Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Pfeilsticker pleads guilty to DWI

By Kevin Behr | Winona Daily News

Winona Senior High School social studies teacher and state House of Representatives candidate Linda Pfeilsticker pleaded guilty to drunken driving in Wabasha County District Court Monday.

Pfeilsticker, 36, was convicted and ordered to pay a $400 fine and $257 in court fees. She paid both balances Monday.

Judge Jeff Thompson, who divides his time between Wabasha and Winona County courthouses, also put Pfeilsticker on unsupervised probation for a year.

According to police reports, Pfeilsticker drove off of Highway 60 near her Wabasha home around 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 9. A Wabasha County sheriff’s deputy who helped her get the vehicle out of the ditch noticed she was under the influence of alcohol.

Pfeilsticker failed field sobriety tests and was found to have a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.17 percent, more than twice the legal driving limit. She was cited for misdemeanor drunken driving.

Pfeilsticker apologized in a letter to the editor on Dec. 21 for her “poor choice.” She is currently running for State House seat 28B and said this incident will not affect her candidacy.

Contact Kevin Behr at (507) 453-3524 or at kbehr@winonadailynews.com.