A small-town mayor and former sheriff's deputy has been charged with drunken driving, speeding and careless driving. Thomas E. McBroom Sr. was clocked by a state trooper at 97 mph in a 60 mph zone, according to a summons and complaint filed last week in Le Sueur County District Court.
When he was questioned, McBroom denied drinking any alcohol and said he was speeding because he badly had to go to the bathroom. After failing field sobriety tests, McBroom admitted having had "five or six beers" and added he'd "probably had too much," according to the complaint. Tests revealed McBroom had a blood alcohol content of .0179, more than twice the state's legal limit of .008.
The charges against the mayor are all gross misdemeanors.
McBroom is mayor of Elysian, a town of about 650 residents in Le Sueur and Waseca counties. A former Rice County sheriff's deputy, he retired after being sued by Diamond Reynolds, girlfriend of Philando Castile, who was killed by a St. Anthony police officer in a 2016 traffic stop.
McBroom had tweeted that Reynolds would probably spend an $800,000 settlement on "crack cocaine." He settled the case for an undisclosed amount and issued an apology.
John Reinan
WASECA
City offering $30,000 prize to new business
Waseca is offering a $30,000 prize to the winner in a contest to bring new business to the city.
The Waseca New Business Challenge aims to support entrepreneurial activity in the city of about 9,500 residents. Participants will attend a 10-week training course and make a new-business pitch at the end of the class. Entries will be judged by a group of business owners, community residents, local bankers and city officials.
