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 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

This weekend's snowstorm brought less accumulation than was initially forecast, according to snowfall reports from the National Weather Service . Chisago City was on the high end of accumulation tallies, with separate locations reporting 6.4 and 6.2 inches, respectively. Isanti was one of multiple municipalities reporting over 4 inches of snow, with 4.9. Others include Foreston with 4.4 inches, Pine City with 4.3, and Milaca and Luck with 4. Other area snowfall totals include

Braham's Hometown Liquor Store will be closed until Monday, March 16 after a vehicle drove into the building on Saturday afternoon. According to a news release from the Braham Police Department, a personal injury accident was reported at the liquor store just after 1:30 p.m. Braham's police and fire departments responded to the scene and located a vehicle inside the building, with a male driver still stuck in the vehicle. The release states that emergency crews pulled the veh

A winter storm warning is set to take effect from 10 p.m. Saturday through 7 p.m. Sunday in much of east-central Minnesota, according to the National Weather Service. Kanabec and Mille Lacs counties could see total snow accumulations between 5 and 10 inches, with between 10 and 15 inches possible in Chisago and Isanti counties. The National Weather Service also says winds could gust as high as 40 miles per hour. According to the NWS, the heaviest snow is expected on Saturday

A two-vehicle crash resulted in a fatality on Wednesday morning in Isanti County. According to a news release from the Isanti County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a crash at the intersection of Durant Street Northeast and 269th Avenue Northeast just after 9:30 a.m. Emergency personnel determined an adult female was deceased at the scene. Her identity will be released upon positive identification by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office. A female party from the secon

An open house at Mora City Hall on March 11 will officially kick off the design phase of a MnDOT project to reconstruct and update Highway 65 in Mora. On Thursday, MnDOT development project manager Eric Schiller joined KBEK to share details about project planning, with construction to start as early as 2030. Schiller explained that the project was initially only planned for pavement rehabilitation from Ann River/Fish Lake to Mora Lake, but now includes four single-lane rounda

A head-on collision on Highway 169 in Mille Lacs County resulted in four deaths and one passenger sustaining life-threatening injuries on Wednesday. According to the state patrol incident report, a Buick LaSabre was traveling just north of Shakopee Lake Road in Kathio Township around 7 p.m. when it crossed the center line and struck a southbound Saab sedan. The Buick's driver, 21-year-old Isle resident Samantha Ajax, died in the crash. It's unknown if she was wearing a seatbe