Spicer Mayor Perry Wohnoutka was involved in an altercation at a Spicer establishment Saturday night that resulted in his arrest and fifth-degree assault and disorderly conduct charges filed Wednesday.
This has brought Spicer some unfortunate publicity. Mayor Wohnoutka's actions and the resulting charges have resulted in newspaper, radio and television stories around the state and elsewhere.
Certainly, this is not the type of publicity that Mayor Wohnoutka or the city of Spicer needed or wanted.
Some have blamed this recent Wohnoutka incident on the business establishment and its bouncers, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department and/or the media.
The truth is the responsibility lies with Mayor Wohnoutka and his actions.
ADVERTISEMENT
He allegedly was intoxicated in a public place with a blood-alcohol level of 0.217, according to law enforcement reports. After being cut off from further alcohol purchases and later being asked to leave the premises, he then allegedly got into an altercation with the establishment's personnel and was arrested.
Mayor Wohnoutka will have his opportunity to address these two charges in Kandiyohi County District Court later this month.
However, these charges are not the first that he has faced. He pleaded in 2004 in Renville County to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct and petty misdemeanor drug and drug paraphernalia possession charges. And in 1990 he pleaded guilty to driving while impaired.
Mayor Wohnoutka has some thinking to do concerning his own behavior as well as his own health.
He also has some thinking to do concerning the city of Spicer. As the top elected official in Spicer, his recent actions were not nicer for Spicer.
Certainly, he owes the citizens an apology for bringing embarrassment upon Spicer.
