A 39-year-old Chisago City man was taken into custody on Tuesday after barricading himself inside a business and threatening to set it on fire. According to a news release from the Lakes Area Police Department, the Chisago County Communications Center received a report of a person having a mental health crisis at a Liberty Lane business around 11 a.m. Nearby businesses and residences were evacuated "out of an abundance of caution" due to chemicals stored on-site. The incident

The Hinckley-Finlayson school board accepted the resignation of Superintendent Brian Masterson — effective June 30, 2026 — at a special meeting on Monday. Masterson submitted his formal resignation in a letter to the board on Dec. 19. He served as the district's superintendent for the past four years, after previously serving as high school principal for 11 years. The board voted to move forward with a full superintendent search at Monday's meeting. The resignation letter rea

Paraprofessional hiring practices have been in the spotlight for the local AFSCME Council 65 union and the Pine City school district. In late November, Local 1647-3 President Elizabeth Perreault sat down for an interview with WCMP to share the union’s perspective. “It appears that the school district has adopted a sort of new hiring practice from what we’ve been used to in previous years, and it’s causing a lot of frustration among our current staff,” Perreault said. Perreaul

A deceased man was located at a Chisago City park on Monday afternoon. According to a news release from the Lakes Area Police Department, the Chisago County Communications Center received a report of a person laying on the ground at Paradise Park around 2:45 p.m. The calling party believed the individual was dead. Responding officers located the individual near a park shelter and confirmed he was deceased. The 63-year-old male's identity is currently being withheld, pending n