public safety

Sheriff: Law enforcement tenacity and new technology led to conviction

May 3, 2023

Editor’s note: Goodhue County Sheriff Marty Kelly released the following statement on April 28 accompanying the announcement of the sentencing of Jennifer Matter for Second Degree Murder in the death of her infant son, whose body was found on the beach in Old Frontenac in 2003. Today marks the...

Body discovered in flooded area north of Diamond Bluff

Apr 26, 2023

On April 23 at 4:44 p.m. the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) received a report that a kayaker had discovered a body in the Mississippi River, north of Diamond Bluff, according to a news release. The body was located floating in what would typically be an inland area but was currently...

Updated: Motorist drives on Frontenac State Park hiking trail, gets stuck

Apr 12, 2023

A nighttime drive along a Frontenac State Park hiking trail on April 4 turned out badly, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Derek Schneider, the DNR Conservation Officer who responded to the call, said: “A motorist drove down hiking trails in the state park at night...

Kelly: Ask legislators to oppose cannabis legalization

Apr 12, 2023

As Sheriff of Goodhue County, I was elected to enforce our laws and keep the public safe. With the Minnesota Legislature considering the legalization of recreational cannabis, my job may be changing substantially in the near future. These bills have been moving through the legislature at a rapid...

St. John's student dies in accident

Apr 5, 2023

A 14-year-old St. John’s student has died after becoming trapped and suffocating in rural Kellogg. Hunter Flaxbeard of Kellogg died March 30 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, two days after emergency responders removed him from a hole where he had become trapped. “On March 28 at approximately 5:37...

Road grader operator killed

Mar 29, 2023

A road grader operator was killed in Wabasha County on Thursday, March 23, according to the Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office. “On March 23 at approximately 10:51 a.m. the Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call for service located at 330th Avenue and County Road 72 west of Millville in...

Sheriff’s office issues ice warning after nine became stranded on Lake Pepin

Mar 8, 2023

After rescuing nine individuals from an ice sheet on Lake Pepin Sunday, the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office is reminding the public that the ice conditions are extremely dangerous, according to a news release. “The combination of a warm winter along with the recent precipitation have created...

Guilty plea in newborn’s death in 2003

Feb 1, 2023

On Jan. 25, Jennifer Lynn Matter, age 50, of Red Wing, appeared in Goodhue County District Court and entered a guilty plea to Second Degree Intentional Murder, in relation to the death of her newborn child that occurred in December 2003, according to a news release from Goodhue County. The factual...

Several vehicles break through ice in Frontenac

Jan 25, 2023

Six vehicles had to be towed out of the water at Frontenac Beach in Florence Township Saturday after falling through the Lake Pepin ice, according to the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office. “When deputies arrived there were approximately 15 vehicles that were parked just off the boat launch area on...

Police help during railroad crossing malfunction, issue safety reminder