Minnesota bar owner charged with two counts of arson

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) – The owner of a historic St. Cloud bar is charged with two counts of first degree arson for allegedly setting fire to the business.

Forty-year-old Andrew Welsh, of St. Joseph, Minnesota is accused of burning down the Press Bar and Parlor, a century-old establishment in downtown St. Cloud. Damage was estimated at $1 million.

A Stearns County Judge set bail at $1.2 million without conditions and $200,000 if he agrees to surrender his firearms and passport and stay in the state.

Welsh’s lawyer, Ryan Garry, said in an earlier statement that his client is “absolutely innocent.”