KCUE Bluff Country 1250 AM - America's Greatest Country

At 12:25pm Wednesday, Peoples State Bank of Elgin was robbed by a white male; 5’8” – 6’ tall, between 25 – 35 years of age, with brown hair and tattoos on his arms and chest. The suspect handed the teller a note claiming to have a gun and demanding money. The money was turned over to the man, who left the bank running down the street. It is unknown if the suspect had an accomplice, and he is not believed to be from the immediate area. Investigators are working several leads in the case. The amount of money taken has not been released.

Red Wing’s wastewater treatment facility flooded with large amounts of water during heavy rainfalls this summer, which indicates a leak is allowing storm water to enter the sewer system, leading to overflows. The leak poses no immediate threat to the public. To find the leak the city will pump a smoke-like vapor through the storm water system, and observe the substance rising through the crack. The test will be conducted in mid-October. Red Wing’s Deputy Director of Utilities, Bob Stark says residents may notice the smoke during the test.

Tuesday at 11:06, the Red Wing Fire Department responded to a report of a dryer fire at 2118 Pioneer Road #104. Firefighters and paramedics were on the scene within six minutes of receiving the call and found the home engulfed in smoke. The fire was brought under control within minutes, using a minimal amount of water. The structure sustained minimal smoke damage and no fire damage. Firefighters were on the scene for one hour, and the occupant was allowed to re enter the home at that time. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Red Wing City Council is considering a proposal to shutdown Red Wing's garbage incinerator to save money. Under the proposal, Public Works would continue to collect and process garbage at its Bench Street Solid Waste Campus, but would stop incinerating trash.  Instead, crews would shred garbage and haul it to an Xcel Energy facility to be incinerated. Talks with Xcel have only been preliminary, and the overhaul would also require the compliance of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Over the past several weeks, the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office has responded to five thefts of copper wire from irrigation systems and a gravel pit, for a combined total loss of nearly $15,000. The thefts have been confined to the south eastern portion of the county. Typically the copper is sold to scrap metal dealers, however Dakota County Sheriff Dave Bellows says this string of thefts is surprising because the price of copper is not as high now as it has been in recent years. Bellows asks area residents and scrap metal dealers to report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement agencies.

The man accused of a string of burglaries in Red Wing and Hay Creek Township areas has been arrested by Goodhue County sheriff's deputies. The man, 20-year-old Tyler Steinhauer, was arrested at Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical's Red Wing campus, where he is a student, on suspicion of first-degree burglary. Formal charges were filed against the Red Wing man late Friday afternoon. The sheriff's office had alerted community members of the burglaries through the new CodeRed phone notification system. Several individuals provided officers with tips afterward. Thompson said a search warrant was executed at Steinhauer's residence, where possible stolen items were recovered. The alleged getaway driver also has been apprehended and is cooperating with authorities.

Zumbrota is unloading its trash on Red Wing. Under a new five-year contract Zumbrota City Council inked last week with Waste Management, the national waste hauler will bring half that community's residential garbage to Red Wing's solid waste incinerator. The extra waste is a break for Red Wing's incinerator operation. The roughly 1,500 tons of trash coming its way will bring in new revenue that will help -- although it won't solve -- the operation's financial woes. Zumbrota city officials preferred the idea of incinerating garbage as opposed to dumping it in a landfill.

State, local, and federal authorities conducted a full-scale Prairie Island nuclear plant emergency preparedness exercise Tuesday in and around Red Wing. This exercise was to test the capabilities of all response agencies in the event of a nuclear emergency at the plant. The exercise consists of a scenario chosen at random. All three counties tested (Goodhue, Dakota, and Pierce) passed the test with no deficiencies or areas requiring corrective action. At the state level, both Minnesota and Wisconsin passed with no deficiencies. The state’s Department of Homeland Security requires each nuclear plant conduct an exercise every other year.