The consequences for a DWI include loss of a driver’s license for up to a year, higher insurance rates and possible jail time. According to the Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety, one in seven drivers in the state has a DWI on record.

Labor Day is here, signaling the end of the Minnesota State Fair, outdoor parties, the last day of summer vacation for many state school kids and a day of play instead of a rallying point for workers.

Same old, same old. Gilbert Ricardo Garcia was stopped by Bloomington police Sunday who found him with a blood-alcohol content twice the legal limit and eleven previous charges for DWI.

His lawyer says the Carlton County Attorney has checked into the Hazelden treatment center. His blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit to drive when he was pulled over earlier this month. The County Board of Commissioners is still awaiting word on if and when he plans to return to work.

From now through September law enforcers will focus on the counties that in recent years have accounted for nearly half of the alcohol-related deaths on the roads. That includes Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, St. Louis, Dakota, Wright, Olmsted, Rice, Washington, Stearns, Sherburne, Scott and Carver.