Minnesota
100 years later, Winger, Minnesota, honors World War I veterans
WINGER, Minn. — World War I was an international tragedy, but the town of Winger has found a new way to honor those who died in WWI battles more than a century ago.
Seven men from the Winger area died in World War I, and a memorial was made in their honor. On Saturday, June 14, the community will hold its second annual Flag Day celebration, at which the memory of its WWI veterans, specifically Nels T. Wold, will be honored. There will be events for adults and children all day, as well as a proper American flag retirement and disposal.
“Winger has always had a great personality,” said Dean Henney, vice commander of American Legion Post 200. “In a way, (this event) brings life back into (old community celebrations) and showcases the town in the best months of the year.”
Since the dedication of the memorial 100 years ago, the American Legion Post wanted to do something special. Last year, Legion members started an annual Flag Day celebration to hold for the community so they could be together and learn about, and have the opportunity to properly dispose of their old, tattered and frayed American flags.
Winger is a town of approximately 174 residents in eastern Polk County, Minnesota.
The event Saturday at the Winger Community Center marks exactly 100 years since the memorial to Wold and WWI soldiers in Winger was dedicated, with 5,000 people in attendance. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m., followed by a dance from 7 to 10 p.m.
Seven men from Winger fought and gave their lives in WWI, the most notable being Wold, who helped the advancement of his company to help end the war.
On Sept. 26, 1918, the largest and final American battle of WWI that forced the Germans out of France began and took the lives of two Winger veterans, Wold and Selmer Ekre.
Known as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the battle took place in the Meuse-Argonne region of France. In this battle, Wold showed great acts of bravery – and on his first day, too.
On Sept. 26, 1918, Wold earned the Medal of Honor. He personally saved 11 hostages, saved a fellow comrade from a German soldier and took out four German machine gun nests — which were very well hidden, had the range to kill people at long distances and usually had four to six people in them. Unfortunately, the fifth German machine gun nest saw Wold coming and killed him, but Wold’s company continued his work and destroyed that one as well.
Henney said one woman who knew Wold said, “Last time I saw Nels Wold, he told me he was going to bring the kaiser’s head back on a silver platter.”
According to online information and documents in the possession of Henney, Wold’s sacrifice helped his company advance in a crucial part of WWI.
There is a display dedicated to Wold in Winger Hall that people can see on Saturday at the Flag Day celebration.
It is also important to the American Legion Post 200 that events are done to bring together the community, create great memories for children and appeal to younger veterans who may join. There is a lack of veterans under the age of 60, according to Henney.
Serving the purpose of the community, Post 200 planned several activities for families of all sizes and community members alike. There will be bicycle drawings throughout the day and activities for children, lots of food, a car show, a silent auction, an old-style country music dance and more for the whole community, and neighboring communities.
American Legion Post 200 also is looking to help the community in other ways. There are women veterans who no longer have have a women’s Legion auxiliary so, according to Henney, the men are trying to help reestablish the women’s post. The women’s Legion post usually does things for children and helps get them involved in patriotic activities.
Henney and the American Legion encourage everyone to come to the event, since, as Henney said, “an understanding of history makes life so much richer.”
Minnesota
Shorthanded Clippers can’t keep pace with Anthony Edwards and Minnesota
Anthony Edwards scored 31 points, Donte DiVincenzo added 18 and the surging Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Clippers 94-88 on Thursday night.
Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 12 points and Rudy Gobert had 13 rebounds to help the Timberwolves improve to 5-1 since Feb. 9 and 3-1 since the All-Star break.
Edwards, returning to the site of the All-Star Game, where he was the MVP, was 12 for 24 from the floor and sealed the victory with a step-back three-pointer over two defenders for a 92-88 lead with 42.9 seconds left.
Minnesota improved to 2-0 on a three-game trip.
Derrick Jones Jr. scored 18 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 14 for the Clippers, who struggled from the outset with a season-low 38 points in the first half. Kris Dunn had 11 points for the Clippers (27-31), who have lost three consecutive games for the first time since December.
The Clippers struggled on offense without star Kawhi Leonard, out because of ankle soreness. The Clippers shot 40.5% from the floor, including 18.2% (four for 22) in the second quarter. Minnesota shot 43.4% in the game.
The Timberwolves (37-23) scored just 15 points in the second quarter and still topped the Clippers, who had 11. Minnesota led 44-38 at halftime behind 12 points from DiVincenzo and 11 from Edwards.
The Clippers led by six in the third quarter and were up 68-63 heading into the fourth. Edwards’ drive and reverse layup put the Timberwolves up for good at 76-74 with 7:40 remaining.
The Clippers pulled within one three times in the last 2½ minutes, but Edwards answered each time. He scored the Timberwolves’ last nine points.
Up next for Clippers: vs. New Orleans on Sunday night.
Minnesota
Church congregant filed lawsuit against alleged Minnesota church protesters
A St. Paul church member has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a group of individuals, including journalist Don Lemon and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, unlawfully disrupted service last month as part of a coordinated political demonstration.
The complaint, filed by Ann Doucette in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, alleges that a Jan. 18 demonstration at Cities Church interfered with her ability to worship and caused her to suffer damages, including emotional distress and trauma.
In addition to the former CNN anchor and Armstrong, the complaint names journalist Georgia Fort and activists Will Kelly, Jerome Richardson, Trahern Crews and Jamael Lundy. It also names St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Allen.
Doucette and seven of the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Doucette filed the complaint without the representation of an attorney. In an emailed statement to NBC News, Crews denied the lawsuit’s allegations “with empathy and compassion.”
The lawsuit accuses the group of civil conspiracy, aiding and abetting, intentional infliction of emotional distress, interference with religious exercise and trespassing.
“As a result of Defendants’ actions, the worship service was disrupted, congregants experienced fear and distress, and Plaintiff’s ability to freely exercise her religion in a private place of worship was unlawfully interfered with,” the lawsuit states.
All eight defendants are also facing federal charges for conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and for interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom. Lemon has pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying outside the court, “I wanted to say this isn’t just about me, this is about all journalists, especially in the United States.”
Fort, Crews and Lundy were released on bond and entered not guilty pleas, according to The Associated Press.
This is the latest legal action tied to protests in the Twin Cities, where tensions remain over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
According to the lawsuit, the demonstrators engaged in “coordinated conduct” by organizing meetings ahead of the “Operation Pullup” protest and promoting it on social media.
The lawsuit alleges that on the morning of Jan. 18, a coordinated group of individuals entered Cities Church, halting the worship service, and chanting “‘ICE Out!’ and ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!’” while obstructing aisles. Protesters could allegedly be seen “confronting the pastor and congregants in a menacing manner,” the lawsuit says, noting that their chanting and “aggressive gestures” caused “severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma” and caused children “terror.”
Demonstrators gathered at the church because they said its pastor, David Easterwood, was the acting director of an ICE field office in the city, the lawsuit says.
Lemon was arrested in January in California and accused of violating federal civil rights law after covering the protest on Jan. 18. He was released on a personal recognizance bond before a federal grand jury in Minnesota returned the indictment against Lemon and eight co-defendants, all of whom are also named in Doucette’s lawsuit.
In the lawsuit, Doucette alleges that Lemon specifically livestreamed the protest, “noting congregants’ fear and distress, and appeared to take satisfaction in the disruption.”
Levy Armstrong, a Minneapolis-based civil rights attorney and activist, was also arrested for her participation in the St. Paul protest. Her arrest drew national attention after the White House shared on social media doctored photos where she appeared to be crying.
Minnesota
Man arrested, charged with threatening to kill a state senator
A Hubbard County man was arrested and charged after threatening to kill a Minnesota state senator on Facebook.
Court documents filed on Wednesday state the Minnesota State Patrol were investigating a threat posted by John Tobias saying that he would “kill every one of you treasonous [expletive] immediately” if he did not get money back that he claims he lost during the 2020 COVID shutdown.
Court documents go on to say that Tobias then called the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office asking for something to be done about “Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ‘unconstitutionally’ shutting down the state due to COVID-19.
The Minnesota State Patrol contacted Hubbard County deputies regarding Tobias. Court documents state Hubbard County investigators were already familiar with Tobais after speaking with him regarding similar threats he made in Jan.
The charging documents state that investigators searched Tobias’ residence on Tuesday and found an arsenal of guns and 45 boxes of ammunition.
Tobias was taken into custody. During an interview with law enforcement, Tobias admitted to making the threat on Facebook. He also told investigators that “he did not have any intention of killing anyone, but admitted he was trying to get people’s attention,” according to court records.
In late 2025, Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol, who oversees Capitol security, told a panel of lawmakers that threats to lawmakers had doubled between 2024 and 2025.
Tobias made his first court appearance Wednesday morning and is expected back in court early next month.
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