Man charged with 4 felonies after traffic stop
An Apple Valley man was busted with 15 grams of meth in Northfield. Just after midnight yesterday, Dundas Officer Kline noted a vehicle that did not signal his turn onto Hwy 3, saw a brake light out and was swerving. The car turned at Co. Rd. 1 where Kline pulled him over. 26 year old Oleg Vinetsky told Kline he was swerving because he 
was eating a bag of nuts.
The officer saw that the vehicle had an alcohol sensor installed, Vinetsky’s pupils were dilated and his movements were erratic. After a pat-down, Kline found a scale in Vinetsky’s front pocket and a meth pipe. He also found a baggie that later tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 6 grams. Searching the vehicle, the officer found another baggie with 9 grams of meth. Under the drivers seat was an uncased loaded Ruger 9mm handgun. Vinetsky’s been charged with 4 felonies including 1st degree sale of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm after a violent crime conviction. The most serious charges carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison and a million dollar fine. Bail was set at $250,000 without conditions. His court appearance is scheduled for July 13th. He remains in the Rice County jail. Vinetsky criminal complaint.
Fireworks and warnings
Fourth of July means fireworks and Police Chief Monte Nelson says, while Minnesota allows certain types of fireworks, people stretch the limits. He said even the legal fireworks must be set off on private property. It is illegal to blow them off on public streets or parks. Be mindful of children, supervise them and keep a bucket of water or hose in the area. Northfield has moved their annual Fireworks Display back to Sechler Park. The North Entrance to the park will close around 7pm (it’s behind Kwik Trip). There are numerous places to view the display including the rodeo grounds. The Northfield Historical Society has a map of the best sites to watch posted on northfieldhistory.org. Nelson also reminds folks not to drink and drive, wear your seat-belts, wear a helmet, watch for motorcycles and, maybe more than anything else, don’t text and drive. He said that’s a huge safety concern. In fact crashes are up 21{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9}.
Downtown parking enforcement
Heads up Northfield Police will be stepping up their parking enforcement. Chief Nelson said their new Community Service Officer has been handing out warning tickets and will continue through next week but, after that, it’s ticket time.
Vintage Baseball on Monday
Catch a Vintage Baseball game, baseball the way it was meant to be played, as Northfield Historical Society Ex. Director Hayes Scriven says “watch the Northfield Silverstars stomp the St. Croix Baseball Club” at the foot of Old Main on the St. Olaf Campus. The original rules are quite different and add to the fun of the game. Scriven added that they pitch underhand and don’t wear gloves. He says bring a blanket, bring the kids. The players interact with the fans. “It’s so much fun”. That’s 1 o’clock on the 4th at the foot of Old Main on the St. Olaf campus.
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