5 to 2 margin against the New University package of reforms. The vote was 916-189, confirming a November ballot issue that, although overwhelmingly against the New U, did not reach the required 10 percent threshold for a binding referendum. The turnout this time was 14 percent -- the highest in memory in a campus election. Significant too, the margin was twice as large. The ballot question was simple and direct: "Should WSU implement the New University plan as proposed?" MORE Results of the online election, conducted last week, were announced at a news conference by Dusty Finke, student president, and Tim Donahue, vice president. The referendum was another setback for administrators who had assumed at the start of New University dialogue 18 months ago that students would share their enthusiasm for the curricular and other programmatic reforms. For students, however, it became a pocketbook issue when they learned they would be required to pay a $1,000 tuition surcharge to finance the changes -- on top of double-digit annual tuition increases in recent years. MORE Clearly, said Finke, students have voiced the opinion that the cost of the New University outweighs the benefits. This time there can be no mistaking how students feel, Finke said: "After the referendum in the fall, I was extremely disheartened and frustrated by a number of faculty and administrators who made excuses as to why the student opinion did not matter. This time, even more students voted, and the margin was even larger. I call on these faculty and administrators to stop making excuses and to start respecting the opinion of the students." MORE The tuition surcharge, if the New University is approved, would be phased in over the next four academic years and would amount to more than a 20 percent increase of the current tuition, Finke said: "You would be pressed to find a student that does not think that WSU should improve. However, the New University plan will certainly have other consequences on WSU. The type of student recruited to this New University would certainly change. I, for one, would not have attended WSU if it were this much more expensive than the rest of the Minnesota state universities." MORE Finke pledged to use Senate resources to follow through on the referendum: "The WSU Student Senate will do everything that we can to advocate the students' opinion." To students, he said: "Let me tell you that the Student Senate, for one, heard your voice. I call on everyone else on campus to listen as well."

NEW UNIVERSITY Project logo DUSTY FINKE Vows to force administrators to heed student opinion TIM DONAHUE Elections supervisor reported these results: 14.58 percent of student body cast a valid vote "Should WSU implement the New University plan as proposed?" 916 no 189 yes 9 invalid votes

All together now, a post-fest burppp

ZAZA's 529 Huff St.

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 20, 2005 -- His belly stuffed after scarfing down 69 chicken wings, Winona State University student Pete Kucharfas won the inaugural wing-eating contest at ZaZa's bar as 200 patrons cheered. In all, contestants downed more than 1,100 wings. Second was Peter Merchlewitz's third round total of 66 with better than a minute and half to spare. Kucharas, though, took the grand prize -- ugh -- 500 free wings -- plus seeing his named engraved a chicken-topped trophy. MORE "I had no practice, I just came and did it," Kucharas said. "I feel like hell." It's all recorded. Enthusiastic patrons snapped pictures and shot videos in the standing-room-only bar while contests went wing for wing. Contestants were given a free t-shirt with their $10 entry fee. The message: "Inagural Wing Eating Contest Never Leave Your Wingman" with a ZaZa's logo. MORE Andy Doyle, a Winona State contestant who downed 46 wings, said he would skip ZaZa's featured wings night this week: "I'm not coming back on Wednesday. I don't want to see any wings for a long time." Brian Lingen, ZaZa's promotion manager who provided running commentary during he competition, egged on contests: "How are you feeling?" "Had enough yet?" MORE The contestants were given 15 minutes to eat as many wings as they could hold down. Plates full of wings, 15 at a time, were placed in front of the contestants. Each wing had to be eaten fully. Judges monitored contestants to make sure they made a clean eat of each wing. Winona State student Brandon Woody, who participated, said "It's a lot harder than it looks. When do you ever eat for 15 straight minutes?" Max Karpyak said: "I can barely move I ate so many." Amara Aramalay, one of three women contestants, was a crowd favorite. At 40 wings she scored the highest total among the women. MORE Contestants entered for different reasons. Matt Bogie, a small man, said he was out to prove that "little guys can beat big guys." He ate 56, fourth highest. "I've been starving myself since last night," Bogie said. MORE One of the funniest moments was when Woody answered his cell phone while chomping down wing after wing. Lingen instructed contestants that if they felt sick to "grab a bucket and run for the door." Only Matt Bogie did, but Matt Bates, who ate 46 wings, said he came close. MORE If anybody's worked it off by September, Lingen said, there will be a chance for an encore. Yes, ZaZa's plans this as a biannual event.

Union foresees local health care cuts

University yanks editor stipends

How intense was candidate screening?

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 27, 2005 -- Questions are going unanswered about how well the search committee for a new Winona State University president vetted the candidates. At issue are candidates Paul Keys' role in student censorship at Governors State University, where he is provost, and Judith Ramalen's role in racial problems at the University of Vermont, where she was president. Search committee members have defered all questions to Winona State's chief publicist, Tom Grier, and he says he doesn't have answers. MORE After it was learned last week that Keys had been a defendant in a $1.1 million federal lawsuit filed by Governors State student newspaper editors, several search committee members said all questions would have to go to Grier. Said co-chair Mary Kesler: "We cannot give stories." The lead student on the search committee, Dusty Finke, said the same. MORE Asked who had screened Keys and whether his role in the censorship had been assessed, Grier said he didn't know. He did not want to "take words out of the search committee's mouth," Grier said, but assumed the lawsuit must not have been "sufficient enough" to eliminate Keys as a candidate. MORE Early in its work, search committee announcements seemed to say that leading candidates would be interviewed at their home campuses, as well as people familar with them, as part of the screening process. Such interviewing is common in high-level university searches. That, it now seems, may never have occurred. Karen Northam, campus liaison for the search, who works in the university president's office, said she was unaware of any off-campus interviews. Also, if there were off-campus interviews, administrators and faculty members on the search committee would have needed to file absence-from-campus forms and expense-reimbursment forms. Both are public documents. Neither was done. MORE Grier said there were background checks on all candidates, but he didn't know how intensive they were. The committee leaned heavily on Greenwood & Associates, a head-hunting firm in Florida that the MnSCU headquarters in St. Paul hired to recommend candidates, Grier said. MORE About Keys‚ Grier said the candidate had mentioned difficult times in one of the interview sessions during his three-day Winona and Rochester visit. The censorsorship issue, however, never came up at any public sessions and, apparently, not in closed-door sessions either. In an interview with student journalist Amanda Knowles after he returned to Governors State, Keys said nobody had brought up the censorship issue in a couple of years. Reporters: Will Maravelas Angela Wurst Background: Racial issues beset Ramaley at Vermont Finalists for WSU presidency Comment: We want a refund Keys: I can't recall details Editor: A "hostile environment" Censorship in Keys' past: His role? A doubter on Keys' memory

DARRELL KRUEGER Who will successor be? JUDITH RAMALEY What happened at Vermont? JUDITH RAMALEY What happened at Governors State? How well did search committee do its job? MARY KESLER Co-chair: "We can't give stories" DUSTY FINKE Lead student member declines to talk about it Other committee members: Roland Barden (chair) Karen Northam John Doyle Peter Henderson Kathryn Jargo Gabriel Manrique Nancy Peterson Ted Reilly Tracy Coenen Schaefer Patrick Shaughnessy Mike Speltz Cathy Summa Hank VanPoperin Cal Winbush

WSU: We don't covet Lake Drive

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 27, 2005 -- The latest Winona State master plan, which shows the Lake Drive neighborhood as a low-priority target for university acquisition, doesn't really mean what it says, said Jim Schmidt, vice president for advancement. In an interview with the Post, Schmidt was paraphrased that, despite what the map shows, the university has no desire to acquire the mansion-dotted 10-block wide area south of Sarnia Street to Lake Park. Although distancing the university from what the document shows, Schmidt was less than clear on what the map means. He described the map as a useful tool if the university some day decides to expand. The map, prepared by Denver-based campus planning consultants, has shaded the Lake Drive neighborood with a label "well-established residential: low priority for acquisition." Areas farther from the existing campus are unshaded, presumably being without any priority for acquisition. MORE

JIM SCHMIDT His job is community relations for the university

WSU to host quarterfinals

BASKET- BALL MSU-Moorhead at WSU

ST. PAUL, Minn., Feb. 27, 2005 -- The Northern Sun men's basketball tournament will open with the top-seeded Warriors at home against Minnesota State-Moorhead on Wednesday, the conference announced. Moorhead is eighth-seeded and has lost twice to Winona State, 73-68 and 76-75, in the regular season. These are Wednesday's match-ups: Concordia at Wayne State Southwest Minnesota State at Northern State UM-Crookston at Bemidji State The semifinals are Saturday and the finals Sunday. MORE This is the women's first round, also Wednesday: WSU at MSU-Moorhead UM-Crookston at Northern State Wayne State at Southwest Minnesota State Bemidji State at Concordia

Police: Suicide followed domestic spat

WSU Assessment turnout lags

To students: Be informed, then vote

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 25, 2005 -- The faculty co-chair for the New University's academic experiences planning committee, Joan Francioni, worries that the Student Senate prejudiced students against the New University in the run-up to last week's referendum. The Student Senate put up flyers around campus encouraging students to vote on the issue with a headline: "Is the $1,000 worth it?" Said Francioni: "The Student Senate is definitely putting out one opinion." Francioni said she hoped that students took other information into consideration before they voted. MORE In an online Senate poll in November, students were 79 percent against the New University, but the turn-out, 9.2 percent, was than the 10 percent needed for a binding referendum. Last week the Senate conducted a new referendum and pulled out all stops to encourage students to vote. In the meantime, based on the 550-142 November margin, the Senate has voted three times against the New University as pocketbook issue. Although New University advocates have never offered a breakdown of costs, University President Darrell Krueger has been consistent that $1,000 per student is needed, phased in as an escalating $250 annual fee until the surcharge reaches $1,000 a year. MORE Francioni, of the computer faculty, sakd it was important for the students to voice their opinions on the New U, but, she added, she hoped that individuals cast an educated vote. With flyers like the Student Senate has posted, uninformed students might vote against the New University plan only because they do not want their tuition to rise any more, she said. MORE Francioni explained that funding for the plan does not come solely from students. Instead, the NewU committee is also looking for extra money from the state, money from the university's base budget, and sponsorships and grants from external sources. The plan intertwines departments of the university to pull together budgets that are more than the sum of their parts, she said. MORE Francioni said she knows many students who are supportive even with a fee increase.

NEW UNIVERSITY Project logo JOAN FRANCIONI Vote but vote intelligently

Bismarck coach eager for upgrade

BISMARCK, N.D., Feb. 26, 2005 -- University of Mary football coach Myron Schulz expressed excitement about the possibility of joining the Northern Sun conference. In an interview Schulz, who just finished his sixth season as head coach, said he would enjoy the bigger stage of playing NCAA Division II football. The Marauders currently play in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Asked about joining the Northern Sun, Schulz said: "I really like the national letter of intent you get in Division II football. It will be nice to know for sure if players are coming here, rather than just a handshake." MORE Schulz said playing in the Northern Sun will bring prestige to his program, along with a higher level of football. "Playing in the Northern Sun will allow us to play in much better facilities," said Schulz. "All of these perks add up and will contribute to more interest in our football program, and that is always exciting," Schulz said. Schulz also said he would love to play in the Metrodome, the venue for the annual Northern Sun Dome Classic. MORE If the Marauders' bid to join the Northern Sun is accepted in April, Schulz said there are a lot of things that would change. "The way you operate your team would change tremendously," said Schulz. Recruiting and travel would be important changes, he said. "When recruiting, we would need to provide a lot more depth on our team to compete." MORE Currently the University of Mary is a middle-of-the-road team when it comes to traveling, said Schulz. Schulz said the Marauders' longest trip currently is 5-1/2 hours, but most trips are an hour. From Bismarck, N.D. to Winona for Northern Sun games would be an eight-hour trip, said Schulz. Upper Iowa, who also wants to join the Northern Sun, would be even longer. Schulz said a problem with far-away games is fan base, especially for trips than one hour. Schulz said fans would have to take off of work or skip classes. Not a lot of people are up for doing that very often, he said. MORE But travel has plusses, Schulz said: "I would be excited because I will see places I have never seen before, such as Winona." Schulz said in North and South Dakota there are no Minnesota Vikings or Minnesota Gophers, so Division II would be kind of pedestal in Bismarck with a new level of excitement. MORE The Marauders have been in playoffs seven years in a row and in 10 of the last 12 seasons. The university has 2,100 students. MORE Butch Raymond, the Northern Sun commissioner, has visited the University of Mary twice, once by himself and once with a representative from every team in the conference. Schulz said there is nothing he can do until the decision is made in April.

NORTHERN SUN INTER- COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE NORTHERN SUN ROSTER Bemidji State Concordia St. Paul MSU- Moorhead Northern State Iowa UM- Crookston Wayne State Nebraska Winona State EXPANSION POSSIBILITIES University of Mary North Dakota Upper Iowa

WSU debuts New University video

WSU DORMS

BROTHERS 129 W./ Third St. BULLS-EYE 107 W. Third St. SCHYDE'S 102 Johnson St.

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 26, 2005 -- After four days of homework, tests, presentations and long lectures, many Winona State University students look to Thirsty Thursday to put it all behind them. Thursday nights generally start out tame. A few students sift through the bouncers who check for identification, and begin to speckle the bar stools and tables at the typical Thursday night bars: Brothers Birthday Bar, Bulls-Eye Beer Hall and Schyde's Drinks and What-not. However, as time ticks on, the floor space disappears, the smoky haze thickens and both music and voices get louder as more and more students cram in. MORE So why Thursday night? "Thursday is a pre-start to the weekend," said Heather, a Winona State junior. Winona State senior Erin agreed: "It's a ritual. It's known as Thirsty Thursday." You go out, you drink." Erin's friend Miranda said, "My Thursday nights are my weekends. Most people leave for the Cities or their hometowns on the weekends." Julie, a bartender at Bulls-Eye, frantically filling up mugs and mixing drinks, said, "Everyone comes out on Thursday because it's cheap. It gets really busy here." MORE

WSU beats Bemidji, top in conference

BASKET- BALL WSU 80, Bemidji State 67

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 25, 2004 -- Winona State Univerity beat Bemidji State Beavers 80-67 to win the Northern Sun regular season men's basketball title,and gaining home-court advantage for the upcoming conference tournament. Sophomore guard David Zellmann lthe Warriors 27 points, but the real star was freshman forward John Smith, who scored 17 points,and had 15 rebounds. MORE The game marked the first first Warrior basketball regular season conference championship since 1999-2000, and leaves them with a 20-9 overall record and an 11-2 conference record. The Warriors' next regular season game on Saturday, against University of Minnesota-Crookston, determines whether they will share the Northern Sun title with UM-Crookston. The Warrirosm finish the regular season Tuesday against Minnesota State-Moorhead. Reporter: Nate Green

Lisa Werneke, president Katrina Hovie, vice president Betsy Stafslien, secretary Allison Sweeney, treasurer

PHOTOGRAPHER: TIM WILDER WSU RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE COUNCIL Representing Lourdes, Maria, Tau tenants

KATIE CARLSON SARAH HOVEY ADAM KRAHN B.J. PUTT- BRESE LAURA GOSSMAN BEN GRICE TOMORROW'S GREATEST BYLINES TODAY

COMING TO WSU
Women's collection of film shorts

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

WINONA CAMPUS LIFE

Rascals lesson: Rap works in Winona

RASCALS 151 E. Third St. EYEDEA Minneapolis rapper

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 25, 2005 -- The Eydea rap show at Rascals, risky because nobody knew how rap would go over in Winona, was one of the joint's largest and most successful bookings ever, drawing more than 350 people. "We were turning away people at the door, because we were so full," promotions manager Elena Erofeeva. More than 100 people were turned away because Rascals was already over capacity. Said booker Ron Simons: "The show reminded me of a basement house party. You had to swim through the people." Most of attendance looked to be college students. MORE Simmons said people drove from all over the area to see Eyedea's small-room performance, one even fan from Chicago. What is the Minneapolis rapper's attraction? Creativity, lyrical ability and free-styling improv, Simons said: "The way he freestyles floored me," Simmons said in one particular part of the show, wkth Eyedea rapping about his life, he literally "got goose bumps" because the words were so powerful. Simmons said Eyedea's performing with a live band, a rarity in rap, energized the performance. MORE Simmons said he met Eyedea and his rap group Seventh Street Coincidence at the now-closed Fire Expresso Cafe in Roseville, Minn, and has been trying book him in Winona for months. "This one just worked and he said let's do it," Simmons said. MORE

Students protest Wisconsin tuition

Federal marshals deliver Gordon

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 25, 2005 -- A man whom police want to question in the murders of Winona State University junior Stacy Smith and her 10-year-old daughter has been returned to Winona custody. Federal marshals delivered Paul Allen Gordon, 22, at 5:15 p.m. Sheriff Dave Brand originally had contracted with a private prisoner-transport company for the job but decided instead that federal marshals could offer tighter security at less expense. MORE Smith and her daughter were murdered Dec. 16 and their unit at Sugar Loaf Apartments set afire. Police have established that Gordon and Smith had a relationship and also that he left town six hours after the murders. Three weeks later Gordon was arrested coming back into the United States from Mexico at the Tijuana border crossing. He was held in San Diego, Calif., on a warrant based on Winona drug and assault charges, not the murders. In the Sugar Loaf Apartments case, police call Gordon "a person of interest."

PAUL ALLEN GORDON Long trip back

Advocates stymied on reaching students

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 25, 2005 -- Developing a public relations plan to win student support for Winona State's New University package of curricular and other reforms has been difficult, said the project director Carol Anderson at a student question-answer session. Her frustration is shared by top Winona State administrators, who have put $400,000 in New U planning. Students hear the price tag, a $1,000 tuition increase, and tune out to everything else. Anderson said that she had hoped student discussion sessions would generate ideas to excite students about the possibilities of the New University. At some sessions, as few as two students have shown up. MORE Students seem to have their minds made up. An online Student Senate poll in November, in which 8.9 percent of students responded, unusually high in student elections, found 550-192 against. MORE Academic Vice President Steve Richardson said, "A lot of students are seeing many trees, but not the entire forest." Students understand many pieces of the New University but have many questions and don't see the whole picture, said Richardson. MORE Student Jeff Eichorst, at Carol Anerson's latest New U meeting, said the New University plans sound like it was created for and by administrators -- not for students or professors. Eichorst, a senior business major, said that the meeting was the first chance he really had to talk and ask questions about the New University. Eichorst said the New University public relations message to students should explain learning beyond standard academics. MORE The only other student participant, Jay O'Malley, said students need to realize that they will not benefit immediately from the New University. O'Malley, a junior theater major, said that students need to see both short-term and long-term benefits. After students see the benefits, maybe they will be interested in investing more money in the university through the tuition surcharge, he said. In early Februray O'Malley went to a New U conference and told about his summer experience learning a new three-dimensional computer light show program. It was typical, he said, of experiences that the New University porgam could offer. Student turn-out at the conference, however, was low -- except for students asked to make presentations. MORE Richardson said that the New University plan answers what most students have been asking for. This, he said, includes field experience outside the classroom and better advising. O'Malley said that the Winona State nursing and education programs already have accessible outside learning opportunities. Students need to have more integration of inside and outside classroom experience, said O'Malley. Richardson said $2 million has been spent New University-like nursing and education projects. O'Malley said that he would like to see the prestige a nursing or education degree in other university programs.

NEW UNIVERSITY Project logo

House drops Tech, theater money

Edstrom: Not my house, they won't

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 25, 2005 -- The editor of the Winona Post, Fran Edstrom, was surprised to see that her house shows up on a map of Winona State University's long-term expansion plan. Edstrom, who lives at 677 Washington St, had no idea the university was considering acquisition of almost the whole residential area south of Sarnia from Huff to Franklin to Lake Park. Losing the lakeside residential area would be "a disaster for Winona," she said. MORE Edstrom said she saw a far less ambitious university expansion map about one year ago. Plans to expand to the lake were not included, she said. Edstrom said she met with President Darrell Krueger, who made no indication that the university intended to expand so far. If the university tries to expand to the lake, Edstrom said, she would advocate an independent university in Rochester. MORE Edstrom's reaction echoed the concern of others that Winona State, despite pledging to seek community input on a broad range of issues, has gone it alone in its long-term planning. Mayor Jerry Miller and City Council member Deb Salyards of the Third Ward, which includes the main campus, were suprised too when a reporter showed them the campus boundaries on a map on Page 49 on the new Winona State master plan. MORE Ironically, the master plan explicitly claims that consultation occurred: Page 26: "The Fall 1998 Master Plan was developed with a plan that generated and idenified needs through discussions, interviews and written information from staff, faculty, business organizations, public officials, and consultants .... This update to the 1998 Winona State University Faclities Master Plan is consistent with the process ...." MORE The new master plan was completed last December and sent by university President Darrell Krueger to the state facilities vice chancellor at the state college system headquarters in St. Paul. So far there has been no confirmation on campus that the usual constituent groups were consulted about the plan. Consxultation is mandated by some collectuive-bargaining agreements and usually includes the faculty and student senates and employee groups. MORE When it was learned that the plan had been uncovered by a reporter, university public relations chief Tom Grier tried to minimize its significance. As Grier spun it, the master plan is not a master plan but a vision. The document bears the title "Campus Master Plan Upate." MORE At the Winona Post, Fran Edstrom said in an interview that university acquisition of the Lake Drive neighborhood "would not be very neighborly" and would "create a lot of hard feelings." She was worried too that although the acquisition goes only to Lake Park and doesn't include the park itself, there could be a loss of lake resources to the community that she said would be tragic. Edstrom doubts that the expansion will occur: "I can't imagine that the city would allow it to happen." MORE Most hopuses that the university would acquire have been around since the 1920s and 1930s and are part of Winona history. Edstrom, whose own home is on the acquisition map, said that even though she has lived there 25 years, she has even more concern about the lake. "A house is a house is a house," she said. "I would move, but I wouldn't move for Winona State."

WSU MASTER PLAN Long-range southward expansion to Lake Park Enlarged map FRAN EDSTROM Her house in WSU path 677 WASHINGTON Edstrom house

WSU prof updates media textbook

WINONA, Minn, Feb. 25, 2005 -- A Winona State University masscom prof, John Vivian, wrote an update of his textbook, "The Media of Mass Communication," for fall semester adoptions. The 2006 version is the 13th version counting full-fledged editions as well as interim updates and foreign editions. The cover will identify it as an update of the seventh U.S. edition. The book, published by Allyn & Bacon, has been adopted at more than 500 colleges. Background: Soon in Mandarin

JOHN VIVIAN Update due in fall

Whitewater gives forum to Churchill