Speech team places fourth

FAIRMONT — The Fairmont High School speech team earned fourth place at the recent state high schools speech tournament in Apple Valley.

More than 100 Class A teams competed in the event. Cannon Falls captured its third consecutive team championship with seven medalists and 41 points. Mounds Park Academy of St. Paul also had seven medalists and finished with 34 points as the runner-up.

Melrose Area (third place) and Fairmont each had six medalists and finished with 30 and 29 points, respectively.

Lexi Fischer of Fairmont was one of six competitors earning her third medal at state speech.

Results for the six Cardinal speakers who earned medals are as follows: Eric Head — second place in creative expression; McKenna Mathews — third place in informative speaking; Ben Hernes — fourth place in serious interpretation-prose; Lexi Fischer — fourth place in creative expression; Ameya Komaragiri — fifth place in original oratory; and Maddy Pierce — seventh place in great speeches.

Woman facing felony charge

FAIRMONT — A Ceylon woman is facing a felony charge in Martin County.

Sheila Marie Vinyard, 59, has been charged with drug possession in the fifth degree, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to the complaint:

On April 16, two Martin County Sheriff’s deputies went to Ceylon in an attempt to locate the subject of an arrest warrant. While in Ceylon, they made contact with Vinyard. In speaking with her, they could tell she was intoxicated, and a neighbor reported she was on probation.

One of the deputies checked with a probation officer, who confirmed that Vinyard was on probation. The probation officer also stated that Vinyard had missed a meeting that morning. The deputies had Vinyard give a preliminary breath test and the result was .027.

Vinyard was placed under arrest and transported to the Martin County jail for a probation violation. While at the jail, Vinyard’s purse was searched and inside were two bags of marijuana and a pill bottle that contained Clonazepam pills. The label attached to the pill bottle indicated it had been prescribed to another individual and not to Vinyard. Clonazepam is a controlled substance requiring a prescription to possess.