Austin Daily Herald

DEXTER -- An estimated $12,000 worth of assorted tools were reported missing from a construction site in Grand Meadow Township.

According to a Mower County Sheriff's Office report, the theft occurred sometime overnight Wednesday and was discovered by employees reporting to work Thursday morning.

Last summer, a rash of tool thefts occurred in Mower, Steele and Dodge counties prompting officials to issue warnings to construction crews and neighbors in the countryside to be alert.

The latest theft is the first one reported this year in Mower County.

The Scott Bach Construction Company was building a new home at the site where the latest theft occurred.

Anyone with information about the theft or who saw suspicious vehicles in the vicinity of the construction site should call the Austin-Mower County Law Enforcement Center at 437-9400 with the information.

Incident investigated

Austin police are investigating a possible sexual assault at a local industry.

According to a police report, a 26-year-old female employee of Weyerhaeuser Paper Company's Austin plant reported she was twice inappropriately touched by a 35-year-old male employee.

The incident allegedly occurred between 2 and 2:30 a.m. Thursday in a trailer being unloaded at the plant.

The two employees were alone when the incidents allegedly took place.

Twice the male employee, who was operating a forklift at the time, attempted to lie atop the woman and then touch her breasts, according to the report.

The woman refused the advances and reported the incidents to her union representative and contacted police.

The incident remains under investigation, according to police.