Judge orders investigation of assets in WCAL case

A while back, we reported on fallout from the sale of WCAL, St. Olaf College's longtime classical music station, which MPR bought and turned into The Current.

As we left things, Judge Wolf in Rice County was looking into whether St. Olaf was wrong to sell the station and absorb its assets. Today, there's new news! And it's not what St. Olaf was hoping for.

This morning, Wolf appointed a retired judge to suss out the assets and donations in St. Olaf coffers linked to WCAL. The newly-appointed investigator will report back on how the donations made to WCAL have been held, how they should have been held, and whether they were used for their intended purpose. Wolf also made clear that the college is solely responsible for footing the bill for this investigation. Once it's completed, he'll issue a ruling based on its findings.

All in all, not a happy day for the St. Olaf administration.