The Pine City High School Theater Program will present three public performances of "Alice in Wonderland" as this year's spring play. According to theater director Becky Schueller, the performances are set for 7 p.m. on Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 12. General admission tickets are available in advance at the Pine City Chamber of Commerce office and high school reception office, and at the door. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for

Chief Deputy Scott Grice from the Pine County Sheriff's Office has announced his candidacy for sheriff in November's election. On March 26, Pine County Sheriff Jeff Nelson stated that he would not be seeking a fourth term in the position. Grice was hired by the Pine County Sheriff's Office in 1995 as a water patrol officer and civil process server, and has also worked as a jailer/dispatcher, deputy, investigator, and sergeant. "Having worked through the ranks, I understand th

A Pine City man has been charged with one felony count of failing to file a sales and use tax return and a felony count of willfully failing to pay sales and use tax after allegedly operating an unlicensed cannabis cultivation and retail business. Alan Mosio was arrested and charged with multiple counts of drug possession and unlawful cultivation of cannabis plants in January . East Central Drug and Violent Offender Task Force agents began a narcotics investigation regarding

A winter storm warning will take effect in Pine County starting at 4 p.m. on Friday until 1 a.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. According to the alert, heavy mixed precipitation is expected, with total snow and sleet accumulations between 1 and 3 inches. Ice is also anticipated to accumulate between one-tenth and one-quarter of an inch. The NWS cautions that the majority of ice accumulation will be on Friday night. The National Weather Service warns that p

The Hinckley-Finlayson school board unanimously voted to select Mike McNulty as the district's next superintendent at a special meeting on Thursday. McNulty currently serves as the director of business operations at Rockford Area Schools. According to a news release from the district, the board will be conducting negotiations with McNulty, and a contract is anticipated to be approved at the April 13 board meeting. McNulty's pending start date is slated for July 1. “We are exc

At Wednesday's meeting, the Pine City Council unanimously voted to move forward with the second phase of an engagement agreement with Bigfork Valley Log Cabins, LLC, about potentially moving municipal liquor store operations to a proposed multi-use development. According to the agreement, the second phase includes the "preparation of detailed architectural drawings for the proposed liquor store." The agreement also states that Phase 2 "constitutes the final stage of the desig

At last count, Andrew Arellano, a self-taught artist based out of Nowthen, has filled approximately 42 sketchbooks — and counting — with artwork. "And I still have all of them," Arellano said. Starting on Friday, the Pine Center For the Arts will host an exhibition titled "The Sketchbook of Andrew Arellano, Onto the Next Page," running through the month of April. Arellano joined WCMP on Wednesday for a conversation about the upcoming gallery, his artistic inspirations, and h

Ruby's Pantry — a nonprofit organization that operated pop-up food pantries in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Iowa — announced on Tuesday that operations ended effectively immediately. Pop-up locations included Access Church in North Branch, New Hope Community Church in Isanti, Memorial Drive Bible Fellowship in Askov, and New Life Church of Foley. A statement from Ruby's Pantry reads, in part: "Over the past several months, we have been thoughtfully realigning the w

MnDOT announced its 2026 road construction projects on Tuesday, including multiple that will impact motorists in east-central Minnesota. The projects include: Striping and pavement marking along I-35 in Pine County, which is expected to wrap up by May. Resurfacing and updating over 10 miles of Highway 65, starting between Stanchfield and Cambridge after the Fourth of July. A second segment between Stanchfield to north of Braham will start in spring of 2027. The project is est

The Hinckley-Finlayson school board unanimously selected two finalists for a second interview for the district's superintendent position after interviewing five candidates on March 30 and 31. According to a news release from the district, the finalists are Mike McNulty, who currently serves as the director of business operations at Rockford Area Schools, and Drew Goeldner, the chief financial officer at Country Services, Inc. The follow-up interviews are scheduled to start at

The CEO of the Mille Lacs Health System in Onamia said there’s “light at the end of the tunnel” after an issue with the Medicare and Medicaid billing system led to millions of dollars of withheld reimbursements since Jan. 1. In an interview on Monday, Andy Knutson explained that in July of 2025, the Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) turned on an edit designed to reduce fraud in the system. "We felt we were ready for the switch to flip in July," Knutson said. "W

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is restricting the open burning of vegetative debris starting Monday, March 30, due to increased wildfire risk. According to the DNR, the increased risks result from warm temperatures and dry conditions in parts of the state. The restrictions apply in Pine, Kanabec, Chisago, Isanti, and Mille Lacs counties. The DNR will not issue permits for open burning of brush or yard waste in those counties until restrictions are lifted. “Wild

Pine City's Art in the Park will kick off its season with music from the Pine City High School jazz band on May 22. With the summer concert series fast approaching, Adrienne Roubinek and Steve Wilson from the Pine City Arts Council joined WCMP for an interview on March 27 for a behind-the-scenes look at the nonprofit that's brought live music to Robinson Park since 1987. Roubinek has been part of the Pine City Arts Council since its inception in 1977, when the organization st

The Pine Center For the Arts will host an exhibition titled "The Sketchbook of Andrew Arellano, Onto the Next Page" through the month of April. Arellano, a self-taught artist, began drawing when he was eight years old. The gallery will feature his charcoal and pencil drawings; many of his works have been inspired by his wife, Amy. He's also inspired by the works of artists like Salvador Dali, Georgia O'Keefe, and MC Escher. According to a news release from the Pine Center Fro

The Bookmatch — a 32-unit apartment complex in the converted historic Sandstone School building — opened applications for tenants on March 24. According to a news release from Minneapolis-based firm Jillpine, which is leading the redevelopment effort, the project will be open for move-in on July 1. "This project will meet a growing demand for workforce housing in Sandstone," said Jillpine founder and principal Meghan Elliott in the release. "We're meeting a market need while

Pine County Sheriff Jeff Nelson announced Thursday that he will not seek a fourth term as sheriff. "I don't know that I've kept it a secret, but I am not planning on running for sheriff again this fall," Nelson said during the sheriff's report on WCMP. Nelson said he'll officially be out of office effective Jan. 4, after a new sheriff is installed in November's election. "It's been a while to get there emotionally, because it's been my life," Nelson said. "It's been 34-ish ye

Conversations about fully reopening the Snake River Fur Post in Pine City have reached “a bit of a pause” as community stakeholders work out how to best move forward. On March 17, Pine County commissioner Steve Hallan said that Native American groups are seeking a Native cultural survey done at the historic site. "We don't own the site, the historical society does, so I believe the best interest of Pine County is to wait and see what comes out of that, and we can pick up wher

The Pine City Council unanimously voted to offer Jason Chapman the public works director position at a special meeting on Thursday. The council interviewed three candidates for the job at the meeting. According to information from city administrator Marcy Peterson, Chapman is a Pine City resident with decades of municipal experience in Maple Grove and currently in Lino Lakes. After submitting his letter of resignation on Jan. 12, former public works director Maury Montbriand

The Pine County Sheriff's Office is seeking information about a March 20 shooting in Pine City believed to have stemmed from a road rage incident. According to information from Chief Deputy Scott Grice, deputies responded to a shooting at approximately 8:05 p.m. on Friday. The sheriff's office is looking for video surveillance from the areas of 2nd Street SE, 8th Avenue SE, St. Croix Road SE, and Cross Lake Road SE. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to conta

As a longtime resident of northern Pine County, singer-songwriter Nathan Frazer has found himself living "between the wilderness and a scene" since he started playing music in the early nineties. On Wednesday, Frazer joined WCMP for an interview to discuss his plans to record an album in May, his songwriting inspirations and process, and live music as a means of community connection. Frazer pinpoints listening to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's rendition of "Mr. Bojangles" in hi