In what could be called "The Great Waste Bin Disappearance of 2018", many trash bins are going missing across Pine and Kanabec Counties.
While it's assumed there's nothing very sinister behind their disappearance, the cans are nonetheless either wandering away or being stolen (we can safely assume the cans themselves are not sentient). Pine County Sheriff Jeff Nelson said the issue began in neighboring Kanabec County.
"10 or 12 in the Kanabec area, and then just this last week on our side of the line one went missing as well. We're not sure exactly why so many of those are going missing. Most of them that I've seen that they (companies) give out for use have names on them, so I'm not sure what you're going to do with a stolen garbage can."
While the situation is baffling, Nelson encouraged anyone who might have an inkling of their whereabouts to contact the sheriff's office.
"Obviously if someone sees a stockpile of them or notices someone selling them on Craigslist, let us know so we can figure out what that's all about. I can honestly say I've never in my career had a report about a garbage can being stolen."
While no suspect list currently exists, WCMP believes the potential perpetrator to be green, grouchy, and currently residing on Sesame Street. If you have information on the case, call the Pine County Sheriff's Office at (320)-629-8380.
