Moose Lake School Board chairwoman charged with third DWI

The chairwoman of the Moose Lake School Board faces drunken driving charges for the third time in six years and the fourth since 1992.

Kristine Marie Lyons, 59, was arrested Wednesday, Aug. 15, and charged with two counts of gross misdemeanor second-degree driving while impaired. Lyons was stopped by a Minnesota State Trooper about 11:47 p.m. following a complaint about an erratic driver on Interstate 35.

According to the complaint filed in the incident, the trooper located Lyons’ vehicle and stopped the car after observing what he called poor driving. He reported that Lyons had difficulty responding to his commands and acknowledged that she had consumed alcohol.

The trooper said he smelled a strong odor of alcohol in Lyons’ car and she showed signs of impairment on an initial sobriety test. When the trooper tried to have her perform more sobriety field tests, Lyons attempted to go back to her car. Lyons appeared too inebriated for further tests, he wrote in his report. A preliminary breath test showed a blood-alcohol content of .151, according to the criminal complaint. By law, a driver is considered impaired with blood-alcohol content of .08 or above.

Lyons was taken to the Carlton County Jail, where a blood test put her blood-alcohol content at .18, the complaint said. She was charged with second-degree driving while impaired and released the next day after posting $1,200 cash bail. A court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 12.

According to court records, Lyons was charged with two misdemeanor counts of DWI in April 2007. She later pleaded guilty to one count and the other was dismissed. She was sentenced to 90 days in jail, which was stayed for two years and she was placed on probation.

Lyons was arrested again on Oct. 21, 2009, and charged with two gross misdemeanor counts of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving. She pleaded guilty to one count of DWI as well as reckless driving, and the third count was dismissed. She was sentenced to one year in jail, with 11 months stayed for two years. The judge ordered her to serve 48 hours in the Carlton County Jail and the balance on electronic monitoring. She was also ordered to serve two years on probation.

In 1992, Lyons was charged with DWI and found guilty of a lesser charge. She was placed on two years’ probation.

When contacted about any possible School Board action pending against Lyons, Pete Steen, vice chairman, said: “At this point the matter is not a School Board matter but a court issue.”

Several attempts were made to reach Lyons at home by phone but were met with a busy signal each time.

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