BLOOMING PRAIRIE – Safe & Sober Night CAP officers from the Minnesota State Patrol, Steele County Sheriff’s Department and Owatonna and Blooming Prairie police departments will watch for impaired drivers this weekend.

Thursday, August 17, 2000

BLOOMING PRAIRIE – Safe & Sober Night CAP officers from the Minnesota State Patrol, Steele County Sheriff’s Department and Owatonna and Blooming Prairie police departments will watch for impaired drivers this weekend.

Troopers, deputies and police officers involved in the Nighttime Concentrated Alcohol Patrol enforcement effort will stop drivers for any traffic offense.

The weekend marks the conclusion of the Steele County Fair at Owatonna.

State Patrol Lt. Randy Slinger said the increased number of stops in a concentrated area makes it more likely that impaired drivers will be apprehended.

"In 1999, 195 people were killed on Minnesota roadways as a result of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes," said Slinger. "It is the hope of the participating officers and departments that the increased awareness and arrests will work to prevent alcohol-related tragedies on the roadway."

Boating items stolen

William Martin Herr, 51 of 201 36th St. SW, reported his trailer, boat, motor, life vests and gas can are missing.

According to an Austin Police Department report, the items were taken sometime between Saturday and Wednesday from a storage area at Oakland Park (formerly Nelson Wheel Estates).

Campers, trailers and recreation vehicles are parked in the area along Interstate 90 at the mobile home park.

Herr described the trailer as a Snob model utility trailer with license A-10201-043 valued at $800 and the boat as a Lund-model, 14-feet in length and silver and red in color valued at $900.

Four orange life vests and a red gas can were also taken, according to the Austin Police Department report.

Seeking information

The investigation continues into the dumping of a large amount of concrete materials near Turtle Creek in Lansing Township.

The dumping was discovered a week ago by citizen Ralph Waters.

The site is in the ditch near a bridge over Turtle Creek on the west Mower County line and adjoining Freeborn County.

The pieces of concrete and rocks include some over 18 inches thick.

Anyone having any information about the illegal dumping is asked to call the Mower County Sheriff’s Department at 437-9400.