Gabriel Hathaway

In a split vote, the Winona City Council adopted the preliminary 2025 city budget and tax levy, including an additional $100,000 for parks and recreation, which brings the proposed levy increase over last year to 11%. City Council members considered including additional funding for maintenance at city hall and for a local housing trust fund but decided to defer funding for those projects to future years. The City Council also set a public hearing for the proposed city budget and levy on December 2.

Winona city staff are proposing more drastic increases to the sanitary sewer fees than previously planned to pay for $33 million in upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant to meet upcoming state mandates to limit phosphorus pollution. Director of Public Works Brian DeFrang said right now the city plans to increase the rates for sewer service across the board by $20 each year until approximately 2028, but state aid could bring the cost of the project and fee increases down.

In a letter last month, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) warned that cities’ “crime-free” or “nuisance” ordinances could break federal statute and highlighted some examples of programs that have been challenged, two from Minnesota. These ordinances can lead to renters being evicted due to minor nuisance violations and other offenses. Winona considered its own Disorderly Use Ordinance but after community concern and several months of legal review, decided against moving forward with it last August.

The majority of Winona Planning Commission members voted to recommend rezoning a residential property west of Hy-Vee to a more restrictive zoning district than previously proposed, but one that would still allow developers’ plans for a restaurant, possibly Chipotle, and small automotive shop.

Christine Curry's "Pure Iowa" project focuses on water pollution in the Mississippi River.

Caylan Larson guides his son Wendell over an obstacle on the city’s new bicycle skills park at Bluffside Park. On September 12, Winona celebrated the grand opening of the new Oberton Family Bicycle Skills Park, funded by a donation from the Shirley and Will Oberton family last fall. The new bike park features three unique tracks city officials say will give people the opportunity to give mountain biking a try as well as progress their skills.

Winona city staff are beginning to look into a lodging tax and food and beverage tax after the City Council discussed how to increase city revenue without adding to the tax levy during 2025 budget discussions. City Manager Chad Ubl said information on those options won’t likely come back to the City Council until next year.

A Winona business fell victim to a phishing scam Monday and lost $53,000, police officials said.

A student’s threat to “shoot up” the Winona Middle School was deemed not credible by law enforcement after investigations this week.

A pedestrian was hospitalized yesterday morning after she was struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross the street.