MnDOT has completed bridge repairs on Highway 169 in Princeton, and all lanes, bridges, and access ramps are now open between Baxter Road and 313th Avenue. According to a MnDOT news release, the project repaired and replaced the surface on eight bridges over North Rum River Drive, the West Branch Rum River, First Street, and South Rum River Drive. The project took six months to complete and cost $7.3 million. The release states that the upgrades will reduce long-term maintena

Kanabec County is navigating impacts from the federal government shutdown, including a program that helps support more than 800 households. Due to the shutdown, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits will not be issued for November. According to Kanabec County Family Services director Chuck Hurd, the county currently has 836 active households receiving SNAP benefits, which is about 1,355 people. Kanabec County also has about 60 households in the Minnes

Mora's Maple Avenue reconstruction project is nearing completion, according to public utilities general manager Joe Kohlgraf. "It's getting really close," Kohlgraf said on Friday. "They finished most of the sidewalks last week, and a few little punch list items this week. They're raising irons in the street, and anything that was blacktopped behind the sidewalks and lots, that's all been completed, so we are getting there. We're almost there." Kohlgraf said Oct. 31 is the ten

The Mora City Council received an update on a library needs analysis study at Tuesday's meeting, including a potential concept for a new facility. Mauri Solomon, a facility assessment manager with Kraus-Anderson, said the current library rated as poor on the facility condition index. "We found about $1.5 million in needs over a ten-year period," Solomon said. Solomon added that the building's electrical system is original from its 1974 construction. "There's just a lot of cod

The Isle Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating a missing 17-year-old girl. According to a notice from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Lucinia Sam left her Isle residence in the morning of Oct. 21. Investigators believe she may be in the Twin Cities metro area. Sam is described as five-foot-five, weighing 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the Isle Police Department.

The Mora City Council and Public Utilities Commission accepted the resignation of treasurer Charles Hippen-Koch at a special meeting on Oct. 14. According to the draft minutes of the meeting, the council and PUC held a closed session to discuss allegations made against Hippen-Koch. Mora Human Resources Director Mandi Yoder confirmed that no disciplinary action was taken. The city council also unanimously voted to appoint public utilities general manager Joe Kohlgraf as the te

A former Milaca public works department employee filed a lawsuit against the city on Oct. 1, seeking a jury trial and alleging the city violated the Minnesota Whistleblower Act and Occupational Safety and Health Act. According to the lawsuit, Mark Wubben began working full-time in the department in 2017 after being hired as a seasonal park maintenance worker in 2015. The suit alleges that, over the next several years, Wubben raised several concerns about safety violations by

A 46-year-old North Branch man was sentenced to 24 years in prison last week after pleading guilty to three sexual assault cases in 2010, 2011, and 2017. According to a news release from the Chisago County Attorney’s Office, the cases had gone unsolved until a DNA match in 2023 linked Donald Warner to the assaults. The release states that in each case, Warner had attacked young women who were walking in their respective communities at night. The most recent incident occurred

Former Isanti County Sheriff's Foundation treasurer Kim Nordenstrom was charged with attempted identity theft in Pine County on...

The former treasurer of the Isanti County Sheriff's Foundation was charged with two felony-level counts of theft stemming from her time...

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is reviewing the potential environmental impacts from a proposed expansion of the East Central...

Mora public utilities general manager Joe Kohlgraf said the city's Maple Avenue construction is about two or three weeks away from...

The city of Braham is moving forward with purchasing the Lepinski Pallet property off Highway 107. "It's the first thing you see as...

A 30-year-old Mora man was arrested and charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon after allegedly pulling a knife during...

A Mille Lacs County crash on Wednesday morning resulted in the death of a 53-year-old Rush City woman. According to a news release from...

As voters in the Cambridge-Isanti school district prepare to weigh in on two ballot questions in November, superintendent Nate Rudolph...

MnDOT completed a safety audit of Highway 169 between Princeton and Elk River this summer. According to a news release, the audit focused...

A 64-year-old Mora man was charged on Friday with four felony counts of making threats of violence over email. According to the criminal...

With harvest season underway in Minnesota, MnDOT is encouraging drivers to be aware of large farm equipment on the road. According to a...

Early voting began on Friday, Sept. 19, for three school district special elections in east-central Minnesota. Here's what to know about...